"THAT'S THE 10th time since we arrived here."

Tilly nodded at Luna's sleepy comment. Right now, they were having tea in the balcony of their room in Dine&Dream. Although their room had a balcony, the view they had was the wall of the building next to it.

And right now, in the dark and sketchy alley, Roarke was busy beating the three men who tried to enter her room to a pulp.

"Don't burn them to ashes, Roarke," Tilly reminded the Keeper. "We don't want you to waste your energy on small fries."

Roarke looked up at her, then he bowed politely. "As you wish, Lady Nystrom."

Since they were in the Royal Capital, the Keeper couldn't call her 'Supreme.'

"I still believe that your idea of spreading the sketchy disappearance of the Duchess of Oakes is a brilliant one," Luna continued. "But since you showed your jet-black hair for everyone to see, you attracted scumbags. I'm pretty sure that those men who tried to enter our room are here to abduct and sell you since your hair color is pretty rare in the empire."

"The more I attract people, the faster the news about the "woman with the jet-black hair" will spread," she said. "I'm not only doing this for my "comeback." I also want the news about my return to reach our allies. I'm sure that Captain Denver and the rest wouldn't stay in the North for too long. I have a feeling that they have also visited the Royal Capital from time to time."

The witch nodded in agreement. "Lord Solaris was strict when it comes to creating a connection to people outside the island. He made it clear that he doesn't want us to contact the "outsiders" when we were in Solarium."

"And that's understandable," she said. "He protected the island for so long because of that strictness."

"You're right, Tilly."

She sipped her tea before she spoke again. "So, how was your trip with your "son?""

Luna glared at her, and she even lightly kicked her leg under the table that made her laugh. "You really find my situation amusing, don't you? You also often tease me about being Lord Solaris's "stepmother.""

She laughed at her light complain. "Well, I'd like to think that our "past selves" are no different from our ancestors. Just like how I treat Soleil Rosenberg as a different person from me. I don't have the memories of the Moon Priestess so I don't see her in you. That's why I can tease you like this. But if you think I'm crossing the line, you can call me out anytime."

"Well, you never teased me about it in front of Lord Solaris or Roarke so I'm fine with it," the witch said, then she changed the topic. "Anyway, what's our agenda today?"

"I'm glad you asked," she said excitedly, then she put her teacup down on the table. "Let's go shopping, Luna. I have a fashion show to own."

""Fashion show?"" Luna asked with furrowed brows. "What are you talking about this time, Tilly?"

"My debut stage," Tilly said with a laugh. "I have to wow my Kiho during our long-awaited reunion!"

***

"I'M SO sorry, Winter," Kiho said to his son while he was carefully putting him inside a huge box.

Right now, they were inside the carriage. He knelt in front of the box where he put Winter. To make sure he wouldn't get hurt, he put a soft blanket inside it.

It pained him to do that but that was the only way he could sneak his son in the mansion without getting caught. After all, it would be too suspicious if he went straight to the annex building instead of the main mansion.

"Please bear it for a while," he pleaded his son.

"It's okay, Dad," Winter assured him– again. "A gang leader won't be hurt by this."

He laughed softly at his son's joke.

Winter is trying to console me.

"Thank you, son," he said while ruffling his hair. Then, he looked up at Amilo who sat on the couch across from him. "Amilo, take care of Winter."

Amilo bowed politely. "As you wish, my lord."

"Don't worry too much, Daddy," Winter assured him once again. Then, he cupped his face between his cold, tiny hands. "But I have a request. Can you have at least one meal with me every day, Dad?"

He felt like he was punch in the chest when he heard his son's earnest request when he didn't have to.

"Of course, my little rascal. I'll do that even if you didn't wish for it," Kiho said, then he closed his eyes and gently bumped his son's forehead with his. "I will work hard so we can have meals together all the time."

***

"HAVE you heard about the alleged attack on the Duchess of Oakes five years ago?"

"Yes. I heard from our maids that apparently, the duchess was abducted by a high-ranking household in the past."

"There are also pieces of evidence going around backing it up."

"Ah, I also heard that Duke Nystrom has lost his memories because he was attacked when he was trying to save the duchess back then."

"We didn't notice because His Graces has always been quiet and stoic."

"What will happen to Lady Huxley now?"

"Well, I just found out that her engagement with Lord Nystrom was just a misunderstanding that Lady Huxley apparently didn't clear on purpose…"

Lucina covered her ears with her hands as she shut her eyes tight.

She was seething inside but she couldn't move from her spot.

Right now, she was standing in front of the team room in Countess Cornwell.

She was invited to her tea party and since she was one of the most successful businesswomen in the empire, she happily attended the party. She had waited a long time to have a chance to enter the circle of high-ranking noblewomen. It wasn't easy to do that even though she was already adopted by House Huxley.

She thought she could finally be a part of the high society now.

But she didn't expect to hear the ladies talk behind her back that way.

They're talking about Lady Nystrom, aren't they? Lucina thought to herself while marching away from the tea room. That wench is back!

***

JULIAN was excited to finally see his father again after two days.

Right now, he was waiting for him in front of the main entrance of the mansion along with the servants.

I can't wait to have a meal with Father again.

As a duke and a businessman, his father was always busy. The most quality time that he could spend with him was during meal times. That was why he was always looking forward to it even though their taste in food was quite different from each other.

Father loves seafood while I love steak.

But that wasn't important anymore.

"Father," Julian whispered to himself when his father's carriage finally arrived. A few moments later, his father stepped out of the carriage. "Welcome back…"

He trailed off when his father turned his back on them to carefully pick-up a giant box from inside the carriage. After that, Amilo (the family's jewel maker) stepped out and his father handed over the big box to him. In a span of a minute, he heard his father tell Amilo to be careful with the box five times.

That's strange.

He concentrated hard enough until he felt a strange energy from inside the box. To be honest, he could tell that the energy was sealed properly. If he wasn't a skilled Mana-user, he wouldn't have felt it. But since he was blessed with strong powers, he could easily tell what was inside that giant box.

It was Mana.

An ice Mana, at that.

Julian's body froze in fear when realization hit him. It's Lord Winter's Mana!

***

"LORD Huxley is already dead," Aku informed Lady Lucina Huxley bluntly. To be honest, he was tired so he really didn't have the time to deal with her. "But since the empire's law forbids women from inheriting a noble title, you can't be named as Countess Huxley. You either have to sell your properties or find a husband who could inherit Lord Huxley's title."

"You promised me that you'd help me with Kiho, Your Majesty," Lady Huxley reminded him in tears. "I've done all the things that you ask of me for the past five years!"

"Not everything yet, Lady Huxley," he reminded her coldly. "You haven't done the most important thing that I need from you."

She didn't have a retort to that.

He was about to remind her of her real mission when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. After that, Elis Ripperton entered his office.

Since Sir Gregory was already gone, the Blue Dragon served as his closest aide.

"Aku Moonchester, you have guests from the White Tower," Lord Ripperton announced, addressing him in the rudest and most casual way possible. "I already told them to come inside since your current guest isn't that important anyway."

Lady Huxley's face turned red from embarrassment, then she glared at the Blue Dragon.

"Lord Ripperton, please escort Lady Huxley outside," he said before the two go after each other's throat. "Then, tell everyone that they can't disturb me until the mages from the White Tower leave."

Elis Ripperton just turned his back on him without even glancing at Lady Huxley.

The woman once again glared at the Blue Dragon before she followed him outside.

Aku let out a frustrated sigh while shaking his head. It's really funny to see two people who betrayed the Supreme in the past act that way around each other.

***

"IS IT fun humiliating me every chance you get, Elis?"

"Yes. It brings me absolute joy to put you in place every chance I get," Elis answered Lucina Morganna's question without missing a beat. He didn't even turn to look at the woman following him behind closely. "And do I have to remind you that a lowly traitor like you don't have the right to address me casually?"

"I don't want to hear that from another traitor," Luicna Morganna said mockingly. "We're just the same, aren't we?"

He stopped walking to turn around to face the woman. "Don't lump me with you, wench," he said coldly. "You betrayed the Supreme during her weakest moment– just when she needed you the most. I was forced to use my position as the Blue Dragon to save her even if it meant betraying her and the entire Fire Mage clan."

But of course, during that time, he had already reached the point of no return.

He was a big hypocrite to hate the people who had betrayed the Supreme in the past even though he betrayed her himself. Still, he couldn't help but hate Lucina Morganna with every fiber of his being.

"It has always been like this, hasn't it?" Lucina Morganna asked with a bitter smile. "No one understood my struggle and no one will ever do so."

"There was one person kind enough to understand a low-life like you. But guess what? You stabbed her in the back," Elis snarled at her. "Don't you dare blame the Supreme for your misfortune– not when you let your envy end the life of the only person who reached out to you, ungrateful wench."

***

AKU raised a brow when he noticed the sly smile on the face of Royal Archmage Rosalia.

On the other hand, her apprentices Michelle and Rachelle Atkinson stood behind her. The twin mages had a pokerfaced look on their pretty faces.

Hmm.

But even though the three looked like they were only in their thirties, everyone knew that they had already lived for more than a century.

It has been decades since the Royal Archmage left the White Tower.

That was enough reason to brace himself for that meeting.

"Your Majesty, first of all, I'd like to apologize for coming unannounced," Royal Archmage Rosalia said, then she bowed to him. As soon as she did, Michelle and Rachelle Atkinson also bowed. "I just wanted to inform you of the good news as soon as possible."

"Rise," Aku told the three mages. When they did, he continued. "It seems like you're really excited to share that good news with me," he said sarcastically. "Let's not beat around the bush, shall we?"

The Royal Archmage smiled before she spoke. "Your Majesty, we have successfully created the woman outside your bloodline who can carry a Moonchester in her womb."

Okay, that sounded creepy.

"You "created" a woman that can give birth to my child?" he asked with a raised brow. "I'm not certain if I want to meet that kind of lady, Lady Rosalia."

"You've already met her, Your Majesty."

He raised a brow at that. "I meet several women every single day, Lady Rosalia."

And that was because of his advisors who wanted him to choose another empress.

"I'm not talking about the women that your advisors send to seduce you, Your Majesty," Lady Rosalia said. "Do you remember the two little girls that Lahara brought to the White Tower before?"

Aku nodded, now being more cautious because he had a feeling that he wouldn't like where this conversation was heading to. "I heard from Nia that one of the girls ran away from the White Tower while the other died from a mission or something."

"She didn't die, Your Majesty. In fact, she has perfected a medicine mixed with an ancient spell that will allow her to give birth to your royal heir," Royal Archmage Rosalia said with a proud smile. "Your Majesty, Stella of the Colorless Coven is more than qualified to be the next empress of Moonchester Empire."

***

NOTE: Okay, story time. Yep, I finally changed the book cover after five months. It's pretty, isn't it?

Anyway...

I have a real life friend top author here in WN. She was the one who encouraged me to join Spirity Awards (that I will obviously not win at all, lol). When I was new here, she used to scold me because the book cover I used didn't suit the setting of the story. She sent me several artworks that may fit MV more. I rejected all of it because for me, the images didn't fit the main characters. Haha! We've been friends for almost a decade now so I'm sure she didn't mind. LOL.

I'm kind of stubborn when it comes to stuff like that. The previous cover I used inspired me to create Tilly, Kiho, and Winter so I was really adamant about changing it--- even though I'm painfully aware that it didn't give the right vibe to the setting of the story.

What made me change my mind?

Well, while I was browsing images in P*nterest for the new novel I'm drafting, I came across the new cover. I've seen plenty of images with the same setting, but only that one tugged at my heartstrings. The guy in the (current) cover looks so whipped for the lady in the image. That's exactly how I imagine Kiho whenever he looks at Tilly. And of course, the mature charm of the lady fits Tilly's character so much. The eye colors don't match the characters, but their hair color (before Tilly awakened) kind of did so I still thought it was the perfect book cover for MV.

And so, here we are now.

I had a mini heart attack when the current cover was used by the featured story yesterday. That's why I'm still determined to save up and hire an artist to make an original cover for MV. So please continue supporting me. Hehe. Thank you~

***

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

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