CH 24

“For the Alliance” is no Longer a Slogan (Part 4)

“Good morning, Luna.”

“Good morning, Your Majesty. It is unlike you to return at night on your first morning together.”

When I looked at Luna’s smile, I randomly felt scared. She was slightly angry; I take that back. She was very angry. Because a personal servant can’t turn in until their master turns in, Luna must’ve stayed up all night, not to mention all her sleep and waking preparations she made for me going to waste. She was excited and eager to serve me for the first night and morning, only for me to not appear. That must’ve been why she was extra angry.

I smiled helplessly: “Luna, are you angry?”

“No, why would I be angry?” Luna’s smile didn’t change.

I wondered if I perceived her as being angry due to my own guilt… She might not be angry for all I know…

I looked at Luna’s face for a while. Puzzled, she tilted her head: “Is something the matter?”

“No… Nothing…”

Luna didn’t seem to be out of sorts or unordinary. Only then did I continue walking forward. She followed behind me but suddenly stopped in her tracks when we reached the door: “I shall not enter. Do you have any plans after breakfast?”

“No… I haven’t decided yet. I probably need to see Nara. She’s your old friend, so you won’t have to avoid her. Come see Nara with me. I think Nara would want to see you, as well.”

“Sure.”

Luna nodded upon hearing Nara’s name. As a matter of fact, she looked very happy. Luna reacted with great joy upon hearing the mention of somebody she knew. I suppose they were evidence that she once lived and allowed her to feel that she was assimilating into life. I nodded. I then rubbed her head before entering the dining hall.

If I was alone, or if I had my wives and kids, too, Luna could stay behind me and serve me. However, the Queen of elves, Vyvyan, and a descendant of the dragon race were with me, so besides professional servants, personal servants weren’t permitted entry.

When we begin to converse, even servants had to leave. Needless to say, things were a bit simpler with Elizabeth. If they were slow, the Valkyries would just kill the servant and drag their corpse out. However, I was certain that the three of us wouldn’t be discussing anything important, because the elves, the North and dragon don’t need to team up to do anything. The two of them are here solely for my sake.

When I entered the dining hall, a black silhouette stood up and, with one hand, shoved Vyvyan back into her chair. Before Vyvyan could cry out, Sylvanas arrived before me. I said it before. Sylvanas didn’t initially have a human form, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t transform into a human. She could transform into her human form at will. Her human form was what Inard liked, which was a combination of Elizabeth and Vyvyan, so her breasts were larger than theirs. I suffocated whenever Vyvyan and Elizabeth hugged me, while Dragon Mom’s hugs felt akin to having something heavy pound my head, almost knocking me out.

I found myself drowning in a scary black cluster of clouds. Dragon Mom hugged me tightly and stroked my head. She excitedly said, “My son, my son, my son, you’re finally back. Mommy missed you so much. Hurry, let Mommy hug you. Uhm, uhm, my son, I’m glad you’re doing well.”

Vyvyan stood up from behind and brought the temperature of the entire room down. But nonetheless, Dragon Mom didn’t detect it, since she was immune to mana. I felt my scales wrinkling… Vyvyan swiftly picked up a kitchen knife by the side and hostilely said, “It seems that some people are bound to never be brought back. You’re just a damned lizard out in the desert, yet you’re now stealing from me. You haven’t done a thing for my son, yet you have the audacity to make him address you as ‘Mom’? How sickening!”

Sylvanas ignored Vyvyan and didn’t care what the latter could do, since Vyvyan couldn’t hurt her. Her scales could protect her even in her human form. Further, magic was useless against her. The kitchen knife in Vyvyan’s hand was no different to a plastic toy to her.

Sylvanas didn’t hear the last two sentences. She really cared about being my mother.  I was the only family member she had left, so she cared about me a lot. I was the last person she acknowledged in this world, and you could even say that I was the last of her kind.

Sylvanas looked over her shoulder. In an annoyed tone, she exclaimed, “You sure have no shame. I gave my son his life. What do you mean I can’t call him my son?! I may not have been the one to give birth to him, but he was reborn only after bathing in my blood, so he can be considered a child I gave birth to, and thereby my descendant. You, on the other hand, did nothing! Else, my son wouldn’t have come to me, thinking he had to die!”

Those words were very harsh. Those days must’ve been a nightmare Vyvyan didn’t want to recall. I didn’t know how she managed to live through those days. She sucked blood, killed, lured elven maids and even used all of Duargana to supply me with mana. I didn’t even know what she experienced in that house after I was on the verge of death.

What Dragon Mom said pierced through the mental barrier Vyvyan set up. Vyvyan went pale in the face. Her lips uncontrollably quivered. She wanted to say something, but her powerless body and blank mind left her speechless. She blankly sat back into her chair and tightly grabbed her head with her hands. She quaked similarly to a frightened young maiden, leaving her totally speechless.

Sylvanas realised she went overboard. She, therefore, fearfully let go; she looked at me with eyes filled with fear and panic. She desperately tried to explain herself, “Sorry… Sorry… I… No… I… Umm…, I…. I didn’t mean to… I… I didn’t know…”

I looked at Mommy Vyvyan. I patted Dragon Mom on her shoulder to let her know that she didn’t need to be nervous. I walked over to Mommy Vyvyan. I crouched down and pulled her into my embrace.

“Sorry… Sorry… Sorry… Son… Sorry… Sorry… I couldn’t save you… I’m sincerely so sorry…”

Vyvyan tightly hugged me. With her head on my shoulder, she bit down on her lip and wept. I gave her gentle strokes on her back. I knew the fact she couldn’t save me tormented her. Mommy Vyvyan had always believed that she could save me at any time, and be my backup that I could act coquettish and be wilful with. She did that, too. She never thought there’d come a day where she couldn’t save me. The blow from that helpless feeling was enough to destroy her. She always thought she could always protect me as my mother, and it was also her purpose in life. The incident destroyed her purpose in life.

Vyvyan tightly hugged me but didn’t speak. She hugged me so tightly that it could virtually pull my scales off. She then began to weep loudly on my shoulder.

I didn’t know how to comfort Vyvyan. The more I comforted her, the more she’d recall the guilt of what happened back then. All I needed to do is keep her company. I just need to keep her company as though nothing ever happened just as I did in the past. That was gentle enough. That… was enough.

Vyvyan gradually calmed down. I picked up a napkin and carefully wiped the tears on her face. I then turned my head around to look at Dragon Mom, who was trembling. I knew she was very afraid of causing trouble. She was afraid I’d banish her if she caused trouble.

I sighed, and then went over to give her a hug. I gave her a kiss on her cheek. With a smile, I then said, “Mom, let’s eat. We’ve delayed it for long enough. The food will be cold if we don’t eat. Plus, I still have work during the day, so I won’t have time to keep you both company. I’ll have afternoon tea with you two.”

Dragon Mom reacted surprised; she couldn’t believe her ears. Unsure, she gripped her clothes. She fearfully stuttered, “But I… I… I didn’t… I… I…”

“It’s all right, Mom. You don’t have to worry. You consider yourself my mom, so would I banish you over a quarrel? You’re my mom.”

I chuckled in a soft voice. I then walked over to Mommy Vyvyan and gave her a kiss on her cheek: “Good morning, Mom.”

A good morning kiss was compulsory, albeit Mommy Vyvyan being the one who used to kiss me.

Dragon Mom, who was moved to tears, seemingly realised something all of a sudden. She quickly rushed over to my side then pouted her soft pink lips and shut her eyes. Suddenly, I felt a chill down my spine.

“What is this…? What is this about? Mommy Vyvyan is right here. What does she want?” I began to panic to myself.

Noticing that I didn’t react, Dragon Mom kissed me on my lips. I froze because of the abrupt kiss. But that wasn’t all; she was very passionate about the kiss. She nearly sucked my lungs dry.

“Good morning, Son… This counts as a good morning kiss, right? Come, come, Son. Where’s your kiss for Mommy? Where’s your kiss for Mommy?”

Me in my head: “What? What? What?? I don’t understand a thing! Who taught her this?! Who’s the one spreading false information? Own up yourself! Own up yourself!”