Growing Up with the Demon King Tyrant - Chapter 15

After confirming that Xi Huai had obediently gone to the academy, the adjutant felt much more at ease. He knocked and entered the room, approaching Queen Wei to ask in a low voice, “Would you like me to have someone move the young dragon to the study?”

The study next door also had underfloor heating and plush carpets; they could simply move the dragon’s belongings there and arrange for a few attendants to stand guard. The adjutant believed it wasn’t necessary for Queen Wei to agree to this; even if she took the dragon in, she didn’t actually need to help care for it herself.

Queen Wei shook her head and gestured for the adjutant to look. “See for yourself.”

The adjutant followed her gaze. The little dragon cub was currently perched on the windowsill, leaning in to sniff the leaves in a flowerpot. The little white cat was still following Xue Yi closely; the two cubs were about the same size, huddling side-by-side in the narrow space.

“Huhu likes him very much,” Queen Wei said. “Let him stay here.”

Seeing this, the adjutant guessed that Queen Wei had also grown fond of the young dragon. A cute and well-behaved little beast was indeed easy to like, so after a moment’s thought, the adjutant stopped insisting.

Xue Yi was unaware of the conversation behind him, his focus entirely on the small pink flowers in front of him. A small butterfly had landed on the edge of a blooming petal. The little dragon cub’s tail went bone-straight, ready to pounce the next second.

Sensing something, the butterfly suddenly took flight. The white cat beside him couldn’t sit still and swiped its paw. However, since the cat was on the inner side, its large movement nearly pushed Xue Yi off the edge.

Xue Yi scrambled to grab the edge of the windowsill. “Awoo!?”

Fortunately, the windowsill wasn’t high, and there was thick carpet below; even if he fell, it shouldn’t hurt much. At that moment, the leaves of a nearby spider plant suddenly stretched out, encircling Xue Yi’s body and lowering him steadily back to the ground.

The white cat had also been startled and jumped down immediately, circling Xue Yi while letting out “meow-meow” cries. After coming to his senses, Xue Yi swiped a paw at the cat. “Wuu!”

The white cat’s fur was thick, so it didn’t hurt at all. It cheekily licked the tip of Xue Yi’s wing.

The leaves of the spider plant returned to normal, leaving a faint trace of Wood-element magic in the air. Xue Yi sniffed carefully and found the source of the magical aura. It was Queen Wei, who was sitting on a small sofa in the corner with the adjutant standing beside her.

Xue Yi walked over, first looking at the adjutant and then jumping onto the low table next to the sofa. Queen Wei held her breath and waited, wondering what Xue Yi was going to do. The little dragon cub moved slowly to the edge of the table and lowered his head to sniff Queen Wei’s sleeve.

From the time he was brought over until now, this was the first time he had been this close to her; previously, he had only run over to sniff the hem of her skirt. The little dragon cub was wearing his hand-sewn vest, and his body and paws were very clean—none of that strange “scaly smell” from the rumors.

It was obvious at a glance that Xue Yi was well cared for, and he was indeed as well-behaved as Xi Nian had claimed. For the short time he had been here, he had been playing quietly on his own.

Xue Yi then sniffed the back of Queen Wei’s hand, which was resting outside her sleeve. His nose accidentally brushed against it lightly, causing him to turn and retreat quickly. Queen Wei watched quietly the entire time, and her lingering nervousness finally vanished completely.

Seeing Xue Yi turn and peer into the cup on the table, she asked, “Do you want some water?”

Xue Yi looked at Queen Wei and let out a soft “mhm…”

Taking that as a “yes,” Queen Wei picked up the cup and rose to pour some water. The adjutant wanted to do it for her, but she waved him off. Before leaving, Xi Huai had mentioned that Xue Yi was afraid of the cold, which was why he wanted to send him here.

Queen Wei brought a cup of warm water, tested the temperature, and then grabbed a small pack of biscuits from a drawer. Returning to the sofa, she placed the cup in front of Xue Yi. Xue Yi leaned in to look, somewhat hesitant.

Aside from Xi Huai, he had never eaten food provided by anyone else. However, that previous time, Xi Huai had been by his side, so Xue Yi naturally wouldn’t accept Xi Nian’s offerings in front of his guardian. But Xi Huai had also said the person before him was his father’s wife…

Father, wife—these were very close relationships. Furthermore, Queen Wei had used magic just now, and her entire being radiated a gentle Wood element, smelling like fragrant leaves. Xue Yi thought hard and finally made a decision, leaning in to lick the warm water in the cup.

Seeing this, a shallow smile appeared on Queen Wei’s face as she tore open the biscuit packaging. The biscuits were milk-flavored with a dusting of icing sugar; Xue Yi immediately smelled the sweetness. The little dragon cub abandoned the cup and tilted his tail, approaching Queen Wei with round golden eyes as if to ask, “Is this for me?”

The white cat also approached, but since Xue Yi hadn’t eaten yet, it didn’t dare move for the time being. Holding the biscuit, Queen Wei habitually reached out to feed him, only to realize this was a dragon, not her usual pet cat.

Before she could pull back, Xue Yi stretched his neck to sniff the biscuit, licked the sugar on top, and then bit into it. The adjutant had seen Xi Huai feed Xue Yi before, so he did not stop her. The little dragon cub went “crunch, crunch,” and in the blink of an eye, more than half the biscuit was gone.

The white cat beside him watched enviously, tilting its head to rub against him. Xue Yi remembered that this was also the white cat’s home, so he stopped eating and left the remainder for the cat. The little dragon cub then turned back to take a few more sips of water before crouching by Queen Wei’s hand to lick his paws.

“Such a good boy,” Queen Wei said softly. “You’re called Xue Yi, right?”

Xue Yi let out a “mhm” and proactively pressed his head into her outstretched palm.

“Can you not transform yet?” Looking at the little dragon’s bewildered eyes, Queen Wei turned to the adjutant, who was also unsure.

“Perhaps he is still too young,” she said to herself, growing increasingly fond of the well-behaved dragon. “When he transforms, he will surely be a good child.”

When the morning classes ended, Xi Huai was the first to walk out of the classroom. Xi Nian’s classroom was closer to the stairs, so he beat him down by a step. Upon seeing Xi Huai, he immediately waved to him.

Xi Huai ignored him, his mind entirely on getting back. Xi Nian quickened his pace to keep up, quietly observing his expression and wisely choosing to stay silent. The palace attendants had already prepared the beast carriage to take them back together.

It was already lunchtime. Following Queen Wei’s instructions, the attendants brought dishes into the bedchamber one after another. Xue Yi was crouching by the table looking around when he heard hurried footsteps outside. The little dragon cub turned his head and saw an incredibly familiar figure appear.

“Awoo!” Excitedly wagging his tail, Xue Yi jumped to the floor and ran toward him. Xi Huai bent over to catch the little dragon cub and picked him up.

After not seeing him all morning, he carefully checked Xue Yi’s condition. Only after confirming everything was well did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. Xi Huai squeezed the little dragon cub’s paw. “I’m back.”

“I’m back too!” Xi Nian popped out from behind him, picking up the white cat from the floor. “Mother! We’re back!”

Xue Yi licked Xi Huai’s chin and let out “wuu-wuu” sounds in the crook of his neck.

“Did you miss me?” Xi Huai’s voice was very soft, unheard by the others.

Queen Wei gestured for them to come in. “Come and eat; everything is ready.”

There was a portion for Xi Huai, and she had specifically asked the kitchen what food Xi Huai usually prepared for Xue Yi.

However, Xi Huai said, “No, thank you.” He turned and left with Xue Yi in his arms, instructing the attendants to move all the items brought that morning back to his room.

Queen Wei’s expression froze, and Xi Nian was also stunned. “Hey, you… you really were just dropping him off temporarily…” He took the little dragon away as soon as he got back, not staying a moment longer. Xi Nian watched Xi Huai’s back longingly, thinking he hadn’t even gotten a good look at the dragon.

“Forget it,” Queen Wei urged Xi Nian. “You have to go back to the academy this afternoon; don’t waste time.”

On the other side, Xue Yi returned to his familiar bedchamber. The little dragon cub happily ran a lap around the room before leaping onto Xi Huai’s lap.

“Were you scared while I was away this morning?” Xi Huai patted the top of his head. Xue Yi wagged his tail, indicating he wasn’t afraid.

“What about that little cat?” Xi Huai asked again. “Did it bully you?”

The little dragon cub let out a “mhm,” straightened his back, and waved a paw, holding his head high with pride. It wouldn’t dare bully me; it only gets beaten by me.

Xi Huai felt relieved and held Xue Yi tightly. “I have to go to the academy this afternoon as well… I’ll be back as soon as possible.” The attendant brought lunch, and he took out the little bib to put it on Xue Yi.

So, before departing for the academy in the afternoon, Xi Huai sent Xue Yi back to Queen Wei’s bedchamber again. Xi Nian stood by the door and grumbled, “Why bother making the extra trip at noon?”

Xi Huai ignored him. He placed Xue Yi on the chair as usual and said to Queen Wei, “I’m troubling you.”

Queen Wei’s eyes held a smile. “Don’t worry.”

Xue Yi watched Xi Huai leave once again, then turned his head to patrol the room out of habit. This was his second visit, so the little dragon cub’s movements were practiced. He even ran out to the corridor and circled the adjutant once.

The noon sun was pleasant. After playing with the white cat for a while, Xue Yi went to the balcony to bask in the sun. There was a small nest on the balcony where the white cat usually slept; the little dragon cub unceremoniously lay down in it. The white cat wasn’t angry, happily squeezing in beside him. Its thick, soft fur was like a blanket, making for a very warm nap.

When he woke up, Xi Huai hadn’t returned yet. The white cat was still sleeping. Xue Yi found the small cloth ball he had brought and carried it in his mouth to the corridor. The adjutant was leaning against a stone pillar with his head down when he saw a silver-white shadow approach.

He looked over. The little dragon cub set down the cloth ball and pushed it toward him with a paw. The soldiers on guard were further out, and Queen Wei was currently taking a nap; the corridor was very quiet. The adjutant knelt to pick up the ball. After a long hesitation, he asked tentatively, “Do you want to play with me?”

Xue Yi’s eyes brightened slightly. “Mhm!”

Given the accident last time, the adjutant carefully controlled his strength, using demonic energy to push the cloth ball. However, the ball still traveled rapidly, hitting a pillar and bouncing back with a series of thuds. The adjutant’s expression was slightly awkward, but Xue Yi was very excited, running to fetch the ball and wanting to see it again.

The adjutant took the ball and glanced around. Confirming no one else was watching, he released his demonic energy to make the ball bounce back and forth. After playing like this for over ten minutes, Xue Yi was dazzled and a bit tired. He picked up the ball and returned to the room. Before leaving, the little dragon cub tapped the adjutant’s index finger with a paw.

The adjutant looked down at his hand, wondering what that meant.

At the same time, Xi Huai was in class. There were magic combat classes almost every afternoon. Xi Huai had been absent for an entire week and had taken another day off. Seeing him reappear, even the instructor cast a few extra glances his way.

When it came time to assign opponents, the students first made their own choices. Several Titans approached, one of whom called out to Xi Huai: “Third Prince, is your leg injury better today?” They possessed a racial advantage, being burly and strong, making them very prominent among their peers.

Xi Huai watched them indifferently, seemingly as unwilling to respond as before.

“It’s been so long; how could it not be better?” another Titan said impatiently. “The Prince won’t refuse this time, will he?” The last time they had fought Xi Huai, it wasn’t during a combat class. They had been beaten and had to write a self-reflection for brawling; they were very dissatisfied, feeling it was only because they hadn’t been prepared.

Xi Huai sat on a bench. A small gray bird landed on the armrest beside him. He tilted his head, meeting the metallic-gleaming eyes. Al’s words seemed to echo in his ears; he had subtly warned him not to put on an act.

A moment later, Xi Huai stood up. Dark demonic energy slowly coiled around his fingertips. He said faintly, “Sure.”

After class, three Titans with varying degrees of injuries were sent to the infirmary. It was said that the most severely injured one had eyes swollen like walnuts and a bloody nose—he had to be carried away. Xi Huai was also injured; his right hand was wrapped in two layers of gauze, and there was a small, scabbed-over cut on his cheek.

On the way back, Xi Nian was in the same beast carriage, huddled quietly in a corner. It had been a long time since Xi Huai had struck so ruthlessly at the academy. Xi Nian wasn’t sure if he was in a bad mood and didn’t dare to cross him.

Upon returning to Queen Wei’s bedchamber, Xue Yi came forward happily to greet him, seeing the gauze on Xi Huai’s hand at a glance. The little dragon cub froze and leaned in to sniff it. Xue Yi’s eyes were full of worry: “Mhm?”

“I’m fine,” Xi Huai reached out. “Come here.” He picked up the little dragon cub and turned to leave.