Rory stared at Paros in stunned disbelief.
"What did you just call ?"
For a mont, she thought she must have misheard.
Paros rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. He looked at her seriously—then said it again.
"Sister."
He reached out, took her hand, and spoke with a hint of grievance in his voice.
"Big Sis... why didn’t you sleep with ?"
Rory blinked in frustration.
"Rory, sothing’s not right with him." Yuel’s voice ca through, low and concerned.
Rory nodded slightly. "When I found him, he was covered in injuries, and his ntal power was collapsing. I used your blossoms to save him... but then we were caught in the snow surge. He hit his head. His ntal sea collapsed."
Could it be... brain damage?
"Mother, you’re awake!" A cheerful voice suddenly rang out—from the top of Paros’s head. "And Daddy’s awake too!"
The small, deep-blue fruit bounced twice where it sat, as if it had springs.
Rory’s heart skipped. She instinctively flinched—afraid it might roll right off.
Paros reached up and gently touched the fruit. "Be good, Terry. Daddy and big sister are both here with you."
Wait... Should "Daddy" be calling "Mother" his sister?
Terry had only just developed awareness, but sothing felt... off. And he couldn’t quite figure out what.
"Daddy, Terry’s hungry."
Without hesitation, Paros took out two Rank Two beast cores and placed them carefully near his horn, allowing Terry to absorb the energy.
Rory watched, completely dumbfounded.
She leaned closer to the projection. "Yuel... is it okay for Terry to absorb beast core energy like that?"
Yuel fell silent for a mont, clearly unsure how to process what he was seeing. "...For now, it doesn’t seem to be a problem."
He exhaled softly. "Rory, Paros’s condition seems stable for the mont. Take care of yourself—I’ll be there soon. Vincent and the others are on their way to the Dragon Palace."
So this... was the Dragon Palace.
After ending the call, Rory watched as Terry finished absorbing the two cores.
The tiny fruit gave a satisfied little burp. "Daddy, Mother, Terry is full!"
It bounced happily again on Paros’s head.
Rory’s heart jumped. "Terry, don’t jump around!"
She was genuinely afraid he’d fall off.
"Okay, Mother!" Terry didn’t quite understand why, but he knew one thing: had had to listen to Mother.
"Big sis, aren’t you going back to sleep?" Paros looked at Rory, his tail slipping around her waist. "If you’re not sleepy, let’s take Terry out to play."
Rory glanced at him, then at the fruit on his head, then at the dragon tail wrapped around her waist.
"...Alright. Let’s go out."
Honestly, being alone with him like this felt a little dangerous.
"Oh, and Paros... don’t call ’big sister’ anymore." She was much younger than him—it felt incredibly strange.
"Then what should I call you?" He looked genuinely puzzled. "Like Terry does? Call you Mother?"
Rory sighed.
Yes. It was definitely brain damage.
She hadn’t even had the chance to explain that Terry had mistaken his father, and she was not about to gain another "son" on top of that.
"Just call Rory. Like before."
Before?
What before?
Paros frowned.
He didn’t rember.
He grabbed her hand again, pouting slightly.
"No. I want to call you big sister. If you don’t like it... then I’ll call you Mother like Terry does."
Rory felt her entire world tilting.
Who would’ve thought that the domineering Dragon Lord would turn into this?
"...Just call big sister then."
Anything but "Mother."
Terry’s curious little voice chid in again. "Mother, why does Daddy like calling you big sister?"
Sothing about it felt wrong.
Rory drew a long breath.
This had to be cleared up.
"Terry... don’t call him Daddy. Paros isn’t your father. Yuel is."
"Big sister, how can you say Terry isn’t my child?" Paros looked at her, eyes reddening with grievance. "When I woke up, he was already on my head, calling Daddy. That ans he’s mine."
Terry nodded in agreent. "Yes, Mother. When I beca aware, I was already on Daddy’s head. I am Daddy’s child."
Who was Yuel? He never heard of him.
"Terry, listen. You’re a fruit. Paros is a dragon. He can’t be your father. And Paros—you’re a dragon. Dragons lay eggs. You don’t grow fruits."
She tried—very seriously—to explain.
Terry tilted slightly, confused. "What is laying eggs? What is a fruit?"
He had no idea.
Paros shook his head stubbornly. "I don’t want eggs. I want Terry."
" too," Terry said happily. "Terry has a Daddy."
...What a touching father-son bond. Rory didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"...Let’s just go outside."
Once they were out, surely the dragon clan elders would explain everything for her.
This was Paros’s personal chamber.
The space glittered with precious gemstones, embedded everywhere—walls, ceilings, pillars.
Everything shimred.
As Rory reached the door, it slid open automatically.
Outside, Ethan Gabriel and the Third Elder, Sandon, had been waiting for a long ti.
The mont they saw Rory standing there, they froze.
Ethan nearly jumped. "Rory—how are you here?!"
And inside the Dragon Lord’s private chamber?! When had their lord abducted her?!
Rory smiled politely. "Well... I think your Dragon Lord brought here."
She assud that after she fell asleep, Paros woke up and carried her back to the Dragon Palace.
"You think?!" Ethan’s eyelid twitched violently. Sothing... very bad had definitely happened.
He imdiately looked inside and saw Paros walking out with a small fruit... hanging from his head.
Ethan rushed forward, lowering his voice. "Dragon Lord, why did you bring Rory here? Do Prince Vincent and the others know?"
Did he... lose his mind from longing and steal her while Vincent wasn’t around?
"And... what is that on your head? This is damaging your dignity as ruler of the three domains! Take it off imdiately!"
The mont he suggested removing Terry, Paros’s expression changed. He shot him a wary look and imdiately stepped back to Rory’s side.
"Who are you?" His tone turned cold. "Why are you standing so close to ? Do I know you?"
Ethan arched his brows in shock.
Sandon froze at the door.
What... was going on?
Ethan stared at him in shock. "Dragon Lord... I’m Ethan Gabriel. You don’t recognize ?"
Paros shook his head. "No."
And clearly didn’t want to. He even looked at him like sothing was wrong with him.
"What about him?" Ethan pointed at Sandon.
Paros glanced over. Then shook his head again. "Don’t know him either."
Ethan’s voice trembled. "...When you were little, he used to change your diapers. You really don’t rember?"
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