Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 23

Renee had the squirrel-beastfolk move the gift she had prepared for Long Ling, which was a full set of dining table and chairs.

The tabletop of the pine wood table was inlaid with a large piece of translucent pink crystal. The chairs were woven from solid wood rattan, and the backs were decorated with leftove crystals, polished smooth, and pieced together into a minimalist yet artistic dragon pattern.

Under the warm spring sun, the dragon pattern on the chair back shimmered, seeming to flow, and even the shadows it cast carried the colors of early spring.

It had, undeniably, won Long Ling’s heart completely.

Her gaze toward Renee turned into starry eyes. With such sophisticated aesthetics and bright colors, Renee would surely become an incredibly talented architectural designer in the future.

Long Ling couldn’t help but praise, “It’s so beautiful! Thank you, Renee, I really love this gift.”

Facing Long Ling’s compliments, Renee said earnestly, “As long as you and the Duchess like it. This set has four chairs. When you have a dragon cub in the future, the family can enjoy afternoon tea together.”

Mentioning the dragon cub reminded Long Ling of her mission: she had to get the wicked dragon miss pregnant within a year. Did the wicked dragon miss even know about this?

She secretly glanced at Violet’s profile. Violet’s skin was cool and pale, her eyes deep-set, her nose bridge high, appearing like a magnificently colored rose in the sunlight.

If the little dragon cub resembled Violet, it would surely be super beautiful.

However, Violet showed no change in expression upon hearing about a dragon cub.

Long Ling thought to herself that she and the wicked dragon miss had only been living together for a few days. The dragon cub should wait for a long time, so there was no urgent need.

Long Ling couldn’t help but start looking forward to the future: “Let’s put these in the small garden. Besides the dining set, I also need to order a cabinet and a prep counter. Could you help me design those?”

Renee promised, “Of course. I will find people to make them especially for you. It will only take half a day to complete. You just need to tell me what kind of effect you are looking for.”

Long Ling then described the stove and prep counter from her previous world to Renee.

Renee jotted it down in her small notebook, scratching her fluffy little ear with a pencil: “I know the prep counter, it’s like a kitchen workspace. The thing under the pot is called a stove, and it’s used to burn wood? But why not use a fire magic stone?”

A fire magic stone? This was something Long Ling hadn’t heard of. Long Ling could only turn to Verlotte for help.

Verlotte looked at the little dragon’s confused expression and knew she likely hadn’t attended a magic university.

Had the Arnold family become so poor they couldn’t even afford to send their child to school?

She said faintly, “A fire magic stone is a special magical material from underground. You only need to inject a little magic into it, place it in the furnace, and it can burn continuously.”

Long Ling was delighted, “That’s so convenient! Then I can save a lot of firewood. But if it burns continuously, how do I control the heat?”

Renee adjusted her black-rimmed spectacles, “I have a solution for that. I can make you a separate stove with nine openings for nine fire magic stones, and then create a device that can cut off the magic, allowing you to control the heat.”

Long Ling gave Renee a look of appreciation, “That works. I trust you can do a good job.”

Renee rarely met such an easy-to-please employer as Long Ling. When she used to make things for other noble dragons, those picky aristocrats would fret for a long time.

As soon as she finished painting something red, they would likely ask her to try painting it green. Only after trying almost every color would they finally choose the original red.

Just when she joyfully thought the work was finally over, the employer would suddenly demand a different shape. In short, business was tough.

But Miss Long Ling was different. Renee could feel that Long Ling completely affirmed her skills and appreciated her aesthetic taste. Miss Long Ling was a very tasteful dragon.

Long Ling didn’t know she had already been labeled as a super-tasteful dragon in Renee’s mind.

Long Ling still needed to procure some kitchen utensils and asked Renee, “Renee, are you skilled at making kitchenware?”

Renee shook her head, “I’m not. Squirrel-beastfolk excel at construction. For kitchenware, you can look for humans. They possess great wisdom and are very good at making all sorts of tools.”

Long Ling, who was once human, felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks upon hearing such praise from the squirrel-beastfolk.

It truly felt like a vicarious honor.

Violet, sitting in her wheelchair, watched as Long Ling chatted warmly with the female squirrel-beastfolk, and her aura became subtly chilly.

【Annoying little milk dragon. Is she talking to other females all day when I’m not on the estate? She can sleep on the floor tonight.】

Long Ling suddenly heard the wicked dragon miss’s displeased inner voice, and a cold sweat almost beaded on her brow.

She quickly waved Renee off to work and hurried over to stick close to Violet.

“Duchess, let’s go see the farm together. I haven’t had a chance to properly explore the estate while you’ve been away.”

Long Ling’s smile was sweet, and she proactively took Verlotte’s cool hand.

Violet’s dark golden eyes were haughty. She coldly withdrew her hand, turned her wheelchair, and rolled ahead of Long Ling.

Long Ling quickly followed, anxiously rubbing her small hands. Women’s moods really were so unpredictable.

It was sunny when she woke up this morning, but now dark clouds were gathering.

No matter what, placating her ‘wife’ was naturally the top priority.

She quickened her steps, catching up to Violet’s wheelchair.

“Duchess, wait for me. I want to walk with you.”

Long Ling thought this would make Verlotte stop, but instead, Verlotte’s wheelchair moved even faster.

Long Ling had to pick up the pace and jog. Fortunately, her stamina was decent, or she would be sweating trying to keep up. If she was covered in sweat, the wicked dragon miss would definitely think she was dirty and stinky.

She cleared her throat and called out the two words she had found a little embarrassing last night but really wanted to say.

“Vi.”

Long Ling’s voice was lovely, sweet and clear, especially when she whined, sounding like the gentle plink of spring water splashing into a pool.

She was a little shy, speaking the two words softly from her heart, almost blending into the gentle spring breeze.

The moment Violet heard Long Ling call “Verl,” she stopped.

It was the first time she had heard the little milk dragon call her by her name—it was sweet and soft, filled with tender affection.

The gland on Violet’s neck inexplicably warmed up. Long Ling hadn’t called her that intimately even last night when she had the chance. Violet had thought Long Ling didn’t realize she was her fiancée and deliberately used the distant title of Duchess.

Seeing Violet stop, Long Ling sighed in relief. With the first time done, calling her again wasn’t so easy to blush over.

Long Ling’s cheeks felt warm, and her gaze toward Violetwas very tender.

“Every morning when I wake up, you’re already gone. I can only go smell the blanket you used. There’s only a tiny bit of pheromone on it. I really miss you.”

Violet had intended to hear Long Ling’s excuses, but she hadn’t expected her to bring up this topic suddenly. The Alpha was so clingy every morning because she wanted to rub against her pheromones.

The thought of the timid little milk dragon wrapping herself in the blanket and greedily inhaling her pheromones when she wasn’t home made her feel a little shy…

Violethad never been with another Alpha, but this little dragon was the one she had chosen from among many Alpha dragons at first glance. She was willing to pamper her more, as long as the requests weren’t too excessive.

Long Ling saw that Violet’s expression had softened and continued sweetly, “You’re finally home today. Stay with me a little longer, okay? Please don’t go so fast. I want to smell your pheromones more.”

Pheromones again! Is that all an Alpha’s brain holds besides pheromones?!

Displeasure rose in Violet’s heart. She both hoped Long Ling would be infatuated with her, yet also hoped Long Ling wouldn’t just fall in love with the scent of rose pheromones.

Rose pheromones were not unique. There were countless flower scents in the world. If one tried, it would be easy to find a substitute. But love was unique, exclusive, and not to be shared with anyone else.

Violet narrowed her eyes at Long Ling. Long Ling fiddled with her own fingers, looking back with clear, icy-blue eyes, batting her long, thick eyelashes a few times.

What Long Ling said was from the heart. Only when she was near Violet did she feel that irresistible urge to get closer.

Perhaps it was the influence of the pheromones, but the feeling in her heart would never lie to her. In just a few days, her heart was controlled by Violet, following the other party’s pace, advancing or retreating.

Violet lifted her chin, her cold and alluring eyes full of arrogance.

Long Ling curved her lips and moved behind Verlotte, helping her push the wheelchair.

If she had seen Violet’s attitude before, she might have felt timid, but after the shallow marking, she knew Violet was a dragon whose actions didn’t match her words.

When she told her to stop, she could have slowed down instead of stopping abruptly. She also needed to keep injecting pheromones to get the Omega to affectionately caress her cheek.

Of course, Long Ling could only think about this internally. During the day, she would be a very obedient dragon in front of Violet.

Long Ling was in a cheerful mood, pushing the wheelchair along the fragrant cobblestone path.

When they reached the farm, Long Ling looked out, and all she saw was a vibrant scene of life.

Thousands of acres of farmland were entirely covered in pasture grass, which grew incredibly lush. As the spring breeze swept through, waves of green grass rolled and surged.

The fresh scent of grass made her feel light and relaxed. If only she weren’t a dragon, but a sheep, how wonderful that would be.

She wanted to roll around in this vast, green natural carpet, running around and eating non-stop.

However, there were still some servants harvesting pasture grass as she and Violet arrived. Long Ling suppressed her lively thoughts and couldn’t help but pluck a stalk of green alfalfa.

The alfalfa stalk was straight, its leaves were four-lobed, and it had clusters of purple flowers blooming at the top. The leaves felt soft to the touch. A gentle pinch would release a pale green sap.

She held it up to her nose and inhaled. The aroma of green grass was rich. The scent of grass was full of the flavor of nature, making everything feel lovely.

In the distance, a large flock of white sheep was leisurely eating the green grass on the ground.

These sheep were plump, and their wool was immaculate white.

They were so cute. So cute… they must taste delicious.

The little lamb on the left could be made into steamed lamb, the big fat sheep on the right could be used for hot pot, and the middling older sheep could be used for roast lamb chops and roast lamb spine, seasoned with cumin, which would make anyone drool with delight.

She had to stop thinking about it, or she would start drooling. She had things to do. She would make something delicious for her wife after she was done.

Long Ling pulled her gaze back, folded the alfalfa stalk in half, and looked gently at Violet: “This grass smells so good. Do you want to smell it too?”

Violet frowned slightly, a little puzzled by the little dragon’s obsession with pasture grass. Most of their dragon race ate meat, and very few ate vegetables.

Why did Long Ling look like she was craving grass? She hadn’t deprived her of food.

She stood with one arm crossed and shook her head, “No.”

Long Ling knew that with Verlotte’s arrogance, she wouldn’t even smell the grass, let alone roll around in the field with her.

If only one day they could lie in the soft, lush grass with Violet and watch the moon. She wondered if the grass would be crushed by them?

Long Ling gathered the small stalk of grass in her hand and cautiously asked Violet, “Would you be angry if I used the farm to grow vegetables?”

The ground where Long Ling stood, and every plot of land she walked over, bore Violet Fergus’s name. Even Long Ling the dragon belonged to her. It was just some insignificant farmland, why would she be angry?

Violet glanced at her coolly, “I told you, you can do whatever you want.”

Long Ling was just a little worried, “But this pasture is so beautiful. Wouldn’t it be a shame to use it for planting? Also, the animals on the ranch won’t have anything to eat anymore.”

Violet said lightly, “I have over fifty other estates, not just this one ranch. Don’t worry about these trivial matters. Someone will take care of the problem.”

Long Ling’s eyes were practically shaking. Over fifty estates! That was too many!

No wonder the Clan Elder Grandma said Duchess Verlotte was very wealthy and that Long Ling would live a rich life with her.

Long Ling felt as though she had spotted a super thick, dazzling golden thigh and wanted to immediately hug it tightly.

If she could arrange all this land, wouldn’t she become a landlady?!

She could take the produce from the fields and sell it at the tavern. The tavern would have no cost, and she would make money from every sale!

If she had a lot of gold coins, she could pay off the money she owed the wicked dragon miss and buy many interesting things, like the guns she saw at the general store. The emperor said they were good, and she wanted to try hunting with them to see how great they were!

“I only need half of the land for planting, and I’ll keep the other half as a ranch for the animals on the estate. What do you think, Your Grace?”

Long Ling suddenly moved closer, her icy-blue eyes sparkling in the sun, her pink lips slightly parted, looking inexpressibly charming and lovely.

Violet’s gaze fell on her soft lips, remembering the sensation from last night, and she raised her hand to gently pinch Long Ling’s delicate jaw.

Long Ling looked at her blankly, her curled long eyelashes pressing down on her clear pupils, trembling slightly with unease.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and the surrounding wind became gentle and silent.

The little Alpha dragon delayed taking the next step; it seemed the necessary connection wasn’t quite made in her mind.

Violet felt a little disappointed and released her hand, “You arrange it yourself. If you need anything, go find the farm manager.”

Long Ling nodded quickly, her ears turning red a moment later. She quickly looked away.

The wicked dragon miss had seemed to be asking for a kiss just now.

But she was inexperienced and had never kissed anyone before. What if her kiss wasn’t satisfying and the wicked dragon miss stopped liking her?

Long Ling had heard from the old palace maids that the favored concubines in the palace, besides being beautiful and having good figures, also had to be good at seducing people or have special talents.

Long Ling was a small chef, so her culinary skills were good, but she hadn’t practiced her other skills yet.

Long Ling’s ears grew hotter, and she felt her dragon horns and tail might pop out. She used her hands to cool her forehead, forcing herself not to dwell on such thoughts during the day.

Long Ling turned and signaled a servant who was cutting grass, asking where the farm manager was. When the manager heard Miss Long Ling was looking for her, she quickly scurried over.

The farm manager was a middle-aged, plump woman named Phiray. She had a fluffy, lion’s-mane-like head of red curly hair, a slightly large nose, and wore an old yellow straw hat, tucking her curled hair haphazardly inside.

Although she was a little flustered, she was composed in front of Long Ling and Violet. After greeting them, she began to report on the farm’s work since the beginning of spring.

“Your Grace, I am leading the work on the farm again this year. I’m responsible for harvesting the new grass, drying it, and turning over last year’s hay piles to dry. Everything has been quite smooth.

“But with the recent warm weather, many wild rabbits and field mice have come out. They’ve been hungry all winter and are frantically digging holes all over the farm, making the whole place bumpy and damaging a large section of the fence outside the farm.

“This can’t continue, so my deputy Kitty and I discussed that we must first repair the fence and then launch a rat and rabbit catching campaign…”

Phiray’s words were rambling, and Long Ling could tell she was working very hard, but Violet clearly had no patience to listen to the detailed plan.

Violet’s dark golden eyes were dim. She interrupted Phiray coolly, “Phiray, from now on, all farm work will be arranged by Miss Long Ling.”

Phiray immediately flinched and respectfully bowed, “Yes, Your Grace.”

Long Ling quietly glanced at Verlotte before speaking to Phiray gently, “The farm looks a bit neglected right now. I plan to use half of the land for growing vegetables. What do you think?”

Phiray’s eyes flickered, and she immediately nodded, “I will follow all your instructions. It will be a good chance to drive away those annoying wild rabbits and mice.”

She was surprisingly easy to communicate with. Long Ling had expected Phiray to object, as reclaiming the currently abandoned land would be much harder work than before.

Since Phiray didn’t object, Long Ling took it as a given that she could handle the task and continued, “What kind of cash crops are usually planted on the farm during the spring?”

Phiray answered honestly and dutifully, “We can plant spinach, broccoli, purple cabbage, cabbage, potatoes, celery, peas… It depends on what you like to eat, and then we’ll buy the seeds. The estate farm has two thousand acres of land. If you plan to plant large quantities, you’ll need to dig new cellars for storage. If the food is stored for too long, it will spoil.”

She was tactfully reminding the noble lady not to plant on a whim. If too much was planted and couldn’t be eaten, even with cellars, they would have to watch a large amount of food accumulate and rot.

But as a servant, paid a generous salary by Duchess Violet, Phiray would continue to work even if the noble lady’s hobby was watching food rot, because she had two children to support at home.

Long Ling understood the implied meaning. She had actually considered this issue—whether to plant a large number of crops all at once.

The tavern’s future was still uncertain. If there was no market for the produce, and she messed up the farm, even if the wicked dragon miss didn’t care about the loss, Long Ling herself would feel it was a terrible waste to watch large amounts of food rot.

However, if she didn’t follow the planting season, it would be too late to plant later. Out-of-season crops were difficult to grow. Planting too little meant they would only be able to eat it themselves, which would go against her idea of self-production and self-sale, making it no different from not planting at all.

Long Ling waved her hand grandly, “Then let’s start with one hundred acres.”