The White Cat That Swore Vengeance Was Just Lazing on the Dragon King’s Lap - Volume 4 - Chapter SS1

Side Chapter: First Love

The Nation of the Beast King, one of the four great nations, was home to many demi-humans. Several homogeneous settlements were scattered about within its confines, where inhabitants honored the traditions and customs of the days of old. One of those settlements belonged to the bird demi-humans. Even out of the many races of demi-humans, they had the most pride and devotion toward the spirits.

One day, a single baby girl was born to the house of their chief—a future successor to the mantle. The entire village celebrated the monumental event, but they soon noticed something strange. Spirits started to gather around the newborn child as if to bless her birth. This was by no means normal. There had been other babies born in the village that same year, but neither those children nor the ones who came before them ever garnered a reaction like this.

“This can’t be...”

“She’s a Beloved...”

The quiet murmurs of the crowd spread from person to person, astonishing all who heard. However, astonishment gradually evolved into cheers and elation. A Beloved was born in this village, a village more spirit-religious than any other.

Being bestowed with a Beloved was something that called for celebration. A never-ending line of people clasped their hands together and shed happy tears over the newborn girl. This joyous event prompted the village to hold a banquet in honor of the newborn Beloved’s birth that lasted for three days and three nights.

However, when the festivities were over and the glee of the people had subsided, they were faced with a big dilemma. If a Beloved was born, it was their duty to report it to the kingdom. Yet there was currently a problem in the Nation of the Beast King which made them hesitant to do so.

The Andal, the Beast King, had suddenly announced that he was abdicating the throne and subsequently went missing. Since he hadn’t declared a successor before stepping down, a battle for the crown erupted. At the moment, the nation was wrapped in a fierce war between the princes over who would next sit on the throne, inciting mayhem.

The Beast King wasn’t crowned by seniority but by strength. Because of that, each of the princes’ relatives schemed to crown their own prince as king, intensifying the conflict. And in the midst of this strife, a Beloved was born—one that would clearly be used as a tool for this war.

After days of discussion among all of the tribe, the decision was made to hide the news of the infant from the kingdom and raise it in the village. They chose the happiness of the child over their loyalty to the nation. The Beloved was both loved by the spirits and loved by the villagers. No one wanted to embroil their tribe’s precious child into the nation’s turmoil. As such, the Beloved named “Celestine” would be secretly yet tenderly raised in a bird demi-human village.

Celestine was raised under the care of her tribe and the spirits. Her father, the leader, looked at his child with the kindest and most gentle of gazes. He knew he would have to relinquish her one day and it tore him up inside. But Celestine was a Beloved. She wasn’t meant to stay within the small confines of his village.

Her father also heard that Prince Arman had won the years-long fight for the throne. Although the scars of the conflict still remained on the nation, it would start to show signs of stability soon. When it did, they would need to do what they had put off—report Celestine’s existence to the nation. That meant Celestine would likely be going to the royal capital. There, she would undoubtedly be treated with the utmost care and live in extravagance beyond what their meager village could offer—a noble lifestyle befitting a Beloved.

He knew it was probably the better choice for Celestine as well, but he couldn’t contain his lament for giving up his child. Nevertheless, it was a matter for the future. Even though the battle for the throne was settled, there were still rumors of a bested prince lying in wait for their chance to steal it behind the scenes. He couldn’t send his precious daughter somewhere that was potentially dangerous. Not until King Arman’s reign was proven stable, at least. Everyone in the village thought that, in fact, but...

“Father, I am going to the royal capital.”

One day, Celestine uttered those very words. She was still a mere child, but she was beautiful and had been raised to be wiser than the other children her age. Or perhaps that was just favoritism influencing her father’s thought. Regardless, his eyes widened at her unbelievable statement.

“What are you saying, Celestine?”

“I am a Beloved. Beloveds must be reported to the kingdom, do they not?”

“The capital is dangerous. The Beast King’s reign isn’t fully stable yet. We have to wait a little while longer, okay?”

He said this nice and slow, as if instructing a small child—an actual small child, in this case. However, Celestine was wiser than her father gave her credit for.

“Father, I’ve heard that the war has left the capital in shambles. In which case, I believe I should go there since I am a Beloved. Any place with a Beloved prospers, correct? My power can help the lives of many. I can share the blessings of the spirits with so many more. That is my duty as someone born a Beloved.”

“Celestine...” her father started, his refusal stuck on the very tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back as he peered into his daughter’s determined eyes.

For all her life, he had taught her that spirits were sacred and that Beloveds existed to link man and spirit. Celestine was attempting to faithfully uphold those teachings. If this was just childish play talk, then Celestine’s father would’ve been able to turn her down, but he decided to show Celestine the respect a Beloved deserved.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

After everyone in the tribe saw them off, Celestine and her father left for the capital. They traveled the whole way by horse-drawn carriage. Since Celestine normally had an entourage of spirits around her, she rode inside to avoid detection. After a few days of this, they reached the capital.

The carriage proceeded to the castle, and when they arrived, the occupants declared they sought an audience with the king. However, there was no way the gatekeeper was letting a random civilian off the streets inside the gate. This prompted an argument back and forth between the gatekeeper and Celestine’s father.

Hearing their bickering, Celestine poked her head out of the carriage. “Father,” she said, as she took his hand to descend.

The gatekeeper’s eyes widened. Spirits floated around the young girl as if protecting her. It was an abnormal sight to anyone who saw it.

“Please let me see His Majesty,” Celestine said to the gatekeeper nervously yet firmly.

The gatekeeper stared in awe before snapping back to his senses. He quickly dashed inside of the castle.

It was almost as if someone had poked a beehive. An uproar ensued. A rush of people, who seemed to be of high ranking, filed in front of Celestine, kneeling.

Celestine was respected in her village, but she had never been treated in such a bombastic way before. She was frightened by their conduct and hid herself behind her father. Slowly peeking from behind him, she could see they were apparently welcoming her with joy, albeit in an overwhelming display.

Celestine’s father held her in his arms as they were shown to the throne room. A man with yellow hair and yellow eyes sat atop a regal throne set high above the floor. He was the man who, a few years ago, bested all of his brothers to be crowned the new king—Arman, the Beast King.

With an air of intimidation akin to an apex predator, Arman looked down upon Celestine. The young girl felt his mighty presence and froze, like a frog caught in the deadly leer of a snake.

“Eek!”

Her father immediately took a knee, and Celestine was about to follow his example and do the same, but Arman stood up from his throne and stopped her.

“That won’t be necessary. You are a Beloved. There is no being who stands above a Beloved, so you needn’t bow to me.”

As Arman slowly descended the throne, Celestine could feel herself getting more nervous and tense.

“Your name?” he asked.

“U-Um...” Celestine stammered, too nervous to form sentences correctly. The more flustered she grew, the harder it was to speak.

Celestine battled her nerves as Arman reached his large hand over to her. She instinctively shut her eyes and ducked down, cowering in fear. However, all she felt was a few gentle pats on the head. She looked up at him, dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events, to see that Arman was smiling at her as gently as could be.

Arman then suddenly picked her up and held her in his arms, naturally putting her at eye-level with him. “Your name?” he asked once more.

“Um, Celestine, Sire.”

“I see. Such a pretty name for a pretty little girl,” he said, messily rustling her hair with his hand—a large hand packed with warmth. The fear she felt not two seconds ago melted away.

“My name is Arman. Pleasure to meet you, Celestine.”

That was the story of how Celestine and Arman met.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

And so Celestine began living in the royal castle. Her father, the chief of her tribe, couldn’t abandon his people, so he left Celestine in Arman’s care and returned to the village. This saddened Celestine, but she was the one who proposed going to the castle in the first place, so she kept it to herself and patiently watched as her father walked off, out of sight.

Still, Celestine was only just a child, so she couldn’t fully contain her sadness and disappointment. Noticing that, Arman once again rustled her hair. The consoling gesture lifted Celestine’s spirit ever so slightly.

“If you’re feeling down, I’ll play with you,” Arman said, acting extremely kind despite his intimidating appearance.

Knowing that Celestine was still just a child separated from her parents, Arman would frequently check on her and give her lots of attention even though he was busy with his kingly duties. Thanks to that, Celestine was able to live in the castle without difficulty. She couldn’t help but feel some degree of sadness, but she had the spirits and the occasional correspondence from her parents. She spent her days in contentment, without wishing to go back to the village.

Her life in the castle was altogether different from the village. Celestine was raised with tenderness and care, but the castle was on a whole other level. Servants attended to her every need, worshiping her, respecting her, and heeding her every beck and call. This seemed bound to spoil her, but in spite of her new lifestyle, she kept to her family’s teachings, never growing arrogant, and maintained her dignity as a Beloved.

Celestine’s attitude earned her the favor of the castle’s workers and garnered her popularity. However, the one who was a little disappointed was actually Arman.

“Hey, you know, you’re getting more popular than me. Even my aides are telling me to learn by your example.”

“Master Arman, I think that’s because your principles toward women are so lacking. Just how many queens do you intend to have? You’ve only been king for a few years and the number is already in the double digits. It’s quite unsettling.”

“Oh, well, look at that. Someone’s lips have gotten a lot more limber, haven’t they? When I first met you, you looked like you were about to wet yourself,” Arman stated.

“T-That isn’t true!” Celestine contested.

Some time had passed since she first came to the castle, and the two had opened up to one another quite a lot. Nowadays, they were friendly enough to crack jokes.

“Oh, right. We’ll be having visitors from the Nation of the Dragon King.”

“Nation of the Dragon King? A dragonkin?”

“Yes, the Dragon King and company. You’ve never met a dragonkin before, have you?”

“Never.”

“You’re in for a surprise. They’re all lookers. Jade, the Dragon King, is especially handsome. Try not to fall in love, now.”

“I am not you, Master Arman. I don’t fall in love so easily. But dragonkin are a race who keep faithful to one wife, yes? I respect them for that. Unlike a certain someone...”

“Hey, now,” Arman replied, his temple twitching.

Since they lived in the castle together, it was better that she was this way than constantly scared, but Arman had a feeling she was getting more and more ruthless as the days rolled on. A Beloved was equal to a king—no, beyond a king. That was why no one rebuked her no matter what biting remark she gave. Granted, Arman personally wouldn’t seriously reprimand her since she was still a child. On the contrary, his exchanges with Celestine were a relaxing distraction from his daily stress.

Arman had been all smiles up until that point, but his face suddenly tightened and he looked at Celestine with a more stern gaze.

“You know of the fight for the throne from a few years ago, right, Celestine?”

“You’re referring to the battling you did with your brothers over the mantle of king, yes?”

“The one and the same. Most of my brothers were purged along with their retainers and the nobles who fought alongside them. But there’s one who made an escape. And I’ve heard he’s been making moves in the shadows as of late. He is after you,” Arman explained.

Despite being wise beyond her years, Celestine didn’t seem to understand what he meant.

“A Beloved is a precious existence in many nations. Especially here, in a nation so spirit-religious. If they were able to exploit your powers, and if he were to make you say he’s more suited to be king, the people would want him in power instead. In power as a king watching over a Beloved. That is what he’s after.”

“I wouldn’t know who is more suited to be king, though.”

“Right. Probably too difficult of a decision for you since you’re still a child. But they’re after you exactly because you wouldn’t know any better, to get some sort of vote of confidence that works in their favor. Still, you can rest easy. I’ve put more security detail on you,” Arman said, gently stroking Celestine’s head as an apology for frightening her. His hand was as big, as warm, and as kind as always.

Celestine stared straight at Arman. “I’m glad that you’re king, Master Arman,” she said without a hint of cynicism.

Arman was taken back, as if he’d just heard a lie, but the truth set in and a tender smile appeared on his face.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Although the added security did make her feel constrained, Celestine continued to live in tranquility. With nothing much happening, everyone began to drop their guards. That was when Arman’s fears came to fruition.

“Lady Beloved, run!” sounded a shriek around dinnertime. A flood of armed soldiers stormed the room and took it over in the blink of an eye.

It was a mystery as to what happened. There was supposed to be additional security outside of the tower where the Beloved stayed, annexed from the main tower Arman occupied. However, that mystery dispersed once Celestine saw a man take her caretaker hostage and point a sword at her.

“Lady Beloved, will you come with us?”

“And if I said no?”

“We cannot harm you since the spirits attend you, of course. Which means...”

“Eeeeeeek!!”

The man stabbed his sword into the woman. She hit the floor with a thud as globs of blood came spilling from her and she ceased to move any longer.

“Eep!” Celestine shrieked, her face pale.

The man then dragged out another woman. This one was also one of Celestine’s caretakers. “Now then, will you be coming with us?”

Celestine hesitated, and the man wasted no time in cutting down the second caretaker as well.

“If you don’t hurry...”

“I-I’ll go! Just please, don’t hurt anyone!”

Celestine could have easily subdued them if she asked the spirits. However, she was taught that she should never thoughtlessly ask the spirits for favors since they were such sacred beings, so the idea of simply asking them for assistance never crossed her mind.

“Well then, step this way. Please tell the spirits not to follow you.”

“B-But...”

“Shall I kill someone else, then?”

Celestine was still a child. Seeing her caretakers mercilessly slain before her had completely terrified her. Her usual boldness to refute others had wilted and she complied with his instructions. The thought of asking the spirits for help still didn’t occur to her.

“Everyone, please don’t follow me.”

The concerned-looking spirits around her protested in response, but Celestine continued to warn them to stay away. Reluctantly, they followed her orders and dispersed elsewhere.

“Well then, right this way.”

Celestine barely managed to move her trembling legs as they brought her to the hall in the tower. There, a door that she had never seen was standing open. She did remember there being a big painting there, however.

“This annex has an escape route for Beloveds in case of emergency. Though, it seems the king didn’t know about its existence.”

“A secret path...” Celestine whispered. They’d used this to get inside, going undetected by the guards outside the tower.

“That is correct. Now, let us depart to our master.”

Celestine had neither spirits nor guards. Fear occupied her entire being. She wondered if Arman had noticed she was gone and if he would come rescue her.

The secret route was connected to an old shed outside the capital. She anxiously exited the shed and was forced to walk a little while longer. When she reached their destination, she saw more armed soldiers and a well-dressed man under the moonlight.

The man kneeled before Celestine in an overly hammy manner and said, “Ooh, greetings and salutations, Lady Beloved. I am so glad to have saved you from that usurper, Arman.”

Celestine couldn’t hide her fear or her confusion. “Usurper? Save? What do you mean?”

“Aah, so, you are not aware. Arman is a usurper who stole the throne from me. You see, considering I am the first prince, I should’ve been crowned king. But he snatched it away from me! That place is not safe for you. After all, who knows what kind of treachery he might use you for, Lady Beloved. That is exactly why I’ve come to rescue you from him.”

Celestine had no idea what he was talking about. Arman won the throne by his own merits, and he wasn’t using her for any treachery.

Just as she was about to refute him, the man interrupted her. “But all is fine now. For I shall protect you. Let us take back the throne together.”

Arman’s words ran past her mind. He said he had a brother that lost in the battle for the throne and escaped. He was targeting Celestine in hopes to gain custody of a Beloved so he could become king. That was most likely who this man and his soldiers were.

“Please return me back to the castle,” Celestine urged with a shaky voice.

Despite her plea, he wasn’t going to just let her go back. “Why, whatever do you mean? After finally rescuing you, you wish to go back to that den of evil? Aah, I’m guessing he told you a mixture of truth and lies. My, how dreadful. However, everything he told you is false. For, you see, I am just.”

“Please, return me.”

“As soon as you recognize me as king and I take the throne, we shall go back to the castle together. So, please, worry not.”

How was she supposed to not worry? There was no getting through to him at all. Celestine was gradually growing more angry than afraid.

“Enough! Take me back to the castle! You aren’t fit to be a ruler. Master Arman is far more suited! I will never recognize you as king!” she firmly declared.

And just like that, the man’s warm, sweet smile turned cold and bitter. His eyes squinted into an icy glare that made Celestine flinch.

“It would seem he has corrupted you to the very core. I will ask you once more. Will you recognize me as king?”

“I-I will not! Master Arman is king!”

“I see. Then, you no longer have use for me. Kill her.”

All of the soldiers pointed their swords at Celestine. The color drained from her face.

“What are you...? I am a Beloved. The spirits will not sit idly by as harm befalls a Beloved.”

Harming a Beloved in a nation so devout toward spirits was sheer madness. Not even Celestine herself ever imagined anyone from this nation would hurt her. She had been feeling a tinge of worry, but she hadn’t felt her life was in jeopardy. However, now things were different. Her gut warned her of the danger.

“And where are those spirits now?” the man asked.

Celestine then realized—she had told the spirits not to follow her per their instructions.

Slowly but surely, the soldiers drew closer to the girl. Their eyes showed serious intent to kill a Beloved without an ounce of hesitation. Celestine’s body trembled. This was the first time she’d ever felt scared for her life.

“No... S-Someone...” Celestine stammered before turning on her heels and running.

“After her! Don’t let her escape!” said the man as the gang of soldiers followed after her.

Celestine screamed as she desperately fled. “Someone! Master Arman! Help me!”

However, she was a mere child running from adults. They had far larger strides and far more stamina. She started panting. Her smaller, weaker body had reached its limit. A soldier caught up with her and snagged her hair, sending a jolt of pain through her scalp.

“Oww!”

The soldier swung his sword, the tip glinting in the moonlight. Celestine shut her eyes, thinking she was done for, but that was when a fierce wind blew past. She heard several thuds from around her and realized the grip on her hair was no longer there.

“Who are you?!” asked a soldier.

She slowly opened her eyes to find a group of unfamiliar faces opposing the soldiers.

“No, who are you for pointing your sword at a small child?” asked one of the men.

“It’s none of your damn business! Hand over the kid!” replied the soldier.

“Only a fool would comply with that,” retorted the man.

The soldiers looked at one another and then decided to carry out their master’s orders, charging at the group of uninvited guests with designs to eliminate them.

Who were these people? She couldn’t discern if they were friend or foe. As she debated staying or fleeing, they unceremoniously beat the soldiers to a pulp. She was astonished by what she saw.

One of the new men came over to her and kneeled down to her eye level. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No. Thank you very much...?” Celestine replied, sounding slightly uncertain. She had no idea if the people in front of her were here to save her or not.

“What shall we do with them, Your Majesty?”

“We can’t leave these criminals unpunished for attempting to kill a child. Bind them to trees for the time being. We can tell Arman and he can send his men to collect them later.”

Arman? The familiar name made Celestine pounce on the man before her. “Master Arman! The Beast King! You know of him?!”

“Yes, we’re on our way to the castle now.”

“Please, you must take me with you!”

“That is fine, but do you belong to the castle? Arman has no children to my recollection.”

“I am a Beloved, sir.”

Celestine’s words caused not only the man to stare at her in shock but also the others who were tying the soldiers to trees.

“A Beloved? Well, I heard of a Beloved appearing in the Nation of the Beast King, but where are your spirits?” the man asked, looking around her. It was to no avail, however, as Celestine had ordered them not to follow.

“I left my spirits behind because those people told me to.”

“What were you thinking?! The spirits shield and protect a Beloved. You’re practically asking for harm to befall you,” the man shouted, scolding her for her supposed carelessness.

Celestine figured that out firsthand, but she had no other option. “They took my caretakers hostage, so I...” She saw people killed before her eyes. The mere memory made her body shiver and her heart sink.

The man placed his hand upon her head and gently stroked her hair. The relieving gesture prompted streams of tears to flow from her cheeks.

“I don’t know what happened exactly, but let’s return to the castle. I’m sure Arman has been searching, worried sick,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

The man then told Celestine to step back a bit. The next thing she knew, he’d transformed into a gigantic dragon. She gazed in awe at his majestic form. One by one, the other men started to transform into dragons as well.

“That reminds me, Master Arman said that the Dragon King would be here. Are you him, by any chance?”

“Yes. I am Jade, the Dragon King. Step up on my foot. I will take you back to the castle,” said the jet-black dragon who had been a man not even a moment ago.

His scales sparkled in the moonlight with a beautiful luster, entrancing Celestine. As she admired his form, they arrived back at the castle in no time flat.

Quite some time had passed since Celestine was taken away. The castle was normally silent this late at night, but lamps glowed all around and people frantically rushing back and forth.

Once the dragonkin party descended to the castle with Celestine in tow, everyone ran to meet them.

“Lady Beloved!” yelled one soldier.

“Oh, thank heavens! She’s safe!” yelled another.

After a short while, Arman came frantically dashing up. “Celestine! You’re safe!”

“Master Arman!” Celestine cried as she ran into Arman’s outstretched arms.

The spirits she left at the castle also crowded around.

The honest relief of finally being back at the castle set over her. However, her ordeal wasn’t quite over.

“You fool! What were you thinking casting the spirits to the side?! Your safety is of utmost importance. No matter how many people may die, think of your safety above all. That is your duty as a Beloved,” Arman said, bringing down his wrath.

Celestine had an excuse, however. “But I never thought that anyone would actually try to harm a Beloved. I thought I would be safe even without them. But when he ordered them to kill me, I...”

Celestine trailed off. She had been taught that spirits were sacred, so she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Harming a Beloved was tantamount to rebelling against the spirits.

Seeing the tears forming in Celestine’s eyes, Arman took a breath to regain his composure and said, “There are people in this world who value their own desires more than anything else—Beloved or not. People who couldn’t give a damn about faith in the spirits. That is why I assigned so much security. I take responsibility for not being able to protect you this time. But something of this nature may happen again. So, you must never separate from the spirits.”

“Okay.”

Celestine was then escorted to her room. Since the annex for the Beloved was compromised with that secret route around, Arman had a room closer to his own prepared for her. She made sure to relay who had kidnapped her. Arman would probably deal with him later.

“That reminds me, I haven’t said my thanks,” Celestine said, remembering the party of dragonkin that saved her—especially the Dragon King, Jade. She didn’t get a good look at his face, but the beautiful glistening of his scaly, jet-black form was imprinted on her memory. He had also constantly and courteously asked if Celestine was all right during their trip back. His kind voice echoed through her mind.

The following day, the commotion from the previous night still hadn’t died down, and the soldiers in the castle bustled about. Celestine dashed through the crowd and headed toward the room where Arman and another man were having breakfast.

“Oh, Celestine. What’s wrong?” Arman asked, pausing his meal.

“Um, I need to say thanks to the Dragon King. And I heard that this is where he was,” she replied.

“Oh, yes. Jade is right here.”

She met eyes with the man sitting across from Arman. His face was more beautiful than any she had seen before. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“What are you doing? C’mere and sit down,” Arman said.

She walked toward them, but the closer she got to Jade, the harder her heart beat.

“U-Um, thank you very much for yesterday. I am sincerely grateful.”

“I just so happened to find a child being assaulted on my way to the castle. I never would have dreamed it was a Beloved, but I’m glad you seem to be safe,” Jade said with a gentle smile.

Celestine’s heart fluttered and she avoided eye contact with him.

Celestine listened in on Arman and Jade’s general banter as they enjoyed their meal, sneaking peeks at Jade’s face all the while. They avoided talking about what happened last night out of consideration for Celestine, but Celestine was so transfixed on Jade that she never noticed.

“Oh, yeah, So, have you finally found yourself a mate yet?”

A bitter expression settled on Jade’s face. “Quit talking like you’re one of those old codgers. I already get enough of that back at the kingdom. I don’t want to hear it here as well.”

“Hahaha, well, I’m sure you’ll find one sooner or later.”

“I would hope, but I haven’t found anyone suitable at the moment.”

A mate for Jade. Once Celestine heard that, she felt a bevy of emotions swell inside her. She hated the prospect of someone else being by his side. By the time she realized it, the words had already come from her mouth.

“In that case, please take me as your mate, Dragon King!”

Arman and Jade both stared at Celestine, speechless. However, Jade responded to her by saying, “...No, I’m sorry.”

“But why?!” Celestine asked, shocked from being turned down so quickly.

“Well, because it’s not feasible, now is it?” Arman interjected. “You’re the Beloved of the Nation of the Beast King and Jade is the Dragon King.”

“Plus, a child can’t be the object of my affection,” Jade said, obviously avoiding the advances of a child like Celestine. If he were to agree to make her his mate, he would likely be branded a pedophile.

“Well, dragonkin live long lives, so I’m sure it wouldn’t be an issue once she gets older. I’d be in her corner if she weren’t a Beloved.”

“I’d rather not form rifts in our nation’s cordial relations.”

Arman and Jade seemed opposed due to the massive problems it would cause. Be that as it may, Celestine couldn’t sit with that.

“I will not concede!” she declared.

From that moment on, Celestine launched her aggressive approach.

“I love you, Master Jade! Please make your mate!”

“Who is that woman?!”

Every time she met Jade, she would convey her feelings. And if there were any women smitten with Jade, she would hear of it from all the way in the Nation of the Beast King and dedicate herself to eliminating them. Not even Celestine, who tried to be a proper Beloved, could contain her temper when she saw another woman coiled around Jade.

Through all of this, Arman remained confounded, not knowing that Celestine had this sort of side to her.

Celestine knew that Jade was growing weary of this and that she was using the fact he couldn’t strongly refuse her to her advantage, but things weren’t going according to plan. She really wanted to be by Jade’s side forever, but she, a Beloved of the Nation of the Beast King, couldn’t afford to leave the nation for very long. The nation’s senior vassals staunchly disapproved. Having a sense of responsibility, Celestine couldn’t just disregard their opinions either. She lamented that she could rush off to Jade’s side unfettered. If only another Beloved were around to take her place.

However, one day, there was news a Beloved showed up in the Nation of the Dragon King. Celestine was elated, thinking she had found a possible replacement. But Jade showed an extraordinary attachment to this new Beloved and strongly opposed the idea of Celestine swapping places with her. She had never seen Jade display such affinity before, and it troubled her heart.

She finally asked if the Beloved was his mate, and Jade didn’t refute it—which left her stunned. When in the world could this have happened? She couldn’t contain her shock. Although she tried to gather info about this Beloved, all she managed to find out was that she was enjoying quite the happy, intimate relationship with Jade.

The fact that Jade held her so near and dear was the biggest shock to Celestine. Women had approached Jade in the past, but he showed no interest in them. He would always keep them at arm’s length. The only woman Jade ever treated with any form of intimacy was her. That attention developed into a superiority complex. However, now she didn’t even have that to hold on to.

“I must find out what kind of woman she is.”

And if she found out that she wasn’t worthy of Jade, then...

Feeling something ominous, she convinced Arman and Jade to let her visit. Despite their refusal, they reluctantly agreed and she made her way to the Nation of the Dragon King.