Night had thrown its vast body over the great empire, cloaking it in endless dark.

Even darkness has its own quiet beauty.

In the endless night, starlight spilled down from high above, glittering, bit by bit.

Those faint sparks dusted the silent, pitch‑black city gate.

It looked serene and touching, almost intoxicating.

"Hey! Idiots, open the gate!"

A rough voice smashed the moment of peace, turning the poetic scene awkward in a heartbeat.

"O…pen!"

Nestled in Baiyi’s arms, Qiu Qiu parroted him, trying her best to imitate.

"Tsk. Zip it, brat. Keep fussing and I’ll swat your butt. And stop biting my chest."

Baiyi shot her a fierce glare. Qiu Qiu shut her mouth at once, blinked, and stared at him in a daze.

She didn’t know what a “swat” was. But she felt it had to be bad for her, and scary.

"Young Master, please come back quickly. Her Majesty is anxious you haven’t returned!"

Baiyi reached the capital’s main gate with the silly Qiu Qiu in his arms.

A girl’s voice came from the black wall above, tight with worry.

"Huh? Who are you? Telling me to come back? Where’d my pack of idiots go?"

He lifted his head and squinted, studying the top of the high black wall by the faint starlight.

"Young Master, it’s me, Xiao Ling. The Maid who woke you this morning."

He followed the voice and finally spotted a tiny figure in a black‑and‑white maid’s dress standing on the parapet.

His eyesight was sharp. He locked onto her position fast, even in the dark.

"Xiao Ling? Oh, that annoying Maid… Then hurry up and open the gate!"

Honestly, he’d never remembered the little Maid’s name or face, even though she tended him and kept his schedule.

It wasn’t that Baiyi was heartless or didn’t care about his staff.

The problem was her presence. It was practically zero. How low, exactly?

Say this Maid barged into the Imperial Palace and insulted Queen Ellyria. She’d be blacklisted across the empire on the spot.

But by the next day, when she showed up again, people would have forgotten almost everything—what she did, even her name.

So it wasn’t all on Baiyi for not recalling her. The girl was just born with negative presence.

"O‑okay, Young Master."

Xiao Ling lifted the long hem of her maid skirt with both hands.

She hurried down from the wall to open the gate for Baiyi, who still stood outside.

"Da…da."

"Tch. What?"

In his arms, Qiu Qiu clung to him. Her belly felt empty and uncomfortable. She wanted food. Energy.

"Hun…gry."

Then she reached out her tiny hand, set it on his chest, and grabbed his nipple.

She yanked hard, pulling it outward.

Clean, merciless execution.

"Aaagh! You little gremlin! I’m not some milk cow, and there’s no milk there! What are you squeezing for?!"

The yank lit Baiyi’s temper. He raised his free hand and gave her soft little butt a light swat.

Smack!

"You dumb dragon! Behave!"

"Milk… milk!"

Even with the warning swat, the stubborn fool didn’t give up.

She swallowed her grievance and pulled Baiyi’s nipple even harder.

"You stupid dragon!"

Baiyi felt himself about to blow.

She might be a child, but if she kept pushing him, he might just slap her butt red.

"Young Master—ah!"

He was too busy wrestling the little idiot to notice Xiao Ling had opened the gate and come to his side.

"Young Master, what are you doing?"

She froze, staring at her master squabbling with a tiny girl, at a total loss.

"Huh? You’re here? Good. Hurry, hurry—got any food on you? Hand over everything edible!"

Ignoring Xiao Ling’s stunned face, Baiyi carried Qiu Qiu straight through the gate.

"Food…?"

Hearing there was food, Qiu Qiu let go, tilted her head, and asked Baiyi.

"Stuff like the milk you want. Fills your belly, dumb dragon."

"Mmm…"

She puffed her cheeks in protest at “dumb,” eyes wide, lips pouting.

"Young Master, I’ve got some milk left from the morning…"

"Gimme!"

Before she finished, Baiyi spun and snatched the iron bucket from her hands.

He glanced around the towering walls and spotted the little bowls the guards used to sneak drinks while on duty.

"Milk… milk!"

In his arms, Qiu Qiu wriggled her tiny, delicate nose. A faint milky smell drifted from the bucket.

She leaned toward it, excited.

"Easy, dummy. Drink this."

He set her on a comfy stool where she could reach the small bowl brimming with milk.

He even fussed with her robe, careful she didn’t pull it off by moving too much.

"Young Master, she is…?"

Xiao Ling had kept her distance while they tussled, too scared to speak.

Now the tiny girl sat on the wooden chair, happily sipping from the bowl. Only then did Xiao Ling step up to ask, cautious.

Baiyi didn’t think much of the question. He answered offhand.

"Her? Nothing special. Just a dragon."

"A dragon? Oh, I see—wait, what? A dragon?!"