Chapter 16

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 16: My Wife Is Super Sweet

Because everyone’s reaction to the vinegar had been so negative, Naya remained skeptical about whether Iris had truly finished all the food.

Perhaps Iris was just having Flanna and Bella act out a deep lover role for her.

After putting down the insulated container, Naya handed it to Bella to be washed.

It was time for Naya to coax Illya for her afternoon nap.

The little pink-haired dragon girl had studied all morning and eaten so many dumplings at lunch that both the mental exhaustion and the fullness in her belly were urging her to sleep.

Illya rubbed her eyes and looked at Naya, who was sitting next to her.

“Mama, what Nitiya taught me this morning felt a lot harder than before. It was so easy to feel sleepy while listening.”

“Oh? What did Nitiya teach you?”

“She taught me some deeper magic theories and said that I’m about ready for practical combat. Mama, when can I start helping Mother with her work? Nitiya said that Mother has to deal with all kinds of enemies every day, and it’s really tough.”

Though Naya didn’t know dragon magic, she had learned a fair amount about it over the years.

Illya was currently at a stage that, to use a metaphor, was like the “foundation-building” stage often seen in cultivation novels.

Dragon children could begin combat training around age six, combining theoretical knowledge with the practical use of magic.

But Illya was only five now.

Still, as the descendant of the Dragon Queen, Illya was bound to have strong potential, meaning she’d probably progress faster than most dragon children.

“Illya, you don’t need to worry about that right now. Take it slow, there’s no rush.”

Everyone had always been lenient with Illya. No one would force her to learn anything she didn’t want to.

Naya secretly hoped Illya would never have to go to war or share Iris’s burdens.

“Illya, do you have any dreams for the future?”

“Dreams?” The little girl blinked her eyes, confused by the word.

“I mean, are there things you look forward to? Things you want to do someday?”

“I want to be the Dragon King and steal a princess!”

Naya sighed inwardly, looking at Illya with exasperation.

“I’ve told you not to take those stories too seriously. If you really want to go around stealing princesses, I won’t tell you any more stories.”

“Nooo, I won’t steal princesses anymore, but I still want to be the Dragon King!”

“Why?”

“Because the Dragon King is the strongest dragon, and they’re really cool and domineering! The books say that the Dragon King can destroy human cities with just a laugh. If I could be like that, wouldn’t that be awesome?”

“Is it just because it’s cool?”

“Well… also because of Mother. Mother is the Dragon King, and if I’m not the Dragon King, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Oh, Mama, since I’m the Dragon King’s daughter, why do I live here instead of in the palace?”

“Because it’s safer here. There might be dangerous schemes and intrigues in the palace.”

“What are dangerous schemes and intrigues?”

This conversation was endless.

Naya reached out and gently stroked Illya’s head.

“I’ll explain those terms to you later. For now, it’s time to sleep. No more talking, okay?”

“Mmm, goodnight, Mama.”

Illya obediently closed her eyes.

Naya held Illya’s small, tender hand, watching as her breathing slowly evened out, her peaceful smile radiating warmth in Naya’s heart.

If only Illya could stay this innocent and carefree forever.

The system’s warnings, though, still weighed on her mind.

After all, she wasn’t the only one in this world with a system.

She, Leo, and Lina had all revealed their secret cards to one another long ago during a serendipitous moment, sharing that they each had systems. And all of their missions revolved around defeating the Dragon King.

The system had also said that they weren’t the only transmigrators.

That meant others were out there, too, with systems and the same main task, to kill the Dragon King. With the help of their systems, they’d grow stronger, one by one, all aiming to challenge Iris.

Thinking back on her former obsession with slaying dragons, Naya could only laugh at how absurd her old self seemed.

What had Iris ever done wrong to deserve being hunted like this?

For the transmigrators, perhaps, it was simply an instinctive drive to challenge the Dragon King, to treat dragons as enemies just because they were “different”, just as she once had.

Should she release the system and ask about Iris’s fate?

No! She would never trust the system’s nonsense!

Fate was in her own hands.

Heroes? They would come, but none would return. If one came to challenge Iris, they would face Naya’s wrath first.

With that in mind, she realized she couldn’t afford to be a burden to Iris either. She needed to find a way to convince her system to side with her, to abandon this “Kill the Dragon King” mission once and for all.

As evening came, it was time for Iris to return home from work.

Naya had prepared a full table of dishes, determined not to make dumplings again after the disaster at lunch.

But she didn’t want to waste the leftover ingredients either, so she made a dish of smashed cucumber salad.

Everything was ready, waiting for Iris to sit down.

The moment Iris smelled the food, she instantly recognized the ingredients in the cucumber salad.

She turned to glance at Naya, who was watching her with a gentle smile, as if saying, “Go ahead, try it.”

Despite her efforts to maintain her usual decorum, Iris could never fully resist the food Naya prepared.

Based on her habits, Naya knew that Iris wouldn’t leave a single dish untouched.

But before Iris could reach for the cucumber, Illya beat her to it, “testing the waters” for Iris.
However, as soon as the cucumber entered her mouth, she spat it out with a loud “yuck!”

Her face twisted in displeasure.

“Mama, why did you use that black vinegar again? It tastes awful.”

Unlike the dumplings, which had only a hint of vinegar in the dipping sauce, the cucumber had been marinated in vinegar, soaking up all the sourness.

The taste was intense.

Naya lightly scolded Illya.

“Illya, don’t waste food!”

“But it’s really gross!”

Illya quickly grabbed a large chicken leg and let its flavor wash away the sharp sourness in her mouth.

“But your mother ate all the sauces I made earlier today. If she can eat it, why can’t you?”

Illya looked at Iris as she chewed on the chicken leg.

“Then give it all to Mother.”

Iris’s face remained impassive, but inside, she was panicking.

What a good daughter, selling her out like that!

She shot Illya a cold look.

“Illya, you can’t be picky. Don’t waste the food Mama worked hard to make.”

Plus, why had Naya suddenly become so fixated on vinegar, which dragons generally hated? Was it a side effect of her memory returning?

Busy devouring her chicken leg, Illya didn’t reply for the moment.

“Is it really that bad?”

Naya took a bite of the cucumber herself.

It tasted just like she remembered, tangy and sweet. Delicious!

When she had amnesia, her tastes had aligned with the dragons, so the food she made naturally suited Iris and Illya.

But ever since her memories returned, she found herself craving flavors the dragons couldn’t handle.

“Iris, here, try a bite.”

Naya picked up another piece of cucumber and offered it to Iris.

She stared intently at Iris, catching the briefest flicker of discomfort in her expression.

Naya’s heart sank.

So it was all just an act, wasn’t it? Iris’s deep affection, her caring gestures, all a facade because she still didn’t trust her, still wanted to manipulate her feelings.

Had Iris thrown away all the sauces she had made earlier, too?

Naya immediately withdrew her chopsticks.

But as Naya studied Iris’s face, Iris was also watching Naya closely.

Compared to Iris’s subtle emotions, Naya’s disappointment was written all over her face.

Without hesitation, Iris leaned forward and bit into the cucumber on Naya’s chopsticks.

Anything made by Naya tasted good, even if it was bitter gourd; it could taste like watermelon to her.

Knowing that these chopsticks had just touched Naya’s lips, a hint of sweetness filled Iris’s heart.