The two of them left the fortune teller’s place and walked down the street. As the sky was dyed purple, the vermilion lamps emitted an even brighter light.
Whenever the round lamps passed overhead, the shadows of the two shortened and then lengthened again.
“Orbis. I have a question.”
“Please ask.”
“The fortune teller said that the gifts she received were given to her by customers whose fortunes had come true as foretold. But why did you gift her the gemstone right after hearing your fortune?”
What Orbis had given the fortune teller was an uncut ruby. Although it wasn’t beautifully cut for immediate use as an ornament, its transparency was considerable, so it would surely fetch a good price.
The fortune teller hadn’t exactly given him good news. While she was certainly skilled at seeing through Orbis’s nature, the advice itself was something obvious that anyone could have said.
“It wasn’t because of the fortune. I wasn’t taking it as seriously as you were, after all.”
“Then why?”
“Do you know when humans offer precious objects?”
A question was returned in response to the question. Litania pondered for a moment.
The cases where humans offer precious objects can be divided into two.
One is courtship.
The other is prayer.
Orbis had offered jewels to Litania in courtship. At the time, it had only made her uncomfortable, but those numerous gifts were clearly meant to express his affection for her.
Since he had given jewels to Litania in courtship, the reason he gave the uncut ruby to the fortune teller was probably…
“Didn’t you say it’s better to go to a temple to make a wish?”
“Rumor is a religious nation. That’s why they consider the divine dragons as a type of demon, not a god.”
If the god that Rumor worships truly exists, the god may grant the prayers of humans but would not accept the prayers of divine dragons.
So was that why he offered a prayer to the excommunicated monk fortune teller instead?
She could now understand Orbis’s twisted way of thinking a little.
Litania raised her head and looked at the sky.
The narrow alleyway was just wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side, but the sky visible beyond the roofs was vastly wide.
Perhaps if one looked down from that vast sky, it might seem quite pathetic and frustrating to see people wandering through the maze-like, tangled streets.
But the place where humans live is this complex ground, like a maze. Not the vast sky.
That’s why humans constantly wander and yet continue to move forward to find answers.
“Orbis has become quite human-like in his thinking.”
“It’s your influence.”
“Haha. Because my name means ‘prayer’?”
Litania Veriverbium. Sincere prayer.
However, unlike her name, Litania currently had nothing she earnestly wished for.
She had already decided to live in this world and had chosen to travel together with Orbis to tie the knot on their love.
She was no longer afraid of Orbis, nor did she feel anxious to escape from him.
How strange it was.
Why was it that when she desperately wished for something, fate always threw her a twisted path, but now that she had given up everything, the peace she had longed for was coming to her?
“Orbis. I resented you, but I don’t wish for you to be unhappy.”
It wasn’t that she had forgotten the wounds. It wasn’t that she was forgiving him either.
But she also didn’t want him to live buried in the past, resigning himself to everything.
“If the end of our love is unhappiness, wouldn’t that be too sad?”
“…So that’s why you decided to remain friends.”
“Hmm. Actually, I had forgotten about it.”
In fact, when Orbis first brought up the topic of still being friends, it had felt a bit absurd. But now, she was glad for it.
It gave them a reason to walk together on the streets and exchange silly conversations.
They couldn’t get any closer, but it seemed they wouldn’t drift further apart either.
“I think this is just the right distance for us to protect each other without getting hurt.”
[This is the timeline separator]Persuading the king of Rumor to eliminate the factors of conflict was not difficult. They feared the power of the divine dragons more than expected.
It wasn’t simply that they were afraid of Orbis being a divine dragon capable of causing disasters. They seemed to be concerned that if he performed miracles here with the power of a divine dragon, the authority they asserted under the name of religion would collapse.
‘For a religious nation, in the end, they’re just using religion as a means to maintain power.’
Litania found their behavior pathetic, but she couldn’t point that out. She was the princess of Veriverbium, not a citizen of Rumor.
Even if she tried to shake the foundation of the nation under the pretext of revealing the truth, the ones who would suffer would only be the people of Rumor. For a foreigner like her to interfere would be an overreach of authority.
‘All we can do is wait for the people of Rumor to realize it themselves.’
As they left the palace after the meeting, white snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
“Oh? Orbis. This is…”
“The first snow of the year.”
In Veriverbium, the first snow would have already fallen long ago. But since the two of them had passed through Sermo with its higher temperature before coming to the highland region of Rumor, they were seeing the first snow late.
“You’re right. It’s the first snow…”
The first snow fell silently. Litania watched wordlessly as the white snow covered the red soil.
The flower-like white crystals were so small that they couldn’t be grasped, yet they embroidered this vast land in white. The process of the white snowflakes, which would crumble upon touch, covering the sturdy rocks that couldn’t be shattered even with a hammer felt somehow mystical.
“To get to the Duchy of Dipamo, we have to cross two mountains. If the snow piles up like this, we might get stranded on the way.”
“Then will you return to Veriverbium?”
Litania opened her mouth and exhaled, “Ha.” White breath rose in wisps and then dispersed hazily.
“No.”
“Then are you thinking of revising the route to take a boat along the river?”
“That’s not it either. Although they didn’t set a deadline, if I dawdle that much, His Majesty will breathe fire.”
“Humans cannot breathe fire.”
“Haha. It’s just a figure of speech.”
Litania rubbed her cheeks that had turned red from the cold. White snow was dotted on her fluffy brown hair like spots, but strangely, there wasn’t a single snowflake on Orbis’s hair.
“Orbis. I’ll accept what you proposed before.”
“What are you referring to?”
Even though he claimed to remember everything she had said, it seemed he couldn’t remember his own words.
Litania clicked her tongue softly and snapped her fingers.
“Did you forget? You said you’d let me fly in the sky riding on you.”
“…”
When she was learning to ride a horse, Orbis had persistently urged Litania to ride him instead of a horse.
At the time, she had refused because she had no intention of doing so. But rather than struggling through the snow-covered mountains or taking a huge detour along the river, wouldn’t it be better to fly in the sky riding a dragon?
“I’m a bit worried that the high altitude might be dangerous, but well. You won’t drop me just because you can’t guard one person, right?”
“That’s not what I meant by…”
“Why? Have you changed your mind and can’t give me a ride?”
Orbis looked at Litania with an expression that seemed to have a lot to say, then let out a small sigh and shook his head.
“…No, that’s not it.”
[This is the timeline separator]“Wow, it’s so high!”
When they rose high enough for the clouds to be below, she worried that it would be terribly cold and that she might get blown away by the wind if they flew fast. But it was an unnecessary concern.
Perhaps Orbis had cast a protective barrier with magic, but even though they were in the sky, it was much less cold than when standing on the highlands, and the wind didn’t intensify either.
Unlike a horse, there was no saddle or reins installed, but the steel-like muscles located beneath the thick scales of the huge dragon were more than sufficient for her to stabilize her posture.
Litania, seated on the dark blue back, looked down at the ground. The vast red highlands and white castles looked as small as they would on a map, feeling almost like toys.
Beyond the long river, snow-covered mountains could be seen. Contrary to her worries that it might be scary to look down from such a high place, the world spread out beneath the sky was beautiful.
“It’s amazing… The clouds flowing by look just like waves.”
Her heart swelled with even more excitement than when she had been held in Orbis’s arms and admired the vast nature. Litania gazed down at the scenery on the ground as if entranced.
“You’ve always flown around seeing scenery like this.”
Litania gently stroked Orbis’s back. The scales, too large to grasp with one hand, seemed like they could be used as a weapon if plucked and wielded.
“Litania. I’d prefer if you didn’t touch there.”
“Ah!”
Perhaps because of his dragon form, Orbis’s voice sounded like telepathy.
“I’m sorry. Did it hurt?”
“It’s a place you’ve never touched before.”
“So dragons also feel pain when their scales are touched.”
“…”
Orbis didn’t respond. The scales covering his back flattened. She wondered if he could even control the angle of his scales. Litania observed it with curiosity.
“But if we enter the Duchy of Dipamo in this form, wouldn’t it be perceived as a threat rather than…”
“It would be more convenient for negotiating favorably with the duke.”
“Hmm. That’s true.”
Litania lay down slightly on Orbis’s back.
As if understanding her intention, the dragon’s wings tilted slightly, and his dark blue body slowly began to descend.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
