"Dad... Dad."

"Hmm?"

"Where... are we going?"

"To deal with some scum... bad guys."

Baiyi gently held Lian Ye's small, fair hand. They walked side by side, slowly down the corridor of the Imperial Palace.

Lian Ye didn't quite understand why, after waking up, she'd found her dad sitting on the bed, staring at the little doll she'd brought back from Children's Day. His gaze at the toy was terrifying—so frightening that she'd instinctively wanted to shrink under the covers, too scared to peek out at him.

But luckily, Baiyi's anger vanished after just a moment. His face shifted to a calm expression. So Lian Ye carefully climbed out of bed and leaned against him again.

"Dad... Dad."

"Don't... like it?"

Lian Ye lifted the doll, waving it gently before Baiyi.

"No, it's quite cute."

*If only it didn't feel so unnervingly real.*

Baiyi quickly led Lian Ye out of the corridor, stopping before a black building outside the Imperial Palace. It was a massive, medieval-style tower, its dark silhouette towering over the palace's golden splendor. Gray bricks and soldiers in black armor marked it as the prison—a place for the worst convicts and useless captives after trial.

Baiyi's patience frayed as he stared at the black gate. A trace of impatience flashed in his eyes.

*I need to uncover everything. Today, whether it's that magician or that girl—I'll get to the bottom of their motives. Especially regarding Lian Ye. And this doll in her hands.*

"Dad... Dad."

Seeing the anger on Baiyi's face—not directed at her, but at others—Lian Ye quietly stepped forward. She wrapped both arms tightly around his arm, pressing her soft little body against him.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Daddy... don't... be angry."

Lian Ye hugged him fiercely, though she only reached his waist. She clung to whatever she could grasp, her childish voice soothing the fury simmering inside him. She didn't understand why her dad was so angry. She was too young to grasp adult worries or hidden dangers.

But she was a dragon—a Platinum Dragon of the noblest and mightiest Dragon Clan. Though small and unable to control her power yet, she could sense the emotions of those she loved. She knew her dad had stayed in the Imperial Palace these past days not to keep her from playing, but because he worried for her. She knew he'd been thinking about those bad men, fearing they'd come to take her away.

*Daddy is angry for me. Daddy cares for me. So I must make Daddy not angry.*

"Alright, I won't be angry."

Seeing Lian Ye clinging tightly to his leg, her face etched with worry for him, Baiyi's harshness melted away. He slowly calmed down.

*How embarrassing. This fool is comforting me. Did I really look that scary?*

"Fool, I'm about to enter this black tower. Do you want to come?"

"Yes... yes!"

Lian Ye answered without hesitation. She didn't want to leave her dad—not for a second. She didn't know why she craved his closeness so much lately. Her mind was filled only with his image. Though they'd only been together a week since her birth, a strange warmth had been growing inside her. Especially when she smelled his scent—it made her feel safe and cozy, drawing her closer.

"Tch, you sure?"

*This one's been clingy all week. I haven't seen her misbehave or run wild in ages. Now she sticks to me like a magnet, refusing to let go. It's like... how my mother acted a year ago when I returned from military service. She wanted to glue herself to me every second. Now my only private space is the bathroom.*

*Sigh. I need to find someone who knows dragons well. Or this little one will drive me crazy.*

"Sure... sure!"

Seeing the determination in Lian Ye's eyes, Baiyi said nothing more. He just sighed in resignation, turned, and took her small hand. Together, they pushed open the heavy black stone door before them.