“W-who’s speaking?”
A wave of unease flashed through Iana’s heart.
Although she had a guess about the owner of that voice, she couldn’t help but ask.
She looked around but saw no figures.
A chill ran over her head.
When she looked upward, she found a pair of crimson eyes, filled with Demon Aura, staring at her.
Those dragon eyes were like blood-red moons enveloping her, radiating endless dark power, a testament to their owner’s noble bloodline and immense strength.
Being gazed upon felt like thousands of ants crawling over her skin.
Yet, those eyes held no trace of ferocity.
Instead, they overflowed with tenderness and doting affection, as if looking at the most precious thing in the world.
“Who are you?”
Iana’s voice trembled, her heart pounding wildly—almost as if it would burst through her ribs.
The blood inside her boiled like water on a stove.
She faintly sensed that the Demon Dragon’s blood flowed with the same resonance as her own, the connection only shared between the closest of kin.
Her identity was nearly unveiled.
Iana could roughly guess the Dragon’s identity from those eyes, but she still couldn’t believe she was truly her mother.
Because the person before her—no, the mighty Dragon—exuded a powerful, almost tangible Demon Aura.
Iana remembered Dean Isabella once said her mother was gentle and kind, but no matter how she looked at this figure, she couldn’t reconcile it with Dean Isabella’s description.
“I am your mother.” The Demon Dragon’s voice was filled with authority, like a born sovereign.
Iana shook her head frantically, her tone full of disbelief: “N-no, Dean Isabella’s description of my mother isn’t like you at all.”
“Isabella?”
The moment the Demon Dragon heard that name, her Demon Aura surged even stronger, as if she’d heard the name of a sworn enemy.
But Iana felt the hatred in her was not that of a deep-seated grudge—it felt more like the bitterness of a rival in love.
“Hmph, that old woman Isabella isn’t wrong, but who says you can only have one mother?”
“One mother?” Iana’s mind grew fuzzy.
‘What did the Dragon mean? Didn’t a person only have one mother?’
A faint possibility occurred to Iana.
She seemed to be in the Orange World, where most main characters were yuri.
Could it be that she really had two mothers?
“Y-you really are my mother?” Iana stammered, barely able to voice her guess.
“If not, how could I appear in your Trial Land?” The Demon Dragon said helplessly.
“It seems I need to help you fully understand who you are.”
Before Iana could react, a blood-red curtain of energy blocked her vision.
When she looked again, the oppressive Demon Dragon was gone.
In her place stood a tall, statuesque woman with a full, rounded chest, alluring curves, and a slender waist that traced the perfect figure.
Looking at her, Iana felt she was a queen reigning supreme over the world.
At first glance, she completely believed this was her mother, for the Demon Dragon’s human form bore a striking nine-point resemblance to her.
“Are you really my mother?” Although she believed it, Iana couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course. Still asking? Isn’t it time to address me properly now?”
Iana opened her mouth, but it felt as if something was stuck in her throat.
She stared blankly at the woman who looked so much like herself.
“Mo… mother.” After a brief daze, she finally squeezed out the word in a barely audible whisper.
The Demon Dragon Mother’s face instantly brightened.
A flicker of joy flashed through her crimson eyes but quickly faded as she resumed her stern demeanor.
She huffed with feigned severity: “So quiet. Didn’t you eat?”
Hearing this, Iana’s tension eased a little, and her voice grew a bit louder.
“Mother.”
“Mm, that’s better.” The Demon Dragon Mother crossed her arms, clearly satisfied, then slipped back into an indifferent pose.
“Mother, where is my other mother?” Iana finally asked the question that had been bothering her.
“She? You can’t see her yet. Maybe when the time is right.”
“What’s your name?” Iana’s curiosity about her Demon Dragon mother’s identity and their past was burning.
“My name?” The Demon Dragon Mother hesitated, a complicated expression flashing in her eyes.
Then she made a difficult decision: “You can’t know it yet. At least, not now.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t ask. Just know that I won’t harm you.”
“T-then how did you come to be here?” Iana lowered her head, her voice soft and low.
She knew that those in the Trial Land were all departed souls.
She didn’t know how her mother had died, but if there was a chance, she would avenge her.
“Don’t ask about these things for now. Knowing too much won’t do you any good.”
The Demon Dragon Mother’s words sent Iana into deep thought.
“Why? Dean Isabella told me the same thing. Back then, I thought she was just distant and unwilling to tell me. But aren’t we the closest people? Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“How many times have you met Isabella?” The Demon Dragon Mother frowned, ignoring Iana’s question and instead focusing on the name.
“About two or three times. She’s helped me a lot.” Iana said weakly.
She vaguely felt that her Demon Dragon mother didn’t trust Isabella and even harbored hostility toward her.
“Hmph, stay away from that old woman. Don’t you know it was her interference that stopped me from taking down your other mother long ago?” The Demon Dragon Mother snorted in displeasure.
There seemed to be some juicy drama.
Iana perked up, listening carefully to the Demon Dragon Mother’s muttering.
“Remember this: she is my enemy. The most hateful enemy—one who almost took your other mother away from me.” The Demon Dragon Mother ground her teeth, speaking viciously.
“Hmm, hmm, so my other mother had many suitors too.” Iana now clearly understood from her Demon Dragon Mother’s words that Isabella was a rival in love, and she became even more curious about their history.
“Mother, how did you win over my other mother?”
“That story goes back a very, very long time…” The Demon Dragon Mother began, then suddenly realized she had fallen into Iana’s trap.
“N-no, is this really the time to talk about it?”
“Aren’t you here for the trial?”
“I’m just curious about Mother’s past.” Iana stuck out her tongue, acting like a carefree child in front of her.
“Mother, what is my trial?”
“Your entire trial has already been arranged. It’s a decision made by everyone. You must prepare yourself mentally. The road ahead will be hard.”
A flicker of worry crossed the Demon Dragon Mother’s eyes.
There was a hint of reluctance as she looked at Iana, but she had no choice.
Only Iana could do this.
No one could replace her.
No matter how unwilling she was, she had to let Iana go through it.