"YOUR MAJESTY, I have brought the witnesses that I mentioned during our last meeting."

Aku, sitting in his throne comfortably, raised a brow at Kiho.

He was amused.

They both knew that the "evidence" that Kiho brought up during their last meeting was just fabricated. House Huxley and House Hayward definitely didn't send the assassins to House Nystrom to kill Kiho's son.

The assassins were there due to Nia's order to bring Lady Nystrom to her.

Still, he decided to humor Kiho. The assassins that he brought to the Royal Palace were properly placed in prison. He also decided to open a noble trial.

"I know that House Huxley and House Hayward are both loyal followers to His Majesty," Kiho, who stood in front of him with a blank look on his face, continued with his bluff. "But I trust that His Majesty is going to be fair during the noble trial."

This time, Aku couldn't help but laugh. "Why are you so talking formally, Kiho?" he asked, then he opened his arms to motion to the empty throne room. Only the two of them were there. Sir Gregory wanted to stay and guard him but he insisted that he wanted to talk to his brother alone. "Duke Alastair and Count Dasovich aren't here."

He knew that during their last meeting, Kiho intentionally brought up the attack to his family in the presence of Duke Alastair and Count Dasovich. His advisors might be loyal to him, but they were also very upright people.

And that was exactly why he couldn't turn down Kiho's request last time.

So this time, he made sure no one else would join his audience.

"You can talk casually to me, Kiho," he encouraged his brother with a smile. "You know, like in the old times."

Kiho just remained silent.

Ah, so he's keeping his distance between us.

He wasn't going to lie– that hurt him. After all, he was so used to Kiho following his orders without questions. In the past, it was easier to control him.

But for some reason, Lady Nystrom had changed his brother completely.

"Kiho, are we really doing this?" he asked his brother seriously. "I'm giving you the chance to change your mind."

His brother remained silent.

"I will welcome you back to my side anytime, Kiho," he persisted. "I'm telling you now– staying with Lady Nystrom will be your end."

After all, the Fire Mages would never accept Kiho as the Supreme's husband.

I worked hard to make sure that the Fire Mages will hate the Black Serpent forever.

"Why would staying with my wife become my end, Your Majesty?" Kiho finally asked. "And why do you sound so sure about it?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your words sounded like a threat, Your Majesty," he deadpanned. "You make it sound like I'm going to regret staying with Tilly."

"You know what I'm talking about, Kiho," he reminded him foolish brother. "The empire only needs you and your son. Lady Nystrom is a Fire Mage and her clan betrayed the royal family. For that reason, she has to be exiled once her lineage is exposed. Your son can be an exception, though. After all, he is the child of the prophecy."

"Was it ever proven that the Fire Mages betrayed the royal family, Your Majesty?" Kiho asked with a slightly raised brow as if he was challenging him. "If it was, then can you tell me and everyone in the empire what kind of crime did the Fire Mages allegedly committed for them to be considered traitors?"

He clenched his fists at his brother's probing questions. "The crime that the Fire Mages had committed against the royal family is unspeakable, Kiho."

"Or fabricated," Kiho said. "If you can't tell us the reason for their "crime," then it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the betrayal of the Fire Mages is nothing but a myth."

"Kiho, don't make me angry," he warned his brother. "If the royal family deems an issue unspeakable, then it is unspeakable."

"I didn't know that you're a tyrant now, Your Majesty."

"Duke Kiho Nystrom."

"I'll be taking my leave now, Your Majesty," Kiho said slyly while maintaining a pokerfaced. Then, he bowed to him. "My utmost gratitude for your precious time."

The sarcasm wasn't missed.

Aku could only smirk at his brother's blatant disrespect.

This is all Lady Nystrom's fault.

***

KIHO could finally be able to breathe once he was out of the emperor's palace.

But of course, he didn't let his guard down. Especially not when the lapel of his jacket had small cameras hidden in it.

Yes, cameras made of spirit stones.

Miss Luna, an expert in creating barriers, created a protection around the two cameras so that not even His Majesty would feel the spirit stones. It looked like His Majesty didn't notice them.

According to Tilly, they had to "document" the "silent war" between them and the emperor.

I still don't see the whole picture but I trust my wife.

"Duke Nystrom!"

Kiho wasn't surprised to see Captain Sherwood waiting for him at his carriage. After all, he was the one who asked him to meet. "I apologize for calling you in a short notice, Captain Sherwood."

"No need to apologize, my lord," Captain Sherwood said brightly. "Are you finally bringing me to your family so I could pledge my loyalty to Lady Nystrom and Lord Winter."

He nodded as confirmation.

To be honest, it was still Tilly's idea.

"We need Captain Sherwood this time, hon," Tilly told him before he left the mansion a while ago. "Captain Sherwood is still a duke. Moreover, he belongs to the House of Lords. We need his position for our next move, Kiho."

And that was the only reason why he finally decided to accept Captain Sherwood as their ally.

What Tilly wants, I'll give it to her.

"We will accept you on our side, Captain Sherwood," Kiho said, his golden eyes glowing menacingly. "But if you try to betray my family, I will kill you."

Captain Sherwood obviously felt his bloodlust because he took a step backwards with an awkward look on his face. But in the end, he managed to regain his composure. Then, he gave him his usual cheeky smile. "I won't betray my god's family, Duke Nystrom."

""My god?""

***

"SIR GREGORY," Aku called his knight when he stood from his throne. "Kill the "witnesses" that Kiho brought to the Royal Palace."

Sir Gregory looked surprised by his order. "How about the noble trial, Your Majesty?"

"There won't be a noble trial anymore," he said coldly. "Kiho made me angry so I changed my mind. I will no longer humor my rude brother.��

After saying that, he pulled a pair of black leather gloves from his pocket.

The old knight's eyes widened in shock. After all, he knew what those black leather gloves of his meant. "Your Majesty, you don't have to do it yourself," he said in a voice hinted with worry. Then, he bowed his head. "Please allow me to kill whoever it is that you want gone, Your Majesty."

Yes, he only took out his black gloves when he was about to kill a prey.

"I appreciate your concern but the prey this time isn't someone you can kill, Sir Gregory," he said while putting on the gloves. "In fact, I think I'm the only person capable of killing him."

Sir Gregory raised his head to give him a confused look. "Who are you going to finish off, Your Majesty?"

Aku smirked before he answered the old knight's question. "His Holiness needs to be gone before my fight with Lady Nystrom begins."

***

FORRESTER couldn't help but smirk after he received his father's message.

Right now, he was alone in the prayer room dedicated to the Sky God. He stood in front of a giant cauldron with a huge golden flame in it. Since his father was an old-fashioned man who didn't know how to use spirit stones as communication device, he still insisted on sending his messages to him using the Golden Flame.

"It has been ages since you sent a direct message to me and this is all I got from you?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. "You're telling me that I'm going to die at the dumb emperor's hands?"

The Golden Flame remained still and it was an indication of his father's silence.

It was amazing how his father never changed all these years. Even though it was the Sky God's fault why the Moonchesters were so arrogant, he still wouldn't take accountability of it. Instead, he would simply pass down the responsibility of destroying the "royal family" to other people.

What an irresponsible god.

No wonder the Supreme and the Black Serpent never really respected the gods in the heavens.

"So much for being your favorite son," he complained. "I don't mind dying since I've already lived enough to know that the human clan isn't worth fighting for. But to die at the hands of that dumb emperor? You must be kidding, Father."

The Golden Flame flickered angrily.

"I'm not going to die a shameless death, Father," Forrester said with a growl. If his father was angry, then so was he. "Don't you know how embarrassing would it be for the son of the Sky God to die by the hands of the Moon God's fake son?"

***

TILLY felt uneasy.

She was standing by the window of her room while looking outside. Thankfully, Winter was asleep in the playroom with Julian. Luna was looking after the children.

If Winter was awake, he would surely feel my anxiety.

And that was why she was glad that her little cinnamon roll was a sleepyhead, just like what his husband claimed.

Anyway, Kiho called her a while ago and said that he was coming home with Captain Sherwood. She wanted to wait for her husband's return. Every time Kiho would leave the mansion, she would always feel nervous while waiting for him.

If only I can help my husband to protect our family…

After she saw a piece of her past as Soleil Rosenberg, she couldn't help but feel frustrated at how weak she was now compared to her past self.

I can't stay this way.

She wanted to protect Kiho and Winter with her own power.

"Lady Nystrom, what are you thinking?" Sentinel, who came out of her heart, asked. "I can sense your anxiousness."

"I want my power back," Tilly declared, then he turned around to face the spirit guardian. "Sentinel, is there a way to retrieve my memories without losing myself in the process?"

***

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

***

[NOTE: Please ADD my story in your LIBRARY so you can be notified when I post an update. Thank you! :>]