Too Late, My Dragon Lord Ex

Cristin's POV:

Slap!

A loud, heavy slap echoed through the spacious corridor like a gunshot.

I put so much force into the strike that Ansley was thrown heavily onto the polished marble floor. A trickle of blood immediately seeped from the corner of her mouth.

"Ansley!" Collin roared. My fated mate, the Dragon Lord of our Clan, instantly dropped to one knee, pulling the weeping woman into his arms with overwhelming protectiveness.

To punish my "insolence," Collin mercilessly unleashed his dominating draconic aura. That violent, invisible force slammed into my chest like a concrete wall. My bones groaned under the crushing pressure, and a thick, coppery taste of blood instantly surged up my throat.

Enduring the agonizing pain, I looked past his self-righteous, protective stance. Through the half-open heavy stone doors, I could clearly see the Consecrated Nesting Chamber-the sacred room I had poured six months of blood, sweat, and tears into preparing for our upcoming Mating Ceremony. Now, it was utterly defiled. The air reeked of Ansley's cheap, pungent perfume mixed with Collin's faint dragon's breath, and her son's toys were carelessly strewn across my priceless sunstone rug.

But what stung my eyes the most was the garment Ansley was currently wearing.

It was the starlight-silk nightgown Collin had gifted me on our engagement anniversary. Right over the heart of that sheer fabric was a single, shimmering dragon scale-Collin's own heart-scale. I remembered the night he gave it to me; he had kissed my forehead tenderly and sworn that he plucked the softest scale closest to his heart so it could rest against my heart, protecting me forever.

In my past life, I cherished that scale more than my own life. For this hypocritical vow, I foolishly ignored my mother's tearful warnings, turned my back on my own family, and poured my late father's entire fortune into supporting his failing domain. And what did I get in return? Betrayal and death.

"Cristin, are you out of your fucking mind?!" Collin's furious roar snapped my attention back. His golden dragon eyes glared at me, his handsome face twisted in extreme rage.

"Lady Cristin, please, I beg you, stop hitting me!" she sobbed, her entire body trembling like a fragile autumn leaf. "I'll take off your nightgown right now! I won't take over your job as the Treasury Overseer, either... Lord Collin only let me stay here temporarily because my son is sick and needs the dragon-flame energy of the sun-chamber. It's all my fault. Please, whatever you do, don't be angry with the Dragon Lord..."

She cried her heart out. However, as she buried her face in Collin's chest, she tilted her head slightly. From an angle Collin couldn't see at all, she looked at me through her fake tears and gave a vicious, triumphant smirk.

Collin only felt the trembling of the woman in his arms, and the gaze he shot at me instantly turned into icy daggers.

"Look at yourself, acting like a hysterical shrew, Cristin!" Collin snarled, his tone dripping with nauseating self-righteousness. "Ansley's father died to save my mother! Since you are to be my wife, this is a life debt we both owe her! Is it too much to ask you to show a little grace and make room for the orphan of our savior?!"

He glared down at me condescendingly, as if I were a petty, jealous monster.

"She is exhausted and frail from taking care of a sick child! You know my heart-scale contains pure draconic vitality! Wearing this nightgown helps heal her damaged meridians! You are perfectly healthy, what does it matter if you lend it to her for a few days to recover? It's just a piece of clothing! Are you so vicious that you'd rather watch her die?!"

He paused, his voice growing even colder. "And that Treasury job! As my future wife, you shouldn't even be lowering yourself to manage such trivial matters! I let her take over to give you a chance-a chance to show the entire Clan your mercy and generosity as the Dragon Lady! I was helping you build your authority! But you? Instead of appreciating my good intentions, you throw a tantrum over a spare room and a dress, embarrassing me in front of everyone! When did you become so narrow-minded and cold-blooded?!"

Listening to his incredibly absurd, gaslighting moral kidnapping, a cold, dead silence washed over me.

I swallowed the bloody saliva in my mouth and slowly pulled a silk handkerchief from my pocket. I meticulously wiped every single finger, as if I had just touched some infectious garbage, and then let the handkerchief flutter gently onto Ansley's trembling body.

Seeing my look of absolute disgust, Collin's fury was completely ignited.

"Pick it up!" he roared. His draconic pressure instantly doubled, slamming onto my shoulders like a mountain, attempting to force me to my knees. "Put away your disgusting arrogance! Pick up the handkerchief, get on your knees, and apologize to her until she forgives you!"

The immense pressure made my kneecaps pop and crack, but I bit my lip until it bled. I would rather my legs snap in half than yield a single inch.

"Apologize?" I spoke coldly. Bearing the brunt of that overwhelming aura, my voice was so flat it dropped the temperature in the corridor to freezing. "You once swore that heart-scale would rest against my heart to protect me forever. Yet now, you casually drape that very vow, along with my most intimate gift, over your mistress to heal her. You let her defile my sacred nest. Now, under the hypocritical guise of 'helping me build authority,' you want to hand over the job I worked so hard to earn to her. You trample my dignity underfoot to play the generous Lord, and you want me to kneel and apologize?"

Collin clenched his jaw, seemingly shocked that I could actually withstand his aura. "I told you, she's just a friend! Stop this insane, psychotic jealousy-"

"Keep the chamber," I cut him off, my voice as crisp as ice.

Collin froze. "What did you say?"

I didn't even blink, staring straight into his furious eyes. "I said, keep the chamber. Give her the job, too. And this parasite, you can keep her as well. I don't want any of this anymore. And I don't want you, either." I paused, letting my next words fall like shards of ice. "I want to dissolve the contract. I reject you as my mate."

A dead silence fell over the corridor. Ansley even forgot to continue her fake sobbing.

Collin stared dead into my eyes. A dozen complex emotions flashed across his face, finally settling into pure mockery and absolute disbelief. He let out a harsh, extremely impatient sneer.

"Dissolve the contract? Over a dress and a room, you're threatening me with rejection?" Collin scoffed, his voice laced with condescending pity and sarcasm. "Cristin, who do you think you're talking to? Without me, who do you think you are? Do you honestly think playing this cheap trick will force me to compromise? You have completely lost your mind!"

He turned his head, looking at the burly guards shifting uneasily at the end of the hall.

"The dragon within the Lady has gone feral and unstable," Collin issued a cold, cruel command. "Grab her and throw her into the Obsidian Tower! Lock her up for five days! Let her sober up in the cold, pitch-black darkness until she is cured of this madness and crawls out begging for my forgiveness!"

The Obsidian Tower was the Clan's maximum-security prison, specifically designed to isolate the clinically insane. The obsidian material would completely dampen a dragon's senses, enough to drive any sane person to the brink of madness.

The guards approached me cautiously. But I didn't struggle. I simply turned around and willingly walked toward that so-called prison.

Collin frowned, a flash of unease in his eyes, creeped out by my eerie calmness.

What Collin didn't know was that I had already been reborn.

In my past life, walking into this Obsidian Tower marked the beginning of my true nightmare.

During my five days of isolation, Ansley frantically spread rumors throughout the entire Clan that I had gone completely feral and turned into a dangerous lunatic.

By the time I got out, my reputation was completely ruined. The position of Treasury Overseer, which I had earned with my blood and sweat, was permanently handed over to Ansley.

Under her endless, hypocritical manipulation and secret psychological torment, I was completely isolated by the entire Clan.

Ultimately, after Ansley framed me as a "corrupted, feral dragon," I was dragged to the execution pyre by the outraged Clan, and I was burned alive.

I screamed in agony as the flames devoured my flesh, while Collin was busy comforting a "frightened" Ansley and her sick son, turning a deaf ear to my desperate pleas for help.

A bone-deep hatred coiled around my heart like a poisonous vine, making it hard to breathe.

I walked into the Obsidian Tower, listening to the heavy iron lock turning. Clang.

Standing in the absolute darkness, a bone-chilling smirk curled the corners of my mouth.

In this life, I absolutely would not let that happen again.

Enjoy your last five days of peace, Collin. In five days, when I push this door open, I will personally shatter this disgusting bond. I will make sure you and your precious Ansley pay for every ounce of suffering you inflicted upon me!

Cristin's POV:

Clang.

The heavy iron doors of the Obsidian Tower groaned open, piercing the dead silence I had endured for five days.

The blinding sunlight made me narrow my eyes. Standing at the entrance was Collin, dressed in an immaculate, gold-embroidered noble suit.

He wore that familiar, self-righteous smile, extending a hand toward me as if he were a merciful god forgiving a disobedient pet.

"Cristin," his voice was soft, laced with a nauseating condescension. "Five days in the dark should be enough to cool your temper. I hope you've reflected on your mistakes."

I stared at his outstretched hand. I recoiled as if he were something infectious, avoiding his touch completely.

His hand froze awkwardly in mid-air, the mask of gentleness on his face finally showing a crack.

"Cristin, what is it? Are you still throwing a tantrum?" Collin's brow immediately furrowed.

He sighed, his tone dripping with a self-serving weariness. "I know you feel wronged. But it was for your own good. You were acting completely feral, and I sent you here to protect you from making a bigger fool of yourself."

"Protect me?" I let out a cold, mocking laugh. "By locking me in an actual tower for the insane? What a brilliant display of your love."

My sarcasm made his face darken. "I thought you would be more understanding of my difficult position. I'm just trying to keep the peace!"

He paused, then adopted a tone of magnanimous persuasion. "Do you know how hard these five days have been for Ansley? She was terrified by your outburst, yet she still dragged her frail body to manage the Treasury for you, just to keep things running smoothly. She even begged me to release you early!"

Hearing this, a violent wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

My past self had been completely fooled by his lies.

But in my past life, during these exact five days, Ansley had used the Treasury's resources to buy off the elders and frantically spread rumors that I was a dangerous lunatic!

While I was locked in the dark, she was stealing my power and paving the way to send me to the execution pyre!

And now, this hypocritical Dragon Lord was standing before me, praising the woman who would eventually burn me alive, demanding my gratitude!

"She is so kind and forgiving," Collin continued, oblivious to the deadly venom brewing in my eyes. "When we get back, you should properly thank her. Apologize for your behavior, and we can put all this behind us and prepare for our mating ceremony."

I looked at his earnest, self-deceiving face, and the bone-deep hatred within me finally crystallized into absolute ice.

I decided I was done wasting my breath on this hypocrite. I walked past him, heading straight for the magnificent carriage waiting outside the tower.

Collin, thinking I had finally given in to his "reasoning," looked incredibly relieved. He hurried to catch up, intending to open the carriage door for me like a perfect gentleman.

But I stopped just before I reached it and turned to face him. We were so close I could smell the faint scent on him-the scent of a Dragon Lord, mixed heavily with Ansley's cheap perfume.

That scent once fascinated me. Now, it just made me want to vomit.

"Collin," I said calmly, my voice void of any emotion.

"Yes, my love? Are you ready to go home?" His smile returned, confident and arrogant.

I looked straight into his golden dragon eyes, speaking each word slowly and clearly, letting them strike him like fatal daggers.

"There will be no mating ceremony. There is no 'home' for us anymore."

His smile froze instantly. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean," I paused, a chilling smirk curling my lips, "I want to dissolve the contract. We are done, Collin. I reject you as my mate."

Cristin's POV:

My declaration of rejection hung in the air, sharp and absolute. Collin stared at me, his golden eyes wide with disbelief, as if I had just spoken in a forgotten, alien tongue.

But his shock only lasted for a second. In his arrogant mind, he quickly rationalized my words as just another desperate, extreme ploy to win back his attention.

I looked down at the bewildered driver and spoke coldly. "Take me to the Conrad estate. My business with the Dragon Lord needs to be settled formally, with our families as witnesses."

With a dark, grim face, Collin followed me and forcibly got into the carriage, sitting directly across from me. At his cold command, the bewildered driver quickly set the carriage in motion.

I leaned back against the soft cushions, my posture completely relaxed. I fixed my gaze coldly on the scenery flying past the window, treating him like an invisible, foul-smelling piece of trash.

"Cristin, what on earth are you doing? Is this your new game? Threatening me with the Rejection Ritual over a minor disagreement?"

"Doing? A game?" I turned my head, looking at him as if he'd just told the world's greatest joke. "I'm just stating a fact. Our engagement is over."

"Impossible!" he retorted sharply, his draconic aura flaring. "Our engagement was notarized by a Dragon God Ritual and is protected by the highest laws of the kingdom! It's not something you can just end with a few petulant words!"

I glanced at him coolly, my voice dripping with disdain. "Is that so? But as I recall, the Dragon God Ritual also provides for the absolute legality of a 'Rejection Ritual.' As long as one party officially proposes it and the other accepts, the marriage contract can be permanently voided."

Collin was speechless. He clearly hadn't expected me to be so knowledgeable about these ancient draconic laws. After all, the old me-the foolish, love-struck me-only cared about the roses in the garden and the gowns at the ball, always revolving my entire world around him.

He took a deep breath, trying a new tactic. His tone softened, putting on that hypocritical mask of affection**. "Cristin, think about all these years of affection between us. Are you really going to throw it all away because of some trivial misunderstanding?"

"Affection?" I shot back, a harsh sneer escaping my lips. "Are you referring to the 'affection' where you comfortably enjoyed the massive financial support my family provided, all while you were intimately entangled with another woman?"

"I told you, it's not an entanglement!" My words violently stung his fragile ego, and his voice rose again. "I only have a responsibility to Ansley! Her father died saving my mother! I owe them a life debt!"

There it was again. That exact same, nauseating excuse.

Rage built in my chest, threatening to shatter my self-control.

I sat up abruptly, staring directly into his golden eyes, my voice trembling slightly with pure, unadulterated anger. "Collin Fleming, cut the crap with your ridiculous 'responsibility' argument!"

"You have a responsibility to her, so who is responsible for me? Who is responsible for the Conrad family?!"

I stared at him, speaking each word with razor-sharp precision. "When we got engaged, it was because your Fleming family's Dragon-crystal mines were on the verge of total exhaustion! You desperately needed my late father's wealth to keep your title! Do you have any idea how much of my family's liquid fortune I foolishly drained to fill your bottomless pits over the past five years?! I even broke my own mother's heart and severed ties with her just to defend your honor!"

"Now that your domain is stable and your mines are recovering, you don't need us anymore, is that it? Your so-called 'life debt' is just the perfect, noble excuse for your wandering affections and your parasitic betrayal!"

The color completely drained from Collin's face. He seemed utterly shocked that I would lay these dirty backroom deals out so bare.

These were the unspoken secrets among nobles. No one ever tore away the elegant facade so brutally, exposing the ugly truth that the great, arrogant Dragon Lord was essentially a leech feeding off his fiancée's dead father's inheritance.

His lips moved, but he couldn't form a single word to refute me. Because everything I said was the absolute truth.

Looking at his pale, defeated face, the fire in my heart finally found an outlet, turning into a sharp, incredibly satisfying thrill of revenge.

"For your 'responsibility,' you brought your mistress into my home and made me the laughingstock of the entire aristocracy! For your 'benefactor,' you locked me in a pitch-black tower for insane criminals!"

I leaned closer, my voice as cold and lethal as a blade. "Now, I'm done paying for your 'responsibility.' The heavy burden of the Fleming family is one that I, Cristin Conrad, will no longer carry. You and Ansley deserve each other!"

My words hit him like a heavy sledgehammer. He stared at me in shock, his eyes wide, as if seeing me for the very first time.

The coachman's voice cautiously came from outside. "My Lord, Lady Cristin... we've arrived at the Conrad estate."

Without giving Collin another glance, I pushed open the heavy carriage door myself and jumped out.

The familiar, magnificent iron gates of the estate were right in front of me. My heart twisted with a sudden, suffocating pang of guilt. This was the home I had abandoned.

Collin hurriedly followed me out, reaching out and trying to grab my arm, but I shook him off with extreme disgust.

"Cristin, wait! We need to talk!" His voice finally held a genuine trace of panic.

I turned, looking at him with absolute, freezing indifference. "There's nothing left to talk about. Get your three million gold coins ready, Collin. That is the exact price for ending our engagement and repaying my family's investments."