Want to win the favor of mother?

This was the capital of the Empire, the Imperial City—Whitelos.

As the capital, Whitelos bustled with endless traffic and crowds.

Marble-paved streets stretched far into the distance, with rows of luxurious magic lamps lining the roads.

Even at night, the streets remained brilliantly lit, earning the city the nickname “The Sleepless City” from the rest of the Empire.

Merchants and adventurers of all kinds gathered along the roadsides, haggling and bargaining.

Food stalls gave off tantalizing aromas.

Street performers showed off their specialties—using magic to conjure all sorts of dazzling ice sculptures, drawing rounds of applause from onlookers.

Through the lively streets, Ledea passed in haste with a blank expression.

She was not here for sightseeing—she had to investigate the Empire’s movements as soon as possible.

The Empire’s plan was gradually surfacing.

Though only fragments had been uncovered, it did not take a genius to piece together their intentions.

For a certain purpose, the Empire needed the heart of a dragon.

As a descendant of the Creator Dragon, Ledea’s heart was far more valuable than that of any ordinary dragon.

But the Empire’s people had self-awareness.

They could not defeat Ledea.

So instead, they sent charming young maidens to tempt her, seducing her into intimacy, with the hope those girls would bear dragon offspring.

A dragon child would also be of dragonkind—its heart equally useful.

If they could not defeat Ledea, they would settle for a substitute.

Lily was very likely being used, wasn’t she?

The other day, when the Empire’s people tried to seize Emilia, Lily had even been ready to sacrifice herself to protect her daughter.

It seemed she truly did not know of such a cruel scheme.

Of course, perhaps after giving birth, her conscience awoke and changed her heart.

Ledea halted in her steps, recalling Lily’s smile.

Unknowingly, a warmth rose within her chest.

She did not understand why.

She assumed it was the curse of love—the effect of the silver pattern upon Lily’s body.

Her expression sharpened once again.

No matter how one looked at it, Lily had trampled upon the pride of the dragon race.

Dragons could only have one daughter.

Lily had stolen from her the right to love another.

Under normal circumstances, pregnancy between two girls was extremely unlikely.

All the more so between a dragon and a human—the odds so infinitesimal they could almost be ignored.

Yet, during her first intimacy with Lily, an embryo from Ledea’s body had flowed into Lily’s.

The embryo had successfully implanted, causing Lily to conceive.

Looking at Lily in her arms, Ledea wished she could tear her into pieces.

And yet—Ledea too wished to be a mother.

Besides, the Dragon God’s lineage passed down only through one heir.

She bore the duty of continuing the bloodline, so that her clan could guard the seal across the endless years.

Even though her heart brimmed with resentment toward Lily, Ledea had to let her give birth.

She had thought to kill Lily after the child was born.

But gazing into Lily’s tearful eyes, she found herself softening.

A new thought arose.

She would let Lily live—then repay her a hundredfold, a thousandfold, with shame and humiliation, until she regretted ever being born into this world!

So, when Lily nearly died of blood loss after delivering the dragon egg, Ledea had appeared just in time.

She healed her wounds, ensuring Lily would survive—so her revenge could continue.

But… had Lily really done wrong?

Ledea asked herself.

Was the one at fault not Ledea herself?

“No… impossible. It must have been Lily’s plan all along!”

Lily had already admitted it.

She had come to seduce Ledea.

Perhaps she did not know the full scope of the plot.

But there was a saying: “A mother’s status rises with her child.”

Dragons reproduced with incredible difficulty.

It could take thousands upon tens of thousands of unions to succeed.

A successfully pregnant Lily would inevitably become a treasured jewel of the dragon race.

That must have been her scheme, wasn’t it?

Hmph, a foolish dream!

To seek the favor of my mother? Out of the question!

I will never take you to the Dragon God’s homeland.

You will never meet my mother!

When the time is ripe, I’ll cast you aside, and take only my daughter home.

I’ll tell Mother: her other parent died in childbirth!

It would be hard to explain to the child, but Ledea would find a way.

This way, she would exact her revenge.

She would trample Lily’s dignity into the dirt.

She would deny her the very thing she longed for, and use her only as a tool to bear children.

Having made up her mind, Ledea’s mood lifted, and her steps grew lighter.

She found her bearings along the streets, heading straight toward a dark alley without looking back.

She hurried down deserted paths until she arrived before a broken-down house.

The building was covered in cracks.

Its windows were nailed shut with planks.

The door looked long neglected, with no signboard above it.

But this was her destination.

Ledea raised her hand and knocked in a specific rhythm.

After a while, a childish voice came from within.

“Come in, it’s not locked.”

Ledea smirked playfully and pushed the door wide open.

Inside, the wooden house was lined with shelves.

They were filled with black-market goods—weapons, armor, potions, scrolls, and all kinds of strange cursed items.

Ledea dismissed them with disdain and walked straight to the counter.

Behind the counter sat a petite girl.

She looked about ten years old, only 140 centimeters tall, with short light-green hair and a completely flat figure.

Though she appeared ten, she had lived for 200 years.

Simply put, she was a “legal little girl.” Even if someone toppled her, it would hardly matter.

This was the girl of the smallfolk race, named Ruby.

Ruby had connections in both underworld and legitimate circles, maintaining a vast intelligence network.

Simply put, she was an information broker, also responsible for fencing stolen goods for the underworld.

She was neither righteous nor entirely villainous.

She had her own moral bottom line.

She only dealt in buying and selling—never participating directly in crimes.

If a court tried Ruby, there would likely be no concrete evidence to convict her.

Ledea had spent 500 years in the Imperial City not just sleeping.

She had gotten to know many figures—though most never learned her true identity, drawn only by her strength.

“The Dragon God’s princess… what business do you have with me?”

Ruby was one of the few who knew Ledea’s identity.

Not because Ledea told her, but because Ruby had uncovered it through her network.

“I want you to investigate two things,” Ledea said bluntly.

“The Empire’s movements… and the Empire’s plans, right?”

“You already know?”

“Of course. There is nothing in this city I don’t know,” Ruby said with a cheeky smile.

Though her cheeks were childlike, her eyes gleamed with cunning.

“Just the other day, didn’t the Empire send people to attack the mountain where you live—Chisara Mountain?”

“Oh? So that mountain has a name?”

“All mountains do. But telling you is pointless—you wouldn’t remember something unrelated anyway, would you?”

“You make it sound like I’m forgetful… Enough. How much?”

“Six hundred gold coins.” Ruby raised six fingers. “That covers the intel I already have, the Empire’s future movements, and an assessment of its military power.”

“No problem. I should have just enough savings.”

Ledea reached into her dimensional storage and pulled out six white coins—each worth 100 gold.

She tossed them onto the counter.

Ruby cheerfully scooped them up.

“Then I’ll tell you… just who it was that bewitched the Emperor.”

Pocketing the coins, Ruby sat back upright, her face calm as she looked squarely at Ledea.