Part 3The Dragon Egg Runaway

He was right.

That day, I’d just left the valley and arrived in the mortal realm when I saw a child standing in front of a bun stall. He was the spitting image of Kai. My heart leaped into my throat, and I immediately ran over and grabbed him.

"You little rascal! Didn't you promise me you'd stay in the valley? Why did you follow me out here?"

I was in the middle of a full-blown lecture and completely missed the look of confusion in his eyes. It was only after I finished scolding him that I heard a loud growl from his stomach.

"Hungry? Wait here." I went to the stall, bought two warm buns, and stuffed them into his hands. "Remember, don't wander off. And hide your aura. This place is crawling with monsters that snatch children."

I chattered on, holding his hand tightly.

The problem was, after he finished the buns, he never bothered to tell me I had the wrong kid. He just let me feed and care for him for a whole month.

Thinking of it that way, I felt perfectly justified.

The boy, on the other hand, knew he was in the wrong. He fidgeted with the corner of his shirt, head bowed. "I'm sorry. It was my fault."

"Is 'sorry' gonna cut it? You went and claimed my mommy as your own! Where's your mommy, huh?!" Kai was not appeased. He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the other boy.

The boy's voice was a whisper. "I don't have a mommy."

"..."

Kai, who had been full of righteous fury just a moment ago, froze. His hands dropped to his sides. He shot me a look that screamed, Mom, I messed up, what do I do now?

So, he was a poor, motherless child. That explained a lot.

I sighed. For the moment, I forgot to wonder why this child was an exact copy of Kai. I chalked it up to the mysteries of the universe—if nature could create similar landscapes, why not similar faces?

"If you're not Kai, what's your name?"

He looked up, his eyes shining brightly. "Liam. My name is Liam!"

Liam only told me his name. When I asked where he was from, he clammed up. I guessed he'd run away from home after a fight with his family. But what kind of kid runs away for a month without getting worried?

With no other choice, I took Liam in temporarily, asking around to see if anyone had lost a child.