Changing Star immediately began her exploration of the mansion with adorable enthusiasm, her tiny form waddling from room to room with boundless curiosity.

Patter patter patter!

Her small claws clicked rhythmically against the marble flooring as she moved through the entrance hall, her head swiveling to take in the high ceilings and elegant architecture. Everything was new and fascinating to her freshly hatched senses.

She discovered the grand staircase and attempted to climb the first step with determined effort. Her small legs struggled with the height, and after several failed attempts, she spread her translucent wings and fluttered upward in an awkward half-flight, half-jump that got her to the second step.

She looked back at me with obvious pride at her accomplishment, her tail swishing excitedly.

"Very impressive," I acknowledged with genuine amusement.

Changing Star continued exploring, finding her way to the large reception room I'd been considering converting into a cinema. The open space seemed to delight her, and she attempted an experimental run across the floor before tripping over her own feet and tumbling in a small ball of blue scales.

Roll roll... thud!

She righted herself immediately with a small indignant chirp, as if the floor had personally offended her.

I followed her through several rooms, watching as she investigated corners, sniffed at walls, and occasionally tried to climb furniture that was far too tall for her current size. Her innocent wonder at everything made even empty rooms seem magical through her eyes.

Eventually, I knelt down to her level as she paused to catch her breath after her extensive exploration.

"Changing Star, listen carefully."

rawr?

She looked up at me with those impossibly large eyes, her full attention focused on my words despite not fully understanding language yet.

"This mansion is your home now. You can explore everywhere inside, sleep wherever you want, and make yourself comfortable. But..." I paused to ensure emphasis, "you absolutely cannot leave this place. No going outside, no flying away to explore the city, no wandering off. Do you understand?"

Her response carried a note of confusion mixed with disappointment. She clearly wanted to explore beyond these walls eventually.

I reached out and gently stroked her small head. "It's for your safety. There are people who would want to capture you or hurt you if they discovered what you are. This mansion protects you. Inside here, you're safe."

Through our bond, I could feel her processing the emotional weight behind my words even if the specific meaning escaped her. She sensed my genuine concern for her wellbeing and the seriousness of the restriction.

grr.

This time her response was more subdued, accepting. She pressed her small head against my hand affectionately, acknowledging the boundary I'd set even if she didn't fully comprehend why.

"Good girl," I said softly. "I'll visit you every day and bring you food. You won't be alone."

Chirp chirp!

Her mood brightened immediately at the mention of food, her tail resuming its happy swishing.

I smiled and watched as she resumed her exploration with slightly less range but equal enthusiasm, investigating the rooms within her new sanctuary while respecting the invisible boundary I'd established.

Once Changing Star had finished her enthusiastic exploration of the mansion's main rooms, I guided her toward one of the practical facilities I'd discovered during my initial inspection - a large temperature-controlled storage area designed for magical food preservation.

The room was located in the basement level, easily accessible via a wide staircase that Changing Star managed to descend with only moderate stumbling. The preservation chamber itself was spacious, easily the size of a standard bedroom, with enchanted walls that maintained freezing temperatures without requiring constant mana input.

"This is going to be very important for you," I told her as we entered the cold room.

She shivered slightly at the temperature drop, her small body not yet adapted to regulate against such cold environments. However, within seconds she was able to get accustomed to it.

Despite being a few hours old, she was still an elite-rank beast.

I began withdrawing Elite-rank beast corpses from my storage ring, materializing them one after another until approximately ten large bodies lay arranged throughout the chamber. Forest boars, mountain deer, wolves - all preserved in perfect condition and radiating the potent mana that her Devour skill would convert into rapid growth.

Changing Star's eyes widened with obvious interest as she recognized food, her earlier discomfort with the cold immediately forgotten.

"This is your fridge," I explained, gesturing at the arranged corpses. "Whenever you're hungry, you can come here and eat whatever you want. You don't need to wait for me."

She approached the nearest boar and took an experimental bite, the familiar cute eating sounds resuming as she confirmed the quality met her standards.

"I'll also arrange for people to deliver fresh supplies here every day," I continued. "Servants will come by regularly to restock, so you'll never run out. Just...do not show yourselves to them, alright?"

Nom nom... chirp!

She paused eating long enough to acknowledge my words before returning to her meal with focused determination.

I watched her feast for a moment before adding with a slight smile, "Once you grow up and stop tripping over your own legs every five steps, I'll take you out for proper hunting. You can catch your own prey instead of just eating what I provide. Would you like that?"

CHIRP!

Her enthusiastic response was immediate and emphatic, clearly excited by the prospect of hunting despite her current physical limitations. She attempted to demonstrate her prowess by pouncing on the already-dead boar, which resulted in her bouncing off its solid body and landing on her back.

Thud!

She laid there for a moment looking dazed before rolling over and resuming eating as if the embarrassing display had never happened.

"Yes, we'll definitely wait until you're more coordinated," I said with genuine amusement. "For now, focus on eating and growing strong. I'll visit every day to check on you."

Chirp!

Changing Star's tail swished happily as she continued her meal, already making impressive progress through the Elite-rank meat despite her tiny size.

I decided to stay at the mansion for the night rather than returning to the academy dormitory. Changing Star had only just hatched, and despite our bond, I wasn't entirely certain she fully understood my instructions about staying hidden and not leaving the property. Better to spend one night ensuring nothing went wrong.

I chose one of the smaller bedroom suites on the second floor - furnished but not overly elaborate, comfortable enough for a single night's rest. After changing and preparing for sleep, I settled onto the bed and extinguished the magical lighting.

Patter patter patter...

Soft footsteps approached in the darkness, and moments later I felt a small weight climb onto the bed with determined effort. Changing Star had apparently decided where she wanted to sleep.

Nestle... settle...

The tiny dragon positioned herself right beside me, her warm body pressing against my side as she made herself comfortable. Her scales were surprisingly smooth and pleasant to the touch, radiating gentle heat that made the cool night air more comfortable.

Then, unexpectedly, a soft sound began emanating from her small form - a gentle purring that was remarkably similar to a contented cat. The rhythmic vibration was soothing, almost hypnotic in its steady consistency.

Purrrrr... purrrrr...

A faint smile formed on my face as I listened to the adorable sound. A dragon with terrifying power and potential was purring like a house cat while nestled against her bond partner. The contrast between her ultimate destiny and current behavior was endearing beyond measure.

I gently placed one hand on her small head, feeling her relax even further at the contact. Through our bond, I could sense her complete contentment and feeling of safety.

Sleep came easily with that peaceful purring filling the quiet room.

I woke early the next morning as sunlight filtered through the windows, my internal clock refusing to let me sleep late despite the comfortable bed. Changing Star was still nestled beside me, her purring having stopped but her breathing steady and peaceful.

Chirp...

She stirred as I moved, those big sapphire eyes blinking open sleepily.

"Good morning. Time for breakfast," I said softly.

CHIRP!

All sleepiness vanished instantly at the mention of food, and she was immediately scrambling off the bed with renewed energy.

I took her back down to the preservation chamber where she eagerly attacked another Elite-rank corpse, her appetite seemingly endless despite having eaten substantially the previous evening. The Devour skill was clearly working overtime, converting consumed material into growth at accelerated rates.

After she'd eaten her fill, I knelt down to her level for final instructions before departing.

"Remember what I told you. Do not leave this mansion under any circumstances. Stay inside where it's safe. Servants will come by later to deliver more food, but don't worry - they work for my family and won't cause problems."

Chirp chirp.

Her response carried understanding mixed with slight reluctance, but the bond confirmed she would obey.

"I'll be back this evening to check on you and bring anything you need. Be good while I'm gone."

Chirp!

She pressed her small head against my hand affectionately, and I gave her one final gentle pat before standing.

I left the mansion and secured all the entrances, then retrieved my skateboard for the return journey to the academy. Classes would be starting soon, and missing them wasn't a good idea.

As I accelerated toward the campus, I couldn't help but smile thinking about the purring dragon waiting for my return.

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