Epilogue
With the celebratory mood still in full swing, Chelsie arrived at the castle after receiving a message from Jade.
“Chelsie-saaaan!” Ruri exclaimed, not having seen Chelsie in a long time. She was so happy that she went to hug her, as if to say that she missed her dearly.
Chelsie rolled her eyes with a smirk as she accepted the overly excited Ruri’s hug without dodging her. She looked like an old woman, but she was a dragonkin all the same. Ruri pounced on her at full speed, and she didn’t even budge.
“Sheesh, you may be a mother now, but your self-control needs work.”
“I’m just so happy to see you, Chelsie-san.”
“I was worried when I heard you were bedridden for a week, but you look pretty darn healthy now. You had me worried for nothing.”
“Aah, yeah. I think that’s thanks to the berries Kotaro and Rin brought me.”
“Berries?”
“They said they’re rare berries that the Spirit of the Trees in the Nation of the Spirit King can make.”
“Well, I’ve never heard of that before.”
“Oh, you neither, Chelsie-san? Jade-sama also said he’d never heard of it.”
Even Jade, who had a long relationship with the Nation of the Spirit King, and Chelsie, who served the previous Dragon King Quartz, were clueless about the berries, so it must not have been a very well-known fact.
“It was super effective. I feel like I recovered all the mental and physical energy I lost up till then. In fact, I feel like I have too much energy now,” Ruri said, moving away from Chelsie and swinging her arm around and around to show how much energy she had.
“You don’t have to prove it. I can see for myself,” Chelsie said, exasperated. “Where is His Majesty?”
Jade was nowhere to be seen in the room; only Rutile stood guard near the door, along with Kotaro, Rin, a few other spirits, and last but not least, Citrine.
“Euclase carted him away because the fruit put me back in proper shape. They said that work had badly piled up,” Ruri explained.
Including the week that Ruri had been bedridden, Jade had stayed by Ruri’s side, leaving all of his royal duties to his retainers. It was only natural that work had piled up. Even with Euclase, the chancellor, there were many decisions that couldn’t be made without his permission. He had been bringing work that could be done into Ruri’s room, but the Dragon King couldn’t just stay cooped up and away from his duties forever.
This entire time, he’d been let off the hook because Ruri’s recovery process came first, but that consideration wasn’t necessary now that Ruri was feeling better. Despite him throwing a tantrum like a child and refusing to leave, Euclase had dragged Jade away kicking and screaming. Chelsie’s arrival was probably another reason Euclase had felt comfortable doing so. After all, she was like a parent to Ruri in this world.
Nevertheless, Ruri couldn’t help but secretly think that Euclase’s strength to drag away the Dragon King—a position decided by brawn—was quite impressive. Euclase had never even participated in the tournament to decide on the king. Jade might have been holding back, but it was clear that Euclase was quite strong nonetheless.
Then again, even being a royal official, they would likely be looked down upon by other dragonkin if they didn’t have a certain level of strength. Considering that, it felt necessary that Euclase possess especially formidable strength among the dragonkin.
Chelsie peered into Citrine’s basket. “Oho. So this is your and His Majesty’s child?”
“Yes. His name is Citrine.”
“That’s a fine name.”
“Right? Jade-sama gave it to him,” Ruri said, smiling from ear to ear, as if she herself received the compliment.
“He has quite the mana reserve too.”
“It seems a lot of my influence shows in him.”
“So I see,” Chelsie said, understanding without much explanation.
Ruri felt Chelsie’s dependable aura as a veteran child-rearer. Dragonkin fed on mana from the moment they were born. And mana from their parents was their most important source of nutrition as children. That was why, with some exceptions, the parents’ mana greatly influenced the growth of their offspring. The more magic power they gave, the stronger their children became.
Citrine had been feeding off the mana of the strongest of all the dragonkin, the Dragon King Jade, so he was naturally going to be strong. However, the influence of Ruri, a Beloved, was even greater. Quantity was important, but quality even more so. Beloveds had the highest-quality mana in the world, and Citrine had received Ruri’s mana at birth. Also, after Ruri had regained her strength by eating the berries from the Spirit of the Trees, she’d been taking turns with Jade giving Citrine mana meals.
Moreover, Ruri possessed mana that rivaled Jade’s. Given an abundance of high-quality mana that even the spirits favored, Citrine’s own mana was growing stronger at a pace that made all the other dragonkin nervous. That was likely influenced by the fact that he had the qualities of a Beloved himself.
His future looked promising. But the only ones happy about that were Agate and the other elders; Euclase and everyone else were a tad worried about Citrine’s future.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come, Chelsie. I wanted to ask you all about dragonkin child-rearing.”
“Child-rearing? What’s there to ask?”
“Well, the specifics of raising them and whatnot.”
“Just leave them alone and they’ll grow up on their own.”
“Huh?” Ruri uttered, freezing at the haphazard advice.
“If you give them magic at first, they’ll take human form in two weeks, so after that, they can do whatever they want.”
“No, no, no. I mean things like how to educate them or what to watch out for to raise them properly.”
“I don’t remember paying attention to any of that.”
“Arghhh... You’re saying the same thing as everyone else!”
Ruri was truly shocked. Chelsie had been her only hope. The female dragonkin court ladies around Ruri were all unmarried. Generally, dragonkin didn’t work outside the home after marriage because they were a race that didn’t like to leave their mates.
However, that didn’t mean they didn’t work at all. They said that they simply utilized their pastimes to work at home. Also, they didn’t stay completely indoors either; quite a few worked in the castle even after getting married and having children. When Ruri had asked those women for child-rearing advice, the only response she’d received was “Just give them mana when they get hungry.”
That was barely advice. It was no help whatsoever. She’d even asked several other people, and they’d come back with almost the same answer, leaving her at a loss. After that, Ruri had reflected on the situation once again. When the pregnancy had been discovered, Euclase had quickly made preparations—more for Ruri’s safety during childbirth than for the baby itself.
Of course, the mother’s health was important for humans, but humans spent more time on preparations to raise the child. Honestly, the only things that had been prepared for Citrine were a basket to sleep in, a cushion to line it, and a single blanket.
When Ruri first saw that, she had asked, “Huh? This is it?” She’d been surprised, and anyone who wasn’t familiar with dragonkin child-rearing would have had the same reaction. That was how little they’d prepared for the child.
Citrine ate mana, so he didn’t need a bottle. Since he didn’t eat food, he didn’t need diapers either. No one wore clothes in their dragon form, so clothes weren’t necessary either. Granted, Riccia had made clothes that could be worn in his dragon form, but nothing really needed to be specifically prepared for Citrine. It was natural to feel anxious about whether this was truly enough.
Chelsie spoke as if to laugh off Ruri’s worries. “Claus told me that doctors check on him regularly and court ladies come to check on him every few hours, right?”
“That’s right.”
“They wouldn’t do that much for an ordinary dragonkin child. They’re giving him special treatment because he’s your child and a Beloved himself, but they would leave a normal dragonkin child be.”
“This is special treatment? This?” Ruri repeated, her eyes saying she didn’t believe it. However, no matter what Ruri thought, dragonkin logic wasn’t changing.
“When I gave birth to Claus, I only gave him mana once a day as a meal and worked in the castle the rest of the time,” Chelsie explained.
“Once a day doesn’t sound good...”
“It’s normal, I assure you,” Chelsie replied as if it were common sense.
Ruri began to feel like she was the one talking crazy. However, Rutile, who had been on the sides, interjected with a very complicated expression.
“Pardon me. It would mean trouble if Ruri believes what you’re saying, so I must interject with a correction. Lady Chelsie, your child-rearing method was unusual even for the hands-off style of the dragonkin. Clause often complained about your extreme lack of care for your children.”
“Chelsie-san...” Ruri glared at Chelsie. But the other woman didn’t look particularly embarrassed, maintaining her usual aloof expression.
“They grew up just fine, so it’s all right.”
“No, it is not fine!” Rutile shot back.
While Claus had grown up to be a capable aide to the king, in Ruri’s world, it definitely would have been reported as abuse.
“No way Clause could be built that soft when he’s got Beast King blood flowing through his veins. It’s not a problem.” Chelsie had three children with Andal, including Claus. However, being a dragonkin, bound to only have one love in their life, she’d had no intention of joining the Beast King’s harem and sharing her husband with other women, so she’d raised her children as a single mother in the Nation of the Dragon King.
She was quite the independent woman. While that was admirable, it was clear that her child-rearing methods weren’t worth emulating.
“Incidentally, I heard that the reason Claus grew up without any issues was because the hired help took good care of him. After all, Lady Chelsie, who served the king at the time, was apparently a workaholic and rarely had time to be at home,” Rutile tacked on as an aside.
“I thought Chelsie-san could have been someone to consult me about child-rearing...” Ruri slumped her shoulders dejectedly.
“There is no need for consultation. Dragonkin may take forms that appear indistinguishable from humans, but they are the race that stands at the top in this world. The two are not the same. Dragonkin infants are not so weak that they need constant supervision like human young do,” Chelsie stated.
“Yes, I understand that, but...” Ruri peeked over at Rutile.
Rutile then said, “I don’t fully agree with what Lady Chelsie is saying, but I don’t think getting too involved will do any good either. You are worrying too much, Ruri. Dragonkin aren’t weak, so you don’t have to care for them as much as human infants. Then again, I do think Chelsie is too hands-off, so I don’t think you should use her as a frame of reference...”
“Urk...” Ruri hadn’t expected Rutile to agree with Chelsie too. She found herself clutching her head over the stark difference between human and dragonkin thinking.
Citrine didn’t cry at night, didn’t cause any trouble, and only gently reminded them when it was time to eat. The rest of the time, he slept. He was that easy to care for. There was so little to do for him that it left Ruri feeling disappointed. She had to accept that this was how dragonkin were, but she wondered if there was a tad more she could do for her son, though any more would be excessive by dragonkin standards.
Humans and dragonkin—they were similar yet different races, so Ruri was the one who needed to be flexible with the way things worked. If the child had been human, Chelsie would have understood her concern, but the child was a dragonkin with Jade’s blood. That meant Ruri had no choice but to adapt to the dragonkin child-rearing method.
That said, Chelsie didn’t seem to be reliable, so it would be better for Ruri to recruit someone who knew how to properly raise dragonkin children.
“Rutile-san, I’d like to hear from someone knowledgeable about dragonkin child-rearing.”
“What? You sound like you have a problem with me,” Chelsie said, furrowing her brow, displeased that Ruri was seeking help from others despite having an experienced person like herself around.
“Hearing that your child-rearing methods were extreme from Rutile-san has obviously made me afraid to take your advice,” Ruri explained.
“There’s not gonna be much difference,” Chelsie replied.
“I don’t even know if there is a difference or not, so I want to get other people’s opinions as well.”
Chelsie still looked dissatisfied, but Rutile seemed to agree. “She has a good point. Ruri has become His Majesty’s mate, yet she still seems to know so little.” Rutile perhaps knew that all too well because she was always by Ruri’s side as her guard. “I think it might be a good idea for her to learn about dragonkin.”
Since arriving at the castle, Ruri had been taught by Agate and others to learn the basic ways of the world, but it had been one issue after another since her arrival, leaving her with the bare minimum of knowledge. Even though she was the mate of the Dragon King Jade, there were still many things she was clueless about. Then again, there was also the fact that she was a Beloved and couldn’t be involved in politics, so it was not entirely her fault.
However, Chelsie agreed that the habits and biology of the dragonkin wouldn’t be a heavily restricted topic for Ruri to delve into.
“That’s right. Seems she should probably learn a bit more about dragonkin. I’ve been worried about when she’s going to accidentally push His Majesty buttons enough to make him confine her,” said Chelsie.
“Agreed,” Rutile concurred.
“Chelsie-san, you’re saying some awfully ominous things without batting an eye, and I have no idea how to respond. Rutile-san is even agreeing with you and everything.”
“Underestimate a dragonkin man and you’ll get hurt,” Chelsie warned her.
Those threatening words even made Rutile nod sternly in agreement. Ruri had heard countless times about how dragonkin obsessed over their mates, so she thought she wouldn’t have any issues, but apparently she wasn’t equipped for the dangers. She hoped Jade didn’t turn into a yandere—a person with a dangerous obsession with their partner.
Ruri didn’t sense enough danger in the air just yet, but the seriousness in the two ladies’ eyes made it impossible to simply laugh the advice off.
“I just want to talk about child-rearing, though...”
“Yes. This is very relevant to raising children. Dragonkin men hate having their mate’s attention taken away, even if it’s by their own child,” replied Rutile.
“Especially because this child is a boy. He’ll get extremely jealous, so you best remain cautious. It wouldn’t be as bad if it were a girl, but still.”
“Just as Lady Chelsie says, I understand that you value your son, but it’s not a good idea to pay too much attention to him. Do you understand, Ruri?” Rutile warned her with a stern look.
“Aww, what?” Ruri whined, naturally dissatisfied with what she was hearing. However, what Chelsie told her next forced her into silence.
“If you’re not careful, the child will cease to be.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?!” Ruri asked, startled by the ominous words.
“It’s common among dragonkin who marry outside their race. Once the male dragonkin gets jealous because the female dragon gives the child too much attention, he considers the child a nuisance and...” Rutile said with a suggestive pause in her sentence.
Ruri’s face twitched. “And...? What do they do with the child?!” She was afraid to ask but wanted to know. Her conflicting feelings were overcome by her curiosity.
“Kicking them out of the house would be the best option. Worst-case scenario, he might kill the child or kill his mate and himself.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Ruri hesitated, shifting her gaze from Chelsie to Rutile. Like Chelsie, Rutile didn’t look like she was joking either, which left Ruri unable to suppress the twitch at the corner of her mouth. “The dragonkin are wild...”
Yes, she was reminded that the dragonkin were a dangerous race in more ways than one. That also jogged her memory. Ewan’s parents had met a tragic end due to a dragonkin’s obsession, and he’d been taken in by his cousin, Finn.
She didn’t think Jade would harm her. Besides, Jade couldn’t harm a Beloved like Ruri, who was constantly protected by Kotaro’s barrier, so there was no real need to worry. Nevertheless, hearing such perilous warnings filled her with myriad complicated feelings.
If you asked Ruri if she could exercise self-control around her child, she probably couldn’t. Not when Citrine was this cute. That was all there was to it. Still, she did think she should have a better understanding of the biology and habits of the dragonkin—for her and Citrine’s sake.
“For now, could you introduce me to someone who can explain dragonkin child-rearing methods in an easy way? If possible, I’d prefer a human woman like me, who can sympathize.”
At first, Ruri had planned to ask Chelsie, a veteran mother who’d raised three children, but her feelings had changed greatly in the short period since then. The perceptions of dragonkin and humans were totally different. Normal things to Ruri weren’t normal, and illogical things to her were logical to them. She felt that she’d learn more from someone who could properly understand the shock caused by this species disparity.
“Right, there are things that only someone of the same race would notice. I’ll speak to His Majesty about it.”
“Thank you, Rutile.”
They reached a good spot in their conversation to break, so Ruri chatted with Chelsie over tea. She asked Rutile, her bodyguard, to also join them at the table. Normally, a bodyguard should always be ready to protect the person they were assigned to, but Ruri didn’t really need a bodyguard since she was being protected by Kotaro.
Truthfully, Rutile remained by her side as a bodyguard in more of a chaperone capacity due to Jade’s overprotective nature. That was why she was usually involved when Ruri had tea time. Ruri was grateful to have her, since Rutile was an excellent conversation partner.
“Rutile-san, are you and Finn-san going to get married?” Ruri asked, remembering Rutile and Finn had been together for quite some time and finding it strange that they weren’t married yet. After all, Ruri and Jade had met later and married before them.
Rutile just smiled in response.
“Could it be that Ewan is getting in the way?” Ruri asked, thinking it possible.
Knowing the brazen brother complex extraordinaire, Ruri could easily picture him yelping like a miffed puppy to stop the wedding.
“Ewan raising a stink doesn’t mean much to me.”
“Good point,” Ruri admitted, knowing Rutile wasn’t the type to let Ewan’s antics prohibit what she did. “Then why?”
When Ruri saw them together on occasion, they looked like a perfect couple. It was odd that they weren’t married yet. Not that she was rushing for them to get married or they had to get married right away, but from what she saw of Jade, she felt that dragonkin men were eager to get married early and keep their mates to themselves. Yet those two were still just lovers. It seemed they weren’t making any progress to go further either.
“There are reasons,” Rutile said with a smile, as if saying that she wasn’t going to divulge any more than that.
“I see, then,” Ruri replied, smiling awkwardly and quickly backing off, as she wasn’t going to pry if Rutile wasn’t planning on talking. She then totally switched topics. “Chelsie-san, can I clear out the land next to your house? Just enough space to build a largish house.”
“Sure, but what are you going to do with it?” Chelsie questioned.
“I want to build a house Jade-sama and I can live in after he steps down as king in our later years,” Ruri said, giddy with joy.
In contrast, Chelsie seemed a bit displeased. “You really plan on living next door?”
“Of course! I’ll take care of you in your old age too!”
“No, you don’t have to take care of me,” she replied, annoyed.
Ruri pursed her lips. “Why not? It’s going to be tough for you if you keep living by yourself in a barren part of the forest. And I’m not sure of the exact age of dragonkin, but you must be pretty up there.”
“You are so rude. Quit treating people like they’re over the hill!” Chelsie barked back.
She looked old no matter how you looked at her. However, Ruri knew that speaking her mind would only make her angrier, so she didn’t object.
“Either way, once Jade-sama stops being king, I want to live in your forest, Chelsie-san.” Ruri had talked about this with Jade several times in the past.
“Why don’t you just stay in the castle? You’re a Beloved, so they’ll take care of you here and give you everything you could ever want, right?” asked Chelsie, looking utterly confused.
“Well, yes, that’s true...” Ruri trailed off with a wry smile as she remembered her life in the forest. As she did, a smile naturally drew across her lips. “I really miss living with you in that forest, Chelsie-san. I know that I’m being well taken care of here. The capital is fun and host to a lot of things, but the peaceful life I had with you and the spirits felt so much freer and more relaxed.”
Every day she could be Ruri, not a Beloved. The forest didn’t have all of the shops or goods the capital had, but it had certain things wholly unique to the location. Ruri longed for that life again. At night, when she was alone with Jade, she would often talk about those days. She talked about the life she’d led in the forest and what kind of experiences she’d had, among other things.
Since Jade was born and raised in the capital, he had no experience with life beyond, so he listened with great interest. When Ruri said she wanted to return to that lifestyle someday, Jade didn’t try to stop her; in fact, he actively agreed, much to her delight.
Jade had always led a busy life, so while the slow pace of forest life might feel lacking, they would cross that bridge when they came to it. He seemed to be in full agreement about building a house next to Chelsie’s and discussed what kind of house they wanted. Although she was still young and unlikely to leave the throne anytime soon, Ruri enjoyed these moments when they could talk about the future. And if possible, there would be children other than Citrine there as well—she hoped so, at least. But maybe that made her a failure as a Beloved.
“Then again, as a Beloved, shouldn’t I stay in the capital?” Ruri eyebrows sank as if she was waiting to be scolded.
Chelsie sighed and Rutile smiled gently.
“Being a Beloved doesn’t matter. What you want is all that matters, Ruri,” Chelsie insisted.
“Indeed. No one in this world would dare to object to a Beloved’s decision. If you want to live in the forest, no one will stop you, even if you wanted to do so right this instant,” Rutile added.
“I won’t do it right this instant. Jade will definitely come with me. And Euclase might get angry if I did that,” Ruri said with a chuckle.
“That’s right. Euclase doesn’t hold back—not even against you, Ruri.” Rutile smiled slightly.
Chelsie sighed in resignation. “Good grief. My hands are tied, so I’ll just have to make room next door so you can come over at any time.”
Despite her reluctant tone, Chelsie’s eyes were affectionate.
Ruri’s eyes lit up in an instant. “Chelsie-san! I love you!”
“Okay, okay.” Chelsie replied casually, trying to hide her bashfulness.
Ruri shrugged off the cold response since she understood that well. Chelsie said she’d sent Ruri to the capital because she was a Beloved. It was probably because she thought it would be better for a Beloved to meet the king, but Ruri had also been a tad shocked because it felt like she’d been kicked out. Chelsie welcomed her with open arms when she went to visit, but it made her happy, in the truest sense, that she would allow her to move back home.
Ruri was about to hug Chelsie out of joy, but a furious knocking on the door interrupted them. Rutile shot up from her chair with a stern look.
Quickly opening the door, a panicked court lady quickly stammered, “My apologies! Lady Padparadscha has just gone into labor!”
“Huh?!” Ruri sprang up, startled. “Is she about to give birth?”
“No, Lady Padparadscha is having her first child, so it probably won’t be right away,” Rutile answered.
Ruri had given birth to Citrine in what could only be described as the blink of an eye. Considering how small Citrine had been at birth, that made sense, but Padparadscha’s stomach was as big as Ruri’s vision of a normal pregnant woman, completely different from her own flat stomach. Padparadscha looked far more normal for a pregnant woman from Ruri’s perspective.
“Is their childbirth process the same as humans?” Ruri asked, looking at Rutile for confirmation since she didn’t know how childbirth worked for other demi-humans.
“Yes, dragonkin are a bit special, but other demi-humans and humans are mostly the same,” Rutile replied.
That “bit” part seemed like an understatement, but Ruri let it go. Rutile’s answer overall gave her some slight relief. After all, Ruri had been in terrible condition after giving birth, completely drained of her magical and physical strength and bedridden for a whole week.
However, just because her birth was different from Ruri’s didn’t mean that Padparadscha was out of the woods just yet. Medical care wasn’t as advanced as in Ruri’s world, so Ruri could predict that the rate of deaths during childbirth was higher. There were limits to what medical treatment was capable of.
There was always the dragon’s blood, but that wasn’t supposed to be used on others lightly. It had been used during the invasion of the Nation of the Beast King as a special measure for the allied nation in crisis and for Celestine, a Beloved. While using dragon’s blood for an allied king or Beloved might be approved with little opposition, using it for Padparadscha would be a trickier call.
Even though she was Arman’s main wife, giving too much of it could cause discontent in other nations since dragon’s blood had been used heavily for the Nation of the Beast King already. There were more people who wanted the cure-all dragon’s blood than could be counted on one hand. Many would be willing to pay any price or do anything to obtain it.
That was why they couldn’t play favorites with the Nation of the Beast King, even if it meant that Arman’s main wife or the child in her womb might die. Jade and Euclase had told Ruri something to that effect in advance , since she had previously used dragon’s blood on the soldiers of Furgal who had invaded the Nation of the Beast King. This was to prevent the naive Ruri from showing mercy and suggesting the use of dragon’s blood.
If a Beloved like Ruri wanted it, Kotaro and Rin would pressure Jade and the others to fulfill her wish. Not even the strongest dragonkin could defy supreme-level spirits, which was why they’d given her a reminder beforehand.
Ruri felt guilty about Padparadscha because she wasn’t able to use the dragon’s blood on her as a result of using it to save the Furgal soldiers. However, in the midst of that war, she couldn’t have turned a blind eye to badly hurt people just because they were enemies. That was a testament to her unwavering optimism.
If she was faced with the same situation on repeat, she would still choose to save them each and every time. While she had some regrets, she didn’t think she was wrong. After all, the soldiers were merely following orders from their superiors.
However, Ruri wondered how Padparadscha’s side felt. She might have been considered irredeemable because she helped the very soldiers who had invaded their nation. Padparadscha, Arman, and the other people of the Nation of the Beast King had every right to feel resentment and anger toward Ruri. She knew that if anything happened to Padparadscha, she had to be prepared to take the blame.
In reality, there was no one who could punish or criticize a Beloved’s actions. If anyone could do that, it would be a spirit, but not only did Kotaro and Rin, supreme-level spirits, cherish Ruri the most, but Lydia was also on Ruri’s side, so her resolve to take the blame was ultimately meaningless.
Yet even if no one blamed her, if something happened to Padparadscha, Ruri would end up blaming herself. Although that wasn’t the only reason, Ruri had been pacing around the room ever since hearing the other woman had gone into labor, feeling antsy and worried. She prayed that nothing went wrong with each step.
“Ruri, sit still. Your pacing isn’t going to help a damn thing,” Chelsie advised her. She had no connection to Padparadscha, so she was calmly sitting and sipping tea. In fact, she didn’t even understand why Ruri was so flustered.
“I can’t!”
Admittedly, Ruri had only met Padparadscha a handful of times, but the baby she was carrying was that of a good acquaintance, Arman. Combined with the fact that she was barred from using the dragon’s blood, she couldn’t sit still in her chair.
“Actually, is it still not time? Isn’t she running a little late?” she asked, several hours having passed since the initial news.
“Your panicking won’t help the child come out sooner,” Rutile assured her.
“Great, now you’re saying the same thing as Chelsie-san,” Ruri commented, seeing that Rutile wasn’t looking flustered either. Ruri was the only one restlessly pacing.
“His Majesty has arranged an excellent doctor and midwife for Padparadscha, so everything will be fine. There is nothing that you can do,” Rutile explained.
“Urgh... I know that, but...” Ruri trailed off, wanting to go help even though she’d just get in the way. It was so frustrating not being able to do anything but wait for a report.
“Just leave that girl be. I swear, you’re such a softie, Ruri,” said Rin.
“You’re right, but that is just like Ruri,” Kotaro replied.
“Yes, but she’s not someone Ruri should even worry about. I mean, they’re not particularly close.”
“Hmm, you have a point.”
Ruri frowned as she overheard the two spirits chat. “But I have to worry about her since the Beast King asked us to take care of her. She’s the queen of an entire nation.”
“If that’s your argument, then you are a Beloved, Ruri. And you subjugated me and Kotaro to boot. You’re worth far more than some insignificant queen. If she were the Beloved of the Nation of the Beast King, it’d be understandable.”
“Rin...” Ruri trailed off, awkwardly reeling at Rin’s harsh words.
However, Kotaro and the other spirits nodded in agreement at Rin’s side. She looked at Rutile, hoping the guard would object, but Rutile only smiled wryly.
“Sounds perfectly logical to me,” Chelsie chimed in, falling in line with Rin.
“No one is on my side...” Ruri slumped her shoulders.
Suddenly, the sound of crying could be heard. Ruri rushed toward the basket where Citrine had just woken up, frantically flailing his tiny hands.
“You hungry, Citrine? Just wait a second, okay?” she said, holding out her hand to give him his mana meal.
As she did, the spirits all crowded around them. Even Chelsie rose from her seat to see the event. Citrine only woke up for a short time each day, so if they missed this chance, there was no telling when he would wake up again. Several spirits were snapping pictures with their cameras to capture this precious moment on film.
Riccia had instructed them to make sure to record his growth. Though the lower-level spirits easily lost focus, it was odd that they faithfully obeyed and remembered this specific request. Maybe they were just as eager to see Citrine grow as everyone else.
Riccia planned to eventually compile the records into an album. Ruri looked forward to that as well. She had the idea that these growth records could serve as a textbook for outside races who become dragonkin mothers in the future.
“I wonder if mana tastes good,” Ruri murmured as she watched Citrine accept her mana blissfully, as if savoring a first-rate dessert. “What do you think?”
She looked at Rutile for an answer, and the guard smiled awkwardly. “We can only consume mana as food in the very early stages of life when we’re not able to assume human form, so I don’t think there’s anyone who remembers that time. I’ve forgotten, at least.”
Rutile looked at Chelsie, whose body language told it all—she was in the same boat.
“Dragonkin really are mysterious...”
“Ruri’s mana is sooo yummy!”
“Yup, yup!”
“It’s the best of the Beloveds around!”
“It’s sweet, creamy, and makes you happy!”
The spirits gave her straight answers. Beloveds became Beloveds because they produced mana beloved by the spirits themselves. Attracted by the first-rate mana of Beloveds, spirits gathered and lent them their powers. And apparently, Ruri’s mana was delectable to them. Granted, she didn’t know if that applied to dragonkin as well.
“Oh, he fell asleep again,” Ruri noted.
“Sleeping is a baby’s job, after all,” Rutile replied.
“Yes, that is something humans and dragonkin have in common,” Ruri said with a chuckle. She let go of Citrine’s hand and was about to catch her breath when there was a knock at the door.
Ruri jumped out of her seat, but Rutile opened the door and talked to the court lady standing there. Ruri nervously waited for Rutile to return. After the court lady bowed and left, Rutile closed the door.
Ruri rushed up to her and asked, “Rutile-san, what did she say?!”
With Ruri right in her face, Rutile gave a strained smile and said, “It’s the news you were waiting for, Ruri. It seems that Padparadscha has given birth to a girl.”
“And Padparadscha herself?” Ruri asked with bated breath.
“She’s fine. Both mother and child are in good health.”
Relieved, Ruri exhaled so deeply that it practically emptied her lungs. “Thank goodness...”
“Yes, thank goodness indeed, Ruri,” Rutile said, more concerned about Ruri than for Padparadscha. As a soldier of the Nation of the Dragon King and Ruri’s bodyguard, it was clear who she was prioritizing, so no one pointed out the obvious.
Ruri felt like she was the only happy one in the room, but when she went to check on Padparadscha, she saw that people from the Nation of the Beast King, fresh off relief work for their recovering kingdom, were outside her front door, and they couldn’t help but be in a festive mood.
As soon as they saw Ruri, they tried to play it cool, but their uncontrollable joy seeped through.
“Lady Beloved, this is all thanks to your incredible help. On behalf of the people of the Nation of the Beast King, I offer my deepest gratitude,” one of the men said, triggering a round of thanks from everyone present.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ruri looked around for Celestine. “Where is Celestine-san?”
“She is inside. Padparadscha was so exhausted that she fainted, so the doctor said to stay with her until she awakens.”
“You could have left everything to the lower people, but you truly have a strong sense of responsibility, Lady Beloved.”
“Indeed. As expected of one beloved by the spirits.”
From the smattering of praise, the love and respect the people of the Nation of the Beast King had for Beloveds was the same as usual. If there was a numerical scale to measure how much they adored their own Beloved, Celestine, it would likely go off the charts—maybe a thousand percent.
“If she’s asleep, I should probably come back another time. Please give this to Padparadscha in my stead,” Ruri said, handing the man a small bottle she was holding. Inside were small, round, red berries.
“What are these, miss?”
“Special berries that Kotaro and Rin gained from the Spirit of the Trees in the Nation of the Spirit King. Eating just one restores both mana and physical strength. It helped me heal up quickly, so I can guarantee the effects.”
“Is it...okay for us to take something so rare?!” It must have been because she had name-dropped three supreme-level spirits, but the man from the Nation of the Beast King trembled as if he’d received a national treasure.
Ruri couldn’t help but awkwardly smile. “It’s all right. Kotaro and Rin brought back a lot, so there’s no need to worry.”
They were special berries made by the Spirit of the Trees, which even Jade hadn’t known existed. While they could be even rarer than dragon’s blood, Kotaro and Rin had brought back so many that they could barely carry them home, so it somewhat depreciated their value. Therefore, the amount she gave to Padparadscha was negligible, but it would be impossible for spirit-worshippers like the people of the Nation of the Beast King to wrap their heads around that. She regretted mentioning the Spirit of the Trees, but it was too little, too late. Everyone gathered around the bottle of berries, sparkles in their eyes, as if they were looking at uncovered treasure.
Ruri worried whether they would actually hand it off, but she later found out that they had. Celestine informed her that Padparadscha had made a quick recovery and Padparadscha herself sent a letter showing her gratitude.
It wasn’t long before Arman came to the castle as well. He’d heard that Padparadscha had given birth and rushed over. The giddy, dopey expression he made upon learning the baby was a girl was not becoming of a king in the least. Not a trace of his usual dignity. The baby had only been born, but he was already a doting father.
“I will never let this child marry!” Arman blurted without an ounce of shame, saying what any doting father would say at least once in their life.
Celestine looked at this, unamused, while Jade turned to Ruri and earnestly pleaded, “Please don’t have a girl.”
It took everything Ruri had not to burst into laughter. It seemed he got jealous of their hypothetical daughter having a hypothetical lover. Celestine also looked at Jade, unamused.
It was so peaceful that it was hard to believe a war had taken place not too long ago. There were concerns about the Nation of the Beast King now that Arman was here, but he’d apparently fulfilled his duties as a king before coming.
However, given the slight unrest in his eyes, it didn’t seem like his trip had come without any issues. Just to be sure, Ruri asked Kotaro to let either Jade or Arman know if there were any disturbances in the Nation of the Beast King. Ruri was barred from politics by virtue of being a Beloved, so she struggled to decide how far she should get involved in situations like these.
However, she had recently learned to leave everything to either Jade or Euclase since they usually took care of things well enough. Part of that being that she was too busy caring for Citrine to do so, of course.
Speaking of Citrine, when Ruri returned from chatting with everyone in Padparadscha’s room to welcome Arman, he had changed forms from a dragon to that of a three-year-old boy. With his round, yellow eyes and golden hair, he was adorable enough to be mistaken for an angel sent from above.
Instead of rushing over to hug him and tell him how cute he was, Ruri fell to her knees in despair. “I missed it again...”
She had been bedridden for the first week and couldn’t watch him grow, so she had been determined not to miss the moment when he transformed into his human form, and yet here he was. Ruri was so shocked by her failure to witness such an important part of her son’s growth again that she couldn’t get up.
“It’s okay, Ruri!”
“We filmed it!”
“Yeah! Got everything!”
“Right...thanks,” Ruri replied, wanting to praise the spirits for a job well done, but she had really wanted to see it with her own eyes instead of on film. “Dragonkin grow so fast. Literally...”
She’d been told that he would be able to take human form in a few weeks, but why did it have to happen when she wasn’t there? It wasn’t anyone’s fault. If she had to blame anyone, it was herself for not being by his side. She should have brought Citrine with her when she went to visit, but she’d left him in the room because he was fast asleep. The basket was small enough for Ruri to carry, so she could have brought him and showed Arman and the others. That way she wouldn’t have missed the moment he grew up.
Ruri couldn’t vent her frustration to anyone and beat herself up on the inside, but those feelings weren’t around for very long.
Citrine cried out. It wasn’t clear if he recognized Ruri as his mother, but by the way he outstretched his arms toward her as if begging to be held made her heart skip a beat.
“Grk...so cute...”
Ruri lifted him up to find out he was lighter and softer than he appeared.
“Citrine.” Ruri’s expression was so gentle as she said her child’s name.
Jade came into the room after a while, possibly hearing that Citrine had grown, and smiled upon seeing Citrine in human form.
“Look, Jade-sama. Citrine has grown up,” Ruri said, ecstatic as if it had happened to her. She handed the baby over to Jade to share in the joy.
“Hearing about it and seeing it in person are totally different indeed,” Jade said, savoring the moment.
Lifted in Jade’s arms, Citrine stared back down at his father’s face before breaking into a bright smile—one that was absolutely adorable.
An indescribable feeling filled Ruri’s heart. Unable to express her emotions, she hugged Jade, who was holding Citrine. As Citrine was sandwiched between them, he giggled happily, his tiny voice soothing her heart even more. Jade held Citrine in one arm and pulled Ruri closer with the other.
Ruri looked up at Jade with a broad smile, happy as could be. She was grateful to him for teaching her what it meant to be a family—no, for being more than that.
In Jade’s arms was his newborn son. Ruri’s heart was filled with a sense of happiness that filled her entire being. She had never even imagined this kind of future for herself. In the other world, all of her time had been spent thinking up ways to avoid Asahi, but now, she rarely even thought about the past. That was the proof of how fulfilling her new life really was.
As time marched on, she would think even less about her homeworld. She had Jade, Citrine, the spirits, and a bevy of other people near and dear to her. She was only going to gain more moving forward as well. This was where she belonged now, and she felt like she could say that with her head held high if anyone asked her.
“Jade-sama... I’m so glad I came to this world.” Ruri looked up at Jade and smiled. “This world, where I met Jade-sama and everyone else, is where I belong.”
He smiled gently and embraced Ruri. She wrapped her arms around him, as if to check if he was really standing before her. She got her answer as the warmth that radiated from him was real, not an illusion. It felt like the world had finally accepted her existence within it.
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