RETURN OF THE FEMALE KNIGHT

108. The Curse on The Imperial Family

Gongyoo's expression was grave as he opened his mouth to speak.

"And so..."

Lalisa's neck tensed as she waited for his words. Somehow, she felt a sense of foreboding from what she was about to hear from the Emperor Gongyoo.

"...To obtain the power of a dragon, human blood is needed."

But she didn't immediately understand him.

'Human...blood?'

She gave Gongyoo a searching look, and he continued his words.

"You don't understand what this means yet."

"No."

"Let me explain. A boy who inherits much of the dragon's blood begins to manifest physical signs around the age of ten. The signs vary, but in Jungkook's case, his whole body turned pitch-black and then pale again."

Upon hearing that, Lalisa understood that Jungkook truly did have the blood of a dragon. Although she still didn't fully trust in Gongyoo's words yet, everything that she had wondered about lined up—the black scales on Jungkook's arm, Gongyoo's sudden consent to the couple's marriage.

Lalisa decided to listen further to the emperor's words. She could make a judgment after she heard everything.

"When does one need human blood?"

"There's no need for worry. They don't have to keep feeding on blood. It only takes seven to ten days to wake up one's ability, and it needn't come from a living human being. The child may try to resist, but eventually the need will overwhelm them and they'll be soaked in the craving of blood."

The more she heard, the more horrified she became. Gongyoo seemed to be speaking from experience, and if her guess was right, then he was talking about Jungkook.

In her mind's, she imagined Jungkook as a young boy, hungrily devouring red blood. A chill shivered in her heart. When she spoke, it was with a colder voice than before.

"That's not what I meant. Why is something as sinister as human blood needed to awaken such a blessed power?"

"That it is a blessed power is correct...but the process of obtaining it, not so."

"Those words—"

Gongyoo interrupted Lalisa and pointed to one of the paintings.

"What does this look like?"

She studied the macabre-looking scene and spoke in a cautious voice.

"The dragon...it looks like it's dead."

"And?"

"A man is eating something in front of the dragon's body."

"You see well."

Gongyoo looked satisfied, but Lalisa was still unsettled. She did not misinterpret the painting, but she still didn't understand what it meant.

"The man who first founded the Ruford Empire was a skilled dragon hunter. After studying dragons for many years, he discovered a secret that only our family knows."

"...?"

"The source of a dragon's magic comes from its heart."

As soon as she heard those words, she grimaced.

'Surely...'

She wondered if her suspicions were correct, but she waited for Gongyoo's last words. He gave a calm smile at the sight of her anxiously trembling red eyes.