"Hmph! She's been this annoying since she was a baby!"
In the shadow of the dense forest, Ana crossed her arms over her chest, glaring coldly at the small silhouette fading into the depths of the cavern. Her face was set like ice, brows furrowed as she gave a disdainful snort.
"Alright, don't take it to heart. She's just a clueless little girl, only three months old..."
A soft chuckle carried from behind along with rustling footsteps. Samael, having sent the troublemaker back to be punished, circled around and ca up behind Ana.
"I was born the sa day as her. Why don't you say I'm only three months old too?"
Ana retorted sulkily, her little face written all over with displeasure.
"A re three-month-old child couldn't possibly be my most trusted partner, nor the goddess Uruk once revered."
"Right, Ana?"
Samael blinked and smiled, whispering a secret only the two of them shared. His hand gently stroked her purple hair with a familiar touch.
Ana's expression softened under his praise.
"Forget it. Let's not waste our private ti talking about her. I'll take you to see sothing special."
The ancient serpent smiled mysteriously, taking her cool little hand, still faintly scaled, and led her toward a newly dug cavern near the Mother of Serpents' dwelling.
Hearing the intimacy in his tone, the frost on Ana's cheeks slowly lted away.
Inside the wide cavern lit by crystals, the purple-haired loli sat cross-legged on a stool. A knife, fork, and plate were neatly arranged before her, her eyes blindfolded with a strip of cloth.
Monts later, Samael erged from the cave's depths, tray in hand. Smiling, he ca up to Ana and gently lifted a corner of the blindfold.
So fragrant! And sweet!
And... familiar.
Ana's little nose twitched as saliva gathered at her lips.
"Guess what it is?"
"Butter cake!"
As soon as the mory surfaced and Ana blurted out her answer, Samael whipped off the cloth tied at the back of her head, his smile brightening.
"Correct! Ta-da! Uruk's finest dessert, specially prepared for Goddess Ana!"
Her violet eyes sparkled as she looked at the golden, crispy treat coated in cream and honey.
Eagerly, she grabbed the knife and fork, cut off a thick slice, speared it onto her plate, and took a big bite, letting the sweet flavor burst across her tongue.
Mmm! Delicious! Just like the ones Siduri made!
Like a hamster stuffing its cheeks, Ana devoured the cake, happiness blooming in her heart.
"Slow down, don't choke."
"Here, I also made fruit porridge with olives and grapes. Not sure if you'll like it."
"The plants here aren't quite the sa as sopotamia, so I couldn't fully recreate it..."
Samael wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth with a soft linen cloth, then ladled out a bowl of porridge to help the little girl, who was eating too fast, swallow.
"Mmm! Another bowl!"
Before the serpent could finish explaining the flaws in the dish, Ana lifted her small bowl with a satisfied grin.
Today, using Athena's punishnt as an excuse to send the troublemaker away, Samael happily served Ana one familiar dish after another.
"This one's delicious! That one too!"
"Mmm! They're all delicious!"
Ana looked at the dazzling spread, trying each in turn, hands and mouth not working fast enough. She almost wished she could eat the entire table in one go.
"It tastes just like Uruk... how did you do it?"
The overwhelming familiarity carried her back to the grand farewell feast after the battle against the god Ea. Awe and contentnt welled in her eyes.
"Hmph, of course!"
Leaning against a stalactite with arms crossed, Samael lifted his chin smugly.
"To prepare this, I used almost all the best supplies left from Noah's Ark."
"Even Tina never had a feast like this. As for that troublemaker Athena? She never even got to sll it."
The ancient serpent, skilled at striking contrasts, knew exactly how to create happiness.
And though Ana tried to keep her composure, the corners of her lips still curled upward at the ntion of her rival.
Of course, what Samael didn't say was that while his als with Tina hadn't been this lavish, the sheer amount of supplies they'd consud over the past decade could have hosted Ana several tis over.
The feast kept Ana—barely three months old—eating for half a day before she managed to finish most of it.
"Here, a glass of milk after the al to help you grow."
After tidying the table, Samael handed Ana a steaming cup of milk.
The purple-haired girl straightened her back, lifted the cup, and gulped.
"Pfft! Cough, cough!"
The mont it touched her tongue, the creamy sweetness was laced with a bitter, sharp tang. She coughed, spraying the milky liquid from both nose and mouth.
"Why is there ale in the milk?"
"That Incubus must've done it. Damn rlin!"
Samael sniffed the cup and his face turned pitch black.
"Damn rlin!"
Ana instinctively echoed him, anger flashing. Her small hands clenched at the air, ready to grab sothing and slaughter the Incubus.
But then she paused, suspicion flashing in her eyes as she looked at Samael, who wore the sa expression of bitter hatred.
"Wait, that's not right. rlin was the first to run when we split up. You hadn't even set out yet—how could he tamper with the supplies?"
"Samael... it was you!"
Exposed, the ancient serpent could no longer hold back the wicked grin beneath his sanctimonious facade.
Clutching his cramping stomach, he handed her a linen cloth, signaling for Ana to wipe away the ssy, suspicious white streaks on her face.
Tsk. If only outsiders weren't watching—he would've liked her to keep that look.
"See? I'm so used to blaming that old fraud at altis... maybe I should apologize to rlin later?"
Samael shrugged, utterly insincere, offering only the thinnest veneer of guilt.
"He did it! rlin can just die!"
Ana, freshly wiped clean, imdiately pinned the bla back on rlin, grinding her teeth as if she truly felt cursed by the distant sage.
Ana, you've turned bad too.
Samael raised an eyebrow, then smiled in satisfaction.
...
Far away, in a white-and-purple tower, a great Sage sneezed violently. A chill ran down his spine as dread filled his chest.
Strange... why have I been so restless lately?
Could it be... that a kind and upright big brother like is allergic to that beast's aura?
I knew bringing such a calamity, born from mankind's evil, into a sanctuary for the innocent would cause problems.
Maybe... I should find an excuse to throw it out?
The white-haired Incubus stroked his chin, eyes sliding slyly toward a certain Fou bouncing about on the tower.
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