“Y-you two are ganging up on me!”
“Eh? What? You're the one who said you wanted me to marry you.”
“Flora! You, you...” Loviki gave up trying to fight back with words. She sprang up from her low stool and lunged at Flora. “I'll teach you a lesson!”
Flora giggled and tried to dodge backward, but Loviki caught her anyway.
“Hahaha, Loviki! Stop, stop—” Flora curled into a ball on the sofa, her laughter coming in breathless bursts. “Mr. Chen Mian, save me! Hahaha!”
“Flora! No calling your husband for help!”
“Husband?! Husband what... Stop tickling me, then! Hahaha...”
“Do you dare tease me again?”
“No... I don't dare...”
“So lively first thing in the morning?” Louise walked downstairs in her nightgown. Her silver-gray hair was tied into a low ponytail, giving her a slightly playful look.
Then her gaze fell on Loviki, and she said in surprise, “Loviki, your hair looks really pretty today!”
“M-my hair is always pretty!” Loviki retorted, self-consciously touching the braid resting on her shoulder. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly. “...Flora did it for me.”
“Good morning, Louise!”
“Morning, Flora.”
“Wait, no. Louise, help me bring Flora back to the right path!” Loviki snapped out of it, grabbing Louise's hand.
“Eh? The... right path?” Louise looked blankly at Flora, who smiled back looking entirely sweet and innocent, before turning back to Loviki. “What's wrong?”
“Flora... she just said she wants monogamy, with me as the wife!” Loviki pointed at Flora, her face flushing red.
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
“Hey! Louise, don't laugh!”
“That really is too much~”
“Right?!”
“Yeah, yeah! I think it's terrible! It should be one husband and two wives! Flora, what do you think of me?”
“Hmm~ Pretty good!” Flora sat up a bit straighter on the sofa, smoothing out her slightly messy hair. She sized Louise up and nodded with a smile.
“Then I'll be the first wife, and since Loviki is so against it, she can be the second wife.”
“Mmhmm! I agree!”
“Louise!” Loviki stood between the three of them, her gaze darting back and forth. Finally, with a look of utter despair, she collapsed face-down onto the sofa, burying her face in a throw pillow. “The three of you are in cahoots! I'm not playing anymore!”
Holding his book, Chen Mian watched them fool around with a smile.
“Humans, are you fighting? I could hear the noise even from my room.” Velyan rubbed her eyes as she walked down the stairs in a thin white nightgown, looking like she had just woken up.
“No,” Chen Mian replied with a shake of his head and a smile. “They're discussing the institution of marriage.”
Velyan tilted her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. Finally, she nodded with a serious expression. “Human marriage systems are indeed complicated. In my clan, if you fancy someone, you simply carry them back to your nest.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
“Carry them straight back to your nest?” Loviki lifted her head from the pillow, her cheeks still slightly flushed, but her eyes shone with clear curiosity.
“Yes,” Velyan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “You carry them back first. If they refuse, you fight. Once you beat them into submission, they're your mate. It's not like humans, who have to discuss and negotiate endlessly. It's such a hassle.”
Hearing this, Louise lowered her head, her shoulders shaking slightly before she finally failed to hold back a soft chuckle.
Flora pursed her lips, but a clear smile danced on her face as well.
Loviki opened her mouth, staring at Velyan's deadpan face. The retort died in her throat for a long moment before she finally squeezed out, “What if you can't beat them?”
“If you can't beat them, you just find someone else,” Velyan replied with a serious nod. “You can't go risking your own life just for a mate, can you?”
“So, have you ever carried anyone back?” Louise asked with great interest.
“I have no interest in doing such boring things for the time being.”
“You explained the process so smoothly, I thought you were speaking from experience,” Louise said, resting her chin on her hand as she sat on the sofa.
Velyan shook her head seriously. “I think it is too much trouble. You have to fight for a mate, feed them after you win, and if you don't feed them well, they run away. Then you have to go look for them. It doesn't align with my survival guide.”
With that, Velyan turned to Flora, her eyes filled with clear anticipation. “Flora, is there anything to eat?”
“In the kitchen. I'll get it for you, and some for Louise too.” With that, Flora went into the kitchen, retrieved the pastries from the warming box, and placed them on the coffee table.
Velyan's eyes lit up at the sight of the pastries. She carefully picked one up from the plate and popped it into her mouth, her eyes narrowing slightly in sheer bliss.
“Velyan... you're currently living in someone else's home and eating the pastries they made. Doesn't that count as another form of being carried back?” Loviki teased, lying on the sofa with her pillow, a mischievous glint in her ruby-like eyes.
Velyan froze. She looked down at the half-eaten pastry in her hand, then looked up to scan the others in the living room. Her expression shifted from confusion to a subtle, serious realization. “I don't think I can refute that. Besides, I can't beat Louise either.”
She took another bite of the pastry, chewing as she said earnestly, “But I think the food here is much more delicious than what's in my nest. It aligns with my survival guide.”
Loviki stared at Velyan for a long while before finally squeezing out, “...You certainly adapt quickly.”
“Rule number one of the survival guide: adapt to your environment as quickly as possible.” Velyan nodded solemnly, then stuffed the rest of the pastry into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out. “So, I have decided to stay for now. I'll think about leaving once I grow tired of the food here.”
“Grow tired of it?” Loviki raised an eyebrow. “You'll never get tired of Flora's cooking.”
“...I can,” Velyan mumbled around her food, though there was clearly no conviction in her voice.
Leaning against the wall, Chen Mian turned a page of his book without looking up. “Then stay until you get tired of it. You seem to have recovered well enough. Come with me in a bit to move some fish fry.”
Velyan's eyes lit up. “Fish fry? Can they be grilled?”
“Only after they grow up.”
“I will go right now.” Velyan set her plate down and quickly stood up, her golden tail swishing gently behind her, clearly in a great mood.
She walked to the door, then turned back to look at Chen Mian. “Human, aren't you coming?”
“Let's go.” Chen Mian closed his book, set it on the coffee table, and stood up to walk outside.
“Human, where are we going to get the fish?”
“Linyu Port. But before that, hide all of your dragon traits.”
“But my clan's traits look beautiful!”
“They are beautiful, but if you run into Linyu Port looking like that, the entire town will descend into chaos.”
“Fine... I will hide them for a bit.”
Soon, the two figures vanished into the teleportation array.
Rate on N.U.
