Heroes always smugly believed they could save the world, oblivious to the fact that it was nothing more than a hopeless delusion. Slaying the Evil Dragon wouldn’t save the world—and could they even defeat her in the first place?
But then Xuefei heard some utterly ridiculous news.
“Several heroes?”
“Three,” Leia said, propping her head on her hand as she stated this outrageous fact.
“…”
Three heroes? What on earth?
Word was that heroes were either summoned from other worlds or powerful figures from this one, chosen by the gods for their immense strength—and there could only ever be one at a time.
The gods’ power, in theory, couldn’t support three heroes simultaneously.
So…
“Does that mean we’re up against three gods?”
“Perhaps,” Leia replied, taking a sip of her tea. She had no fear of so-called gods whatsoever.
Though they bore the title of gods, they were hardly a step above the Evil Dragon herself. Otherwise, after devouring the Evil Dragon, she never could have gone on to consume gods as well.
And if the gods were truly omnipotent, why bother with heroes at all?
Even so, Leia had already devoured several gods. If her foes kept stubbornly sending more of these feeble ones her way, she’d just treat them like a bunch of powerless nobodies. But reality had proven otherwise—the gods they dispatched were growing stronger by the day.
“So we can’t afford to draw too much attention,” Leia said, shaking her head. “Xuefei, don’t do anything reckless. Neither you nor the child can afford any mishaps.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Of course, Xuefei felt the same way.
She had to protect Leia and the life growing inside her!
Gods? Heroes?
She’d slaughter them all!
Her scarlet pupils flickered faintly. Any ordinary soul unlucky enough to witness it would faint on the spot from the sheer pressure of the Evil Dragon’s presence.
Leia seemed utterly delighted by Xuefei’s fierce expression. She leaned in and brushed a featherlight kiss across her soft cheek, leaving a damp trace behind. With a charming smile, she murmured,
“Xuefei really cares about me, doesn’t she?”
“Of course.”
“Hee hee, Xuefei treats me the best!”
Leia hummed a cheerful tune, her little head bobbing back and forth like a lovestruck girl in the bloom of youth, overjoyed by a confession from her beloved.
Xuefei let out a sigh.
Liking Leia and wanting to protect her—wasn’t that perfectly natural?
It was Leia who was acting strangely, as if their love were some extravagant rarity.
Had Xuefei ever hated her, perhaps?
Just two days ago, Leia had hurt her, and Xuefei had been so furious she’d locked herself in her room and refused to come out. But after Leia’s heartfelt apology, Xuefei had forgiven her without hesitation.
They were wives, after all—how could they let such things fester?
Embracing each other’s flaws was the true beauty of love!
“Oh, right…”
At that moment, something occurred to Xuefei. She stood up and said,
“Since the Snake Demon Princess isn’t coming this morning, I think I’ll go tidy up my room.”
Xuefei remembered she had a little room of her own, filled with personal treasures like small mirrors and trinkets she’d collected from lost adventurers. They were all stored there.
Now, she intended to relocate every last one.
After all, she slept with Leia every night these days—who needed a private space anymore?
“Mm-hmm, go ahead. Just make sure you’re back for lunch on time~”
“I’ll be right back.”
Xuefei left the tea room and made a beeline for her old quarters.
It had been ages since she’d slept there, so even within the confines of the Evil Dragon’s Palace, the route felt a touch unfamiliar.
Reaching the door, she stared at the drab gray panel and couldn’t fathom it—her taste had been so terribly outdated.
Why not a cute pink room? That would have been adorable.
Pushing the door open released a wave of musty, antiquated air. With no maids to clean it, the space wasn’t nearly as tidy as the rest of the palace. Clutter lay scattered haphazardly in the storage cabinet, but the little room was fully furnished despite its size. Faint impressions from Xuefei’s restless nights still marked the small bed.
She tugged open the bedside drawer. Sure enough, it held her collection of knickknacks: a vanity mirror, a crystal ball, a pair of scissors, and even a sculpture she’d whiled away the hours carving in boredom.
The sculpture depicted a woman.
Rough around the edges though it was, the features were neatly defined and the face strikingly lovely—no trace of an amateur hand. And its subject was none other than Leia.
“I really do love Leia so much~” Xuefei murmured, caressing her past creation, blissfully unaware that it was the pinnacle of her achievements in her state of evil corruption.
Xuefei extended her hand, and tendrils of purple-red magic unfurled. Abruptly, a pocket space swirled open before her like a vortex.
She bent down and tossed her clothes inside along with various treasured knickknacks.
That was a Dragon Clan habit.
Dragons simply had to collect valuable things; it gave them an overwhelming sense of security.
Just like Xuefei.
She figured that by gathering seemingly valuable items every day—and since her life stretched on eternally—sooner or later, she’d amass enough wealth to rival an entire nation!
Especially anything shiny!
Gold coins from the Human World, glowing branches picked up from who-knows-where, little cups of immense collectible value…
“Mm-hmm, this one’s going in too.”
“This looks nice. Better not toss it…”
But when Xuefei rummaged under her bed, she spotted an enormous box.
With her horns, she stood about 165 centimeters tall, and this wooden coffin was nearly as long as she was!
She dragged the wooden coffin out. Though heavy, it was a cinch with the Evil Dragon’s power. Then she stared at it, her gaze shifting from curiosity to eager anticipation.
“A box this big has to be stuffed with treasure!”
Xuefei was delighted.
After days away from her own room, it felt just like cracking open a treasure chest—pure joy!
But what was this?
Nestled in a recess inside the box lay a long sword, resting quietly. Scratches from countless battles whispered of grueling fights, while gleaming golden patterns hinted at some profound secret.
Xuefei stumbled back a few steps.
Why did this sword carry such an ominous aura?!
It felt just like…
“Hero?”
But before Xuefei could get the words out, the sword spoke first.
Xuefei jolted in surprise, her body tilting backward, but her immense Evil Dragon power assured her this sword posed no threat.
“You can talk?” Xuefei cocked her head, peering at the sword with curiosity. “And what’s a hero? Are you the Holy Sword wielded by one?”
It had to be one of those tired clichés: “Hero’s trophy, sealed away in the Evil Dragon Palace. Claim it, and the hero’s strength surges!”
She had no clue how the Holy Sword had ended up in her room, but her loathing for heroes made her decide on the spot to smash it to bits.
“Die,” Xuefei said coldly. But then the Holy Sword spoke again:
“Please don’t destroy me, Hero. Have you truly forgotten everything from the past?”
