"DAD, ARE you crazy?" Winter asked his father after he saw the piece of memory that he shared with him. "You're going to kill His Majesty?"

His father, as calm as usual, nodded his head. "I made a deal with the royal princess."

"But Dad, it's possible that it's Princess Nia who made Mommy like that," he argued. "The Moonflowers can cause mind manipulation. Your new wife got them from the royal princess's palace. There's no way that Princess Nia isn't aware of the flowers' effect on people."

"I know that," his dad said, his face as stoic as usual despite the gravity of their conversation. "But even though I know that the royal princess is also a threat to your mother, I still made a deal with her because she can cure your mother's illness. That doesn't mean I'll forgive her for what she did to Tilly though."

"What do you mean by that, Dad?"

"I'll also kill Princess Nia after she heals your mother," his father declared coldly. "I will end the Moonchester lineage with my very own hands. That's the price they have to pay for hurting my Tilly."

"Dad."

"What?"

"You love Mommy."

"I do," his father said bluntly, then he tilted his head at one side with a confused look on his face. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No, not at all," he said while shaking his head.

Having said that, he remembered how patient and caring his father was towards his mother despite their constant fights.

But still…

"Why did you say that you fell in love with your new wife, Dad?"

"It was one of Princess Nia's terms," his father said, then he paused. "I also wanted to see your mother's reaction. I wanted to know if she was going to be jealous." His father smiled, but it was a bitter one. "She didn't get jelous though."

"Mommy did."

"Hmm?"

"Mommy believed that you really fell in love with another woman," he said to his father. "She believed that you deserved another wife and so, she let you go. Dad, did you accept Princess Nia's deal because you thought Mommy didn't love you the way you loved her?"

The remorse in his father's face was enough answer.

"Silly Dad," he said, then he gently patted his father's cheek. "Finish your job and makeup with Mommy soon, okay?" When he spoke again, his voice cracked. "I miss Mommy."

His father nodded, then he hugged him. It was probably the first time in a while since his dad did so. "Stay here, Winter," his father whispered to him. "If your mother trusts Captain Denver, then maybe we could really trust him."

He looked up at his father. To be honest, he was feeling a little shy but his curiosity got the better of him. "Dad, have you heard about the stupid rumors regarding Mommy and Captain Denver?"

His father nodded. "I already silenced the people who began that malicious rumor so don't worry about it."

He gulped hard. By "silenced," he was pretty sure his father meant he already killed those people. The way his dad said it so casually gave him goosebumps. But he set his fear aside because he knew that his father would never hurt them. "Dad, you don't believe the rumors, do you?"

"I don't," his father said firmly, then his cheeks turned red. "I mean, even though I'm not confident, I feel like your mother has some kind of feelings for me too."

Winter laughed at his dad's adorable shy expression. "Dad, please bring Mommy home safely."

***

"LOOK AT you, Lady Prescott."

Tilly looked up to see Princess Nia standing before her. She was confused when she realized that she was sitting on the floor while catching her breath. When she looked around to search for an exit, she was devastated to see that her chamber was now decorated by countless Moonflowers.

Ah, no wonder my memories are blurry again.

As far as she knew, she already got rid of all the Moonflowers in the mansion. That was why her mind was clear for the past weeks. But if Princess Nia was here, it wasn't hard to comprehend that Princess Nia forced her entry.

The royal princess also brought Captain Sherwood with her. No matter how many knights she stationed around her estate, they were still no match against the captain of the Blue Dragon Knights.

"What do you need, Princess Nia?" Tilly asked. She refused to "kneel" before the evil princess so she stood up despite her shaking knees. The voice in her head that never failed to make her literally go insane was also getting louder and louder. Still, she clung to her remaining sanity. She couldn't lose herself now, not when she just found her allies in Captain Denver and his people. "What else do you want to take away from me?"

"Ah, you've regained your sanity," the royal princess said in a disappointed voice. "It was fun toying with you when you were still oblivious. But now that you know what's happening, you have become dangerous. It's time to end this game, Lady Prescott."

She prepared herself because she had a feeling that the royal princess would kill her now.

What did Captain Denver teach me as self-defense again?

"Captain Sherwood, take care of Lady Prescott," Princess Nia ordered the captain. "Bring her to the temple later. I'd let Captain Kiho and Winter say goodbye to her."

Hearing her husband and her son's name ignited a fire in her heart.

When anger rose up in her chest, she felt her temperature rise as well. But this time, she just didn't "feel" hot. Her body literally burned up. To her shock and amazement, she wasn't burned or hurt by the flame that she somehow managed to summon.

Princess Nia and Captain Sherwood both looked surprised by the flame that engulfed her body, a solid proof that it wasn't a product of her imagination.

Captain Denver wasn't lying, she thought to herself. I'm really a Fire Mage.

"Princess Nia, you were right," Captain Sherwood said with a frenzied look on his face. "Lady Prescott is really the heart that you're searching for."

Heart?

"Yes," the evil royal princess said to the captain. "It's a shame that because of a curse, I won't remember the face of the Supreme until she retrieves the memories of her past life. The same goes for Brother Aku. But this is enough proof that she might really be the heart that I've been looking for all this time."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't need to know that," Princess Nia said, then she changed the topic. "So, you've been in contact with other Fire Mages," she said in a cold voice, her face suddenly turning grim. "Tell me who and where your fellow Fire Mages are, Lady Prescott."

"No," Tilly snarled at the royal princess even though she felt like losing herself again to her mind control. To shake the "dizziness" that she was feeling from the effect of the Moonflowers, she made her body burn even more. "Let's burn to hell together, Princess Nia."

***

KIHO, in the past, wouldn't have imagined that the day that he'd have to kill Emperor Aku would come.

But here he was now, in the emperor's chamber, with the intention to end his life.

I will do anything and everything for Tilly and Winter.

"Kiho, I'd like to apologize in advance."

Kiho wasn't surprised to find Emperor Aku sitting on the windowsill of his room while obviously waiting for him. He was aware that the emperor knew that he was there as soon as he stepped foot in his palace. Even though he hid his presence, he just simply knew that His Majesty would know. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

"No, it should be me," Emperor Aku said with a sad smile. "I need to apologize because I can't let you do your job." He smiled at him despite their current situation. "Kiho, I won't let you kill me. Rather, you can't. You're not the one destined to kill me after all."

"I don't care about that," he said coldly, then he gathered all the Mana in his hands. He wasn't worried about using his full strength because he had already taken care of the knights in the emperor's palace. Yes, including Sir Gregory. "Your Majesty, you won't let me kill you easily, will you?"

"Of course not. I plan to live as long as possible to spend more time with my beloved Nia," the emperor said with a creepy smile on his face. "But I'm not the one who's going to fight you, Kiho. After all, he will never let me hurt the physical body that he needs."

His brows furrowed in confusion. He knew that Emperor Aku was good at confusing his enemies with mere words, so he didn't put his guard down.

"Aw, you're not even going to ask what I meant by that?" the emperor asked in an exaggerated disappointed voice. "You're really immovable, Kiho."

Instead of giving a verbal response, he just attacked His Majesty with his ice daggers.

Emperor Aku didn't move but his ice daggers instantly melted before they even hit him. Then, he felt a strange presence in the room.

What is that?

The presence made his body feel so heavy that the next thing he knew, he was already on his knees while clutching his chest tight. All because suddenly, he couldn't breathe.

"Kiho, my dear brother, it was nice meeting you in this lifetime," Emperor Aku, who now stood in front of him, said with a sad smile while looking down at him. "I'm sorry but this time, I need your father more than I need you."

Kiho looked up at Emperor Aku with questioning eyes. But instead of His Majesty, he was greeted by a spirit with the same golden eyes that he had. He felt chills down his spine. For some reason, the spirit scared him to death despite not knowing who or what it was.

���Kiho, my dear son," the spirit with golden eyes said. "It's time for you to lend me your physical body… forever."

***

WINTER was awakened by the loud noise outside.

He got up immediately and realized that he was still in Captain Denver's tower. Afraid that something bad might have happened while he was asleep, he stood up and ran towards the door. But it was locked.

Who would lock me up in here?

He was about to smash the door when all of a sudden, he heard a voice from behind.

"Winter, you can't go outside."

Winter turned around and scowled when he was greeted by his stepmother. He didn't like how he didn't feel her presence until she spoke. "What are you doing here, Lady Morganna?"

He couldn't stomach calling the woman "Mother" anymore.

Only his birth mother deserved that title.

"Ah, you're hurting my feelings," Lady Morganna said with a fake side smile on her face. He also noticed that there was a white snake coiled around her shoulders comfortably. "I really wanted to treat you like my own son, Winter."

He snickered at that. "I already know the truth, Lady Morganna. You don't have to lie to my face anymore."

"It makes me sad that you're treating me this way after I saved you," she said while shaking her head. "Do you know that Captain Denver and the rest of the "Fire Wielders" are actually Fire Mages?"

He was too shocked to react upon hearing that.

Fire Mages are banned in the empire…

"Surprised?" she asked, then she laughed. "Then, I wonder how you'll react once you find out that your birth mother is actually the Supreme Fire Mage."

His eyes widened in shock. "My mother is a Fire Mage? Then…"

"Yes, you're a Fire Mage, too," his evil "stepmother" said. "Right now, the Golden Tiger and Blue Dragon Knights are apprehending Captain Denver and his squad. They will all be executed soon.��

He clenched his fists tight.

So, that was the cause of the ruckus that he heard a while ago, huh?

But to be honest, he couldn't care much about other people right now because his mind was already occupied by something else.

Mommy is a Fire Mage. That explains why Captain Denver is working with her. But if the captain is arrested, then my mommy will also be arrested and executed. I don't have the time to waste with my fake stepmother. I need to protect my mommy while Dad is taking care of His Majesty.

"Do you know what this means, Winter?" Lady Morganna asked with a "sweet" smile. "It's over for Lady Prescott."

"Shut up, ugly," Winter said coldly while he was freezing the whole room with his ice Mana. "No wonder you failed to seduce my father. You look average and you're rotten inside. To simply put, you're very ugly. My mommy looks one hundred times better than you even in her hysteric moments."

His fake stepmother looked offended by her words.

He used that chance to attack him with his ice daggers that he learned from his father. But much to his shock, the ice daggers that he created were melted by a strange black flame that came out of his stepmother's hands.

"Black flame?" he asked, confused. "You're also a Fire Mage?"

The wicked woman snickered at him. "You do not have the luxury to question me, Winter," she told him in a "playful" tone. "Watch out for yourself."

He heard a loud hissing sound.

That was when he realized that the white snake that he saw a while ago disappeared.

Where is it…

He flinched when he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. When he looked down, he was surprised to see the white snake coiled around his leg. He didn't feel it until it bit him.

No…

Before he knew it, he was already on the floor while feeling very feverish. Every muscle in his body hurt. Most of all, he felt like his head was breaking into two.

"His Majesty told me that I should bring you alive," Lady Morganna said, then she stretched out her arms with her palms facing his direction. "But he didn't tell me that I couldn't discipline an ill-mannered brat like you, Winter Prescott."

After saying that, black flame came out of her palms and literally burned him alive.

Winter could only scream in pain as his whole body got burned by the strange flame.

***

"YOUNG MASTER, are you finally awake?"

When Winter opened his eyes, he was greeted by two people. One was Captain Denver, and the other was a strange woman with pink eyes.

It took him a while to remember what happened to him.

"Mommy," Winter said, then he got up. He realized that he was in a dark place that looked like a cave. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember how he got there. But if Captain Denver was there, that meant the Fire Mages somehow managed to escape from getting executed. That also meant that his mother might have escaped with them. "Captain Denver, where's my mother?"

Captain Denver looked surprised by his question. "Young Master, don't you remember what happened to Lady Prescott?"

He felt a shivers down his spine when he heard the solemnity in the captain's voice.

No, no, no…

"Lady Prescott was publicly executed for being a Fire Mage," the strange woman with pink eyes said bluntly. And despite his shock and Captain Denver's protest, the woman didn't take her eyes off of him as she continued. "Your mother has been dead for more than two years now, Winter Prescott."

He was even more shocked to hear that.

And then, all of a sudden, the blurred memories of the last two years of his life flooded his head. Most of those images was him getting literally burned by the black flame again and again until the memories of his real self was forgotten.

In short, whenever he would snap out of whatever mind control that Lucina Morganna had put him into, his wicked stepmother would burn him with her black flame as torture. Then, Lucina Morganna would bring the High Priest over to fix his burnt body and return it to normal. But the cycle didn't end.

"No," Winter whispered, then he hugged his shaking body. He couldn't help the fear that he felt when he remembered the times he was burned alive by his evil stepmother's black flame. It hurt, and his body unfortunately remembered the unbearable pain that he had gone through for the past two years. "Where's my father now?"

"That's not important right now, boy," the woman with pink eyes said. "The duke is still alive, and that's the only thing about your father that you need to know for now."

As a high-ranking noble who was used to being pampered, being treated with hostility didn't sit well with him. "Excuse me?"

"Forgive her rudeness, Young Master," Captain Denver said as if he was embarrassed for the woman. "The lady here is called Miss Luna. She's a powerful witch. She was the one who helped me "wake" you up from being controlled by the emperor."

Okay, now he was even more confused. "I don't understand..."

"That's why I need you to listen to me carefully, "Young Master,"" Miss Luna said. Why was this witch so hostile towards him? "This awful lifetime is your mother's punishment for the sin that she committed in her first life– and you're the only one who can stop this."

Winter clenched his fists tight. Of course, he was still a little lightheaded. But after he heard what the witch said, he felt like his mind suddenly cleared up. "Why was my mother punished in the first place, Miss Luna?"

***

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