Chapter 6: The Patriarch’s Revelation

Theodore swallowed hard.

Theodore was forced to retreat repeatedly by the old patriarch’s oppressive gaze. ‘This old dragon wouldn’t kill me to silence me, would he?’

‘Could it be that this old dragon plans to dispose of me after that trial?’

After all, he wasn’t of the Dragon Race. The only reason he was ‘fortunate’ enough to accompany Theresia in her trial was that he had caught the patriarch’s eye.

But Theresia was one of the few Black Dragons in existence, and the patriarch was surely thinking of keeping the ‘fertile water within the family.’

Theodore’s brow furrowed. He didn’t yet know that Black Dragons weren’t ‘one of the few,’ but that Theresia was the *only* one left.

She was, without a doubt, one of the Dragon Race’s most precious treasures.

The patriarch seemed to realize his reaction had been a little too intense. He reined in his imposing aura and, with a benevolent expression, asked, “Young man, do you like Theresia?”

The stark contrast in the patriarch’s demeanor made Theodore wonder if a simple ‘yes’ would result in him being pulverized by a single punch.

‘No, he still needs me.’

‘If he wanted to crush me, he would have done so already.’

The patriarch had also mentioned that Theresia’s heat cycle in three days was extremely important. As the chosen one, Theodore had been meticulously prepared for three years, and there was no longer time for the patriarch to select someone new.

Just as Theodore suspected, a replacement couldn’t be found in such a short time.

However, in reality, purely for the purpose of cultivation, it didn’t truly require three years of preparation, depending on the physical constitution of males from various races.

If it was merely to endure the Black Dragon’s violent heat cycle, the patriarch believed that three days, along with some precious materials, would suffice.

Those three years were Theresia’s own arrangement, giving herself time to accept that she would be with Theodore.

‘Families, who would have thought? Despite being a female dragon from head to toe since childhood, she still couldn’t accept the fact that she was a female dragon.’

The patriarch had nearly lost all his hair worrying about this matter back then.

‘If only I knew which beast had cultivated Theresia’s personality to be so peculiar, I would definitely show that fellow what true Dragon Claw Hand was.’

“Yes, I do.”

Theodore admitted it openly. After much thought, he concluded that if the old dragon truly intended to discard him after using him, nothing he said would change the outcome. He might as well state his true feelings.

The patriarch continued to inquire, “Do you wish to spend your life with her?”

Theodore nodded. “Yes.”

The patriarch spoke in a low voice, “Let me be clear, as a Black Dragon, her temper is good among Black Dragons. But by normal human and dragon standards, she’s a bit, well… peculiar. She’s certainly not the domestic type.”

Theodore offered a helpless smile. “Yes, I already know. After all, we’ve lived together for three years. Theresia isn’t the type of dragon to hide her true nature.”

He had, of course, been troubled by Theresia’s unpredictable and unrestrained personality. Theresia had also argued with Theodore, but over time, they had both adapted to and tolerated each other.

It was just that Theodore always felt Theresia treated him more like a buddy.

Unfortunately, Theodore had never thought of her that way. Knowing that his ‘buddy’ was a super beauty, it would be utterly unreasonable not to pursue her.

Then, he witnessed an unexpected scene.

The patriarch’s smile bloomed like a lotus flower, and with a face full of gratification, he clapped Theodore on the back, laughing heartily. “Hahaha, excellent, excellent! I didn’t misjudge you. Well done, well done! Young man, you have ambition! The moment I first saw you, I knew you had a boundless future!”

‘Nonsense. The first time you saw me, you clearly looked disgusted.’

Theodore still remembered the day they first met. The Black Dragon and the Golden Dragon had a ‘fierce exchange’ for a long time. Although the particular Black Dragon was eventually subdued, the old dragon, exhausted and disheartened, fully understood the Black Dragon’s stubbornness and determination, ‘humiliatingly’ accepting Theodore as an assistant for the ‘trial.’

“What I value most is a devoted man.” At this, the patriarch let out a heavy sigh. “Alas.”

Noticing the old dragon’s unmistakable hint, Theodore cautiously ventured, “Does the patriarch have some troubles?”

The patriarch conjured two chairs, gesturing for Theodore to sit with him, and sighed deeply. “Theodore, I feel sorry for you!”

Theodore asked, a little bewildered, “What do you mean, Patriarch?”

The patriarch looked up and lamented, “How could such a good man encounter a heartless, cruel, ferocious, and irresponsible mother tyrannosaurus?!”

Theodore’s expression turned strange. ‘What is going on?’

For the sake of his beloved’s reputation, Theodore still spoke well of Theresia. “Theresia actually has many good qualities. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she’s quite loyal.”

The patriarch countered, “Even if she plans to abandon you?”

“You can’t say that, can you? One is willing to hit, the other is willing to take it?” Theodore thought that he had indeed been hired by Theresia, but after three years, feelings had surely developed. How could a mutually affectionate relationship be considered abandonment?

The patriarch asked mournfully, “And you wouldn’t mind if she runs off after?”

Theodore: “…What do you mean?”

The patriarch didn’t answer immediately, instead asking, “After three days, when that matter is over, what do you plan to do? You’ll no longer have a reason to stay by Theresia’s side.”

A flush spread across Theodore’s face, and his voice began to tremble. “I want to confess my feelings directly to Theresia. After all, we’ve been together for so long, and we know each other inside out. She’s not the type who needs a special occasion or anything. The main thing is to express my feelings quickly so I can feel more at ease. Patriarch, I know my status…”

“Don’t mention your status yet.” The patriarch interrupted Theodore, continuing, “What if Theresia rejects your confession?”

Theodore’s blissful smile, which had been lost in beautiful post-marriage fantasies, abruptly froze. He then realized that this was a two-way street. He had feelings for Theresia, but Theresia’s feelings for him…

At least for now, Theodore saw more of a brotherly bond. ‘Hmm, a brotherly bond with someone of the opposite s*x. How did it even come to this?’

Theodore also began to reflect on whether there had been an issue with his interactions with Theresia over the past three years.

However, since she was willing to engage in procreation with him, there should still be some romantic feelings, shouldn’t there?

“If she truly rejects me… can I pursue her?” Theodore secretly glanced at the patriarch. After all, his contract with Theresia would end in three days. If the patriarch insisted on stopping him then, he could completely prevent him from having any contact with Theresia.

“Alas!”

Once again, the patriarch let out a heavy sigh, looking at Theodore deeply as he said, “What a good man you are, so devoted! Why give your heart to that female dragon!”

Theodore shivered with a chill. ‘Hiss, this old dragon wouldn’t possibly…!’

Theodore felt he should call Theresia back. He had a magic scroll to summon her, which Theresia had specially prepared to guard against certain dragons with ill intentions toward him.

Clearly, that dragon with ill intentions had appeared!

“I’m so sorry for you, Theodore.”

However, before Theodore could make a move, the old patriarch pressed down on his shoulder, tears streaming down his face as he said, “You know I raised Theresia since she was little; she had no father or mother. But because of my busy dragon race affairs, I always lacked proper guidance for her, leading her to develop such a terrible personality. Theodore, I need to tell you something, and you need to be prepared.”

The patriarch’s excessive enthusiasm left Theodore somewhat flustered. He cautiously said, “Please speak, Patriarch.”

The patriarch spoke with sorrow, “Theodore, perhaps you didn’t take my words seriously just now, but I genuinely need to tell you this: Theresia truly intends to abandon you. The ‘abandon’ as you humans understand it!”

Theodore felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his head.

The shock wasn’t over yet.

“These three years, she wasn’t thinking of developing feelings with you; she was mentally preparing for her first abandonment!”

The second bolt of lightning struck.

“And all her investments in you over these years were her ‘abandonment funds’!”

The third bolt struck.

“She plans to abandon you after three days and then simply flee far away, with no intention of ever seeing you again in her lifetime! It’s literally ‘use and discard’!”

No more lightning was needed.

Theodore was now pale, clearly having suffered a tremendous blow, and for a moment, he could no longer process external information.

‘Good!’

The patriarch silently cheered in his heart. Although Theresia had certainly invested some emotions over the past three years, everything the patriarch said was completely true.

If these things had happened without Theodore being prepared at all, the probability of him turning dark would skyrocket, perhaps even turning love into hatred.

This, of course, would not do!

He still needed this man!

So, the patriarch decided to administer the preventive shot before anything could happen.

‘What ‘turning dark’?

‘I’ll burn the seeds into ash and scatter them!’