After finishing lunch, Tilly swept the table clean as usual.
“So, where is this place?”
Leia snapped her fingers. Xuefei noticed the throne behind her.
This was the throne room, the grandest space in the Palace.
Long ago, it had been the site of the Hero’s battle with the Evil Dragon. Xuefei had racked her brains for strategies and barely defeated that being beyond all reason.
What puzzled her was why Leia had brought her here.
No—it wasn’t her. It was Little Tilly who had been sent to a place like this.
The little one widened her curious eyes and jumped up excitedly.
Though it wasn’t her first time seeing Mama’s teleportation magic, she got abnormally thrilled every single time.
“Mama, you’re so strong! This is teleportation magic, right?”
“Good girl, I’ll teach you how to use it today~”
“Yay!”
Leia patted Tilly’s head and turned to Xuefei, who was still rubbing her own neck. “I’m going to train with Tilly. Do you want to join us, Xuefei?”
“Didn’t you bring me here yourself?!”
“That’s true.”
Leia turned around and approached Xuefei, slowing her steps. Xuefei had long grown accustomed to this complete lack of personal space, as if she were nothing more than Leia’s personal belonging. Leia took Xuefei’s hand and planted a gentle kiss on it.
What had gotten into her?
“I have a request, Xuefei.”
“Go ahead. You’re not usually this polite.”
“Hee hee…”
Leia covered her mouth and giggled, giving Xuefei a tender look.
“I want you to teach swordsmanship to Little Tilly.”
“Huh?”
Xuefei blurted out in surprise. “Are you serious? Tilly’s only a few months old!”
Even counting the time inside the Dragon Egg, Tilly was no more than a few months developed.
Spring hadn’t even arrived yet, and the hatching speed had been utterly unbelievable. Still, Xuefei wanted Little Tilly to have a normal childhood at least—not one spent in endless fighting and bloodshed…
But Leia seemed to read her mind. “Dragons aren’t like humans. Tilly’s at the perfect age for roughhousing. I heard you want her to join the Arios Friendship Martial Tournament. I’m thrilled by my wife’s wise decision!”
She grew more excited with every word, until she even pressed her sharp teeth against Xuefei’s neck—as if she might drain every drop of blood from her body in the next instant.
What? When did she find out?
Leia hadn’t been there the whole time, had she? Had she coerced Lucy into spilling the details?
Xuefei had only entered Tilly in the tournament to give the child some experience—at most, to give her a little scare. The Evil Dragon was stronger than all Demons, but surely not to the point of letting a few-month-old compete!
“I definitely—I definitely won’t let her participate… Ow! How could I? Tilly…”
Xuefei’s neck turned mechanically toward Tilly. But the little one showed no fear or negativity about the tournament. On the contrary, she seemed utterly fascinated! She even gazed at Xuefei with gratitude!
“Thank you, Mama! I really want to eat them~”
“You’re still too young no matter what… Wait, what did you say?”
“Mama, I really want to eat them!”
“Don’t eat everything, you!”
Xuefei rushed over to Tilly, squatted down, and stared at the bouncy little dragon, at a loss for words. Whether she’d picked it up from Leia or it was just her natural mischief, the little dragon wrapped her tail around her own leg and rubbed against it excitedly.
“Mama, I’m so happy!”
Xuefei patiently explained, “My good daughter, souls aren’t tasty at all.”
“Why?”
Tilly tilted her little head.
“Those things come loaded with too much [Obsession]. Your body couldn’t handle it. It’s best not to mess with anything soul-related.”
“But Mama, you eat souls too.”
“Because I’ve absorbed souls, I don’t want you turning out like me.” Xuefei quickly patted Tilly’s head, grabbed her by the back, and scooped up the little one. “That’s enough. Anyway, there’s no way I’m letting my daughter compete. Don’t you get any ideas about her, Leia!”
“But Mama, I’ve already eaten one.”
Xuefei stared at Tilly in shock.
She blinked her innocent eyes and spoke of that horrifying act as casually as if it were a post-dinner dessert.
“You… when?”
Xuefei felt a surge of panic.
When exactly?
Was it my own negligence? No, Tilly’s every move had been under my constant watch and protection. The only exception was today, when I let her go sign up and entrusted her to Lucy. That maid’s presence lingered within the palace too—she certainly hadn’t come to any harm.
Xuefei shot Leia a suspicious look.
“Tell me, was it you who put her up to this, you wicked Leia!”
Leia just smiled and shook her head.
Tilly snuggled against Xuefei’s chest and continued babbling,
“Mama, souls taste so yummy! They’re soft and sweet, and they have the most wonderful chewy texture.”
Tilly closed her eyes, swaying her little head in bliss as her tiny dragon horns brushed lightly across Xuefei’s soft body, tickling her.
It couldn’t have been those people from the Academy either.
After all, the child had only just complained about being bullied. So maybe, when I was absorbing souls, I’d accidentally shared a bit with the little dragon?
“Seriously, Xuefei, you still insist on thinking of yourself as an ordinary human. And Tilly isn’t human at all—don’t you look forward to just how wicked she’ll grow up to be?”
“Too much wickedness could bring disaster down on her head.”
At last, Xuefei and Leia clashed over how to raise the child.
Xuefei believed children should be guided toward goodness, or at least taught to keep a low profile. Leia, on the other hand, viewed her as a true child of the Dragon Clan—something even more malevolent—and wanted to nurture Tilly into a full-fledged Evil Dragon. Gazing into Tilly’s wide, innocent eyes brimming with curiosity and cuteness, Xuefei’s resolve softened.
Their approaches to education might differ, but it was best not to fight against an Evil Dragon’s innate instincts. It was the same as how humans needed warm, cozy beds to sleep in while awaiting the sunrise. An Evil Dragon’s combative spirit and insatiable greed were simply part of her nature—unavoidable.
Xuefei gently set Tilly down and stroked her little head.
“Mama Leia can teach you magic, and I’ll show you some swordsmanship~”
“Mama knows swordsmanship?”
“Of course! Back in the day, Mama was the strongest swordswoman on the entire continent~”
Tilly scratched her head with a tiny hand.
“But that’s so weird. All the stories Mama Leia tells me say that powerful Demon Race members never learn swordsmanship.”
“Is that right? Well then, I suppose I’m something special.”
Tilly paid no attention to Xuefei’s words, lost in thought.
A moment later, she looked up, her face beaming with excitement.
“Does that mean Mama’s the Hero?”
