Elise lowered her head and glanced at Naya, then looked past her shoulder.

Eliya, sitting by the dining table, was staring at the two of them in confusion.

Following Elise's gaze, Naya suddenly remembered Eliya was still there. Her reason finally returned.

"You should go to morning court first."

These things weren't suitable to talk about in front of Eliya.

A helpless little smile curled at Elise's lips.

"When there's time, I'll take you and Eliya around the palace. Though honestly, I don't really want you living in that kind of environment."

Elise cupped Naya's face with both hands and pressed a kiss onto those soft crimson lips.

In the living room, Eliya froze.

Her mama was being made to do that kind of embarrassing thing by Mother.

The mouth-to-mouth kind!

Warm morning light poured down from the dome, spreading over the two dragon girls, one in white and one in red. The dark red Lolita dress faced away from the rising sun, while the pure white silk gown welcomed the rosy glow.

It was beautiful, like a painting.

Even Flanna, who was tidying the table nearby, got lost in the scene. She forgot to cover Eliya's eyes. This wasn't something a child should be watching.

"Stay home and take good care of Eliya. Whatever you want, I'll definitely give it to you."

"Mhm..."

The restlessness in her heart was soothed.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glistened faintly.

"I'll wait for you."

Elise nodded.

She turned and left, transforming into a crimson dragon as she flew into the distance.

"Mama."

Eliya slid down from the chair. She walked to Naya's side, grabbed the hem of her dress, and looked up at the sky along with her.

She didn't understand why Mama looked at the sky like Mother would never come back again. Mother clearly returned every evening, riding in on seven-colored clouds.

"Eliya, your Mother... has gone to work again."

"Yeah. Mother is the Dragon Sovereign, so she has lots and lots of things to do every day."

Naya snapped out of her daze. She bent down, picked Eliya up, then narrowed her eyes with a smile and rubbed her cheek against Eliya's.

"Eliya, just like you, Mama has the same question. Why aren't we living in the Dragon Royal Palace, but here instead? Is your Mother really the Dragon Sovereign? Or... could it be that she also married another queen consort out there?"

"Mm... possible."

"That's not true, Miss Naya. Other than you, Her Majesty has no other consorts."

Flanna stepped forward and denied Eliya's nonsense.

"Her Majesty simply doesn't want you to suffer through the schemes and infighting of the palace. She wants you to live in a paradise apart from the world, and spend your days in simple happiness. Please don't misunderstand Her Majesty, Miss Naya."

"Mm. I believe her."

Naya turned to the sky again.

"But every time I watch her leave, I want so badly to be part of her world too. I feel like she's right beside me... and yet somehow, impossibly far away."

It wasn't that Naya was unwilling to be a housewife.

She just didn't want to be a housewife who knew nothing.

If she knew what Elise was facing, knew Elise's connections, knew who was in the palace, and who Elise dealt with every day, then maybe her heart would truly be at peace.

Flanna folded her hands before her and lowered her head.

"Please understand Her Majesty's difficulties. Her Majesty has an elder brother, a younger sister, and a younger brother. They all have descendants of their own. If you lived in the palace, you'd have to face those people every day. They might even... for the sake of fighting over the throne, do something to Eliya... Her Majesty truly has no choice."

Naya's eyes widened.

She turned to look at Eliya. Eliya blinked her big adorable eyes, clearly not understanding much of what Flanna had said.

"Mama, Mother has that many relatives too?"

"Mm. Alright, let's not dwell on this. Flanna, thank you. I understand now. I shouldn't have gotten so emotional."

"It's only natural for you to care about these things. But please believe in Her Majesty. She truly loves you both."

"Mm."

Naya held Eliya in her arms.

"Let's go study in the library, Eliya."

"Yay! Oh right, Mama, I know how to make dragon babies now. I want to make dragon babies with Mama."

The air instantly froze.

From the corner of her eye, Naya caught Flanna's shocked expression. Her own face turned red at once.

"Eliya! What kind of nonsense are you saying?!"

"But I really do know now. Last night, the former king appeared in my dream and taught me lots of things. I totally understand how dragon babies are made now."

"The former king really appeared in your dream?"

"Yeah! Like what Mama and Mother were doing just now, that's step two."

"Ahem. Flanna, children say silly things. Don't take it seriously. I'll take Eliya to the study first."

Flanna nodded with an awkward smile.

Naya carried Eliya to the study and shut the door.

"Tell me in detail what kind of dream the former king gave you last night."

Could this girl really have met a Dragon Sovereign?

"Um... last night, I did what Mama told me. While I was falling asleep, I kept praying to my Dragon Sovereign bloodline. Then in my dream, I met a super huge black dragon! At first, he scared me. But when I looked carefully, I saw he was bound in chains, so I wasn't scared at all. He seemed really surprised that I'd appeared there. He asked, 'Who goes there?' Then I remembered what Mama said, and I thought maybe he was the former king. So I told him, 'My Mother, Elise, is the current Dragon Sovereign, and I'm her daughter, Eliya.'"

"Mm. And then?"

"Then he asked me a whole bunch of things. Like how the Dragonkin are doing now, and what generation Dragon Sovereign Mother is. I had no idea, so I couldn't answer any of it. In the end, he seemed like he really had no choice, so he said, 'My descendant, how did you come here?' I said, 'I came in a dream.' Then he burst out laughing."

"Mm. And then?"

"Then he said, 'Child, I can feel the strong longing in your heart. Your wish crossed time and space and brought your soul before me. Speak. What do you desire?' So I said, 'I want to know how to make dragon babies with Mama.'"

She actually asked the former king something like that. Naya was instantly furious.

"Eliya! You and I can't make dragon babies together!"

Eliya blinked her innocent, dazed eyes.

"Why not?"

Naya clenched her teeth.

Looks like she'd need to strengthen Eliya's moral education from now on.

"No means no. What about the former king? How did he answer your ridiculous question?"

"He laughed again and first said, 'Bold!' Then after thinking for a while, he said, 'It's not without precedent. In the distant ancient age...'"

"Hm?"

"I forgot what story he told after that. I only remember the beginning. There were too many people in it, and I couldn't remember any of them. He was way too long-winded. I only cared about how to make dragon babies."

"You forgot everything except that?"

Eliya stared straight at Naya and protested,

"Of course I remembered! How could I not remember the most important part, the way to make dragon babies? First, hold hands, kissy-kissy, eat lai-lai, rub... oh right, Mama, what did the former king mean by mo tofu? Do you have to eat that kind of tofu to have dragon babies?"

Only as she spoke did Eliya realize there were some things she didn't quite understand.

"Th-This, this, this—!"

Naya grabbed Eliya by the shoulders. She was embarrassed and annoyed, almost on the verge of tears.

Former King, just what exactly did you teach Eliya?!

She's still a child!