Mr. Dragon Knight, the dragon girls are chasing you!

Eluvia turned her head away from his kiss, gasping for breath. A thin layer of mist veiled her golden, vertical pupils, and her voice was soft yet urgent: "Wait, wait. I agreed to go first, don't steal my thunder!"

Luo Ye raised an eyebrow, his fingertips still tracing circles lightly on the soft flesh of her waist, his tone lazy and playful: "Then Your Majesty, please continue with the ceremony, I promise to cooperate."

"Don't touch my waist! It tickles!"

Eluvia felt a chill run down her spine. She raised her hand and gently slapped away his mischievous hand, her cheeks flushing red as she forced herself to maintain a domineering and imposing posture.

But the next second, she froze completely, completely stuck.

She was stunned.

The secret scriptures and ritual steps that I had memorized countless times were now a jumbled mess, impossible to sort out.

She had looked at the illustrations in the book countless times and memorized every detail, but when it came to actually putting them into practice, it was a completely different story.

First like this? Then like that? And then... what exactly are the steps?

She frowned, deep in thought, her face flushed red, unable to come up with a next move for a long time.

"The third step is—" she murmured hesitantly, her voice full of uncertainty.

"It's about... about the rest of the clothes..."

"What are you wearing?"

"..."

"Um?"

Eluvia punched Luo Ye in the chest, the force weak and utterly intimidating, her face already flushed red: "You knew perfectly well that you were teasing me! That's too much!"

After her outburst of anger, she gritted her teeth, forced herself to lower her head, and clumsily continued the ceremony according to the vague memories in her mind.

But the next second—

"Hmm!"

Eluvia's body stiffened abruptly, her gilded vertical pupils widened suddenly, and her eyes instantly reddened.

It hurts.

Why does it hurt so much?

The book clearly didn't say it would hurt this much!

She froze on the spot, not daring to move, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back from falling.

Luo Ye immediately noticed her unusual behavior, quickly stopped everything, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Does it hurt?"

Eluvia bit her reddened lower lip tightly, refusing to make a sound. She simply nodded slightly, like a wronged but stubborn little animal, looking utterly pitiful.

Luo Ye's heart instantly softened completely, turning into a pool of warm water.

He gently cupped her flushed face in his hand, his thumb softly stroking her red and burning eyes, wiping away the tears that were about to fall. His voice was so gentle it could melt the coldest heart.

"Elvia, if it hurts, just say so. Don't force yourself or endure it."

"But... the book says... this is a necessary process for forming bonds... just bear with it..."

Her voice was heavy with sobs, soft and aggrieved. Even though she was in unbearable pain, she was still determined to complete this special bond.

"Books are inanimate, but people are alive." Luo Ye's eyes were earnest yet gentle.

"Rituals are meant to bring us closer, not to make you feel wronged or tormented. If you feel uncomfortable, we can stop and rest. There's no need to rigidly follow ancient texts or force yourself to conform to any rules."

The gentle words completely shattered her tense defenses.

Eluvia stared blankly at his gentle eyes and brows. The pent-up grievances and bitterness she had been holding back for so long suddenly burst forth. Her eyes welled up with tears, and hot tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

She lowered her head slightly, burying her face in Luo Ye's warm chest, her muffled voice thick with nasal tone, full of frustration and grievance:

"Am I really that useless... I can't even do the simplest bond ritual right..."

"How could that be?" Luo Ye gently stroked her long hair, his voice full of doting affection.

"You are the bravest little black dragon I have ever seen. But some things cannot be done well just by being brave."

"Then does that mean I... will never be able to learn it?" Eluvia raised her wet eyes, looking at him with teary eyes, her eyes full of apprehension and unease.

Looking at her pitiful appearance, Luo Ye couldn't help but laugh: "Who said you can't learn it? It just takes a little time and patience."

He reached out and gently wiped away the tears on her face: "Let's take it slow, there's no rush."

Eluvia sniffed her reddened nose, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke softly but firmly: "...Let's continue."

"Are you sure you want to continue? Don't you want to rest a little longer?" Luo Ye asked, looking down to confirm, his tone full of indulgence.

"Mmm." She looked up at him with her wet eyes, her gaze filled with nervousness and shyness, but even more so with an almost stubborn determination.

"I want to... complete this bond with you."

Having received an affirmative answer, Luo Ye stopped trying to dissuade her, but gently slowed down the pace and silently cooperated with her.

Soon, Eluvia's body gradually relaxed, and the dragon tail that had been curled up in pain slowly stretched out, its tip limply resting on the back of his knee.

Then, an indescribable feeling began to slowly emerge from the pain.

She didn't know how to describe it.

Like a little dragon that had been struggling in the gale for a long, long time, its wings were finally held firmly by a pair of warm and strong hands, and from then on it no longer had to fly against the wind alone, nor had it had to endure the loneliness of the long night alone.

A mix of emotions—bitter, tender, burning, and comforting—filled every void in my heart.

"How strange..." Eluvia murmured softly, her voice softening and devoid of all the dragon king's sharpness and arrogance.

"Stupid dragon knight, am I sick? I feel warm and numb all over, and I have no strength at all..."

"You're not sick." Luo Ye leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her flushed earlobe, his voice deep and gentle.

"Relax, follow my rhythm, and you'll gradually get used to it."

His fingertips brushed against her slightly flushed face, which was flushed from nervousness, and his fingers slid down the soft, delicate curve of her cheek.

Finally, it landed on her lips, gently rubbing against her lower lip, which she had bitten until it was slightly red and swollen.

"Waaah..."

Soft sobs escaped from Eluvia's slightly parted lips, echoing intermittently in the quiet chamber, gentle yet alluring.

Her dragon tail had somehow slipped off the edge of the bed, the fluffy pom-pom at the tip sweeping aimlessly across the stone floor, occasionally slapping against the bedpost with a soft thud before limply retracting and wrapping around him again.

After an unknown amount of time, Eluvia opened her hazy eyes and saw that Luo Ye's forehead was also covered in a thin layer of sweat, and his breathing was erratic.

"That's enough..." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, and her eyes were slightly red.

Luo Ye lowered his head and placed a gentle, tender kiss on her smooth brow, his tone full of doting: "Okay, that's enough. Let's rest for a bit."

"Mmm." Eluvia nodded obediently, completely relaxing her body and snuggling in his arms, unusually not acting tough or arrogant.

Just when she thought everything was finally over and she could finally catch her breath, her body suddenly felt light.

Luo Ye used his strength to lift her up.