I, Valon, am frantically searching for my mother.

If girlfriends are like this, then wives are even more so.

Wayne's only concern was whether what he was doing was a bit too outrageous.

After all, according to human moral standards, it's absurd to exploit a young girl's vulgarity, low self-esteem, and desire for attention by deliberately approaching her and inducing her to agree to a request that she herself may not even understand...

It feels a bit too vulgar, and it doesn't quite conform to the rites of Zhou.

But the problem is, Wayne really needs his mother.

Without a mother, there is no mark; without a mark, one cannot become stronger.

Wayne has always had an almost obsessive desire to find his mother.

This is certainly not because he is a perverted womanizer or because he lacked maternal love in his childhood, leading to an Oedipus complex.

Instead, Wayne developed severe anxiety about himself.

In the D&D worldview where gods truly exist, simply being a dragon does not allow one to control their own destiny.

There is a deity on the top of the giant dragon's head.

Take, for example, the goddess worshipped by the five-colored dragons—the Dragon Mother Tiamat.

The joys and sorrows of the gods directly affect the dragons in the mortal realm.

Wayne was genuinely afraid that one day he might become cannon fodder in the war between these gods.

Therefore, Wayne has been trying every possible way to find his mother and improve his strength, even if it means leaving the Dragon's Nest.

Moreover, from another perspective, this may not be a bad thing.

For a creature like Heilong, who has long been neglected, ostracized, and filled with inferiority, being able to become a mother who is needed might be a kind of comfort for her.

Forget it, I don't want to.

Overthinking will only increase your worries.

Wayne looked into Bella's amber eyes, still filled with panic and disbelief, in the mud, took a deep breath, and then slowly walked into the mud pit where Bella was.

The two dragons got together.

The moment Bella saw Wayne's action, her eyes widened in disbelief that Wayne would willingly step into the black dragon's mud pit.

Generally speaking, only two types of people can enter the Black Dragon Mud Pit.

The black dragon itself and the prey killed by the black dragon.

Therefore, Bella was incredibly shocked by Wayne's decision to deliberately enter the mud pit.

However, the brief courage brought about by this shock was quickly overwhelmed by a surge of inferiority complex.

Because Bella keenly noticed that Wayne's nose twitched slightly in the direction she was approaching.

As expected... it still smells bad...

Bella bit her lip again, remembering that she was a stinky black dragon. Suddenly, she raised her head and asked:

"Is...is it very smelly?"

Wayne was trying to adjust to the strange enveloping feeling and buoyancy of the mud when he heard Bella's words. He paused for a moment, then honestly shook his head.

"no."

Wayne's voice sounded muffled under the mud.

"It's my first time in a mud pit like this, so I'm a little unaccustomed to it. It feels... kind of strange."

It was probably Wayne's voluntary act of entering the mud pit and "going along with her" that greatly shortened the physical and psychological distance between the two.

Surprisingly, Bella didn't immediately back down or sink. She remained submerged in the mud, with only her head and amber eyes showing.

"You're definitely lying to me."

Bella's voice carried a hint of stubbornness that she herself was unaware of.

"You're... wrinkling your nose."

I'm not lying, Wayne really doesn't think it has any flavor.

Or rather, this complex odor, a mixture of humus, aquatic plants, silt, and some kind of biological metabolic product, was still within his acceptable range.

It even has a slightly... strangely intoxicating feeling?

If I had to describe it, the smell here is a bit like the complex aroma that emanates from a young girl after running and jumping around outside all afternoon in her non-breathable cotton socks and heavy leather boots. It's a mixture of sweat, leather, and a slightly sour smell.

It smells sour, but not entirely foul.

In Liangzi's words, it was truly delicious.

Considering that this mud pit was Bella's bathing spot, and her own feet were in it, the smell was practically negligible.

"Really, I'm not lying to you."

Wayne tried to make his tone more sincere, and he even moved closer to Bella, causing the mud to splash up in small sprays.

"I quite like it here. It's quiet, undisturbed, and..."

He paused, as if recalling something, his gaze drifting into the distance.

"I've only ever seen two of my friends before. They always liked to play in mud puddles, rolling around in mud all over themselves, and they seemed... quite happy."

"real?"

Bella was somewhat surprised, seemingly not expecting Wayne to say that.

So she asked, somewhat curiously:

"May I know the names of your two friends?"

Bella regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.

Damn it, Bella, you're still a dragon?

His Majesty Wayne was probably just saying it casually, being polite to you, and you're acting all high and mighty?

A brief silence suddenly fell over the room.

Bella looked at Wayne nervously, and just as she was wondering if she should quickly think of another topic to ease the awkwardness, Wayne suddenly spoke:

"Patty and George."

Wayne's calm voice broke the silence.

"What?"

Bella didn't react for a moment.

"I mean, my two friends are named Paige and George. They're siblings and they love playing in mud puddles."

Bella was so moved she almost cried; her amber eyes glistened with tears, and the way she looked at Wayne changed.

So it turns out His Majesty Wayne really does have friends who like mud pits.

Although Bella always felt that these two names didn't quite sound like dragons.

"They... must be great friends."

Bella said softly, her tone filled with genuine envy.

Five-colored dragons rarely have friends, let alone black dragons.

Wayne nodded guiltily.

Are we good friends?

probably.

After all, Wayne still finds roast suckling pig quite delicious when they eat it at home.

How should we proceed with the conversation next?

Wayne couldn't help but think about it.

As a seasoned player of bishoujo games like Senren Banka, Kaleidoscope, Witch's Banquet, and The Mansion of Death, with over 2000 hours of experience, Wayne has unique insights into romance games.

According to his judgment, Bella's favorability towards him should have exceeded 30 points, entering the stage where special dialogues can be triggered.

The most standard approach right now is to continue exploring common topics, and then gradually delve deeper to touch upon her deeper traumas and desires.

Finally, he makes a dashing appearance at a crucial moment, completely opening her heart and causing her to tearfully open up and accept his request...

That's roughly the process, but the question is, how do we do it?

Reality isn't a game; there are no dialogue boxes or options, and certainly no save/load tricks. For a hidden master like Wayne, the absence of these things is worse than killing him.

While Wayne was still racking his brains for the next topic, Bella took action first.

Bella, who had been soaking in the water on the opposite side, suddenly seemed to have made some kind of huge decision in her watery amber eyes.

"Ugh—!"

Bella let out a muffled whimper, and then the entire dragon pounced on Wayne.

"Waaaaah... Your Majesty Wayne, I knew it... I knew I should have just said it!"

Bella's voice, choked with sobs, muffledly echoed in Wayne's ears.

"Your Majesty Wayne! I...I love it here! I love spending time here with you!"

"I...I...can I become your partner?"