“What? Afraid of being “cleaned up” now? Losing face in front of me?”
Aze’s voice cut in lazily, the end of her sentence trailing off with a teasing tone, clearly enjoying the chaos.
She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, her gaze landing on Yiyi’s still slightly trembling dragon tail, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
Yiyi’s already flushed face turned even redder.
Buried in Lilia’s arms, only half of her wet little face was visible as she glared at Aze like a bristling kitten: “None of your business!”
“I’m not minding it.”
Aze shrugged, standing up and brushing the grass clippings off her hem.
“I’m just afraid some little baby dragon will make too much noise crying and begging for mercy tonight, keeping me from sleeping.”
“I won’t!”
Yiyi countered, neck stiffening, but the words had barely left her mouth.
Lilia’s fingertips gently brushed against the soft scales on the side of her dragon tail, a spot even more sensitive than the tip.
A sharp itch surged up, and Yiyi was silenced instantly, a small whimper escaping her throat.
Most of the strength left her body again, leaving her only able to clutch Lilia’s collar tightly.
Lilia continued to smile, her hand helping to brush away the sweaty strands of hair on Yiyi’s forehead.
Her fingertips grazed Yiyi’s burning earlobe: “Oh? You won’t? Well, I’m quite looking forward to it then.”
She deliberately emphasized the words “looking forward,” making Yiyi shrink even further into her arms.
Even her dragon tail obediently wrapped around Lilia’s waist, the heart-shaped tip gently rubbing against the back of her hand in a somewhat pleasing manner.
“You can’t even resist, and yet you still dare say you won’t?”
Aze crossed her arms and looked down at her, the smile at the corner of her mouth deepening.
“It’s because I’m still small and don’t have much strength…”
Yiyi’s voice grew smaller and smaller as she muttered without much conviction.
She buried her cheek in Lilia’s collar, showing only the tips of her reddened ears.
“Already trained like this, when you grow up, hehe….”
Aze dragged out the end of her sentence.
That light, teasing chuckle scratched at Yiyi’s heart like a feather.
Yiyi snapped her head up, her red eyes filled with embarrassment and anger, looking fierce in a cute way: “You’re the one who’s been trained! I haven’t!”
“Ah, right, right, you haven’t been trained. It’s just a certain little baby dragon who’s been trained… to the point of being toyed with at will. Hmm? Wouldn’t you say so, Hades~”
Aze leaned down, bringing her face close to Yiyi’s ear.
Her voice was pressed very low, filled with thick mockery.
“Get lost…” Yiyi’s face instantly turned so red it looked like it could bleed.
She suddenly buried her head in Lilia’s arms, covering her ears tightly.
Her dragon tail wrapped even tighter, the heart-shaped tip trembling with rage. …
Muffled in Lilia’s arms, Yiyi’s voice sounded suppressed and carried a hint of gritted teeth: “If I’d known back then in the dungeon, I would’ve stabbed you to death….”
“Pity, you didn’t. And now I can bully you however I want, and you can’t even beat me, little baby dragon~ Hades.”
Aze dragged out the final syllable, her tone arrogant and light.
She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly hooking a stray strand of hair hanging by Yiyi’s cheek, causing the little dragon in Lilia’s arms to flinch again.
Just then, Yaoyao, clutching a strawberry plush doll, ran over on her short legs.
She tugged at Yiyi’s hem and shook it, saying in a childish voice: “Big sister, I’m hungry. I don’t want to play anymore. Yaoyao wants to drink milk. Get up and take Yaoyao.”
“Okay, Yaoyao. Big sister will take you now.”
Yiyi propped herself up and sat up from Lilia’s arms.
Before, her body had been rubbed by Lilia until she had no strength left.
She patted Yaoyao’s little head, her voice soft and slightly hesitant.
“Let big sister rest for a moment.”
“Big sister, um…. don’t you have some?”
Yaoyao tilted her little head, her chubby fingers clutching Yiyi’s hem and shaking it.
“Have what?”
Yiyi froze, not reacting.
She only felt that the limpness in her body hadn’t dissipated yet, and her speech carried a slight nasal tone.
Yaoyao blinked her big, round eyes and leaned in with a serious face.
Her childish voice made everyone present freeze: “Does big sister not have dragon milk to drink?”
“I, I…. How could big sister have milk? Yaoyao, what are you talking about?”
Yiyi’s face turned completely red again with a “boom,” even down to the base of her neck.
She hurriedly waved her hands, her eyes darting around.
“But Mother said if Yaoyao is hungry, I can look for big sister?”
Yaoyao furrowed her little brows, asking with a confused expression.
Her chubby fingers still wouldn’t let go of Yiyi’s hem.
“Look for me? But, but I don’t have milk either?”
Yiyi was so anxious her eyes turned red, and her voice carried a hint of a sob.
Since her whole body lacked strength, she could only look at Lilia pitifully for help.
“You have milk? That’s hilarious, little baby dragon.”
Aze could no longer hold it in.
She crossed her arms and burst out laughing, the mockery in her red eyes practically overflowing.
“Aze, don’t laugh!” Yiyi trembled with anger, turning back to glare at her.
Her red eyes were misty, looking both fierce and aggrieved.
“Be good, Yaoyao. Big sister will take you to get a drink, okay? Big sister really doesn’t have dragon milk.”
Yiyi gently patted Yaoyao’s little head and spoke softly.
I’m still just a hatchling myself, how could I possibly have such a thing?
“Okay then.”
Yaoyao pouted her little mouth, let go of Yiyi’s hem, and took two steps back clutching her strawberry plush, her little face full of disappointment.
A moment later, in the palace corridor.
Yiyi slowly walked forward carrying Yaoyao.
The little one was suckling on a bottle, her small mouth moving rhythmically.
Warm milk stains dampened Yiyi’s collar, creating a slightly ticklish sensation.
Yiyi’s steps were extremely light, her dragon tail carefully curled at her side.
“Big sister…. milk….” Yiyi looked down at Yaoyao’s half-closed eyes, her voice as soft as cotton as her fingertips gently patted the little one’s back.
Her dragon tail was still curled, the heart-shaped tip hanging down.
Occasionally, as the night breeze brushed past, it would tremble slightly, grazing the jade bells under the corridor and letting out a faint tinkling sound.
“Big sister……..”
Yaoyao mumbled with the bottle in her mouth, her little head rubbing against the crook of Yiyi’s neck.
The warm milk stains spread a bit more, making Yiyi shrink her neck from the itch, though she didn’t dare move.
“Yiyi, look, Yaoyao is asleep, and it’s almost time for dinner. Shouldn’t you….”
Lilia’s voice came from the side, carrying a faint, lingering smile.
Yiyi’s cheeks burned slightly.
She looked down at the soundly sleeping Yaoyao in her arms, her voice softening: “What’s the rush? It’s not like I can run away….”
Lilia chuckled softly, her fingertips lightly scratching Yiyi’s earlobe.
Her tone was full of doting, yet carried a hint of something that wouldn’t take no for an answer: “Then be good tonight, understand?”
The tips of Yiyi’s ears turned so red they looked ready to bleed.
She leaned closer to Lilia, her dragon tail unconsciously wrapping around Lilia’s wrist, her voice as thin as a mosquito: “I, I know……..”
Meanwhile, in the office.
Shamiel stood to the side with her hands down, her gaze landing on White Night, who was writing busily at the desk.
Her eyes held a bit of helplessness.
White Night’s pen paused.
He raised a hand to rub his aching temples and turned to look at her, his tone carrying a hint of wry, amused reproach:
“I’m telling you, Little Xia, you’re the Dragon Emperor of the Dragon Clan after all. Can’t you put in a little more effort? Look at all these documents. I came back to see the little ones, and I still have to handle these for you.”