The small snake disappeared into the desk drawer, only to reappear moments later with a few papers clutched in its mouth. Zenos took the report from the snake and rewarded it with a few gentle head pats.
The snake's scales shimmered with a hint of blush as it wiggled its tail in contentment, its joy mirrored by Mavislin's soft smile. With the task completed, the little creature slithered back to the dragoness, leaving behind a trail of pleased satisfaction in its wake.
"Interesting. So you can sense what your snakes experience. I'll have to remember that—could be useful for future encounters," smirked the Viceroy.
"If you do so and make my girls upset, I will make sure to turn you into a chalk outline," warned Mavislin, with a bright and wide smile.
Zenos didn't seem too worried about that threat as he continued with his work.
"I overlooked this at first glance, but upon delving into your report, I discerned that your Annatoilean is not the same as the one I have mastered. Explain yourself—why is this so?"
"It is of no significant burden, for the characters share a likeness, yet yours are embellished with additional strokes. How curious... This deviation both puzzles and fascinates me."
Mavislin blinked for a few seconds before appearing beside the Viceroy to grab her report.
"Oh. I must've given you the wrong version. Let me see if I still have the simplified one..." answered the dragoness, opening the desk drawer.
Zenos instantly grabbed her chin and forced her to face him, earning the blonde a look of confusion and worry.
"I do not require a simplified version. I simply like to know why your language isn't the same as the standard."
"Alright... You don't have to be so forceful..." complained Mavislin as she tried prying his hand away.
"I'd do whatever I want with you," growled the Viceroy as he pulled her into his lap with one swoop.
The dragoness gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she found herself suddenly pulled into the Prince of Darkness' embrace. She was perched precariously on his right thigh, her legs draped over his left.
Her heart raced, her mind too muddled to fully comprehend the position she was in. Instinctively, she wrapped an arm around his neck for balance, her touch hesitant yet desperate not to tip over.
A slow, amused smile spread across his lips as he felt her trembling against him, a predatory glint flashing in his eyes.
"I could get used to doing my reports with you on me," purred Zenos as his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to his warmth.
"High Annatoilean."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The language I use is High Annatoilean, an ancient and more complex way of the language. The meaning of each character stays the same with the more complex ones having two definitions but the main difference is the amount of strokes."
"High Annatoilean has more strokes to convey the meaning of that character while the normal one has evolved to be more simple. And I find it more elegant and fun to use it."
"I wasn't insulting you when I offered you to get a simplified version..." pouted the dragoness, her tail drooping and eyes refusing to look at the blonde.
The Viceroy sighed and used his other hand to gently tip the sad girl's chin up.
"I understand. Have this as an apology," murmured Zenos before planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
Instead of blushing, Mavislin felt a deep sense of happiness and contentment, savoring the unexpected affection from the Viceroy. A genuine smile spread across her face, and she appeared visibly disappointed when he finally withdrew.
Zenos then resumed his work, diligently finishing his reports while Mavislin nestled on his lap. She occasionally chimed in, assisting with language translation errors, her presence a pleasant and supportive comfort as he worked.
"I've been meaning to ask—given your demeanor, it seems you're a relatively young leader within the Syndicate. How did you achieve your rank? Your unease about your leadership is quite uncommon," asked the Viceroy, as he finally placed his quill down.
"I may not seem it but I'm considered as the First Tier of members within the Corrupted Syndicate, also known as the first generation with our current Grandmaster, codenamed Beast. However, this was after an initial wipeout of the entire staff."
"To the best of my knowledge, the timeline of members goes as follows: Beast, Venom, and Raven were the original members who remained from the old group, with me joining afterward."
"It's a bit messy to follow but basically, I was one of the first of the revamped group. You are right to say that I'm young since I did enter the organization when I was just a kid."