Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You Vol. 6 Ch. 31

On the third floor of the castle, the "Hell’s Joke" team arrived at a door tucked into a corner, following the clue they had received earlier.

"This is it. We can complete an antidote task here," Aurora said as she lowered the simple map they’d obtained from a previous mission. She stepped forward and carefully pushed the door open.

The three of them entered the room.

There wasn’t much in the way of furnishings—just a display pedestal in the center of the room.

On the pedestal sat a scrambled Rubik’s Cube.

"Try solving it," said Tana, who walked over cautiously and picked up the cube. As soon as she touched it, the pedestal’s magical projection chanism activated.

A line of text appeared in the projection:

"A Rubik’s Cube, symbolizing a child’s innocence, has been imbued with holy magic to dispel disease. However, it has been scrambled by the vengeful spirits in the castle. Please restore it to regain its power."

Hefei’s puppy-like eyes sparkled with curiosity. "So if we solve the Rubik’s Cube, Father’s poison can be cured?"

Aurora nodded. "It seems that way. Let’s get started, Uncle Constantine."

Constantine grunted in acknowledgnt and lowered his head, beginning to fiddle with the Rubik’s Cube.

The first few minutes were… rough. His clumsy, hesitant movents as he turned the cube were awkward to watch. Hefei couldn’t help but snicker quietly.

The first ti she played with one of her older sisters’ Rubik’s Cubes, she had solved it in less than five minutes. Watching Constantine struggle, it seed like he wouldn’t even get close to solving the puzzle within an hour.

Aurora didn’t rush him, though. She waited patiently with Hefei by her side.

Minutes ticked by. Aurora glanced at her mory Stone, noting the countdown tir. She calculated that Constantine had just over an hour before the poison would take full effect.

Her gaze shifted to the Rubik’s Cube in his hands.

It wasn’t exactly the sa as when he’d started—it was worse.

Aurora contemplated stepping out with Hefei to search for clues and complete other tasks while Constantine stayed to solve the cube. That way, they wouldn’t waste too much ti.

But seeing Hefei’s anxious expression, Aurora realized she wouldn’t leave until her father was cured.

Sighing, Aurora finally spoke up. "Uncle Constantine, ti is running out. How about I help you solve it?"

Constantine paused and looked down at her.

"You can solve this?"

"Yes, I’ve played with these before."

"Alright," he said, handing her the Rubik’s Cube.

The mont her fingers touched it, both Aurora and Constantine’s mory Stones emitted a chi.

Aurora’s mory Stone displayed a line of text:

"Unfortunately, you accidentally touched a carrier of the plague. You are now poisoned. Please complete an antidote task within one hour."

Constantine’s mory Stone, on the other hand, displayed:

"Violation detected: The antidote task must be completed by the assigned individual and cannot be transferred to others.

Note: So tasks may be completed with guidance from teammates, depending on difficulty."

"Ugh—why did I get infected too?!" Aurora exclaid, visibly distressed.

"Sorry, I didn’t know direct contact would spread it," Constantine said with feigned remorse.

Aurora waved it off and steadied herself.

"It’s fine. Since I can’t solve it for you directly, I’ll guide you step by step. Let’s solve this cube together, and then we’ll look for another antidote task to fix my condition."

"Alright."

"Okay, turn the top layer to the left half a turn, and then…"

Under Aurora’s patient instructions, the Rubik’s Cube gradually began to take shape.

Throughout the process, Constantine’s expression didn’t change much. But if Aurora had observed more carefully, she might have noticed subtle differences.

Normally, Constantine’s "calm" deanor exuded the gravitas of a stern monarch.

But now, there was sothing almost mischievous hidden beneath his impassive exterior—

as if he were suppressing the smug satisfaction of a plan perfectly executed.

Because Constantine had orchestrated the entire situation to infect Aurora with the plague.

From the start, everyone knew that contact with the dolls would transmit the plague, so they all avoided the plague-ridden dolls.

But Constantine, with his combat skills, could have easily avoided the dolls indefinitely.

Instead, he had "lost control" and "punched one of those cursed dolls," conveniently infecting himself.

For anyone else, this would have led to complaints and wasted ti on antidote tasks, potentially delaying the team’s progress.

It might even have raised Leon’s suspicions.

But for Constantine—the hot-tempered and impulsive Red Fla Dragon King—"losing his cool and punching a doll" fit perfectly with his character. No one questioned it.

He had used this as an excuse to get himself poisoned, forcing the second group to slow down and complete the antidote task instead of advancing the main storyline.

Now, as he deliberately fumbled with the Rubik’s Cube, Constantine managed to drag out the process further, knowing full well he could have solved it in minutes.

When Aurora took over, it played right into his plan. He had gambled on whether direct contact would infect her as well—and the gamble paid off.

Not only had he delayed their progress, but he had also managed to get Aurora poisoned, tying up even more resources.

Finally, the Rubik’s Cube was solved, and Constantine’s bracelet turned green again, signaling that his poison was cured.

"Great job, Aurora! Now let’s hurry and find another antidote task to help Aurora!" Hefei cheered.

"Alright," Aurora said, letting out a tired sigh.

"This is going to set us back even further," she muttered, her shoulders drooping as she covered her face with her hands. Her tail drooped as she walked out of the room.

Hefei quickly ran after her, trying to comfort her.

Watching the children leave, Constantine sighed dramatically.

"Why does it feel like I’ve beco the villain in this ga too?"

Not only had he targeted Aurora with his sches, but he had also done so repeatedly.

Tragic. Utterly tragic.

As he placed the Rubik’s Cube back on the pedestal, Constantine thought to himself,

"I’ll have to seriously prepare so apology gifts after this ga ends."