Dragon King's Harem Chapter 556. Dangerous for World Protectors

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 556. Dangerous for World Protectors

Seraphel’s PoV

The portal closed.

Just like that.

One second, the cold blue light painted the forest in fractured shadows.

The next?

Gone.

Only darkness remained.

And Seraphel still stood there.

Motionless.

The wind moved through the trees softly, brushing against her hair and cloak, but she barely noticed it. Her eyes stayed locked on the empty space where the portal had been moments ago.

Like part of her expected it to reopen.

Like he might step back out with that annoyingly calm face and another ridiculous sentence about “improvising confidently.”

A quiet breath escaped her.

“…Argod,” she whispered.

The name felt strange in her mouth now.

Not unfamiliar.

Just… distant.

Changed.

Her fingers curled slightly around the pouch in her hand as her gaze lowered briefly before drifting back toward the empty air again.

“You changed…”

Not in a bad way.

No.

That was the strange part.

For a long time, when she thought about Argod, she remembered coldness first.

Not literal cold.

Something worse.

The kind that settled into a person after too much pain and never fully left.

She remembered his eyes back then. Heavy. Sharp. Tired in a way young rulers were never supposed to look. Every conversation with him felt like standing near a wounded beast pretending it wasn’t bleeding.

The Dark Lord’s curse had wrapped around him like chains.

Not visible ones.

But everyone close to him could feel it.

That pressure.

That constant darkness lurking beneath his skin.

Back then, even when he smiled, which was rare, it looked painful.

Forced.

Like the expression itself exhausted him.

But tonight?

Seraphel slowly exhaled through her nose.

That version of him was… gone.

Or maybe not gone.

Maybe buried.

Maybe healed.

Maybe changed into something she no longer fully recognized.

And somehow?

That unsettled her more than it should have.

Because the Argod she met tonight didn’t feel like a king rotting from the inside anymore.

He looked…

Alive.

Annoyingly alive.

Relaxed enough to joke in the middle of political murder plots.

Sharp enough to predict an entire kingdom takeover while sounding half amused by it.

Confident enough to stand in a cursed forest alone while monsters avoided him out of instinct.

And worst of all?

He looked comfortable around people now.

That one almost made her laugh bitterly.

The old Argod barely tolerated people.

Now?

Now he talked about “his people” like he actually believed he had them.

Women at his side.

Companions he trusted.

Even the way he spoke about them felt different.

Softer.

Not weak.

Just… human.

Which was absurd.

Because dragons were many things.

Human was usually not one of them.

Seraphel lowered her gaze again, staring at the pouch in her hand.

Antidote.

Prepared in advance.

Not just for himself.

For her too.

A small huff escaped her.

“Still reckless,” she muttered quietly.

But the words carried no real heat.

Because she understood what he was doing.

Argod was gambling.

Not blindly.

But emotionally.

And that was new.

The old him would’ve prioritized efficiency first. Kingdom second. Himself third. Everyone else somewhere much lower.

Tonight?

He looked at the situation differently.

Like protecting people mattered more than controlling outcomes.

That was dangerous.

Dangerous for kings.

Dangerous for world protectors.

Dangerous for someone carrying his level of power.

And yet…

Seraphel tilted her head slightly, staring up through the gaps in the trees toward the moonlight above.

“…at least now I don’t have to worry about killing you someday.”

The words came out quieter than she intended.

A strange honesty slipped into them.

Because once upon a time?

She really thought it might happen.

If the Dark Lord’s curse consumed him completely… if he became another monster wearing a king’s face… then someone would need to stop him.

And Seraphel had accepted long ago that it might have to be her.

Not because she hated him.

Maybe because she didn’t.

The thought made her chest feel oddly tight.

She clicked her tongue softly and looked away.

“Well…”

A small breath escaped her.

“As long as you stay this world’s protector.”

The forest answered only with rustling leaves.

Seraphel shifted slightly, finally moving after standing still far too long. Her boots pressed softly against the damp forest floor as she walked a few slow steps forward before stopping again.

Reality returned.

And reality was incredibly irritating.

She dragged a hand down her face.

“…what am I supposed to do with this mess now?”

Seriously.

She came here to observe.

That was the original plan.

Simple.

Elegant.

Stay outside the Bird Tribe territory for a while. Watch political movement around the dwarves. Gather information. Maybe enjoy a little freedom before getting dragged back into endless royal responsibilities again.

Instead?

Now she was standing in the middle of a kingdom-scale assassination plot involving poison, manipulation, mind games, and a dragon king who apparently decided this was the perfect time to become emotionally stable.

Terrible timing.

Absolutely terrible.

She let out another long sigh.

“I thought this wedding would just be annoying.”

A branch creaked somewhere above her.

One of the lurking monsters probably shifted positions again. Still watching. Still too afraid to approach.

Good instinct.

“Now it’s a political nightmare.”

Her eyes drifted toward the distant dwarven capital again.

Tiny lights glowing against the mountain.

Beautiful from far away.

Likely full of idiots.

Especially the king.

Durharn.

Seraphel’s expression flattened immediately at the thought of him.

The man was hopeless.

Not evil.

Honestly, that would’ve been easier.

No.

He was emotional.

And emotional rulers caused disasters faster than cruel ones.

Cruel kings could still think logically.

Kings in love?

Terrifying.

Especially when they stopped listening to everyone around them.

She still couldn’t believe he executed a noble for warning him.

No wonder Argod looked half resigned talking about him.

Seraphel looked back down at the pouch again.

Then slowly…

Very slowly…

A small smile appeared.

Tiny.

Soft.

Almost dangerous in how genuine it looked.

“I guess I’ll watch until the end.”

Because now?

She couldn’t leave.

Not after learning all this.

Not after seeing him again.

And unfortunately…

That last part mattered more than she wanted it to.

Her smile deepened just slightly before she shook her head at herself.

Ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

But still…

“At least,” she murmured softly into the cold night air, “I get to see him a little longer.”

Then her body shifted.

Feathers burst outward in a swirl of ember-red light.

Her form folded into itself smoothly.

And the phoenix vanished into the night sky.