Chesia was Dolores’s new name. War God Dolores had been truly erased from history—in a sense, she had even “died.” Now, she was simply Chesia, the child of Xuefei and Leia.
Chesia shared a mother with Tilly, but their personalities could not have been more different.
Aside from her lightning-fast mealtimes, Tilly spent her days racing and flitting about the garden. She would occasionally drag her two mothers and Chesia along to play. If they were all unavailable, she would go “pester” the maids instead. Xuefei had lost count of the times she had personally hauled Tilly back into the house.
By contrast, Chesia was remarkably refined—a complete opposite to Tilly’s straightforward nature.
“Mama…”
Chesia pouted, looking a bit anxious as she fidgeted slightly. Though her expression remained calm, her restless tail and wings betrayed the storm of emotions churning inside her.
Moments like this told Xuefei that her daughter needed some motherly love.
She was like a docile little kitten, and Xuefei had learned to read her moods accordingly. Thankfully, Chesia never woke up crying from nightmares in the middle of the night like Tilly did, forcing a sleepy Xuefei to nurse her. Instead, every evening, she quietly latched on with a soft (meow meow~).
Her appetite matched Tilly’s, but Chesia ate with such elegant poise that her meals typically lasted at least two hours. This was not to say Tilly lacked manners—quite the opposite. Tilly was actually the quickest to pick up Demon Race etiquette.
Chesia never pestered the maids. Though she was one of the household’s favorite little ones to dote on, her daily routine revolved entirely around staying close to Mama.
The morning sun filtered through the corridor windows, shining on Xuefei’s sleepy face. She stared, entranced, at the tiny black speck darting through the garden.
It was Tilly, her dragon eyes widening and narrowing with curiosity, as if the entire world was a treasure trove of wonders.
Just then, Xuefei felt something warm hugging her thigh like a living heating pad.
“Mama…”
“Chesia?”
Xuefei looked down at the pouting, clingy little bundle gazing up at her with dreamy eyes.
It seemed Chesia had inherited her War God battle skills—she was adept at concealing her presence. Xuefei hadn’t even sensed her approach. If it had been a stranger, Xuefei might have panicked, but this was her own daughter, bound by blood and genes. All she felt was warmth.
Chesia wore a cute little dress, her black legs clad in chocolate-brown shoes. The backless design allowed her tender wings to hang naturally, while her tail poked out from under the skirt, resting quietly behind her.
Even so, Xuefei asked, “Chesia, why aren’t you playing with Tilly?”
“Don’t wanna…”
“Why not? Did you two have a fight?” Xuefei’s eyes softened.
“No, I don’t wanna go. I wanna stay with Mama…”
Sticking close to Mama every day was pure bliss for Chesia. She couldn’t care less about anything else.
Xuefei placed a hand on Chesia’s head. The little dragon immediately began rubbing against her with her horns. Xuefei crouched down, scooping her into her arms and stroking her confidently. The child’s small body was soft and warm, sharing their heat. Xuefei was certain that if she could grant Chesia one wish, the girl would dive right back into her egg without a second thought.
That was why Chesia treasured every last fragment of her dragon egg in her little chest—even her hairpin was adorned with a piece of it.
“Mama smells so nice. It makes me feel safe…”
“Then stay a bit longer~”
Seeing how attached Chesia was, Xuefei was sure it would be incredibly difficult to find her a partner in the future. But then again, she had no intention of handing her daughters over to anyone.
“Would you like Mama to tell you a story?”
“Mm-hmm, but I want…” Chesia slipped her hand into her mouth.
“I want to listen with Tilly.”
“You really like Tilly, huh? I thought you two might have argued.”
“She always tugs my horns…”
Chesia’s cheeks flushed as she admitted it, as if it were somehow her fault.
Xuefei couldn’t help but marvel once more at how vastly different her two daughters were.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from around the corner.
“Good morning, Xuefei~”
“Leia, you’re here too. Did the Demon King say anything to you?”
Xuefei patted Chesia’s smooth back. Upon seeing Leia, the girl smiled gently and said, “Leia-mama~”
“Good girl. How did you sleep last night?”
“Really well~” Chesia replied with a sweet smile.
Everyone agreed that Chesia was the picture of refinement.
Her sleeping posture was “bashful.” She might hold the same position all night long, occasionally competing with Tilly for milk. But once she claimed her share, she would settle down and make soft, quiet suckling sounds.
After patting the little dragon’s head, Leia pecked Xuefei lightly on the lips and picked up where she had left off.
“She came under the pretense of apologizing—for that sparring match last time. After all, word is she has some entanglement with Mia. Tilly’s situation must have already reached that woman’s ears, so now she wants to host a dinner for our whole family.”
“She’s probably trying to rope us into helping her with something, right?”
“Mm,” Leia nodded noncommittally. “I turned her down, so there’s nothing to worry about. Our top priority is raising our daughter in peace.”
The unspoken implication was clear: Hurry up and raise our daughter. Then I can “devour” you.
If there was one thing special about the time after Chesia’s birth, it was that Xuefei no longer had to incubate eggs.
Leia had realized that Xuefei’s pregnancy would mean a long stretch of childcare ahead—and for Miss Dragon King, that period was nothing short of hell!
Every day brought competition from her little daughter for lap space. Sure, sometimes Leia quite enjoyed cradling both girls in her arms. Xuefei could manage it, and so could she; it even helped share the load. But in time, Leia discovered that her [Obsession] with Xuefei simply couldn’t be redirected toward their adorable children. She loved Xuefei, and she loved the children—but what she felt for Xuefei went beyond mere love. It was an unbreakable Will.
So unless it was absolutely necessary, Leia had no intention of getting Xuefei pregnant again. That would give them more time together—time enough to slip back into the haze of Evil Corruption.
“Speaking of which, won’t Chesia be affected by those past memories?” Xuefei asked softly as she rocked Chesia. The little one tentatively brushed her tail against Xuefei’s arm, then hooked it around. Lulled by the cradle-like warmth, her consciousness began to fade…
Just then, the sound of Tilly exhaling Dragon Breath drifted in from outside the window, and the air temperature ticked up by one degree Celsius.
“For her, right now, it’s something even more dreamlike than any dream,” Leia said. “She won’t start piecing together what happened with Dolores until she’s grown up.”
Xuefei nodded.
Yes. By then, she herself would have fallen completely—body and soul remade in the image of the Evil Dragon. And Chesia would only feel happier for it.
Xuefei cradled a lock of the girl’s hair, gleaming with brilliant silver light, and a profound warmth welled up in her heart.
