- 13 hours ago
The Survival Of Whole Dragonkin Rests On Me
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My best friend and I fall off a cliff and land right into a world of beastmen.
00:03In my last life, she had chosen the dragon kin.
00:06I had been stuck with the gray rabbit warren.
00:08Jealous of my life there, she had ended up poisoning me.
00:11But now we are back, reborn.
00:13She runs straight for the rabbits.
00:15I almost laugh.
00:16A warm bed, a full belly, and no more running for your life.
00:19What's not to like?
00:20Emma limps toward the gray rabbit chieftain, dragging her bad leg.
00:24That's when I know she's been reborn too.
00:26Last life, she saw those shiny golden scales and completely froze, unable to look away.
00:31She walked right up to the dragon kin prince and whispered to me.
00:34He looks scary.
00:35Let me go first to check things out.
00:36Once I'm settled, I'll come back for you.
00:38Just stay with the guy in the white cape for a little while.
00:40This time, she has a whole new story.
00:44That dragon prince looks way too fierce.
00:47You're so fragile, Selene.
00:49You need someone tough watching your back.
00:51Look at that pale one over there.
00:53He can barely stand and his eyes look really sneaky.
00:56I'll take the risk and go with the warren for your sake.
00:58It takes me a second to catch up.
01:00The nerve of her.
01:01Emma, you actually want me to go with the dragonish prince?
01:04I'm telling you now.
01:05On once I walk that path, there's no turning back.
01:08She bites her lip, putting on this brave, suffering act.
01:11Just wait for me, Selene.
01:13Once I've got my footing in the warren, I'll come find you.
01:15And just like that, it's decided.
01:18She grabs our packs, taking every last bit of the food we brought from the climb.
01:22I don't even care.
01:23The dragonkin are rich, every one of them a warrior.
01:26Money is no problem for them.
01:28But the warren?
01:29I can't help but wonder how long that bag of cheese puffs is going to last them.
01:33On one side stands a man with golden horns and armor, his face looking like it was carved by the
01:37gods themselves.
01:39On the other is a pale guy in a white cloak who pans for breath every two steps.
01:42Yeah, no contest.
01:44The choice is laughably obvious.
01:46Travelers from another world?
01:48Draken's voice rumbles low.
01:50Snow speaks up next.
01:51Come to me.
01:52The gray rabbit whirr will give you shelter.
01:55Emma doesn't wait for a single second.
01:58I'm going with the dragons!
01:59Forgetting all about her hurt leg, she throws off her extra gear and runs toward the dragonkin.
02:04The golden barrier opens, swallows her up.
02:06She is gone.
02:08I stare at the empty space where the light just faded.
02:10Then I pick up the pack she dropped and walk toward the pale white glow of the warren.
02:14I used to think our fates matched our names.
02:16Dragonkin flying high in the skies.
02:19Gray rabbits scattered in the dirt.
02:20But here's the thing I didn't know, the dragonkin don't do marriage.
02:24If two people like each other, they spend the night together with zero promises, and the next morning, it's back
02:29to business.
02:30Children are raised by the whole clan.
02:32And here's the real surprise, their young rarely live.
02:35Out of ten hatchlings, maybe one survives.
02:38Emma spent two years with Prince Draken.
02:40Three lost pregnancies, one birth, and not a single child made it.
02:45She was always obsessed with those old harem stories, the jealous wives, the scheming rivals.
02:49So when her babies died, she talked herself into believing someone was poisoning her.
02:54Someone was out to get her.
02:56She cried, screamed, and threatened to end her own life unless Draken checked on everyone around them.
03:01But Draken's people, his warriors, his servants, were fiercely loyal.
03:05He wasn't about to break their trust for some girl from another world who had been there for five minutes.
03:10He tried talking to her over and over, but she wouldn't listen.
03:13Finally, out of patience, he motioned to the crowd around them.
03:17Who did it?
03:18Who hurt your children?
03:20Point them out.
03:21She paused.
03:22Then she pointed at a random warrior in the ranks.
03:25Fine, you're his now.
03:26You said he harmed you.
03:28So carry his child.
03:29Then he'll have no reason to hurt you.
03:31Emma completely fell apart.
03:33But the thing that really broke her spirit came later.
03:36Her new husband mentioned, offhand, that the gray rabbit chieftain used to cook every single grain of their rations just
03:41because the otherworld girl couldn't stomach cold food.
03:44Desperate.
03:45Take me to the warn.
03:46I need to see Selene.
03:47Please, I have to.
03:49And so we met again at the border of our lands.
03:52I looked at my friend in her gleaming scale armor, sitting before tables piled high with food, and I felt
03:56a hot twist of envy in my gut.
03:58What on earth was she complaining about?
04:00It was warm there.
04:01Safe.
04:02You ate until you were full, and you slept without fear.
04:05If the warren had even a piece of that comfort, I would have laughed in my dreams.
04:09Yet she was drowning in regret.
04:11She chose first.
04:12She made the call the day we fell.
04:14She put on a sweet, nostalgic smile and poured tea with her own hands, pushing the cup toward me.
04:19Selene, it's been so long since we just sat down and had tea together.
04:23Please, try this.
04:24I smiled right back and took the cup.
04:26Then I switched them the second she looked away.
04:28As it turned out, both cups were poisoned.
04:30She hit the ground, her eyes wide with total shock.
04:34We died on the exact same day.
04:36But then I open my eyes, and I am back at the very beginning, and she dashes for the warren
04:40instead.
04:41Gods, I couldn't have asked for a better gift.
04:43Emma follows behind Snow.
04:45Have fun being a toy?
04:47That chieftain's wife spot?
04:48It's mine.
04:51I read her lips, when a flash of gold cuts right in front of me.
04:55I am still squinting.
04:57Fine.
04:58You're with me.
04:59I blink.
05:00The golden armored man is already turning away, not giving me a single extra glance.
05:04I just freeze.
05:06Gods, he's tall.
05:07Tall, stupidly handsome, and built like a fortress.
05:10Uh, are you wearing armor because you're heading into battle?
05:13Who are you fighting?
05:14This is called chocolate.
05:16Dragon Inn can eat it.
05:17Grey Rabbits, too.
05:18But the Dog Inn?
05:19They eat this and they die.
05:21You've taken me in, and I don't have much to give, so take this as thanks.
05:24Just in case.
05:26You just got here.
05:27How do you know about the Dogkin?
05:28I just guessed.
05:30The men around you are carrying dog-beating clubs.
05:32You're in battle armor, and you're moving fast.
05:33I figure something big is about to happen.
05:36Any longer, and this thing is going to be a puddle.
05:38Honestly, I don't even need to do this.
05:41In my last life, the Dogkin had gotten their hands on some kind of battle plan.
05:45I still don't know where they learned it.
05:46Draken had let his guard down, taken a bad hit, and ended up with a nasty wound.
05:51I could have pulled an Emma here.
05:53I could have nursed him back to health, earned his favor, and locked in my place in the clan.
05:57But here's the thing about the Dragonkin.
05:59Yeah, they love a good fight, but they don't start wars.
06:02They are the ones holding the whole beast realm together and keeping the peace.
06:06In my last life, the very moment Draken was too hurt to fight, the other races saw their chance.
06:11War broke out everywhere, and the bodies piled high.
06:14I'm not Dragonkin, but I come from a world that knew peace, and I know nothing is worth more than
06:19that.
06:19My wrist aches, and my hand starts shaking.
06:22Right when I am about to drop it, the cold, strong hand takes the chocolate from my palm.
06:26Your name?
06:28Selena.
06:28Then orders a young warrior to take me back to the Dragonkin territory.
06:32With the secret weapon I have just handed him, he leaves to face the Dogkin, while the warren is bare
06:37bones, rough, and poor.
06:39This place is stunning.
06:41Huge stone towers rise everywhere, with white marble underfoot.
06:45Fancy, decorated, and lush, every single inch of it screams wealth.
06:48The young Dragonkin guiding me doesn't stop talking the whole way.
06:51That's Prince Draken's home.
06:53It's also where he works.
06:54No idlers allowed.
06:55That training ground.
06:56The Prince's personal arena.
06:57No idlers allowed.
06:58When we pass a really beautiful tower.
07:00Draken's personal getaway.
07:01I know, I know.
07:02No idlers allowed, right?
07:03Little brother, you can skip those.
07:05Just take me somewhere idlers are allowed.
07:08Oh, that tower?
07:09You can go in.
07:11But only women who admire the Prince, and who the Prince likes back.
07:16Aw, I know that exactly.
07:18It's the fan zone.
07:19So what actually happens inside?
07:21Is there a ticket price?
07:22Miss, none of that is in there.
07:24It's just a big bed and a bath.
07:26If there's a woman who admires the Prince, and the Prince likes her back, they can spend
07:30a night together there.
07:31His eyes are so clear, so pure.
07:34When he talks about Draken, his whole face lights up with worship.
07:37Like he is describing something totally normal.
07:40I'm not completely sure his idea of spending a night together and mine are the exact same
07:44thing.
07:44I decide to test the waters.
07:46So, what happens after that night?
07:50After?
07:50You go back to doing what you always do.
07:53Dragonish numbers are thin.
07:54Everyone works.
07:55Male, female, it doesn't matter.
07:57And the women who have spent nights with your Prince?
07:59Too many to count!
08:00I stand there frozen, turning the words over in my head until it finally clicks.
08:05No marriage.
08:06No bonds.
08:08You like someone?
08:09You spend a night together.
08:11Wake up, and act like nothing happened.
08:13If a child comes, the whole clan raises it.
08:16For a dying race, sure, it makes sense on paper.
08:20But only for the first generation.
08:22Bloodlines don't lie.
08:24Clotheskin mating means fewer pregnancies, sick offspring, and unhealthy lines.
08:29From the second generation on, this system is a death sentence.
08:33It's slow extinction, baked right into their laws.
08:36The boy finally leads me to a yard where the Dragonkin women live.
08:39Everything is new, everything is interesting, and I want to touch and try all of it.
08:44You'll help with the work here.
08:45The lead Dragonkin woman stops me.
08:47Get familiar with the place first.
08:49Her name is Marina, the clan's top beauty.
08:52Oh, and this came for you.
08:54She hands me a letter.
08:56Marina is bright and bold.
08:57She laughs loud, fights even harder, and carries real authority among her people.
09:01I just got here.
09:03In this world, who would write a letter?
09:05I unfold the paper, and Emma's handwriting jumps right off the page.
09:09Selene, you've made it to the Dragonkin by now, right?
09:12Have you seen all those gorgeous Dragonkin women?
09:14Let me tell you, every single one with a decent face has slept with Draken.
09:18Especially that Marina.
09:20She's his favorite.
09:21Good luck.
09:22Oh, and Snow, the gray rabbit chieftain?
09:24I was shivering, so he gave me his own cloak.
09:27The letter goes on.
09:28Draken is a cruel womanizer, apparently, and I'll be nothing but another name on his list.
09:33I'll get jealous, fight for his attention, lose, and watch him toss me aside.
09:37If Emma were standing in front of me, I would slap her.
09:40Then I would grab her by the shoulders and shake her.
09:43Snap out of it!
09:44I let out a cold little laugh.
09:46What does that letter say to make you smile like that?
09:49Nothing.
09:50What's everyone working on?
09:52Marina follows my gaze.
09:54A group of Dragonkin women are washing raw meat in the water,
09:57patting it clean, and wrapping it in leaves.
10:00Cooking?
10:01Cooking?
10:01I stare at the raw, bloody hunks of meat.
10:04My stomach flips, and I almost throw up right there.
10:07All right.
10:08For the sake of my own gut, I have to pull out whatever cooking skills I have.
10:12Dragonkin can make fire naturally, so I show them right then and their how to roast the
10:16meat over an open flame.
10:17Then I teach them the basics of planting vegetables.
10:20Once those veggies grow, I'm going to make real spices.
10:23Chili flakes on a hot, juicy roast?
10:26Now that will be something.
10:27With real, cooked food back in my life, things are looking up.
10:31Way up.
10:32But then a messenger comes tearing toward us.
10:34Commander Marina!
10:35Commander Marina!
10:36It's the prince!
10:37He's been ambushed at Mount Cardon!
10:39Marina freezes for a single heartbeat.
10:41Then she snaps into command mode, barking orders and rallying the remaining fighters.
10:45I'm coming with you.
10:46Mount Cardon is grey rabbit land.
10:49In my last life, Draken got careless during the war with the dogkin and took a bad hit.
10:54On his way back through Cardon, the grey rabbit had traps waiting for him.
10:58He never saw it coming, and the dragonkin took a brutal loss.
11:02But this time, I have given him the plan to handle the dogkin, so he shouldn't be hurt.
11:07And without any wounds holding him back, there is no way a few basic rabbit traps can hold
11:12his forces.
11:12When we reach Cardon, the mountain is totally surrounded by a sea of grey rabbits.
11:17Emma spots me right away.
11:19Oh, Selina.
11:20I'm so incredibly sorry.
11:22I had no idea the Dragonae were such a dirty, uncivilized group.
11:25If I'd known, I never would have let you suffer there.
11:28How are things, by the way?
11:29Is it...
11:30Unbearable?
11:32Unbearable?
11:32Plenty of things are.
11:34But there's a huge upside.
11:35The relationships there are totally free.
11:37Sleep with whoever you want.
11:38Zero strings attached.
11:39Emma's smug look completely crumbles.
11:41That was the one thing she could never stomach in her last life, sharing a man.
11:46Don't get cocky.
11:47I'll tell you this.
11:48The dragonkin are about to be crushed.
11:49When they drag themselves back, they're going to need living blood to heal.
11:51Then you'll finally understand what it means to beg for death.
11:54Oh?
11:54Sounds like a golden chance to me.
11:56If I save them, I can hold that dead over Draken's head and make him take me.
11:59A man that goodling?
12:00Who wouldn't want him?
12:01That's exactly what Emma did in her last life.
12:04She used a life-saving favor to force closeness, leaving Draken no choice but to keep her near.
12:09But while she demanded total devotion, he wanted his freedom.
12:13Their relationship turned toxic fast.
12:15And yet, he was stunning, built like a god and leader of the finest clan.
12:19Without him, she couldn't survive in this world.
12:22She had been trapped, totally miserable and deeply obsessed all at once.
12:25Hmph, let's see if Draken even makes it back alive first.
12:29My heart drops.
12:30I think I can use what I know from our past life to find a weak spot in Cardon's defenses
12:34and pull Draken out.
12:36But looking at the mean certainty on her face, this ambush is far worse.
12:40She has made sure of it.
12:41She helped set this trap.
12:43Marina grows more and more frustrated.
12:45Emma grows more and more smug.
12:46With a look like that, today's ambush has her fingerprints all over it.
12:50I think hard for a long moment, then walk straight up to Marina.
12:53I lean in low and whisper my plan.
12:56After spending a few months with her, I know this woman is a true leader.
12:59Sharp, fearless, and completely unbothered by anyone else's shadow.
13:03Marina stays quiet for a long time before speaking.
13:05It's not that I don't trust you, Selina.
13:08But this mission is very dangerous.
13:10You have no combat training.
13:11How will you protect yourself?
13:13I'm with the dragon in now.
13:15Your fight is my fight.
13:16And as for combat?
13:18Brute force is useless against a good plan.
13:21Marina, your numbers are already so low.
13:22Every single fighter you lose brings your people closer to dying out.
13:26I am an outsider.
13:27But since the day I arrived, you and your people have treated me with nothing but total openness.
13:30No walls, no kind of warmth.
13:31I carry it right here.
13:33Beastmen are brutal.
13:34If you fall into enemy hands, I'm not afraid.
13:36Remember what I told you?
13:37One day, the Dragonit will adopt a solo bond.
13:40One partner, for life.
13:41With no shared bloodlines.
13:42Give up the old ways and your future will be secure.
13:44You'll thrive.
13:45When you return, all of Dragonit will honor you as our most revered guardian.
13:49Revered guardian?
13:50Now that's a title worth having.
13:52It's a thousand times better than being a chieftain's wife.
13:55In this world, a chieftain's wife is just an empty label with no real power.
14:00Marina turns to her best warriors.
14:02Go with her.
14:03Protect her with your lives.
14:04We ride hard, pushing through a vast, empty desert and skirting the edges of an endless sea as the path
14:09grows more and more dangerous.
14:11Finally, I signal the squad to stop and send a lone scout ahead.
14:14Not long after, a figure steps out of the brush wearing a wide-brimmed hat, his head held low as
14:19he walks straight toward me.
14:21Three steps away, he suddenly yanks a blade from his belt and lunges.
14:24I'm already expecting it.
14:26Alright.
14:26Talk.
14:27How many guards are stationed on the back mountain?
14:30It isn't my Dragonkin scout at all.
14:32It's a gray rabbit.
14:33We've taken a huge, looping detour just to shake off any spies tailing us.
14:37My real target is the rear face of Mount Cardon.
14:40There is a sheer cliff there.
14:41If we can climb it, we can completely avoid the gray rabbit ambush.
14:45But clearly, Emma saw that move coming too.
14:48She pressured Snow into posting guards ahead of time.
14:50You don't actually have to tell me.
14:52That new girl from the other world.
14:54She already sold you out.
14:55Bah, that woman.
14:56She's nothing but a toy Chieftain Snow traded a bag of grain for.
14:59A toy, huh?
15:01And yet here you are, still doing what she says.
15:03That absolute witch!
15:05If it weren't for her, my nine brothers and I wouldn't be out here freezing our tails off.
15:10The real glory is happening on the other side of the mountain, and we got stuck with nothing!
15:15He keeps shouting, cursing Emma's name, completely unaware that he has just handed me everything I need to know.
15:21Just like my last life, some things never change.
15:24In my last life, when I fell into the hands of the gray rabbits,
15:27I honestly thought I could use my knowledge to lift them up and change their low standing in the realm.
15:31What I hadn't realized was how painfully strict their society was.
15:35Rank upon rank, rule upon rule, no one was ever allowed to step out of line.
15:39And Chieftain Snow?
15:40He was suspicious down to his very bones.
15:43Every piece of advice I gave, every plan I laid out, I got no rewards.
15:47Just endless mockery from the whole warren.
15:50The gray rabbits are weak fighters.
15:52Against my dragonkin squad, ten guards are taken down in moments.
15:55But the rear cliff of Mount Cardon is brutal.
15:58There is no path, only a straight up wall of rock vanishing into the clouds.
16:02Held by the strongest ropes the dragonkin can forge, I begin to climb.
16:06My feet test every single foothold the warriors ahead of me mark,
16:09but even then, I nearly slip more times than I can count.
16:12Between my last life and this one put together, I have never been this close to death.
16:16My whole body is shaking, my fingers clawing madly into the jagged stone.
16:21My hands, my legs, everything is cut to ribbons.
16:23Blood is smeared across the rock face, and I lose track of how many gashes are burning all over my
16:28skin.
16:28Every tiny movement sends a wave of awful pain ripping through me.
16:32I suck in a sharp breath.
16:33Selene, hold it together.
16:35The survival of the dragonkin rests on this.
16:38You want to really stand among them and earn your place?
16:40This is how you do it.
16:43Selene! Here, grab my hand!
16:45One of the warriors has finally reached the top and is reaching down toward me.
16:48Seeing the edge so close makes my heart surge.
16:51I strain upward, stretching my hand out to meet his.
16:54Suddenly, a violent blast of wind slams into me.
16:58My grip slips, and I nearly go over the edge into the nothingness below.
17:03Gray rabbit scum, your lives end here!
17:07The warrior reaching for me has to pull back.
17:09Stop! I'm the otherworlder!
17:12The one who helped you beat the dogkin!
17:16I've come to get you out!
17:18The men freeze, glancing at each other, but their weapons stay up, pointed right at me.
17:22I haul myself over the edge, gasping for air.
17:25Don't believe me?
17:26Go ask your prince.
17:28When you fought the dogwin, did someone hand him a box of chocolate?
17:31One soldier pauses, then turns and leaves to check.
17:35The cliff is huge, over 30 meters straight down.
17:38I'm completely wrecked.
17:39I drop to the dirt, sucking in air as sweat soaks right through my clothes, dripping down
17:43my forehead and matting my hair.
17:45A cloth appears in front of me.
17:47I grab it and wipe my face.
17:48Then a water canteen is offered.
17:50I snatch it and drink deeply.
17:53Don't finish it all.
17:54I freeze, the water still in my mouth.
17:56I follow the hand holding the canteen up past the golden armor to a helmet.
18:00Under it is a face carved as sharp as a blade.
18:02The gray rabbits poisoned the water supply.
18:05If you drink it all, no one else gets any.
18:07I shove the canteen back into his hands right away.
18:11I'm here to rescue you.
18:12He follows my gesture to where the ropes hang down the cliff face.
18:15The iron hooks clamped tight around the boulders at the edge.
18:18Draken has been trapped on Mount Cardon for days.
18:21The gray rabbits have the whole place sealed so tight that not even a bird can get through.
18:24He has barely managed to send out a single messenger, and he never could have imagined someone
18:29would climb a sheer cliff face just to reach him.
18:31How did you get up here?
18:33Was there no ambush below the cliff?
18:35I reach for his hand to stand up, but that's when I realize my lights are completely shot.
18:39There was an ambush.
18:41We handled it.
18:42You mentioned poison in the water.
18:44Explain.
18:45In my last life, the gray rabbits had set the exact same trap at Cardon,
18:49and Draken had been pinned down the same way.
18:51But there had been no poison back then.
18:53In that timeline, he held out for half a month, surviving with his men on spring water alone.
18:57After two weeks, the gray rabbits ran out of supplies and had no choice but to sign a treaty
19:02and let the dragonkin walk free.
19:04This time, with poison in the water, there's no way out.
19:07All the gray rabbits have to do is wait.
19:09Once the dragonkin run out of food, it'll be over.
19:12Whoever came up with this plan knows exactly how the dragonkin fight.
19:16Draken leads us back to the temporary camp.
19:18The tent has only a single thin bed and a rip in the ceiling.
19:21I wonder silently if it has rained over the last few days.
19:25Draken pulls off his helmet.
19:27You've all worked incredibly hard.
19:28Rest here for two days.
19:30We move out on the third.
19:31He turns to me and hands over a slab of raw meat.
19:35Eat.
19:35It's all we have left.
19:36You are completely behind the times.
19:39Back in dragonkin territory, we roast our meat now.
19:41We eat cooked food.
19:43Something shifts in his eyes.
19:44He looks at the raw meat, then back at me.
19:47So I have to teach him how to roast meat all over again.
19:50Draken sinks his teeth into the dripping, sizzling piece of food, his eyes narrowing with appreciation
19:55as he gives a firm nod.
19:56This is good.
19:57Then eat more.
19:58He keeps eating, and as he does, he keeps inching closer to where I sit.
20:02By the time he finishes, I'm practically pushed off the edge of the seating area.
20:06I stare at him, and he stares right back at me.
20:09As he leans in closer, I plant a hand firmly against his shoulder.
20:13What exactly do you think you're doing?
20:14I just saved your life, and this is the thanks I get?
20:17Confusion flickers in his eyes, and he mumbles something brief about spending the night together.
20:22If you mean just getting some rest, fine.
20:24I'll help you relax.
20:25But anything else?
20:27Absolutely not.
20:28You've been away too long, and you're out of touch.
20:30The dragonlin don't operate like that anymore.
20:32We follow a soul bond now.
20:34One partner for life.
20:36I reach over his bed, grab a small medicine bottle, and hold out my scraped hands.
20:41All right, let's just focus on healing.
20:43Help me put some of this on.
20:44Draken snatches the bottle straight out of my hand.
20:47That's for internal injuries.
20:49Glancing briefly at my hands.
20:50Yours are just surface wounds.
20:52You'll live.
20:53He flips around past me, lands face down on the bed, and turns his back to me to sulk.
20:57Fine, I'll sleep alone.
20:59Happy?
21:00I roll my eyes.
21:01What a total drama king.
21:03Draken successfully pulls every last dragonkin warrior off that cliff face.
21:07Meanwhile, Marina keeps up the show at Mount Cardon, facing off against the Gray Rabbits
21:11to make them believe the prince is still trapped and dying inside the area.
21:15The moment Draken and his front line slip safely back into dragonkin territory, Marina
21:19fakes a retreat and vanishes right after them.
21:21Once we are back home, I go all in on setting up the soul bond system, pushing it across
21:25every corner of the territory.
21:27It's the same story with my cooking ideas, full adoption everywhere.
21:31Just like in my past life, the Warren wastes too much of their vital grain during the
21:35Cardon ambush.
21:36With their stores gone, they have no choice but to sign treaties of surrender with the
21:39dragonkin and every neighboring tribe.
21:42And the one bringing that treaty?
21:43None other than Emma.
21:45The Gray Rabbits have fattened her up, making her look clean and presentable, which means
21:49they are already shopping her around as a trade piece to other tribes.
21:52He is actively trading the women of his clan for information and grain supplies.
21:56As I limp toward her, a flash of pure glee flickers across her otherwise dull face.
22:00Selina, you look totally exhausted.
22:03Did Draken put you through it?
22:04Oh, don't take it so hard.
22:06Think about the old stories of noble houses back home.
22:09Every powerful lord had a network of wives.
22:11Don't worry, we're practically sisters.
22:13The exact day Draken tosses you aside, I'll have Snow arrange a safe place for you in the
22:18Warren.
22:19My face stays completely flat.
22:21No anger, no whimpering, no satisfaction.
22:24Honestly, don't overthink your situation.
22:26Draken isn't completely heartless.
22:29Worst case, he'll just reassign you to keep one of his high-ranking officer's company for
22:33a few days.
22:34The man might not have the prince's status, but he's still a commander.
22:38Just keep him happy, and maybe you'll earn his favor.
22:42Why on earth would I want his favor?
22:44I eat really well here.
22:45I dress in warm clothes, and sometimes the dragonid warriors take me flying through the
22:50skies.
22:50Life is pretty darn good.
22:51Emma's face instantly darkens.
22:54When she first ran to the Warren, she kept all our food for herself, taking both her share
22:58and mine.
22:59For a while, that food got her a special spot with the chieftain.
23:02But the moment those supplies ran out, his thinking shifted toward how he could trade her
23:06off to refill their stores.
23:08Eat up, then.
23:09Stuff yourself while you still have the chance.
23:11That way, when Draken has to drain your blood to heal his battle wounds, at least you'll have
23:16a little extra to give.
23:19Talk all you want, Emma.
23:21Get it all out now so you don't choke on your words when you finally realize this time isn't
23:26like the last life.
23:27Emma's eyes blow wide with sudden shock.
23:29The realization hits her like a physical blow.
23:31She isn't the only one who has been reborn.
23:33Don't you have a treaty to sign?
23:35Run along now.
23:37The dragonkin have changed the Great Hall, setting up a huge feast to honor the coming
23:41alliance ceremony.
23:42Draken has personally made sure I am given a well-known spot at the table.
23:45I refuse to believe this.
23:47You see me standing up there, majestic, in command, locking down a historic treaty, and
23:52you still refuse to spend the night with me?
23:54How many times do I have to explain this to you?
23:56It's called a soul bond.
23:58Marriage.
23:58Not spending the night.
24:00You are the leader of a whole clan, Draken.
24:03Grow your vocabulary.
24:04The rules of a soul bond don't say a dragonich can't marry a human.
24:07You're a woman, I'm a man, and we can easily make it work.
24:11What's the problem here?
24:13A true hero doesn't get distracted by romance.
24:16Just give me an official leadership title.
24:19Thanks.
24:20Draken completely deflates.
24:21He turns on his heel, stomping off toward the head of the feast in a visible sulk.
24:26Chieftain Snow has been waiting nervously for his arrival.
24:28The exact second he sees the prince coming closer, his cold, calculating manner melts
24:33into a begging, overly flattering smile.
24:35He bows very low, taking a posture of total submission.
24:38Prince Draken, taking time from your Hugh duties to talk with us is an absolute honor.
24:43Emma, give the sacred offering to the prince right away.
24:45She moves with a careful, swaying grace.
24:48Carrying a fancy tray draped in bright red cloth, she glides directly toward Draken's
24:51seat.
24:52She drops to her knees beside Draken, lifting the red cloth with slow, deliberate movements.
24:56Her fingers brush against his skin with very clear intent.
25:00Draken's brow furrows with immediate disgust.
25:02He jerks back from her touch.
25:04A nearby dragonkin officer steps forward instantly, moving her away from the high table.
25:09As she is forced back, Emma shoots a glance toward me.
25:12Resting on the tray is the gray rabbit's most guarded relic, bloodroot.
25:15A perfectly healthy person can eat it and feel a short burst of energy.
25:19But for someone nursing bad internal injuries, their weak heart and veins can't handle the
25:24strain.
25:24It makes existing wounds tear open violently.
25:27In bad cases, it is outright deadly.
25:30In my last life, when this treaty was finalized, Draken had been suffering from deep battle wounds.
25:35The gray rabbits offered the bloodroot knowing exactly what it would do to his body.
25:39The dragonkin, treating it as a normal medicinal gift, made it into a tonic and fed it to him
25:44to restore his strength, which nearly cost him his life.
25:47And here they are, trying the exact same kill plan.
25:50The only major flaw in their scheme?
25:51Draken isn't hurt.
25:53Having failed to catch Draken's eye, Emma slinks back to her assigned seat.
25:57Chieftain Snow glares down at her, his face twisting into a sharp, angry scowl.
26:01The sheer pressure from his stare makes her knees nearly buckle.
26:04She stumbles slightly as she sits, and that is when the fabric shifts, showing deep, dark
26:08bruises tracking up her neck.
26:10She scrambles frantically to fix her collar and cover the marks, looking up just in time
26:14for our eyes to lock.
26:15She starts to glare, but right away catches herself, shifting her expression into a pitiful,
26:19begging mask.
26:21Draken is still locked in a boring back and forth talk with Snow, and the rest of the
26:24hall is fully busy with the banquet details.
26:26The whole ceremony is putting me to sleep anyway, so I quietly get up from my seat and
26:30follow her out into the hallways.
26:32The moment we are clear of the crowd, Emma flips a switch.
26:35She grabs my arm with a sudden, intense warmth, acting totally thrilled as she pulls me into
26:39a deserted corner.
26:40She checks left and right, keeping up an air of complete mystery.
26:44I found a way back.
26:45Oh?
26:46What kind of way?
26:47She reaches into her clothes and pulls out two fancy pastries.
26:51I managed to steal these from the hidden stores of the Warren.
26:53Eat one, and we'll instantly go back to our original world.
26:56You hate this simple, backward place just as much as I do, right?
27:00I nod along.
27:01Emma shoves one of the pastries straight into my hand, her eyes locking onto mine with the
27:05exact same wild desperation she showed in our past life.
27:07This time, however, set on proving her honesty, she takes a huge bite out of her own pastry
27:12first.
27:13See?
27:14It's completely safe.
27:15Well, if it's not poisoned, then you should feel free to enjoy the rest of it yourself.
27:20Her face twists in a mask of pure rage.
27:22Realizing the trick has failed, she lunges forward violently, slamming me hard against
27:26the stone wall as she tries to force the deadly pastry straight into my mouth.
27:30I don't believe this!
27:31You cannot possibly be this lucky every single time!
27:35Back in school, I couldn't beat you.
27:36At work, I couldn't beat you!
27:38I refuse to accept this!
27:40I want another chance!
27:41I clamped my hands around her wrists.
27:43I got great grades because I studied day and night, Emma.
27:46I landed good jobs because I sent out resumes until my fingers bled and showed up to every
27:50single interview ready to fight.
27:51Unlike you.
27:52In school, you only cared about being the prettiest face around.
27:55At work, you just wanted the easiest, most glamorous title.
27:58And now, here, you are still wasting your life fighting other women.
28:02The fast-acting poison is already taking effect.
28:06A dark stream of blood begins seeping from the corner of her mouth.
28:09She claws desperately at her own throat, her mouth gasping open if she collapses heavily
28:13to the stone floor.
28:14I drop down beside her, shaking her shoulders.
28:17Emma's the antidote!
28:18Where is the antidote?
28:20Her lips move frantically, slick with blood, but no sound comes out.
28:24I have no idea if she will get another rebirth.
28:26But if she does, I truly hope she remembers what I told you.
28:30The news that a foreign messenger has just tried to kill the revered guardian who saved
28:33the Dragonkin prince spreads through the palace like wildfire.
28:36Chieftain Snow, who was still pushing hard over the finer details of the treaty, completely
28:40shrinks into his seat, his whole political power vanishing in an instant.
28:44In the wake of the scandal, both sides finalize a full non-aggression pact.
28:48The Grey Rabbit Warren officially submits to complete Dragonkin rule for a term of 100 years,
28:53needing full, unconditional obedience.
28:55Dragonkin officials will be permanently placed within their territory to oversee all local
28:59government.
29:00A leadership post overseeing the operations of a whole clan.
29:04Is that position important enough for your standards?
29:07That assignment will do.
29:08Barely.
29:09After the pact is signed, Draken keeps showing up at my tower every few days.
29:13Sometimes he brings freshly grilled meat skewers, sometimes he just stays and refuses to leave.
29:18Marina secretly tells me,
29:20When a dragonic male has chosen someone, he appears before her every day and won't leave no matter what.
29:26That night, Draken comes again, no food this time, just a dragon scale ring.
29:30He stands in front of me, the tips of his ears turning red, and says nothing for a long while.
29:35You're blushing.
29:36Dragonlin don't blush.
29:37Then why are your ears red?
29:38He takes a deep breath and drops to one knee.
29:41Selina, first I place my life in your hands.
29:44Second, I change a thousand years of tradition for you.
29:47Third, marry me.
29:48Not one night, a lifetime.
29:49Get up.
29:50I won't get up unless you say yes.
29:52Aren't you going to put the ring on me?
29:54He jumps up, fumbles the ring onto my finger.
29:58I'll take it as a yes.
30:00Yeah, yes.
30:02The next day, Draken announces,
30:04The dragon can adopt the Solbon system.
30:07I, Draken, take Selina as my wife.
30:10I stand beside him, and he secretly squeezes my fingers.
30:13What are you doing?
30:15Making sure you're not dreaming.
30:17You're the one who's afraid he's dreaming.
30:18He doesn't answer, but his smile won't go away no matter how hard he tries.
30:23In the distance, smoke rises from the gray rabbit warren.
30:26This time, everything is settled, and my life has only just begun.
30:29Go on, verseə.
30:29Go on, pesticide.
30:30Go on, Denver.
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