Chapter 15: What Did I Do?

I couldn’t sleep peacefully, not at all.

Lin Lin suddenly sat up from the fluffy, soft cushion, and the soft blanket covering her slipped away.

She had no experience sleeping in such an empty place. Even though she lay in a half-enclosed cat bed, she could still feel the flow of air and wind.

Lin Lin wasn’t sure if it was normal for there to be wind in such a wide space, even with the door closed.

Unlike her, the giant dragon at the top of the mountain was sleeping soundly.

The Sapphire Dragon rested its tail under its chin and comfortably closed its eyes to sleep.

Lin Lin looked up at Safir for a moment; she was fully awake now.

Wrapping herself in a blanket, Lin Lin crawled out of the cat bed and climbed the mountain toward Safir.

Now she finally understood why pet owners in the modern world complain about their cats running around at night, and what the cats feel.

She couldn’t sleep at all, and the door to the Dragon race’s bedroom was locked, so she could only go toward Safir in this empty place.

Just like she had seen before, Safir had placed indestructible treasures here, so there were no books, but there were things like swords and shields.

Lin Lin felt that these gem-encrusted swords were more for show than for use; perhaps they were made just to look beautiful on the wall.

Among the many swords, Lin Lin easily found the one that looked the most expensive and beautiful.

The sword was in its sheath, and the sheath was already quite lovely.

The sheath was made of a translucent blue material that Lin Lin did not know about, and inside it was somewhat blurry. Lin Lin tried to pull the sword out.

Unlike what Lin Lin had imagined would be easy, after several attempts, she could not loosen the sword from the sheath. She even wondered if they were meant to be one piece.

Lin Lin dragged the heavy sword over to Safir.

The Dragon race’s wings closed, covering Safir himself.

Lin Lin reached out to touch the outer edge of the wings. Unlike the delicate, damp scales on his nose, the scales on Safir’s wings were broad and tough, with an indescribable sense of majesty and weight.

In fact, when Lin Lin woke up, she did not notice the Sapphire Dragon on the peak of the golden mountain slowly raising its pointed ears, adjusting its direction to follow her rustling sounds.

Now, when Lin Lin touched him, Safir lazily opened his eyes and saw a human woman standing next to him, holding a sword.

In that moment, the shock this scene brought to the gem dragon was similar to how a human feels when seeing a small lobster holding a fruit knife.

The chance of being killed by a small lobster is very low, but it’s not impossible.

"What are you doing?" Safir asked.

"I can’t sleep," Lin Lin replied. "Is this sword just for decoration?"

"Kind of, but its symbolic meaning is more important," Safir said. "This is a treasure awarded to a Dragon Slayer by the king."

Why do you, as a Dragon race, want to collect such a troublesome thing?

Lin Lin let go of the sword and tossed it aside carelessly.

The Sapphire Dragon belongs to the earth element, and his body is cold and hard, like a wall standing beside her.

Sitting next to him, the "wind" that Lin Lin felt seemed to lessen a bit.

This was even stranger. The Sapphire Dragon did not know what Lin Lin was doing.

Safir’s posture was a bit rigid, as he tried to control himself from spreading his wings or sweeping his tail, so he wouldn’t accidentally crush the fragile human.

"Spread your wings a little," Lin Lin commanded.

The puzzled Sapphire Dragon slightly opened his wings, revealing a small gap.

Lin Lin squeezed between the gap of the Dragon’s wings and back.

The scales on the inside of the wings were even more delicate and smooth, and as Lin Lin leaned against the Dragon’s strong flesh, she finally did not feel the presence of the "wind."

She wrapped her blanket tightly around her and peacefully closed her eyes in the gap.

The normally good-sleeping Dragon started to have trouble sleeping.

–

Lin Lin rubbed her eyes and woke up.

When she woke up, she was still in a soft giant cat bed, but the blanket was tightly wrapped around her, making it hard for her to breathe.

Lin Lin began to wonder if she had sleepwalked last night.

"You’re awake!" Donna said happily.

She was now very keen on playing the role of the lady butler from her favorite stories, and compared to the cold Dragon race owner, Lin Lin would give her more interesting reactions, so Donna was happy to stay by her side to help the master’s guests.

Lin Lin looked up and saw the empty top of Golden Mountain; the Dragon race had already left.

"Where’s Safir?" Lin Lin asked.

"The young master reads some books in the morning," Donna replied, "You can go and have breakfast now! Hurry and eat!"

Although Donna’s expression was calm, her raised tone completely revealed her excitement.

Lin Lin knew that Donna was eager to show her something.

It was only when Lin Lin reached the stone dining table that she realized what was making Donna so happy.

Coarse bread, a small fruit salad, a fist-sized piece of roasted meat, and thick, sticky millet porridge.

"This is specially prepared for you by the young master." Donna worked hard to impress Lin Lin with Safir’s kindness.

Ah… Looking at this nutritionally balanced meal, Lin Lin could easily guess that Safir was feeding her like a scientist following a book.

Compared to those in the Demon King Castle who had no understanding of the weak human body, Safir avoided the meat of monsters that humans could not tolerate and chose rabbit, which was usually not tried by the people of the demon realm.

There were other choices, like deer meat and pork, but Safir was undoubtedly cautious, selecting the smallest and least toxic rabbit among many animals.

Safir thought that rabbits were animals Lin Lin could catch herself, so they should be on her regular menu.

In fact, there is not, climbing up the stairs is difficult for a weary worker, let alone catching live creatures.

Lin Lin didn’t have a special liking or dislike for rabbit meat; she was just a bit touched to be eating safe meat.

Safir timed everything perfectly; as soon as Lin Lin finished her last spoonful of millet porridge, Sapphire Dragon, already dressed, appeared in the stone hall.

Lin Lin noticed he had changed to a deep blue earring; this earring was not as dazzling as the previous one but gave off a gentle glow.

Safir’s gaze calmly fell on Lin Lin, "We can set off now."

The dragon’s lair is underground, and the surface is a thick forest.

These tall, lush trees block most of the sunlight, and it still feels a bit cold to walk among them.

The forest has a healthy ecosystem, filled with birdsong, and after just a few steps, playful fox cubs can be seen frolicking.

This is the territory ruled by the Dragon race, and the hunters do not have the courage to enter.

Lin Lin wore the coat that Donna gave her and followed Safir.

The proud Dragon race was used to silence, and Safir did not start a conversation.

Lin Lin looked curiously around her. Whenever she had the chance to go outside, she was amazed by the vastness of the world.

In Lin Lin’s modern life, she rarely had the chance to see such a dense forest. Breathing in the cool air made her feel awake and comfortable.

But her body was still that of a modern person who took the subway and planes. After walking with Safir for a while, Lin Lin felt tired.

"How much longer do we have to walk?" Lin Lin wondered how much longer she needed to endure as her legs started to ache.

Safir turned around. He could now understand a little of the deeper meaning behind a girl’s usual words.

She was tired.

She had slept a long time yesterday, and now, after only walking for a while after eating, she felt exhausted.

The Dragon race has gained a new understanding of the weakness of human women.

Unlike the Demon King, who excels in various types of magic, Safir does not focus on those useless things. If he had to say what kind of magic he is good at, it would definitely be Destruction.

Safir never thought that any creature would feel sore feet from walking, and he definitely did not expect that he was one of those creatures; he thought Lin Lin was just walking slowly.

Lin Lin stared at Safir, hoping he would say something like "Let’s take a break."

Then, the Dragon race spoke, "Just hold on a little longer."

The strict Dragon race believed Lin Lin was being lazy; she always was, which is why her body was so weak.

Lin Lin let out a deep sigh.

She had been following closely behind Safir and, from her angle, she could see the Dragon race’s wings still spread out from its back.

If it were him, he would probably just fly over, right?

But Lin Lin felt that Safir could fly with her, and she didn’t want a princess carry. Even if he just held her like an owl catching a mouse, she would be happy.

Lin Lin insisted for a while, her legs feeling heavier. She reached out to hold onto Safir’s wings.

Lin Lin was breathing heavily, but she decided to face her weakness, "Let’s fly over."

Sure enough, she saw Safir show a disapproving expression.

When Dragon Race showed that cold attitude, Lin Lin could almost imagine how this teacher had taught the Demon King with a stern face.

No wonder he could raise someone with a tendency to be lazy as soon as they were not watched. It was a sort of mutual influence.

Safir was the most conservative and traditional type of person.

Lin Lin knew she had to go along with him first.

Lin Lin tugged gently at the gem dragon’s sleeve and whispered, "Let’s come out to train tomorrow. My legs are really tired, and my feet hurt."

Safir looked up and studied Lin Lin’s expression to see if she was telling the truth.

Lin Lin lifted one painful leg towards him; even though she was wearing long pants, Dragon Race’s gaze could almost see through the fabric to her leg bone.

Then, Dragon Race silently reached out his arm to her.

Lin Lin happily moved closer to him, saying, "Thank you!"

Even though Safir now looked similar to a human, Lin Lin’s weight was still easy for him to carry. With one arm around her waist, he could lift her as if she were a toy.

The moment they took off was a surprise; Lin Lin let out a small sound and clung tightly to Safir’s neck.

The neck is a very dangerous place, and even touching it is seen as a challenge.

But Lin Lin had so many criminal records that Safir had started to compromise; he no longer had the patience to teach her all the rules and instead spread his wings and flew over the forest.

Lin Lin did not look down; she was too afraid to see what was below.

She could only raise her head and stare at Safir’s prominent profile.

With both hands around Safir’s neck, Lin Lin’s fingertips touched a rough spot, which was the scales at the base of his neck.

The scales here were the lightest in color, a pale blue close to white. Every time Lin Lin saw Safir in his human form, her gaze would instinctively drift to those scales.

They looked beautiful yet fragile, even though the Dragon race should not be described as fragile.

However, because Safir always had a stern expression, Lin Lin did not have the courage to ask if she could touch his scales.

To Lin Lin’s surprise, these scales felt somewhat cold and soft. Even the fine scales at the tip of Safir’s dragon nose were harder.

"Stop!"

After confirming the texture of the scales again and again, the patient Dragon finally let out a roar, the sound deep and commanding.

Lin Lin silently withdrew her hand and tightened her grip on the jacket on his shoulder.

"Okay, teacher!" Lin Lin quickly replied.

–

Afraid that Safir would throw her down from the sky, Lin Lin behaved very well.

At last, Lin Lin reached the place of the hot springs as she wished.

The hardworking Lizardfolk had already built the outline of a building next to the hot spring.

The walls made of giant stones and soil, along with lush green trees, created a wild and rough beauty that made people feel relaxed.

A little path made of pebbles led close to the hot spring.

The hot spring was divided into several pools based on temperature, and Lin Lin went to one that was still quite cool.

After taking off her shoes, Lin Lin’s sore bare feet touched the pebbles. She rolled her pant legs up to her knees and then noticed that her legs were swollen.

It’s because she has walked too much.

To be honest, she was a bit surprised herself; she thought it was just regular soreness.

Clearly, Safir, standing nearby, also noticed this, and he seemed a bit embarrassed for being too harsh on her just now.

Lin Lin sat by the hot spring, soaking her sore and swollen calves in the pleasantly warm water.

Busy Lizardfolk walked by her.

A cool breeze blew, and Lin Lin tried to figure out which one was the one who had driven her carriage before, but unfortunately, when a large group of Lizardfolk appeared in front of her, she couldn’t tell them apart at all.

Lin Lin swung her legs in the hot spring and heard footsteps beside her.

Safir walked towards her, and when he saw her casually treating her swollen legs, his expression turned serious, "You can’t treat them like that."

You can’t do that. You can’t treat them like that. Stop.

Today, Lin Lin heard too many negative words from him. Although Safir is usually like this, Lin Lin’s mood was worse today after being forced to walk a long way.

She completely pretended not to hear, and even splashed water in Safir’s direction twice.

The splashes of water hit the hem of Dragon Race’s expensive pants.

Lin Lin felt a happy sense of rebellion, and she secretly kicked water at Safir’s pants again.

"You shouldn’t always be like this—" Dragon Race, with a gloomy expression, held down one of her legs that was causing trouble.

Lin Lin was frightened by his serious expression, "What did I do?"

Most of the time, Safir treated her with indifference and calmness. Now, there was suddenly a calm darkness, as if a new side of his character had been unlocked.

The emotion that seemed to have grown since last night was now boiling over. Safir’s hand, with defined knuckles, did not let go as it gripped her calf. He lowered his head, his serious and cold face looming threateningly close to hers.

"You always…" Safir paused for a moment, his brilliant eyes staring into Lin Lin’s fearless gaze. "Do not take things seriously."

Ah? Lin Lin was full of question marks.

What is he talking about? I thought he was angry because his pants got splashed with water, but now it all seems so strange.

Lin Lin’s eyes widened, "Teacher, you really care about a lot of things."

She said the word "teacher" once more, and Safir felt a little unhappy.

Of course, it was the Demon King who told her; he had once been the Demon King’s teacher, teaching him knowledge.

Safir considered himself a good teacher, known for his wisdom among the immortal beings.

But he was not Lin Lin’s teacher. Why does she call him that?

Did the Demon King tell her to call him that?

Safir certainly remembered Lin Lin had once touched the Demon King’s horns in front of him; they seemed to have a special connection.

Of course, it could also be his illusion, because the demon race doesn’t have the concept of personal space at all, so they naturally do not care about these boundaries.

But the Demon King cannot teach Lin Lin to be like this.

"Even though I shouldn’t be the one to say this," Safir softened his tone. He had just returned with the ointment, squeezing the translucent light green healing liquid from the tube and applying it to Lin Lin’s swollen leg, "The Demon King should teach you the basics of how to treat other races."

Whether it is grabbing the Lizardfolk’s tail, lifting his wings, or touching the scales on his neck, all of these are… disrespectful actions.

The worst part is that Lin Lin herself has no idea that this is a problem.

According to Safir’s cold personality, he should not point fingers at creatures that have already been marked by others, but… he feels very unhappy.

The Demon King has taught Lin Lin in a confusing way, and now Lin Lin comes to him to stir things up.

The light green ointment applied to her calf brings a cooling sting like mint water penetrating her skin, and Lin Lin, who is completely lacking in self-reflection, can’t help but want to pull her legs back.

Safir held onto her ankle.

No matter the size or strength, the Dragon easily dragged her legs back.

Along with Lin Lin, they were forced to be pulled toward Safir, getting closer, their breaths almost mingling.

Lin Lin tried to push his shoulder to separate them, but even through his clothes, she could feel the tight muscles beneath his skin and the smooth lines of his body as he tried to hold her down.

Lin Lin struggled in vain and had to let Safir spread cream all over her calves.

His fingertips had thin calluses from long writing, and they felt scratchy and rough.

"And you are too weak," the Dragon couldn’t help but lower his voice; he used just enough strength to hold her delicate leg bone without breaking it, "The Demon King doesn’t even know how to teach you."

The Sapphire Dragon had a low opinion of his student.

"He is chaotic enough himself."

"Safir," Lin Lin spoke.

The young man who was originally applying ointment to her looked up.

His handsome, cold face faced hers, and he seemed still very calm.

Lin Lin hesitated a little.

She thought this question was very strange.

She had meant to ask it as a question, but accidentally said it as a statement because of her tone.

"Safir," Lin Lin asked in confusion, "do you want to teach me instead of the Demon King?"

The pale fingers tightly gripping the woman’s ankle suddenly loosened, and the Sapphire Dragon’s pupils narrowed.