Chapter 5 — The Crown Prince's Xa Te

How important is this egg? Is it worth him paying such a big price? I feel more and more that the day the egg hatches is the day my life ends. The more he spent, the more unable he was to let me leave alive. The fear inside us is growing day by day. But I don't dare reveal any of it. I can only obediently play the role of his "incubator". A few more days passed. The light on the eggshell becomes more and more brilliant, the pattern becomes clearer and more vivid. The life inside is restless, often hitting the shell, making a light "clack" sound. It's about to come out. The dragon clan's crown prince hardly took a step away. His eyes were filled with anticipation, tension, and a barely noticeable trace of worry. He stroked the eggshell more and more, gently comforting the creature inside. He also occasionally touched my scales, which were tense with excitement. "I'm here," he seemed to say to me, as if to himself, "A Vien, thank you." This was the first time he said thank you to me. I heard it again and my heart felt cold. Is this a word of consolation before dealing with “meritorious” stuff? Finally, one early morning, the eggshell made a clear cracking sound. A thin crack appeared on the top of the shell. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince clenched his fists, his golden eyes staring unblinkingly. My heart also tightened in my throat. It's done, the time has come. Cracks on the shell become more and more frequent. Suddenly, a tiny, wet golden claw pierced the eggshell and protruded. Next is the second claw. Then a tiny head, also covered with fine golden scales, came out wearing a broken shell. It blinked its big eyes, clear amber pupils, carrying the curiosity and bewilderment of a new life. It shook its small head, making a soft, immature "wow" sound. It struggled to break free from its egg shell. A miniature Golden Dragon, curled up with mucus on its body. The dragon prince held his breath and carefully raised his finger to touch it. But little Kim Long tilted her head, avoiding his fingers. It turned its small head, its wet nose moving slightly, as if sniffing something. Then, it locked its gaze on me. It let out a small, happy cry, full of dependence, and staggered towards me. Before I could react, it crawled into the middle of my curled up body. It used its small, cold head to intimately rub against my belly scales. Then it let out a soft purr of satisfaction. As if this were its safest and warmest harbor. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince's extended hand stiffened in mid-air. The anticipation and joy on his face froze in the blink of an eye. Then it slowly turned into an extremely complicated facial expression. Surprise, disappointment, disbelief, and a bit of... painful understanding? He looked at me, his eyes as deep as water. I looked at the little Golden Dragon in my heart who was relying on me like a mother, her whole body turned to stone. I raised my head in horror, facing the dark, unpredictable golden eyes of the Dragon Clan Crown Prince. He opened his mouth slightly, his voice dry. "It determined... it was you." Time seemed to freeze. In the lapis lazuli palace, there was only the dependent purr of the little Kim Dragon, small but clear. It rubbed against my cold scales, looking for the most comfortable position, completely disregarding that its real body was right next to me. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince's hand slowly dropped. He stood there, his splendid silver-white scales seeming to have turned somewhat gray. Those golden eyes, which were always filled with majesty or indifference, were now filled with a deeply pierced loneliness. There's still a trace I don't understand - like giving up? He quietly looked at me and the child who had just broken his shell. Looked for a long time. It's been so long that our muscles start to get tired because of stiffness. I finally couldn't stand it anymore and moved a little. Little Kim Long immediately hummed unhappily and pressed closer to me. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince seemed to be awakened by that noise. He inhaled

Taking a deep breath, the storm in his eyes gradually subsided, restoring some kind of calm. He stepped forward. I closed my eyes tightly in fear, thinking he would finally deal with this "excessive" tool. But he just reached out, extremely gently, and stroked little Kim Long's wet back. Move carefully and lovingly. Then, his fingertips accidentally touched my scales. Touch lightly then leave. “Please take good care of it.” He spoke softly, his voice a bit hoarse. Having finished speaking, he turned and left the glass palace. Don't glance at us again. The electric door closed in silence. The ban is still in place. But the meaning of my imprisonment seems to have completely changed. I turned from a tool forced to incubate eggs into a nanny forced to raise children? I looked at the little Kim Long in my heart, clinging tightly and not letting go, just wanting to cry. It is small, soft, radiating pure and powerful vitality. It considers me its closest person. This scared me even more than when the Dragon Clan Crown Prince touched my scales. The noble blood of the dragon clan, the legitimate child of the Crown Prince, considers me — a lowly, fat snake — as its mother? If this story spreads out, what face will the dragon clan have? How long will the Dragon Clan Crown Prince allow this stain to last? Little Kim Long seemed hungry, and began to bite my scales with his baby teeth, which had not yet grown enough. Of course I can't bite. It warmly cried "wow" with each sound. I was all flustered. What should we give it to eat? My food is also all the spirit fruit given to me by the Dragon Clan Crown Prince. Just when I was confused, the electric door opened. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince returned. In his hand he held a small transparent bottle, inside was a milky white liquid, rich in spiritual energy. He walked in front of us, his expression had returned to normal, but deep in his eyes there was still a complexity that we didn't understand. He sat down and brought the vase to little Kim Long's mouth. It took a sniff and immediately sucked it greedily. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince quietly watched it suckle, his eyes gentle. Occasionally, those eyes would move up and fall on me. It looks so deep and unfathomable. After feeding, the little Kim Long contentedly crawled deeper into my lap, burped, and then fell asleep. The Dragon Clan Crown Prince did not leave. He sat right next to us, looking at us. The atmosphere was eerily quiet. I gathered all my courage and softly asked: "Your Highness... why... why me?" He was silent for a moment. "It needs a mother." He answered the question incorrectly, his voice very low. "But I'm not..." I hastily argued, "I'm a snake..." "I know." He interrupted, his voice carrying a bit of imperceptible fatigue. He reached out and gently touched Tieu Long's small sleeping face. "His mother... is no more."