Help! I'm in Another World and the Dragon Man Want Me To Get Pregnant!
Chapter 148: Side Story: Morin in the Republic of Mara (Part 12)

Chapter 148: Side Story: Morin in the Republic of Mara (Part 12)

Morin had met Wenner and their child, Troy—while helping maintain the garden.

At first, Troy had kept his distance, but after a few weeks of small gestures and smiles, they started chatting regularly.

Now, whenever they crossed paths, they’d stop to talk.

"If it’s not too much... would you teach me how to make pudding sometime?" Troy asked, almost shyly.

"Of course!" Morin beamed.

Troy, with his soft curls of golden hair, small frame, large blue eyes, and tiny white horns curling from the sides of his head, looked almost like a sheep beastman.

He was genuinely adorable.

Troy was, truth be told, quite shy.

But that only made it more heartwarming when he asked for help.

Morin gladly accepted the request without hesitation.

Throughout the evening, more and more people came up to express how much they enjoyed the sweets he’d made.

Since he worked here as well, the residents were comfortable chatting with him casually.

It had been a long time since anyone praised him like this.

Their happiness made him happy, and he couldn’t stop smiling.

"Um, M-Morin!"

The one who called out to him so suddenly was Erik—another resident of the apartment.

With soft brown hair and orange eyes, Erik gave off a somewhat unreliable vibe.

They’d met when Erik had nearly fallen down the stairs.

That was quite the scare.

Since then, they’d talk a bit whenever they saw each other.

"The sweets today were really good!"

"Really? I’m glad!"

Morin smiled, genuinely pleased to hear that.

But something about Erik seemed off today.

He was always a little nervous, but tonight he seemed especially fidgety.

"Is something wrong?"

"Um... Morin, can I talk to you? Just for a minute."

"Talk?"

They could just do that here, couldn’t they?

That was Morin’s first thought—but Erik’s behavior said otherwise.

Lately, Morin had started learning to read the atmosphere a bit better.

He’d been studying, after all.

"Uh... do you want to change to another place?"

"If possible."

"Okay, then..."

Glancing around nervously, Morin gently pulled Erik along toward the estate, away from the party.

Once they reached a quiet, shaded spot away from prying eyes, Morin let go of his hand.

"Is here okay?"

"Y-Yes."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

What could it be?

Did he miss something in an inspection?

Was something broken?

Maybe Erik had damaged something and didn’t want Nabe to find out.

A hole in the wall, maybe?

"M-Morin!"

"Yes?"

"Please go out with me!"

"...Huh?"

He heard the words clearly.

Go out with me.

Was that really what he said?

It didn’t look like a joke—Erik was serious.

And the confession was directed at him.

Morin couldn’t believe it.

No one had ever said something like that to him, not like this.

But the real shock came a moment later.

Behind Erik, standing in the distance, was someone watching them.

Malvis.

Their eyes met.

Malvis stood frozen, staring at Morin—then turned around and ran.

"Wait!!"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, can we talk later?!"

Morin broke into a sprint, leaving Erik behind and chasing after Malvis.

Because Malvis’s face had looked devastated.

So hurt. So pained.

If he let Malvis go now, he had the terrible feeling he’d never reach him again.

"Wait—Malvis!"

Malvis was fast—faster than Morin remembered.

He chased him through the estate, pushing himself until finally, just before Malvis could disappear into his room, Morin managed to grab his arm.

"W-Wait..."

His breath came in ragged gasps.

It had been a long time since he’d run so desperately.

But he caught him.

He looked up at Malvis, whose back was still turned to him, full of tension and rejection.

But Morin wasn’t going to give up.

Not today.

He didn’t want to let go—not now, not ever.

"Why did you run...?"

"Because I didn’t want to see it."

"See what?"

What was it Malvis didn’t want to see?

Was he rejecting Morin?

That thought—that—was what hurt the most.

Rejection from Malvis pierced deeper than he expected.

Malvis turned to himwith bis eyes filled with pain, sadness—and something a little wild.

"You really mess me up, you know that?"

"Huh? Mmf—!"

Morin didn’t understand what Malvis meant.

But before he could try to figure it out, Malvis suddenly pinned him against the wall and kissed him—forcefully.

Shock hit him first—but what followed was a sensation he had never experienced before.

His mind went completely blank, overtaken by a strange, tingling heat spreading through him.

This kiss was nothing like the ones Morin had shared with Uncle Gabriel, nor was it anything like the affectionate kisses from family.

This was something deeper, something hotter, something that made his knees tremble.

It left him breathless, yet craving more—his chest tightening with aching emotion.

"Haah..."

Pressed to the wall, Morin felt Malvis’s hot tongue explore the inside of his mouth, teasing over the backs of his teeth, making him shiver with pleasure.

When their tongues intertwined, his mind turned to white noise.

His hands instinctively clutched at Malvis’s shirt, clinging to him.

"I love you, Morin," Malvis murmured.

"...What?"

"I want you to be my mate."

His head was still spinning, but those words reached him loud and clear.

Love? Mate? Why was Malvis saying such things now?

After everything—after all the distance and rejection—why now?

But more than confusion, Morin felt... happy.

The kiss hadn’t been unpleasant—far from it.

To hear that he was loved, that Malvis had even thought about making him a lifelong partner—it filled him with relief.

He’d been so afraid he was hated, pushed away.

But this... this changed everything.

"Morin!"

Malvis’s expression turned to surprise as he reached up to touch Morin’s cheek.

That’s when he realized—he was crying.

"Huh? Why am I..."

He wasn’t sad. Not at all.

He was just overwhelmed—with joy so strong that it made him tremble.

For the first time in his life, someone had expressed such deep affection for him.

Not familial love, but something personal, something meant for only him.