The Dragon Mother's Revenge

Our dragon clan has an ancestral rule. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, no one may reveal their name or identity.

Then a dragon woman gives birth to the first true dragon leader who commands the seas and rules all lands.

Only then can she be honored as the most noble woman, receiving the love and adoration of all.

As the first dragon woman confirmed to be pregnant, I was eager to share the good news with my husband, Kael.

To help him restore the wolf clan's prestige and finally release years of pent-up anger from being oppressed by the bear clan.

But when I returned to the familiar wolf den, I saw Kael ingratiatingly presenting a crown to Yuna of the fox clan.

The very crown I had been thinking about for three whole years, hoping to wear at our wedding ceremony.

Kael's gaze swept past me indifferently.

"Zara, your timing is perfect. I was just about to notify you to dissolve our bond."

I quietly hid the golden dragon pearl that symbolized my pregnancy in my sleeve. My throat choked up painfully.

Kael had mentioned to me many times how the fox clan was growing stronger, and that an alliance with them would surely enhance the wolf clan's reputation.

What he didn't know was that I, whom he considered a useless deer clan partner, came from a family he could never obtain in his entire lifetime.

Since he showed no consideration for our marriage, I could only steel my heart and raise the child on my own, leaving the father behind.

Seeing me standing there in a daze, Kael reminded me impatiently.

"I see you have nothing urgent. Let's go dissolve the bond now."

The woman beside him stroked the crown with satisfaction, not forgetting to turn her head and give me a provocative smile.

Her eyes seemed to say she got everything I ever wanted without even trying.

I didn't follow Kael. Instead, my gaze fell on a small bundle in the corner.

"My things?"

Kael looked at me flatly.

"Just these. Everything's packed. Once we complete the ceremony to dissolve our bond, you can go live in that small warehouse on West Street."

"Consider it compensation. At least you won't be homeless. That's the last kindness I'll show you."

That was merely the old warehouse where he used to store worn weapons. Now he spoke of it as some great favor.

Yuna put down the crown.

"Zara, Kael protected you for three years. Even at our parting, he's still concerned about you. You should be grateful."

This was my second meeting with her.

The first was in Kael's military tent, where I heard they discussed military secrets for five hours.

Looking at it now, all the impropriety had been traceable all along.

"Did you win this?"

She covered her mouth and laughed shyly.

"This crown was the top prize at the Spring Hunt Banquet. I really loved it, so Kael won it for me."

I knew all about this.

Half a month before the Spring Hunt Banquet, I had begged Kael no less than three times to compete for the top prize.

But he only frowned and scolded me for wanting too much.

I never imagined he would personally present my cherished object to another.

"It was just a little effort. Your happiness is what matters most."

Kael tenderly placed the crown on Yuna's head. The two of them looked so affectionate that to outsiders, they truly seemed like a married couple.

The dragon pearl in my sleeve burned until my whole body went numb.

I was so close to telling Kael we were having a child.

He would no longer have to rage about his people being oppressed by the bear clan, no longer have to worry about being unable to revitalize the wolf clan.

But the devastating betrayal came one day earlier.

I bit my lip, picked up my luggage, and walked out first.

Following behind me weren't just Kael, but Yuna as well.

In the hall, he placed his hand under mine for the last time, solemnly and ironically declaring.

"I, Kael, willingly dissolve the matrimonial bond with Zara."

Two minutes later, the totems belonging to each other on our chests had completely disappeared, as if they had never existed.

I couldn't snap out of it for a long time.

What churned through my mind was how he looked three years ago when he formed the bond with me.

To marry me, he withstood pressure from the entire wolf clan council of elders.

They said he, the heir to the wolf clan, shouldn't choose an unknown deer clan woman who offered no help to revitalizing the clan.

His father even declared that if Kael insisted, he would strip him of his qualification to inherit the clan leadership.

But Kael came anyway, bringing that bond contract, eyes shining as he asked if I was willing.

At that time, I didn't know how much he had sacrificed for this. I simply believed he truly loved me.

Looking back now, everything he sacrificed became the reason he could casually discard me today.

Because if he could abandon something once, he could abandon it a second time.

Yuna swiftly took Kael's arm and walked toward the bonding platform, tilting her head with an excited smile.

"Kael, let's reserve a bonding appointment. After our wedding ceremony next week, we'll come immediately to form our bond."

Kael agreed without hesitation.

Over the past three years, he never once kept his promise to give me a wedding ceremony.

Whenever I brought it up, he always shut me down with excuses. Busy expanding wolf clan influence. Not enough money. No need for ostentation. And so on.

Now he agreed to hold a wedding for her more readily than giving me a bouquet of flowers on a holiday.

I stared blankly at their intimate backs. My chest throbbed, the pain deepening with each beat.

After Yuna got the appointment card, she called for Kael to quickly prepare the invitations.

She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Zara, don't get any funny ideas. Our wedding will be held in the fox clan territory. If you go, you might not come back with all your limbs intact!"

I shook my head mockingly.

"I won't go."

Her eyes were full of contempt.

"That's best. Besides, if you went, Kael would be the most unhappy one.

You've been with him for three years, but you never understood how to be considerate of him."

"Do you know how much pressure he faced just to have a home with you?

The council of elders advised him daily to choose another partner.

His father publicly scolded him at clan banquets for his short-sightedness.

Even the younger clan members privately gossiped that the heir had been bewitched by a woman."

"Every time he couldn't bear it, he would come find me."

"I always found ways to help him shed all his fatigue.

He even personally told me these were things you could never give him."

"He was so exhausted, yet you understood nothing.

So if you want to blame him for being heartless, you should blame yourself for being useless."

I lowered my eyes, concealing my resentment.

How could I not know about his exhaustion?

I just thought what he wanted was to solve the most pressing problems.

When the clan lacked food, I secretly contacted old friends to arrange the import of large quantities of grain.

When foreign clans frequently invaded, I deployed my private forces to intercept the bear clan's repeated incursions at the border.

When the aging population became increasingly serious, I quietly brought in hundreds of young wolf clan descendants from exiled scattered groups to strengthen his bloodline.

Every crisis was handled by me.

But what he saw each time was Yuna massaging his shoulders, softly coaxing him with gentle words.

While I said nothing, never asking about his worries, just silently cleaning up the problems.

He'd worry all night, then wake up to find help had fallen from the sky and think it was good luck.

I lowered my eyes, hiding my unwillingness.

"Yes, so he chose you as his capable wife. I hope you can satisfy him."

The environment in the West Street warehouse was worse than I imagined. The only clean space was barely enough for me to lie on my side.

I held the dragon pearl and couldn't sleep all night.

Before dawn the next day, I endured the pungent dust and cleaned thoroughly.

While moving wooden boards, Kael's cold voice came from behind the stone wall.

"Zara, how much longer will you be busy?"

When I turned to look, he was covering his nose, having stood there for who knows how long.

"Do you need something?"

He paused.

"I seem to have left a seal here. Yuna says she can't find it at home."

The object used to summon internal dissidents within the clan was hidden by me in layers at the bottom of the wheat barrel.

"In the wheat barrel."

"Where are the training methods for messenger pigeons recorded?"

"In my head."

Kael was startled, obviously thinking I had trained the messenger pigeons based on methods I'd obtained.

"Then could you write down the methods? Yuna wants to learn."

I took a deep breath and helped him in the end.

But there was no ink or paper in the warehouse, so I had to return to the Kael residence with him.

Beside the inkstone, more than sixty letters were impossible to ignore.

The first letter was a thank-you note from Kael to Yuna, full of admiration and completely inappropriate.

I remembered very clearly that day Kael received news that the leopard clan was invading the border. When he arrived, there were already many casualties.

The leopard clan had shouted the night before that they would seize a piece of land, but the next day they suddenly retreated in disgrace.

And Yuna happened to pass by the border at that moment.

Kael didn't know it was I who secretly called people to expel the leopard clan and issue warnings, securing many days of peace at the border.

In his eyes, all he saw was me. A deer with improperly grown antlers. Doing nothing but laundry and cooking every day. No help with internal stability. No help with external pacification.

I didn't explain, enduring everything silently and maintaining this persona.

As soon as my pen stopped, Yuna's crying voice suddenly came from outside.

"Where's my little shawl? The one Mother brought from the fox clan, my favorite!"

Kael rushed forward to comfort her.

"Don't worry, we'll find it slowly."

Yuna looked around with red-rimmed eyes, then looked up and spotted me about to leave.

"Zara, you haven't finished moving your things? Did you come back to get something?"

Seeing that Kael didn't defend me at all, I said flatly.

"Finished moving. Leaving now."

But Yuna suddenly seemed to remember something.

"I remember Kael saying you're good at weaving clothes.

Since you're here, it's perfect timing. Help me weave a little shawl. I need to wear it at my wedding ceremony."

I shook my head decisively.

"I won't weave it."

Kael walked over, his tone seeming persuasive.

"Zara, there's no need to be so petty.

If you help, I'll give you that biggest pot in the house. I know you love cooking."

My heart immediately stung.

I was the youngest princess of the Dragon King.

Before marrying Kael, I had never touched any household chores.

After marriage, to be a capable wife, I studied culinary arts and changed up dishes for him every day, making delicious meals.

I never imagined that in his eyes, this became evidence that I loved cooking.

I refused even more firmly.

"No need. I won't weave it."

Kael thought I was asking for more and sighed.

"I know you're upset. Yuna told me yesterday that you want to attend our wedding."

"I thought about it for a long time. If you're willing to weave this shawl for Yuna, I'll agree to let you come as the tailor at the wedding."

"In the future, if you want to make a living with your weaving skills, having served as Yuna's tailor will be an impressive credential."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Does Yuna come from a good family?"

Kael nodded without elaborating.

I felt a chill in my heart, finally seeing through Kael's purpose. All attachment left me.

"I don't care about being a tailor."

With that, I started to leave.

Just as I reached the door, I ran into Yuna's mother entering.

She was covered in jewels, her gaze arrogantly sweeping over me.

"Well, isn't this the deer clan girl?"

She deliberately bumped into me sideways and snorted coldly.

"Don't step through this door again. If you upset my Yuna, I'll beat you severely."

I didn't want to spare her even an extra glance.

Had she beaten me rarely before?

That time when Kael was framed for embezzling disaster relief grain, I rushed around overnight to find evidence.

For two nights straight, I didn't return until nine. She accused me of impropriety and made me kneel for three days and nights.

My knees swelled so badly I couldn't walk, yet she never offered me even a bowl of water.

The time I accidentally broke one of her teacups.

In front of a courtyard full of servants, she slapped me twice and called me an ill-bred bastard.

When Kael came back, she tearfully complained that I deliberately smashed her beloved possession.

In the end, Kael gave me the cold shoulder for two days before the matter was settled.

My lack of response made her even angrier. She pointed at my back and cursed wildly.

"No manners! No wonder Kael doesn't want you. You deserve it! Talking to you dirties my mouth!"

Kael, who was cooking, heard her.

He blocked my path with his body, his tone unpleasant.

"We've already dissolved our bond. There's no need to make things this ugly, is there?"

I looked up to meet his eyes, mine full of complexity.

"I'm not the unreasonable one. What right do you have to question me?"

He sneered lightly.

"Because you couldn't even handle the mother-in-law relationship properly, making me caught in the middle every day.

But as soon as Yuna came in, my mother couldn't stop smiling.

Can't I see who the problem is?"

I clenched my fingers, having no more strength to argue, and walked out without looking back.

After quickly leaving the Kael residence, I used the crescent-shaped reverse scale under my throat to verify again.

Seeing the pale golden flowing pattern, I finally felt relieved.

This was the most reliable way to confirm the dragon offspring's existence.

In three months, once the dragon fetus stabilized, I could return to my family to nurture the first true dragon leader and become the most noble dragon mother of the four seas and eight wildernesses.

Before then, the only thing I needed to do was conceal it.

After only two peaceful days, a messenger pigeon suddenly arrived at the warehouse window at dawn.

The note bore Yuna's handwriting:

"Zara, there are some pregnancy-preserving medicines in the kitchen. Could they be yours?"

My breathing tightened, fear welling up from my heart.

When I wrote back, my hand trembled:

"The medicine has lost its potency. You may discard it all."

After sending off the pigeon, I urgently activated a simple dragon bone transmission array to send a message to my parents

Then I cautiously went to the Herb Hall to verify the fetal age.

Strangely, there wasn't a single person in the main hall.

"Zara, what are you doing here?"

When I turned to look at Yuna, she was closing the hall door tightly.

My tone remained calm.

"I caught a slight chill last night. I came to get some medicine."

"You're really not pregnant?"

I stared at her.

"Since there's no physician here right now, I'll come back tomorrow."

Yuna suddenly grabbed my forearm, smiling without warmth.

"Don't rush off. Since you're here, let's verify your condition before you leave."

Before I knew it, a pregnancy-detecting mirror appeared in front of me.

In an instant, a round shadow appeared in my abdomen in the mirror's reflection.

Fortunately, it was less than a month old and the beast form couldn't be seen.

"You really are pregnant!"

I broke free from Yuna's surging anger.

"This has nothing to do with you. You've already overstepped by forcibly testing me."

Yuna closed the distance between us.

"How is it not related? You're carrying my husband's offspring. I have the right to know whether you'll use it to coerce my husband!"

"I won't endanger your husband or the Kael family."

"Your guarantee means nothing. As long as the child in your belly exists, you hold leverage over my husband."

Detecting the resolution in her tone, I asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

Her lips curved slightly upward.

"Zara, in my opinion, you should abort the fetus. After that, you go your way, we'll go ours, with no further entanglement."

"And if I refuse?"

"If you refuse, I'll tell my husband everything truthfully. Based on your understanding of him, you surely know he won't accept the child in your belly."

The certainty in her tone stung me. I asked incredulously.

"Did he say that himself?"

She pulled out a wedding invitation, as if she'd prepared it long ago.

Every word on it was written by Kael using his life-bound wolf hair brush.

The life-bound wolf hair brush was specially made from heart's blood mixed with neck fur burned to ash. It could only be offered once in a lifetime, only to one's true love.

"Look up."

Yuna called back my scattered consciousness, making me focus on the pregnancy mirror.

There it clearly showed that in her belly was an offspring larger than the one in mine, with even the outline visible.

"I'm pregnant too, about two months along."

"Kael already knows. He's so happy he wants to tell the whole world. Every day he personally cooks meals for me, never letting anyone else touch them.

"He stays by my side constantly, even accompanying me during training."

"So don't dream about using the child to win his favor. The offspring in your belly means nothing to him but an optional bloodline. It absolutely cannot make him change his mind!"

Two months ago, Kael was suppressing dissidents in the wilderness.

At that time, his letters to her were full of longing.

The timing didn't match.

Looking more carefully, the outline in her belly didn't look like a wolf, but more like a dog that closely resembled a wolf.

Yuna left one sentence and resolutely departed.

"While I'm still being reasonable, you might want to reconsider."