The silence was loud.
Too loud.
When she was in the kindergarten during lunch breaks, the room was always filled with laughter. Gabriel would talk nonstop, sharing stories about the other classes.
I can’t talk to my boss during dinner, can I? she thought nervously. What if he thinks I’m rude? What if I choke on at and die in his castle?!
Lucien, anwhile, ate quietly like this was perfectly normal.
How can small baby survive this tension?
Alina opened her mouth to say sothing. Anything.
Maybe a comnt about the food?
"Th–"
Dante raised his eyes, looking at her briefly.
She shut her mouth imdiately and stuffed it with at.
Nope. Better to eat in silence than die of awkwardness.
So she did.
Fork. Bite. Chew. Sip.
Smile politely.
Repeat.
Her only goal: survive this formal at-only silent dinner with her boss and his miniature version without losing her sanity.
***
Drake peeked around the stone hallway corner, eyes squinting as he listened carefully.
Servants.
He pressed himself flat against the wall like a tiny spy, holding his breath.
He was hiding.
From danger?
No.
From his mother.
Because she... wanted to give him a bath.
YUCK!
His golden-red hair was already fluffy enough! Why ruin it with soap?
"I’m a fire dragon!" he muttered under his breath, offended. "I’m made for smoke and heat. Not bubbles and scrubs!"
His tail twitched.
He looked around like a ninja, making sure the coast was clear.
If Boo didn’t have to take a bath, why should he?
Drake huffed proudly. "Ghosts don’t bathe. Dragons shouldn’t either."
He was just about to sneak into the kitchen for so snacks when he overheard sothing that made him freeze in place.
Two maids were whispering nearby.
"Did you hear?" one maid whispered. "Little Fang Kindergarten was attacked again."
"By Earth Worms," the other replied, even quieter. "They tried to break the shield... again."
Drake’s ear twitched.
"What?" he mouthed silently.
"They’re monsters... they lure babies and eat them," the first one said, glancing around nervously.
"Over seventy children in the last wave," the second whispered. "Gone. Just like that."
"Thank heavens Demon Lord Dante was there. He saved everyone."
Drake’s heart skipped.
Eat babies???
He gasped so loudly he nearly gave himself away.
With wide eyes and panicked little feet, he ran down the hallway, scrambled into his room, and jumped straight under his bed blanket like a scared kitten.
Only the tip of his tail stuck out from the blanket.
His heart pounded.
Why didn’t anyone tell him Earth Worms EAT baby dragons?! What if they co here?!
He pulled the blanket tighter around his face until only his eyes peeked out.
"Thankfully," he muttered, voice shaky, "kindergarten is closed tomorrow..."
He let out a sigh of relief.
He didn’t have to go!
That ant he was safe.
He sniffed. "Anyway, I’m a dragon! Dragons don’t need school," he said, trying to convince himself.
"My dad’s uneducated and he’s still scary!" he puffed up proudly... then paused. "Though... he doesn’t know how to spell ’banana’..."
He frowned.
Well. That was fine.
He would growl very loudly instead of learning math.
And then, suddenly, an idea popped in his head.
He gasped. "I’ll tell Vlad Jr!"
Maybe Vlad liked Earth Worms?
After all, he likes drinking blood.
Drake tilted his head.
Worms and blood kinda go together, right?
Maybe Vlad Jr. would be like, "I eat worm blood!" and scare them off!
But then...
Drake shivered again under his blanket.
What if even Vlad Jr. couldn’t scare the worms away?
His brave little dragon heart trembled.
"Luna," he whispered, eyes lighting up. "Yes! Luna!"
She was always angry.
Always ready to fight.
With her claws and sharp teeth and furious tail.
"She’ll scratch the worms!" he whispered excitedly. "She’ll growl and rip them up! I’ll help her too! I’ll hold the worm legs while she claws!"
Drake’s eyes sparkled under the blanket now, imagination running wild.
In his mind, he and Luna were standing on top of a mountain of defeated worms, capes blowing in the wind, everyone cheering.
"Dragon and wolf!" he whispered dramatically. "The ultimate team!"
And with that, his fear slowly lted into excitent.
But he still stayed under the blanket.
Just in case one of the worms was sneaky... and trying to pretend to be a pillow.
***
One of the maids had just taken Lucien upstairs to sleep, his small footsteps echoing softly up the stairs.
The living room slowly fell quiet again.
Alina stood near the edge of the living area, her fingers laced together as she glanced at Dante, who had sunk into the couch, His brows were drawn tight.
She hesitated for a mont, then gently asked, "...How’s it going?"
Her voice was low, careful.
Dante looked up, caught off guard by the question.
She was scared of him. He had noticed—the subtle way her shoulders tensed whenever he ca close, the way her gaze never lingered on his for more than a second.
And yet... she still asked.
"...Everything was under control," he said, leaning back into the couch with a sigh. "But I’ll be working overnight. We’re reinforcing the shield. Doubling the layer. I won’t take any chances."
His voice was deep, serious but just a little softer than usual.
Alina watched him, her heart tugging at the sight of him so tired.
"Is it really that dangerous?" she asked softly. "The Earth Worms... they’re really trying to break through?"
Dante didn’t speak right away.
He ran a hand through his dark hair, his jaw tightening slightly.
"Yes," he finally said. "And they don’t stop."
He looked up at her again.
"I didn’t want to bring you here. But I couldn’t leave you alone either."
Alina blinked at his words, her heart skipping a little. She wasn’t expecting that much honesty.
She shifted, then asked, "How do shields work?"
Dante’s eyes softened a bit.
He motioned toward the another couch across from him. "Sit."
Alina hesitated... then quietly moved closer and sat, folding her hands in her lap.
He leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees, eyes dark and steady.
"Shields are woven by magical cores... like fabric. It takes days to build one properly. But when we’re desperate, we push it all in one night. That’s what I’m doing."
"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly.
He stared at her.
The firelight danced on his cheekbones, casting golden shadows over his sharp features.
"It drains everything," he said. "Mind, body, magic. But I’ll do it anyway."
Although he wasn’t doing everything alone, her words brought a warmth to his heart he had never felt before.
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