Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 37

“Miss Long Ling, you’ve been smiling at a wild shepherd’s purse for quite a while. Is this shepherd’s purse different from the others?”

Long Ling snapped back to reality and quickly hung the shepherd’s purse on the string, her ears involuntarily turning red.

Today, Long Ling had asked the Evil Dragon Miss if she liked her, and after kissing the Evil Dragon Miss’s cheek, the Evil Dragon Miss had kissed her back and patted her head.

She felt the spot where she was kissed was still warm, and her heart would thump whenever she thought about it.

Sitting on a chair in the crystal kitchen, she couldn’t help but recall every detail of the Evil Dragon Miss coming close to her, her mind exploding like fireworks.

She hastily told Nora, “It’s nothing different. I was just thinking. You and Mina continue hanging them. Later, Nora, use your magic to air-dry these vegetables so we can make pickled greens.”

Nora saw the flush on Miss Long Ling’s cheeks, and her ice-blue eyes hid a hint of shyness. The whole dragon shimmered like a sparkling sapphire in the sunlight.

The noble Duchess must be living a life of bliss, honeyed with love, every day with such a beautiful Alpha like Miss Long Ling.

Nora couldn’t help but tease, “Miss Long Ling, were you thinking about the Duchess just now?”

Long Ling’s secret was suddenly exposed, making her heart pound. She nodded slightly, “Yes, Nora. Do you think if someone kisses you, it means they like you?”

Nora instantly felt like she’d hit the jackpot, “Of course, it means they like you, Miss Long Ling. There shouldn’t be any dragon who doesn’t like you.”

Long Ling was happy but still a little uncertain, “Then why, when I ask her if she likes me, does she always avoid answering directly?”

Nora rubbed her little hands in excitement, “I’m just your maid. I don’t know if I should say.”

Long Ling waved her hand, “Go ahead and say it. It’s just Mina and me here. No one will leak it.”

Mina, who was diligently hanging the shepherd’s purse on the rope while standing on a stool, turned her head when she suddenly heard Miss Long Ling call her name, “Miss Long Ling, do you need me to do anything else?”

Long Ling quickly shook her head, “Nothing, Mina. Keep busy.”

Nora then lowered her voice and said seriously, “The Duchess probably likes you, but not intensely. After all, an Omega like the Duchess, who is rich and powerful, could have many Alphas flocking to her with just a wave of her hand. It’s normal for her to be hard to court. Take your time; you’ll definitely succeed.”

Long Ling realized she had been too impatient. She had only been with the Evil Dragon Miss for a few days, and she was already eager to ask the Evil Dragon Miss for a committed title.

She felt a little embarrassed, “Let’s make the pickled greens first. Did you get the jar I asked you to find?”

Nora brought over the prepared containers and said, “I couldn’t get a clay jar. Will glass jars work?”

Long Ling glanced at the glass jars and saw they had airtight lids, which should be sufficient for making pickled greens.

“These will do. Let me see if I can fit all these vegetables into the jars.”

After the fresh shepherd’s purse was cleaned and had its roots trimmed, it was hung on a rope, swaying gently in the spring breeze, with strings of crystal-clear water droplets falling from it.

Under the effect of magic, an ice-blue wind swirled over the shepherd’s purse. The tender wild vegetables quickly drained of water.

The air-dried shepherd’s purse leaves were wilted, which was perfect for pickling. Long Ling watched Nora use a wooden staff to cast magic, feeling a bit envious.

If she could learn advanced magic too, would the Evil Dragon Miss be willing to teach her magic?

Long Ling collected herself, picked up the iron pot, and first filled it with water. After boiling, it could be used to blanch the shepherd’s purse.

Rene had delivered the custom-made stove and the newly crafted cabinets this morning. At that time, Long Ling and the Evil Dragon Miss were still in bed, so Nora found servants to help carry them into the kitchen. After replacing the old cabinets and countertops with new ones, the entire kitchen became much cleaner and brighter.

The stove was shaped cutely, like a moss-covered log, containing nine Fire Demon Stones. The flames emanating from the Fire Demon Stones were clustered like normal flames, burning fiercely and unrestrained.

The side walls of the log-stove were scorched red, yet the wood never burned through. Long Ling touched the log-stove and found it felt cold, completely unaffected by the flames. She wondered what special material it was made of.

The iron pot filled with water was placed on top, and in less than five minutes, it was bubbling.

Following the included instruction manual, Long Ling tentatively pressed the mushroom on the side of the log. The flames instantly and automatically extinguished. This must be the magic cut-off device Rene mentioned—it was very easy to use.

She poured the boiling water into an iron basin. The mustard leaves, after being blanched in the hot water, were about seventy to eighty percent cooked. They were then placed into clean glass jars. After laying a layer of vegetables, a layer of fine salt was sprinkled on top. Once the layers of leaves filled the jar, the pickled vegetable jar was almost ready. At this point, a heavy object was needed to press them down.

Long Ling looked at the snow-white salt and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion again. This world was much higher in level than her original world. Such beautiful salt was difficult for ordinary commoners to afford, and it was neither bitter nor astringent, possessing a rich, oceanic taste.

She loved this current world; even the wind in the air felt free.

However, Nora and Mina had dug too much wild shepherd’s purse. One glass jar wasn’t enough, so Nora found five more glass jars to fit all the pickled greens.

Long Ling looked at the neatly arranged pickled vegetable jars, filled with a sense of accomplishment. These pickled greens were intended for the upcoming Salmon Feast Competition. Calculating the time, they should be perfectly fermented just before the competition.

If the tavern could operate successfully in the future, she could earn more gold coins. Then she could buy some rare medicinal herbs.

Besides steeping some strawberry fruit wine for the Evil Dragon Miss, she also needed to study the books in this world, learn brewing techniques, and see if she could try steeping some medicated wine for the Evil Dragon Miss to clear her meridians. Perhaps it could help the Evil Dragon Miss’s body recover faster.

Long Ling finalized her plan, using a velvet cloth to wipe the water from the outside of each pickled vegetable jar and arranged them on the top shelf of the cabinet.

Just as she finished placing the last one, she suddenly heard an arrogant voice from behind.

“Making food again? You’re an Alpha, are you only going to revolve around the kitchen all day?”

Beverly stood in the doorway of the crystal kitchen, her expression full of disdain.

Long Ling frowned, “What business is it of yours? Beverly, why haven’t you left the manor yet? Didn’t Lorraine take you away?”

Beverly played with the flintlock pistol in her hand, looking down her nose at Long Ling, “I can go wherever I want. She can’t control me. I am Her Majesty the Queen’s only Alpha princess. You should address me as Princess Royal when you speak my name.”

“Also, Lorraine is my older sister. You are forbidden from coveting her, and forbidden from having a secret crush on her, I warn you!”

Long Ling spoke to her seriously, “You know she is your sister. As a younger sibling, you should respect the hierarchy and obey your sister’s words, not interfere with your sister’s actions. Besides, I am the Duchess’s wife, and the person I love most is the Duchess. Why would I like your sister?”

Beverly’s eyes widened. She said angrily, “I am an Alpha, so I am naturally the most noble. They all say that if the laws hadn’t been changed back then, I would be the Crown Prince. What good is a sister? She’s just an Omega. Omegas are inherently weaker than Alphas and should submit to Alpha management. It’s best that you don’t have covetous thoughts. You should also be more respectful to me.”

Long Ling noticed a figure flash outside the crystal kitchen and asked, “Why?”

Beverly sneered, “Why so many questions? Didn’t you hear what I said yesterday? You can never be with Violet Lot. Did you think you could marry into power just by climbing into her bed? A weak and useless Alpha like you is indeed quite rare.”

Long Ling, “Coincidentally, this is the first time I’ve met an Alpha like you.”

Beverly was smug, “It’s your honor to meet such an excellent Alpha as me, the Princess Royal.”

Long Ling, “I’ve seen strong ones, but I’ve never seen such an arrogant one. Your sister is graceful and dignified, a hundred times better than you. Even though you’re an Alpha, apart from the status of Princess, I haven’t seen anything excellent about you.”

Beverly was so flustered by the barrage of words that she raised her palm towards Long Ling, “You Strawberry A, how dare you disrespect me!”

Long Ling didn’t flinch, her ice-blue eyes staring calmly at her.

A wave of intense fear flashed through Beverly’s heart, but she was habitually arrogant and was overwhelmed by anger. Just as her raised palm was about to fall, she suddenly felt magic bind her arm.

Under the effect of powerful magic, Beverly’s arm twisted backward at an impossible angle. Her face went pale, and she cried out in pain, immediately trying to transform into her dragon form to escape.

The next second, the green dragon was forcibly lifted into the air. Two faint purple magical whips lashed out fiercely and ruthlessly. The green dragon was whipped, letting out miserable cries, circling in the entire sky like a kite, but no one came to her rescue.

Violet and Lorraine had just arrived and heard Beverly’s bluster.

When Beverly was about to strike Long Ling, Violet intervened, breaking Beverly’s offending arm. Lorraine then used her staff to violently discipline her sister.

This time, the beating was severe—a mixed-gender double-team. Beverly’s dragon skin and tendons were nearly flayed off.

Lorraine showed no mercy. She hadn’t realized her usually compliant sister had turned bad at some point. She had initially thought Beverly was just spoiled, a little arrogant as a rebellious child, and as an older sister, she could tolerate it and cover for her mistakes.

She never expected Beverly to run off the carriage and deliberately provoke Long Ling, even uttering garbage about Alphas needing to discipline Omegas.

This severe beating didn’t even need Violet to personally inflict it; Lorraine couldn’t hold back. She specifically whipped the most vulnerable part of the dragon’s body—the soft underbelly.

The scales there were the weakest. The magical whip snapped loudly in the air, and blood-stained, broken scales peeled off the green dragon piece by piece.

Lorraine was already troubled by the Alphas trying to seize power. She never imagined her sister, whom she thought was innocent and sweet, would be cut from the same cloth.

She was utterly disappointed and struck harder. Violet did not stop her.

The letter Violet had written to Her Majesty the Queen was already on its way. The evidence provided in those letters would ensure Beverly was imprisoned in the Royal City for a hundred years.

Violet looked concernedly at Long Ling. Long Ling quickly walked to her side, took Violet’s hand, and said softly, “It’s a good thing you came.”

Long Ling was an S-Class Alpha. It wouldn’t have been easy for the A-Class Beverly to lay a hand on her, but she didn’t want to miss the chance to cuddle and seek comfort from the Evil Dragon Miss.

Violet realized that Long Ling wasn’t entirely weak. She had thought the little dragon would be scared to tears by bullying and threats from Beverly.

In reality, Long Ling was able to argue reasonably and never lost the upper hand, showing a deep internal acceptance of the concept of AO equality. She was a soft yet resolute dragon.

She had vaguely heard the little dragon say that the person she liked most was her. Violet could see the affection and heart racing in the young Alpha’s eyes, but such an unexpected and definitive confession of affection also made her heart flutter.

This little Strawberry Dragon always brought her a different kind of novelty; every facet of her felt lively and engaging.

Violet gently patted Long Ling’s hand, “Don’t worry. I’m here. No dragon dares to bully you. I have already written to Her Majesty the Queen, and Beverly will receive a severe punishment.”

Long Ling nodded. In truth, watching Beverly being whipped was already quite satisfying.