Volume 4 Chapter 69

Volume 4 + Chapter 69: Chug, Chug, Chug

After hearing his daughter’s explanation, Elly’s father fell into thought. Then, he walked up to Xia Yi, half-kneeled on the ground, and placed one hand over his chest.

Although he was just a commoner who hadn’t learned noble etiquette, his gesture was completely non-standard.

Yet Xia Yi could feel the simple, sincere earnestness of Elly’s father.

“Your Highness, please forgive our rudeness. All of us in Vog Village have an important request…”

“Go ahead.”

Elly’s father took a deep breath and said seriously, “Your Highness, please give us a chance to entertain you properly!”

“Hmm? Is that it?”

“Yes, Your Highness. You might not be aware,” Elly’s father explained, “but as you can see, Vog Village was originally a remote, impoverished rural village. The villagers here lived in poverty and hardship.”

“Dad…”

Thinking of her childhood, Elly’s mood became complicated for a moment.

“However, ever since Elly entered the Northern Royal Capital and took a position in the Dragon Royal Palace, Vog Village has undergone a tremendous change. Not only were the nobles who used to oppress us dealt with, but those above also showed us much care and help. This time, Miss Lucia’s timely aid directly saved us from a survival crisis. Our homes were destroyed. If this had happened in the past, the Dragon Clan members of Vog Village, unable to find shelter to weather the disaster, might even have frozen to death!”

Elly’s father spoke with emotion, as if representing the other villagers, pouring out their feelings.

“We know all this change came because Elly entered the Dragon Royal Palace and gained the Royal Family’s favor. We are deeply grateful to the Dragon Royal Family and wish to repay this kindness, but we’ve never had the chance. This time, please allow us to entertain you properly and fulfill our wish. We beg of you, Your Highness!”

Hearing this, Xia Yi went with the flow. “Alright, no problem. I brought Elly here intending to rest properly anyway. Since you are so earnest, I accept.”

Elly’s father beamed with joy. “Thank you so much, Your Highness!”

“However, if possible, please try to keep my identity confidential from others. I have some other concerns and don’t want to draw too much attention…”

“Alright, no problem! As long as you accept, that’s fine!” Elly’s father nodded in agreement.

“Great! Dad, let’s get Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie, Aunt, Uncle, Uncle, Cousin… everyone together for a gathering! And call the other villagers too!” Elly said happily.

She hadn’t been home for a long time and was naturally looking forward to such a gathering. Hearing this, Xia Yi thought Elly had quite a lot of relatives, her extended family was richer than most.

…

According to Elly’s father, he had come to Vog Village to check on the disaster’s situation, to see if there were signs of worsening.

After finishing the inspection and on his way back, he suddenly spotted his daughter flying towards Vog Village. He hurried back anxiously and coincidentally ran into the two of them.

Now that the inspection was done, he led Xia Yi and Elly back to the temporary shelter where the Vog villagers were taking refuge—Fika City.

Elly’s father didn’t reveal Xia Yi’s identity to everyone, instead saying Elly had returned with a friend. This caused cheers and excitement among the Vog villagers. Even though the village had suffered a disaster and they were in a state of refuge, each household brought out their treasured provisions to hold a welcome feast.

At the feast, Xia Yi witnessed a variety of northern delicacies.

Due to the geographical location, the temperature here was much lower than in the Northern Royal Capital. The dietary habits of Vog villagers focused on ultra-high calories, giving Xia Yi a completely new, unprecedented experience.

For example, a hearty beef stew made with soured milk and beef. Tasting such a steaming hot dish on a cold day was sheer physical and mental comfort. The full calorie load swept away the weariness of the journey, and the rich, savory flavor was uniquely delightful.

Even though their current situation wasn’t ideal, they still held this feast to welcome her. Such warmth was something Xia Yi genuinely felt.

“You all might not be familiar with this one. She’s a friend brought by my daughter. You can call her Xia…” Elly’s father had a flash of inspiration. “You can all call her Miss Xia! It’s her first time coming to our north!”

Everyone clapped for Xia Yi.

Xia Yi restrained herself, not using overly formal etiquette to avoid revealing her identity.

Afterwards, Elly’s father immediately shifted the topic to his daughter.

“And today, returning to us, is the pride of Vog Village, the hope of the entire village—my daughter, Elly!!” Elly’s father announced proudly.

Elly stood up a bit shyly, scratched her head, very happy, and giggled foolishly.

“Everyone, I’m back! Work at the Dragon Royal Palace is too busy. I work hard every day and really haven’t had much chance to come back. Today is a rare occasion…”

“Elly, don’t be reserved! Old rules!!”

One of the young men stood up, stepped on a chair, raised a bottle of liquor, and threw it towards Elly.

“Catch!!”

“This is…!”

Elly caught that bottle of hometown liquor. Taking a closer look, she felt a wave of nostalgia.

“Vodka!!”

“Enough with the formalities! Since you’re back, celebrate properly with everyone. Let’s start now!!” someone shouted.

So Elly directly opened the bottle, raised the vodka, and began to drink heartily.

The other villagers didn’t hesitate either. They picked up their vodka and started chugging together. Instantly, the atmosphere became lively, breaking the ice as everyone let loose.

Xia Yi also looked around and found Elly’s father bringing over a bottle of beverage for her—

Why is it milk?!

The little princess was momentarily unable to hold back. Was she being treated like a child?

“Miss Xia, Elly asked me to prepare this for you. She said you’re a bit young for vodka,” Elly’s father whispered.

“…”

Xia Yi was speechless. But then again, back at the Dragon Royal Palace, she indeed couldn’t drink alcohol without Xia Lulu’s permission.

Forget it, milk is just as good!

As the feast progressed, some people were clearly getting tipsy.

An elderly dragon was pulling a young man, and they actually started a dance battle! People nearby began cheering and gathering around, forming a natural stage.

Xia Yi remembered that elderly dragon had introduced himself earlier as Elly’s grandfather…

How could he shake it like that? His dance moves were almost overwhelming the young man.

“Cyka blyat!”

Elly’s grandfather, shaking happily, even shouted an incomprehensible phrase.

This elicited cheers from the surrounding crowd, and the young man in the dance battle conceded defeat.

“What does your grandfather’s phrase mean?”

Xia Yi asked Elly, whose face was already a bit flushed from drinking.

“Uh, that’s… uh, a dialect! It’s a dialect from our area. Just don’t remember it, okay? It doesn’t have any special meaning!” Elly explained nervously, particularly eager to gloss over it.

“Miss Xia, if you feel there’s not enough food, please let us know,” a gentle female voice said as a dragon woman smiled at Xia Yi.

“Mhm, thank you. I’ll speak up if I need anything,” Xia Yi replied with a smile.

She noticed this dragon woman was also a Blue Dragon.

“This is my mom!” Elly said proudly.

Xia Yi was speechless for a moment.

What’s going on?

Elly’s father and mother are both Blue Dragons. Two Blue Dragons gave birth to a Green Dragon?

That’s simply impossible!

Seeming to notice Xia Yi’s confusion, Elly leaned closer and whispered, “Your Highness, I know you might find it hard to believe, so I’ll tell you.”

“What’s the reason?”

“The reason I’m a Green Dragon is… profound.”

Xia Yi heard an utterly absurd reason from Elly’s mouth. She even felt Elly might have been rendered incoherent by the vodka.