"Dead… Eleonora Asil is dead." Kyle Leonard muttered to himself. He stared deeply into the eyes of the woman across him, searching for a lie.
Both stood frozen in their places, their heartbeats audible in the noiseless room. Soon, the man asked Park Noah monotonously. "Will you cooperate?"
With a gulp, Park Noah nodded. The man's eyes glanced around the room, perhaps sensing the dragon's magic that was still evident in the atmosphere. Currently, Park Noah was no longer Eleonora Asil, the witch with 15 previous convictions. But, she remains a suspect for stealing the dragon egg.
Park Noah mustered her courage and opened her quivering mouth to speak. "I'll cooperate. I promise I won't rebel. You've seen me the closest for almost a week now. You are aware of how lazy I am. You already know that I'm the kind of person who would rather get caught than rebel."
"…."
"So now…that gun…" Mister, could you drop the gun, please?
There was a moment of silence. Kyle Leonard remained vigilant, his violet eyes glaring coldly, showing no signs of conceding. The woman's pleas seemed to have not eased his suspicions. Then, slowly, he lowered his revolver without uttering a word.
Finally, Park Noah exhaled a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Her nerves relaxed a little, relieved that there was no revolver aimed at her head anymore. However, the calm only lasted for so long.
Kyle Leonard began to walk toward her without batting an eyelash.
"….!"
Reflexively, Park Noah took a step backward, almost hitting her head against the wall; the child sandwiched between her and the wall. Feet apart and his finger still on the trigger, Noah's breathed hitched in her throat. She mutters a curse inside her head. How long are you going to hold on to that…!
Suddenly, Leonard raised her arm, revealing the mark on her wrist. "Is this the dragon imprint?"
"…Yes." Park Noah mumbled.
"You told me you had nothing to do with the dragon's egg disappearance. Was that a lie?"
"I've never lied."
Behind her, the child growled faintly, but Park Noah couldn't look down to him. She was beginning to gasp for air, and her heart, which had been pounding like a hammer since earlier, now roared like an engine.
Her head began to spin, and her legs began to lose its strength. Feeling a bad premonition, she tried to reason out to Kyle Leonard as quickly as she could. "I possessed Eleonora's body two years ago, and immediately came down to this place. I have never been in contact with anyone she's known before…uh…also…I didn't steal it…"
"Wait." Kyle Leonard interrupted Park Noah's gabbling. He noticed that her breathing had become ragged. Frowning, he asks her, "You…why are you breathing…"
"…!"
A clank was heard from the floor. The black revolver fell to the ground as Kyle Leonard hurriedly grabbed Park Noah's collapsing body. She had blacked out.
After a minute or two, Park Noah regained her consciousness. She awoke to a pair of worried round red eyes and tiny hands clutching her shoulders.
"Master, are you alright?"
This time, she could not even complain about being called 'master.' Park Noah slowly leaned her head against the wall and shut her eyes. Wow, the stars do twinkle brightly.
Kyle Leonard grazed the back of his palm over her forehead, cheek, and behind her ears to check her temperature. Park Noah instantly opened her eyes, startled at the cold sensation. She was surprised to see an embarrassed Kyle Leonard crouching in front of her.
"My voice, can you hear it?" He asked.
In return, Park Noah barely nodded. She felt as if she would vomit if she opened her mouth to speak.
Kyle Leonard looked at her with dismay. "You said you were imprinted. Why would you…"
It's because you pointed a gun at me, you nut!
Her agitation seemed to have flowed directly to the little dragon because he screamed at the man instead. "It's because you bullied Noah!"
Muell was gripping his master's hand, his eyes brimming with tears as he glared at Kyle Leonard. Park Noah, too, followed in suit and shot the investigator a resentful look.
A heavy sigh escaped Kyle Leonard's lips. He massaged the temples of his forehead. The brute persona of his has disappeared; he was back to being the Kyle Leonard Park Noah knew.