“Oh, my…”

Sitana stopped her movements, stared at Cian with an amusement and then suddenly—

“Fu…ahaha! Ahahahaha!”

Sitana couldn’t hold back her surging laughter.

“My dearest son... What a cruel thing to say!! How my little boy has grown! Wonderful! Ahahahaha!!"

Sitana turned around while laughing cheerfully, walking through the roof without any concern.

“… …” Cian could only stare at Sitana’s back, dumbfounded. What just happened…?

“Ah, right before I forget…” Sitana stopped and turned around as if she had just remembered something. She looked at Cian with a loving glint in her eyes. “Since you had stopped hiding your abilities, I guess you would start from now on…right?”

“… …”

“Then, let mother give you a good present… come to the palace hall tomorrow and go back to your room and stop playing at this late hour.”

“Present?”

“You will know it tomorrow…” Sitana grinned. “The war is just starting, you might probably become busy from now on…”

Looking at Sitana’s expression, something seemed to have snapped inside Cian’s mind.

“Mother, what are you really thinking? Why start this war? Why!?” Cian cried out. His mind snapped from her mother’s obscure behavior. Did she lose her mind…?

“And what is this [ Box of Pandora ]?! Why can’t you tell me?! If you love me, you should tell me the truth then! If not, I don’t know if I should help you in this war or fight to stop you!!”

“… …”

“MOTHER!!” Cian glared at Sitana. Complex emotions surge through him, feeling as if he was being toyed with all this time.

“You think too much for now, son. This is not the right time for me to answer you nor do I have the interest to do so. If you want to know everything you wanted to know, then rise up in rank and show me what you’re capable of—make your mother proud.” Sitana laughed warmly. “As for whether you want to help me in this war or not, I won’t force you. Act like you see fit—join me if you want. Stop me if you want—just one thing you need not forget—Mother loves you,”

“I love you… Aanuel…”

After saying that, Sitana’s figure turned around and then disappeared as if she has been swallowed by darkness. Even Cian couldn’t sense her anymore—though, it’s not like he could even before.

“Mother…!”

Cian cried out softly as his both hands clenched tightly. Damn!!

Night what do you really want me to do here!!?

Meeting Sitana tonight and those words he had heard, Cian started doubting what he had known about. Obviously, he didn’t dare trust Sitana’s words but, looking at her eyes, she doesn’t seem to be lying.

Then, what is this…?

What is Sitana’s intention in telling him those words…?

Naah, Night!!

Are you telling the truth or just using me…!!?

Can I really trust what you said to me…?

*** ***

Cian wanted to scout the entire Empire and afterward, test his current powers in the wilderness for some practice, but who would have expected, the moment he steps outside the world for the very first time, he would encounter a heavenly dragon just before his door…!

Such thing can really make one lose appetite…!

Thus, with a merciless smack to his confidence, he returned to his room with a dejected appearance.

The morning bell rang right at 6 a.m. the next morning.

In the Imperial City, this gong was called the Morning Bell, signifying the new day for the world.

Ruka instinctively buried her head into the duvet to hide from the gong of the bell tower. After a long time, she came out from the covers reluctantly and made her way up like a wandering spirit.

…… quilt? Ruka stared blankly at it. Probably, it was cold at night so she covered herself.

But how…? Turning her head around, she found herself sleeping in the bed… why?

Isn’t she sleeping in a chair…?

Just as she'd risen up halfway, a large force on her waist suddenly pulled her back down.

“Kyaa!!”

She found herself lying in bed once again as she came face-to-face with Cian’s blindingly dashing face.

What?!

What is this?

The curtains in the Mansion were drawn with only a shred of faint light shining in. On the soft, comfortable and warm bed, there laid a devilishly handsome man next to her. Any normal human being would probably want to sleep for an eternity.

However… why is her demon prince… sleeping beside her…?

What had just happened…?

Ruka couldn't imagine that after worrying for so long, she'd be too exhausted and sleep on the chair, waiting for her merciless master, all the way until dawn. She didn't even realize when Prince Aanuel returned.

Ruka unbelievably stared at her demonic master in front of her, “Mas, ter?” Why was he here?

No… the question should be… why is she here…?

Looking down, she found her waist embraced by a large arm; her body was akin to a pillow being hugged. This intimate position made her heart pound, "Ma, master, uh... I need to get up ear, early..."

The youth’s eyes didn't open. He didn't seem to have the intention of letting her get up as he said in a low voice, "There's still a few more hours."

"Uh..." Ruka was speechless.

Yeah, there’s still time… more like, he has the time in the world to sleep. But poor her didn’t…!

“You, you can continue sleeping master, I,”

However, before she could finish her words, the rest of the words were stuck in her throat as she saw Cian opening his eyes and staring at her coldly. The way she looks at her was the same as the eyes looking at a corpse, cold and chilly…

“… …” Ruka almost choked.

A long time passed before he said with an extremely repressed voice: “Go back to sleep.”

“But……”

“Don’t talk to me right now.” He rudely interrupted her. Then he closed his eyes and indeed went back to sleep.

However, for some reason, the arm holding Ruka tightened, pushing her even deeper in his bosom. Ruka’s face reddened and her eyes rolling left and right from panic. Her face was now only inches away from Cian’s face to the point she can even feel his hot breath.

That handsome face strikes her heart like a bombardment of trebuchets. She didn’t know what to say or do… really, what is this? Reward or punishment…?

These past few days, Ruka really couldn’t understand what her master was playing…

He seemed to have changed quite a huge deal to the point that she doesn’t understand where east or west is anymore. Of course, it wasn’t a bad transformation—in fact, for her, this transformation was like a pie suddenly falling from the sky to her hands.

She felt so happy and lucky, especially for all the affection she had received from him. She even felt herself falling for her master… but was it fine…?

Was this real…?

She can’t help but doubt the authenticity of this sudden newfound reality.

What if the pie was actually a poisonous one…?