Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 68: The Requisitioned Bride (4)

Dragon Raja 4

Mediterranean Sea, Republic of Malta.

This is one of the smallest countries in the world, consisting of five islands: Malta, Gozo, Comino, Cominotto, and Filfla.

The first three islands are inhabited, while Cominotto and Filfla are closed to protect their ecosystems, with even boats prohibited from approaching the shores.

However, among sailors, a secret has been circulating: there are actually people living on Filfla Island. If you sail along the edge of the ecological reserve, in a certain recessed part of the island, you’ll see a white spired building beside a small natural harbor, where a 200-foot luxury yacht and lightweight sailboats with white sails are docked.

Some think it’s a church, but in the best spring and summer sunlight, you can see groups of girls in white dresses boarding the yachts.

The scene is enchanting: the blue of the sea and sky blending into one, with white yachts floating in between, and the girls playing amidst it all.

They take off their dresses, leaving only white bikinis, and spend days tanning themselves to a beautiful golden brown.

In the evening, a dim light floats on the western sea, the horizon blurred between sky and ocean, and sheer curtains rise and fall in the wind.

On a terrace facing the sea, a girl in a white beach dress sits on a wicker chair, alongside an elderly nun in black robes, enjoying the sea breeze and sipping lemon tea.

Such a scene is rare, as Sister Clara, the head of the convent, usually stays in the chapel, guarding the ancient scrolls and frescoes.

Today, however, she made a special visit to the room of a novice nun named Chen Motong to chat about trivial matters.

“My dear child, how long have you been here?” Sister Clara was preparing to get to the point.

“Since last autumn, four months now,” the novice nun replied, sitting cross-legged, gazing at the distant white sails.

Her rough posture and dark red hair made her look more like a pirate lookout than a nun.

“Forgive my bluntness, but I don’t think you like it here. If you disappeared one morning, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”

“Wouldn’t that be great? I’m a dangerous person. If you knew what I used to do, you’d probably kick me out right away,” said the novice nun.

“Go ahead and tell me, let’s see if I’ll really throw you out,” Sister Clara smiled.

“All I’ll say is, give me a steel pipe, and I could fight a bear. If I wanted to cause trouble, there wouldn’t be a single survivor on this island.”

“Oh, so you’re a mighty knight, but knights belong on the battlefield. Why did you come here?”

“Because I promised an idiot I’d marry him. He’s from an old family, and they have a lot of annoying rules.”

“So this is the price you pay for love?”

“They said if I want to be the mistress of the Gattuso family, I need this certificate to qualify,” Nono sighed. “Basically, I’m here to get a diploma.”

After Caesar successfully proposed, he excitedly wrote a letter to Frost, declaring that he made this decision for himself, and if the family didn’t agree, he would give up his position as heir. After all, Pompeii was a purebred stallion, and they could just have him produce another heir. Surprisingly, Frost quickly replied, saying, “We respect your decision. Please bring Miss Chen Motong to Rome to meet the elders.”

The marriage between the families was formally initiated, like two vast machines coming together, interlocking with countless gears and drive shafts.

In the estate known as the “Pantheon” on the outskirts of Rome, Nono met the elders of the Gattuso family. The meeting took place in a stone building with its interior walls painted a bluish-green, resembling an ancient chapel. The only window was at the top, and the diffuse sunlight shone down on a massive round table.

Twelve elders in white robes dined with Caesar and Nono. They were all very old, but their eyes were sharp, their posture dignified, commanding respect without needing to raise their voices—like a gathering of Roman emperors.

Caesar explained that these were the true rulers of the Gattuso family, known as the Council of Elders, who made all major decisions for the family. The family head was merely an executive chosen by them.

Most of the elders ate in silence, but the leader, who introduced himself as Alpha, engaged Nono in conversation. His tone was gentle, and his voice had a rhythmic, almost poetic quality, discussing light topics. Alpha blessed the marriage and gave Nono a precious piece of jewelry. However, Nono didn’t enjoy the meeting; she felt that the elders looked at her as if she were a valuable piece of jade. They expressed satisfaction, but they didn’t seem to see her as a living person.

At the same time, a middle-aged man known as Mr. Chen flew to Rome to meet with Pompeii. The two fathers took a boat out to sea, and after their trip, both said they had reached an agreement.

The marriage contract was drawn up as a family document, signed by Caesar, Nono, Pompeii, and Mr. Chen, then faxed to all the major families in the hybrid world, resembling a diplomatic communiqué.

Nono disliked these complicated procedures. She had agreed to Caesar’s proposal, not the Gattuso family’s.

But for Caesar’s sake, she went along with it. She knew Caesar’s character well. He liked to act rebellious in front of his family, pretending to be a rogue who could walk the wastelands alone with a sword, but it was likely just teenage defiance. Caesar had had a smooth life, so his maturity was slower than that of ordinary boys.

Pompeii eagerly flew to America to take his future daughter-in-law out to dinner, suggesting that she withdraw from Cassell College and enroll in a regular university to finish her studies. Although the Gattuso family was a dragon-slaying family, the mistress of the Gattuso family didn’t need to battle life and death. However, Pompeii also mentioned that this pressure came from the elders, and if Nono didn’t want to, it wouldn’t matter. He personally thought slaying dragons was pretty exciting.

Nono should have refused the suggestion without hesitation, but after returning to America from Beijing, she began to doubt this exciting career. The Dragon King siblings had changed her perspective on dragons. She had experienced the emotions of these “beasts” and could no longer view them as mere vicious monsters.

After being troubled by this for a while, she messaged Pompeii, agreeing to the arrangement. He replied within minutes, “You’re awesome, daughter-in-law! Your withdrawal has already been processed!”

With the Gattuso family’s intervention, she didn’t have to go through the brainwashing process, and her academic record was transferred to an old but discreet women’s college, Mount Holyoke College. On the day of her departure, she didn’t tell anyone, except for having a late-night meal with Susie. She felt like a deserter, not knowing where exactly she was fleeing to.

Technically, Cassell College’s doors were still open to her, and she could take the CC1000 subway back to the mountain campus at any time. But in reality, after leaving the mountaintop, she never returned. She kept more in touch with Caesar and Susie, only occasionally messaging others. She had already been labeled as the future mistress of the Gattuso family, and even the boys who had pursued her back then kept a respectful distance. Approaching graduation, her former classmates were getting busier, taking on adventurous tasks around the world, while she stayed in libraries reading books and in studios painting. Their shared topics of conversation dwindled. Last year, she completed her thesis and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Even before graduating from Mount Holyoke College, the Gattuso family had already chosen the Golden Iris Convent for her to stay for a few months to cleanse her soul.

In the local language, Filfla Island is known as the Island of the Golden Iris.

The Gattuso family are devout Catholics, Caesar included, so every generation’s mistress must spend some time as a novice nun before marriage.

The white spired building was constructed in 1798 after Emperor Napoleon expelled the Knights of Malta, originally intended as a retreat for him and Empress Josephine. But before it was completed, the emperor was forced to abdicate and was exiled to Elba. A foundation bought the building and collaborated with the Maltese government to establish this convent. The girls who come here to practice are either from old aristocratic families or from the new elites of politics and business. Most of them are young women about to marry into powerful families.

This arrangement nearly pushed Nono to the edge, and she was about to rebel. But one autumn evening, a silver Harley-Davidson roared onto the Mount Holyoke College campus. When Nono came out of the library, Caesar was sitting on the motorcycle with a box of hand-rolled sushi, waiting for her.

They shared the sushi under a blooming hibiscus tree. Caesar talked about a girl he met in Japan, a story Nono already knew about, but Caesar spoke earnestly. He admitted that he used to be a reckless kid who hurt many people without realizing it. He said he had always avoided responsibility and made excuses for himself. Finally, he confessed that while he still didn’t like his family, he was ready to reconcile with them, take on the responsibility of being the head of the Gattuso family, and hoped Nono would always be by his side.

In the two years after graduation, Caesar also interned at the Execution Bureau, so they didn’t get to see each other often. When they finally reunited, Nono suddenly felt that he had grown up—his eyes even showed a hint of weariness.

She patted Caesar on the back and joked, “Good for you! Lucky for me, your family doesn’t practice Buddhism, or I’d seriously reconsider becoming a nun!”

And so, a 200-foot white yacht sailed across half the Mediterranean to bring her here. As she stepped onto the island, she turned back, looking in the direction of Rome.