I'm Not Your Husband, You Evil Dragon!

Erza's POV – Yuuta's Past

As Sister Mary spoke, her voice took on a distant, almost haunted tone, like she was dragging herself through painful memories.

"It was several years ago," she began, gently closing the old, worn photo album in her lap. "Yuuta was just a small, playful boy back then. He had a smile like pure sunshine—bright, innocent, and full of hope."

I glanced down at Elena, who was leaning against my side, her small fingers gripping my sleeve tightly. Even she had gone quiet, sensing the shift in the room's atmosphere.

Sister Mary continued, her blindfolded gaze fixed on a point far beyond the walls of our small apartment.

"One day, a wealthy family, the richest in the country, actually came to visit our orphanage. They wanted to adopt a child. When they saw Yuuta, they were immediately drawn to him. They said he had a light in his eyes that reminded them of a better, purer world. They chose him."

My heart tightened slightly.

"They signed the papers, ready to take him home. Yuuta was overjoyed. He ran around the orphanage that day, telling everyone he was finally going to have a family. He packed his tiny bag with his favorite broken toys and a few crayon drawings. For the first time, he felt wanted... loved."

I could picture it a tiny, bright-eyed boy, running with that same wide, ridiculous grin Yuuta still wears today.

"But..." Sister Mary's voice grew heavier, "the moment the papers were signed, disaster struck. Within hours, that wealthy family faced multiple lawsuits. Their stock prices crashed. Factories burned, their bank accounts were frozen, and their assets seized. By the end of that day, their empire had crumbled."

I felt my jaw clench.

"They blamed Yuuta. Said he brought them nothing but misfortune. They returned to the orphanage, tore up the papers, and left without looking back."

My fists tightened.

"That was just the beginning," she whispered. "After that, word spread. Anyone who even considered adopting Yuuta met with similar misfortune. Car accidents, sudden bankruptcies, mysterious illnesses. It was as if a dark shadow followed him everywhere."

I felt a sharp, unfamiliar ache in my chest.

Sister Mary's hands trembled slightly as she continued, "The other children started avoiding him. They whispered, called him cursed. They'd refuse to play with him, leave him alone at the dinner table, ignore him when he tried to join their games. He would smile through it, but I often found him crying alone in the corner of his small, cold room."

I could feel my teeth grinding together.

"All he wanted was a family," Sister Mary said, her voice breaking slightly. "But even the staff began keeping their distance, afraid of his 'curse.' He became the boy no one wanted to touch, the child no one wanted to love."

A lump formed in my throat. I glanced at the door to the balcony, where Yuuta was still kneeling, muttering his ridiculous apologies to the sun.

This fool... this annoying, loud, ridiculous mortal... he endured all of that? Alone?

I suddenly remembered every time he had smiled at me, every joke, every playful tease. Was that just his way of hiding the scars from a lifetime of rejection?

I swallowed hard.

"But..." I blurted out, my voice coming out harsher than I intended. "Didn't you have priests or spiritualists to check if he was actually cursed? To see if it was real?"

Sister Mary turned her head slightly toward me, a hint of suspicion in her expression, despite the blindfold.

I quickly added, "I-I mean... I've seen it in movies."

She relaxed a little, nodding. "Yes, we did. And that's when we discovered the truth."

I leaned in, my heart pounding.

"He wasn't cursed," she said softly. "But he had a strange aura. A chaotic, disruptive energy that made people around him uncomfortable, fearful, even aggressive without realizing why. It affected their decisions, twisted their fates. It's something we still don't fully understand."

My breath hitched.

Aura? This fool has an aura?

That didn't make sense. I had never felt anything like that from him. He mostly acted like a hyperactive child around me. But if Sister Mary was saying it, there had to be some truth to it.

Suddenly, Elena, who had been quietly listening, burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.

"Elena!" I quickly pulled her onto my lap, my hands trembling slightly. "What's wrong?"

She clung to me, her tiny body shaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Papa didn't deserve that! All he wanted was love! Why did they blame him? It's not fair! I hate humans! I hate them!"

Sister Mary stiffened slightly, her head tilting in confusion at Elena's outburst.

I tightened my hold on Elena, gently rocking her back and forth. "Hey, hey... don't say that. Your Papa is okay now. He has us. He's not alone anymore."

Elena sniffled, looking up at me, her red, teary eyes filled with desperate hope. "Really? He's not alone anymore?"

I forced a smile, brushing her hair back gently. "Yes. He's not alone. If you don't believe me, go talk to him. Go see for yourself."

Without another word, Elena slipped off my lap and ran toward the balcony, her little feet pounding against the floor.

I watched her go, a small, bittersweet smile on my lips.

You're not alone anymore, Yuuta. Not as long as we're here.

(Yuuta's POV )

I was still on my knees, sweat trickling down my back as the sun beat down mercilessly. My arms ached, my legs felt like they'd go numb any second, and my head throbbed from Sister Mary's relentless scolding.

"Forgive me, Lord. I have failed you. Please, guide this humble fool—"

Suddenly, I heard the light patter of small footsteps behind me.

"Papa?"

I froze.

Slowly, I turned my head to see Elena standing there, her small fists clenched tightly at her sides, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. She hesitated for a moment, then took a step closer.

"Elena?" I whispered, trying to straighten up but immediately feeling Sister Mary's silent, judging presence behind me.

Elena ran forward, throwing her small arms around my neck. She buried her face in my shoulder, her tiny body trembling as she clung to me.

"Papa... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her voice muffled against my shirt.

My heart twisted painfully.

"W-wait, what's this about?" I managed to stammer, awkwardly patting her head. "Why are you apologizing? Did you break something in the house again?"

She shook her head vigorously, her grip on me tightening.

"No! I just... I heard what Sister Mary said. About... about your past. And I... I..." Her voice broke, and she let out another heart-wrenching sob. "I'm sorry you had to be alone for so long! I'm sorry no one loved you! I'm sorry, Papa!"

I felt my throat close up.

Elena, my little sunshine, my cutie pie, the reason I push through each exhausting day... she was crying for me. For my past.

I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her tiny, shaking frame.

"Hey, hey... don't cry," I whispered, my voice trembling despite myself. "Papa's okay now. I'm not alone anymore. I have you and Mama, remember?"

She hiccupped, pulling back just enough to look up at me, her tear-streaked face filled with worry and love.

"Really? You're not alone anymore?"

I forced a smile, even though my eyes were stinging now too.

"Of course not. I have you, my precious Elena. And your crazy, lizard queen of a mother. I'm... I'm the luckiest Papa in the world."

She sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her tiny hand.

"Promise?"

I leaned in, pressing my forehead gently against hers.

"Promise."

She managed a small, shaky smile, then suddenly tightened her hug around my neck again, nearly choking me.

"I love you, Papa!" she cried, her voice raw with emotion.

I felt my heart swell, and for the first time in a long, long while, I let myself believe it.

"I love you too, Elena," I whispered back, my voice breaking. "More than anything."

Behind me, I felt Sister Mary's tense presence slowly ease. Maybe, just maybe, even she had a small, approving smile on her usually stern face.

And for that brief, fragile moment, all the pain, loneliness, and fear from my past felt distant, like a fading nightmare in the warm light of morning.

To be continue....