Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 51

The summer air was somewhat stuffy, yet the atmosphere between the two inexplicably grew ambiguous.

Violet finished her strawberry pudding and took Long Ling’s hand: “You behaved so well today, are you hoping I’ll take you out for a walk?”

Long Ling, thinking of the letter tucked in her pocket, immediately shook her head: “No, I’m perfectly fine staying in the manor.”

Her hand was held in Violet’s palm, their fingers interlaced and clasped gently, making her palms sweat.

Afraid Violet would notice something unusual, Long Ling pulled her hand back, picked up a nearby crystal glass, and poured Violet a glass of strawberry fruit wine.

Violet saw Long Ling’s fair cheeks and her rosy lips slightly pursed, assuming she was still angry: “Tomorrow, I’ll take you hunting. You can play as long as you like, and we can stay outside for the night.”

Long Ling couldn’t help but feel anxious; she was planning to go out tomorrow to meet Eloise and discuss their escape plan.

She handed the strawberry fruit wine to Violet: “But don’t you have a lot of work to do? And tomorrow isn’t your day off, is it?”

Violet’s slender fingers gently stroked the side of the glass: “I can make time to accompany you.”

Long Ling hadn’t expected such bad timing: “But if I’m playing alone, and you’re just watching beside me, won’t it be a bit boring?”

Violet didn’t seem to mind: “Before you came to the manor, I occasionally went hunting and even caught a wild bear. But I haven’t been in a long time since my injury. Have you ever learned to use a gun?”

Long Ling answered obediently: “No, I’ve never used a hunting rifle.”

Violet said gently: “I can teach you.”

But she was planning to meet Eloise, so it seemed she would have to go hunting another time.

She had already indirectly refused Violet twice, and it would be hard to find another excuse. Constant refusal would definitely make Violet suspicious.

Long Ling nodded softly: “Okay, let’s go tomorrow.”

Long Ling had been quite docile recently, so easing the leash on her pet dragon wouldn’t hurt. She could indulge her a little.

Violet said calmly: “Go choose a hunting dog; you’ll need one for tomorrow’s hunt. Do you have a preferred breed?”

Long Ling didn’t know much about dog breeds, had never hunted, and was preoccupied with running away: “Any one should be fine.”

Violet nodded slightly: “What about tonight? Is there anything you’d like to do?”

Long Ling clenched her fingertips. She couldn’t bear to be intimate with Violet while having been imprisoned for three months.

She had to try hard to break her physiological response to Violet’s pheromones.

Long Ling easily found an excuse: “I’ve been busy making strawberry fruit wine lately and I’m a bit tired.”

Violet glanced at Long Ling’s arm, but didn’t say much: “The pub doesn’t earn much anyway. Don’t exhaust yourself fiddling with these things.”

Usually, Long Ling would argue with her at this point, but this time, Long Ling was behaving unusually.

Long Ling was a little absent-minded: “Got it. I won’t next time.”

Violet’s finger gently tapped the side of the glass: “You don’t look very energetic. You’ve been spacing out several times today. Should I arrange for a doctor to check on you?”

Long Ling hadn’t realized Violet was so perceptive, and her heart tensed: “No need. I might just be too tired lately. Once I finish this, there won’t be much left to do. This batch of fruit wine can be sold at the pub for a long time.”

Violet asked again: “How’s your magic study going? When you have free time, you can read some books so you don’t get bullied by the tree spirits when you go out.”

Fearing Violet would really discover something, Long Ling quickly wrapped her arms around Violet’s body: “I’m learning well. I’ve already started the second book. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m doing well in the manor.”

Violet leaned close to the little dragon’s chest and heard the ‘thump-thump-thump’ of her constantly accelerating heartbeat.

It was a little too fast. The little dragon’s heart didn’t beat this fast even in bed. Was it because they hadn’t embraced in a long time?

Violet’s slender fingers gently stroked Long Ling’s chest, but Long Ling abruptly let go of the embrace.

Long Ling’s eyes held a touch of panic: “Not today.”

Violet watched Long Ling’s hand quickly touch her pocket before pulling it back.

Was she secretly hiding something?

Jewels? Or gold coins? Long Ling’s usual favored objects were only those two.

Other Alphas would have long since caused a scene being locked up, but the little dragon had been very docile these days.

Hiding a few trinkets was no big deal. After all, Long Ling couldn’t escape her grasp. The entire manor was under her control.

Violet, always arrogant, didn’t dwell on it: “We’ll go hunting tomorrow morning. Let’s go to bed early tonight.”

Long Ling breathed a sigh of relief. If she were intimate with Violet, the letter might be discovered. But Violet’s personality was too arrogant, so arrogant that she would selectively overlook some things.

Early the next morning, the servants prepared the hunting rifles and dogs the manor owner would need. Violet’s legs were injured, preventing her from participating in the hunt, so Long Ling only needed to choose a hound for herself.

The hounds were leashed, standing in an orderly line, with strong, long limbs and bright, penetrating eyes.

The servant in charge of the dogs explained that these dogs were carefully bred. Each had strong hunting skills, capable of precisely retrieving prey no matter how far it ran, and even chasing prey up a tree.

Long Ling bent down and patted the head of the dog at the very front. The dog licked her palm affectionately, barking happily.

“I want this dog. The yellow spots on its body look like hearts, it’s quite cute.”

Long Ling looked at Violet. After Violet gave a slight nod, the servant handed the dog’s leash to Long Ling and also gave her a small bag of jerky for feeding the dog.

Long Ling grabbed a handful of jerky and fed the dog she had chosen. The other hounds stared enviously at the favored dog.

Long Ling was immediately moved by the sight. If these dogs weren’t taken out, they could only be kept on the ranch, just as pitiful as her.

Violet noticed Long Ling liked the dogs and said condescendingly: “You can choose a few more and have someone hold their leashes for you.”

Long Ling stroked the yellow hound’s furry head and pointed to a smaller spotted dog: “Then I’ll take the one with black spots and the flat head. I can handle the leash myself.”

Violet had the servant hand both leashes to Long Ling. Long Ling played with the two hounds for a while to bond with them before heading to the hunting grounds with Violet.

The morning fog was heavy. Once it completely lifted, golden sunlight streamed into the forest, the beams of light making the forest feel very tranquil. The faint sound of deer braying could be heard in the distance.

Long Ling still felt a little traumatized by encountering the tree spirits in the misty forest last time. She held the leashes of the two hounds and asked, “Violet, what are we hunting today?”

If it weren’t for taking the little dragon out, Violet would have been resting in the manor. It had been a long time since she had participated in any outdoor activities.

Violet handed the hunting rifle in her hand to Long Ling: “A bear hunt. I’ve sent a few servants to check the tracks of bears nearby. Once you learn how to use the rifle, you can try your hand at it.”

Long Ling hadn’t expected such a high difficulty level right at the start. Holding the somewhat heavy rifle with both hands, she felt a bit intimidated: “Can we hunt something else? I don’t want to hunt a bear.”

Violet looked at her ice-blue eyes and slightly curved her lips: “It’s just one bear. Your main body is much bigger than a bear. What are you afraid of?”

It made sense, but imagining herself facing a large black bear alone still made her legs tremble a little. She was only a novice who had just touched a gun.

Long Ling shook her head firmly: “I won’t hunt a bear. It’s too dangerous.”

Violet asked: “Can you manage a wild boar hunt?”

Long Ling still shook her head: “No, wild boars have tusks. What if I miss and a mad one runs over and charges you?”

Violet glanced at the Dragon Guards surrounding them. Over a dozen Dragon Guards could instantly kill a charging herd of wild boars, not to mention she could also use magic attacks.

Violet rested her hand against the side of her face: “What do you want to hunt?”

Long Ling thought for a moment and suggested: “Something smaller, with weaker attack power. I need practice first.”

Violet turned her wheelchair and left: “Let’s go. I’ll take you to hunt some wild ducks first.”

Long Ling followed happily behind Violet, holding the rifle: “Great! If I hit one, we can go home and eat roast duck.”

A smile flashed in Violet’s eyes as she led her little timid dragon away from the forest.

Wild ducks congregated in the reed marsh and were somewhat overpopulated since no one hunted them. Their attack power was almost zero, but in fact, hunting a wild boar or an elk would be easier. Large prey offers a bigger target area, making it easier for a novice like Long Ling to hit the upper-left chest area within a reasonable shooting range. They could then send the hounds after the prey.

Violet helped Long Ling load the rifle with bird-shot rounds, placed Long Ling’s hands in the correct position, and instructed from the side: “Use your left hand to pull the bolt and chamber a round. Find the sight, aim, and pull the trigger.”

Long Ling aimed and pulled the trigger. The rifle’s recoil jolted her, making her slightly numb. After the bullet fired, wisps of gunpowder smoke emerged from the barrel.

A large flock of wild ducks flew up from the lake’s surface, and some grayish-white duck feathers drifted onto the water.

She thought she had missed, but perhaps due to beginner’s luck, she accidentally hit a wild duck’s wing.

Long Ling couldn’t help but cheer: “I hit it!”

The duck was still flying erratically, moving deeper into the swamp. Ripples spread across the water where its wings skimmed the surface.

Long Ling watched anxiously and couldn’t help but say to Violet: “The duck can really fly! It’s getting farther and farther away. Can I fly over and catch it myself now?”

Violet looked at the two hounds Long Ling was holding: “Send the dogs to chase it. Untie their leashes now.”

The two hounds barked impatiently, eager to rush out and tear at the prey. Long Ling quickly untied their leashes. The moment they were free, the dogs rushed excitedly into the swamp like they were let off the hook.

Long Ling waited anxiously for a moment, and soon the yellow-spotted hound returned with the shot duck in its mouth.

The duck’s body was covered in grayish feathers, while its neck and head were covered in emerald-green feathers. The feathers on its chest were puffed out, and its drooping wing was stained with some blood, but it was clearly a big, fat duck.

Long Ling was ecstatic. She lifted the duck and estimated its weight; it was about five pounds. It was so fat! This kind of duck would have a lot of grease if made into roast duck.

Greed sparked in Long Ling’s heart. Wanting to shoot a few more, she didn’t wait for Violet to instruct her, picking up the rifle to aim and shoot herself.

Unfortunately, beginner’s luck was short-lived. Many times, Long Ling thought she had hit a duck, and the sound of a large flock of ducks flapping their wings was intense, but all that remained on the lake’s surface was a pile of duck feathers!

The two hounds following Long Ling went from being highly excited to looking dejected, lying on the ground and chewing on grass.

Long Ling apologized to the dogs and handed the rifle to Violet: “Violet, could you help me shoot a few ducks?”

Long Ling watched Violet pull the trigger. With one shot, she hit three ducks in a row, causing Long Ling to exclaim: “That’s incredible!”

The hounds also quickly darted out to retrieve the prey for Violet.

Violet raised an eyebrow and remained silent, her proud expression full of confidence.

Long Ling remembered Violet used to be an officer. This kind of thing must be effortless for her.

Long Ling’s eyes were filled with little stars: “Violet, you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

Violet accepted the little dragon’s admiration: “Practice more yourself, and you’ll be able to hit them too. Don’t rush.”

Long Ling took the rifle back. Just as she was about to aim, she suddenly saw a familiar figure in the distant reeds.

It was Eloise. Although they hadn’t seen each other for days, they had been corresponding through letters. Long Ling recognized Eloise immediately, but this time, a luxuriously dressed noblewoman stood beside Eloise. This must be the person Eloise mentioned in her letter who could provide help.

When Long Ling saw Eloise, Eloise also saw her. But Violet was right beside her now, and this was not a good time to meet.

Long Ling was so nervous her back was starting to sweat. If Violet found out she was planning to escape, the consequences would be unimaginable.

What should she do? If Eloise came over with that person, would Violet just shoot all of them dead?