Draywein stretched its back out as it sighed relief. That egg was really cramped, it thought as it opened its jaw for a wide yawn.
"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Draywein froze as he heard the voice of a familiar sadist.
He took a wary glance up to his master and gave a small squeak of fear. The little bit of its intimidating pressure completely disappeared as Draywein quickly cowers into his corner. Draywein shook vigorously as it felt an urge to vomit.
"Huh? You don't have a gender? How do I refer to you then?" Licht puts his index to his lips and looked down menacingly at Draywein. Licht raised his brow, expecting an answer.
Draywein shrank further into the wall, "I-I would most p-preferably go by a male gender." He answered. "P-please." He added after one look at Licht's face.
"We're going back. I can't exactly show you off to everyone." Licht called anxiously. He wanted to avoid a confrontation with his family at all costs.
"I know for one, that I can hide in your shadow. The perks of being a shadow dragon, though I haven't seen one in decades. I'm not exactly sure what to do." Draywein circled on his spot and clawed at the ground.
"Then what kind of dragon were you before?" Lich asked. Draywein looked up at him offended. "I was a Supreme Dragon! The greatest of our kind!" He yells but pauses soon after. "A-and now, look at me," he uttered in a downcast voice. "So, this is what you call a 'Fall from Grace'." Tears well up in his eyes as he sniffles shamelessly.
Licht didn't want to set this, but what he didn't want more was his mother pestering him about the dragon next to him or where he has been. He sighed; he definitely didn't want to deal with this but it's not like he had a choice.
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"Excuse me, may I have a word with you?" Licht called out. He went around asking random questions to maids and servants that passed by him. Another maid walks by him, hoping that he would simply ignore her. But she wasn't lucky enough.
"Would you mind waiting a bit? I need to ask you some questions." Lottie froze in her tracks as her breathing turns erratic. She gave a nervous laugh as she turned to Licht with her face down, "I-I um...I have to...uh, give stuff..." She trails off as she fidgets in place.
Licht looked at her with his usual lethargic eyes, though one of them was covered. Licht didn't really have any business with the servants of the mansion, he just needed to be close enough to sniff out the Ridaphis poison. And unfortunately, none of the servants he had encountered had a whiff of Ridaphis on them.
This could only mean that the culprit is most likely not one of the inner servants. Leaving only the coaching section in question, Licht thought to himself.
"Licht! Baby Brother! ~" A disgustingly familiar voice yells out. "Your Big Brother's back! ~~ I got the leader to give me a break, isn't that great?!"
Licht hastily turns on his heels and darted back to his room. He was going to lock himself in there, until his brother, Gerald, cools down. Licht had a faint idea of what was to happen, and he didn't want anything to do with it.
The thudding of footsteps increases in its rate and Gerald's face could be seen around the corner of the hallway that Licht darts through. Gerald dashes towards Licht with his arms wide open and pulls Licht for a hug. Licht swerves to the right, but Gerald pulls Licht in as he had already expected his actions.
Licht sighed and laid limp in Gerald's arms that swung him. "Don't you have a girlfriend to bother instead?" Licht provoked. Gerald paused with an offended look on his face, "I wouldn't need a girlfriend because I have you! ~ Don't worry your Big Brother will be by your side forever."
Licht's eye twitched as he squirmed around in Gerald's arms, "Let me go, you obsessive brother lover! Let me f**king go!" He felt as if he was on the edge of his sanity, and Gerald was clutching him like the last piece of meat in the entire world.
'How are enjoying yourself, Little Licht?' Draywein sniggers. He had thought Licht to be the cold and sadistic type, but he surprisingly gets along fairly well with his family.
'You think you're safe while Gerald's here? That's no food for 2 months.' Licht sneered back. It was greatly annoying; the fact that Draywein was able to communicate telepathically. He always decides to call out at the worst time.
'Guahh! Please no! I take it back! Please don't let me starve!' Draywein hated how dependent he had become on Licht; he couldn't deny it anymore but he needed Licht to survive now.
'Did you find him?' Licht asks. He had long given up on Gerald, he can do whatever he wanted with him. Licht didn't care, his eyes were set on finding the bastard who tried to poison his family's breakfast.
Though Licht had asked, Draywein refused to answer. He wouldn't reply to someone who unjustly deprives him of food just for having a good time.
'Is that so? 4 months then. You have 10 more seconds to answer.' Licht threatened. Draywein shook in his realm made of shadows and whimpered helplessly. He didn't want to give in, but he was afraid that his fasting would last more than 4 months.
'Could you maybe reduce the sentence? I can't possibly make it 4 months without food!' He cried out.
'10 seconds are up. 8 months without food. Also, stop crying, you can absorb mana as easily as breathing so you won't even get cramps until 3 months in.' Licht chastised telepathically. 'So, are you going to tell me or not?'
Draywein sniffed, 'I found the guy you're looking for outside. In the horse stables.' Licht finally had a lead; he had his suspicions but it would make the culprit extra wary of him.
Gerald, still fussing over his cute little brother, pauses at his lack of response. It seemed rather weird to him. The Licht he knew, will do all it takes to get out of a hug and Gerald found this irresistibly cute.
"You know, I can't believe I'm just realizing but why are you wearing that eyepatch?"
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'xxxx' represents thoughts and telepathic conversations.