"You can wait here if you want, but before that, at least eat something. It's been three days; if you stay like this, you will ascend to heaven before our seniors wake up," one of the junior disciples pitied the girl, who had been protected by Chen Zoe.
After waking up, she had been heartlessly thrown out of the inn they were staying in under Chen Zeon's command. However, she stubbornly stands outside the inn for three days without leaving the place.
"I don't understand; why is she so stubborn?"
"Maybe she wants to show her gratitude towards her savior. I heard he's in this condition because of this girl."
"What's the commotion here?" Xi Shen approached the juniors and continued. "This jinx is still here?"
Xi Shen didn't hold back his hatred towards the girl, who was the reason behind Chen Zoe's condition. Even after his wound healed, Chen Zoe hadn't woken up from his sleep.
"What's in your hand?" Xi Shen asked, noticing a glimpse of a jade pendant resembling Chen Zoe's on the girl's hand. He furiously continued, "Show it."
He intended to forcibly take a look at it, but she bites his hand and ran away.
Observing everything from the first floor, Chen Zeon sighed after watching Chen Zoe, who lying on the bed unconsciously.
'I don't understand what the hell is going on here. A young dragon stupidly imprints a human as his partner. Out of numerous ones, why did it have to be Chen Zoe? Because of that, I can't kill her nor report it to someone. Should I pretend nothing happened at all?
But what if he discovers it later? How am I going to explain everything to that crazy man (Chen Zeng)?
But that girl... there is something off… The golden light that emanates from her… is she royal? If so, what is she doing in the human realm?
The sacrifice of hundreds of young maidens, the forbidden ritual that disappeared over time due to the strict rules under the third dragon lord, has now returned through their kind. Why?
What are they seeking so desperately in the human realm? Is it the dead queen or… her newborn that was left behind here? Is that child still alive?
If that child is still alive, not only the dragons but even the demons will come to our lands. Then it will end in an inevitable war between the three realms.
Why did that bastard (Chen Zeng) have to go to such lengths for revenge? My peaceful retirement in a luxurious place... why does it all suddenly feel like an impossible dream?'
"Wake up, Zoe, before it's too late…" Chen Zeon helplessly looked at Zoe and spoke.
...
"Where is this place?" Chen Zoe regained his consciousness and found himself inside a forest, lying on the ground. The greenery around him surprised him but also brought a sense of peace. There were a few fireflies of different colors flying around. He wandered around but found no one. He walked aimlessly, and it led him to a cave.
He entered the cave; darkness filled the space, but suddenly, fireflies appeared from nowhere and showed him a path. It led him to a red flower that about to bloom. He lost his self-control and reached out to touch it as he enchanted by the flower, but someone pulled him back.
He turned to look at that person and was surprised to see the real Chen Zoe in front of him. The real one looked more mature than his current self.
"I never expected to meet you like this. Why are you acting so recklessly when you're in someone else's body?" With a nonchalant face, the real Zoe continued. "I never gave you my body to die so young."
"Haa… Am I dead again? So, is this heaven?" Completely misunderstanding Chen Zoe's words, Li Xin anxiously asked.
"It's your dream world, not heaven or hell. After a few hours, you will regain your consciousness in real world."
"Then what about you?" Li Xin couldn't understand the situation well, finding himself next to the real Chen Zoe, who was letting him take over his body willingly.
"You were worried about someone who doesn't deserve such sympathy in the first place.
I already lived a life filled with regrets; I don't want to repeat it... I'm currently happy being here without any problems."
"Huh!" [Chen Zoe's reply really doesn't match any regressor's story that Li Xin had ever read.]
"Every person has a reason to live, and I am someone who lost all those reasons. Even after reversing time, I don't gain anything. I couldn't save my family, the hatred towards the dragons won't change, after experiencing betrayal, I can't truly love Chen Ling again, and the path I should take only leads to destruction...
I only reversed time to repay my debt to a few people who lost their happiness because of me, not to live again. And that's when I met you, Li Xin.
You wanted to live, and I don't want to, so I gave you a second chance. But never thought you would stupidly try to end it."
"So, you are saying it's a real world where you lived and died. Not some fantasy world, which a crazy author wrote?" Confused, Li Xin questioned him.
"It's not your fault to think like that; I'm the one who manipulated your memories. I thought, by letting you know the future of this world and making myself a villain, you could correct the mistakes that I once made, and... I also wished for you to survive until the very end."
"I really can't tell if you are a villain or a hero. But I must say, if I were Chen Ling, I would have chosen you instead of a person with a harem. She stupidly lost the most loving person she ever had." Hearing those words, a smile appeared on Chen Zoe's face. Li Xin continued. "Don't worry, I will try my best to survive in this world until the very end, as you wish. Also, thank you for giving me a second chance to live."
"It's about time to leave, but before that, I will tell you a secret. Long Yuzhen doesn't have a harem, even though he was loved by many women.
As a dragon, he was fated to have one partner."
"Is that so? Who is she?" Curiously, Li Xin asked.
"It's you…"
"What? What do you mean?"
Without giving a reply, Chen Zoe disappeared, and Li Xin regained his consciousness.