"Human… Human!?"
"You must be joking, Lord! You're confused!"
Emperor Tian couldn't restrain himself anymore. His chest thundered as his words spilled. To accept that their supreme Silver Dragon King would marry a soul beast was hard enough, but a human? Impossible!
Humans were cunning parasites. They schemed, hunted, encroached—always stealing the homes of soul beasts. And now, one of them dared to climb into the heart of their sacred Crystal Tower—into her heart?
It was outright theft!
"Roarrrrr! This dragon will never agree!"
His roar shook the island—until another sharp smack cut through the air.
Pop!
Gu Yuena's hand lashed across his face. A streak of silver light sent the terrifying 800,000-year-old Emperor Tian flying like a comet, arcing across the sky before crashing in the distance.
The other beasts' eyelids twitched furiously.
Brother, why do you keep running into her palm? Didn't the first slap teach you?
This slap was heavier too—enough raw force to swat an emperor-level being into the stratosphere. That alone reminded them who exactly they were dealing with.
Gu Yuena's violet eyes swept over the remaining six ferocious beasts, her gaze glimmering dangerously. "Anyone else with objections, step forward."
"No, no, none!"
Xiong Jun shook his massive bear head so fast it rattled like a drum.
"Hm?"
"N-none!" He corrected himself quickly, sweating cold.
Wan Yao, ever the cautious one, stepped ahead and bowed deeply. "Lord's marriage is a joyous event worthy of all soul beasts. When you decree it, I shall send thousands of plant spirits to bloom the forest itself into an ocean of blossoms—glorious, romantic, unmatched."
Chi Wang, the Red King, nodded seriously. "I will ensure the atmosphere is spectacular." Three heads roared at once as he belched vast gouts of fiery scarlet flame into the sky, bursting into a dazzling firework display across the forest canopy.
"I—I can help too!" Xiong Jun flexed proudly, pounding his chest. "I'll handle security! With me standing guard, not a single beast would dare cause trouble!" He sneered sideways. "Well… except maybe that stupid black dragon."
The others went silent. Even Emperor Tian, still lying in a crater somewhere, must've been sneezing at that jab.
Gu Yuena's cold expression softened. Seeing the others rushing to support her decision, she smiled faintly, satisfied. With a graceful motion, she waved her hand. "Good. All of you go prepare. I demand nothing less than the grandest wedding this forest has ever seen. Brigitte, you stay."
"Yes!"
The beasts chorused obediently, bowing before soaring away in streaks of power toward the forest interior.
Left behind, Brigitte hovered elegantly with her serene aura. Of all the beasts, she alone could delicately manage Gu Yuena's mercurial moods.
"If such a human has captured the Lord's heart," Brigitte said softly, "he must be quite extraordinary."
Gu Yuena raised a hand, touching her lips unconsciously. Her silver lashes lowered, and for a moment she looked almost girlish. "Yes… he is extraordinary. Beautiful… but also far too small."
"Too small?" Brigitte blinked, confused.
Surely she didn't mean physique. Any human who infiltrated the fierce land undetected must've been a god amongst men—a warrior with profound body control. Small couldn't describe that.
Unless… it meant something else.
Her eyes widened with realization. Hand rising to her mouth in horror, Brigitte stammered, "Lord, you—surely you didn't… that…?"
Gu Yuena tilted her head, frowning curiously. "That? What is that?"
Brigitte exhaled in relief. Her lord was still pure, untouched. She hesitated, then explained carefully, "It's… the most intimate act between men and women. The act that leads to children."
Gu Yuena's brow furrowed briefly, then smoothed, eyes lighting up. "Ah. Reproduction… separation! Like when the Dragon God split into Silver Dragon King and Golden Dragon King. The same principle!"
"…Not quite…" Brigitte muttered under her breath.
Still, her cheeks warmed as she pressed further, "Then what exactly did you mean by saying he is too small?"
Gu Yuena pursed her lips, almost sulkily. "He looks… only six years old."
"Six… years… old!?"
Even calm, graceful Brigitte paled. A human child? Not even grown into adolescence? How? Why?
Unless… unless there was something about him far beyond appearance.
"Lord, truly… he must be unimaginably special."
Gu Yuena gave a little nod, eyes soft with dazzling affection. Then, with rare humility, she asked gently, "Brigitte, you understand feelings far better than I do. If I wish to be married… how should I begin?"
Brigitte's brows quirked upward. Inside, she panicked. If it were any other matter, she might guide smoothly, but… marriage? With a six-year-old? What advice could she possibly give?
Coughing quietly, she offered, "The important thing is not to rush. He is still young. Why not wait another ten years until he grows?"
Gu Yuena tilted her head. "What if we marry now, and simply… wait together ten years after marriage?"
"…That… technically works…" Brigitte admitted. At first glance, it does make wicked sense.
Her smile softened, resigned. "So the Lord simply wishes to raise a child as her adoptive husband. I understand. In that case, I will keep an eye on Emperor Tian so he does not stir further trouble."
She respected Emperor Tian's loyalty, but if anyone could keep him in check, it was Brigitte herself.
Gu Yuena relaxed, satisfied. "Good."
Her silver silhouette then melted into the gleaming mist as she descended back beneath the ice pulse, eager to see her bewildered little "husband."
Meanwhile, Su Bei lay flat on the frigid black-ice bed.
The moment he heard Gu Yuena's footsteps approaching, he instantly collapsed back, stiff as a corpse, pretending to be sound asleep. His mind, however, raced frantically.
I need a strategy. If this is really a romance system, I need to trigger progress. Maybe a first kiss… maybe some passive affection tasks. How the hell do I get the completion meter moving?
From the fog of his fake slumber, he sensed her presence near. Her delicate fragrance enveloped him, intoxicating, overwhelming. She gazed down at his peerless, flawless little face, and her chest tightened.
"…My Sleeping Prince…"
Gu Yuena's voice trembled ever so slightly. Her cool hand brushed against his cheek, tender, almost frightened by her own intensity. "Did I hurt you when I was too rough earlier?"
Hearing this, Su Bei cracked open one eye dramatically before whispering faintly, "I heard once… if a Sleeping Prince wants to wake… he must be kissed by the princess first."
His tiny pink lips pursed hopefully, waiting.
And yet—
Gu Yuena tilted her head, blinking like a confused child. "…You're awake already? You've adapted to my Dark Ice Bed so quickly? Truly incredible talent."
Su Bei felt his lips twitch. This woman really doesn't understand subtext. Hopeless. Absolutely needs tutoring.
He let out a pitiful groan. "Ugh… still not used to it. My body feels stiff… I can't move at all."
Gu Yuena's hands immediately reached out. "Shall I help? Should I… pick you up?"
Eyes sparkling, Su Bei forced a desperate act of innocence. "…Yes. In a princess hug."
Gu Yuena froze. A faint blush colored her stern face. After a tiny hesitation, her pale arms slid around his neck, lifting him awkwardly. For a second her lofty pride collapsed into a fumbling girl's heart—she could barely manage a proper hold.
The result? Her entire body draped right across his. Their noses nearly brushed. Their breaths tangled together.
If anyone else—any male soul beast—had dared come this close, she would have erased them in an instant.
But with him… she trembled. She blushed.
And for Su Bei, pressed against the warm, sweet softness of the Dragon King's body, a dizzy thought flashed across his mind:
Six years old or not… she treats me like a man.
Weird. Insanely weird.
And… dangerously good.