"She loved them, actually. Which is why I'm here again. I want to buy another batch."

"Oh? A few bags this time?" the vendor asked, already reaching for jars.

Bruce paused, then shrugged.

"Make that… a hundred bags."

The vendor froze.

Very slowly.

"…A hundred?"

Bruce only nodded.

The man blinked — twice — then turned toward the shelves like a machine temporarily lagging.

"You planning to build a candy fortress? Or are you trying to make every kid in the city hyper for the next three days?"

Bruce lifted a hand in mild defense.

"They're gifts. And my sister has a sweet tooth."

"Hah! If I didn't see your face last time, I'd think you were preparing for a sugar apocalypse."

The vendor let out a booming laugh, shaking his head as he began piling colorful bags onto the counter.

"Alright, alright. A hundred it is. But if she goes bouncing through walls after this, I'm blaming you."

Bruce just smiled.

By the time the candies were packed, the counter looked like a miniature festival display — vivid blues, soft pinks, crystalline whites in the bags, each tied with thin silver thread. The vendor tossed in a few chocolate bundles as well, unable to help himself.

"Here — on the house. For the drake."

His grin sharpened with playful suspicion.

"That creature has the sweetest teeth I've ever seen."

Bruce's expression softened at the memory.

"It loves Skyberry drops more than Lily does. And that's saying something."

The vendor blinked, then let out an incredulous laugh. "A drake hooked on sugar… Saints preserve us."

Bruce didn't correct the vendor, he simply lifted his hand, and with a faint flex of his will, the entire mountain of candy vanished into the invisible pocket of his spatial ring.

A tiny flash of spatial distortion shimmered — subtle, but unmistakable.

The vendor's breath hitched.

He stared at Bruce, eyes widening, posture straightening as his thoughts scrambled and reassembled, placing Bruce into a category far above "friendly young man with a drake."

A spatial ring meant access. Resources. Power. Or at the very least, backing from someone untouchable.

Internally, the vendor reprimanded himself in panic.

'And I was here cracking jokes like we're old drinking buddies… Saints above, keep my tongue in check...'

By the time Bruce turned to leave, the vendor had smoothed his face back into polite professionalism, though his voice carried a newly sharpened respect.

"Thank you for your patronage, sir. I hope our service was to your satisfaction."

Bruce waved dismissively, brushing off the sudden formality as he stepped toward the door.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

The bell chimed again as he stepped into the night.

...

Meanwhile, back inside the house, little Lily and Ash, the tiny dragon cub, were lost in their own adorable world.

Lily chased Ash around the living room, her laughter echoing through the walls in soft, breathless bursts as she ran with all the enthusiasm her tiny body could handle.

Ash flapped its small wings and darted playfully just out of reach, never truly flying at full speed.

Even as a cub, its stamina and quickness were leagues beyond anything Lily could keep up with… yet it hovered just close enough to keep the chase fair, and fun, dipping as if teasing, slowing whenever her steps grew heavy or her breaths turned ragged.

Each time it sensed her energy fading, Ash paused mid-air and waited until Lily threw her arms around it in a warm, triumphant back-hug. "Hehe~ Ash, I knew I'd still catch you no matter how hard you try," she giggled, squeezing him gently, face glowing with unfiltered pride.

Ash wagged its tail with puppy-like happiness, tiny horns twitching as it nuzzled its snout against her cheek.

Lily's smile only grew brighter. With the careful primness of someone handling treasure, she dipped her hand into the pocket of her pretty purple gown and fished out a small packet of Skyberry Drops chocolate.

The colorful wrapper crinkled loudly, instantly captivating Ash's attention.

Its golden eyes went round and sparkling, wings buzzing with excitement as it hovered directly in front of her, gaze locked on the wrapper like it was sacred. It stared at Lily's hands the entire time, utterly and adorably fixated, tail swishing back and forth like an excited puppy.

The moment the seal loosened, Lily's grin turned radiant and she held the piece toward him:

"Here, Ashy-boo. Say 'Ahh'~! And if you can catch me next round… I'll give you Skyberry candy too!"

Ash accepted the treat without hesitation, chewing with bliss practically melting through its tiny face.

Catching Lily was laughably easy for it… child's play, really… and if it wanted a hundred chocolates, it could earn them in minutes.

But the cub genuinely liked this game: the chase, the laughter, the way Lily's tiny arms clung to it as if it meant the world. It liked being wanted by someone so small, so warm, and so unconditionally honest and cute.

Lily stepped back, still smiling, and pointed a playful finger at him.

"Okay! But wait! Lemme give you a headstart first. Otherwise it'll be cheating."

Ash nodded seriously, settling into a hover while Lily jogged ahead to a 'fair' distance, counting beneath her breath with dramatic determination.

The moment Ash sensed the space was good enough, it tilted forward and glided after her… not fast, not truly… just enough to make it thrilling.

Lily ran with all her tiny strength, peeking back every few seconds and squealing louder each time she saw Ash inching closer.

"Ha! Ash, you're getting closer, you're so fast!!!" she shrieked, laughter bubbling out in bright, unstoppable waves.

Ash finally caught her, giving the hem of her gown a gentle, harmless tug with its teeth. Lily spun with a gasp, breathless and rosy-cheeked, and handed him a normal Skyberry candy.

"A deal's a deal…" she sighed, still smiling as Ash munched the reward with humming satisfaction.

Then, all at once, that bright little expression softened. Not sad, just quieter, touched with a small wistfulness. "Candy and chocolate are finished… so, Ash, this last round… let's play without treats, okay? I kinda miss Big Brother. He always brings lots of treats for us to play with."

Ash munched happily, but then it suddenly froze.

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