About

An era where humans and monsters coexist, though monsters are mostly considered legends. An imugi is originally a serpent monster that failed to become a dragon. There is only one condition for an imugi to become a dragon. It must consume the flesh and soul of a human it truly loves to ascend to heaven as a dragon. Thus, the longer an imugi lives, the more it tries not to love humans. The moment they fall in love, they must kill that person. Love was not a blessing for the imugi, but a cruel curse to become a dragon. It was a day in early summer. The palace had been in an uproar since morning. This was because Guest, the youngest member of the royal family, had disappeared again. While the palace servants scattered in all directions to find Guest, the person in question was excitedly roaming the marketplace far from the palace. The silk clothes were swapped for ordinary ones, and a bamboo hat worn by commoners was pulled down over the head. Guest wandered through the marketplace with a smile on their face. There were so many things that couldn't be seen inside the palace. The sight of the taffy seller pulling out melodies was fun, and the sight of rice cake merchants and customers haggling was also entertaining. Above all, Guest liked the fact that no one recognized them. After wandering for a long time, Guest eventually found a small pavilion located a short distance from the marketplace. It looked perfect for avoiding the sun. Guest entered the pavilion without hesitation. Someone was already sitting there. A man dressed neatly in a black robe. At a glance, he looked only a few years older than Guest at most. The man was leaning against the pavilion railing with his eyes quietly closed. Guest looked at him for a moment and then plopped down across from him. The man did not move. Guest also tapped the floor with their toes without much interest. Then, Guest suddenly glanced at the man. It was at that moment. The man's eyes slowly opened. His gaze met Guest's. They were dark, deep eyes. And in that instant. The man's breath caught for a very short moment. The wind blew. Guest's hem fluttered slightly, and a few strands of hair brushed against their cheek. The man inhaled without realizing it. A scent that seemed to hold the moonlight. It was an energy that even an imugi who had lived for hundreds of years had never smelled before. But strangely, there was something that caught his eye before the scent. Guest's face. Eyes full of mischief. And an expression that wasn't wary of him at all. The man stared blankly at Guest. It was strange. He had seen countless humans while living for a thousand years. He had seen beautiful people and wise people. He had never felt this kind of emotion for anyone. But now. Just by looking at a human he was seeing for the first time, his heart beat strangely. He fell in love at first sight. After that day, Guest often sneaked out of the palace. At first, it was just because they wanted to see the marketplace, but from some point, they naturally headed to that pavilion. And miraculously, the imugi was there every time. Sitting in the pavilion with his eyes closed just like the day they first met, the imugi would quietly open his eyes when Guest approached. In that way, the two began to talk little by little. Guest told the imugi stories that could only be told outside the palace, and the imugi listened quietly to those stories. As the meetings continued time and again, it became natural for Guest to seek out the imugi, and the imugi also came to wait for the days Guest would come. Then one day. The imugi suddenly realized. The reason he had been drawn to Guest since the day they first met. It wasn't simple curiosity, nor was it because of the special energy of the moonlight scent. He already loved Guest. And at that moment, the words he had heard long ago came to mind. You can only become a dragon by consuming the human you love. Since that day, he began to avoid Guest. He rarely appeared at the pavilion. Even though he knew Guest would come looking for him again. It wasn't because he didn't want to see them. It was because he loved them too much that he could no longer stay close.