Chapter 127
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Chapter 127: Egg Incubation
Aside from Naya’s slightly tense emotions, Iris didn’t detect anything unusual in her.
However, in past check-ups, Naya always had two very noticeable energy clusters radiating waves within her. Now, with their sudden absence, it felt like a lake with no fish.
After waiting patiently for Naya to finish cleaning the egg, she finally turned and handed the silver dragon egg over to Iris.
Holding the egg in her arms, Iris could sense the egg emitting energy waves without even using magic to analyze it. The soul inside was very active.
“Where’s Illya? Why hasn’t she come back yet?” Naya suddenly realized.
Didn’t she go to find Flanna and Bella for help? So much time had passed, yet there was still no sign of Illya.
“Don’t worry. Illya’s fine. Flanna and Bella aren’t that clueless. If they know I sent Illya to ask them for help, they’ll understand it’s my way of keeping her away. They won’t let her come back right away.”
“Give me the egg, and go bring Illya back. Otherwise, she’ll get upset with you again.”
Iris gave Naya an exasperated look. Fine. She’d go get Illya back. Who knows what kind of tactics the maids were using to keep her occupied.
Returning the egg to Naya, Iris quickly left the room.
Naya took a deep breath.
She placed the shining silver egg gently on the bed and picked up the soft fabric nearby.
Lifting one trembling, pale leg, she pointed her toes and slipped them through the two openings in the fabric. She had to admit, the sensation was quite surreal.
Naya was grateful she wasn’t human—natural childbirth seemed so much more painful.
Standing up, she secured the snug fabric comfortably beneath her skirt, giving her a sense of relief, then gave herself a pat on the back.
She looked down at her palms. Even with an egg of this size coming from her body, she felt as if her body had been torn apart. Human babies, born that large, would be even worse.
Naya patted her stomach. It was truly empty now. She felt light, but also a little wistful.
Scientifically speaking, for oviparous beings, there’s always a risk that incubation might fail. The hatching environment—temperature, humidity, and airflow—had to be carefully controlled.
It’s not as simple as leaving the egg somewhere and having a baby dragon pop out a month later, the egg needs careful warmth and attention from the mother.
Temperature is especially crucial. The embryo requires a stable temperature to develop properly, ensuring a high hatch rate and a healthy hatchling.
Naya would need to regularly check the egg’s temperature, and if it dropped, she’d have to warm it up immediately. She’d also need to turn the egg from time to time to ensure even heat distribution.
So, Naya couldn’t afford to let her guard down just yet. With the egg now separated from her body, this incubation period required her diligent care and attention.
Having dressed, Naya sat on the bed, holding the egg and waiting for Iris and Illya to return.
……..
Twenty minutes ago.
Illya received Iris’ instructions and hurriedly ran out of the room to search for Flanna and Bella downstairs.
“Flanna, Bella! Please help, Mama’s about to lay an egg!”
Flanna and Bella, who had been resting, were startled and burst through the door.
They found Illya calling for them in the hall.
“Hurry, Mother said she needs your help! She’s going to lay an egg!”
Illya anxiously looked up at Flanna and Bella.
Flanna and Bella exchanged a glance.
“Did the Queen ask you to find us?”
“Yes! Mother said she needs your help.”
This…
Flanna thought for a moment.
It was obvious that the Queen wouldn’t send a maid to assist with her own wife laying eggs. Moreover, dragon egg-laying wasn’t as complicated as human childbirth. A quick wriggle, and the egg would slide out with little fuss.
The Queen must have sent Illya to find them as a way to distract her, so she wouldn’t witness Naya laying the egg.
“Alright, Illya, let’s quickly go out and buy some supplies.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry, Illya. Dragons can hold their eggs for a long time. The Queen will be with the Queen’s consort, so there’s no need to worry. The Queen sent you to get our help because she likely needs us to buy tools to assist with the egg-laying process.”
“Oh… then you should go quickly. I’ll wait in my room for you.”
“No, Illya.”
Seeing Illya turn to leave, Flanna quickly scooped her up.
“We’ll go together. Bella and I might not be able to carry everything.”
“But… I…”
You want me, a princess, to help carry things?
Illya started with wide, shocked eyes.
But then, she realized the importance of the situation. Since it was about her mother laying the egg, she couldn’t afford to be careless. Normally, she let Flanna and Bella take their time with things, but now, every second counted.
So, Illya followed Flanna and Bella out of the villa, and they began wandering around the outside.
After buying a random assortment of things, such as lifebuoys and air cushions, they distracted Illya long enough to make her think everything was fine.
“Flanna, have we taken too long?”
Half an hour later, Illya started to feel uneasy.
Her mother had looked so anxious earlier, but here they were, leisurely shopping for egg-laying tools.
“Almost done. These will help the Queen’s consort. Let’s head back now, Bella.”
Since Illya was barefoot, Flanna had been carrying her, while Bella carried the supplies.
Illya was completely confused.
Wasn’t I supposed to be helping carry things?
Why do I feel like I’m only getting in the way?
She had been tricked into buying things, and now she was heading back empty-handed.
Entering the villa, Iris was standing in the hall with an unreadable expression and asked calmly,
“Illya, where have you been?”
Illya pouted.
“I went to get Flanna to help. They said they needed to buy tools for Mama to lay the egg.”
“Your Mama already laid the egg. Come, Illya, let’s go see the egg your mother laid.”
“Already? Is Mama okay? Did we take too long?”
Illya’s eyes flashed with concern.
Iris smiled slightly, walking over to Flanna, and gently took Illya from her arms.
“It’s fine. Everything went smoothly. Let’s go see. Flanna, Bella, take care of these supplies. Naya doesn’t need them anymore.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Illya, still in a daze, was taken upstairs by Iris, returning to the room.
“Mama!”
Sitting on the bed, Naya smiled lovingly.
Iris placed Illya on the floor, and Illya quickly ran toward her mother.
She looked at the silver dragon egg in Naya’s arms with wonder and awe.
“This is… my little sister…”
“Yes, Illya, would you like to hold her?”
“Of course!”
“Then sit on the blanket, and I’ll give the egg to you.”
Concerned that little Illya might drop the large egg, Naya motioned for her to sit on the blanket she had laid down when she gave birth.
Illya sat on the blanket, eyes full of excitement as she looked at Naya.
Naya gently placed the egg on Illya’s lap, holding her little hands as she helped her embrace the egg, which weighed several dozen kilograms.
“It’s so heavy! Mama, do you always walk around with such a heavy egg? That must be exhausting!”
After Naya let go of her hands, Illya truly felt the weight of the egg. She looked at Naya’s waist and compared the size of the egg.
Illya couldn’t help but shudder.
“Mama, how did your belly hold such a big egg? How did you give birth? Did they have to cut open your belly to take it out? Did it hurt a lot?”
“Hmm…”
Naya decided to scare Illya a bit.
“It felt like my body was being torn in half.”
Illya clenched her teeth, shaking her head sharply.
Her eyes welled up with tears.
“Mama…”
Imagining how painful it must have been for her mother to have her belly cut open to remove the dragon egg, Illya found it unbearably cruel and terrifying.
Giving birth was such a horrible thing.
“So, Illya, do you still want to have children with me?”
Illya shook her head.
“No, I don’t want to anymore. I’m sorry, Mama. I didn’t realize how painful giving birth would be.”
“That’s why, Illya, childbirth isn’t something to take lightly. It’s not just about deciding to give birth. Both people need to agree, love, and support each other. As for me, I could go through all the pain and hardships because your mother was always there for me. Every time my belly hurt, every time I felt down, she was there to help me overcome those difficulties, and that’s why we have the result we do. The egg you’re holding now has your little sisters inside.”
Naya glanced at Iris and slyly threw her a flirty glance, as if to say, How’s that? This little lesson I gave Illya should help improve her feelings for me while also teaching her about love.
Iris smiled and nodded in approval of Naya’s approach.
However, Iris often lost Illya’s affection due to her jealousy over Illya’s relationship with Naya, ruining the groundwork Naya had laid for her.
“So that’s how it is…”
“Yes, of course. Illya has also been a big help. When we were looking for the leyline energy, Illya played a crucial role.”
“Mama, was I born the same way as this?”
“Uh…”
Naya turned her gaze back to Iris, who nodded.
Whether or not to tell Illya this truth didn’t seem to matter much.
“Yes, Illya, you came the same way.”
“Waaah, Mama!”
Illya, clutching the dragon egg, tilted her head back and began crying loudly.
She had made her mother endure the agony of being torn apart.
Naya raised her hand and gently stroked Illya’s pink hair.
After this little lesson, Illya would likely understand the concept of “Mama” much better and wouldn’t confuse it with “Wife”.
“I’m sorry, Mama! I wish I hadn’t been born! I’m so sorry, Mama…”
“It’s okay, Illya. You’ve always been a good girl, and that’s why I feel this was all worth it. You see, when you get something, you have to give something up. The few minutes of pain I felt while laying the egg is nothing compared to the joy you’ve given me these past 6 years. The happiness you’ve brought me far outweighs any pain I’ve endured.”
“Really?”
“It’s all true.”
Illya sniffed, feeling a pang of guilt as she looked at her Mama. She had previously been thinking about competing with her mother for Mama, waiting for her mother to step down so she could inherit everything, including her Mama.
But now, compared to her selfish desires, Illya thought the most important thing was that her Mama no longer had to bear any pain.
“Hehe… that’s great, Mama! From now on, I’ll make sure to be a good daughter to you!”
Naya’s smile stiffened, and for some reason, she felt that hearing those words from Illya sounded a bit strange.
“Have you had enough of hugging it? Illya, can I hug it too?”
Originally, it was supposed to be Iris who would come back to hug the egg after Naya sent her to fetch Illya, but Illya had gone ahead and grabbed the egg before Naya had a chance.
Illya looked up at Iris.
“Well… you have to ask Mama first.”
“Mama, can I hold it too?”
“Sigh, you two… Illya, give it to your mother for a bit.”
“Okay…”
Reluctantly, Illya handed the egg to Iris.
Even the cold Iris would look incredibly gentle when holding the love child of her and Naya.
“Illya, Iris, for the next month, I want to sleep alone.”
“What?”
Both mother and daughter questioned in unison.
“I have to incubate the egg. Iris, didn’t you say that a dragon egg can only be incubated by the biological mother? If I sleep with you two, the contact area between me and the egg will be reduced.”
“But I’m also the biological mother of this egg! Illya should sleep on her own.”
Iris explained, and while Illya was caught in the crossfire, she found herself unable to argue.
“Heh…”
Naya suddenly let out a cold laugh.
“You sleep too restlessly.”
During this month, Naya wanted to focus on incubating the egg without any interruptions from Iris’s affectionate behavior.
“Naya…”
“That’s settled. I’ll have Flanna and Bella help me set up a new room for myself.”
Since this villa was rented, there were plenty of empty rooms.
“Naya, I promise I will focus on incubating the egg and not cause any trouble.”
“No!”
Despite the pitiful looks on Illya and Iris’s faces, Naya remained resolute.
“Iris, you stay and sleep with Illya. Tell her stories and comfort her. As for me, I’ll sleep alone. I’ll go ask Flanna and Bella to help prepare a room for me now.”
“Mama…”
“Naya…”
The two girls exchanged a look, eyes filled with reluctant understanding.
Now, they were in the same boat, and there was no room for rebuttal.
Naya was very serious about taking care of her children and would not allow any slip-ups. Once she made a decision, there was no turning back.
After setting up the new room, Naya placed the egg in her bed to keep it warm.
She didn’t want to eat dinner with Iris and Illya. Instead, she had Iris bring the food back to her.
After laying the food on the table, Iris went over to the bed.
“Time to eat, Naya.”
“Oh…”
“Sit on the bed first.”
Iris placed the food on the table and then approached Naya, crouching beside the bed.
“Let me check your body. You’ve been shaking your legs ever since you laid the egg.”
Naya looked at Iris warily.
“What do you mean?”
“Just listen to me. I know you enjoy our affection, but I also know when to love you and when to love you in a different way.”
The two “loves” had two different meanings.
Naya understood immediately.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and buried the egg under the blanket before nervously clutching her skirt and looking at Iris.
“Y-yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable…”
Iris knelt down in front of Naya.
“Shall I go ahead?”
“Mmm…”
Iris lifted the skirt.
Despite Iris’s actions being purely professional, Naya still felt deeply embarrassed.
“Don’t move, I’ll treat you.”
“Mmm…”
As the warmth spread through her body, Naya’s muscles and nerves relaxed.
The heavy tiredness in her eyelids gradually lifted.
“All done.”
The sense of duty she had felt earlier faded. Naya smoothed out her skirt, her eyes glistening with tears, and softly said:
“Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you.”
Iris sat beside Naya, wrapping her arms around her.
Naya had never done such intense muscle stretching before, so it was only natural that there would be some after effects.
Of course, with time, Naya knew her body would recover on its own. She didn’t feel the need to complain to Iris about it, since certain things were hard to talk about.
But with Iris’s help, her recovery would be faster, and she would feel lighter.
“Do you really want to sleep alone?”
“Mmm.”
“If you can’t sleep, you can come knock on my door.”
“I won’t.”
“What if I can’t sleep and knock on your door?”
“I won’t open it.”
“You really don’t trust me?”
“I’m not in the mood for that right now. I’m only focused on hatching the dragon baby and meeting my daughter.”
Naya’s mind was filled with thoughts of the child, leaving no room for any romantic desires.
She pushed Iris away.
Naya grabbed the egg from the blanket.
“I remember Illya’s egg was pink, but this one is silver. Iris, what do you think? What color will the little dragon be? How will it combine our traits?”
“Most likely a white-haired one with red eyes.”
“Really?”
“Just a guess.”
White hair and red eyes? That’s pretty classic.
Naya looked down at the egg.
“Sigh, to be honest, I’m a bit scared. How should I face them? Will they truly have two souls in one body? How will I tell them apart? Growing up in the same environment and body, will they have the same personality? Will they be as cute and naive as Illya? Will they be Mama’s little one like Illya?”
The dragon child would likely take human form at 1 year old, and only then would they start speaking.
Their intelligence and understanding of the world would drastically improve after taking human form.
“Mama’s little one, forget it. I won’t allow you to raise a second Illya. Once they take human form, I’ll make sure to guide them well.”
“I do want a second Illya. Illya is so cute, and she cares about me so much. I won’t let you control them.”
Naya understood.
Since the being inside the egg was a Dragon God, with Iris’s personality, there was likely a bigger plan. Naya would not allow Iris to use the child as a tool.
No matter what the child turned out to be, whether a god or a demon, Naya wanted them to have a complete, healthy childhood.
The wizard Of SILVER
Whenever I read about the conflict of thought between the two, I always find it complicated. I agree with Iris, but at the same time, Naya isn’t wrong either. It’s true that no one is perfect in this world, but still I sometimes get irritated that they’re always at odds of thinking.