There’s a Dragon Girl in the Desolate Sea

Chapter 1 The First Dragon Scale (1)

In the middle of winter1, the water has frozen over, and heavy snowfall like a flurry of goose feathers has grown into a thick layer of snow. Normal households were preparing for winter, but residence2 of the YongAn3 Marquis was as warm as spring. The Marchioness4 leaned lazily on the soft couch, enchantingly lifting a round peeled grape towards her mouth. She was born beautiful, and she had a pair of charming eyes, her posture was languid, a far cry from noble or elegant, and yet it was still pleasing to the eye.

Soon, the maid came in: “Madam5, the Marquis is back.”

The Marchioness waved her hand to show that she knew, and did not care much. Another moment later, YongAn Marquis walked in. He was tall and handsome, and he was the coveted son-in-law of the Shangjing people. It’s a pity that he had been betrothed to the lady of the prime minister’s family since he was a child. The two were married a year ago. Until this day, YongAn Marquis has not taken a concubine and loves only his wife. The deep love between husband and wife was really enviable.

However, what was truly going on behind closed doors, only the people involved knew.

The Marquis was covered in snow, and if it was every other day, the Madam would have already gotten up worriedly to help him take off his cloak, but today, the Madam was still leaning lazily on the beauty couch, her eyes light. The Marquis had come in, but she did not move at all, as if she was a completely different person from the good wife she usually was.

“What mistake did Chu Zhi make? Madam told her to kneel outside despite this weather?” The YongAn Marquis smiled lightly, came to his wife and sat down, held her hand to eat the grapes, but the Madam withdrew her hand with a smile. She gently brushed plump flesh on the Marquis’ thin lips, then moved it away and placed it into her own mouth.

With red lips and jade teeth, the juice overflowed, with just this alluring color, the Marquis’ throat moved slightly. The Madam saw his gaze, and unavoidably a little contemptuously, replied: “She made a mistake and made this concubine6 unhappy. Marquis is not allowed to feel distressed for her. If you feel distressed, you should be feeling distressed for this concubine.”

“Of course.” Hou Ye chuckles, his black eyes deep. “It’s just that she has been with you for many years, and the two of you love each other like sisters, so I just asked offhandedly.”

What a man with a silver tongue, he could even use this roundabout way to remind her of the sisterly affection with Chu Zhi. If it were really the naive and soft-hearted Marchioness, she would truly have regretted punishing Chu Zhi. LingLong7 peeled another grape lazily, her apricot eyes squinting at the Marquis: “What is Marquis saying, there are many maids who have followed this concubine for many years, how could they all be called this concubine’s sisters? Marquis, please ask the maids present if they dare?”

“Slaves dare not!”

The insightful servants knelt on the ground, secretly surprised. Although they were all dowry maids8, the Madam was closer to Chu Zhi in the boudoir. Chu Zhi was a maid in name, but actually, she was inseparable from the Miss. It was only today when the Maquis left for business, the Madam suddenly became picky with Chu Zhi, and deliberately punished her to kneel outside early in the morning.

LingLong laughed: “In the future, Marquis, don’t compare this concubine’s body with the humble maidservants’. What can I say, this concubine is also the daughter of the prime minister, although not as good as the golden branches and jade leaves, but has still been pampered and spoiled since young. By making comparisons to the maidservants, is Marquis not insulting this concubine?”

With that, she put the peeled grapes into Hou Ye’s mouth, touched his handsome face, and appreciated it. When she came to this world, the YongAn Marquis just happened to be sent by the Imperial Family to take care of errands. This was the first time she saw him, just looking at this face, Linglong did love it. She was a honest face-con, she would always be a little kinder to a good-looking person, after all, good-looking food could conceal some flaws in taste.

She was too hungry.

Having slept in the ruins of the desolate sea for hundreds of years, LingLong was now hungry to the point that she wanted to swallow every soul she met.

The cowardly woman’s soul in her belly really couldn’t fill her hunger, it could only let her stay conscious. Fortunately, the identity of the original owner was not bad, she could eat some human food, but it was a pity that she satisfied her taste buds, but not her stomach so she still didn’t feel full.

When the YongAn Marquis heard that LingLong had said that Chuzhi’s status was humble, and his brows slightly furrowed. It’s just that though his wife was so charming, he didn’t see the usual virtue and gentleness, making him feel strange, but also giving him an inexplicable novelty. “It’s this husband’s fault, my beloved wife is naturally very delicate and precious.”

LingLong laughed and gestured: “Since Marquis is asking for forgiveness on behalf of Chu Zhi, this concubine will naturally give Marquis face9, Chu Shuang, go and ask Chu Zhi to come in.”

“Yes.”

After a while, having knelt on the ice and snow for almost four hours, Chu Zhi came in, her pretty little face already deathly pale. Since she knelt for too long, she trembled as she walked and as soon as she came in, she knelt on the ground with a plop. Coupled with the weak body, Chu Chu’s pitiful gaze, it drew pity, melting hearts. LingLong looked at the YongAn Marquis, and saw a touch of pity flashing in the man’s eyes. She sneered in her heart, but since she didn’t want to let them feel better, she stretched her hand around the YongAn Marquis’ neck, and looked at Chu Zhi condescendingly: “Today I will punish you, are you unconvinced?”

Chu Zhi’s beautiful eyes welled with tears, and humbled herself on the ground: “This slave dare not, Madam is upset, because this slave did not wait attentively enough, begging Madam to punish severely.”

She told the YongAn Marquis with a light sentence that she was being punished purely because the Marchioness was unreasonably making trouble, and showed her grievances with a hidden agenda. How could the YongAn Marquis not pity her more? If it were not for his wife, he may already have gone up to hold the beautiful woman in his embrace to comfort and caress her.

LingLong didn’t give her this opportunity, such a small trick, it was probably only the original owner who could not see it. She stupidly made wedding clothes for others, and eventually even had her soul swallowed. However, LingLong wouldn’t eat a free lunch, since she has eaten the Marchioness’ soul, she will eliminate the regrets from her memory – otherwise she wouldn’t be able to digest it after eating it, which was really uncomfortable, and she doesn’t excrete either.

“Look at what you’re saying, those who didn’t know would have thought that you’re deliberately crying in front of the Marquis.” LingLong took a grape, she has a pair of beautiful hands, and has been spoiled since childhood. Her skin was delicate and smooth, like solidified lipids. “Otherwise, would you tell me, where did your warm jade pendant come from? I haven’t rewarded you, so have you not stolen it? You have no father and no mother, and have followed me since childhood. If you tell me the origin of that piece of jade pendant, I will not punish you, but yet you refuse to say. You have always been in charge of my dowry list, but I never thought you would embezzle it. Marquis, did this concubine punish righteously? These maids with dirty hands and feet would have been killed in another household.”

The YongAn Marquis looked no different from usual. Although he felt sorry for Chu Zhi in his heart, he could not tell his wife that the jade pendant was something that he did everything possible to get to give to Chu Zhi. Just because she was born with a cold constitution, he was worried that her hands and feet would be cold, so he tried with all his efforts to find a piece of warm jade as a gift, but he never thought that it’d be discovered by his wife. “All you have said is correct, just think of it as her first offense, let’s spare her this time.”

He spoke gently, but he was defending Chu Zhi with every word, only the original owner could not understand, obviously the signs between these two were already so clear.

LingLong smiled: “This concubine listens to Master Hou.” She picked up the piece of warm jade, “It’s just that since she has worn it, this concubine disdains it, it’s better to just destroy it.” As she spoke, she threw it with a toss, throwing it into the brazier, and the warm jade, worth thousands of gold, shattered in an instant.

The YongAn Marquis only felt that she seemed to be spoiled, but her expression was innocent and lovely. His wife, with an extraordinary appearance, has always been well known. “I will find you a better one in the future…”

Before he finished speaking, LingLong interrupted: “Marquis don’t worry, if others wear this concubine’s things, this concubine won’t like it anymore.” After she finished speaking, she suddenly smiled sweetly again. “However, Marquis caring for this concubine, makes this concubine really happy.”

Chu Zhi knelt on the ground, feeling only the cold.

The man who had sworn a pledge of undying love with her, the god she looked up to, was now displaying deep affections with another woman in front of her. Even if she knew it was fake, that it was just a show, it was still painful to the point where she was about to collapse.

God was unfair. Obviously, she met the Marquis first and loved each other first, but she had to helplessly watch him marry, waiting humbly for his short-term pity, even until now, she could not stand righteously beside him. Now, the husband and wife were standing aloofly, yet she had to kneel on the ground, her knees cold to the bones, but her heart was colder still.

LingLong saw Chu Zhi’s sorrowful eyes, and smiled faintly. Neither of them should even dream about escaping. After all, she has accepted the sacrifice of the original owner, if she couldn’t satisfy the original owner’s wish, then she would be hungry for longer. “All right, look at your mourning, I feel uncomfortable looking at it, step down and wait outside.”

Chu Zhi struggled to get up from the ground, glanced at Yong’An Marquis casually, and limped away. YongAn Marquis’ thin lips moved slightly, and just as he was about to beg for more pity, LingLong spoke first: “When Mother asked her to follow me in marriage, it was because of her honesty. Never thought that she was one who sought personal gain.”

Didn’t steal anything else, just stole the original owner’s husband.

These two people were each more disgusting than the other. Chu Zhi’s childhood was lonely and full of suffering, it was the original owner who kept her by her side and made her the Head Maid, the cost of her food and clothing unsurpassable by ladies from ordinary families. Not only did Chu Zhi not think about repaying this kindness, but even set her eyes on the Miss’ fiance. These two gradually started liking each other, the man holding affection, and the woman willing. If it were true love, the YongAn Marquis could have gone to the Prime Minister’s residence to break off the engagement and beg for Chu Zhi’s hand, earning a bit of respect. But he just had to be covetous of the Prime Minister, marry his beloved daughter, and hide his secret contacts with Chu Zhi from the original owner. When the time was ripe, he then caused the original owner’s sudden death as if it were a matter of course, and then after her parting, he created an image of being deeply in love, unwilling to marry anyone else. After a few years passed, under the guise of missing his deceased wife, he then married his wife’s dowry maid, and lived inseparably with Chu Zhi.

Earned a good reputation, also earned the prime minister’s approval, and even let the prime minister regard Chu Zhi as a substitute for his dead daughter.

What a good show.

From Chu Zhi’s expression, it seemed that she was still resenting the original owner for surpassing her while arriving later10, why didn’t she consider that the marriage contract between the YongAn Marquis and the original owner was set when they were still in their mothers’ womb! It seems that those who are not grateful will pay their gratitude as revenge, give them a bit of sweetness, and they forget their place.

Gee, it’s really touching.

Hello, the first arc is in the ancient times~!

数九寒冬: The coldest part of winter

府: Fu – It is a mansion or place of residence made up of multiple courtyards

YongAn is not his name, but a title

侯夫人: Wife of the Marquis

夫人: Madam of the house

She is referring to herself

Her name is 玲珑: Long is a homophone for dragon

Maids from the bride’s maiden home that follow the Miss when she marries into the husband’s family

If you often read Chinese novels, you might have come across this concept. It can be loosely translated as ‘respect’ or ‘dignity’

She resents the original owner for being able to marry him when she thinks she came first since she met him first