Aurelia's hand that was holding the needle and thread paused.Helene snuggled the pillow with her face intimately, swaying it gently and humming a lullaby as if she was really lulling a baby to sleep."My baby is a girl…" she talked to herself, then smiled at Aurelia. "A very pretty girl!"Aurelia felt a pinch in her nose.Before she came to Southeast Aciatic, she did not know that girls could be pampered so much. She thought of her parents when in fact, her impression of the two of them was already blurry.Before she was ten years old, the family of three had crammed in the dark, dirty, and damp basement. Even if a single penny was left at home, her father would take it for alcohol and drugs. Their source of income had been her mother's prostitution.Aurelia remembered that her mother would dress scantily and stand by the streets even when it was in the middle of the winter, making sexy giggles that made one's hair stand on end.The two of them did not really care about her. Th
When Helene patted Aurelia's back, Aurelia tried to wrap her arms around the former as well… like how a child would cling to her mother."Be good, hush," Helene said softly. "I'm here, it's okay…""Mm!" Aurelia nodded and wore a genuine smile."Princess Lene, will you protect me?""I will." Helene smiled without much thought."Why?""Y-You're my baby.""Princess Lene, I told you, your baby's over there!" Aurelia pointed at the pillow with a smile.Helene paused before she smiled embarrassedly as if realizing something. She scooped the pillow over with a hand and kept another around Aurelia so both were in her arms."Both!" she said loudly. "Both are my babies!"Aurelia giggled happily, a different sense of bliss engulfing her.There was a noise at the door then.Aurelia got up, alarmed, but the person had already entered before she went over."Mr. Irwin!" Aurelia's eyes shone.Rowan hushed her and asked her softly, after looking around to see that there was no one, "How h
Jim focused on looking up information these few days while Cordelia and Zephyr stayed in his study.A lot of the materials Jim was going through were not in Chaisene. Fortunately, Zephyr was a decent translator and translated the materials smoothly.When Zephyr completed the translation of a whole page of Latiumo, Cordelia could not help her brimming admiration and gave him a hug."Darling, you're amazing!" She looked at him like a fangirl. "You know Latiumo too?"How much more about him was what she did not know?Zephyr felt rather triumphant.Actually, learning Latiumo was sort of an accident for him.Josiah had signed up for the Latiumo course, citing that the royal families and nobles of Eropah all picked up Latiumo and that girls would dig guys who could speak Latiumo, but gave up after three lessons.In order to have enough credit hours and not jeopardize graduation, Zephyr helped him finish up the rest of the course. If he had known that he would receive Cordelia's sta
At Southeast Aciatic, in the secret chamber at the palace…Victoria looked around at the door. After ensuring no one was behind her, she asked her maid to wait outside and entered discreetly.Carmella was already inside, standing facing the wall. An oil painting portrait of her and the king, Martin, was hung on it.It was the year Martin had just become king. He was high-spirited, commanding, and confident. Dressed in formal attire with a crown on his head, he stood behind Carmella, who sat in front with a soft smile.There were two days in Carmella's life that she had been the happiest—one was watching Martin become king, and the other was becoming his bride.Victoria came up behind her and called out softly, "Auntie."Carmella broke out of her daze. "All done?""Don't worry, Auntie," Victoria said with a smile. "I just came from a call with Suzanne and Joy. They've found the husband and wife in Melorian…""Really?" Carmella arched her brow."Yes!" Victoria nodded and did not
It was no wonder that Aurelia had been sleeping so peacefully these days and that the mosquitoes only bit Helene instead of her… She really thought that it was like what the Internet said about mosquitoes only biting certain blood types and felt lucky that her blood type was not what the mosquitoes liked.It was actually because…It was not that the mosquitoes were not biting her. It was because someone was chasing them away for her."You're awake?"Helene stopped what she was doing in the dark and looked at her stiffly, lowering her head like a child who did wrong."I… Am I too loud, and you can't sleep?“Mosquitoes… There are mosquitoes…"I'm afraid that you will get itchy…"Aurelia bit her lips. She could no longer hold back her tears and threw herself into Helene's arms.Back when she stayed in the basement as a child, she had cried after being bitten by lice and fleas, but her mother had kicked her to the wall, finding her annoying.Helene patted her back softly and coax
While Aurelia was still dazed, the mysterious person behind Alexander showed his true face.Aurelia's hand flew to her mouth as she nearly shrieked."Don't be so surprised…" Alexander was trying to hold back his laugh as well.How could she not be surprised, though?When the two of them entered just now, Aurelia had thought that the one following Alexander was a… maid!She scanned Neil from head to toe with widened eyes.He was in a short-sleeved blouse and a long narrow skirt—a large-sized long narrow skirt. He was even wearing floral-embroidered flats and had a headscarf.If one did not look carefully, one would think he was just a maid with a bigger build! This maid with a bigger build had walked in swaying hips just now!Aurelia's face was growing red. When she saw Neil's glower, she could no longer hold herself back. A loud giggle escaped along with her tears."Shh!" Alexander shushed her and asked Neil to wear the headscarf properly. There were still guards and maids at
Neil turned back and saw Helene, who was glaring daggers at him with her hands on her hips.Neil was annoyed that he was hit for no reason and wanted to vent it on someone, but he had goosebumps once he saw Helene’s temperament…“Let go of her!” Helene shouted stubbornly, “Let! Go!”Neil was frustrated. He would have lashed out if it was a usual day, but it was strange today.Helene, who was pale and fragile, seemed to tower over him somehow. He could only stare at her without being able to get a word out.After a long time, Neil could only say, “W-What are you doing?”Helene harrumphed loudly and shoved him away to put herself in front of Aurelia.Her frail body formed a stark contrast against the tall and muscular Neil.It was just that she did not seem afraid at all facing this big man.Neil could not help thinking of a story. A hunter was hunting in the forest. His hound had found a baby bird that had fallen to the ground from its nest and was going to sniff it out when th
However, Neil could not leave. Helene stopped in front of him and shoved him the half-done clothes!"You can only leave after you're done with the embroidery!""What!?"Aurelia laughed until her stomach hurt seeing Neil's face that could be made into a meme.Helene grabbed Aurelia's hand and raised her head proudly. She took her to the side place."Let the bad guy do it! Let him do it all!"He can't bully you if he's doing embroidery!""Hmph!"Neil looked at the two of them in disbelief. Aurelia turned her head to show her tongue and made a silly face before leaving.…Zephyr had been helping Jim translate the documents the past few days.Apart from Chaisene and Feransai, he had also mastered a bit of Espany. With the help of a dictionary, it was not too difficult for him to do the translation.It was close to midnight. Cordelia brought a glass of milk to the study and placed it into his hand. She then massaged his shoulders."Is our son sleeping?" Zephyr looked up from th
"Only Morpheus and Sephy aren't like that. They respect and understand me. Sephy told me once, 'One's appearance doesn't indicate anything. A clean heart is what truly matters!'"Rebecca chuckled dismissively."You're a psychologist, yet you fail to grasp this," Wynn said coldly. "Actually, I pity you. You could have stepped out, yet you insist on dwelling on the trivialities."Morpheus has psychological barriers, a consequence of returning from the battlefield. No one has cured his PTSD except Sephy... It shows that a true psychologist is never just a title."What truly heals everything is love!"-One particular morning a year later, sunlight streamed through sheer cream curtains onto the floor.Persephone was sound asleep when she suddenly felt something pressing down on her... Then, Morpheus' strong arms wrapped around her slender waist. She drowsily opened her eyes to find him sealing her lips with heated kisses.Over the year, his kissing skills had improved, and Persepho
With Morpheus' involvement, the police didn't slack off and quickly found Rebecca.That day, Rebecca was preparing to escape from a small port. The boat she had found was an illegally operating one.As she was about to board, piercing sirens sounded nearby.The boat owner, enraged upon hearing the sirens, grabbed Rebecca by her hair and pushed her into the water.Rebecca screamed for help, but he roared, "I didn't expect you to be sent by the cops!""I'm not..." Rebecca choked on water. "Sir, let's leave now. Your boat is fast. As long as we reach the open sea, no one will catch you!""Dream on!" The boat owner wanted to strangle her. "Do you not understand? These sirens are from the royal guards! Who did you bitch provoke?"Rebecca was dumbfounded. Being a foreigner, she naturally didn't understand the local affairs in the Southeast Aciatic region.The police and royal guards quickly caught up, armed, and surrounded them.Rebecca turned pale and trembled all over, her gaze gr
"You had no choice on the battlefield."Persephone looked at him with her crystal eyes. There was a magical power in them. Even if a devil was tearing him apart, her eyes would always bring him back to light.She smiled and caressed his cheek. "Though you killed your father, you saved the country.""Do you really… think so?"She nodded. "You're not at fault. He was the one who made a mistake. You were just fulfilling your job as a general to protect the country."But I also understand that he's your father who brought you up, after all. You guys must have had happy days before that happened, right?"Morpheus held his head low in silence."You did well as the protector of the country," she said softly. "But as a son, you can secretly pay homage to him."Persephone held his hand. "Reconcile with your father, Morpheus. You'll also reconcile with yourself by doing that, okay?"He was stunned for a long time and felt a lump in his throat.-Morpheus stayed with Persephone in the
"No way!" Christopher smirked, glancing at Morpheus. "To him, you're his only princess! I just got lucky for the princess carry, thanks to you!""Yeah, at least you're self-aware!" Persephone nodded, rubbing her chin."We've known each other for so long! What kind of person do you think I am?" Christopher laughed. "I can be a bit shameless at times, but..."But upon learning that the one she loved was the unbeatable god of war, he willingly stepped back, offering his blessings with a smile."Okay, okay. You two stop crowding around me!" Christopher waved his hand. "Sephy needs more rest, and I'd like to get some more sleep, too! Once we heal, let's go out and have some fun together!""You're still thinking about fun?" Morpheus' deep voice intervened with a wry smile. "With the factory explosion incident, the royal family is furious and will thoroughly investigate it. Many people will probably be coming to talk to you both in the next few days. After all, you two are the most direc
"Let's get out first!""Hey, wait..." Persephone pointed to the other side.In moments of life and death, it wasn't appropriate to laugh, but Morpheus still chuckled. The young Prince Christopher was sprawled on the floor in a very ridiculous pose, and they almost forgot about him!"Don't worry," Morpheus whispered. "I won't let anything happen to him."He had Persephone cling to his back and then carried Christopher.Christopher was a tall fellow, so it took some effort to carry them both to a safe place.Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars rushed in. Their sirens pierced the sky, startling a flock of birds.The fire was soon extinguished, and Persephone and Christopher received timely treatment. Luckily, their burns weren't too severe, and even more fortunately, their faces were unharmed.When Christopher woke up, he felt bandages wrapped around his head, and his skin had a burning sensation. His heart sank, and he was almost on the verge of tears."Tell me the truth! A
There was fire everywhere. Flames rushed toward Persephone like menacing dragons. Her consciousness grew increasingly blurred, but the searing pain coursing through her body became clearer. She struggled to get up, the agony almost unbearable.Despite several attempts, it was futile...Something was pinning her feet down, and stones kept falling on her. She couldn't even muster a shout.Many images flashed through her mind in that fleeting moment, each frame featuring Morpheus' face…She remembered the times they had spent together in Flinge, how he had initially distanced himself from her, then later had exerted every effort to protect her. She recalled how he would gently ruffle her hair and call her "silly goose"..."Morpheus, I'm afraid I might have to go first..."The fire grew fiercer, explosions resonated continuously, and she could no longer hold on.Christopher, who was nearby, wasn't any better.Amidst the roaring flames, he couldn't see anything clearly, only pulling
"No need, you can go back first." Morpheus glanced at him. "I'll wait here for her a little longer.""Prince Christopher wouldn't do anything to Ms. Hamerton...""Alfred, what are you thinking?" Morpheus couldn't help but chuckle. "I know exactly what Christopher is like, but I just want to wait here for Sephy. Christopher mentioned that she'd specifically designed these fireworks for me. Hah! I'm the useless one. I don't even dare to go inside and take a look.""Sir, don't say that.""If I wait here, will it count as accompanying her in her efforts?"Alfred nodded.Morpheus smiled and sent Alfred back. He continued waiting under the tree.The air in Southeast Aciatic was hot and humid. The shade of the banyan tree offered some relief, but it couldn't completely dispel the oppressive heat.Morpheus took a deep breath, about to move elsewhere, when he glimpsed a suspicious figure swiftly darting through the factory's side gate.The security at the side gate was lax, making it e
Christopher struggled to swallow the bite of the sandwich in his mouth for what seemed like ages. He gazed at Persephone, his mind wandering back…He didn't just know Morpheus. He had been close since childhood to the children of the two prominent military families in Southeast Aciatic.Compared to the Harrises, he preferred visiting the Ortons, especially when he got to spend time with Morpheus. He considered Morpheus a friend, a brother even, having engaged in countless mischief together, much to their parents' dismay.In his memory, Morpheus was someone who smiled a lot, radiating warmth and brightness like the Southeast Aciatic sun when he did.However, from the moment Kaiden betrayed the country, Morpheus never smiled again, gradually growing distant from Christopher as well.It wasn't until that evening at the gates of the palace that Christopher felt like it had been a lifetime."I... I don't know him." Christopher forced a smile. "Where would I have met your boyfriend!"
Morpheus wasn't just an ordinary person!Christopher wholeheartedly accepted his defeat to Morpheus."Then... I'd like to invite you to come over to my place for a while as a friend. That's fine, right?"-A few days later, Persephone finally ran into Christopher, who had been missing in action for days, in the classroom."Hey, you finally showed up!" She dashed over, plopping down in the seat beside him and handing him breakfast. "You haven't eaten, right? Let's eat together!"Usually, Christopher would readily accept, but he waved his hands now. "No, no, no!""What's wrong?" Persephone widened her eyes. "This breakfast isn't poisoned!"Christopher awkwardly smiled. "You have a boyfriend, so maybe... we should keep some distance."Persephone burst into laughter. Then she remarked, "Strange... Morpheus was right!""Uh, what?""My boyfriend!" She chuckled. "He made this breakfast. I asked if he could also make a portion for you, and he said sure, just worried you wouldn't tak