Andrew was held tightly by Christina, unable to move! The strength of a dragon—yeah, you get it. Christina used him as if he were a shield, blocking in front of her. Whether he wanted to or not, he had no choice but to obediently stay in front of Christina.
This was simply being forced into a "hero saving the beauty" situation...
Andrew was already far from calm. No matter how good his composure as a conman was, cold sweat had started to bead on his forehead. His heart was pounding in his throat.
However, Andrejewitsch didn’t see it that way. From his perspective, there was something suicidal blocking his path to Christina. In a low, measured voice, he said: "I’ll give you ten seconds to think it over. Ten seconds. If you don’t move by then, I’ll take it as a challenge. Ten."
Andrew swallowed hard, frantically calculating his next move.
Christina kept clutching Andrew’s robe tightly, trembling slightly.
Andrejewitsch subtly lifted his leg and took a step forward. He smiled, his eyes fixed on Andrew, unrelenting.
Before the countdown even finished, Andrew spun around and launched a Fireball Technique at him!
If a fight was inevitable, then why wait for the other side to strike first? Andrew certainly wasn’t about to wait.
With a deafening "boom," the fireball exploded in the courtyard, lighting up an entire expanse of surrounding buildings.
The previously empty street instantly filled with people, all watching cautiously from a distance.
Eugene, spying from a distant house with a monocular, was stunned: "Oh my god! There really is an undead creature—and it’s powerful! This was money well spent! Wait... my house—!"
Dragging Christina along, Andrew ran as if his life depended on it, his expression utterly contorted. Meanwhile, Christina, being pulled behind him, looked completely bewildered.
The flames gradually dissipated, and all the snow in the courtyard melted in an instant. Water pooled everywhere, trickling across the ground. Nearly all the rare garden plants were set ablaze, sizzling and emitting black smoke. Even the adjacent house now had one half completely scorched black.
Still standing where he was, Andrejewitsch glanced around, letting out an annoyed sigh.
Andrew ran clear across half of Linlopes before finally ducking behind a wall and stopping, panting heavily. He felt utterly drained, gasping for breath as if his lungs couldn’t keep up.
Christina, looking entirely unbothered, cautiously observed him from the side.
"Are... are you alright?" Andrew asked, his words staggered between gasps.
"I’m fine." Christina shook her head, flashing a sweet smile as she gazed at the breathless Andrew.
"Take a look... see if he’s coming after us or not."
Christina stretched her neck out and peeked over the wall, then softly replied, "No, he’s not coming after us."
"Good, as long as he didn’t! Scared me half to death—I was sure I’d have to duel a dragon!" Leaning against the wall, Andrew slowly slid down to sit, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "Who on earth is that guy?"
Christina bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.
"Does the Golden Dragon Clan want you to go back?"
Christina nodded emphatically. Hesitating for a moment, she then sat down quietly beside Andrew, her expression gentle: "I... don’t want to go back. I want to stay here."
"I’m glad you want to stay, but... why are you so determined to stay here?" Andrew turned his head slightly, looking at Christina with exhaustion in his eyes.
"Because... because," Christina lowered her head, smiling softly as she whispered, "I didn’t really like it here at first. The main reason I stayed was because they weren’t here. I didn’t want to be with them. But now, I like it here—because you’re here."
"Because of me?" Andrew froze for a moment.
Christina smiled sweetly, her eyes shining brightly.
Andrew still hadn’t processed what was happening.
Suddenly, Christina threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.
Alright, now Andrew understood, and a shiver ran down his spine. He had no idea how to react.
The two of them just stayed there in the little alley, motionless.
Christina kept smiling, hugging him tighter and tighter.
"Wait! Wa-wait, wait, wait! Ow!" Andrew yelped sharply.
"Sorry! Did I hurt you?" Christina quickly loosened her grip.
"Yes." Andrew wiped the sweat off his forehead, slowly stood up, and peeked out toward the distance. After a long pause, he turned back, swallowed dryly, and asked wearily, "Why does he want you to go back? Is it something important?"
"I don’t know." Christina shook her head.
"Then... why don’t you want to be with them?" Andrew cautiously asked, "I remember you mentioned before that they laugh at you. Can you tell me what they laugh at?"
Christina gazed at Andrew with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Alright, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine." With that, Andrew turned to leave.
"Wait! I’ll tell you!" Christina cried out hurriedly.
Andrew stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her.
Hesitating, Christina finally said, "I... I was born out of wedlock."
"Out of wedlock?" Andrew blinked. "Dragons have to get married? I thought dragons just needed to find a random cave and that was it."
"No, dragons do get married." Christina explained solemnly, "And dragon marriages are very serious matters."
"So that’s why they laugh at you? How petty." Andrew chuckled wryly.
"My mother is a Green Dragon."