After I Laid Five Golden Dragon Eggs, the Dragon King Regretted Chapter 04

After I Laid Five Golden Dragon Eggs, the Dragon King Regretted Chapter 04

“Seraphina.” Valerius sounded as if he had run all the way there, breathing heavily. “Who gave you permission to touch her?”

Seraphina froze for a few seconds, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears.

“Valerius, why did you give her your scale?” Her voice trembled, and her finger shook as she pointed at me. “Isn’t a Dragon Lord’s Heart-Scale only meant for his Queen?”

Valerius blurted out, “Ember is my Queen.”

I was stunned.

Seraphina was equally shocked.

The script went wild:

[??? What’s happening? Weren’t they annulled?]

[Ahhh, lead, what are you saying? Aren’t you marrying the heroine?]

[I’m confused. Who’s the real female lead here?]

Seraphina looked so aggrieved that her rabbit ears—the trait of her lineage—seemed to droop. “But you clearly promised to marry me! How can she be your Queen?”

Valerius’s face stiffened, as if realizing he had said something he shouldn’t have.

After a moment, he spoke: “Seraphina, Ember is defenseless. I gave her this scale for protection back when we were wed. Do not overthink it.”

“Leave us. I need a word with her.”

Seraphina glared at me but didn’t dare disobey Valerius. She turned and left.

The door closed, leaving only Valerius and me.

Before he could speak, I asked, “Are you going to marry Seraphina?”

Valerius’s eyes brightened. “Does it matter to you?”

I blinked and didn’t answer.

I was thinking about something else.

He said he gave me the scale for protection when we were wed.

But we never had a wedding ceremony.

I was simply brought to Aethelgard and suddenly everyone started calling me Queen. There was no ritual.

Why did Valerius lie to Seraphina?

Before I could ask, Valerius gave a bitter laugh. “Never mind. It seems I misunderstood. I will take you back to Briar Hollow now.”

Valerius took me back to Briar Hollow much faster than I expected.

He stood before my dilapidated shack, his brow furrowed deep enough to catch a fly.

Then, the great Dragon King rolled up his sleeves. He helped me sweep the dust, patched the drafty walls, filled the grain and water jars, and finally pulled a pile of gold and silver from his sleeve, stacking it on the table.

“No matter what happens, you can come to Aethelgard to find me.”

With that, he left in a hurry.

I watched his back, feeling a hollow ache in my chest.

Before I could indulge in sadness, I felt something burning against my chest.

I looked down and opened my bundle. The five drakeling eggs were lying there quietly. The patterns on their shells were glowing with a faint golden light, much brighter than when they were first laid.

Oh dear.

I had forgotten to tell Valerius about the eggs again.

But the shimmering script told me that Valerius had gone back to prepare for his wedding to Seraphina.

The entire stronghold would be decorated, and invitations had already been sent out to the Azure Expanse.

I decided to wait until he was less busy.

I placed the five eggs on the bed in my shack and covered them with a blanket, just like a hen would.

Not long after, the shells began to vibrate. The golden veins grew brighter, and I could see something shifting inside.

This was just like chicks—they move before they hatch.

I remembered the birds in Briar Hollow saying that the first thing chicks do is look for food, so I decided to go into the woods to dig up some grubs.

Drakelings probably eat grubs, too, right?

I grabbed my small hoe and headed up the hill.

Halfway up, a sudden crack of thunder exploded overhead, making the ground beneath my feet go numb.

The sky turned pitch black instantly. Silver bolts of lightning danced through the clouds, and the thunder became a continuous roar, as if the sky were being torn apart.

The script scrolled frantically:

[The lead is undergoing his Heavenly Trial again!]

[But this time the heroine is by his side. With the two of them facing it together, it should be fine.]

[This is true love. Not like the side character who can only hide in the woods digging for bugs.]

Seeing this, I recalled hearing in Aethelgard that Valerius only faced a Heavenly Trial once every two centuries.

It had only been a hundred years since his last one. Why was it happening again?

Would he be in danger?

Probably not.

The script said Seraphina would help him.

My heart felt a little heavy again.

I waited until the thunder subsided before daring to go back down.

It was late, and I carried half a basket of grubs toward my shack, my mind on the five eggs about to hatch.

When I reached the door, I found two people standing there.

Valerius was dressed in black silk, his face pale. Beside him stood Seraphina, looking at me with pure hostility.

“I was passing by and decided to see you,” Valerius said, his voice weak. He stared at me for a long time. “Is there anything you need?”

I shook my head.

Seraphina smiled and leaned into Valerius’s shoulder. “By the way, Ember, our wedding is next month in Aethelgard. Would you like to attend?”

I was about to say I couldn’t go because I had eggs to tend to.

Suddenly, a loud “crack” came from inside the shack, followed by several more.

I dashed inside.

All five eggs had shattered, golden shells littering the floor.

Five fluffy little heads poked out from the debris, their bodies wet and glistening. They blinked their golden eyes at me and chirped in unison, “Mommy!”

Before I could even celebrate, a voice hissed from behind me.

“Ember… whose children are these?”