Chapter 2

Devlin spun around to glare at me. His golden eyes were ablaze with murderous rage and madness at the thought of being betrayed. "Idaia! You bitch! How dare you betray me!"

In my previous life, his words had struck me like a thunderbolt. I had cried and screamed, trying to explain myself and imploring him, but to no avail. It only elicited a greater sense of loathing and distrust from him.

But now, all that remained in my heart was a cold, lifeless stillness.

As I looked at his handsome face that was contorted with rage, I spoke to the midwife with great deliberation, "Bring him to me."

Devlin stopped in his tracks, clearly taken aback by my calm demeanor. He was probably expecting me to launch into a hysterical bout of explaining and self-defense.

I ignored him and simply extended my trembling hands to the midwife, who was too frightened to cry, and repeated, "Bring him here."

The midwife looked extremely relieved. She scrambled towards me on her knees before placing the baby in my arms.

The moment the tiny fellow was in my embrace, the familiar feeling of flesh-and-blood bonding enveloped me. He was so small and soft, and he was exuding a faint milky scent. He seemed to sense his mother's presence and began shifting restlessly. His tiny hands clutched my clothes, and he opened dark, obsidian-like eyes to look at me searchingly.

I recalled with much pain that these very eyes were ultimately filled with terror and anguish in my previous life.

Even now, the memory of that pain still stabbed mercilessly at my heart.

Inigo, my precious child, I would never let anyone hurt you this time round.

Devlin's rage only grew as he watched me hold the baby. He marched toward me as his overpowering dragon aura swept in my direction. The murderous intent was already evident.

"Abomination!" he bellowed. He then reached out to snatch Inigo from my arms. "I shall kill this bastard that has defiled my Golden Dragon bloodline with my own hands!"

"Don't you dare!" I shouted back so fiercely and defiantly that Devlin's hand froze mid-way.

I shielded Inigo carefully with my body and glared at my noble husband ferociously. "Devlin, he is your son. If you so much as lay a finger on him, I swear to the heavens, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that you are utterly destroyed and will never get reincarnated, even if I have to traverse to the highest heaven or descend to the deepest hell!"

My voice was not loud, but the determination that I was prepared to perish with him was unmistakable.

Devlin was stunned by my demeanor that bordered on madness. He had never seen me like this before. To him, I was always the gentle, loving wife, completely devoted and dependent on him.

He stared at me for a while before turning his attention to the little blue-green infant in my arms. I could see the intense inner struggle and doubt in his golden eyes.

"This thing is my son?" He suddenly chuckled in a deranged manner. "I am the Crown Prince of the Sacred Golden Dragons. How can I sire a lowly blue-green dragon? Idaia, do you take me for a fool?"

"Whether you're a fool or not, I don't know," I replied flatly. "But I do know that he is definitely your child. It’s up to you whether to believe it or not."

With that, I turned away and lowered my head to rub my cheek tenderly against Inigo’s soft face. The child seemed to sense my soothing touch and gurgled contentedly.

This brief moment of tenderness was the most precious treasure I had in both of my lives.

Devlin was utterly incensed by my unyielding attitude. His chest heaved violently, and the dragon energy around him intensified rapidly until all the tables and chairs in the bedchamber began buckling under the force.

"Hmph! Fine, Idaia!" Devlin was so furious that he burst out laughing instead. "You think your tough talk will help you? I'll make you lose all hope right now!"

He swung around and roared towards the outside of the hall, "Guards! Pass down my order to summon all adult blue-green dragons of the clan to the coliseum! I want to perform a blood test in front of the entire clan! I want to see whose child this bastard really is!"

He thought this was the biggest humiliation he could throw at me.

In my previous life, I was indeed crushed because of this. I recalled feeling utterly humiliated and wishing I were dead.

But now, holding the warm bundle of life in my arms, there was only one thought in my mind.

Go ahead, Devlin Drake. Do your worst.

The bigger the spectacle you created, the greater the humiliation you would suffer when the truth came out. And I would be waiting for that moment.

*****

Devlin's order whipped up an immense uproar in the Dragon Clan's Royal City that was akin to a massive tidal wave.

"The Golden Dragon Princess Consort had given birth to a blue-green Dragon offspring!"

"The Crown Prince wanted to conduct a public blood test to identify the 'adulterer'!"

This was undoubtedly the greatest scandal in the Dragon Clan's millennia-long history. Countless gloating, disdainful, and curious gazes instantly focused on the Palace of Bestowed Grace, where I resided.