“Hm… as expected of my Aanuel, you can even still speak even after feeling my aura…Hmm, mother is happy. I know Aanuel is certainly a blessed child.”Sitana suddenly disappeared only to reappear before him in an instant.

“Mo, mother, what are you…?” Cian’s eyes slowly turned cold as he stared at Sitana. He never expected for his cover to be blown out of proportion in a very short time. He was a decisive person and so since his cover was blown away, he wouldn’t care about salvaging it desperately and he would fight to death… in any case, he was confident he wouldn’t die today even if it was the Empress in front of him!

"Oh, Aan... What a splendid icy glare you have!!" Noticing Aanuel’s change, instead of anger, Sitana’s smile became wider.

“Mother, what are you doing here?”

“To see you, of course,” Sitana replied softly as she opened her arms and embraced Cian’s unmoving body. Instantly, a fragrant scent wafted in his nose. His eyes suddenly convulsed.

The expression on his face became much more colorful.

His normally alert eyes had now turned hazy. When Cian’s gaze moved downwards, he realized that his body had abruptly become very hot. Moreover, this heat was on a rising trend.

It gives him an impulse to strip off his clothes. However, he was a person with two lives and most of all he came from a family of an assassin trained since birth. Even with a different body, he still possessed the mental strength to forcefully suppress the heat in him as he hurriedly jumped back and made a distance away from Sitana.

“Mother, what are you doing…!!!?” Cian exclaimed in shock and anger.

Charm…!

She actually used Charm against her son…??!

Sitana was still standing where she was before and stared at Cian with her usual smile. “He he, as expected of my son… oh well, you should relax, I’m just teasing you. In any case, you seemed to be quite solemn and serious that I ended up wanting to tease you~”

“Mother… just what are you doing here, really?” Cian gritted his teeth but he forced himself to remain calm and the hot feeling within his body immediately subsided.

Sitana shrugged and then said, “Son, I don’t know what kind of thing the Goddess Night told you, but even if you are my beloved son, you won’t be able to find the [ Box of Pandora ]”

“You knew?!”

“Not really… but I can guess from your words a while ago. It’s not that hard—though it’s really unbelievable for my son to meet the exalted Night… I guess that should be expected from my beloved son~” Sitana smiled as she started walking towards Cian but Cian didn’t dare lower his vigilance and retreat back. “Receiving a Goddess blessing and favor is not easy~”

“Then, why can you still be sure that I am really your son…?” Cian narrowed his eyes and his gaze turned icy cold.

“… …” Sitana’s steps halted and she looked at Cian, her expression showed an unusual surprise. However, it was only for a moment as her expression reverted back to a cheerful and loving expression. “What are you talking about? No matter what happened, you are my son! Your blood and flesh came from my womb… isn’t that right?”

The smile Sitana had on her face was similar to the first spring breeze of the new year… even though it looked like that she was smiling with happiness, upon carefully looking at it, he felt bone-chilling wintry cold.

“… …” Cian’s shoulders shook. Well, if she say it like that, it was indeed right…

Cian took a deep breath. “Mother, what are you planning? What are you going to do with the [ Box of Pandora ]?”

“… ….” Sitana seemed to be distracted and stared blankly for a moment. Then, she closed her eyes and opened it. She stared at Cian with a serious but calm expression. “Son, it’s not yet time for you to know… as for the [ Box of Pandora ], did it really existed…? Did it not?” Sitana narrowed her eyes and smiled—Cian didn't know whether it was his own misconception, but it seemed that she really wanted to tell him about this [ Box of Pandora ]. However, she just couldn’t.

“…??” If it didn’t exist… why do you know about it!?

Why not ask me what am I talking about…?

What are you trying to say…?!

Sitana chuckled. “Just like what you said a while ago, you are not a naïve person, my dearest son. Slowly rise up to the top and you shall know when the time comes. Along the way, observe everything with your own eyes, and judge them whether what you knew was real or not… when the time comes and you stood up in front of me again with qualifications, you will then know everything…”

“But now… it’s still too early…” Sitana’s figure suddenly disappeared and before Cian could react, Sitana had already appeared before him and embraced him. Cian was flustered thinking about the Charm a while ago, however, Sitana didn’t let him go.

“Son, he he, don’t worry, Mother isn’t thinking of doing anything reckless here anymore.”

“…huh?!”

“Son, whatever Night says, don’t just blindly believe it… we can’t trust the Gods, even if she was our patron God, Night—all Gods are the same…! Don’t let your eyes be clouded over…” Sitana muttered softly against his ears.

Separating herself from him, Sitana placed her hand on Cian’s face. “You’re a good boy, in my eyes, you are my dearest… you hold my blood as well as ‘her’s… you are my treasure…”

“…?!” What is she talking about…?

Her blood and…’hers’…??!

“I had always known that you aren’t useless… that you are not a good-for-nothing… you must have been pretending all this time…right? To deceive everyone… to deceive me…?” Sitana patted Cian’s shoulders and smiled. “You worked hard…”

In a mere instant, she switched from being sinister to being lighthearted and happy. Cian really could not adapt to these changes.

Cian prided himself on being smart and intelligent but in front of this woman… he just couldn’t understand…!

What do you mean deceive? What do you mean pretending?!

Is that really the first thing you would think after such huge transformation?

Cian never doubted this woman’s intelligent—but what is this woman talking about…?!

“Mother…?”

“Hmm, its fine, it’s fine… I completely understand it. It must be that Goddess orders, right? To keep pretending up until now? Haiiiz, silly boy… you should have told me! Don’t just trust easily what the Gods told you…” Sitana said with a careless smile. “See, how my dearest boy can be so weak… indeed, there’s always a reason…”

Upon seeing this smile, Cian’s alertness elevated even further.

But Sitana didn’t seem to notice Cian’s confusion and vigilance as he completely relaxed her expression and said, “My son, my beloved son… Mother loves you, very, very much… no matter what happens, you love your mother… right?”

She then smiled widely and dispersed her aura, looking at Cian lovingly.

“Umm…”

Cian couldn’t keep up with the sudden change and was left dumbfounded. But that didn’t matter. Although he wasn't completely clear about the meaning of those words, Cian still nodded his head. He can feel a dark foreboding within if he ever says something wrong…

Seeing Cian affirming her words, Sitana’s smile grew wider.

Cian was sighing inwardly—he was now felt at a loss. What was Sitana talking about doesn’t make sense to him? Thus, he could only sigh, wanting to leave as soon as possible, away from this woman who calls herself his mother. However, something suddenly happened as Cian was deep in his thoughts.

At a distance the both of them could feel each other’s breathing, Sitana who was looking at Cian’s helpless face suddenly an emotion rushing up to her head—

“————”

She kissed Cian, unable to hold back anymore. Because of this sudden action, Cian’s mind turned blank and his body jerked violently. He could only stare at his supposed to be mother’s clear beautiful blue eyes staring at him.

Fully experienced the sensation of the lips, Sitana then slipped her tongue into his mouth.

“Nn……”As if slapped awake, Cian immediately pushed his mother away from him as he himself jumped back and then suspended in the air. No wings in the back but, floating and flying were easy for him with his own ability.

Cian gasped for breath as he stared at his mother with a complicated expression. Although he wasn’t the real Aanuel and was then not her real son, that was only in terms of spirit. In the end, no matter how much he flipped the world outside down, the truth would never be erased!

He was her son, real…!

Her blood and flesh are flowing within him…!!

So how can she do something like that…?!

“Mother what are you thinking…!!?” Cian gritted his teeth in fury but mixed in was utter confusion as well.