Cilestras brought his wife to the great hall. Even though it was the first time this room would be used, he was more excited about sharing a meal with his wife. He spent a long time preparing for this, after all.
He set his wife down on the chair next to him, planning to experience the joy of personally feeding his beautiful human.
However, before he could sit down, he heard his wife cry, "Husband, the chair is too hard. It hurts."
Cilestras was shocked to see how quickly the tears fell. He carried Lilican back into his arms, fearing that the hard chair had injured his frail wife.
He also called the servants waiting on the side to replace the chair with softer padding.
While waiting for the new chair to arrive, he let Lilican sit on his lap, feeling distressed at his wife's crying face. It hadn't even been a day, yet his wife was already aggrieved under his care.
He wiped his wife's face with gentle hands, barely using any strength, but even then, he still left red marks on Lilican's soft skin.
The Black Dragon's servants scrambled to find the softest and most luxurious chair they could find. Thanks to their frantic efforts, it didn't take long for Lilican to be transferred from Cilestras's lap.
After his wife found a comfortable enough chair to sit on, the dragon signalled for the dinner to be brought over. Cilestras thought they would have a harmonious, if not peaceful, dinner together.
He was sorely mistaken.
"Husband, this spoon hurts my mouth."
"Husband, this soup has no taste."
"Husband, this napkin is too rough."
"Husband, this bread is dry."
"Husband, this vegetable is mushy."
"Husband, I can't cut this steak."
"Husband, this fork is too heavy."
"Husband, this water is too cold."
"Husband, this wine smells."
"Husband, husband, husband …"
All the while, Lilican couldn't stop crying.
The servants were running around replacing items and dishes. Even then, Lilican wasn't satisfied. Cilestras had to personally inspect each one before serving it to his wife, just so that his wife could stop crying earlier.
Cilestras was really worried that his wife would cry out all the water in his body. He had seen what happened to humans who had no water left in their bodies.
Their bodies shrank, their complexions were blue-violet, their skins were cracked, and their bones were brittle to the touch. Humans like that were nothing more than water bags.
If that happened to Lilican, his wife would no longer be beautiful.
Cilestras didn't even dare to think about it.
The crying of "husband, husband" kept ringing in his ears.
Oh, what a sweet burden, Cilestras thought.
What the dragon didn't know was that Lilican wasn't truly distressed or uncomfortable. He could cry so freely because he activated a "useless" skill he got as a reward from one of the past missions.
- - -
[SKILL]
Glass Eyes, Glass Lies
Grade: C
[Skill description:]
Bring in the waterworks! Feel pity for the beauty!
This skill allows the user to cry any time and anywhere, evoking feelings of pity and heartbreak from the target object.
This skill is especially effective against target objects that are already attracted to the user.
[Additional information:]
This skill was developed by a favored concubine in a low-level ancient plane. Using tears as a weapon, the concubine became the final winner in the palace harem fight. Her son eventually became emperor, and the concubine lived the rest of her life as the empress dowager.
Passive effect: The user will never experience dry eyes ever again.
*Only one target object can be bound per world.
**Warning: May have the opposite effect if used on anything other than the target object.
- - -
Once, when Lilican was doing a mission in a low-level modern technological plane, he managed to climb to the top and become the best actor per the original owner's wish. This was the skill he used most.
It was also because he had no other way; Lilican couldn't really find any pain points to make himself cry like the directors wanted.
After getting this skill, he could then cry proficiently. He could be a gentle rain or a torrent of emotions. He could even shed tears silently without changing his expression.
Drama writers loved him. He was even given a nickname: the Weeping Willow.
The system suggested recycling this skill, as they had no more skill slots left, but for some reason, he kept it. He was proud and happy with his foresight.
Now he's just utilizing the skill in a different way. In his opinion, he was using it quite effectively.
While Lilican was feeling proud, Cilestras was just the opposite.
The Black Dragon even wanted to cry with his wife. He had never felt like this before, not even when those humans came to him, crying and begging to grant their wishes. None of them could make his heart clench like his wife's crying face did.
By the time dinner was finished, Cilestras was feeling like he had no power left. This dinner almost cost him his life.
Lilican wasn't completely cruel. Once he was done with his meal, he stopped crying and let Cilestras finish his meal, even though the dragon didn't need to eat.
"Husband," Lilican called again after most of the food on Cilestras's plate had been eaten.
The fork in Cilestras's hand almost dropped. It was only thanks to his excellent reflexes that he avoided such embarrassment. "What is it, my wife?"
"I just want to say thank you, husband. You're so nice to me."
Lilican's words made Cilestras completely forget about being tossed around. He only had one thought: his wife was so sweet. It was worth all the effort.
As for why he was so tired after only one meal?
That was because his minions were incompetent. If they were more useful, he wouldn't have to run around and do things himself.
The Great Black Dragon Cilestras didn't know at this time that he would never be able to escape the fate of running around for his wife.
Right now, he was enjoying the water that his wife personally poured for him.
System 948, who saw all this from Lilican's mental space, was snickering at the Evil Dragon's delighted expression. It couldn't believe that this same dragon was the biggest villain, capable of destroying the world.
But the plot wouldn't lie.
Just as System 948 was enjoying the show, it received a reply from the Main System.
System 948 was confused upon reading it.
Still, it interrupted Lilican, who had returned into the dragon's arms for a post-meal cuddle, to report the news.
"Host, the Main System said there are no bugs," System 948 announced without greeting its host.
"What?" Lilican was shocked, but his face didn't show it. "Does that mean the main mission can be accomplished without completing the side mission?"
"It seems so."
Lilican fell into deep thought.
How was that possible?
Did that mean that even if the world was destroyed, a cannon fodder still had the chance to survive?
—--
[Mini theater:]
Lilican: Husband, that's not what people who died of dehydration look like.
Cilestras: I didn't say they died of dehydration. I said they had no water left in their bodies
Lilican: Then how did they die?
Cilestras: They died because of [REDACTED! SPOILER ALERT!!!]
System 948: *shocked*
System 948: THIS WORLD IS SO EVIL! LET'S ESCAPE, HOST!
Cilestras: And where do you plan to take my wife?
System 948: *shivering*