My Dragon King System-Chapter 234: The Elven Wife

That night, Aiden couldn’t sleep.

He had tried earlier, lying still beside his wives, willing his mind to quiet. But it didn’t work. His thoughts churned relentlessly, circling the same problems over and over.

Moments later, he was now standing by the window, staring out into the darkness of the night.

His arms were crossed over his bare chest, and his eyes tracked nothing in particular.

What could he do next?

That was the question that wouldn’t leave him alone.

There was nothing he could do against Lilith or the demon lords until he was strong enough to face them directly.

He hated being forced into a reactive position. Hated waiting for them to make the first move while he stood here, powerless to strike preemptively.

Behind him, on the bed, Laela and Arianna lay asleep.

Both wore thin, see-through nightgowns that clung loosely to their forms. The fabric was sheer enough that the curves of their bodies were visible beneath it, rising and falling gently with each breath they took.

Arianna slept deeply, her face turned toward the pillows, but Laela stirred slightly.

Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting slowly to the dim light of the room.

She turned her head and immediately noticed the empty space beside her where Aiden should have been.

She blinked a few times, then sat up slowly, careful not to wake Arianna. Her gaze found him standing by the window.

Laela slipped out of bed quietly and walked across the floor toward him.

When she reached him, she placed one hand lightly on his arm.

"Hey," she said softly.

Aiden glanced down at her. "Hey."

Laela tilted her head slightly as she studied his face. "Why aren’t you asleep?" she asked.

Then added, "Is this you still waiting for the demons to appear?"

Aiden scoffed, though there was no humor in it. "They already did."

Laela’s eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Aiden exhaled and turned his gaze back toward the window. "They showed up earlier today," he said. "All nine demon lords... and someone else, a goddess."

He paused for a moment then went on to explain the whole scenario from earlier, to her.

Laela’s expression shifted immediately into concern as she absorbed everything he’d just told her.

"An Archon God?" she repeated.

Aiden nodded. "I’m still trying to figure out what to do."

Laela was silent for another moment, then sighed and said. "That’s... a bad turn of events."

She looked up at him again.

"But I thought everything was hinging on the Holy Grail? Wasn’t that supposed to be the key to all of this?"

Aiden shook his head slightly. "The contest for it is still three months away according to the timeline," he said. "And before then, I should have already killed the demon lords."

He paused and his tone grew more serious.

"The Holy Grail plan was only ever meant for fighting Samael, not his demon lords. They should be long dead before he ever arrives in our world."

"But now I fear what this new presence might be capable of doing. I fear not knowing what they may do next... or how fast they intend to engage their plans."

Laela looked down for a moment, her expression turning sad as she realized there was nothing she could say that would ease his worry.

So instead, she did the only thing she could think of.

She stepped closer and slipped her arms around his arm, leaning gently against his side.

Her head was rested on his shoulder and she stayed there quietly for a moment.

Then finally, she spoke.

"It sounds like your biggest worry is what sort of power this Lilith might possess," Laela said. "Or the uncertainty of when they’ll act... and whether you’ll be ready when they do."

She paused and lifted her head slightly to look up at him.

"But instead of fixating on that, why don’t you use this time to focus on how much faster you can level up? After all, fighting them still hinges on that fact the most, doesn’t it?"

Aiden turned his head slowly toward her, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

She wasn’t wrong.

Laela reached up gently and cupped his face with both hands before pulling him down toward her slightly.

She kissed him affectionately on the lips, and when she pulled back, she smiled at him.

"Come back to bed soon," she whispered.

Then she released him and turned away, padding quietly back across the room toward where Arianna still slept peacefully on the bed.

Laela slipped beneath the covers beside her and settled in once more, closing her eyes as she let herself drift back toward sleep.

Aiden stood by the window for a moment longer, watching them both with a small smile still on his face.

Then he turned back again toward the darkness outside with a different focus settling into his mind.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

——

The next morning, Laela headed to the market early with Bernard, who needed help gathering supplies for the guild.

The streets were already bustling with vendors setting up their stalls and shoppers moving between them.

Bernard walked ahead, muttering to himself as he mentally tallied what they needed. "Flour, salt, maybe some lamb if the butcher has any decent cuts left..."

Laela followed close behind, her basket swinging at her side.

Then, without warning, an old woman bumped into her from the side.

Laela stumbled slightly but caught herself quickly. She turned immediately toward the woman with an apologetic expression.

"Oh! I’m so sorry," Laela said, reaching out instinctively to steady the elderly woman.

The old woman smiled and waved one hand dismissively. "No, no, my child. It’s no problem at all."

She reached out and took Laela’s hand gently in both of hers, patting it softly as if to reassure her.

"These old legs don’t move as well as they used to," the woman said with a kind laugh. "You did nothing wrong."

Laela smiled back, relieved. "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine," the woman replied, still holding Laela’s hand as she rubbed it gently.

As she did so, her thumb traced a faint circular pattern against Laela’s palm, so subtle that Laela didn’t even notice it happening.

A black mark appeared on her skin for just a split second before fading from view.

The old woman released Laela’s hand and smiled once more before turning away.

"Take care, dear," she said over her shoulder.

Laela nodded. "You too."

The old woman moved into the crowd, blending seamlessly among the other shoppers.

Then, after only a few steps, her eyes glowed a golden light beneath the shadow of her hood.

In the next instant, she flickered like a candle flame caught in a sudden breeze and vanished in a brief flash of light without caring if anyone saw.

The Curse of Death had been imprinted on Laela.