The Sea, the Dragon, the Sky!

Should she truly transform into a simple-minded young dragon, would the sinister dragon still care for her as his [dragon wife]?

With the sinister dragon's penchant for novelty and his quick boredom with the old, if she devolved into a naive young dragon, I suspect his initial thought would be to utilize her as mere bait. After all, having turned into a guileless young dragon, she would be easy to manipulate. In her simplicity, she might even believe that the evil dragon is engaging in some playful game with her.

Excitedly, she would play her part as bait, helping the dragon capture large prey; the evil dragon would feast on the meat, while she contentedly sipped the broth.

The more Lucia pondered the dreadful scenarios that could unfold should she become witless, the more she resisted inheriting the sinister dragon's memories.

She sobbed softly.

It was her own doing. She regretted speaking so carelessly last night, expressing her envy of the great dragons blessed with inherited memories.

Mentioning her envy casually, the sinister dragon had retorted sharply: "Don't be envious. Whatever privileges other dragon offspring possess, you, the dragonling I nurture, shall have them too."

True to his word, this morning the sinister dragon extracted the ancestral memories of dragon speech and lore from his own mind, prepared to implant them into hers at any moment.

If she had been a genuine young dragon, perhaps the fear would be less acute. But she was human, and still just a girl.

The vast trove of dragon memories he intended to implant would likely overwhelm her own fifteen years' worth of human memories.

It would be a miracle if she could withstand it.

"No, to prevent such an overwhelming transformation, I've only extracted the dragon speech memory. This ancestral memory might jostle your existing recollections a bit,

but it won't render you a foolish young dragon."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely."

"Then... then go ahead and transfer the memory to me."

The evil dragon, Lance, suppressed a chuckle. Should he admire the prudence of the dragonling he had taken under his wing? Or should he be amused by her palpable fear of death?

It was difficult to decide. It was curious, she had shown such audacity venturing into the human realm to kidnap the princess.

The typically timid disposition of a young dragon made it highly unlikely she had truly intended to abduct the princess.

"Dragon cub, may I pose a question?"

"Ask. Please, ask."

He addressed her variously as dragon, dragon cub, and sometimes Lucia.

It was evident he considered her more than just a ward; to him, she was truly family.

In the human realm, such informality is reserved for those you regard as family or friends.

"Did you truly venture into the human world that day with the intention of abducting the princess?"

"Ah? Oh. Yes."

"I don't believe your visit was truly to abduct the princess."

"???!!!"

Panic set in for the dragon. Had her true intentions been discovered?

Stay calm, stay composed. You must maintain your story that you were there to abduct the princess; otherwise, he might uncover the truth and react with fury. Worse, he might think she was plotting something else, something that might lead to her inadvertent entanglement with the human world, possibly in ways she hadn't intended.

"If it's a dragon, he would patiently wait for her to mature. But if it's a princess, there would be no waiting.

"That's right, that's right, I went there to abduct the princess! Truly, to abduct the princess!!!"

"You did not."

"I did!"

"You did not."

"I did!"

"You went there merely to loaf around and live off others."

"I did!"

Wait. What?

Why would she go to the human world just to loaf around and await her fate?

She couldn't make sense of it. Why indeed?

"Why did I, why did I, why did I venture to the human world to loaf around and await my demise?"

"Because you were seeking a human princess to look after you. So, your alleged mission to capture a princess was a façade; your true aim was to find a princess who would suit your needs and take care of you. It was a clever ruse. If not for my unexpected intervention, you might have already been living a cushy, carefree life, merely waiting for your days to pass."

"???"

That's too demeaning for the princess!

She is not the type to simply idle away her time waiting for the end!

She is a princess with dreams and aspirations.

Even if she turns into a baby dragon, she remains one with lofty dreams and aspirations.

What baby dragon, aside from her, dares to dream of ruling as an emperor in the human world?

No one, that's who, only she possesses such audacity!

There exist two kinds of baby dragons: those like the others, and then there's Princess Lucia as a young dragon.

"I'm not just some adorable young dragon trying to survive by being cute! I truly intended to kidnap the princess!"

"Of course, of course, you aimed to steal the princess heart."

At this, the young dragon relaxed, and the sinister dragon, Lance, saw his opportunity. He quietly readied the extracted dragon text memory inheritance, aiming for the young dragon's forehead.

Previously, the young dragon had been tense, resisting the assimilation of the inherited memories, which meant they might not integrate smoothly into her dragon soul if she felt repulsed.

The aim of the conversation was to distract her, to ease her guard and make her subconsciously overlook the impending memory inheritance.

"Ah!!! You've implanted the dragon clan's ancestral memories in my mind. Am I going to become a foolish baby dragon now? Wuwuwu. Evil dragon, promise me, if I turn into a foolish baby dragon, don't exploit me.

Don't repeatedly use me as bait. If we catch big fish and you dine on the meat, let me have a few bites too, not just the soup.

If you can, conjure up a dream for me to be an emperor.

Also, don't fatten me up only to eat me in one gulp. If I become too tempting a morsel, shrink me down and let me venture into the human world for fun. Maybe use me as a pendant to adorn your mighty dragon form.

Don't leave me isolated on the island, or I fear once you're gone, a deep-sea siren might come and devour me.

"I, I, I,"

the young dragon stammered, her words tumbling out in a nervous flurry. Evil dragon Lance, barely keeping his patience, clenched his claws into a fist and gave the young dragon a firm thump on the head.

What father would willingly harm his own child?

Even one who finds and raises a lost child grows to care for them deeply.

"That hurts. Hitting the head. It might make me silly faster, hastening my transformation into a foolish baby dragon."

"Don't worry about becoming a foolish baby dragon. Even if that happens, I can cure you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Did you say last night that we were going to have grilled squid today?"

The evil dragon reassured her that the chances of becoming foolish were exceedingly slim. Now endowed with the memory of dragon lore, she wouldn't need to learn from Lance each morning; instead, she could gradually assimilate the inherited memories on her own.

"Lance, the inherited memories have settled in my mind, but why don't I feel anything?"

"The dragon script memories will seep into your consciousness gradually as you sleep."

"Oh, that's convenient, learning in my sleep. No wonder dragons love to sleep so much, it's when they absorb, digest, and integrate their ancestral memories."

Isn't it supposed to trickle into your mind bit by bit for easier digestion?

The young dragon often latched onto peculiar details.

"Do you still want to eat grilled squid?"

"Absolutely!"

"Let's go then. I'll show you how to catch squid."

"Where will we catch them?"

"In the sea."

"Bring two... Damn it."

"It can't fly."

Damn it. Is he planning to use her to help catch the squid?

Two dragons, one immense and dark, the other smaller and sleeker, set out over the boundless sea.

The massive black dragon skimmed close to the water's surface, with the lithe young dragon trailing behind, mimicking his majestic and effortless flight. She admired how naturally and gracefully the evil dragon flew.

As they soared over the glittering sea, the black dragon displayed his flawless flight skills, seeming to become one with the environment.

Watching the evil dragon lead the way, the young dragon felt a moment of awe. It seemed as if he had merged seamlessly with the world around them.

The sea, the black dragon, and the sky melded together, forming a breathtaking scene akin to a dynamic oil painting. She already knew what she would title this imagined masterpiece: "That Sea, That Dragon, The Sky."