[Vol. 7] Chapter 305: She Has Never Changed
“Hehe, with the mighty presence of our Dragon God here, those ordinary people wouldn’t dare to do anything reckless. But I’m not talking about those clueless fools who showed up late. I mean the ones still hiding in the shadows, silently watching us.”
A tall and graceful woman slowly walked up to the black-haired girl. Her familiar appearance and outfit were exactly the same as when they first met. Even though her status had changed, she hadn’t changed a bit. Her bare, pale feet stepped softly on the grassy hilltop, and the fluffy tail behind her brushed gently against the grass, making a soft rustling sound.
Though the night market in the distance was still bright and lively, this mountain area was quiet and peaceful. The two girls, who should have been walking in the spotlight, were instead hiding in the dark where no one could see them, quietly watching the world from afar.
Naturally, the black-haired girl reached out her hand, and the woman took it with ease. They sat side by side on the grass. As the cool night breeze flowed through the mountains, it blew through her golden hair like gentle flames. She leaned her head softly against the priestess’s shoulder and mumbled in her ear, her breath warm like a whisper.
“I don’t care about all those complicated tricks and hidden schemes. If someone wants to play those games, let them. As long as you’re by my side, I’m not afraid of anything. Seriously, this is a rare moment for us to be together again. Can’t we talk about something more fun? Or do something that suits the mood better~?”
“You little rascal… sigh, even after becoming the great Dragon God, you still act all clingy the moment we meet. Hasn’t all that time training changed you even a little? Well, fine, just this once.”
Even though she sounded helpless, the priestess still shifted her position and patted her lap, inviting her to lie down. With a cheerful laugh, the golden figure quickly lay down and happily rested her head on the priestess’s lap.
Lying there, letting the priestess gently brush her long hair, the golden dragon’s glowing eyes seemed calmer, and a peaceful smile slowly appeared on her lips. But as the priestess looked down at her with soft, silver-blue eyes, the dragon girl puffed her cheeks slightly.
“It’s been three days. You only came to see me now. What kept you so long? Were you caught up with some flirty little kitten again? Was it your old lover Sethlin, or your new favorite, Princess Carinvega? Oh, wait, I know. It must be that tiny vampire girl. You’ve always had a thing for girls that size. I even heard you hired two new maids recently. Tsk…”
“Hey hey! Don’t just go making things up! Since when was Sethlin my old lover? And you’re the one who said you were going to shut yourself in for training to strengthen your divinity. That’s why we agreed to meet later…”
“Hmph! Even so, couldn’t you have shown a bit more care? Like waiting for me early or something… We haven’t seen each other for over a year! Since I was born, this is the first time we’ve been apart for so long!”
“Uh… well… I’m sorry?”
“Hehe, since you apologized, I guess I’ll forgive you this time!”
The priestess smiled and shook her head, not sure whether to laugh or sigh. She knew the girl was being unreasonable, but strangely, she didn’t feel annoyed or tired at all. On the contrary, she felt a warm sense of peace and comfort.
Xiao Guang was still Xiao Guang. She hadn’t become cold or distant like she had feared, even after becoming the Dragon God. Just this short reunion was enough for that deep, perfect sense of connection to return, something not even Sethlin or Xiao Kong could make her feel.
After a few playful and teasing words, the small bit of annoyance between them faded away with the gentle evening breeze. The two girls quietly stopped talking and just enjoyed the peaceful and comforting moment they had missed for so long.
As she gently ran her fingers through the dragon girl’s soft, golden hair, the familiar feeling made her drift into thought. Meanwhile, the blonde girl, enjoying her head resting on the priestess’s lap and being petted, had already closed her eyes in comfort. She began making soft, cute purring sounds, completely at odds with her current, powerful identity.
Even though no followers or outsiders had ever seen her in this human form, if those people who admired her could witness this scene and understand what it truly meant, their grand and noble image of the "Dragon God" would surely be shattered instantly.
From beginning to end, she had always been just like a little puppy, craving her master’s warm attention, afraid of being abandoned.
Time passed, and the little one resting on her lap was nearly asleep from how comfortable she felt. Finally, Violet lifted her head and turned her gaze from her pet back toward the distant horizon.
“By the way… how is [Light] doing?”
“Mmm… huh?”
The dragon girl, half-asleep, let out a soft snore and blinked, slowly realizing that the "Light" her master was talking about.
A slightly complicated look appeared on the Dragon God's face.
Now that she had fully awakened and reabsorbed the part of her soul that had been separated, she clearly remembered everything that happened to that "other her" who had stayed beside the master. The three days she had spent in seclusion were mainly to absorb and understand those memories that didn’t originally belong to her.
She remembered well: back when they were about to go into deep sleep, she and the other self had made a pinky promise under the night sky in these very mountains, to one day explore the dragonkin’s homeland together.
But…
Her golden eyes slowly blinked open again. Xiao Guang looked up at the black-haired girl’s soft, pale face and noticed that her gaze was clearly focused on a particular place in the distance, full of complex meaning. Xiao Guang hesitated, then gently shook her head.
“I don’t know… She was formed from my separated soul and divine power. Other than not having our shared memories, she’s the same as me in every other way. Now that we’ve merged again, technically, I am her. But you’ve probably noticed it too. There’s still a difference between us.”
Turning her head a little, almost unwilling to let go, she buried her face between the black-haired girl’s thighs and took a deep breath of the familiar scent she had missed. Her voice came out low and a little heavy.
“You see, if it had been the ‘me’ from back then, I wouldn’t have hated this, but I wouldn't have done this willingly. That’s because, for old me, the feelings I had for you weren’t as deep as mine now. Even if the old me got all my current memories, she wouldn't really understand how I feel now.”
“I’ve lived by your side for over three hundred years. You used to say that a person’s character and beliefs are shaped by all the big and small experiences in their life, by the many people they meet along the way. Even if two people start out the same, what they go through can still turn them into completely different individuals.”