Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Illya’s Storytelling

Illya recounted every detail of her experience within the domain, from entering it to breaking free, leaving nothing out as she explained it all to Iris.

“You were also able to create summons by feeding magic into the Earth Vein’s memory, right?”

“Yep.”

Illya nodded obediently.

Iris could sense Illya’s desire for praise. Smiling slightly, she said, “Hmm, very impressive, Illya. This is something even I can’t do.”

Hearing the compliment, Illya wagged her tail happily.

Though her tail was hidden, Illya could still feel its presence.

“It’s thanks to your Mama’s genes that you’re able to perceive the Earth Vein’s memories.”

“Mama’s genes? What’s a gene?”

“It’s something that gets passed down—part of what your Mama gave you. Because your Mama can use her special ability to claim world-class Earth Vein relics, you’ve inherited a small branch of that ability, though you can’t use it exactly like she does.”

“Ohhh~”

“Illya, I’m proud of you for being able to push yourself to the brink and gain new abilities from such a desperate situation.”

“Hehe… Of course, I couldn’t let the dragon race down.”

Dragon pride and dignity were innate qualities.

Even though Illya was still a child without much experience or proper dragon education, her body was filled with the unyielding spirit of a dragon.

“Do you think there were any other traits in that domain, or was it only about summoning memories?”

“Hmm… I think that was it. After my Herax defeated Semira’s armor, the domain disappeared.”

In that case…

It wasn’t clear whether domains were solely for summoning memories or had other potential functions. However, judging from the secret realms created by guardians they’d encountered, different individuals’ domains seemed to have different powers.

For example, the Black Knight could call storms in his cycle of despair, while the Paladin—perhaps his counter—could clear the clouds and imbue her sword with sunlight to unleash a radiant slash.

That would be a problem. If new heroes someday reached the Saint level and awakened domain powers, especially if one had a time-stopping ability within their domain, things could become troublesome.

Could it be that the Earth Vein sensed that dragons were about to enter an era of power inflation and thus also created humans who could surpass the supreme level and step into the Saint level?

The Earth Vein truly was a wondrous thing.

But if Illya could summon beings through the Earth Vein’s memory, perhaps she would one day become an expert in domains.

“Illya, is it becoming easier for you to communicate with the former Dragon King?”

“Yeah! I don’t even need to sleep in the domain anymore. I just shout, ‘King, help me!’ and he can respond directly in my mind! I was able to turn things around thanks to his guidance.”

“Good. Keep talking to him often, learn more about the former Dragon King’s powers, or hear stories from his time.”

“Got it~”

Illya nodded enthusiastically.

The thing about Mother compared to Mama was that she never stopped Illya from pursuing strength. If Mama heard about what Illya had gone through in the domain, she would likely cry from worry.

Mother, though she sometimes seemed indifferent, had her own unique charm. If she were as protective as Mama, keeping Illya in a comfort zone, Illya would never become a true Dragon King.

Illya’s previous grudges against Iris suddenly melted away.

In fact, she even began to want to learn from Iris’s way of handling things.

Kind to family, but cold to strangers.

After reviewing yesterday’s battle in the forest, Iris shifted to lighter topics, like planning what they would do on their next city tour.

At this moment, Naya woke up. She lay in bed and turned her head to watch Iris and Illya talking at the table, their two figures, one big and one small, engaged in deep conversation under the dim glow from outside the window.

“You two, why haven’t you turned on the lights?”

“Mama!”

Hearing Naya’s voice, Illya immediately jumped off the chair and ran to the bedside. Iris also stood up slowly from her chair.

“We didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

Naya propped herself up on her side, pulling the blanket up over her cool chest.

“I wasn’t planning to sleep. I just laid down for a bit and, for some reason, fell asleep.”

Iris lit the room’s magic crystal lamp, and the bright white light instantly filled the entire room.

The sudden brightness made Naya instinctively raise her hand to shield her eyes, causing the blanket that had been covering her chest to slip down.

Her bouncing chest was exposed.

Illya’s eyes widened, and she internally exclaimed, So soft and bouncy!

Naya hurriedly pulled the blanket back up to cover herself. Illya, confused, asked, “Mama, why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”

“Uh… it’s too hot.”

“If it’s too hot, why are you using a blanket?”

“Sigh… It’s just that my body feels a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone to bed so early. Illya, don’t ask anymore.”

“Oh… Mama, is there anything I can do to help? Like how Mother rubs your belly and scolds the little sisters?”

Illya’s many questions stemmed from her concern for Naya. She didn’t know how to ease the discomfort of her Mama being pregnant with her sisters, and feeling powerless to help made her anxious.

“I’m feeling much better now. No need for help, Illya. Your Mother can take care of it.”

After thinking for a moment, Naya decided there was no need to be so reserved around Illya. Normally, she didn’t hide anything from her daughter, but she had been more careful lately because of Iris’s jealousy.

But, what did a child really understand?

Naya let go of the blanket, allowing her chest to bounce freely in front of Illya. She then grabbed her undergarments hanging at the bedside, and, lifting her long leg gracefully, slid the soft, pale fabric from her toes up to her thigh.

“You little rascal! Stop staring!” 

Iris came over and scooped Illya up. 

“Come, let’s get dinner ready for your Mama.”

“Okay.”

Illya had no impure thoughts. She just found her Mama to be so beautiful, with long, white legs that seemed almost good enough to eat.

As Iris carried her away, Illya glanced back at Naya one more time.

Naya couldn’t help but chuckle softly, pursing her lips.

She adjusted her position, letting the soft fabric wrap around her skin. 

By now, Naya had fully integrated the three sets of memories from her past and current lives, and had completely adapted to her dragon body.

From initially feeling uncomfortable about her role, she had gradually accepted her identity as a “pillow princess.”

Now, Naya had only one thought in her mind: As a pillow princess, I am proud.

It had only taken a few words for her to make the Dragon Queen fall at her feet.

Looking at her naturally smooth and slender legs, their milky-white sheen and inviting curves were as enticing as a fishhook, and the willing fish, of course, was Iris.

Naya got out of bed and slipped into a white lace nightgown. She lazily tossed her long hair over her shoulders, letting it fall behind her. Even without wearing a bra, her curves stood out prominently.

The mountains stood tall.

After all, she was going to take a bath later, so there was no need to dress fully.

Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the dining table, where mother and daughter had already set the dinner for her.

She pulled out a chair and sat down. Illya, who was sitting on her right, immediately offered her a piece of candy floss.

“Mama, cotton candy!”

“Ahhh… yum!”

Opening her mouth, Naya took a bite of the cotton candy Illya handed over. First, the fluffy softness melted on her tongue, followed by a delicate sweetness that spread across her taste buds, filling her heart with warmth. Naya smiled as she closed her eyes in satisfaction.

“Thank you, Illya.”

“Is it sweet, Mama?”

“Sweet, and Illya is very sweet too.”

“Hehehe…”

Illya took a bite of the cotton candy herself. It really was sweet!

“Mama, time for food.”

Whose voice is this?

Turning to the left, Naya saw it was Iris, who had scooped up a spoonful of food and was holding it up, intending to feed her.

Naya’s eyebrow twitched in irritation.

“You—why are you joining in?”

“……”

Iris stubbornly stared at Naya, saying nothing.

Left with no choice, Naya opened her mouth and ate the food.

“Is it sweet, Mama?”

“If you call me ‘Mama’ one more time, I’ll smack you! I’ll smack you!”

Naya threw a light punch at Iris.

Iris shrugged and dodged Naya’s fist, laughing.

“Alright, alright, I know I was wrong. Naya, my dear wife!”

Iris had been a bit jealous, seeing Illya feed Naya so sweetly, and she wanted to copy her daughter’s behavior.

As Naya’s soft punches landed like raindrops on her shoulder, Iris suddenly wondered what Naya’s reaction would be if she called her “Mama” in bed.

The thought made Iris laugh even harder, and Naya stopped hitting her.

Illya watched the playful banter between the two and giggled as well.

“Mother, you’re so weak! You’re letting Mama hit you without fighting back.”

“You don’t understand yet. When you grow up, you’ll know, when your wife hits you, you don’t hit back. If you do, you can forget about getting into bed.”

“Why? Why can’t you hit back?” Illya’s big round eyes blinked with confusion.

The adult world was so strange.

Mama was threatening to beat up Mother, but Mother still looked so happy.

“Because in a marriage, hitting means love and scolding means affection. When your Mama hits me, she’s showing her love.”

“Mmm…”

Illya still didn’t fully understand.

But she could tell that Mama wasn’t hitting very hard—it didn’t look serious.

“More or less,” Naya added, not refuting Iris’s explanation to Illya.

After all, she and Iris were just playing around.

This trip wasn’t only about finding food for the two children in her belly, it was also to broaden Illya’s horizons, including letting her see the details of Naya and Iris’s interactions.

It was important for Illya to truly understand the difference between love and family affection.

Moreover, this could strengthen the bond between Iris and Illya as mother and daughter—a total win-win situation.

Naya further educated Illya.

“But Illya, that doesn’t mean you should always take hits without fighting back. There’s something called domestic violence, and that kind of hitting is malicious. If you ever encounter someone like that, you must be careful and not just take it. At the same time, make sure you yourself are respectful and not abusive. A happy family requires mutual respect from both partners.”

“I understand.”

Illya nodded.

Iris then suddenly wrapped an arm around Naya’s neck, kissed her cheek in front of Illya, and with a bit of show-off and teaching intent, she said to Illya, 

“In the future, if you want to understand love, just use the love between your mother and me as your example.”

“Oh…”

“Let go.”

Naya patted Iris’s hand away.

Iris returned to her seat and picked up another spoonful of food.

“Come on, open your mouth.”

“Stop it, I’ll eat by myself.”

“Mama, you’re the patient now, so you need gentle care. Right, Illya?”

“Yes!”

Thus, under the “attack” from mother and daughter, Naya was force-fed her dinner.

Late into the night, the family of three lay in the same bed.

Ever since their encounter with the nightmare demon, Naya hadn’t dared to let Illya sleep alone.

Although this meant Iris couldn’t sneak in as many cheeky moves as before, keeping their daughter safe was more important than any flirtation.

In Iris’s opinion, however, it was unnecessary worry. Illya’s mental world was protected by the Black Dragon King, so she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in any confrontation with the nightmare demon.

But if his wife wanted it that way, Iris had no choice. If she got labeled as the unreliable father who only thought about being intimate and didn’t care about their daughter’s well-being after being hit by his wife, she’d lose the chance to ever be intimate with Naya again, which would be a huge loss.

Iris lay on the outer side of the bed, Naya on the innermost side, with Illya nestled between them.

Naya, lying on her side, embraced Illya in her soft and warm chest. Illya snuggled into the softness and let out a sweet, gentle sound.

“Mommy…”

“Mmm, today’s story is…”

Lately, with all the adventuring and thinking about the leyline energy, along with coming up with a bedtime story for Illya every night, Naya’s creativity was running a bit thin. She had to improvise.

Illya raised her head from Naya’s embrace.

“Mommy, you don’t need to tell a story anymore. How about I tell you one?”

“You’ll tell me a story?”

“Mmm!”

Illya’s eyes twinkled slightly.

Naya couldn’t help but smile softly. “And what kind of story will you tell me?”

“Well… I saw some stories about the past in Semira’s domain, about the Dragon Emperor-class Herax and the Radiant Knight. I can tell them to Mommy.”

“Oh? Alright, go ahead.”

“By the way, Mommy, Semira isn’t dead. When I went out to dinner with Mother tonight, I overheard that she showed up in Rex City last night.”

“She’s not dead?”

No wonder the system said she’d used five percent of the leyline energy for something useless. It looked frightening but didn’t actually do much damage.

“Mmm, alright, enough about that. I’m going to start the story now. Mommy, are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

Forget about whether Semira was alive or not. At the time, Naya had vented her anger, and now worrying about Semira’s fate didn’t matter anymore.

Naya lowered her gaze and smiled softly, looking into Illya’s eyes with a listening expression.

“And what about me?”

Iris, who had been forgotten by Ilya throughout the entire conversation, spoke up.

Only then did Illya remember Iris’s presence and quickly added, “Mother too, are you ready? Illya’s Story Time begins now ~”