Feiman, hiding in the shadowy corner, watched as the cub hugged the candy.
Her features were striking, with deep shadows; when she hid in the corner watching like this, there was a subtle—villainous air about her.
She even uttered blandly, “You really can catch a cub with this?”
For a moment, she looked even more like a villain.
Little Chu Zao, clutching the candy, froze.
Chu Zao looked at the candy, then at Feiman, and carefully tugged the string tied to the candy—
The next second, he let go. The bag of candy fell to the floor, and he instinctively edged backward.
“A—Auntie?”
The cub’s amber eyes were round and wide.
Feiman seemed to want to appear more kind and friendly at that moment. She tried hard to curve her lips into a smile.
—Very good, it looked even scarier.
Baited by candy, the cub now wanted to run—Baba, Baba, Auntie looks like she’s going to eat children!
Feiman instantly realized something, her lips drooping back into her usual icy, beautiful expression. She untied the string from the bag of candy and handed it to Chu Zao.
The cub looked at Feiman, still doubtful.
“Zao Zao knows, right?” Feiman said, “The weirdness that day was only because of that arrow. Zao Zao should trust Auntie.”
She straightened up: “Is Auntie the type to do something like that?”
She was, but she couldn’t admit it.
Now that she’d hooked the cub, Feiman stepped out of the shadows. Her proper manner looked quite upright, especially when she held out the candy and carefully explained to the cub.
Just then, her credibility was quite high.
Because from the cub’s point of view, Feiman was indeed the usually expressionless, frosty, not-very-talkative Crown Clan member. And Baba had said Auntie Feiman was very powerful, often out handling the beast corps on the borders.
Though Feiman had indeed kissed Chu Zao into a daze, after thinking about his own Cupid’s bow, the cub was half-believing and didn’t flee. He stretched out his hand to take the bag of candy.
Feiman let go, watching the cub unwrap the package, look at the candy, swallow a bit, but only sniffed the sweet smell and brightened his pretty eyes, before putting it away.
He did not eat it.
Feiman was puzzled.
“Why not eat it?”
She’d observed for several days before deciding on this method to reconcile.
She thought Zao Zao loved candy.
“I promised Baba—only five pieces of candy a day.”
Chu Zao replied in his babyish voice.
“Zao Zao already had his quota. But… hmm? Zao Zao gave a candy to Teacher, so Zao Zao has only eaten four today. Does that mean Zao Zao can have another one?”
His eyes widened with delight, and for the moment he forgot to fear Feiman, looking at her expectantly.
“Auntie, can you be a witness for Zao Zao?”
Feiman didn’t reply right away.
She was just looking at Chu Zao.
Ah…
How can anyone be so good?
Feiman had even forgotten the last time she’d seen such a small Crown Clan cub—it must have been her own cub-hood, though memories from then were blurry, and training memories stood out more.
Yet right now—Chu Zao was just this tiny thing, holding a ghost bear made from Amos’s clothes, staring up at her with wide eyes, so very small, so fragile that even a bag of candy could lure him away.
Though in the Dwight Palace, theoretically there’d never be a villain using candy to abduct Chu Zao.
Finally, under the cub’s hopeful gaze, Feiman came back to herself.
“Alright.”
She said.
“It’s only a bag of candy. Go ahead and eat. If Brother Amos doesn’t like it, Zao Zao can have him come beat me up. Zao Zao doesn’t know, but when we were young we always took the blame for one another—I threw Brother Amos under the bus a lot, and got beaten up by him a lot, too.”
Feiman relaxed little by little in this atmosphere. She wanted to express affection to Chu Zao, but was also afraid of frightening him like last time.
It was rare for Crown Clan cubs to be as well-behaved as Zao Zao. She’d once thought Brother Amos was overprotective, but at this moment, she felt—if this were her cub, she’d be the same. Ah, but why wasn’t Zao Zao her cub?
Feiman’s coronet shimmered faintly above her head, and she let its halo draw closer to Chu Zao’s.
But the cub, holding a candy, hearing this, quickly looked up.
“Don’t beat Auntie.”
He blinked his eyes earnestly.
“Auntie didn’t do anything wrong. Baba shouldn’t beat Auntie.”
With one hand holding Ghost Bear, he simply plonked down with Auntie in the corner, sat on the soft carpet, put the candy in his mouth, and reached out to tug Feiman’s sleeve, smiling as he savored the candy.
His soft white cheek rounded with the hard candy inside.
Though he was still a bit afraid Feiman would start kissing him again, making him dizzy, the little cub knew Feiman was his kin.
At the moment he gazed up, Feiman’s halo brushed against the cub’s.
In that instant, Feiman saw a scene she’d never seen before.
A flushed little cub digging through bushes, clutching his tummy as he searched.
That little Chu Zao seemed sick, listless; his curly black hair drooped, walking only a few steps before exhaling hot breaths.
But by then Chu Zao had already taken angel clan classes, meticulously taking notes on everything, knowing which herbs cured illnesses.
Among the angels, this was basic skill. Even little angels sick at home had family find herbs, administer or process them into medicine. It was different for a cub like Chu Zao, who had nothing.
Chu Zao had hit many dead ends among the angels and didn’t want more trouble, so he searched alone.
He was familiar with the area. Quickly, he found his target.
He picked the herbs, pouting, clearly reluctant.
He hesitated for a long time, trying to convince himself, then took a greenish-yellow fruit from his pocket before frowning and finally eating the bitter herb bit by bit.
“So bitter…”
His little voice was hoarse and spiritless.
He was almost in tears from the bitterness, and the medicine’s effect didn’t kick in quickly. Then he gnawed the greenish-yellow fruit.
He drooped his head. After a while, a muffled: “So sour.”
In that season, there were no sweet fruits in the wild.
At last, the cub sat by a tree, quietly gnawing his fruit.
How old was that Chu Zao then?
Feiman couldn’t tell, but he seemed even smaller.
In the end, he didn’t cry, just quietly finished the sour fruit, and after a long while, soothed himself: “It’s fine now, not bitter anymore, it’s fine… If I want sweet things, I’ll dry some fruit next time——”
He stroked his little tummy, still soft and red from the fever: “When Zao Zao grows up, I’ll buy——this much candy.”
He made a gesture for himself and then withdrew his hand, curling into a little ball.
“Next time I take medicine, it won’t be bitter…”
His small wings folded tight around his little body, comforting himself for a long time before finally murmuring: “Zao Zao hurts… my mouth is so bitter… but Zao Zao doesn’t really need candy…”
He said this, aggrieved, softly to himself—a sick, fragile cub.
“Why does Zao Zao… have no family?”
The sick cub searched for medicine alone, using sour fruit to cover the bitterness.
A mere bag of candy was an unattainable dream for that little cub.
It was like someone was stomping around on Feiman’s last raw nerve.
“Auntie Feiman?”
Two similar voices overlapped.
Feiman snapped out of it.
Chu Zao was puffing out his cheeks, looking at her.
The cub thought for a moment, his little halo bobbing a bit, looking a little concerned.
“Auntie, what’s wrong?”
Chu Zao hugged Ghost Bear and crawled over, clutching Feiman’s shoulder and checking her halo.
“Auntie, are you not feeling well? Zao Zao will go get Baba…”
Feiman stared at the sweet little face. Before Chu Zao even finished, she suddenly reached out, letting go of all restraint, forgetting her original purpose, and scooped the cub into her arms, pulling out several bags of candy from her pocket and stuffing them all into Chu Zao’s arms.
Chu Zao: ?
“All for Zao Zao.”
“Ah…? Thank you, Auntie——”
The cub was still muddled, but polite enough to thank her, as Feiman clenched her fists hard.
Such an adorable, beautiful little Crown Clan cub——
Feiman had heard stories from others, but this was her first time seeing these images herself.
Who?
Where was this?
Feiman lowered her head, giving a couple of automatic kisses, her expression pained and severe.
“It’s alright. From now on, Auntie will…”
She cut herself off, realizing something, and looked at the cub.
The cub’s eyes went wide, kissed again: !
No mistake!
She really was a serial kisser!!!
The little one wanted to run.
But as Feiman relaxed, and her attention shifted in this moment with the cub, she ended up kissing him several more times: Doomed!
Amos, having come upstairs after realizing the cub hadn’t come down but had already left his room, saw his little one with arms full of colorful candy and a tiny outstretched hand.
“Baba, Baba——”
The cub called out in a panic.
In the next instant, Amos took the cub out of Feiman’s arms.
Feiman, world-weariness written all over her face, reached out to explain.
Amos glanced down at the candies, then at the string still in Feiman’s hand, pausing—he had already guessed what his seemingly reliable, actually unreliable sister had done.
He turned to Hel, who had also come upstairs.
“Teacher, it’s time Zao Zao learned anti-abduction tactics.”
Hel looked at the crestfallen Feiman and, for once, found it funny—it was as if the clan’s lighthearted days had returned before the pollution, and he nodded slightly with a smile: “Your Majesty, you’re right.”
Not until little Chu Zao, freshly kissed, had been carried off did Anya come up.
He peered at the remaining candies in Feiman’s arms.
He accused: “You cheated… but Sis, thank you.”
You are about to rank number one on Chu Zao’s list of dislikes.
Nothing to be done; better you than me!
He needed to seize the moment now—
Feiman: …
Feiman stood up and wrapped an arm around Anya’s neck.
“Kid, long time since we sparred.”
Feiman was still full of unspoken rage.
“Come with me, to the arena—”
Anya, the long-time last place on the Dwight fighting charts, and always beaten up by siblings since childhood: …Eh?
This shows, don’t gloat in front of others.
*
Amos and Hel had already brought the little cub to the training grounds.
The cub hadn’t stopped chattering the entire way.
After being kissed all over again, in the cub’s mind, Auntie Feiman’s image had changed subtly—even the original “fishing for cub” plan seemed, in hindsight, to be all for kissing him.
“Mm-mm,” Amos replied, putting the little one on the ground. Several Holy Cas Empire soldiers stood not far off, saluting Amos. Amos said gently: “Later, Baba will go beat her up.”
Beat up Auntie?
Maybe not that far.
Chu Zao rubbed his cheek, thinking it over.
“Auntie gave Zao Zao candy.”
The soft-hearted boy tipped his head up.
Amos paused, crouched down, and patted the cub’s head.
“Alright, Baba won’t hit her then.”
“Mm-mm.”
The cub nodded and looked around.
“Baba, what are we doing now?”
“Let’s test Zao Zao’s power again today, see if you can control the duration.”
Amos nodded to the soldiers.
Hel watched from behind, frowning a little.
Just then, he noticed something—Amos seemed a bit too anxious about Chu Zao.
Hel thought more—Amos had never left Chu Zao’s side for more than a hundred meters.
But Chu Zao’s situation was special, and he was the clan’s only cub, so it wasn’t that overprotective. Hel kept this in mind but said nothing, just observed.
Meanwhile, the advancing special ops group happened to pass by.
They were marching under heavy loads with the royal guard, training and running drills. Hearing activity on the training field, they glanced over instinctively.
Chu Zao was in a semi-open training area just visible from their spot.
“Ah… that’s His Majesty?”
Peng Liang, gasping for breath, slung an arm around the utterly unflustered Chao Huangmu.
“Quick, quick, your eyes are good—see if little highness is fierce and mighty—”
Chao Huangmu also glanced over reflexively.
Amos shifted to one side, revealing little Chu Zao.
Chu Zao wore a tiny military uniform, his soft black hair fluffy and a little curly; from the side, he was so pale, his eyes amber, appearance outstanding, golden halo atop his head, snowy little wings folded behind—like the prettiest doll in a glass case, drawing every eye.
Chao Huangmu blinked; his usual sunny smile vanished, giving him a blank look, the surface mask fading as he whispered, “So cute—”
“Heavens! So cute!!”
Peng Liang’s voice instantly drowned his out.
Chao Huangmu snapped back, staring at Peng Liang.
Peng Liang seemed still to be fantasizing about a fierce, mighty little Crown Clan, now shaken to the core by the actual sight.
“Is that how he’s supposed to be? When will we meet little highness? After the festival?”
Peng Liang was dazed, still thinking—if that’s the case.
“Then we must swear to protect little highness—”
He’d barely finished when—
Chu Zao now had a golden Cupid’s bow in hand, little fingers pulling the string, and a golden arrow flying out. For the special group, the speed looked quite slow.
“Even the bow is so little.”
Peng Liang, panting, gestured.
“Wow.”
The cold-faced guy just catching his breath turned over his shoulder. He was also in the group, just usually silent.
“The Crown Clan Emperor and all the princes have unique powers. You know every Crown Clansman is more gifted than us.”
“Of course I know, I’m just sighing—little highness is nothing like I imagined.”
Peng Liang whispered, holding his face.
“I kind of understand now the historic hype over Crown Clan princes in the Holy Cas chronicles.”
Then the little arrow landed on a volunteering Holy Cas soldier.
That man paused a moment, then gazed deeply at his comrade, stretching out his hand—“Oh, darling, I think I’m a little late—but my love for you…”
The little group, peering anxiously: …!!!
This, this, truly worthy of the Crown Clan!!
On the field, Chu Zao clutched his little bow.
Even the prepared, volunteering soldiers were not immune to the psychic ripple—mostly, because each subject had different experiences, visions, and thoughts, the effect was different, too. This strange, domineering style—it was simply killer!
Hel kept the time.
“Hmm. Judging from our tests so far, Zao Zao can control the time he affects people’s minds, but not precisely. His psychic power still isn’t skillful enough; he’ll probably need to grow a bit more, or get better control over his power—there are few in the Crown Clan now who use bows as weapons.”
For archery, the cub still needed more training.
“Maybe wait for Third Highness to return, he’s good at this.”
Hel said, pulling out a pill bottle, pausing when he saw the cub fish a candy from his pocket. He accepted the candy, then continued to Amos.
“Your Majesty, what do you think?”
Chu Zao also tilted his head at Amos.
Is this—the third uncle he hasn’t met yet?
Amos brought up the family’s third child.
Expressionless: “I’ll think about it.”
Amos obviously didn’t like this idea. The Dwight family’s third, second in strength, but the weirdest, most unreliable, but also the luckiest, always achieving his goals by fluke. Maybe because his group had been around him too long, the third army he led had his exact energy: did everything by the book, still managed to get lost, and always accidentally stumbled onto the beast corps headquarters they’d sought for ages, and wiped them out.
Feeney Dwight, who should have come with Feiman this time.
But now—Feiman was already back.
Feeney could not be reached at all, just that joyfully flashing signal of his.
Far across the stars, at a beast force headquarters.
A man standing on an alpha-grade beast sneezed.
“Lord Feeney, field cleared! This tricky beast force—this time we got ‘em!”
“Ah…”
Feeney sighed, irritably kicking at the beast. Then suddenly, with his bearded face brightening, he chuckled heartily.
“Ah yeah, ah yeah, let’s hurry back, I heard the multi-nation, multi-clan conference is about to start. We should make it… if we don’t get lost.”
“Definitely, we expect no more than three days!”
Feeney’s deputy assured him.
Nearly another week later.
Now less than two days from the multi-nation, multi-clan conference.
The Holy Cas Imperial starship was ready to launch.
Amos, child in arms, led the way. He didn’t like to unfold his wings in moments like this, so he wore a heavy cloak, keeping out the snow, now unmelted, and completely swaddled little Chu Zao.
In the distance, Holy Cas media reporters could not approach, only filming the Crown Clan from afar.
This conference was not only about interstellar pollution, but also some commercial matters.
There would also be civilian ships accompanying, following the Holy Cas military.
The ceremony there was grand, but all of Holy Cas focused on the Crown Clan.
“Feeney still hasn’t come back?”
Feiman asked.
“No, not a word,” Frey replied.
“Ah… if nothing unexpected happened—well, looks like something unexpected did.”
Anya chimed in.
Nearly all Crown princes were present. Meilun and Kaman stayed to monitor coronet changes, so didn’t travel; Hel insisted on coming for this trip.
Not just to teach Chu Zao as much as possible in his limited time, but also because he and his lover Morlo had visited the conference’s host planet.
Thus Hel’s long-absent face suddenly ignited all Holy Cas social media.
‘It’s His Majesty! His Majesty Amos!!’
‘All the princes are here!! Eh? Where’s Prince Feeney?’
‘Feeney doesn’t seem to be back yet.’
‘Isn’t that Lord Hel? He’d already announced he wouldn’t appear, and all records were deleted—what’s going on?’
‘But Lord Hel looks pretty good! Yay!’
‘Is His Majesty Amos holding something?’
‘Can’t tell, it’s too far. If only reporters could get closer.’
‘The Crown Clan keeps a lot of info classified. Their Majesty and princes have boarded the ship. I’m gonna check the business fleet now. I wish I was important enough to represent Holy Cas on foreign trade!’
‘Forget it; better to ask for Lord Hel’s info to be made public again.’
Amos boarded the starship and issued the launch order.
He sat in the command seat.
Placed the little cub on his knee.
Mori hadn’t come this trip.
But Yuan, under Mori’s instructions, was installed as the starship auxiliary AI.
Its lights flashed: “Note from Steward Mori: post-meal fruit time, fruit has been prepared!”
Quickly, someone brought a small basket of fruit. All healthy, some Zao Zao liked, some didn’t.
Once underway, Amos sat with Chu Zao across not far away.
Chu Zao looked at the fruit in his arms—
One, he recognized, he’d eaten before, it was a sour kind.
He thought for a while, then handed the untouched fruit to Amos.
“Baba, Baba——”
“Hmm?”
Amos looked down at the little one.
Then saw the fruit offered at his mouth.
He was silent.
He took a bite.
The cub, braver than ever, didn’t just shove the fruit at Amos, but watched expectantly.
“Baba, sweet or sour?”
Amos swallowed, face expressionless.
“Sweet.”
Oh!
The cub blinked, took the fruit back, and bit down.
Amos let out a very slight laugh.
Amos, laughing? A rare thing—the other Crown Clansmen instinctively looked over.
Only to see the little cub wrinkling his face, holding up the fruit, looking back and forth between it and Baba, yelling in shock.
All the Crown Clan: …
They glared at Amos. Amos never let them bully little Chu Zao, but now: …ah, you bad guy!