Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 67

It had been a long time since Violet hugged Long Ling like this. Her little strawberry dragon had grown taller, only slightly shorter than Violet’s nose bridge, and the strawberry pheromones on her body carried a slightly stronger scent of the forest.

In the past, when they hugged like this, Long Ling’s dragon horns would shyly emerge, but this time, Violet held her for a long time, and Long Ling neither hugged her back nor did her crystal-clear dragon horns appear.

Long Ling’s attitude towards her was as if she were an insignificant dragon.

The little dragon used to be joyful whenever she saw Violet, her eyes sparkling, and she would always rush to greet her. Violet disliked this discrepancy. She had never been treated this way before, and she couldn’t help but hug Long Ling even tighter, not wanting to be separated from her for a moment.

Long Ling pushed Violet away: “Your Grace the Duke, I need to go home.”

Violet’s voice was hoarse: “If you must go, take me with you.”

Long Ling pursed her lips and replied: “My home is not convenient for accommodating outsiders overnight.”

They had been so intimate before, on the verge of getting married. Violet had planned to spend her life with Long Ling.

Was Long Ling setting such a cold boundary out of fear that Violet would pester her?

A flicker of hurt crossed Violet’s eyes: “I’ve already burned the agreement. You are still my fiancée.”

Long Ling was afraid she would soften, so she turned her back: “I still have a copy of the agreement. You should be satisfied with the current situation.”

The wound on Violet’s heart felt as if it had been heavily slashed open and then had several layers of salt poured onto it. A pervasive pain spread from her tightly closed heart to her limbs and bones.

She regretted it. She shouldn’t have been too proud and, in a fit of pique, signed that agreement. She didn’t want Long Ling to leave her side at all, yet she had pushed Long Ling further and further away.

The distance between them seemed impossible to return to how it was before.

Seeing Long Ling leave in the rain, Violet grabbed an umbrella from a guard and hurried to catch up.

Her leg hadn’t fully recovered, so she couldn’t walk that fast continuously.

However, Long Ling was walking quickly, clearly not wanting Violet to hold the umbrella for her.

Violet held the black umbrella, tilting it towards Long Ling, but it failed to shield Long Ling from any of the wind or rain. Violet herself was getting completely drenched.

The rain falling from the sky grew heavier, soaking Violet’s black, waterfall-like curly hair. Rainwater streamed down her delicate face, quickly turning her black coat a darker shade.

She didn’t want to miss Long Ling again. In her haste to follow, she accidentally twisted her ankle. The sharp pain made her beautiful brows furrow tightly.

Long Ling heard Violet’s faint gasp. She turned to see Violet standing in the rain, her cheeks pale, looking even more desolate than herself.

Long Ling recalled that Violet’s leg was already weak and hesitated whether to go back and help Violet up.

The adjutant suddenly appeared from nowhere, supporting Violet and whispering in her ear with a bow.

“Your Grace, there is an urgent public matter.”

Grace Harbor was the empire’s key location, a hub of economic and trade development. Nearby waters frequently saw friction and skirmishes with enemy warships, intentionally causing trouble and sending fleets to plunder cargo ships.

Violet held absolute dominion over her territory and commanded the Dragon Guard Navy, consistently ensuring the smooth flow of maritime transport. However, these forces were like maggots on a wound; they would reappear as soon as they were driven away.

This time, the target was a batch of new firearms, specially supplied to Her Majesty the Queen’s expeditionary forces fighting on the front line, which needed to pass through Grace Harbor.

Violet had delegated responsibility to subordinate officials, but the ship transporting the munitions vanished right under their noses. The subordinate officials tracked a few suspicious enemy ships and discovered ministers who were supposed to be in the Royal City. These officials did not know how to deal with the matter and could only turn to Duke Violet for instructions.

Violet had finally managed to find a trace of Long Ling and wanted to spend more time with her.

After reading the battle report, she cast a cold glance at the adjutant.

The adjutant lowered her head. This was not the Duke’s territory, and they could not rashly mobilize large numbers of Dragon Guards to ensure Duke Violet’s safety.

The dwarves of Livor Continent and the Dragon Royal Family had a long-standing private feud. If they encountered assassins, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Seeing the rain intensifying, the adjutant quickly found someone to bring a rain cloak and draped it over Her Grace the Duke.

Violet looked up and saw Long Ling still waiting in place. She knew Long Ling still cared about her, and a warm current ran through her heart, making her ice-cold body feel warm again.

She took off the cloak she was wearing, endured the pain, and slowly walked to Long Ling, putting it on her: “Don’t walk in the rain next time. What if you get sick?”

Long Ling had only intended to stop and see if Violet was genuinely hurt. Seeing that Violet was being taken care of by the adjutant and could still walk, she had no intention of staying longer.

The cloak carried Violet’s scent of rose perfume. It was made of magical fabric, which was waterproof and warm, making it very comfortable to wear.

She had decided to separate from Violet, so naturally, she could not accept any more gifts from her.

“I don’t need your cloak.”

Long Ling raised her hand to untie the cloak’s fastening, but a pair of long, pale hands tightly grasped hers.

Violet’s hands were very cold and clammy, wet with rainwater on both the back and palm, soaking Long Ling’s hand too.

Violet’s eyes were moist and red, and the breath she exhaled softly landed on Long Ling’s fingertips: “It’s cold today because of the rain. Please treat this cloak as a stranger’s kindness, okay?”

Given Violet’s personality in the past, she would have long thrown a tantrum and walked away. The fact that she would now lower herself to coax her felt somewhat unreal to Long Ling.

Long Ling still couldn’t forgive Violet, worried about becoming a bird in a cage again: “You are somewhat different now, but we can’t go back to the past.”

Violet’s hand still held hers. Her lips were darker red in the rainy night, and her black eyelashes were damp with rainwater. Her previously confident gaze was filled with gloom.

Her voice was very low and husky: “Long Ling, I was wrong before. In the future, I will be more mindful of your feelings.”

Long Ling’s heart felt confused, and she suddenly wondered if she was being a bit excessive.

She couldn’t meet Violet’s broken gaze and say any more hurtful words.

But she also didn’t want to trust Violet. Violet’s gentleness was fleeting; being domineering and possessive was her true nature.

Long Ling shifted her gaze: “Don’t you have urgent business? Please go quickly.”

A hint of darkness was concealed deep within Violet’s eyes. She held Long Ling’s hand, reluctant to let go: “I will come again later. Will you still wait for me at this tavern?”

Long Ling ignored Violet, lowered her head, and silently pulled her hand away.

Violet was waiting for an answer. She feared that if she left, Long Ling would secretly leave the city again, and she would never find her little strawberry dragon.

Violet was completely soaked. Long Ling knew that if she didn’t leave soon, this big evil dragon would continue to stand in the rain.

Just then, the family carriage arrived. Long Ling turned and got into the carriage, asking the driver to leave immediately.

After the carriage had traveled a long distance, Long Ling lifted the curtain and saw Violet still standing in the rain, watching the direction she left in, looking nothing like the high and mighty Duke she used to be.

The adjutant beside her was holding a black umbrella for her. Violet’s body was thinner than before, and she stood slightly taller than Long Ling, but her clothes weren’t warm enough. The big evil dragon never took care of herself.

Violet couldn’t even take care of herself, and yet she said she wanted to take care of her?

Violet waited until Long Ling’s carriage was out of sight before hurrying away from the Livor Continent.

The trip was not easy; she had to take a carriage and a boat and even transform into her dragon form to cross the canyon. She didn’t arrive at the Grace Harbor Government Office until dawn.

She held meetings to discuss military matters, deliberated on disposal plans, met with visiting envoys, handed over the recovered batch of firearms to Crown Prince Loran to be taken away, and arrested the ministers involved in the case.

Loran officially came to handle business but privately teased Violet: “Haven’t you finished coaxing your little dragon yet?”

Violet gave Loran a cold look, ignoring her teasing.

Several days passed in a flash, filled with daily official duties, leaving no time to catch a breath.

Hot, steaming dishes were prepared in the manor. Violet, thinking that Long Ling had not returned to her side, had no appetite for eating and could only force herself to taste a few bites.

These dishes were made by Mina, following recipes that Miss Long Ling had taught her before.

But when Violet tasted them, the flavor just wasn’t right. Perhaps it was missing a hint of strawberry, and the memory of Long Ling’s cute appearance the first time she fed her a small cake made it impossible for her to forget.

Violet’s body was submerged in the bathtub. Warm water flowed over her, and the crimson dragon scales on her legs shimmered faintly.

She deeply wanted Long Ling to touch her leg today. In the past, when the little dragon massaged her leg, the pain would be significantly lessened. She remembered all that past tenderness so clearly, which made her even more reluctant to part with her little dragon.

But all she got was a cold and brief hug. She was naturally endowed with fire magic and shouldn’t feel so cold, yet a crucial part of her heart was empty, and her hands and feet were terribly cold.

She knew Long Ling must have felt her coldness, but she couldn’t control herself from wanting to hug Long Ling, just as she couldn’t help wanting to lock Long Ling up. She simply wanted to be able to see her little dragon anytime, every day.

But Long Ling didn’t like it. Long Ling told her she wanted freedom and had a life she wanted to live.

Violet came out of the bathroom and summoned Marcia the housekeeper.

“Have someone move the crystal kitchen back. Put it in the rose garden again.”

“Yes, I will arrange it immediately.”

The crystal kitchen had been moved back and forth by Her Grace the Duke more than twenty times in two months, so this was nothing surprising.

“Are the wines the craftsmen were brewing ready? And have Miss Long Ling’s farm crops been harvested recently?”

“The hops Miss Long Ling planted have all been brewed into beer. Some of the farm crops were harvested in the autumn, and some will mature closer to the end of autumn.”

“Load everything onto a cart and send it to Livor Continent. I will have Angelina give you the specific address.”

Violet returned to the bedroom and changed into a gorgeous dress, different from her usual attire, and meticulously styled herself.

Thinking that she would see her little strawberry dragon again today, Violet’s mood lifted considerably, and she applied a softer shade of color to her full lips.

She put down the lipstick, then suddenly worried that Long Ling might have left the tavern early.

Violet had been feeling restless these past few days, but the government affairs at Grace Harbor were numerous. She had only managed to process most of them, allowing her to rush to see Long Ling now.