Feiman did not dodge at all. She easily blocked the cub’s arrow—it didn’t hurt at all, it even tickled a little, the attack power seemed so-so. Maybe that needed some more training.
Feiman instantly concluded, not understanding why Frey had such an expression—well, Frey wasn’t really considered the strong force in their family, but his main advantage was his steadiness, and he always had little to no expression.
Right now, however, Frey closed his eyes in despair, as if he dared not watch further.
Frey thought carefully: Job, Joshua, Teacher—none of these would be good news for love and peace, right???
Little Chu Zao clutched his tiny bow and arrow. He had actually been aiming quite well, but unexpectedly, he walked forward two steps on reflex, blinking his eyes.
Ah… that wasn’t meant to shoot at auntie… this doesn’t seem right…
But it was too late.
Feiman was already frozen in place.
The tiny cub stared blankly, looking instinctively toward Frey.
Frey also looked at the little cub.
Hel, who arrived a step late, pressed Job down and dragged him back, noticing something wasn’t right. He looked a bit confused.
Teacher Hel actually looked normal at this moment, just thinner, with his face much greyer, and there was a sense of how he used to swing the teaching stick in the royal court. He didn’t know what kind of surprise was in store for him.
Just like Feiman, he didn’t take the small crown cub’s tiny attack seriously at all.
They all felt the same—it was just a matter of the little cubs playing around with them.
With the Crown Clan’s physical strength, this was like when a kitten hasn’t yet learned to express its affection during its baby days and nibbles around to explore the world.
Kittens, as pets, are deliberately taught not to develop the habit of playing with people using their teeth, but the Crown Clan always educated their cubs in a more aggressive and tough direction.
Such horsing around was allowed, even encouraged. No Crown Clan member would mind Zao Zao pointing that cute golden bow at them—
No Crown Clan member would mind—
Hel watched as Feiman’s body trembled lightly.
She first looked at Job, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears: “Oh, poor Job, you make my heart ache so much…”
Job: …?
Is it over?
As Frey was thinking this, he watched Feiman turn to Joshua.
“Poor and lovely Joshua, you really make me so happy…”
Joshua: ???
Frey: …
“Oh, Teacher—”
Finally, Feiman turned her gaze to Hel, with deep affection.
Hel suddenly stiffened.
“Wait a minute, this isn’t appropriate—”
As Hel said this, he turned Feiman’s face to another direction.
And decisively pressed the medical button, reporting calmly: “Come here, Feiman’s gone mad.”
At this moment Feiman saw the little cub.
Little Chu Zao was being asked by uncle why it lasted so long this time. The cub also blankly replied he didn’t know, but the next second, Feiman scooped him up.
Job: …
Joshua: …
Hel: …
Frey: …
“Oh my, what a little cutie, I love it so much, what is this? Little hands, so tiny, what’s this? Little cheeks, so soft, auntie loves you, how can auntie love you so much, mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah——”
Little Chu Zao, held up and showered with fierce kisses: ???
“Auntie… wait, wait… no, please stop kissing.”
The cub was as flustered as a small animal snatched up by a strange carnivore and kissed so frantically its fur became soaking wet and disheveled.
His little hands helplessly pushed against Feiman’s face, but he couldn’t resist, and his soft baby voice was full of struggle.
Frey: …
“Wait a minute, wait——Feiman!! Get a grip!!”
Your outrageous laughter will lift the medical center’s ceiling!
Feiman finally paused in her action of kissing the cub’s soft face.
Amos, just back holding Anya, happened to see this scene, His Majesty’s eyes were even slightly widened: ?
Feiman: …
Feiman slowly came back to her senses—
Wait, what did she just do?
It seemed she caught an arrow from this little fellow, then—she felt Job was pleasing to the eye, then Joshua caught her attention, next was Teacher Hel, and when she barely had time to speak, Hel directed her gaze to little Chu Zao…
She sorted out the sequence a little.
Feiman looked at the frazzled cub, then glanced at the little smudge prints on the cub’s face.
In that instant, dignity returned, and Feiman’s expression instantly returned to calm—look closely and you could see a bit of total despair.
No!!!!
What did she just do????
Why?!
The little cub in her arms was already snatched back by Amos.
The father and son, looking very much alike, held together, gazed at Feiman in slight shock together—
Of course, you wouldn’t see fear on Amos’ face, but just from his slightly widened pupils, you could tell he was quite stunned—are you going to eat Zao Zao raw?
No matter the emotional reversal, it shouldn’t have escalated like this, right?
Anya stuck her head out slowly: …
Could it be?
Feiman’s fingers trembled—
“No… Auntie, I…”
And then Feiman saw the little cub shrink into Amos’ arms, holding his own little face, both startled and embarrassed, little ears gone completely red, left with a psychological shadow from being slobbered over, and peeking at her carefully, trying to avoid her.
Feiman: …
Ah, damn it!
“It’s good that Teacher Hel is here, I have other things to do, I’m leaving first—”
Feiman blurted this out and left in a flash.
Damn, just when she should have apologized, she still thought little Chu Zao looked so behaved and cute, she wanted to kiss him so much!!
But why did she actually go and kiss him—for real? Could it be Zao Zao’s psychic weapon???
Hel was also frozen.
He looked at the tiny bow still gripped in little Chu Zao’s hand.
He had only one thought—that the Crown Clan never minded little cubs pointing their weapons at them to play around… Let’s strike that rule right now!!
“The duration seems to have increased.”
Frey finally snapped out of it, belatedly.
“Is it because Zao Zao’s psychic power got stronger? Plus, Feiman was already quite friendly with Job and Joshua, so her emotions were smooth—”
But what was with that wild kissing spree at the end?
And why did the duration get longer and the effect turn from pure love to a sea king?
Feiman basically confessed equally to everyone present!
“That’s probably normal, I guess?”
Amos sounded slightly hesitant.
“Let’s wait and try again later. Zao Zao’s physical fitness has caught up, his psychic power is steadily increasing—it’s normal for abilities to evolve.”
The cub belatedly realized, hugging Amos by the neck.
“Baba, Baba——”
“Hmm?”
“Auntie’s kisses made Zao Zao’s head a little dizzy.”
That wild woodpecker-like kissing spree was a record leap for a cub who’d never been kissed on the face before—from zero to a hundred in one go, and he was now thoroughly scared of it.
Little Chu Zao never imagined—the arrow he’d shot, would rebound back onto himself; he still hadn’t recovered from it.
Amos simply reached out in silence, taking a tissue to wipe the cub’s little cheeks.
“Whoa, all red from the kisses. Really a bad person, Sister Feiman.”
Anya added, whispering on the side.
“Can Zao Zao have a candy?”
The cub then quietly asked.
Amos nodded.
Watching the little fellow take out his candy pouch and stuff a piece in his mouth, the frazzled cub visibly relaxed and let out a breath, and Amos glanced at the candy bag and gave Anya a kick.
A farcical, slapstick mess that left onlookers dumbfounded, totally shattered the previously somber, gloomy atmosphere.
Joshua was still confused, not quite understanding what had happened.
Job also suddenly collected himself. He looked at Hel, his voice a bit dry.
“Teacher?”
Although Hel’s clan was the imperial tutor and loyalist, when these Crown Clan kids were little, they also educated the clan’s cubs, though there weren’t many lessons, and most overlapped with the royal ones.
But Hel’s position in Job and Joshua’s hearts was different.
“I’ve already read the medical reports.”
Hel snapped to, looking at the Job he’d just restrained, then at Joshua over there.
“I’d previously advised His Majesty not to let you out. While you still had internal conflicts and unsolved issues, wandering outside would only worsen things, but His Majesty wasn’t willing to enforce anything on you.”
Hel looked down, his gaze strict.
“First, you shouldn’t always feel you owe your brother. He’s an independent Crown Clan member; he doesn’t need you constantly sheltering him. He needs to face those things himself, not be guarded by you until he only falls deeper. And you, you shouldn’t always feel like a burden, thinking it’s all your fault. Your generation of Crown Clan has big emotional issues.”
Job instinctively wanted to shield Joshua, but under Hel’s stare, he slowly withdrew his hand.
Joshua hung his head.
“You two need intervention with other medication, and your coronets have also started to show problems. You need to stop the process quickly.”
Hel continued.
“No.”
Joshua quickly protested.
“I don’t need it…”
Joshua had always been too protected, yet he was Crown Clan. He didn’t want to depend on medication, always feeling like a burden. Whenever sober, he wished he was dead—Crown Clan don’t need someone this weak…
“Zao Zao can help—”
Suddenly, a young, soft baby voice piped up.
The three Crown Clansmen all froze in unison.
The cub, curled up in Amos’ arms, spoke softly, but all present Crown Clan could clearly hear it.
When things quieted down, he even puffed up his cheeks, turned his head, and blinked at them.
Then, in a little whisper to Amos: “But Baba, after you and Zao Zao help, can we run away quickly afterward?”
Let’s not get caught and kissed again.
The little one was very earnest about wanting to help.
But at this moment there was this—unintentional dark vibe.
Amos’s lips curled very faintly.
“No, wait, I think—”
Joshua unconsciously sat up straight.
“Medication intervention, I can try it.”
*
Job and Joshua’s issue got a temporary solution.
The main reason was the rift caused by their parents and aunt’s coronet shattering back then. After so many years, they weren’t talkative by nature, and had been steeped in grief, and the rapid collapse of their coronets caused their emotions to collapse even faster. As twins, their feelings were doubled, ending up like this.
The cub had already been taken back by Amos.
To soothe the cub’s little spirit, and also to deliver his earlier promise, Amos even took little Chu Zao for a look around the street closest to the royal court.
But because the little one’s situation was not yet stable, and his existence hadn’t yet been announced to the Empire, everything was confidential, and they didn’t visit many places.
Even so, the little one was dazzled by all the new buildings and things, both curious and excited.
A few days passed.
During this period, now that Hel’s condition had stabilized, he began preparing all his lesson plans.
To teach a little Crown Clan member who knew nothing at all—this was Hel’s first time.
When Hel had become a qualified teacher before, including Amos, all the others were already half-grown Crown Clan members; the youngest, Anya, had already learned much.
Only little Chu Zao was now a total blank, knowing nothing at all.
And these few days, under arrangements from the elders, the small cub was testing his psychic abilities, and the selection of his personal guard team was proceeding steadily. Since there was no other Crown Clan cub to accompany little Chu Zao as he grew up, it’s said that the final plan was for the strongest three-person special class team to be his main company.
They would soon begin training frequently within the royal court.
At this moment, there was still a week to go before the Multi-Nation Multi-Clan Conference.
“Teacher, teacher—are you almost here?”
Hel had just arrived at the Dwight Palace entrance when he heard the cub’s soft and tender voice in his mind before even entering.
And this was a one-way channel, allowing only little Chu Zao to talk in his head and not permitting Hel to respond. As a result, Hel had received a lot of reminders lately—if one didn’t work, then two, two didn’t work, then three.
Hel couldn’t quite understand this—since little Chu Zao was still a bit shy around him now.
Right at that moment—
Yuan [closed door]: “May I ask what your purpose for visiting is?”
Hel: “Class.”
Yuan [door firmly shut]: “Please enter the codeword to determine whether Teacher is sober.”
Hel: “…”
Yuan [starts flashing red warning light]: “Please enter the password, Lord Hel!”
Hel: “The coronet’s radiance shines forever, long live the Empire—No, can you not set such a stupid password?”
And he even had to recite it out loud.
The little cub in Hel’s head was still pestering him—”Teacher, where are you now?” “Are you there yet?” “Would you like Baba to go find you?”
Can’t Amos get little Chu Zao a smart communicator soon? Or has he just forgotten since he’s always with him??
Yuan [door opens]: “Password accepted, please enter, Lord Hel!”
Great, this isn’t just blockheaded, it’s pigheaded now.
Hel stepped into the room.
The cub, seeing Hel coming in, had been holding his coronet and muttering, but now immediately put the coronet back on his head. Today he was wearing a miniature black Holy Cas Empire military uniform, a little jacket draped on the sofa, with a snow-white inner shirt, making the little cutie look more serious.
Little Chu Zao saw Hel, stood up a little nervously, the small wings behind him pressed tight to his body.
“Tea—Teacher.”
Hel nodded, taking out the prepared lesson plan.
With the authority of a homeroom teacher.
“Let’s go, little highness, today we’ll study these new words.”
Little Chu Zao was a smart child.
Hel could assure at least, that even back then little Anya wasn’t this smart.
So over this week, the more Hel taught, the more he took over others’ teacherly duties—he’d gotten a little carried away with it, not only to numb his pain and avoid sad memories, but also because raising this little fellow filled him with a sense of accomplishment.
As a teacher, he was even angrier—such a clever, obedient, outstanding child, and yet he’d been ostracized by those people.
“After a few months of vocabulary learning, we’ll use Holy Cas Empire history stories to advance further.”
By noon, Amos had already finished meetings in the audience hall, had watched for a while nearby, and then gone up to the study to handle political affairs. Only then did Hel end the lesson, check the time, and take out some pills from his pocket, swallowing a handful.
It was painkillers.
Little Chu Zao, hugging his brand new notebook, sat on a stool—his legs dangling, for the stool was too tall. Beside him was another stool, on which the cub had dutifully set his ghost bear. Little Chu Zao was watching Hel.
“Little highness, is there something else?”
Hel swallowed the pills without so much as a wrinkle at the bitterness.
With his glasses on, he looked urbane and calm; gone was the previous look of decadence, mania, sarcasm and hysteria—he seemed like a learned scholar now.
Little Chu Zao couldn’t help but hop down from the chair, pattering over to the little table—this had once been an Amos meeting room, now set up for the cub, with many tables the right height and all kinds of fresh fruit and always-warm water.
Little Chu Zao filled his tiny cup, pattered back, and held it up high.
“Teacher.”
He blinked his round eyes.
Hel paused, then took the cup.
The cub’s cup was tiny, hardly bigger than Hel’s palm, easily enveloped. Hel looked down and drank it all in one sip, the bitter taste quickly flushed away.
Little Chu Zao held out his small hand, palm spread with a candy—his last one today, wanting to exchange it with the cup—
Maybe one cup wasn’t quite enough?
The little cub thought this.
Hel didn’t return the cup but looked at the pretty candy in his palm.
Hel looked down and met those round, shining eyes—the cub shrank a bit, wings pulled tightly against his back.
“Why?”
Hel displayed a puzzled emotion.
“You actually don’t like me that much, and you’re still a little afraid of me, avoiding me. We’ve only been teacher and student for one week, so why do you keep talking in my head, reminding me over and over—”
And why pour him water.
It could be ignored.
None of this was necessary.
The scholarly teacher seemed stumped.
“Was this a job Amos gave you?”
To keep him from brooding endlessly, let him live a little longer.
Hel could understand such a move.
After all, there weren’t many Crown Clan left; though they could wait for the cub to grow up, what variables would there be then?
And this generation of Crown Clan only had one little highness left.
Preserving the clan’s strength for the future was the right thing to do.
“The medicine is bitter—”
Little Chu Zao stuffed the candy into Hel’s hand.
“Zao Zao’s tummy used to hurt, and whenever I found herbs to eat, I always thought—if only there was candy, I’d be so happy. They said candy was sweet, now I’ve tasted it, it’s really sweet.”
Little Chu Zao took the cup back, dropping his little head.
“Baba never said anything, but I feel, if there was someone to talk to Zao Zao when he feels bad, it wouldn’t be so hard. So Zao Zao keeps talking to Teacher—Sorry, Teacher—”
The cub looked up: “Did Zao Zao bother you again?”
Little Chu Zao was still a little afraid of Hel because of what happened before, and as a teacher, Hel was always strict, but since Hel was in constant pain, little Chu Zao felt he couldn’t ignore it.
If only he could be a bit more comfortable.
Little Chu Zao thought of when he himself had felt bad, and tried to make Hel feel a bit better.
This was the first time in this week that Hel was so dumbfounded in this situation.
He quickly recovered: “No… you haven’t, not at all.”
Hel lowered his eyes: “Little highness, you’re free to do as you wish.”
Hel popped the candy into his mouth.
“In the afternoon I’ll take you to the training grounds to test the psychic weapon again. This morning’s lesson is over, you can go now.”
Little Chu Zao quickly nodded, little wings relaxing at last. Mori knocked on the door right on time, smiling at the cub.
“Little highness, your lunch cub milk has arrived. His Majesty is waiting for you in the hall.”
“Coming, Grandpa Mori!”
The cub’s voice leapt up, bouncing toward the door.
Hel didn’t move. He bit into the soft candy in his mouth—it was so sweet.
Elsewhere in the royal court.
“The course intensity inside the court is way higher than I thought, huh?”
Peng Liang slung his arm around Chao Huangmu’s shoulders.
It was mealtime for them too.
He glanced at the cold-faced youth beside him.
“Hey, they say this afternoon’s the long march, the route is supposed to pass the Crown Clan princes’ palaces—maybe we’ll see one of the other princes? Or that mysterious little highness—”
Chao Huangmu’s long black hair was messy as he was dragged over. He smiled brightly: “Guess we’ll see when we get there. Maybe we’ll meet the little master we’re supposed to guard, the little highness himself.”
Noon passed.
Chu Zao finished lunch and woke up from his nap.
The little cub rubbed his eyes, coming out of his room with Ghost Bear in his arms.
The other Crown Clan were probably already waiting in the hall.
But oddly—
The cub rubbed his eyes and looked off at a distance.
Maybe it wasn’t his imagination.
There was a bag of candy over there!
Little Chu Zao’s eyes went wide.
Hiding in the corner, Feiman—who’d been dodged by the cub for days—held a length of string, with the other end tied to the bag of candy.
She poked her head out—Good, he’s taken the bait!
Little Chu Zao pattered forward a few steps: Candy!
Feiman tugged on the string.
Zao Zao: The candy’s running away!
As the candy ‘ran’ away faster and faster, little Chu Zao hurried after it, little body chasing the candy, only to look down—
Then the candy in his arms was abruptly yanked away by force.
“Don’t run!”
The cub’s competitive side was piqued, and besides, it was candy! Zao Zao’s quota had already been eaten in the morning, but he clung to the candy and wouldn’t let go, being drawn by the string further and further around the corner—until the string stopped.
The cub looked up and locked eyes with Feiman, holding a tangled string.
Little Chu Zao, hugging candy and Ghost Bear: !
Luring him with candy 😂 He ran like a puppy