VBNWDW - Chapter 86
Chapter 86
As the gentle sunlight scattered down, the streets returned to their usual clamor. The moss in the cracks of the earth, saturated with water, bloomed with small, cream-colored flowers.
Time is the greatest healer of all. The panic and terror of that night had vanished a month ago. Aside from the few large craters that remained in the city, all other traces had been erased.
Metis stood on a high platform, taking it all in. Her expression softened slightly, but she still radiated a heavy, dignified air.
That great rain had washed away all her innocence and immaturity. Her back was straight, and her pale gray-blue eyes were no longer clear, impossible for one to see through at a glance.
"Your Majesty," Talia called out in a low voice beside her.
Ever since the Queen had awoken, she had issued a series of policies. For instance, the Roy Kingdom would no longer have Council families, the rank of Duke was abolished, and the existing Ander and Gael families were recalled to be granted new official duties.
The Temples of Light everywhere were to be abolished; the Roy Kingdom would choose a new faith.
The vassal families under the former Council families were to be inventoried, and Her Majesty the Queen would personally select new administrators for every city. At the same time, she would recruit talented individuals from all regions, granting them positions after they passed an examination.
Policies such as tax reduction and increased military spending were also emphasized.
For a time, the Roy Kingdom entered a period of great transformation, the likes of which had not been seen in a thousand years.
Hearing her name, Metis turned her head, letting out a questioning sound.
Talia looked somewhat troubled, her voice faint. "Lord Yueqing… she snuck out of the palace and went to the army barracks."
"Why would she go there?!" Metis was first stunned, then a trace of anger appeared. She was about to scold the servants, but then she remembered that if Yueqing wanted to get out, no one could stop her.
Metis's lips pressed into a thin line. She immediately turned and walked away, the group of people behind her following in a great procession.
The autumn leaves, dyed red, fell to the ground, forming a thick, soft carpet that rustled underfoot.
Before they even reached the military camp, they heard the sound of unified shouts. The soldiers were training in the camp, their blades slicing through the air, creating a constant whooshing sound. It was a far better sight than the lazy, idle group they had been before.
But Metis was not here to praise them. She walked briskly, and before she even reached the central tent, she heard a certain dragon's nonchalant voice.
"I say, you're not that old. How can you be so rigid and inflexible sometimes?"
"What if one day your commanding officer tells you to go west, and there's a giant pit right in front of you? Would you just resolutely jump in?"
"What about the book I gave you? How many pages have you read? Why are you still so foolish?"
Metis lifted the curtain flap. The three people inside looked up in unison.
"Your Majesty!" Mo Wen seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She quickly took a step forward and bowed, clearly the one who had just been getting scolded.
Beside her, Ivo's expression was calm as she also bowed in salute.
As for Yueqing, who was seated in the main chair…
She blinked, then forced a stiff, guilty smile at Metis. "Why are you here…" she said sheepishly.
Metis ignored her, deliberately speaking only to the other two. "You may rise."
Then, she walked directly to the other side of the main seat and sat down a meter away from the other person. "Please, continue," she said.
Not many people had followed her, but they were all perceptive. Seeing the situation, they didn't even enter, simply standing guard outside the tent.
Only Dion was a blockhead. Seeing the Queen arrive while he was training his troops, he had rushed over. The people outside didn't have time to stop him, and he charged straight in, shouting, "Your Majesty, why have you come… come…"
After getting a clear look inside, his voice suddenly faltered. He scratched his head, took a large step back out of the tent, and then turned and walked away with crisp efficiency.
The four people inside retracted their gazes. Metis urged them again with a faint smile, "Go on, continue."
Yueqing gave two fake coughs and turned to look at Metis, saying guiltily, "I just came out for some fresh air, to see how these two are doing…"
She reached out a hand, wanting to take Metis's, but before her fingertips could touch her, Metis dodged away.
The black dragon blinked innocently.
Her Majesty the Queen, however, maintained a cold expression and said only, "Have you seen enough, then? Can we go back now?"
The other two remained silent, lowering their heads and pretending not to hear.
"Yes, yes, we'll go back right now," Yueqing immediately replied. She was clearly a stunning beauty, yet she was acting as eager as a lackey.
Hearing this, Metis stood up and left. Yueqing immediately followed at her side. The group of people who had come with them followed in a great procession once more, though they kept a few meters farther back than before.
They occasionally glanced ahead, the fear in their eyes hard to conceal. After all, this was the great Dragon Lord who had soared high in the sky, single-handedly destroyed the Council families, and given the city of Anthelia an unforgettable night.
But the scene unfolding before them felt distorted. A dragon capable of defeating the God of Light was defeated by her weak partner.
Several times, she tried to get closer to the Queen, shifting her steps to the side, only to be dodged in the same manner.
She reached out a hand pitifully, and the Queen simply swatted it away.
The onlookers wore complicated expressions.
Yueqing didn't care what the people behind her were thinking. After being swatted away again, she tried to take Metis's hand, but her fingertips didn't even make contact. Steeling herself, she took a large stride to Metis's side and, in the manner of a bear hugging a tree, clung tightly to her.
"Don't be angry, okay? I was wrong. I just felt bored and wanted to get some air…" Her voice was drawn out, her gilded eyes pleading. If anyone else had heard it, who knows how their heart would have ached for her.
But Metis's face remained cold, completely ignoring the dragon's pleas.
As they passed through the long street and entered the royal palace, the people behind them heard dozens of different apologies. The Dragon Lord looked as if she wanted to lie on the ground and roll around like a rogue.
It wasn't until they reached the door to their room that Metis turned and said to those behind her, "We will discuss the remaining matters tomorrow."
Before anyone could respond, the door slammed shut with a bang. They couldn't help but prick up their ears to listen, only to hear the Dragon Lord let out a cold snort. Their outstretched necks quickly retracted, and they turned and hurried away.
Inside, the dragon grumbled twice, thinking to herself, You've all been watching for so long, what more do you want to hear?
She turned to look at the other side, where Metis was already sitting on the edge of the bed. A sense of panic inexplicably seized her. She walked over, saying, "I was just bored, you know? You wouldn't let me go with you…"
The person had her back to her, her shoulders trembling slightly. Yueqing noticed at once and immediately walked around to face her, kneeling on one knee.
Golden hair cascaded down loosely. The corners of her eyes were red, and her pale gray-blue eyes were filled with a watery mist, looking as if tears were about to fall at any moment. Yet she bit her lower lip, forcing herself to remain calm.
Yueqing was instantly flustered. "Why are you crying? What are you crying about?" she asked hurriedly.
She raised her hand but had nothing to wipe the tears with, so she simply took the other's hand, feeling both helpless and amused. "I just went out for a walk. What's there to cry about?"
"It's just a poison, mmph…"
Before she could finish, Metis covered her mouth. Yueqing froze for a moment, then looked up again.
The restrained tears finally fell, crystalline drops sliding down her cheeks. The lofty, majestic Queen from outside was now before her with red-rimmed eyes, her voice trembling as she said, "What do you mean, 'just'? Have you forgotten how many days you were unconscious?"
She enunciated each word with emphasis. "Half a month. You were in a coma for half a month."
Yueqing's gaze darted away. She pulled Metis's hand down, her tone weak. "It was only half a month. I was drunk for a whole month once…"
Metis was so angry that tears streamed down her face. She scolded through her sobs, "How can that be the same?!"
The memory of that moment made her heart ache with sorrow.
The moment she opened her eyes, the dragon who was the strongest in the world lay weakly on the ground. She only had time to say, "I'm fine, don't let anyone know," before falling into a coma.
Relying on her faint memories of what had happened, Metis managed to piece together some of it. She suppressed her emotions and carried Yueqing to the bed.
"Do you have any idea how scared I was? Your whole body went cold, your lips were white, your breathing was faint. If it weren't for the contract chain, I would have… I would have…"
She couldn't bring herself to say the words. Beads of blood appeared on the thin lips she had been biting so tightly.
During the half-month the dragon was unconscious, she had forced herself to deal with the mess left behind while helplessly watching over the dragon who showed no signs of improvement. She was on the verge of collapse. If the dragon hadn't finally woken up, she was prepared to abandon the entire kingdom to search for the elusive Dragon Island.
The dragon, lacking experience in comforting people, could only say, "I didn't expect to be out for so long either. That poison was too powerful…"
"You knew it was powerful, and you still moved it into your own body?!"
"I really had no other choice."
Seeing that her attempts to console the woman were only making her more upset, Yueqing simply stood up, lifted her sideways onto her lap, and coaxed her with gentle eyes. "Don't cry. I know I was wrong. I'll listen to you from now on. I'll rest properly in our room and won't run around anymore. You still have a dragon cub in your belly…"
As soon as she said this, she seemed to have hit another one of Her Majesty's nerves. Her eyebrows shot up as she snapped, "The child! The child! Is the child all you care about?"
Yueqing: "…"
She could only hold Metis tighter, lower her head to kiss her forehead, and say, "How could that be? If I could, I'd get rid of this annoying little thing right now."
"You find our child annoying? Does this mean you never wanted to have a child with me at all?" Her Majesty the Queen's reaction was exceptionally quick.
Yueqing was at a loss for words. Wanting it was wrong, not wanting it was also wrong. It seemed pregnancy really could change a person. The little Queen who used to be so obedient was now learning to throw tantrums.
She looked down. Her Majesty had a cold expression, but because her eyes were red from crying, it held no menace at all. Not only was it not frightening, it actually made the dragon…
She placed a hand on Metis's side and unconsciously swallowed.
The little Queen in her arms had not yet realized the impending danger and was still making accusations through her sobs.
The next second, she was pressed into the soft mattress. A scorching breath washed over her, sealing the lips that were salty from crying.
Yueqing's voice was low and husky. "Don't cry. I do want to have a dragon cub with you. I just didn't expect it to be so soon."
Since they had prior experience, it couldn't possibly be just a simple kiss. Her hand unconsciously slid down, climbing to other places.
Only then did Metis react. She raised her hands to press against the other's shoulders, trying to stop her. "No, your body…"
The dragon paid her no mind. She had already been recuperating bitterly for half a month. Now that she finally had an opportunity, how could she possibly let it go? No matter how Metis pushed, she didn't budge an inch, instead becoming even more audacious.
"It's just sealed inside my body. It can't be dealt with right away, but it doesn't affect my ability to do anything," the dragon explained, nibbling on her earlobe.
This spot was always special, as if she had bitten Metis's vital point. The hand braced against her shoulder and neck suddenly clenched the fabric.
The sob was still in her voice as she hurriedly said, "The child…"
"It hasn't formed yet; it doesn't understand these things," Yueqing replied instinctively, her mind completely focused on the matter at hand. Then she realized what she'd said and added, "I've been observing it during this time. Perhaps because of its mixed bloodline, it's a bit weaker than other dragon cubs, but not so much that we need to be overly cautious."
If any other dragon heard this, they would surely beat this lust-crazed creature. What did she mean, "not so much that we need to be overly cautious"? Hadn't she seen that the Dragon Clan's birth rate was getting lower and lower, and there were fewer and fewer young dragons?!
But Metis didn't know about these things. She could only watch as her excuses were refuted one by one. Then, fragmented kisses fell, wiping away the lingering tears. She turned her head to dodge, but her earlobe was caught again, and she couldn't help but hiss.
The dragon licked it appeasingly, and an even more unbearable sensation washed over her. All trivial matters were thrown to the back of her mind, completely forgotten.
Dresses fell to the floor, breaths mingling together. A slender waist tensed and arched, long legs unconsciously bending and falling, leaving messy traces on the bedsheets.
Outside, dusk had fallen. An orange glow dyed a patch of the sky red. A cool breeze blew, slipping into the room where the air was chaotic, and low gasps followed in its wake.
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