"Mother, I think we should bring Zhaoxi back. She's been out there training long enough," Alaira said.
It was too cruel to leave a dragon with no combat ability out in the wilderness.
Before the Dragon Queen could respond, Lorian couldn't hold back. "Alaira, the castle doesn't welcome useless creatures. Having a dragon who can't even fight staying here is a disgrace."
The Dragon Queen glanced at Lorian, a flicker of approval in her eyes.
Lorian was indeed the most suitable heir.
"But it's dangerous out there," Alaira said, her voice agitated. "Lorian, she's your sister too."
Lorian snorted. "Sisters? I only acknowledge those who are stronger than me."
If Alaira didn't actually have some power, Lorian would have kicked her out too. And now Alaira even dared to speak up for Ji Zhaoxi.
The Dragon Queen's gaze turned coldly toward Alaira. "Alaira, the dragon clan needs strength. Her presence in the castle only disrupts the others. Don't bring this up again."
Alaira's face paled. She was silent for a moment, then said, "Yes, Mother."
Lorian shot Alaira a smug look. So what if it was Alaira? Right now, Mother loved her the most.
The Dragon Queen didn't see anything cruel about what she was doing to Ji Zhaoxi. Strong dragons stayed in the castle to carry on the bloodline; weak ones were cast out—that was the key to the dragon clan's strength.
Ji Zhaoxi should be grateful she wasn't a male dragon. Otherwise, she'd already be dead.
It was the day of the fight with Lorian again.
Ji Zhaoxi dawdled in her cave, refusing to leave.
When she found out that Mother Dragon was also coming to watch this time, she wanted to go even less...
Celeste skillfully packed her things. The cave was pitch black, and the figure on the bed had buried her head under her wings.
Seeing how reluctant she was, Celeste paused. "Miss Dragon, if you don't want to go, then don't."
There was no way she could beat Lorian in such a short time anyway. She might as well stay home and rest.
The listless dragon didn't answer him. Celeste gently combed through her hair, and the throbbing in her head eased a little.
"Mother Dragon is coming this time. She's definitely going to scold me again." Ji Zhaoxi sounded resigned.
No one liked being yelled at. She just wanted to polish gems in her cave. When Mother Dragon found out about that before, she was so mad she couldn't speak.
She probably never imagined a dragon could be so unambitious.
Celeste didn't know much about mother-daughter relationships among dragons, but from what Ji Zhaoxi described, Mother Dragon seemed like the strict type.
"Miss Dragon, don't put so much pressure on yourself. Since Lorian is already recognized as the heir by all the dragons and you're not competing for that position anyway, why worry so much?"
He had grown up in competition because he wanted that position. But if he didn't want it, he wouldn't put himself through so much hardship.
Ji Zhaoxi's eyes lit up with sudden clarity. She sat up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "So I can polish gems every day!"
Celeste was momentarily stunned by her bright eyes. He looked away. "I don't know about dragons, but in the palace, there are princes who aren't particularly strong."
They usually didn't compete with others and just did what they loved.
Ji Zhaoxi was now incredibly excited. She had to go see Mother Dragon right away and tell her she had decided to be a lazy dragon.
If there had to be a last-place dragon in the clan, she was already it. So why force herself?
But when she saw Mother Dragon, Ji Zhaoxi was so intimidated by her presence that she couldn't even speak.
"Ji Zhaoxi, you're finally here! Do you know how long Mother and I have been waiting for you?!" Lorian snapped angrily.
How dare she make Mother wait for a last-place dragon?
As usual, Ji Zhaoxi and Lorian fought. Ji Zhaoxi didn't see the point anymore—everyone already knew the outcome.
The Dragon Queen watched Ji Zhaoxi's movements with a deep frown. Her combat ability was even worse than before. Now, it was clearly a problem with her attitude.
Lorian wasn't focused on Ji Zhaoxi at all; her attention was entirely on Mother Dragon. She longed for her mother's approval, but Mother Dragon kept staring at Ji Zhaoxi.
Lorian's expression twisted for a moment. The fight ended without surprise.
Because Ji Zhaoxi barely resisted this time, she took less damage than before, and her wings weren't injured. Hitting Ji Zhaoxi this time was like punching cotton.
"Are you going to keep this up?" the Dragon Queen said coldly.
Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help speaking up. "But I really am bad at fighting. My body is smaller than other dragons."
"If my father hadn't been an Eastern Dragon, I wouldn't be like this."
Her father was a weak Eastern Dragon who had accidentally wandered into this world. Mother Dragon had devoured him and thrown him away after having her way with him. That was how Ji Zhaoxi was born.
The Dragon Queen narrowed her eyes at her suddenly defiant daughter. "So you're blaming me?"
"Ji Zhaoxi, shut up! How dare you blame Mother?! It's because you don't train hard enough!" Lorian was frantic seeing Mother's attention fixed on Ji Zhaoxi for so long.
"Mother, send her back to practice. I have some questions I'd like to ask you," Lorian quickly interjected.
Ji Zhaoxi nodded hurriedly.
Indeed, dragons were just different. She was terrified of Mother Dragon, but Lorian adored her.
A prince nearby, quick on the uptake, brought out two chests of gems for Ji Zhaoxi. She grabbed them and flew off, terrified Mother Dragon would start nagging her again.
As the dragon passed over the forest, the glowing mushrooms trembled. Looks like it was going to rain again.
But to their surprise, the forest grew even brighter with sunlight. Plants that had been underground burst through the soil, shaking themselves off. Half-formed flowers fully bloomed, and the forest filled with a joyful energy.
A bird perched on a treetop, watching the dragon in the sky with its tiny eyes.
"She looks really happy today."
A squirrel clutching an acorn found it hard to believe. "She beat Lorian? No way!"
The bird pecked at its feathers. "Probably not. She's still carrying those two chests of medical supplies."
The grass on the ground moved, almost sobbing. "After so long, this is the first time I've felt the sun. So warm."
Back in the cave, Celeste had just brought in her clothes from outside. He froze as he looked around.
The dark rock walls seemed to have been swept clean. Sunlight streamed through the cracks, filling the air with the fragrance of blooming flowers instead of its usual stuffiness. Even the cracks in the rocks sprouted unknown blossoms.
Celeste could almost picture her sparkling eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.
It seems that today was a joyful day for Miss Dragon.
