“Alright, stop eating that.
The porcelain plate isn’t edible.
If you’re hungry, I can have the kitchen prepare something for you.” Norma was amused by Jasmine’s adorably silly comment.
“What?…” Jasmine felt utterly defeated upon hearing this, tears involuntarily streaming down her face.
Despite it being the height of summer, she was so upset that her hands and feet turned cold.
They even plan to fatten me up before slaughtering me.
This is insane.
When will the dragon race ever rise again?? “Calm down, no one here wants to eat you.” While admiring her vivid imagination, Norma rubbed his forehead, unsure of what experiences had led this child to always assume the worst.
“Besides, dragon meat isn’t tasty,” Rocco commented quietly from the side.
“It’s too tough and doesn’t cook well.”
“So, if it were tasty, would you all just turn me into dragon soup without hesitation?” Jasmine clung to the plate as if it were her lifeline.
“Rocco, stop scaring her,” Norma shot Rocco a glance.
“Lord Mo Li, you’re not human… oh no, I mean, I knew you weren’t entirely human for a long time, so there’s no need to hide.”
“So, have you already decided whether to dismember or imprison me first?!”
“Calm down, I have no ill intentions towards you,” Norma felt a bit weary from explaining.
“I know, no ill intentions, just interested in the parts of my body, right?”
“Do you really not trust me?” Norma sighed.
“If I were interested in your body parts, I would have acted while you were unconscious, instead of providing you with good food and drink and dragging it out until now.”
“Maybe you’re planning to catch a big fish with a long line, intending to act after I’ve grown up!”
“If that were the case, I should have placed a slave mark on you, so you’d never be able to resist me.”
“?!” Jasmine hurriedly checked her body for any strange marks.
“You, you really don’t plan to turn me into dragon soup?” After confirming there was nothing strange on her body, Jasmine was still uneasy.
“No.”
“Nor do you plan to turn me into a tonic, a powerful supplement, weapons, or alchemical materials?”
“None of that.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“………” Reborn, Mo Li was as cautious as an armed hedgehog, deeply wary of everyone.
You can’t blame her for being paranoid.
In her view, these selfish, hypocritical nobles have no limits, and bullying a powerless, orphaned young dragon like her is all too easy.
And indeed, that’s how it was.
In both her past and present lives, Jasmine had never received care from others.
Having to rely on herself for everything, she couldn’t believe anyone unrelated to her would help her unconditionally.
It was like being suddenly brought into a warm environment after getting used to the cold, a strange feeling she found hard to handle.
“Actually, it’s like this,” Norma seemed to realize this point too.
After all, he had offered too much unsolicited assistance, so it was only natural for the other party to question his motives.
“Lord Mo Li, in fact, I was a close friend of your father’s for many years.
On his deathbed, he entrusted you to me.
But at that time, there was chaos, and you went missing.
I never expected to meet you again by chance years later, so I thought I could try to make it up to you as much as possible.” Norma spoke with emotion, his voice full of sincerity.
“………Really?” Jasmine was somewhat moved, recalling Norma’s expression when he saw the ring in her hand.
Was that when he realized? “Is my father dead?” Jasmine unconsciously asked.
“Yes, he passed away a long time ago.”
“What about my mother?”
“Your mother died in childbirth the year you were born,” Norma’s voice grew somber.
“So, who exactly is my father?”
“Listen, Mo Li, keep that ring safe and don’t show it to anyone, understand?” Norma said the same thing as Elsa, but this time, his tone was clearly that of an elder advising a junior.
Jasmine felt a slight trust in Norma, simply because he said the same thing as Elsa, who was her blood relative and had traveled a long way at the risk of being discovered by the dragon race, making it almost impossible for her to harm Jasmine.
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through all these years.
Maybe you’ve faced many insurmountable difficulties.
I wasn’t by your side then, but now, can you try to trust me a little more?” Norma’s tone was full of sincerity.
“………” Jasmine wouldn’t easily give her trust to others, even though she didn’t have a bad impression of Norma.
As for what he said, it might be true, or perhaps it was mixed with some fabrications.
“Count, I have a question.
Since my father is a dragon, how did you become friends with him?” Jasmine was probing, testing whether the other party really knew about her parents’ situation and whether the previous words were a lie.
“Oh, I haven’t had a chance to tell you, your father wasn’t a dragon, your mother was.
And it seems your mother was a member of the White Feather Dragons with significant status.”
“Is that so?” Jasmine raised an eyebrow, initially determining that Norma did indeed know her parents, though it wasn’t absolute.
“Count, to be honest, someone else has told me what you just said,” Jasmine thought for a moment, planning to inform Norma about Elsa and observe his reaction.
“Someone else?” Norma was taken aback, then asked, “Can you tell me who?”
“A dragon.”
“A dragon?”
“Yes, a dragon who claims to be my mother’s sister, White Feather Dragons…”
“What did she want you to do?” Norma’s brow furrowed, seemingly resistant to the idea.
“Never mind, I don’t care what she wanted you to do, but Mo Li, don’t trust them.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t forget, they’re dragons, and we’re humans.
Your father was human too.
Those who are not of our kind are sure to have different intentions.” Norma’s tone suddenly turned cold.
“Back then, the White Feather Dragons strongly opposed your father and mother’s union, causing countless troubles, and even persecuted your mother…”
“In short, don’t trust them.” Norma seemed to have a deep prejudice against the White Feather Dragons.
“Those selfish people will never see you as one of their own.”
Norma’s words were not far from Jasmine’s guess.
The White Feather Dragons indeed had a strong prejudice against mixed blood, so strong that it might have indirectly harmed her mother.
“………I understand.” Jasmine was thoughtful, and in fact, she didn’t fully trust either Elsa or Norma.
By now, she was increasingly unsure of who truly had her best interests at heart.
