Chapter 561: 39. Aria
Aria, who heard Fisher’s words, was momentarily stunned, clearly still struggling to comprehend the full meaning behind his astonishing statement.
For the Dragon Race, which had a special mechanism of Suitable Tail Partners and would only ever have one partner in a lifetime, what Fisher said was truly shocking, as if it were meant to pierce her soul.
Before Fisher’s confession, Aria had still barrenly imagined that Fisher was merely entangled with Jasmine, for in her eyes, having a third party was already unforgivable. Even under the pressure of Fisher’s Mythical Rank, as a mother, she expressed her true opposition.
Little did she expect that just a few words later, it would not be just a third party, but rather a fourth, fifth, sixth, and so on!
Her scales grew increasingly agitated, even someone as gentle as Aria was frightened enough to tremble in her speech, “Y-you said how many?”
Fisher felt a bit helpless, but in the end, he still chose to be honest, “Aunt Aria, you heard correctly, aside from Raphael and Jasmine, there are more than five women with whom I have close relations.”
Aria’s mouth dropped open slightly, as if time had frozen for her in this moment of utter shock.
She never imagined that today her daughter would bring back a human lover from a distant continent, someone who would bring her a slight “human shock.” No, it should be called a “Fisher shock”?
After a moment of silence, time began to flow again from the part of Aria’s lips as she asked dryly, “Does Raphael know about this?”
“She knows some,” he replied.
“What do you mean by knows some? Does she know or not?”
“She might know about the existence of other women, or perhaps she knows but has never met them.”
“…”
Aria extended her claw to take the teacup before her, but having reached the cup’s rim, she paused outside of it. The standoff caused slight tremors, sending rippling waves through the tea inside.
She wanted to pick it up but felt as if she couldn’t. So, she settled for a slightly hoarse voice, saying, “So, you’re telling me that I have to accept everyone else just like I accepted Jasmine, is that it?”
“That sounds too impossible.”
“Yes, and I am the first obstacle to that impossibility. I would rather Raphael suffer temporarily and endure the heartbreak of losing a partner than let her continue with you, for perhaps one day in the future you will have to pay the price for it.”
“I have already paid the price for it, and if there are other costs in the future, no matter how painful, they are what I deserve. But until then, I will fulfill my responsibilities.”
“You have no responsibilities to fulfill, Fisher. Your responsibilities will only bring her pain, distract her, and make her worry, letting her heart and soul feel the burn with every action you take. There’s no need to pretend to be brave about bearing them.”
“Are you doubting my feelings and attitude towards Raphael?”
“How could I doubt your feelings for her? I just find myself feeling contradictory. Mr. Fisher, if you truly do not love her and despise her identity as a Dragon, you should have brought her back to Nali as a slave you could bully, and you wouldn’t need to return to the Southern Continent after so many years to meet her, or even come see me; but if you truly love her, why would you share your love without a second thought with others?”
Aria tightened her grip on the teacup, becoming increasingly agitated, her speech speeding up, soon releasing faint wisps of steam from her robe, “Sometimes I feel lucky and grateful, grateful that you saved her, giving her the strange respect in the eyes of humans, and I appreciate that you returned her so she can help her compatriots resist the invaders’ oppression. You’ve given her too much in terms of enamor and suitability, so now you want to take some of it back, right?
“The ridiculous thing is, I was just struggling with your relationship with Jasmine. I optimistically believed that your kindness towards Raphael would soon overcome this obstacle; I also believed in your terrifying abilities to manage the contradictions between you, Jasmine, and Raphael, preserving the feelings they’ve supported each other through the years.
“And then you tell me you have so many deep connections with women, more than five fingers’ worth! Mr. Fisher, even if you are ultimately truly favored by Fei and all the girls and their families accept your relationships, what will your life look like? I can hardly imagine. How will you divide your time in a day of twenty-four hours? How many days in a month will it take before you notice my daughter from a position of dominance?
“Or tell me, the other girls you know besides Raphael, are they all docile and timid? Even Jasmine, the priestess I know, would confront you and Raphael; would the other girls be any easier to talk to than her? But would those kinds of girls make you so enamored and unwilling to let go?”
No, not just difficult to talk to, but in fact, a group of villains.
Fisher had to think this way too.
He quietly listened to Aria’s accusations against him before softly saying, “It seems my actions have disappointed us both, and it’s truly regrettable that what happened in the past and the issues we face now are not a story; they are not that perfect.
“Aunt Aria, I understand your struggles, and you need not hide them. If my actions hadn’t been so perfect back then, leaving Raphael with no regrets, then neither you nor she would be so conflicted now. You might even wish that if I had not been so perfect with Raphael, it would give you more reason to persuade her to abandon me more resolutely. You don’t want to think like that, but the worry for Raphael forces you to doubt whether I have been fair to her.”
Aria looked at the sincere Fisher before her and could not help but speak again, “Yes, it would have been better if you had always been perfect. Mr. Fisher, you have countless merits, but it is in this aspect that I truly cannot commend you. Are humans really so insatiable? One is not enough, two is not enough, three is not enough, four is not enough… but need so many? And how many do you plan to have afterward, Mr. Fisher?”
“I have changed for the better, Aunt Aria.”
Although Fisher had not said this for the first time, every time he said it since coming back came from the heart, “But if I were to truly realize the perfection of my feelings for Raphael, then it would be a disaster for the other women I know, I swear.”
“A disaster? Now this is a disaster, Fisher. If you truly carried this feeling to the end, they would pose no problem to you; this argument would not exist now.”
Upon hearing this, Fisher looked at Aria before him again and softly spoke, “Aunt Aria, if I truly maintained this perfection, I would never have come to the Southern Continent to know Raphael. Perhaps I would have quieted myself and used that enduring perfection to make up for past regrets, marrying the current Empress Elizabeth to heal her internal wounds. Then, she wouldn’t have killed all her kin, nor become as obsessive as she is now.”
“Empress Elizabeth?”
This name was so familiar yet so haunting like a shadow.
She was undoubtedly the most terrifying enemy in the Southern Continent for all these years, and living in the Red Dragon Court, Aria understood this all too well.
Looking at the serious Fisher before her, Aria confirmed that he was not joking, and seemed to finally realize the kind of terror her daughter’s husband was entangled in.
“She—”
“Aunt Aria, Elizabeth Godlin is my first love, and the person I once loved the most.”
Aria was momentarily speechless as she quickly picked up on the connection he shared with Elizabeth from the stories Fisher had previously told.
First, it was about escaping from Nali while being pursued with Jasmine; she knew Elizabeth was the first Empress in Nali’s history on the Western Continent. Unlike the Dragon Tribe’s rules where strength and bloodlines could reign, she could guess that this Empress, who broke conventions to assume the throne, must be hiding a power struggle and conspiracies behind her rise.
But the key here was that it sounded like the Empress and the Fisher before her still had connections, ensnared in the whirlpool of love and hate. It’s hard to say what their relationship was, though Empress Elizabeth would also be one among countless others that exceeded five fingers.
And the fundamental reason for this situation was that she is Fisher’s first love.
From the perspective of a Dragon, first love is a lifelong commitment.
Though humans do not have such a rule, and Fisher is a prime example of human greed in relationships, it’s evident that he is not ordinary in his feelings for Elizabeth.
He was right; if Fisher had not left this deeply-rooted “first love,” he would not be so perfect and, like a fairy tale, this noble of Nali would never have come to the Southern Continent and met the captured slave, Raphael.
And the consequences of that, as mother, Aria dared not even think about.
When Aria learned that Raphael had been taken away, when she found out her husband was killed by humans, and when she learned that each of her sons perished on the battlefield, the heart-wrenching pain was something she never wanted to experience again.
Aria’s expression suddenly turned somewhat sorrowful as she looked down at the teacup gripped tightly in her hands, frozen in place, unsure of what to think.
She was indeed one of the more fragile women among the Dragon Race; a cup like this, even young Raphael could easily crush, but now in her old age, no matter how hard she tried, it showed no signs of change.
It felt like what lay before her was no longer a teacup but the twisted fates, an inescapable destiny that could not be defeated.
Like a twisted connection, making you weep and curse, yet it continues to observe you indifferently, coldly, allowing suffering to torment you.
Aria fell silent, and the candle flame behind her also quieted down, refusing to emit its bright light and warmth.
After a long silence, she softly asked Fisher, “As a mother, do I ask for too much, Fisher?”
Fisher looked at Aria, shook his head, and said, “…It is I who have asked for too much, Aunt Aria.”
Aria’s dim gaze lifted slightly to look at him as he continued, “I have tasted too many sweet fruits and gifts, mistakenly thinking that these are all that I deserve, unaware that they all come at a price—a very high price. Although I have been foolish beyond measure, at least my foster mother left me with two precious gifts before she passed: morality and responsibility.
“So I do not wish to evade these issues; I cannot let these costs fall upon Raphael and the others. I will do my utmost to ensure their safety and happiness.
“Aunt Aria, I am not saying these things to make you feel guilty or to excuse my crimes. I act like this entirely for Raphael. She holds hope, determined to bring me to you even knowing the truth, wishing to receive your blessing and affirmation. I cannot let her down anymore. As her mother, you certainly have the right to know everything, and the right to decide whether to accept me.
“I say all this simply as a guarantee; I guarantee my feelings for Raphael, I guarantee my ability will not let her down, do you understand, Aunt Aria?”
Aria gazed at Fisher, as if trying to excavate his disingenuous guilt from this terrifying being, yet when she looked into his dark eyes, she felt only the guarantee of a soul.
Perhaps it is this very soul that has enchanted Raphael?
Aria certainly knew that the Dragon Race, having found their Suitable Tail, views partners as perfect. Yet perhaps in contrast, she could see those imperfections.
She slowly released her grip on the teacup, lowering her gaze and saying, “Last night, Raphael did not send someone over. Instead, she took the time out of her busy schedule to personally come to the Floral Garden, telling me she wanted to bring her Suitable Tail Partner to meet me today.”
“…”
Meeting Fisher’s silent gaze, Aria closed her eyes and continued, “She said her longed-for partner had not forgotten her, and that her partner came from far away for her, returning to the tumultuous Dragon Court to reunite with her.
“Although I did not know you, at that time, through Keshil’s remarks, I had already learned of your connection with Jasmine, which caused me to have doubts. But on her face, she wore a smile as if nothing had happened; she hurried over with her piled-up duties, saying she hoped to receive my blessing, and let the Dragon Court’s traditions bless your relationship.
“I do not participate in many matters of the Dragon Court, but I understand our circumstances quite well. To be honest, in the face of war, being uncertain every morning and evening is putting it lightly. She has to deal with such complicated issues, facing strong enemies I have never experienced from my position here.
“Just two and a half years ago, when she suffered a great defeat in the northern war, coming back injured and bleeding on Jasmine’s back, I was truly heartbroken and distressed. Over the years, I have wanted to avoid giving her trouble, not wanting her to see me afraid that she might meet the same fate as her brother.”
Aria was on the verge of tears, and just at that moment, with her head slightly tilted due to her tears, Fisher suddenly realized that when he and Raphael first entered, Aria had been standing before a row of new oil-laden scale candles.
There were eleven flames, representing the deceased Raphael’s father and her ten brothers.
“She is so afraid of owing you her friendship from afar, worried that her losses in the Dragon Court’s war would bring you ridicule, afraid that she is unworthy of you and worried I would not recognize you. That is why she came to me personally last night, cautiously and excitedly, even willing to conceal what happened with Jasmine yesterday.
“And so I agreed. Last night, I smiled and told her to bring you to meet me. As her mother, I would acknowledge your existence, and one day I would attend your wedding and name the children born to you.
“I am already old, unable to do anything besides worry for my children and not let them down. But Raphael has given you everything she can as her Suitable Tail Partner. As for you being human, I do not expect you to fully appreciate all the warmth she carries. I only hope, or rather request, I request you not to disappoint her and make her sad.
“One day, if her war fails and her Dragon Court thus falls, and she has nothing again, Fisher, I implore you to not forget what she did for you last night, do not despise her, do not look down on her. Safely take her away from here, to anywhere she will not be bullied by other women you know, who are a hundred or a thousand times stronger than her.
“This is the price for my consent. Can you do that, Fisher?”
When Aria opened her eyes again, only pleading remained in her gaze.
As Raphael’s mother, how could she not know the current situation? She simply pretended not to know, pretended not to care, so as not to trouble Raphael and make her distracted.
To this end, she was even willing to fulfill Raphael’s request that still needed consideration in her eyes. That is why when Fisher and Raphael came to visit, she appeared so friendly, almost as if she had already accepted Fisher.
But after Raphael left, she remained uneasy, worrying about Raphael’s future and needing to inquire about the situation between Fisher and Jasmine.
She was just helpless about not being able to do more, unwilling to idle and watch her daughter struggle, only relying on words, hoping to gain a promise from Fisher, who was far above her position.
That was a feeling that was not limited by status or strength, something that could not be gained even by reading all the supplementary guides.
At this moment, perhaps Fisher could finally be sure of this.
He solemnly looked at Aria, who was waiting for his answer, slightly nodded, and promised her, “I promise, Aunt Aria.”
“…”
Aria gazed deeply into Fisher’s eyes, but had no other words.
Until the next moment, a loud explosion sounded from outside the Floral Garden, as if something had landed at the door.
Then, anxious footsteps rushed through the sea of flowers outside the Ancestral Home.
“Thump thump thump!”
Aria was slightly taken aback, then stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes while taking the teacup she and Fisher had already drunk from, turning to the side to refill it, leaving behind her slightly aged yet so strong figure.
As the footsteps approached, Fisher adjusted his expression, then smiled and turned to see Raphael hurriedly crossing a sea of flowers, anxiously rushing back.
“Mother, Fisher.”
“Raphael, why did you come back so quickly?”
She propped herself up against the door, still worried something might happen that would make her mother unhappy with Fischer.
At this moment, the atmosphere inside the door was still warm, just like the spring blooms.
Fisher naturally relaxed and sat back in his place, watching her.
And Aria, turning her back while seemingly pouring tea, looked surprised at Raphael’s voice, turning with a smile to ask, “Looks like everything is fine, you came back so quickly.”
“Ah, what could happen? Just some small matters, so it was resolved quickly.”
“I see. You’re just in time; I was discussing with Fisher whether our first child will be a boy or a girl. It’s really troubling. Right, Fisher?”
“…Indeed.”
Aria smiled and turned to look at Raphael, asking next, “What do you think, Raphael?”
“Eh?! Boy… boy, wait, what? A child?!”
“Ah, do you think it would be good if it’s a boy? Just as I thought. If Raphael gives birth to a boy, he will definitely be strong and lively!”
“Mother!!”
