Of course, there’s nothing good about upsetting the divine dragon’s mood, so the emperor’s interference will certainly be reduced.
No, they might subtly pressure us, but at least if we mention Orbis’s name, it should be possible to hide behind it to some extent.
“You can live a life as free as before marriage, or even freer. You can experience life outside the imperial palace and do whatever you want.”
“When you get married, don’t you go to the dragon’s nest… I mean, your territory? I heard that’s a place where no other human can set foot…”
“Anyone can enter if I allow it.”
This meant she would be given the authority to freely open the gate that had always been closed. For Litania, it wasn’t bad to have an extra layer of protection.
That is, if that protection layer truly only served to protect.
“You can travel or have a job. If you dislike the imperial interference, you can even cut ties.”
“No, that’s a bit…”
Having been the imperial guardian dragon until now, suddenly cutting ties would be like the prelude to a promised war.
‘Certainly, if we don’t consider the ending, this is the best choice.’
Since she hadn’t called him with the intention of refusing in the first place, Litania steeled her resolve and opened her mouth.
“But I have a condition.”
“A condition?”
Orbis brought his face closer, as if interested.
His long eyelashes lightly settled, casting a deep shadow over his blue eyes.
Mesmerized by his gaze, Litania forgot about saying something about making a contract not to love each other and blurted out something else.
“Do, do we have to share a bed?”
“…”
The long shadow lightened, and his head tilted slightly. His blue eyes rolled to the side as if thinking about something, then turned back to her.
“Are you talking about sexual intercourse?”
“Eek!”
Startled by the unexpected explicit word choice, Litania unconsciously recoiled backward.
A moment later, both her ears turned bright red. Is it because he’s not human? How can he say such embarrassing words so nonchalantly!
“Is there really a need for that?”
“What?”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?”
He continued with a refreshed expression.
“You said you wanted to be friends with me, and I agreed. That’s also the context for why I’m not stopping His Majesty from pushing for marriage with you this time. I judged that allowing it and removing unnecessary interference would be more helpful to you than if I refused.”
“Really? Then…”
“As I said, what I want is to assist you in living the life you want. So, marital duties like sharing a bed would be unnecessary between us.”
We don’t have to share a bed? Really? Then isn’t getting married beneficial?
Like someone who realizes that the lifeline they reached for just to survive is unexpectedly sturdy, light returned to Litania’s eyes.
“Is Orbis really okay with that? Even if I don’t fulfill my duties as a wife?”
“What I want is not your body, after all.”
“Uh… Then what do you want from me?”
No matter how much of a game it is, there’s no way a divine dragon wouldn’t find it bothersome to take responsibility for a human. Especially if they’re not pretending to be human and having a marital relationship.
Moreover, what Orbis is saying now sounds more like becoming a sponsor rather than a husband. It’s not like he’s a tree that gives endlessly. For Litania, it was a statement difficult to understand.
“What I want is what I told you before.”
What he said before? What was it?
Litania furrowed her brow and rolled her eyes, trying to recall the memory. Finding her expression amusing, Orbis let out a chuckle.
“I said I wanted to form a deeper connection.”
“A deeper connection… You mean the status of a husband?”
“Let’s call it a companion. An inseparable one.”
A presence closer than a friend, someone to rely on. Furthermore, someone indispensable.
A connection that binds each other strongly, not simply for physical satisfaction or to continue the lineage, but rather completely unrelated to such desires. That’s what Orbis needed.
“That you don’t leave me. That alone is enough for me.”
“Didn’t you just say I could go on trips?”
“You can go. As long as it’s within this world, I can sense where you are.”
Although Orbis was the guardian deity of the empire, he wasn’t a being bound to the empire. The dragon’s nest merely bordered the empire’s boundaries, but originally his sphere of activity was the entire continent.
That’s also why other countries and monsters didn’t covet the empire. If they upset the dragon’s mood, he could come and cause havoc in their distant dwellings at any time.
“Is that really enough for you?”
“Yes.”
Orbis nodded.
“We’re friends, after all.”
[This is the timeline separator]The early morning air was refreshing. The sound of rain came with a cool breeze.
Snow served tea with light movements. Snow’s gestures of pouring tea into the white cup were skillful like a butler who had served their master for many years, contrary to their cute face.
Litania sipped the tea Snow poured and admired the rain-soaked trees and plants gleaming in bright colors.
“Lady Litania, you seem to be in a good mood.”
“It’s like a bad tooth has been pulled out.”
“Did you have a toothache?”
Snow approached with a surprised face and tilted their head in front of her.
“But Lady Litania, your teeth are all intact?”
“…It’s a figure of speech. I mean I feel refreshed because a worry I had is gone.”
“The things Lady Litania says are sometimes hard to understand because they’re difficult.”
“Oh, um. Right.”
For a moment, she felt a twinge of guilt. Did they notice that she’s a transmigrator?
“Snow, why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was wondering if I could understand your words better by reading your expressions, Lady Litania.”
“Ah, well. If you can’t understand, just take it as a joke.”
Feeling uncomfortable under Snow’s steady gaze, Litania changed the subject and took a sip of tea.
As the warm tea filled her mouth, the slightly embarrassed feeling melted away, and peace settled in her heart.
Litania put down her teacup and reached for the side table.
Her hand wandered between the pink and white marble cake, fruit cut into bite-sized pieces, baguette topped with crispy bacon and egg, and spicy chocolate muffin before picking up a piece of cake.
‘As expected, Snow is skilled. When I get married, I must definitely take Snow with me.’
Enjoying the sensation of the fragrant cake melting softly in her mouth, Litania envisioned her happy days ahead.
[This is the timeline separator]Once Litania and Orbis’s unofficial agreement was made, the wedding preparations proceeded swiftly.
The Emperor ordered the marriage to be held a month later, and people began preparing for the wedding at a rapid pace to match that timeline.
In fact, a princess’s marriage was typically a major ceremony that required at least a year of investment, but Litania was not a respected princess, and this was not an ordinary marriage, so exceptions were made in all aspects.
The news of the princess and the divine dragon’s marriage naturally set the empire abuzz.
The public sentiment, which had been unsettled due to the long drought, didn’t calm down for a while even after the rain, but it completely returned to normal with the news of their wedding.
The combination of the divine dragon who brought rain and the princess who performed the rain ritual.
People seemed to have forgotten that Litania was a despised false princess, and they were busy discussing the two’s marriage, attaching plausible backstories.
Perhaps due to the narrative of her rising from a commoner to become the Emperor’s adopted daughter, Litania’s reputation was actually better outside the palace than inside.
‘I should start a business when my reputation is this good… Why are there so many things to prepare for getting married?’
Although Litania wasn’t actually preparing anything herself, she was exhausted just from being fitted for dresses and being called here and there.
Organizing and compiling the documents sent from each department was Snow’s job, and Litania only did the final review, but she couldn’t focus due to the dizzying array of countless letters before her eyes.
‘The black is letters, and the white is paper…’
After finishing the document review, rehearsal of the wedding ceremony order followed. It took an entire day just to be introduced to the priest who would officiate and to coordinate with the assistants who would serve.
Trying on the dress that had been fitted to her body through a complex process, Litania marveled at the skill of the designers who had created her dress in an impossibly short time. How many people must have been involved?
“Haa. I’m tired…”
“Understandably so. Lady Litania, please have some tea.”
How is it that her cute attendant was becoming more capable by the day, while she herself remained the same?
Looking at Snow pouring tea with perfect posture beside her, Litania felt a mixture of pride, affection, and respect welling up.
Indeed, deciding to take Snow with her was the best choice.
However.
‘I couldn’t go through a wedding twice.’
That’s what she thought every night as she went to bed exhausted.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
