The man stared blankly at Ji Zhaoxi before him, his eyes reddening. "Beautiful lady, you saved me. I am a prince, and I am willing to give myself..."
Before the man could finish his words, Ji Zhaoxi dragged him in front of a large wooden house. "You sleep here."
The man looked at the sturdy little house, full of animal motifs, and felt deeply moved in his heart.
Then he watched as Ji Zhaoxi entered a cave and came out holding a gemstone, handing it to him.
This gemstone had been sent over by Celeste yesterday, and she hadn't polished it yet.
"Here you go."
Ji Zhaoxi was absolutely delighted right now.
What was Celeste, anyway? If she wanted to find a servant, it would be the easiest thing in the world.
The man's tears suddenly started falling. She lived in a cave, yet she let him stay in such a fine wooden house. He was truly touched.
Was this his destined princess?
But she was a dragon—that meant the two of them would face a harsh test of love. Still, he was not afraid.
Ji Zhaoxi didn't let the new servant into the cave because she was afraid he might steal her belongings. She had always been rather suspicious.
Seeing the new servant so cooperative made her happy as well.
"Go ahead and take a look around. I'm going to work."
The new servant quickly nodded. Under his eager gaze, Ji Zhaoxi—who never locked her cave—locked it up.
By the time Ji Zhaoxi had finished pruning the big tree, clearing the weeds from the ground, preparing feed for the injured animals, and checking the drainage pipes, she returned home exhausted.
As soon as she got home, the new servant immediately came up with roasted meat.
"Beautiful lady, this is my—"
"You must call me Master!" Ji Zhaoxi said with a serious expression.
She was a dragon who placed great importance on hierarchy.
The new servant froze for a moment. "Master."
This didn't seem quite like what he had imagined?
Ji Zhaoxi took a bite and became even more satisfied with him. It tasted better than she had expected.
Meeting Ji Zhaoxi's encouraging gaze, the new servant shyly lowered his head.
When night fell, Ji Zhaoxi entered the cave and secretly counted her gemstones.
The new servant claimed to be a prince, but all the valuables he had on him added up to just a few tiny diamonds—less than the gemstones she had pried off Celeste's sword.
After polishing the gemstone Celeste had sent over yesterday, Ji Zhaoxi was so tired she fell straight asleep.
But this kind of exhaustion made her feel especially happy.
Moonlight scattered across the water, casting a clear, translucent glow. The forest at night wasn't very dark; instead, it was brighter than other places.
The new servant was diligently washing a hat by the river.
The witch was right—the princess of his destiny was truly extraordinary and unlike ordinary people.
But he hadn't expected his beloved to be a dragon.
Thinking about the way Ji Zhaoxi had given him that gemstone today, a wave of warmth filled his heart.
Celeste arrived carrying a gemstone and witnessed this scene. A man was washing a hat—one she had made for him—at the very spot where she usually did her own laundry.
Celeste was silent for a moment, then walked over.
When the new servant saw Celeste, he also paused. He said politely, "Are you here to see Master? I'll go fetch her now."
Celeste's grip on the gemstone tightened. Her gaze fixed on the hat in the new servant's hands.
The new servant said apologetically, "Master told me to wash this."
"I'll wash it," Celeste said directly, taking the hat from the new servant's hands.
Noticing Celeste's faint hostility, the new servant felt a twinge of irritation. "What do you mean by that?"
Celeste looked at him calmly. "I made this, so it's only natural for me to wash it. Besides, I've always been the one washing it."
Her eyes were like an ancient well, deep and unfathomable, and her fingers gripping the hat turned pale from the excessive effort.
The new servant frowned tightly. What did this mean—she was trying to compete with him for Master?
He wanted to snatch the hat back, but caught by Celeste's expression, he hesitated and froze in place.
This person was a bit frightening...
Celeste entered the cave. Seeing that its layout was still the same as before, she let out a sigh of relief.
So that man hadn't come inside yet. Just thinking that he might, Celeste's muscles began to tense.
She still placed the gemstone by the bedside and started tidying up the cave.
The daily plan had to be placed next to her shoes, so she could grab it when putting them on and wouldn't forget. She had to have candles lit to sleep soundly at night, and the placement of the candles was important—some positions would cast shadows that scared her. Clothes had to be separated by a divider, or else she would worry about bugs crawling into them...
Ji Zhaoxi had never mentioned these things to her; Celeste had observed them all on her own. She didn't believe that man outside could suit her better than she could.
Celeste lowered her gaze. She had been a person with little emotional fluctuation since childhood, but just seeing that man earlier, a hint of rage had surged within her.
She controlled her emotions and gently combed Ji Zhaoxi's hair. Ji Zhaoxi let out a comfortable murmur and couldn't help moving closer to her. Her dragon horns somehow emerged and gently rubbed against her.
"Celeste..."
Celeste did not pull away as she usually did. Her calloused hand covered the dragon horns, gripping their bases, and her thumb climbed upward inch by inch with a sense of aggression.
"Miss Dragon, do you know what 'servant' means..."
Her voice was faint. Besides taking care of her, she also had to rub her dragon horns and even endure her moments of losing control.
Celeste's movements were precise. Every press of hers landed on the pulsing, most intense veins. Ji Zhaoxi's breathing grew faster and faster, and she couldn't help curling up in the woolen blanket.
Unlike usual, Celeste did not stop. Ji Zhaoxi gasped, feeling her entire body go limp. Like a drowning person, she could only tightly grasp Celeste's fingers.
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi sobbing softly, the violent jealousy in Celeste's heart finally began to dissipate.
Her gaze lingered on Ji Zhaoxi's slightly parted lips, tinted with a light pink, trembling faintly with each quick breath.
She pressed her thumb against those lips with a punishing force. The pink color dispersed under her pressure, only to flush bright red again the moment she let go.
"Miss Dragon..."
A soft sigh came from within the cave.
When Ji Zhaoxi woke up the next day, she felt groggy. She didn't sleep well.
Noticing the figure in the corner, she hadn't quite processed it yet.
"Celeste, I'm going to the forest..." she said, her voice muffled.
Celeste skillfully put on her socks. Halfway through, Ji Zhaoxi finally realized.
"Celeste?! Who told you to come in? I fired you!"
She had a new servant now.
Would her ex-servant please stay away from her!
Celeste said softly, "Breakfast is ready, Miss Dragon. Please eat before heading into the forest."
"I'm not eating. I have a servant to cook for me, and he also washes hats," Ji Zhaoxi said angrily, glaring at her.
Celeste picked a hat from the wall. "Will this do, Miss Dragon?"
He selectively tuned out whatever he didn’t want to hear.
Ji Zhaoxi no longer wanted to talk to this shameless person. She put on her hat and headed into the forest, only for Celeste to keep following her.
Ji Zhaoxi, who had just been so resistant to Celeste, suddenly fell silent.
The air in the forest was fresh, and sunlight filtered down through the leaves, scattering tiny specks of dust in the space.
As the two walked through the forest, a branch suddenly jutted out, nearly tripping Celeste. Before he could react, a few pinecones fell and hit him on the head. Calmly, Celeste picked up the pinecones and placed them on a nearby rock.
Just then, two beady-eyed little birds suddenly swooped in, pecked vigorously at his hair, and then quickly flew away.
Ji Zhaoxi had been sneaking a smile, but seeing Celeste’s disheveled state, she couldn’t hold back her laughter. Her eyes curved like crescents, and even a few tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
Celeste watched her laugh, and his heart suddenly tightened. He couldn’t help but gently touch her dragon horn.
Ji Zhaoxi quickly covered her dragon horn. “Don’t you dare touch it!”
Celeste lowered his gaze, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
