Chapter 3

David's cool voice sounded beside my ear.

"Ella, I know you chose me because you had no other option. But I promise, within my power, I will never let you suffer."

I turned instinctively at the sound of his voice and accidentally stumbled into his chest.

A strange yet pleasant scent drifted into my nose.

I looked up at him and said slowly, with deliberate clarity, "David, I chose you willingly."

A flicker of something unreadable passed through David's eyes. "…Alright. Ella."

Three days later, the wedding arrived as scheduled.

Both ceremonies were held in the same grand restaurant.

The dragon clan's wedding was even more extravagant than in my previous life. They had gone so far as to invite the reclusive sea serpent clan to perform, and all the major noble houses attended in full force.

Meanwhile, the peacock clan's celebration was quieter, with no distinguished guests, yet the clan members beamed with genuine joy. After all, this was their first marriage to a human—a sign they might finally have a chance at producing the next ruler of the alliance.

After the ceremony, I ran into Alice face-to-face. She deliberately tilted her chin, making sure I noticed the marks on her neck.

"Ella, I didn't know dragon men had such… stamina. At this rate, I'll be giving them an heir in no time."

I smiled politely. "Then I sincerely wish you the best of luck."

Alice was grossly underestimating the difficulty of pregnancy between humans and beastkin. Our species was fundamentally different. Even in the best conditions, natural conception took at least two years.

She assumed I got pregnant easily in our past life, and so she believed the same would come just as easily to her. She even boasted to the dragon clan that she'd be pregnant within eight months. Word had spread quickly.

Seeing how confident she was, Max hadn't even questioned it.

But to Alice, my composure looked like a personal challenge.

"Forget it. It's not like you'd understand anyway. You've married into a beggar's den."

She shot a disdainful glance at the peacock clan members nearby, lifted her skirt, and walked past me.

I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Alice, apologize. Apologize to the peacock clan."

Her expression darkened. She yanked her arm free and yelled, "Ella, have you lost your mind?!"

The remaining guests in the hall stopped to watch as we argued, eager for the drama.

In the end, our father had to step in. Once he understood what had happened, he forced Alice to apologize to the peacock clan.

Though the peacock clan ranked lowest among the beastkin, they would still unite against human humiliation.

Before leaving, Alice shot me a vicious glare and muttered under her breath, "Ella, I'm going to win this life. Just you wait."

On our wedding night, I stared at David's bare body, frozen in place.

No one had ever told me peacock had two...

Seeing me motionless on the bed, David misunderstood. With a pale expression, he bent down to gather his clothes and began dressing.

"What do you think you're doing?" I snatched the fabric from his hands, my displeasure written all over my face.

"I… I thought you didn't want to…" he stammered, standing awkwardly by the bed, the emerald in his eyes dimming.

If he wouldn't make the first move, then I would.

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down onto the bed. As our bodies touched, that subtle, familiar scent surrounded me again.

"David… you smell really nice," I murmured without thinking.

He froze for a moment, then the tips of his ears turned faintly pink. The next moment, his kiss deepened, trailing from my forehead all the way down.

Fingers interlaced, we shared a night of wild pleasure.

I had once believed the dragon clan's strength made them the best choice in bed.

But the peacock clan had their own… unique qualities. David didn't stop until dawn lit the sky, and I practically begged for rest.

Two months later, news broke: Alice was pregnant.

I was stunned. In thousands of years, no human had ever conceived with a beastkin in just two months.

Had I not seen her swollen belly with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.

The dragon clan threw a grand celebration for the unborn child, inviting all the noble families to share their joy.

"Our ancestors must be watching over us! A child in just two months—what a miracle!" Max raised his cup high, pride written all over his face.

Many guests approached to flatter him, eager to earn the dragon clan's favor. Everyone agreed: the next ruler of the alliance would undoubtedly come from the dragon clan. Now was the perfect time to curry favor.

By status, I should have been seated with David at the end of the banquet hall.

But Alice had insisted to Max that I be placed beside her. She couldn't pass up a chance to show off.

As she stroked her belly, she cast me a smug look. "Ella, two months and still no news from your belly? Seems like you're really lacking. Your womb doesn't even try."

Half-beasts matured rapidly. One months was enough for them to be born. Based on her size, her child would arrive this month.

But she had no idea how large half-beast infants were. Without managing her diet, she'd suffer greatly during labor.

I had carefully controlled my weight in my past life, yet childbirth still took two full days and nights, and the pain nearly made me wish for death.

But the moment I saw my child safely born, sleeping peacefully in my arms, I knew I had no regrets.

I took a sip of wine and said flatly, "Historically, the quickest conception between human and beastkin took two full years. But you took only two months. Whatever methods you used, only you know."

Alice whipped her head toward me, her eyes darting in guilty panic. "Ella, what are you implying?"

She couldn't even withstand the slightest probing. Alice still couldn't keep her composure.

"May you have a safe delivery, Alice." I raised my glass to toast her, then left the banquet with David by my side.

Twenty days later, Alice endured five full days and nights of labor before finally giving birth.

But seven days passed, and the dragon clan still hadn't announced the child's arrival. Even when Father tried to visit, they refused him entry.

There was no doubt—something was wrong with the child.

Half a month later, Father summoned me home.

Seeing the worry in David's eyes before I left, I finally relented and asked him to come with me.

In the living room, Alice sat on the floor sobbing, clutching a half-beast green dragon pup in her arms.