Dragon King's Harem Chapter 553. Not in The Mood to Babysit
Dragon King's Harem Chapter 553. Not in The Mood to Babysit
“Portal,” I murmured.
[You have opened a portal]
The air in front of me folded like someone had grabbed reality by the collar and pulled. Clean. Silent. Just a thin, dark seam peeling open, edges glowing faintly like heat under glass.
I stepped through.
‘Cold.’
Forest.
Wide. Quiet. Breathing.
The dwarven capital sat far in the distance behind me, all stone and firelight and paranoia. Out here? It was different. Trees stretched high, thick trunks rooted deep into the earth like they owned it. Branches tangled overhead, swallowing most of the moonlight and leaving the ground in this dim, shifting shadow that felt alive if you stared too long.
I rolled my shoulders once, letting the stiffness shake out.
My boots pressed lightly against the soil. Soft, damp.
Then…
Eyes.
Yeah.
There they were.
Dozens of them.
Peeking from behind trees. Between bushes. From the dark like little glowing secrets that didn’t want to be caught but couldn’t stop looking anyway.
Monsters.
Low level.
Curious.
Hungry.
And very, very aware.
I tilted my head slightly, letting my aura slip just enough.
Not fully.
Just a hint.
Like showing the edge of a blade without pulling it out.
The reaction?
Immediate.
A few sets of eyes blinked out.
Gone.
Others shifted back, deeper into the forest. Still watching, but from farther away now.
Smart.
Good survival instinct.
I huffed quietly under my breath, glancing back once at the distant glow of the capital.
“Yeah… don’t come closer,” I muttered. “I’m not in the mood to babysit.”
No response.
Just leaves rustling.
Something scurried.
Then silence again.
I exhaled slowly, slipping one hand into my pocket while the other lifted slightly.
Okay.
Problem.
Big one.
I couldn’t exactly throw up a giant “HEY I’M HERE” flare like some idiot protagonist with a death wish.
Dwarven guards would see it.
Nymph scouts might see it.
Everyone would see it.
And then?
Yeah.
This quiet little meeting turns into a very loud public execution.
No thanks.
So…
We wait.
I clicked my tongue softly, then opened my palm.
[Magic Messenger]
Mana gathered.
Condensed.
Shifted.
A tiny dragon formed above my hand, no bigger than my palm, its body sleek, wings flickering like thin sheets of energy. It blinked once, then looked up at me like it was waiting for instructions.
Cute.
Also disposable.
I leaned my head slightly, thinking.
“Go find—”
A shadow passed.
Fast.
Too fast.
The little dragon froze mid-flutter.
I didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
But my eyes shifted upward.
And there…
A bird.
But not just any bird.
Red.
Not bright.
Not flashy.
More like embers buried under ash. Dim. Burning quietly. Wings slicing through the air without a single wasted motion.
Yeah.
That one.
I smirked faintly.
“About time.”
The bird circled once.
Then descended.
And halfway down…
It changed.
Feathers folded inward, stretching, reshaping. Wings dissolved into arms. Form shifted with smooth, practiced ease until a woman stood in front of me.
Seraphel.
She landed lightly, barely making a sound. Tall. Composed. Hair catching the faint moonlight like it held its own glow. Eyes sharp. Bright. Watching me the same way her bird form did.
Unblinking.
Aware.
Dangerous.
Yeah.
Definitely her.
“Good evening, Dragon King.”
Her voice was calm. Smooth. No wasted tone. Straight to business.
I tilted my head slightly, lips curling just a bit.
“Good evening.”
She didn’t smile.
“Let’s make this discussion fast,” she said, stepping a little closer. Not too close. Just enough to feel intentional. “Do you know what’s happening?”
Ah.
Straight for the throat.
I liked that.
I shifted my weight slightly, one hand still in my pocket, the other dropping lazily to my side.
“Yeah,” I said casually. “I do.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“Then answer me this,” she continued. “Why does this wedding feel wrong?”
I let out a small breath, glancing past her toward the dark forest before bringing my eyes back to hers.
“Because it is.”
A beat.
Then I shrugged lightly.
“It’s not a wedding. Not really.”
Her brows knit just slightly.
I stepped a little closer now, closing the gap just enough to make the conversation feel… tighter.
“It's a takeover,” I said, voice dropping just a fraction. “The nymph tribe wants the dwarven territory.”
No exaggeration.
Just truth.
Cold and clean.
Her eyes flickered.
Processing.
“By killing the king,” I added.
Silence.
The kind that stretches.
Heavy.
She inhaled slowly.
“So the wedding…” she started.
“A trap,” I finished.
Her jaw tightened just a bit.
“Princess Seranaya?” she asked.
I nodded once.
“She’s going to kill her soon-to-be husband.”
A faint breeze passed between us, carrying the scent of earth and something faintly floral.
Poison.
Always poison.
“With what?” she asked.
I met her gaze directly.
“Poison.”
Her lips pressed together.
“And the guests?”
I tilted my head, a faint grin tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“Oh, they’re included.”
That landed.
Hard.
Her posture shifted.
Not panic.
Not fear.
But readiness.
Sharp.
Focused.
“Does the Nymph Queen know?” she asked.
That one almost made me laugh.
I didn’t.
But it was close.
“Oh,” I said softly. “She knows.”
A step closer.
Now we were standing just a bit too close for this to be purely diplomatic.
“And not just know,” I continued. “She’s the one who made it.”
Her eyes widened.
Just slightly.
There it was.
The crack.
“She created a special type,” I said, lowering my voice just enough that it felt like I was sharing something dangerous. “Not just for the king.”
A pause.
“For everyone. A whole city.”
Her breath caught.
Barely.
But I saw it.
“A whole city?” she asked, voice quieter now.
I nodded slowly.
“Yeah.”
Silence again.
But this time?
It felt different.
Heavier.
Closer.
The space between us wasn’t just physical anymore. It carried weight. Intent. The kind of tension that wasn’t just about politics or poison, but something sharper.
Because now?
We both knew.
This wasn’t just a wedding.
This wasn’t even just an assassination.
This was war.
Slow.
Planned.
And already in motion.