TILLY plopped on the sofa as soon as she entered her room.

On the other hand, Luna sat on the chair across her.

I'm so tired.

After the dinner party, Kiho was summoned by the emperor. So her husband asked her to go home first with Luna. Her father dropped them off at their residence because he wanted to make sure that they'd go home safely.

"Miss Luna, would you like you live with us from now on?" Tilly asked the witch. "Aside from the fact that I'd be reassured to have you by my side, I also want to ensure your safety. I know that you're strong and capable of protecting yourself. But still, I want to do something for you. Consider it as my token of gratitude."

"After what I've seen tonight, there's no way I'd leave you alone," Luna said. "That Lady Hayward is something. I can tell that she's a mage but she tried to use black magic on you. She definitely belongs to the princess's "collection.""

"Collection?" she asked curiously. "What kind of "collection" does Her Royal Highness have?"

"The princess likes collecting people with unique powers and twisted personalities," the witch explained. "Most of them are good-looking men. The royal family is obsessed with beauty, aren't they?" When she just nodded at her question, Luna continued. "But there are also female members in her collection."

"Why do you know so much about the princess's collection, Miss Luna?"

"My sister was a part of her stupid collection."

She didn't miss the use of past tense.

"Let me introduce myself properly," Luna said seriously. "I am Luna of the Colorless Coven. Our clan has unique pink eyes. We are the only witches with this eye color," she said softly as if she was reminded of a fond but sad memory. "But our eyes aren't just pretty. If you gouge out our eyes and use them as ornaments, they could be powerful protection."

"Really?"

The witch nodded. "That's exactly the reason why our clan was hunted down by greedy rich people. They wanted our eyes because they are pretty and useful. Unfortunately, our clan doesn't specialize in fighting. Most of us dedicate our lives to creating medicine for rare diseases. So when we were hunted down for our eyes, only a few survived." She pointed at herself. "Obviously, I'm one of those who are still alive until now."

She nodded while absorbing Luna's story. "How did you survive, Miss Luna? Were you born stronger than your people?"

"You can say that," she confirmed. "My mother was the most powerful witch in our clan. And my father was also a powerful wizard. Me and my sister inherited their strong Mana. But since the enemies outnumbered us, we weren't able to protect our clan. Worst of all, our parents died protecting our people. Then, my sister and I got separated from them."

She felt sad hearing the witch's tragic story. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Miss Luna."

Luna just smiled at her before continuing with what she was saying. "My sister and I were adopted by the mages of the White Tower."

Tilly gasped in shock. "What?"

"Lahara found us when we arrived at the Royal Capital," the witch said in a bitter voice. "She felt our presence because during that time, my sister and I didn't know how to hide our powers. We were just in our adolescence then. And since we were young and didn't know any better, we followed Lahara to the White Tower."

She was now very invested in the story. Wow, I never found out about it in my first life.

"Lahara became our teacher," Luna continued. "My sister, Stella, got attached to Lahara too much though. It got worse when Lahara introduced my sister to the bitch princess."

She almost laughed at the way Lahara referred to Princess Nia.

"That now-crispy fried princess was fifteen years old when Stella and I met her," the witch said. "I never liked the princess's eyes but even though I warned Stella not to trust that bitch and Lahara too much, she didn't listen to me. I couldn't stand Lahara when I was at the White Tower so I often went out to travel. When I got a chance to join a war, I took it just so I could leave the tower for a long time. I know that the bitchy princess and that Lahara bitch would become a problem so I set out on a journey to improve my fighting abilities."

Gosh, Luna is so cool!

"But it was a terrible mistake," Luna said softly. "The war I partook in ended after five years. When I returned to the White Tower, Stella had become distant. Moreover, my sister and Lahara often time met up with the bitchy princess. Do you know why?"

"Her Royal Highness probably got your sister involved in a sketchy business."

Luna laughed softly before she spoke again. "It was Stella who made the perfect and most effective infertility medicine."

She gasped in surprise. Daebak.

Ah, that was a word she had learned from her previous life. 'Daebak' was an exclamation that was akin to "amazing" or unbelievable.

"The bitchy princess has been taking infertility medicine since she was a little girl," the witch continued. "But it was Stella's medicine that completely destroyed her reproductive organs. I freaked out when I discovered that. Helping the princess become infertile would have definitely sentenced my sister to death."

That's true.

"My sister wasn't dumb though," Luna said. "She knew she'd get killed by the emperor himself. So she made an antidote for her protection." Her face suddenly darkened. "When the bitchy princess discovered that Stella made an antidote to bring back her reproductive organs to normal, she asked Lahara to kill my sister."

Tilly gasped aloud while covering her mouth with her hands. "Luna…"

"They tried to kill me as well because they were afraid that I also know how to make the antidote,�� the witch continued bitterly. "Since it was the bitchy princess's order, the mages of the White Tower turned their backs on me." She smirked haughtily. "But unfortunately for them, they raised a lioness. And a lioness bites the hand of those who oppress them."

She clutched her chest tight when her heart started to beat fast and loud. "Miss Luna, if I were born a straight male, I would have fallen in love with you." She gave the witch a thumbs up. "You're so cool."

Luna laughed at that. "Anyway, my hatred of the White Tower and the royal family wouldn't be quenched. But no matter how powerful I am, I can't still kill the bitchy princess since she's being protected by the dumb emperor."

She bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. If other people heard Luna, she would definitely be hanged for blasphemy against the royal family.

"Unfortunately, even though the emperor is dumb, he's still too powerful," the witch said. "After all, he can use two ancient beasts. Moreover, his natural Mana is already too big. Only a god can kill the emperor."

"Does it mean I can kill the emperor?"

Luna looked surprised, then she laughed heartily. "Do you think you're a god just because you have the heart of the Red Phoenix?"

As expected, Luna really knew who and what she was.

But still, she wanted to know one thing.

"How did you know that, Miss Luna?" Tilly asked curiously. "Is it so obvious that my identity isn't safe anymore?"

"Your heart is asleep so only people like me can tell who and what you are," she said. "And don't worry, only a few people like me exist here."

"People like you?"

The witch pointed at her ears. "Someone who can hear the voice of an ancient god."

She gasped aloud. "You can hear the voice of a god?"

"Well, only the voice of the Red Phoenix," Luna admitted. "The real one."

"But how?" she asked. "I have its heart but I can't hear its voice."

"It's because your connection with the Red Phoenix had been cut off by someone when you were born," she explained. "I bet the bitchy princess cut it off so you wouldn't know about your real identity. If the princess didn't cut it off, you wouldn't have forgotten about the memories of your first life."

"You even know that this isn't my first life…"

"I heard it from the Red Phoenix," the witch said. "The phoenix asked me to find you and help you retrieve your old memories."

Her forehead knotted in confusion. "But I have the memories of my previous lives in my head."

"Don't trust those memories," the witch warned her. "You weren't yourself for most part of your first life. Don't let it confuse you."

To be honest, she didn't understand how her memories could be fake. But she decided to trust Luna. "How can I retrieve my old memories, Miss Luna?"

Luna smirked naughtily. "Steal it from the High Priest's temple, my lady."

Tilly's eyes widened in shock. "Can I do that?"

***

TILLY'S conversation with Luna was interrupted when Kiho arrived.

She wanted to welcome her husband so she excused herself. While she was going down the grand staircase, she smiled when she saw Kiho who just entered the mansion. He was greeted by the servants. Like usual, he gave her jacket and other stuff to David.

When Kiho looked up and saw her going the down stairs, his face was suddenly etched with worry.

Then, when she blinked, her husband was already literally standing in front of her.

Wow, speed.

"Honey, you don't have to welcome me from now on," Kiho said worriedly. Then, he placed a hand on her tummy. "I don't want you to overwork yourself."

"I'm fine. Baby Winter also likes waiting for your return," she assured them. Then, her forehead knotted when she noticed that his eyes were swollen. Don't tell me… "Kiho, did "you-know-who bully you?" she asked in an annoyed voice. She couldn't mention the emperor because the servants were still within earshot. Thankfully, it looked like Kiho understood her. "Did he summon you just to bully you? I should have stayed with you. Tsk!"

He looked surprised. "This is the first time I saw and heard you click your tongue, Tilly."

"I'm seriously pissed right now, Kiho," she said in a low voice, her body temperature rising alarmingly. "How dare that sc*mbag make my Kiho cry?"

Now he looked shocked by her blasphemy against the emperor. He even turned around in panic to make sure that no one heard her. Then, he looked at her with worry. "Honey, hearing you curse is sexy but please calm down." He held her by the shoulders. "I'm okay."

She felt a cool sensation from the palm of his hands. It looked like he was trying to literally cool her down. And it was working. "Are you really okay?"

Kiho nodded. Then, he hugged her tight and buried his face against her neck. "I'll feel better if we take a bath together though."

Okay, that made her laugh.

Instant serotonin boost.

"My maids will surely hate you soon," Tilly said jokingly. Then, she hugged him back. "But I like doing it with you as well."

***

"HON, thank you," Tilly told Kiho while she was sitting between Kiho's legs while they were on bed. Her husband really stole her maids' jobs and was now dying her hair with a white towel. "Thank you for letting Luna stay here in our house."

Before they took a bath together, Tilly brought Kiho to Luna and told her husband about her offer to her doctor. He agreed right away to let her stay with them. He even gave the witch the biggest guest room in the mansion.

My husband is so generous.

"It's nothing, honey," Kiho said. "Miss Luna is your doctor. And she's strong. I'll be more at ease if you have her by your side.��

"I also feel safe with her."

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Tilly?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

She smiled at the warmth of his voice. "For what?"

"You were so mad for me," he said. "It looked like you were ready to start the war against His Majesty. That made me feel special." He kissed the side of her neck. "Thank you, Tilly."

"You're welcome, Kiho," she said, then she turned to him. "May I know why you cried?"

"I ended my brotherhood with His Majesty," he confessed. "And honey?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I revealed to the emperor that I already know who and what you are," he said apologetically. "I was carried away by my emotions."

"Don't apologize, Kiho. His Majesty is smart. I'm sure he already knows that even if you didn't expose yourself."

His face lit up, then he leaned down to kiss her on the lips. "I want to spoil you. Do you want to go shopping tomorrow?"

"Yes," she said honestly. "But I don't want clothes or shoes or jewelries. I want to buy stocks and invest on some businesses."

"I like that you know exactly what you want."

She just smiled at gently tapped his cheek. "I'll pay you triple once my investments become a huge success, hon. House Nystrom will be the richest family in the empire soon."

"House Nystrom," he said softly. "Matilda 'Tilly' Nystrom. Tilly Nystrom. My Tilly is now a Nystrom. I still can't believe that you took my name instead of retaining yours."

She had an option to remain as a Prescott and still be the Duchess of Oakes.

But this was the first time that Kiho would use a surname. It was his symbol of nobility. There was no way she wouldn't support him.

"It's your name so of course, I love it," she told him. "It sounds nice."

Kiho kissed on the forehead. "Thank you for taking my name, Tilly."

"You're welcome, Kiho," Tilly said. "But is a forehead kiss the only kiss I'm getting tonight?"

Her husband rewarded her with a naughty smile.

***

"THEY'RE in love with each other. The heart and the god," Luna whispered while sitting on the windowsill, gazing at the full moon. She sighed, then closed her eyes. "I can already smell the tragedy that's about to come."

***

PS: You may send gifts if you can. Thank you~

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