NOVEL NEXT Book 5: Chapter 139: Reason (3)
“Why?” Princess Estelle could not grasp the situation.
“Since you’re my dear sister, I’ll share with you,” Luna began, a pleasant smile on her face. “It all started when I met Master Lilith.”
“Master? Lilith?” Princess Estelle looked at Luna incredulously, with a trace of fear and indignation. “As a member of the noble Holy Dragon Empire’s imperial family, how can you call someone of unknown origin ‘master’? Are you out of your mind? Father will disown you if he finds out!”
“You don’t understand,” Luna replied, raising her hands and spinning gracefully, her skirts fluttering like a sunflower greeting the sun.
“None of you do. You’ve ruled this continent for so long that you’ve forgotten the true master of this world. Your arrogance blinds you, making you think you wield true power, but you’re just pawns in the eyes of greater beings,” she said.
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand!” Estelle retorted, clenching her teeth. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but remember, the entire continent is watching this match. And you’re the one who named yourself ‘Dog’ on that name list, aren’t you? Did you choose such a demeaning name because you wish to be shamed by everyone from the entire Holy Dragon Empire?”
“Shamed? Haha! The empire should be proud that I can follow Master Lilith around! Why would they shame me?” Luna retorted in a peculiar tone.
“Madness! You’ve lost your mind! Father will surely cast you out!” Princess Estelle roared.
“Call me crazy if you will, but let me continue. It began when I met Master Lilith,” Luna said, smiling and waving.
“Back then, I was like you, filled with the imperial family’s arrogance. Even after being defeated by you, I believed it was just luck, not weakness on my part. It was out of sheer frustration that I decided to enroll in St. Caroline Academy. Being the best academy in the continent. I thought if I could dominate everyone there and become invincible, I’d be the strongest among my peers across the continent. That was my plan, and I almost succeeded. But just as I was about to leave the academy and start my conquest, I met Master Lilith. It was the most humiliating moment of my life. Not only was I utterly defeated, but I also knelt and licked Master Lilith’s foot in front of thousands, vowing that I would dominate her one day.”Luna clutched her chest, inhaling deeply before turning to Princess Estelle with a soft voice. “Can you imagine what it’s like, being forced to bow before her and lick her foot in front of everyone?”
“You…” Princess Estelle struggled to find words, a chill settling in her heart as she gazed at the composed Luna. She knew Luna well, having grown up with the ambition to surpass her.
Luna had always been proud, stubborn, conceited, and held herself in high esteem. For a princess so accustomed to luxury and adoration, such public humiliation was unimaginable. Princess Estelle could only fathom the depth of Luna’s despair.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to think Luna might have lost her sanity!
No wonder Luna seemed to have changed so much after returning from St. Caroline Academy. The spies that she had sent to monitor Luna frequently reported unusual noises coming from her room at night.
Luna must be cursing that person named Lilith every night!
“Why did you submit to her… even after she stripped you of your dignity?” Princess Estelle asked in confusion. “You’re a princess of the Holy Dragon Empire. Even though Father’s been distant toward you lately, if you wish to kill someone, there are many who would carry out the deed on your behalf.”
“Hey, hasn’t anyone ever taught you?” Luna suddenly moved closer to Princess Estelle. The pathetic looking Estelle was in the reflection of her pale golden eyes that were flickering with flames of anger. “You shouldn’t respond to a question with another question.”
After a brief silence, Princess Estelle spoke, “It must have been excruciating.”
“Mhm.”
“It must have been utterly humiliating.”
“Mhm.”
“You must have been seething with anger.”
“And?”
“And… you must be wanting to kill this Lilith with your own hands… No, knowing you, you’re likely driven to inflict upon them the same suffering, but a thousand times over.” Princess Estelle felt confident in her response, believing it to be accurate. She knew that she would have sought revenge if she were in Luna’s shoes.
With that logic in mind, is Luna following that person named Lilith around while secretly planning her revenge?
To her surprise, Luna burst into laughter. “That’s what… I expected how you would answer…” she said, wiping away tears of amusement. “But too bad. You’re completely wrong.”
“Wrong? Why?” Estelle was baffled.
“Because…” Luna wrapped her arms around herself with a dreamy expression, and her cheeks unexpectedly flushed. “What I felt back then wasn’t pain, torment, or hatred. It was… pleasure! A deeply addictive, intoxicating pleasure. A sensation of delight I’ve never known since childhood!”
Estelle’s eyes widened, not just at Luna’s words, but also because she could not detect any deceit in Luna’s tone.
“You…” Estelle struggled to find words, the shock of this revelation surpassing anything she had experienced in her life.
“You find it incomprehensible, don’t you?” Luna asked.
“Of course, no sane person would understand this,” Princess Estelle replied, scrutinizing Luna as if seeing her for the first time.
The thought of the youngest daughter of the Emperor, a revered figure in the Holy Dragon Empire, being a ********* was scandalous. If this information were to become public, Estelle could already imagine the sensational headlines in the next day’s newspapers.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand.” Luna’s expression returned to calmness. “Now that I’ve shared about my encounter with Master Lilith, let’s discuss the nature of true strength as I see it.”
“True… strength?”
“The battle I had with Master Lilith was enlightening. It made me realize the vast disparity in our bloodlines. I can never match Master Lilith in terms of strength. Master Lilith possesses such immense power that a mere swing of her fist can drive people to despair. That’s why, I had to find a different path to reach the level of the supreme true dragon. But what path would allow me to catch up? I pondered deeply, trying to harness the new bloodline power that Master Lilith had gifted me. I hoped it would bring me closer to Master Lilith’s level.”
She then placed her hand on Princess Estelle’s chest.
“Yet, even with full control of this power, I would only become a grotesque creature. The only difference between me and you is that I still remember my basic math while I’m in this form. Master Lilith once explained that a true dragon has only two forms in battle—a pure human form and a pure dragon form. I found it odd. Why wasn’t there a half-dragon or fusion form, combining the strength of a dragon with the agility and skill of a human?”
Luna paused, glancing at Estelle and said. “Like your current form.”
“But Master Lilith explained to me that true dragons don’t concern themselves with such matters. A dragon form is distinct and separate from a human form. They choose their form based on preference, not for any special convenience that one form might offer over the other. Through sheer willpower, a dragon in its true form can be as agile as a butterfly, while in human form, they possess the strength to move mountains with their bare hands!”