PEACEFUL NIGHT • LONGAN DRAGON

O7.

Snake Fruit was not one fond of Longan, plotting their betrayal towards their own master many time ago, so, when the birth of the little dragon arrived, their plans were crushed immediately.

They had meticulously crafted an infallible plan, one with no room for error, destined to catapult them to the pinnacle of dragon-kind. This intricate scheme promised to ensure their swift ascent as the most powerful dragon, securing dominion over the opulent palace. Alas, their flawlessly devised plan crumbled into oblivion the moment that inconceivable "thing" was... born.

"Utterly dissstasteful," Snake Fruit hissed under their breath, disdain evident as their eyes fixated on the girl sketching on the dining room table. Observing her engrossed in the artwork, cleaning herself with those pristine cream robes, irked Snake Fruit to no end-eliciting an involuntary twitch in their eye. "You are... excessssively unkempt," they finally remarked, narrowing their eyes with a subtle disdain.

The little dragon raised her gaze, tilting her head inquisitively, oblivious to the source of Snake Fruit's irritation as she inspected her own robes, unable to fathom what could be amiss.

"I'll clean!" she stammered, her voice reaching a slightly higher pitch than required, before resuming her drawing.

In recent days, she had been unusually cheerful, a state of being that grated on Snake Fruit's nerves. They preferred the days when she was a quiet, melancholic girl, secluding herself to whine and cry in her room, sparing them the need to witness her annoyingly upbeat face or attend to her care.

But now, with Lancer occupied and Longan out of reach, the responsibility of caring for the little princess reluctantly fell upon Snake Fruit.

"Yesss... you'd be wissse to," their hissing added an unsettling layer, causing the young child to feel uneasy, now grappling with the unnecessary tension as she struggled slightly to focus on her drawing.

Snake Fruit would normally adept at feigning a composed and agreeable facade around her, having already mastered the art of concealing their annoyance. However, this time, there were crucial schemes to execute, plans to unfold, and the pivotal plotting required to dethrone the egocentric dragon and ascend to unparalleled reputation and power.

Yet, as fate would have it, that infuriating girl had once again become an insufferable obstacle-hindering Snake Fruit's path with exasperating persistence.

Snake Fruit had naively believed that her presence might streamline their plans, but it was abundantly clear that things had taken a frustrating turn. Her mere arrival had upheaved Longan's meticulously crafted daily routine-a routine Snake Fruit had dedicated YEARS to memorizing, only for that little girl to be born and upheave it all.

"Is... is mister Snake Fruit u-upset...?" Her delicate voice interrupted their thoughts, their harsh gaze directed at the bewildered and nervous little girl, who was on the verge of tearing up due to the confusion and tension.

Good, Snake Fruit had no inclination to witness her happiness when their own emotions were far from jubilant.

"...no, I am... delighted," Snake Fruit lied effortlessly, making no attempt to conceal their piercing gaze fixed on the little girl. She gulped in response, unwittingly buying into the poor fabrication. In Snake Fruit's eyes, she seemed like a naive pebble disrupting the once flawless flow of their grand plan.

Now that she existed, Longan's routine had become an erratic mess. There was no discernible pattern for Snake Fruit to find or memorize, causing genuine stress to the serpent who was exhausted from feigning compassion and kindness towards the oblivious little girl.

Her weakness, unnecessary sensitivity, utter powerlessness, and perceived stupidity fueled Snake Fruit's simmering rage. The fact that she, a feeble attempt at being a dragon, was labeled an Ivory dragon while Snake Fruit, superior in every aspect, still couldn't ascend to dragonhood, was enough to make their blood boil. The audacity to consider her anything more than a pitiful excuse for a dragon was an affront to their very existence.