Chapter 3

The maidservants went about their duties nervously as they dressed me. They didn't dare look at me, nor at Inigo, who was sleeping peacefully in my arms. In their eyes, we were already sinners of the Dragon Clan.

I paid them no attention as they fussed over me and focused on tucking in the silk blanket around Inigo. Before long, he seemed to sense the commotion and stress around him. He stirred uneasily, and his tiny brows furrowed slightly.

I gently soothed his tiny frown and cooed softly to him, "Inigo, don't be afraid."

Soon, a ruckus could be heard outside the hall.

My half-sister, Lyssa Arden, swept in, surrounded by a retinue of maidservants. She wore a plain white dress, and her face was without makeup. She displayed just the right amount of worry and sadness on her face. With her red-rimmed eyes, she seemed genuinely heartbroken for me.

"Idaia!" Lyssa wailed tearfully as she hurried to me. "What... what happened? I rushed over as soon as I heard. How could His Highness do this to you? He's too reckless!"

As she spoke, she leaned closer discreetly, trying to sneak a peek at Inigo in my arms. When she caught sight of those blue-green scales, a flicker of glee flashed across her eyes.

It flashed by almost too quickly, but I saw it.

In my previous life, it was Lyssa who came to "comfort" me every day when I was in the depths of despair. She would criticize Devlin, but never missed a chance to bring up "bloodline" and "nobility," relentlessly piling more pressure onto my already shattered nerves.

She would lament in my ear repeatedly, "Idaia, how wonderful it would be if this child were a golden dragon…"

"Idaia, His Highness has no choice. The purity of the golden dragon bloodline is very important to the future of our whole clan. The pressure on him is just too much..."

Her words were like blades, sugarcoated with gentle care and concern, that slit my heart to shreds bit by bit.

This time, I felt utterly nauseated as I watched her exquisite performance.

"It's none of your business," I replied nonchalantly as I turned away to avoid her searching look.

Lyssa's face froze for a moment. She probably didn't expect me, who had always treated her kindly, to suddenly act so aloof.

However, she recovered very quickly and responded by crying harder. "Idaia, how can you say that? We're family! How could I just stand by idly when something so serious happened to you? And His Highness… even if the child's bloodline isn't quite what he is expecting, he is still your own flesh and blood! How can he be so heartless and stir up such a big ruckus?"

She seemed to be speaking up for me, but every word only served to confirm that I had "given birth to a mutant." Moreover, she skillfully shifted all the blame to Devlin's supposed cruelty to further drive us apart.

What an ingenious move.

I glared at her icily and replied, "Lyssa, do you really think I can't see your underlying meaning, or are you hoping to stir up even more trouble?"

Lyssa was silenced by my stare, and she swallowed the rest of her words.

She was about to say something when a guard's booming voice rang out from outside the hall. "Your Divine Highness, His Highness Prince Devlin commands you and... and the Young Lord to proceed to the coliseum."

The guard paused noticeably before saying "Young Lord" with undisguised contempt.

Lyssa immediately seized the opportunity and protested with a face full of righteous indignation, "Idaia, don't go! You've just given birth, and your body is weak. You won't be able to withstand such torment and humiliation! I'll go and talk to His Highness and ask him to rescind his order!"

After saying this, she wanted to dash off as if she couldn't wait to risk her life for me.

"Stop right there," I called out.

She turned back with a defiant look, giving the impression that she would not be dissuaded from her mission.

I only looked at her with a knowing smile. "Are you planning to go tell Devlin I'm too cowardly to show up?"

Lyssa's face flinched visibly and turned ashen. She probably didn't expect me to see right through her.

With Inigo in my arms, I stood up carefully with the maidservants' support. My legs still felt weak from childbirth, but I was able to stand tall and upright.

As I walked past Lyssa, I leaned close and whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear, "The show has only just begun. Lyssa, you'd better watch closely."

With that, I ignored her startled look and walked straight out of the Palace of Bestowed Grace.

*****

The sunlight outside was blindingly bright. The coliseum was already packed with people.

All the inhabitants of the Royal City were here. They surrounded the venue in a thick, dense mass, and huddled in groups whispering and speculating amongst themselves. Every glance directed at me felt like a sharp thorn, brimming with contempt, mockery, and morbid glee.

In the center of the coliseum, a makeshift platform had been set up.