novelraw Chapter 47 – The Origin of Malady
Chapter 47 – The Origin of Malady
Su Nian hurried back to the Dragon Nest for one reason only: to give Anna her medicine.
He had been busy outside for quite some time, and he estimated that Anna had already woken up. Now that he had gathered a good amount of all the necessary herbs, which were neatly categorized and placed in the Dragon Nest, Anna could easily take them herself.
If he returned too late, he wouldn't be able to personally give her the medicine, which would be such a pity.
Sure enough, as soon as Su Nian entered the Dragon Nest, he found Anna with her little backside sticking out, rummaging through a pile of herbs.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
She was just about to find all the herbs she needed.
Su Nian quickly rushed over like the wind to stop her.
"Anna, leave the herb gathering to me. You just need to wait obediently for me to give you the medicine, okay?"
Su Nian coaxed Anna gently while unhesitatingly taking the herbs from her hands.
"But... but, Dragon Brother, Anna..."
"Ahem, no buts."
Su Nian's dragon face was very serious as he gently persuaded her:
"You can't distinguish these herbs, and if you take the wrong one, it could make you feel worse. Be good. You're still young and don't understand these things."
Sitting on Su Nian's dragon claw, nestled in his embrace, Anna pouted slightly, feeling a bit wronged. She blinked her big eyes and looked innocently at her Dragon Brother, saying helplessly:
"Actually, Anna can tell these herbs apart. This is Bloodcap Mushroom, this is Twin Star Leaf, this is Pinecone Fruit... and this, Dreamtone Blossom. Dragon Brother, this Dreamtone Blossom has hallucinogenic effects, and it's the kind that... well, you know..."
"So, what did you gather this herb for? To lure Magical Beasts?"
"Yes, yes, to lure Magical Beasts, hahaha..."
Su Nian quickly nodded his dragon head, trying to look serious, but in reality, he was already scratching the ground with his claws.
No other reason, just an itchy foot.
"And also, Dragon Brother, hehe~"
Anna suddenly giggled, sensing the dragon's embarrassment but choosing not to expose him.
She pursed her lips, her face blushing, and murmured shyly:
"And actually, actually, Anna didn't plan to take the medicine herself. Anna just wanted to find all the herbs so that when Dragon Brother returned, he could give them to Anna..."
As she spoke, Anna bit her red lips, turning her fair and delicate face to the side.
Su Nian could see her long, graceful neck turning visibly red at an observable speed.
Even the furry tips of her ears were tinged with pink, twitching nervously.
Anna's words filled him with joy.
Unable to resist, he held Anna in his claws and gave her a dozen or so affectionate licks until she puffed her cheeks, pouting slightly, clearly a bit annoyed, and he sheepishly stopped.
"Dragon Brother! Anna has something very serious to tell you! During the same time every day, you can only lick Anna five times! No more!"
Anna spoke righteously, her little face tense as she seriously held the Black Dragon's head.
She made sure the Black Dragon's dark golden eyes were looking directly into hers.
Unfortunately, the Black Dragon's head was as big as a water barrel, and holding it like this was a bit of a struggle for her.
"Alright, slurp~ Anna, slurp~ I'll be careful, slurp~"
"Oh, stop it! If you keep doing that, Anna won't talk to you anymore!"
Anna helplessly wiped the dragon saliva from her face, playfully scolding him, her adorable peach blossom eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the Black Dragon with a hint of reproach.
What could she do? After all, she had a soft spot for the Black Dragon in her heart.
No matter what the dragon did, she wouldn't really dislike it.
"Dragon Brother, weren't you going to give Anna her medicine? Anna is ready."
Anna murmured softly, lying obediently on the Black Dragon's claw.
Her head and upper body rested on one dragon claw, while her bottom and thighs lay on the other.
Her two slender, delicate legs swung leisurely in the air, her snow-white bare feet like two white butterflies playfully dancing.
She tilted her pretty face, closed her eyes, and gently opened her pink little mouth, letting out a sweet "ah—" sound.
From Su Nian's perspective, he could see Anna's shy, lilac tongue, her exquisite nose's wings fluttering slightly, perhaps from nervousness or shyness.
Her long eyelashes trembled, and her slightly ill-fitting princess dress revealed a small section of her delicate collarbone, with the white skin of her neck showing clearly visible veins.
Unfortunately, Su Nian was not a vampire, and he had no interest in Anna's neck.
He was just a kind-hearted Black Dragon, holding a desire to save lives and relieve suffering.
So he quickly chewed the herbs and used his dragon tongue to deliver them into Anna's mouth.
With the effect of dragon saliva, all the medicinal properties of the herbs were fully mixed, enhancing the overall efficacy.
At least, that's what Su Nian believed.
After all, the saying that a dragon's body is full of treasures wasn't his invention; it was a widely accepted notion, so it wasn't surprising that dragon saliva had such special properties.
It made perfect sense.
After giving Anna her medicine, Su Nian took out the food he had prepared in advance.
Actually, eating before taking medicine is best, but among the herbs Su Nian gathered, there was one specifically for nourishing the stomach, which worked better on an empty stomach.
"Dragon Brother, what is this? It tastes so good, sweet..."
Anna ate the food Su Nian had exchanged for, licking her pink lips with a smile, her cute and charming demeanor making him want to hold her and wash her face again.
"This is Eight-Treasure Porridge, you've never had it before, have you~"
Su Nian smiled proudly, lifting his head and puffing out his chest, holding Anna in his large dragon claw as they sat atop a high rock ledge.
Anna ate with particular elegance, chewing slowly and taking small bites, making it a pleasure to watch. But as she ate, she began to sob quietly, with crystal tears falling into the bowl, causing Su Nian to panic.
"Anna, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did some Magical Beast bully you? Tell me, and I'll take care of it for you."
"No... no,"
Anna lowered her head, looking at the fragrant and delicious Eight-Treasure Porridge in the bowl, and lifted her soft little hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of her eyes, sniffling as she stammered:
"No Magical Beast bullied... bullied Anna, the Kobolds and Gnolls are all very nice to Anna, Anna just misses home..."
"Misses home?"
Su Nian smacked his lips, feeling a bit troubled. According to his memory, the Emerald Forest was tens of thousands of miles away, across a vast ocean.
Right now, he didn't have the ability to send Anna home, and he had his own selfish reasons; he couldn't bear to part with her.
"Mm..."
Anna nodded, putting down the Eight-Treasure Porridge, and suddenly turned around to gently hug the Black Dragon's neck, burying her face in it, speaking in a muffled voice:
"Anna... Anna's home was overrun by demons... Daddy and Mommy died, and Sister died too, leaving only Anna. For some reason, the demons didn't eat Anna but locked her up..."
"Later, Anna started to get sick, it was very painful... Every night, she would wake up in pain until one day, a group of humans broke in, they killed the demons, but they also sold Anna to slavers..."