#832 The Emperor Dragon Couple Visits - Mermaid Second Half

Our first stop for a marital visit in the Mermaid Kingdom was a chat with Lord Arowana.

Then, Lady Puffer also arrived, and we had a delightful conversation with the royal couple.

“Ah, dragons also have their struggles, huh? It’s funny, needing to learn about marital life from mankind.”

Despite her typically sharp tongue, Queen Puffer’s posture as she sat on the sofa was impeccable, knees and toes perfectly aligned, hands gracefully placed on her thighs.

Such a demeanor befits a national representative’s wife, worthy of any public appearance.

“Although my husband has probably told you more than enough, getting both sides of the story is worthwhile. Let me share my perspective too... about the surprising challenges of married life!!!”

Her words carry a genuine warmth and conviction.

Are the “challenges” she spoke of truly serious and not just an exaggeration? 

Is Lady Puffer dissatisfied with Lord Arowana as her husband?

“Heck no! My husband is... well, he tends to brag a bit too much in public, but other than that, he’s mostly a good husband. He dotes on our son and still pays a lot of attention to me...!”

Lady Puffer slightly turns away and scratches her cheek.

Don’t start getting bashful on your own. 

“But! Marriage isn’t just about the couple being happy! Some annoying person always tries to interfere from the outside!”

“What?!”

“Moreover, once you marry the man you love, you’re stuck with this person forever! No matter how hard you try, you can’t get rid of them, and they always meddle between me and my husband! It’s like a destined rival... That person is...!!!”

Th-That person is...?!

“The Mother-in-Law!”

“Oh, Puffer dear? Loafing around, are we?”

At that moment, a stylish, elderly lady appeared! 

She looks young enough to be mistaken for Queen Puffer’s sister. I recognize her.

She’s Queen Puffer’s mother-in-law, Mahi Kanne, King Arowana’s mother.

Despite her appearance, she’s said to be strong enough to take down gods or the Geyser Dragon in single combat.

The baby in Lady Mahi’s arms... must be Moby Dick, the child of King Arowana and Queen Puffer.

“Look at little Dick! He’s sleeping so peacefully in Grandma’s arms, almost as if he loves her the most!”

“You brought our son here during his nap just to say that?! Naps are serious business for kids! Leave him in bed, undisturbed!!!”

“Keep your voice down, or you’ll wake him.”

Lady Mahi is King Arowana’s biological mother. 

In human terms, this would make her Queen Puffer’s mother-in-law.

...What does ‘in-law’ mean, though? A term for ‘barely related’?

In any case, they’re undeniably mother and daughter-in-law!

“Kukuku...! Have you forgotten, Mother-in-law? It’s been years since the throne passed to my husband... It might be time for the previous generation to consider retiring to a quieter life elsewhere... perhaps to a villa?”

“Oh my, are you trying to kick me out, Puffer dear? How sad it is to be unloved by my daughter-in-law... Did Arowana choose the wrong partner?”

“I respect you greatly, mother-in-law!!!”

Despite their polite words, their tension felt like the precursor to a battle.

Why such tension in a place that seemed the farthest from strife?

Sis Mary, trembling beside me, also seemed frightened by this explosive atmosphere.

“Seeing is believing... This is the most troubling aspect of married life. A challenge every husband must face...”

“Lord Arowana?!”

“That challenge is... the In-Law War!”

War?!

This?!

It certainly felt as tense as a battle.

But would their personalities really lead to such hatred?

It’s just a family matter, right?

“Naive, Lord Ardheg. The friction between a wife and her mother-in-law is not just about personality clashes. They are fated to be at odds from birth, destined to battle each other!”

R-Really?!

Meanwhile, the wife and mother-in-law are escalating their argument!

“Firstly, Mother-in-Law, Moby Dick is the child of me and Arowana, so we should be the ones raising him. Yet outsiders keep interfering, trying to play caretaker, which seems quite inappropriate.”

“Childcare is not to be underestimated! It’s not something a couple can manage alone. When in need, grandparents are the first you should turn to. After all, to be a grandparent is to be an experienced child-raiser by default. It’s a chance to use the wisdom and experience of those who came before us.”

“But he’s a prince! We have nannies, maids, and wet nurses aplenty. There’s no need to trouble the former mermaid queen with it!”

“Isn’t it better for his family to raise him into a fine adult?”

“Then let me, his mother, raise him! Stop stealing my opportunities!!!”

Their opinions clashed endlessly.

“Grandmothers naturally want to dote on their grandchildren, but mothers don’t like others meddling in their parenting. Beyond that, wives and mothers-in-law often clash over their mutual love for the same man, their son or husband. No matter how well they get along otherwise, wives and mothers-in-law are creatures destined to conflict!!!”

Isn’t that a bit of an overstatement?

Even I felt uneasy about such a sweeping generalization, but Lord Arowana’s eyes held a resigned clarity.

“And as a husband... a son... neutrality is not an option! Always torn between siding with my wife or my mother! But choosing one side over the other isn’t an option either! It’s a more difficult balancing act than running a kingdom!”

Lord Arowana...! 

What a challenging position to be in daily!

Human marriage seems quite complex indeed!

“Maybe we dragons have it easier then?” says Sis Mary casually.

What makes her say that?

“Because until recently, we dragons propagated through cloning, not by male and female pairing to produce offspring like mankind. This means, as of now, no dragon has a mother! Therefore, if one’s mate doesn’t have a mother, there can’t possibly be a mother-in-law either!!!”

I-I see!

...But does that make sense?

“As the Empress Dragon, I’m spared from any mother-in-law issues! Future generations of dragons might struggle with this, but as someone from the in-between generation, I intend to fully leverage this advantage for a peaceful married life!!!”

“Will it really work out so smoothly?”

“Who’s there?!”

Then, someone appears... Wait, I know this person.

Father?!

The former Geyser Dragon, Al Gor, is here?!

“Surprised, are you? Wherever you guys are, there I shall be! Having survived even after the Dragon Ball was snatched away, I’ve earned the right to warmly watch over you all without any responsibility!” 

“Kuh...! How can the previous generation be so annoying?! Wait, is this...”

Ah, so you’ve noticed.

“That’s right! Troublesome relatives aren’t just limited to mothers-in-law! There’s also the spouse’s father, the father-in-law! Thinking women are the only nuisances is a huge mistake!!! To all you current generation dragons, I come as a ‘blessed’ father-in-law!”

“You troublemakerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!”

Unsurprisingly, that was enough to make Sis Mary snap.

Even when he was the reigning Geyser Dragon, he was quite a nuisance, and now, even after being dethroned and losing his power, he remains a bother!

“But that’s not all for a perfect scenario!”

“Who is it this time?!”

Seidour?!

A neither particularly strong nor significant Grinzel Dragon yet somehow always finding a way to appear, Seidour has shown up, too?!

“Even if we belong to a cloned generation, not having a mother is just too sad! Therefore, I, humble as I may be, will become everyone’s mother!”

“What do you mean?!”

Nothing is making sense anymore!

I feel like my brain is about to explode from the sheer absurdity!

“So, dear sister Mary! Rest assured, you’ll also have a troublesome mother-in-law! I’m currently learning all the appropriate ways to torment a daughter-in-law from Lady Mahi!”

“Stop sticking your snout into every single thingggggg!!!”

The already bothersome father-in-law, Al Gor. 

And now Seidour aiming to become a troublesome mother-in-law.

At this rate, the future of dragon reproduction looks increasingly grim!

We came to learn about a proper marital life, but instead, the dark aspects of marriage keep revealing themselves!

“Ah, you there, young man.”

“Eek!”

When did the former mermaid queen, Lady Mahi, appear next to me?!

And she’s still holding her grandchild?!

Meanwhile, her war opponent, Lady Puffer, has already been defeated and is being comforted by her husband, Arowana.

“I hear you’re learning about marriage. It’s good to broaden your horizons, so let me offer you some advice... Marriage, you see, is about creating a new family.”

Family?

“No matter the form, it’s about building something new with someone other than yourself that you didn’t have before. If you’re afraid of new things, you can’t get married. Good luck.”

She turned on her heel and walked away after offering her advice.

What a profoundly insightful person...!

To think that she’s capable of defeating my father in his prime truly shows how vast this world is...!