79. Dragon Love
“The best solution right now is to help Sophia and bring the blood race under the dragon race’s control!”
“You, with your sweet nothings and mind full of dirty thoughts, is this the time to be thinking about having children?”
“I think you just want me to lay dragon eggs, and you don’t care about anything else!”
“Hello, this is a serious meeting to discuss the future of the dragon race!”
—Reina really wanted to say these things.
But seeing Calysia’s cute and shy appearance made Reina’s heart ache. She had a feeling that if she was too harsh, the pitiful Dragon King would cry… she was starting to have these kinds of illusions.
“Calysia, you dummy, all you think about every day is how to have children.”
After much hesitation, Reina just brushed it off lightly.
She was going to escape eventually anyway!
So, a little indulgence wouldn’t hurt.
But Calysia’s expression was still quite serious:
“Reina, actually, the dragon race takes the matter of dragon eggs very seriously. You might not be aware of this.”
“Hmm?”
“Before choosing to have offspring, dragons will search for a suitable mate. Both parties become partners and mates, making a lifelong commitment. Dragons who have made a lifelong commitment won’t choose another mate, otherwise, they will be despised by all dragons.”
“Also despised are infidelity, two-timing, betrayal, breaking promises, and hypocrisy.”
“These things practically don’t exist within the dragon race.”
The more Calysia spoke, the more pressure Reina felt.
Wouldn’t running away from the marriage be a clear violation, judged by the entire dragon race?
If an ordinary dragon broke a marriage vow, they would be despised and even banished.
Then what would happen if she ran away from the Dragon King’s wedding?
When the grand wedding ceremony began, but the bride never appeared, all eyes would be on Calysia, and then the hatred would shift to Reina herself!
Reina was certain that the consequences would be even more severe than she had previously predicted!
“Reina, do you understand what this means?”
Calysia emphasized, then summarized:
“A dragon can only love one person in their lifetime.”
“But dragons have very long lifespans, don’t they?”
Reina couldn’t understand the dragon’s concept of love.
If the shorter-lived partner died, would the longer-lived one have to remain alone for the rest of their life?
In the world she knew, couples who died for love were rare.
Separation after a relationship might only cause temporary pain, and after a few months, they would move on with their lives.
“If their mate dies, most dragons will choose to die with them.”
“And the minority?”
“The minority will go mad, or break down.”
“It’s difficult for dragons to fall in love with someone else, and conceiving dragon eggs is dangerous, so it’s even rarer… At that time, Reina’s personality and body will undergo slight changes, and you’ll become even cuter.”
Although Reina didn’t intend to have dragon offspring, out of curiosity and to get a better picture of her potentially tragic future, she still gulped and asked nervously:
“What happens when you conceive a dragon egg?”
“You’ll know when the time comes, but I will definitely protect you.”
Calysia said, her face flushing again:
“Actually, there are some risks involved in laying dragon eggs. Therefore, many mates, even if they make a lifelong commitment, might not choose to have dragon offspring. Couples like us, who are mutually willing, are quite rare. So, the future of the dragon race is in our hands!”
Reina had always found Calysia difficult to understand.
But at this moment, Calysia’s little scheme was written all over her face.
Even if she laid ten dragon eggs, it wouldn’t revitalize the entire dragon race!
Unless she single-handedly birthed an entire race, but that was simply impossible, wasn’t it?
Besides her inner snarky commentary, Reina also realized some potential problems.
Although she understood the main storyline and the characters’ personalities, she didn’t know about these customs and traditions.
First, dragons did have fewer offspring.
But that didn’t mean they couldn’t have them.
Strictly speaking, the problem was that the cost of love for dragons was too high.
She was just about to analyze this from an economic perspective, but then she realized that she had no right to interfere with the dragons’ characteristics. This kind of love was as beautiful as a fairy tale, but precisely because of this, it was difficult to change, and she had no right to change it.
“I understand, Calysia. It seems love is a luxury. We can’t use this as a starting point.”
Reina’s meaning was simple: she didn’t want to have children.
Seeing Reina’s incredibly normal reaction, Calysia was dissatisfied.
She had said all those things to get Reina’s attention!
Of course, those were objective facts.
But Calysia didn’t care.
She puffed out her cheeks and said:
“Reina, do you know where my mother is?”
“Hmm?”
Of course, Reina knew.
But she had to pretend she didn’t, to deceive Calysia.
At this moment, Calysia’s smile vanished, leaving only her dim eyes.
“Once upon a time, in the dragon race, there was a hero and a queen.”
“During a battle, the hero inadvertently protected the queen and won her admiration.”
“The queen’s affection moved the hero, and the two began a passionate love affair.”
“The hero, who had been fighting on the front lines, was brought home, seemingly safe from harm.”
“But one night, she died at the hands of an assassin, taking a fatal blow meant for the queen.”
“The queen, originally a wise ruler, became volatile and irritable after that day.”
“Everyone despised her, scorned her, but in the end, when everyone abandoned her, she chose to end her own life, buried forever with her beloved hero.”
Calysia’s story was poignant and moving. She seemed to have become the author recording the entire story, or a bard, recounting her painful experience.
Reina was initially touched.
But she quickly realized something was wrong with the story.
Then, she stood up and chopped Calysia on the head:
“Ow!”
Calysia’s carefully crafted sadness vanished, and she pretended to be in pain: “Little Vassal, don’t hit me.”
“Dummy, did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Reina’s veins bulged:
“That’s the main plot of the dragon folk tale ‘The Hero and the Queen,’ isn’t it?!”
“It has nothing to do with your mother, does it?!”
Calysia looked slightly embarrassed. She had indeed used a little trick, but it was just to tease her Little Vassal. Having been exposed, she couldn’t say anything more and carefully looked up, observing Reina’s eyes.
Reina sighed, suddenly remembering the wedding:
“If you want to marry me, don’t lie. If you’re hiding something from me, I’ll be angry… Why is your face red?”
Reina skillfully guided the conversation, her heart blossoming with joy as she saw the Dragon King’s embarrassment.
“Are you really hiding something from me?”
