Volume 4 Chapter 10

Volume 4 + Chapter 10: Is It Worth It?

The hour had slipped into deep night, and the Dragon Kingdom’s royal palace had grown utterly silent.

At this very moment, the Silver Dragon Princess lifted her covers and sat up!

“Hmm-hmm-hmm!”

An evil grin slowly crept across Xia Yi’s face.

She was about to begin her wicked plan.

“Yes, that’s right—everything I did was just an act to deceive everyone, to lower the vigilance of these dragons! I didn’t enjoy any of it. I fooled them all!”

By all reasonable expectations, Xia Yi should have been exhausted after returning to the Dragon Palace and would obediently go to bed.

Having just come back, she had no reason to stir up trouble.

Everyone would think so—Xia Lulu included.

But she intended to do the opposite!

It was precisely in such a moment that Xia Lulu would never think she needed to guard herself, leaving a massive weakness exposed.

All Xia Yi needed to do was seize that weakness, strike with full force, raid the enemy’s camp—descending like a goddess of war—unstoppable!

“My nemesis, Xia Lulu… I’ll make you taste the bitterness of defeat!”

She tiptoed toward the door, held her breath, and pressed her ear against it…

No sound at all. Sera must have gone to bed as well.

Xia Yi opened the window. Her bear-shaped slippers rested on the sill, moonlight spilling over her pajamas as the night wind lifted her silver hair.

“Oh—almost forgot… this!”

She turned around and looked toward her room’s mysterious corner where she had left her item.

“How could I forget to put this on? This is the most terrifying weapon in the world!”

After equipping this fearsome weapon, she leapt out the window, scaling walls and rooftops as she made her way toward Xia Lulu’s room.

…

Inside Xia Lulu’s chamber, the lights were dim. She sat alone in her chair, deep in thought.

Her mind gradually drifted back to not long ago.

It was when her body first began to fail, and she traveled to the Violet Swallow Valley to meet an old friend—Dorothea Yuritas.

At that time, she had made a request, hoping Dorothea could help her.

“Xia Lulu, anyone who gains power they were never meant to possess… must pay a price.”

Dorothea’s eyes were fixed upon her.

“You still remember what happened back then, don’t you?”

“…Yes, I remember,” Xia Lulu nodded.

“You came to me seeking overwhelming strength—enough to kill Frey.” Dorothea paused. “You indeed possessed the potential for power beyond the ordinary. That power comes from your bloodline. You are of the Silver Dragon royal clan—born with the qualifications of a king.”

“Yes.”

“The power of royal blood far surpasses that of ordinary dragons. To fully awaken it, one must ignite the Dragon King’s Heart. But the Dragon King’s Heart can only awaken in a body that has reached proper maturity.”

Of course Xia Lulu understood every word of this.

Even with royal blood and the potential to become a Dragon King, that didn’t mean she could ascend instantly.

She had to grow gradually, strengthening her body until she could eventually house the Dragon King’s Heart and awaken it.

“What I did back then was force your Dragon King’s Heart to awaken ahead of time—granting you power meant only for your future self.” Dorothea touched Xia Lulu’s chest. “You overdrafted your future. And your body was destined to face backlash and collapse one day.”

This was the true reason Xia Lulu could not grow—why she forever bore the appearance of a child.

Now, the backlash has begun.

Had she grown naturally, she would never have faced this fate.

But…

“I had no choice back then, Dorothea.”

“Yes, no choice then. But now you do,” Dorothea said. “Xia Lulu, if you want to live, it’s quite simple—I can remove your Dragon King’s Heart. Isn’t that the source of your body’s collapse? Replace it with an ordinary heart… or I can craft a puppet heart for you.”

Xia Lulu lowered her head.

Removing the Dragon King’s Heart meant one thing—

Losing the power of the Dragon King.

“No, Dorothea. I cannot remove it.” Xia Lulu shook her head.

“You…”

“If I lose my strength, I become a lamb waiting for slaughter. I have ruled the Dragon Kingdom through overwhelming power for so many years—once that power fades, a tidal wave of vengeance will follow… You know what I am like. I am someone deeply, hopelessly obsessed with power. Without it, I would rather die.”

Xia Lulu raised her eyes.

“Dorothea. I no longer care about my own life. What I care about… is whether I can continue to hold this kingdom in my hands.”

“…So stubborn. Fine—I’ll help you a little,” Dorothea shrugged. “Since you’ve already chosen, you’ll have to bear the consequences. But there’s another method, controlled slumber. Sleeping will stabilize your condition.”

“Can you really do it? Suppressing my Dragon King’s Heart is no simple task.”

“For others, perhaps. For me, it’s easy.”

“…Thank you, Dorothea.”

Dorothea was silent for a long moment. “You just lied to me, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“You said you crave power. That was an excuse. The real reason you chose this path… must be someone else, right?”

“……” Xia Lulu fell silent.

“Xia Lulu… do you really think this is worth it?”

…

Xia Lulu’s mind returned to the present. She turned off the light.

She lay down on her bed and drifted into sleep.

The room grew quiet as time slipped by.

Suddenly, a tiny hand clung to the windowsill. The window was carefully pushed open, and a small figure landed silently inside.

Success!!

Xia Yi, armed with her terrifying weapon, had infiltrated Xia Lulu’s room.

She looked toward the bed and spotted the sleeping Silver Dragon Queen.

Just as she predicted—Xia Lulu truly had no defenses up. She could defeat her at will.

The little princess’s lips curled into a wicked arc.

She approached step by step, stopping beside Xia Lulu’s bed and raising her terrifying weapon.

Silver Dragon Queen… you raised me on purpose. Now you will reap the consequences…!!

“Mm…?”

Xia Lulu sensed something and opened her eyes, finding Xia Yi standing right before her.

Xia Yi panicked—oh no, she’d been discovered!

Calm down. Calm down!

It’s fine. Xia Lulu still wasn’t fully awake. There was still a chance.

Next came the attack on her nemesis—her moment of revenge—to prove that she was still the swordswoman who never forgot her original resolve, the one who would absolutely defeat her greatest foe!

Do it!!

“X-Xia Lulu, I… I…”

Xia Yi hugged her little dragon-shaped pillow, crawled into Xia Lulu’s blankets, shyly covering her cheeks as she whispered:

“Tonight… Can I sleep with you?”