At dusk, Velyan and Irena returned.
Velyan held a basket filled to the brim with honey-frost fruit, her tail swaying behind her. “I’m back!”
Irena followed behind her, a blade of grass in her mouth, her steps slow and lazy.
With a soft clatter, Velyan dumped the honey-frost fruit from the basket onto the coffee table. The fruits rolled slowly across the surface, releasing an enticing aroma.
“Smells wonderful...” Loviki picked up a honey-frost fruit and held it to her nose to sniff.
“Loviki! Try it, quick!” Velyan urged enthusiastically.
Loviki took a small bite. The flesh was soft, and as a flood of sweet juice burst forth, a rich fruity aroma spread through her mouth, leaving behind a subtle, refreshing coolness.
Her eyes lit up, and she took another bite. “It’s delicious!”
“Right?” Velyan puffed out her chest proudly. “It’s one of my favorite fruits!”
“Where are Chen Mian and the others?”
“The three of them went to Linyu Port to buy clothes, so they have plenty of suitable outfits to bring with them daily,” Loviki said as she ate the honey-frost fruit.
“Alright~ I’ll wait for them here.”
“An'an, I’m going to catch up on some sleep~” Saying that, Irena made to head upstairs.
“No way!” Velyan grabbed her hand. “I’m leaving tomorrow, and you can sleep as much as you want then. For now, come with me to plant the honey-frost fruit. You still have to play video games with me tonight.”
“Fine... I really can’t do anything with you.”
“Loviki, you come too.” Dragging Irena with one hand and tugging Loviki’s sleeve with the other, Velyan hurried toward the orchard outside the apartment.
“Slow down.” Holding her honey-frost fruit, Loviki stood up helplessly. “I just took a shower.”
“I can’t wait!” Velyan didn't look back, her golden tail wagging happily behind her. “Once we plant them, we can eat them next year!”
“An'an, honey-frost fruit only bears fruit once every three years,” Irena said, her lips curling into a slight smile as she watched Velyan's wagging tail.
“Then I’ll wait three years!” Velyan said without a second thought. “I’m a dragon, three years is very short.”
“Are you really going to stick around and never leave, you big gluttonous pig?”
“I’m not a pig, you’re the pig! A pig that does nothing but eat and sleep!” Velyan said huffily. “Chen Mian promised me that I can stay until I get tired of Flora's cooking.”
“An'an, how could you ever get tired of it~”
Loviki looked down at the half-eaten honey-frost fruit in her hand, then at Velyan’s excited expression, her lips curving upward. “Velyan, you don't need to wait three years if you plant them here. You’ll be able to eat them in a month at most.”
“Really?” Velyan turned around, her eyes sparkling and her tail perking up even higher.
“Really.” Loviki nodded. “But if you plan to leave only after you get tired of Flora's food, that plan might have to be put on hold for a very, very long time.”
“Then I won’t leave!” Velyan said without hesitation, quickly adding, “I mean... anyway, my survival guide does have a rule about staying longer if I find a nice place.”
“Did you just add that rule?” Irena chimed in languidly.
“Mind your own business!” Velyan glared at her, turning around to squat down and begin digging a hole.
Loviki watched her earnestly digging up the dirt and couldn't help but smile, cleaning the honey-frost fruit seeds one by one before handing them over.
“Big Sister Velyan, what are you doing?” Miya walked over and stood nearby, watching Velyan’s movements curiously.
“Planting honey-frost fruit! It’s super delicious!” Velyan buried the seeds, looking up with a smile.
“I’m going to come see it every day!” Miya squatted beside the small mound of dirt, gently patting the packed soil with her small hands. “When it sprouts, I’ll be the first to tell you, Big Sister!”
Leaning against a nearby tree trunk, Irena let out a yawn. Watching the interaction between the two of them, her gaze softened unconsciously.
“All done.” Velyan stood up and patted the dirt off her hands. “If it only takes a month, then by the time I get back from the Royal Capital of Hella, they should have sprouted... Thinking about it that way, a month feels so long.”
“Are you all going to the Royal Capital, Big Sisters?” Miya looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“Yes.” Velyan nodded. “To help Loviki beat up bad guys.”
“I’m not going to beat up bad guys,” Loviki corrected from the side. “I’m going to call off an engagement.”
“Isn’t calling off an engagement the same as beating up bad guys?” Velyan said with a straight face. “Irena said that anyone who wants to take someone as a mate without their consent is a bad guy.”
“When did I ever say that?” Irena fluttered her eyelids, her tone carrying a hint of innocence.
“You said it just now! You said if anyone in the dragon race dared to try anything with me, you’d roast their wings.” Velyan looked at Irena with absolute certainty. “But Irena really is strong... way stronger than me.”
The corners of Irena's mouth curled up slightly. “After all, you’re my good friend. Anyone who wants to try anything with you has to go through me first.”
“Irena, I won’t call you a violent dragon girl anymore!”
After the four of them busied themselves for a little longer, Loviki bent down to pat the dust off her trousers and looked at the sunset glow on the horizon. “Chen Mian and the others should be back by now.”
“Let’s go, let’s go! I’m going to help roast fish today!” Velyan stood up excitedly, her tail swaying gently behind her.
“Roasting fish is fine, just don't burn the kitchen down,” Irena added languidly.
“I won’t! Last time was an accident!”
“Last time?”
“Uh... I don’t remember!”
The three of them walked back side by side, with Miya jogging behind Velyan, humming a well-known nursery rhyme from Linyu Port.
When they returned to the apartment, Chen Mian, Flora, and Louise were already back.
Several paper bags were piled in the living room, and Flora and Louise were squatting on the carpet, sorting the newly bought clothes into six piles.
Then, Flora handed one of the stacks of clothes to Irena.
Looking at the clothes in Flora's hands, a trace of surprise flashed in Irena's eyes. “These are for me?”
“Yes!” Flora nodded. “I estimated that these sizes should be about right. You should try them on in a bit, Irena.”
Irena remained silent for a moment before taking the clothes, her expression becoming uncharacteristically earnest. “Thank you.”
“By the way, Irena, do your clothes need a small opening in the back?” Loviki asked, tilting her head curiously.
“No, hiding my wings doesn’t consume much mana anyway,” Irena said, shaking her head as she held the clothes.
“Then why does Velyan rip her clothes every single time?” Loviki turned her head to look at Velyan, who was currently squatting by the coffee table eating honey-frost fruit with Miya.
“That’s entirely because An’an is a rebellious dummy who refuses to hide them.”
“My wings are big and beautiful, why should I hide them?” Velyan turned her head, speaking with absolute confidence. “Miya, don’t you think my wings are very pretty?”
“Mhm! Golden, sparkly wings! They’re super pretty!”
“Velyan, these clothes are for when we go to the Royal Capital. During this trip, make sure to hide your wings properly,” Chen Mian said from the side, holding a cup of Moonlight Grass tea. “Otherwise, you won’t get any roasted fish to eat.”
“I got it...” Velyan muttered softly as she chewed on a honey-frost fruit.
“Velyan, I’ve already altered a few of your outfits to leave an opening in the back. Normally, they’re tied shut with thin ribbons so you can’t tell, and you can just untie them when you want to spread your wings. I’ll give them to you once they’re ready,” Flora said, looking up as she packed the sorted clothes into Louise’s wooden storage box.
“I knew Flora was the best!” Velyan turned her head toward Flora in pleasant surprise. “Way better than Irena!”
“If you want to praise someone, just praise them. Why do you have to drag me into it?” Irena replied languidly.
“Because you always call me a big gluttonous pig!”
“...Is that not the truth?”
“I am not a pig!”
“Fine, you’re not a big gluttonous pig. You’re a big gluttonous dragon.”
“That’s more like it.”
Rate on N.U.
