That said, Chelsie didn’t seem to be reliable, so it would be better for Ruri to recruit someone who knew how to properly raise dragonkin children.
“Rutile-san, I’d like to hear from someone knowledgeable about dragonkin child-rearing.”
“What? You sound like you have a problem with me,” Chelsie said, furrowing her brow, displeased that Ruri was seeking help from others despite having an experienced person like herself around.
“Hearing that your child-rearing methods were extreme from Rutile-san has obviously made me afraid to take your advice,” Ruri explained.
“There’s not gonna be much difference,” Chelsie replied.
“I don’t even know if there is a difference or not, so I want to get other people’s opinions as well.”
Chelsie still looked dissatisfied, but Rutile seemed to agree. “She has a good point. Ruri has become His Majesty’s mate, yet she still seems to know so little.” Rutile perhaps knew that all too well because she was always by Ruri’s side as her guard. “I think it might be a good idea for her to learn about dragonkin.”
Since arriving at the castle, Ruri had been taught by Agate and others to learn the basic ways of the world, but it had been one issue after another since her arrival, leaving her with the bare minimum of knowledge. Even though she was the mate of the Dragon King Jade, there were still many things she was clueless about. Then again, there was also the fact that she was a Beloved and couldn’t be involved in politics, so it was not entirely her fault.
However, Chelsie agreed that the habits and biology of the dragonkin wouldn’t be a heavily restricted topic for Ruri to delve into.
“That’s right. Seems she should probably learn a bit more about dragonkin. I’ve been worried about when she’s going to accidentally push His Majesty buttons enough to make him confine her,” said Chelsie.
“Agreed,” Rutile concurred.
“Chelsie-san, you’re saying some awfully ominous things without batting an eye, and I have no idea how to respond. Rutile-san is even agreeing with you and everything.”
“Underestimate a dragonkin man and you’ll get hurt,” Chelsie warned her.
Those threatening words even made Rutile nod sternly in agreement. Ruri had heard countless times about how dragonkin obsessed over their mates, so she thought she wouldn’t have any issues, but apparently she wasn’t equipped for the dangers. She hoped Jade didn’t turn into a yandere—a person with a dangerous obsession with their partner.
Ruri didn’t sense enough danger in the air just yet, but the seriousness in the two ladies’ eyes made it impossible to simply laugh the advice off.
“I just want to talk about child-rearing, though...”
“Yes. This is very relevant to raising children. Dragonkin men hate having their mate’s attention taken away, even if it’s by their own child,” replied Rutile.
“Especially because this child is a boy. He’ll get extremely jealous, so you best remain cautious. It wouldn’t be as bad if it were a girl, but still.”
“Just as Lady Chelsie says, I understand that you value your son, but it’s not a good idea to pay too much attention to him. Do you understand, Ruri?” Rutile warned her with a stern look.
“Aww, what?” Ruri whined, naturally dissatisfied with what she was hearing. However, what Chelsie told her next forced her into silence.
“If you’re not careful, the child will cease to be.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?!” Ruri asked, startled by the ominous words.
“It’s common among dragonkin who marry outside their race. Once the male dragonkin gets jealous because the female dragon gives the child too much attention, he considers the child a nuisance and...” Rutile said with a suggestive pause in her sentence.
Ruri’s face twitched. “And...? What do they do with the child?!” She was afraid to ask but wanted to know. Her conflicting feelings were overcome by her curiosity.
“Kicking them out of the house would be the best option. Worst-case scenario, he might kill the child or kill his mate and himself.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Ruri hesitated, shifting her gaze from Chelsie to Rutile. Like Chelsie, Rutile didn’t look like she was joking either, which left Ruri unable to suppress the twitch at the corner of her mouth. “The dragonkin are wild...”
Yes, she was reminded that the dragonkin were a dangerous race in more ways than one. That also jogged her memory. Ewan’s parents had met a tragic end due to a dragonkin’s obsession, and he’d been taken in by his cousin, Finn.
She didn’t think Jade would harm her. Besides, Jade couldn’t harm a Beloved like Ruri, who was constantly protected by Kotaro’s barrier, so there was no real need to worry. Nevertheless, hearing such perilous warnings filled her with myriad complicated feelings.
If you asked Ruri if she could exercise self-control around her child, she probably couldn’t. Not when Citrine was this cute. That was all there was to it. Still, she did think she should have a better understanding of the biology and habits of the dragonkin—for her and Citrine’s sake.
“For now, could you introduce me to someone who can explain dragonkin child-rearing methods in an easy way? If possible, I’d prefer a human woman like me, who can sympathize.”
At first, Ruri had planned to ask Chelsie, a veteran mother who’d raised three children, but her feelings had changed greatly in the short period since then. The perceptions of dragonkin and humans were totally different. Normal things to Ruri weren’t normal, and illogical things to her were logical to them. She felt that she’d learn more from someone who could properly understand the shock caused by this species disparity.
“Right, there are things that only someone of the same race would notice. I’ll speak to His Majesty about it.”
“Thank you, Rutile.”