《For The Glory Of Sitia Empire》 Chapter 0 Chapter 0 " do you desire revenge, Shianl? I shall fulfill it for you, however.....as you receive you also pay". . . . "didn''t you hear? they say that the crown prince killed three nobles. just because he did not like them!!". "what!!? I did hear that he is cruel and cold-hearted. but never thought to the point to be inhuman, and he is just a child!!". "his evil character might be rted to his curse. I am worried about the future of this Empire". . . . "I think you are amazing, let''s be friends". . . . "one day Sitia and Majin will be yours, you need to be aware of what it means" . . . "if you keep being like this, you won''t be someone who deserves this throne". . . . "you can do whatever you want. and I will make sure that what you do, is something you won''t regret. as your knight, I am bonded to never leave you ''till the day I die for you, Lennox". . . . "I don''t believe that one day we will be under this demons'' mercy". . . . "so even you can love someone!! the world is full with wonders". . . . "I will as you wish, your majesty". . . . "thank you, Lennox". Chapter 1 Chapter 1 "where is the new curtain" shouted the butler at the royal pce, "we must make the pce appear in its'' most glorious look". the servants were rushing here and there, the emperor of Sitia Empire is returning after a long time of absence. the young prince woke up early, unusually dressed properly and stood at the entrance. waiting to greet the emperor. A butler standing behind him, holding an umbre. he stared with pitty at the pitch-ck eyes, the faintly blueishsoft skin and the straight wall-like stature of the young prince. In general, such a unique appearance hidden under the sunshade really, what a waste. The sound of horses gradually raised, and the carriage that is surrounded by knights entered the walls to stop right in front of the young prince. emerged from the carriage a gracefull middle-aged man flowing a bright peaceful aura, he formed a light smile once he saw the young prince. Lennox bended his head as greeting and solemnly he said: "I thank the merciful god for your safety, your majesty". Jennings: "you are up early, and oddly polite today. did you miss me that much, little Lenny?". Lennox :"I am quite concerned about my life ,your majesty ". Jennings let out a gleamingugh saying :" Anna sure knows how to keep your prideful behaviors under control". Lennox smiledmely :"then shall we head to your quarters, sister is waiting for you there ". Jennings said with little Disappointment:" sure ". Lennox noticed theplexion on his face. like the words got stuck in his throat, Lennox: "is there something bothering your majesty?". Jennings:"nothing, it is just that I am a bit worry about the youngdy ...". Lennox never was interested in who the hell is this youngdy even the slightest. in the end, she is some great noble person from some great kingdom. All that was in his mind,was to apany this old man to his room, return to his bed and sleep like there is no tomorrow. Lennox said: "do you wish me to prepare quarters for your guest?". Jennings sighed, then he put on a smile: "no need, she will find me when she is done ying with the hens". hens?!! you mean the wild hens near the river?! what kind ofdies that ys with hens?! does she have mushrooms instead of brain?!. Lennox controlled his expression, and said with indifferent tone:" then please". he gestured to him to lead the way. As they walked side by side. ******* it''s nearly dusk, Lennoxs'' daily routine starts after the sunset. waking up when the darkness covers everything and going to bed when it starts fading. his soft blue skin, and rather not being exposed by sun rays, was the cause of living his slothful life like a little vampire. wanting to pass the time, he went to the royal library to grab some books, wandering in the huge library with no specific title or type in his mind. Lennox ended up observing the sky from the window, the moonligh illuminated the surroundings with a faint snowy light, making it look more peaceful after few minutes of pondering a flying human figure appeared in Lennoxs'' sight! peaceful life byebye~ once that human figurended in the yard, Lennox immediately hid behind the wall, peeking from the corner of the window. there stood a thin person, almost the same height as Lennox. it''s clothes, body and face were all covered in mud as if it came crawling from the ground. its'' chin was covered with a slight red colour expanding till its'' mouth. Lennox froze, his face changed to all colours you can count. A ZOMBIE!! A FUCKING ZOMBIE!!!! Few seconds after, Lennoxs'' face returned to its soft blue skin. and his astonished expression changed to a confused and doubtful one . '' when did I start to think so stupidly?! it''s impossible for zombies to exist, not in my watch. he is probably just an assassin or spy or something '' Lennox moved few steps silently and took another peek from a different window, the so-called zombie was staring at the window where Lennox stood first, it turned its'' head and ran like a sh toward the east. '' Damn! That dude is too fast, although he is too thin to be alive... wait!! the east?! is he heading to where that old bastard is?!!!!'' Lennox grabbed his sword and pushed the door hurriedly. at the inner yard there were two knights in patrol, he gestured to them to follow him, then directly rushing towards Jennings quarters. ******* meanwhile, Jennings had just finished bathing and was wearing a thin robe over his light clothes. he sat at the desk writing a letter or though. hearing the sound of someone tapping on the ss, Jennings turned his head but was struck in surprise:" heavens!!! ". he shouted a youthful girl wearing the white imperial gourds uniform, covered in mud and feather. her wide emerald eyes carried the sense of guilt and hesitation. Jennings picked a handkerchief from the table, opened the ss-door of the veranda and walked closer to her. his tone was strick, yet full of uneasiness: "why are you sote ?! didn''t you say that you will follow us! look at you, drown in dirt like a little bird ". Jennings wiped her bun-like cheek from dirt while shaking off the ones on her clothes. she lowered her head in regret, and murmured: "sorry, don''t be angry your majesty". Jennings released a long sigh, lifted her chin and said calmly: "oh Evey, I am not angry, I am just worried about you. running here and there without thinking, you will get hurt someday..., what is this red thing?". a long smile cracked Everlys'' face, she giggled with bright eyes "my feet tripped at the river, and I fell on my face so my nose started to bleed". Jennings buried his head in his palm: "aah you are killing me". suddenly Everly raised her voice, as she remembered something: "your majesty, I saw a ghost from the window of the library. where did ite from? what''s his name ...?". Jennings interrupted her with confusion: "what ghost?". Everly said all excited:" the one at the library. I saw him when I jumped from the wall, but when I turned to him again he disappeared. the phantom was all in ck and white, and was staring in me with ignited eyes". Jennings tilted his head, feeling hopeless to save her IQ: "there is no ghosts dear, perhaps this was__". before he couldplete his sentence the door was mmed open. two guards pushed inside, both unsheathed their swords and pointed it toward Everly. while Lennox stood behind them, from his view it seemed that there is an Intruder with unclear intentions. whatever the reasons they got, it can not exin their permeation. from Everlys'' view... well, she didn''t think actually. once she saw the swords she jumped to them, and with a kick both the poor guards left the room flying. she backed two steps, then instantly advanced toward Lennox directing a fist. theter knew that there is no chance to avoid it, as so he shielded himself with his sword. at thatte moment, Jennings shouted: "Evey Stop !!". she stopped, indeed she stopped every muscle in her body. and like a rice bag she fell on Lennox. both of them wereying on the ground, Everly tried to rise her self up. the moment she saw Lennox'' face she started sparkling. Everly said with all excited tone: "your majesty, I caught the ghost__". while standing and before she couldplete her sentence, her feet tripped. ending with a bang, Everly passed out. Lennox :"....." jennings:"...." Chapter 2 Chapter 2 at the down, the sun rays started to peep from the horizon. the night fading in the bright sun, creating a magentayer in the sky. this meant that Lennoxs'' day has reached its'' end. he went back to his darkroom, the thick ck curtain covers all the windows. even the slightest light couldn''t get through. he threw himself into the bed, rolling on the sheets. once Lennox closed his eyes falling into deep dreams, another pair of emerald eyes opened. Everly stared at the roof before she jumped out of the bed. she was clean and her hair was brushed. she began discovering her surroundings when she found a vast neat bathroom on the side of her bedroom. the huge round tub allured her. immediately she took off her nightwear and leapt into the water. while Everly was enjoying her bath time, a blond maid walked in. once she nced the small figure, she said with a riotous tone:" ooh~, just as his majesty said, you sure are a lively child". Everly asked wondering: "what did his Majesty say?!". the maid ced the clothes she was carrying on a table at the corner, Rachel (maid):" he said that you wake up too early, and ordered to check on you right after the sun rises". Everly: "sorry to disturb your sleeping ". Rachel(maid):" not at all. in fact, I am from the night shift. so this is supposed to be the end of my day. Everly got out of the tube, and with confusion said: "night shift?". after the Everly passed outst night, Jennings instructed that she should be informed about the daily routine at the pce, the rooms and quarters. also to meet with all the servants and workers. yet he said nothing about her position or duties. Rachel wrapped a towel around Everly, then took another one to cover her hair. Rachel (maid):" well, for some reasons our prince is a bit different". Everly:" different? why?". Rachel (maid): "I don''t know what to say exactly, it''s just that the prince hates the sunlight. but he is fine with other types like candles and torches. and because of that, the prince starts his day at night and ends it at the down". Rachel reached the clothes on the table, she took a white shirt. then she said: "and since he is a prince, there should be someone to take care of his needy requests". Everly stayed quiet for a while, the moment she was done wearing her trousers she said:" does the sun hurts him?". Rachel (maid):" we thought so, but the royal physician said there was nothing wrong with him". next, she took the little skirt and the belt. Rachel (maid): "it came to my mind that he might be cursed, but that''s impossible right?". without knowing that she had just thrown a bomb in Everlys'' head. Rachel took the towels and the nightwear folded them and ced them on the table. she shooked her head once, then said:"e, I will do your hair". Later on, Everly invaded the kitchen and the cook''s hearts as well. with her I-am-a-good-child face, she managed to get some cookies then ran off to the next target. from the kitchen to the stables, library, maids residence, soldiers training field, royal physicians'' research building. she went to them all, and at each ce, Everly would get a head-pats and hugs or candies and flowers. It might seem that she is deceiving them. but no, her IQ level won''t let her so. but actually, she was stupidly wandering, and adorably acting like a little cute baby knight. However, the main reason that all of them were fond of her is that she is a normal (as it seems to them). Jennings as an emperor has two heirs, a Princess {Annasophy} and a prince {Lennox}. Annasophy is older than Lennox by 10 years, she was born when Jennings was 20 only. her mother was a concubine and died giving birth to her. Around the whole Empire, no. even the continent. it''s known that Annasophy is the most beloved person to the emperor. the pampered Princess, and the untouchable flower of Sitia. On the other hand, Lennox is the crown prince of Sitia. his birth mother is the empress, and a Princess of Majin Empire. no one ever had doubted his skills or intelligent. he could be an outstanding ruler, if not for his character. at that young age, he managed to obtain a fearful reputation. rumours of him being a devil born with a human face, a heartless little scum bastard or whatever. he actually enjoyed listening to that shit about him. With those two different types of people living together, an internal war is sure to erupt. And the image of the lovely cutesy rtionship of the siblings shattered into dust. And now, seeing the gregarious and stupid Everly. They can''t help but be attracted to her. Completing her search for god knows who, Everly caught a glimpse ofthe old gardener taking care of the Azalea flowers. Near them a line of Oak trees surrounded by the walls. Everly dashed towards him, she took a deep breath then said loudly: "Hello sir, I am Everly. I am from the imperial gourds, And you sir?". Feramgashughed like the old men do, then said slowly: "ho-ho-ho, such a young girl like you can fight? ho-ho-ho". Everly leant on the tree and puffed her cheeks, she said proudly: "I am strong, even his majesty said that". Feramgash said with a smile: "ho-ho-ho then I am counting on you, little soldier. ho-ho-ho". Everly sparkled and said all excited: "I will do my best_". At that moment she felt a little tap on her shoulder, she turned her head. There was a BUG!! A HUGE ONE!!! In this world only 10% of the females who are not afraid of insects. however, Everly IS NOT ONE OF THEM!! Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Frozen in her ce, not even blinking, Everly stood there stiffly. Only when the bug proceeded closer, did she move, and it would have been better if she hadn''t. Everly originally was amoner, she came from Saka town, located between Sitia Empire and Mojin kingdom. Before Jennings brought her, Everly lived with her master in a simple house. sometimes her master would send her to run few errands at the forest nearby. The reason why a 10 years old child managed to survive in a forest known to be full of fierce beasts all by herself, without anyone protecting her, was because she was the one those beasts feared. Everlys'' physical build might seem normal, but actually, it has long since surpassed the human nature, every single muscle in her body is supported by Mana. That gave her tens times better physical abilities. But most importantly, she was a capable beast hunter despit her age. With the opposite hand, Everly directed a fist toward her shoulder. However her fistnded on the tree behind her, causing it to crack in half. since the lower half was rooted in the ground, it stayed in still, but the upper half fell on another tree. Now that the bug fleed to God knows where, Everly rxed slightly, but soon stiffened again after seeing that the other falling tree was about to smash Finath. At this situation, there are lots of possible solutions. Everly could have pushed Finath away, or stopping the tree from hitting the ground heavily, or maybe using that sword hanging on her waist to slice the truck into pieces. She could have done anything else. But no, she went all the way and kicked it. The flying truck was hit too hard, that it reversed its direction and shot faster, higher, with more destructive power. ****** A little while before. The never-ending knocks on the door woke Jennings from his peaceful slumber. why are they annoying him, when It was still early for his daily routine to begin? Jennings: "Come in ". A blonde neat tall man immediately walked in, he bent towards Jennings and said solemnly: "my apologies for disturbing your majestys'' rest". Jennings waved his hand, as a gesture to tell him to raise his head. Then he said rising his torso: " what is it Carson?". Carson was Jennings personal assistant, he worked under Jennings even before be climbed the throne. As a trustworthy individual, Jennings entrusted him to support the crown prince in managing the Empire''s affairs when he, the Emperor, was at the sublime tour ceremony. Carson wore a serious expression as he said:" an ambassador from the Alphonsus mansion is requesting to meet your majesty, he says it''s an emergency". Jennings said with a little surprise: "Alphonsus? What could have happened?!". Carson hesitated at first, and after a pause, he said with troubled voice:" Earl Mcmin Alphonsus, passed away a few hours ago". The astonished expression covered Jennings''s face, and after moments of silent, he regain his calm to say with a deep sigh:" may he rest in peace, tell the ambassador that I will arrive soon". Carson bowed again before stepping out of the room and closing the door silently. Jennings took a quick-wash-up before leaving his quarters, escorted by Carson, in a simple outfit. As he passed by the courtyards'' corridor, Jennings heardud screams followed by crashing sounds came from the back of the garden. Jennings knotted his brows as he recognized one of the voices:" Everly?!". Jennings nced at Carson from the corner of his eyes, then followed to where the screams came from. By the time he reached there, many maids and the guards had already been there. The scene was quite the mess, but the troubled expression on the servants faces was much messier. Everyone were gathered around a small person sitting on the ground. Amany (maid):" it''s fine honey, we will nt others ". Rachel (maid):" yes, also no one got hurt ". Rachel reached to the sobbing Everly and embraced her while patting her head. Everly:" but....*sob, but he is bleeding". She pointed towards one of the guards, who seems to have injured his head and the blood dripping from his forehead. He immediately responded, waving his hands ,Edward (imperial gourd) said energetically:" no, no, no. I am not hurt at all. This.... this is not blood, this is wine. Yeah, I was drinking and identally sshed it on my head". Everly peeked at him with teary eyes:" *sniffle, really?". Edward quickly nodded his head: "yes, yes". "Evey" A warm voice came from behind, an elegant and majestic aura covered the atmosphere. All the servants immediately stood in a line bowing towards Jennings. Once Everly noticed Jennings she buried her head in Rachels'' embrace, her face reddened from embarrassment. She had just came to the imperial pce, and already making troubles from the first day. Jennings waved his hands, and the servants stood straight. He approached her and sat on the grass next to Rachel. Carson cried instantly:" your majesty!!!". For an emperor to sit on the dirty ground is absolutely uneptable. However Jennings raised his palm to cut off Carson saying: "It''s fine". He formed a pleasant smile and said gently:" Evey, dear, what''s wrong?". Everly nced at him with guilty eyes, and said in a Distressing voice:" I am sorry". Jennings kept his soft tone: "hmmm, for what?". without looking at his direction nor hiding her face anymore. Everly stared at the ground and started shedding tears. Everly:" I always cause troubles and make things difficult for you. One day you wille to see me useless and annoying, then you will leave me. and I don''t know what I should do then". Hearing that, Jennings stood and held her to sit on his arms, while the other hand slowly patted her back. Everly wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to stop her tears. Jennings said with a hidden guilt:" that won''t happen, how can I ever leave you? little Evey is already such a nice girl, you help me alot, I can''t ask for more". Everly tightened her grip around him, slowly calming down. Jennings shifted his gaze toward the injured guard, he nodded fairly saying:" also since this mister was ''drinking'' alcohol, he should go see the imperial physician, you know, to sober up ". He then turned back and walked away with Everly on his arm and Carson following behind him. They headed to the throne hall, where the ambassador was waiting for his arrival. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Inside the throne hall, a man in histe forties was left waiting for an hour. His patient almost run out, the man did his best to calm his nervous heart. The moment Jennings walked in, the man immediately knelt before him on one knee. Jennings handed Everly to Carson so he can act as a proper Emperor Usually, Everly felt embarrassed to let other people, other than her master and brothers, carry her. However, Carsons'' long shiny silky hair lured her, willingly throwing herself in his arms. The ambassador said in a loud clear voice:" your grace, please forgive this lowlife fo". Before he couldplete his words, Jennings interrupted him with a wave of his hands. Jennings he calmly said: "it''s fine, get to the details". The man raised his head to look at Jennings''s face, but quickly lowered it again after meeting his gaze. "My emperor,st night around 10 pm Earl Alphonsus''s body was found in his bedroom, he was stabbed to death". Jennings: "how is the investigation progress going?". "The investigators said that the culprit might have been assisted by a member from inside the mansion". Jennings''s eyes shook faintly, he exchanged a nce with Carson, who was being abused by Everly, then said slowly: "why would they assume that?". "It seems that the hidden treasury had been broken through. The stolen items were the Earls'' special collection of the Yakhshan swords, the will testament and some expensive jewellery". Testament you say? Knowing the whereabout of the treasury is suspicious enough. Now the will testament being stolen is not a matter to turn a blind eye on. Jennings pondered his answer for a little, then said: "this matter shall be looked over, deliver my words to the Alphonsus family members. due to disappearance of the Will, the one to take over the Alphonsus Earl title will be decided by no one but me. We are sending one from our people to throughly investigate this issue". "I shall do as your grace please ". Jennings turned to face the messed up Carson, while the man kept his head down as he left the throne hall. " gather all the details about every single family member of the Alphonsus, including their actions for the past two years ". Carson made rather a doubtful expression, he solemnly said:" is your majesty nning in waking ''him'' up?". Jennings sighed, he took Everly from Carsons'' hand, and said while walking towards the door:" the Alphonsus family possess a great influence between the nobles, this matter can not be taken lightly ". the Alphonsus family is considered to be one of the oldest nobles families, it''s origins extended from the main families that established Sitia imperial. knowing the power that the Alphonsus held upon the Empire''s trade agreement, Jennings, as an Emperor, could not just half-ass the case. he patted Everlys'' head, as he spoke to her gently: "let''s go get some breakfast". Everly nodded her head a couple of times before resting her chin on Jennings''s shoulder. ***** "Okay, go ahead ". Whispered the maid ''A'' to the other maid. Maid ''B'':" no, you go" Maid ''A'':" I don''t want to die, why do we have to wake him up anyways?". Maid ''B'':" I heard his majesty say something like urgent matters. But it''s barely afternoon, and miss Rachel isn''t around ". Maid ''A'':" someone has to wake him up... just what is this urgent matter that requires him!!!". Maid ''B'':" aaaah, I am going in. Damn it". the maid quietly opened the door, sneakily stepping inside. the room was just too dark, maid ''B'' slowly approached the bed. At that bed, Lennoxid there. Maid ''B'' hardly swallowed her nervous saliva, she bent over, causing her braid to slipp to her shoulder. she whispered in Lennoxs'' ear. "Your highness ". nothing happened. Her heart began beating too fast. She raised her trumbling voice a little more. "Prince Lennox, please wake up". He did not move, maid ''B'' extended her hand towards Lennox, shaking him gently. "Prince Lennox, please wa". In a blink of eye, a silver sh crossed in front of her, the maid took a step back, but her legs melted in fear. Making her fall on her buttocks and start sobbing. Lennox sat on the bed, staring at her with a murderous re. one of his hands held a long knife, while the other hand was tightly grabbing a bunch of golden hair. It was the maid''s braide!!!. In a Malicious tone, Lennox spoke:" was life so unfair to you, that you came seeking death from me?". Maid ''A'' immediately ran inside and knelt in front of him. She said fearfully. "Calm your anger, your highness. These fellow were only obeying their Emperor. His majesty is demanding your presence, he said it is an emergency". Lennox snorted: "that old bastard said? It better be worthy ". He stepped out of the bed and threw the braid to the maid ''B'', then asked coldly: " what time is it now?". Maid ''A'':" it is already past 12 PM, your highness". Lennox brushed his hair to the back saying: "almost time for the lunch.... tell them to bake me some cookies for ater snack". Maid ''A'': "as you wish your highness ". After the maids closed the door, Lennox pondered at the knife in his hand for a while. Then threw it on the bed. "I think it''s going to be fun". he already knew what the Emperor want from him, thanks to his wide informationwork, Lennox was able to grasp on the leatest events almost immediately. The death of McMin, thete Earl, was something Lennox was aware of from the night before. ****** At Jennings study. Jennings, as usual, was drowned in work. As he went through the endless reports and documents, he frequently nced at Everly with a guilty conscience. Watching her wear a serious expression as she sat on the ground with a bunch of papers and ink. `I shouldn''t have told her to do that, she is really thinking deeply. After the breakfast, Everly sticked to Jennings and insisted on helping him. For Everly to help at paperwork was somehow impossible, not with this IQ level. Thus, Jennings gave her some old documents as a distraction. He thought that Everly will get bored easily and leave to y outside, but who knew that she actually took it way too seriously?! Jennings sighed:" Evey, honey. Why don''t you go y with the..... horses?". She quickly turned her head and looked at him with zing eyes: "no, I want to help". He was just about to release another deep sigh, but was interrupted by the knocks on the door. "Come in" It was Carson, he soundlessly walked closer to the desk and bowed toward Jennings. " the crown prince woke up as youmaned, his highness said that he would meet your majesty at the dining hall by the lunchtime". Jennings said in a concerned tone: "anyone got hurt?". Carson:" just one of the maids got a new hair cut. An ugly one". Jennings massaged his forehead saying:" make sure topensate her generously for the damages". Carson: "as you say". Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Since the crown prince woke up during the daylight, all the curtains inside the pce were shut tightly. Faint sun rays were sneaking through theyers of fine fabric, illuminating the hallway fairly along with the magical stones. Followed by a butler, Lennox walked out of his quarters in a thin robe over his silky nightwear. Passing through the corridor of the third storey, the sounds ofbourers working and carrying heavy weights gradually raised. '' was there anything needed to be reconstructed?'' Lennox lifted the curtain a little to satisfy his curiosity, However, the scene wasn''t much to look at. There was just that huge hole in that sky-high wall, the used-to-be-supreme trees now sleeping peacefully on the ground. And the brand new barracks somehow looked like a hunted building. That''s all, nothing more. "Holy ancient sh*t!!!! what the h*ck happened here?!" If there were intruders, Lennox would have known long ago. His information sources weren''t something to underestimate. The umbre butler escorting Lennox hesitated before averting his gaze and saying: "youngdy Everly identally plucked out some saplings". ''are 50-years old thick trees considered saplings to you....?'' Lennox: "Everly?" Umbre butler:" miss Everly is his majestys'' guest, I believe your highness and the miss already met ". '' yeah, I forgot about her. but to be able to create such a masterpiece, she is indeed one hell of a zombie '' Lennox lifted his chin up, and said: "where is the old man?" Umbre butler:" his majesty had been informed about your highness''s request, he might be in his way to the dining hall ". Lennox hummed: "very well, let''s get going ". ****** After hardly Pulling Everly out of the study, Jennings dragged her to the dining hall where Lennox was waiting. Once the door was opened, Lennox shouted:" what the hell took you so long? I am starving here!!". With Everly behind him, puffing her cheeks angrily, Jennings walked towards the long table, settling down on the closest end-seat. peeking from behind the man, Everly eximed as she found out that the one shouting rudely was Lennox: "ah!! Mister ghost " Theter tilted his head and doubtfully said: "zombie?". Everly happily jumped between Lennox and Jennings. The former greeted her with a nod, knowing that she is weed, Everly started sparkling and a smile cracked in her face. As Jennings gave his permission, the servants began serving the lunch. He softly said:" your mood seems to be better than I thought, I was prepared to lose a finger or two". Lennox grabbed the fork, a grin appeared on his face:" thanks to your zombie girls'' art, I forgot about shoving off one of your arms. The garden looked more pleasant than usual". Everly was also in a good mood, there weren''t lots of kids to y with, since she always apanying the emperor. she naively asked:" what is the zombie, mister ghost?". Lennox responded in an indifferent tone:" a dead-a*s corpse eating people ". Before She could release a gasp of admiration, Jennings quickly added:" they are not real". Everly said disappointed:" not....real?". Jennings: "yes, they are not. Then Lennox, how about you stop reading those strange books?". Lennox: "how about you telling me why I am not in my bed, dreaming about a big jelly bear?". Jennings rested his chin on his hand while pping the vegetables on his te. he said: "Earl Macmin Alphonsus is no longer among us ". Lennoxs'' face showed no change, since he already knew about it. He said in an apathetic tone:" that old fart died? I almost believe he was immortal". Jennings:" he was murdered actually". " now I believe it", Lennox grabbed the ss cup that is supposed to contain fruit juice. He said provocatively:" you are not expecting me to investigate in his murder, are you?". A cunning smirk on his face, Lennox drank a mouthful of the so-called fruit juice. At the very second that the mysterious liquid touched his insides, he spat it all out. The whole white sheets were ruined by a cherry red colour. " WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS?!!!, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!!! EVEN POISONS TASTE BETTER!!". seeing his son all furious and raged, Jennings waved for the footman to pour some of that liquid for him, he took a small sip. it tasted bitter and salty. Jennings:" beet... it''s a normal beet juice, Lenny". Lennox said while clenching his teeth:" that damn red onion ". The reason why beet juice was served to an imperial member was obviously because they needed to keep his body healthy. The crown prince was known for his obsession with sweets and anything contained sugar, however, the amounts that he consumed can very much throw an adult man sick on the bed. They would try to sneak some medicines and herbs in his food, desperately trying to make him grow to a healthy man. Jennings knew this and actually admired them for not giving up like he did. Everly who was silently munching her food now wanted to try this strange thing. but before she could do so, Lennox grabbed her wrist suddenly. He said with a solemn expression and a strike voice: "don''t..... you will die". Jennings eximed:" no one died because he drank beet juice". Lennox said in a serious tone: "how can you be sure?". Jennings helplessly said:" let''s just get to the point. you go to the Alphonsus mansion as soon as possible, and discover the one responsible for the death of the Earl". Lennox:" and why will I do that?". Jennings:" you get to choose the next Earl, he or she will be serving you in the future anyways, so be cautious with that one. Also, I will allow you to y your games, in condition no one dies". Lennox:" that sounds cool to me, and I will take the zombie girl". '' I thought I was mistaken yesterday, but she really isn''t human. I will keep an eye on her, just in case'' Jennings protested:" ha?! no ! not a chance, why would you do that?". with his usual nonchnt attitude, Lennox exined:" think of it as taking a pet for a walk. plus, I believe you have a meeting with some old farts today? surely you won''t tag her along, will you?" As he was imagining few crazy scenarios, Jennings felt a tiny hand slightly poking on his tight, he turned his gaze to Everly who was looking at him with pleading eyes. [Everly used a skill: sad puppy eyes] [attack, sessful] Jennings sighed deeply and stood to leave: "fine..... Evey honey, do you mind escorting Lennox to do his task?". Everly quickly nodded her head, she raised her thumb as to say ''leave it to me''. Jennings patted her head and gently said: "I will return in minutes". He turned around and exited from the hall. At the very moment the door was shut, Lennox immediately turned to one of the maids saying:"bring the desserts". ******* Jennings sat at one of the branches that Everly broke, it was lunchtime so no one would be around. since it''s the middle of spring, the sun wasn''t hot nor cold. "they said you left the hall, so I was searching for your majesty. Is there something bothering you?". Carson approached from behind. an obvious question was written in his face, so Jennings started with answering it. Jennings:" Lennox agreed to the deal". Carson: "did the prince demanded a difficult request?". Jennings: "no he just asked Everly to escort him ". Carson:" miss Everly? Why would he do so". Jennings said jokingly:" probably to beat the sh*t out of those nobles ". Carson:" then what makes your majesty displeased?". Jennings pondered his answer before saying:" what do you think the Empire would be under Lennoxs'' rule?". Carson was quite a bit shocked by this question, but he answered right away:" I actually stopped thinking about it. I mean we do have you, and now even the second prince. So is it necessary for prince Lennox to inherit the throne?". Jennings released a hopelessugh, he said desperately:" no, no, no. Lennox is the one and only who could be the next emperor". Jennings paused before he adds: "Not to forget, Priyanka is holding tightly on Leonhard. Yes, he is my son, but he is also an heir for Mojin. Well, if she had won over Lennox things might have gone a different path ". Carson hesitantly asked:" pardon my words, your grace. I understand that the prince Lennox is talented, but with his character, it''s not worth the risk ". Jennings: "you are right, the risk is way too high, but also the benefits are also can''t be ignored ". Carson:" so your majesty means that thisnd might be a heaven on earth or a living hell? ". Jennings: "yeah, something like that ". ***** Jennings was in his way back to the hall after he left for about half an hour. ''I hope they are not fighting '' He smiled for himself before opening the door. ''Everly is a warm-hearted child, she won''t do so'' However, what greeted him was a sight of a tower made of sses, dishes, spoons and bowls. "Where do I put thest one?" Shouted Everly. "At the top of the green bowl" answered Lennox. Everly ced the spoon where Lennox told her to and jumped off the chair, she returned to stand next to him. They exchanged a high-five, while both of them where staring proudly at their handmade tableware tower. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 " where is zombie girl?" Lennox asked the umbre butler. The umbre butler answered:" I am sure youngdy Everly will be here in a minute". Lennox snorted:" to make me wait for her, she really has some guts". '' it has been two hours since that old bastard snatched her from the dining hall, he better not forget about the deal. I don''t get a chance to torture the Alphonsus every day''. Few seconds passed, and out of the blue Everly fell from the sky. Shended heavily before Lennox making the couple bricks under her feet cracked noticeably. Thanks to his thick skin, Lennoxs'' astonished expression wasn''t obvious for her. He kept an indifferent tone while scanning Everly from head to toes. Lennox: "where did youe from?". Everly: "from his majestys'' study room". It wasn''t what he asked about, however, Lennox remembered that Everly could jump over the pce walls like it was nothing. Lennox shifted his gaze to the documents she was carrying, Everly immediately handed the papers she was holding over to Lennox. "His majesty told me to give it to you, he said that you might find something useful in there". Lennox received the pack of papers and joined them with the ones he brought. ''Hmmm, her way of talking is strange, is it because of her age. No, rather she is simple.... amoner?'' Lennox:" I will go through them on the way there, let''s move for now". ******* "How is Adide doing?". Roosevelt, the elder son of the Alphonsus family asked his younger sister. Bertha:" no much difference than yesterday, she has been whining and crying like a widow ". Roosevelt:" it can''t be helped. Adide is the youngest and the softest, she can''t handle such a thunderbolt ". Eleanor butted in the conversation:" This is because you spoiled her too much ". Bertha: "talk about yourself, aren''t you who always brings her mountains of gifts whenever you return home from travel?". Eleanor said provocatively:" you also acting overprotective, you even run a background check of her every friend and maid". Roosevelt: "you both stop now, we are already in a hard situation". Bertha: "is this about his majesty?". Eleanor: "I don''t think that his majesty would cause us difficulties without any good reason. I mean just because the investigators said so, it doesn''t have to be true". Roosevelt:" if it was his majesty, the emperor, then I won''t be at unease. However, the one visiting us today is actually the crown prince ". Bertha instantly stiffened, she fixed her gaze on Eleanor who''s eyeballs were already trembling. Eleanor:" that f***er is taking over the investigation!!". Roosevelt:" watch your words, no matter what our opinion of him is, he is still a crown prince. The future emperor". Bertha:" brother, what should we do? I mean he is.... he is a crazy devil!! Who knows, maybe we will end up dead because of single mistake". Roosevelt:" We can only pray that he is in a good mood". ********* "Mister ghost, may I ask you something ". Everly disturbed Lennox, who was reading some contracts and documents rted to the recent activities of the Alphonsus family members. Lennox:" go ahead". Everly:"... his majesty said that this case is really important, then why doesn''t he give it to the older people?". ''Funny how all her words are way too simple '' Lennox said indifferently:" because it is important, that the investigation was entrusted to me". Everly started sparkling:" does that mean that mister ghost is smarter than the elders?". Lennox continued to scan the documents, he said without looking at her direction:" they say that to catch a bad guy you need to think like a bad guy. And I believe that this is what we are doing here ". ''though, they are using a real bad guy here...'' Everly eximed with a tone full of admiration: "waaah, I don''t really understand. But mister ghost is amazing. Even though we are the same age, you are way too cool". Lennox coldly said: "would you stop addressing me like that, it''s embarrassing". He paused for seconds, then quickly raised his head. saying solemnly: "how old are you?". Everly did not notice the sudden change in Lennox''s attitude as she answered: "I am 10". Lennox seemed a bit astonished, however, he said calmly:" then why are you skinny like a corpse?". Everly answered helplessly:" I actually can''t feel hungry like the others, so I forget to eat sometimes ". Lennox blurted nkly:"....you forget to...eat.....". Everly nodded her head vigorously like a little chick pecking on rice. ''Now this is bothersome, she is dumb enough to die if no one shoved something in her throat. No wait, this might actually be helpful. If I used her properly, many future difficulties would be erased'' The crown prince raised the young girl''s value as he thought of new ways to put this stupidly strong nonhuman kid to use in the future. "Ah, right" Everly untied a cute pink bumbag, which was hanging on her waist. The bumbag was filled with snacks and cookies, She offered it while forming a nervous smile. Everly:" miss Rachel gave it to me and said to eat it in the way. How about we share this for our friendship?". ''Friendship? Ah yes, low IQ people take friendships way too serious. Well I don''t need such crap, but I will go along with you, for the sake of the snacks'' Lennox epted her offer with a smirk on his face, and both began chewing down the cookies. Suddenly Lennox realized something, he asked:" by the way zombie girl, why are you with the old man? ". Everly paused for a moment before she answered:"...I don''t know ". Lennox:"....". ******* Gradually the carriage stopped, Lennox opened the small window at his side, he said loudly:" Is there any problems?". One of the knights answered:" do not worry your grace, we are about to enter the town over the Alphonsus family territory. However, the entrance is quite crowded due to the festival taking ce at this day". Everly began sparkling again, said in Enthusiastic tone:" waaa, mister knight may I raid the horse with you?". Lennox looked at her helplessly '' just where the hell do you bring all these starts from? Do you really have to sparkle over every little thing?'' The Knight answered:" of course mydy, all as you wish". though, he made it like he was fulfilling her request, the knight was pleased to ride a horse with this ball of cuteness. Everly quickly jumped from her seat and headed out of the carriage. Lennox was about to close his window, but he suddenly stopped. coldly he asked the knight:" and who are you?". From his features and the aura around him, it''s obvious that this knight came from a high noble family. Someone like him won''t be doing shit like babysitting some kids. The knight dismounted of the horse and knelt to Lennox, he said in a clear voice:" Henry Raj at your service your grace". Lennoxs'' murderous eyes almost bore a hole in Henry Rai''s head. he kept his cold tone saying:" did the old bastard send you to keep a watch on me? Or are you here to disturb my justice?". he said justice, however, both Lennox and the knight knew that he was here to bully the Alphonsus family. Henry Raj said Earnestly:" I dare not your grace, his majesty the emperor hasmanded this lowly one to ensure the mental safety of the youngdy Everly. No other intentions ". in other words, to keep Everly away from the bloody scenes. Lennox snorted: "better not be". he shut the little window tightly and began sorting his thoughts, on the other side, Henry Raj carried Everly and mounted on his horse. soon after the carriage moved, they followed close behind. The town was crowded and the people were lively, there were some who wore scary and amusing customs. and this definitely drew Everlys'' attention. She asked Henry Raj:" mister knight, what kind of festivals is this?". Henry Raj, who was silently admiring Everlys'' loveliness with a dumb expression on his face, startled by her question, but quickly regained hisposure and answering the young girl''s question. Henry Raj:" it''s called Samhain. in the past our world was covered in magical energy, we used to have monsters, ghosts and spirits. At the end of the summer, all the realms merged for one night, our ghosts and spirits would meet the ones of another world and spend the night together celebrating. However, after the ck snow incident, we lost all our magical energy, so most of the spirits eventually vanished. But some people wanted to greet the spirits and ghosts of the other realms, and because of that they wear such customs and pretend to be a ghost or a monster ". Actually, Everly was more experienced around the nonhumans than the knight himself, she was one of them after all. More stars began gathering around Everly, her smile was full of excitement. She said in admiration:" you know a lot mister knight ". Henry Raj felt ttered, he added:" maybe you will be able to visit one next yeardy". Everly:" huh, why not today?". Henry Raj sighed deeply, he said after a pause:" his grace won''t let us run around and y as we please". Henry Raj brushed his hand on her fluffy head, he said softly:" my apologies youngdy ". Everly kept her silence for a while and did not insist on going. She continued chatting with Henry Raj along the way. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The Alphonsus family a noble family that supported the establishment of Sitia Empire, side by side with the Welfmore family. The Alphonsus used to be one of the strongest nobles inside and beyond the Empire. Gradually through the years, their influence reduced. When the Alphonsus realized that their state as nobles was in risk, they asked for aid from the emperor. For the sake of the history between them, the 11th Emperor of Sitia entrusted Alphonsus family to run the mercantile affairs. Eventually, they regained their position, not as powerful as before, however, enough to be considered as high ss noble. In the matter of fairness, and as a reward for their loyalty. The Emperor also assigned the Welfmores as the underworld keepers. In other words, observing the illegal business of the nobels, and eliminating those who are endangering the Empire. Nevertheless, Lennox had always been hated and feared by the nobles, the Welfmores are no exception. His ability to gather every little detail to form a real plot isn''t only to expose their very hidden secrets, but also to frame them in inescapable crimes with evidence that God knows where they came from. Lennox was lucky, unpredictable, cunning and skilled, for a child to be this much..... was he born to be evil? ******* Bertha:" when would they arrive?". At the Alphonsus mansion, all family members and servants lined in front of the entrance to wee their crown prince. Roosevelt:" they should be here by now, maybe the roads are too crowded ''cause of the festival". Adide snorted:" do they have no hearts?! Father just died and they are celebrating". Ajiad:" it can''t be helped Adide, Samhain is a cultural festival. Never once had been dyed, we tried but couldn''t convince them". Bertha slowly closed the distance between her and Roosevelt, she whispered to him while making sure no one was hearing them:" isn''t this too much? You even called Ajiad". Roosevelt responded in the same low voice: "our cousin might be a kid, but the oneing today is younger than him. We can''t excuse him". Bertha: "at least spare Adide, she looks like she is about to faint". Roosevelt: "I really can''t Bertha, we don''t know if he might take this as an offensive act from us, we can''t bear the consequences of displeasing him". "His grace has arrived," said a man in his thirties, the man had a long sword hanging on his waist and an emblem of a golden tree. He was a knight from Sitia knighthood, who has been sent to investigate. The imperial carriage stopped and an ultimate silence covered the atmosphere. A butler quickly jumped off a seat next to the drivers'', he opened arge parasol to cover the carriages'' door before opening it up. The moment Lennox shape emerged, everyone felt a cold sweat run down their spine. it was pure fear. Immediately they knelt down with their hearts beating like crazy. Roosevelt kept his head down and said loudly:" blessings and glory be upon Sitia Empire and the crown prince ". Lennox said while scanning the those kneeling before him:" everyone is here?". No one but Roosevelt dared to talk, he answered: "yes, your highness ". Lennoxs'' eyes stopped on a certain man, the man felt the gaze that was directed at him. He quickly introduced himself:" Arnold zoldgon, Captain knight from Sitia knighthood". " aha, I see" Lennox hanged his hand on the air, instantly, the umbre butler handed him a long sword with Violette scabbard. Lennox Leisurely unsheathed his sword, he said coldly:" I do not need trash like you around me" Lennoxs'' voice hadn''t fully disappeared from their ears, but the man''s head can no longer be seen on his shoulders. The screams that were about to explode from the servants'' mouths were suppressed by the Berthas'' threatening re. Lennox returned the blood-stained sword, he directed his words to Roosevelt:" lead the way". "As your highness wishes to " theter answered. Lennox dragged Everly who was staring at a certain window at the highest storey on the Alphonsus mansion from the moment she dismounted of the horse. "Aah, ah. Wait mister gh-" Everly suddenly shut her mouth. Didn''t he say that it was embarrassing to be called like that? However Lennox saw through her, he said with a sigh:" Lennox, just address me as Lennox ". Hearing that she is allowed to call him by his first name, Everly started beaming. She said happily:" then, Lennox should also call me by my name. Since I am not dead yet, call me Everly ". Lennox :"Hmmm" ********* At the living room. After the tea was served, Lennox noticed the absence of one of the family members. He asked :"where is the otherdy?". Bertha quickly answered before Roosevelt does:" your grace if you would show us some kindness. Please spare Adide to attend the investigation. Ever since father''s death, her health has been getting worse constantly ". Roosevelt nervously studied Lennoxs'' expression, however, he was rather calm and indifferent. ''Damn you, Bertha, what will we do if you displeased him!?'' Lennox:" very well then, I would like to hear the details of the murder day, we will need to search in your rooms". Eleanor:" the knights that came before, searched the whole mansion but found nothing ". '' it''s because they searched everywhere that I am in a tough situation, dumb shit '' Sitia knighthood. A knight order responsible for holding the public''s safety. unlike the imperial knights who receivemands directly from the imperial family, Sitia knighthood''s high positions consistrgely from those of noble origins. making it easier for the wealthy and aristocrats to influence their justice. In other words, if one wanted to escape his crime then all he had to do was to use his connections or throw a gallon of money and people will dly pull you out clean. An example of these people was Arnold Zoldgon. The fact that he was in charge of the investigation meant that there was no need to search for anything, all of the evidence must have been fabricated. Lennox took a sip from his tea that was mixed with faint Jasmin scent:" yes, that''s why she is who will be doing it ". He pointed towards Everly with his thumb. '' there is no need for them, but I may as well send the extra out in search of fake evidences '' The soo busy attacking-the-cakes Everly, realized that all the eyes were suddenly shifted to her. With a nk expression, she turned to Lennox, yet she did not say anything. Lennox Whispered to her:" just go wander here and there, if you found anything suspicious bring it to me. And.... bring something from the kitchen when youe back". Everly nodded few times, she energetically stood while trying to suppress her smile. Roosevelt :" then I will send someone to escort thedy ". Lennox leisurely said :"no need, she is going alone ". '' I need to see all the bitches and fuckers to quickly figure this out '' Everly walked out of the room happy about her important task. ''Now that they are all focused on the dumbass Everly, they should be easy to read '' Chapter 8 Chapter 8 A few hours before. Knock knock "Come in" Jennings answered. A long silver-haired youth walked into Jennings''s study. He bowed and said mannerly: " may heavens bless Sitia and the Emperor ". A smile beamed on Jennings''s face, it has been a while since thest time he saw this refreshing face of the young man. He said cheerfully: "Edgar! It''s nice to see you. How have you been?" Edgar:" I have been well, I appreciate your majesty''s concern". Jennings:"e closer, what do you have for me?". Edgar: "brother I mean duke Welfmore entrusted me to deliver this letter to your majesty ". Edgar handed the letter to Jennings while bowing, and stepped back before straightening his torso. Jennings: "you know you can just call him brother, why formalities?". Edgar: "as your majesty wish". Jennings stared at the young man''s figure. This young man was his youngest nephew who was always nervous for no reason. Jennings opened the letter in his hand as he said:" by the way Edgar, you are going to the academy this year, right?". Edgar:" ah, yes. I will be heading as a freshman before the autumn begin". Jennings stood and walked closer to the boy. To him, Edgar was a model for the perfect noble kid. He was skilled in the human standards-do not put Lennox and the word '' normal'' in the same sentence- hardworking, kindhearted, brave, and righteous. simply, he is suitable for any work. Jennings:" then may I ask you a favor?". Edgar nervously responded:" your majesty shall say the word, and I will put my life to fulfill it". Jennings:" you don''t need to do that. It''s just I need a tutor of simr age for my Everly. She is a couple of years younger than you. And I believe that you are suitable enough for this. So if you don''t mind, could you spare some time for her before entering the academy". ''Everly? Is she the one I saw exiting from his majesty''s'' study from the hallway?'' Edgar:" if your majesty is looking for a knowledgeable person, then I am certain that the crown prince has long since surpassed me in that matter ". Jennings released a helpless sigh:" it''s because Lennox is.....Lennox, that I have to find someone out of the pce. If you are not troubled then would you Edgar?". Edgar:" this is an honor of mine". Thetter parted his lips to say something, but again shut them and kept his silence. " Is there something in your mind Edgar?" Jennings asked. Edgar hesitantly answered while stuttering: " no..... it''s just the girl who got out of here just now I mean it''s the first time I seedy Everly in the pce. And she looked happy after meeting with you, and your majesty care for her. Also, it seems that you both have a close rtionship. So I got curious if she is your daughter, I mean a Princess. Oh, you don''t need to tell me I I just wondered". Awkward silence filled the atmosphere. Edgar began regretting asking Jennings about that. His face was covered in cold sweat as he internally panicked. '' What if it was a sensitive subject!!! like if she was born of a forbidden affair!! Or they are not admitting her as an imperial member!! What if she was cursed like the crown prince or maybe worse! aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!! I want to die! '' Jennings:" it''s the first time I hear you talk strangely like that". Edgar''s face almost entirely turned red out of embarrassment. " my apologies for showing such a disgrace ". Jennings lightly chuckled, he looked at the boy gently. " no, she is not my daughter. well, I do take her as one. Everly is such a kind child, you should spend some time with her ". Edgar:" I- I will make sure to do so". ******** Lennox:" now, how about you start supplying me with the details of that day". Roosevelt:" ah? yes, your highness". Roosevelt straightened his back, he took a deep breath then said solemnly: " yesterday after dinner, father and I discussed some work matters before he returned to his room. His death was discovered by 10:25 PM, by that time only four people went to see him. Two maids, the head butler and Eleanor." ''This looks normal, until now'' Lennox:" tell me the order of those who went to see McMin and their reasons ". Roosevelt said with a nod:" The first was a maid, she went to deliver some files Bertha sent with her. Then Eleanor went to discuss a matter with father, however, father did not respond when knocking on the door. But when the second maid brought his medicines father said that he will take themter ". Lennox:" did the maid enter his room?". Roosevelt:" no, he answered behind the door actually....". Lennox:" I see.... now thest one is the head butler". Roosevelt: "ah, yes. After the second maid told the head butler what father said, since father''s health had been getting worse every day, he decided to put some pressure on him to take his medicine. And that''s how we discovered his death". '' honestly speaking, I can tell that this Eleanor guy knows something. Well, let''s just wait and watch '' Lennox: "hmm, I need to see those servants". Bertha quickly responded: "I got this", then she left the room in seconds. Lennox drank a mouthful of his tea, he Leisurely said:" describe the state of the corpse once found". Roosevelt''s fingers trembled for a moment as if he was irritated for his dead father to simply being called a mere corpse. However, Lennox had no interest in pitying people and silently waited for the answer. Roosevelt said with uneasiness:" father was found in his roomying beside his bed, he was stabbed five times in the chest.... the room was messy and the treasury was broken". At that moment, the screamsing from the second floor freaked both Roosevelt and Eleanor, it was Adide''s'' voice. Adide got down of the stairs running and shouting in fear. " BROTHER, BIG BROTHER!!!!" Eleanor shot from his chair and dashed outside the room. He approached her with a panicked expression. "What''s wrong, Ady? are you okay?" Adide had always been a scaredy_cat in front of her brothers, she would get scared of anything surprising. However, this was the first time she looked terrified to this extent. "Ther there is someone in my room!!!". Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Roosevelt was about to follow Eleanor, who rushed out of the living room. But was stopped by Lennox''s'' indifferent tone. Lennox: "Roosevelt.... tell your sister that the one she saw was Everly ". Roosevelt doubtfully said:" how can your highness be sure?". '' that stupid zombie, I told her to find some suspicious things, not suspicious people!!!! I already know that bitch is trying to escape, I was nning to gouge her eyester. but most importantly zombie girl hadn''t brought my candies yet!! '' Lennox:" I just do. Also, since she is awake I would like to have a nice chat with the five of you gathered ". The strange smile Lennox formed, made Roosevelt''s heart ufortable. '' Does he think that the culprit is one of us?!!'' However, Roosevelt could not do anything but bow in obedience. He exited the room for ten minutes, leaving Ajiad alone with Lennox, then returned with Adide and Eleanor, not long has passed and Bertha returned with the servants. Once a certain maid stepped in, Lennox''s gaze focused on her. The maid looked normal, her high was the average for women, her beauty was in the average standers, her body build looked ordinary. In other words, she was unsuspicious. unsuspicious in a suspicious way, suspecting someone unsuspicious might seem ridiculous, however, this very maid is suspicious because she is 100% unsuspicious. No one can hit the middle of human standards to this extent. '' could that hussy be..... Welfmores'' rat!'' Thanks to Lennox''s'' tough face muscles, his real expression didn''t show on his face. Instead, his smirk thatsted for few seconds was enough for the Alphonsus to know that they were about to be fucked up. ''Now that I have the scenario, I need to choose the actors..... how about igniting a little me'' Lennox scanned the people who were swallowing their nervous saliva. He said with a solemn tone:" I will put it simply, one of you guys, the family members, is responsible for the death of mister McMin". He Leisurely took a sip of his tea, beforepleting: "do you have someone in mind?". ******** Half an hour before. After Everly left the living room, she started to search for the kitchen. She got lost at the mansion couple of times before finding her way into it. A maid noticed Everly who was hesitating whether or not she should go in. The maid walked closer to the little girl, looking at Everly''s attire her heart jumped in excitement. She pped her hands, lowered her torso to be on the same level as Everly, then said cheerfully:" what do you want dear?". Everly avoided the maids'' gaze and kept staring at the floor, she said fidgeting:" may I have some candies, miss?". Before, when Lennox and Everly both arrived at the mansion. Everyone was too terrified of that so-called crown prince, thus no one was able to focus on who he was with. Now, seeing a little cutie-pie girl wandering in the mansion asking for candies, can only mean that she came here ''cause of the festival. The maid warped her arms around Everly, like a giant wild bear hugging a weasel, she rubbed her cheek on the Everly''s. The maid said with high energy: "ooooww~ you are so~ cute, you even have a dinky sword". She turned in the direction of her colleagues and shouted enthusiastically: "hey guys, a little knight ghost knocked on our doors!!". "Already?!!". "Where, where. let me see!". "I thought we are not celebrating, due to the masters'' death". "Oow~ she looks gorgeous ". " more like a real knight than a ghost knight". dozen of people gathered around her, some patting, some kissing, some hugging, and some squeezing her cheeks. She was tortured in various ways. However, Everly knew that after people do such things, she would usually get something in return. And as expected Everly received a basket full of sweet things. Now that she hadid her hands on gems, it''s time to explore the mansion. Everly passed a few doors when she suddenly remembered. ''When we were at the entrance, mister Rossy (Roosevelt) said that everyone at the house was there. But I am sure I saw someone from the window.....I will check it out'' She hanged the basket on her forearm and jumped out of the closest window to her. Outside, the darkness has already started to mix up with the pale tint oforange. The small delighting lights shining all around the town. Everly climbed to the window above her. She supported herself on the stool, while her legs were swinging down. On the other side of the window, the curtain was half shut. And from the space lifted, a dark-blond-haired woman could be seen. She looked in a hurry, ''cause she was messily warping her bag. ''Is she leaving somewhere? Should I go and say bye-bye?'' Everly raised her legs and sat on the stool, she tried to open the window but it did not move. '' is it stuck?'' She put more strength on her hands and identally broke the window pane. The ss shattered, wind blew in and the red curtain danced at a passionate pace. " kyaaaaaa " The woman screamed in fear, she threw the clothes in her hands and took two steps back while staring at Everly fearfully. When Everly stepped into the room the woman immediately ran out of the room. ''Did I scare her?!!'' That woman''s reaction made Everly somehow depressed. Everly had always been loved and cared about. Being feared or hated is something new, and she did not like these feelings. Now that she had forgotten what she was originally doing, Everly turned to the window to return back to Lennox. However, the scene of the town appeared again in front of her eyes. Before she came to the pce with Jennings, Everly used to live in a small peaceful town like this. Everyone was lively, kind and cheerful, she enjoyed every day there. Everly murmured in a Distressing tone:" master....I miss you". She made up her mind and jumped out of the broken window towards the town. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Everlynded lightly like a bird''s feather, the mansion wasn''t that far, not to mention that Everly is quite fast, enough topete with racing horses and actually win with no much effort. It could be because they were busy having fun here and there, no one noticed Everly appearing out of nowhere. The joyful cheers, the lively chatters, the sounds of fireworks, and the loud waves ofughter. All blended together in her ears, caused her heart to squeeze a bit. Everly wandered through the streets, 6 out of 10 people were wearing strange customs. She remembered that Henry Raj told her about how they are dressing like ghosts and monsters. Mentioning Henry Raj, the poor guy was held captive by Lennox, thettermanded him to hold a ss of water. If a drop fell from it he is as good as dead, and to be honest, a direct threat from Lennox is in another level of danger, than failing to follow the orders of the Emperor. Everly walked for a while when suddenly someone called from behind. "Excuse me! the girl with the sword ". The one who called was a kid with a messy hairstyle and a green gashed shirt. While the green kid was catching his breath, two kids in bizarre attire also arrived. One with a ck dress and a big strange hat, the other in a long coat and two paper horns at the top of his head. The green boy was blushing to the extent that his ears looked like two cherries. He said in an Ambivalent tone: "emm.... do you..... do you mind telling me your name?". Everly stared at him with confusion and said nothing. when the green boy noticed her expression he quickly exined:" it''s just that it''s the first time I see you around, I really do not mean harm". The girl in ck smacked the green boy on the head, she said scolding him:" you idiot. You should first introduce yourself, before asking other people''s names ". The girl stood next to the boy, she said lively:" it''s nice to meet, I am De. This idiot here is Hugo, and the one behind is rence". Everly greeted them with a nod, she softly said:" nice to meet you too, I am Everly ". Hugo blushed, even more, he could not say anything unless he stuttered. And before he would say anything embarrassing, rence quickly asked:" you are not from here Everly, are you? ". Everly shook her head: "no I am not, I came here with a friend ". She had just finished speaking when De suddenly cried:" waah, are these Red velvet cakes ?!!". Hearing De, both of the boys poked their heads in the basket Everly was carrying. They looked like three cats staring at a golden fish in its fishbowl. Everly somehow felt that they are not having any ill intentions, thus she offered them to have some of the cakes and sweets. De:" is it really fine? Won''t your family be upset?". Everly shook her head a couple of times, she said smiling:" it''s okay, they are mine". Seeing Everlys'' delightful smile, Hugo could no more bear it. Taken by the moment, he shouted: "miss angel, would you please go out with me!!!!!". Now that he had brought shame on them, De hit him hard on the head. Hugo even saw some stars floating around him. Yet, Everly -with her current IQ- could not understand what he meant, she just tilted her head with a puzzled expression. De desperately tried to cover for her friend''s stupid acts. De: "haha.... forget about him. And tell me, Everly, where did you get these delicious cakes from?". Everly pointed in the direction of the Alphonsus mansion, saying:" from the big house there". By the moment they realized where Everly was pointing at, their faces stiffened instantly. "You went to the Earl Alphonsus mansion?!!". Both De and rence almost dropped their jaws, while Hugo still feeling dizzy and couldn''t cope with the conversation. De began flipping Everly''s head, checking her out. She said worriedly, rather surprised:" and you are okay, did you get hurt somewhere?". Everly: "is that wrong?". rence:" it''s not like that..... we heard that the crown prince is visiting the Alphonsus. And truly, wherever he goes someone will die". De irritated:" hmph if someone is going to die, I hope it will be that Ade-something, she deserves to be burned alive ". Everly: "why? Is she a bad person?". rence:" mom says she is a bitch ". Everly said scolding: "hey, that''s a bad word". rence:" it can''t be helped, she is with a different guy every time I see her. And some uncles said that they saw her in those adult ces ". De:" it doesn''t matter, both the crown prince and that woman are bad people ". At that moment, Hugo regained his conscience. He was highly frustrated, ''cause what De did. But again he turned all-red the moment his gaze met with Everlys'' emerald eyes. Hugo bowed to Everly 90, he said loudly: "miss angel, please go out with me!!". The reason why he kept calling her ''angel'' was obviously because he saw her when she first arrived in the city. He told his friends that he fell in love with a beautiful angel in white (Everly wore the imperial knight''s uniform, which is mostly white). Surely they did not believe him, but when he saw her again wandering around, Hugo chased her to confess his feelings. And to prevent him from doing something he will 100% regret after few years, his very good friends decided to follow him and protect his dignity. I mean, you shouldn''t confess to someone you didn''t even meet, let alone that person being fishy and fell from the sky. This time it was rence who interfered, he punched Hugo in the face, that he wouldn''t speak anymore, however, Hugo kept talking, saying:" I will treat you right". Why is he so persistent! rence punched him again hardly and he passed out. "Go where?" Everly asked. The first time, Everly couldn''t understand anything. But this time she grabbed a piece of the puzzle, now these good friends gotta forcefully fit this piece somewhere. De: "go.... go with us!! You know, to collect candies and sweets from the neighborhood". De forced a smile on her face while praying to god that this loosey lie will y on her. Luckily, Everly is one hell of a stupid zombie, she started sparkling and nodding continuously. But suddenly her movements came to a halt, she hesitated before she said:" do you mind if I bring a friend along?". De:" of course not, the more the merrier. We will need to take care of this brainless Hugo, so why don''t you get your friend then we will meet here after an hour?". Everly smiled serenely, and bid them farewell. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Bertha:" it can not be, your highness. There must have been a mistake ". ''Nervous '' Roosevelt:" that is right your highness, we all had an alibi at that time". ''Confused '' Eleanor:" I believe your grace might have misunderstood something, we all respected our father and meant no harm to him". ''Lier'' Adide:" yes, yes! We would never hurt him ". ''Guilty '' Ajiad:" I agree with them, your highness ". ''Confident '' Lennox closed his eyes and ced the teacup on the small table in front of him. When he reopened them everyone sensed cold sweat run down their spine as if blood-thirsty monster''s eyes were staring at their souls. The feeling of something sharp shoving inside their chests and ripping their hearts like a piece of paper by one nce from him was no joke, at the end of every word Lennox said, someone would shudder. "So, are you saying that I am wrong?". It has always been like that, some might think of it as a skill or a kind of magic. But no one would have thought it was only a natural reaction of humans towards the actual being of Lennox. Although Lennox would suppress his pheromones most of the time, there had been asions when he was in rage or pissed off, which caused it to leak out. At the time everyone was paralyzed by the overwhelming aura Lennox was flowing, Ajiad took the initiative topose him. He bowed earnestly and said in a loud, yet respectful tone:" your highness please calm your anger, these lowly ones were foolish. And dare not oppose your grace ". Back to his sense, Roosevelt felt ashamed of himself for shivering in fear while the young man bravely stood for them. He bowed formally, his right hand on his left chest and said solemnly:" we bid your forgiveness, these fellows shall ept your punishment. But if your highness would be generous upon us and look at the matter again". After realizing that he had wasted his precious sleeping time for ying this shitty detective-murderer game Lennox rolled his eyes and formed an obviously disgusted expression. He clicked his tongue before saying:" just whatever, I will end this quickly ". Usually, Lennox would need 12 hours of sleeping daily, although in winter he sleeps for 18 hours, the usual is 12. However today Lennox woke up after only 6 hours. He is tired, sleepy, annoyed, bored, and kindacking in sugar ''cause a certain zombie forgot to bring some. Thus dark circles began to appear under his eyes, looking like two abundant old wells. Yet his face still appeared delicate and noble. Lennox leaned his back on the cushion heavily, he supported his leg with the other and said indifferently:" you see people, in your situation you got a killer, a thief, and the real target ". " What does your highness mean by ''real target ''?" Bertha asked. "Just as it means" Lennox answered, "the killer better say hismander, mistook the previous Earl with the person he wanted to kill". Hearing this, the suspiciouslyunsuspicious maid flinched. She managed to keep her face calm, yet her eyes shrank slightly. He continued:" they were supposed to assassin that whore but they seem to have mixed between them," Lennox said while pointing at Adide by raising his eyebrows. After conforming who Lennox meant by ''whore'', Roosevelt jumped in rage, to call his sister in that insulting word and in front of him. He had just offended the whole family. Lennox easily read the thoughts that are showing on the man''s face. And before he could say anything Lennox loudly said in a threatening tone: "Roosevelt. I don''t like being interrupted ". Roosevelt bit his lower lip and crossed his brow, trying to restrain himself. "However " Lennox continued:" I do understand that you are offended, so I will exin things to you since you are that much ignorant ". Lennox sighed and murmured under his breath: "no wonder you don''t know about the child ". His voice was low, yet could be heard. Roosevelt quickly raised his head looking at Lennox with confusion mixed with hope and a hiddenyer of sorrow. " Your highness, what did you just say?!" Roosevelt asked. Now that he had identally butted in an annoying family matter with a long ass story, Lennox couldn''t help but silently cry in his heart. Lennox:" I did not say that in purpose, this matter does not concern me". Roosevelt desperately called:" but your highness ". Lennox cut him off saying:" Roosevelt, are you aware that this is a sensitive topic of your family? An outsider can not interfere, you should discuss it with Bertha, I believe she knows about it better ". Bertha flinched once she heard her name. She traded a nce with Roosevelt, her eyes trembled not in fear but in guilt and pity. Henry Raj took that paused moment and Whispered by Lennox''s'' side. Henry Raj:" your grace, it has been quite a while sincedy Everly went searching. Maybe I should go". Lennox quickly said:" you stay here and hold that ss, don''t think the old man can save you from me ". Lennox stood leisurely:" back to our original subject ". He walked towards the umbre butler, and thetter extended his hand that carried a long violette sword designed by golden leaves. Lennox unsheathed the sword and swung it around while saying. "The one who sinned shall be executed, the one who followed the orders of their master shall be held captive, the one who hid the truth shall be looked over by the Emperor ". In a blink of an eye, Lennox turned and pointed his sword at Adide. " second daughter of the Alphonsus, if you confess now, I may grant you a painless death". Chapter 12 Chapter 12 However, Adide had no intention of talking or moving, just standing in that spot staring at the floor with bloodshot eyes and a sheet-like white face. Bertha:" but..... your highness, Adide wasn''t at the mansion that day.... she can''t possibly...." Lennox cut her off with a nonchnt attitude:" I never said she is the one who killed McMin". Lennox sighed and returned to his seat, his back straight like a wall, one leg supported the other. With crossed arms, he exined:" the second daughter of the Alphonsus family, she is known by plenty of names. So how about we talk about one of the most known names of her. Jenny then?" Adide never uttered a word nor did she make a single move. However, her face was getting paler and paler every second pass. She is being exposed in front of her precious family. Is it precious? Lennox continued:" hmmm, if not, do you prefer Ashley? she has got a nice story. Want to hear?" He did not wait for their answer and continued:" there a woman called Ashley, she is quite popr at the brothels. Not just for being a high-ss prostitute, but for bringing beauties with her whether kidnapped or bought ". Adide has long since been lured into the underworld affairs, first, it was out of curiosity. But now that she had tasted heaven how could she not ask for more? Gradually drowning in the pleasure, she became addicted to that lifestyle. In the end, Adide believed that this is the way that she should live, being the kind and obedient little sister in front of her family, then outside the mansion, she would reveal her self as a cheap woman no better than an animal. After months passed Adide grew an interest to have a partner, working together to ''serve'' her customers which normally were foreign nobles. However, Adide is a member of the highest society she won''t put herself on the same ground and be satisfied with just anyone. She needed someone that is in the same level of beauty like her, thus she searched and kidnapped the young fine women from outside the Alphonsus territory. Typically the Alphonsus family''s influence was beyond what the Sitia Knighthood are capable of handling, and naturally turned a blind eye on the matter, ignoring the miserable and furious families of the victims. Lennox:" even though I have no interest in the business of a filthy slut, I can''t just turn my back to the kidnapped girls". No one spoke, not a single soul dared to. If the one in question stayed wordless, how could they open their mouths? Even if they wanted to, there was nothing to say. Lennox sighed helplessly after seeing their pale faces:" well, the most important part was what came after that. Contraband trade, ording to our resources three ships From Mariana kingdom carrying 800 kg of new drugs products, not to mention strong and effective ones". Since Adide''s customers included merchants of different kinds and destinations, she certainly would meet someone who will be aware of her status and use her for his benefits. Indeed, a merchant from Mariana kingdom managed to do so. He first pleased her with gentle treatment and gifts, then introduced the drug to her. Once she had consumed a certain amount, she wouldn''t be able to stop and naturally would seek more. The merchant coaxed Adide to lend him a hand to bring her some more, saying that he did not have any. In the process Adide stole The Alphonsus Earls'' seal and made a perfect replica for it, allowing them to transport huge loads of Contrabands into Sitia. Roosevelt demanded:" does your highness have any proofs?" His voice was hoarse and filled with unsatisfaction. However, Lennox smirked, and didn''t show any signs of displeasing:" proofs?! Huh, you do know that I can bring them whenever I wanted to." '' well, most of them are probably destroyed by that Arnold dude...'' He kept his indifferent expression and continued:" But why not make things easier? since Bertha doesn''t seem like she is willing to talk, how about you Eleanor?". Eleanor stayed silent, not opening his mouth. His words were stuck at the end of his tongue, not knowing whether to let them go or not. Lennox decided to give it a push. He said provocatively:" why not saying anything? Wasn''t this the same topic you wanted to talk to your father about? For your information, your actions could be seen as you covering up and ying with the investigation details. You don''t want the whole family to be involved in this mess, do you?". Hearing those obvious threats, Eleanors'' face grew darker and darker. His fists clinched by both his sides, the words forcefully broke through his lips. Eleanor: "what your grace said is right ". Chapter 13 Chapter 13 "What do you mean? " Roosevelt asked. Eleanor:" just as his grace said, I don''t know about the kidnapped women, but Adide being involved in the Contraband trade is true." Until then, Adide still unmoving not a sound could be heard from her. On the other hand, Bertha was rmed, she squealed:" Eleanor, what are" But Eleanor interrupted her yelling:" WHAT!! DO YOU WANT ME TO SHUT UP NOW!! IF YOU TALKED EARLIER THEN FATHER WON''T BE KILLED!! YOU KNEW BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT." ''Well, that old geezer lived long enough, why do you want him to live more? I once thought I would die before he does'' Bertha yelled back: "BUT SHE IS OUR SISTER!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPOSE HER?!!". Eleanor:" AND HE WAS OUR FATHER!! HE WAS WRONGED BECAUSE OF HER OWN SELFISH ACTIONS ". Roosevelt seemed to finallye to his sense:" wait, what does father''s death have to do with this?". Lennox answered indifferently as if talking about the prices of vegetables would be more interesting than answering his question: "it was the Welfmores, after discovering the drugs Loaded on the ships. They investigated the matter and reached to Earl Alphonsus, since the ships had a direct seal of approval of the Earl they assumed that it was his doings and stopped digging further in the case. hmph, idiots". ''Except for the main family members of the Welfmore, all those people who work for them are a bunch of brainless monkeys. It will be fun to start a war with Fletcher, but not now, not yet'' Roosevelt said in disbelief:" you two KNEW ?!!!". Eleanor hesitantly said:" I discovered it recently, but who knows since when Bertha was aware of it. And when I was about to tell father she tried to stop me". " But in the end, you still couldn''t tell him " Lennox said provocatively, "he was already dead by then. The one who responded to the maid when she brought the medicine was you, and the one who broke into the safe was also you. You just said that Adide was supposed to take responsibility for her wrongs, yet you tried to cover for her by making the purpose of the murder is to steal. But what a bad luck you got there, to identally take the testament it''s really....hahaha....." Roosevelts'' mind was in a great mess, no time to listen to Lennox''s dryments. It turned out that everything he knew about his little sister was fake, if it doesn''t count as betrayal then why would his heart ache to the point of bleeding? He turned to Adide saying desperately:" Adey, don''t you have anything to say about this?". What was left to say? If Lennox was the one who used her, then there is nothing that could be said that would be able to deny it. Besides, didn''t her brother and sister just confirmed it? What are you seeking for is impossible, Adide now is as good as dead. Roosevelt slowly took a few steps towards Adide, and before his hand touched her shoulder, the sound of metal ripping flesh could be heard. She stabbed him! Screams exploded from the servant''s mouth, but soon the sound faded after Lennox shouted at them:" SHUT UP ALREADY, WON''T YOU..... Noisy insects". Roosevelt''s eyes shook violently. He touched his wound then looked at his bloody hand. He couldn''t believe it. Their beloved young sister wilfully harmed him- no, she intended to kill him! the pain that was slowed by his disordered mind finally reached Roosevelt''s senses. Eleanor rushed to support Roosevelt who was socked in a river of his own blood. When Bertha snapped out of her shock, she immediately ran to help Eleanor. The moment she passed by Adide, thetter grabbed Berthas'' shoulder and warped an arm around her chest, pointing a sharp cold object on Berthas'' neck. " No one moves! " shouted Adide. Bertha was stunned, this is really happening, her beloved sister just stubbed her brother and threatening to kill her next. She never even cared about them. Bertha swallowed her dry saliva, she managed to squeeze a few words:" Adide....what are you doing?". However, Adide ignored her question, instead, she directed her words to the ones standing by the door. Adide:" OPEN THE DOOR AND STAY AWAY". Eleanor who was busy pressing on Roosevelts'' chest, desperately trying to stop the blood from flooding more, Eleanor turned his head towards Adide, his eyes zing like mes. He called furiously:" Adide, how could you!!!". Adide:" sorry brother, I have no time to argue with you ". '' she still has the face to call him brother....oh, look at me talking about sibling''s affairs like I am any better than her. Hehe '' Even if heughed in the inside, Lennox still kept his uncaring demeanor and said coldly:" Alphonsus''s second daughter, do you really think that there is a way to escape from me?". Adide answered in a wary tone:" I had observed your highness for a while, and to me, it seemed that you have no interest in this matter. Thus I could see a ray of hope far away ". Lennox chuckled dryly:" you are right, this whole drama is boring. But you see, that old bastard will keep nagging me until I die if I don''t bring you along with me. " Lennox gestured to Henry Raj to go get her, thetter slowly ced a ss of water on the table and sighed in relief. He took two steps then came to a halt. Lennox:" why did you stop?". Henry:" but your grace, she is holding a hostage". Lennox snorted:" I don''t care. if she killed her, then she killed her. It will only be added to the crimes shemitted ". Henry Raj hesitantly took another step, and when he did a silver light shed before Adides'' eyes. Causing her to dodge a few steps back and push Bertha aside. The suspiciously-unsuspicious maid somehow was standing where Adide was, holding a short slender sword in her hand. She bowed towards Lennox and said solemnly: "your highness, please forgive my lowly self for intruding. But I wish to reduce the number of wasted lives as much as possible ". Chapter 14 Chapter 14 The moment she was freed, Bertha rushed to Roosevelt she ced his head on herp trying to keep him conscious. Eleanor alsomanded the servants to bring a doctor and anything to stop the bleeding as fast as possible. Lennox rolled his eyes with a disgusted expression, he mumbled:" you guys and your shitty principles are annoying ". The maid stayed in her bowing position, she said formally:" I bid for your forgiveness, your highness ". Now that the exit is empty, and somehow she seemed to be forgotten. Adide decided to seize this opportunity and flee. In an instant, she dashed toward the door the fastest she could. nk Yet, before she could reach the exit, a sudden feeling of lightness came from her lower limbs followed by a wave of sharp pain. Adide crashed heavily on the floor, tears flooding wildly. overwhelmed by pain, she tried to hug her legs to relieve the pain, but there was nothing. Under that ragged dress there was supposed to be her legs but now only ake of blood. Adides'' screams became louder and severe, everyone was appalled. On the floor next to the miserable Adide a pair of legs thrown like some kind of sticks, above them hanged a long white sword pierced on the wall, with a Violette halt on its top a little golden leave was warped around. It wasn''t hard to guess who''s sword was that. Lennox stood leisurely and walked to the direction of his sword. Lennox sighed:" I told you it''s impossible to run from me, why do you insist on making things bothersome?". Lennox tugged the sword, while keeping his leisure pace, he advanced to Adide. When Bertha realized Lennoxs'' intention, she hurriedly stood to dash between them. after all, Adide still her beloved sister, even if she was using her as hostage minute ago, Bertha couldn''t just idly watch her die. But she was stopped by the suspiciously-unsuspicious maid, the maid pressed on Berthas'' shoulder as a gesture to tell her to retreat. The maid:"dy, give up on that. His highness won''t let this slide peacefully. This might not be the right way to handle this problem, but miss Adidemitted lots of crimes and she shall be punished". Was there anything she could do? If Bertha really did stand for Adide, Lennox probably will kill them both without blinking an eye. She turned to Eleanor in hope he will know what to do, and theter was speechless, his face dark and his eyebrows frowned. Seeing that he had already given up, Bertha did so, she closed her eyes and dropped her head to avoid Adide ghastly state. On the side, Lennox walked closer and closer, with every step Adide would flinch. When Lennox reached in front of her, few inches between them, Adides'' screams turned to whine. She implored: "your highness....your highness please spare me..... please I beg you..... I will do anything... so just this one if you forgive me ". Adide extended her arm to reach for his foot, hugging his legs, begging for mercy, praying that he might pity her. But the one in question is Lennox!! her hand couldn''t even touch him when a white light crossed before her eyes. And her arm fell on the ground stiffly. Lennox said in a Resentful tone:" don''t touch me with your filthy hands". Another wave of unbearable pain flowed in her body, Adide held her shoulder firmly, she rolled on the on ake of her blood and screamed ''till her voice became hoarse, tears and blood merged on her face. Lennox looked at her in disgust, he said dreadfully. "really unsightly ". When Adides'' screams could no more be heard, Bertha opened her eyes. What she saw on that red crimson ground, was a ck-d youth, his shadow dark like the gate of the abyss, his white Uranian-Blue skin brightening in darkness, in the depth of his peach ck eyes something was shining. Really, what is Lennox? While Bertha wasn''t paying attention, the doctor has arrived, he didn''t spare a look at the bloody thing next to Lennoxs'' feet. But directly went to the one who looks more human, none of the servants dared to step in, there was even those who vomited or fainted. Lennox handed the sword to the umbre butler, he turned to the suspiciously-unsuspicious maid and said indifferently: "hey Welfmore woman, you areing with me to the pce" Yet, before he could finish his sentence. He heard a sound of fast and light steps followed by Everlys'' voice calling for him. "LENNOX!!". Lennox blurted:" what the fuck!?". Everly broke through the servants and like a sh she grabbed Lennox then jumped out of the window. Both Henry Raj and the umbre butler were startled, they dashed to the window where Everly jumped from, to see that shended on her feet. The next second, Everly leapt high skyward, like one jump would take them a hundred meters away. Only when there figure disappeared did the umbre butler and Henry raj came to their sense, they immediately rushed to the door to follow behind the kids. ***** Lennox idlyid on Everlys'' back, idly watching himself being kidnapped, then idly said:" zombie girl, what are you doing ". Everly:" I am sorry to take suddenly like this, but we arete... I was supposed to get you a long time ago, but there was a doll show and I wanted to watch it and it was BEAUTIFUL ". Lennox was suppressing his anger, veins popped on his forehead:" if you wanted to go back to the pce, you could have used the carriage, why jumping like a monkey". Everly said naively:" huh? We are not going back home". Lennox:" then where?". Everly:" we are going to collect candies ". Lennox thought ''There was something that escaped my mind when I came here, something that shouldn''t have, how could I forget that girl is...'' He stupid. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Everlynded in a dark alley as Lennox told her to, avoiding any unnecessary problems. Lennox dusted his clothes and fixed his messy hair, while Everly silently waited for him to finish. Then suddenly a question floated on his head,''e to think of it, I brought zombie girl with me so she can see what kind of person I am before I get to make use of her. Unexpectedly, she never stopped me nor was scared even after seeing me ughtering people'' Lennox called: "zombie girl-". And Everly immediately corrected him buffing her cheeks: "Everly!!" Lennox cleared his throat and went along with her: "yeah..... right, Everly..... so, at the entrance of the Alphonsus mansion, and- *cough in the past hours, there was few who died. But you never showed any reactions after seeing the people I- *cough who were killed, I was just wondering howe you didn''t ". Everly was bewildered, she said:" why? Weren''t they bad people? His majesty said you are going to get rid of the bad guys ". ''Are you that easy to deceive?'' Lennox thought. He schooled his expression, then exined again:" I didn''t mean it that way, I was curious how you are not scared of me, nothing more". Everly smiled sincerely, she said innocently while grabbing his hand: "oh, don''t worry I love all the animals ". Lennox:"...". ''That''s it, I am killing this girl '' Even though what Everly meant was '' I am not that easy to scare, even the savage animals are cute in my eyes '', Lennox was highly offended. In the past, no one dared to show him the slightest bit of disrespect, everyone was under his feet, pleasing him with every sweet word they knew to stay at his good side. But now, this very girl was shamelessly putting him on the same level as an animal! Veins popped on Lennoxs'' forehead, his face went all dark, he was about to say something when Everly pulled the hand she grabbed and eximed:" let''s go, we are going to bete". ''Late for what exactly!!'' Everly dragged him out of the dark alley, the street was full of people, mostly wearing bizarre outfits, and shops of variety of goods, the shimmering lights were illuminating the road all the way to the town''s gate. ording to Jennings -who obviously lied to her- Everly discovered that Lennox is a very shy person who never shows his feelings. And because of that, he never managed to make friends. Thus, she decided to drag him and seize this opportunity to enjoy everything enjoyable in the festival. Everly walked in the front just in case Lennox was feeling anxious about this crowded streets, however, Lennox was actually indifferent, leisurely walking and sighting the surroundings, as if he was used to walking around such ces. Seeing this, Everly rxed and slowed her pace. Now, walking side by side with him. from the moment Everly held his hand she never let go once, and Lennoxs'' hand started feeling sweety. He was about to bring on this topic when suddenly Everly pulled him again, she whooped:" Lennox look, shaved ice!!". She dragged him to a small shop at the side of the street, the shopkeeper was a big man in his forties, he was sitting in a round chair at the back of his stall. Everly and Lennox were both shorter than the front table, and the shopkeeper couldn''t notice them until Everly called for him. Everly:" excuse me, uncle". The man was baffled, he looked right and left but there was no one, the man assumed that he might be delusional and was about to return to his seat when Everly called again:" down here uncle ". He looked down and the was two adorable kids holding each other''s hand as if they were afraid once their hand separated they won''t see each other again. The man was pleased to see such refreshing faces, he bent his back to meet her eyes, he said:" what can I do for you, little miss" Everly:" do you have apple vour, uncle?". The man answered with a bright smile:" yes I do have miss". Everly:" then two shaved ice cups please, one apple and..." She turned her head toward Lennox, and whispered:" what do you want Lennox?". She was asking Lennox to choose? She was asking the almighty Lennox to choose a vour? Asking Lennox who lived a luxurious life eating the fanciest types of food since birth? she is telling him to put that coloured ice in his mouth? Will he? Of course he will, no matter what kind of grand life Lennox had, he knew that he can never underestimate the local food. He actually thinks that some of the street food is tastier than when cooked at the pce. Overall, Lennox is a loyal sugar fan, as long as it was sweat and contains sugar he would stuff it in his mouth. Lennox pondered for a moment then said in a low voice: "cherry". Hearing his answer, Everly turned to the shopkeeper and said:"....and one cherry, uncle ". The man eximed delightedly:" as you want little miss, that will be 30 cents ". Everly reached to one of the three bumbags hanging on her belt, she took out few coins and ced them at the table. Once they received their shaved ice, Lennox and Everly went on their way. But where they were heading to? A few minutes ago Everly was hurriedly dragging Lennox to somewhere, saying that they werete. But now, she was joyfully swallowing a mouthful of shaved ice that melted in her mouth. '' There is no way she forgot what we were rushing to, I mean she is surely stupid. But there is no one that will get distracted this easily '' Lennox hesitated, but in the end, he asked her:" hey zo- Everly, you said we werete before, are we not now?". Everlys'' steps came to a halt, her expression froze. Seeing her reaction Lennoxs'' face darkened. ''e on, you can''t be serious here'' Suddenly, Everly turned to Lennox and put a hand on his shoulder, she said in a troubled voice:" eat quickly, we will have to run". Chapter 16 Chapter 16 "Listen, I will warn you onest time. Don''t say anything stupid", De said scolding Hugo. rence joined her too:" even though I don''t believe your story of her falling from the sky or something, but if you are soo into her, then just ask her if she cane to y with us tomorrow ". Demented:" that''s right, she seems to be the innocent type. Don''t scare her". rence:" her clothes seemed to be fancy, what if she was a daughter of some rich guy". Hugo was about to say something, but immediately cut off by De:" don''t. Don''t even think of arguing with us, you should be thankful that we didn''t beat you to a plop after your shameless doings". While De was pping and smacking Hugo, rence was scanning his surroundings looking for someone with a worried expression. rence: "hey guys, don''t you think she''ste?". De released Hugos'' hem from her grasp, she raised her head to look at a tall building in the middle of the town, at the top of that building was arge clock. De: "now that you said it, she really iste. She said that she will bring her friend along, could something happened to them?". rence:" maybe they got lost in the crowd ". a few minutes after searching in the crowd, rence spotted two figures running wild towards them. rence was taken aback first, but after confirming that the one in front was Everly, he sighed in relief. Everly stood perfectly fine before them, while Lennox behind her, gasping for breath and cursing her in his mind. Everly pped her hands together and bent her head a little, apologizing:" sorry, really I am sorry. We arete". De cheerfully said:" it''s okay, we were just worried about you. As long you guys are fine, we are good". Now that he managed to calm himself, Lennox needs answers on what is he doing here with a bunch of strange kids. He grabbed Everlys'' shoulder and called for her:" hey, Everly". Gasp The three kids gasped the moment they saw Lennoxs'' face, peach ck eyes surrounded by ck circles, pale Uranian- blue skin and scarlet red lips. Everly noticed the change in their faces and quickly elbowed Lennox, she whispered:" hey don''t scare them". However, Lennox did not bother to lower his voice, he said:" huh? I didn''t do anything ". Indeed, Lennox knows very well that spreading his pheromones in public will bring nothing but troubles, so basically he is not doing anything. Fortunately, the kids'' wowers instantly broke their misunderstanding. De whooped and walked closer to him:" waah, your makeup is soo~ real". rence also followed her, he said with a pressedugh: "you even went all the way and applied lipstick...". '' makeup? Bitch this is my face. lipstick? bro have never tried swallowing a whole cup of cherry voured shaved ice in one go?'' The more they talked the more blue veins popping on Lennox''s face. Hugo:" he really looks like a corpse ". De:" idiot! Can''t you see, he is Drac, not a zombie". rence:" isn''t vampires dead? Then they are corpses as well". De eximed: "no, they are not". And before the argument develop to a different level, Lennox interrupted with a firm voice:" anyways, why I am here?". rence responded with confusion:" huh? Everly hadn''t told you yet? she dragged you here like that?". ''Duh, are you blind? didn''t you see her running like crazy and tugging me behind her? I might not be normal, but that zombie girl is a whole new level of abnormality'' Everly avoided the gazes directed at her, sheughed strangely and murmured to her self:" I forgot ". De hugged Everlys'' arm, pulling her closer:" we are going to fetch some candies and snacks, but we gotta hurry before the other kids snatch it all". Lennox thought while stealing a nce on Hugo ''yeah, ok, fine. But what is wrong with that dude, he has been staring at me since I came here. Why is he looking at me like I stole his wife or something '' rence also cheerfully said: "yup right, we gotta hurry ..... what''s your name mister?". Lennox answered quickly before Everly says anything stupid like telling his real name: "Shianl, my name is Shianl". However, Everly seemed unsurprised, as if she expected it or she was just saying (I have nothing to do with your fucking business ). At least this is what Lennox thought. The group walked to the end of the road, along the way, they came by a few of the kids''s acquaintances. The kids started showing off their new friends, the super gorgeous-looking new friends. Most of them headed to Everly but couldn''t get close ''cause Lennox stood right behind her, he wasn''t flowing any aura but his temper is enough to keep people away from him. Lennox swallowed hisints and went along with them for the sake of the candies. They stood at the entrance of a simple house, rence knocked the door twice then returned to stand with them. The moment someone opened the door, the kids shouted together:" human-human do not ignore, ghosts had knocked your door, treat them or you shall take the curse". Lennox was greatly shocked. '' THEY ARE CURSING PEOPLE!!!!!'' The one who opened the door was an old woman in her eighties, her back was slightly bowed, her smile made her Wrinkled face worse, she held in her hand a basket covered in red clothes. The old woman said warmly:" ooh~ you look amazing". '' HEY, don''t praise them, ancient bones!!! They are cursing you if you don''t give them treats!!!'' The old woman uncovered the basket, that apparently contained bunches of homemade chocte bars. She handed one for each of them, when the old woman reached to Everly, she pinched her cheek and kissed her forehead. "Oh dear, look at you. Such a cute ghost knight ". However, when she saw Lennox she was taken aback a little. The woman said in a worried voice:" Oh my, why are so pale young man". De answered instead:" don''t worry granny, this is just makeup". "Is that so, hahaha".The old woman gave him the biggest piece then patted his head. Lennox was startled, he stared at the chocte in his hand bewildered. ''Is this the power of being a child?!!'' Seeing that Lennox is not moving, Everly held his hand and walked with him. Behind them, Hugo, still staring at Lennox. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 After stopping by every house at that neighbourhood, Lennox managed to pile up a decent amount of candies and snacks. within this pile of lots, there were types that he not once saw before, others that he only heard of them but never had the chance to taste them, even those that he had long since forgotten about. In other words, Lennox was extremely satisfied. Time passed quickly, and after hours of wandering and ying, the group of kids had to return to their families. They bid the two farewells then headed to their ways. Lennox and Everly returned to the main street, all the way there Lennox seemed to be deep in thoughts. ''No matter how I think about it, that dude staring at me was somehow familiar, I feel like I saw him before. But if I really did, I would have recognized him. I even remember the faces of every ant I saw in my life, does that mean he is more worthless than ants? Yeah, whatever, he seemed to be into zombie girl, but he kept staring at me. Could he actually be squint? If it''s true then things would make sense'' He dived more and more into his thoughts, and only when Everly called for him did he snap out of. "What is it," Lennox said. Everly:" I said, we should go home too". The night deepened and the children are mostly gone to their homes, now only adults are outside having their own fun, thus Lennox and Everly are standing out too obvious. Lennox:" huh? No, no. Not yet ". He pondered for a while then asked:" by the way zo Everly, do you still have some money?". Everly hummed:" ah, yes. About a hundred silver and few golds". Lennox murmured:" that should be enough I guess ". "Enough for what?" Everly asked. Lennox warped his arm around her neck, with a smirk he said:" to try everything eatable in this street ". Everly:" won''t that be too much?". Lennox:" it''s fine, it''s fine. We gotta fatten you anyways ". Everly was startled, she looked at the long street ahead of them, there were countless stalls that sell food and they are supposed to try them all. Everly shook her head quickly couples of times to express her unwillingness. However, Lennox ignored herpletely, instead, he headed to the nearest food stall, and surely Everly followed him. Even though Everly opposed Lennoxs'' idea, she still obediently munched everything he gave her. From a stall to another, from spicey to salty to sweet to sour, they shoved many different things in their throats while moving slowly to the end of the street. Unexpectedly, a familiar voice called out for them. " your highness?!!!". It was the umbre butler. They managed to catch up with them Lennox turned to him, he scanned the whole man while biting a mouthful of roasted chicken leg, he said with irritated expression:" wah bingz yu he? (what brings you here)". The umbre butler answered rather awkwardly:" I got worried about your highness so I came searching for you ". Lennox still munching on that roasted chicken, and still looks irritated:" wowid ba me? Dh yu fogt ho I m ( worried about me? Did you forget who I am)". Everly had just noticed the umbrebutler, seeing a butler hase to them also with a roasted chicken in her mouth, she asked:" aw e oin om? (Are we going home)". Lennox finally swallowed what was in his mouth, he said while walking to other stalls:" I need something to drink ". On the opposite side, at a simple stall was a buffed man pouring a drink in small cups. Lennox had been eating without a break for a while, and his throat became dry like deserts, so the scene of any liquid would lure him. Lennox headed towards that stall, naturally, Everly walked behind him as if she was his tail. The umbre butler also followed, but he kept a considerable distance between them, just to make sure that Lennox won''t be bothered. When the buffed man saw Lennox approaching, he called for him:" Hey kid, don''te here, this is not for children ". Toote, at that time, Lennox had already snatched two cups of the table, he tossed one to Everly, and both drank it in one go. ****** An hour before, "Yaaaah, it was a big day," De said while stretching her arms. rence responded:" yeah, I hope Everly and Shianl reach home safely, which reminds me", he turned to Hugo who was walking behind them spacing out. He called:" hey Hugo, what is wrong with you today?". De said bewildered:" what do you mean?". rence supported his chin saying:" when we first met Everly he was soo~ crazy about her, but this time he kept staring at shianl all the time rarely looking at us". De:" now that you said it, he really was quite. I thought he might cause some embarrassing troubles but he didn''t. Oh, don''t tell me you were jealous of shianl". rencementedughingly:" or maybe you fell for him instead, hahaha". Hugos'' face turned all red, whether it was embarrassment or rage. He shouted:" NOT LIKE THAT YOU DAMN CLARENCE, IT''S just..... it''s just I think...". Both De and rence said:" you think.... what?". Hugo said hesitantly:" I think Shianl is the crown prince ". "Huh?". Hugo exined:" you two said it didn''t you, their clothes were obviously fancy, not any noble can afford them. Also, Everly was wearing the imperial gourds uniform, this is a special uniform for the emperors'' private gourds, not anyone can reach his hands to it. Overall, I once saw the crown prince at the Montfort familys'' massacre, he looked so much like Shianl. Not to mention that he came to the Alphonsus mansion today". Silence The heavyyers of silence were smashed by the explosiveughter from rence and De. "HAHA HAHAHA, crown prince? Really!! HAHAHA, oh god ". " HAHAHAAAH, do you think that the imperial gourds would hire a child?". " also the crown prince is a devil, everyone knows that. HAHA HAHAHA, why would such a persone to y with us HAHA HAHAHA". Hogo:" I am serious guys". " Yeah, yeah. You have a wild imagination, Hugo. Or did Everly dumped you roughly HAHAHAHA". "e on, let''s go home". Chapter 18 Chapter 18 At the imperial pce, Jennings''s study With hurried steps, Carson entered the study, he bowed mannerly and said: "your majesty, sir Henry Raj hase to report yesterday''s investigation results ". Jennings waved his hand saying: "let him in". Henry Raj followed Carson to the study with a thick pile of documents, he bowed and greeted Jennings formally, then immediately got to the point and gave a brief ount on what happened. After hearing that, Jenningss'' face twisted. After all, a valuable man that served him for such a long time died because of second-rate poor job performance, with a frown Jennings said:" I would like to know the detailed process of the investigation ". Henry Raj smiled awkwardly, he said: "I deeply apologize, your majesty. Actually, due to his highness the crown prince instantly solving the case, we could not manage to hold any clues on how his highness concluded things that way. And to be Frank, I dared not ask him for an exnation". Jennings sighed desperately, he covered his forehead, thinking deeply before saying:" it''s fine, I will talk to him personallyter. Carson, send attending request for the Welfmore Marquess, I want to see him first thing in the morning." Carson nodded: "as you wish, your majesty ". Jennings directed his speech again to Henry Raj:" if there is nothing else you may leave for now". Henry Raj:" ah, In fact, there is" he approached the table and ced the thick pile of documents in front of Jennings, saying:" these are theints about the ''incidents'' that his highness anddy Everly caused yesterday ". Jennings:"!!?". After seeing his reaction Henry Raj quickly eximed: "ah, your majesty, for your convenience I have summarized it to be more .....unstressful?". In other words, he just sorted them and joined the numbers without any details in hope that he won''t get a heart attack after going through them. Henry Raj pulled the sheet at the top of that pile, cleared his throat then said:" they burned six houses, ten stalls and eleven carriages. Destroyed seven stores, plunged off the clock hands of the town''s clock tower, snapped the church''s bell to half, made dozens of holes in a size of a gate on the walls that surrounds the town. And at the end of this, a hundred and twenty-one person was injured, fifteen of them are in critical condition, luckily no one died. Well, everything happened in an hour and a half, so we couldn''t do much to stop them". Carson:"....". Jennings:"......". Carson murmured loudly:" .....just what the hell happened there.....?". Henry Raj:" ording to his highness''s personal butler, it seems that they drank something called ''thest drink ''. It appears to be a mixture of strong alcohol and drugs, consuming it causes hallucinations and an extra burst of energy thatsts for a few hours. However, since they are young, the effect continued for less than two hours before they pass out". Jennings rubbed his forehead hardly until it turned red, he stayed speechless for a while, then suddenly blurted:" so you are saying that they escaped from you, got high then destroyed half the town in less than two hours.....?". Henry Raj answered naively: "yes". Jennings felt dizzy, he subconsciously said:" I can''t.... Carson, you take care of this. I need some rest". Even though Carson obediently nodded and took the documents, deep inside him he never intended to do this kind of tasks, probably he will throw it to someone elseter. Cleaning behind Lennox by apologizing and showering people with money to silence them is really a troublesome work to do. ******* At noon, Everly finally regained her conscious. Her body was heavy and stiff, she hardly managed to turn her head and when she did, a familiar voice eximed next to her. " Ah, you are finally up!!". It was Rachel, seems she was the one taking care of Everly. Rachel supported Everly to sit, leaning on a pillow. " How are you feeling?", Rachel asked. Everly:" my head hurts ". Rachel poured a ss of water and took a folded piece of paper from the table. She ced the folded paper in Everlys'' hand, saying:" here, take this and the pain will go". Everly unfolded it, inside that paper was a light green powder. Seeing it, Everlys'' face Immediately twisted, she pushed the powder away, saying:" I don''t like medicine ". However, Rachel pushed it back to her, she softly said:"e on, be a good girl and take it, won''t you?". After arguing a bit, Everly gave up and swallowed that green thing in one go. They chatted for a while, and it didn''t take a long time before the medicine took its effect. Seeing that Everly regained her strength, Rachel bathed and dressed her, this time instead of the imperial gourds attire Everly wore a cute short dress with embroidery flowers. " where is my uniform?" Everly asked. Rachel: "Uniform? Oh yeah....I took it for wash, haha". It was obviously a lie, but Everly of course wouldn''t be able to see it. She asked: "then, where is his majesty?". Rachel: "it''s almost lunchtime, so I believe he is in the dining hall ". Everly bid her farewell, then headed to the dining hall. Unlike the day before, the hall was bright and dazzling, she took two steps inside before realizing that there was someone else besides Jennings. A blonde young woman sat next sat next to him, her golden wavy hairid gracefully on her slender shoulders, her sky-blue blue eyes shifted to who hid behind the door Everly. Jennings also noticed Everly, he called for her:" Evey? Honey, what are you doing? Come here, don''t be shy". Everly hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she rushed to Jennings and hid behind him. However, Jennings snatched her from there and ced her on hisp. Jennings said gently:" you weren''t acting like this when you met Carson,e now say hi ". Everly said bashfully:" he....hello" then buried her face in Jennings''s chest. The woman sitting next to them was bewildered:" this is...?" Jennings beamed, he said while stroking Everlys'' hair:" this is Everly" then pointed at the woman:" and this my daughter, Annasophy ". Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Everly couldn''t help but steal few nces at the Lennoxs'' sister. But they were nothing alike!!!! As Everly sees, Lennox was gloomy, always covered in ck and smiles like a lizard. While the so-called sister, was the exact opposite, she is bright, shining and lovable. Beauty was written on her face, there are even flowers on the background. Jennings said to Annasophy with a warm smile:" sorry about that, Anna. Everly is usually energetic and easy-going, but sometimes she suddenly acts shyly". Annasophy thought that it would be better to take the initiative and talk to Everly first, she said beaming:" Hi there Everly, how are you doing?". Yet before Everly could answer, Jennings suddenly eximed in a worried tone:" which reminds me, how could you both carelessly drink something like that? It''s the first time Lennox does such irresponsible acts, and I will scold himter. But this is not your first, how many times I told you to be more attentive, Evey". Everly said with puffed cheeks:" but it looked like pumpkin juice ". "No, it''s not, you just went with the flow and drank everything he gave you," Jennings said admonishing. Annasophy asked in confusion:" what did she do?". Jennings shoved a strawberry in Everlys'' mouth, knitted his brows, not ragged rather concerned. He said helplessly:" yesterday I sent Lennox to investigate in some matters ". Annasophy interrupted:" was it about Earl Alphonsus?". Jennings sighed, he shoved another strawberry in Everlys'' mouth then said:" yes it was, he has done a great job actually, as expected from him, but he agreed with a condition which is to take Everly with him. *sigh, I couldn''t think on why would he ask something like that, so I took it as a chance for him to make some friends, never thought that him getting friends could create such havoc". Everlymented:" but we are good friends ". Jennings responded:" yes, very dangerous friends ". Jennings continued:" after clearing the obstacle, he escaped with Everly to the town at the Alphonsus territory. Long story, in short, they joined forces like some gangsters and caused troubles". Annasophy was astonished, she splutters:" with Lennox?". Jennings nodded. Annasophy:" you sure?". Jennings: "yes!". Annasophy:" the Lennox that we know?". Jennings barked:" and how many Lennoxes do you know ?". Annasophy was greatly astonished, to her, those words struck like lightning from clear skies. How could that very Lennox cooperate with someone? Overall, aren''t Everly supposed to be scared witless after a single eye contact? After all, only those who shared blood link with Lennox won''t be affected by his aura, there never was an exception. Then shouldn''t Everly be included? Suddenly Annasophy saw light. She hesitantly said: "do you mind if I ask how old are you, Everly?". The question was sudden for Everly, people don''t ask those things in out of the blue. She looked at Jennings hoping that he will answer in her stead, surely he noticed her helpless eyes and was willing to aid her. Jennings whipped Everlys'' lips with a kerchief, he said while warmly staring at Everly:" she is ten this year, why?". Bang Annasophy pped the table and stood stiffly, both Everly and Jennings were taken aback by the sudden actions. Few seconds of silence passed before Annasophy mumbled something. "...sister ". "What? I didn''t he". Annasophy cut him, shouting: "SHE IS MY LITTLE SISTER!!!". This was the only possibility which can exin Everlys'' insensitivity towards Lennox or his sudden change of heart. "Huh? She is not", Jennings hadn''t yete to his sense, but Annasophy has already snatched Everly from his arms. "Ow~ such adorable cute little sister " Everly stooped moving, pretending to be a lifeless doll, while Annasophy swinging her around the hall, hugging, kissing and rubbing her face on Everlys''. Jennings felt pitty for Everly, he said:" Anna dear, she is really not my daughter ". Annasophy covered Everlys'' ears and tightened her arms around Everly, she rebuked:" my godness!! how could you say such cruel words in front of her, you are a horrible and irresponsible father". Jennings eximed: "but she is not my daughter!!!". Annasophy raised her palm towards Jennings, gesturing for him to stoping closer, she said in a frustrated voice: "say no more!! I am taking this child with me, you stay out of the way". Annasophy rushed out of the hall with Everly in her arms, leaving the defeated Jennings behind, uncertain of what happened. ****** The view of green mountains filled their eyes and summers'' warm breeze crossed their face firmly. An arm extended and touched the clouds above them. " it''s amazing, you see these sceneries every day?". " bro, this is nothing ". "Here you are talking like you saw heavens ". " of course I did. But you are a sinner, they won''t let you in". Sounds ofughters echoed in the vast sky like roared thunder. But they didn''tst long. Suddenly, the green mountains turned to red mes and the livelyughters turned to cries. Screams and roars begging for help exploded in his ears, but what hurt the most was the small soft voice. " shianl" "...ox " "Shianl " "....Lennox " "...ianl" "LENNOX " Suddenly Lennox jolted awake, he was in his bed panting and drained in sweat. " are you ok? Did you see a nightmare?" Everly asked. " Yeah, yeah. I''m fine " Lennox covered half his face with his right hand, while the other supported his body. He said under his breath:" it''s just.....a dream of the past". Everly said nkly: "you mean the diaper days?". Lennox:"...". Everly held his hand that covered his face tightly:" don''t worry, you won''t wear them any more". Veins popped on Lennox''s forehead, he freed his hand from Everlys'' grip: "what are you doing in my room?". Everly: "oh I was hiding, when I saw you struggling in your sleep ". Chapter 20 Chapter 20 "Hiding? From whom?" Lennox asked. With a tear hanging at the corner of her eye, Everly answered: "fromdy Anna". Lennox:" She caught you? Not wonder you look so........unsightly ". Indeed, at that moment Everlys'' appearance wasn''t the best in her life. She was covered in heavy makeup, one barely would recognize her, shy dress with lots ofyers and a strange haircut. Everly slowly nodded with a depressed face. Seems like she hardly escaped from Annasophy and decided to hid in Lennoxs'' room, since no one would dare step inside it carelessly. Lennox pushed the nkets aside and jumped off the bed, with a slight frown he said:" haa, whatever. Just stay here, I will wash up ande back ". He pressed a button next to his bed, then left to the next room, which seemingly was a vast luxurious bathroom. Everlyid on Lennoxs'' bed staring at the ceiling, hugging or punching his pillows and feeling bored. A minute passed when the door soundlessly opened. And the umbre butler walked in slowly, he was startled after seeing Everlyzilyying on Lennoxs'' bed, looking somehow heavy on the eyes. However, he didn''t stare long and followed to where Lennox just went to. ***** After properly washing and dressing, Lennox left his quarters, surely Everly tugged behind. The curtains were tightly shut all the way on the corridor, only mes and candles illuminating their way. Seems like, the servants had already known that Lennox was awake and took their precautions. Lennox walked directly to the stairs, but suddenly his steps came to a halt. He turned to the umbre butler asking:" where is the old man now?". The umbre butler bowed slightly, he answered in a firm but low voice:" I believe his majesty is resting in his chambers at the moment ". Lennox idly said: "good. Tell them to bring my meal there. And call Rachel over". "As you wish, your highness ". Lennox grabbed Everlys'' cor and heeded to Jennings quarters. He kicked the door open with a calm face as if he was doing something he used to. Jennings, who was only one second apart from falling asleep, jolted up feeling rmed but seeing that the invader was the troublesome son of his. Heid back in his bed, ignoring Lennoxpletely. Being treated like empty air surely wouldn''t please Lennox, he snatched a cushion from the long seat next to him and threw it on Jennings shouting:" GET YOUR ASS HERE YOU OLD GEEZER!!!". Jennings pushed the nkets looking annoyed, he grabbed a red robe at the side of his bed. Jennings said with fake anger:" Lennox, son, I might be easy as a father. But you should remember that I am an Emperor as well". Lennox barked loudly: "you are the most terrible parent I have ever seen" he pulled Everly so Jennings can see her closer, Lennox continued: "look at how ugly she looks, and I had to see this the moment I woke up from my peaceful slumber". It wasn''t peaceful, but Everlys'' appearance at that time was absolutely not something they could just wash it and forget about it. It''s the same as to have someone p you on the face for no reason, then you should just forget that it happened. Jennings frowned slightly, he stared at her until he couldn''t stare anymore. With a deep sigh, he said:" Anna did all of this?". Lennox:" and who else besides that bitch would do it". Lennox hadn''t yet finished his sentence, when the door was knocked. " pardon my Intrusion, your majesty. We have brought prince Lennoxs'' breakfast ". Lennox answered instead:"e in". The footmen soundlessly organized the tes on the table. Jennings:" why are you eating in my room?!". Lennox said while walking to the small table:" isn''t there something you wanted to say to me? Here I am ". Jennings sat at the opposite sid to Lennox with Everly sitting on hisp, Jennings said:" what makes you think so?". Lennox answered indifferently:" instinct". Again, the door knocked. This time, the voice belonged to a woman. Lennox answered:"e in, Rachel ". That was Rachel indeed, she curtsied to both Lennox and Jennings. And the moment Rachel raised her head, she was paralyzed by the unexpected scene. Only a few hours ago, she put the cute Everly in a little cute dress with cute flowers, and tied her cute hair in a cute ponytail, Making her looking exceptionally super cute. Then what is this!!!!!! Why does she look like a short ugly clown?!!! Lennox pointed at Everly by his thumb, saying to Rachel:"e take this ball of bullshit and return her to normal ". Even without him telling her, Rachel was already thinking of taking Everly to another painful bath, scrubbing that strange paint on her face. She immediately rushed outside after picking up Everly from Jenningsp. Yet before Rachel steps out of the door, Lennox called for her:" and clothe her in something practical, I am taking her out for a ride ". Rachel affirmed clearly, then instantly left the room. Lennox waved to the footmen to leave as well, and so they did. Only after the room was empty did Lennox speak, he said before biting a mouthful of bread: "so~ what are we supposed to talk about?". Jennings:" tell me the truth, Lennox. Are you doing something unreasonable like spreading spies in the nobles houses?". "Huh?!!" Lennox said with one brow raised:" why would you think that so, if I wanted to know something, who and what can confuse me?". Jennings took a sip of the tea that the servants poured before leaving, he said:" it''s just that there are few things that sounds fishy". Lennox said with a whole poached egg in his mouth:" ely? li wat? ( really? Like what?)". Jennings, who has already given up on altering Lennoxs'' behaviours and manners when there are no strangers around him, shook his head a couple of times. He said:" like how did you know about the replica, or aboutdy Adides'' affairs, or about mister Eleanors'' actions at that night. To be frank, everything seems fishy". Lennox:" why do you need to know that? I sorted it out, forget it". Jennings:" yeah it''s done, but I need to record the ident with whole details. In case it bes a necessity for someone in future". Chapter 21 Chapter 21 "Fine" Lennox said before shoving another mouthful of bread in his mouth. Only after swallowing it did Lennox speak: "well, you see, between those contracts and documents you gave me, there were few emblem seals that belonged to the Alphonsus Earl printed as a conformation. Moreover, most of the seals were printed disorderly, obviously because that fucker was as old as my great grandma''s corpse, old enough that his hands shake like a cart passing on a rough road". "However, there were three times that the emblem seals were neatly printed, authorizing three ships to enter the southern harbour without inspection. Ignoring the context of the undertaking, why would the dude suddenly stop shaking? Did life energy just burst in him? That can''t be, then the most probable answer would be that someone else sealed it for him. But knowing the old fuckers'' personality such a thing was entirely impossible, then why would the impossible just ur?". " I examined the seals and found out that the mana on them, which distinguished the Alphonsus emblem seal, seemed fresh, unlike the original emblem seal that contains hundreds of years old mana. Normal People can''t sense the magical energy, and without the ability of an at least B ss magician, there was no way to differentiate between them. And this is the answer to your first question ". Jennings stayed silent for a while, with an unreadable expression he said:" is that why all your tutors always resign in few days? You damage their mental health!!!? And here I was thinking that you threatened them or something ". Lennox drank the whole ss of orange juice in one go, he said:" huh? You should know that I highly respect whoever teaches me something I did not know. However, those idiots you bring are useless trash, they barely managed to keep the conversations ". Jennings:" I highly doubt those were any normal conversations. Leave that aside. tell me now, whydy Adide?". Lennox attacked another poached egg, he said indifferently:" bechos she kred bosel li odor (because she carried brothels-like odour)". Jennings''s'' face darkened, he crossed his arms and said with a gritted teeth:" and how do you know what brothels smell like?!!!". finally, Lennox realized that he had just bombed his life. Deep silence covered the room, Lennoxs'' face looked calm, while, his mind was in real chaos. In the past, he would spend a couple of nights every week in some pleasure houses surrounded by beauties, and no one could say anything to him. As a result, he became familiar with the scents of herbs and perfumes that those women use to make men more sensitive and easily excited. However, at the moment, there was definitely no reason for a ten years old kid to end up at such ces, and a prince of all the people. Lennox kept hisposure, he poured another ss of orange juice and drank a mouthful of it before saying:" well, I woulde across some jerks and wenches every now and then, when I visit themoners'' district. The scent was unique and memorable, not to mention that the one in question is me, I simply can not forget ". Jennings narrowed his eyes, he stared unblinking at Lennox, he said:" you know that I don''t believe you ". Lennox responded with a challenging tone:" And you know that I know that you are way too noble to use me with nothing but your instincts". Indeed, Jennings couldn''t argue back, he always believed that one''s feelings towards something can never ovee the presented facts. Jennings knew that Lennox would sneak out of the pce every week to ck of somewhere in the capital, he also knew that Lennoxs'' memory never ever failed. Seeing that Jennings dropped his hostile attitude, Lennox sized the opportunity to flee before Jennings would question him further. He quickly stood and pretended to fix his clothes while saying:" I assume you can guess what happened after. Well then, I have to go now". " go where?" Jennings asked. Lennox:" don''t worry we are not leaving the pce. I am just taking your daughter to the practice field ". After Jennings nodded, Lennox walked to the exit. And when he reached the door, Jennings called for him: "wait!!". Lennox asked: "is there something else?". Jennings said with a serious face:" I heard from Henry that you said something about a child to Roosevelt, do you mind exining?". Lennox paused for a while, before saying with a deep breath:" I don''t think we should have this conversation, it''s the Alphonsuss'' household private affair. There is Nothing to worry about..... for now ". ******* After dusk, while Lennox waited in the arsenal, the umbre butler went to escort Everly since she doesn''t know how to get there. The vast hall was filled with uncountable numbers of armours, swords, Spear, axes....etc. every kind of weapons with different designs and different metal bases. Now that Everly wore the imperial gourds'' attire again and returned to her cutie-pie appearance, Lennox couldn''t help but appreciate Rachel''s existence more and more. He put his hand on Everlys'' shoulder saying:" I know you are supposed to be a swordsman by the way you have been going here and there with that sword hanging around you. So I am just saying this to be considerate, do you prefer any other type of weapons?". For Everly, this question was the same as asking whether she prefers vani or strawberry, they are both sweet so she would eat whatever. Everly shook her head quickly, she whooped:" are we going to duel!!? I am fine with anything, as long as it''s not a hammer thingy I can fight with it". "Anything?" Lennox asked. Everly nodded her head several times, she affirmed loud and clear. After a moment of pondering, Lennox said with a grin in his face:" fine then, let''s head to the practice field first". He turned to the umbre butlermanding:" bring all the weapons made by Rakshata, exclude the hummer type ones". end volume 1 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 After the darkness finally settled and covered the whole sky, the imperial knights'' hard day came to its end. The head knights, James Welner, returned to his chamber tired and exhausted, for hours before now, he kept yelling and cussing at his subordinates. Being a strick leader isn''t easy after all. James heavily sat on the couch and poured himself a ss of red wine, he stared at the wine for a good while before moving it closer to his lips. He was yet to take a sip of that wine when the door knocked. The knight behind the door said:" Pardon my disturbingmander, but the matter is urgent ". Even if he hated it, James could not ignore the so-called ''urgent matter ''. James Welner: e in". The knight:"mander. his highness, the crown prince, is visiting the practice field. And is demanding an A-ss knight from each category ". James Welner frowned, he said irritated:" what the hell does that monster want, he had already beaten their ass". indeed,st year when Jennings forced Lennox to take militarily lessons, he whipped the practice field with their faces. If it was not for general Egerton participating and defeating Lennox, they would never be able to regain their pride. James Welner had no intention to hear the knight''s answer, he barked: "it doesn''t matter, I don''t want to get involved with him. Send Oliver, tell him to take the knights and to keep that bastards'' apany. I believe he is in good terms with him". "Yes sir". ****** At the practice field, the weapons that Lennox ordered already arrived before them, presented on a long table over fancy cushions. At that time, Everly was busy running wild around the field, admiring everything on her eyesight. Lennox, who is already fed up with her sparks, climbed the table and ''identally'' sat over a dagger. He could feel the cold-firm thing under him, however, he had no intention of moving. Although Lennox wasn''t bothered, the umbre butler''s face looked as if he aged a couple of decades. Rakshata was a very famous and capable magician, he travelled the continents in search of thrill to fill his life. On one of the adventures, Rakshata found an ancient beast''s egg, he entrusted his friend to help him protect the egg, sadly, his friend betrayed him and sold his whereabout information to the treasure hunters. The world knew about the mysterious egg Rakshata possessed, so he lived his life running for the sake of keeping the beast safe. Until one day king of a lost kingdom offered his protection, the king wasn''t interested in the beast, instead, he wanted Rakshata to be his pce magician. Rakshata epted the offer and both were known for their friendship, yearster, Rakshata crafted a set of high-quality weapons to give them as a present for the king on his birthday. Unfortunately, the king died before that day, Rakshata was depressed that he couldn''t stay as the royal magician, he retired then one-day Rakshata disappeared from the pce. In other words, the Rakshata weapon set was a national treasure that survived for hundreds of years after that kingdom falls apart. And Lennox was carelessly pressing his butt on it. The umbre butler couldn''t do anything, even if he asked Lennox to stand of it, Lennox surely will just ignore him. Thus he kept his mouth shut and began imagining his funeral. Momentster, a blonde man in his early twenties walked towards Lennox, behind him followed several full-armoured knights. Oliver Hesse led the knights and knelt on one knee in front of Lennox, he said in a manly voice:" may God bless Sitia and her prince ". Lennox only hummed, Oliver slowly raises his head while:" I wish you have been well, yo". When Oliver''s eyesight reached the table''s surface-level he froze, on the long table ced several golden items, items that he always saw them behind a thick ss on the wall protected by an S ss magical circle. Not to mention one of them was peeking from beneath Lennox, begging for help. Oliver jumped to his feet rebuking:" are these Rakshatas'' weapons!!!!! MOVE YOUR ASS!!!!". Oliver pulled Lennoxs'' arm throwing him on his feet, then quickly and carefully held the dagger examining it. After confirming that the dagger had no visible damage, Oliver breathed in relief. He turned to Lennox barking:" ARE YOU CRAZY, WHY THE HELL WERE YOU WHIPPING YOUR DIRTY BUTT ON A TREASURE LIKE THIS!!!?". Lennox covered one ear and eximed:" shut up, you are too loud". He ignored Oliver''s barks and called: "EVERLY,e here". In an instant, Everly appeared in front of them, still sparkling, she grabbed Lennoxs'' hand saying:" when are we going to battle?". Lennox pointed at the knights, he answered nkly:" not we, but you and them". Oliver and the knights were taken aback. ''if you are going to kill someone, don''t throw it on us!!!'' Everly naively asked: "don''t you want to duel with me?". Lennox: "maybeter, you should defeat those guys then I will battle with you". He said it then turned to the knights, with one nce Lennox managed to measure their strengths, he put them in order from the strongest to the weakest in his mind, then turned to Everly, but Lennox couldn''t be certain of her skills. He called for the weakest knight:" hey, the one with the Spear. You go first". The knight startled, he is fighting a child for real. While the Spear knight was hesitantly walking towards the centre of the field, Lennox pulled the golden spear of Rakshata and handed it to Everly. Everly energetically took it and jumped to stand in front of the spear knight. She pped her hands in prayer saying:" I am sorry for the injuries, I am thankful for the lessons, I am blessed with your friendship, let our battle be for the good". hearing that pray, Lennox raised a brow, his expression as if he heard someone talk in a foreignnguage. however, the moment Everly was done, she lunched towards the spear knight in a blink of eye Lennoxs'' expression changed to a sly smile. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 He was already losing his nerve after knowing that he is supposed to duel with a cutie-pie little girl, however, by receiving the first strike, the spear knight regained his wits. Fast, strong and steady, with no trace of hesitation. Everlys'' ability to control the Spear in her hands was perfect, if not for her height, she might be able to get the upper hand. For each time Everly hits the Spear knight she had to defend against two strikes of his. At the side, Lennoxs'' smile was getting wider and wider, his eyes zing every time the spearhead lunch towards the other. Olivermented in admiration:" she jumps pretty high". Lennox responded while keeping his eyes on Everly:" you should see her cross a mile in one hop". Oliver said astonished:" for real!!? Wow, who is she anyway?". Lennox answered nonchntly:" not sure but, she is suspected to be my sister". Oliver: "huh?". Lennox: "well, you see. She has been wandering around me as if I was an old peaceful farmer or something. And overall, she is ten". Oliver:" ten!! That makes sense". In that second, a crashing sound banged on the side of the field. By following the sound, there was a long golden spear was pierced on the wall, Seems like the Spear knight managed to strip Everly off her weapon. Although she lost her weapon, Everly continued to advance as nothing happened. Everly lunched towards the Spear knight in high speed, she dashed lightly under the spear and sent a heavy blow on the Spear knights'' stomach smashing the armour and reaching to his flesh. Everlys'' fist was small yet strong, which made the blow hurts much more. Ignoring his pain, the spear knight instantly aimed for her knees, if he managed to hit her knee pit then she wouldn''t be able to dodge or escape. However, Everly was short, her knee level wasn''t one the same high as the adults. Without taking that on mind, he drew a bead on her knee pit, but instead of hitting it, with the height the spear knight used, he ended up identally hitting her buttocks. The spear knight used a lot of strength that the hit made Everly fly few feets before falling on her face. Lennox:".....". Oliver:"........". Everyone:"...........". Her losing was expected, but no one expected that the moment she raised of the ground, Everly would cry loudly like a newborn baby. " whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooaaaaaaa, it huuuurts whoooooo". The knights who were standing in awe watching her battling with their colleague suddenly forgot the feelings of uneasiness they felt towards Everly. " are okay child?". One of the knights approached her with a worried expression. Everly startled when she raised her head to see who was it, surprisingly that knight was armorless and had a pretty girly face. Everly did not answer him, instead, her whining became quieter and her tears fall even harder. The knight thought that she was scared, but actually Everly was just embarrassed, it has been years since someone smacked her on the buttocks as a punishment. The knight brushed away her tears and patted her head gently while softly saying:" does it hurt a lot?". Everly nodded slowly. Seeing her pathetic condition, the knight with the girly face couldn''t help but shout at the spear knight: "DIEGO YOU DUMBASS, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO A LITTLE GIRL". Diego who was using his spear as a leaning stick ''cause he can barely stand, rebuked:" ARE YOU BLIND, KAI. Can''t you see I almost died there !!?". Kai: "who cares about your life, as a man of culture you shouldn''t harm a child". Diego with a hole in his armour and maybe a broken bone stood speechless, While looking at Kai carefully carrying Everly and soothing her. Because Everly was already thin and light, Someone with a small structure like Kai had no difficulties in carrying her. She rested her chin on his shoulder and warped her arms around his neck. Another one added to her { carry me } collection. Kai walked towards Lennox with Everly in his arms, he dared not say anything and interrupt Lennox and Oliver''s conversation, so he just stood there waiting for his orders. Lennox:" I better confirm her identity beforeing with a decision ". Oliver:" what if she really is a Princess?". Lennox:" then things will be tough, that whore won''t stop nagging toy her hand on Everly ". Oliver:" well, I kinda understand Princess Annasophys'' way of thinking. She just wants a little cute sibling, unfortunately, what she got was a scary ck cat. I even heard that prince Leonard will stay in Mojin as their heir". Lennox:" can''t be helped, Mojin also needs heirs and I don''t want two countries on my head". Oliverughed dryly for seconds then both of them drowned in their thoughts. After a brief while, Oliver bed Lennox his farewells and was preparing to pull off with the knights, however, Everly refused to let the umbre butler or anyone else carry her back. Lennox said irritated:" hey, stop being a bothersome and get down already ". Everly shook her and grabbed tightly on Kai. for him this feeling was the same when the cat sleeps willingly on yourp, it''s the feelings of being the chosen one. kai said with a suppressed smile:" it''s fine your highness, I shall return her to the pce ". Lennox sighed helplessly:" and here I was thinking you were amusing few minutes ago...., whatever, just take her to Rachel, she will take care of her". kai affirmed then headed to the pce. until he disappeared from her sight, Everly kept staring at Lennox, wishing he woulde home with her too. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 At the imperial library. Lennox entered a section he wouldn''t normally. '' I am sure it was somewhere near here....'' He walked slowly while examining the third shelf, not long has passed until Lennox quickly pulled a raged old book. ''Found it!!'' He took the book and rushed to a certain table, on that table ced two other books Lennox fetched earlier. He first opened the book with the title { hybrids of the fallen } written by T.H Lennox flipped the pages until he reached a chapter titled [ Loves ]. Lennox fixed his seat and carefully read the context. " Loves, briefly, are beings with a unique mana nature, unlike the known mana control, Loves can not use or be affected by magic or any different type of spells despite carrying a decent amount of magical energy. The reason why is that their mana had only a sole use which is bewitching the surrounding individuals. Loves were named so as it is unheard about anyone of any race that disliked a Love. usually, these rare creatures secure themselves by luring other''s urge to protect them, and since the chances of being charmed by their aura are 100% they always depended on others to live. The attraction towards the Loves is caused by the familiarity and warmth that the Love emit, however, rarely this attraction turns to sexual affection. As it is not impossible, nevertheless it''s hard to ur. Hybrid Love also can not use magic however, they would be affected by spells that are made by others. The hybrid Love''s aura is weaker than a pure Love, which makes the chances of others being caught in it nearly 60%. Those with great grudges or who engaged with the forbidden magic won''t be affected by the hybrid Love''s aura, aside from them, normal beings are mostly to be charmed. Although it might be clear to the sharp-eyed magicians, the hybrid Loves themselves aren''t aware of their own mana aura" ''Huh?!!'' Lennox repeated thest sentence a few times, and every time he did his face bes darker and darker. '' isn''t it enough that a race which basically vanished two hundred years ago suddenly came knocking my door, now I have to stun her with the fact that she is not human !!!?'' When Lennox realized his thoughts, he fiercely shook his head feeling pathetic. '' do I even have the right to talk here.....'' After a while of pondering, Lennox put that book aside and took another one, entirely focused on it. ****** " are you sure you don''t want dinner? " Rachel asked. Everly:" no I am not hungry, but I want to have a chocte bar. One of those I got with Lennox ". Even though Everly doesn''t even feel hunger, Rachel still believed her, she said:" fine, but you will have to brush your teeth before sleeping". Everly responded with a beam:" okay ". Rachel walked to the closet and pulled a basket full of sweets. She said while returning to the bed where Everly was:" I kind of feel sorry for his highness, he most really wanted to taste them". Everly said in confusion:" Lennox? What about him?". Rachel:" you didn''t know? His majesty confiscated his highness''s share of the snacks and sweets as a punishment for causing troubles in the town ". Everly eximed:" but I caused troubles too". Rachel ced the basket next to Everly, she brushed Everlys'' hair off her face saying softly:" well, you see, the first prince is much more mature, maybe not for now but once you grow older you will get more responsibilities ". Everly pouted:" no fair, we are the same age". Rachel''s mind nked. She Subconsciously blurted:" .......the same age?". Seeing Everly getting dizzy from nodding firmly, Rachel came to her sense. She said with an awkward smile:" aah I see, then I will go prepare some water for you to wash up". Rachel rushed out of the room with a head full of messy thoughts. '' they are the same age!!!!? Does that mean she is his majestys'' daughter? Then who is her mother? And why his majesty hadn''t informed us? Could it be that he is so ashamed of his affair with her mother? NO, WAIT. Does the first prince even know? I think he does, it makes no sense for his highness to keep someone close to him for no reason...'' She kept working her brains out but with no results, Rachel gave up and returned to Everlys'' bedroom, however, the room was empty with no trace for the one in question. ****** After a couple of hours of studying at the imperial library, Lennox returned to his room all beaten up by the unlimited questions that need to be answered. He sat on his desk and grabbed a bunch of papers from his drawer, the papers were filled with unfamiliar design of magical circles, definitely not something known for humans. Not long passed when sounds of footsteps and rustle could be heard on the veranda. No need to guess who that was, Lennox already knew. He said nonchntly:" what are you doing here again?". Everly startled, she said feeling depressed:" aaw, how did you it was me? I wanted to surprise you". Lennox answered in the same tone:" there are no much people who are stupid enough toe to visit me without invitation ". Everly naively responded:" I guess so, since Lennox have sharp teeth and bites fiercely ". Lennox:"......". Everly:"...?". Lennox: "just what do you want?". Remembering her reason toe, Everly whooped towards Lennox with a basket on her hands:" I brought my share of candies since they took yours ". The scene of a mountain of snacks and sweats bewitched Lennox, he schooled his expression and suppressed a smile saying: "nice you done, Everly ". Everly:" hehe, right!!". Everly jumped on the table and sat there since there weren''t any other seats, both happily munched on the snacks until Everly noticed the magical circles. Everly:" Lennox?". Lennox:" hn". Everly:" why are you using Ishanil circles?". Hearing that, Lennox chocked on the chocte he was eating, after few coughs, he cleared his throat and demanded:" YOU KNOW THE ISHANIL MAGIC !!!!!!?". Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Ishanil magic is a route of magic where the magician uses the mana circting inside his body to activate a magical circle. Usually, magical circles are activated using the surrounding mana floating in the air. While spells were cast using the mana stored in the body. But since humans had no magical system, they could not cast spells nor use Ishanil magic, only depending on magical circles. Although This magic route is way more difficult to get the hang of, many nonhumans still prefer to learn it since it gives more liberty in forming it. however, after the ck snow ident, the numbers of humans who are able to control mana decreased greatly, let alone the capability to activate a magical circle. ****** "Hn, master use them a lot so he taught me about it. But since I don''t have magic, it''s useless for me." Everly answered. ''Master? obviously, this master is not human, how old is he to be able to use Ishanil magic so causally?'' Lennox swallowed his astonished expression and wore a calm face. He said under his breath:" that''s right, Ishanil magic isplicated and consume a huge amount of mana, leave aside humans can''t perform it". Everly tilted her head asking with a dumb expression:" then why are you using it?". ''Ugh, I forgot about it. I might not be, but this body is human, I got to pay more attention to these details '' Yet before Lennox managed toe up with some make-believe crap Everly whooped suddenly:" is it because of your curse?". Lennox:"....??". Seeing that his expression was a bit off, Everly thought that she had touched a sore spot, immediately she said with an apologetic tone:" I am sorry, I didn''t mean to make you sad. I just heard people talking about a curse and stuff, I am really sorry ". Lennox:" I don''t really get your way of thinking, but it''s fine, I am not cursed actually. It''s rather my nature ". Everlys'' eyes widened, she grabbed Lennoxs'' hand and shoved her face next to his. Everly said sparkling:" so Lennox was born a ghost !!!!". Lennox pushed her face away, irritatingly said:" what is exactly is in your brain? In what way do I look like a ghost, huh?". Everly blurted: "there is a lot, your skin is too white....or blue I don''t know, your eyes are so dark with some strange dots shining in it, you don''t like the sun and people are scared of you. If Lennox is not a ghost then what are you? An owl?". Veins popped on Lennoxs'' forehead, he barked after swallowing a mouthful of soft candy:" like hell I am, I prefer people call me some nameless demon than a miserable ghost. Really, what a disgrace for my honourable being ". With puffed cheeks, Everly said angrily:" you talk like you are some divine angel. You called me a zombie before but I didn''t say anything". Lennox snorted:" you don''t even know what a zombie is ". At that moment, they both heard knock on the door followed by a female voice. " Your highness, are you in there?". Everly instantly recognized the voice and rushed to hid under Lennoxs'' desk. Lennox answered:" yes.e in, Rachel". When Rachel entered the room, Everly popped her head to take a peek at Rachels'' mood. After all, Everly disappeared without saying anything, it was normal for her to think that she might be upset with her. Rachel said in a firm tone:" my apologies, your highness. I have came to escortdy Everly back to her room, since it''s already past her sleeping time, and it''s inappropriate for ady to roam around the pce in a nightwear ". Even though Rachel was facing Lennox, but it was obvious that her words were directed to Everly. Everly:" I don''t want to sleep now, I just woke up a few hours ago. Also, I want to y with Lennox some more". Rachel scolded:" you are ady, anddies shouldn''t stay in other men''s rooms at night". Everlymented in a loud voice:" it''s fine, I am not ady I am a knight ". with a deep helpless sigh, Lennox said: "it''s fine Rachel, I will send her back with my assistantter. for now, you should go have some rest, it''s already past your shift". ''Plus, there are things that I need to confirm with this half Love'' Rachel curtsied to Lennox then left the room without opposing him. Everly first made sure that Rachel really left, then quickly jumped out of her hiding ce. She said in a lively tone:" thank you Lennox, you are a lifesaver ". Lennox pulled a package of cards off the drawer and asked Everly with a smirk:" want to y a few rounds?". The purpose for him to invite Everly was of course so she wouldn''t focus on the questions he asked her. The long night passed without them noticing, they yed and chatted for hours. Surly Lennox won most of the games, but he made sure to let Everly win a few rounds. By the time Everlys'' basket of snacks was empty, both of them had fallen in deep slumber next to each other. On that night, Lennox learned lots of things about Everly. He learned that she never met her parents nor does she have any blood rtives. He learned that she lived with a master and his disciple which were like a father and a brother to her. He learned that she lived in a town near a mountain where fierce animals live. He learned that she is an expert when ites to killing beasts. He learned many things. But the most important thing Lennox experienced was in that night and for the first time in years He slept soundly without nightmares. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 At morning, after carefully and soundlessly snatching Everly from Lennoxs'' bed, Rachel spent half an hour firmly scolding Everly for staying with Lennox for too long. Be it his sister or his granddaughter, Lennox would never show favour for someone just because they were rted by blood. If Lennoxs'' theory was right, it doesn''t necessarily mean that Everly is his sister. Even if she was his sister it can not guarantee her safety, and Rachel very much understood this. After all, she was the only one who agreed to take care of Lennox since his birth, and the one who stayed the longest by his side. The moment Rachel was done feeding and dressing her, Everlyunched to the throne hall where Jennings was supposed to be at this time of the day. As expected, Jennings was there sitting on his throne looking shiny and graceful, but the crowd of unfamiliar faces was out of the normal. It was obvious that they were aristocrat and generals. Everly hesitated whether she should break through these people or return to her room when a gentle hand rested on her head. " Everly? What are doing here?". The first thing that caught Everlys'' eyes was the copper shimmering long silky hair, then the familiar handsome face. It was Carson. Everly pointed at the crowd and said in a depressed tone:" I want to go to his majesty ". It was sure that Jennings at the moment had no time to y around and babysit Everly, however, Carson pretty much knew that whenever Everly would approach Jennings, he never sent her away no matter how busy he was. Besides, the girl is way too easy to distract, just give her a pen and she will y with it for half an hour. Carson said after a pause:" fine, I will take you there. But you have to promise me not to make troubles for his majesty, there is already enough crazy things happening there". Even though Everly was trying to make a solemn expression, she was still looking loveable while saying:" I promise not to make any". Carson held Everly on his arms and quietly walked closer to the throne, the hall was already in uproar thus no one actually noticed them. " so you suggest we leave them be?". " It can not be helped, we have sent over a hundred one elites knights, and none survived, even magicians could not break the mist formation ". " I agree, pouring water into a bottomless well is useless". " then what shall we do if that thing decided to move to another location? Are we supposed to throw every city it evades?". " if only we could reach to general Egerton". "Silence", his voice wasn''t loud, yet clear andmanding. With one word from Jennings, the whole hall fell in deep silence. He spoke in a dignified tone:" general Egerton whereabouts are unknown for the meantime, in addition, he will not return to the capital any soon". Whispers exploded in the long hall, if general Egerton, the strongest in Sitia Empire and the most experienced with the beasts and monsters, then what are they supposed to do. Jennings continued:" for now, focus on sorting the monsters'' species ". He was yet to finish his words when the sounds of whispers could be heard faintly from the side. "e on, it looks pretty. Please don''t take them off". " I can''t appear like this in front of his majesty and the nobles ". It looks that while they were having a solemn conversation, Everly managed to snatch few flowers off the decoration and warped them on Carsons'' long hair. Jennings called softly:" Everly? Ah, dear,e to here". Hearing her name, Everly fiercely flinched before slowly turning her head towards Jennings with a guilty expression. She shook her head twice saying in a low voice:" it''s fine, I promised not to make troubles ". Jennings knotted his brows and extended his hand, saying gently:" What troubles? You never made any. Come here, dear ". Carson carefully put Everly down, then she rushed to Jennings hopping. The knights and nobles were nkly staring at Jennings who was ignoring them to cuddle with a dinky little girl. Everly said whilefortably sitting on Jenningsp:" ah, your majesty. You said something about a monster, do you want me to help?". Jennings slowly stroke Everlys'' hair saying:" will you help?". Under her master''s teaching, Everly became quite well educated when ites to beasts and monsters. At the beginning of her life she travelled around the continent with her master and brother, they worked as hunters and faced numerous types of monsters, and naturally, Everly gained some of their knowledge and skills. Everly nodded quickly and energetically, Jennings chuckled fairly, he turned to one of the knights saying: "go ahead and tell her". The knight jolted in confusion:" huh?". Jennings raised a brow and coldly said:" should I repeat myself?". The knight startled, he quickly said:" not at all, your majesty. Please forgive this lowly one for his foolishness ", he bowed in 90 then inhaled deeply before saying:" a 200 feets beast appeared in the southern border, it invaded Yusfin city and branded it as his nest. Seemingly the beast is at least A ss monster. However we could not confirm it''s race due to the mist formation it casted, we even sent several groups of high-ss knights but none returned ". Everly blinked twice, then asked with dumb expression:" mist? Is it red and smells like two months old salted fish?". The knight hesitated to answer, how could he know how two months old salted fish is supposed to smell like? He gathered some courage and cleared his throat saying:" indeed as the youngdy said the mist is red, however, I am not sure about how it smells like. Please pardon my ill-knowledged self ". Everly said as if she lost her interest:" well, if it was red then that''s mean a single-eyed Sholid it''s eggs there, and casted the formation to protect it. If it smells strange then the Shol died, and they usually die afterying eggs ". One of the nobles responded with a fake smile:" mydy is quite knowledged. unfortunately, we can not depend solely on a mere guess. You see, if the monster was dead, then what exins our precious knight''s disappearance". Everly said pouting:" ha? Mister, are you perhaps marquis Ruess?". Baxter Ruess was taken aback first, but then he bowed with the same fake smile saying:" I am honoured that mydy recognized me". Everly quickly eximed innocently:" ah, I see now why you are asking, don''t worry, Lennox told me yesterday that you have a disability and can''t understand very well. It''s fine, I will exin, I will exin". Baxter Ruess face instantly changed from white to blue to green, all sorts of colours, until finely it settled on red Jennings quickly hid hisughter under a cough, while Carson turned to face the wall,ughing silently making his body shakes like an old washing machine. Jennings somehow managed to put on a calm face, he fixed Everlys'' seat, he said:" Everly, honey. This is wrong you must not say this about people, and Lennox is just a child like you, he doesn''t know a lot". Everly angrily said while pointing at Baxter Ruess:" then why he is not understanding, it can''t be because he is an idiot ". In a second, both Jennings and Carson burst out inughter. Such an unsightly act of an imperial member to do in public. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 After the portals that connect the realms dried out of mana due to the ck snow ident, many creatures of different races that were originally visiting the human realm had no way out to their realms. Although, a divine being is able to open a temporary gate to travel between the realms, without the portals the human world was isted. As a result, the nonhumans had to adjust and keep their bloodline, thus they kept a low profile and stayed far away from humans. However, the beast types need to feed on something, preys that are weaker than them, and what can be easier than hunting the defenceless humans. That goes for the lower ss beasts, but the higher cones mostly are intelligent and capable of using magic, therefore they knew that there is nothing goodes from hocking up with the humans. Hence, the higher ss beasts decided to settle by hunting the lower beasts. However, some beasts with one life cycle die afterying their eggs and the newborns will have to hunt their own preys to live, but with theirck of experience they might run into a difficult enemy and end up defeated. So the mother invades other low-ss beast''s nest and cast a formation to surround and trap the preys, and once the eggs hatch the newborns will find easy targets to feed on. As one of example, the single-eyed Shol. ***** Jennings and Carson quickly regained theirposure and hid their embarrassment under a cough. Carson stepped forward with a fake calm expression, he said solemnly:" my apologies for ourdy''s indecent words, it seems that she had been apanying the crown prince for much of time that she caught some of his attitude. If the Marquis would have some kindness to let this one slide, we will appreciate it". Kindness my ass Whenever Lennox name was brought in front of the aristocrats they would get the cold sweat. And Carson pretty much knew how to use this point for his good. That was an obvious threat, everyone understood the meaning behind his words: ( she is someone favoured by the crown prince, make her cry and I shall call the prince over) By hearing Lennox title, Baxter Ruess''s face who was originally reddened to its maximum suddenly paled to white sheet. Nope He is not messing with anything rted to Lennox. A cold sweat dropped in his forehead, Baxter Ruess said with an awkward smile:" do not worry about this, children are ignorant, they shall learn in the future. For now, we still have a significant matter in our hands". Seeing that Everly was about to say something, Jennings quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Instead, Carson spoke, exining:" mentioning that, his majesty and I pretty much trust thedy Everlys'' words, if the Shol is dead then there is a possibility that the inhabitants are safe. So, for the time being, we will focus on breaking the mist formation then immediately sending rescue squads". The knights and nobles who were pretending to be empty airs Suddenly exploded in whisperers. Jennings watered his heart with tears, he knew that after those folks leave the hall, another pack of strange rumours will appear. He already gave up on fixing the imperial family''s reputation, form the moment Lennox was born, rumours never stopped swinging to a bizarre path. He threw some pretty words and shooed those people away and exited the throne hall. Jennings sighed:" let''s go have something to eat, these guys worked my brains out for a dead beast". Everly:" huh? But I just ate my breakfast ". Carson who was walking behind them said:" mydy, it''s already past lunchtime. How is it that you just had your breakfast?". Everly eximed:" ah, yesterday I stayed all night ying with Lennox. So I woke upte ". Jennings:" yeah I heard about you hiding in Lennoxs'' room because you didn''t want to sleep". Everly said pouting:" but you didn''t hear about Rachel scolding me for thirty-two minutes ". Jennings:" hahaha, she did?". Carson thought '' and I am still speechless on how good you are at math'' Everly who was walking side by side with Jennings jumped in front of him. She winked after saying:" well, I don''t want to eat so I will go to y with the horses bye-bye ". She turned to leave and was about to take a step forward when Jennings suddenly grabbed the back of her cor and pulled her up, suspending her in air. Jennings scolded:" where do you think you are going? Whether you wanted or not, I got to feed you until you are fat enough. Look at you, almost ten, but I still grab you like five years old baby". Everly said while straggling:" but I just ate". Jennings sat her on his arm, walking toward the dining hall:" I never expected I would ever say such a thing, but you should learn from Lennox, he eats limitless amount of food ". Carson thought ''please don''t, there is not a single good thing you could learn from the prince '' ****** After being fed fully to the point that she can''t even walk straight, Everly decided to go to her room and crawl back into Rachels'' arms. Usually, Everly would jump from a window to another or run on the roof, and today was the first time she walked through the corridors back to her room. And as expected, she got lost. It was still early for the dusk, thus there weren''t any patrolling guards at the yard, Everly walked astray in hope to find anyone who would guide her in this vast pce. Luckily, she heard the sounds of softughtersing from behind the bushes, feeling delighted, Everly somehow dragged her full stomach and went to see those happilyughing people. Since she was shorter than the bushes, Everly had to push the leaves aside, but the scene behind wasn''t expected. The long golden wavy hair spread over the fresh green grass, a fairy white hand was tangled with another slightly bigger and rougher hand, eyes closed and lips sealed by each other. There were shameless people, shamelessly doing shameless acts. But wait!! That face wasn''t new for Everly. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Realizing that the wave of kisses suddenly stopped, the blonde woman opened her eyes to find her partner looking dumbfounded staring at a certain direction, she followed his gaze to meet eye on eye with the extremely shocked, disgusted, scared and confused Everly. The woman instantly jolted up:" Everly!!". Hearing her name being called by the same mouth that was making bizarre noises as if they were slurping on pumpkin juice, Everly couldn''t endure it anymore and vomited all the food Jennings just fed her. The man asked in shock:" you know her?". " yeah, she is my sister..... probably ". Seeing Annasophy walking towards her with a worried expression, Everly tried to escape, she really can''t look at her in the eyes. With an exhausted body, Everly dragged herself for a few steps before tripping on a little rock and fainting. Annasophy:".......". The other dude:"........, we should do something ". Annasophy:" oh, yes....... We should ". ******* After dusk, Lennoxzily climbed out of his bed, and as usual, the first thing he will do was to head to the dining hall. His stomach has the most property in life. Unexpectedly the pce was in unnoticeable chaos, some wereughing, some were sighing, some looked depressed. Even though everyone''s expressions and poses were schooled the moment he would appear in their sight, Lennox still could sense that something happened. He quietly entered the hall to find another unexpected scene. At the edge of the long luxurious table sat Jennings with awkward expression, behind him stood Carson looking pitiable, one of his eyes were swollen and his face was full of scratches and Bruising. While on the far opposite edge, was Everly, she looked like as if one touch and she will cry, by her side Rachel softly trying to soothe her. Since Lennox was basically raised by Rachel, he clearly knew the reason for this suffocating atmosphere. Rachel has entered the dangerous mama mood. Which mean, something happened to Everly, and the culprits were Jennings and Carson, but since Jennings was the Emperor Rachel wouldn''t do anything to him. Well, on the other hand, Carson wasn''t untouchable and that exins his condition. Lennox silently walked to the middle of the table, not close nor far of any sides. And while the dinner was being served to him, Jennings broke the longsted silence. Jennings:" Son, I know you have just done one, but there is another task for you". Lennox said irritated:" hey, I am not your errand boy". Jennings:" yeah I know, but I still need you to be the one to handle it". Since there was a lot of servants, Lennox tightened his heart and ate his food slowly and mannerly, looking all high and mighty, one would never guess how he acted when no one was looking. However, his tongue still stings either way. Lennox nonchntly asked:" do you have no shame? Letting your ten years old child do your duty!! And here I thought that thisnd was against childbour". With a nk expression, Jennings said: "three thousand golds". And an instant response came from Lennox:" deal. What do you want ". Jennings took a sip of his wine then gestured to Carson. Theter briefly exined: "at the southern border, there is a city called Yusfin, an A-ss beast invaded it and cast a mist formation. Asdy Everly said, the beast is a single-eyed Shol and it''s unlikely to be alive ". Lennoxmented:" indeed, the single-eyed Shols are one of the few beasts who can cast a mist formation. And if it really was one, then I doubt that it is alive ". He turned to the other side to praise Everly, however, she was already done drinking that soup she was struggling with and climbed on Rachels'' arms sobbing. Seeing her distressing status Lennox subconsciously blurted:" just what the hell happened to her". Rachel patted Everlys'' back couple of times before answering in Incensed tone:" you see your highness, there were two empty-headed idiots who fed my little Everly, god knows how much until she fainted. The poor girl kept vomiting for an hour, even hallucinating about some demonic rituals at the yard". Lennox stole a nce at the two idiots and both looked gloomy. He didn''t ask any further, and without saying anything else Rachel quietly left the hall with Everly. After a while of awkward silence, Lennox said with a sincere tone:" you both are dumb as fuck". Jennings sighed:" you don''t have to tell me about it". Lennox crossed his arms saying:" so what exactly do you want me to do? The beast is dead". Carson:" as your highness said, the beast is dead but the pce magicians said that it will take them a few days to break the formation, and we are still not sure about themoners'' circumstances. Also, a certain gentleman has sent a considerable number of knights but none returned". Lennox interrupted in outrage:" Is this a joke? ''Cause if it is, then that''s not funny ". Carson quickly exined apologetically:" my apologies your highness, but it is not. We are quite earnest in this matter ". Lennox wore a very bewildered expression, unbelievably saying:" what kind of fuck-heads sends people into a mist formation? It''s called mist formation because no one outside can get inside, and no one inside can go outside. Those who forcefully try to break it will end up running in circles, like a dog chasing its tail. Even dumbest magician knows that". Jennings indifferently said:" it was Marquis Ruess". Hearing that name, Lennox regained hisposure and calmly said: "well, that actually makes sense ". Jennings: "hn, indeed ". Lennox: "so I guess I have to break the formation and make sure the people are alive ". Jennings nodded:" it is as you said ". Chapter 29 Chapter 29 At her bedroom, Annasophy was biting on her nails while herdy-in-waiting brushing the long golden wavy hair in admiration. Annasophy was the typical image of a princess, looking as if she jumped out of a fairy tale, overly pretty and shiny. But this lovely Princess was having quite a hard time at the moment. Her secret affair has been discovered!! While imagining the worst scenario of her father''s reaction and the consequences, the door suddenly mmed open. With an indifferent attitude, Lennox directly walked to Annasophys'' bed and threw himself on it. Annasophy said in a frustrated tone:" how about knocking the door before invading someone''s room?". Lennox hummed, then answered with a straight face: "no thank you". Veins appeared on Annasophy''s head, she said grimly:" get out". Lennox smirked: "you sure? I thought you would be over the moon to see me, you need my help don''t you?". Annasophy gritted her teeth in defeat, it is as Lennox said, if there is someone who can get her out of this chaos without any extra troubles then it will only be him. Annasophy gestured at herdy-in-waiting to leave them alone, without hesitating the maid left silently. Of course, no one wants to stay in the same room with this cursed crown prince. After confirming that the room was empty, Annasophy demanded:" what do want?". Lennox flipped on his back facing the ceiling, he said:" forget about the dead man and I will keep your frog prince alive ". Annasophy barked:" you mean the one that you killed ". Lennox nonchntly said:" I didn''t kill him, I was just teaching him a lesson for annoying me and he died on his own". Annasophy sneered:" you crazy devil". Lennox:" so, is it a deal?". Annasophy:" a dead man is different from a few kisses in the yard". Lennox sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed: "yeah, in normal terms. But not for the old bastard, I can''t insure your lovers'' safety if he hear about this". Annasophy knotted her brows, her eyes filled with concern and worries, Jennings has always been overprotective when ites to her. thinking that someone would break his precious daughter''s heart, Jennings declined all the marriage proposals that were sent to Annasophy, believing that only a worthy man can have his Princess. If getting close to her was this risky, then the one who already did the deed could be considered as good as dead. Annasophy raised her head, about to respond to Lennox but suddenly the face of her beloved shed inside her head, making her slightly tremble. Seeing her struggling to answer, Lennox decided to step down a little for her. At the end of the day, he is the one who gains the most, convincing Jennings to not kill someone was a piece of cake for him. Lennox sighed as he leaned on one of his arms:" I know I am asking much for a little, then how about this, I will turn your frog prince into that ''worthy and reliable'' person that the old bastard is looking for as to be your partner". Annasophy: "hmph, as if you could". Lennox: "of course I do. Who do you think I am ?". Annasophy said doubtfully: "and how are you going to handle the current situation? ". Lennox:" Everly is dumb as fuck, I can easily y with her memories ". Annasophy hesitated for a long while before she finally gave up and agreed to leave the matter to Lennox. ****** By the time Lennox reached to Everlys'' quarters, the umbre butler returned after delivering Lennoxs'' massage to Oliver demanding him to prepare five knights to head off towards the south by the dawn. As he always did, Lennox kicked the door open making both Everly and Rachel jolting in surprise. Lennox said delightedly: "oh, you are not asleep yet, lucky me". '' how do expect people to keep sleeping when you are basically invading them'', the umbre butler thought. Rachel quickly stood and curtsied to Lennox, she asked respectfully:" what brings your highness here at this hour?". Lennox kept his smile as he walked closer to them, he said: "I came to cheer zombie girl up since she looked so depressed during dinner ". Hearing that, Everly who was originally feeling dizzy and was about to fall asleep, she whooped: "you came to y with me!!". Lennox:" not really. I am here to ask if you want to apany me to Yusfin in the south ". Everlys'' answer was obvious on her wide smile and sparkling eyes but before she could say anything, Rachel quickly responded:" your highness, Thedy is still not feeling well, I am afraid she won''t be able to handle the travel troubles ". Everly whined instantly:" noo!! I am fine I can go, I want to go". Lennox:" do not worry, Rachel. As of her safety, I shall take care of it, and it''s better for her health to go out for some air instead of being caged inside the pce all the time ". Everly hugged Rachels'' arm, looking at her with pleading eyes, after a pause of hesitation, Rachel couldn''t continue to refuse Everlys'' tears and gave up on stopping her. Rachel sighed:" fine, if this what your highness decided and what thedy wishes to, I can not oppose". Lennox eximed:" perfect!! Then we leave at dawn ". While Everly was happily flipping on her bed, Rachel escorted Lennox to the door, yet before he goes in his way, she called for him:" your highness!". Lennox turned to face the wary and solemn Rachel, she continued:" I know I am crossing my line, but wish if your highness would tell me the reason for your kindness towards thedy ". Lennox let out a short dryugh saying:" it''s not like I am showing her any special favour, the thing is, I only resent humans". Rachel was dumbfounded for a moment, but she immediately regained herposure saying:" I see, forgive me for suspecting your intentions, your highness ". Lennox turned back and walked a couple of steps beforeing to a halt, with a straight back and a head hung high, he said in a clear voice: "however, those that I owe shall not be mistreated ". after throwing that, Lennox headed his way leaving Rachel bewildered. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 As it was nned, the carriage and the five knights Lennox told them to prepare Were all ready to set off by the dawn, leaving only Everly that did not appear at the sight. Wearing a slipper and a nket over his silky nightwear, Lennox stood next to therge carriage looking pissed, he said in an irritated tone: "where is zombi Everly? Howe she iste again?". The umbre butler answered for behind:" I believe she will be here in no time, your highness ". Indeed, at that moment, Everlys'' figure popped up on the air, seems that she had recovered overnight and now she can hop around as usual. Everlynded lightly in front of Lennox making only a tap sound, she pped her hands in a prayer shouting: "I am sorry!!!!! But Rachel took too long lecturing me and I couldn''t say anything to her. Really I am sorry ". It was normal for Rachel to act overly protective, after all, Everly has been passing out or getting hurt since the very first day she came to the pce. And now that she is going somewhere obviously dangerous, it would be a miracle if she won''t be beaten to a plob. Hearing that, Lennox sighed, deciding not to drag this topic any further, He turned to the knights'' team leader asking:" how long will it take to go from Zahani to Yusfin, kai?". Normally, there is a crystal gate at every city for a faster and safer journey, however, they are quite expensive thus they are rarely used by themoners. And since they can''t teleport by crystal gates directly to Yusfin city, Lennox and the others had to go to a closer city first, then use the usual way to reach Yusfin. A young man with soft features, his face more like womans'' than a mans'' face, if not for his t chest anyone would think he is a woman. Kai answered:" half-day at most, your highness ". Lennox:" very well, once we reach there, set up a camp somewhere not far nor close to the city walls, then take a break and rest until I wake up. Make sure no one gets close to the mist, especially that blockhead girl". While Lennox was busy giving instructions, Everly went ahead to enter the carriage, since she can''t help with it anyway. Seeing her heading to take her seat, the umbre butler rushed before her and politely opened the door. However, Everly just stood in her ce staring at the insides of the carriage confused. Lennox finished instructing the knights and went take his ce, seeing Everly blocking his way, Lennox pinched her arm saying: e on, get inside already ". With a tear hanging at the corner of her eyes from that painful pinch, Everly whined:" but there is nowhere to sit". Indeed, the carriage had no seats, instead, it was filled with cushions, futons and pillows covering a Bed mattress under them. Lennox looked dazed when saying:" huh? This is not for sitting, it''s for sleeping, idiot ". Everly:" why would you sleep all the way? It won''t even take that long, we can watch the sceneries". Lennox:" like I give a shit about that, I need twelve hours of sleep daily, or I will die". Everly pouted: "you are azy dog, that''s all". Veins popped on Lennox''s forehead, he said clenching his teeth:" want to fight you dumbass monkey ". Everly clicked her tongue:" tsk, I will just ride the horse with the pretty mister ". She threw that and hopped away towards Kai. While Lennox rolled his eyes, then dashed into the carriage, shutting the door with a bang. ***** After exiting Zahani city, the sceneries that could be seen were mostly driednds and rocks, all looking the same, making Everly fall deep in depression. '' if I knew it will only be dead earth I might have slept inside with Lennox '' After hours of regretting her decision, Everly and her group finally caught the sight of Yusfin city, although all they could see was a big red cloud, it was obvious that they had reached their destination. As Lennoxmanded, the group camped half a mile away from the walls, and as a team leader, Kai made sure that everyone stayed at a fifty meters radius, then he made a long ass list of the prohibited acts for Everly, which was basically everything. Since breathing is the only allowed thing to do, Everly thought that she might as well take a nap with Lennox, the dusk was still three hours far after all. She soundlessly crawled into Lennoxs'' nket, at first she wanted to keep some space between them since the carriage was quite spacious. However, the sight of Lennoxs'' badly frown face, as if was having a nightmare, wasn''t something Everly could just ignore. She slowly closed the distance between them, too close that every time she blinks her eyshes would brush on Lennoxs'' skin, in a low voice Everly hummed a luby, holding one of his hands tightly. And in no time, she also fell in deep slumber. Gradually the sun disappeared behind the horizon, and the knights had to prepare the dinner. With some luck, they managed to find a withered tree to set up the fire, the scarlet mes danced under therge boiling pot, and the mouthwatering smell of Kais'' golden chicken soup filled the air. A muscr middle-aged knight heard Kai mumbling for himself: "will this much be enough?". " why not? To me, this much is enough to feed a starving elephant, hahaha". Kai startled a little:" ah, Sir Michael". Michael: "why are you worrying about such travail thing?". Kai rubbed his temple, saying with a faint smile: "well, the thing is that my sister works as a maid in the pce, she told me that the crown prince eats a lot, so I was just wondering what can be considered enough for him". Michael:" rest assured, how much can a ten years old child eat". Kai sighed: "you are right ". A knight who was originally busy cleaning his sword butted in their conversation:" but damn, for real. Are you sure you are not a woman?". Veins popped on Kais'' forehead, she barked: "HUH?!!! Do you wish to die!!". Michael:"e on Sandro, don''t tease him. He is the team leader, at least give him some face". Sandro returned the sword to its scabbard saying:" hey, I am serious. I mean he would make a perfect housewife for sure, let aside, he is prettier than half of the women I saw in my life". At that moment, the other two knights who were patrolling returned to the camp, one of them asked jokingly:" what''s there, are you harassing our maiden Kai?". Kai: "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MAIDEN?". Sandropletely ignored Kai and headed with his question:" hey, Ethan, Noah. You two are from the same campus as Kai, right? Did you see him bath before? Does he really have something in his pants?". Kais'' face turnedpletely red out of embarrassment, but Ethan had no mercy for him, he said: "ohoooo, he does, he does. But you will need a telescope to see it, hahahaha". Noah:" how long was it? Yeah two inches, hahahaha". The three of them busted inughter, while Michael was trying his best not tough, Kai was already steaming, red like a cherry. And in the middle of this mess, the carriage door suddenly mmed open with a loud bang. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Although Kais'' outstanding cookings'' smell was already bewitching, for someone who hadn''t eaten for thest twelve hours, the delicious smell grew way too irresistible. Overwhelmed by the scent in the air, Lennox slowly opened his eyes to meet with Everlys'' face. '' her eyshes are long and thick... I could make a brush out of them'' He stared nkly for a while until the loud chatters outside snapped him awake. " did you see him bath before? Does he really have something in his pants?". Lennox face suddenly darkened '' what the heck are they talking about '' "ohoooo, he does, he does. But you will need a telescope to see it, hahahaha" '' is this the type of conversations elite knights should be having?'' " how long was it? Yeah, two inches, hahahaha". With a deep sigh, Lennox pulled out his hand from Everlys'' grip then reached to his slippers. And while theirughter was still echoing in the emptynd, Lennox kicked the door and stepped out of the carriage. Wearing an unreadable expression, he said threatening:" may I ask why the hell I am waking up to a conversation about little d**ks?". Everyone jumped on their feets, that''s it, this is their moment, they are going to die. With absolutely not sincere smile Lennox said:" uh, now I have the urge to bury five people. But oh, what a coincidence, I have five people right in front of me ". Just as he finished his sentence, Everly suddenly jumped on his shoulders warped with the nket: "Aaahh, I smell something delicious ". " get the hell off me, dumbass Everly!!!" Lennox barked. Everly:" then don''t stand in the way, move!". Kai swallowed his dry saliva, nervously saying:" um, your highness, do you wish me to bring your meal inside the carriage?". Lennox, who is so annoyed by Everly, was about to pull her hair, but withdrew in thest moment, satisfied by just pinching her. He answered:" no need I am eating outside ". Kai wasn''t actually asking, but was telling him that he will get his dinner inside. Normally, when serving nobles, their fancy meals are supposed to be brought in their luxurious tents. However, Lennox returned the tent that Kai prepared saying that he was morefortable in the carriage, which Kai couldn''t ept but also couldn''t do anything about it. Seeing that Lennox forgot about the pants thing, kai decided to put a little more pressure. Kai:" I believe that it would be more pleasant and enjoyable if you had your dinner in the carriage ". Lennox responded indifferently:" no it''s fine, I will have it outside ". Kai:" if it''s that you wish to dine with thedy, then I shall bring her meal inside as well". Lennox:" Nah, just why are you so persistent ". Kai suddenly broke:" ''CAUSE YOU ARE A PRINCE, GOD DAMNIT". Lennox was taken aback by the sudden attitude, but his expression did not change. Kai and the other knights, watered their hearts with tears hoping that at least he will keep Kais'' corpse intact. Lennox for some reason wasn''t displeased with his words, instead, he said to Kai while his eyes following Everly who was sneaking a steamed bun:" well, I might be an imperial member but I don''t really give a fuck about these trivial issues. I mean, I am not picky, food is food after all". He said this then walked to Everly and bit the already bitten steamed bun, he said munching on it:" how dare you fill your stomach without me". Distressed about the big bite Lennox took, Everly pouted:" you are not picky, you eat everything, fresh was it or wilted, green or brown. You swallow everything in your sight ". Veins popped on Lennox''s face, he said with suppressed anger: "you have been on my nervestely, what is wrong with you ". Everly:" nothing, I am just being honest as your friend ". Both of them kept biting each other until the end of the dinner, and as if a war never raised, Lennox and Everly acted as they normally did. To proceed with the mission, Lennox decided to head first and examine the mist formation, but was stopped by Kai, arguing that he should wear an armour instead of a pyjama and slippers. In the end, Kai could only persuade him to change his slippers to proper shoes. Lennox tied a belt around his waist, and from the bag that is hanging on the belt, he pulled a card with a magical circle drawn on it. He poured some mana on the card making the magical circle glow, and in a blink of eye, Lennox disappeared and appeared again far from them, next to the mist. "Aah, don''t leave me behind, you meany". Everly who was busy trying to fix her own belt instantly leapt a long and high jump tond just next to Lennox. Ethan stared at Everly while she was crossing half a mile in one hop, he sighed in awe:" kids these days are scary, man". Noah agreed:" damn right, at their age I was still wetting my bed". Kai called for them:" guys,e on. We need to follow them as well". When Sandro was done putting on his armour, he walked to Kai asking: "by the way, who is that little girl, she always makes the background turn pink". Kai elbowed him saying:" hey, call her youngdy or something. I heard his highness and sir Oliver talking, it seems she is his majesty the emperors'' guest, but the prince is suspecting her to be his sister ". Michael joined the chat asking:" why would he think so?". Kai:" my sister told me that his majesty is treating thedy too well, and they are quite close, let alone, she is ten years old ". Sandro:" ten? No wonder the prince was so rxed around her". Michael: "yeah, he always had that untouchable aura around him, I never saw someone being friendly to him aside from general Egerton ". Kai pped his hands saying:" ok, this is not our business people. So let''s just get going... HEY ETHAN, NOAH, MOVE YOUR ASSES". Chapter 32 Chapter 32 " ugh, what the hell is this foul smell?" Lennox eximed in disgust. Everly answered:" ah, it''s the single-eyed Shols'' rotten corpse". Lennox frowned firmly, covering his nose he said:" ughhh, I feel like puking, oh no, I am dying. a, damn it" Everly scolded:" Hey!! my nose is way more sensitive than yours and I am not even frowning. So stopining and". Everly was yet to demand Lennox to do his job quickly, when she began sniffing closer to the mist, with a troubled expression, she said:" there is also a faint scent of human corpses, seems like some people died here a while ago ". Lennox fought the urge to throw up his dinner and said frustrated:" for fuck sake!!!! why do you know how dead bodies smells like?!!!". Everly crossed her arms irritated: "I told you, I am a beast hunter ". Lennox sneered:" I thought you were a knight ". Everly responded naively:" I am a beast hunter knight". " you are just a dumb zombie" Lennoxmented. By that time Kai and his group had closed the distance between them, only few meters left away. Sensing that they have arrived, Lennox straightened his torso and schooled his expression, even though the air suffocated him, he did not want to show a weak side of him to his fellow subordinates. However, the smell was way too unbearable, and it might even get worse by time. nonchntly, Lennox pulled Everly closer and unfastened her hair ribbon, letting her caramel hair spread over her slender shoulders. Everly eximed:" what are you doing!! This is my ribbon!!". " lend it to me for now," he said that while warping it around his face, covering both his nose and mouth. Thebination between his ck hair and the red ribbon was unexpectedly stylish and pleasant, especially after taking in count his pale blueish skin as a background. '' he looks cool, I will keep it with him for a bit'' The moment Kai and the others stepped before Lennox, thetter showered them withmands. Lennox: "you are here, good. We are splitting the team into three, Kai, the gay dude, this monkey and I will enter the city, since this one can''t be broken from the outside forcefully". Somehow, the reason to call Everly a monkey could be seen vividly, but why refraining to Sandro as {the gay dude}? Without giving them the time to protest, Lennox continued:" the twozy frogs will stay here in case of emergencies,stly, the puffed uncle will return to Zahani to request for medical teams, since there are dead humans, surely there will be injured ones". Sandro watered his heart with tears, he can not bark at Lennox, he is an imperial member, let alone a scary one. formally, Sandro asked:" would your highness mind enlighten us about the way to break through the formation without being trapped?". Lennox nkly said:" we will fly there". Both Sandro and Kai blinked twice, speechless. How do he expect them to fly? Are they supposed to grow wings out of the blue? With a pause, Lennox added:" I can only teleport within the range of my sight, so we will have to go up there then jump down inside the walls". Jump?!!! Isn''t these walls at least fifty meters?!! Forget about surviving, they are more concerned if their corpses would be recognizable. While the two men were sobbing for their lives, Everly who was carelessly stepping in and out of the mist, suddenly called:" or we can use this path". " what path ?" Lennox asked. " this here, I can smell the ocean-like scenting from this part, it''s the path the mother left for her children to use when they are ready to leave the nest". With a conflicted expression, Lennox said bewildered:" did your brain got damaged so your olfactory system became such heavy-duty?". Everly:" huh? What do you mean?". Before they start fighting again, Kai quickly intruded:" does Mdy know Where this path ends at?". Everly:" where the eggs wereid mostly ". Lennox indifferently said:" it will better if it was, we will have to destroy them anyway, but it can''t be sure until we get there". Kai agreed firmly, while Sandro was still confused. '' so first you said we suicide and jump off from more than fifty meters high but now you say we have to sniff our way through? Is there any logic left in this world?'' Since this crazy mess does not include them, the twozy frogs, Ethan and Noah, were gazing at Sandro with pitty. ''Ah, the poor thing, they are taking him to die '' In the time Sandro was crying bitterly in his heart, Kai managed to persuade Lennox to enter through the path Everly found, at least their chances to survive were higher that way. Yet before they stepped into the mist, Everly extended her arm and held Lennoxs'' hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And while Lennox acted not bothered nor pleased but rather indifferent, the two knights walking behind them were about to mentally break down. '' What is that! When did the prince learn to be a good brother?!!! Wasn''t he the one who always called Princess Annasophy, his older sister, a whore or a bitch?!! Did he fall for Everlys'' cuteness?'' As she walked confidently, Everly gradually began turning to the right, and after twenty minutes of following her, they finally caught a glimpse of the city walls. Faint glowing lights could be seen from the gigantic hole on that thick wall, after looking closer, the glowing lights were actually the reflection of the moon on the mirror-like eggshells. Lennox stared at the eggs that were almost about thirty or forty in numbers, each one of them was as high as a grown adult. And with s solemn face he called:" oi, Everly ". "Hn". " are these eggs edible?". In instant, Sandro and Kais'' faces darkened. ''you really ain''t picky your highness, you just eat everything in sight'' Despite Sandro and Kais'' troubled reaction, Everly answered earnestly:" master said they aren''t poisonous as long as they did not mature, however, I didn''t try them so I don''t know about the taste. Why are you asking?". Lennox suppressed his smirk and said nonchntly:" I thought it would be good to take one or two with us back to the pce, you know, as a souvenir". Dazed by the horrible smell and Lennoxs'' disgusting ideas, Kai kept surveying the surroundings while clenching his heart in pitty for the innocent Everly who seriously believed that make-believe crap. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 While the group was working hard to gather all the eggs next to the huge corpse of the Shol, Lennox idly sat on the corpses'' head watching them mindlessly. And when they were just about to finish, Sandro, who disappeared since a while, returned dragging arge ck scorpion-like pedipalp. " which hell did you get that from?" Lennox asked. Sandros'' face has already turned pale green from the horrible smell that surrounded them, he did not want to open his mouth, but also could not ignore Lennox. He said struggling:" I found it under the ruins of that mansion, and thought to bring it since we are burning them all". Strangely, as Lennox remembers, the corpse he is sitting on did not have any missing limbs. Then where did this onee from? Sensing that something was wrong, Everly tossed aside the egg in her hands and walked to Lennox, the moment she stood next to him, her face stiffened and her eyes suddenly began twitching. rmed, Lennox asked: "what''s wrong ". Hesitantly Everly answered:" um, a.... this one is ...actually male". Both Lennox and Sandro fell in deep silence. No one checked if the beast is actually dead or not!!! It could not be helped, there was that unbearable smell of rotten flesh, how could they suspect it to be alive. Females mostly die afterying the eggs, but this one is a male, what are the odds of it being alive? They were still processing that, when a loud crack sound came from behind. Slowly turning their heads, the group was faced with Kai firmly holding his left hand and blowing on his palm. He eximed:" it suddenly heated up, I can''t even touch it". Hearing that, Lennox instantly called to Everly:" hey!!! They are not hatching, are they?!!". She was yet to answer when the head Lennox was sitting on suddenly began raising. Lennox:"....." Sandro: "HOLY SHIT, YOUR HIGHNESS, JUMP!! ". He did not have to tell him, even before Sandros'' voice disappeared, Lennox was already standing next to him. The three quickly dashed away from the giant monster, but they couldn''t sigh in relief yet, the eggs started shaking and cracking. Kai:" your highness!!!! I think those things are really hatching ". Irritated, Lennox shouted:" WHAT KIND OF FUCKING EGGS THAT HATCH IN TWO DAYS". Everly said with a troubled face:" they are not hatching because they matured. The pregnancy failed, what ising out of the eggs are parasites". Sandro:" what type of parasites exactly?". Everly frowned:" ....I don''t know ". '' damn it, the worst situation, we might be crushed by that big ass Shol before these parasites devour our corpses. This body doesn''t have much of mana, and I didn''t bring my sword either'' While Lennox was drowned in his thoughts, Everly advanced instantly to the monsters'' spider-like legs, striking it''s joint with a destructive strength until it was barely sticking together with the other half, then hopped to the next one to do the same. '' she is trying to immobilize it first, then nail it down. Seems like she is not dumb when ites to killing '' Lennox immediately grabbed a card from the small bag on his belt, instantly after pouring magical energy into the card, a thick white chain popped out of itunching towards the Shol and warped around its long neck. Lennox firmlymanded:" Sandro!! Hold this, pin him down. Kai, go help Everly, I have to create a magical circle, if these eggs hatched we are so fucked up ". His body right now was still immature, thus he is not able to circte the mana properly, leaving him with a simple amount of it, not to forget that Ishanil magic originally consumes magical energy to a great extent. Which means that Lennox needs to use the humans'' magical circles by consuming the surrounding mana to create fire strong enough to wipe the parasite and the Shol clean. The moment he arrived at a perfect spot he immediately and carefully began spreading a white powder on the ground in a certain pattern. The beast roared and heavily mmed the ground every time Everlys'' sword or Kais'' arrows pierced through his thickyers and flesh, if it was not for Sandro pinning it down, Everly would have been long since blown off somewhere. In the middle of the loud roars, sharp cries pierced Lennoxs'' ears, and when he raised his head he found few of the eggs hatched and the parasites were heading towards him. '' great, first we got the worm-spider massive bastard, and now these giant mosquitos? Did I hit a ck cat today or something? Why is everything goes from bad to worse?!!!!'' Lennox quickly pulled another card from his bag, holding it in one hand to generate fire sts burning the parasites to ashes, while the other hand never stopped drowing the circle. Finally, Everly and Kai managed to break all of the Shols'' limbs. Seeing that he is no more necessary there, Sandro immediately tossed the chain and hurried to aid Lennox who was still being attacked by the giant mosquitos. Without a minute to rethink, Everly dashed from the back of the beast while randomly stabbing it on her way up to its neck. Avoiding the round mouth filled with sharp teeth, Everly clung on the Shols'' head, facing itsrge golden eye. Hurriedly yet carefully, Everly pierced the corner of the beasts'' eye, following the edge without damaging it, and plunged out the basketball-sized eyeball perfectly. "Mister Kai, hit it where its eyes were!!" she said this then jumped in the wide mouth of the Shol. " mdy!!!!". Hearing Kai calling for her desperately, Lennox turned his head searching for Everly but it was fruitless, instead, he could see something round sliding in the beasts'' throat. Frustrated, Lennox shouted in rage:" DUMBASS EVERLY!!! I SWEAR IF YOU DIE I WILL SLAUGHTER EVERYONE OF YOUR BLOODLINE ''TILL THE NINTH GENERATION!!!! ". He turned his head to the magical circle that he just finished, murmuring:" that''s if Rachel kept me alive.....". Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Now that the preparations werepleted, was there a reason for him to ck off? With both his palms, Lennox mmed the edge of the magical circle causing it to instantly glow and burst in heat. The mes speedily circled around Lennox and dramatically grewrger, generating a forceful fire cyclone. Seeing the burning mes advancing towards him at full speed, Sandro dashed away like a bat out of hell. ''Heavens!!! that was too close, the bastard doesn''t even care if he killed us identally'' Now that things tensed out, Kai assumed that he really need to get Everly out of that beast before Lennox burn them all together. As Everly told him, with activating the power cristal to boost the magic on his arrows, kai aimed at the Shols'' head, exactly at the empty hole that Everly left. As Sandro has long since released the chain, the beast has been swinging his long neck randomly hitting anything reachable, which gave Kai quiet hard time, however, he is an elite knight, few seconds of concentration would provide him with a perfect opportunity. And once the opportunity arrived, Kai directed three arrows in a row, piercing its head through therge empty space. The moment the Shols'' body dropped dead, Kai immediately ran to it. "Mdy!!!! Mdy!!!!". After calling for her few times, Everly finally responded by piercing her sword from the inside so Kai could locate her. Immediately after seeing the swords'' tip, Kai pulled a long knife from his belt, stabbing and shing the monsters'' abdomen. Atst, he managed to open a path enough for Everly to crawl from, she barley pulled her leg out when a sudden stream burst out of nowhere, too strong that it sent her flying couples of feet away. " OH GOD, MILADY ". Seems like by the time Lennox was done with the eggs and parasites, he turned to hurriedly finish the Shol off but was struck with the scene of Everly covered in guts and purple sticky fluids. Instantly, waves of goosebumps raised in his back, without even reconsidering her physical condition, Lennox pulled a card and used all that has left of his mana to generate a stream of clean water. '' A LOVE IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOVEABLE!!! Why ARE YOU DOING THIS DISGUSTING SHIT?!!! AND HERE I WAS THINKING THAT YOUR JASMINE-LIKE SCENT WAS NICE!! Damn it'' When the waves pouring on her stopped, the Shols'' corpse has already been turned to ashes not even leaving the spilt blood on the ground. Everly jumped on her feet, frustrated, she said:" why did you do that?!!, you dog Lennox!!! ". Annoyed, Lennox answered with raised brows:" this is my line, dumbass Everly. Is it fun swimming in guts? Or did your brain lost itsst two cells?". Everly chewed her words, and again after a pause, she said pouting:" master said that the Shols'' eye is poisonous for humans, even little drops can kill them. It will be fine if they were covered, but mister Kai isn''t wearing armour and I don''t want him to die". At first, Lennox was nonplussed by her answer, but he soon regained hisposure. Shifting his gaze to Kai saying dryly:" which reminds me. Kai, you were about to cry when I said I didn''t need an armour, but look at you, not wearing one and causing troubles. What a shameless fellow you are". Now that the pressure suddenly fell on him, Kai nced at Sandro hoping that he might help, but as soon as he saw the dumb expression Sandro wore Kai gave up immediately, seems like the guy was still processing the events and can''t be reached. Kai would never tell these kids that he is not wearing armour because if he does then his t chest won''t be seen, and men will roam around him thinking he is a woman. He surely doesn''t want them to know, however, Kai can''t just ignore a direct question from an imperial member, a crown prince of them all. With a cold sweat hanging on his temple, kai awkwardly smiled saying:" ah, you see, your highness, I am an Archer, I fight from far distant which does not require me to be full armour. Overall, my lowly life is nothing topare with your highness''s". " is that so?", Lennox said with a cunning smirk hidden behind the red ribbon. '' he figured it out!!!!! How can he see right through me?!!!'' Kai did not answer, but silently staring at the ground. Seeing him tense like that, Lennox decided not to bully him and pull things further, sighing, he said:" never mind, for now, take her to change before that smell sticks on her skin". Everly eximed: "ah, I didn''t bring any extra clothes". Lennox:" it''s fine, just use mine. I have to deal with the formation and ensure the safety of the inhabitants, you go first ". As Kai warped Everly with his coat and carried her away, Everly never averted her gaze from Lennox, staring at him until he disappeared from her sight. '' .......I want to be like him'' ***** When Kai and Everly arrived at the camp, they were faced by the scene of Ethan and Noah leaning on each other, deeply in sleep that they were snoring. '' this is not the type of (keeping watch) that the prince meant'' Irritated by their carelessness, Kai threw his heavy quiver on their faces causing them to jolt awake. Startled, Ethan blurted:" you are back, that was too soon, aah, we were just pretending to sleep, you know like a prank, hahaha". Kai scanned the two knights from head to toe, his expression seemed as if he was looking at two garbage cans, however, he kept his silence. Being stared at in that way sobered the two men, and made them realize that one of the main characters was missing. Noah:" what about the crown prince?". Kai ced Everly down on her legs, rummaging through the luggage he answered:" he said to leave first since he needed to take care of other things ". Once he finished his sentence, Noah suddenly eximed:" hey look, the must is fading ". Ethan said in awe:" Oh god, this kid is giving me new reasons to fear him every day. Isn''t that formation made by an A-ss monster?!!". Ignoring them, Kai pulled a ck sit of clothes and handed them to Everly. He subconsciously said:" you know how to change outfits right? Here". He didn''t expect an answer to that, but he also did not expect that Everly would just stand stiff with a troubled expression. Ethan blurted:" are serious?!!!". Noah:" for real? Even five years old toddlers know how to put on some clothes ". The more they talked the more Everlys'' face crumbled, Kai assumed that she might cry at this rate, and if she did, then these two idiots are as good as dead. Kai, carried Everly and sat her on his arm, patting her back, he scolded both Ethan and Noah:" of course she wouldn''t know, you stupid punks, she is ady, and is supposed to be pampered ". After a pause, he changed his tone and gently said to Everly:" it''s okay mdy, I will help you". While watching him walk away with Everly in his arms, Ethan Whispered:" is it alright to let a man assist ady dressing?". Noah answered, also whispering:" well, Kai is more a woman than a man he is more suited for the mission than us, and I guess it''s fine since she is a kid". Kai took her behind the carriage and carefully unbuttoned her shirt. with a towel covering her head, Kai couldn''t see her face but the little drops falling on his hand told him she was crying. Quickly, Kai grabbed her cheeks, eximing in worry:" mdy!! What''s wrong?!". Everly said sobbing:" I am sorry ". Kai:" for what? Mdy never did anything bad". Everly:" I caused troubles for Kai.... if I was as reliable as Lennox..... then I, I won''t cause troubles.... I would be useful ". Kai brushed her tears away soothing her, he said:" what trouble? It''s my honour to serve mdy. And mdy is already this amazing, you are as reliable as the crown prince, there is no need to feel imperfect ". Kaiforted her until she finally stopped crying, and after dressing, Everly decided to take a nap until Lennox returns since he had to handle manyplicated things to her at the city. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Midnight passed not long ago, and Lennox has already returned to the camp looking annoyed and displeased. He sat on a boulder near the fire, mumbling:" screw those filthy old farts, ugh, I still feel disgusted. I want to peel my skin, ew". Staring at Lennox, Kai whispered to Sandro, confused:" what happened? Why is his highness so irritated?". Being worked out all night without rest, Sandro really hadn''t any energy to speak, but he also did not want Kai to keep nagging him until he talks. Sighing, Sandro said:" after burning all the corpses, that deadly smell instantly faded, thus the prince had no reason to keep that ribbon warped around him. So when we went to meet the mayor, there happened to be some nobles and they were so delighted about his highnessing to rescue them that they clung to him altogether. He has just taken off that ribbon and was too used to the little girls'' jasmine fragrance that these people smelled like shit to him, I am not overreacting when I tell you that he really puked meals belonged to nine days ago". Nonplussed, Kai could notment anything on the story, but only ''ah'' escaped from his mouth. After calming a bit, Lennox dryly asked:" where is Everly?". Kai:" she has been asleep for a while now". " I see", Lennox said solemnly after a pause:" for now take a rest. I reactivated the crystal gate it shall be ready by dawn, and then we depart back to the capital. However, those two shit-heads are staying here to survey and provide a more detailed report about the actual damage, and don''t bother me when the medical teams arrive, just let them go and do their job". He said this then entered the carriage without looking back at the troubled Kai. Inside the spacious cold carriage, Everlyid at the corner facing the wall, deep in sleep. "Oi, you sleeping?". Lennox asked, but no response came. He pulled a card from his belt bag, with a pof sound, the card in his hand turned to a silky nightwear. Lennox nced at Everly then helplessly sighed. ''I can''t care less'' He unbuttoned his shirt and changed to the new nightwear, which basically looked the same as the one she was wearing. Lennox tossed his old clothes aside, preparing to throw himself on the soft futon when he noticed that his clothes covered something underneath them. ****** An unknown time passed after she fell asleep, Everly slowly opened her eyes on the sounds of rustling and crunching. She turned her head to be hit by the scene of Lennox nkly munching on her snacks, the very snacks that Rachel packed them with love and put them in a basket, she was told to share some with Lennox, but it seems he doesn''t need anyone to invite him. After taking few minutes to process what was happening, Everly jolted up and dashed to the basket, sadly, the basket that was once filled with her favourite food was wiped clean. Silence covered the atmosphere for a brief moment until Everly exploded:" YOU ATE EVERYTHING!!!!! EVEN THE CHEESE POPCORN!! LENNOX YOU DOG YOU MEANY!!". Lennox covered one ear barking:" shut up, you crazy monkey!! My ears will bleed". Everly rebuked: "you won''t even apologize!! Hmph, mannerless punk". Lennox: "huh? You wish to die? Forget it, I will buy you others from the capital". Everly:" what do I need it then, it takes eight hours to reach there". Lennox crossed his arms saying with irritated face: "no it doesn''t, I fixed the crystal gate, we can return there in no time". Hearing that, Everly was slightly taken aback, she sat next to Lennox wearing a depressed expression. '' he fixed everything his majesty told him to, his majesty must really trust him. Then.....why don''t master rely on me too, am I that useless?'' Noticing the clouded expression on her face, Lennox asked:" what''s wrong? You are that hungry?". Everly said in distressing tone:" Lennox is strong and dependable, you always help his majesty, I too want to help.....". Lennox averted his gaze from her saying:" no one is wless, even I have my own blemishes ". Everly rested her head on her knees while facing Lennoxs'' direction:" you mean your curse?". With a pause, Lennox said calmly:" I am not cursed ". Everly:" but the sun hurts you ". Lennox lent his back on the wooden wall behind him:" it''s just how I am, I was born like this. It is only natural for frost to avoid the sun". Everly fairly giggled:" does that mean Lennox is a snowman?". Lennox smirked:" Yeah, something like that ". Everly raised her head staring at the ceiling:" if you were a snowman, aren''t you supposed to be cold?". He leisurely pulled the silver ring from his thumb and ced his hand on her cheek. Waves of absolute coldness flow through his hand to her body, after seeing her surprised reaction, Lennox withdrew his hand and returned the ring back to his thumb saying: "are you satisfied now? You have been asking a lot today ". Everly pouted:" eh! You ate all my snacks, this is the least you could do". "Pfft- I am not going to argue with you about that", Lennox said with a faint smirk:" it has been long since I talked to someone casually like this ". Everly hummed:" if you aren''t cursed, then why is everyone scared from you, it''s not like you are ugly or something ". For some reason, Lennox was a little pissed, but he still calmly answered:" basically, I hate everyone, if could I would have wiped the whole humanity. It is normal to fear someone who is much stronger and hates you from his bones ". Everly paused for a good while before asking: "then what about me?". Lennox: "hm?". Everly: "do you hate me as well?". Another moment of silence fell on them until Lennox broke it, he turned to face Everly who was already looking at him, saying:" I don''t. You are just a passerby in my life, one day you will leave to your own misery. Most importantly, your existence itself is meant to be loved, who am I to oppose the world and hate you, though, I still don''t like you, you are way too annoying ". With a smile that was obviously forced despite her sorrow, she said:" well at least I am not hated". '' why did she turn so gloomy and depressed ou of the blue?'' Time passed and Everly did not say anything and so Lennox kept quiet. But suddenly Everly whispered: "Lennox.....". "Hn". " can we be friends?". " ha? I thought you said we are already friends ". " no, I want to be real friends. That after I leave, if we ever met...you would still talk to meugh with me and get angry on me, that you will point at my mistakes and correct them, that you will depend on me, that if we ever been in trouble we would seek each other. This type of friends that I wish to be with you" "..." " can''t we?". " do you have something important you wish to?" " I do have ". " so do I". "....." " if you happened to be near that end, but feared to fail and hesitated. You can ask me to lend a hand, I shall do everything possible. So you should do the same to me when the timees ". " hn....I will". Chapter 36 Chapter 36 "He told to apany him and you just jumped on with him?!!!!!!" Jennings rebuked. Yesterday, they returned a little after dawn, and to their surprise, what greeted them was the angry and worried Jennings, he had already scolded Lennox and sucked him dry for taking Everly without consulting him. But seeing Everly sleeping peacefully in the carriage had him a change of heart and decided to dy her share of scolding until morning. Jennings admonished:" you are not allowed to go outside the pce until general Egerton returns, and that''s a final word". Everly who was staring at the ground for a while pretending to be feeling guilty, jolted when hearing Jennings: "ha?!!!!!!! But brother Ba won''t being any soon, what am I supposed to do when no one ys with me". Now that Everly used her teary face, a fierce battle red up between his heart and brain, she is way too adorable for anyone to act cold towards her, trying his best bot to look affected, Jennings said with slightly trembled voice:" I actually arranged a tutor for you". Everly pouted:" I don''t want any scary teachers, I am good with my study". Sighing, Jennings backed off of his desk and walked closer to Everly, caressing her hair, he said gently:" he is not scary at all, actually he is a nice kid just like our dear Evey, you can y with him after taking your lessons, not bad, hm?". She wasn''t convinced by the idea, but there was no harm in trying, Puffing her cheeks, Everly nodded few times at a slow pace. Jennings:" then, shall I invite duke Welfmore and his siblings for ate tea party tomorrow?". Beaming, Everly asked: "will Lennox also be there?". Lennox sighed: "well, yes, that''s why it''s a te] tea party". ****** Energetically, Everly walked with high confidence towards the main kitchen nning to annoy the busy servants, however, before she could step inside the building, someone grabbed the back of her cor, lifted her up, and walked away silently. Everly:"......" ''Am I being kidnapped?!!! It''s my first time!!! Should I punch him? No, I want to see the gang leader!!'' Drown in her fantasy, Everly did not notice when she entered a shy room, the heavy fragrance in the air was enough to tell her that this was a womans'' room. In the vast bright headroom, three women, each one carried the bueaty of a hundred flowers, sat elegantly around the tea-table. From their fancy dresses and jewellery, one could tell they were from high aristocrats families, feeling the pressure these women emitted, Everly instantly regretted not punching the kidnapper when he grabbed her. "Ah, you havee", said the woman in a red dress while putting her cup down. The man who brought her lowered Everly to stand on her legs, once she straightened her pose, Everly slowly raised her head to look at the women who were already scanning her with hungry eyes. "Oh little one,e closer " said the woman in a red dress. Chuckling, the blonde woman said:" don''t be scared we won''t eat you". Though she said they won''t, Everly still felt that she will be eaten alive. With a lot of hesitation, Everly took small steps to slowly close the distance between them, seeing the woman gesturing to sit next to her, Everly sat as far as possible on the same couch. However, she was still in the range of that womans'' reach. The woman in red dress yanked Everlys'' chin, flipping her head on both sides while saying:" Oh my, look at you. You are so adorable, little one, what is your name ". Everly gathered a great amount of courage to squeeze out her name,pared to when she fought with beasts, humans are much more scarier to her. The woman with a strange hairstyle, arrogantly said: "hmph, such amoners name". " I see she doesn''t look any simr to his majesty, must be she is more like her mother" said the blonde woman. The woman in red dress caresses Everlys'' ponytail, staring at her with tensed eyes, she said:" your mother must be a real beauty of heaven, to have a daughter like you, may we be honoured with her name?". With every word the women said, Everly would grow more restless, she answered in an anxious tone: "I don''t know ". "You don''t know your mother''s name?". Said the blonde woman in surprise. Seeing her nodding, the three women nced at each other. " what about your father?" Asked the woman in a red dress. The moment Everly shook her head, a wide sly smile cracked on the women''s faces, however, their happiness didn''tst long. In the same style that Lennox does, Annasophy mmed the door open, stomping into the room with a face crumpled with anger, gritting her teeth she said:" how dare you touch her with your filthy hands!!". Seeing Annasophy, Everly quickly jumped off the couch and ran to hide behind her, gripping Annasophys'' dress with her tiny hands. The woman in red dress slowly stood, saying coldly:" calm down Princess, we only wanted to chat". Annasophy eximed in rage:" just because she is a child, doesn''t mean you yank her off of the corridor ill-mannerly. If consort Cha wished to chat with the Emperors'' guest, then you should as for his permission first ". The woman with the strange hairstyle, said with stressed expression:" ah, Princess, why making a fuss over so little". Annasophy grabbed Everly on her arms, frustrated she said:" let''s see how little this matter is when I report this to the emperor AND the crown prince ". It was bad enough that Jennings will be informed about their little meeting, but letting Lennox know is out of the question. As the rumours around the pce say, the unknown child and the crown prince were too close that the prince would take her with him where ever he goes. Being this close meant that the crown prince cares for her, which was something unheard of. If a word about them harassing her reached to Lennox, then the Crimson pce will really be painted in crimson blood. Tensed, the women were about to argue and exin to Annasophy, however, she didn''t spare them a glimpse, but dashed out of the Crimson pce with Everly in her arms and herdy in waiting tailing behind. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 "I know" said Lennox after hearing the brief summary of what happened from Annasophy. Shaken, Annasophy slowly said: "what do you mean?". Without raising his eyes of the book in his hands, Lennox said indifferently: "I sent some servants to start rumours in the Crimson pce about a new princess ". Annasophy jumped in rage, she shouted:" ARE YOU CRAZY?!!!! YOU DID THAT EVEN AFTER KNOWING WHAT KIND OF LUNATIC WITCHES THESE WOMEN ARE!!!!! NO MATTER WHAT REASON YOU HAD, SHE IS OUR SIST". Keeping his indifferent tone, Lennox said a little louder than before:" I also instructed my equerry to make sure that you get the news, or else how do you think your maid in waiting knew about it?". He closed the book he was reading, and looked at his sister gesturing for her sit down, in a voice full with confidence Lennox said:" I told you before, I will take care of your situation, and to do so, I needed to make Everly forget what she saw at the courtyard, taking her along in a mission worked quite well". ''Honestly, it was pretty easy to distract her, that zombie is so fucking dumb..... which reminds me, why did she cry on the way back?'' Annasophy chuckled dryly:" yeah, and father was worried sick about her, that he couldn''t handle his affairs properly ". Lennoxmented:" why the worry? She is an experienced hunter ". ''Hunter?!!!'' Lennox continued:" throwing her in a restless environment will make her realize howfortable she was around you, then appearing to save her like a knight in shining armour makes you gain her trust. Allowing you to be out of the suspects if she ever remembered something ". Annasophy averted her gaze from him, bitterly saying:" I am sincerely disgusted by the thought that we share the same blood". Lennox smirked:" not like I am honoured to be". The two siblings stared at each other with obviously not a friendly type, Annasophy stared until she couldn''t look at his face anymore, rolling her eyes in loathing, she stood to leave the room not being able to breathe the same air as Lennox but her steps came to a halt when the boy called for her. Lennox:" before you leave. I have heard that Marquese Esterhzy has been chosen by the old bastard to represent Sitia Empire in for the crowning ceremony of Tatly kingdom. Tell your lover to apany his father ". Annasophy raised a brow, doubtfully asking:" why so?". Lennox answered nonchntly:" don''t we need to turn him into the [the worthy and reliable] someone. Just tell him to do as I say, I will send other instructionster". He said this then gestured to her to leave, being shooed that way, Annasophy rolled her eyes and immediately left without any other words. Not long after she left, Lennox heard knocking on the door. "Come in" The umbre butler entered the room and bowed mannerly, he said formally:" my lord, imperial consort Cha is requesting your permission for a visit ". Lennox idly swung his hand saying:" declined". "Understood " the umbre butler responded, he bowed and turned to leave but stopped when Lennox said:" and call Everly over, I am bored as fuck". '' she is not a dog to call her when you want!!'' Bowing again, he said:" as you wish, your highness ". ****** The white nightwear flipped and danced on the air following Everlys'' steps as she hopped around singing a song about some rabbit and fox, while inly Lennox walked straight to their distention. " little rabbit asked his momy" "May I go outside and y for a while " "The momy said: no you shouldn''t my baby" " the big fox might catch you" " little rabbit shook his shoulders and ignored his momy" "He went to the orchard hopping and sniffing flowers". "Stop, stop!! This way too ugly! From whatyer of hell did you hear this shity song from?" Shouted Lennox who has been putting up with this song for a while. Everly pouted: "master said the same thing, is it really that bad?". Lennox solemnly said:" yes it is". Chuckling, Everly said:" The kids at my town used to sing it sometimes, and I happened to memorize it". Lennox sighed:" don''t sing it in front of other people, I will lose face". Everly:" hehe, then I will only sing it for Lennox ". Lennox shook his head helplessly: "no, don''t sing it to me either. you know, just forget about this crap". " ah!!! There really is ake!!" Everly eximed as she hurriedly ran to it. Lennox made sure to follow closely behind, he said staring at theke:" I told you before, this is a man-made craftedke, it''s not natural". Everly said admiring the handiwork vastke:" still, it''s so beautiful!!". Lennox:" I don''t know what kind of stupid emperors that man was to make them dig a wholeke in the courtyard ". Everly giggled:" must be a calm dreamy guy". "Hn", then both fell in silence, not the awkward one but the pleasant silence. It was deep in the night, the crescent moon reflected beautifully at the calm surface, some times its calmness got disturbed by the waterlilies that fairly danced with the faint breeze. On the tiny green nts that grew between the grey rocks, were some cup-shaped flowers, subconsciously, Everly extended her hand to pick one of these little flowers but immediately halted after hearing the sudden voice. "Isn''t that our dear crown prince, ah". The soft honeyed voice said as it came closer and closer. Lennox gave a fake smile and nodded, greeting the guest: "consort Cha". Seeing the oneing, Everly quickly backed away and hid behind Lennox, she was about a fist shorter than him and much skinnier, which made Lennox a good wall to hide behind. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Swinging her waist, Zhan cha walked with soundless steps as she stood in front of the young prince while herdy in waiting stood a little behind. Smiling, She said with a silvery voice: "Oh, what a great coincidence to meet you here, prince Lennox ". ''Coincidence my ass!! it''s obvious that you followed me here'' Keeping his fake smile unwavering, Lennox boldly said:" yes it is, but may I ask what business does mydy have at this hour of the night?". '' Why is he so irritated? I barely said anything '' The frowning Lennox might be scary, but the most terrifying was the smiling and politely-speaking Lennox. Usually, this crown prince would act toozily, however, if he was annoyed enough to put some effort and threaten you with fake a smile, won''t this be a dangerous situation? Zhan Cha chuckled nervously:" unreasonably, I could not fall asleep so I figured that I should go on a walk, but I never thought that fate would grant me the pleasure to run into your highness ". She might not be on his good side, but Zhan Cha also could never afford to be on Lennoxs'' cklist. Despite Lennox being young and feared, under shadows, he managed to grab half of the political power in his hand, many of the aristocrats in a way or another were tied down by Lennox. He wasn''t someone she would want to pick on his nerves. Trying to keep the conversation go in the path she wanted, Zhan Cha prayed in her heart and covered her face with smiles, calmly saying:" oh~ youngdy, why are you hiding, don''t worry I won''t eat you or anything ". Being pointed at, Everly flinched behind Lennox, grabbed the back of his rob tightly as she shrunk more and more. Without looking at her, Lennox already knew what the little Loves'' reaction would be, he crossed his arms, coldly saying:" leave her aside, I believe you were talking to me". " ah, I see" Zhan Cha smiled awkwardly as she said:" however, your highness, this is not the first time we have met this afternoon ". If he is going to be informed, then it is better to tell him by herself than him hearing the story from someone else with extra spice. Lennox tilted his head to the side, gazing at her as if he was looking at a piece of trash, dryly said:" yes I have heard of it, judging from her reaction, it seems that this meeting wasn''t a gratifying experience, which makes me quite displeased". Zhan Cha quickly exined with a hidden plead in her voice:" ah, your highness, please forgive this humble one for her foolishness, I met the youngdy with some acquaintances of mine. Because thedy is such a bashful youth, she must have been frightened by the many unknown faces". '' what a losy excuse, bitch you could have tried a little harder'' Since Lennox was the reason why Everly ended up with them in the first ce, he decided to sweep this matter under the rug from his side. Well, he knew that Jennings won''t ignore this ident, Everly was an imperial guest, after all, disrespecting her means disrespecting the Emperor himself, but it does not concern him, it''s the business of an Emperor and his consort. The harem really was a ce for fierce monsters, no one can be trusted, all these crazy women fighting for the Emperors'' affection wasn''t something sane people would like to be involved in. he can''t let the naive girl get tangled in such a brutal world, nor he himself wanted to have any connection to it. ''Women are savage '' is what he thought. Lennox:" this time I won''t make a move since I see nothing had happened, however, I really don''t want to hear that a whore from the Crimson pce nced at her from far away, is that clear?". His callous tone range deeply in Zhan Chas'' head, this was an obvious threat, which simply meant [ touch her and I shall wipe your whole bloodline off the face of the earth ]. Zhan Cha hardly squeezed "understood" from her mouth, he didn''t need to remind the other concubines and consorts, surely this little chat will reach every single one of them. Seeing Lennox gesturing for them to leave, both Zhan Cha and her maid curtsied then quietly left the courtyard. Only after seeing their figures fade, did Everly let go of Lennoxs'' rob and breathed in relief. Everly sighed:" Lennox saved me again, thanks ". Lennox:" hn". As for Lennox, Everly was the first agreeable none human that he met since he was born, being thrown in the middle of humans'' society for ten years wasn''t easy for him. Especially when the creatures around him were the most he resented. But meeting half a Love made his tension drop a little, overall, Everly said that she will leave sometime soon, of course, he wouldn''t want for his ''stress relief toy'' to be damaged in some chaotic mess before she leaves. Everly said as they walked around theke:" you are really amazing to be able to deal with the adults". Confused Lennox asked:" why are you even nervous about it ?". Everly pouted: "Of course I would be nervous, they are older and scarier ". Lennox:" duh- I am older than them, and you are still roaming around me ". Everly:" ha?!! How old are you?". Lennox indifferently answered:" three hundred seventy-nine ". "Lair " Everly eximed. Lennox:" hey, I am serious here". Everly hmphed:" I don''t believe you". With a smirk, Lennox said:" well, do as you please ". Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Morning came and Rachel had to snatch Everly from Lennoxs'' bedroom, she already warned her but Everly just won''t listen. Spending most of her time with the crown prince was something more like jumping off the cliff. Whether it ends with him getting annoyed by her then send the little Love to her early grave, or him liking Everly and influencing her to be a crazy killing-obsessed psycho like he is. Both possibilities were worst than each other, so it''s just better to keep a distance between the two kids. After scolding, feeding and dressing Everly, Rachel finally let her go to y somewhere, however, she just ended up running to Jennings''s study doing her best to ''help'' him, or rather it''s her delusion. while leaving Everly distracted with a pile of old papers, Jennings went through all of the reports and the documents that were necessary for today, he has long since lost the sense of time until someone lightly knocked the door. without waiting for him to answer, Annasophy opened the looked optimistic and energetic, she tilted her torso slightly to the said saying: "father! the Duke and his family are about to arrive any time soon, shouldn''t you stop with the work now?". Jennings blinked twice then shifted his gaze to the veranda:" it really iste, I did not feel the time passing". as he talked, Annasophy walked to the busy Everly and grabbed her like a big puppy, she said beaming: "then until you get ready, I will take this little one with me". startled, Jennings blurted:" huh? take her where? no, not allowed, I told you not to bully her". Annasophy cheerfully said:" I am not bullying her, it''s totally the opposite, I like her, she is cute. so we will go first, see you". Everly did not notice herself being carried away, as she wholly focused on a scribbled piece of paper. By the time Everly became aware of her surroundings, she found herself in the garden. Even though it was still early for the sunset, the sky was already dyed in yellow, at the side and under the willow shade a long tea table was ced. Carefully, putting Everly down, Annasophy crouched to be at the same height as Everly, she said softly:" you know Eve, today a family we are friends with will be visiting. All of them are kind people so you don''t need to be shy and talk to them openly, okay?". Nodding, Everly said in a low voice: "okay, Everly will talk to the nice people ". Not being able to stand her cuteness, Annasophy grabbed Everlys'' cheeks and showering her with kisses. " look at you acting all adorable!!!". She continued to invade Everlys'' personal space until a maid came to inform her of the arrival of the Welfmore. " they are here?!" Annasophy eximed. The maid was yet to answer when a womans'' voice called for her:" Anna!!!!!". Hearing the familiar voice, Annasophy instantly jumped on her feet and quickly walked to the woman, also calling:" Cathy!!!". The twodies hugged each other like some long-distance couples finally meeting, Catherine grabbed Annasophys'' hands, saying with teary eyes: "it''s been so long!! I missed you". Annasophy also tightened her grip on the other''s hand, saying: "I missed you too, I have been longing to see you again". A young man''s voice suddenly came from behind, irritated he said: "for God''s sake!!! She visited us four days ago, why acting like this all the time!". Two men stood behind the cringe women, both of them had silky silver hair, form one nce anyone can tell that they were brothers, the other man said with crossed arms:" hey forget it, women are always emotionally unstable ". Catherine smacked both of them saying:" shut it, you two, or I will tell Fletcher that you are bothering the Princess ". However, Annasophy was in a great mood at that time, such a thing did not bother her at all, instead, she energetically said:" before anything, I got something to show you guys". She turned and grabbed Everly, who was sneaking behind her to hid and lifted her up high like a monk presenting the child of heavens to his people. And just like a child of heavens, Everly shone and sparkled not divinely but with cuteness. Everyone gasped at the same time, staring at her astonished, after a good while, one of the young men extended his hand and squeezed Everlys'' cheek, saying unbelieving: "is this real? Howe someone like this ever to exist". Seeing their reaction, Annasophy grinned, she hugged the young girl as if she was a stuffed animal, saying excitedly:" adorable, isn''t she? My little baby girl". Still shocked, Catherine opened her hands slightly saying:" may I hold her?". Before Annasophy could say anything, Everly shook her head quickly and tightly gripped at Annasophy''s dress refusing to let go. Catherine''s legs could no more stand, she fell on her knees causing her violette dress to spread around her like a blooming flower, she was rejected, but this was the loveliest rejection she had ever seen. She was way too loveable!!! While Catherine was trying to sort out her heartbeats and hid her blushing face, the two young men started torturing Everly, almost crying from her cuteness level. " Franklin, Erwin, are you two annoying the Princess again?" Suddenly a mans'' voice came from their side, it was deep and pleasant to hear. Hearing that familiar voice, Franklin turned to face his brother, saying with eyes filled with satisfaction:" brother, can we take her home with us?". Fletcher raised a brow saying:" take who?! And why is Catherine sitting on the ground?". Instead of them, Jennings who came with Fletcher answered:" no you can''t young man, she is not someone I can give on". Now that Jennings was there, Annasophy put Everly down and pouted:" you are way too stingy father, even I not allowed to take Eve anywhere ". Once she was on her feet, Everly walked directly to Jennings, grabbing on his tight and staring at the unknown silver-haired handsome man. Jennings patted her head as he said smiling gently:" you were about to suffocate her just now, look at how messed up she became, and I am supposed to entrust her to you?". Chapter 40 Chapter 40 While the adults were chatting, Everly stole few nces at the boy standing next to Fletcher, he was around two inches taller than Lennox, and like everyone in the Welfmore family, the boy had a long silver hair and sharp grey eyes. Jennings noticed her hesitation and decided to lend her a hand, he caressed her hair saying:" ah, Evey, this is Fletcher, the head of Welfmore family, miss Catherine is his fiance, these are his brothers, Franklin, Erwin and the young one is Edgar ". trying to tease his younger brother, Erwin mockingly said: "hey Ed, she is your student, say something ". Startled, Edgar bowed quickly, saying:" Edgar Welfmore at your service, mydy ". Erwin and Franklin both busted inughter, he really just believed them, however, it did notst long. Softly Everly said to him with a nod:" hello, I am Everly ". Theughter turned to envious res, they have been coaxing her for a while but she did not even spare them a nce, and now, their little brother is getting a holy adorable greeting?!! Still ring at Edgar, Franklin said clicking his tongue: "tsk, lucky brat". Fletcher sighed:" you two are getting beaten the moment we arrive at home". Before they even got the chance to protest the air suddenly felt heavy, though he did not feel anything, Jennings could tell from his guests'' expressions that there was an issue, he smiled helplessly:" that must be Lennox, let''s take a seat first, then we can talk". With a 100% annoyed, hungry and sleepy expression, Lennox walked down the corridor, heading directly to the deepest seat hidden under the shadow, followed by the umbre butler, who was holding a parasol desperately trying to prevent the sun rays from touching the others'' skin. The moment she saw him, Everly quickly pulled Jennings''s coat gently, she said pointing at the youth:"...Lennox". Jennings grinned: "you want to go to Lennox? Then take Edgar with you and go". With a nod, Everly grabbed the hand that was a bit bigger than hers'' and hopped to Lennox. Catherine, who regained her wits at some point, rested her head on Annasophys'' shoulder sobbing:" ah, even the way she walks is so adorable ". Confused, Fletcher asked:" is the youngdy in good terms with the crown prince?". The life energy instantly slipped from Jennings, those two made quite the mess because they somehow were able tomunicate with each other. Jennings buried his head in his palm, sighing:" unfortunately, I do not have the answer for your question, the moment he saw her and they became all buddy-buddy". Annasophy butted in:" no one knows the way that brat thinks, but he has taken a liking to my Eve that he would bring her anywhere he goes". Jennings hummed:" I would have said that he was bewitched by her.....innocent face, however, Lennox never showed any interest in one''s outer appearance". Annasophy crossed her arms, annoyed she said:" whatever the reason is, surely it''s not something good ". In a low voice, Fletcher subconsciously said:" could it be because....". Fletcher wasn''t a magician, however, he trained under one, mainly the tutor would teach him the things that were necessary for him so he will be situated to inherit his fathers'' title, but from time to time, Fletcher would try some magical circles and power stones out of curiosity. Being exposed to mana for a good while, makes one able to recognize different types of mana, he had sensed the unfamiliar magic on Everly, though, Fletcher does not know what it is. Jennings: "hm?". Fletcher:" ah, my apologies, it''s just nothing ". While the three of them were having a serious conversation, the other three adults were staring at the boy that heavens favoured to the extent of giving him such an honour to hold Everlys'' tiny soft paw-like hand. '' her hand is so soft...but I wish they would stop ring at me''. thought Edgar as he was being pulled by Everly towards the tea-table. With zing eyes, Everly excitedly said:" Lennox! Look, Edgar ". Sparing only a quick nce Lennox let out a "hm". He has been woken up earlier than he usually does, had toe out while the sun was still hanging on the sky and most importantly he was hungry. Lennox had no patience left to tolerate with Everlys'' bullshit. Seeing his cold reaction, Everly frowned:" say hi!". Irritated, Lennox said: "I am not in the mood to y games with you". ''Ah damn it, he is angry, I should take the girl away '' with a little strength as to not hurt her, Edgar pulled Everly saying cautiously:" ah, mydy it''s fine, there is no need to do so". However, Everly did not badge, instead, she became even more persistent, saying firmly: "no! Say hi". On the side, the umbre butler watered his heart with tears, he thought ''ah mydy, you are so brave. But please spare us lowly ones, his highness''s pheromones are killing us'' Indeed, the more annoyed and angry he was, the stronger his pheromones became. at this level, the footmen who were preparing the tea table were already shivering, not able to do their job nor even move. Knowing that Everly won''t just give up, vines appeared on Lennoxs'' forehead, gritting his teeth, he said: "Greetings, sir Edgar Welfmore ". Immediately Edgar responded bowing:" may heavens bless Sitia and her crown prince ". ''She really managed to corner the prince.... '' Everly instantly beamed, she pulled a chair and stuck it close to Lennoxs'' seat, pressing on Edgar''s shoulders, she forced him to sit on it. There was barely any space between the two chairs, sitting next to him was already ufortable, but now it has turned to be more of a dangerous than ufortable. And as if it was the most natural ce for her to be, Everly sat on the same chair as Lennox was. The umbre butler:"....?!!!!!". The poor Footmen:"!!!!!!!!!". The people who were leisurely walking there:"...!!". Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Ignoring the girl who was invading his personal space, Lennox sneered at the speechless adults: "you guys done running your mouths about me? Sit down now olddies, I am starving ". Embarrassed, Annasophy tried to deny the fact they were gossiping about him, saying:" not everything revolves around you, what makes you think we talked about you". As he Looked down on her, Lennox smirked: "duh- it''s all over your faces", he paused to see Annasophy get more embarrassed then continued:" whoever I want I shall favoure, so keep your asses out of my business". After Settling down, Jennings asked the million gold question that everyone wanted to know it''s answer but none dared to ask, he said concerned:" Evey dear, why are sitting there?". Franklin said under his breath: "ah, little one, that ce is quite dangerous ". Surely, with their sharp auditory perception, Lennox and Everly both heard him, while the former decided to just ignore it, Everly quickly eximed:" no! Lennox and I became friends, so I should not let him sit alone ". Silence.... No one knew what to respond to that, was she serious about being friends with someone known to be as fierce as an ancient beast? But soon the subject was abounded when Jennings suddenly said in a firm tone:" Lennox clear the air, the servants can''t work properly, overall, miss Catherine does not seem to do well, you do know that she is not from our bloodline, why do you keep losing yourself?". "Tsk" Lennox rolled his eyes before closing them for seconds when he opened them again all those who were troubled by his pheromones breathed in relief. "Bloodline? Does that make the handsome mister your majesty''s brother? Do I call him uncle?" Said Everly while wearing a dumb expression. '' who is mister handsome? Fletcher? Tsk, I can''t deny it''. thought Everlys'' fan club members as they burned with jealousy. Jennings:" ah no, they are all my nephews actually ". Tilting her head, Everly said with a dumber expression:" nephew? A fish?". '' what.....'' Calmly, Fletcher exined as he took a sip of his tea:" our mother was the former Princess, as his majestys'' older sister ". Since they shared blood rtion, the current Welfmore family members weren''t affected by Lennoxs'' pheromones. However, Jennings and his sister were born from different mothers, which made the blood rtion weaker, so at the most, they would feel slightly ufortable, unlike Lennoxs'' parents and siblings who can''t feel anything. Seeing Everly spacing out, Erwin assumed that he should exin a little more, as soon as he opened his mouth Lennox cut him off saying: "she is still processing, wait for her". A moment of awkward silence passed before Everly finally whooped:" AH~ so you are a family!!!". With a warm smile, Jennings said softly as he serenely gazed at her: "Everly is also in the family, so it''s fine if you ryed on us from time to time, hm?". Before she could say anything, Lennox mmed his teacup on the table, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he shouted: "WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS SHITY TEA? IS THIS POISON? ARE YOU FUCKING TRYING TO KILL ME?!! WELL, GUESS WHAT, I WON''T DIE BY THIS BITCHES!". Since she was basically sticking right next to him, Everly jolted as Lennox shouted next to her ears, she closed her eyes feeling uneasy. Seeing her reaction Jennings frowned helplessly:" calm down, there is nothing wrong with the tea, I just tasted it". Lennox continued his rebuking: "THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE SO DAMN OLD!! UGH, NOW ALL MY TASTE BUDS ARE FREAKING ROTTEN ". Everyone already tasted the tea but they could not find anything unusual. Curious, Everly held her teacup about to take a sip when Lennox pushed it down again, saying in a dead serious tone:" don''t. You will die". Stillposed, Jennings scolded:" no she won''t. Evey dear, go on and try it". Everly hesitated for a good while, but since all the eyes were focused on her, she decided to at least take a sip. Like a little kitty drinking her milk, Everly stuck her tiny tongue, brushing it at the surface of the tea before withdrawing it quickly. Everly:"...it''s a little bit bitter " "....". "........". SHE IS CUTE!!!!!!!! As Everlys'' fan club members were dying at the side, Lennox and Jennings continued their ''debate'' about tea and manners. Although the situation was out of control, Everly and Fletcher decided to just eat and act normal. Meanwhile, at the corner, Edgar who was pretending to be empty air, cried in his heart saying '' I want to go home, these people are crazy '' ****** As time flew, a month since Everly arrived at the imperial pce has passed, she spent her days learning with Edgar at morning, then making ructions and uproar with Lennox at night. Even though she was prohibited from exiting the pce without the emperors'' permission, both of the kids would sneak out to the capital city and wander around trying everything they looked fun. After dinner, Jennings asked Lennox to help him sort few documents that needed careful decisions. While going through them, a file that was ducked within the papers showed up. The moment Jennings saw it, his face darkened and his body stiffened. " What is this?" Asked Lennox by seeing his worried expression. In a gloomy tone, Jennings answered:" that''s....Everlys'' exam results ". Now, this is something Lennox would be curious about, he quickly opened the file reading the Mark''s on red. Math:100 Science:62 History:100 Language: -1 Widening his eyes, Lennox reread thest mark again and again, and it still says nguage: -1] Chapter 42 Chapter 42 As if he was struck by lightning from clear skies, Lennox stood dumbfounded reading her answers. Question: exin the writer''s view on the revolution of mining as the text described? Everlys'' answer: he does not like dark caves. Question: the rtion between the second and the fifth paragraph is? Everlys'' answer: firste, first served. Question: what word from the third paragraph could be considered as synonyms for"rationale"? Everlys'' answer: bread (was not even from the text). '' what the.....won''t her stupidity infect me if I keep reading this? Damn, she tortured that Welfmore child to the point that he gave her less than zero. I mean what exactly is growing inside that head of her? Mushrooms? Frogs? For fuck sake!!!!!'' Not being able to look at it anymore, Lennox averted his gaze to identally fell on the top of the sheet [ name: Iverli ] Iverli------------------->Everly??? '' she got -1 ''cause she misspelt her own name!!!!!'' Wearing a dark expression, Lennox silently returned the sheets in the file then stuffed it under the pile of papers at Jennings desk. ''Let''s just forget that it ever existed '' Drowning in awkward silence, the pair of father and son did not utter a single word, nor any of them had the intention to do so. Both of them stayed quiet until Carson knocked the door hurriedly, after allowing him to enter, Carson bowed as he said:" your majesty, general Egerton has arrived and is requesting an attendance ". Hearing that name, Jennings immediately jumped on his feet as he said: "let him in, and send someone to summon Everly over urgently". '' general Bernard? I thought he won''t being for a while '' Not long passed after Carson left when a tall muscr man entered the study, he bowed his head mannerly saying with his deep baritone voice:" greetings your majesty, prince Lennox ". Jennings nodded:" it''s good to see you safe and sound, Bernard". Leaving his usual cold and rude tone, Lennox greeted the man as well:" it''s been a while, general ". He can not be disrespectful towards this very man, he would not actually. After all, Bernard Egerton was the sole human being that managed to win against Lennox in a fair skills battle. To Lennox those who taught him something hecked are the only ones deserves to be respected, the rest are just garbage and shit. Jennings gestured to Bernard to take a seat as he also sat on the opposite side, while Lennox simply leaned at the desk. Jennings: "did youe here directly since arriving at the capital? you must have been exhausted from your journey". Bernard smiled faintly as he said:" roaming across the continent wasn''t easy I admit, but I could not let little one wait for me any longer, so I had to bother your grace at such hour". "Not at all, please rest in the pce before you head back" said Jennings, waving his hand. '' how strange..... why are these two suddenly acting all formal? They used to be like some old couple, are they fighting or something?'' With a long pause, Jennings said worriedly:" then have you perhaps found". Bernard cut him, he said closing his eyes tightly:" it was fruitless, all of them dried long ago, and some already began copsing ". Wearing a fierce and guilty expression, Jennings ground his teeth and tightened his fist ''til his knuckles turned white, silently staring at the ground. '' what the hell is wrong with this atmosphere? '' However, the heavy atmosphere did notst long, as Everly quickly dashed through the door. "Brother Ba!!!!". Instantly the moment she opened the door, Everly jumped into Bernards'' embrace, both warped their hands tightly around each other, worried, Bernard asked:" are you doing fine, baby girl?". "I am alright " nodding, Everly quickly grabbed the bearded man''s face saying:" what about brother Ba? Are okay?". With a warm smile, Bernard answered:" I am fine seeing you, little Eve". '' brother Ba? Little Eve? What the holy cow?!!!! She is general Egertons'' sister? But she is a Love!! This man here looks like a giant bear!!! I have long since realized that we don''t share a blood rtion, but to be this man''s rtive..... this is quite unexpected '' Snapping out of it, Everly hesitated before she said in a low voice:" brother Ba, did you find an active gate?". Bernard frowned distressingly, he said with apologetic tone:" I am sorry, there was none ". For a moment, Everly stiffened hopelessly, but soon she regained her consciousness as she hugged the man carrying her, she said softly:" it''s okay, I am happy brother is helping me, I will just find another way". '' oi, done from your lovely family union? Mind exining some shit? And why is this old bastard looking like he killed all of your family,?! Damn, chill bro'' ****** As he thought, no one exined anything and he had to return back to his room. " send a secret letter to Ajiad Alphonsus, tell him to meet me tomorrow by midnight, let''s see how useful he can be" said Lennox to the umbre butler. The umbre butler affirmed clearly then exited the room. ''Things lookedplicated, if the general and the old bastard were actually in disagreement, then what could be the reason to make that old couple suddenly turn to strangers? Let that aside, wouldn''t it be unreasonable for the general to entrust his little sister to someone he doesn''t even want to look at? And what are these gates that made him cross the whole continent searching for them?'' He closed his eyes, thinking deeply but soon opened them again by the ''tap'' sound from his balcony. " what brings you here when you are supposed to be asleep" said Lennox as he opened the door of the balcony. Everly said while avoiding eye contact with him:" ah..... I came to say goodbye ". Lennox raised a brow: "hm?". Fidgeting, she said:" I am leaving with brother Ba today, so I thought that at least I should say goodbye ". "Leavening? Right now?". "Hn..... but I wille visit sometimeter " "..." ".... then I will go now". "Hey! When you need helpe find me, I don''t mind killing time hunting beasts ". "Hn!! I will, Lennox too, I don''t mind wandering around in the city ". end volume 2. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Six months before.... As the sun gradually faded, the knights and servants had already finished setting all the tents and settled down. It has been a month since they left the capital for the sublime tour ceremony, if things goes as nned, then they still have five more months to endure. After all, this tour happens once every five years, for the emperor to stop by randomly-chosen-cities and personally check on the development of the Empire. Those who worked hard immediately went to sleep after dinner, and those who idly yawned throughout the journey began having their own fun. " Why leave so early general? the night is still long" said one of the knights who were shamelessly drinking and ying cards. Bernard Egerton waved his hand, saying with a smirk:" I am going to annoy our elegant emperor". " make sure to stay alive ". "Hahaha". Stopping by one of the supplies carts, Bernard sneaked a bottle of fine wine and two sses, then directly went to Jennings''s tent. And just like an Emperors'' tent should be, Jennings''s was spacious, luxurious and fully furnished. He narrowed his eyes at the man entering his tent all smiles and harmless, Jennings said:" you have no shame, do you?". "Hahaha, if I had some maybe I would be much more sessful, don''t you think so?" Said Bernard as he nonchntly sat on the couch. Jennings sighed:" just get out". Bernard poured the wine in the sses, saying energetically:"e on, apany this old man for a drink, will ya?". Doing his best not to be lured by the red liquid smoothly filling the sses, Jennings said with twitching brow:" you are younger than me, Bernard ". Wearing a confidant grin, Bernard swirled his ss as he said provocatively: "hey, give up and leave these to doter. One or two serves won''t harm, no?". The faint sweet aroma reached the barley able to resist Emperor, instantly, broke his weakling will. Who can resist such a seductive scent?!!!! Defeated, Jennings got off his desk and walked towards the bearded man, he said annoyed: "which reminds me, aren''t you in your thirties? For how long are you going to y around? find a suitable woman, get married and settle down already ". Bernard: "no way, there will be no woman in my heart other than my little Ma". Even more annoyed, Jennings barked:" stop using your younger sister as an excuse, you better find one yourself or I will tie you with whoever I decide for political purposes. You hear me! ". Ignoring him, Bernard drank all that was in his ss in one go, then he changed the subject, avoiding such a headache:" by the way Jennings, we will arrive at ra tomorrow right?". Jennings knew how stubborn Bernard was, dragging this subject at the moment will ruin their mood, he said swirling his ss:" yeah that''s how it''s supposed to be". Leaning his back at the cushion, Bernard said as he poured himself another shot:" then from there, I will depart off the troop for about a week, but we shall meet at the next city ". "Where to?" asked Jennings. Bernard said with the most solemn face he ever had:" to see my baby sister ". "Huh?!!!". the general ced his empty ss on the short table in front of him, he crossed his arms saying:" This tour will take at least half a year, you are not expecting me to not see my little Ma for all that time, do you?". Jennings rubbed his temple until it turned red, he hopelessly said:" how did you be so.....disparate, that you are shamelessly obsessed with your sister". Bernard: "hey! You didn''t see her, so of course you wouldn''t know, My adorable Ma is an angel no a goddess. Plus, master was the one who summoned me, and you know that if master called for me from the other end of the earth to pick up a pin off the ground I don''t mind running barefoot to get there". Jennings:" your master? Why so?". Bernard:" no details, he sent me a letter telling me toe when there is time. Well, naturally I will run there even if I don''t have time ". Jennings hummed:" you know.... I am quite curious ". Bernard nkly said:" about?". Jennings:" take me with you when you go, I want to meet your master". After a pause, Bernard finally regained his senses, he rebuked:" ha!!!! Are you nuts?!!! There is no way I would take you with me!! You are an emperor, you have a god damn tour to do!! And it''s a small town, there is no ce to serve you!!". Jennings:" it''s okay, I will just go as a normal person, the troop will stay here until we return ". Bernard:" there is no way in hell you are a normal person, just sit still and do your business, I am not taking you with me". With a smirk, Jennings said irritated:" fine, don''t take me. I will sneak by myself and follow you, surely you won''t let an emperor, some one who is not normal at all, go outside defenceless, hm?". Grinding his teeth, Bernard unwillingly agreed to it, after all, he can''t tie an emperor then run away, nor can he dy his masters'' request, there is nothing left but to give up. ****** After arriving at ra city, Jennings settled at the mayor''s mansion, as Bernard said, they will leave right at three in the afternoon, since the town is nearby it will only take them few hours to reach there. As he was sorting things in his mind, a butler knocked his door saying:" forgive me for disturbing your majestys'' rest, but an ambassador from the capital is requesting to meeting your grace, saying it''s urgent ". " let him in" Kneeling deeply, the man said mannerly:" may heavens bless Sitia and her Emperor". Jennings waved his hand for the man to stand, he said firmly: "speak ". " your majesty, the mining team at Amaira has discovered that the new cave was originally a beast''s nest, the beast type is unknown, judging from its mana flows it is certainly not lower than an S rank, they are requesting your permission to whether continue or not". Hearing that report, Jennings knotted his brows tightly, deeply in thoughts. ''Our current ns highly depend on this mine, if we withdraw now, the damage might not be healed for few years, however, if we managed to take control of it then we no longer will need to import power stones from Baranos any more, which will be a boost to our economy..... should I consult Bernard about this? He is probably busy enough, also Amaira is not that far from here, we still could fix things if it went wrong'' After a good while, Jennings answered:" for now keep with the n, but for safety, let them take high elite knights to eliminate the monster, if it was not possible, then let the magicians create a formation and trap the beast inside until we deal with it". "As you wish, your majesty ". Chapter 44 Chapter 44 " Are you sure of the way?" Jennings asked for the third time. Annoyed, Bernard answered:" how many times do you think I have been here?! I pretty much know every tree in this forest, so just shut up". '' I shouldn''t have brought this punk with me, what if he annoys my baby girl?!!'' Jennings said in a warry tone:" it''s getting darker by time.... you are not nning on burying me here then flee, are you?". Bernard threatened:" I will really consider it if you don''t seal that trap of yours ". " fine, fine" Jennings said after a pause:" I guess it can''t be helped, it''s my first time going out without any guards, I mean, I did wander around the capital in disguise, but I always had few knights secretly following me". Bernard:" what guards? I, myself, am a whole ass army, so just be quiet for a while will you ". Suppressing augh, Jennings said as he turned his face the other side:" yeah, you are right, but I still have my worries. So don''t go too far away from me, you know for security, I trust you wholeheartedly, Bernard. No, actually I love you". Frustrated, Bernard could no more endure the humiliating way Jennings was behaving, he barked at the man:" WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ACTING OUT OF YOUR CHARACTER?!!!!! Don''t even think I would believe that you are scared witless because it''s dark!!! Are you perhaps doing this to provoke me!! You damned old man!!". At that moment, Jennings bursted inughter, he has been spitting nonsense from the second they entered the forest. He very much knew that Bernard hated the coward and cheesy people, and since his friend was giving him the cold shoulder all the way since leaving ra city, Jennings decided to annoy this bearded man a bit. Bernard tightened his grip on the reins as he said:" enough bullshitting, we have arrived ". Hearing that, Jennings excitedly focused on the way ahead of them, they had already reached the end of the forest. Flickering lights could be seen from behind the leaves, the closer they walked, the brighter they became. And when they finally exited the woods, both of them were greeted by the immense numbers ofnterns that illuminated the whole town as if it was a bright day. Seeing the familiar sight, Bernard warmly smiled. '' I am home...'' He dismounted from his horse and walked towards the gate, Jennings followed his actions and tailed behind him. " Bernard!!! Wee back ". " Wee back, big brother ". The two guards at the gate greeted the arriving man with smiles, Bernard casually responded:" I am home, thanks for your hard work ". As Bernard walked through the streets, greeting the ones he knew either with waving his hand or simple words, Jennings had a rough time trying not to gasp at anyone passing by him. He already knew about the exceptional case of Saka town, but witnessing it himself was a whole another level of astonishment. Humans, Elves, dwarves, half beasts, orcs, Goblins and many strange creatures he could not verify. Jennings kept following Bernard while looking at the crowded streets, the town was small but surely filled with various types of people and goods, no wonder he could see few well known and wealthy merchants around there. ''Seems like the ies of the town trade are pretty much incredible, Bernard''s master did well, managing everything '' After fifteen minutes that felt like years, Jennings and Bernard reached to a quieter neighbourhood and Jennings could finally breathe peacefully. ''Wow, that pressure is no joke'' Bernard slowed his pace so Jennings could catch up with him, and walked side by side. Jennings:" by the way, Bernard, is there a celebration or something today? Things are quite crazy down the centre ". Wearing a helpless smile, Bernard answered:" actually...this is how things usually look like, celebrations and festivals are more like a war here". After exiting that neighbourhood, both of them climbed up a hill, on the top of the hill was a simple two-storey house, the design itself was old, but the building looked as if it was finished days ago. Bernard tied the horses to the fence before fixing his clothes and standing at the doorstep. He grabbed the doorknob but turned to Jennings saying before opening it:" I swear if you do or say something weird, I will kill you ". He said this then quickly opened the door with a smile, saying loudly:" master, I am home". Thump Thump " brother Ba!!!". A little girl by the height of their waists popped out of nowhere and jumped to Bernard''s embrace. " little Ma, I missed you so much ". The girl giggled silvery as she said:" I missed brother too". Maitea smiled brightly and energetically until she noticed the blonde man standing next to her brother. There is a stranger in the house!!! Bernard did not notice the stiff expression of his little sister as he put her down to greet his master properly. " Wee back home, Bernard. How was your travel ". A man seemed to be in his twenties walked into the room, his lips were curved up forming a heart-warming smile, as his red eyes were focused on Bernard, his soft arched brows slightly raised up in delight, but strangely, this man had a small branch on his right side growing from beneath his long-long pinkish hair, with a couple of full-bloomed peach flowers. "It was was nothing, a piece of cake" Bernard answered. Hearing that answer, the master extended his arm, putting his hand at the back of Bernard''s head, pushing him gently towards himself until their foreheads touched each other''s. "That''s my boy". However, Jennings wasn''t able to see any of that, his eyes were stuck, from the moment he entered the house, at the tiny ball of cuteness. A fluffy caramel hair, soft pinchable cheeks, pearls-like teeth, pink small nose and emerald eyes that shined even more than all thenterns outside. Jennings blurted in disbelief:"...a deity". Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Seeing the blonde man staring at his Maitea in disbelief, the master chuckled faintly as he said:" ah, little Ma say hello to his majesty". ''Huh?... how did he know?!!'' At that moment, Jennings was covered in dust, wearing simple ordinary clothes and hiding his face under the robes'' hood, let alone he did not utter a single word, so how did this man recognize him even though they never met? However, all these thoughts jumped out of his head when Maitea peeked from behind Bernard with her curious big round eyes saying: "Hello, I am Maitea ". For an instant, Jennings''s knees went soft, he supported his body on the wall as he covered his face in shock. '' How can someone be this lovely!!!!!!!!'' Proudly, Bernard said in a loud voice:" you see!! My baby sister is the brightest star in this universe, the goddess of beauty and cuteness ". Jennings, with all his might, fought the urge to squeeze that fluff ball to his heart content, luckily, the master''s warm voice snapped him to his sense. " Okay, that is enough. You two go wash up first, I will put out the dinner for you ". After having a rxing bath, Jennings went down the stairs with a wide smile of satisfaction on his face, he just had a fierce battle with Bernard to decide who is using the bathroom first, obviously, he won fair and square. Though it only was rock-paper-scissor game, he still won! As he walked to the dining room, Jennings heard Maiteas'' spoiled voice asking:" master, who is that shiny mister". '' shiny mister?...is that me?'' The master answered:" he is Bernard''s friend, also the Emperor of Sitia ". Maitea:" Emperor ?" Master: "yes, an Emperor ". Maitea:" is that why he shines?". The master smiled serenely as he said:" I am not sure of that, why don''t you ask him directly? He has been standing outside for a while now". Being pointed at, Jennings flinched and hesitated whether to go in or not, but ended up walking inside embarrassed. '' I am an adult and a parent, why would I do such a childish act as eavesdropping!!!!!'' As Jennings cursed himself, Maitea ran out of the room saying:" I will go with brother Ba". Now that she is avoiding him, Jennings felt an ache in his heart, he at least wanted to stare at this goddess of cuteness for a little longer. The master gestured for the man to sit at the prepared table, he said:" I was wondering who Bernard was talking to at the forest, but I never expected that he would bring your grace with him". '' you heard us from there?!!! Is that why Bernard was trying desperately to shut me up?!!'' The master grinned as he continued:" I am d that you trust my disciple but it is still quite risky for an Emperor to wander around defenceless, leaving behind his people and the sublime tour ceremony ". '' am I being scolded? He is scolding me, right? I mean his voice and face are as warm as my mother''s embrace that I can''t even tell if he is reprimanding me, but....I feel guilty now '' Jennings lowered his head and sighed:"...my apologies, I should have been more responsible ". As he served food in Jennings te, the master said soothing:" ah, since you already did the deed, you may as well take it as a time off. But once you return back, your grace should work harder". '' why am I being treated like a child?!! Wait, despite his appearance he is at least a few hundreds of years old. Does that make me look like a toddler in his eyes?'' Jennings said respectfully:" I will sincerely follow your advice ". Seeing him act all obedient, the master subconsciously patted the Emperors'' head saying out of habit:" you got it, boy". Jennings:"....". ''....wow, now I am a forty years old boy'' At that time, Bernard finally finished his bath and arrived at the dining room with drenched hair. The master sighed at Bernard''s appearance, he served food to the man before pulling the towel around his neck and covering his head:" dry your hair properly, the weather is cold at night". ''So the vigorous general likes to be treated like a kid...'' As the three of them chatted for a while, Maitea slowly entered the room like a scared rabbit, gently pulling on her master''s shirt saying: "master, it''s bedtime I am sleepy". "Ah, master you should go, it''s fine I will clean the table " said Bernard. The master lifted the little girl to his arms saying with a rxed tone:" then I will count on you, and his majesty may sleep in Yoon''s room since he is not here". When the master left the room with Maitea in his arms, Jennings turned to Bernard saying in a solemn tone: "your sister is a real piece of art". Bernard brushed his hair back, confidently saying:" of course she is ". Jennings paused before asking:" by the way, who is Yoon?". Bernard answered nonchntly:" he is master''s second disciple, also my junior martial brother". Jennings:" is he perhaps....dead?". Bernard sneered:" Nah, I really wish he would, the bastard just went to perform his duty". ''.....duty?'' ****** When morning came, Bernard was thest to wake up, he went down the stairs like a lifeless corpse died of hunger, when he entered the room, he was greeted by the scene of Jennings staring at his little sister while she was eating her baby breakfast. Bernard barged in, and sat between the two of them, he said irritated: "don''t look at her for too long, you will dirty her". Jennings clicked his tongue saying:" don''t you have work to do?". Bernard snapped off it, he turned to Maitea asking:" now that we mention it, where is master?". Maitea answered, putting the spoon at her lips:" he went to the market, they said there was a Marchant selling talismans without permission ". Bernard:" it''s suspicious that he did not take you with him". Maitea: "he told me to stay and protect the shiny mister from falling in troubles and getting killed ". Jenningsughed dryly:" ah, dear Maitea. I still have your brother with me, so it''s fine". Maitea responded nkly: "but brother Ba is the troubles ". Bernard:"....." Jennings:"..." After a moment of silence, the two men nced at each other then silently admitted in their hearts. '' fair enough, we may start killing each other for real...'' Chapter 46 Chapter 46 As she finished her breakfast, Maitea had to do on her daily patrol around the town. though it was called patrol, it''s more like a morning stroll assigned to her to shut Maitea from nagging her master to let her help him with managing the town. Jennings smirked at the frustrated Bernard, making him more annoyed as he talked to Maitea:" why are taking him with you?!!!!!". Maitea answered with a cute frown: "then brother Ba will hurt the shiny mister if he stays here, master said to keep him safe". Bernard pleaded:" then take me I will go with you!!!". Maitea pouted: "no, brother still have house chores to do". Deepening his smirk, Jennings looked down at Bernard with cunning eyes. ''That''s right! The supreme and esteemed general has to doundry. Hehehe, you better do it right or your master will chew you alive'' ''You asshole, just wait ''till we return to ra, I will mess you up that even your kids won''t recognize your face'' The silent conversation happened with their eyes only, as Maitea shifted her gaze between the two men staring at each other vigorously. "Then we will leave now brother", Maitea pulled the corner of Jennings''s shirt, gesturing to for him to get going. The two of them walked around the town leisurely as they would stop to the people who called for Maitea to give the lovely child a hug or candies. Jennings already figured that this patrol was something her master made to fool the little girl, ''cause everything she did until now was hopping aimlessly. Jennings was satisfied with whatever was the reason, since he was given this golden opportunity to observe the small ball of fluff without a certain jealous brother butt in, nevertheless, she seemed to have ovee her shyness when being with him. Jennings: "hm, Maitea". Maitea, who was walking on the front, stopped and turned towards Jennings saying:" what is it?". They had finished their patrol and now heading back home, however, Jennings was still curious about the sudden change of attitude Maitea had towards him, he responded smiling fairly:" I see you are not ufortable around me anymore?". Instantly, Maitea sparkled and looked up at Jennings with eyes zing in excitement:" kings are so cool!! Yesterday master told me a bedtime story about heroes and kings, it was amazing!! Now I am sure that your majesty isn''t a bad guy". ''Your majesty?... I prefer being called the shiny mister :( '' Jennings crouched down next to her and said:" thank you for trusting me". With her spark still flouting, Maitea nodded her head vigorously few times. '' Now that I think about it, how am I supposed to address their master? I don''t even know his name...should I call him master too?'' At that moment, sounds of drums and bells ringing could be heard from the other side of the street, many people gathered there as they were dancing and singing happily. Maitea subconsciously said: "ah, it''s a party". Jennings corrected her: "No dear, this is a wedding ". Confused, Maitea asked:" wedding?". Jennings was taken aback, isn''t she old enough to know what a wedding is? He patted her head gently saying:" a wedding is when two people who love and care about each other make a vow to stay by their beloveds'' side and never leave". Maitea murmured:" love each other.....". Jennings chuckled:" yes, one day you too will find someone like that, someone who will forever love Maitea". "....forever love Maitea ". As she whispered those words for herself, Jennings noticed that the people around them were staring at him with awkward gazes, he quickly stood up and grabbed her soft little hand saying:" let''s hurry back, your brother will cry if we were anyte". ******* Amaira----> the mining location. "FIVE MINUTES LEFT, EVERYONE MAKE SURE TO TAKE ALL YOUR equipment" shouted the vice-captain at his subordinates. The moment he finished his words, the head of the magicians'' team approached the man, he said with a concerned voice:" are you sure about this? From its mana flow, the monster isn''t normal at all". The vice-captain sighed at the question, he turned to face the man with a helpless expression, he said: "what do you expect us to do? Retreat? It''s not the first S rank monster that appeared in ournds, plus the mine is important for the martial side of the Empire, we can''t leave it just because a beast happened to be there". The head magician said after a pause: "what about general Egerton? It will be much reassuring to have him around ". The vice-captain said:" he is out of reach at the moment, we can''t just depend on him all the time, can we?". Seeing the worried expression on the head magician''s face, the vice-captain patted his shoulders tofort him, he tried to hide his uncertainty under a cheerfulugh. The vice-captain said: "it''s okay man, whatever happens we will give our all, in the worst scenario, you guys trap the bastard inside so things doesn''t turn to a chaotic disaster". He said this then turned at field shouting loudly: "OKAY PEOPLE, EVERYONE GATHER HERE". About thirty knights and fifteen mages were at the field next to the caves'' entrance, the vice-captain made sure that everyone was present before speaking again. " now we will enter the beast''sir, no one knows what is waiting for us there, however, we shall give our best. Stay with your group as you have been divided, group leaders are responsible for their members, listen to your leaders and don''t be irrational. Once we are inside, be extra cautious, move with responsibility, UNDERSTOOD?". Instantly, the crowd roared to show their determination, seeing how energetic they were, the vice-captain nodded in satisfaction. "Good, now let''s go!!". As the knights'' troop followed their leader, the mages also began preparing the magical formation that surrounded the whole mountain. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 "Then, I will leave issue for you to handle" the master concluded his discussion with Bernard, at that moment the living room''s door suddenly opened as Maitea rushed inside towards her master. " Wee back, little Ma" Maitea nodded her head at Bernard''s words, she said sitting on her master''sp: "what were you doing brother ". The master answered instead, he caressed her soft hair saying:" nothing important, just few vampires causing a hassle in Sitia". Instantly, Jennings face stiffened, he subconsciously blurted:"....v, vampires?". Bernard frowned at the man, he mockingly said:" don''t tell me you had no idea about them roaming around you, even the crown prince is quite knowledgeable on that side". ''Haaa....'' Jennings sighed inwardly, there really is a lot of mysterious things that are happening behind his back. As an emperor, Jennings had focused on the growth of this Empire, while maintaining the peace and luxury for his people, but he never thought that his own people might not even be humans. Jennings helplessly said:" Lennox knows many things that he is not supposed to, there is nothing new". The master ignored Maitea who was messing his long hair, he said with his usual warm voice:" it''s okay, your majesty not being informed about their existence shows how hard Bernard is working. Besides, I heard that the crown prince is quite the intelligent individual, no wonder he managed to detect them". The main reason Bernard joined Sitia knighthood, was to keep an eye on the nonhumans living between the humans, though he identally got promoted to a general and gained more responsibilities to handle, he still carried his master''s orders and kept the nonhumans in check. Bernard eximed:" Indeed, master, you should see how those nobles tremble in fear just by the mention of his name, what a sly brat he is, hahaha". Jennings mumbled to himself:" I certainly am not proud of that". Somewhere in the imperial pce.... ''Achoo...what the hell!!! I am a fucking moving ice block, how I can catch a cold?!! it''s unreasonable...must be that damn Annasophy talking shit about me with her bitches '' Wearing a doubtful expression, the master opened his mouth to say something, as he sensed that there was something off about the matter, but was forced to say else since the young girl on hisp made a real mess out of his hair:" Ma, honey, why are you untieing my hair?". Grabbing her master''s cheeks with her tiny hands, Maitea said frowning:" if you pull your hair like this, the flowers might get hurt". ''Yes, the flowers....'' From the moment they met, Jennings has been doing his best not to think about it, but in the end, it was impossible. '' WHY FOR HEAVENS'' SAKE DO YOU HAVE A BRANCH GROWING OUT OF YOUR HEAD?!!!!!!!!'' The master smiled at the girl serenely saying:" don''t worry, dear, the flowers won''t get hurt, but this master will be troubled if his hair became a mess". Maitea eximed brightly:" then I willb it for master, I love master''s hair". Bernard excitedly called:" them what about brother, won''t youb it for me?". Pouting, Maitea said: "no. Brother''s hair is not pretty and soft as master''s, and it''s too short". "I will grow it for you!!!!!" ******** And like that, four days passed since Jennings arrived at Saka town, he spent these days fighting with Bernard, admiring Maiteas'' existent and taking tours around the town. At night, the master began preparing the dinner, with Bernard helping him, as he held the sleepy Maitea in his arms. While on the table, sat the spaced-out Jennings staring at them. '' look at these bun-cheeks, they really spoiled her to the extent that she can''t change her clothes or even sleep by herself, that makes her more like a lovely and adorable toddler '' " you two are leaving tomorrow morning right?". The master''s warm and tender voice snapped Jennings off his daydream, he stuttered: "hm, ah. Y, yes ancestor, we are returning tomorrow ". Master: "I assume that you did not prepare any souvenirs for your family, am I wrong? As an emperor, you are busy enough with many worrisome issues to handle. That gives your family lesser time around you, and to assure that your beloved family won''t fall apart " " you should make them know that you think about them despite your chaotic days, write letters to know their conditions, send some meaningful presents and say few encouraging words, this is the least you could do". ''Nooo!!!! Don''t use this gentle tone to scold me, ancestor!! I feel guilty for no reason, none of my family members is normal to even let me be concerned about them!!!'' Wife---> he barely sees her once every few months Daughter---> head of the biggest gossip squad in the Empire + drama queen Son---> disobedient ungrateful crazy heir Second son---> captivated by his aunt since birth Jennings dropped his head saying in a low voice:" I am terribly sorry, I shall notck on this aspect in the future ". The master chuckled faintly as he said:" why apologizing? How about you go with Bernard down the market until dinner is ready, you can find many items that are not avable in the humanmunity". Instantly Bernard, who was internallyughing at Jennings, protested on his master''s words:" why do I have to go with him, this is his shit to gather not mine". The master let out a sigh-likeugh, he pulled Bernard''s head gently until their foreheads touched each other and said warmly:"e on, leave the work for this master and go help a friend, won''t you?". "....fine, if this is what master wants". How can he refuse a request from his master? Bernard won''t hesitate to throw himself into theva if that makes his master a bit satisfied. Bernard said ring at Jennings:" I will go change then we can head off". Cheerfully, the master said patting Bernard''s back: "you are such a nice boy, I know I can rely on you". ''....ancestor, do you mind giving his beard a face?'' Chapter 48 Chapter 48 "Ancestor...." Jennings called for the master after making sure that Bernard walked upstairs. The master responded without turning towards the other man, he said: "what is it, your majesty?". Jennings paused before saying:" isn''t it dangerous for the nonhumans to be this close to the human poption? I mean, they are well behaved in Saka since they are aware of you, ancestor. However, it does not guarantee that they won''t go berserk once being out of your territory". The moment he was done saying that, Jennings instantly regretted opening his mouth, he bit on his lip, swearing and cursing himself. '' oh my god!!! I forgot my ce for a second and ended up blurting rubbish! what if he felt offended? I doubted his actions and intentions just now'' The master chuckled as he covered the pan and reduced the fire strength, he turned to face Jennings saying while caressing Maitea''s hair:" I understand your majestys'' worries, however, you should not pay much attention to it" "It has been five hundred years since the gates to the other realms dried out of mana. without a way to return to their homes, the nonhumans had to adjust with the humans, the real inhabitants of this realm. To do so, we have created a system to organize the interaction of each race with others, they are working hard and the system is quite sessful, so please rest assured" Hearing the masterforting him that way, Jennings felt disgust and anger towards himself, how could he offend someone who is concerned about his people more than the emperor himself. Jennings clenched his fist, and said in a low yet clear voice:" my apologies, ancestor. I have overstepped my bounds". The master fixed Maitea''s position on his arms as he said:" I understand your worries as a ruler, you can not ignore a possibility that can threat the peace of your Empire, there is nothing wrong in making the safety of the people your priority". At that moment the half-awake Maitea groaned to express her difort with the way her master was holding her, fulfilling her request, the master fixed her position again as he kissed her forehead then said:" I see it as a beautiful phenomenon when two individuals decide to give their unconditional love to each other despite their race and the many differences they had". He gently rested his chin on her head, brushing Maitea''s face with his hand, the master said with a very warm and passionate tone:" I also am blessed to have met my adorable little Ma, I just can''t help but love her more and more". Looking at the master happily rubbing his face on Maitea''s soft cheek, Jennings began forming an earnest smile but was disturbed by Bernard''s loud voice calling for him. " hey you rotten Emperor, move already ". Master:" ah, take your coats with you, it''s going to rain so it''s better to return before that". Jennings did as the master instructed then left the house with the annoyed Bernard. ******* "This is not something you buy for a twenty years old woman unless you are expecting a granddaughter" said Bernard as he awkwardly stared at Jennings and the doll in his hand. Jennings:" but it looks just like her!". Bernard protested:" dude! This is a whole nonhuman market, you can find uncountable unique things that are unknown in Sitia, buy her a magical item or a charm for a good marriage, not a god damn doll for kids!". Instantly, Jennings red at the man when he heard the word ''marriage'', he said in a strick voice:" marriage? what marriage? I am not giving my child to anyone ". Bernard sighed: "poor Annasophy, she must be suffering ". Jennings:" then what will you do if a man came asking for your sister''s hand for marriage? I highly doubt you will be open-minded about it". Bernard scoffed before responding with a smirk:" I don''t need to do anything, Master and our second brother Yoon, are enough to open the seven gates of hell. I will just watch and p". He paused feeling satisfied with the protection they provided for their sister before asking:" and what did you get for Lennox?". Jennings tugged the doll aside and began rummaging through the jade nes, he said beaming: "I bought him a golden skull of a cursed elf". Bernard brightened in a second, he said patting on Jenning''s shoulder:" Hahaha, now that is something worth p". Swish Booom A sudden wind crossed above them like an arrow, followed by a huge explosion in the distance. All the stalls were blown away, people were swept like dust while the buildings cracked and shook. Since Jennings and Bernard were standing close to each other, both of them were mmed heavily on a wall of a sturdy structure. However, the spot where Bernardnded bad a metal sculpture, causing him to bang his head terribly to the extent of bleeding a blood river. Bernard''s sight became blurry, he shook his head few times to clear his mind but the ringing sound kept echoing in his brain, while his vision slowly started to fair. He could see in the distance an enormous white Griffin, one of its limbs was gashed as well as his left-wing was broken. The shockwaves just now were caused by the Griffin when it hit the ground. Everything within three kilometres radius away from the monster turned to a lifeless heap. No. Not everything. Couple hundreds of meters away from it, two-storey house was still standing on the top of the hill, protected by a rosey coloured magical shield. ''....master!!'' Chapter 49 Chapter 49 " you are special, baby girl" " master! The flowers are growing!" " this master loves you, there will be others who will love Maitea too" " I will help!! Maitea will help fighting, so please master, stop!" " Listen to your older brothers, and make good friends. This master wishes that his Maitea will live happily ever after ". " MASTER!! STOP THE FLOWERS!! YOU WILL GET HURT!!" As the branch on his head grew slowly with new peach flowers blooming daintily, the master buried Maitea in his embrace, whispering:" it''s alright my dear, this master will take care of everything ". With every word he said, Maitea''s vision would go blurry and vivid, until she finally fainted. Immediately, after she dropped unconscious, the master carried her out of the house. Not far away from their fence, a 20 meters height white Griffin struggling against seven rosy coloured thick chains. '' those won''t hold it long'' The master tightened his arms around Maitea, rushing down the hill, Just as he was thinking of a safe ce to hide the little girl with him, a voice sounded like a ray of hope echoed from the ruins around the hill. "Master!". "Bernard! Oh god, what happened to you!" With half his face covered in blood, Bernard held into his shoulder and ignored the pain to run as fast as he could. " it''s nothing, master are you alright? What about Maitea?". The master did not answer the question, instead, hurriedly gave hismand:" take her and lead the others to the northern mountain it should be safe there". " no! I will fight with you ma-". Bernard was immediately cut off, the master pushed Maitea towards the other, then instantly pulled Bernard''s head ''till their foreheads touched. " listen here Bernard, this is not a regr monster, that one is infected by dead mana. I will have to deal with it alone, I know you want to help, but this is not something for kids, alright?". As he spoke, warm rosy aura flowed from his hand to Bernard''s head, slowly absorbing the pain and healing his injury. Bernard pleaded in a distressing tone: "But master, you don''t have much-" Again, the master cut him off: "Instead, you should protect your sister and the innocent souls there. I am sorry I will have to leave you with a heavy weight on your shoulders, but please endure until Yoon returns". The beast''s roars became sharper as the rosy chains tightened around its broken wing. Hearing that ear-piercing screech, the master quickly pushed Bernard back, shouting: "now go!". However, instead of backing, Bernard stepped forward with eyes shaking in despair, his lips trembled as he said:" master please don''t....please....". "THIS NOT ONLY ABOUT OUR LIVES BERNARD ". Seeing his master shouting at him for the first time since ever, Bernard understood how serious the situation was. He backed the step he took earlier before saying: "I will be back, master". He said this then quickly turned back and dashed towards the town''s northern gate. "Why are you choosing now of all the times to be a disobedient child". After seeing his disciples'' departing back, the master turned around to face the white Griffin that had already broken two chains. "n Luscious" From the ignited sparks on his palm, a rosy whip, with sharp pink leaves attached to it, appeared on his hand. At that time, the branch on the master''s head has grown to the size of an arm. ****** "Bernard!! Where are you?!!" Among the chaotic mass, Jennings cut through them, calling for the missing Bernard. '' he was badly injured, I hope he hasn''t copsed somewhere....'' With the crowds'' non-stopping pushes, Jennings decided to climb on a fountain to avoid being drafted by the crowd. Screech- Just as he stood on the fountain, a loud screams came from the southern side of the town, everyone stooped for a second. They could see the rosy lights going on and off, and every time it did, the monster would screech louder and sharper. At that moment, A hurried voice demanded:" everyone!! Move the northern mountain! You will be safe inside the caves!". That made the mass pour out of the gate even faster. However, Jennings quickly dashed to Bernard who was standing on the top a small building. "For heavens'' sake!! where did you disappear to?!! Do you know how worried I was thinking that you copsed somewhere like a dead man and people stomped on you?!!". Screech- The monster screams became sharper, as magical circles appeared above it, hanging on the sky. " We better hurry " said Bernard, narrowing his eyes on the direction where the screams came from. "Is that ancestor fighting there? Shouldn''t we help him" Jennings worriedly asked. Bernard nodded with a slight frown:" yes, I will go once I am done evacuate the town". " How can I assist you?". "I already spread knights around the town to help the people evacuate, once it''s empty I will have to leave Maitea with you " Jennings looked at Maitea who was peacefully sleeping on Bernard''s firm arms. ''She looks fine... maybe she is just unconscious '' "Tsk, this is taking too long" Bernard clicked his tongue, anxious, he jumped from the building tond on the gates'' wall. Bang!- With the support of a magic crystal, Bernard kicked the wall to create arge hole on it, enough for three adults to go through at the same time. "use this and move faster!!". After people began using that hole, Bernard returned to stand next to Jennings. At that moment, a knight came to report to Bernard. " Sir, we have sessfully emptied the town, those are thest group " Instantly Bernard pushed Maitea''s to Jennings, saying in a solemn tone:" please take care of her". Jennings nodded as a response, he would do even if he was not told to. Bernard then unfastened the bag around his waist and handed it to the knight. " first, escort them to safety, then use this, it has a considerable number of medicines, food and other supplies. After reaching the caves, iste those who are infected by the dead mana, no exception, be it an old man or a little child, everyone!". The knight affirmed loud and clear. Bernard patted Jennings on the shoulder, then instantly dashed towards the south, to where his master is. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 -screech With every flick of his whip, n, the sharp leaves would gash through the beast''s skin, devouring its flesh before spilling poison and withdrawing. ''Tsk, n''s poisons aren''t effecting it much'' At that time, aside from the dazeness due to the various poisons flowing in its blood, the monster had broken its upper beak, lost a wing and injuries were covering its whole body. Another magical circle appeared above the master''s head, he directed his palm at the Griffin and instantly generated arge fire st, shooting towards the white beast. -swish The monster swung his remaining wing, reversing the fire direction, causing the feather at the end of its wing to burn considerably. '' my mana is draining significantly, I can barely afford one or two attacks'' The master clicked his tongue as he avoided the range of the mes. At that moment, arge magical circle appeared on the sky, with a shower of hail falling like rain out of it. "MASTER!!" The master instantly flinched when he heard that voice. '' he returned faster than I thought '' Seeing his master''s condition, Bernard almost fell on his knees The branch on the master''s head became thicker, three other branches heightened from his back and countless flower petals grew from within his fair skin. The more mana he consumed the more he loses his human form. Originally, the master had a minimum amount of mana that allowed him to live for forty years more. The more magical energy he consumed the fewer years were left for him to live, though, he lived for hundreds of thousands of years, hisst years were the most enjoyable and meaningful. " DON''T COME NEAR!! The dead mana is all over the air here, stay away!". The master shouted as he dodged the falling hails. Ignoring his master''smands, Bernard walked closer to him, blurting with trembling lips:" b.but master...master you. are.... already.....". "Stop it, Bernard!!". However, the man was still walking in rushed steps, he was overwhelmed by the fact that his master looked like a dead man walking. ''He won''t listen. And my mana is almost empty....'' The effect of dead mana on living creatures can significantly damage one''s body beyond repair, only divine magic can purify the infected ones. And since the source of the master''s magical energy was a divine being, he is not affected by dead mana. " fine! I will create an opportunity, aim for its head!! But if you fail, retreat right away! Do you understand?!!". Bernard came back to his sense after hearing his master''s words that sounded like a ray of hope to him, stopping his legs that he barely can feel them, Bernard responded loudly:", yes! yes, sir!!" Following his masters'' orders, Bernard stepped backwards, unsheathed his sword and stood with his eyes focused on the beast''s head, ready to attack any second. The two magical circles that were above the master disappeared and another two appeared. A whirlwind gradually raised from his palm, while the other hand held into a fire whip that kept flickering due to theck of mana. Aiming his whip at the monster''s head, the master pulled the monster and pinned it down before calling for the other man. "Bernard! Go!". Immediately after hearing his master''smand, Bernard dashed towards the white monster with everything he had, causing the ground under him to shake noticeably. With the whirlwind, that the master created, clearing his way off the falling hails. Bernardnded heavily on the beast''s head and without any bit of hesitation, he pierced his long sword through the Griffins'' right eye. -screech As the sword went deeper into the beast''s head, blood sshed erratically causing few drops tond on Bernard''s eyes with sizzling sounds. Ignoring the sharp pain that started to spread from his eyes. Bernard, with his elemental''s support, generated a lightning bolt. flowing from his sword and drastically striking the Griffin''s insides. Drip....drip Both the whirlwind and the fire whip disappeared, after the monster''sst screams hid within the pouring rain, its body fell lifelessly with Bernard still on the top. Hurriedly, Bernard hopped off the Griffins'' dead body and rushed towards the man kneeling down. "MASTER!!!" No response. Forcefully opening his eyes that started to feel hot, Bernard walked faster as his heart beating wildly. He quickly grabbed his master''s shoulders, shaking him as he called: "master! Are you alright?! Can you hear me?!!". "I can.....I can hear you" The master only answered the first question in a very low voice, it was obvious that he wasn''t alright at all. Instantly, Bernard''s mind went nk, what was he supposed to do? While Bernard was debating whether he should take him inside the house ory him on the ground to rest, the master extended his hand that no more felt like his normal fair skin, instead felt like a bunch of flower petals caressing his cheeks slightly. He could not bear to see the ck lines that looked like a spider on his disciple''s face, he must have been infected by the dead mana. "Ay, my little boy became a grown man, I didn''t even notice that " The master''s left arm can''t be called an arm anymore, it turned to a firm branch, covered with peach flowers petals that relentlessly kept growing and digging into the ground. Bernard''s eyes began tearing up after hearing his master, he doesn''t know what to do anymore. His master wasn''t sick nor injured, he was just returning to his original form since all his magical energy were consumed. He can''t refill him with magical crystals, it has to be divine magic and not just any amount, but a great one that can only be provided by divine beings. "Ma.....master. I....I don''t know what to do " "You don''t have to do anything " As he said that gently, the hand that was resting on Bernard''s cheek began imitating a warm rosy aura, slowly sneaking on Bernard''s face and detaching the ck lines around his eyes. "I have lived long enough, I want to rest. Hm?" Bernard watched his master using the tiny bit of mana left to heal him. He knew that his master has lived for a very long time, he lived and saw all his beloved leaves him, while he stayed. He knew that his master really wished for his eternal rest, but he can''t possibly just ept this fact. "I worry about your youngers, Yoon will probably me himself unreasonably, but Maitea will cause a fuss for sure" A happy, beautiful and peaceful smile formed on the master''s face as he said:" I leave it to you, Bernard ". Chapter 51 Chapter 51 -Ramble " was that lightning just now?" "It did not seem like it came from the sky though..." "Man....The battle is no joke, I probably might have died in seconds if I would have to even breath near them" "If it was not for the liege, I don''t think anyone would be able to stand up for that monster " "I heard that the beast was too fast that no one saw where it came from before crashing our way. But hey, hear me out, I say based on the direction of the wind that crossed us seconds before the shockwaves, I believe it came from the east" "East? There are only rock mountains, even animals rarely live up there" ''......east?!'' Jennings, who happened to hear the soldiers'' conversation, had a terrifying thought crossing his mind but he quickly shook it away. ''It can''t be...it must not be!'' However, Jennings instantly flinched after hearing what they said next. "Well, that makes it a perfect ce for a dead mana beast to hide" " Bernard told us that the beast was already injured when it arrived, seems like some crazy bastards were messing with it before it went berserk" Tap-tap Shaaaaaaa "Ugh, it''s raining " The soldiers who were standing at the entrance of the cave quickly moved inside. They had finished evacuating the residents and isting the ones infected by dead mana, thus they were assigned to guard Maitea and Jennings. ''How....?! So the knights failed in obliterating the beast! What about the mages?! Could they not cage it in a formation?!!'' Jennings''s mind was in chaos, Amaira mines were in the east, specifically in one of the mountains closest to the other end of the mountain chain. He was told that the beast residing in one of the mines abnormally imitated an ominous aura. However, humans aren''t able to sense dead mana, thus, it can only be exined as immeasurable (aka S rank beast). For Jennings to direct his underlings to attack a dead mana beast was basicallymanding them to create a disaster. Unlike the creatures who are naturally borne with dead mana system, the living creatures that are infected by it usually dies. However, if one was to survive through the painful process of the dead mana invading their circr mana system, they then will experience mana deviation, allowing them to produce unlimited magical energy. Although it''s possible, for someone to survive through such process was extremely rare, enough for that fact to turn into a myth. A monster that can produce magic incessantly, was it really easy to kill? Click As Jennings anxiously tried to sort his thoughts, he heard a faint sounding from behind him. He turned back to find that the little girl, who was lying unconscious, was missing. At the same time one of the soldiers called:" hey Maitea!! Where are you going?!". The moment she opened her eyes, Maitea quickly grabbed a sword that was on the ground and instantly dashed out of the cave. Seeing her running towards the south, Jennings immediately shoot behind her. He pulled a horse of one of the knights and chased after her. " Maitea!!" "Hey, mister!! Come back it''s dangerous!" Neither Maitea responded to Jennings, nor Jennings responded to the soldier, and both disappeared in the town''s ruins. Since Maitea''s jumps were too high, Jennings found it difficult to keep her in his sight even with a horse. Gradually he lost her trace, however, he does know where she was heading, thus he kept calling for her as he headed in full speed to the southern hill. " Maitea, stop!! Come back!" Hearing someone calling for his sister, Bernard quickly turned to see the young girl standing stiffly with her round emerald eyes wide open. She looked terrified while staring at the great peach tree next to her brother. "...Maitea" Bernard said with a hoarse voice, his master has returned to his original form, without a tremendous amount of divine magic the master can not reform himself. Bernard knew that, so did Maitea. The young girl could not avert her gaze from the peach tree, her head was heating by her boiling blood, while her fingers began turning pale by the coldness. She took small steps as she said with a brittle voice. "Master...why are you doing this...?" She was asking why did he choose to leave her, they could have avoided this situation by both Maitea and Bernard fighting the monster. "Is it because Maitea doesn''t know how to do anything by herself....?" Was it because she burdened him by making her master do everything for her, that he grew tired of being a babysitter for such a useless and troublesome girl. ".....but. but Maitea can fight" She might too dense about any things, however, Maitea was capable. She won''t be muchpared to her master, but surely above normal knights and soldiers. "I will learn.....I won''t trouble master anymore" She will learn to be a trustworthy person so her master would rely on her even for a little. " so please....master....*sob" The tears that she had suppressed finally poured down merging with the raindrops. once she reached near the peach tree, Maitea limply copsed. Her legs could no more carry her, she understands the fact that her master won''t return by her pleadings, however, she just does not want to ept it. Bernard, who could not find any words tofort the trembling young girl, silently pulled her to his embrace. Hoping that it might, even for the slightest bit, soothe her somehow. Soon after, Jennings arrived at the hill. He was speechless at the great peach tree that was on full bloom. If not for the heavy rain, the rosy pink flowers would have glowed in the dark night, creating a magnificent scene. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 " How is she now?" Jennings asked after seeing Bernard getting out of the master''s room, where Maitea locked herself in. It has been three days since the battle with the white Griffin, Jennings stayed at Sekka to help Bernard with the reconstruction. As for the beast''s corpse, once the sun rose it slowly evaporated into the air, leaving not even a single drop of blood. " She is still refusing to eat" Bernard sighed as he ced the te of the untouched food, that he had brought to Maitea yesterday, on the sink with a distressed expression. ''she did not even spare it a nce'' He was barely hanging on after losing his master, but seeing his little sister starving herself and crying bitter tears day and night made him extremely dested. A moment of silence covered the room, no- actually silence has been apanying them most of the time in the past couple of days. "Hey, Bernard. There is something I was meaning to tell you " He had to tell him, even though Bernard would obviously be furious, still, Jennings could not brush such a sensitive matter under the rug and walk away. " what is it? I told you before, you can leave whenever you want " Keeping a busy Emperor in this small town for longer than it was, surely wasn''t something appropriate to do. Not to forget that Jennings at the meantime was still performing his duty in the sublime tour ceremony, any more dy would bring nothing but troubles. " no. It''s about the white monster...." Hearing that, Bernard''s back stiffened. He turned looking at the man behind him in confusion. "Ten days ago, I received a report from the mine teams at Amaira that a beast from unknown ss has been discovered in one of the mines" Bernard did not utter a word, instead stood there quietly. Jennings had no intention in raising his head to see what expression was on the man''s face. " I have been informed about the abnormal magic of the beast, however, I still chose to send a knight guide to annihte the beast and seize the cave. And for safety, I instructed them to immediately report in case anything went wrong " " and?" That single word was too heavy on Jennings, it''s the first time he hears Bernard''s tone being as cold as frost. " As I did not receive any messages, I thought that the operation was sessful. However, it appeared that the reason for not receiving one, was because no one survived to report back. After sending someone to track them down, we found that the monster has crossed the mountain chain towards the town''s direction" Again, the silence returned to cover the air, the stillness continued for a while before Bernard broke it, saying with gritted teeth. " and why have I not been informed about it?" Jennings answered after pausing:" because I decided not to...." -Stomp -Stomp -Stomp With heavy steps, Bernard hurriedly walked to Jennings, who was sitting on the dining table and roughly yanked the cor of Jennings shirt, shouting. "So are you telling me that the reason I lost a PRECIOUS FAMILY MEMBER, a man who was more than a father to me, was because of a stupid DECISION you have made in whim!!!!". Bernard''s handsome face turned ugly from the deep frowns, his eyes that were tired of the sleepless nights burned with both anger and sorrow. Jennings couldn''t respond to these words as he averted his gaze. " ISN''T IT MY FUCKING JOB TO HANDLE THE MONSTERS!!! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU SUDDENLY ACT ON YOUR OWN?!! I AM STILL ALIVE AND CAN CARRY OUT MY RESPONSIBILITIES!! IF YOU HAD OPENED YOUR MOUTH FROM THE BEGINNING NOTHING OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED NO ONE WOULD HAVE DIED-" Tap Tap "Brother! stop it!!" Hearing her brother yelling from the master''s room, Maitea quickly dashed out of the room and clung to Bernard''s waist. " Please don''t fight. Don''t be angry" Maitea pleaded as tightly warped her arms around Bernard''s waist. Seeing his sister''s pale face and swollen eyes, Bernard couldn''t make her worry more. He pushed the man in his hands viciously causing him to bump heavily on the chair, where he sat before. " your majesty are you okay?!" Anxiously, Maitea reached to Jennings with an uneasy expression. Jennings answered in a weak voice:" I am fine little one, don''t worry ". He was obviously not fine, but Maitea had another thing to ask, she looked at Bernard with round swollen eyes saying:" why are you fighting brother? Did something happen?". Bernard tightened his fist, he absolutely could not tell her something like that, nor does he want to lie to her. Bernard answered after a pause:" it''s nothing baby girl. I will go to see how the work is going downtown ". He said this then quickly turned around and left the house. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 As time went by, the noon quickly passed. Jennings spent his day in his room, preparing to return to ra since Bernard would absolutely not want to see his face for the time being, Jennings decided to give Bernard some time alone. whether he retires from his position as the military affairs general or demand Compensations for the damages that happened upon the town. It was all up to him to decide, Jennings would go with whatever his decision was. With his magical bag around his waist, the absent-minded Jennings went down the stairs heading to the exit. But unexpectedly ran into Maitea, desperately trying to tie her shoes. Maitea never did anything by herself, was it bathing, sleeping, or even brushing her teeth, her master and Bernard would do it for her. and as he heard from the master, her second brother, Yoon, was the one who spoiled her the most. Seeing someone as clueless as her, having a hard time just because of a shoe tie, made Jennings''s heart sting for a second. after all, he was the one who made her lose her master. "....Little Ma?" Maitea instantly flinched by hearing her name, she slowly turned to look at the man behind her, with a cracked smile on her face. " ah. Y, your majesty " Seeing this reaction, Jennings knew something was off. Maitea looked nervous and troubled exactly like a toddler who was caught red-headed stealing cookies. "Where are you going?" There was nothing wrong with her leaving the house at this time, she always ran around the town every day. However, after the incident with the white Griffin, Maitea never left the master''s room, then why now? And most importantly, her behaviours at the moment were suspicious. " n, nowhere, just, I w, wanted to, go on, a walk" One doesn''t need to be smart to see that she was lying. '' ....you don''t go walking with a sword'' For the innocent and low IQ Maitea to lie, means that she was about to do something absolutely not eptable. The master and both of her brothers would always head her requests, but if she decided not to ask them, it can only mean either it''s dangerous or nefarious. " then I will tag along with you" Maitea''s eye twitched after hearing what Jennings had to say, she obviously did not want him to follow her. She said as she took a few steps towards the door. " amm, no need. I, I will be back soon" '' ah!! She is running away!'' Click Jennings quickly dashed to grab her, but as expected, Maitea was way too fast for him to be able to reach her. She opened the front door and immediately jumped out of the house, Heading to the south with no hesitation. '' I should follow her, but who will tell Bernard....?'' ****** " After moving the ruins, we will have to start with building few shelters for those who lost their homes and utilize the farms, the food in the storages won''tst for more than three months" Said Bernard to the soldiers around him. The damage range of the battle was unexpectedly vast, enough to cover around third of the town. Besides, many people died, injured or became homeless, and Bernard had to do his best to at least return the structure of the town to normal. Rebuilding the town won''t be an easy task. "Ah, captain. There are few corpses that either weren''t identified or no one came to look for them. what should we do with them?" " they were probably some passing travellers, we will have to bury them ourselves, make sure to perform a suitable soul ritual" "Yes sir!" Bernard kept receiving reports and giving orders for hours, work was endless that he couldn''t feel the time pass until someone called for him hurriedly. " Captain!! Captain Bernard!" A man in his early twenties ran towards Bernard as if his life was on the line, he reached to Bernard, hardly breathing. " the man...the mister you brought with you...." "What about him?!" Bernard urged the young soldier to quickly talk. " he told me to tell you that Maitea went to the forest....he then said something about a green g " ''...green g?'' As Bernard remembers, a green g was a sign used when a valued prisoner escapes, why would he use such a sign? "....oh shit!!" Bernard suddenly grabbed the young soldier''s shoulders as he demanded:" when did that happen?!!". "Uh, around five minutes?" Instantly Bernard let go of the young soldier and rushed towards the south, to the enormous forest that hid Sakka town for many years. '' why and where is she nning to run to?....aah fuck!'' Beside his elemental, Bernard was already a swordmaster with lightning affinity, that gave him the ability to increase his speed significantly. However, without knowing her whereabouts or even her destination, speed means nothing. -ssh ''..water? Few kilometres after crossing the riveres the road to ra....is she searching for a bigger city'' Bernard immediately headed towards the sounds of sshing water while working his brains to figure out what was going in his sister''s head. ''Better just ask her directly...'' When the view gradually cleared up from trees, Bernard could see Maitea''s tiny silhouette slowly making its path through the wide river. "Little Ma!" Hearing her brother''s voice startled Maitea too much that she lost her footing and almost fell on her face. She quickly regained her bnce and turned to Bernard who began walking slowly towards her. " Brother stop! Don''te closer " Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Bernard ignored his sister''s warning and kept moving forward to her, but instantly flinched after hearing her threatening. "Stop or I will throw a ck ball on you!" A ck ball. literally the living nightmare of Bernard. Throughout Maitea''s life, whenever her two brothers misbehaved or caused troubles, her master would throw a ck ball on them making her brothers disappear in the dark fog for an hour, before suddenly reappearing full with scratches and out of breath, thinking of it as a way to discipline someone. What she does not know, that this ck ball was actually a temporary teleportation device. In other words, the master threw her brothers in some dangerous ce telling them to survive for an hour as a punishment for being disobedient. Well, the master wasn''t that soft of a person as his appearance showed. Maitea''s threat actually worked. Bernard cautiously stood still, he looked at her and the purely ck ball in her hand in disbelief. ''HOW IN THE GOD''S NAME DID SHE FIND THAT!!!!!'' After being tortured by that ball for years, Bernard and Yoon both decided to get rid of it, either by figuring a way to inactivate the device or stealing and hide it somewhere. However, in the end, they couldn''t find that device anywhere even after turning the whole house upside down. ''...I can''t afford to teleport for an hour '' An hour was enough for his sister to disappear without a trace. She might have not been trained to hold a sword properly like her brothers, but Maitea travelled with the master to wherever he went that made her memorize the whole continent''s map. She knows more than she understands, Finding herter will be harder than facing an army bare-handed. " baby girl, where are going?" Why would she suddenly run away? Just because her master wasn''t here anymore doesn''t mean that she has nothing left, her brothers were basically her loyal servants! And it''s not like the master was dead, he.... just returned to be a tree. " I will go find the grandmaster!" Maitea answered with firm confidence. The grandmaster was the one who reshaped her master from a peach tree to a rational and independent life form. If he did it once, then of course he can do it again. " Ah, baby girl.....he is not-" He wasn''t in the human realm, what will a divine being do in this in realm? The humans were already given a lot of face when he supported their shabby realm with the world tree. "I WILL FIND HIM!....there most be a gate that is still working " '' if there is not, then I will just create one...'' In the past three days that Maitea was hiding in the master''s room, she has been searching through his thousands of years old dairies in hope to find a clue about any active gate. However, she already visited all the gates with her master and saw by her eyes that they were ruined. Leaving only three locations that are deep inside the Dead Land. A coldnd that nothing can survive in it, frozen since the ck snow incident. Of course, the master won''t take his precious little Love to such a dangerous ce, which means, Maitea did not witness by herself whether those gates are useable or not. There is a chance, but it''s faint. "Then I wille with you" If this girl was acting stubborn, all he had to do was to make sure she won''t get herself killed. "No! Brother has lots of work to do. The town, master''s work and your job in the Empire" Who is supposed to keep an eye on the nonhuman races if Bernard disappeared like that? Once the leaders of each territory hear about what happened to her master, the one who suppressed them from going berserk, the underworld will fall in chaos. Someone will have to step and take the initiative to hold the chains of these ''hungry monsters'' before shit hits the human society. Surely, one won''t ask the low IQ Maitea to carry such a responsibility. It''s either Bernard or Yoon, and since the second disciple Yoon was somewhere in a mission, Bernard would be the only choice. " no it''s fine, I don''t want little Ma to get hurt" As he said that desperately, Bernard finally noticed the man who was sneaking behind his sister. It was Jennings. They were talking too seriously that neither Bernard nor Everly felt him approaching. Bernard quickly averted his gaze and pretended not to see Jennings, while listening to Maitea''s nagging about how she can''t take him with her. Only when he was few feets away from her, did Maitea feel the presence that was stealthily approaching her. The fact that she didn''t notice him, even though Maitea had sharp instincts, gave her the chills. She immediately turned back, but the man already dashed on her and the only thing she could see was the wide shadow covering her. Jennings warped his arms tightly around Maitea before falling in the water. The river was as deep as Jennings''s ankles, though, they were drenched, nothing serious could happen. " your majesty?!!! What are you doing here?!" "Chasing after you, what else" Jennings calmly answered the shocked girl, looks like she never thought that he will really follow her. Maitea opened her mouth to speak before quickly closing it again, she felt the hand, that was holding a round object, now was empty. After confirming that he was holding the young girl firmly, Jennings turned to where her brother was supposed to be standing but the only thing he could find was dark fog. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 '' this is my chance!!!'' Now that her brother won''t be able to chase after her, Maitea can take this one in a life time opportunity to shake away the weakling man holding her and flee. If she managed to reach the nearby city, then using a crystal gate to teleport to some other cities, her brother can''t stop her. As Jennings let his gourd down, dumbfounded to see his used-to-be friend turning to a mist. Maitea easily pushed Jennings and instantly dashed away toward the other side of the forest. "NO! Maitea wait!!" He lost her.... '' WHY IS EVERYONE SO STUPIDLY FAST?!!!!!'' For being the only normal main character in this novel, Jennings will suffer a lot. He quickly stood to follow behind her, but his steps came to a halt after hearing the little girl''s screams from the direction she fled to. "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" As if her life depended on that, Maitea ran towards Jennings with her eyes tightly shut and her head hang down. Jennings did not have the chance to be surprised as Maiteaunched at him like a bullet, causing them to fall again in the river. '' I don''t understand anything anymore.....'' The nine years old child escaped from her home to god knows where, turned her brother to fog and now clinging on the man she was supposed to run from. " a Roro jumped on me!!!!!!" Maitea cried as clung to Jennings''s waist with trembling hands. ''Roro? What is that?'' Jennings patted the shivering young Love on her back trying to soothe her, and then, he could see the so-called Roro crawling on her back. ''a lizard. Roro is .......a lizard?'' With a nk expression, Jennings caught the green lizard and was about to toss it aside when a thought crossed his mind. ''Wait! If I just removed it then she will run again..'' He looked at the struggling lizard in his hand as he asked:" by the way little Ma, what happened to Bernard ". Shouldn''t they start panicking? A whole person has turned to ck fog in front of their eyes while they were calmly chilling in the water. " brother Ba is fine. Please take it away!" Well, if Maitea said he was fine then he is fine. After all, Bernard was her martial brother, she should be the person the most worried about him. Jennings fixed Maitea in his embrace, and stood while still holding the lizard. He walked towards the dark cloud and grabbed the ck ball that was imitating that fog. '' I guess he is trapped inside or something. For now, I need to make sure Maitea doesn''t escape'' Noticing his actions, Maitea asked bewildered:" your majesty, won''t you throw the Roro away?" "I will shove it inside your clothes if you tried to run again " Maitea instantly flinched. With the little on his arms, a ck ball in his hand and a lizard in the other, Jennings headed back to the house at the top of the hill. ****** It has been a while since they returned back, Jennings ced the lizard under a cup on the dining table next to Maitea, as he peeled some fruits and fed the young girl that hadn''t eaten anything for a couple of days. Although, she doesn''t have an appetite, with the threat of a gross ugly green lizard can Maitea afford to be stubborn? -Poof! Suddenly, the ck ball that was ced on the couch at the living room imitated a thicker wave of dark fog, revealing Bernard after it cleared a bit. " I fucking hate worms!!!" He was gasping for breath, covered in sand with his clothes half unfastened. After cursing certain worms for a few moments, Bernard finally realized where he was. He quickly walked to where he can sense the presence of living beings. "Little Ma!!" Maitea did not answer, as she settled with lowering her head and avoiding his eyes. Seeing her reaction, Bernard was filled with uneasiness. < baby Ma.....why are you doing this> '' eh?..'' < I, I just want master back > '' WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?!!!'' For some reason, these two siblings started talking in a foreignnguage. Even for an Emperor that is supposed to know manynguages, this one waspletely un-understandable. < but Maitea, this was bound to happen! master has been preparing us for this from the beginning > < no! This is too early, we could have avoided this- I could have! Aren''t I supposed to die first!! Then why is master leaving before me! > < MAITEA!!> He couldn''t understand what they were talking about, but Jennings could see from their faces that Bernard was trying to talk some sense into her, while she said something she should and now he is angry. < I was happy that until the end I will live with brothers and master together. But what is the point now! if everyone is leaving, then I will just bring them back! > < baby girl, this is master''s decision, there is nothing we can do > < I won''t believe that.....until I hear it from his mouth, I won''t believe that!! > How can she ept the fact that her master decided to not stay with, even though he promised to stay to the end? < I can''t let you go there, it''s too dangerous. Even if I were to protect you, your body won''t be able to handle such high mana pressure > The Dead Land, the centre of the ck snow incident. A ce where mana pressure was too high for sensitive living beings. < but I can''t ignore a chance that a gate could be used > < then I will go by myself, you trust your brother, right? Won''t you entrust this task to me? > < what about brother Ba''s work?! I can''t let brother leave his work! > Bernard''s hand were already full with all the responsibilities he was assigned to. Where can he find the time to satisfy a whiney girl''s needy request? < then, what do you think? Can baby Ma do them for me? > Chapter 56 Chapter 56 This would solve the whole situation. If Bernard left Maitea with the old grannies and knights at Sekka town, then he can rest assured knowing that they will watch over her while pretending to be watched over by her. < I believe that little Ma is strong enough to handle such responsibility > < .....really? > Bernard nodded at the astonished young girl, he could see the sparks that hadn''t been lit on her face since long. Bernard finally eased a bit, but that easiness did notst as Maitea shattered his n with her words. < Yes!! I will work hard to be a great general!!> ''....eh?'' < I will defeat monsters and save the humans! Just like brother Ba > < no, little one, this is not what I meant > Maitea did not hear him as she grabbed on Jennings hem, excitedly saying: < and I will go with his majesty to the capital! There will be a lot of people and imperial knights!! > Jennings, who has been out of the conversation since a while, was startled to suddenly being pointed at. '' is she talking to me? Should I say something?'' The young girl looked happy and energetic, he couldn''t just ignore her. After a moment of debating what to say, Jennings settled with just smiling awkwardly, since he doesn''t know what was she saying. '' I understand nothing, but she is super CUTE!!'' Jennings''s smile made Maitea''s face brighten even more. While Bernard on the other hand became gloomier. He crouched next to Maitea so he can be at the same level as her face. "little Ma, I meant that you should stay here in Sekka" Bernard subconsciously returned to use the previousnguage. < ...alone? > Bernard instantly froze, he could see the fear in her eyes hidden under her hesitant tone. ''....I am such an idiot '' How could he leave his little sister in where someone dear to her died, alone no less. Of course, the residents at Sekka town adored Maitea, but it''s totally different when staying with one''s own family. Probably, Maitea was scared when she decided to leave in a journey alone, but her fear was lesspared to the difort of staying in Sekka, right in front of that great peach tree. Noticing the heavy air, Jennings sensed as if Bernard was troubled, he asked in concern:"is there something I can help with?". Bernard answered boldly:" there is none, please don''t worry yourself". Did he really think that Bernard would wee his offer with gratitude? No matter how he thought about this situation, Jennings found himself the culprit for all that happened recently. Bernard''s eyes that turn bloodshot every time he looked at Jennings was enough to tell how much Bernard resented him. Maitea looked at the two tensed men as she asked: < are you two still fighting? > Since Jennings did not understand what she said, no one answered. Maitea frowned as she scolded firmly: < why are you fighting?! Don''t be bad! > Bernard mustered some courage to lie to his goddess. " We are not fighting little Ma " Maitea red at him suspiciously, she slightly pulled on Jennings''s ve as she said: < then, I will go with his majesty. since you didn''t fight, it will be fine > '' I don''t know why, but I feel like I somehow ended in the middle of their argument '' Bernard clinched and loosened his fists few times, what can he say to convince her? He himself understood that the best choice for Maitea was to leave with Jennings. At the moment Jennings was in the process of the sublime tour ceremony, he was bounded to travel nonstop for the next five months. That would create the perfect environment for a stranger to suddenly show up, with all the ces that were nned for the Emperor to visit, detecting Maitea''s origin will be extremely difficult. Despite admitting this fact, Bernard can''t bring himself to just hand his sister to Jennings. '' how can I entrust her to someone who doesn''t even trust me?!'' He wasn''t stupid, Bernard clearly understands that what happened wasn''t something to me Jennings for, seeing it from the perspective of an Emperor Jennings'' decision came from wise analyzing of the situation. However, his misunderstanding revolved around the reason behind not relying the matter on him. They have known each other for three years, during that time, each of them created an image of the other''s personality. To Bernard, Jennings was a gentle and a hard-working man with a weak spot for his children. As for Jennings.... '' ....most be a care-free andzy general '' In Bernard''s view, Jennings thought that Bernard won''t take the matter seriously, as he always acted carelessly. Not to forget, the importance of the mines for Sitia. By not relying on him, Bernard felt betrayed by Jennings, making him regret the trust he had towards Jennings. "I can''t allow that, little Ma" Maitea pouted at her brother''s response, she raised her arms toward Jennings, gesturing for him to pick her up and Jennings dly did that. '' I still have no idea what is going on, but I like this situation '' You don''t get to hold an angel everyday. < brother said not to go alone because it''s dangerous, so Maitea stayed. But now brother says not to go with his majesty, Even though master said that his majesty is a good guy. Isn''t brother being mean like that? > Bernard was taken aback. It was true, he has been ordering her around like an asshole. Maitea continued after a pause: < it''s either I go with him or I will run away again in your sleep > She said this then suddenly grabbed Jennings''s face. Her tiny hands gently pressed on his cheeks, making Jennings internally scream like a teenage girl. < let''s go your majesty! > Dazed by her loveliness, Jennings subconsciously said:" I don''t under what you are saying, but I totally agree". Chapter 57 Chapter 57 In the midst of the crowded street, two suspicious men wearing ck robes were escorting a cute little girl that obviously wouldn''t be their daughter. " did they kidnap her? Should we call the gourds?" " she doesn''t look hurt, maybe they are her acquaintances or something " " just now, the shorter man''s voice was somehow familiar " As Maitea happily hopped from a stall to another, both Bernard and Jennings were having a tough time trying to act normal. In the past, no one ever suspected the master whenever he went down the streets, with his gentle and fair looks, who would think that he abducted a child? On the other hand, Bernard and Jennings, as an emperor and grand general, are easily recognizable in the Empire, naturally they had to cover their faces. Ending up looking like criminals and gangsters. After half an hour of avoiding gazes and the awkward pressure, the group finally reached to ra city mayor''s state. " Stop right there!! Who are you?! What is your business here?!" As they were trying to sneak in, a patrol gourd caught them climbing the wall. Who dared to kidnap a child from the mayor''s state, the ce where the Emperor himself was staying at no less!! " release the kid! Or else I will use force!" The gourd shouted as he unsheathed his sword towards the two suspicious men. "Woh, young man, calm down it''s just us". Bernard removed the top that covered his face. causingmotion and attracting more people wasn''t a good idea, what will his people say if they knew that their Emperor was sneaking into other people''s houses like a thief? "Oh my god, general! I never thought that you were shameless enough to kidnap childre- " The gourd suddenly stopped when his eyes fell on Jennings, he absolutely can''t mistake that figure, especially when he was apanying general Egerton. " wait, is that...EEEK!! YOUR MAJESTY!!!!!" In a moment of panic, the gourd quickly threw his sword and heavily mmed his forehead on the ground, kowtowing towards Jennings. " I HAVE COMMITTED A SIN!! FOR POINTING MY SWORD AT YOUR MAJESTY! THIS LOW LIFE DESERVES THE WORST DEATH!!" "Ahaha, it''s okay, it''s okay. Rather, I am quite impressed, the fact that even we got caught means that you guys are doing a great job. I appreciate your hard work " Jennings awkwardlyughed as he waved his hand for the man to stand straight. Offending the Imperial family is a crime that can lead to a fate worse than dog''s. Well, such a thing would never happen with the softhearted Jennings as the Emperor. The man had a cursed son, yet didn''t kill him nor imprisoned him in a creepy tower like how usually main character''s parents do. '' he is as unnecessarily too kind as ever.....not of my business anymore '' Their rtionship wasn''t the same as before. " Just don''t tell anyone about this. Or prepare to be buried alive" Although Bernard meant it when he said his threat, the gourd did not take him seriously. Bernard was known to be the slothy drunkard general that can beat your ass, he is strong and capable, yet toozy to beat some manners in his soldiers and knights. The gourd watched the group of two men and cutie-pie child walk away, when suddenly a thought crossed his mind. ''.....who was that little girl anyways?'' ****** " brother, sleepy" Said Maitea as she pulled on Bernard''s ves. They have just finished discussing the changes of the sublime tour ceremony schedule, turning it to suit both Maitea''s sudden appearance and Bernard''s future long journey. " little Ma wants to sleep? Can you wait a minute for brother to finish things?" Bernard caressed his sister''s head after seeing her obediently nod her head despite looking so tired. at that time he heard Jennings''s concerned voice. " does the ancestor have any enemies?" "None that I can''t keep in check" While Jennings was feeling depressed by the fact that Bernard used ( I ) not ( we), obviously telling him not to involve himself too much in the matter. Bernard had realized something worrisome. ''.....would those bastardse after Maitea even at the imperial pce..?'' Attacking the imperial pce wasn''t something even a whole kingdom would blindly do, let alone the reputation of a devil crown prince was enough to chase away the cowards. Yet, Bernard''s heart couldn''t ease. '' Should I change her appearance? No, brown hair and green eyes are prettymon....the identity?''. As he was drowned in his thoughts, Bernard felt tiny hands warping around his tight. Seems like Maitea was too sleepy so she urged her brother to finish his work quickly. Bernard picked the little girl on his arms saying:" baby girl, do you mind if I change your name for a little while? There are bad guys who wille to Maitea if they knew that you are alone". Maitea who was resting her head on Bernard''s shoulder answered in sleepy voice:" I am not alone, I will be with his majesty. But will like any name brother picks for me". " is that so? Then how about....." Bernard paused for a good while then continued. < My Heaven > Hearing that name, Jenningsmented:" ah, such a name is rare here in Sitia, it suits little Ma- I mean Everly ". However, Maitea was already sound asleep by that time, deep in her dreams, waiting for future. End volume 3. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 hey guys! These are few notes that I have no idea where to put. Not important for the plot, just for your information. 1. If Everly hadn''t stopped the master from asking about Lennox, then the master would have discovered Lennox''s real identity and kills him. He already knew about a sinister existence that lives in the capital, but had to ignore it due to his body''s condition. . . . 2. When Jennings told Everly about marriage, the master actually heard him, and he made Everly repeat "all men but master are garbage" ten times eveyday before sleeping. he ain''t giving his baby girl to anyone :) . . . 3. Roro means a lizard in Maitea''s mothendnguage. Also in chapter 41, Maitea misunderstood the word '' nephew '' for a fish as it means some type of river fish.> . . . 4. The master''s whip {n Luscious} used to be a living person, and was the master''s lover. . . . 5. Originally, the master did not pamper Maitea to the extent that she needs someone to brush her teeth. Yoon, her second brother, is the one to me, he was too fond of her and spoiled the girl too much that Maitea learned to walk only at the end of three years old. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 "...nl" ".....ianl" "SHIANL!!" Covered in cold sweats and out of breath, Lennox jolted awake to his cold and dark room. '' ugh, it''s only been a week since Ist saw her, howe this stupid dream returned again '' Lennox has been bothered by a nightmare that keeps disturbing his slumber ever since he woke up in this body. With his knowledge of magic, he had tried many spells, magical herbs, and potions, but nothing worked. The resentment in his soul has piled up for years, making the seal on his powers difficult to maintain. However, Everly is a Love. Her aura wasn''t just to scam people into adoring her, but also works against malicious emotions and wicked creatures, and if trained properly then it can purify evil spirits. God''s creation can not bepared with what is made by magic. Being near her was enough to calm the untold resentment roaring in his soul. '' then again, what is the point in troubling myself about people I don''t even remember'' Thanks to a certain bitch, Shianl ended up in this human body with barely any powers and vivid memories. He had to do that bitch a favour so she will return what was stolen from him, fortunately, what she asked for was a piece of cake for him. { rule a nation for me, Shianl } { Bitch, what shit are you spouting? } { You are a honourable being, you was born to be above all living creatures, to be the absolute sovereign } { ... } { there is this human who made a contract with me in exchange for a new era. I was yet to find a suitable candidate who is able to create such a world for the fragile humans, when I lucked out to meet you } { and why would we grace you with our eptance? } { you have lost your Sin, and I saved your life } { no, we surely have died... } '' tsk, why I am thinking about that? '' Lennox brushed his hair back before hopping out of bed, he pressed a button that is connected to the servants'' rooms then headed to the bathroom. To his best part of the day. [ soaking in the water for an hour ] ****** After dressing lightly, Lennox sat at the dining hall across Annasophy who was ring at him for a while. "Lenny" As he began chewing his food, Jennings called for him with his usual fatherly tone. " next week is Fletcher and Ms Catherine''s wedding ceremony. You will have to wake up and prepare early that day" Normally, the imperial family wouldn''t attend nobles'' weddings and personal celebrations, however, the Welfmores are considered family as well. " hn. Would general Egerton attend the wedding as well?" If Bernardes, naturally Everly would be there as well. Few hours of being exposed to her aura would be beneficial for Lennox to have a couple days of peaceful slumber. " He most!!!!!! It has been so many days since I havest seen my Evey!! I miss her!" Annasophy suddenly eximed by the mention of Bernard. " well, he and Fletcher are quite close, so I guess the general would there. As for Everly, I am not sure" " How can he not bring her?!! I will chew his head if he doesn''t " As a loyal member of Everly''s fan club, pressuring Bernard with her title as a Princess was the least Annasophy should do. " dear, aren''t you Ms Catherine''s Bridesmaid? You won''t have time to y with Everly " Jennings soothed his daughter, who was nning to annoy people, as he felt some sort of loneliness by the fact that his and Bernard''s rtionship wasn''t the same anymore. " Bridesmaid? Is this something suitable for a Princess to do? Are trying to ruin the imperial family''s reputation?" Lennox snorted at Annasophy, the woman who always ravaged his fun. " Cathy and I are best friends, it''s natural that I will be her bridesmaid. Hmph, a loner who doesn''t have a single friend like you, won''t understand it." " what a real bullshit. She must have chosen you for your ugly face, no bride wants her groom to look at other women on their wedding day" Even though Annasophy clearly understands that Lennox was only mocking her and is aware of her beauty, which one nce from her can make men drop dead. She still picked up that ss in front of her and threw it at him. After all, no one likes to be called ugly. Fork Bowl te Another ss All sorts of tableware were thrown on him. yet, Lennox easily dodged them with a sly smile on his face. " bitch, you can never reach me " " You little-" " both of you! Stop being so barbaric!!", Jennings''s patient finally reached its limit. " Anna, you are already a growndy, watch your manners " He then turned to Lennox and extended his hand towards him, pulling his ear. " and you, stop bothering your-" However, once his hand touched Lennox''s ear, Jennings''s frown turned to one of concern. "Why are you so cold?" When Lennox was born, Jennings was the most worried about him. Pale skin, body as cold as snow and can''t be exposed to the sun. But most importantly, all servants were scared witless by just being in the same room with the prince. Despite not feeling his pheromones, Lennox''s mother, the Empress abounded her child and refused to attend to him, leaving Jennings alone with the newborn. For the first month, Lennox would suddenly wake up at night looking in extreme pain. Although Jennings called all the physicians in the Empire, they were either too scared to get close or couldn''t figure what was wrong with the child. Knowing that he might lose his son Jennings spent many sleepless nights next to the newborn, thinking that if Lennox would die then the least he could do was to stay by his side. Unexpectedly, as time went by, Lennox eventually became better. He was no more in pain and his pheromones greatly decreased, however, no servants were willing to attend to him until Rachel volunteered to do so. "Hm, strange, I am still wearing my ring " Even though it has been long since then, Jennings as a father, still had the fear of that time lingering in his heart. With a worried expression, he watched as Lennox took off his ring that was used to keep Lennox''s body temperature the same as human''s. "Tsk, it ran out of mana" "Can''t you just fill it again?" Lennox looked at Annasophy with fake disbelief, inwardly saying ''how can you be this stupid! '' " you think it''s some sort of bucket I can fill whenever I want. It will take a month at least". Hearing that it was nothing serious, Jennings''s expression eased. He caressed Lennox''s head before pulling his ear saying:" then again, stop bothering your sister ". Thus, the family continued their dinner -breakfast for Lennox- with small chats along with the meal. The servants this whole time: [ I see nothing, I hear nothing ] ****** After exiting the Emperor''s study with a pack of documents for the crown prince to do, the umbre butler headed to one of the waiting rooms. " his highness is summoning you, please follow me " As he said that, a blond youth around 15 to 16 years stood with a genuine smile. He walked away from his seat and followed behind the umbre butler to Lennox''s quarters. Knock, knock " my lord, sir Ajiad had arrived " "e in " As the emotionless voice faded, the umbre butler opened the door to the crown prince''s lounge, an extreme cold breeze brushed by Ajiad''s face causing him to tremble. With his expression hidden behind the umbre butler, Ajiad walked to the boyying on the couch with a mana crystal floating above him. " the hell is wrong with this disgusting face of yours?" Lennox asked Ajiad with appalled expression. Was he trembling from coldness? Was he wearing a terrified face? Of course not. This man here is a crazy psychopath who is obsessed with power . Not the type of power that you gain through your life, but the one that nature has granted you from the beginning. Humans were born powerless, thus there were the most that Ajiad Alphonsus loathed. On the other hand, Shianl, as a honourable being, was born to stand at the top of all creatures under heavens. He surpassed all the living beings in every aspect thates to mind, let alone, he was from a race that the god had favoured and permitted them to ascend to heaven. In Ajiad''s eyes, Lennox was the only existence who reached perfection. " ah, your grace. Please forgive this low-life, it''s just. I am too pleasured to be in the same room as your excellency " Lennox looked at the young man who was pathetically trembling like a pervert in heat, before quickly waving his hand:" forget it, just report what you have found". While Ajiad was trying to fix his indecent expression, Lennox took the chance to instruct the umbre butler:" go inform consort Cha that I will pay her a visit in a bit" Ajiad bowed properly, reporting what he managed to gather:" Everly Egerton, born in 1653, December, no details about the specific day. Was found abounded at the front door of a small temple of the Eternal Night''s god, in a vige called Ebral, near Rarin city. The priests raised her with the other orphans at an orphanage that belonged to the temple until the age of five, when a swordmaster adopted her to be his disciple. After that, she has been travelling with him and his other two disciples, general Egerton is the first, as for the other one, no details". " This is the disy story, what about the real one?" " Unfortunately, not much was found about her, before appearing during the sublime tour ceremony. Although the priests and the children at Ebral vige were familiar when we talked about her, there weren''t any who recognized her name outside of the vige. Even with the assistance of the Green Pigeons Marchant guild, we couldn''t find any threads connected to her, as if she never existed outside the vige ". "I see. no need to search any further, general Egerton possess many resources, he probably has erased everything by now" "If this is what your Excellency wishes to " '' This fellow could be quiet useful if not for his damaged brain....'' Ajiad Alphonsus, higher-rate magician and a member of the Alphonsus family who was responsible for managing the trade in Sitia Empire. They first met when Lennox went to the Alphonsus mansion to investigate the death of the previous Earl. Ajiad was shocked by how fast Lennox proved his supremacy and dominance, even though all what Lennox did was simply breathing. Trying his best not to show his hidden personality, Ajiad kept trembling the whole time. But lost control when everyone rushed towards Adide, leaving the two of them alone in the room. { get up} { y, your highness. You are so-} { shut up, you sickening piece of trash. Get on your feet and stand far away from me} Was all they said, however, it made Ajiad even crazier about Lennox. After that, Lennox summoned this man to make use of him by tracking the origin of Everly, which they couldn''t find. " you may leave now" Chapter 60 Chapter 60 As Lennox walked through the passage towards the Crimson pce, he stumbled upon a dead body thrown on the grass. " what in the name of hell are you doing here??" "Lennox!!!" Everly, who was pretending to be a lifeless corpse for thest half an hour, instantly jumped by seeing Lennox''s usual emotionless face. And before she spout some useless shit, Lennox quickly demanded. " answer my question first" " ah, um. Brother Ba said that he has something to do in the pce, so I came with him to y together with Lennox. But there was someone scary in your room, so I just stayed here" ''Why are her words so cracked....?'' " *sigh, I won''t bother to beat some sense in your head. Right now, I am going to meet with someone else who is also ''scary''. You cane with me, or wait in my room" " if I go with Lennox, will you protect me?" ".... *a deeper sigh. yes, whatever " " then, I will go with Lennox " ***** " may I know for what do I own the pleasure for your highness''s visit?" " Are you questioning my intentions, consort Cha?" Sensing the threat in Lennox''s voice, consort Cha quickly exined herself: "Not at all, how dare I? This humble one only asked out of curiosity, never had any hidden meanings " Lennox ignored her words, nonchntly taking a sip of his tea. '' I can''t even smell the tea fragrance anymore...'' For a while now, all that Lennox could smell was the overwhelming sweet scent of jasmine. Why? Because Everly had been sticking to Lennox for dear life, not letting go of his arm even for a second. '' the hell is she scared of?!! Wasn''t She the one who turned the poor beasts to minced meat when we went huntingst tim- ugh, my arm is numb '' He can''t shake her since Lennox was the one who brought her with him. All he could do at the moment was being satisfied with Everly unknowingly benefiting his seal and suppressing the overflowing malice emotions within him. '' I will just bear with it.....'' Lennox handed a cookie to Everly so she would loosen her grip on his shoulder. Before saying with his usual emotionless face. " let''s get down to business. The Empress will visit by the next month, make preparations for it" Isabe Ve Gourchia, the Empress of Sitia, Lennox''s birth mother and the fourth princess of Mojin kingdom. Her marriage with Jennings was decided by their parents from an early age, as a sign of the good rtionship the two nations have. Since she had no potentials to inherit the throne, Isabe''s marriage never was reconsidered, even after showing great talent in magic. And just like that, Isabe was married off to a foreign Empire for the sake of politics. However, not long after giving birth to a cursed child, the Mojin royalty was caught in an incident that led to their deaths with the eldest daughter as the only survivor. Thus, Isabe returned to her home, taking the position of the royal mage. " I understand, your highness. Is there anything I should keep in mind?" "Yeah, make sure she doesn''t meet this punk under any circumstances" He pointed at Everly with his chin as he bit on a chocte bar. Remembering the miscalcted move she took towards Everly, consort Cha smiled awkwardly as she said. " I have heard thatdy Everly is general Egerton''s younger sister. I see no reason to be cautious about her" " it''s because she is dear to him, that I am being extra cautious. That woman is a crazy witch, if anything happens to this punk, then we can kiss our Empire goodbye " As the two of them talked about other pns and reports, Everly began losing the sense of her fingertips from the cold. What could she do? For some reason, Lennox has returned to be a wandering snowman. Although Everly wants to let go of this ice block, her fear towards consort Cha took the best of her. " hm, what''s wrong?" Lennox turned to Everly who was pulling on his clothes since a while, and what she wanted was obviously written on her face. " haa, fine let''s get going " Lennox sighed at Everlys'' pleading face as he stood off the couch. Fixing his attire, Lennox said to consort Cha before exiting the Crimson pce:"st thing, about the eldest son of Esterhzy Marquis, keep raising his reputation around the nobles'' wives. Make it that all you say is the truth, though". Roan Esterhzy, the eldest son of Esterhzy family and Annasophy''s lover. Around a month ago, Annasophy made a deal with Lennox, in exchange for turning a blind eye on the dead man buried in their backyard, Lennox will help in convincing Jennings to agree to Annasophy and Roan''s marriage. Thus, ever since then, Lennox has been decorating Roan and assigning him many tasks to make his reputation glow, so when the timees, he will be the most suitable candidate. Well, that''s the n.... But why would Lennox give a shit about such a trivial thing? Well, it wasn''t the matter of a dead body in the backyard, but about the backyard itself. The number of people Lennox buried there was beyond counting, they were perfectly working as fertilizers for the grass there. Although Annasophy does not know about all of that, if anyone was to randomly dig into the ground, they would stumble into a skeleton or a cursed item if they were unlucky. " ah, finally out!" Lennox watched the young girl enjoying her freedom for a while before breaking his silence: "by the way, Everly. What is your name?" '' if finding the answer by under-table methods doesn''t work, then all I should do is bring the game on the table '' Everly blinked twice before answering in doubt:" Everly?" " no, the other one" " ooh, it''s Maitea " '' it works!!!!! This dumb girl is digging her own grave!!'' As she aimlessly hopped around Lennox, Everly kept answering all of his questions. " where did you live before meeting the old man?" " in Sekka, behind a big mountain~" " what is your master''s name. I am sure he must be a renowned great teacher " " I can''t say his name, master said that only grand master can. But few uncles call him Riel, guess it''s a nickname " " I heard you have another brother, where is he?" " brother Yo is a butterfly, he went to do his duty " "....." ''WHAT IN THE HOLY FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?!!'' While Lennox was trying to analyze her words to something normal people can understand, Everly clung to him, begging with her shining emerald eyes. "Lennox. Let''s go y before brother Ba finishes his work" '' Ah, right. I promised to hang out with her '' " fine, go fetch a horse. I will change my clothes and meet you there" Everlys'' face instantly sparkled, she vigorously nodded her head before quickly jumping away towards the stables. It''s been more than a week since thest time they fooled around. Lennox watched as Everly reached to where the stables was supposed to be before turning his back and heading to his room. He unbuttoned his shirt while the umbre butler brought a pair of white shirt and ck leather trouser. " are you going out with youngdy Everly, my lord? " " yeah, I promised to hang out with her. We will go to the forest, inform the old man half an hour after we leave " The umbre butler confirmed themand and assisted his liege in dressing. They did not say anything until Lennox started putting his gloves on. " by the way. Do you know someone called Riel? apparently that''s what people call Everly''s master " " oh. The chairman? yes, he used to be known for being too strict. I doubted that rumor because of how young and soft he looked like. But after seeing him beating his disciples, I thanked god for the first time in my life to have your grace as my teacher " Lennox ignored the part where his servant bluntly insulted him and rised a brow as he wore a confused expression. " you met him? " " yes, at some celebrations or gatherings. He was Blood Prince''s acquaintance, so I saw him frequently " " Why didn''t you tell me?? " " you never asked " Lennox opened and closed his mouth a few times. He looked at the umbre butler who had an innocent face with disbelief. Shianl has taken care of the umbre butler ever since he was at the high of his knees (the adult Shianl of the past). Although he disliked having a small useless vampire following behind him, Shianl gradually became attached to him and took the little vampire under his wing. However, Shianl has always been troubled by how innocent and white-hearted this kid''s mentality was. At the moment, he was gathering information about Everly and Bernard to decide whether they were considered as enemies or allies. But that maiden vampire looked like he was talking about his old friends in high school . '' this brat has no sense of danger at all. Even Everly is more caution '' Lennox rubbed his forehead until it turned red before saying with a sigh:" forget it. I will hear the detailster ". he said that before exiting his room and heading to the stables. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 " that''s all the files you need to review ", silence fell upon them after Carson said that to both Jennings and Bernard. '' the heck is wrong with this atmosphere?!! '' Even though theypleted their work as Smooth as usual, Carson could still sense the awkward coldness in the air. In a desperate attempt to ease the tension, he blurted whatever came to his mind. " ah, general. You broughtdy Everly with you?" Bernard answered with his usual attitude:" I had to, she insisted oning. Saying that she misses everyone at the pce" Jennings faintly chuckled as he mumbled to himself:" ah, I miss little Eve too" In the past month, aside from following Jennings everywhere, Everly allied with Lennox to do all the crazy shit thates to their minds. Making Jennings worried that he might sleep at night and wake up at the news that his kids summoned a devil or something. Jennings has all the right to be worried about such a thing ''cause Lennox and Everly really did think about doing so, luckily they failed :) " When are you presenting her officially? You see, dealing with the rumours aboutdy Everly and his majesty is quite tiring " Bernard loudlyughed at Carson''s sighs, saying:" yeah, I did hear some of them, abandoned Princess? Child of an unfortunate love? Who the hell makes that bullshit? " With a helpless smile, Jennings sighed at the two men having fun cussing at some olddies who probably started these rumours. " why would there be such rumours? little Eve and I are surely close, but it''s not enough to say that we are a child and parent" " well, baby girl has been talking restlessly about prince Lennox. Perhaps people assumed so because they y together a lot" That what Bernard had in mind before Carson struck him with the most logical exnation. " I bet it''s because she is ten " "....wait. that actually makes sense " "....." After a moment of silence, Jennings couldn''t stay speechless for too long and asked the million gold question. "So what if she is ten?" No one answered. However, Jennings could see that both Bernard and Carson were internally panicking, which made him even more curious. " a-haha, such trivial things are for me to take care of, please don''t concern yourself, your grace " " ahem. So I was saying that I will officially present Everly at Fletcher and Catherine''s wedding. It''s more convenient, ahem". " answer me. Don''t change the subject " Seeing that it did not y on Jennings, Carson started sweating. well, he was the one who spilt the tea. With stiff limbs, Carson spouted:" AH, general. Did you not say that you will be leaving the Empire after the Duke''s wedding?" Although he has just spilt Bernard''s tea, Bernard decided to cooperate with him and cover his back. "Yes. I, I have some business to attend to at Baranos kingdom" '' FUCK YOU CARSON!!!! COULDN''T YOU HAVE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE?!!! '' Thankfully, they managed to draw his attention elsewhere. " you are leaving already? It hasn''t been a month since you returned " Hiding his bothered tone, Bernard said formally:" since master''s responsibilities are on me now, I will be travelling more frequently ". After news of the master''s condition spread across the underworld, many of those who were cowardly hiding crawled out of their holes, thinking that no one can stop them. Even with NOAH system organizing the non-humans, without the master, it''s more like a barking dog that can''t bite. '' oddly, Sitia is way too calm...'' For thergest nation in the continent, and the most advanced in magic technology, to be this quiet was something suspicious. Unlike the other kingdoms and tribes that had already started with their riots, Sitia Empire''s peace stayed unwavering. '' ...it''s just as master said, this idiot is really capable for a mere human '' While Bernard was having these thoughts, Jennings snapped him out with his words. "What about little Eve? You can''t drag her everywhere around the continent " Carson looked at Jennings fidgeting as he talked to Bernard with a bewildered face. '' What in the god''s name is wrong with this ex-husband tension??!!! '' " I think you should keep her in the pce, it''s safer and she won''t feel lonely when you are busy with work ". The moment Carson''s voice faded from the air, the door to Jennings study knocked. "What is it?" Carson asked after opening the door for the umbre butler. " There is an urgent matter to report to his majesty " " let him in, Carson " Jennings''s voice came from inside the study. With the Emperor''s permission, the umbre butler entered the room and bowed deeply toward Jennings. " your majesty, his highness anddy Everly had escaped from the pce. following the direction they went to, it seems that they are heading to the forest outside the capital.....again" "..." ***** Tak Tak Hearing the knocks on the terrace''s window. Annasophy, who was pretending to be asleep, quickly jumped from her bed to open the window. " Why are youte, Roan?!", said Annasophy with a low scolding voice. She gently pushed the candle closer to the robed man, revealing his azure eyes and tinum golden strands that escaped from his hood. " sorry for real!! I had trouble sneaking in" " Did something happen?" Startled, Roan Esterhzy quickly waved his hands and exined: "no, nothing, don''t worry. It''s just, there have been a lot more gourds than usual because the crown prince ran away...again " With a deep sigh, Annasophy took the cloak in Roan''s hand and covered herself with it. " To hell with it. Let''s just get going " She said that then both of them climbed down the terrace and stealthily sneaked out of the pce, to what people call nowadays a " date". She said that then both of them climbed down the terrace and stealthily sneaked out of the pce, to what people call nowadays a " date". . . . As the couple walked away from the scattering crowd, theirughters took a while until it subsided. Annasophy swung the hand holding into Roan, saying with a tear hanging at the corner of her eyes. " man, that was hrious. How did you find about that show " " I saw them years ago on an academic trip with my friends. And after hearing that they will perform in the capital, I really wanted to show you " Annasophy''s eyes widened before turning crescent along with the sincere smile she had. She leaned her head on Roan''s shoulder as both reached a ce less crowded. " I like this side of you " " wh-what side? " Roan''s face turned beat red, he was startled by the suddenpliment he received. Annasophy chuckled at her lover''s cute reaction, she hugged his arm saying. " you always think of me at your happiest moments. It makes me realize just how important I am to you " Usually, when men tried to court her with gifts behind the Emperor''s back, Annasophy would always get disgusted by the way they keep talking about how expensive and rare the items they brought. Roan, on the other hand, was rather different, he was stuttering, fidgeting and looked as he would faint from nervousness. And that what caught her attention. Roan''s steps came to a halt. He moved Annasophy from his side to his front, holding both her hands, he said with a serious tone. " Anna, I love you " Annasophy looked surprised but still waited for him to say what he had. " I want to stay with you, to cherish and protect you for the rest of my life. I know that I can never please his majesty with whom am I- " " no! Daddy''s standards are way too ridicules!! " She quickly eximed to correct him. However, Roan shook his head and responded calmly. " his majesty has all the right to do so. Princess is such a wonderful person, you deserve no less " Annasophy frowned the second he called her princess. She felt as if he was drawing lines of distancing himself. " I know this might sound shameless, since the crown prince is the one doing most of the work, but I want to be someone more reliable. I want to be the one who is in all of your memories, the one to make you the happiest in the world! " Annasophy did not smile, instead, she had a serious face as she responded to Roan''s honest words. " I love you too. As for the rest....I am satisfied with whatever you do, as long as you are by my side. Plus, if things went down hell, we can just flee somewhere " Roan scolded with a determined look on his face. He grabbed her shoulders saying:" I can never be the reason for you to separate from his majesty! he will be so heartbroken... " " hehe, you are so cute. Not as much as little Eve, though " " Please don''tpare me with an angel. And it''s embarrassing describing a grown-up man as cute " Annasophy buried her face in Roan''s embrace, theter hugged her back and both stayed silent for a moment until Annasophy raised her head with a cunning smile. " baby~ why are you nervous " " I-I am not " " really? then why does your heart seem like it will burst out of your chest at any moment? " " *nervous in Japanese* " " you are still shy even after seeing me naked and doing this and that~ " " A-Anna!! " Chapter 62 Chapter 62 As Everly avoided stepping on the lines and hopped from a brick to another she suddenly realized something. '' where am I? '' Not long ago she was standing next to her brother who was having fun bullying an imperial prince, when her brain uselessly challenged her to walk without touching some stupid brick lines. However, at the moment she was lost somewhere that looks like the yard of a fancy inn or something. " YOU THINK I WOULD LEAVE HIM WITH HORNY BEASTS LIKE YOU!!!! " Hearing the shouts of a woman, Everly followed the source of the voice to find two groups of people having a serious argument with a familiar face standing in between them. " HE IS A MAN! AND MEN SHOULD STAY IN THEIR OWN DORMS!!! " " YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE HIM YOUR DAMN MAID!!!! " " AND YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE HIM YOUR FUCKING PET!!!! " " g, guys, Come on. Let''s calm down, don''t yell " Kai Montfort, a member of Everly''s {carry me} collection, watered his heart with tears and hopelessly tried to separate the group of women and men away from each. However, things got even more messed up when both sides started forcefully pulling him. " LET GO YOU ASSHOLE!! HE IS COMING TO THE FEMALES DORM !! " " BITCH!! YOU LET GO! LIKE HELL I WILL ALLOW THAT!!! " Seeing Kai being tortured by some scary adults, Everly hesitated at first, but then quickly dashed between the two groups and clung to Kai''s slim waist. With a tear hanging at the corner of her eyes, Everly eximed broken heartedly. "NO!! Don''t bully pretty Kai!! " Silence..... While everyone was busy being struck by lightning from a clear sky, Kai was the only one who acted normal. Although he was a bit startled at first, Kai delightedly held Everly up with a bright smile on his face. "Mdy!! It''s been a while, What are you doing here? " " I came with brother Ba, but got lost " " oow~ want me to take back to the general? " Although not many knew about it, Kai heard from Oliver who heard from Lennox that Everly was actually Bernard''s sister, not the Emperor''s daughter. With puffed cheeks, Everly nodded slowly a couple of times before resting her head on Kai''s chest. " Alright, let''s go " . . . A few minutester. Gasp!! " an angel!!!" "NO, A GODDESS " " What the heck was that funny fluffy thing?!!!!" " Is it even legal to look like that!!! " Chaos has hit the imperial knights. ***** " This is way too unfair " It was a little past midnight, the imperial knights'' practice field that is usually empty at this time, now has few people in it. " what''s so unfair? You deserve this " " then why I am the only one getting punished?!!! what about the dumbass Everly?!!!!" Facing the small desk in the middle of the training ground, Lennox knelt on both knees holding three heavy metal bars. " well, I would never punish my baby girl for such a trivial mistake. Plus, this is your father, the Emperor''smand, I have no saying in it" " oh yeah? Then why do you look like you are over the moon about it?" Indeed, Bernard has been overjoyed from the moment he received the order to supervise Lennox''s punishment. The man really wanted to beat some manners into this rude sly brat, but how would he do that? Lennox wasn''t just any imperial member, he was the crown prince, the future Emperor, he can''t randomly beat the living daylight out of him. Above all, Jennings ys the biggest obstacle between Bernard''s fist and Lennox. He is too overprotective when ites to his children, he would panic over the slightest scratch. That''s why, even though Lennox did all the impossible crap, he rarely ever gets punished. the boy got a supreme dad there. " am I? Not at all, your highness must be delusional" Seeing Bernard''s wide mockery grin, veins popped on Lennoxs'' forehead. He was debating whether a finger or an eye would satisfy him, when Bernard started talking business. " excuse my rudeness your highness but..." '' if you know that you are about to talk shit, THEN SHUT YOUR TRAP!! '' " Are you perhaps using my baby girl to keep me in check? If so, then I would like to tell you that such acts will only bring backfired results " Bernard had a question floating on his head whenever Everly would start bbing about the crown prince and how they went to beat people and stir troubles frequently. Why would the emotionless tyrant suddenly have interest in a nameless cutie-pie? " Wow! what a ssless act. Believe me or not, I had no such intention " " then why would a busy person like your highness be entertaining a little kid? " In exchange for Bernard''s serious expression, Lennox faced him with a wless mockery smirk that was squeezed despite his trembling arms that were suffering from carrying those heavy bars. " You see, I am a kid too. Thanks to my special condition, my social interactions with fellows my age werecking. However, I have found someone who can match my pace so I took her in, nothing more, nothing less" '' ah.....was it because of his shitty personality that I have ignored the reality? '' From Bernard''s view, Lennox was more of an unfortunate creature than a monstrous devil as others think. He has heard from Jennings what Lennox been through when he was born, aside from the immense pain and physical struggles, Lennox had always been alone. Not to mention how servants and outsiders avoided him, both Lennox''s birth mother and sibling loathed the idea of him being part of the family. If anyone was to count the people who actually cared about him, then one hand would be more than enough to join them all. '' and then there is that assistant, I don''t even know his name but he kinda sus '' As Bernard created this dramatic bullshit in his head, Lennox''s legs started to hurt from kneeling for an hour. Through that time, Bernard brought some paperwork that has been pilling ever since he left the Empire, to pass the time. '' oddly there isn''t much to do.....was it the Emperor who took care of them? but he is already busy enough. humm '' Bernard was trying to figure a few things in his mind when he suddenly realized something. The biggest source of information in this Entire empire if not the continent was kneeling right in front of him. '' I must be some dumb-bitch for not thinking about this before '' . . . " There were some money embezzlement attempts against the Empire''s treasury, around three months ago, who was it? " " count Zachary, with the help of one of the old man''s previous assistants " " and how does your highness know that?" " you think I will tell you?! " Bernard, who was effectively taking this rare opportunity to squeeze some information out of Lennox''s mouth, had a mockery smile that annoyed Lennox. Bernard gestured to the knight standing by his side. " add another one " The knight carried his general''s order and added another metal bar to the ones Lennox was already carrying. Watering his heart with tears, the knight internally whined '' your highness!! Please don''t kill meter! '' " I will get back at you general, just wait " Lennox red at Bernard as his hand shook when the sixth metal bar was added. Bernard was yet to answer when a soft voice called for him. " good evening, general. I hope you have been in great health " It was Kai, he slightly bowed towards Bernard, carrying the sleepy Everly on his arms. " hm, good evening Montfort. I see my baby girl has taken a liking to you " Kai opened his mouth to respond but no words came out as he finally realized that the dude sitting on the ground carrying some heavy bars was their very much crown prince. Ignoring the panicked Kai, Bernard directed his words to the drowsy Everly. < little Heaven, I know you like those with pretty faces, but please don''t just climb on strangers. Not everyone is nice like Montfort > Although Bernard subconsciously talked in his mothendnguage, no one noticed since all of them were either internally crying or panicking except for Lennox who eximed in disbelief. < DID YOU JUST CALL HER HEAVEN?!!!!! > Seeing Bernard wearing an astonished face while keeping his silence, Lennox continued to express his disappointment. < HOLY FUCK!!! (EVERLY) STANDS FOR HEAVEN?!!! THIS IS THE CHEESIEST NAME I HAVE EVER HEARD!!! DON''T YOU CRINGE WHEN CALLING HER LIKE THAT!! Bugh! So embarrassing, imma better call her Maitea from now on > < how?!!!.....> How could a human child speak thenguage of the upper regions? The human world isn''t an actual realm, but a ce where demonic-energy and mana flows are the lowest, such ce is called the Void. Above ites the upper regions, seven realms where mana type creatures live, with the divine region at the highest realm, right under the heavens. Going down the Voides the seven Gates Of Hell, which are realms where demonic-energy type creatures live. In other words, the human realm is more like a border between the worlds of two opposite life-forms. After the ck snow incident, human realm lost its only connection with the two other worlds. Although many beings were trapped in the Void, few of them were able to speak the original upper region''snguage, and they probably had died by now. '' master was thest one...'' With his master''s guidance (beatings), Bernard and his siblings were assigned (forced) to take the responsibility of preserving the upper regions'' ethos for the nonhumans to understand how their homnd was. One of this ethos was of course, the untarnishednguage of the upper regions. Back to the real question, why does Lennox know anguage that is not even from his world? Well, obviously because he has been to where thatnguage came from. " how do I know her name? Clearly, Ev- Maitea told me" " eh?" Although Bernard''s question remained unanswered, what Lennox said still drew his attention. " she told me about Saka town, your master and many many details. She kept bbing about everything to the point that I felt bad for getting all this information for free" Hearing what Lennox said, Bernard immediately turned at Everly who was no more sleepy and wasughing awkwardly. " ah-ha-ha? We were just chatting" "...." Kai, who had no idea what was going on with these people, debated whether to ask or not. But then he decided to just pretend to be empty air. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Rolling on his extremelyfortable bed, Jennings still couldn''t fall asleep. His heart ached for his son that is being punished per his own orders. '' I will just go check if he was doing fine.....just in case '' Making excuses for himself, Jennings kicked the nket off and exited his quarters. He motioned to his knights not to follow him then headed towards the practice field. Logic: leave him! He deserves to be punished. Conscience: no he doesn''t!! The boy is already in pain and you know that! Logic: pain is necessary to learn. If you spoil him too much, what kind of Emperor he will grow to be! Conscience: oh, so we are having that conversation. Well then, duh! our boy has proven himself ever since YOU STARTED THROWING YOUR DAMN WORK ON HIM!! Logic: considering the troubles he makes, this is the least he should do to make it up for us! Conscience: TROUBLES MY ASS!! YOU CALL GOING TO PLAY WITH A LITTLE GIRL AT HIS AGE TROUBLES?!!!!! LET''S NOT FORGET THE FACT THAT MY LITTLE LENNY IS JUST TEN YEARS!! NO MATTER HOW ADULT-LIKE HE SEEM, HE IS STILL A CHILD!! Logic: CHILDREN DON''T FUCKING KILL PEOPLE!!! YOU ARE MISSING MY POINT HERE! conscience: FUCK YOU!! As Jennings had some sort of war going on with his feelings, he has already reached the training ground. As expected, Lennox was kneeling on the ground with a bunch of metal bars, but Jennings was focused on the little shaking arms of his son. '' he can run away if wanted to, but he still obediently receives whatever punishment there is....so young yet keeps facing everything head-on '' With these thoughts in his mind, Jennings heard a familiar tiny voice that sounded like a whining puppy. " I hate you Lennox " Right next to Lennox, Everly kneeled holding three heavy metal bars. '' baby Ma? I bet Lenny did something to make the general punish her too '' " Yeah, thanks. That''s a pleasure of mine " Jennings stared at the two children, biting on each other, with a warm gaze. He stepped closer towards the centre of the field, causing the knight to notice his approach. '' haa, they are just kids. My kids '' " Blessings and glory upon the Emperor and Sitia Empire" As one of the knights shouted that out, everyone at the practice field instantly knelt to him. The moment Everly saw Jennings, she immediately threw the bars on her hands and ran towards him, clinging to his thigh. However, Lennox stayed expressionless and did not move. He already knows that Jennings came here because his fatherly heart couldn''t bear it any longer, but Lennox still had not received the announcement of the end of his punishment. " this much might be enough. I hope you learned something, Lennox " " Not at all " Hearing Jennings''s gentle chuckle, Lennox slowly ced down the metal bars and started to stand on his feet. But since he has been kneeling for hours, his legs became too numb causing him to lose his bnce. Thud. " I see you can''t walk for now. Want me to carry you " Jennings caught the falling Lennox and supported him, but Lennox slightly pushed Jennings away. " no thank you " " ow, don''t be shy. Used to carry you around everywhere when you were younger " Jennings ignored the push and held Lennox up on his arms. Although Lennox didn''t put a fight as he can''t care less, there was Everly who was being chaotic. "Ah, me too, me too. Everly wants to go with your majesty " She raised her arms for Jennings to hold her up but was interrupted by Bernard snatching her back. " no. We are going home " " what! no. I want to stay longer! " " it''s sleeping time, little one " " nooooooo- " And like that, the two weeks passed, then the day of the grand wedding came. As noon arrived, Kai finally woke up. Thanks to a certain crown prince, the imperial knights were suffering from a seriously messed up sleeping schedule. That includes Kai of course. Sincest night, he has been running everywhere around the capital per the crown prince''s orders. Collecting suspicious documents, from many suspicious-looking people, that he has no idea what they were until early morning. And now, the poor man had to wake up after only four hours of sleep, to ''shine brightly'' and escort the imperial family to the Welfmore Duke''s grand wedding. Serving the Emperor at day then the crown prince at night, being an imperial knight was such a grave-digging job. Kai slowly crawled out of his bed and headed to his bathroom. Like many youngsters do when they don''t want to attend school, Kai stood by the sink, senselessly staring at his reflection in the mirror. Mind nk Soul empty The man was super hungry. Few minutes passed before Kai finally snapped out of his daze. He brushed back his shimmering ck hair while debating whether he really needed this job or he could just run away this instant. "Huh?" Kai quickly grabbed a pack of white hair at the back of his head. He frowned as he eximed in annoyance. " DEAR LORD!! This is the third time this month! " For months now, Kai has suffered from this sudden bleaching. Not just his hair but nails, brows, ears and many random spots on his body would turn as white as snow overnight. Comparing to Lennox''s pale blueish skin, Kai''s skin is just in white, people aren''t supposed to have such shade! '' ugh, whatever. I will just dye it with magic stone like always '' He said that in his mind then immediately started preparing himself to '' shine brightly ''. An hourter, as Kai was surveying the imperial knights and security preparations, making sure no issues will ur, he suddenly felt a cold breeze brushing on his face. " Is there something I could help your highness with? " Since he was at the top of his horse, Kai able to clearly hear what the sleepy and annoyed Lennox mumbled inside the imperial carriage. " if you would take me back to my bed, I will appreciate it for the rest of my life " Hearing the crown prince, the reason for Kai''s suffering, grumbling overck of sleep cured Kai''s burning thirst a bit. With a wide cunning grin, Kai quickly answered Lennox. "No can do, my prince. His majesty will arrive shortly. Plus, aren''t your highness d to meet with your friend, youngdy Everly?" " d my ass. I see you are the one pleased about my misfortune " Instead of being irritated by Kai''s actions that most people would consider to be rude, Lennox was quite amused. Which was why Kai did not deny that fact since Lennox pretty much knew why he was given the cold treatment. " I petty youngdy Everly, she is too pure to see how heartless my prince is " " perhaps sir Kai, you are the one who is too innocent. That zombie girl is nothing like a white lotus or cute puppy" That was indeed the case, through the time that Lennox has observed Everly, he noticed something about her. '' she doesn''t care...'' Everly never actually cared about being a righteous person nor does she care about those who she harboured no affection toward or those who''s death won''t influence the human and nonhuman societies. If she wasn''t in lose, then it''s not a matter to bat an eye on. ''...and she doesn''t hesitate '' As long as Everly made her mind on something, she would walk to it no matter what means she needed to use. Being selfish is natural for most living beings, and Everly never was ashamed of her selfishness. The master didn''t raise white lotuses. He raised leaders. The same thing applies to Bernard, Lennox kept a close eye on him ever since the first time they met. Allowing him to observe how Bernard led many of the underworld organizations, surely Bernard was observing Lennox as well. With things the way they are, Lennox found that having such people was quite useful to him. Thus, he came to see Everly a bit likeable, if not for her low IQ or her obsession with good-looking people. That''s right. Everly is a sucker for pretty faces. " well, mdy is very cute and strong, I guess someone like her ain''t normal " Lennox was about to snort at that statement when the door to the fancy carriage opened. Jennings''s handsome face appeared from behind. He made eye contact with Kai as he settled on his seat. " Greetings, sir Montfort " " May the lord''s blessings and glory always be upon the Emperor of Sitia " Kai bowed his head the moment he met with Jennings''s eyes. He then received the unspokenmand clearly. "We will depart immediately, your majesty " Pulling on his horse''s reins, Kai was about to turn and head to deliver the Emperors orders when Lennox mockeryment reached his ears. " That''s right, go and *shine brightly*, Kai Montfort " Seeing the odd look on Kai''s face, Jennings had a very considerate thought in his mind. '' maybe I should change the imperial knights'' motto? He looks quite embarrassed '' Chapter 64 Chapter 64 " ah. Lenny, your temperature ring isn''t fixed yet, right? " " Hn " Lennox nodded at Jennings''s question. They were a few minutes away from the main temple of Dalia. Jennings continued with an anxious expression. " then you don''t have to shake hands or let anyone touch you if it''s ufortable " As he said that, Jennings subconsciously took a nce at the street outside the window, before quickly rechecking it again. Lennox decided to ignore his old man''s behaviour and carry on their conversation. " don''t treat me like a child, old man " Jennings who was wearing a confused expression while looking outside the carriage''s window became even more confused at Lennox''s words. " you are literally a child " " I am not a normal one, so don''t put me in the same range as your typical kids " While frequently ncing outside his window, Jennings responded firmly to his son''s unreasonable statement. " no matter how smart and adult-like you behave, Lenny, you are still my 10 years old child that makes me worried all the time " " Excuse me?!!! I am the one worried here. Da hell do ya keep look''n outside? Ya broke ya neck? " With a helpless sigh, Jennings spoke wearing a troubled expression as he massaged his forehead. " it''s nothing. I just feel something is not going right, probably my imagination. And stop talking like a vulgar countryside bandit " Ignoring thest part, Lennox inwardly admired his old man''s sixth sense. There was indeed something about to smash. '' well, I know about it thanks to yesterday''s reports, but an Emperor''s sense surely can''t be underestimated '' ording to the reports Kai gathered from Lennox''s secret informants, a terror attack will happen where the grand wedding was held. Although the culprits were local block-head justice seekers, Lennox could clearly see an invisible hand supporting their ns from the shadows. '' Can''t be a noble. Maybe a rich Marchant? '' If one of the nobles was actually helping these terrorists, then, they are pretty much doomed. This is the imperial family we are talking about. The culprits'' motives, as the informants'' reports imed, was to create a slight uproar at a grand event. With the Emperor involved, the investigation willprehend every detail of the temple and people within it, gradually uncovering the temple''s wrongdoings. Well, yeah. It''s more like they are nting rice in desert... If disobeying an imperial member is considered a serious crime, what do they think will happen to them after attempting to harm the Emperor himself? Dying peacefully would be the less they might get. " Then just check it out. There is no harm in being overly cautious " " well said, Lenny " As he said that, the carriage slowly came to a halt. A few seconds after, a clear voice sounded from the window next to Jennings. " your majesty, we have arrived " Jennings responded with a cheerful beam:" ah, is that so? I wonder if Bernard and little Eve had arrived " ****** At the spacious gleaming hall of the main temple of Dalia, many aristocrats gathered in order to offer their sincere congrats to the pair who will perform their vow towards the goddess of fate. And of course, that bullshit was only on the surface, most of the old farts and hags were here either for their own benefits or to just gossip with other nobles. Gossiper 1:" you heard? that child that said to be his majesty''s daughter is actually general Egerton''s younger sister " Gossiper 2: "really?!! That''s totally news to me" Gossiper 3: "utter nonsense! We all know how close the general and his majesty are. I think they are just trying to hide the girl''s origin" Gossiper 2:" that is possible. They say that child has gained the crown prince''s favour and now he keeps her around him all the time" Gossiper 4:" Indeed, how could a mere child walk freely around the crown prince if not rted by blood. Even us adults barely manage to stay in the same room as him" Gossiper 1:" speak of the devil. There theye " The moment Bernard stepped into the hall, all kind of murmurs and sounds suddenly stopped. It was quite unusual to see him dressed in neatly fancy outfits with his dark red hair brushed to the back, but the more shocking scene was the small thing peeking its head from behind Bernard. " ooh, general! You have arrived" " good day, captain Hesse" After shaking hand with Bernard, the man crouched down as he greeted the fluff ball behind Bernard. "Hello,dy Everly. You look as adorable as always" " Hello, Oliver " Oliver Hesse, the youngest son of Hesse noble household, holds the title of a Captain in the Imperial Knights'' order. Oliver was known for his carefree manners and poprity with women- Frankly speaking, he was just a womanizer. After receiving Everly''s almost un-hear-able greeting, Oliver stood up again, directing his question at Bernard. " I believe youngdy Everly is extremely shy around strangers, bringing her to such a toxic environment isn''t considerate from you" Bernard helplessly sighed over Oliver''s question. Apparently, two women pressured Bernard to bring Everly with him, one her name starts with the letter (Catherine), who threatened to throw him at the deepest spot of the ocean. While the other''s name starts with the letter (Annasophy), simply gave a formalmand as an imperial member. While Bernard was pondering on his little sister''s cuteness that overwhelmed everyone, a group of nobledies approached them. By the sight of these people walking towards them, Bernard''s defence mood instantly activated. He picked Everly on his arm, then faced theing individuals with a glibly smile. " General Egerton, good to see you. It''s been a while " "Good to see you too,dy Ruess " Dorothea Ruess, wife of Marquess Baxter Ruess. Although the Marquess is known for his block-head and hot temper, everyone else in his family are sly foxes. Including, of course, his wife that hase straight to Bernard with hidden intention to observe this so-called '' sister '' of an esteemed general. " oh, this must be your rumoured sibling. Such a pretty young girl " Another womanmented as she leaned a bit closer to Everly. " Indeed, this child will grow to be a fascinating beauty. I can see that " '' she neither looks like his majesty nor the general, it''s hard to tell who is the real rtive '' With all these eyes inspecting her, Everly buried her face in Bernard''s shoulder. Recalling what he told herst night. '' if something happened and we got separated, don''t talk to strangers. And if anyone tried to touch you, beat the shit out of them '' Everly warped her arms around Bernard''s neck, consoling herself that even if the master and her other brother aren''t here to protect her from those scary people, she still had Bernard and Jennings. After all, Everly has been with Jennings for months throughout the sublime tour ceremony. Naturally, she grew fond of his warmth and considered him to be part of her family. It was as the women''s chatters started to resemble tweeting birds, a voice calling for Bernard came from a distance. " ah, General! Over here" Seeing the young man waving towards him, Bernard almost cried tears of joy. ording to his master, women like Dorothea Ruess must never be underestimated. Usually, Yoon, the second brother was the one to deal with such situations in the absence of their master. Now that neither any of them were around, Bernard and Everly could only sneak out with glibly tricks. '' and who knows, maybe that woman is giving private lessons for devils! '' " please excuse us,dies. Seems like young master Franklin has a matter to discuss with me " He said that then instantly fled towards Franklin. "Damn, Thanks for that " "Don''t mention it " Bernard sighed in relief, but still couldn''t let his gourd down. Although no one approached them after, he still could feel the gazes of many people at him. Everly probably could also feel their eyes continuouslynding at her, since she was tightening her grip on Bernard''s clothes. "By the way, why are you not with your brother? Today is his wedding day, aren''t you supposed to stand next to him?" "Worry not, Erwin is with him. Brother Fletcher sent me to greet his majesty" By mentioning Jennings, Everly who has been ignoring Franklin''s attempts to draw her attention, quickly asked. " When will hee?" Hearing Everly''s bunny-like voice, made the young mn clench on his chest, filling his heart with joy. And before he could answer, the gourds at the entrance shouted to the people inside the hall. " Attention! His majesty, the Emperor and the sun of Sitia. With, his highness, the crown prince and the pride of our Empire had arrived" As the gourds'' voice faded, the crowd instantly split into two sides, creating a path for the imperial family to walk towards their high-ced seats. When the sound of footsteps started to get closer, all the individuals bowed their heads deeply. Tap Tap Jennings stepped inside the hall spreading his majestic aura. His blond hair blended too well with his violet attire and sky-like blue eyes that smoothly scanned everyone at the hall. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 This an interview with Lennox Dan Radiel Sitia and Everly Egerton, in their three stages of ''romance development'' that I wrote nothing about ''till now. Question 1 for Lennox(es): what is the first thing thates to your mind when thinking of Everly? Lennox (10 y.o): "a broom" [ a what...?] Lennox (18 ):" jasmine flowers I guess?" [Oww~ how romantic] Lennox (30): *R rated contents* [ FUCK YOU!!! ] Question 2 for Everly(ies): what is Lennox to you? Everly (10):" a ghost with legs!!! " [ this is not what I meant...] Everly (18):" f..friend. *blushes *, a very close friend " [ is it really? () ] Everly (30):" a pet beast maybe. The type that is horny 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year " [...] Question 3 for Lennox(es): what is your reaction to Everly with cat ears and tail? Lennox (10):" like I care " [ you will in a few years :) ] Lennox (18):" don''t even think about stepping out of this room!!! " [ooh, jealous here, aren''t you~] Lennox (30):" hmm" Lennox(30) junior: I believe I can touch the sky/`/`/` [ CAN''T you keep your DAMN d*ck in your fucking pants??!!!! ] " Question 4 for Everly(ies): what is your reaction to Lennox wearing a skirt? " Everly (10):" you look like a dead doll! " [ ...?] Everly (18): fainted due tock of oxygen afterughing for three hours straight [ he looks good though ] Everly (30):" oh my god! Show me the panties" *nose bleeding * [ are you serious?? ] " Question 5 for Lennox(es): when do you think Everly looks the cutest? " Lennox (10):" when she is about to cry because I refused to take her with me on tasks " Lennox (18):" her sleeping face is adorable " [ look at you growing to be a gentleman ] Lennox (30): *R rated contents 2* [ FOR GOD''S SAKE! SAY SOMETHING PROPER FOR ONCE!! ] " Question 6 for Everly(ies): tell us something Lennox do and you love it? " Everly (10):" when he protects me from the scary adults! " [ owo your knight in shining armour I see ] Everly (18):" when I identally fall asleep in the office, then I wake up to find him ying with my hair and staring at me the whole time " [ this sounds kinda scary ngl ] Everly (30):" when he kiss my fingertips everyday we wake up ~" [ that''s too romantic! I want one too :( ] " Question 7 for Lennox(es): is there something you don''t like about Everly? " Lennox (10):" everything " [ that''s an obvious lie ] Lennox (18):" none " [ what a confident guy, she must be head over heels for you ] Lennox (30):" not possible! not even a single strand of hair!! " [ I still don''t like you, perverted geezer ] " Question 8 for Everly(ies): would you agree if Lennox proposed to marry you? " Everly (10):" master says marriage is the end of happiness, so no " [ haha. The master is just jealous ] Everly (18):" no" [....huh?] Everly (30) :" no " [ wait what?? WHY?!!!!! ] That''s the end~ Happy new year from faithful_jelly Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Walking behind Jennings, Lennox entered the hall that had not a single ray of sunlight. Even with the curtains tightly shut, countless dazzling light magic stones enlightened every corner of the Temple hall. '' ugh, what a pain in the ass '' Although lights from magic stones doesn''t affect him, Lennox still finds the over brightness to be annoying. But what could he do? Switch off the lights of wedding decorations? Not possible. With nothing in hand to do, Lennox soundlessly followed Jennings to the tform where the imperial family''s seats were. Even as he walked like a ghost, people could still feel his presence. It can''t be helped, he was very annoyed by the sight of a little girl drooling over his old man''s face, that his pheromones just keep flowing. '' WHY DON''T YOU JUST GO ON AND LICK HIM ALL OVER?!!!!! '' Everly has been with Jennings for half a year by now, she has seen him dressed up so nicely a couple of times for official asions. And every time he did, there would be these firework-like sparks around him with blooming red roses in the background. She just can''t get enough of his face. As the father-son duo got closer to her, Everly who was still overwhelmed by Jennings''s handsomeness, shamelessly stepped forward and raised her arms toward him. Naturally, Jennings picked her up. It was so smooth, everyone could tell that they were close enough to do simr things at least once a day. They were very familiar with each other. "Ah, little Eve. You look exceptionally adorable today " " hm! Your majesty looks pretty too " Lennox stared at the two acting all lovey-dovey with a heart full of pity for Bernard. '' uh, poor general Egerton, these two idiots just ruined his hard work '' The main reason for Bernard to bring Everly along with him, was to make all the rumours about Everly being Jennings''s daughter subside, by officially introducing her as his sister. However, if those two kept sticking to each other, then his n is doomed hopelessly. '' I won''t usually interfere, but...I should do something since the one who ignited the fire was none other than me '' About two months ago, Lennox started a rumour between Jennings''s concubines, the purpose was to lure them into scaring Everly so she would see Annasophy a little more likeable. Although the girl ended up being way too much attached to her than expected, things were fine and were supposed to have a happy ending. Then how did this small spark turn into an imperial scandal?!! ''Aaah, if it only wasn''t for myzy ass '' Lennox has predicted this to happen from the beginning but was toozy to do anything to control the rumours. Well, now that things turned south, he better moves his butt and do some shit about it. As Lennox sorted his thoughts, they had reached the tform. Jennings faced the crowd, raising his left palm, he said with his usual warm yet firm voice. "You may all raise your heads " Jennings gave his permission then sat on the extra fancy seat, and of course, Everly was on hisp. After all the audience stood properly, he spoke again. " Today is a very special day for the husband and wife to-be. We wish that all the attendees will share their sincere congrats wholeheartedly " As his voice faded in the hall, Jennings motioned at Bernard toe up. Meanwhile, Lennox whose seat was next to a golden vase was having a hard time in his mind. '' don''t look don''t look don''t look don''t look don''t look don''t look don''t look don''t look '' He could see it through his reflection on the golden vase. That very humiliating thing on his head, a crown that symbolizes the next Emperor in line. Something which has the same design as a circlet worn by virgins when searching for a mate. It is a mutual tradition between many nonhuman races, for virgin females to wear golden leaves circlet with a red gem in the middle. Although what''s on Lennox''s head was pure gold with highest tier Violette gem, everything else was an exact copy. Whoever designed this crown, must have had a grudge against the crown prince of that time. Otherwise, how would you exin why his crown and the upper regions'' traditional circlet were so much alike. To add on, they both had the same leaves pattern of a tree that doesn''t even grow in the human realm. With Lennox''s personality and reputation, no one dared tough at him. However, there is Bernard who shamelessly told the Welfmore brothers then all of themughed to their hearts contents. And at the moment, there is Everly. Who has been staring at him with an odd gaze.... " General, there is an urgent matter that needs to be done " " what is it, your majesty? Does it concern the wedding celebration? " " yes, it does. I hope it''s just my imagination, yet I can''t help but be concerned " " I shall make sure nothing of your worriese true " " thanks. Honestly, I think someone is plotting something. The atmosphere feels off, and there were few suspicious men near the temple''s entrance. I had sent sir Montfort to investigate, but it would be better if you go personally" " rest assured, your majesty. I will do my best to not disappoint you " '' NO!!! Don''t leave!! I want to participate in the conversation. I actually know what is happening!!! GENERAL!! At least take your sister with you!! '' Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The night before, Lennox received reports from the half dead Kai and started reading them. ording to what his informants found, a nameless group of justice seekers were plotting a terrorist attack against the temple to open people''s eyes to their wrongs. It seems that what made them move is how the temple randomly uses innocent people for performing ck magic. Lennox decided not to interfere, if the temple fell in a disaster then asked for his assistance he would gain influence within it. As for the million gold question that goes < why the hell do they always choose Kai > is because Kai has face that screams '' pain is pleasure ''. Although that''s all in the father-son''s head, they shamelessly enjoy bullying the young man to see his hrious reactions. '' well, I have sent that guy over to observe those block-heads. I guess there''s no need to do anything since the general went huh? '' Lennox who was deep in his thoughts since a while now, finally raised his head. " awake? Good thing. I think people started to realize that you were sleeping " Lennox chimed in disbelief:" I was sleeping?! " " Yeah, you took a nap for half an hour now " He didn''t want to believe it, but the scene in front of his eyes forcefully made him believe it. All the guests were already sitting around their tables quietly facing both the priestess and the groom. '' dang, I really slept around this crowd. This Zombie girl''s aura is no joke, she really made me rx at such a time '' With that thought in mind, Lennox stole a nce at Everly, coincidentally, she was also looking at him. After making eye contact with Lennox, Everly Whispered to Jennings as she slightly pulled his clothes. " your majesty, your majesty! I want to talk to Lennox " " little Eve wants to go with Lenny? " Everly nodded at Jennings''s question. Her brother left to do something so she was supposed to stick close to Jennings, however, She still had something important to tell her friend. Jennings kissed her on her cheek, before letting her down of hisp. " Here you go " Tap Tap With a couple of steps, Everly reached to Lennox''s seat. She gestured to him to make a space for her, then climbed up the chair. " What is it? " Bernard''s n was long since ruined, so there was no need to keep their distance. And of course, seeing Everly sticking to Lennox like superglue or something, created soundless murmurs around the hall. " I have something to tell Lennox " Both the kids were whispering quietly so that Jennings doesn''t hear them. " tomorrow, brother Ba will leave to Baranos kingdom and I wille back to the pce since he can''t take me with him " '' leaving again? General sure has a lot in his te '' Now that Bernard is managing the nonhuman societies, he will need to travel much often. In the past, the master travelled a lot, even more than what Bernard was. However, he always took Everly along, but Bernard doesn''t have te confidence to protect his little sister from everything. Bernard is strong, that''s undeniable. Yet, there are mistakes bound to happen, unexpected coincidences that are fated to ur. No matter how strong he was, Bernard can not bepared with his master that had experience worth thousands of years. dragging a little girl everywhere around the continent was not an option for him, and the safest ce avable was Sitia''s imperial pce. Everly continued after a pause. " So when he leave. I want to run away " "Huh?" Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Overwhelmed by his shock, Lennox totally ignored the gourd announcing the bride''s arrival. " You want to run?? to where?!! " " Hn. The Elves'' vige at the southeast " Lennox paused. What would she do at such a ce? More importantly, what is she escaping from? Everly loved Jennings as Jennings does to her, there can''t be anyone who dares to bully the girl. If she wasn''t fleeing because it''s ufortable here, then she must be aiming for something. '' Is it that so-called grandmaster she mentioned before? '' Working his mind, Lennox forgot to pay attention to the bride walking towards the altar. He regained his calm and whispered back to Everly. " And what do you want from me? " " I want Lennox to do something about his majesty. Thest time I tried to run away, he stopped me. " Thest time was when Everly sneaked out of her home at Saka town. However, she was interrupted by Jennings, who immediately informed Bernard about her escape. Thus, Everly now fully understands that for her to sessfully run away, she needs to wait until her brother and Jennings let their gourd down. And a chance has appeared. " It''s possible from my side. But.....why don''t you ask the general for permission. You are returningter, right ? " Everly shook her head with a sad expression. " I wille back, but he still won''t allow it. Brother Ba doesn''t want me to do dangerous things " '' SO IT''S DANGEROUS!!! '' Lennox sighed helplessly, he was about to talk some sense into Everly when he noticed that she was rubbing her little hands against each other. '' oh, right. my body is cold now- wait! the Elve''s vige? '' The Elves. Creatures that were known to be the favorite race for the natural elements. But the reason most people would seek them is for their vast knowledge, especially regarding magic. Eleves were born with uncontroble curiosity and an extreme passion for learning, the more knowledge a person gains the more meritorious they be. However, what attracts Lennox more is the fact that Elves always created some crazy shit. Lennox looked at Everly with excited eyes. " Is there a ck market in the vige? " Everly was taken aback by the sudden change of attitude, she nodded her head slowly. ck markets, a ce where suspicious people sell suspicious items to other suspicious people. a ce where illegal, stolen and rare items could be found. A ce that Lennox likes. " That''s it. We are running away together " " ha? but- " She was about to protest at Lennox''s unreasonable decision when a troubled voice came from aside. " I know that you guys aren''t interested. But please, at least pretend as you do " It was Jennings. Apparently, these two kidspletely ignored the wedding ceremony and were chatting with each other. Although their whispers were soundless, it was still unrespectful to talk during such times. thus, both Lennox and Everly closed their mouths shut and kept their silence. The light red-haired priestess who had her eyes covered with a vite mask spoke to the husband and wife to-be. " please put your right hand in the water " Even with both her eyes covered, the priestess moved as if she could see everything. The moment Fletcher and Catherine put their hands in the pure water, it instantly turned to a light red, the same color as the priestess''s hair. as the water changed its color, the priestess smiled gently. " the goddess of fate has approved of your bound. congrattion on your marriage " '' wow, it''s over. I thought it would be a long-ass cringy speech or something. Guess having zombie girl around isn''t that bad '' with her words, the newlyweds bowed their heads towards the priestess. then turned and bowed deeply towards Jennings and Lennox. Finally, they bowed at each other. Once the couple raised their heads, a wave of apuse came at them. ****** " Are you sure about the way, pretty Kai? " " Yes, general. And please stop addressing me like mdy Everly " Per Jennings''s orders, Kai has followed a couple of suspicious men. However, after entering this tunnel under the temple, the men disappeared without a trace. Forcing Kai to retreat before meeting Bernard and leading him back to the tunnel. " This is where they disappeared. I didn''t sense any mana, so I thought there might be a hidden passage " " Indeed, there aren''t any traces of using magic. For now, let''s search around a little more " With that, Bernard and Kai split in different directions. Kai caressed through the wall, hoping that pressing on a certain block would open the door for them. You know, like a typical secret passage. Unexpectedly there was a press-able block. Kai pushed the block to the farthest it could go and was about to withdraw when his hand was suddenly grabbed from behind. " don''t take it out " It was the umbre butler. Kai was startled a bit but soon regained his calm since it was just the crown prince''s assistant. Bernard, on the other hand, was tensing more and more every second. '' I.....couldn''t feel his presence '' For bernard, who was trained to sense even the ants under his feet while drunk, to miss someone standing in the same room as him, was quite a shock. " oh! mister assistant, what are you doing here " Kai asked with a nk face that had not a tiny bit of suspicion. The umbre butler smiled at him as he answered. " I am here per my lord''s order to observe " Chapter 69 Chapter 69 " is that so? well, I am here because of his majesty too " Seeing Kai cheerfully carrying on the conversation with a man that obviously wasn''t supposed to be there, made Bernard''s heart ache. He brushed aside the thought that Kai somehow resembled his little sister, and focused on the current situation. " since when have you been here? and what is the problem with pressing that..... brick? " " I have been here ever since sir Montfort left, before bringing you here, general " Bernard frowned after hearing that. He could feel the people breathing behind the walls, yet he couldn''t sense the man until he showed himself. '' I knew something was weird with this guy '' The umbre butler. Three years ago he mysteriously appeared next to Lennox, as the crown prince''s personal assistant. However, that was not the first time Bernard had seen him. '' Is he the reason why vampires are in chaos? '' Many years ago. When he apanied his master to meetings with the vampires'' leader, Prince of Blood, Bernard often saw him. A man that was being worshipped like a god even by Prince of Blood himself. All vampires considered him to be their most precious treasure, they never hesitated to offer theirs and their families lives for that man''s sake. Of course, with his glowing scarlet eyes, there was no doubt that he was a pureblood vampire. But he wasn''t the only one, there were other purebloods. Then why was that man so special that the vampires became a mess after he left? The umbre butler continued to speak. Although he had a respectful attitude toward Bernard, his eyes were flickering with a sense of challenge. " As to why not opening the passage, is because I received orders to observe and report without interfering. If the passage was to open now, we will be exposed " Bernard raised a brow and looked at the umbre butler in disbelief. " so you are saying that we should wait for these punks to do their shit and watch silently " " I do not wish to be an ipetent servant, nor can I let sir Montfort get involved either. However, the general is free to do as he pleases" Kai, who''s name was suddenly brought into the conversation, jolted when he saw Bernard generating lightning on his hand. Bernard said as he walked toward the wall where Kai and the umbre butler were standing. " Fine, you stay there and observe. I, alone, am enough to take care of them " Bernard charged forward, his fist mmed on the wall with a loud bang. As the wall shattered upon the people on the other side, the umbre butler grabbed Kai and dashed away from the flying rocks. " WHO, WHO ARE YOU?!!! " " INTRUDER! BOOS THERE IS AN INTRUDER!!! " " AAAH! STAY AWAY!! " Kai watched as Bernard beat the hell out of the poor newbies when he suddenly realized that the umbre butler was carrying him like a princess. Kai squirmed in the umbre butler''s arms as he internally panicked. " Am... a... mister, would you please let me down? " " Declined " '' WHY?!!!!!!!!! '' Seeing the little hamster in his arm fidgeting, the umbre butler fixed Kai''s position to a morefortable one before adding. " Sir Montfort is small and fragile, same asdy Everly. I am afraid that you might hurt yourself " Kai looked at the man in disbelief. in the past years, he trained restlessly every day, he endured the pain and fatigue to be an imperial knight. Kai became one of the elites to prove that despite his feminine appearance, he was strong. Yet, with everything he did, Kai was still receiving the same treatment as a 10 years old little girl. " ...on " " Hm? " The umbre butler lowered his head to hear what the hamster in his arms was grumbling when suddenly, two slim hands forcefully pulled his hair. " I SAID LET ME THE FUCK DOWN!!!!!!!!! " ****** " oww~ she is so small, so adorable " " I have never seen such beauty in my life. My eyes are blessed " " Little girl, tell us the truth, did you fell from heaven? there is no way our world is able to produce an angel " Everly stood silently, holding Jennings hand as she listened to the same bullshit she hears every day about herself. '' She looks fine, I thought she would be scared '' Sometimes, Everly acted shy and ufortable around adults, while other times she would be at ease and cheerful. That is because she followed her instincts as a Love. Since she was half Love, her aura''s effectiveness also reduced considerably. Allowing some people with keen senses to resist her aura, normally Everly''s instincts made her avoid these individuals. However, it''s still possible for her to grow closer to them. Jennings is an example, he might have adored her cuteness but that was his nature. He wasn''t bewitched. " We appreciate yourpliments. But, kindly, keep your distance " Although she was unbothered about them, Jennings on the other hand started to run out of patience. At some point, Lennox slipped away from his side, Annasophy was walking around with some dude acting all lovey-dovey. And above all, Jennings was traped here in the middle of this crowd, unable to go search for his kids. '' Ahh, parenting is hard '' Chapter 70 Chapter 70 There is a saying between the nobles that goes: [ if you wish to talk to the crown prince, but afraid to displease him. Then approach him in the middle of a meal. His mood always brighten in front of sweets ] ... " May the holy blood always be in your favor. This humble servant hase to pay his respect " With a te full of sweets in his hand, Lennox looked at the man kneeling to him in annoyance. He gulped what was in his mouth before saying in a firm tone. " Stand up. Are you trying to reveal my identity? what the hell is up with this salute?!! " with Lennox''s words, the man quickly stood and straightened his back. He kept his head down with the face of someone who was about to die. '' why are all vampires have the same loose screw? '' Lennox clicked his tongue at the sight of the man who assumed his death unreasonably. Three years ago, vampires vowed to serve Lennox the moment they knew he was an honorable being. Although their assistance was convenient for his ns, Lennox still found it annoying to have them around. That is because they were...weird. " Forget it, I am not angry. Just say what is it that you want " The man suddenly changed his expression to a sad one. Seeing that, Lennox felt kind of remorseful, it was as if he was bullying a kid. " The matter is, our prince wonders if your excellency will grace us at the ritual in a few days " " No, I won''t go. But I will still send ''that person'' there, you guys like him a lot, right? he will stay for a week, have your fun " Instantly, the man''s face lit up in excitement, he quickly bowed to Lennox a few times. " We will forever appreciate your excellency''s kindness " " If there is nothing else, you may leave " Lennox frowned and waved his hand. The man said his shy farewells before bowing again and leaving. After that, many other aristocrats came to greet Lennox, most of them were trying to suck up to him, while the few others just showed their respect. Each one''s intentionid bare in front of Lennox, he was always good at reading people and analyzing their way of thinking. And for thest ten years, he couldn''t forget anyone... '' ugh, I came here to eat, not to deal with these snotty heads! '' Although he said that, Lennox still managed to finish five tes of pastries and sweets. As he debated whether to eat another one or not, the umbre butler approached him from behind. The umbre butler did not need to say anything for Lennox to notice him. " Back already? that was quick- " Lennox turned to face his subordinate but was struck by his appearance. The umbre butler''s face was full of scratches and nail marks, his overall attire looked neat but there were few plunged buttons and wrinkles on his inner shirt. " What on earth happened to you?!! " " I mistreated a hamster, my lord " with a face full of disbelief, Lennox scolded his servant. " how many times have I told that Kai is not a hamster!!!e back to your sense! he is a human with limbs!! " hearing his liege reprimanding him made the umbre butler lower his head in shame. That flustrated Lennox even more. '' WHY IS HE ACTING LIKE A VICTIME WHEN CLEARLY HE WAS AT FAULT!!!.....should I expand his vacation? '' Even with that in his mind, Lennox still had his cold and stoic expression. he brushed these thoughts aside and calmly said as he took out a thick envelope from his inner pocket. " let''s just leave, I am tired " He motioned to one of the servants holding a te full of drinks. seeing the child grab a ss of wine made the servant jolt in surprise, he stuttered as he whispered to Lennox. " y,your highness. i. alcohol i,is a bit... " Neither the servant dared toplete his sentence nor did Lennox care about him. He nonchntly ced the envelope on the servant''s te, saying. " Deliver this to Roan Esterhazy. no need to mention from whom, he knows " With a clear order, the servant quickly left to his task. it did not matter if he was a child, what mattered that this was the crown prince, and that''s all. Lennox swirled his ss, he looked pleased as he stared at the red liquid. '' when was thest time I had alcohol? feels like forever '' It was at that moment when an urgent voice called for him, Lennox''s happiness came to an end. " Lennox! Is that wine in your hand?! " It was Jennings. Both the father and son looked at each other in shock, itsted a few seconds. The moment Lennox came back to his sense, he instantly chugged the wine in one go. " DON''T YOU DARE!! " Seeing his son''s actions, Jennings immediately rushed and grabbed him. unfortunately, it was toote, Lennox had already emptied the ss. Jennings rebuked in disbelief. " ARE YOU CRAZY?!! Do you have a death wish?!!! spit it out!! " " I already swallowed it, old man " Lennox stuck his tongue out, showing Jennings that there was nothing in his mouth. Jennings sighed and groaned at the same time, he felt as if he had lost a couple of years from his life span. On the other hand, Bernard who came with Jennings and was observing a father''s life struggle, Was quite entertained. " Lennox, seriously, you are the end of my life- " he paused Before asking. " Where is little Eve? " Chapter 71 Chapter 71 " ah, baby girl said she will bring the Welfmores ande back " " hm? we already offered our congrattions, why bring them? " Lennox who was still in Jennings''s grasp, crossed his arms as he scoffed at the two men. " Hmph, who knows how that zombie girl''s brain works " " I told you not to call her like that " Jennings thought that '' zombie girl '' was a kind of nickname Lennox made to mock her over her thin figure, but it was not. He firmly pulled his son''s ear for being rude, Naturally, Lennox protested. However, Bernard was stunned instead of being upset. He smiled slightly as he looked at Lennox with inspecting eyes. " Your highness is very intelligent. yet, that was not very considerate of you. " " duh. She calls me mister ghost. Plus, the person in question never disapproved of it, so both of you stay out." With an odd face that made Bernard look like an idiot, he eximed happily. " As expected from my baby girl~ she is so smart, so lovely~ I might just die!! " Zombie and ghost. These nicknames did note from childish thoughts. Zombies or the undead, are creatures with no life force and a blurry soul, nothing but aplete dry body that seeks after any being with life force. The same as Everly. Although her soul was clear and solid, Lennox had noticed from the first time he saw her that Everly possessed no life energy. Well, after a close look, he managed to find a very little amount, it was still not enough to keep a fly alive. If it wasn''t for the divine mana supporting her body, Everly would have died on the very day she was born. Ghosts, on the other hand, are simply dead souls. Normally, all souls should be collected after death, however, Shianle was a special case... Since Lennox was born with a wless life force, for the crown prince to be actually dead never crossed anyone''s mind, thus Bernard and a few other high-grade mages assumed that he was cursed. Who would believe that Everly was the only one who guessed it right? " We should grab Maitea and leave before some shit-head sticks to us " " ah, your highness. I don''t think anyone will approach us when your pheromones are running wild like this. And please refer to my baby as E-v-e-r-l-y, thank you " Lennox rolled his eyes at Bernard''s wide emotionless smile. Jennings freed his son from his grip as he looked at the umbre butler with a puzzled expression. " What happened to him? " As Jennings remembers, the umbre butler was totally fine when they arrived two hours ago. But now, he looked like all the neighbourhood''s cats had given him a nice paw-p. " he faced the result of his own actions " " pfft- " Bernard almost burst out inughter. He recalled how Kai was chewing on the umbre butler''s hair when he found themter. Even with Kai biting and scratching him, the umbre butler still patiently and gently pulled him away before soothing him with head pats. " you should be more careful mister.....? " '' wait! what was his name again?!! '' Jennings motioned to Bernard with his eyes, Bernard slightly shrugged his shoulders. Neither he knows the dude''s name. seeing that, the umbre butler hesitated ad he introduced himself. " this low life''s name is....@#$%%$#@@# " "....????!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!? " 2 Bernard and Jennings''s jaws dropped stiffly, not even a faint sound came from them. on the other hand, Lennox seemed to have expected their reactions, he nonchntly added as he brushed back his hair. " he is not swearing at you, that''s his name " " th, this is a joke, right?!! " Jennings subconsciously said that. His mind received a very heavy blow, not one in his wild dreams did he imagine someone would say that to his face. Lennox sighed at the question. " No, it''s not. so just ept it " Both Bernard and Jennings stayed speechless until a voice simr to a chirping bird called in concern. " Ah! why is Bun-Bun hurt?! " That was Everly and naturally, Bun-Bun referred to the umbre butler. it was obvious where that came from. red eyes+white fluffy hair= a rabbit The umbre butler looked like a Bunny to her, then he is Bun-Bun. end of discussion. With that fact, Lennox turned to his servant saying with a serious face. " you heard her, you are Bun-Bun from today onward " Although Lennox doesn''t find the umbre butler''s name to be bothersome, it was still unusual for others. The umbre butler- no. Bun-Bun looked stunned and surely wouldn''t like it, but he still nodded his head and epted what his liege choose for him. Jennings and Bernard were still out of signal, so Lennox took the intentive and asked as he pointed with his chin at the two people Everly dragged here. " We are leaving, why did you bring these guys? " " it''s for the wedding! " Chapter 72 Chapter 72 " How is the restoration of your territory, Marques Ruess? " After he has received the other party''s congrats, Fletcher carried on with the conversation by asking his guest about casual things. " ah. Yes, thanks to the crown prince there was no much damage and the restoration is proceeding smoothly " Baxter Ruess had slight redness on his face. Around two months ago, the Ruess territory was attacked by an A-ss beast. Since Bernard was out of the Empire at that time, Lennox took care of the matter. Actually, Jennings has shamelessly thrown all Barnard''s duties on Lennox, leaving the easy ones for Bernard''s secretary. " d to hear- " Fletcher stopped as he felt something warping around his thigh. " Ah! It''s the mister who doesn''t understand! Hello mister " Baxter Ruess''s eyebrow twitched as he forced a smile at Everly. " Everly? Why are you not with his majesty? " " uncle handsome, do you know where Edgar is? " Everly released Fletcher''s thigh and shifted her grip to his hand. She warped her tiny hands on Fletcher''s fingers, one on the thumb other on the pinkie. Causing a soft blush to appear on his cheek. " He is probably with either Franklin or Erwin " Hearing that, Everly slowly pulled the man''s hand, urging him to follow her. " Then let''s hurry. Bye-bye, mister! " "....bye bye I guess? " ****** " We are leaving, why did you bring the Welfmore mass? " " it''s for the wedding! " Everly excitedly eximed as she swung the arm which held on Edgar''s hand. Bernard and Jennings who were out of reach for a while, finally snapped out of it. Jennings smiled as he said with his usual gentle tone. " Fletcher? Why are you here? Where is your bride? " " Catherine left somewhere with the princess, your majesty" Erwin answered instead, both he and Franklin were content that Everly came looking for them. Everly let go of Fletcher''s hand and held Lennox''s instead, now she swung both of her arms. " Brother Ba! Let''s go find the priestess!! " " eh? Why? " "Fooooor the wedding!! " Happily shouting that, Everly pulled Edgar and Lennox into her flowery background. Bernard had a hunch of what his sister had in mind but decided to brush that thought of his mind. " baby girl, Fletcher and Catherine''s wedding is already over " With a serious face, Everly shook her head as she responded to Bernard. " no, no. Not that wedding " Then she raised both her arms while still holding into two people''s hands. " this wedding! " "....?! " 7 Instantly, Lennox''s face darkened while cold sweat appeared on Edgar''s forehead. As expected, Everly did not ignore Lennox''s circlet but was plotting to couple him with Edgar. The brief moment of silence was followed by a loud wave ofughter that crossed the entire hall. Lennox pulled his hand from Everly''s grip. It was the first time he had ever shaken her away, that''s why Everly looked at her empty hand in disbelief which quickly turned to dejection. " Ah, little one. Things don''t work like that " " But why? Lennox wanted a mate, and Edgar likes Lennox. So why not? " Theughters grew even louder, all the guests at the hall were whispering to each other. Although they couldn''t hear what was said, it''s obvious that the groom''s family decided to ruin the wedding celebration. Jennings looked at the people around him. There were Bernard, Franklin and Erwinughing like lunatics. Fletcher was trying his best to notugh or smile, Everly looked depressed and his son for some reason was using the edge of his cloak to cover his nose. But what made his heart sink was the sight of the trembling Edgar. Sure enough, no one wants to be on the crown prince''s bad side, but Jennings knows that what made Edgar so nervous was because he admires Lennox. " Listen, little one. Lennox and Edgar are still young for marriage, plus they are both are boys so things are a bit off. Later, when Lennox grows up and chooses his bride-" " that won''t happen " Jennings ignored his son''s interpretation and continued to speak to the little girl. " -I will make sure that Evey is the first one to know. Hm? " Everly wasn''t satisfied, but what Jennings said still convinced her. She received a kiss from Jennings, then headed to her brother who was busy trying to stopughing before he suffocates and raised her arms for him to hold her up. Jennings patted Edgar on the head as he whispered:" things are alright, no need to worry ". He then turned to his son. " And you, why are you covering your nose? " " There is something in the air " It has been long since Lennoxst sticked to Everly this close. He has been inhaling her strong jasmine scent for two hours that he got a headache. " in the air? What is it? " " stupidity " "...." And of course, there is no need to exin everything, Lennox brushed that matter aside and quickly urged Jennings. " old man, let''s just leave " Hearing that, Fletcher returned to his sense. " leaving your highness? Please stay for a little while. It''s still early " " no. We are leaving. The volume is over " End of volume 4 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 As the sunlight gradually disappeared behind the horizon, it''s supposed to be the time that Lennox wakes up. But it has been a while since thest time he had a peaceful slumber, thus, Lennox decided to sleep in for a little more. Until... " Lennox, Lennox, Lennox. Wake up, wake up, wake up. His majesty said it''s dinner time. Wake up, dinner, Lennox, Lennox, Lennox " Everly, who arrived the day before, was annoyingly tapping on Lennox''s shoulder. She has been roaming around Jennings as he carried on his duties. When Everly joined him during the sublime tour ceremony, Jennings has convinced(fooled) her to believe that she is an imperial gourd. That way, Everly would always stay with Jennings to '' protect '' him while actually being protected by him. Lennox debated whether to pull the knife under his pillow and shove it in her eye or just burn her at the sight. However, he gave up on both. " I don''t want to be cursed by God....." " hm? You said something? " Everly tilted her head at Lennox''s mumbling. Theter just sat on the bed from hisying position and spaced out. Everly extended her hand to shake Lennox from his daze, but her movement came to a halt. Her eyes widened as she took a blue-glowing stone from her spatial bag. A smile bloomed on her face, she quickly took a small mana crystal and put pressure on it until it cracked. White mana seeped from the cracks and surrounded the glowing stone. < baby Ma!...why it''s dark with you? > Lennox who was still half asleep totally ignored the person in the hologram-like illusion. Everly answered brightly. " ah, yes. I will move somewhere with more light, please wait brother Yo " She turned toward the dazed Lennox and said pouting:" if you returned to sleep again, I will throw you out of the terrace. His majesty is waiting for you " Everly pressed on the button next to Lennox''s bed to call the umbre butler before she exited the bedroom, heading to the crown prince''s study. Leaving Lennox nkly staring at nothing. '' I am hungry... '' ****** After the refreshing bath, Lennox walked to his study and sat across from Everly. She was still on her call, so he waited in silence. '' is this what she meant by butterfly? A guardian? Then his duty must be.....'' Lennox observed the man on the screen. Sky-blue hair, yellow-brownish eyes, two quirky horns extending to the back of his head and three halos above him. Although it was his first time seeing a guardian, Lennox could tell from one nce that he was a Seed guardian. Each realm of the upper regions has a being that is responsible for providing the earth with life force, that is radically different from other creatures'' life force. This being has formed itself as a flourishing forest, never dies nor changes. At the deepest part of the forest reside that being''s Seed, an embryo that once the being dies it will mature and take its ce. And those who protect the seeds are called guardians. < I am sorry baby Ma, brother will have to return to his tasks > " it''s okay! Maitea understands how important brother Yo''s work is!! Once brother Yo returns, we will spend a lot~ of time together! " Everly looked happy and excited as she said that. Seeing his little sister smiling brightly, Yoon smiled back at her, however, his eyes carried hidden sorrow. '' why does he look like she will die tomorrow? A Love''s life span might not be as long as a guardian''s, but a hundred years are not that little '' Of course, Everly couldn''t see that. Instead, she advanced with her question. " by the way, brother Yo. Do you know where master''s crystal stock is? < hmm.... not sure, I guess it might be somewhere in our house. But if you want mana crystals, then I have few Aryis'' in my treasury, you can use them as you wish > Everly jumped from her seat, astonished. While Lennox raised his brows, admiring the loving brother who has just sacrificed a highest quality magic crystal for the ten years old girl with a brain of a toddler. " REALLY!!!! Can Maitea take an Aryis for herself?!!!! " < anything for my dearest Ma > " thank you, brother!!! I looooove you!! " Yoonughed tenderly as he bid his farewells before hanging up. Lennox subconsciously smiled while looking at the excited Everly. He stood from his seat and motioned towards her to get going. Everly followed beside him. " tracking stones tomunicate with a guardian. Not bad, zombie girl. You just keep on making me amused " tracking stones. When a tracking stone is formed, ites in a certain shape. Breaking the main shape gives every fragment the ability to locate each other within the original shape. The master took advantage of it and developed amunicate device from it for his disciples in case they were separated. " master made it. He gave one to each of our family. " They walked down the stairs leading to the first floor, where the dining hall was. Everly asked after a pause. " Lennox, are you free after dinner? " " not really, I can always push the work on my servant. Why? " Everly grabbed Lennox''s hand, that startled a bit him but Everly did not respond to his reaction. She said as they walked through the corridor. " I want to go to brother Yo''s treasury. But I am scared to go alone " " I thought you said nothing scares you? Where is this treasury located anyways? " " in the witches'' league''s central division " Lennox''s eyes widened, he looked at her in disbelief. She wanted to go where craziness was created?!! " Why do you even need such a high-quality crystal?!!! You can''t use magic whatsoever!!! " Everly slowly let go of the hand she was holding tightly. She put on a distressed expression as she coldly said. " if Lennox doesn''t want toe, then I will go alone " " MAITEA!! " Everly ignored Lennox''s raged shout as she opened the door of the dining hall. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 " Why are you twoingte? " " because Lennox is an idiot " "..." 3 Jennings, Annasophy and Bun-Bun were all speechless at the unexpected answer, and even more stunned by the fact that Lennox didn''t bother to respond to her. Rather, he looked lost deep in his thoughts. Everly walked directly to Jennings instead of her seat. She slightly pulled on his sleeve as she asked. " Can Everly sit with your majesty? " " I will be d if you would, little Eve " Annasophy protested as Everly climbed on Jennings''sp. She pointed at both her father and Lennox. " Why is it always the both of you?!! I want to spend time with Evey too! " Jennings ced a piece of steak in Everly''s mouth, gently caressing her hair. He responded to Annasophy as he looked at his son in confusion. " dear, you can''t pressure her to stay with you. If Evey wants to, she will willinglye to you " Everly stopped chewing on the steak. She frowned and forcefully gulped it down. " that is not right. I want to y withdy Anna too. But I am busy with work " "..." 3 Naturally, this so-called work was her fake position as an imperial gourd. All she did was following Jennings everywhere and sometimes bothering Carson. Awkwardness filled the table before they decided to brush the topic aside. Meanwhile, Lennox whose busy mind could not stop him from shoving everything in his mouth, continued to stare at nothing. Jennings said with a concerned voice after seeing his daughter put her fork down. " Anna, you have barely eaten anything " " sorry. But I am really not hungry, dad " Jennings''s eyes clouded. His daughter looked pale and hasn''t been eating properly for thest few days. He decided to let the imperial physician check on herter. " I am worried " " well, if you want to stress yourself, then you should worry about what that brat is thinking. He looks like someone nning for war " Jennings chuckled slightly, but the smile soon disappeared from his face. Was it really a joke? That''s his son, Lennox, after all. The chances are weak, but it''s still possible. Jennings had an odd expression as he hesitantly asked Lennox. " Lenny, you are not really thinking about it, are you?....Lenny? " Unfortunately, Lennox was out of reach at that moment. Even after Jennings poked his cheeks that were full of food a couple of time, there was no response. '' what is wrong with my children?? One is sick and doesn''t want to eat, the other is angry for some reason but forcefully chewed anything given to her, while thest one has gone crazy, yet he swallowed everything edible as usual.....parenting is hard '' Seeing her fatherment his restless life, Annasophy grabbed a loaf of bread and threw it at Lennox. Theter did not dodge it as usual, instead, he caught the flying bread with his left hand. Lennox raised his head to look at the woman who would go to hell for stupidly wasting food. However, the moment his eyesid on her, Lennox jaw dropped. Now that his senses returned to him, he could feel the strange thing about her. " fuck..." " what is it? " With his son''s reaction, Jennings became alerted. Lennox schooled his expression, he motioned for the umbre butler and Whispered something in his ear before answering Jennings''s question. " Nothing much. This bitch is suffering fromte periods " "....." Annasophy angrily kicked her chair and stood up, she said gritting her teeth. " so what if my period came a bitte? It''s normal, stop acting like you know everything " " normal? What are you? a fucking teenage? " Annasophy''s patient driedpletely, she stomped her feet and left the hall, shutting the door with a loud bang. " Lennox, son. This is not something you say casually like that " " But I am not wrong " Lennox shrugged his shoulders at Jennings''s sigh. He wasn''t lying, but he also did not say the truth. The peace continued for a few seconds until Everly opened her mouth. " what is period? " "...!" Lennox had a sly smile as he stood from his seat, he said in a mockery tone before leaving behind Annasophy. " good luck giving sex education, old man " ****** At the princess''s bedroom. Annasophy sat on the couch as her maid prepared the bed. She had asked to add an extra mattress because of the unreasonable back pain she was getting recently. Bang The door to her Bedroom was kicked open. As expected, it was the mannerless Lennox. Annasophy rolled her eyes as looked at the young boy walking towards her in disgust. " what do you want now? " Lennox did not answer her, instead, he looked at the maid and said. " you. Get out, and don''te back for the day " The moment the maid left, Lennox asked with a serious expression. " You fucked with him, didn''t you? " " huh- " Lennox interrupted her, he crossed his arms and continued to speak with a stoic face. " I don''t think that coward would have intended it first, so you must have seduced him " " what does any of this have to do with you!! " Annasophy shouted in rage. Lennox was yet to respond when the door was knocked, it was Bun-Bun. " My lord, I have brought young master Raon " " let him in " Immediately after Lennox words, Raon entered the room with a worried and confused expression. Lennox did not wait for them to ask any further questions. " Although I am not supposed to take care of your shit, I will do it for the old man''s sake " He waited until Raon was close to both of them, then said what he had to. " you are fucking pregnant. Two months of pregnancy " Rain''s eyes widened, his pupils shook, while Annasophy wore a grim face. She already suspected it, but never dared to actually check on it. Raon asked in trembling voice. " is, is that true " " it is true. I have a business outside the capital, I will be back in a few hours. So you two stay here and discuss what to do with it, are you keeping the child or not " Lennox paused for a moment. He waited for the two to properly process what was going before continuing. " before you make any decision, keep these things in your mind. That thing in your womb has already formed a soul, if you n to abort it, then we are not talking about a sack of meat but killing a living being. Second, this guy is still not even near to getting the old man''s approval, if you was to introduce yourself, it''s certain that he will object to this " Lennox turned his back to them, he walked a couple of steps before stopping right in front of the door. He added. " I want both of you to settle on a decision. If I returned and you are still hesitating, I will do what I see most suitable " Click He opened the door and headed to where he suspected Everly to be. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 " what do you think you are doing, Maitea? " Everly turned her head towards the stables'' entrance. Lennox was leaning on the wall as he nonchntly looked at her. " stealing a horse. Lennox said he doesn''t want toe, so I am going alone...with a pretty horse" " pretty horse my ass. I never said I am noting " Everly''s eyes lit for a second. She looked calm from on the surface, but Lennox knew very well that it was not the case inside her mind. Everly caressed one of the horses as she said in a low voice. " so Lennox is still with me...." " stop talking bullshit, let''s go " Lennox looked at the young girl hopping towards him with his usual emotionless face. He waited until she arrived close to him before turning back and exiting the stables. '' I ought to keep a distance from her before my olfactory cells explode '' The jasmine scent that surrounds Everly always overwhelmed him. Whenever she was around, Lennox would lose his sense of smell. Until he gets used to it, forget about food, he can''t even smell corpses. Although in the beginning it wasn''t strong, as days went by, each time they parted her scent would grow stronger when they met again. What was more frustrating is that Lennox found her scent to be a bit...sweet and addictive. You know, like drugs..... [ uselessly making excuses] At some point, as they walked to the imperial knights'' dormitory, Everly started to walk by Lennox''s side instead of following behind him. He only noticed after she casually held his hand. '' here ites, her hand fetish '' " your hand is cold " " then let go " " I don''t want to " The corner of Lennox''s lips twitched for a second. He was already annoyed by her continuously holding his hand, and now she has gained some guts to refuse to release him bluntly. " hmm. Maitea, I am curious about something " " what is it " " do you bath with flowers and perfumes instead of water? " " no, the old granny says perfumes make me smell weird and she likes my natural scent. So granny only use baby soap, why? " '' baby soap?!! I remember Rachel stopped bathing me with it after I turned five. Why the fuck is she still using it?!!! '' ***** At the men''s dormitory. Lennox and Everly walked down the corridor of the high ranking individuals, heading to captain Oliver Hesse''s chamber. "...ah" '' hmm? What was that? '' Lennox''s steps stopped by the faint sound of someone gasping. Everly followed his pace and also kept her silence. "....ah! More " p! The second Lennox recognized the source of these gaspings, he quickly covered Everly''s ears with both his hand, identally pping her cheeks in the process. Lennox lowered his head as he took a deep breath, that surprise caught him off guard. Everly, on the other hand, had her cheeks beet red and tears hanging at the corners of her eyes. " w, why are y, you hurting Everly- waaaa " The warm stream of tears soaked Lennox''s hands. He really wanted to give the little girl a proper p so she would stop wetting his hand, but, of course, he can''t do that. Lennox put his forehead on Everly''s to soothe a bit, he had seen Bernard do the same few times and decided to mimic him since he doesn''t have much experience in dealing with spoiled little ancestor-girl. '' But why does she look shocked? '' He ignored the girl''s unexpected reaction. He had to send her away as soon as possible. " I am sorry, that must have hurt. I will buy you a ton of stuffed toys, so would you forgive me, Maitea? " Lennox half-heartedly blurted whatever came to his mind. Luckily, Everly seemed to have been touched by his make-believe crap, as she stopped crying and had a slight blush that Lennox couldn''t see because of her already red cheeks. " Maitea will be nice and forgive you this once " '' good. now I need to send her away '' He paused before saying with fake excitement. " hey, Maitea. Do you want to bring Kai with us? You like the pretty Kai, don''t you? " By the mention of Kai, Everly''s instantly sparkled. She shook her tiny fists vigorously as she nodded her head. " then let''s go and call him over " " YES! Let''s call the pretty Kai! " " Okay, turn around, cover your ears and run towards the women''s dormitory. His room is on the third floor " He watched as Everly stupidly followed his instructions and heading the females'' building. Lennox waited until she crossed the gate and entered the building before turning back and continuing his way. He stood right in front of Oliver''s chamber''s door, took a deep breath, then kicked the door open. Oliver''s chamber was, naturally, fancier than other knights'' rooms, thanks to his father''s title, Oliver received special treatment from hismander. However, at that moment, this fancy room was a perfect mess. There were empty bottles of alcohol on the table, many clothes were thrown randomly on the ground and most importantly, two naked people shockingly staring at the intruder. The blonde man at the top had his eyes wide open, while the woman stealthily covered her face. It was obvious that they were...ying chess on top of each other until Lennox disturbed them. Lennox pointed at the exit with his thumb as he said nonchntly to Oliver. " You have 15 minutes, put your fuck stick back in your pants, grab your sword and meet me outside. We are going to hunt down some witches " He said that and left without waiting for Oliver''s response nor closing the door. "...that mother fucking prince " ***** " you are the worst asshole I have ever seen in my life " Oliver shared his honest thoughts as he walked towards Lennox while fixing his dishevelled clothes. " you are overestimating your luck, Oliver. I might really kill you if I got pissed off enough " " it''s not luck that is keeping me alive, you need me that''s why " Lennox looked at the smirking man from up to down before scoffing internally. They were at the training grounds, waiting for Everly and Kai who were uselessly taking a long time to arrive. Tap. Bun-Bun popped out of nowhere and knelt behind his liege. Lennox asked without looking back. " what was the old man doing? " Chapter 76 Chapter 76 " his majesty, the Emperor, was going through some documents in his bedroom. I think he will stay awake for a while " Lennox brushed back his hair. He had three tasks to do tonight, invading the witches'' league, attending a meeting with some power yers and settling matters about Annasophy''s pregnancy. If Jennings caught him sneaking out of the pce, then he will have to tell him the truth. Usually, when Lennox would slip out of the pce, he would always shamelessly tell Jennings where he was. However, if there is something regarding his main n, then it is better not to get caught. It''s not like he can''t lie, he just doesn''t want to. It''s a matter of principles. " good. Let Walter keep a watch on him for now. The meeting is scheduled for midnight, we will have to wrap the witches'' matter in three hours" " as you wish, my lord " Lennox nodded. He pondered for a moment before Oliver called for him. " Why the hell are we hunting witches? " " it''s something for the zombie girl, bear with it " Oliver''s face turned serious. He nced at Bun-Bun who was acting a bit suspicious, before speaking to Lennox. " don''t you think you are getting too much involved with that kid? It''s not like you to act like a babysitter " " I want to confirm something, so I need her to trust mepletely " Maitea. The more time he spends with her, the more questions appear in Lennox''s mind. At the beginning she looked like something unusual(closer to a zombie), then he found an unidentified connection between them and mistook it that they might be blood rtives. But it was not the case. What kind of power that a honourable being couldn''t detect? Although that question reminded unsolved, Maitea turned to be a Love. An existant that disappeared hundreds of years ago, even before the ck snow incident. Then where the fuck did shee from? Putting that aside, Lennox found the situation to be quite beneficial. Maitea''s aura has the ability to purify enmity and wicked emotions within one''s soul. Which is literally the only problem Lennox was facing. '' and again, where did I pick this stupid resentment from? '' He doesn''t remember. All the memories of Shianl''sst 50 years before he died were extracted by the same woman who fixed his soul after his death. " Now, that is a very weird shiting from you " " Says the one who fucks around with every woman in this world instead of conveying his feelings to his crush " " HEY! That''s a sensitive subject " Lennox smirked as he looked to his side, identallynding his gaze on Bun-Bun. " Oi. Is that a bird in your pocket? " The umbre butler instantly flinched after hearing his liege calling him. He lowered his head and averted his gaze from Lennox instead of answering. "e on! Do I need to p you?!! How many times have I told you to stop bothering animals, or anything that looks like it?!! " Bun-Bun looked apologetic with his red ruby eyes shimmering like a sad bunny. His innocent gaze pierced through Lennox''s conscience, poisoning it with guilt and stabbing endlessly. He rubbed his eyes, pretending not to see anything. " where the fuck is zombie girl? Does she really have to bete every single time?!! " " females are females, no matter how old they are " Lennox, who could not process the fact that Everly would grow up to be an actual woman with all that mood swings and extra drama, looked bewildered as he said. "e again? Maitea? " However, before Lennox could settle his confusion, he heard fast steps running towards him. " Oh my god, your highness!!! " That was Kai, with Everly in his arms. He quickly rushed at them and hid behind the umbre butler. Right after, a bunch of women appeared from where Kai came from. The moment they recognized Lennox, all the women froze in their ce. No one dared to breathe until Lennox raised a brow and looked at them with a gaze as if saying '' you want something from me?''. Seeing the crown prince scanning them that way made all the female knights bow 90 before scattering like a flock of birds. " why is the whole dorm chasing after you? " Only after the female knights left, Kai finally rxed. He put Everly down on her feet and responded to Lennox''s question as he hardly caught his breaths. " They- huff. They are not after me. I don''t get that much trouble, it''s mdy Everly they were- huff, chasing " " did you run around the entire arena? you look like a mess, Kai " Everly looked as Oliver patted Kai on his back and acted all feely-touchy with a slight frown on her face. She grabbed the corner of Kai''s trouser and faintly pushed Oliver from his knees, trying to separate them from each other. " Everly doesn''t like you " Lennox looked at Everly with slight confusion. She would usually jump on any handsome dude, but now Everly bluntly said that she doesn''t like Oliver. A guy who''s face made women''s hearts flutter with love, and she doesn''t like him?! Oliver smirked. He warped his arm around Kai''s shoulder and pulled him closer saying mockingly. " little one, nothing will change if you dislike me. Though, I am very much in love with you, mydy " Everlys'' frown deepened. These feelings of disliking were not fear, Oliver was already bewitched by her aura. Rather, it''s more like jealousy, that''s HER pretty Kai after all! She suddenly remembered what Lennox once told her not long ago when they were wandering down the city. Lennox had given her that piece of advice to ovee her nervousness around the adults. [ If they piss you off, then just beat them up ] But she didn''t use it for that... Everly took a step back, tightened her hand to a fist and dashed towards Oliver. She vigorously mmed her tiny fist on Oliver''s lower abdomen, sending him flying a couple of meters away. " !!!!!...." 3 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 All that happened in an instant, no one saw iting. As Kai stood in his ce petrified, Oliver rolled on the ground and shouted in pain. Everly''s fist was small and thin, to him, her punch felt like an arrow piercing his stomach. " IS THIS A FUCKING KID''S STRENGTH?!!! YOU FREAKING MONSTER! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!!! " " No! Pretty Kai is mine! Stay away!! " '' why do I feel like it''s my fault? '' Lennox felt a headache raising within him. This group was the worstbination he had ever made. A grown-up adult seriously fighting with a child for future wife, a teenager frozen in his ce with his soul hanging at the corner of his body, and a hundreds years old vampire sulking because of a stupid bird. This really wasn''t the team you would want to work with.... '' at this rate, the night will end before we finish any work properly '' Lennox brushed his face with both his hands. By the time he dropped his hands, everyone except for Everly snapped out of their foolishness and wore troubled expressions. Lennox was releasing his pheromones. With the sudden silence, Everly sense that something was wrong. She walked towards Lennox after seeing Kai''s shivering hands, as he was the most affected by the pheromones between them. " Ah! Lennox, you are scaring people again! Stop it, pretty Kai doesn''t like it! " " you are being loud " He seized the hand that was heading to grab on his hair and pulled her closer. Lennox warped his left arm around her and seized her other hand, immobilizing her movement. Usually, this was supposed to be a romantic scene where they stare at each other with wind blowing their hair and ssic music on the background. But NO. Everly was looking at Lennox like an angry street dog as she struggled to break free. While Lennox was busy disciplining his subordinates that he totally ignored her. " I seem to have been too soft, that you have forgotten your ces " Although he always had a cold tone, the three men could sense the blood-curdling threat underneath it. Bun-Bun quickly knelt and dropped his head down. " We dare not be ungrateful to your kindness, my lord " " We were just joking, you don''t need to be angry, your highness " Oliver averted his gaze as he had a crooked smile on his face. The terror that overwhelmed his heart instinctively suppressed his usual rude remarks. Lennox scoffed as he let out a shortugh. " angry? Not at all. You already know what is it like when I am angry " gulp. Oliver swallowed his dry saliva with shaking lips. He recalled what happened three years ago. The day that installed fear in the hearts of every single one within the entire capital, the day their crown prince showed his real wrath. Seeing that they seemed to take things seriously, Lennox withdrew his pheromones. Kai finally breathed freely. Out of the people here, he was the weakest life form thus, the one to be affected by Lennox''s pheromones more. Lennox looked at the squirming stick in this arms nonchntly. '' I still have no idea why she can''t feel my pheromones '' " then back to business. We will be splitting to three. Zombie girl and I will go for the witches then head to Maria Green gambling house for some business. Oliver, you go down the red-light district and bring me a woman called Jennifer Arlie, I want her alive. And you- " " Bun-Bun! " " Yes, Bun-Bun. I want Baron Zalthon''s head. Spare anyone who doesn''t resist and burn everything else " Even if he apanied Everly with whatever she wants, Lennox still had his own stuff to do. Well, considering his body age, all he could do was to move the pieces from shadows. However, there were few things that he needs to personally attend to. " Then I will take Kai to find that woman and meet you at Maria Greenter " " I never said you can go with Kai " It happened in a split second after Lennox responded to Oliver. It was a blink-and-miss-it moment. Lennox saw a venomous sneerby the corner of his eyes. A malicious smirk that did not suit her baby face appeared and disappeared in instant, no one should have detected it. Lennox''s body froze stiff. He seized Everly''s jaw and pulled it close to his. '' am I imagining thing? I must be, for sure '' Although he decided to not believe what he saw, Lennox still did not let go of her face and kept staring at her. And yes, he looked weird. '' your highness (my lord), this distance is very suspicious.... '' 3 " Why are you sticking your face on me? Go away " Lennox let go of Everly''s hands after he finally gave up. Everly stepped away from him and cheerfully hopped towards Kai, who wasmenting his poor life, clung on his waist with a wide beam. " pretty Kai! Pick me up, Let''s go " " I never said Kai ising with us either " " Eh " If he was not going with them, then why did she bring him here? She even had to talk to some crazy women to find his room. BUT HE IS NOT GOING WITH THEM?? Lennox responded to Everly''s nonplussed face with a sigh. He walked towards the girl and grabbed her from the back of her cor. " I had no intention to involve Kai in this. And I still don''t " " but- " " no buts, get your ass here " He pulled her away from the young man and covered her mouth. Lennox looked at Kai with an inspecting gaze as he said. " you, take a couple of days off and head back home tomorrow. Go see your sister " Kai was taken aback by the sudden break he was given out of blue. By the time he opened his mouth to respond, Lennox had already left, dragging Everly with him. Leaving him alone with Oliver and Bun-Bun. What made Kai''s mood even worse was what Bun-Bun said after pulling a pack from his pocket. "Mr Montfort, would you like to have some sunflower seeds? I have chocte too, but I don''t think it''s good for you to eat it " "..." " Damn. This man is on drugs " ****** As the night deepened, all citizens closed their shops and headed back to their cosy houses with only inns and bars'' that were full of life. Lennox looked at the old yet decent building in front of him. The lights were dim but still enough to illuminate its name te. [ Thedy, book store ] With his arms crossed on his chest, Lennox said doubtfully. " you sure this is the ce? " " Yup. I never forget anywhere master take me " '' never huh.....'' Lennox shrugged his shoulders and took a step forward as he said nonchntly. " Alright, let''s go " Ti-ring Lennox pushed the door and walked into the store like he owned the ce, while Everly followed behind him with baby steps. The owner of the store did not say anything and looked at Lennox in silence, instead, Everly popped her head from behind Lennox. " Hello, uncle. We are going to the second floor " The owner did not respond to her. He opened the drawer by his side and pressed a button hidden at the farthest corner. nk. Shhhhhh A staircase descended from the ceiling leading to a small door at the end. Lennox''s thick skin perfectly hid his astonishment, the reason he couldn''t feel any magical flow was because there was nothing rted to magic. These stairs were attached mechanically. " close the door if you are leaving " '' leaving? No, we are going up '' Without any more words, Lennox walked up the staircase and opened the small door. His physique was one of a child, naturally, the door size fitted him well. The second floor had only a single candle illuminating a small portion of the table everything else was hidden in the dark. Lennox walked in and Everly followed behind then closed the door. " wow, this is creepy as fuck " " hn, I don''t like grimoires either. They make fun of me when master isn''t around " Everly picked the candle and walked to the farthest wall facing them. Arge magical circle could be seen once darkness faded from there. " Okay, open it " " what? " " the gate. You know I can''t use magic " The moment she said that, eerie voices simr to a broken Alexa sounded from the bookshelf behind them. Laughing creepily " you heard that? She can''t cast magic even with all that divine mana covering her " " kekeke, what a pitiful thing " " must be fun being a loser " " hahahahaha "4 The weird books with a real mouth and sharp teeth on their coversughed awfully that Lennox couldn''t bear with it. One second. It took him one second of ring to make the witless books pretend to be dead tree leaves. Lennox''s face stiffened when he returned his gaze back to Everly. " Are you crying? " " no " Everly answered as a waterfall ran from her eyes down her cheeks. " Okay...." Lennox decided to act like he can''t see anything. He felt awkward as he waited for her to finish crying. " so...should I perform ck magic or the usual dominant magic? " " you can use ck magic?!!! " Everly widened her eyes as she looked at Lennox with an odd expression. The shock was clearly visible on her, but there was also anger, sadness and admiration. Emotion cocktail? I don''t know. Lennox hesitated to answer, but also couldn''t ignore her gaze directed at him. " um, yes....? " Everly''s frown deepened. Her tears poured harder as she red at him. '' HOLY COW!!! what the hell is wrong with you?!! '' " you didn''t answer me yet. What should I use? " Everly took a deep breath before answering him. Her tears calmed a bit, but still flowing:" dominant magic *sob If you use ck *sob magic, we will end up at the staffs'' office instead of reception *sob desk " " isn''t it better? We will have to kill them all at the end, right? " " what? " " what? " Both Everly and Lennox looked at each other with nk faces. He was nning on massacring everyone at the witches'' league. She almost brought a ticking bomb to her brother''s bank!! Chapter 78 Chapter 78 My name is Maitea, I am half Love, half jasmine, and I will die by the age of 20. Is what master told me to always keep in mind whenever I make a decision. Brother Ba and brother Yo were very angry at him when he told me that, they even called him heartless and mean. But I don''t think he was. Master probably said that so I will live every day how it is, no hate or sadness..... Speaking of memories, master told me that I am a bit special in that aspect. Because I never forget. Everything, since I became aware of my surroundings, is deeply engraved in my head. It''s a good thing for me though since I don''t have much time in this world I should cherish every moment I spend with my family. Although having a super memory is somehow a blessing, there are some moments I wish I could just erase from my head. Like the times when brother Ba changes my diapers as a baby, I would always ALWAYS pee on him... I never did it to master or brother Yo, but I clearly recall the feeling of aplishment and pride I felt when I did that to him. I also remember how brother Ba would be all depressed because he thought that I hated him. That''s embarrassing , Well, living a long life isn''t really interesting, I am satisfied with whatever I have as long as I had my master and brothers. I call him master, but he is my uncle, does that make my brothers, my cousins? I didn''t meet either of my parents, so all I know is what master told me. He said that my mother was smart and carefree, she fights a lot with their other siblings but care for them at the same time. I can imagine her personality because brother Yo is the same and he always stir troubles wherever he goes. As for my father, I only know that he was a Love. Master kept searching for a way to help me, although he stopped after meeting with the mister from ice elves'' vige. Maybe it''s because he see my mother in me, master''s face when he heard what that mister said looked very sad, very in pain. " extracting one of her sides is the only way I could find, but.....we will need an imaginary amount of mana, it could be possible if the Emperor is willing to help, otherwise...." " his majesty tried. He said that little Ma''s body rejected his mana, all he could do was to form a barrier with divine mana " " what about a dragon? If it''s them, I am sure they can do something " " not possible. Lord Sashiko ascended to heavenst Merging moon, and lord Oyzar....I heard his Sin is missing somewhere in hell. with his mind all concerned and worried I don''t think it''s a good idea to bother him " " maybe another one will reveal themselves, you know how they always pop and disappear suddenly " " there was a word travelling about a ck dragon in this realm. But when I searched, they have already left long ago " " you should pour your efforts into making what God has chosen for her be pleasant until the end...hang in there, Riel " At that time I was very young, the only thing I understood was that master looked sad. So I tried to soothe him, but the only thing came from my mouth was:" ga gogo ba " What do you expect from 3 months old baby to say? Well, even after all these years, I still don''t understand that conversation. I mean dragons? Are they even real? Through the years, I heard a lot of myths and stories from master however he never told me anything about dragons. After that, we settled and built our town. Master retired and passed down his position to brother Ba and brother Yo. For eight yearster -except for the times when master would beat the shit out of my brothers for causing troubles- we lived a cosy and warm life. When I turned eight years old, master''s master came to visit us. He is the Emperor of the upper regions but I call him grand master. Grand master was very nice to me, he even showed me how my mother looked when she was a child. She was very pretty, I wished if I had more than just her eyes. After brother Yo returned from an errand, they had a conversation that I didn''t understand. < we will need to put your guardian kid to work, Sabriel > < Yoon? Isn''t it way too early, your majesty?> < yeah, I know your kid is still immature but we arecking in guardians at the moment. We even called those who alreadypleted phase > < by any chance, is it because of the attack on Sterope realm? > < as expected from the first disciple of my first disciple, you got it right. We received information that that lunatic is aiming for a seed > < wouldn''t it be better to just catch that piece of shit? > < Yoon! Mind your words > < that still won''t solve the problem. Half of the guardians in Sterope were assassinated, and that guy is so good at hiding, we couldn''t detect any traces > < how- how long would it take until you find a substitute for me? > < young man, I know you want to stay here for Eleleth''s daughter, but this is a serious issue. I personally came to take you for the sake of Sabriel and the little Love.....I will make sure you return before it''s toote > The day after, brother Yo left with the grand master. I was so sad, so heartbroken. Seeing me like that, master made a promise to me. Although people would think he said that to just shut me up, I believed him. I believed him when he said he will stay with me until thest moment. I believed him. But he lied... Chapter 79 Chapter 79 I knew that look. This empty eyes and tired expression master makes whenever he was alone. Master has lived a very long life, he is so old that he even helped to evacuate humans from the upper regions. do people make that face when they are tired of living? But the expression master wore that day was a bit different, he looked like someone who has found hope. I couldn''t understand what that face meant, but I did after waking upter. He killed himself. He didn''t need to fight that monster by himself. Brother Ba might have some self-confidence issues, but he is very strong. I am sure master told him something like '' help the citizens '' or '' you shouldn''t let people see your true form '' and ordered him to retreat. Brother Ba would never ignore amand from master. Just like that, master found an opportunity to return to his original form and took it. He selfishly said to live happily and make friends, then goes and dies. He broke our promise and left me. What made him think I won''t argue? Does he not love me? How could he leave like this? I can be selfish too. He must love me. I will bring him back. I locked myself in master''s room, searching in his dairies for a trace of an active gate. If I found one, then the problem would be solved easily, but as expected there was none. With things getting hard, I began thinking of all the ways to travel to the upper regions that master has told me about, that''s when I heard brother Ba yelling. After rushing out, I found brother and his majesty fighting. Apparently, brother Ba mes his majesty for what happened to master. But that''s not right, master is a lier and traitor, that''s why he should me master instead of being mean to his majesty. But it''s weird for brother Ba to be like this, usually he is very gentle and thoughtful. Maybe there was something else that made them fight, I am not sure... Anyways, after thinking for a long time I figured that I am stupid. So, I packed my things and headed to where the smart people were. The closest ones were the ice elves, yet, I preferred not to go to them because they will surely tell on me to brother Ba. I decided to visit the forest elves, they won''t tell brother and are easy to bribe. But before that, I need to check on the gates within the Dead Land, they are the only ones I haven''t seen with my eyes. If I found one that is in a good shape, I can find a way to reactivate it. I prepared my bag and sneaked out while brother Ba wasn''t home, that''s when his majesty caught me escaping. I managed to reach the forest before brother Ba followed me, and there was a big Roro that tried to eat me. Luckily, I was saved by his majesty. After returning back home, brother Ba and I had a serious conversation. From it, I realized that he knew master dried his mana purposely and he has no intention of going against master''s decision. There was no point trying to make him understand. For now, I chose to be quiet and obedient, I will flee when they the least expect me to. Later, brother Ba left to meet with NOAH leaders to talk about work and what happened to master, while I stayed with his majesty. I love his majesty, he is the most handsome human I have ever seen. Master told me about all the hard things Emperors do, his majesty is so amazing and kind, he treats me warmly and always makes me happy. Sometimes I wonder.... if I had a father would it feel like this? After travelling through the Empire for months, we came to the imperial pce. That''s where I met his majesty''s son, ghost Lennox, although he said he is not, I am sure he is. I know a ghost when I see one. Anyways, mister ghost has been asking me very weird questions at the beginning, he also looked like he wanted to cut open my guts and see what''s inside. But I don''t care, there is only digested food in my stomach. Well, he stopped staring at me like that after some time. Just so you know, I be his friend because his majesty told me to, not because I wanted to make friends *lying in Spanish* As I spent more time in the < stupidly huge fancy and expensive pce that I gave up on exploring it all > I learned that his majesty trusts mister ghost very much. He gives him important tasks to do and consults him before making decisions. We are the same age, then why are we so different? Months went by, brother Ba and his majesty doesn''t seem to be wary of me escaping anymore. This is my chance to run away. Since brother Ba will leave the Empire again, all I have to be concerned about is his majesty catching me again. Master told me once that parents can sense when their children do bad things. I have to be careful with his majesty because I know that I am doing something bad. That''s why I wanted to ask ghost Lennox for help when I meet him at the wedding, but he was busy searching for a husband. After hesitating for a while, I decided to just tell him, maybe he can find another way for me. However, for some reason, we ended up nning to run away together. I felt bad for making him apany me while he was looking for a husband, so I thought I should bring him one. But he refused, I don''t understand why.....I mean Edgar is very sweet and nice, he is a good husband! Since I am going to meet the elves, I need to prepare something to bribe them. Master has a lot of mana crystal, a bag or two should be enough for them, the problem is that I don''t know where master''s stock is. Luckily, brother Yo offered his Aryis'' to me, now I have everything ready. I decided to go to brother Yo''s office on the same night, so I told Lennox and he shouted at me. I know I am asking too much, but he could have said no without getting angry. I was feeling upset on his majesty''sp when he said something that made me even more upset. " dear, you can''t pressure her to stay with you. If Evey wants to, she will willinglye to you " Who said you can''t?!! I will force master to love me! And I don''t hatedy Anna, I like her but she is a bit weird. I was about to leave to the witches'' bank when Lennox suddenly said that he wille with me. I was happy. Ever since I cried in the carriage (see chapter 35) Lennox has been treating me more kindly. It felt like we really were friends. But I was hit with reality. What the grimoires said was true. I am useless, I can''t even change my clothes by myself. Lennox on the other hand is someone so cool and amazing. He can use domain magic, Ishanil magic and ck magic. Brother Ba also said that Lennox''s sword skills were almost as good as his''. We are the same age, then why are we so different? Would master have loved me if I was half good as he is? I think he will... Chapter 80 Chapter 80 As they walked through the gold-and-ck decorated hallway, Lennox felt many gazes frequentlynding on them. He wasn''t troubled by them because honestly if he saw two kids walking somewhere like the Witches'' league central division he will definitely stare at them with a rude expression no less. When they reached the longest desk in the hallway, Everly knocked the ss, calling:" excuse me, auntie " The witch standing at the reception desk wore a fake smile as her eyebrow twitched unwillingly. She was pissed off for being called an aunt. The witch bent over to see what these kids doing here, saying with a melody tone. " oh, little ones. How can I help you? " Lennox answered nonchntly as Everly pulled something from her pocket and ced it on the desk before withdrawing her baby fingers awkwardly. " We are here to ess a personal safe " The witch''s face stiffened upon seeing the golden beluga Everly just dropped. A few moments of shock passed before she eximed nervously. " I- I''ll bring the manager " Lennox looked at the witch rushing out like a scared ostrich and took that moment to ponder. '' I can''t believe I was about to blow this ce up. Like, WHY would she be scared if her brother is the one managing this whole ass organization?!!! And that vampire brat, I am sure that knew that this league belonged to zombie girl''s brother, but stayed quiet. isn''t he supposed to tell his boss what happened when I was buried with the dead??!!! Imma kick his balls next time I see him! '' They did not wait long before three women nervously walked towards them in fast steps. The witch at the lead had a pretty and aloof appearance, one could tell she owned a high rank within this organization. " youngdy Maitea! We are so honoured to meet you. I see the rumours did no justice to describe how adorable and lovely our youngdy is " Although her bow and glib smile were wless, Lennox could feel just how restless this witch was. And she had all the right to be, there is no doubt that she will be mmed six feet under right there and in an instant if Everly was displeased. She is the spoiled flower of her family! " hn. Hello " " may we know for what reason has the youngdy graced us with her visit? " " I want to enter brother Yo''s treasury " " the president''s personal treasury? Sure thing, pleasee this way " The witch in charge led the way while the other two witches walked behind. They entered a vast circr room that seemed to be Yoon''s office, around the entire room were many ancient and rare valuables in disy. Lennox scanned the items indifferently, but the moment his eyesnded on a certain piece, his face darkened with an odd expression. Above the glorious desk, something that is supposed to be a '' painting '' was ced inside a thick ss, protected by an S-ss preservation spell. This so called '' painting '' was literally useless scribbles, it had few crooked lines here, raisin-like circles there and many unidentified shapes across the sheet. If one wanted to describe it in words then [ shitty garbage ] would be the most suitable. But Lennox understood why such a thing was hung up high, he could see under this '' painting '' a sign engraved on gold saying < baby Ma''s first drawing of me >. '' damn.....this Yoon guy''s sisterplex is way higher than the general''s. I hope I don''t get dragged to shit '' You will, son... As the witch in charge stopped in front of a wall, Lennox shifted his gaze to her. With her slender fingers, she draw a pattern on the wall while chanting a spell under her breath. The moment she was done, a part of the wall moved and opened a passage with a staircase heading downward. " Please watch your steps " The witch bowed as she pointed at the entrance. That was the furthest they could go, Lennox and Everly will have to proceed by themselves. Everly, who has been holding into Lennox''s hand from the start, tightened her grip gesturing for him to go first. '' ....why I am here again? '' He sighed before walking down the staircase. Although the passageway had many light magic stones illuminating their way, the end of it was pitch ck. Once they reached the end of the staircase, Everly shifted from holding Lennox''s hand to hugging his entire arm, with [ you can''t eat me, stupid monster!! ] type of expression. After exiting the narrow passage, Lennox stood in the extending darkness. He ignored the ufortable way Everly was sticking to him and looked around him for something that would look like it will switch on the lights. Luckily, there was something right by his side. A wide smile cracked on Lennox''s face. Now that the lights were on, he could see what this hall was filled with. Many cursed, wicked and forbidden items, things that if were not sealed then they would emit an explosive amount of resentment, were randomly ced around the hall. He couldn''t feel anything because of how excellent the seals around them were cast, but after giving a closer look, he could sense a faint amount of malice in the air. '' so that''s why she is scared... '' Everly, as a Love, is very sensitive towards sinful energy. Normally, Loves are able to purify such energy, however, Everly wasn''t trained to control her aura nor does she know how to use it. Even if she did, it won''t be possible to purify the malice energy in these items, they have long since surpassed the level of purification. That is why the master suppressed and sealed them away from the outside world. Lennox scanned the goods one by one before his eyesnded on two balls floating in a transparent container. His face lit up with excitement as he walked towards it. " wow, are these Dalia eyes?! It''s my first time seeing one, I wonder how would they taste " Hearing thatst sentence, Everly screamed her lungs out as she pulled him away from the container. " Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! " " OH, MY FUCKING GOD! SHUT UP!!! " " NASTY LENNOX DON''T EAT THAT!! " As fast as she could, Everly dragged Lennox out to the next hall. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 The other part of the treasury looked like what people would find in a legendary Mausoleum. A long spacious hall with countless piles of gold, gems, jewels and other types of treasures. Lennoxid on one of the piles, feeling depressed for not being allowed to eat that pair of divine eyes. It can''t be helped, those cool things don''t belong to him, and the owner wasn''t around to make a fair deal with him. Of course, Lennox would nevermit such a disgrace as theft. If you wanted something, you should obtain it fairly by all means. For example, killing the owner then taking over his belongings is something eptable, but stealing is definitely shameful and out of line. That''s how Lennox''s brain works. " does the general own a treasury with things simr to the ones in the other room? " If the younger one is out of reach, then perhaps the older one might also have something as worthy as these. Everly answered as she rummaged through one of therge chests. " he does have a treasury, but most of it are weapons, monsters, and some weird stuff " " weapons, ha? I can''t use them but I will still take a look, might as well chose something for the guys " Everly who got distracted from her search, and now was randomly exploring the things that look fun, asked without looking back. " why? I heard from the maids that you only use your purple sword, never used any other weapons " " it''s a gift from the old man. I don''t usually ept any sweeteners but at that time, I had no choice " Although Everly did not understand what this had to do with that, she stayed quiet. Wearing a golden helmet she found a moment ago, Everly continued examining whatever stumbled into her hands while Lennox idlyid in the back. '' this ce kind of reminds me of my bedroom when I was alive '' His mind drowned in past memories. The sensation of the hard gold underneath him, the smell of dusty air in the room and an annoying brat bothering him. Lennox felt as if he has returned to his old days. Dazed between reality and hallucination, Lennox subconsciously grabbed a gem -the size of his fist- and bit it. Outwardly mumbling to himself. " Sapphire, get out. You are fucking annoying " -crunch Hearing that sound, Everly turned around to see Lennox munching on a gem as if it was some type of hard cookie. Blood rushed through her head, the next moment, she was on the air above him. Clink, clink, clink. Everly jumped on Lennox, causing both of them to roll down the pile of gold to the ground. Gold coins poured on them like hail, almost burying them under. Once the chaos calmed a bit, Everly who wasying atop Lennox, slowly raised her torso, making the coins above her slide down with noises. She warped Lennox''s neck, choking him with her bare hands as she aggressively shouted. "WHY ARE YOU EATING ROCKS NOW?!!!! ARE YOU PLANNING IN EATING ROTTEN CORPSES NEXT?!! YOU WILL DIE, NASTY LENNOX!! " " IF SOMETHING IS GONNA KILL ME, THEN IT''LL ONLY BE YOU!!! *cough YOU CRAZY BITCH, LET GO!! " Everly''s fingers almost went numb from how ice-cold Lennox''s skin was. She released his neck and yanked his cor instead. " I AM GOING TO TELL HIS MAJESTY! I AM GOING TO TELL MS RACHEL THAT YOU EAT GARBAGE AND DUSTY ROCKS!! " " FUCKING TELL THEM! I DON''T GIVE A SHIT!! " After being choked and shouting his lungs out, Lennox paused to fix his breathing. Everly straightened her back and sat on his abdomen, she barely weighed anything so Lennox just let her be. Arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the boy under her, Everly said puffing her cheeks. " Seriously, why do Lennox eat everything he sees? " " you are what you eat, never heard of it? " His tone sounded annoyed as he said that, but he became even more pissed off hearing Everly''s question. She tilted her head, looking bewildered. " Does that mean Lennox wants to be a trash person? " Veins popped on Lennox''s forehead. His left brow twitched as he formed a threatening smile. Normally, at this point, people would start begging for dear life. Everly, on the other hand, can only see Lennox acting weird. '' patience, Shianl. PATIENCE. You can''t kill a Love, god will curse you to an endless misery. Calm down, be P.A.T.I.E.N.T '' " no, you dumbass. I can absorb the forming force of any being, so I won''t die " Everly blinked twice. Naturally, she did not understand anything. Lennox sighed, he rose from the ground, automatically shifting Everly into hisp. Their structures weren''t much different, however, Everly weight was lesser. Way too lighter than how she should be. '' Does she have bird bones or something? I gotta fatten her up '' Everly waited patiently for him to exin with eyes burning in curiosity. Seeing her dumb expression, Lennox sighed again. " You see Maitea, everything in this world is made out of a certain power, right? " Everly nodded. " let''s take an example. nts are formed from Gaia. When I eat them, I absorb Gaia Breath, not the vitamins and nutrients like you, mortals. The same goes when I feast on a human or any type of creatures with life force, I consume their life force, mana or demonic energy" " so you eat people? " " Yes, I eat people " "...." " ? " " Raw? " " Raw " Everly stared at him, and he stared back. Both staring at each other in silence. After a while of stillness, Everly spoke again. " Then why did you eat that shiny rock? It''s not alive " " gems are formed under great pressure and extremely high temperatures. It is expected that it will carry a decent amount of energy, let''s say an enjoyable snack " " if you eat rocks, do you poop soil? " Lennox''s face cracked down. He closed his eyes and thought of all the annoying troubles he will have to deal with if he killed this brat here. He swallowed his anger before reopening his eyes. With a considerable force, Lennox smacked Everly on the back of her head, scolding. " Who the fuck shits soil??!!! Do I look like a worm to you?!! " " Why are you hitting Everly?! " Even with her whining, Lennox still kicked her off hisp and urged her to quickly find what they came here for. He still had his stuff to do too. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Maria Green. A renowned gambling house in the capital. On the surface, it''s a fancy ce for rich people to spend their money recklessly. However, in reality, this house concealed many illegal activities hosted under the Green family''s supervision. Aside from sleeves and treasures, Maria Green''s goods were known for being of high quality. Tamed monsters, peerless pieces of equipment and ck magic services. Might as well call it a magical supermarket. Why they were not caught yet? Naturally, because this gambling house belonged to the Green''s pigeons Marchant guild, which is wholly supported by the crown prince. Now, who''s going to tell the Emperor that his 10 years old son was secretly sponsoring criminals with his own money and right under his nose?!! Obviously, it''s not gonna be me. Maybe Everly? Holding a sack that was wetted by a dark liquid from the bottom, Bun-Bun patiently waited for his liege''s arrival. Oliver was also supposed to meet them here, at Maria Green, but seems like he will runte. Bun-Bun waited for a while before someone approached him. A middle-aged man wearing shy clothes stood in front of him with a polite smile on his face. " oh my, aren''t you his highness''s assistant? " " Greetings, Mister Green " Bun-Bun nodded his head towards the man. Isaac Green, head of Green family, and the one who goes around spreading rumours, boasting about how the crown prince favoured him. All the bullshit he said reached Lennox at some point. He really wanted to shove some dirt down this guy''s throat. Isaac kept talking and talking nonstop. Although it hasn''t been too long, Bun-Bun felt that he already spoke ten thousand words. Just as he finished praying for his liege to quicklye to get him in his heart, Lennox appeared from thin air. Upon seeing him, Bun-Bun''s face instantly lit up. He was about to call for him when suddenly, a hard cold objectnded at the Sky pir between his legs. Bun-Bun''s mind cked out, he couldn''t stand straight and fell on his knees. Bending his body forward and covering that sensitive area with both hands as he trembled in pain. By his sideid a very familiar Violette sword. Isaac covered his mouth in shock. His brows knitted closely, looked very concerned about the poor guy. How could he not? Every man understood that pain very much. Issac turned at the person who created this tragic, saying with sympathy for his fellow man. " ah your highness,pose your anger. We lowly ones might bear losing an arm or a leg, but a man''s family sword is irreceable! " With his usual emotionless face, Lennox responded mockingly. " Then, if you don''t learn to shut your mouth, mister Green. Yours will be next " The threat received sessfully. Issac closed his mouth shut and retreated few steps back. Seeing his reaction, Lennox withdrew his gaze from him and crouched down next to Bun-Bun. " Why didn''t you tell me that zombie girl''s brother owns the league? " " lord....didn''t ask " Hearing his subordinate''s wavering voice, Lennox sighed. He patted Bun-Bun on the back a few times as he said gently. " I think we already had this conversation. If there was any type of information that might concern me, you have to tell me immediately. Right? " Surprisingly, every time Lennox''s hand touched his back, Bun-Bun felt the pain in his lower part gradually decrease. And once Lennox was done speaking, the pain has already subsided as if it never existed. Bun-Bun was yet to respond to Lennox when Everly suddenly eximed. " Eww!! Why is this here " She quickly let go of the sack that Bun-Bun was holding. It contained something circr and round, that it rolled on the ground before stopping in front of Isaac''s feet. Lennox raised a brow at him with a faint smile on his face. He seemed like a parent looking at his son who tried to make breakfast but ended up burning the whole kitchen. " you seriously brought it? " " Lord said he wanted it, so.... " Lennox let out a shortugh. It sounded evil but in reality it was theplete opposite. He waved at Bun-Bun to get up as he yanked Everly, who was running like an idiot, from her cor. " you did well. Now, kick your ass up, let''s get going " He turned to Isaac who picked the mysterious sack, saying:" and you. Go bury that thing in your hands " " What is this? " " Baron Zalthon''s head " "...!!!! " ***** On Maria Green''s third floor, at the chief''s meeting room. Lennox sat at the head table with Everly sitting next to him on the same chair. The room was empty, yet she insisted on sticking to him. At the moment, Bun-Bun left to lead the guests Lennox was waiting for, to this room, which means that they were alone. Everly pulled a small bag from her spatial bag, she pushed it towards him saying. " Lennox, open it for me " " you don''t know? " " no. Everly''s hands can''t open them " '' so your baby fingers can only beat people, huh? '' Obviously, she wasn''t talking about the tie on the bag, but the pistachios inside it. Lennox sighed inwardly then began peeling the pistachio nuts and feeding her. It can''t be helped, he had to endure, after all, this meeting was possible to hold because of her. Why? Loves are the most cherished creatures to god. Pleasing them means pleasing God themselves. Originally, Lennox was waiting for an opportunity to lure the power yers of other nations, but things were peaceful and didn''t have the perfect bait. However, after a month of coaxing with Everly and fulfilling her needs, all opportunities appeared out of nowhere, like fishes jumping into his. A drought hit Tatly kingdom, a duke from Mariand is suddenly lusting over the throne and someone wishes to avenge against the royalty of Castalon poped from thin air. Loves really be unbelievably loved! That''s the reason why a honorable being was peeling some nuts to feed a sleepy cutie-pie. Not long has passed when Lennox heard a couple of knocks on the door, followed by his servant''s voice. " My lord, the guests had arrived " " Come in " Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Only as the door slowly opened, did Lennox finally realized that he was about to drag Everly into some shit she isn''t supposed to be in. With no time to yeet her out of the window, Lennox pulled her head and hid her face at the crook of his neck. Bun-Bun entered the room leading the other three men behind him. At first nce, he thought that Lennox was openly flirting with Everly, causing the colours to drain from his face. But he soon understood the situation and immediately walked towards them. Taking off his jacket and warping Everly with it, he listened to his lord''s instructions as he held her in his arms. " Take her back to the pce, she is fast asleep so just tuck her under the bed. On your way out, tell Isaac to prepare a carriage for me, I still have some business to take care of but you are dismissed for the day " Although he didn''t like thest part which sounded ''go home, I don''t need you here'' to him, Bun-Bun still obediently bowed and carried on the orders. He passed by the guests and closed the door behind them. " Are you sure about sending your subordinate away, prince Lennox? " A man standing on the left asked. His voice was deep yet carried a sense of youthfulness. Since he was in a good mood, Lennox decided to spat whatever make-believe crap he could think of at the moment. " I am not the type to cower behind my subordinates, rather, I should be the one to shield them " However, in the eyes of outsiders, Lennox looked dead serious, probably because of the air around him. Even if he sat on a rock at the side of the street, he would look as if he was sitting on a dragon throne. No matter what the external shape was the atmosphere around a natural sovereign, such as him, would always appear mighty and frosty. Hearing that, he woman in the back removed her hood. Although she hid perfectly under her mantle, Lennox already knew who she was. But seeing her face still startled him a bit, that''s because she was totally his type. Almond-shaped azure eyes, unwavering gaze, long ck hair, unbendable straight back, oliveplexion and elegant manners. The way her beauty and confidence has melted together was indeed alluring. However, knowing that she is a human was an immediate turn off for him. '' and what can I do with this useless mini human body? '' Lennox''s face showed no change, he kept his emotionless and indifferent mask tightly tied to his face. Only giving a faint smile out of courtesy. " I hope you had a safe journey, Princess Teneale. My apologies for not receiving you personally " " May heavens'' guidance always be with you, prince Lennox. There is no need for apology, your highness''smen had done more than enough " " Please, have a seat " Teneale sat across from Lennox, the other two sat by her sides. The one on left was her younger brother, Augustus. Although people might not believe it because of his fierce appearance and tall structure, Augustus was only 14 years old, eight years younger than his sister. The one on her right was Mimori Palvin, a renowned skilled knight, also her most trusted subordinate. '' hmm. She is good with her poker face, but you can''t hide from me. Aside from her one-sided affection towards that Mimori guy, she is quite nervous...I am not leaking pheromones, right? '' " It is better if we directly get to business, your highness " " suites me well, I will have to return to the pce before the old man finds out I am not there " He said that then pulled a card from his inner pocket. He threw it so smoothly that it slid right to the middle of the table. The magical circle on the card glowed for a moment before a hologram shape appeared above the card. It featured Tatly kingdom. Tatly kingdom consists of four sections, each section surrounded an enormous oasis. With Tatly kingdom located in the western desert, these oases were the only source of life in the neverending lifelessness. That made Tatly people worship them, even forbidding performing any sort of magic near the oases. " This is a vertical record of the holy oases fromst year. This one from two weeks ago " As he spoke, the hologram image changed following Lennox''s words. This was the first time for the guests to see such a bewildering magic circle which left them quite astonished. Lennox didn''t care for their reaction and continued. Only giving brief exnations. " as you can see, the oasis water level is decreasing rapidly, at this rate, all oases will dry up within three years. The main reason is an obstruction at the water gorge " " why does your highness says so? " Teneale asked with a frown. That was the first time she heard of such a thing. The holy oases supplied Tatly kingdom with life for hundreds of years, never once has the flow been slowed, let alone being disturbed. Even if it was true, how could a crown prince of other nation know of it while they themselves were ignorant about such a possibility? Lennox saw her thoughts and answered patiently. " When words that drought has urred in Tatly broke out, I sent one of my people to investigate. Worry, not it was an external evaluation " " So your highness means that you came to such conclusion relying solely on your subordinate''s observation? " Lennox raised a brow at Augustus''s untrusting tone. He is young and ignorant, naturally doesn''t want to hide his thoughts. Lennox didn''t take it as an offence, rather he found it a bit cute. " Hmm, I don''t think you should underestimate me, young one " " huh? You are younger than me!! " " am I? That''s weird, then why are you the one being all cutesy and lovely? " Augustus''s face turned beat red in instant. He jolted up and was about to protest when his sister grabbed him and pushed him back to his chair. Teneale said calmly. " your highness, my brother is quite hot-tempered so please refrain from teasing him. And I am more interested in knowing what is blocking the water gorge in our oases " Lennox didn''t hide his amused smile. Seeing that deep blush and funny frown on Augustus''s face, he couldn''t help but make a note at the back of his head to get a gift for that amusing boy. He answered Teneale''s question after darting his gaze from Augustus. " it''s mana Crystals "
  1. she is addressing him respectfully because Lennox is an imperial prince, his status is higher than hers. Not to forget that they are guests in his Empire, as their host she have to be cautious treating him.
Chapter 84 Chapter 84 " if your highness would be kind to exin further, we will deeply appreciate it " Mimori who has been silently keeping his guard ever since, finally spoke. His tone and words were respectful, unlike Augustus''s, but he still gazed suspiciously at Lennox. It can''t be helped, this whole matter was suspicious from the start. When Teneale received Lennox''s invitation to the capital, she immediately decided to decline. The crown prince of Sitia wasn''t someone she wanted to get involved with. However, with the church influencing people into believing that God is punishing them and they have to return back to god''s righteous instructions. The number of believers is in rapid increase. If things were left as it is, in no time, the church would gain political power and stand in equal foot to the nobles and royalty. Such a turn of events will certainly put the royal family under pressure, thus, Teneale had no choice but to take the fastest and guaranteed solution, even if it meant to collide with the devil. Lennox''s tone seemed colder than usual, as if he was irritated that Mimori asked instead of Augustus. " the holy oases are in blessed areas. With blessingse riches, Agriculture, life resources as well as mana. But since you have banned magical activities around them, it stayed unconsumed. And along with the already existed ones, mana is in continuous generating, gradually increasing the mana concentration in these areas. Naturally, when it reaches a certain level, mana crystal starts forming " As soon as he finished exining, he turned to Augustus saying with a smile, his eyes carried a trace of slyness. " do you have another question? " " wouldn''t consuming mana solve the issue? " Lennox asked Augustus and Teneale answered instead. He was already doing his best to not let his pheromones leak, but those air-heads just kept disturbing him while he was trying to bother (court)Augustus. Lennox looked at Teneale with a frozen smile that was indicating his inner thoughts quite obviously. '' Bitch, shut the fuck up '' " that is not possible, Princess Teneale. The crystal has already formed, such measures will only stop them from increasing in numbers only " " Then you surely have the solution, right? " Lennox brightened again after hearing Augustus finally talk to him. He responded wearing that weird and cunning expression again. " yes, I do have. As expected from Augy, you understand me very well " "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING AUGY?!! " " ah, Augy is so heartless " " Just tell us WHAT do you want already!!!!! " Teneale cried bitter tears in her heart as she clung to her younger brother''s arm, trying to stop him from jumping on their host and causing troubles. After meeting with the crown prince of Sitia, Teneale and herpany returned to the residence he prepared for them. Both her and Mimori''s faces were ashed, dealing with that 10-years old was more brain wrecking than dealing with the actual Emperor. Although he had given them a logical exnation and a guaranteed solution, his condition was so unpredictable that they had to ask for some time to think about it. Seeing their lifeless faces, Augustus asked:" what is wrong, Ten, Mimori? " Mimori responded with a question:" that''s our line. Howe you look fine, and even had the guts to argue with him?! " " That''s right. The pressure prince Lennox gives is out of this world, it was bearable at the beginning but gradually, it became hard to breath " Augustus became bewildered. He did think that Lennox looked cool and a little evil, he also was annoyed by his continuous teasing, but that was all. Augustus couldn''t feel any pressure, naturally, it''s because Lennox blocked his pheromones from him. How Lennox was supposed to tease (court) someone afraid of him? Teneale didn''t push the matter any further. She patted on Augustus''s shoulder a couple of times saying. " forget it. Maybe it''s a good thing that the prince has taken a liking to you " Maybe.... ****** With her eyes closed, Everly felt the warm breeze of summer brushing on her face, making her more drowsy andzy. Once the person carrying her stopped moving at high speed and started walking leisurely, the warm air rushing to her also stopped. Everly slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was a pair of moon-like eyes glowing in bright red. She pondered at the handsome man to her heart''s content before calling for him. " Bun-Bun..." " ah, youngdy Everly. Did I wake you up? " Everly shook her head. They were at the garden of the imperial pce, heading towards her quarters. A few patrolling guards passed by and Bun-Bun dodged them skillfully, as light as a feather. He had walked half the distance when Everly suddenly tapped on his arm, pointing at a corner of the garden. " Bun-Bun, there. Midnight candies have bloomed " Bun-Bun headed to where she pointed and crouched down next to a bunch of flowers. He was still holding her in his arms, and thete action made them cosily closer. Everly picked the most blooming flower and presented it to him. Bun-Bun was taken aback for a moment, he smiled softly as he received the flower and ced it between her hair strands. " I appreciatedy Everly''s kindness, but I am a pure blood vampire. I can''t eat flowers, they cause me nuisance " " oh, Right... " She again fixed her gaze on the flowers carefully scanning them before reaching for one of them. This one didn''t have anything special, neither was it the biggest, smallest, most colourful or brightest. It looked so ordinary, yet she specifically aimed for that one. " here, this one is sterile, it should taste better " Bun-Bun stayed speechless. He bit one of the flower petals and like what she said, it did taste better. As one of the purest blood, all the flowers Bun-Bun had in his life were chosen with utmost mindfulness. Unexpectedly, Everly picked the right one in less than a minute. " How doesdy Everly knows that? " " hm? Everly knows, Everly is a flower too " Bun-Bun pondered that blunt answer for a good while before he chuckled stood to keep walking towards Everly''s room. "that makes a lot of sense. Then, is youngdy Everly a jasmine flower? " " hn. Everly is made of flowers and love! " He fixed her posture from Princess carry, to warping her arms around his neck. Bun-Bun patted her back until they reached her bedroom, by that time, Everly had fallen asleep again. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 The night was at its peak, warping the entire sky in darkness. Aside from the barking stray dogs, nothing could be heard but passing winds and the horses'' heaves tapping on the ground. Gradually, the carriage stopped in front of a small inn. The inn wasn''t fancy-looking but still considered decent. Once the door was kicked open, the innkeeper eximed at the intruder. " Ah! Lord Shainl, easy on the door! " Like his usual mannerless self, Lennox walked into the inn as if he owned the ce. The innkeeper was a muscr man in his forties, he sighed at his cracked door as he served liquor to the young man sitting on the counter. Lennox frowned at Ajiad''s zing eyes. He purposely sat two chairs distance away from him, sipping on the honey milk the innkeeper served with some cookies. " you arrived earlier than expected, lord " "Hn. Things went smoothly " From the corner of his eye, Lennox saw Ajiad slowly sliding his chair towards him but be didn''t bother with it, instead, he directed his words to the innkeeper who was stunned at the sight of a fine young man suddenly turning crazy. " Elias, do you know a good doctor with tight lips? " Hearing that, Elias, the innkeeper, looked confused for a moment before ncing at Ajiad and making an "aha!" sound. Lennox knew what went in his mind and corrected him with a sigh. " No, it''s not for him, although I will get him one soon " "it''s fine if they aren''t human, right? " Lennox nodded. By that time Ajiad had crossed half the distance between them. Once he saw Lennox ncing at him, he paused his movement and stared back with notice-me-senpai eyes. " in that case, then there is this owl. She is a bit old but definitely reliable " " However? " Eliasughed awkwardly. Lennox saw right through him. If she really was excellent and trustworthy, howe he never heard of her? " actually, the madam is hard to please. Money doesn''t lure her, and honestly, I don''t know what exactly does she want " "Hm. Find a way to contact her, just say that a honourable being is requesting her service and see how she responds " He said this then smacked Ajiad on his face. The dude crawled all the way to him, before grabbing Lennox''s hand smooching and rubbing on his face. " THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!! " " Lord is so heartless! Why am I the only one not allowed to touch you?!!! " " THEN STOP ACTING LIKE A FUCKING WHORE!! " Ajiad whined endlessly, and Lennox had no time to deal with another crybaby, Everly and Bun-Bun are enough! " Forget it, why are you here? " " oh! This came for your excellency from YanYin continent " Lennox received the sealed envelope with a sly smile on his face. Completely ignoring Ajiad who was sticking to him like a monkey on a tree. ****** After finishing his work for the day, Lennox returned to the imperial pce. He headed to Annasophys'' chambers straightaway the moment he arrived. " So are you keeping it or not? " Lennox''s tone was so casual as if he was asking them to choose between hard cookies or soft cookies. To him their answer was already on disy, he just asked out of consideration. " We.....decided to abort the child " Roan pursed his lips faintly upon Annasophy''s words. He obviously doesn''t approve of this decision but Annasophy somehow managed to persuade him. He held her hands and kept his silence the whole time. " Although I will be losing face to kill my blood rtive who can''t even defend themselves, it should be the most rational decision " No one responded, naturally, he wasn''t waiting for one. He took two cards from his waist bag and poured magical energy into it. One card turned to a knife and the other to an orange mana crystal. He still had his sword on him, yet chose not to unsheath it. " I will arrange your abortion ce and necessitates, however, the time is bound by a coincidental opportunity. Which means we need to keep our little friend inside you for the longest possible until a chance urs " " huh?! And how am I supposed to do that?!! Gulp it down like food? " Lennox walked closer to them as he grabbed Roan''s hand that wasn''t holding to Annasophy''s. He said in an untrustable manner to the couple. " ah, I got this. Just calm down and try not to faint. And you, young man, try not to die " Once he said that, Lennox shed Roan''s palm with the knife in his hand. Blood downed like rivers, they didn''t have the chance to rebuke as Lennox muttered something. < Romeldasious > The mana crystal shattered vigorously. Allmps and lights extinguished, but the room didn''t fall intoplete darkness. Roan''s blood started gleaming with golden shine, roaring and forming whirl with the three of them at its centre. Roan held Annasophy in his arms shielding her from his own blood. He didn''t know what to do, Annasophy was scared stiff, unmoving,and the crown prince was randomly spouting undecipherable words like crazy. [ Whom? ] < We serve the almighty one, chosen obedience since birth, willingly drinking from Lai river and answering thy summon with benevolence > [ This good''s desire? ] < The honoured me has fallen to our heart''s greed and is shamefully requesting thy authorization to interfere with the flow of nature > [ permitted ] It did not take long before the blood-whirl subsided and lights reignited. Roan tightly held the unconscious Annasophy as he panted for air like crazy. Cold sweat covered him from head to toe, looking like a drenched cat, he stared at Lennox in disbelief. Theter pped his hands and casually said as if he hadn''t flipped their entire existence upside down just a moment ago. " Okay, all done. I did tell her not to faint, but she is useless " "W, what- did, just- " " Hey, take it easy. I just rested the fetus''s timeline, your child will grow extremely slowly, one day of growth for normal humans, he will grow it in a month " Roan had a dumbfounded expression, he barely understood what was going on. Lennox had no intention to exin any further, he pulled another card that turned to a bottle of blue liquid and threw it at him. Roan caught the bottle instinctively, but still looked petrified. Lennox said one thing before walking out of the room. " that''s invisibility potion " Roan looked at Lennox leaving before shifting his gaze to the bottle in his hand the unconscious Annasophy. Few seconds passed and the door opened again. " by the way, it''s a boy " "....." Chapter 86 Chapter 86 When Lennox returned to his room, Bun-Bun was already there, waiting for him. He helped his liege take a bath and change into nightwear. Dawn was yet to arrive but who cares, if there is an opportunity to sleep then just sleep! Lennox tucked himself in the bed, quickly going through some paperwork that a ten-years-old obviously shouldn''t be doing before sleeping. Well, Jennings always pulled him out of the messes he created and he would often slip without being punished, this was the least he could do to make it up for his old man. It barely took him a few minutes to finish all of them, this type of mortal assignments is nothing to him. Lennox handed the documents to Bun-Bun as he said nonchntly. " you are leaving tomorrow morning, right? " " ah? Yes, I will head to Blood Prince''s pce once the sun rises " Bun-Bun was startled by the sudden question, but he still answered immediately. Lennox raised his head to say something but paused for a moment before changing his words. " your hair has grown " Bun-Bun instinctively touched his hair. Indeed, at some point, his white fluffy hair has grown long, almost reaching his shoulder. '' do I look weird?! Does lord hate it? What should I do?! I don''t know how to cut my hair! '' Lennox heaved a sigh at the sight of his brat fidgeting like a broken machine. He beckoned him to sit in front of the bed. "e here, I will do it for you " As he said that, a ck ball of fire appeared and disappeared in instant, leaving behind a jadeb and a blue hair tassel with a butterfly-shaped metal essory at the end. Bun-Bun hardly managed to keep his lips from curving up, but his pounding heart has long since exposed him. He obediently sat where Lennox pointed at, with his back facing the bed. Since the other party oddly liked this, Lennox took his time and leisurely brushed Bun-Bun''s hair. There weren''t any tangles so theb effortlessly slipped through his white strands. " before you depart tomorrow, stop by my tower, take a few gifts for your elders. Don''t go empty-handed " "Hn. This subordinate obeys " Lennox keptbing the already soft hair for a while before reaching to the blue hair tassel. He heaved augh-like sigh as he tied the white hair into a half-up pony. " I made this tassel for Sapphire long ago but didn''t have the chance to give her. I guess it''s yours now " Bun-Bun held his breath and didn''t say anything. Once Lennox finished tyinghistassel, he turned around and rested his chin on Lennox''s knees, putting a long face. "Lord....why don''t you search for the others? " The ''others'' were naturally Lennox''s previous subordinates. In the past, they were always together like a family, but after Lennox''s death, everyone scattered in their own way. When Lennox came back to life, he refused to reach out for them and even warned Bun-Bun from informing them of his return. Bun-Bun himself encountered Lennox by sheer luck. If he hadn''t coincidently been in the capital three years ago, then perhaps he might never know that his liege has raised from the dead. " with what face should I appear? A hundred years have passed since my death, I am no more than a memory now " " That''s not right! My lord is the reason we live, without you, everyone went astray " Lennox shook his head before sighing deeply. These kids he raised are a bunch of idiots! " following me like ducklings isn''t a reason to live for. Each one of them is a grown-up now, some might even died by now. They have their own paths to take, I simply am a part of it, but never the leading end of it " Bun-Bun put on a lonely face as he nodded slowly. He rxed his head on Lennox but soon jolted by what the other person said. " You too will have to leave at some point " " no!! I am staying! " Lennox patted Bun-Bun''s head, leisurely saying. " you have been with me ever since you were a six yearsbrat, honestly I too am attached to your existence around me. However, that won''t change my decision. For now, you are still a kid, I will look after you, once you are all grown up, I will chase you out myself " Bun-Bun brows trembled, his vision turned blurry as a stream of tears poured down his cheeks. He buried his face in Lennox''sp saying with an aghast voice. " I don''t want to leave....I want to stay " Seeing his distressed face, Lennox chuckled unnoticeably. The smile on his face neither carried a hint of mockery nor slyness. It was a warm and pure smile that he never showed to anyone. " That''s not your call to make, little one " ***** Ok here is a little exnation that I don''t know how to squeeze between the lines. The first honourable being is said to have lived in heaven and served God while creating the mortal world. After everything was settled, God wanted to reward them for their sincerity and loyalty, thus, God honoured them to live freely and unbounded to any duties in the heavens. However, the honourable being of that time has refused because of his obsession with a mortal. The honourable being admitted his sin and asked God for punishment. But God is merciful, they understand their creation better than anyone. God assigned the honourable being to keep the order in the mortals'' world and allowed him to ascend to heaven once he is able to leave his Sin. As of now, each honourable being had a Sin, something or someone who they are ultimately fond of. It could be anything or anyone thates at any time. But once it appears, the count down begins, they must fight their obsession and ascend to heaven before their Sin fades away. If they failed to do so, then that honourable being will fall into endless agony and eventually dies. Shianl failed, thus died from despair. However, the moment his soul left his body, someone seized him. A honourable being''s soul was extremely powerful and priceless. After erasing his memories of his Sin, Shianl''s soul became stable, thus, able to revive.
  1. vampire 6 years equal to1 year in human life span
Chapter 87 Chapter 87 After half a day from heading south and taking bumpy roads, Lennox was convinced. They got lost. " admit it, you don''t know the way, do you? " " I told you many times! Everly knows her way, hmph! " Everly pouted as she sped up her horse. Since Jennings was busy with the nobles meeting, he wouldn''t notice their absence for a couple of hours. That was enough for Lennox and Everly to flee out of the capital all the way to Half Land forest. Lennox sighed inwardly and kept following her. Unexpectedly, around an hourter, they really found a hidden array. On the surface, it looked like a massive mountain expanding endlessly towards the sky, one can even find ayer of dirt if they touched it. It was quite realistic. However, Lennox knew it was an illusion from the first glimpse. This high-ss magic array might deceive a top-grade magician, but not Lennox. You CAN''T fool me bitches!! Is what he had in mind....Lennox and Everly dismounted from their horses once they came closer to the array. Lennox analyzed the array''s mana flow before saying. " The one who made this array must be a talented individual. It will take a while to break the magic circle formation, so I will just blow the entire array " Everly, who has been searching for something in her spacial bag, instantly flinched. She turned to Lennox with a face both teary and angry, barking at him. " WHY are you so eager to destroy my family''s properties ba?!!!!! " Lennox raised his eyebrows and let out an '' oh '' sound. He averted his gaze from her, a little bewildered. He has always been responsible when dealing with non-human ns or societies. However, whenever ites to something rted to Everly''s family business, Lennox had that mysterious urge to explode things. Example of destroyed properties: Bernard''s mansion, training arena, weapon storage, wine cer, beasts stables....etc. [culprit: Lennox. Falsely used: Everly] Everly hmphed and stumped her feet, walking towards the mountain illusion with a seal in her hand. Once she ced the seal on the surface of the illusion, part of it instantly faded. Revealing arge city gate. Pouting, she took a couple of steps before retreating and turning towards her horse. Everly pulled the reins of the horse and entered the vige. It''s called a vige but in reality, this ce was two times wider than the imperial capital. Might as well just consider it a whole nation on its own. Lennox sighed. He removed the parasol from his saddle, holding it in his hand as he followed Everly. The moment they passed the gate, Lennox felt like his eyes were going to bleed. To him, everything shined in yellow, that''s because everyone in the forest-elves n was blonde!!! The sun was enough to make him wish he could just dig a hole in the ground and bury himself. But an entire race shamelessly had to be so blonde that the sun rays were stupidly extra shiny. Although there were a few dark-haired heads, they barely amounted anythingpared to the majority of golden heads. Lennox closed his eyes pretending to be blind as he pondered in his heart whether destroying the sun or massacringthe entire vige would be easier. But after realizing that he will have to deal with an angry and depressed Everlyter, Lennox decided to just keep ying blind. He followed Everly relying on his senses while preventing people from bumping into him with his pheromones. They walked for a good while before stopping in front of arge metal gate. Lennox didn''t open his eyes but he could still sense therge building they are heading to, which mostly was some important individual''s residence. Seemingly they have reached where they will stay for a couple of days ahead, thus, Lennox withdrew his pheromones. The moment he did so, a few footsteps closed form the distance, nervousness covered their voices. " Youngdy Maitea! Are you alright? Who is this- esteemed young master? " " This is my friend, we came together " Hearing Everly''s pleasant and cheerful baby voice made all the fear that lingered in their hearts, because of Lennox, disappear instantly. The old man who sounded to be this residence''s steward guide them into the building. This time, Everly held Lennox''s hand all the way until they were left alone. This behaviour was different from when she hides behind him from those who can resist her aura. Everly holds hands with someone when there are people who are capable of drawing one''s attention. As if she was afraid they would leave her to be with them. She does this with Jennings most of the time. Every morning, she would wake up early to gourd him from being snatched away. Once a fishy-looking noble or official appears, Everly would run and stick to Jennings, marking her belongings. At the moment, Everly was guarding Lennox against the elves. Although they did pass by countless elves through their way in the vige road, those were normalmoners, certainly won''t pique Lennox''s interest. However, the ones at her residence were all first-ss magicians and warriors, the type that Lennox would definitely want to beat up. " oh, gramps. Please send a message to Bo, tell him I wille visit tomorrow " " Headmaster Borraig? I will make sure to do so " After making sure Lennox and Everly werefortable, the steward excused himself and left with a heavy heart. No matter what, he doesn''t like the idea of his cute baby youngdy sharing the same room with an unknown dude!! Even if she was the one who ordered to not prepare a second chamber, it was still uneptable! " Is there any blondie? " " No, they all left " Everly said that as she dropped her body on the couch. They rode the horses for six hours straight, naturally, she had no energy. Lennox, on the other hand, sighed in relief and rubbed his eyes, slowly opening them. "By the way, where the fuck are we? " " This is brother Ba''s house " And again, Lennox''s urge to explode things appeared uninvited. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 After swallowing an entire feast, Lennox took a bath and slept like there is no tomorrow. Everly waited for him to wake up but soon lost her patience. Once afternoon arrived she jumped on the bed and kicked him out of it, her face had a cute frown and puffed cheeks. " wake up, stupid Lennox!!! Bo is waiting!! Stop sleeping, or else you will turn to a cow! " Lennox rolled out of the bed and fell nimbly on the cold floor. He didn''t open his eyes nor made any movements, if anyone saw him they would instantly say he looked like a corpse. Lennox''s n of [she might leave me be if I y dead] for some reason didn''t work. Seeing that he wasn''t moving, Everly kicked the bed and jumped towards him, aiming all her weight on his abdomen. Instinctively, Lennox sensed the danger of bing impotent so he quickly opened his eyes and rolled aside, just milliseconds before she hit the floor. Lennoxid there dumbstruck. The marble under Everly''s feet was crushed to powder, imagine his family swordying there!! Seeing him wide awake, Everly smiled innocently, saying with a cheerful voice:" you are awake! Good, quickly get ready I will tell gramps to prepare a carriage for us " She threw this sentence before walking out of their chamber with light steps. While Lennox just sat there stupefied. '' I hate her.....'' An hourter, they were ready to depart. This time, the steward offered Lennox a pair of sunsses so he would walk around with closed eyes. Thus, he was now able to see the so-called chief residence and it would have been better if he didn''t. The internal furniture and decoration were the same theme as Bernard''s mansion in the imperial capital, ssic with a hint of a beast''s fierceness. The external structure was also the same, a splendid garden with many jasmine flowers blooming around the entire building and a wide training arena made of must solid and expansive materials. Only one thing was out of ce.... " WHO THE FUCK PAINTED THESE WALLS?!!! " Lennox''s eyes almost broke out of the sses. The fine and elegant demeanour that is expected to be around this mansion waspletely destroyed by the pink and blue colours that were randomly sshed on the walls. Upon hearing that question, Everly quickly raised her hand eximing " That''s me! That''s me! ". She crossed her arms, puffed her chest, looking very proud. " hehehe. I did that myself, a piece of art isn''t it? " Art my ass!! Why does it look like some chickens ran all over it?! " " *gasp! How did you know I did that? " "....." Good thing he was already dead, otherwise, who knows how many years of his life span would he lose over this brat? Lennox and Everly entered the carriage and headed to the tallest magic tower at the centre of the vige. Elves are the most advanced race in the magical aspects, so naturally, their carriages weren''t dragged by horses, instead had a mana system moving them. Which gave Lennox enough space toy down and chill. Along the way, Everly kept bbering nonsense and useless information. Like- who wants to know that one of her neighbours in Saka town had a rabbit-shaped scar on his arm?? Does he give a fuck??? Not long after, they reached the outer gates of the magic tower. The distance between the tower and the chief''s residence wasn''t that far. However, Everly can''t just jump on the roofs and destroy gates, can she? At least to save Bernard a bit of face, she decided to take the carriage and enter the tower like a normal person. After passing by the outer gates, the carriage stopped at the tower entrance where four people came to escort them. Clearly, they are giving her VIP treatment. All of them were fourth stage elementalists except for the one in lead that was in his sixth stage. Lennox recognized his strength from the first nce, he kept staring at the man almost boring a hole in his head. The man at lead felt Lennox''s gaze, instantly breaking in cold sweat. There were no pheromones, but being stared at by a honourable being creates a huge pressure, even someone that reached his sixth stage felt like a useless insect in front of actual power. Only when they stepped out of the tform, that worked like an elevator taking them to the highest level of the tower, did Lennox withdraw his gaze off him. Making a note in his mind to kidnap this dude before leaving the vige. Everly, who has been watching this from the side, tightened her grip on Lennox''s hand. She already knew that Lennox is easily lured by strong and weird individuals, but that''s HER Lennox! She bit down on her lip and said nothing. They followed the man until he stopped in front of arge door, he knocked on the door, saying respectfully. " Head master, youngdy Maitea and the esteemed guest had arrived " " Let them in " A deep voice with traces of elegance came from the inside. The man who guided them stepped aside and opened the door for both of them, he bowed gesturing for them to enter. Everly cast him a sideway nce before pulling Lennox inside. In the room, four people. One young and handsome man, one middle-aged woman, one old man, and one extremely old man... Upon seeing the young man, Everly instantly lit up and went to hug his waist. " Za! Maitea missed you! " " I missed the youngdy too " Zahid Elnar. the tower master and a descendant of an elf''s noble bloodline, also Bernard''s second disciple. The old man cupped his hands slightly bowing, he greeted her, along with the middle-aged woman. " Youngdy Maitea, you seem to be well " " Greetings, youngdy Maitea " Everly formed a wide smile, revealing her row of white small teeth as she responded to them. " Hello, Ram! Hello L! Hello, very old gramps Bo! " Lennox:"...." '' am I the only one with a normal name?? '' Chapter 89 Chapter 89 After saying their greetings and exchanging some casualties, Zahid dived to the main point. " Youngdy Maitea, since you have requested an attendance with head master Borraig I assume the youngdy has something important to discuss " " Yes, it''s important. I wanted to ask very old gramps Bo something " Her innocent face was totally overwhelmed by Lennox''s shamelessness. Let alone the reason why he would wear sunsses inside a building, Lennox sat there leisurely chewing on some pastries in an indecent position. He epted their hospitality but didn''t utter a single word when they greeted him and even ignored them with a sneer. Look at that kid who doesn''t know how to treat his elders. Isn''t he asking for a beating? Zahid had a soft and good temper so he didn''t bother with Lennox. Head master Borraig was more unlikely to pay attention to him, he stayed unmoving all the time like a stone statue, his overly-wrinkled face hid his eyes so it wasn''t clear if he was awake or not. On the other hand, Ramis and Lilian were leisure enough to be concerned about manners. But for some reasons, their instincts warned them from provoking that boy by any means. However, after Everly opened her mouth, they soon lost the brain cells to pester Lennox. " What is it that youngdy Maitea wishes to know " " I was wondering if there is a way to go to the upper regions " Chaotic silence fell upon them. It is important to know that without Realm Gates, it''s impossible to travel through the realms, be it the upper regions or gates of hell, unless one had a massive amount of mana or demonic energy to break through the barriers between the realms. Such individuals were either divine beings or those who spent thousands of years mastering Mana Control. Although breaking through the barriers was possible, the higher the realm was, the harder it gets to break it. Making the fifth realm a limit for every living being except for the heavenly Emperor, Satan, and honourable beings. These people were the only ones who could travel through all realms. Ever since the ck snow incident happened 500 years ago, the human realm has been isted from the outer world. Many tried to find a way but none seeded. Actually, only a single one did. Rakshata. Lennox was the first to react. He choked on the pastrie he was chewing for a while before rebuking. " WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??? Why didn''t I know about this before?!! " " what do you mean why? Lennox never asked " "...." '' I NEVER TOOK IT SERIOUSLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WOULD ASK ABOUT COOKIE RECIPE!!! SO WHY ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT EARTH SHATTERING TOPIC!!! '' Lennox looked at Everly''s bright and innocent face in disbelief. He has nothing more to say, if she wants to die so be it. Lennox pushed his sses back, fixed his posture and returned to bite down on those refreshments. Ramis blurted in shock:" youngdy Maitea, does master know that you have such thoughts? " Everly pursed her lips upon the mention of Bernard. If he knew about this, you think he would let here? Of course not, you idiot! " brother Ba doesn''t know. I don''t want him to know either " No one talked for a while. Only the sound of a teacup taping on the table Lennox made. " youngdy Maitea, I am afraid that we can''t help you in this matter ", Zahid sighed with a profound expression on his face, " for hundreds of years, wars broke and people died when there was a single Whisperer about a way to return to the upper regions. Even with that, no one could find such a method " Everly''s eyelids dropped, she tightened her grip on Lennox''s shirt''s hem, saying in a low voice. " Is there really no way, or Za doesn''t want to tell me? " " If you dare, then there is a way " Hearing the deep and hoarse voice, Everly quickly raised her head towards head master Borraig. He looked like a still picture unwavering, if it''s not for the fact that they had heard his voice before, one would have thought there was someone else in the room. He continued, " sess is not guaranteed, but it''s the highest among all methods " Everly''s eyes burned with determination. No matter if she had to fly high to the sky, or jump down the deepest in the earth to get this method, she will definitely do anything. " what is the way very old Bo is talking about " " Rakshata''s forbidden manuals, Wanderer''s light" This time even Everly was shocked. Rakshata was a very renowned genius. Although he was born in a body that resisted mana, Rakshata still proved himself to be one of the most knowledgeable ones in history. His studies and theories were all taught in magic academics through many realms. Unfortunately, he was trapped in the human realm, and worst, was hunted down while trying to protect an embryo beast egg. Before his disappearance, Rakshata wrote down most of the theories that he dared not spread to the public. Out of 23 manual, only 5 books were found, the rest whereabouts were unknown. One of these missing manuals is Wanderer''s light. If the entire mass couldn''t find them, how would she find them?? As Everly finished pandering these thoughts, she finally noticed that the air in the room seemed a bit chilly. She raised her head and saw the terrified looks of the people around her. Lennox was in rage. " ha. Hey old fart, you think I don''t know what is going through that muddy head of yours? " Lennox''s shortugh could make people faint in terror. He brushed back his hair and smiled coldly. " you want this fuzz to find it and bring it back to you. Wow, such good eyes, she indeed is able to find it " Head master Borraig''s thoughts were that Everly had the influence and resources that equals half of this realm''s power right under her control. She was the darling of her brothers, granddaughter of the heavenly emperor and God''s most precious creation. If she couldn''t find these manuals then no one else can. Lennox had no idea about her rtionship with the heavenly Emperor or how much long her influence reach. But when he said Everly can find them, she indeed is able to get them with few words and tears. That''s because these manuals are right with him. If she coaxed Lennox to hand them over, he definitely would! He doesn''t want to admit this, but Everly always had her way with him because of how cutesy she acts. '' and this nutjob bag of bones wants to take advantage of her???!!! FUCK YOUR GRANDMOTHER!! '' Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Seeing Lilian and Ramis, who were mere mages that can''t even lift a sword, shrinking into a ball in fear, Everly felt sour in her heart. She pulled on Lennox''s sleeve, saying with pleading eyes. " don''t act scary. L and Ramis are good people. Zahid is good, very old gramps Bo is also good " Seeing her like that, Lennox had no choice but to calm down. He disheartedly withdrew his pheromones and sighed inwardly. '' Someone needs to teach this brat some new vocabry '' Now that the tension cleared up, the few elves in the room breathed out. Zahid looked at Lennox with cautions, he was clearly a human, yet, able to push them into a corner with only an aura pressure. How could that be? As a magic tower master, Zahid could be said to be one of the outstanding new-generation leaders. His skills in both martial and magic aspects are evenly matched with the experts in this field. Zahid and his other martial brothers were thoroughly taught (beaten) by Bernard to resist such sham pheromones. However, when facing this human, forget about resisting, Zahid couldn''t even breathe. Zahid had only encountered individuals who create fake pheromones illusions, he thought that all pheromones were spells used to scam people into obeying them. However, what he doesn''t know is that real pheromones are actually a sign of superiority. No matter how strong one is, as long as they are breathing, they are bound to submit to the natural sovereign. After experiencing such pressure from a human, Zahid had his doubts about what kind of monster in front of him. He was yet to say anything when head master Borraig spoke first. " it seems that we have displeased your excellency, please forgive our ignorance " Lennox leaned his back on the couch, waving his hand as he said nonchntly. " I am keeping you for the sake of this brat, however..." his tone suddenly turned serious with a cold light shing in his pitch-ck eyes, " if I ever heard someone brings up a mention of Rakshata''s manuals in front of this punk, then pray you die before I reach you " That was a direct threat. Zahid couldn''t stand seeing an elder from his n being openly threatened. He pushed aside the lingering fear and said firmly. " Young master, Rakshata''s manuals are well sought-after knowledge treasures. I am afraid everyone who had ever heard of it, is searching for these manuals. Are you intending to stop every single one of them? " " naturally" Seeing Lennox immediately answering with confidence, Zahid couldn''t help but exim in frustration. Why would someone unreasonably want to block benefits from people?!!! "But why?!!! " " Why? ", Lennox said with a smile, his tone held a trace of mockery, " brat, there are things that must not be disclosed no matter what. Plus, do you think Rakshata would release such ticking bombs if he wasn''t fooled by that sly fox? " The room became heavy. Everly who couldn''t process anything that was said here panicked as she tried to ease the tension. " no fighting, let''s get along Lennox don''t be bad " As expected, it didn''t work. Zahid was yet to say anything in response when head master Borraig spoke again. " Why does it seem to me that your excellency had personally met the esteemed Rakshata " Personally met? Is this a joke?? Of course he did! That''s his damn father, okay!! Lennox''s mood dropped down again. If this continued, he might start beating her brother''s people! Everly''s hands were everywhere as she squeezed her little brain to find a way to soothe things a bit. Luckily, there still was that mana crystal she got from her second brother! She quickly took a palm-sized pink box out of her spacial bag, ced it on the small table in front of her and stood off her seat. " This is a bribe Maitea brought to not tell brother Ba. Also, Maitea is a good girl so she will take trouble with her " "...." 5 Why say it so casually? And who is trouble? Lennox?? As soon as she said that, Everly grabbed Lennox''s hand and rushed out of the tower. ****** " hmm.....why is my baby girl in the Forest-Elves'' vige? Did she run away again? " Bernard looked at the floating screen in front of him that disyed a map with a moving target on it. " master, are you stalking your sister again? " A young man emerged from the side room of the chairman office. His figure was perfectly sculpted with tall structure, wide shoulders and slender waist. Although his face wasn''t extremely handsome, it was still decent and gentle along with his round shiny eyes that had its own charm. He held a mountain of documents and brought them on the desk. William rested his arm on the pile of papers as he looked at Bernard with a suspicious gaze. " Those dumb dwarves shouldn''t have given this magic tool. You are shamelessly using it for immoral purposes! " " what do you mean immoral?!! Is worrying about my baby sister counts as immoral and shameless? " William scoffed at Bernard''s reason. He waved his hand, helplessly sighing. " Poor little martial aunt, to have two brothers who suffer from a beyond-saving sisterplex- ah, such a pity " Bernard formed a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. He looked at his youngest disciple from behind his sses, which he started wearing not long ago, saying a bit impatiently. " So why did you bring these papers back, Will? " " What do you mean back? These are new ones that need be done " Bernard''s handsome face paled like a ghost. He has been doing all the paperwork restlessly for an entire week, and there is more! Bernard asked in a miserable voice. " Why is there so much useless work to do? I want to go back, I want to see my little Ma " William rolled his eyes at the drama he has seen countless times. " master, I have already done half of them when you were away, you should be thankful to have such a wonderful disciple.... I expect a raise in my sry " "....." Chapter 91 Chapter 91 After exiting the magic tower, Lennox''s face looked like a grim reaper. Even without his pheromones, just by looking at his fierce expression, no one would want to stand in his way. Thus, everyone on the street scattered away. Originally, Everly wanted to return by the carriage, but Lennox bolted in a random direction the moment they exited the building. Everly called for him as she tried to catch up with his fast pace, but Lennox''s mind was totally out of this world. '' Fuck! They just had to bring MY ck history!!! That stupid father is causing me troubles even in his grave! '' shbacks kept storming in his mind. Although these memories were precious to him, they still caused him intense pain. The pain of being defeated, the pain of being helpless in front of God''s will. The warmth he desired for so long, yet it faded before he could feel it. The face he secretly imagined tens of thousands of times in his dark shell, was already lifeless when he saw it. Only the stupid and cheerful voice lingered in his head like ringing bells " LENNOX!! " Everly roughly yanked Lennox''s arm, making him drop the parasol in the process. Sunrays fell on the faint bluish skin, sizzling sounds and vapour araised from Lennox''s exposed skin. -tsssssss The pain of being roasted alive pulled him back to his senses. Lennox quickly grabbed the falling parasol and held it above his head. Luckily, he was still wearing the sunsses, otherwise, if the sunrays reached his eyes it would be disastrous. He sighed then turned towards Everly, who had a terrified expression on her face. Unexpectedly, Lennox was calm, even the rage from before faded. " Lennox I, I didn''t I just " Everly''s eyelids turnedpletely red, but she was too shocked to shed a tear, her pupils shrank into a dot and her hands trembled. Naturally, Lennox paid attention to these details, he said slowly. " it''s okay, calm down first " " No, b, but I hurt Lennox " " An external injury, nothing serious " He patted Everly on the head, then grabbed her hand that was hesitating whether to let go of his sleeve or not. Saying with his usual emotionless and indifferent tone. " Forget it. You said you would take me to the ck market. Since we will be leaving tomorrow morning, it''s better to finish shopping early today " Everly silently hung her head down and nodded. She was scared witless, thinking that Lennox would be raged. Since she was always roaming around him, Everly is already familiar with the way treats those who he doesn''t like. cold and frightening. Yet, a moment ago, she almost killed him! His brain must be full of shit if still likes her after that!! In her eyes, Lennox was a star that she looked up to. He was what Everly wished to be, strong, independent, capable and most importantly, powerful. If she was like him, wouldn''t her master still be here? It was because of her helplessness that her master found an opportunity to throw his life. If she was powerful enough to fight that dead mana beast, then her master wouldn''t have exhausted the little amount of mana within him. ming herself for something utterly unrted to her ability. In fact, even if her master hadn''t fought with the dead mana beast, he would still have returned to his original form sooner orter... The two walked towards the south of the vige, the further they walked the weirder the shops became. None of them said anything along the way until a sign of " Guang Street " appeared in front of them. " Why is it so crowded?? " Lennoxmented as he scanned the suspicious-looking people buying suspicious things from other suspicious-looking people. Many different races were mixed within the crowd, thus, the two kids didn''t really stand out. " Oh, it''s not that much. You should see how bustling the street is after the sun sets " Everly seemed to have calmed down and returned to be energetic, so Lennox went along with her. They passed by a few shops before stopping at a small one. " Ancient bones? Show me what you got " The middle-aged woman smiled with wrinkles showing at the corner of her eyes. She said in a pleasant tone. " oh my! The young master has such a keen eye. In the entire vige,you won''t find anyone who sells such high-quality products " Lennox swept a nce over the table, pondered for a moment then said:" give me the water demon skull and a poisoned dark Elf''s nails. Better if it''s over 200 years " Everly:"....." '' WHY ARE ARE BUYING DEAD BONES?!!!! NO- WHY WOULD ANYONE SELL DEAD BONES???? '' " young master~ these items are a bit expensive, can the young master afford them? " " I asked for it, naturally I can afford " As he said that, Lennox pulled a card from his waist bag and put it on the table, instantly turning to a white mana crystal. Seeing that, the woman excitedly pped her hands and quickly packed the bones Lennox ordered. After receiving his bones, Lennox and Everly resumed their walk. " nasty Lennox, why did you buy nasty bones? " Lennox cast her a sideway nce, faked a serious face and said solemnly. " To make bone soup " " ....." ****** Forgotten details corner: Forest Elves are worshipers of the sun. Their golden hair, that is warm in winter and shines in the darkness, is a sign of the sun God''s blessings. Lennox is sensitive towards the sunrays, naturally, would be affected by them. Although the effect is not serious, it''s still bothersome. There are three branches of Elves, forest Elves, dark Elves and ice Elves. All three ns are very simr yet very different at the same time. For example, all Elves'' ns practice the same magic form which requires them to make a contract with an elemental spirit. Also, all the three of them worships different God. Forest Elves worship the sun, dark Elves worship the moon and ice Elves worship the stars. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 By the time Lennox''s storage ring and storing cards could no longer receive anything anymore, the sky was already dark. Everly followed behind with a face full of ck lines. They have been shopping for hours and her feet could no longer carry her. " Lennox, let''s go back. Everly is tired! " She warped herself around his arm, pleading with all the cuteness she had. As expected, it worked. Lennox dismissed the idea of buying another storage ring to continue shopping. " Fine, let''s go back " Thus, the two walked out of Guang street. Just as they exited the bustling street, a faint odour of herbs mixed with Everly''s jasmine fragrance passed by Lennox. How could that be? Lennox had already given up on his olfaction sense, yet, he just smelled something other than jasmine?! and right with Everly sticking on him?!! That certainly wouldn''t be a simple thing. He grabbed Everly''s hand and rushed to where the odour came from. Following the scent, Lennox stopped by a simple potion stall. The young man, who was boxing up the bottles with a disappointed expression, smiled slightly at them. " What can I do for the young master? " Lennox swept a meaningful nce at the potions then said:" may I take a look at this Emerald Dancer? I will pay for it " The man was startled at first, but still nodded slowly. Lennox opened the lid of a green-coloured bottle and took a sniff, sorting out the ingredients used in it. Then, poured a single drop of the liquid on his finger, he savoured it for a moment before raising his eyebrows in surprise. " The herbs and other ingredients are mostly low grade, but the brewing process is certainly excellent " " ah? Ah- yes, thank you, I guess..." The man looked bewildered for getting a suddenpliment. As Lennox was checking other potions, Everly approached him with a teary face. " Lennox said we will go home! Why are you buying more!! " " I won''t stay long, we will leave shortly " Lennox patted the head she buried in his embrace as he ced a pouch full of mana crystals. He said emotionlessly to the young man. " Your name? " " ah- me? I, I am Rafael " Lennox scanned the man, who became nervous after seeing the pouch of money, from up to down before giving a satisfied expression. He took a handkerchief and wiped Everly''s snotty face. " well then, Rafael. I can see that you have the ability, but short on resources. It''s quite pitiful to waste such talent, and I happened to be interested in hiring an alchemist " Rafael froze. He was indeed short on money, but who is this wealthy kid trying to sponsor him? Seeing that Lennox was dragging whatever they were talking about, Everly began wailing aloud. " waaa! Lennox youir!! Waaa!! You said we will go home! " " Why are you crying???! " Lennox tried to soothe her but she didn''t seem to calm down, so he had to give up. He turned to the nonplussed Rafael saying. " Tomorrow, we will meet here to discuss matters more. As for today, I shall take my leave " As he took the crying Everly back to Bernard''s residence, Lennox was ignorant of the death re the little girl shot towards the harmless Rafael. Rafael:"...." ****** After the servant finished dressing Everly, she bowed her head and soundlessly exited their room. Everly dived into the bed, rolling on the soft bed matters before suddenly raising her head to look at Lennox. Staring at him pensively. " What is it? Spill it out " " Why does Lennox want to meet with that freckly guy? Everly doesn''t like him, don''t talk to him, hmph! " Lennox looked at her, huffing and puffing, looking angry and dissatisfied. He flipped a page of the book in his hand, wearing an amused expression. " Why are you drinking vinegar when I am not even your husband? " " What does that mean? Everly is not drinking anything " With a sigh, Lennox returned his focus on the book, saying nonchntly. " The imperial capitalcks experts in alchemy and magic. Although I can fill the magic division, if I show interest in alchemy, it will create imbnce in power towers " The only thing Everly understood was that he is nning on bringing Rafael to the capital. As for the reason he needs that guy it doesn''t matter at all. " NO! I won''t allow it! Everly doesn''t like you sticking with him!!! " Lennox closed the book with a loud tap, impatiently saying:" what exactly is wrong with you? Are you perhaps frustrated because you couldn''t find a way to the upper regions, and now venting your anger on this poor guy? " Since the topic has been brought up, Everly certainly won''t back out. She crawled to Lennox''s side, nuzzling on his arm as she asked in a pitiful voice. " does Lennox know where Rakshata''s manuals are? " " naturally, I do " He didn''t mind her sticking to him and got used to her clinginess. Everly continued in a wronged tone. " you know, it''s important for me to go to the upper regions. I need to find grand master to help my master. Can you tell Everly? " " These manuals are not supposed to appear for anyone, or else a shit show awaits us. The ck snow incident five hundred years ago was because of one of these manuals, and it was already troublesome enough" But he didn''t say no!! Everly climbed to look at his face. Staring at him with her wide emerald eyes, saying with the sweetest voice, almost dripping honey. " But Everly isn''t just anyone. I will keep it secret, won''t even tell brother Ba. So, pleeeease " Lennox stared back for a while, but gave up in the end. Who can refuse this cutie-pie? " fine, whatever " If his father was still alive, he would have strangled this unreliable son of his. How could he give such an earth-shattering and heaven-raging knowledge to an innocent cinnamon roll???!!! Rakshata in his grave: FUCK YOU SHIANL!!!!!! Before Everly could rejoice, Lennox quickly stated. " Under one condition " " What does Lennox want? I will give you anything! I have a lot of scary things that master gave me, you can have them all! " Everly''s eyes shined and sparkled with determination. Waiting for him to say his demands. " No need for that. Just, call me grandfather " " Grandpa Lennox!!! " Chapter 93 Chapter 93 As early morning came, Lennox secretly slipped out to meet with Rafael. The two came to an agreement, Lennox will sponsor him financially and Rafael will have to take the alchemist exam and enter the alchemy tower. Working as hisckey, as well as his personal alchemist. Although Lennox had a general knowledge of alchemy, it''s still inferior to an expert. In the past, he didn''t need to learn it, since there was nothing he couldn''t do. As for now, around 97% of his powers are sealed, in addition to his human body, the necessity of an alchemist hit the roof. Unexpectedly, Rafael promised to set off within a few days. He and his family were already preparing to head towards the dark Elve''s area. '' he seems to be excited...'' With that, Lennox returned back to Bernard''s mansion, hoping that Everly is still asleep. He is not fond of acting like a wife in an affair, but Everly is surely to throw a tantrum and it''s quite annoying to deal with. After arriving at the mansion. Lennox didn''t shamelessly head to their room, but waited for her to find him at the main lounge on the first floor. He stood in front of arge painting, which seems to be a family portrait. In it, a rose-haired man sat on a couch holding a newborn buddle of joy, seemingly, Everly. The man had gentle features and a warm smile, one look and you could see paternal flowing from his eyes. '' is this her so-called master? That''s quite the pretty face he has '' On his right stood her second brother, Yoon. Lennox has seen him before in the tracking stone device. The same yellow-brownish eyes and dark blue hair, the only difference, he looked a bit younger. On the left stood a red-haired soft delicate boy- '' What the fuck???? Is this is the general???!!! '' Just as he had these thoughts, Lennox heard footsteps of tiny feets stomping on the ground. Needless to say, that''s Everly....and she is angry. Lennox sighed. He slowly turned around, expecting her to start crying. Lennox barely managed to see her dark expression before a "ng" sound faintly rang in the vast room, followed by a sharp pain rushing from his abdomen towards his head. Only after his legs gave out and fell back, did Lennox feel the warm liquid streaming out of him- '' SHE STABBED ME???!!!!!!! SHE FUCKING STABBED ME?????!!!! IS THIS ISMY BLOOD??! WHY IS IT RED????????! '' Everly didn''t pull her sword from Lennox''s stomach, instead, she pushed it out of his back, railing him on the ground. " WHY IS ALL OF YOU ARE SO EAGER TO LEAVE ME?!!! " Her high tone made Lennox''s ear buzz for a while. He was so shocked to pay any attention to his torn guts. A fierce light shed in her bloodshot eyes. " I WON''T ALLOW IT!! I WON''T ALLOW ANY OF YOU TO ABANDON ME!!!! IF I AM NOT YOUR CHOICE THEN NOBODY IS GOING TO BE!! YOU CAN''T RUN FROM ME!!! EVEN IF YOU DIE I WILL PULL YOU OUT OF THE DEAD!!!! " Lennox''s eyes shook for a second. His already pale skin paled even more, either because of blood loss or because his newly adopted granddaughter went crazy! '' holy cow!! This girl is insane!!!!! '' It was until Everly''s disorderly breathing calmed a bit, did she speak again. Her eyes streamed with tears like rivers, soaking her cheeks in no time. Her aggressive appearance can no longer be seen, as if it never existed, now she resembled a puppy in distress. " I don''t want to be alone. Don''t abandon me....*hic, I will be good, I won''t cause trouble so please....please don''t leave me " Her voice trembled as it slowly turned to whispers. Lennox''s mind couldn''t catch up with these events. For the first time in both of his glorious lives, he was humiliated and severely injured by none other than his ungrateful granddaughter! The annoying ball of fluff that always roamed around him stupidly, turned out to be a hypocritical psychopath!! And most shocking of all, a Love that is adorned by God and cherished by heavens is facing ack of love???!!! '' WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???? '' Although he is already dead, this human body is not! If he keeps bleeding this way, thing won''t be good. Lennox inwardly sighed, he raised his head to look at the miserable Everly. " well, I wasn''t nning on ditching you here, I don''t really understand what goes ande in that little head of yours " Everly looked at his face. Her tears kept pouring but she still answered while pouting. " Everly''s brain juice is shady, it''s full of water. I am not really smart so if I made a mistake please tell me I will fix it, otherwise, I wouldn''t know why Lennox is angry. I will do anything just don''t leave me " "...." '' are you doing this so I would forgive you for stabbing me? Well, guess what bitch, you seeded.... '' What can he do when she''s acting all pitiful like this? Forget it, at least he is not dead...well, he is actually. " calm down, you did nothing wrong, it was a shorte from my side. How about you pull this sword first before I die from blood loss? " Everly finally noticed the pool of blood under them. She ruthlessly pulled out her sword, causing Lennox to jerk his head in pain. His vision turned from white to ck to white again, his entire body felt numb. With light moves, Everly stood, wiped off her tears and Lennox''s blood, then quickly ran towards the door saying:" I will go call gramps to heal you, wait here don''t go anywhere! " "...." '' by all means, do you really think I will go anywhere? Let alone standing, I can''t even move a finger- '' Everly''s departing back hasn''t yet disappeared before Lennox''s sight turned blurry. He felt his head weighing a ton, as darkness gradually invaded his vision. He passed out. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 An unknown amount of time passed. Lennox had a meaningful expression as he looked at the sleeping Everly next to him. The magic circle floating above her head faded the moment he withdrew his hand. '' So it was like that....'' Although he is not fond of viting other people''s privacy and peeking into their memories, Lennox really wanted to know why did she suddenly turn insane. Thus, Lennox only disclosed her deepest memory and the one with the most psychological effect. ording to what he saw, this peach spirit master of her willingly consumed his already very little amount of mana, exhausting his spirit core in the process. In other words... '' He fucking killed himself??! You dumb pretty idiot! It''s fine if you die secretly at some corner, but why do it right in front of this kid?!! '' Loves are beings that needed to be loved. They have to be the priority of those they like the most, being second to whoever is intolerable. It could be said that to them the mental damage of not being able to obtain a significant person''s affection is on the same level as killing one''s wife and abducting their son. However, due to the pure and benevolent nature of Loves, it''s rare for them to hold grudges or be stained by malice. This exins her fast forgiving, constant cheerfulness and why Lennox couldn''t grasp her thoughts. But her emotions shot high when she woke up and couldn''t find Lennox, assuming he abounded her and left. She had already experienced losing one of her toys, but for another one to ditch her is certainly impossible to bear. '' Wait a DAMN minute! When did I be one of her favourite toys?? '' Lennox felt a headache raising. He gave up on trying to understand the situation and tugged himself under the nket. Sick people should rest. Lennox slept for an entire day. The A-ss healer from Bernard''s people did quite an excellent job. Lennox''s internal organs were glowed back and the injury was half-healed, it might leave a scar but it was still eptable. The next morning, they nned to head back to the imperial pce. At first, the mansion''s steward insisted on staying a few days, since Lennox won''t be able to raid the horse with his injury, but after Lennox exined that his father would skin him alive, the steward gave up. Thus, the two kids departed from the vige. It takes six hours to reach the nearest city with a teleportation gate, yet with their speed now they might take some more hours. Two hourster, Lennox''s body gave out. He felt his head spinning and couldn''t bnce himself on the horse, so they had to take a break for a while. '' ugh, I feel like shit....can''t be helped, Anemia isn''t something a healer could fix. This needs a real doctor '' Everly assisted him toy under an old tree. She looked a bit nervous,probably because she felt guilty for almost killing him. " Um, Lennox. We can take it easy and rest for a few days, I am sure his majesty won''t be angry if he knew that you are hurt " " if we tell him that I am injured then forget about that manual, you even won''t see me again " Lennox nced at her distressed face before continuing:" you see, a few years ago I went to the Welfmore''s mansion, we are basically a family so half my day at that time was in their mansion. Anyways, one day I found a rare poisonous herb growing at some corner of the garden...and I ate it. It has been about six years since then, and I haven''t stepped a foot there ever again " It could be said that Lennox''s birth left a deep scar in Jennings''s heart. He gets so worked up whenever anything insignificant happened to his kids. Although Jennings gets upset when Lennox sneaks out of the pce, it''s because his kid was the one to beat people and always returned unscathed that Jennings didn''t take action to stop him. With only the pain of wiping his son''s butt, and cleaning the troubles he created. However, if a dayes and something happened to Lennox, do you really think that the Emperor of thergest Empire in the continent can''t tame his kid? Everly looked dumbfounded. She wanted to ask questions like '' why would you eat that?'' Or '' why is there a rare poisonous herb at an unknown corner '' Or '' how did you actually survive through your life?'' But for now, she didn''t ask them. " my point here is that telling him I am injured won''t lead to any good. I might end up prohibited from leaving the pce for a couple of years, or we won''t be allowed to meet again. Both of them is a pain in the ass, so if I got found out, tell him some pretty lie " " you want me to lie?!!!! " Lennox rolled his eyes at her shocked expression. Someone who kills people without batting an eye was concerned about telling a lie? " girl, it''s time you learn to lie, your life will be tough at this rate " Everly seemed to have understood something as she pondered with a serious face. Not long after, Everly snapped, she looked at Lennox''s face, he looked as pale as a lifeless corpse. She hesitated for a moment before asking. " Lennox, why do you know where Rakshata''s manuals are? " Lennox answered with his eyes closed. His tone was a bit sleepy. " he left them for me " " eh? But you weren''t even born at that time. Even if you were, why would he do so? " " I am 379 years old, I told you before. Plus, he is my father, naturally, he had to leave some worthy beneficiaries for me, don''t you think so? " Everly had a nk expression. After digesting the new information, she frowned and eximed. " Lennox is air! There was nothing about great Rakshata having a son, only a beast egg, where did youe from?!!! " " hn. My name is Shianl " ... ... ... Shianl > ck shellQAQ!!!! At first, Everly thought '' what ame father giving bad names'', then she realized this was not where she should focus on. Everly yanked his cor, shaking him and shouting on his face. " AAAA??? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE RIGHT?!! IF YOU LIE EVERLY WILL HATE YOU!!! " Just as Lennox thought that his head will fall off his shoulders, a bone-chilling screech sounded above them. Lennox''s eyes widened. " Hey, you! Come back here!! " He quickly stood, walked two steps before making a long and loud whistle. A moment of silence passed before a huge bodynded on the open spot in front of them. The giant beast spread its broad wings, letting another screech. Lennox walked towards it with a smile on his face, saying:" oi, Maitea. We found our way back home " Seeing Lennox approach him, the beast lowered its head, allowing Lennox to rub its nose. Everly, who was petrified at the corner, instantly sparkled. " A wyvern! " Chapter 95 Chapter 95 At the imperial pce. Annasophy scanned the dress in front of her, after a moment of pondering she shook her head and ordered to bring another set. The designers looked at each other with confused expressions, this was the 27th dress that the princess refused. Although she said that she doesn''t have any particr design in her mind, Annasophy has been dismissing all the dresses after a simple look. '' There isn''t a single dress that is loose at the stomach but also with a decent design, I don''t want to put pressure on the fetus. Ugh, Lennox did tell me that his spell is well protecting the child yet I can''t help but worry funny, what right do I have to worry about it when I am the one nning to kill it '' The servants and designers watched as the princess''s eyes dimmed, their faces turned pale. If not finding a satisfying dress made her this sad, then if they couldn''te up with a solution she might cry. A simple drop of tear could make every single one of them dead meat, never underestimate the Emperor''s sensitivity towards his kids. Just as the poor servants began sweating buckets, one of Annasophy''s close maids called out for her. " Ah, Princess. Please don''t be sad, I am sure we will find a dress that can match your preferences. Even if we couldn''t find it today, there is a whole month before your birthday banquet, there is still some time " Annasophy smiled awkwardly. She can''t possibly tell them that she is looking for something that doesn''t pressure her stomach because this is he suspicious. Especially since she always liked to wear the close-fitting ones, to say that she wants something loose will rise endless rumours, and that''s thest thing she wants. Just as Annasophy was about to make up some crap and lie through her teeth, the guard at the door announced loudly. " Attention! His majesty, the Emperor, has arrived " Instantly, everyone threw whatever they were doing and bowed towards the man walking into the room. Jennings rarely wears formal attire, unless it''s a formal meeting or a celebration, he would always wear a casual white shirt. However, his majestic aura can not be hidden under simple clothes, even if he were to wear a potato sack, Jennings would still look noble and aloof. " Daddy! Why are you here? " Annasophy warped her hand around Jennings''s arm, guiding him to the couch. Jennings didn''t follow, he gestured for her to not do so. " Dear, no need, I won''t be staying for long. I just came to check on you since I didn''t get to see you today " Narrowing her eyes, Annasophy red at Jennings''s pale face and tired eyes. Because of her pregnancy symptoms, her father forced her to be examined by the imperial physician out of worry that she might be sick somewhere. But God knows what Lennox did, the imperial physician couldn''t detect her pregnancy, and concluded her symptoms as a reaction to stress and fatigue. " Worry about yourself, why do you look like a racon? " Respect for the Emperor: zero Jennings let an awkwardugh. In the past few days, he has super been busy with the Empire''s east suction development n that he couldn''t rx for days. However, his condition became more severe since yesterday. His two babies, ording to the note they left, were supposed to arrive the day before, yet until now, there was no trace of them. This was the first time ever Lennox took longer than he intended, which made Jennings''s heart heavy and he might drop dead at the slightest negative news. " it''s nothing, the meeting with the eastern aristocrats kept me busy these days " " yeah? That''s half the problem, what''s the other half? " Jennings sighed. He really can''t hide anything from his bossy daughter. With a helpless smile, Jennings stroke Annasophy''s hair as he gazed at her warmly. " Lennox and Everly sneaked out of the pce, it''s been three days since then, but they are yet to return. I am worried " Annasophy frowned, her voice was a little higher than usual:" that damn demon brother again! Dad, why do always let him fool around freely? He will only bring you troubles at this rate " " Oh, Anna, don''t say that. Lennox is your brother, and the one who will protect you on my behalf when I am no longer around. Well, he does bring troubles from time to time, but I trust him. So don''t be mean to him " Annasophy did not respond, she buried her face in her father''s embrace and thetter dly hugged her back. Jennings kissed her forehead, saying. " Dear, you are choosing a dress for your birthday, right? Have you decided on something? " "Ah- no not yet " " Then I think it''s better if you choose afortable design. You know, something with more clothes and doesn''t strangle your waist " Annasophy inwardly gave her father a thumbs up, now she has a solid reason! She smirked and looked at him yfully. " hmm? You mean something that doesn''t show my skin or reveal my body shape, right mister jealous daddy? " Jennings couldn''t refute. Annasophy''s 21st birthday is also the day for the princess to officially receive marriage proposals, which means that many princes and young masters will attend the banquet. He absolutely hates the idea of these brats who are wet behind the ears, and still smell of milk, to look at his baby! Jennings touched his nose. He looked quite depressed, saying in a low voice:" if you know, then why tease me? " " Fine, fine. I will do as daddy says " After a small chat, Jennings returned to his work. The meetingsted for five hours, the long table was filled with maps, construction blueprints and scattered documents. In other words, it was a mess. Jennings massaged his temple as he said. " gentlemen, this will conclude our discussion. If you have any doubts, you may present it now " The attendees nced at each other. A good momentter, the man next to Jennings spoke. " your majesty, yourplexion doesn''t look good. Maybe you should take some rest " Jennings waved his hand, yet before he could say anything, the door opened loudly. One of Jennings''s guards said hurriedly. " your majesty, prince Lennox has returned with youngdy Everly and and a wild wyvern! " Jennings''s brows twitched. He put on a smile that didn''t reach his eyes, responding calmly:" is that so? " He turned to one of the men around the table saying with that chilly smile. " Count do you mind passing me that ruler next to you " " Ah, yeah, sure... " Jennings received the long wooden ruler. He walked towards the door as he rolled up his sleeves. " Mind showing me the way? " Chapter 96 Chapter 96 An ear-piercing screech soured the sky. The ck wyvern carefullynded on the Emperor''s ce''s backyard. Seeing Lennox''s figure dismounting from the beast''s back, all the guards withdrew their weapons, their faces were full of ck lines. The fourth unit leader walked forward. He bowed to Lennox, awkwardly saying. " em your highness, that beast is....? " Lennox rested the parasol handle on his shoulder, leaned his weight on one leg as he watched Everly dangling from the wyvern''s horns. With crossed arms, he said with his usual emotionless face. " I found it on the road. Zombie girl calls it Chan-Chan so I am keeping it as a pet " The unit leader''s face darkened. Not because hisrades were sent flying when they tried to get a hold of that wyvern to escort it out of the yard, but because their Emperor was walking towards them with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile on his face. He retreated quietly. Seeing the man approaching them, Lennox tensed for a moment, his old man really seemed angry. Lennox cleared his throat and pretended to be normal. " Ahem, Hey old man, we are back " His voice was yet to fade when the sound of something cutting through the air rushed towards him. Lennox instinctively dodged to the side, but he was someone who''s recently pulled out of the dead, still dizzy, Lennox lost his footing and almost tripped. Just as his body began tilting to the ground, Jennings firmly grabbed his arm. Lennox sighed. He prepared himself to hear his worrywart father''s nagging, but instead of the panicked voice, the sound of a rod cutting through air resounded again. Before Lennox could react, a hard long objectnded roughly on his back, causing his skin to heat up and a tingling pain lingered as a rod-shaped red mark formed under his clothes. " WHAT THE HELL OLD MAN?!! " Lennox rebuked as he tried to shake his father off, but either because he was weak due to his injury or Jennings really didn''t want to let him go, Lennox couldn''t free himself. Jennings bit his lower lip in a threatening way, he hit his son after each sentence on the back, butt or hips. " And you have the audacity to ask?!!!! You little running away for three days!! Shamelessly dragging Everly with you!!! Making me worried sick, and for WHAT?!!! TO GO FITCH A FLYING LIZARD?!!! I ALMOST MOVED THE ENTIRE ARMY LOOKING FOR BOTH OF YOU!!! " " Wait you shity father that''s hurt!!! It''s all damn Maitea''s n not mine!!! " Everly, who came out of consideration to help the injured Lennox, suddenly froze. As the main culprit, of course, she will get her fair share of beating. She took a step back, nning to run away when Jennings quickly caught her forearm, aiming the wooden ruler at the ces that won''t cause long-term damage. Although his strength was a bit restrained from when he beat Lennox, it was still painful enough to redden her butt. " AND YOU!! The ce is wide enough for you to y for years!!!! Yet you had to fool outside cuddling with all dangers and uncertainty!! " " EEK!! I am sorry!!!! Ayaaa! No!! I am sorry!! I am sorry! " Imperial guards and servants:"....." The aristocrats who came out of the meeting room: '' thank god!!! Finally, justice against the tyrant crown prince!! '' Chan-Chan: my masters are quite useless Jennings took turns in whipping the two kids who kept rebuking, yet until now, none of them said '' sorry we won''t do it again '', which means that they already had the intention of doing it again! Since he couldn''t sleep a winkst night and was buried in work for hours, Jennings''s energy was soon drained. He took a short break to calm down while pondering whether to continue beating them or not. He hadn''t reached for a conclusion when Lennox suddenly closed the distance between them, hiding behind his sleeves with a dark expression. Jennings''s heart tightened as he looked at his son''s extremely disturbed expression as if he had seen the most disgusting thing in his life. " What in the name of the holy river is that paedophile doing here?!! " " Who??! " " that child rapist general, count Vilgas " Jennings froze. General Vilgas was one of the Empire''s military generals, an esteemed nobleman he had personally known and trusts, how could such a man be called a child rapist? But the murderous re in Lennox''s eyes, towards the approaching man, wasn''t fake. Jennings also trusts his son''s judgment, he wouldn''t say anything without solid evidence or personal experience Jennings panicked. He subconsciously let go of Everly''s arm, which gave Everly the chance to escape, and held Lennox''s shoulder, his brows kneaded tightly. " How do you know?! Did he do something to you?!!! " '' Ah, that might have given him a fright. This old man can''t take such news '' Lennox put his ice-cold hand over Jennings''s, assuring him not to worry. " that''s not the case. Two years ago one of my subordinates lost his younger brother and asked me to help him a finding it. I have sent others to trace the kid and they found him in the north section of Sitia, in other words, general Vilgas''s territory. The boy was mentally broken and there were signs of sexual assault. They brought the boy to me, I used a spell to view his memory and it was full of disgusting things. I am afraid that kid is not the first nor thest " Jennings was stunned, he stayed silent, trying to digest these words. Meanwhile, general Vilgas who almost reached a distance where he could hear the father-son conversation, suddenly halted. He saw Jennings let go of a tiny arm, then a small figure dashed off. He saw her sulking pouting cheeks, her dinky nose that turned red from crying, the two teardrops hanging at the corner of her emerald eyes and her caramel hair lifted up exposing her white fragile neck that could be crushed with a finger. He felt his abdomen heat up as a sensation of obsession shrugged within him. He wanted to obtain her no, he MUST obtain her. Jennings took a while before saying hesitantly:" this matter should be investigated. I can''t make decisions like this " " go ahead. The north isn''t really my yground so couldn''t find much. But if the Emperor moved " -RUMBLES '' hm? I thought there weren''t any clouds...'' Suddenly loud rumbles filled the sky. Lennox raised his head while making sure that the sun won''t get into his eyes, when he saw a silver light spread across the clear sky. His eyes widened. Heavenly punishment. -BOOOM! Chapter 97 Chapter 97 The first honourable being has built the mortal world ording to the rules God has assigned to him. Viting the rules is a sin, and no one is clear of sins. Although many hadmitted grieve sins, as long as it was not a taboo, then they would not face direct heavenly retribution. Each race held several taboos, nature''s rules differ from a race to another, which also means the difference of their taboos. As God''s most beloved creations, Loves are securely protected by these rules. If one were to raise a Love then their fortune would shot out the roof, their life would flourish in every aspect. If one were to harm them, then they are basically asking for a miserable life and an ugly death. The greatest taboo towards a Love is peered with the greatest punishment. For murdering God''s beloved, one will be cursed, unable to die or disperse, they will forever live in grief and watch every single one of their dearest in constant misery. Below the holy curse there is the divine purification, fierce lightning of the purest force downs on the mortal world and cleanse it from ugliness, the taboo that ced second in sinfulness is To have sexual desire towards a Love. -BOOOOOOM A brilliant silver pathway cracked the clear sky and downed on the single individual standing next to the father-son duo. The ground shook vigorously, followed by a fierce gale that rammed people into the walls in instant. Jennings instinctively covered his son with his body, while Lennox started creating shields the moment he sensed danger. Layers uponyers of mana shields surrounded them, however, just like a bullet breaking through ss, Lennox''s shields couldn''t do much and shattered quickly. Yet, he kept regenerating them one after another. With how close he and Jennings were, if a whisp of that lightning touched them, they both are doomed. The few seconds felt like ages. Lennox''s heart beat like crazy, almost jumping out of his chest. His back was soaked with cold sweat, and it felt even more ufortable with Jennings tightly holding and covering him from ying shreds and sunlight. -swiiiish Finally, the wind faded and dust settled. Jennings calmed his disorderly breathing, his son was limplyying in his embrace, looking pale and drained. Jennings''s heart tightened, he gently used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his son''s forehead, asking with a low powerless voice. " are....are you okay? " Lennox mindlessly nodded as he looked at his surroundings. There was arge circle of pitch-ck burned ground, all the trees, bushes and people were flung to the furthest sides, mming them on the cracking walls. Leaving only him, Jennings, a pile of ashes and.... '' DAMN MAITEA!!!!! '' Everly was, naturally, protected, not even a flick of dustnded on her. She stood next to the wyvern, Chan-Chan who passed out from fright. With her shiny emerald eyes, she stared at the afterimage of Lennox''s mana colliding with the silver lightning in amazement. It was her first time seeing ''fireworks'' so close. She pped her hands, jumping in excitement. " Wooow! Lennox do that again!! Do it! " Lennox was so pissed off that if he wasn''t already shaking and trembling from exhaustion he would have fetched something from the ground and smashed her head with it. How many people do you think can actually defend against purifying lightning??!!!! Lennox was angered to the point that he used all his remaining energy in cursing Everly then passed out. When he woke up again, he wasying on the bed in his dark cold room. No jasmine fragrance in the air means that Everly wasn''t around him for at least six hours, which is very suspicious. Once Lennox snapped off his daze, he noticed the bunch of voice talismans stuck to his head. As expected, they were all from Bun-Bun. [ Lord, I heard something happened in the capital are you okay? ] [ Lord, Blood prince said that someone was purified in the pce, did you get hurt? Please respond to me ] [ Lord, why are you not answering me? Should I return to the capital? ] [ Lord~ *sob say, something *sob wuuu ] [ Lord Shianl, Ashel is worried about you and he is quite....impatient, so please respond to us as soon as you can. *sound in the background*: LOOOOOOOORRD!! ] Lennox:"....." Rubbing his aching temples, Lennox praised Blood Prince for patiently tolerating this vampire son of his. Ever since Bun-Bun was six, Lennox has taken care of him perfectly like a real parent. Although Lennox had other children under his care, Bun-Bun was the one who required his attention the most, following him all the time and crying at every small thing. Even after all these years, the little vampire is still a crybaby that keeps chasing his father everywhere. '' Did I pamper him too much? I mean Sapphire and Elbadis are younger than him but they are more independent...'' Lennox stretched his hand to take a voice talisman from the drawer next to his, but the sudden movement caused a wave of pain to shrug from his abdomen. He slowly lifted his shirt, the bandage around his stomach was new and he could smell a faint scent of herbs, seems that someone had been attending to his injury recently. He put up with the pain and reached to the talismans, recording his message to Bun-Bun. " kid, who are you worried about? It''s not easy to harm me. Anyways, stay with Blood Prince and behave yourself, don''t cause troubles with your family there " After he sent the talisman, Lennox leisurely got up from his bed and poured a ss of water for himself. He nned to rx for the day and have a quiet time healing his injury and damaged mana vines, when he heard an eerie voice next to his ear. " Lord, you are awake. How are you feeling? " " hm. Not bad. How long have I been out? " " three days and two nights " Lennox''s ss stopped midair. There was no one in the room but he still showed a confused expression. " seriously? Anything happened when I was asleep? " " The news that general Vis has received heavenly punishment grew wings and flew over the entire Empire. Now the north section is under seclusion until the Emperor decides how to deal with it " Lennox gulped down the ss of water, wetting his dry throat, saying with a calcting gaze. " What did the aristocrats'' council suggest? " " The meeting is being held now. It''s just I don''t think it will end well...." " why is that so? " The voice hesitated for a while. Lennox lost his patience and urged him to speak. " if you have something, just say it " " well, it''s because youngdy Everly randomly started beating people " "....." End volume 5. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 As the sun started to lean into the west, the maid who was assigned to bring Everly back from the princess quarters, knocked on the door as she called. " Your highness, I havee to escort youngdy Everly. It''s time for her afternoon nap " " Come in " The Princess''s waiting room was in a total mess. The entire floor was covered with various toys and colourful children''s clothing. Everly sat on Annasophy''sp, drinking a ss of milk. When she heard the maid, she lowered her head looking upset. " it''s nap time, but Everly doesn''t want to sleep" Although she said that, Everly''s head dropped a few times as her drowsy eyes were barely open. Seeing how cute Everly looked while struggling to stay awake, Annasophy couldn''t help but squeeze her face and shower her with kisses. " Ow~ my baby is soooo cute! You want to stay and y with me, don''t you? " Everly nodded her head. The corners of her lips were pulled down, her brows knitted together in a distressed expression. " En. Lady Anna must be feeling lonely after Lennox died. Everly will y withdy Anna so don''t be sad " Annasophy''s smile stiffened, her eyelids unconsciously twitched. She turned to her maid singling with her eyes: '' they hadn''t caught that guy yet? '' The maid helplessly shook her head. Three days ago, Lennox passed out after defending against that lightning which caused an uproar in the imperial pce. While everyone was busy dealing with the aftermath of the incident, some bastard lured Everly and brainwashed her. God knows what wicked tricks he used but the girl seemed to 100% believe that Lennox was dead. Even after seeing him with her own eyes, Everly was still unconvinced, Jennings decided to let her be until they find that guy or Lennox wakes up, both are good. Annasophy tried to maintain her smile. She rubbed Everly''s head, asking:" Everly doesn''t feel sad? I thought Everly and Lennox were friends " Everly ced her hand on her chest for a moment before shaking her head. " No, Everly is not sad. Lennox is a good friend but why is Everly not sad? " '' Because that brat is NOT DEAD ba!! '' " Ahem, it doesn''t matter anymore. The gone is gone, nothing to overthink, little Eve should go take her nap " Everly nodded her head. She got off Annasophy''sp and took two steps before stopping to pick up a bright blue ball, with jingle bells ringing inside it, off the ground. Everly turned towards Annasophy and raised the ball in her hands. " Miss Anna, can I take this ball with me? " " Everything here is for little Eve. You can take whatever you want " " Everly will visit Miss Anna again to y, so let''s leave them with Miss Anna. The ball is to y with Chan-Chan, I don''t think the guards y with him " Seeing the depressed face of the little girl, Annasophy had the urge to just squeeze her until her eyes fly out of her sockets and eat her in one bite. Naturally, Annasophy wouldn''t do any of that, she gritted her teeth and bid her farewells. Everly left the Princess''s quarters and head to her own with the maid. When they passed by the third floor''s west side, Everly saw a few nobles entering the imperial hall. " Why is there a lot of people? " With Everly''s wide emerald eyes directed at her, the maid blushed as she covered her weird smile with her hands. This was her first time seeing Everly personally, facing such a heart-conqueror is harder than expected. She answered without looking at the ball of fluff next to her. " y, you see mydy. Today his majesty will hold a meeting with the aristocrats'' council to discuss general Vis''s section and duties as well as investigate the heavenly punishment matter oh don''t think hard about it, this is for the adults to take care of " Without receiving a response. The maid turned her head but there was no one next to her. " Eh...." It seems like this new employee is about to lose her job. ****** Inside the meeting room. Fletcher sat on the right side of the Emperor''s seat, on the left side was Bernard''s seat which was empty. '' I guess general Egerton won''t being to the meeting '' The long table was reced by a wide round one to suit the meeting. Aside from Bernard and Vis, the other three generals, two imperial courtiers and Nobel council''s members all attended the meeting. With so many high ranking positions gathered here, it could signify how important this meeting was. Most of these people were old farts who, after settling on their seats, immediately started gossiping. " it seems that general Egerton won''t be able to make it to the meeting " " He is his majesty''s most trusted aide and a close friend. To not attend this meeting, he must have been entrusted with an indispensable task " " upon the general''s mention, his younger sister must be residing in the imperial pce I assume. I have seen her in Duke Welfmore''s grand wedding, such an outstanding beauty " " indeed. No wonder his majesty adores her very much, he even brings her along to the morning court " Fletcher rolled his eyes and scoffed internally. These monkeys were still holding to the thought of Everly being the Emperor''s hidden daughter. Well, there might be some misunderstandings because of Lennox''s attitude towards her, but that doesn''t necessarily mean that she is his sibling! While having these thoughts, Fletcher spotted a fluffy head from the corner of his eyes. His lips twisted unnoticeably. Since the table was a little higher, Everly who was sitting on the Emperor''s seat hugging a ball in her arms, couldn''t be seen. '' isn''t she supposed to be glued to his majesty? '' After spacing out for a moment,Fletcher returned to his senses when a middle-aged man with a funny haircut solemnly asked. " What do you think general Vismitted to be punished by heavens? He has always been a noble gentleman, for such a thing to happen, I have my doubts " The crowd looked at each other, they waited for Earl Govan to continue. " We all have known general Vis, there is not a single flick of dust has stained his reputation, to suddenly receive punishment is not understandable. But heavens are fair, when a punishment descends it must be for a reason. Which only means that there was someone else who should be purified " Fletcher frowned, he didn''t have time to pay attention to the little imposter next to him. Such words said without bases, Earl Govan must be ill in the head. " Who is this one that Earl Govan suspect to deserve purification? " Earl Govan spread his hands, answering nonchntly. What he said was already a big bomb, but who knew that his next words were a supreme nuclear weapon! " I heard Prince Lennox was near the centre of the lightning at that time, and even suffered a heavy injury " Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Fletcher''s face turned cold. How could he not understand the meaning behind these words? The crown prince has disyed his outstanding capability to dominate the power in the secr world at such a young age. If he were to ascend the throne, then these nobels and aristocrats could only prostitute themselves under his feet. There is no way they would happily ept such a future. Thus, countless attempts to strip him from the right to inherit the throne has striven, but all of them were in vain. How are they supposed to make this helicopter parent see his kid in a dreadful way??? The only advantage they could fight with is the fact that this crown prince is cursed. Although Lennox is actually not, saying that he is cursed is better than admitting that he is a supreme disastrous ghost that possessed the crown prince''s body. He is not Everly to be this dumb. People with brains will try to build friendly rtionships with Lennox while patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike. Only idiots would straightforward voice the topic of his curse out. Especially when the Emperor doesn''t give a shit about such a matter. The room fell into silence. This guy here, who has just recently joined the Noble Council, seems to have overestimated his importance and foolishly stuck gold on his face. Even if one was a member of the Noble Council they can''t run their mouth as they please. Bluntly using an imperial prince is just asking for death, even general Egerton, who said to be a close friend to the Emperor, always pays attention to his words. Marquese Lanier Esterhzy couldn''t bear to see his sister''s husband make a fool of himself. He let out a dry cough before saying lightly. " Earl Govan, saying such words without bases, you might unknowingly offend the imperial family " " Calm down brother, I am only expressing my opinion " '' NO ONE ASKED FOR IT!! '' Seeing his brother-inw actually saying what was in his empty head, Lanier closed his eyes. There was no helping, this guy is dead. " I say, His highness''s curse might have red and caused him tomit a grieve sin. After all, we have all witnessed what happened three yea " Fletcher who was about to enter ''loyal dog'' mode, caught a glimpse of a blue shadow rushing in front of him. The next second, Earl Govan wasying on the floor with a red round mark covering his face as jingling sounds echoed from somewhere. Everly, who was pretending to be invisible, abruptly stood on the chair. She red at Earl Govan furiously as her face twisted in anger. " Are you saying that Lennox is bad?! Lennox is not bad!! He ys with Everly and gives her a lot of sweet things, Lennox is a good boy! You are the bad one here! Your whole family are baddies!! " Although she was serious, her round baby face and tender soft voice betrayed her. No one could found her threatening, rather she looked cute. Everly jumped on the table, ready to dash towards Earl Govan when Fletcher quickly grabbed her. shouting as she vigorously punched the air. " How dare you say Lennox is bad!! Everly will fight you! Whoever says that, Everly will fight you all!! Hn yun ghu!!! " Thest weird babblings sounded kinda adorable, causing the ck lines on the other people''s faces to fade as they made dry coughs to hid their smiles. Earl Govan sat there on the ground petrified, this was the first time in his life that he had the urge to p a kid. With gritted teeth, he said impatiently. " youngdy, I was merely stating facts- " Fletcher, who was taken aback by how soft Everly was, finally returned to his senses. He said in a stern voice, ring at Earl Govan. " Earl Govan, using the imperial family is a crime worthy of death. Are you not afraid that today''s matter will reach his majesty? " Earl Govan was rendered speechless. He finally noticed the ridicule and mockery gazes of the other nobles. No one said anything but everyone questioned if the Emperor was drunk when he decided to join this idiot with them. Just when the air started to get more intense, Everly suddenly slipped from Fletcher''s embrace and started floating on the air. Everly: "....." She was yet to start crying when a red talisman flew over the round table and rested on its surface. Lennox''s indifferent voice sounded from it. [ Greetings, nobledies and gentlemen. Pardon my intrusion, but I heard that my fellow ymate was making a ruckus at the meeting room so I will be picking her up, thank you. ] Once the voice faded, Everly was already floating towards an open window. She was silent for a moment before suddenly eximing. " Wait! Everly''s ball too! " With jingling sounds, the blue ball, which was used as a bullet a few minutes ago, instantly flew to her arms. Everly hugged the ball with a satisfied smile on her face, she floated out the window and disappeared somewhere. "..." An awkward silence filled the room. What was the point of all of this? Not knowing what they should say, no one spoke until the guards announced Jennings''s arrival. " Attention! His majesty, Emperor of Sitia, has arrived " Everyone in the room bowed towards the entrance as Jennings walked in, while Carson followed behind, carrying a bunch of documents with him. Jennings sat on his seat as he waved his hand singling for them to raise their heads. He waited for them to settle down before taking a close look at their dark and uncertain faces. Jennings was speechless. He exchanged a questioning nce with Carson, but the other doesn''t seem to understand the situation. He cleared his throat, asking. " is something the matter? " The Emperor was asking, so someone has to answer. After a moment of hesitation, Fletcher decided to speak up. " nothing to be concerned about, your majesty. It''s just a moment ago, youngdy Everly stopped by and...." " ....oh " There was no need for further exnation, Jennings could imagine what happened here. " Children are children. Let''s put this matter aside and start the meeting " With that, Carson moved and started distributing the files of documents in his hands. Once everyone got a copy, Jennings spoke again but his tone was firm and cold, unlike his usual friendly attitude. " We have made a primary investigation regarding those involved with the former general, count Vis, to assist Us in making Our decision. After receivingreports, We have to say that We are very.much.disappointed in many of you " Thest few words made their bones freeze. Great, they fucked up. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 After floating around the imperial pce for a good while, Everly was finally pushed into a dark and cold room. Under the dim candlelight, Lennox''s pale face seemed to be focused on the letter in his hand. His pupils moved smoothly across the paper as his eyshes leisurely bated from time to time. Once he was done reading its content, Lennox put the letter in his desk drawer. He turned to look at the dumbfounded Everly, ignoring her uncertain gaze, Lennox asked helplessly. " Why are you lifting the roof tiles after not getting beaten for three days? Although you do have ck history, you still used to be quiet and obedient most of the time. But I suddenly received a report of how you screwed up with random people and set the kitchen on fire. Seriously, What is going on in that monkey head of yours these recent days? " Everly stayed silent, oddly staring at Lennox. If a kid stares at you then stare back at them. Thus, the two kept staring at each other for a while until Everly asked in a low voice. " Who are you? " ".....eh? " Looking at her surroundings, this was Lennox''s room. Then who is this guy? A thief? Everly became wary, she got up off the ground before asking firmly. " Who are you? What are you doing in Lennox''s room? " " .....This is my room " " no, This is Lennox''s room! I always sneak here so I know it! " " IamLennox Dan Rediel Sitia " Lennox tapped on his elbow as he looked at Everly in bewilderment. He slept for a few days and she already forgot his face?? Or could there really be something wrong with his face?! Instantly, Lennox turned his head to look at his reflection on the small ink bottle. '' I am a bit paler than usual but it''s still Lennox''s normal face. Then what''s with this zombie? She doesn''t seem to be faking it '' Lennox sighed. He walked towards Everly, thinking that she might be sleepwalking and she might wake up if he pped her once or twice. When he got closer to her, Lennox noticed a strange glow in her eyes. Panicked, he suddenly seized her jaw aggressively saying. " What the fuck?? Who did this to you?!! " Everly was startled. She tried to break free from his grip, yet, with her strength, she couldn''t move him at all, which made her quite scared. Usually, Everly would be able to defeat a second stage warrior without much effort, but now this scammer isn''t even budging! She raised her head, looking at him with teary eyes and a low frightened voice. " I, it, hurts, let go " Seeing her expression, Lennox quickly snapped of his thoughts. " ah, yes. Sorry, I was a bit overwhelmed " He released her from his grip and gently caressed her head. Still frowning with aplicated gaze. He waited until the little girl seemed to calm down before stealthily flicking her forehead. Everly''s body stiffened, her eyes lost focus and turned dim as a palm-sized magic circle appeared on her forehead. Lennox studied the magic circle for a moment. His frown deepened as he read the instructions installed in the mind-controlling spell. { kill the crown prince } There is no way in a million years that whoever put this spell actually believed that Everly could kill him, ignoring the fact she stabbed him a few days ago, which means that they had other intentions. '' are they trying to create disputes between the old man and general? '' If Everly really managed to harm him with the intention of murder and right in front of Jennings, then the other won''t turn a blind eye on it. Seeing how the Emperor doted on her, she might not die but at least will receive punishment. After the absent Bernard returns to the capital and hears about how his beloved sister was treated, he will for sure flip the entire Empire upside down. '' motherfuckers! '' Luckily, Lennox had identally left a small amount of his mana in Everly''s body, when he invaded her memories, and was toozy to retract it so he just left it there to circle inside the girl''s system. Thus, when the spell was cast, it didn''t work in full effectiveness due to Lennox''s mana disturbing its flow in Everly''s energy system. Causing the instruction of (kill Lennox) turns to ( Lennox is dead). " Walter, what the heck is Oliver doing! A fucking sorcerer hacked into the pce right under his nose and he is still fooling around?!! " Long ago due to the many assassination attempts on him,Lennox created a magical formation around the pce, everyone thates and goes would be detected along with their energy levels. Aside from him, Bun-Bun and Oliver were the only ones who Lennox entrusted to keep an eye on it. However, since Bun-Bun was on a vacation and Lennox was half dead, Oliver should be the one monitoring the pce. There was no one other than Lennox and the paralyzed Everly, as for Walter, Only his bone-chilling eerie voice could be heard. " Actually, that manwhore was sent to Yusfin city by the Emperor a day before your lordship''s return " " you mean the pce was left defenceless?!! " " no, I was here " "....." '' no offence but you really ain''t reliable '' Lennox put the matter aside, for now, he had to deal with Everly first. He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment, then gathered a light amount of mana in his fingertip before flicking her forehead again. The next second, Everly''s eyes lit up, as bright as morning spring. She blinked at him a few times before grinning foolishly. " Lennox~ " " Look at you attracting crap from everywhere " Lennox rolled his eyes and turned back to his desk. He picked a nk paper wrote something on it then called for her. " don''t stand there like a coat hanger,e here " Once she approached him, he handed her a quill pen and pointed at the end of the paper. " sign here, or just write your name. The real one " Everly did as she was told and wrote, ''Maitea'' with the shittiest handwriting Lennox had ever seen. After that, he muttered a spell under his breath, once he was done the paper shot up and floated in front of them. Everly''s eyes sparkled as she watched the weird symbols, that resembled rune letters, appear at the top of the paper. Lennox didn''t wait for her to process what was going on. He grabbed Everly''s paw and made a small scratch at the bottom of her index finger. Although for some reason it did not hurt at all, Everly was overwhelmed by the oddly good amount of blood that came from the small scratch. She was yet to start crying when Lennox pulled her bloody hand and mmed it on the paper. The unknown symbols glowed, Lennox tapped on the paper causing it to instantly disappear. The clueless Everly silently stared at Lennox as he wiped the blood off her hand with a handkerchief. It took a while before she asked. " What was that? " Lennox answered indifferently:" Adoption contract. I am officially your grandfather " "...." Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Hearing that Everly doesn''t remember anything about a sorcerer or a suspicious dude, Lennox concluded that it would be useless to ask her furthermore. Thus, he let her do what she wants and returned to his seat to take care of the work that piled up for a week. It was nap time, thus, Everly decided to sleep in Lennox''s room. She opened the wardrobe and pulled a pink pyjama of her size. Ever since Rachel took maternity leave for two months, Everly was left with no one to fear, she has abounded her room and been living in either Lennox''s or Jennings''s rooms. Although the servants were still pestering her every day to return to her appointed quarters, they made sure to stuff a good portion of her clothing and toys in both rooms. Everly shoved the pyjama on Lennox''s face saying:" here, help Everly change clothes " Lennox closed his eyes shut. '' calm down..... At least she is not ripping her clothes and running naked like Caelus, she is willing to wear something. I have raised kids worst than wild beasts, this one is rather cute, she just needs to use her brain a little '' After a moment of fooling himself, Lennox opened his eyes, beckoned Everly toe closer and started unbuttoning her shirt. He said indifferently. " Have I not taught you how to get dressed already? " " But Lennox taught me how to wear a dress, Everly still doesn''t know how to do the buttons " Lennox sighed:" At least, you should call a maid to do this for you. It''s not proper for a man to help ady dress up " " don''t worry, Everly is not ady. I heard a scarydy say that Everly is a d*ck-blocker, I guess it means a knight gourd " Lennox instantly choked on his saliva, followed by a hysterical coughing session. '' Who the fuck said that to her face?!!!! '' From the first day Everly appeared in the imperial pce, the Emperor''s harem never had a peaceful day. It was already hard enough to capture the Emperor''s attention, however, a mysterious ball of fluff popped out of nowhere, sticking to him likesagna and making it harder to approach him. At first, she looked cute and loveable, but seeing how she continuously disturbed their bedroom activities, who could see her as the angelic baby anymore? '' I know she is annoying, but to actually hate her...I mean just look at that face! '' Lennox calmed himself. He quickly finished clothing Everly before patting her shoulder and saying. " all done, now go to bed " " Everly wants bedtime story too " You hear that tone? You hear what this girl is saying? Isn''t she asking for a beating? Does she take a honourable being as her servant? Does she think that he will do whatever she wanted? Well....damn fuck he will do it. With a deep sigh, Lennox put aside the documents in front of him, straightened his torso then extended his hand towards her, saying. " Alright,e here " Everly happily climbed into Lennox''sp, she leaned on his chest as she waited for him to start speaking. Her jasmine scent invaded Lennox''s nose trails, making him a bit dizzy. He pulled a small nket from God-knows-where and warped it around her, saying leisurely. " what story would you like to hear? I guess girls your age like the hero and princess type of stories. Want me to tell you one? " " no, Everly doesn''t like heroes " " hm? You don''t want to marry a young brave hero who put the world before himself, righteous, kind and handsome? I thought these were the standards for young girls'' ideal husband " The warm nket and cold chest next to her created the best environment for sleeping. Everly snuggled on Lennox''s shoulder, a bit annoyed by the bullshit he was spouting instead of telling her a story, she said with a muffled voice. " Everly doesn''t care about the world, if they die then they die. And master said that marriage is the end of happiness, so Everly won''t get married. But I still like pretty people, so Everly wants to live in a house full of pretty people" Lennox was speechless for a moment before he suddenly brusted inughter, shaking his head and pping his hip. "Look at you, look at you! So young but already nning to make your male harem?! Hahahaha- good, very good. I see you are growing quite well " He canugh now since he clearly knows that it''s very difficult to develop any sexual desire towards a Love, which means those pretty people will mostly be her servants. And even if one managed to have such affection, that guy will die the moment he realizes it. Thus, Lennox freelyughed it out, he couldugh for now..... Seeing himughing like that, Everly puffed her cheeks and pulled on his hair. " Why are youughing at Everly?! Idiot Lennox stop it! " Only when Everly pulled out a handful of his hair, did Lennox quiet down. He stood, carrying her in his arm, and walked towards the bed. " yes, yes. It''s my fault, I am the mean one. Please spare this old head of mine " He tucked her in the bed then headed to pick some of her stuffed toys for her to hug. When he turned back Everly was already asleep. " Walter " " Yes my lord " " Call Ajiad for me, and see when the meeting is finished, hold Duke Welfmore, tell him toe to my study " "....." Not hearing a response, Lennox raised an eyebrow as he ripped open the letter in his hand. " What is it? Just say it " " I...I don''t like that crazy teenager, there is something weird with his head, it makes me shudder " Lennox unnoticeably chuckled, he pretended not to hear the jealousy under Walter''s voice, saying. " Well, his brain has a few tangled wires but his work is quite efficient " There was no response. After a good while of silence, Lennox raised his head asking with a suppressedugh. " You are not sulking, are you? " "...." Yes, he is. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 " That is why I will be departing to the north early morning " Jennings grabbed the bun that fell fromEverly''s mouth, put it back and closed her jaw. He patted her head with a helpless smile. '' she doesn''t seem to like the idea '' Then he turned to his son who has been asleep for three days and now is eating like his life depended on it. Not concerned in whatever is going on in this world. The moment Everly recovered from her shock, she mmed her hand on the table shouting. " EVERLY IS COMING TOO!! " " I am sorry, little Eve, I can''t take you with me " If what Lennox said about general Vis''s doings was true, then he certainly wouldn''t want to disclose such a filthy and dark side of the world to the little innocent Everly. Jennings was already disdaining himself for being ignorant of his subordinate''s crimes while his son knew about it, and even saw through someone''s memories how disgusting and brutal a person his father trusted was. While Jennings was in daze, Everly kept huffing and puffing about how everyone was in vacation or went somewhere. ''e to think of it, the pce indeed seems a bit quiet, did all the loud people go somewhere? '' Bernard: gone somewhere Kai: vacation Oliver: gone somewhere Rachel: took maternal leave Bun-Bun: vacation Kai''s team that always follows Everly and stir up troubles: on a mission Jennings chuckled, thinking that Everly must be feeling lonely since those she usually hangs out with weren''t avable. He caressed her cheeks gently, saying. " ah, little Eve, I really can''t bring you with me this time. But you won''t be alone in the pce, there is Lenny, Anna also Carson and the knights, they will y with you anytime " Just when Everly was about to ept her fate, she heard one of the old butlers Whispering in Jennings''s ear. " Your majesty, actually... head assistant Carson bolted out of the pce a few minutes ago. I heard his wife went intobor " "....." "....." With that, Everly climbed on Jennings''sp, crying and demanding to go with him. After Lennox had his full, he leaned on his chair drinking his honeyed milk tea. Looking at the dramatic Everly in disinterest. " You said are leaving tomorrow? Isn''t that too sudden, old man? " " no, not really. The n was to leave earlier but I just couldn''t leave while you were unconscious. Although the imperial physician said you were fine, a father''s heart can''t rest " Usually, you hear such sentences from someone who is lying at you, and Jennings was definitely lying. Lennox is very much familiar with Jennings''s behaviors, when heughs it off, it means that he exaggerated in his protection and did something stupid. Since Jennings said that he was a little worried, then he must have at least strangled the imperial physician demanding him to fix his son. Lennox recalled when he was a newborn, Jennings was literally living in his room, sleeping in his cradle and working from his nursery. Aristocrats and officials had toe to his nursery to meet their Emperor who smelled of powder milk and baby products. Those were quite the chaotic days. ''e to think of it, what happened in the nobel council''s meeting? '' ording to Walter, when those attendees left the meeting hall, they all looked like dried fish, wobbling and dispirited. The meeting was held to discuss how to respond to the public''s concerns regarding the heavenly punishment upon general Vis. Which concluded in Jennings''s personal visit to the north and investigating throughly, since the Emperor said he would oversee the matter himself, then no one would object. But what happened to these rich andzy folks? Lennox finished his tea before asking nonchntly:" say, old man, what did you do to the people in the meeting today? They looked quite miserable " As if remembering something, Jennings quickly responded:" that should my line!! What in God''s name did you do to them?! " " Me? " Lennox was taken aback, he was half dead for three days and shouldn''t have had any chance to make someone''s life miserable. He just snatched Everly without even stepping in the hall, how did he be responsible for them?! Jennings continued:" I scolded them a little because I found errors in a few territories managed by them, they were a bit depressed nothing more. However, the the moment I said I was going to leave the Empire under your care until I return, they all jumped in horror, as if I sentenced them with death. What exactly did you do in these past six months? " " Ah..." Realization downed on Lennox. He indeed did something. Before Jennings left forthe Sublime Tour Ceremony, he entrusted Lennox on his daily duties. Usually, the Emperor is supposed to take his work with him while postponing the things that could wait, but why would Jennings do that when he had such apetent and reliable son? Thus, except for a few matters that required Jennings direct orders, all the Emperor''s tasks were thrown on Lennox. Unexpectedly, Lennox didn''t protest orin, butpleted all tasks cleanly. Jennings thought that this must be his way if showing how filial and good of a son he was. However, in actuality, he agreed so he could legally torture people as he pleased. The days when they had to stay up all night because a certain crown prince doesn''t wake up during the daytime. When they had to write their reports in a form of poems. When they were forced to handwrite the document''s copies instead of machines. When they were criticized for every little mistake in any detail. And let''s not forget that they faced possible death every single day for six months. '' that shouldn''t be enough to traumatize them....maybe '' Lennox cleared his throat and pretended to not understand the reason behind their actions. " well that''s weird. I might have been a little tough on them, but their reaction is quite exaggerated " It seems that the future of Sitia Empire is a little dark. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 After dinner, Jennings carried Everly away to coax and y with her a little, it took him a serious pinky promise to visit Rachel and her child when he returns for the little girl to stop crying. Lennox stretched his arms andzily walked towards Annasophy''s quarters. Usually, Bun-Bun would be following him closely like a little duckling, however, now he was followed by two scaredy cats. When he walks they walk, when he stops they stop, firmly keeping the ten steps distance. Lennox wasn''t bothered by it, seeing how they would flinch whenever he looked at them, panicking and pushing each other to the front, he knew they were some poor newbies who were tricked by their olderrades. Lennox paused in front of Annasophy''s room, he nced at the two servants, saying in a voice they could hear. " you wait here, no need to follow " " Y, yes, prince Lennox " He took two steps forward then mannerlessly kicked the door open. Annasophy''s eyes twitched. She had just returned from a banquet and couldn''t wait to take off her heavy dress and free herself. She really doesn''t want to deal with her annoying little brother, but his face told her he won''t be driven away today. " Get out " Lennox indifferently kicked Annasophy''sdy-in-waiting out. He raised a brow at her,menting on her attire. " This is not what a pregnant woman should be wearing, or you don''t even know this much? " He flicked his finger and Annasophy''s corset''s strings loosened. She took a deep breath and leaned her back on the couch, closed her eyes and rubbed the space between her eyebrows. " Thanks " " Hn " Lennox pondered at her pale and exhausted expression. Although Annasophy was the one who forced Roan into agreeing to abort the child, she acted theplete opposite of what she said. Paying attention to her meals, cautious when taking walks, organized and increased her sleeping hours, even reduced her outings as little as possible. Does this look like someone who was nning on getting rid of their infant? Lennox really couldn''t understand her. If she wanted to keep it, then just keep it, he did tell the couple that he has a different n ording to their decision. But after deciding to abort it, she goes on acting like that and confusing herself. WHY???? In his entire life, Shianl had no less than five hundred wives, each was a beauty as a thousand blooming flowers, elegant as a fragile branch dancing in spring breezeetc. However, these outstanding one-of-a-kind beauties would have their intelligence eaten by dogs once Shianl took them in. Biting and sneering at each other like stray cats, they wouldn''t show such hostility even to their forever enemy. And if he inquired about their unreasonable enmity, they would throw a tantrum and turn on him, saying things like ( your excellency has the knowledge of the world and beyond heavens, yet can''t understand this disheartened lover''s heart? My lord is really uncaring ) JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT???!!! '' forget it. No man can grasp a woman''s thoughts, they all be dramatic peacocks once they turn fifteen. Not cute at all !! '' Seeing that he had no intention of saying anything, Annasophy spoke first. " what do you want? " " The old man will head to the north tomorrow, have you heard of this? " Annasophy rolled her eyes. She really had no energy to do anything, but she also knows that Lennox won''te to her to have a tea party chat. " Yes, daddy told me before. Why? " " hm....since he will take at least two weeks to finish the investigation there, I think it''s a good opportunity to proceed with the n " Annasophy''s hand froze on her forehead, covering her eyes. She pursed her lips in a straight line and said nothing. Lennox wasn''t in a hurry, so he crossed his arms and waited in patience. After a long while, Annasophy finally responded, she rubbed her face slowly, saying in a low tone. " When is it? " " two days after the old man leaves " Annasophy once again became silent. Seeing her eye rems turning reddish, Lennox sighed. He brushed his head saying annoyingly. " I guessed the sooner the better as to avoid troubles. However, if you changed your mind, you ought to tell me now " Annasophy raised her watery eyes, looking at him with a deep gaze. " And what''s your n if I decided to keep the baby? " Lennox spread his hands, saying as-a-matter-of-factly:" telling the old man, of course. It''s the safest and most effective solution in case you want to keep it " " ABSOLUTELY NOT!! " Annasophy suddenly shouted. If Jennings knew of this, judging from his overprotective personality, he will flip the Empire in rage. And Since he could never bear to hurt his lovely daughter, Jennings''s wrath will all fall upon Roan. She can''t even guarantee his life ba!! " ugh, whatever. Tell your little lover toe see me, I will tell him the details in person " He said that and stood to leave. Annasophy seemed to want to say something but suddenly halted, she closed her mouth and lowered her head in despair. Lennox nced at her but didn''t say anything, he turned and made his way out of her room. Outside the Princess''s quarters, the two little servants that Lennox let made them wait there, were ying rock-paper-scissor. Once they heard the donor''s closing sounds, they both flinched and bowed towards him. " p-prince Lennox, sire Ajiad Alphonsus has arrived per your s-summon. He is waiting in y-your study " " Hn.... " Lennox scanned the two fidgeting cats, one girl and one boy. Their appearance wasn''t simr, however, they seemed to know each other very well. He walked back to his room with the two servants following a good distance behind him. " Are you two siblings? " The sudden question came to them unguarded. They nked for a moment before nervously answering. " no-no, we aren''t " " We grew together in the pce under the same nanny, that''s all " " Hmm....I see " Then, nothing was said until Lennox returned to his room. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 After returning to his room, Lennox dismissed the two servants, he wasn''t nning on exiting his quarters so there was no need for them. Once he opened the door of the study, he saw Ajiad roaming in his study, appreciating his things with a sparkling face. Noticing Lennox, Ajiad''s expression changed instantly with a wide blush reaching his ears. " y, your excellency! " '' why do I feel that he takes me as his mother? '' Lennox sighed inwardly. He sat on his desk and pulled a bunch of documents to work on it, saying casually:" How is Roosevelt''s injury? it''s been about three months since then, he should be fine by now " " Cousin Roosevelt is now able to walk freely in the mansion, however, he still needs more time for full recovery " " hmm...tell him toe see me when he is able to " Although he was burning with jealousy, Ajiad could do nothing but pass this message to the man in question. He couldn''t help but grumbly say under his breath:" I am enough, why call that shameless pervert..." Of course, Lennox heard him. When did Roosevelt turn into a pervert? Thest time Lennox saw him, he was still the respectful gentleman who would be loyal to his wife and never have an affair, whatsoever, being a pervert. '' Did he get possessed? Not possible, I didn''t receive a report about that-e to think of it, aren''t you even more of a pervert than him? I mean, look at your face! '' Lennox had no intention of taking advantage of a kid to make him dig the dirt of his own family, thus he didn''t inquire about the matter any further. After giving him some more tasks, Lennox took a wooden box from the drawer and passed it towards Ajiad. The other one, who was busy staring fixedly at him, was startled as he nervously caught the object. Before he could ask any questions, Lennox exined first. " these are voice transmission talismans I made a while ago, if there is anything infuse some mana in it and it will directly reach me, no need to visit the pce in the middle of the night " Ajiad''s face darkened. Although he would be overjoyed to receive even a shred of paper from Lennox, however, at this rate he won''t have any excuses to visit the Imperial Pce! That''s uneptable!! he still wants to see his idol''s face!!! " ah, prince. Actually, it''s my pleasure to personally meet your excellency, I wish- oh, there is something else inside..." Lennox said as he saw him taking out the ring he stuffed under the talismans:" that''s a storage ring, I put some useful ingredients and mana crystals for you as a reward for finding that drug dealer". Lennox pause, he raised his head and nodded with a mild smile. " You have done great, Ajiad " Ajiad froze for a second, the rems of his eyes reddened as he began to tremble. seeing this reaction, the corner of Lennox''s mouth twitched. " Why the heck are you crying?? " " p, prince, praised me. *sob, and, rewarded, me. *hic, I, am, touched, *hic " "...." '' Where is your I-don''t-give-a-shit attitude you show others???! '' Seeing him talking with a muffled voice and sobbing like a middle school girl, Lennox really couldn''t take it, he hated to see people cry the most. He flicked his fingers and Ajiad was kicked out of the room. soon Lennox''s clear yet low voice echoed from inside. " you should leave now. don''t you have summer tasks from school? go home and finish them " Ajiad: QAQ! The next morning, Jennings left to the north as nned. Carson took paternal leave and will be absent for ten days. When Annasophy heard that Lennox would be in charge of the Empire''s affairs, she firmly refused to meet anyone outside the pce. Which left the imperial officials with no one to plead for mercy from. The chaos that happened a few months ago will again torture them for another two weeks. The current state of the Imperialpce:- Jennings: gone somewhere Bernard: gone somewhere Kai: vacation Oliver: gone somewhere Carson: took paternal leave Rachel: took maternal leave Annasophy: soon will go somewhere Bun-Bun: vacation When Everly woke up and found out that Jennings has sneakily left in her sleep, she started crying miserably. No one knew how to shut her up so she was thrown into Lennox''s room. Everly sullenly shook his shoulder to wake him up,the first thing Lennox saw as he opened his eyes was Everly''s snot-and-tears covered face. He frowned and said in a sleepy tone:" what is it? Why are you crying? " However, she couldn''t make any understandable words, only some babbles and choking noises. Luckily, Lennox figured out the reason why. He pulled a handkerchief from god-knows-where and wiped her face. " Are you lonely? " Everly nodded. Although she doesn''t dislike the servants and other workers in the pce, she still feels ufortable when she is alone with them. And now, she was surrounded by many unfamiliar faces that she got scared and alone. " Okay now, stop crying, look at how swollen your eyes are " When Everly finally stopped crying, Lennox made her drink some water thenid her beside him. He had raised seven healthy children before, the eighth might be a little different than the others, but his experience with the previous ones is engraved deeply within him. Even if he was half asleep, Lennox still knew how to coax her. He caressed her back gently, saying:" Shhh, for now, take a short nap. When you wake up I will invite someone to y with you, hm? " Everly buried her face in the croak of Lennox''s neck, tightly holding the corner of his pyjama. She asked in a low voice:" Are they pretty? " " Yes, he is pretty, tall and funny. When hees, how about you take him to ride Chan-Chan around the pce? " " hn, Everly will ride Chan-Chan with the pretty person " " Good girl, now sleep " Maybe because she was exhausted from crying for hours, or because her head is as nk as a brick, Everly fell asleep in minutes. After casting a spell, so she wouldn''t wake up for the next six hours, Lennox called for Walter. " Contact Princess Teneale, invite her to the pce in the afternoon, it''s time to hear her answer. Oh, and make sure they bring little Augy with them " Soon after saying that, he closed his eyes and went to sleep. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 " I want to go home...." " you think we are here because we want to?! " " Please shut up, I am trying to fight the thought of fleeing this instant " At the throne hall, a bunch of officials gathered for the morning court with faces full of ck lines. Although it was already past afternoon, it was only moved from 9 am to 5 pm, since the crown prince would rather the Empire copse than to wake up early morning. Just when everyone was about to burst a nerve or something, the gourd at the door announced Lennox''s arrival. They immediately bowed to him while asionally stealing few nces. '' not in his pyjama, is he in a good mood? '' Lennox walked across the hall, followed by the two servants, and sat on the Emperor''s throne. Normally, this could be counted as an offensive act against the Emperor''s prestige, however, Jennings doesn''t give a shit and Lennox only chose to sit on it because the Emperor''s throne is wider than the crown prince''s and he cany therefortably. Plus, since no one had the gut to tell off Lennox, this matter was ignored. " You may raise ", Lennox said lightly. As his eyes wandered on the people down the tform, he spotted a certain someone. " Nichi " From the crowd emerged a middle-aged man with shining golden hair, the type that pierces right through Lennox''s eyes. Nichi bowed to him, saying wlessly. " What can this servant do for your highness? " Lennox bluntly said:" get out " '' ????!!!! '' Nichi was speechless for a moment but he quickly managed to pull himself together, urgently inquiring. " Your highness, if this humble self has offended you by any means I- " " No", Lennox indifferently interrupted, " you did nothing. I just find you an eyesore " "...." With that, Nichi was shooed out of the imperial court, which made the other officials more nervous. They hadn''t even started and someone was already kicked out? Was there any hope for them? " So, who goes first? " Everyone exchanged a nce with the ones next to them. Of course, no one would want to be the first, that''s asking for humiliation. Atst, Fletcher decided to be the scapegoat for today, at least they were on good terms so Lennox wouldn''t be hard on him. He stepped forward and handed a file to one of the assistants who passed it to Lennox. " Your highness, following the Emperor''s will, we have investigated the duty performance and financial routs of Sitia knighthood''s order. Unfortunately, illegal activities and misuse of authority have spotted for which Commander Harold was confronted and uphold for justice " That was not an unexpected event, everyone at the hall had already heard once or twice about Commander Harold''s misdeeds, such an ending would have urred sooner orter. As they were whispering between each other, Lennox kept reading the detailed report. Once he finished with it, he passed it back to the assistant and looked at Fletcher with his forever indifferent face. " oh, dear cousin. Why did your capabilities shrink like this in a few months? Is it because you are married and don''t have the energy for any other shit? Take it easy, you have a lifetime to bang around, be more serious about your work " Fletcher: "....." Everyone: "....." Honestly, Fletcher couldn''t refute. He indeed been going on it like a rabbit in heat and wouldn''t stop until Catherine cries from being sour....BUT HOW DID LENNOX KNOW????!!! Lennox continued after a pause:" Well, then go back and redo this one. It is not only Commander Harold, as I want to see no less than a hundred others are to be waiting for punishment in prison by the time you report this again " "...." '' That''s it??!!! Nothing more?!! You won''t sarcastically exin how stupid my ideas are??! Or make me copy Holy scripts for my sloppy work??? WHAT KIND OF GOOD MOOD ARE YOU IN?!!!!! '' Seeing that Lennox let go of Fletcher so easily, all those officials swarmed to report first and leave as quickly as possible. Well, there were some who got unlucky and pissed him off, overall, this day ended peacefully. Just as he was heading back to his study, Walter spoke to him in a low voice. " My lord, Princess Teneale and herpanions has arrived in the pce " Lennox nodded slightly, he turned to the two servants walking ten meters away, saying. " Go to the kitchen, tell them to bring some tea and dessert to my study, I have guests arriving shortly. Also, tell the workers at the stables to bring that wyvern down the terrace of my study " The two servants bowed and instantly fled. Lennox returned to his room and lifted the spell on Everly. Soon enough, she slowly opened her eyes in a daze. " Finally awake? Go wash up and change your clothes, Augy is here " " Augy.....the pretty person? " " Yes that''s him " All the sleepiness disappeared at once. Everly quickly jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom, few minutester she came out drenched with water from head to toe and made Lennox help her with the disastrous process of changing clothes. At that time, the two servants knocked on the door saying from outside:" your highness, your guests have arrived, we led them to your study " With that, Everly instantly bolted to Lennox''s study. In there were three individuals, two were good looking but not her taste, while thest one was so to her liking she was about to tear up. Completely outshone the other two who now looked like jellyfish people. A ck straight hair with a gorgeous glow of red, elegant eyebrows with a luring high curve at the end, a charming shadow of light at the corner of his sharp eyes, and most importantly the attractive aroma of pure fire. If she isn''t mistaken- no, she could never mistake him, she had always heard about such fascinating people from her master. There is no mistake, this person is for sure A Phoenix descended! Chapter 106 Chapter 106 When his sister told him they were invited to the Imperial Pce, Augustus came prepared to defend against any ambushes, however, it didn''t go as expected. As soon as he sat down, a fluffy thing bounced at him and clung around his waist like a monkey. Later, there were no suspicious moves, but the fluffy thing kept stuffing him with food. It seems that he was brought here to babysit a cutie-pie... Just when he was about to let down his gourd, a bone-chilling screech sounded from outside. Augustus abruptly stood, His wariness shot to the max. Teneale and Mimori both were alerted but they were calmer than Augustus. At that moment, Everly jumped from hisp, happily eximing. " Chan-Chan is here! Chan-Chan is here! " As she reached the terrace, a huge ck monoester''s head covered the view outside. Chan-Chan grabbed Everly from the back of her cor and threw her into the air. While Lennox stayed indifferent, the other three panicked. Augustus immediately Ran to the terrace only to see Everly happily giggling as Chan-Chan tossed her between his horns and tail. Augustus: "....." That''s a wyvern right?? Almost every beast with wings are extremely arrogant, they would rather die than have their freedom restrained, Which gave the tamers a hard time taking a hold of them. Each species differ in their stubbornness, And wyverns are on the top of ''I fucking hate other species'' list. Forget about taming one, wyverns are even rarely seen, they usually live in inhabited mountains or deserts and seldom interact with other beings unless it was a prey. But there is one right in front of him?!! Augustus stood in his ce petrified. Only snapped out of it when Lennox indifferently said to either to Everly or Chan-Chan. " You may go now. Be sure to return before dark " With Lennox''s permission Everly quickly pointed at Augustus while saying to Chan-Chan:" Chan-Chan, grab Augy too, let''s go to the sky " '' ....sky '' Augustus was tempted. For some reason, he had always like high ces, frequently climbing on the towers and high buildings'' roofs. But now, you are saying they will take him to the sky?! In his daze, Augustus subconsciously took a step forward. Seeing the huge wyvern open its mouth and grabbed him, Mimori angrily shouted. " Prince Lennox, what''s the meaning of this!! " " There is no meaning. Children should go y, we have something to discuss here" As if understanding what they were saying, Chan-Chan snorted, swung its wings and flew up with Augustus and Everly''s excitedughs. From beginning to end Lennox was more interested in that chocte cake in front of him. After swallowing thest bite, he raised his head and saw Teneale singling to Mimori to not act rashly. " Princess Teneale, what have you decided regarding our deal? " Lennox said as he took a sniff from his tea. Everly left and her overpowering Jasmin scent faded as well, now he can smell the tea fragrance like a normal person. Teneale on the other hand was anxious, what Lennox requested in exchange for solving their issue was rather easy yet suspicious. If they agree now, but yearster they discovered it to be a ticking bomb, they would only have themselves to me. " Your highness, it is not that we doubt you, however, without a detailed statute we can not guarantee our uncle''s agreement " " hm..." To Mimori, Lennox''s short response sounded creepy. he could not understand why a Prince from another country would want to interfere with his country''s tax regtions and add a few of his(Lnx) terms to the regtion list. It will, for sure, not be beneficial to him in any way, forget about political gains, even a single golden coin could not be scrubbed from this n! All taxes'' money goes to their kingdom, Lennox refused to take a share whatsoever. As if knowing his thoughts, Lennox nced at Mimori meaningfully. after taking a sip of his tea, he calmly looked at Teneale. It doesn''t matter if they agreed or not, there is no need to rush. Either way, Lennox''s n was to unify the entire continent under his rule and Tatly kingdom is no exception. '' *sigh, I have Always detested human wars, but now I am going to lead one. Tsk, tsk, life is really unpredictable '' seeing Lennox keeping his silence, Teneale quickly added:" of course, we still need your highness''s aid, So if there is anything else we could do in exchange- " " There is no need " Lennox indifferent voice rang in the study. From the start, this was to test a few ideas on an average kingdom to see if it will work. Although it didn''t pass through the king, Lennox managed to find something (someone) amusing in the way. He wouldn''t be losing if he could pull Augustus to his side. '' He is cute~ I have never seen someone blushes like that '' Good thing he had a face paralyze, otherwise Lennox would have looked like a fool with that funny expression. after the short pause, he continued. " I don''t really want anything in particr. Just leave it as a favour to payter.....Or find me a wife" "...." 2 Is he serious? He seems to be....WHY DO YOU NEED A WIFE WHEN YOU HAVEN''T EVEN GROWN HAIR DOWN THERE!!! Mimori was about to pour all hisints when someone knocked on the door. A delicate boy''s voice came from the other side of the door, it sounded to be deliberately roughened as if trying to look mature. " Your Grace, it''s Edgar " "e in " with Lennox''s permission, Edgar walked into the study with a suppressed smile. He was startled to see someone else inside but quicklyposed himself and handed a letter to Lennox. " This is from broth- I mean the duke, he said it''s urgent " " hm, call him brother, why formalities " Lennox took the letter and leisurely read it. Meanwhile, the other three felt awkward as they kept making eye contact but not saying anything. Once he finished reading, Lennox burned the letter and said with a bit of seriousness. " Tell him to clear the scene, for now, I will inspect it personally totter tonight " Chapter 107 Chapter 107 " Brother? " Bun-Bun poked his head from behind the door. Cassius, the Blood Prince, had a serious face as he read a letter in his hand. Upon seeing Bun-Bun, he yeeted that piece of paper and stood with a bright expression. " Ashel, no need to be polite,e inside " Bun-Bun strode over to his side, saying in a small voice:" hungry..." Cassius''s eyes shone. He cupped the other''s face and said in a sweet tone as if coaxing a child. " ow, our little boy is hungry. Come here, big brother will give some blood " " I am not a kid anymore! " Bun-Bun grumbly said. Cassius was not affected by the other''s mood at all. He has met Bun-Bun for the first time when Shianl came to inquire about the child''s parents. The little kid at that time was small and adorable, clinging to Shianl like a frightened rabbit, though, for Cassius he is still as adorable as ever. As someone from Zeldia bloodline, there was no way Bun-Bun would grow this big in just a hundred years. If he hadn''t shapeshifted himself to look older, Bun-Bun would be as small as a seven years human child. He hated his body that couldn''t grow faster and forced a magician to change his appearance to look older. Although he perfectly managed to fool people and pretend to be a mature man, both Lennox and Cassius know what type of a crybaby he is. " If you aren''t a kid then why drink my blood instead of taking a Servant? " " I- I just didn''t find any tasty person " Cassius dared not to tease him more, Bun-Bun has bowled his eyes out a couple of days ago when he heard that Lennox was nearly attacked by lightning, if he does any more he would start crying again. Cassius sat on the couch and extended his arm towards the younger man. Bun-Bun obediently followed, held the familiar and sturdy arm, and bit it. The room was silent except for Bun-Bun''s sucking noises. After a good while, Cassius spoke with an indifferent yet solemn tone. " Ashel, I heard that there is a little girl who roams under Emperor Sitia. Does she perhaps have brown hair, green eyes, a baby face and named Maitea? " Bun-Bun didn''t think much of it and answered honestly:" you meandy Everly? Lord said she is general Egerton''s sister, but unlike him, she is super cute and fluffy! " Cassius''s eyes shone with a cold light. He seemed to calcte something and only came around when he noticed Bun-Bun wiping his forearm with a handkerchief. Cassius touched his little brother''s head dotingly as he said. " would Ashel be upset if I took the youngdy away? " Bun-Bun raised his head and looked at Cassius with innocent eyes, blinked as he said:" But lord has already adopteddy Everly, would brother still want to take her? " "...." Adopted her... Lord Shianl....? Oh FUCK! He almost killed himself in the worst way possible! Take her away? DON''T FUCK WITH ME!!! I would be turned to a grilled bat before even touching a strand of her hair! Shianl is extremely EXTREMELY possessive, and Cassius has seen the dark side of such feelings a couple of times. The first time was when a rock fell on his son, Elbadis, and he started crying. The next second the entire mountain disappeared. '' the fucker wiped a damn mountain with every living being on it just to coax a child, what a psycho '' You don''t have to hurt them for the moutherfucker to lose his guts. There was this random dude on the street who stared at one of Shianl''s wives for a little too long, the man got his manhood cut off, dipped in Flesh worms and shoved it down his throat. '' that was my first time seeing someone dying from deep-throating himself while worms digging out of his eyes '' remembering that sight, Cassius shuddered as he made a decision to stay as far away, from that guy''s things, as possible. ***** While Cassius kept cursing him for hours, This honourable Shianl was busy finding a wife. " So....Your highness wants someone tamed, cute, funny, smart yet innocent, not too tall, not too short, not thin, not fat, trained body, ck hair, sharp eyes with a mole on their face. Is that all? " The more Mimori listened the more he felt that Lennox was describing a ''certain'' someone. Blood boiled and nerves popped on Mimori''s face, if not for Teneale holding him, he would have long since bounced at Lennox. " Well, that''s it for now " For now....? Mimori really couldn''t hold in and blurted in annoyance. " Prince Lennox is young with a long life ahead of him, Why rushing to find a wife at such age? " Lennox raised his brows and looked at him as if looking at a rock on the side of the road. Worthless of his attention. Mimori was buffled and didn''t know what to say against such a gaze. At that moment, a familiar screech sounded from outside. It has been an hour since Everly and Augustus went out to y and it seems that they are back now. Arge shadownded under the terrace, shaking the ground along. Chan-Chan extended her wing to help the two jump into the terrace. Everly jumped first, she disastrous with dirt and grass all over her, Augustus, on the other hand, looked as neat as before with a little bit of grass on his knees. God knows what they did to look so bright and excited. Seeing their sparkling faces, Lennox''s face eased a bit. " Done fooling around? Go wash up, dinner will be served soon " '' you want us to eat with you? like hell!! we are running away as soon as we could '' Teneale fixed her expression and said to Lennox respectfully:" Your highness, please pardon us for being rude- " " So you know you are being rude " "...." They can''t refute him, can they? In the end they had to endure the tastless meal with the devilish pheromones-leaking prince. As for Augustus, perhaps because he was in a good mood, he didn''t pick a fight with Lennox and obediently responded to the other''s teasing (ttering).
  1. type of worms, the size of an adult''s thumb, that feeds on flesh and bones at high speed. Usually used to get rid of corpses as to not leave a trace.
  2. (Ashel) is not Bun-Bun''s name. Lennox, in the past, usually talks in divinenguage and he calls Bun-Bun ''little one'' which is heard as Ashel. people thought it was his name and kept calling him Ashel.
Chapter 108 Chapter 108 The night went by peacefully. Well, peaceful for Lennox, but those poor officials and nobles who had to stay up all night to submitpleted procedures or report private missions did not have a peaceful night. Dark circles covered half their faces and fatigue ate their bodypletely. In any case, if they wanted to meet the one in charge of the nation, they had to resist pillow-gravity and stay up all night. Nearing dawn, Lennox heard scratching sounds from outside the study and knew that Roan arrived. Once the sun rises, he will apany Annasophy to have her abortion surgery. The moment Lennox raised his head and looked at Roan''s pale and cold face he instantly knew the oue of this trip. Fighting the urge to facepalm, Lennox pretended not to see anything and nonchntly instructed Roan about everything they should take note of on the road. '' No shit, dude. You two are just wasting my time '' Lennox did not see them out of the pce, He had prepared their personal gourds and all that they might need, showing his face won''t make any difference. After Roan left his study, Lennox took a bath and went to sleep. Everly has long since she passed out and conquered his bed, he pushed her to the side and slipped into the quilt. '' Let''s hope tomorrow is as peaceful as today...'' ***** At noon, Everly woke up with Lennox by her side. She knows he would be pissed off if she wakes him up, thus, Everly jumped out of the bed and left the bedroom quitly. Outside, she found a random maid and left with her, the maid bathed, clothed and fed her before letting her go to y. Now that she is all full andfortable, Everly went to find someone to bother. Today''s target was Jonath, Carson''s second assistant. Everly walked to his office like she owned the ce, interrupted his work and made a mess with his documents. Just when Jonath was about to give up life and kill himself, Edgar showed up like a knight in shining armour. " Edgar! " Seeing someone familiar, Everly happily pounced at him. " How have you beendy Everly? " " Not good, Everly is not good. You know, everyone left, no one to y with, and Jonath is stingy doesn''t let Everly draw in the papers " Hearing her talk as if she was wronged, Jonath couldn''t hide his grief anymore and cried out loud. " That''s because youngdy only wants to draw on the confidential documents and refused to take empty papers!! " " Everly doesn''t want empty papers, Everly wants the ones with the sparkling ink " " THIS IS THE IMPERIAL SEAL!! " In fear that Jonath might just snap on them, Edgar quickly grabbed Everly ran out of his office. Originally he came to deliver some documents from his brother, now that he finished his task, Edgar decided to spend some time with Everly. " deliver papers? The handsome uncle is very rich, he should have a lot of servants! Howe it''s always Edgar who brings papers! Why are they bulling you?! " Unexpectedly, Edgar''s face flushed red, he swaggered as he said under his breath:" it''s...it''s not like that. I- I am the one who requested to..." As dumb as Everly is, she did not notice the changes in Edgar''s face. " eh? Why would you want to do that? " Edgar went silent, hesitated for a long time, yet, with Everly''s urging he reluctantly said:" then, I will tell you but...please keep it a secret " Hearing it was a secret, Everly instantly brightened up. She nodded her head repeatedly like a chick picking on rice, looking at Edgar with expectant eyes while waiting for him to gather his courage and confess his little secret. Edgar examined his surroundings to make sure no one was around, took a deep breath and said. " I asked my brother to let me take these documents as.... as an excuse to visit the pce " " but his majesty said Edgar is family, you cane anytime you want " " that''s not- " Edgar''s face reddened even more. He averted his gaze and whispered, as if talking to himself:" I needed an excuse to meet prince Lennox..." " Eh...? " As if she was fed an overdose of bullshit, Everly just stood there dumbfounded. It appears that Edgar was Lennox''s die-hard fan, ving himself to be his brother''s errand boy just to steal a glimpse of the infamous devilish prince. Although he said it to be a secret, truth to be said, everyone except for Everly already knew but pretend to see nothing. Of course, what does Everly know about admiration and brotherly devotion? Nothing at all, she just stood there with a dumb look on her face. Feeling a quite embarrassed, Edgar came up with a losey excuse and ran away to have a short breather. He hid in a nearby pavilion, banging his head on the wall andmenting his stupidity. '' WHAY DID I TELL HER THAT!!!!! What if she told the prince about it!!? Would he hate me? Feel disgusted by me? Would he ban me from making contact with him?! I- I WILL DIE!! I CAN''T LIVE WITHOUT MY IDOL!! '' After a long while of internal turmoil, Edgar managed to defeat his inner deamon and not kill himself at the spot. He calmed down a bit and finally noticed the noisy surrounding. '' why is the servants making ruckus there? '' Leaving the pavilion, Edgar walked to where the noises came from. In the middle of the panicked and pale faced servants, Everly stood there with a beautiful woman crouching next to her. Seeing that face he rarely sees, Edgar couldn''t help but panick. '' AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! WHAT IS THAT WOMAN DOING HERE???!!! '' Edgar hadn''t yet processed anything when he saw the woman extends her hand to pick up Everly, all servants gasped upon seeing that. However, just before she could hold Everly, Edgar stormed in between, snatched the little girl and ran away as fast as he could. '' THIS WOMAN!!! BEATRICE VE GOURCHIA IS HERE TO KIDNAP CHILDREN!!! AGAIN!! ''
  1. Carson is Jennings''s secretary and the head of all imperial assistants. Jennings usually just gives the order and Carson is the one who distributes the work to other assistants.
Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Hiding behind the bushes, Edgar tightly covered Everly''s mouth while trying to calm his heart. '' We are doomed we are doomed we are doomed we are doomed we are doomed we are doomed we are doomed we are doomed!!! '' Beatrice Ve Gourchia, Queen of Mojin kingdom, as well as Lennox''s aunt. Although the two nations were in harmony, their rulers are not, Always fighting and bickering whenever they met. It got even worse after Lennox was born, as Beatrice isn''t able to have offspring, Mojin kingdom''s royal blood was carried on by her sister, which makes Lennox an heir of Mojin. Would Jennings let his eldest prince be taken by another country? Oh, hell no! A barbaric battle ignited between Jennings and Beatrice until Lennox reached seven and dered that he would rather inherit Sitia. The internal war ended but the hostility between the two rulers stayed the same or even worsened. However, at the moment neither Jennings nor Bernard was in the pce, with Everly here as an irresistible eye candy, who can stop this woman from stealing her? '' We...we need to wake up the prince '' With his mind in a mess, Edgar seemed to have forgotten how strong Everly was, and carried her on his back. Since she barely weighed anything, Edgar was able to swiftly sneak into the Emperor''s pce building. Just as he reached the hallway leading to Lennox''s quarters, he saw Beatrice with two guards and other servants around her, standing at the other end of the hallway. " There! Catch them " " AAAAAAHHHHHH! " Edgar instantly fled away while screaming internally like a coward. These two guards were undoubtedly top-notch trained guards, how can two children escape from them?! '' Why are we running? '' Everly was so confused by this sudden change of events. She turned her head and saw two figures in pitch ck chasing them like grim reapers, and her face instantly paled. Nobody noticed a small flower pattern glowing on her index finger. After taking a turn, Edgar quickly entered a random room to hide.Seeing that the two kids entered a room, the guards looked at each other and came to a mutual agreement. Without saying a word, one of them went to inform the Queen, while the other stood watch at the door. Both of them knew who Everly was, if the Queen wants to do something to the little girl then she should do it herself. Emperor Sitia won''t spare them ba! After entering the room, Edgar brought Everly behind the curtains and crouched there. Thinking that they have lost the two guards, Edgar decided to stay hidden until the guards search somewhere else. " Why are the bad guys chasing us? ", Everly asked in a small voice. " You saw that woman before, she is trying to steal you away. She wants to take you with her somewhere far away and you won''t be able toe back " He wasn''t lying to her on purpose, that''s what his brothers told him trying to scare him and he actually believed it. Both of them were frightened by their own imagination. Upon hearing the door open and a woman''s steps approaching them, the two instantly stiffened. Beatrice excitedly walked to where the kids were obviously hiding. She had never seen such a beautiful child. Since Jennings wasn''t around and Lennox was asleep, might as well take her back to Mojin. Nobody''s gonna know! She stopped in front of the curtain, took a deep breath and pushed it aside. The moment the curtains were lifted, Everly''s cry exploded. Seeing the white-faced Edgar shielding the pitifully crying Everly, both trembling like frightened rabbits, the smile on Beatrice''s face froze. '' am I that scary....? '' She didn''t have times to react when suddenly all windows in the room were shut and curtains were drawn tight. Light stonesgradually illuminated a figure entering the room. Lennox had a cold face as pheromones were subconsciously leaking from his body. An uninvited guest, who obviously shouldn''t be here, was bullying his babies, made them cry and disturbed his sleep....Of course, he was pissed off, nobody touches his babies! " What do you think you are doing, bothering my children? " Lennox passed by Beatrice and went to pick up The little girl. Everly buried her face in his shoulders, crying silently with asional chokes. With one hand carrying Everly and the other patting Edgar''s head, Lennox turned to Beatrice and said impatiently. " What are you doing here? We arenot expecting any envoys from Mojin " Beatrice spread her hands and yfully said:" Oh my, why are you always so tense, rx young man. I came to visit my rtives, is that not allowed? " Lennox had no patience to deal with her nonsense:" a ruler stepped into our Empire''s territory unannounced nor invited, sneaked into the imperial pce and attempted to harm an imperial guest. This political conflict could lead to war between the two nations if not exined thoroughly " " Tsk, you and your serious ass " Beatrice walked in a haughty manner and sat on the couch, like a kid throwing a tantrum. Lennox really wanted to beat this childish old woman but he has to keep it in for the sake of blood rtions. " there is something I need to discuss with you " Her tone was serious and a bit troubled. Lennox sighed, it seems she came here to weigh him with more things to do. " I will send the children back " Lennox gestured to Edgar to follow him and exited the room. Once they were out, he cast a spell on Everly and she soon fell asleep. After he passed her to one of the servants waiting outside, Lennox turned to Edgar. He put his hand on the other''s shoulder and slightly curved his lips. " You helped her when I wasn''t around, many thanks " Edgar was almost blinded by how radiant his idol was. This was the first time he has ever seen Lennox put on a normal smile, not the evil and mocking ones. Lennox pretended not to notice the other''s shiny eyes and wide open jaw. He removed his hand and took a step to the side. " tonight, call your sister-inw and the two clowns over to have ate tea party. The little girl will start crying when she wakes up " Edgar stayed there in a daze for a long while before he came back to his sense.
  1. light stones are a lower ss of Light attribute mana stones, it''s ability to generate light wasn''t enough to be used in offence methods, thus are used asmps.
Chapter 110 Chapter 110 After serving tea and snacks, the servants exited the room leaving Lennox and Beatrice alone. Lennox said before taking a pastry and stuffing it in his mouth. " How did you get here? " " How do you say? I jumped on the wall, what else? " Lennox rolled his eyes at her. If sneaking into the imperial pce was this easy why not just keep the gates open for the public? Forget about the thousands of knights who are patrolling 24/7 a day, there are various types of magical traps and security systems ced around the entire pce. Above them all, Lennox''s formation could instantly detect any unauthorized intrusion and deal with it. Unless someone had higher magic techniques than Lennox, which is impossible, then it can only be a dead person. Assuming that the guy who sneaked into the pce, when Lennox was asleep for three days, was a puppet or something, then how did Beatrice, a living person, get inside unnoticed? " Do I look that gullible to you, Beatrice? " " You would rather die than call me aunt, wouldn''t you? " Seeing Lennox''s stone face, Beatrice sighed. Her nephew is not cute at all, but definitely capable. She took a green-beaded bracelet from her storage ring and handed it to him. " A subordinate of mine bought it from a wanderer magician, they said it can sneak you into a supreme-level formation unscathed " Lennox''s face was full of ck lines the moment he received the item. Suppressing the urge to p the person in front of him, he said with restraint. "What did the Empress say regarding this bracelet? " " hm? Nothing I didn''t show it to her. She is busy these days with arranging for her leave, no need to bother her " Lennox felt a headache raising. So she not only bought a suspicious item from a suspicious person but also used it blindly without consulting a professional. '' calm down shianl, her brain is just filled with weapons and wars like a manic, there is no space for reason in it. It''s not like you didn''t know that...'' After a long sigh, Lennox looked at Beatrice meaningfully and said:" do you know what makes a supreme-level formation unbreakable? " Supreme formations are the most wless formations to be created, of course, they are difficult to make and requires two opposite types of energy. It works as a soul detector and locker, as long as something that has a soul goes through, it will instantly be traped. Unlike the lower levels formations that depend on heat and life force which are easy to hide with magic devices. " How would I know? I have always skipped those magic theory sses when I was younger " A vein popped on Lennox''s forehead, he had enough of this failure of an adult.With considerable force, the green bracelet in his hand shattered vigorously. It is unheard of of a device or item that can conceal one''s soil''s existence, this item is no exception, rather than concealing, it is to absorb souls. No matter how much he wanted to p the shit out of this woman, she was still his mother''s sibling, he has to give face to his mother. " So what is it you want to talk about? " Beatrice''s face suddenly turned grim. She put her tea cup on the small table and looked at Lennox with determined eyes. " I want you to inherit Mojin''s throne " " That is not possible, we already had our fill from this conversation ", Lennox directly refused. " I am saying, I want you take over Mojin, even if it meant to merge the two nations " Lennox frowned. During one of the discussions of who''s going to make him their crown prince, someone suggested that they merge the two nations when Lennox takes over. Of course, that person was almost beaten to death, there were many who objected and Beatrice was the most who refuted the idea. Sitia is an Empire while Mojin is a Kingdom. A nation could im itself as an Empire if it has excelled in every aspect, treasures, army, magic, science, etc. If such a great country were to merge with her Kingdom, Mojin willpletely be overshadowed. Not to forget how it will effect the power bnce in the continent and the lose of long lived culture. '' I thought this topic ended with Leonhard''s birth, then why would she...'' Lennox''s face turned serious as he sorted out all the possibilities, but he didn''t duel in his imagination long and directly asked. " Why so sudden? Mojin has Leonhard now, so things should work just fine " By the mention of Leonard, Beatrice''s pupils shook slightly, although it was for a split second, Lennox still noticed the change in her expression. " Is there something wrong with my younger brother? ", Lennox asked carefully. It couldn''t be a life-threatening matter, if so, Lennox would have already heard of it. " Nothing, our prince is healthy and cheerful. I just thought it would be such a promising future to have you lead Mojin forward " Beatrice might be annoying, but she is no idiot. She didn''t even bother toe up with a believable excuse and half-assed what ever she came up with. Either she was drunk with mint tea or she knew Lennox would find out about it sooner orter. Seeing that the useful conversation ends here, put down his tea cup then stood, preparing to leave. " There is no one in the pce to entertain you. I have to take care of the old man''s work as well as my personal affairs, so consort Cha and the other concubines will apany you " " How about you send that little girl- " "No" With the firm rejection, Lennox walked out of the room. Since he was all sober and awake, he might as well attend the public audience personally instead of having someone record it for him. As he reached his room, Lennox turned to the old butler following him and ordered. " Send someone to inform the minster of public affairs that I will attend today''s morning audience " Chapter 111 Chapter 111 With a pile of documents by his side, Lennox went through all the reports in a fast pace. When he is alone, Lennox would use his senses to quickly finish the paper work. However when someone is around, he works in a mild speed as to not frighten them. Which is why when he sensed someone behind the door, he instantly slowed his hands. However, no one came in. Seeing the door handle moving up and down, Lennox already knew who it was. The only person who would struggle to open an unlocked door could only be none other than Everly. With sigh, Lennox waved his hand slightly and the door suddenly opened. Everly stumbled for a moment then quickly regained her bnce. With a cheerful voice and high spirits, she eximed. " Everly is here! " " Yes, I can see that " Holding a big basket in one hand, Everly strode towards Lennox then slowly climbed into his chair. She put the basket in front of them and pulled the cloth at its top, revealing a bunch of delicacies. " Everly heard that his majesty don''t let Lennox eat any candies because we ran away, so Everly stole these from the kitchen " Seeing her face asking for praises, Lennox couldn''t help but feelplicated. These are probably the snacks prepared for one of the concubines'' tea party, plus, the reason he can''t eat anything sweet is because his medication doesn''t allow it, if a normal human were to consume sugar while using this type of medicine, they are as good as dead... '' Well, she is cute others don''t matter, and I won''t die from this...probably '' With slightly curved lips, he patted her head and praised:" good job, such a caring girl Maitea is, thinking about her grandfather''s health " Everly''s eyes sparkled, she raised her chin with a smug expression looking quite funny. Lennox ruffled her hair then took a piece of candy and stuffed it in his mouth before returning to focus on his work. It did not take him long before he finished all the documents that needs to be done. Looking around his study, Lennox found out that in this short time Everly had built arge castle from all the books in his study room. '' Who''s going to return these books back to its shelves? '' after a moment of thoughts, Lennox spoke:" Hey, Maitea, did the general tell you when he will return to the capital? " Everly poked her head from behind the wall of books and answered. " Brother Ba called today and said he will go help his majesty in the north " Lennox fell in silence for a while and Everly crawled out of the book castle. She walked to his desk and pushed the empty food basket aside to climb up the table, staring curiously at the pondering boy. " What is Lennox thinking? " " Huh? ", Lennox moved his gaze and looked at her obediently sitting on his desk as if the mess behind has nothing to do with her. " I was thinking that until either general Egerton or the old man return, we can''t go get the manual you want " " Ah! That''s right! His majesty said to protect the pce until hees back. Where is it anyway? " " YinYan continent, in my old castle " Instantly, Everly''s eyes sparkled but the next second she dimmed with a look of hesitation. " But YinYan continent is very far, won''t his majesty be angry when he finds out? " Lennox nonchntly shrugged his shoulders, " Well, it can''t be helped " Thinking about the beating she got a few days ago, Everly dejectedly slumped on the desktop, feeling distressed. " Everly doesn''t want to get beaten again. Last time his majesty beat us, Everly''s butt hurted for a whole day! " Lennox''s eyebrows twitched upon hearing herin about little flesh pain, wasn''t he the one who almost died there? Before Lennox could say anything, the door knocked and one of the two servants'' voice came from behind. " Y-your highness, Earl Alphonsus is asking for an audience " " lead him to the lounge, I will be there soon " After the servant left, Lennox stood to head to his room but was stopped by Everly. She held his left forearm with both hands, head hung down. " What is it? " Everly stayed silent for a while as she tightly pursed her lips and kept her head down. " Do you hate me? " Lennox was stunned for a moment. Everlydidn''t use the third-person pronoun she usually does, which could mean she is undergoing mental breakdown again. Lennox has seen her losing controlst time in the Elves'' vige, after he left her in one morning she was overwhelmed by the thought that he had abounded her and stabbed him. At that time he didn''t have the leisure to think of anything, but now he could clearly see that she has a mental disorder. '' Is it a result of a traumatic experience? Probably her master''s indicent got a part in it '' Seeing him standing there in silence, Everly''s hands started to tremble. Her thoughts turned chaotic but soon calmed down when she felt a firm hand patting her head. " There is no reason to hate you " " But I hurt you many times and always make troubles, one day you wille to hate me- " Lennox quickly interrupted her, this was also simr to what she said the other day. Although he is not sure what triggers her to enter this condition, he still has a rough guess. " There is no such a thing, you can destroy an entire realm and that wouldn''t be much for me deal with. After all you are my granddaughter, a part of my family so naturally I have to take care of you " Hearing that, Everly finaly raised her head and looked at him in a daze, mumbling to herself. " ....Lennox''s....family " " That''s right, so keep your head up high " It took her a moment of silence before Everly quickly nodded a few times. She leaned over and circled her arms around Lennox''s neck, demanding. " pick me up " " Walk by yourself, you have legs for a reason " Although he said that,Lennox still carried her like a toddler and exited his study. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 " What happened to his majesty? " " *sigh leave him alone, he is heartbroken. General Visn was a long friend and subordinate of his, to find out he had this side is really...." Bernard watched Jennings sitting on a side bench, head hung down and hands covering his face, looking like is in the verge of shedding tears. '' it''s already been two hours, does he n on sitting there for the entire day? '' Bernard feltplicated. He arrived about four days ago to assist in investigating general Vis''s properties. Today they finally found his most hidden estate, and truth to be told, no one was happy to find it, especially Jennings. He retched twice and was forced by his guards to retreat. At the moment, Jennings cut a sorry figure as he sat on a bench alone while everyone was avoiding him not knowing what to do. Bernard was also at a lose, he knows very well that right now Jennings needed someone to be by his side, but he had no face to go there and act like his friend, not after what he did that day. Bernard was clear about his master''s suicidal thoughts, he was itching to jump from any cliff he finds. Even though Bernard knew that this day wille sooner orter, he ended up deceiving himself by believing that it happened because Jennings did not trust him. '' What trust what shit!! That guy must have said something like ''Bernard is here if anything went wrong he will take care of it'' and I acted like a d*ckshing out on him and that idiot believed it and med himself for something he didn''t do! '' While Bernard was mentally beating himself, a knight hesitantly approached him. He saluted respectfully then stiffly handed an envelope. " a letter has arrived from the pce to his majesty...." No need to say more, it''s clear that Jennings is out of reach at the moment. Bernard took the letter and opened it, making sure that it''s nothing urgent, however, upon reading it, his face turned darker and darker. Mustering up his courage, Bernard strode over towards Jennings who was still posing as a statue of despair. Only after he reached to Jennings and patted his shoulder did Bernard remember that he has neverforted anyone except his baby sister....he can''t treat the Emperor like a child, can he? Not knowing what to say, Bernard stiffly blurted whatever came to his mind:" you will start rotting if you keep sitting there " '' WHAT THE HECK AM I SAYING!! '' Although Jennings did not move, Bernard somehow had an image of a withered nt that instantly lost its colors upon hearing that. Panicked, Bernard suddenly remembered that one time when he was a mad brat and identally killed a few hundreds people after losing control over his demonic energy. At that time he was so miserable and guilty, so his master said some profound words tofort him, although he didn''t understand them, they were cool and logical that he just moved forward. Thinking that it might work, Bernard instantly squeezed his brain cells and gathered a few fragments of that day. He walked forward and sat next to Jennings while trying to put on a rxed and mature expression. " Hey, depressing on a corner and growing mushroom won''t change anything, it was inevitable, that''s their fate. You could water their grave, pray in your heart then move forward " Jennings was silent. Bernard pretended to look around while secretly ncing at Jennings from time to time, hoping that it will work. " Fate? ", Jennings suddenly spokein a muffled voice, " are you saying that it was these children''s fate to live through hell then just die without even understanding what happened to them? " " Indeed " Jennings trembled upon that answer, but Bernard continued regardless. " Fate is not something to be interfered with by others, it''s a path formed to suit a person''s own decisions. Yes, they are young and ignorant of what led thim to this, but the arrival of ordeals never depended on age, it happens at the right time. Saying things like you want to save them or you could have changed their fate is meaningless. The absolute one saw their fate and choose to keep it as it is, then who are we, mere mortals, to believe we could oppose, when even devine beings who are worshipped by humans could do nothing about it " '' wah! Look at me talking like a damn honourable being '' It took Jennings a good while to respond again with a question:" then wouldn''t that mean no matter what we do, we can''t escape what is fated to us? " " Not necessarily, you could be fated to find a treasure under your house,but whether or not you dig down to grab it is totally up to you " Jennings didn''t say anything more, and both stayed silent for half an hour before Jennings suddenly let out a long sigh. He straightened his back, rised his head and looked forward, the rims of his eyes were slightly red. " I feel like garbage for losing my wits in front of my subjects " Bernard internally rejoiced since his bullshit worked. While keeping a stright face, he pointed behind them, saying calmly. " it''s normal actually, if you look behind you, around fifth of the knights are unconscious while the rest are scattered like ghosts. In fact, from the three hundreds that we brought, only 25 took over the mission. Most of them are executioners who are used to such sights and a few psychopaths who volunteered to assist " Indeed, when Jennings looked back, his people looked like cemetery ghosts having an outing. Even his ashenplexion wasn''t that worsepared to them. Then he turned at Bernard who looked as annoying as ever, as if he had seen nothing out of ordinary. " Then why do you look fine? " " master once threw me in a low-ss demon mass grave for three months, I could say I have seen far worse than human cmities " Jennings was rendered speechless, '' Is this something you should be proud of? '' " ah, right. A letter came from the pce. Your son showed his face during hearing session making the minister of public affairs cry blood tears while dealing with his issues. And Queen Beatrice is lurching in your house like she owns the ce " Bernard summed up the letter contents while gloating over Jennings''s dark expression as he read the letter with hands trembling in anger. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 " You two are ying games with me, aren''t you? " Lennox couldn''t hide his annoyance and picked up a random book from his side to throw it at them. Lennox wouldn''t hit a pregnant woman so his warth was aimed at Roan, who silently received it with noints. Annasophy has told him how she got Lennox to help them, which was a total ckmail. He felt guilty for forcing a kid out of his way to clean their mess, but what could they do? The Emperor is seriously out of their reach. Annasophy caressed the spot where Roan was hit while saying patiently:" It can''t be helped we decided to keep the child, so what''s the n? " Veins popped on Lennox forehead. If only he hadn''t buried those dead bodies in his courtyard, he wouldn''t have had to do this shit. '' it''s not like I can hide her until she gives birth and surprise the old man to his death, can I? '' Lennox felt a headache rising. He threw another book on Roan then abruptly stood. " What paln what shit, we are telling the old man, this matter can not be concealed from him forever, the sooner he knows the more likely he would spare you " Annasophy anxiously rised her voice:" NO! We can''t tell him, daddy will definitely grab his sword and run at us " " Then what do you expect me to do?! You think if you secretly gave birth to it everything would be fine? Like hell!! In a few weeks your 21st birthday banquet will be held, many suitors will attend, what would you do if the old man found that ''kind and respectful young wealthy man'' he wanted for you? " Annasophy was almost sobbing at this point, she responded in a low pitiful voice:" Daddy won''t force me to marry someone I don''t want " " He won''t, but he will suspect why his obedient daughter does not want to get married. Realizing that the guy has no problems then the issue would be from you, after investigating, this mess is ought to be discovered. Ah his daughter shamelessly hooked up with some random guy, got pregnant and is trying to hide it right under his nose! " As a father of six boys and a sole daughter, Lennox somehow understands Jennings''s feelings. After all, if his small blue-fire ballsuddenly appeared with a potato-guy holding hands and saying they are dating, he would erase that bastard''s existence, even grim reapers won''t find a shred of him. '' No! I should let the children grow up.....oh fuck I miss them '' Taking advantage of the pause, Roan asked with a stright back and a serious face. " Your highness, could you point out the ws that I should change in order to be a suitable candidate for the Princess? I will definitely do everything to ovee my shorings " Just before Annasophy say something cheesy, Lennox quickly answered:" you are decent-looking from a good family, withmanners morals, so if I am going to name something then it would be your eyes " "....." " I mean you look too soft, like an abounded puppy on the roadside. No offense, but with that expression I would entrust you with even my pen, you look too pitiful " "....." 2 The confused silence was disturbed by knocks on the door, followed by deep manly voice. " Your highness, this is Commander Erlin, may I have a minute of your time? " Lennox motioned to the two to exit from his bedroom before answering in his usual indifferent tone. Erlin walked with a stright posture, knelt and greeted the crown prince, then stood again when he was allowed to. He directly reported. " Your highness, we have sessfully capured all this week''s intruders with no additional issues. After interrogations, we sorted them out based on their purposes, about 12 prisoners were sent to kidnap youngdy Everly, 8 prisoners were seeking for information, and 3 with unknown purposes " Lennox hummed as he looked through the prisoners'' information, noting out of ce. Which means that the poppet that bewitched Everly a few days ago was still not caught. '' This is troublesome. I can''t detect it''s whereabouts if it doesn''t have a soul, this needs to be taken care of before the Empress arrives '' Lennox raised his gaze to look at the sturdy man who was breathing quietly like an ant. The imperial guards are trained from a very young age to conceal their presence, although they would stand right in front of the person but one would ignore them as if ignoring one''s own nose. With time, people in the pce learned to treat them like empty air. Lennox sighed in his heart. He doesn''t know who trained these boys, but he really wants to know how did that person make them believe that they are a bunch of wooden blocks. " This should be fine, the numbers are less thanst week, however, don''t put down your defense yet. The Empress will return in two weeks,ter many other guests will arrive one after another, we have to keep the pce safe " " yes, your highness! " " Good, you may excuse yourself " Looking at the clock, it was already past 5 AM, Everly forced herself on the imperial knights and joined them to the night hunt, so she won''t be back until sunrise. He took a bath, changed to a set of pajama then slipped into the nkets. Laying on the bed, Lennox couldn''t fall asleep, a particr scene just keeps circling in his mind. He heard fire crackling, blood sshing, people a d monsters screaming but his eyes were focused on small whit body in front of him. Needless to say, that must be his Sin. In these ten years he had been living as a human, Shianl always wondered why would he let his Sin be taken from him. He stands above all living creatures in this mortal world, even other honourable beings always keep distance from each other. It could not be taken by force, then why would he let such precious existence leave his side... Although he is curious, he is also hesitant to retrieve his memories. The chaotic emotions are already hard to bear, theses memories will only drive him crazy. That''s a honorable being''s nature, and he understands it well. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 . . . . . . . . . . . The two weeks went somehow festively. Beatrice has been touring around the capital with some nobledies and asionally came to disturb Lennox. Kai also returned and been babysitting Everly everyday, but she would still crawl to Lennox''s bed sometimes when sleeping. As for these nobles and officials, they have already turned to zombies. Sleepless nights, loads of work and tasks, and still have to bear the unreasonable pressure of the crown prince. If this continues the body will copse, wife will divorce and children will grow distance! Luckily, the Emperor returns tomorrow, thus their misery will end very soon. Lennox leaned on the bed''s headboard as he casually read a few letters before going to sleep. Just as he reached thest letter, he sensed someone in the veranda, from the shy movements and soundless steps, Lennox already figured who it was. " Wee back ", Lennox said with a mild smile. " I- I am home ", Bun-Bun responded with a blush. He likes the feeling of someone showing their pleasure for his return, no hypertension or exaggeration, just sincere gestures. He strode over to the bed and slipped under the quilt, crawling towards Lennox to snuggle on his bosom. Lennox did not dislike such willful and spoiled acts, rather, he finds his son to be a cute baby. With his arm around Bun-Bun, Lennox used his hand to gently caress the other''s cheek, while his other hand still holding into a letter. Bun-Bun''s eyes were glued to the fair hand touching his face, moving back and forth. He stared and stared until couldn''t hold back anymore and bit on it. His sharp fangs prated the skin and dug into the flesh of Lennox''s hand, causing the cold blood to pour out unrestrained. Lennox, whose hand was bitten by a little vampire, didn''t even flinch, as if used to get bitten randomly. He onlymented lightly:" don''t drink too much, you will get a rotten tooth " Bun-Bun nodded. Then suddenly remembered something and reluctantly parted from his food. " Ah, Lord. On my way back, I visited big brother Si, he told me he is getting married! " Lennox raised his eyebrows, a little surprised:" Silvius is getting married?? " Bun-Bun nodded with a serious face, though, the blood at the corners of his mouthbined with his round ruby eyes made him look quite loveable. Lennox pondered for a moment at his messy face then sighed. " You guys are growing too fast, it feels like yesterday when I gave Silvius the ''adult talk'', now he even got himself a wife " " what''s the adult talk? " "....." Seeing his child innocently looking at him while slightly tilting his head, waiting for his answer, Lennox felt a little relieved that at least the little one was still the same. " I will tell you ", Lennox averted his gaze and looked back to continue reading the letter, " When you be an adult " Bun-Bun felt wronged, he pouted and returned to his food with a frown. He can''t win an argument with his father so better not start one! Putting the letter aside, he retrieved his hand from the sulking kid, then pulled a handkerchief from god knows where and wiped Bun-Bun''s mouth. " When is the wedding? " Bun-Bun was still sulking, so he answered in a low voice:" in two silver moons" " Hmm. Is the Binder from the bride''s family? " " No, sister-inw doesn''t have a family. But big brother said he asked mother Zen to do it, and he agreed " [ A/N: Shianl''s children, Bun-Bun and the others, refer to Shianl''s wives as mother. Regardless of whether it''s a female or male wife ] Lennox lightlyughed:" Zen-Aagreed? That''s surprising. He used to quarrel with Silvius all the time, even I gave up trying to make them get along " Bun-Bun''s head dropped he gloomily yed with his fingers as he said in a low tone. " it''s because when Lord left us, mother Zen was so heart broken that he got sick. Big brother Si was the one who took care of him, and also made sure that all mothers and brothers were safe " Deep silence downed on them, Lennox was at a lose on what to say. Although his heart ached for his people''s grievances over his death, he also can''tfort them now. After all these years of absence, reappearing only to leave again, why make his beloved go through such a rollercoaster of emotions? Since he was dead for them, then better stay dead. After all, he won''t be staying here for long. Not hearing any response, Bun-Bun raised his head and looked at Lennox with a pleading face, his crystal eyes had ayer of mist. " Those days without Lord were colorless. The castle turned cold and everyone scattered away. Now Lord is here, please don''t leave anymore " Lennox did not say anything, he oly patted Bun-Bun head for a long while. ****** The next day Jennings returned to the capital. The moment he stepped out of the carriage, what greeted him was a bunch of zombie officials and nobles crying as they shouted " long live the Emperor!! " Bernard dismounted from his horse and stood beside the stupefied Jennings. Scanned the pitiful figures in front of him with aplicated gaze. " tsk, your son is good at torturing people. When he inherits the throne I will retire " Just as he said that, Bernard felt a fluffy thing stick to him. He lowered his head to find a round sparkling emerald eyes looking at him from down. " Baby girl! " He picked her up and threw her on the air a few times. Everly giggled happily as her honey-like voice warmed people''s hearts. Seeing Everly''s cute and cheerful smile, Jennings felt the weight on his heart lighten a bit. Jennings was about to say something when he noticed a breathless Kai dragging himself towards them. A trace of smile appeared on his face. He doesn''t know why but he likes to y pranks on Kai, certainly he don''t hate him, but there was this unexinable urge to see him flustered and panicked. It runs in their blood as Lennox also rejoices in Kai''s suffering. Kai who just wanted to catch up to Everly had no idea that he had jumped into the tiger''s den.
  1. one silver moon is one month.
  2. a way someone with high status address their wife. Got the idea while reading Chinese novels :3
Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Within the crown prince''s study, Bun-Bun was randomly ying with Lennox''s magic devices, trying to make time pass until his Lord wakes up. When the sun hung high in the early afternoon, a faint bustling sounds grew from distance. Curious, Bun-Bun strode to the terrace to take a look, only to find the imperial guard''s first squad, Who are supposed to apany the Emperor,parading a slim figure. '' is that.....little Kai? '' Two imperial guards were carrying Kai on their shoulders while other two ying drums on a simple rythm, thest one was throwing flower petals that looked like they were picked on a hast. Around them, a small ball of fluff was jumping excitedly, seemingly thinking they were ying. A few meters away, two figures followed behind this sloppy parade, oneughing his lungs out while the other wore a very amused smile mixed with satisfaction. As for the man in question, Kai had his head buried in his hands, wishing the ground would crack and swallow them all. Just as the Jennings wished, Kai was throughly embarrassed, the skin from the tip of his ears to the back of his neck was all dyed dark red out of shame. Bun-Bun''s head went nk. It was obvious that the Emperor was bullying little Kai again, but what can he do? Even his lord likes to bully that hamster-like friend. That pair of father-son took him as pet for real, blood is scary, even the sick hobbies were inherited. Bun-Bun hesitated for a bit before deciding to go help that poor guy. A few hours after Bun-Bun left, Lennox woke up with wrinkled brows. Through the bound with his children, Lennox could feel that the little one is extremely unhappy, which is quite rare. Thinking that something might have happened, he got out the bed, draped a night robe over his shoulders and exited the room. Lennox did not want to waste time on washing up so he simply used a spell to cleanse body impurities. Walking to the Emperor''s reception room, Lennox already figured who is this unexpected guest, after all, how could he not recognize his own birth mother? Unlike his usual self, Lennox did not kick the door and barge in, rather, he knocked on the door but did not wait for permission and directly entreted. " Lennox greets Empress Sitia, may your grace live for a thousand years " When his emotionless voice fell in the room, Everly who was nkly staring at a beautiful woman sitting across from Jennings, instantly jumped off the couch and ran towards him. As for Bun-Bun, he pitifully stood behind Jennings with an upset expression as if been wronged. " Ah, Lenny, you are early today. Come join us for some tea " Lennox nodded. He walked towards them leisurely, as he passed by the pitiful Bun-Bun, he gave him a pat on the arm then said to Everly. " Maitea, your Bun-Bun wants to show you the kittens he hid in the back of the kitchen " " AH! Baby cats! Everly wants to see " Hearing that, Bun-Bun''s face stiffened. He has already been found out! Lennox watched as one depressed young man and one excited child excited the room before he went to sit next to Jennings. Lennox sat opposite to Isabe, which felt like sitting in front of a mirror. One doesn''t need a brain cell to know they are rted, a literal copy-past, they just treated Jennings''s genes like air. " Your grace arrived two weeks earlier than expected, forgive this one for not preparing a suitable weing " Jennings felt his chest tighten upon hearing his son speaking so formally to his own mother, but there''s no helping, he had done everything he could think of to make this pair of mother and son get along together, but nothing worked. While Lennox had an indifferent expression, Isabe looked cold and distant. " I see you have been well. No need to worry about that, I rushed ahead of scheduled after hearing that my sister was in Sitia capital....uninvited " " Yeah, she was indeed uninvited ", Jennings said with a dark face like the bottom of a pot, obviously holding a grudge on this matter. Not wanting Jennings to open an investigation about Beatrice on the spot, Lennox quickly changed the subject. " I haven''t seen general Egerton yet, has he not returned with you? " " ha? ", Jennings broke out of his murder n, " Bernard was pulled aside bymander Erlin, I guess it has something to do with all these assassins who came for Everly " Mentioning Everly, a momentary light shed in Isabe''s eyes, she lowered her head as not to let Lennox see any change in her expression. Since Lennox sent her away with that vampire boy, then he must be holding her dearly, he certainly wouldn''t want her to be close with the little girl. " This child, Everly, seems very lovely. I heard that she is general Egerton''s younger sister ", Isabe mildly stated. Although her tone was casual and uninterested, Lennox couldn''t help but frown. For someone who hates non-humans to the bone, saying that his grandchild is ''lovely'' does not make this grandfather happy. " She is indeed adorable, but quite shy around those she is unfamiliar with " After that Lennox did not speak, merely listening to his parents'' conversation. After a good while, he stood up and said to Jennings:" you can stay and rest for today, I will take care of the morning court since I am all wide awake now " With that, Lennox excused himself and left. Once he exited the room, Jennings turned to Isabe with a hint of displeasure in his eyes. " For how long are nning to act immature? " Isabe looked at him, putting a bewildered expression:" what do you mean? " Jennings didn''t believe that she did not understand what he meant and said firmly:" that''s the child you gave birth to, Our child, not a stranger you met on the street " Isabe stayed silent. She lowered her gaze and absentmindedly stared at the half empty cup of tea in her hand. '' ....my child? '' ****** Things I think you guys might have forgotten: - Lennox and Everly both have an exceptional memory, they can''t forget. - Lennox has dead people buried in his garden - there is an imposter in the imperial pce - Lennox still doesn''t know why Everly''s body is lighterpared to her size. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 After Bernard discussed with Commander Erlin about the assassins and intruders that were after Everly, he took a list of the names that he need to settle ounts withter and went to look for his little sister. Bernard inquired about Everly''s whereabouts and found out that she left with the crown prince''s assistant. Hearing that, Bernard''s blood boiled. Ever since she came to the imperial pce, Everly has always talked to Bernard about either Lennox, Kai or Bun-Bun. For a guy with sever sisterplex, Bernardwas burning in jealousy. Lennox is a crazy kid who doesn''t seem to have intrest in snatching the little girl from him so he could overlook it, Kai is more like a nanny so it''s eptable, but to him Bun-Bun is an unidentified dude with no manners, there is no way to just let him be! Jennings being Everly''s favorite face is already a trouble, now this vampire guy should never enter the contest!! Bun-Bun, the shy baby vampire of Pure Devine blood, was currently munching on some flowers while watching Everly y with a small kitten. " Kyaa! Kitty is so cute, let''s want to take her inside the pce! " Everly excitedly said as she rubbed her cheeks on the kitten''s head. " We can''t, Lord won''t allow it..." Everly puffed her chest as if there''s nothing she fears:" Why tell Lennox? We could just ask his majesty " " But Lord is my dad. He said no pets until I reach at least one Lither moon " Hearing that, Everly frowned but did not refute. After all, Lennox is her grandpa now, she also has to listen to him! While the two were depressing over this dictatorial treatment, Bernard''s voice neared them. " Ah, brother Ba Look! Bun-Bun''s kitty is so cute, let''s take her home with us! " Once Bernard arrived, Bun-Bun instantly entered acting mood. He stood from the ground and greeted theter with a nod, looking like a real adult. Bernard returned the greeting with an awkward smile which was forced out of politeness. Bun-Bun did not pay attention to it as he was focused in keeping a stright face. " Cats are wanderers, you shouldn''t tie them to specific ce, little Eve" Although he spoke gently, Everly was still rejected so she crouched on the ground sulking. It took Bernard a good while to coax the little girl and carry her back to his mansion. On the way back, even though the carriage was spacious with enough seats for five more individuals, Everly insisted onying on Bernard''s embrace, grumblingly shaking the rattle her brother brought for her. Not until they reached halfway that Everly spoke. Her low voice mingled with the rattle''s chak-chak sounds. " Brother Ba " " Hm? " " will you go to the pce again tomorrow? " " Yes, the assessment for the imperial knights is in a few days, so I have to make sure these guys do well " Hearing that, Everly made an >:< expression and haughtily ordered as if the world was her father''s backyard. " Then take Everly with you na! " Facing the bright emerald eyes and the cute frown that did not serve its purpose of making him scared, Bernard''s brain cells could not help but be blinded. " Okay ", Bernard said with a dumb expression. Everly once againid back in her brother''s arms. ording to what Lennox told her, the distance from Sitia Empire to YinYan continent will take a two weeks to go ande back. And since Lennox''s and Annasophy''s birthday is next month, then they have to find an opportunity to go to YinYan continent as soon as possible. Which is why when Bernard finished his work the next day and went to look for Everly he found no one.... After further searching it appears that both Lennox and Bun-Bun were also missing, the only clue was a small note on Lennox''s bed. [ dear old man, We will be out for about two weeks, might take longer but it should be fine. Don''t ck on your work. See youter.] Jennings:"..................................................................................................................................................................................................." Seeing his newly reconciled friend drowning in depression, Bernard stepped out to cheer him up. He heavily pped Jennings''s back a few time, almost making the poor guy throw up his heart. " Hey, hey! Don''t be like that, I can go get them if it''s what you want " With a sigh, Jennings voiced out his doubts:" how would you do that? They have left about six hours ago, if they took money with them and used a transporting gate, then they could even be in a different kingdom by now " Bernard grinned, he took out a bright blue crystal and a thin rectangr device that looked like an incense burner from his storage ring. " rest assured, I got this magical device I bought from some suspicious magician, it can show me a person''s location inside a world map. urate and helpful more than a simple tracking stone " As he said that, Bernard put the crystal in the magic device, infused a bit of mana in it and a hologram screen appeared in front of them. The screan only showed a small dot moving in a blue background. Jennings:"......................................................................................................................." Bernard:"......................................................................................................................" '' That''s...that''s the ocean, right? '' ***** In an abandoned alley, a bunch of people in knights'' uniforms gathered. It was unusual for such high stand individuals to gather in such a poor ce, so bypasses were curious about what was happening. A tall man with expensive clothes stood next to a mess of blood and bones, he covered his nose with a handkerchief as he scanned the meat menace with furrowed eyebrows. The man seemed to be a noble from some wealthy family as the knights were following his instructions obediently. " Young master, we have searched every corner in this alley but couldn''t find any items with a curse or even a trace of it ", a knight said. Erwin Welfmore nced at the knight, he nodded after hearing the report. Looking back at the ''corpse'', Erwin couldn''t help but show a face full of despair. Until now, about six cases of such has appeared, the body was ripped open and the bones were chewed like biscuits sticks. Whatever monster they were dealing with, Erwin really hoped that it would be killed soon, he can''t look at these scenes anymore. After seeking the crown prince''s assistance, they got some clues on what they should be looking for. With the crown prince personally examining the bodies, a trace of a ck magic curse was detected. [ there are two possibilities, one is that these unfortunate people were cursed by a ck magic user and got devoured as a nutritions for that magician''s contract summon. The other possibility is that this creature itself is the curse, you should pray that it''s the first case, because if it really was the other one then shit is gonna hit this city ] This was what crown prince told him, and truth to be told, at this moment, Erwin really wants to run and cry to this great prince. '' God really yed us well, what should we do, I want to go home...'' End volume 6. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Above the surface of the endless blue ocean, a huge ck wyvern flew in a high speed, leaving the passing waves in dismay. " Lennox, brother Ba is calling again " Everly said, looking at the person behind the fluttering drapery. Lennox, who by unknown means managed to tie an entire cab on the wyvern''s back,zily waved his hand. " Just ignore it, either way, they are going to nag us to death, may as well dy it until we return " Everly looked back into the horizon. They have been travelling for about five days already, asionally stopping by random inds to rest, and today they will finally reach YinYan continent. Usually, it takes a month and half to travel between the two continents, however, wyverns are known as the servants of dragons, naturally, they have the qualifications to deserve such a title. Just as thend of YinYan continent appeared on the horizon, Lennox made a detour to the south, saying that he needs to visit a ce beforehand. Fifteen minutester, another ind came to their sight, the thick mist around it couldn''t conceal the flourishing greens. Once Chan-Channded at the coast, slowly climbed down and stretchedzily. Everly, on the other hand, immediately jumped off and ran around excitedly. However, just as she reached the grassynd, an invisible wall bumped into her, causing her light body to bounce a few steps away. Everly held her red nose with teary eyes, looking at Lennox as if someone bullied her. Seeing that pitiful appearance, Lennox sighed and walked towards her. He rebuked her with his cold tone while his hand gently caressed her nose. " You deserve it. Why do you keep running around like a headless chicken? " With every touch of his hand, the pain in her nose quickly subsided. Seeing that he is not really angry, Everly totally ignored his words and ran back to where the invisible wall was and started feeling it, searching for a door or something. Pushing down the urge to spank a certain brat, Lennox waved his hand at Ashel to go forward and just leave this ball of fluff here.Bun-Bun of course won''t leave her there, he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to follow behind his Lord. Lennox put his hand on the invisible wall, chanting a short spell, soon after, the air in front of him started to glow faintly for a moment before disappearing again. Lennox did not turn back and casually walked forward, the invisible wall was no longer hindering them, so the two kids tagged close behind him. The three walked for through the overgrown jungle nts for less than an hour before reaching a wide open space with an enormouske in the middle. The warm breeze swept past them, giving a fresh and rxing feeling. While Everly was looking around in admiration, Lennox naturally walked to theke and squatted next to it. He took a bottle from his spacial ring and started filling it with theke water. The bottle looked like it could contain half a liter, but in actuality, it can fit contain around a hundred liters, so it took a good while before it was filled to the brim. At that moment, Bun-Bun, who was staring at a certain direction from the beginning, suddenly mumbled in a sad tone. " he is still here...." Hearing that, Everly followed Bun-Bun''s gaze and saw a white winged man kneeling on thekeside, in his arms is an intact slender skeleton. His empty eyes had two threads of gold colored blood tears running down his cheeks and falling on the lifeless skeleton. Although this was the first time she saw one, Everly immediately knew who this guy was. That''s a damn angel! Stunned, Everly quickly walked to the man. However, she barely took two steps before Bun-Bun grabbed her with a look of panic. " No,dy Everly, you can''t go to him. Lord will get angry " " Why, na? " Everly asked with a pout. Clearly, that poor angel is crying bitterly over there, how can she not go kiss him? Especially when that guy is too pretty! Lennox pretended not to hear that pretty-face sucker and minded his own business. Seeing that his Lord is not doing anything, Bun-Bun tightly warped his arms around the little girl, afraid that she will trick him and slip away. " Lord said that man is a sinner, you shouldn''t go near him " Like she care! There is a pretty face, nothing else is important! Everly wiggled her body, trying to break off Bun-Bun''s embrace, but to no avail. Just as she was about to give up, Lennox called for them. " little one, Maitea. Stop ying around let''s get going " Lennox said as he restored the now full-ofke-water bottle back to his spacial ring. Everly stomped her feet and humped loudly, but still obediently followed her grandpa, after all, she doesn''t want to be left alone! On the way back to the ind''s coast, where Chan-Chan was, Everly kept pestering Lennox about that angle. After annoying the life out of him, Lennox finally gave up and spilled the beans, though, he said it vaguely. " He is a servant from heaven, after falling in love with a mortal, he descended to the mortal realm and lived as one of them. I don''t know what exactly he did but it was because of that mortal lover that he disobeyed the absolute one and got his retribution " Everly furrowed, " but he did that because of love, love is good ba! " " Not for everyone. To many of us, heavenly beings, love is more of punishment and burden than it is as a happiness. Immortals do not die unless the absolute one bestowed it upon us, having such an unstable emotion is only a form of endless suffering. It is also why immortals only bound with their pairs, a person whom God made them to be the best fit for us would certainly not cause us any pain " Bun-Bun who was listening attentively, suddenly voiced his doubts. " But, Lord, wouldn''t finding his pair solve the problem? " Lennox turned his head to look at Bun-Bun with amusement in his eyes:" you think people''s hearts is a stain of ink on a ck cloth? Let it be, nobody would notice? " Seeing the little one being rendered speechless, Lennox had a light smile on his face. He shook his head, saying with a sigh. " it''s already beyond saving. We each have our stories toplete, our fates to live, so naturally he does too. Whether the absolute one forgives him and he gets reincarnated again or gets punished more, is nothing we can interfere with " Both the little one and Everly had the same sad rabbit face. Lennox did not say more and continued walking forward. Just as they were about to exit from the jungle, a figure appeared on their road. The man was covered in ck clothes from head to toe, his face was hidden behind a ck veil, only the blue crystal hanging on his forehead that had a not ck color. When both Lennox and that man saw each other, they both halted. Although, the man''s face could not be seen, it was obvious that he was as surprised as Lennox, not expecting to meet here. It took them a few seconds toe by again. Neither of them said anything, only nodding at each other as a greeting then went their way. When the man was out of their sight, Everly and Bun-Bun chimed together, asking who that creepy man was. Not wanting his kids to get scared witless when hearing that they had just passed by Death, Lennox casually said that he was an old acquaintance....well, that''s not a lie! Chapter 118 Chapter 118 {NOTE: Devine vampires grow way too slower than humans, six years vampire baby looks like a one-year human baby. Although the physical needs are the same, the vampire''s mental growth would be that of the six years old} The first memory I have of him, though vague, it''s still deeply imprinted in my heart. The firm yet warm chest I was leaning against, and the gentle caresses at the back of my head. For the first time in my little six-year-old life, I felt safe. That man carried me to his house, it was so big that my nick hurt. When we entered the walls, three kids quickly came to surround him, I felt nervous. " Dad, whose baby is this? ", one of the kids asked. The man carrying me answered, I could feel his deep voice vibrating in his chest, " This is your new little brother " Another kid eximed, " wah! He is so pretty I thought he was a sister! " " Does he have a name? Let''s call him Dolly because he looks like a doll " " That''s right! We don''t have a sister so he can be our little sister instead of a little brother " I couldn''t understand theirnguage, thinking that they were making fun of me, my eyes that had just stopped tearing, started to pour again. Hearing my faint whimper, the man softly kissed my tears away while saying with a smile. [ You do not like it? Then you may stay as Our little one ] After saying that to me, he told the three kids to go call someone named Mother Lamier. The man took me to a room with a reallyrge bed, the bed could fit five people and won''t feel ufortable. Walking to a table with a big wooden basin, he took my clothes and put me in it, then poured warm water on me and started washing away the snot and dirt on my face. I was puzzled, why is this handsome cleaning me? don''t tell me.....he wants to eat me! While I was scaring myself, the man poured some water on my hair to wash away the soap on it. It was then that he noticed my scared look. The man was confused for a second, then as if understood my thoughts, he suddenlyughed. [ We don''t eat Our children. From today henceforth, We are your father, this is Our duty to take care of you ] Father? I don''t want a father, fathers always hit and bite me, I want a mother. I heard mothers are kind, I want a mother, not a father. Just as my eyes started to tear again, a towel fell on my head from nowhere and the man fished me out of the basin. He warped me in the towel and lifted me up to the level of his eyes. Then again answered my thoughts, trying his best to make his words simple for me to understand. [ We are different. We shall not harm you, but keep you in our arms safe, do not be afraid of Us ] A different father? Could he be.....a Papa! I was happy to finally have a papa, so I smiled at him. The man- no, I mean papa saw my smile and chuckled, he was happy too. After drying me and putting clean clothes, someone knocked on the door. " My Lord, you called for me? " " Come in, Lamier-A " Then a pretty woman came in. That was my first time seeing a woman except for my mother, so I was a bit nervous. " He is young, so We will trouble you to breastfeed him " " No trouble at all, rather it''s such an honour " Seeing papa giving me to that woman, I panicked and grabbed his clothes tightly. [ Be good. You need to eat properly or you will get sick ] Only after Papa mentioned it did I realize that I hadn''t eaten ever since my mother disappeared, and I was really hungry so I reluctantly let go. Once I became full, I immediately fell asleep. Maybe because I was too hungry or was it the bed that was toofortable, but that night, I dreamt a very nice dream. When I woke up again, there were a lot of people around my cradle. " Little sister woke up! " " It''s a brother, you idiot " " But he is really pretty, I can see him bing the number one beauty in this world! " " I heard daddy call him Ashel, what does it mean? " " I don''t know, but dad always give cool names, so it must be something great " There were four kids, three women and one man. While the kids were talking loudly next to me, the women and the man were talking in a low voice. Although I heard them, I couldn''t understand what they were saying. "I heard Lord put him under Lamier''s name, I am about to die from jealousy " " Not just you, I am here about to drop dead. Having a Devine blood vampire as your son is already enough fortune for three lifetimes, and yet it had to be Lord''s adopted child, tsk tsk, heavens must have taken a liking to her " " I don''t understand why are you women like this, fighting over titles and little babies, wouldn''t it be better to have the Lord''s biological child instead? " " says the man that has the eldest son under his name. But, hey, I am really curious how did you breastfeed him? Did something reallye out from that t chest? " " don''t remind me, damnit! " Theughters and chatting noises came from everywhere, but I couldn''t see papa. I miss him. Just as I had these thought, papa''s deep voice came from above my head. [ Why is Our little one looking he will p every single one in this room? Did they bother your sleep? ] Papa! I was excited to see him again, so the moment he picked me up, I clung to his face. I like my papa, he gaves me kisses and doesn''t bite me. I really like him. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 YinYan continent, although the smallest, it still lived up topete against the giant empires and kingdoms. High mana concentration, warm weather, ck soil and a peace pledge with the nearby beast region. All these factors made many rulers covet this flourishingnd, strangely enough, none made a move on it. The YinYan continent contest of two regions, the Yin (his) and Yan (her) separated the two by a wide river. There is a strong belief within the natives of Yan says that long ago YinYan continent did not even exist above water, however, three hundred years ago a powerful individual created thisnd to present it to his fated pair. That great man also allowed beasts to live in Yin, and humans in Yan. Hoping that when his pair would arrive, she would be loved and respected by many... ...is what the old inn owner said to the bunch of female guests. " Goodness! What a gentleman!! " " Where do you find such romantic men nowadays? No wonder he is already hundreds of years old! " " He hadn''t met her yet, but prepared such an extravagant dowry, what kind of woman that deserves to be his bride? " " You know, I have felt a deep connection when I entered the continent, I must be his bride that''s why! " " Oh shut up! That woman would certainly be a once in a thousand years beauty, your face is too ugly! " At that moment, Everly who had squeezed her way within the crowd suddenly eximed:" beauty! Everly likes beautiful people! " Once her milky baby voice was heard, all the attention was shifted to the fluffy little girl. As for the great romantic gentleman, he was calmly sipping tea behind them. Bun-Bun stole a nce at the thick-skinned Lennox who didn''t even blink when hearing people talk about him in such a way. Although the intended dowry was not this punny ind but the holy dimension linked to it, Bun-Bun could swear that it''s not a matter of romance at all! He clearly remembers his Lord''s blunt words! [ of course, it has to be something grand. As Our honourable self''s wife, as well as Our offspring''s future mother, that person shall be granted the most suited dowry for her position. If shees up with some crap like how material valuables does not attract her, We shall personally feed her to the dogs! ] Fortunate might it be or not, his Lord has not met his pair yet.... " I will settle the bill and head upstairs. Don''t y around toote, we will depart tomorrow morning " Lennox said as he put a pouch of coins on the table and left. He walked to the counter and casually dropped three gold coins, telling him to watch over the Bun-Bun and Everly. The manager was red with delight, one gold coin equals three months of his sry, and now, he was given three coins just to watch over a young man and a kid, how hard could that be? Little did he know that this meat pie that fell from the sky would actually smash his head. Watching over these two was indeed like climbing mountains and crossing seas, no wonder that boy gave him this much money! ****** In another continent, at the Imperial Pce. Jenningsid t on the couch in his study, his mind wavering between beating that unfilial child of his or making him do freebour. He had yet toe up with a decision when someone entered the room, not many people would dare brag into the emperor''s study without even knocking, so he already figured who it was. " Are you still contemting about your kid? Just chill it out and beat him when hees back, why bother yourself like this? Come look at these reports instead " Bernard put on a pile of papers and looked at him with raised eyebrows. It has been a week since the three brats left to YinYan continent, but Jennings was still as depressed as a widowed wife. Just before Jennings could say anything, someone knocked on the door. " Your majesty, this is Naiem " " Come in " The door opened and a man in his thirties walked in, he bowed and greeted the both of them before speaking into the topic. " this servant hase upon the head butler orders to report to your majesty about a few incidents that urred in the crown prince''s pce " The imperial pce contest of five main pces and four subside pces, and the crown prince pce, as its name says, is where the crowned prince should reside. In the previous generations, the imperial family used to have many members and side families, all of which lived within the imperial pce. The present imperial family, however, have only a few members, and with how sticky Jennings with his kids is, they were all stuffed in the Emperor''s pce. As to why did the imperial family shrink so suddenly, um, well.....CoughJenningskilledthemCough. " What kind of incidents? " Bernard doubtly looked at the man. Although Lennox didn''t live there, it was still his pce. Only those tired of living would go there wantonly stirring troubles. " This...actually not that dangerous, moving chairs, falling items and screams during the night. At first, we did not n to interfere thinking that it was not serious, however,st night, a maid was possessed and everyone refused to step into the pce after " Jennings frowned. He knows that Lennox put many weird and cursed things in his pce, but this was the first time something had ever urred. " Could it be because of that ghost Lennox raises? " Hearing that, Bernard''s eyes almost fell out of their sockets. '' He raised a fucking ghost pet???! '' Before he could voice his surprise, a deep creepy voice sounded in the room, answering Jennings question. " It was not me, I am always around your majesty " Knowing that he has always been watched by a ghost, Jennings couldn''t help but shiver. Bernard on the other hand was dumbfounded. He had noticed that there was a ghost following Jennings most of the time but since it barely had any miasma, he just let it be. Why would he bother with every little ghost he finds?! Chapter 120 Chapter 120 . . . . . . . . . . . Imma say this here since y''all are acting blind and not reading my notes. WHAT EXACTLY DO PEOPLE WRITE IN BONUS CHAPTERS?! State your demands clearly! This is going to be a continuation of the main story since I don''t know what to do. Thank you. ******* The next morning, Lennox''s group departed early morning as nned. Thanks to the wyvern''s high speed, they managed to reach the Yin region in less than fifteen minutes. When Everly felt Chan-Chan descending, she excitedly popped her head from inside the cab only to see themnding in the middle of a forest. She turned to Lennox saying: " Chan-Chan took the wrong way " " It''s the right way " Lennox indifferently responded as he dismounted off the wyvern, Ashel followed behind him closely while dragging the unwilling Everly. Just like with the barrier in that ind, Lennox muttered a spell and the air rippled as a sign that the barrier was unsealed. He took a step forward then disappeared in a blink. Ashel did not give Everly time to protest as he pulled her to follow behind His Lord. Everly felt a tingling sensation as her sight went blurry for a few seconds, when she opened her eyes again, she was too shocked that she forgot to close her jaw. And here she thought that the imperial pce was unnecessarily luxurious and too big, but this castle here is just screaming ''I am too extravagant and wasteful, I could make you cry'' on its surface. What is this! Who uses jade to build his walls and red gold to make gates?! What the potato! Note: Everly does not understand the concept of swearing so she just uses random words. Note 2: the barrier blocks sunlight, although it is bright in the morning and dark in the night, direct sunlight is blocked outside, so Lennox can roam around freely. Everly really felt like beating someone but the culprit is already walking ahead. Looking at the little girl huffing and puffing, Ashel became confused. '' Why is the littledy upset? '' Lennox did not pay attention to his two little ducklings as he fondly gazed at what used to be hisforting home. In the middle of the grandidieriteke, an enormous white jade castle stood proudly, almost touching all the edges of the high cliff. Although the castle looked to be neglected for a few decades, it could not hide its majestic nature. Seeing the home he had built block by block being defeated by age, Lennox could not help but feel his heart tighten. He put his hand on the crystal bridge''s railing and a bright spark shone in his hand, spreading all the way to the crystal under his hand, causing all the dust and dried nts to burn away instantly. The spark did not stop there and gradually moved to cover the entire bridge then crawled to another building, burning all the wastes umted throughout this hundred years of his absence. Seeing that the bridge she was standing on was actually made of crystals, Everly could not help but stretch her hand to touch the edge of the railing. Trailing her hand downwards, Everly subconsciously added extra strength and caused a baluster to snap. Everly: "....." Bun-Bun: "...." Once the ''crack'' sounded, Lennox who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped. They don''t need to look at his face to know that he is about to beat the shit out of them. This Water Heart crystal is formed inside an underwater volcano, which Lennox spent three whole days painstakingly extracting out of the melting hotva. A second ago he had momentary lifted the protection barrier to thoroughly clean it, who would have thought that Everly could grasp every opportunity at hand when ites to destroying his things? With consideration to the fluff ball''s little life, Bun-Bun hastily grabbed her and fled. Lennox did not chase after them. After all, this is hisnd, if he wanted he could bring them with a flick of his finger. However, he still has something more important to do, he can kick her asster. Walking behind the main castle, Lennox went through the willow trees'' path towards a hillock at the end. At the top of the hillock, a broad gravestone was ced there next to a silver diamond flower. Staring at the stone board that was entirely covered in mud and vegetation, Lennox took a deep breath then said slowly in an audible voice. " Hey, I am back. It''s been a while " No one responded, neither was Lennox waiting for an answer. He very naturally took off his jacket and ced it on the ground, pulled up his sleeves and took out the Lake water he prepared yesterday, a wooden basin and a piece of silk cloth. Note: I forgot to mention this but thatke is linked to a river that stems from heaven, so its water is actually Holy Water but it sounds weird to me so imma call it Lake water. " Sorry for disappearing out of the blue, things got chaotic and I, myself, am not sure of what happened " He continued to talk to himself while diligently plugging the vegetation of the stone board with his bare hands. " Oh yes, I brought you a great-grandchild too. She''s a trouble-making brat, but still somehow cute and soft, you would have liked her. Well, her sleeping habits aren''t that great " Once he was done with the vegetations, Lennox poured some Holy water on the stone board, then wetted the silk cloth and started scrubbing the mud off it. " I told you I am not having a child of my own just yet, so stop nagging me about it ", after a pause Lennox continued, " I still hadn''t found my pair " After making sure that all the mud was scrubbed away, Lennox poured more Lake water to wash away the remaining dirt. Then he started sweeping away the scattered willow leaves that fell over the man''s grave. " I said it before, unless it''s my pair I would not have an offspring. You should know the reason why, mother must have told you already, father" Once everything was cleared, Lennox poured the rest of the Lake water on the ground. Then kneeled on the side, reciting a few sacred scripts to peace the soul. It took him a bit more than an hour to finish his prayers and go to look for the little two brats. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 After escaping the ws of death, Ashel and Everly made a bea turn an returned again to the bridge. Lennox has long since left and they can safely enter through the main gate. As they walked into the castle, Everly made sure to admire every little detail around her, after all, this might be her only chance to see someone use jade like bricks and diamonds like ss. Not long after, Everly spotted tworge shadows flying in the distance. Both looked simr to her family''s Chan-Chan, needles to say, the figures were two young wyverns. Once she recognized the two figures, Everly excitedly shouted. " Kyaaa! Bun-Bun look! It''s two little wyverns!! " Bun-Bun wasn''t surprised to see them, after all, there was a whole nest of them in the mountain behind the grandidieriteke, seeing a couple of them every five minutes is considered normal. The nest was originally built within the castle, but they were too annoying that all mothersined about them nonstop, so his Lord has to move them to the back mountain. Yet, they still came here to stir troubles everyday. Maybe because her voice was too loud, the two wyverns flew towards them. Since they were his Lord''s pets, they naturally knew to recognize those marked by their master, so Ashel wasn''t concerned that they might attack the little girl. Once the two wyverns came closer, wind started to blow on Bun-Bun and Everly''s faces.Thinking that they wanted to sniff on them to look for snacks like usual, Bun-Bun closed his eyes as to not let any dirt enter them, and waited for the two tond on the ground. However, the wind calmed down but he didn''t feel the ground quake, he opened his eyes only to find that the little fluff ball has disappeared. Ashel: "..." Everly who was stolen by the wyverns: *excited * "Kyaaaaaaaa!" ***** " so you are saying, a wyvern picked her up and left.... just like that? No hi, no bye? " Bun-Bun nodded vigorously like a chick pecking on rice. It was true, he closed his eyes for a moment and she was gone. Lennox sighed heavily:" why am I not surprised? " Did he really thoughtthat he could leave for almost two hours ande back to find the ball in question obediently waiting for her grandfather to return? No it would really be strange if she did wait for him. Lennox sighed again and used the mark he had left on Everly to track her location. As soon as he started circting his mana, a detailed map appeared in Lennox''s consciousness. The center of the map had an orange colored dot moving in circles and a dark blue dot standing next to it. Lennox: "..." He left for two hours and these two are already hanging out happily? On the other side of the castle, one tall figure stood with aplicated expression while looking at the small figure running in circles. " and then the wyvern went vooo and fwesh and baaaam, and then Everly was here " Sapphire''s eyelids twitched uncontrobly, she understood nothing from this so called exnation. She came to visit her father''s house for thest time before leaving the human realm, but surprisingly found this fluff ball wandering around. '' There is no way she entered alone, someone must have brought her in. Is it brother Hannan? '' Just as she had these thoughts, Everly grabbed a corner of her clothes and looked at her with pitiful eyes. " so big sister, can, can you bring Everly back to Lennox? He will be angry if Everly stays away too long " Sapphire''s mental strength has no way to defend against a cute baby Love, she naturally was bewitched. Her IQ has dropped pretty much too fast as sheughed stupidly, " Hahaha, don''t worry,this big sister will take you to this called Lennox in no time! " Everly''s eyes brightened, she hugged Sapphire''s waist while eximing happily, " thank you, big sister! " Being held by those soft paws made Sapphire weak in the knees. And with this baby voice thanking her, she was about to shed tears on the spot. Why give her back? Just take her for oneself!! Whoever are you Lennox, it''s your fault for not guarding treasures carefully! I AM TAKING YOUR BABY! After making up her mind, Sapphire held Everly''s hand with a face full of smiles. " Everly, right? Do you mind if we go pick up something real quick before finding your friend? " Everly did not think much of it (not that she thinks anyways) and brightly agreed. " Okay, big sister " And that''s how the little girl ended up being abducted for the second time today. Sapphire was so happy that she felt like floating to the seventh heaven. She took Everly to the main castle, precisely to Lennox''s second sleeping chamber. Everly looked at the fifty meters long and thirty meters high hall filled with gold and precious stones, and became bewildered. '' the big sister said that we were going to a bedroom, this looks like treasury than a bedroom! '' " big sister, is this really a bedroom? Everly doesn''t see any beds " Sapphire answered as she walked to one off therge stone cabs:" this is where my father sleeps when he is in his Disaster form " Note: Disaster form is simr to a beast form. The difference is that those with beast form has one true appearance and the other is self-created. While those with Disaster forms have two real appearances, one which is the Bnced form(human-like) and the other is the Disaster form, only high level heavenly beings has two true forms. Everly did not ask any further and just waited for Sapphire to find what she was looking for. " If you are looking for that hair pin, it should be in the seventh drawer of the twenty-third cab " The tone was indifferent, certain and slightly irritated. This made every hair on Sapphire''s body stand to its end. She couldn''t feel that person''s presence at all... Chapter 122 Chapter 122 At first, Lennox wanted to stealthily retrieve Everly then leave as fast as they could after finding that manual. However, a father''s heart is really burdensome. The moment he saw her, all his ns crumbled on the spot. The palm-sized me that he picked up in Great Hell has grown up to be such a dazzling youngdy. She became much taller and her features has sharpened, only a faint shadow of her younger self could be seen. Looking at the dark blue edges of her ck hair, Lennox faintly smiled. He remembered that no matter what color she dyed her hair, that blue part never changed, even after cutting it. " She is as beautiful as ever...." Lennox suddenly mumbled. Hearing that, Ashel on the side was dumbfounded. Maybe because Lennox has a parent filter that no matter what his kids looked like, they would always be pretty. But all that Ashel saw was a countryside bandit in the middle of abduction and robbery. '' Lord''s eyesight has fallen too deep! '' Sapphire seemed to be looking for something as she kept rummaging through the stone cabs. Knowing what she wanted, Lennox sighed and walked forward, saying in an audible voice. " If you are looking for that hairpin, it should be in the seventh drawer of the twenty-third cab " Sapphire froze for a second before quickly turning around in a defensive pose. Two dark blue mes appeared on her palms as she red warily at the intruder. " Who are y- " Before she couldplete her sentence, Everly''s crisp voice rang excitedly. " Lennox! " With pata-pata steps, Everly happily ran towards him, only to abruptly stop after a few meters away. Remembering the crystal she broke from the bridge, Everly immediately made a bea turn and jumped under Ashel''s protection. Amused by her actions, Lennox noted in his mind to scare the little girl a bit once they return back. Her reactions are funny. Seeing the fluff ball in her own brother''s arms, Sapphire stood there dumbstruck. Not because he was was acting all lovey dovey with the cute girl she wanted to kidnap, but because of how he averted his gaze once their eyes met. He clearly had a guilty conscience! While Sapphire was burning holes in Bun-Bun''s face, Lennox had already walked near her. She only realized it thanks to the noises he made while opening a drawer. '' How the heck can this guy walk around unnoticed! '' Although she was alerted, Sapphire is no longer as wary as before. Since her brother was the one who let them in, they naturally weren''t a threat to her. At that moment, Lennox pulled something out of the drawer. The dark blue jade hairpin twirled in his hand, the dangling small gems danced with his movements. " You are this old, yet can''t let go of this thing? I should have broke it when I had the chance" Sapphire was confused for a moment. This hairpin was a gift her father made for her when she sessfully transformed to her current Bnced form. The hairpin has the ability to control a person with a level lower than the creator for at most one hour. Since almost everyone is weaker than her father, Sapphire went around possessing people and causing troubles wantonly. This continued until one of the mothersined to her father and he ended up confining her hairpin. However, this guy in front of her was talking as of he knew everything about it. Suddenly a person''s figure ovepped with the boy in front of her. The indifferent tone, sleepy eyes and the nonchnt attitude as if he couldn''t care less if the sky fell and the ground cracked. For a moment, Sapphire had a very dangerous thought. It was already suspicious enough that the brother, who would either be stuck to the Blood Prince or their father, is roaming around with an unidentified dude. However, no matter how coincidences might ovep, it can never create such urate resemnce. After all, the number of people who can be this arrogant under heaven could be counted on one hand. Lennox took in all of her emotional changes. He understood that him appearing in front of her after being ''dead'' for a hundred years, is the worst way to deliver such news. Which is why when Sapphire absentmindedly called "Daddy", he calmly responded. " What is it? " This was the first time in hundred years that someone has responded when she called that name. Sapphire could hear her heart beating next to her ears, her tears had long since started pouring down. Who would have thought that in a normal home visit, she would be able to meet a dead person? " Daddy.... " " What is it? Speak properly " With that, Sapphire no longer hesitated and threw herself on Lennox. Since he was shorter than her, she just both dropped on the ground while tightly hugging her father. Seeing how bitterly his daughter was weeping, Lennox didn''t have the heart to shed her, simply letting her wipe her tears and snot on his clothes. On the side, when Everly saw the good pretty big sister suddenly copsed and started crying, she panicked. Thinking that Lennox must have hit her, she quickly ran to him with teary eyes. Grabbing his sleeve, Everly started sobbing, " d- don''t hit big sister, *son she wanted to help *sob help Everly, doooon''t Waaaaaa!! " Lennox was dumbfounded. When did he beat someone? At a lose what to do with these two crying babies, Lennox subconsciously looked towards Bun-Bun, only to find that his eyes were slightly red. " No...little one, don''t- " Unfortunately, Bun-Bun could not suppress it and joined the crying team. Except that his crying expression, unlike the snot-filled Everly and Sapphire, was clean lovely and pitiful. Lennox felt distressed. It''s not like it''s the first time that he encountered a bunch of wailing kids, it''s just that at that time they were young and easily coaxed. However, at the moment, only Everly would shut up after a few kisses and a candy, but the other two aren''t! WHY ARE YOU CRYING DAMNIT!! ''parenting is hard..... '' Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Walking into the crown prince pce, Jennings pondered at the surroundings. Although it looked a bit gloomy, the crown prince''s pce was well maintained. '' Seems like Lennox hadn''t left it to dry like I expected '' After receiving a report that the crown prince''s pce is being haunted by ghosts, Bernard volunteered to go and check on the matter (wanted to mess with Lennox''s stuff). Seeing that it took him longer than expected, Jennings decided to inquire about his progress. Bernard was crouching in the garden, firmly staring at a in rock. A momentter, he threw the rock disappointedly. " what are you doing? " Bernard has already noticed himing so he wasn''t startled. Dusting his clothes, Bernard answered gloomily. " trying to find the key of the barrier in this garden " " By staring at rocks? " "..." Realizing that he had asked something stupid, Jennings faked a cough. He pulled a stright face and inquired about the situation, the other didn''t make it difficult for him and answered seriously. " I have searched the entire pce, found out that the garden emits a highly condensed miasma, although faint, it is still suspicious. Thus I assumed that there must be a barrier that blocks it from spreading, which is why I am looking for any keys " Every barrier has to be installed on something, it could be anything, a tree, a brick or even a dead body, literally anything. Which also made it hard to find, thus, most people would either break them by force or find another way. However, if a barrier made by Lennox could be casually broken, then no body needs to live anymore. Jennings understood this very well, so he did not disturb him and a found a random bench to sit on. As for why a busy Emperor sitting around in board daylight, that''s for Carson toin about. Bernard proceeded with his search, and for the next half hour, there was no result. He slumped on the bench next to Jennings, feeling frustrated. '' Do I need to examine the dirt and grass as well? '' Knowing that he can''t skip work forever, Jennings stood up, prepared to say a few words of constion to Bernard when he spotted a small circr pattern on the bench he was sitting. Bernard also noticed it, and now both of them were staring speechlessly at the bench..... " You sat on it?!!! While I was looking around like a headless chicken?!!! " " I didn''t see it " " how could you not?! It''s right in front of you and you sat on it! " Jennings didn''t respond and just made a way for Bernard to examine the key-pattren. Seeing him staying quiet, Bernard helplessly sighed. " bro, don''t be like this, go hug your daughter or something and recharge your energy. I am not used to see you acting dumb, it gives me gussbumbs " After saying that, Bernard focused on the barrier key. He circted his mana a few times before finally undoing it. However, the moment the barrier was lifted, a huge wave of Dark miasma surged towards them. Even Jennings, who is not a mage, could sense a pressuring cold energy rushing in their direction. Bernard reacted quickly and pulled Jennings behind his back as he casted a mana shield.After making sure that Jennings wasn''t harmed, Bernard instructed his elemental to go and purify the mess outside their shield. [ Why should I go? It''s not like this much cold energy can do anything to you ] [ not for me but for him. So get your ass to work ] [ Who cares about that human, why are you so sensitive? ] [ you better get moving or I am turning you to a bathroom lightbulb ] Although reluctant, the lightning elemental slipped through an opening and started burning all the Dark miasma. She doesn''t want to see naked humans bathing!! " What is going on...? " Jennings finally overcame his shock and asked restlessly. " Dark miasma, usually apany a high level curse. But what the hell did your son bury here to get to this extent? " Jennings fell silent. How would he know! " how bad is the situation? And who is there fighting?" Bernard pondered for a moment, " in human terms, it should be really bad but don''t worry, I got this. Oh, and that''s my elemental, you met her before " " yeah, the sharp-tongued light ball...." It took a dozen of minutes for the elemental to purify all the miasma. After that, Bernard called a team of knights and mages to dig up everything in the garden. There were a lot of ''treasures'' buried in the garden. The more they dug up, the darker Jennings''s face became. Only after turning the beautiful and well maintained garden to a farming field, did they stop. Bernard looked at the goods with green eyes. Aside from the skeletons and corpses, there were a few interesting items that cought his attention. " Hey Jennings, I am taking this since you seem to be nning on sweeping the crown prince on the floor ", Bernard shamelessly said as he pointed at a tightly closed chest. " what is that? " " the heart of a female necromancer demon " "...." There is no sane person in this pce, is there? What would you do with that anyways?! Not wanting to know the answer for it, Jennings just turned his head and stared at the pile of skeletons and corpses. '' Very well son, you have gone and done it... '' ******* On another continent across the ocean. Len-really fucked up this time-nox: " ACHOO! " '' who is talking shit about me? '' Lennox rubbed his nose and proceeded to open his sealed cab. He entered his treasury alone to find the required manual and left the three kids outside to y and get along, though, it''s mostly Everly doing stupid things and the other two pping. In the cab was a bunch of neatly organized books. He casually read the titles on the books, looking for the one with the name ''Wanderer''s light''. His hand swept passed a few books before suddenly stopping at a white colored one. { Souls Within Us } Lennox stared at it for a while before hesitantly pulling it out. He had a question, but he was not sure whether knowing its answer will bring any good. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 After spending half an hour in his inner chamber, Lennox walked out with a face as dark as a pit. He looked at Everly with a burning gaze, hisplicated emotions were cocking inside him. So the unidentified feelings he had when they first met aren''t because there was a connection between them, but rather because they were simr. They both were dead. He had already noticed that Everly possessed an abnormal memory. With her low IQ, Everly should have forgotten what she had on breakfast. However, not just she remembered it well, she also remembers all the small details of years ago, coupled with her odd constitue, it''s clear that there must be something out of ce. Soul recording. After death, one''s soul could preserve its awareness for as long as it has originally lived. Lennox has lived for more than 500 years if added with his infant stage, which means that his soul could remain for about the same period of time. During that time, memories are no longer stored in the brain, rather, it is recorded within one''s soul. But that''s for a honorable being with a mighty soul. Everly, on the other hand, is a person who should not have been born, a fetus who died in the womb. Thebination of a Love and a Gaia spirit theoretically should be impossible, but there she is, bouncing around like a rubber ball. '' With such a weak soul, howe she hadn''t perished yet?- '' Just as he had these thoughts, Sapphire''s voice, along with Everly, closed towards him. " Daddy we want ice cream! " " Everly wants ice cream too, a big cup of ice cream~ " The two girls circled around him with sparkling eyes. Lennox turned to look at Ashel who was fidgeting on the side, asking indifferently. " You want ice cream too? " Ashel quickly nodded. His rubby round eyes were filled with expectations, looking like a white puppy waiting for his reward. Lennox sighed, " fine, let''s go get that ice cream " Instantly, the three kids'' faces bloomed with smiles. Everly raised her arms, demanding Lennox to carry her, theter did not bicker with the child and silently held her in his arms. ****** After returning to the town, Lennox ordered their ice cream and a few more dishes. The group sat on a round table on the first floor of the inn, attracting many gazes with their unusual appearances. Everly refused to let go so she was currently seated on Lennox''sp, adorably eating mouthfuls of ice cream. " Sapphire ", Lennox started, " little one told me you were admitted into a sect in Hell? " Sapphire swallowed what was in her mouth and confirmed with a nod:" oh, yeah. A while back I was wandering around and mistakenly stumbled into an abandoned pocket dimension. With no idea how to get out, I started destroying that shit and, coincidently, a big shot came by and saw me burning with mes and thought that had some potential, so he asked me to be his pupil. At first I refused, but that bastard just stright out said he wouldn''t let me out unless I agree, that''s it " Lennox frowned. Although he was dead, but his traces on his children should remain. Someone actually dared to ckmail his baby? Quite the guts he had. " What''s his name? " Sapphire didn''t notice his dark face, casually responding:" it was something like Gong Bai Nol, I don''t know what kind of names is that, but he didn''t seem to be a bad guy " Trantion: Gong Bai Nol= I got your daughter '' Damn you moutherfucker Satan! Still holding a grudge since that day!! '' Lennox feltplicated. On one hand, Satan is Sapphire''s real ancestor, he will surely treat her well. But on the other hand, he doesn''t want to give his daughter to be a heir for that skinny bastard. " now that I think about it, he kind of resembles daddy " " How so? " Ashel asked. " You know, he had that type of manwhore face " Lennox:"..." I am disowning you. Everly who was obediently eating since a while, suddenly raised her head and repeated:" manwhore! " "..." 3 You are disowned too. Lennox wiped Everly''s mouth with a tissue paper, fixed the few hair strands that fell on her face, then asked Sapphire. " When are you leaving to Hell? " There was no need to ask which gate of hell she was going to, since it''s Satan, it''s probably going to be the sixth one. Sapphire had her fill and slumped back on the chair, she answeredzily:" I was nning on leaving next week, but since daddy is here I think it''s better to leave after elder brother''s wedding " Lennox nodded, then as if weighing something in his mind, he paused for a good while. After finally making his decision, he rummaged through his pocket dimension and gathered a few weapons and mana crystals into a dimensional ring. [ Note: pocket dimension is a real world that has been isted and linked into a person, only those with higher level can creat one. Dimensional ring is like a key that allows someone to ess a certain ce in the pocket dimension. Both different from spacial ring and spacial bag that are used to store things ] A dark me burned on Lennox''s hand for a second before disappearing and leaving a ck ring in his hand. Lennox first put the ring near Sapphire before stretching out his hand. " show me you teleportation talisman " Sapphire was so excited seeing the dimensional ring that she strightword handed her talisman without thinking. She she took a peek into the dimensional ring, it was full with treasures. Sapphire was pleasantly surprised, she turned towards her father who was looking meaningfully at the teleportation talisman in his hand. " Daddy, what are these for? " Lennox responded casually:" for you, take them as an apology " " Apology for what? " Sapphire was confused. " For this " just as he said that, Lennox ripped the talisman in half and pushed it towardsher in a swift move. White light shined from the ripped talisman, it grew until it enveloped Sapphire then suddenly disappeared with the confused girl. Ashel: _ Lennox looked at his petrified child and a smile appeared on his usually cold face. He patted the young man on the head and exined. " never trust a woman with your secret, no matter who she is " Everly who was busy with food: ???? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!