Chapter 11: I’m Taking the Child Away

“Ugh… the sunlight is so blinding…”

The sun was high in the sky, and rays of light pierced through the gaps in the forest canopy, hitting my face and forcibly penetrating my eyelids, stimulating my optic nerves and waking me up.

My body was lying flat, cushioned by a thick pile of clothes.
When I tried to move my arms, a sore numbness spread throughout my entire body.

“Hiss! Ah…” I grimaced in pain.

My whole body felt like it had been taken apart.
It was as if I had been run over by a steamroller all night long!

All night long!!!

The corners of my eyes felt a bit dry, a discomfort brought on by dried physiological tears.
I groggily looked beside me.
The culprit responsible for my current state was watching me.
She was lying on her side, propping her face with one hand, her gaze doting…
Huh? What’s wrong with her neck?
It’s black and red… I don’t get it.

“You’re awake? How’s your body feeling?” she asked.

I ignored her and closed my eyes to think.

‘Damn it all to hell, this dragon is up to no good!’

‘Eat the “Seed of Genesis and Extinction”?’

‘She’s just horny for my body!’

‘And she talks about how good I’ve been to her, hehe!’

‘My kindness was truly wasted on a dog, my conscience given to a snake!’

Yes, she is indeed beautiful, and she saved my life, but that doesn’t mean I have to be completely obedient to her.

A debt of gratitude is a debt of gratitude, but I still have my own bottom line.

However, don’t get me wrong.
She didn’t do anything strange to me.
She was just biting me, on my shoulder or collarbone.
She didn’t draw blood, but it hurt a lot!

‘Smash this wicked dragon! Smash her!’
‘Even a rabbit knows not to eat the grass by its own burrow.
You’re a dragon, and right next to a child, and you even reminded me not to make a sound. Pfft! Disgusting!’

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
I propped myself up, wanting to walk away, but… the aftereffects of last night’s torment still lingered.
I only managed to lift my body halfway before collapsing back down.

“Slow down,” Elvira extended her dragon tail to support me, her voice soft and gentle.
“Don’t fall.”

‘Oh? Playing the considerate and gentle one with me now?’

I shot her a glare, not giving her a pleasant expression, and slapped her tail away before walking straight into the cave.

Inside the cave, Little Nia seemed to have just woken up.
She was rubbing her sleepy eyes with her small hands, looking adorably drowsy.

The cute little blue bundle saw me and immediately bounced over, throwing herself into my arms.
This had happened many times already.

“Sister, good morning.”

“Mm, did you sleep well last night?” I asked, stroking her head.

“Very well~ I slept super well. The blanket sister gave me is very soft, much more comfortable than the cold stone slab I used to sleep on.”

The hoarseness and dryness in Little Nia’s voice had mostly faded, but you could still hear a little of it if you listened carefully.

I hope this child gets better soon.

The small face in my arms kept nuzzling against my chest.
Little Nia loved to do this.
At first, I was very unused to it, always feeling awkward and shy, with a hint of a subtle feeling.

But after it happened many times, I got used to it.

“Did sister get bitten by a bug? Your clothes are also messy,” she said, her soft little hand touching my collarbone, pointing to a red mark on it.

Only then did I notice that I was disheveled.
My collar was pulled open, revealing my fragrant shoulders, which were dotted with a few red marks.

…How do you train a dragon that tears clothes and bites people?

“Yesterday, sister was pestered by a black bug,” I said with a forced smile.

“Ah?! That bug is so mean!”

“Yes, utterly devoid of conscience.”

Just as I finished speaking, the sound of light footsteps entered the cave.
Elvira saw me and Little Nia and walked over, saying as she approached.

“Let’s just rest for today.”

Here it comes, the gentle offensive is here.
But Miss Black Dragon, have you ever heard the phrase “impervious to both hard and soft tactics”?

“Elvira, I think the relationship between you and me needs to be re-established,” I cleared my throat, looking a bit serious.
“I would be happy to be friends with you, not the target of your unreasonable tantrums.
Secondly, I am very grateful for everything you’ve done along the way, but if you have… needs, I hope you can discuss them with me beforehand.”

Hearing my solemn words, Elvira panicked for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

“I’m sorry, Verona… yesterday I… was strange. But I will take responsibility.
Forgive me, okay?”

“I don’t mean to blame you, and please don’t speak so ambiguously,” I said faintly.
“It’s just that, when we reach the other continent, I will take Little Nia to find her family.
At that time, let’s part ways for a while.”

“Why?”

“As I said before, I will have my own plans.”

“Do you have to leave?”

Looking into Elvira’s eyes, I didn’t reply.
A deathly silence rippled through the cave.

Our eyes met in a pleading gaze for a long time, until a tender voice broke the silence.

“I don’t want to be separated from Sister Elvira either,” the little blue bundle held my hand with one hand and took Elvira’s with the other.
“Sisters, please don’t separate, okay?”

Her watery pink eyes blinked, looking at me pitifully, while the golden dragon pupils looked at me with an almost identical expression.

Oh my god… what’s with this feeling of a child standing up for family harmony, trying to stop her parents from fighting!!

Give me a break… I’m such an idiot, to bring up such a serious topic in front of a child.

“We’ll talk about it later,” after a long standoff, I conceded.

The big one and the small one beside me breathed a sigh of relief.
Little Nia buried her head in my arms again, and Elvira also moved closer, her tail hanging down and swaying slightly.

Patting the girl in my arms, I told Little Nia that I had some things to take care of and that she should be good in the cave today.

The child was very obedient.
She reluctantly let go of me and sat back down on the blanket she had been sleeping on.

Walking out of the cave, Elvira followed me.

“Let’s rest for today. It’s almost noon now.”

“Who’s the reason I slept until noon?” I retorted, then continued walking forward.

“Verona.”

The call from behind did not stop my steps.

“Verona, wait.”

I walked faster.

“Verona, your body is still very weak.”

I turned around and silently sized up Elvira.
The anxious and flustered look in her eyes was not fake.
Seeing this, my dissatisfaction also dissipated a lot.

“Elvira, I said, I don’t mean to blame you,” I thought for a moment, then added to ease her worries,
“Don’t follow me around like this.
In comparison, the you I first met suits your temperament better.”

After saying that, I turned and continued walking.
Half the day had already been wasted.
I had to hurry with the remaining time, at least to get a general idea of the situation in the city first.

I hope the church hasn’t tracked us here yet.

While thinking about the plan ahead, suddenly, a dragon tail wrapped around my waist, and the next second, I was pulled into a fragrant and enchanting embrace without any room for argument.

In the black-haired girl’s arms, I looked at her with confusion, and she looked back at me.

“So, Verona, you like it a bit rougher?
Also, you haven’t noticed the change in me at all,” her slender, boneless hand guided mine, first to her collarbone, then to her snow-white neck.

“Verona, look. This is the mark you left on me.”

Following her arm with my eyes, a circle of black and red thorny patterns was engraved on Elvira’s swan-like neck, with a bright red flower in the center…
If seen from a distance, it would look like a pet collar…

Holy sh*t…

Last night… were we really that wild????