Even the sweet taste was not overwhelming, making it delicious.
The light flavor of the egg and the vanilla taste.
The occasional whiff of butter. It naturally whetted one's appetite.
Lun placed a slice of pork roast on the thin pie and picked up some crisp vegetables.
As a finishing touch, he added a spicy sauce and a peculiar yellow sauce that was both sour and savory, and as he took a bite, a sigh of pleasure escaped him.
His cheeks puffed up as he nodded.
The chewy and crispy crust with a smoky aroma, and the juicy meat that burst in his mouth.
The crunchy vegetables and sauces that enhanced the umami created a perfect harmony.
When he changed the combination and added peanut sauce, the taste became rich and sweet.
The endless pleasure was even addictive.
As his mind relaxed, he finally felt a bit of fatigue.
'Itās about time to sleep.'
Although he had expected it, the drowsiness that brought a numb feeling was unfamiliar.
But it was necessary to digest the power he had gained, so there was no choice.
He organized the tasks he needed to do before sleeping.
'The pot must have been useful. I should tell Jedd that I wonāt be in contact for a while. And...'
Suddenly, Kuromi approached Lun with a playful smile.
At first glance, it was a bread with Lunās face drawn on it.
He expected a simple drawing that resembled him, which would pop out and move for a few seconds, but when Kuromi took a big bite of the bread, a particularly small and casual-looking Lun sat up, rubbed his eyes, and yawned.
Seeing his tiny self was already uncomfortable, but the sound of yawning after waking up made Lunās expression awkward.
"Cute, right? I paid a bit more attention to the bread you were in."
'I donāt need this kind of thing.'
The voice in his mind echoed and disappeared.
He knew that no matter how he reacted, it would only reveal his weakness.
He tried to maintain a stern and expressionless face as he calmly picked up a fork.
"Well, itās nothing special."
He tried to pass it off as no different from the other bread, but Kuromi, who was unaware, shook her head with wide eyes.
"Eh? No, no! Look at this one too."
He noticed another piece of bread in her other hand.
Christina must have made another type of Lun bread for some reason.
And the second one was even more shocking.
A small Lun was peeking out, moving his front paws and giggling.
It even had a jelly-like texture, boasting high-definition detail.
'No! Iāve never made such sounds or done such things!'
He had used his cuteness to his advantage a little, but this was not it.
The innocent giggle was definitely Christinaās mistake.
Kuromiās words reached the frozen Lun.
"Hehe. Lun-sama had such a time too!"
Ferdikion also chimed in.
"Indeed, you were cute from the first time I saw you. Honestly, you need to eat more and grow. Youāre smaller than the average hatchling."
He remembered the arrogant look when they first met, and now saying he was cute.
Lunās eyes narrowed as he looked at Ferdikion.
But the red-haired dragon boy, while eating the Lun bread, only smiled contentedly at the "Kya! Kya!" giggling image.
"Yes, I still often remember the first time I saw this child. Heās cute and admirable now, but 10 years ago, Lun was not just cute, he was adorable. So small, I thought if there were angels in the world, they would look like this."
"Hmm, I understand that feeling. Christina-sama."
"Right! Honestly, Lun-sama is only a bit bigger than Kuromi. He seems to avoid showing his true form these days."
Unable to suppress the urge to deny it, Lun silently swallowed his juice.
Since Kuromi first woke up and hugged him like a large dog, he had mostly maintained his human form in front of her.
'Kuromi is stronger than I thought. Even though Iām a hatchling, how can she be so strong?'
If he had intended to shake her off, it would be different, but as a grown adult, he couldnāt use force against a young Kuromi.
Lun, who had chosen silence over responding to everyoneās comments, clenched his fist around the fork.
"Hehe. Lun was a wobbly hatchling, and his desire to try cooking was also cute."
"Younger brother is an innocent and cheerful kid. Actually, he still is."
"Right! Lun-sama always looks so indifferent, but when heās lost in thought, he has a blank expression!"
This was getting out of hand.
The more he tried to suppress it, the more the conversation turned into a nostalgic trip about Lunās childhood.
"Thatās not special. Everyone has a childhood."
'Good. Iāll pass it off calmly.'
With a somewhat curt tone, he casually picked up the bread with a small red dragon hatchling breathing fire, made for Ferdikion.
'Iām not the only one with a childhood. You all had one too.'
That was the meaning behind his words.
But there was one thing he had overlooked.
No matter how composed he tried to be in his small form, others only saw a child trying to act mature.
"Ahem. Well, if thatās what you say, younger brother..."
They looked at him with a satisfied smile, as if saying, "We understand, we understand."
At least they didnāt say it out loud.
'What do I do with this atmosphere?'
Thinking about it, he decided to change the subject rather than stubbornly resist.
"By the way, how did you make these breads? The part with the voice is especially amazing."
"Actually, I used an artifact I obtained with the Green Dragon long ago."
Ferdikion shook his head.
"Before Liz, he was a candidate for the Green Dragon Elder. Now heās forgotten."
Ferdikionās expression seemed uncomfortable, and he closed his mouth, indicating he didnāt want to say more.
'Thatās him. The war deserter.'
A dishonorable title, but fitting.
From what he read in Christinaās knowledge, that was the case.
'A young Green Dragon who refused to go to war during the War of the Heavenly Horses.'
Cowards have always been merciless.
Lun decided not to mention it.
It wasnāt a topic for a comfortable meal, so the conversation naturally shifted to another subject.
As the dishes were being cleared, Lun spoke up.
"I think Iāll enter a sleep cycle soon."
"Thatās understandable. Youāve just woken up after 10 years and recovered the power of the Dark Clan."
"Yeah. So, I want to take some time to wrap up things before that. Can I skip the morning training?"
"Of course. Do as you please."
Kuromi, who had been listening, whined.
"Hee. Lun-sama is going to sleep again? I want to sleep with you."
A hatchlingās sleep cycle is a process of refining the power they possess and unconsciously releasing it.
For Kuromi, whose true form is a Demon Rose, absorbing the overflowing power from Lun would make her more comfortable.
Ferdikion, however, seemed a bit disappointed.
"Will you sleep for a long time?"
Ferdikion cleared his throat and spoke solemnly.
"Iām about to turn 800, nearly a thousand. I need to prepare for my coming-of-age ceremony. As my sworn brother, Iād like you to be there when I become a fully grown dragon."
A hatchlingās sleep cycle can last from 10 years to several centuries.
If the timing was off, Ferdikionās coming-of-age ceremony might be over by the time Lun woke up.
Dragons donāt necessarily need to reach exactly 1000 years to grow.
Ferdikion might show signs of growth around 900 years.
"Iāve been thinking of a way to shorten my sleep cycle. I donāt want to sleep for too long."
Ferdikionās face showed satisfaction. He seemed pleased with Lunās answer.
"Indeed, my younger brother. Youāre a good kid."
Ferdikion thought Lun was reducing his sleep cycle for him.
Lun read the mood and didnāt correct it, as it wasnāt entirely wrong.
'A hatchling needs to complete a given task to become an adult dragon.'
If the task required going outside, Lun might also get a chance to explore the outside world.
'If itās Ferdikionās request and Iām preparing to become a dragon, Christina is likely to agree.'
After calculating in his mind, Lun answered.
"It was a good experience."
"Yeah. Iāll wake up on time."
"Of course. It wouldnāt make sense for me to become a dragon without my younger brother. But donāt force yourself to wake up early. Get a good rest. Lun."
'Thatās a bit contradictory, but... I get it.'
Just then, Kuromi left to pick bread to show to Byakuya and Dullahan.
Ferdikion cleared his throat, as if he had something to say.
"And that... in the illusion."
Lun looked at him curiously, and the red-haired boy, after some hesitation, frowned.