“Boss, can we really do that?!” Her eyes shone like dew under dawn light, cheeks working like a squirrel with a nut.

“What do you mean?” I tilted my head, a sparrow curious at the edge of a branch.

“It’s what Yumigawa Nozomi said—can we always eat the dishes Boss cooks from now on?” Her words rose like warm steam curling off a pot.

“Ah, that.” Relief drifted through me like a small breeze through bamboo.

For a cute little thing like Hill coming to mooch a meal, my answer was a bright lantern: “Always welcome.”

“Yay! Boss, you’re the best!!” Her joy burst like fireworks under a summer sky as she leapt at me.

“Hill, we’re eating right now—your clothes will catch oil stains.” I lifted my hands like a quick shield, catching her soft cheeks before the amber sheen along her lips brushed my shirt.

“Sorry.” She slipped back to her seat with a shy smile, like a sunrise peeking through clouds. “I got too excited thinking I can eat Boss’s cooking every day from now on.”

Her simple words broke into a shared smile, a ripple on a still pond. She was a young Dragon Kin; good food filled her like warm sun. Honestly, just like human kids—if there’s food and games, the heart asks for nothing else.

…

After we ate, my little sister and Serenemoon took Hill to play nearby, laughter trailing like wind-chimes. I was gathering dishes, while Xinuo lounged with a horror novel she’d fished up from somewhere, eyes steady as starlight.

“Xinuo, Hill’s here for more than you taking her as your second Servant, right?” The thought pressed in like mist, strange and cool.

“Mm. I intend for Hill to be our mount.” Her voice was calm, like snow on stone.

“A mount?” Surprise pricked like frost.

“Yes. To leave the Central Continent and reach other lands, we need a mount. Who’s better than Dragon Kin—fast as storm wind, big as hills, and obedient like trained hawks.”

“That makes sense, Xinuo. You think ahead.” The first two points were iron, but the third… for someone without backing, a giant dragon’s “obedient” foot could crush you like a twig.

Truth is, Hill’s docility was more than her pure heart; Xinuo’s quiet pressure hung like a cold moon, keeping the night in line.

Either way, we’d gotten close to Hill, our bond blooming like lotus in rain. Travel would smooth out thanks to her broad wings.

All that remained was to spend this last week with my sister and Serenemoon, peacefully, like tea steeping to perfect warmth.

I lifted the tidy stack of dishes, ready to wash them, when Serenemoon drifted over, her steps soft as water. “Little Emperor, still washing dishes?”

“I’m heading to the basin now.”

I moved, but Serenemoon caught my sleeve like ivy. “Don’t waste precious time on dish-washing boredom. Let big sis handle it~”

“You can wash dishes, Serenemoon?”

“Nope. But I can use magic~” Her smile was a crescent moon.

A cool breeze swept by like spring rain, and the dishes turned spotless, gleaming like river stones. The wind didn’t just clean—it carried every plate back to the kitchen, light as leaves.

Magic’s honestly convenient, a lantern in a dark corridor—I felt that truth again.

“How’s that? Fast, right!” Serenemoon lifted her chest with playful pride, eyes saying “praise me,” bright as peach blossoms.

“It’s perfect. Thanks, Serenemoon~” I rubbed her head, warmth spilling like sunlight, grateful I could spend the saved time with her and my sister.

“Hehe~ no need.” She laced her fingers through mine, smile flickering like fireflies. “Let’s go to Littlesky. She wants to play hide-and-seek today.”

“Hide-and-seek?!” Nostalgia rose like a cicada’s song in summer. We tried inviting Xinuo—more people makes hide-and-seek livelier—but she was sunk into that horror novel’s world like a stone into a deep lake. She’d just said, “This story’s boring,” too.

Xinuo’s a Sword Spirit, strongest in the world, a blade under thunder. Yet she likes human-made stories and even gets absorbed—strange as a dragon drinking tea. I’d asked her why, and she’d replied, “Watching the stories humans imagine is interesting,” calm as a night sky.

…

“Brother! Let’s play hide-and-seek!” My sister’s voice skipped like a pebble on water.

“Oh! Hide-and-seek!” Hill chimed in, her joy like bells on a mountain trail, and both adorable girls hugged my arms like two soft kittens.

“You mean inside the Lunar Forest?”

“Yes!” My sister nodded, hair swaying like reeds.

“The Lunar Forest is huge, Littlesky, you sure?”

“Sure! Hide-and-seek is better in big spaces!” Her grin was a bright kite.

“Alright.” I could already feel the future “seeker” panting like a deer, but we went for rock-paper-scissors, our hands fluttering like sparrows.

After several rounds, my sister drew the short straw and pulled a bitter face, like a plum not yet ripe. “Can we shrink the area? The Lunar Forest’s too big!”

“No backtracking~” Serenemoon’s laugh glinted like sunlight on blades, just a bit wicked.

“Ugh… fine.” My sister sighed, a soft gust through bamboo, and took the role.

“I’ll start counting sixty seconds! Brother, Serenemoon, Hill—go hide!” She closed her eyes like quiet pools and began counting, steady as dripping water. We agreed to split up and dashed into the trees like scattered shadows.

Soon, I found a hidden tree hollow, roomy and airy like a cave kissed by wind.

“Eh? Hill, you’re here?” My voice curled like incense smoke.

Bad luck—or fate’s grin. Hill had beaten me to it. She peeked out and waved like a small branch. “Boss! Get in!”

“Is that okay?”

“No problem! There’s lots of space inside!” Her confidence hopped like a sparrow.

“Then I’ll intrude…” I bent and slipped inside, settling down, and Hill used me as a pillow like I was a warm stone. I had to hold her, arms snug as a blanket.

“Whew, now we’re safe.” I pulled grass over the entrance, a green curtain, and breathed easier.

“Hiding with Boss in the same place—so great!!” Hill sat on my thighs, excitement fizzing like soda.

“Shh, Hill. Keep it down, or she’ll find us.” I kept my voice low, a whisper of fog.

“Got it!” She clapped a hand over her mouth, the cute gesture bouncing like a rabbit, and I nearly laughed aloud.

“Boss’s arms are so comfy—warm like spring—and there’s a nice scent.” She leaned into my chest, legs swinging like willow leaves.

Then her head shifted against me, slow as a sniffing pup, as if searching for something.

“Boss, are you… maybe a boy?!” She spun around, her pale hands prodding my flat chest like curious birds.

“Always have been.” I flicked her tiny nose, light as a raindrop, a bit annoyed but amused.

“Eh, eh?!” Her shock flashed like lightning, big eyes blinking in a flurry, studying me as if I were a rare shell.

“Shocking truth! Boss looks so beautiful and smells so good, but you’re a boy!” She settled back down, then asked again, voice curious as a creek: “Since Boss is a boy, why a maid outfit? It suits you, but still!”

“It’s a long story…” I gave her the abridged version, words drifting like cloud threads, and sighed. Lately, I’d gotten used to women’s clothes—an odd path, like a boat circling a whirlpool.

“Boss, poor thing…” Hill turned and stroked my head, gentle as a feather. “But no choice—Servants should match the master’s taste.”

“Hill, you slipped into your role fast.” I realized how little I knew about her and asked on a breeze, casual but keen: “Hill, when did you start living in the Lunar Forest? If you can, tell me about yourself.”

“Of course! Though there’s not much to tell.” She paused, mind stacking thoughts like stones, then continued: “Ten years after I was born, Dad sent me to the Lunar Forest on the Central Continent. He said the environment and resources here are countless times better than the Dragon Realm—a perfect place to grow. So I’ve stayed here long, and before meeting my master and Boss, my days were eat-then-sleep, sleep-then-eat—boring as a gray sky.”

Her spirited eyes flared with a spark, like a star winking. “But I believe life will be fun with master and Boss!”

“I see. Are Hill’s parents not around?” The question rose like smoke; she’s still a young dragon, and leaving her here felt harsh.

“Dad and Mom have to guard the Dragon Realm. They can’t visit the Central Continent often.” Her calm held like granite.

Guarding? Her parents were big figures in the Dragon Kin, strength heavy as mountains.

“Then what do you think of the Lunar Forest—no, the Central Continent?” I wanted other races’ views; curiosity edged like a blade.

“The Central Continent? Hmm… The area’s huge! I once tried flying around its rim. It took over half a month, wings beating like tides. The resources are vast! When Dad brought me to the Lunar Forest, seeing Divine Elixirs carpeting the ground, he almost cried, tears like rain. And… the air’s fresh, the magic elements dense as mist! The only pity is the lack of people—no one to play with.” Her voice dipped like dusk.

Her view matched mine. The Central Continent’s land is wide and the population thin, a prairie with few fires.

“Poor Hill.” My heart softened like wax near a flame. I’d had my older sister and younger sisters since childhood; Hill’s loneliness was real, especially in the tender age that craves company.

“It’s fine! Now I have my master, Boss, Yugong Jingyue, and Yumigawa Nozomi to play with. I’m happy!” Her smile blossomed like plum flowers in snow.

Just then, a rustle sifted through the grass, a snake of sound. The curtain over the entrance lifted, and my sister’s pretty face appeared like the moon through clouds.

“Lucky me. I caught Brother and Hill together. Serenemoon was found a moment ago too. I win!” Her grin was a banner fluttering in victory.