Feiman, no longer even pretending, plastered the little cub with kisses.
She didn’t let go until she heard Little Chu Zao’s stomach growling.
The little cub was hungry.
At this moment, Feiman seemed to have recovered, and she tidied up the documents in front of her.
She’d perked up, while the little cub, after so many smack-kisses, was left a bit dazed.
Wearing his green little dinosaur pajama jacket, the cub stood there dazed, holding his round cheeks.
“What do you want to eat?”
Feiman stood up and held out her hand.
Little Chu Zao tilted his head, muttering about so many kisses and his kiss-fiend aunt, but still put his hand up to be led downstairs.
The whole Dwight palace was very quiet.
It was past three in the afternoon; most of Holy Cas was busy with no one else around.
Mori hadn’t come back yet.
Feiman handed fruit and little biscuits to Little Chu Zao.
The Dwight palace had a small kitchen.
But it was rarely used.
Normally, meals were brought over from a dedicated kitchen not far away.
But at this hour, the little cub just wanted a snack, nothing special, and the biscuits and fruit were left here just in case he got hungry.
The floor was covered with mats. Little Chu Zao sat obediently on the floor munching biscuits, then looked up to see Auntie rolling up her sleeves.
He tilted his head in confusion.
“Auntie?”
“Don’t worry, Zao Zao, Auntie will make you something hot!”
Feiman looked at the ‘green plush little dinosaur’ on the floor, crunching biscuits.
The zipper on the pajama jacket was pulled up, with a plush dinosaur hat squishing his fluffy, soft black curls, the little halo on his head bobbing.
So tiny, sitting there, legs apart, hugging a biscuit box, his green plush tail trailing behind—he looked so well behaved and harmless, munching his biscuits.
Feiman was struck in that moment.
She glanced at the little kitchen, thinking to make the cub something new.
The fridge was stocked with various eggs and basic ingredients like flour.
In case the main kitchen couldn’t provide, or for special situations, Mori and the staff could improvise a little.
Dwights were not very skilled in such things.
But Feiman recalled seeing simple baby food recipes online.
She believed she could do it. She pulled up a tutorial on the star web—
A few minutes later.
The little cub clung to the cabinet door, tilting his head up to watch Feiman.
“One egg…? What size egg?”
Feiman stared at the row of eggs from smallest to largest—one was as big as a person’s head. She hesitantly picked a medium egg.
Checked the tutorial again.
“Some flour, a little salt… ‘some’? ‘A little’?? How much is that? Isn’t this way too vague? Yuan?”
Yuan: …“Even if you ask me, I can’t tell you how many grams ‘some’ or ‘a little’ is!”
It couldn’t make something up! Clearly, Her Highness Feiman was making this because Little Highness suddenly wanted it. If Yuan made a mistake and something happened to Little Highness, His Majesty Amos would have it dismantled!!
It was a wise smart AI—it could not be dismantled. If Her Highness Feiman got beaten again, so be it!
Feiman hesitated for a moment. She was just about to abandon the effort.
But Little Chu Zao was clinging to the cabinet handle, watching Feiman with anticipation—
Little Chu Zao really found everything new and curious, with lots he’d never eaten or seen. Right now he followed Feiman in, curiously.
“Auntie? Can you do it?”
His soft, sweet little voice rang out.
Feiman: …
“…Auntie can do it.”
Auntie can’t, but still can!!
Come to think of it—why are there so many eggs here?
Outside Dwight villa at that moment.
Amos and Frey had just reached the gate.
Frey: “Most of it’s handled. Those families who needed to be dealt with have been, and the problematic ones are far away now. The ones with no issues are a little harder, but we’ve moved them from key positions. Next generation can take care of itself. As for those talents, we’ve separated them from the families, and restored original surnames where needed. No more indulgence.”
Frey thought for a moment.
“Also, the Holy Chalice Clan’s issue—seems serious. The Medical Center says they’ve suppressed it for now. No cross-species transmission, but that little Holy Chalice’s case is bad. Whether it can be eradicated, no one knows.”
The Crown Clan never used to meddle in other races’ affairs.
Like when the Soul Clan was wiped out—Crown Clan had little to do with them, being a volatile race.
Crown Clan just never bothered with others’ internal issues.
It wasn’t their concern.
But now things were different; the existence of immortal races really seemed to affect the Hymn Organization—and their so-called gods, who knew if they were Angels from the Angel Realm.
No way could they be allowed to get their way.
“Mm.”
Amos replied.
“Mori.”
Butler Mori was still leading people in the garden.
“Your Majesty, Little Highness wasn’t awake yet when I left, Her Highness Feiman is still inside, and the ground here is prepped. Should be ready to plant potatoes in time, as you said. Professor Zhong just returned—he keeps asking to help.”
“When?”
Frey looked over.
“Zao Zao’s birthday.”
Amos walked inside.
“In half a month. I saw it last time.”
He’d seen the younger cub just after birth, and the time there.
Zao Zao’s sixth birthday.
And previously, no one had ever celebrated Little Chu Zao’s birthday.
“Six already?”
Frey was a bit taken aback.
“Time really flies.”
“Yeah, His Majesty Amos specifically asked to test which kind of eggs make the best cakes for Little Highness, and suit his nutrition best. We’re filtering now.”
Mori smiled, following Amos and Frey in.
They entered.
And immediately heard strange noises from the kitchen—
The three looked at each other and walked that way.
Inside—
“Huh? Zao Zao, is this too runny?”
Feiman frowned, showing the cub a bowl of egg and flour.
“Uh, maybe add some more flour?”
The cub ventured softly.
“Okay, add a bit—wait…now is it too thick?”
“Should we add more water and egg?”
Little Chu Zao, not knowing many words, was still studying the pictorial tutorial, dead serious.
Flour fell everywhere, dusting Feiman and Little Chu Zao’s faces. Feiman wiped the cub’s face, making it a smudged, streaky mess.
At the sound from the door, Feiman and Chu Zao both turned at once.
Amos, Frey, and Mori: …
Butler Mori gave a ‘kind’ smile, looking at all the eggshells and a few failed egg pancakes: “Your Highness Feiman, may I ask what you’re doing?”
Feiman: !
In the end, Feiman and the little cub were kicked out of the kitchen.
The cub, dusty and dirt-smudged, sat on the couch, obediently tilting his face up, eyes closed, as Amos wiped him off.
Feiman was fiddling with something, muttering under her breath—she was leaving a comment on the star web tutorial: ‘Can’t you be more precise? Precise to the gram!’
Meanwhile, the star web was in an uproar—
Still about all the recent events in Holy Cas—Holy Cas folk were ferocious online, and, because of the Crown Clan, very interested in national affairs. So the trending topics were all about Holy Cas’s future plans.
‘The original goal was to continue the Holy Cas Empire, but they’ve lost the point!!!’
‘They’ve sacked masses? Can’t these people hurry up and leave? If they refuse to serve the Crown Clan’s majesty—there are plenty who’d want to. Talented? Only those hand-picked are true talents?’
‘I wanted to study a few more years, but now I’m mad, and I’ve signed up for all this year’s exams—I don’t believe in a shortage of talent!’
‘Her Highness Feiman has new activity!!!’
‘What?!’
‘Where, let me see!!!’
You had to know, Crown Clan almost never appeared in public—even though they were a mythical immortal race, each one suffering as their home and coronet were lost, as if terminally ill, watching themselves inch to death.
Such collective destruction was terrifying.
So, when a Crown Clan member was nearing the end, they even hid their own information.
All news about the Crown Clan came from official royal posts; there were almost zero personal account updates.
No one remembered the last time.
So all the Holy Cas people, and gossip-hunters from other countries, rushed to the referenced spot—only to see a grumbling comment from Feiman under the tutorial.
Everyone hesitated for a moment.
Suddenly, people around the star web, in other systems and nations, saw the usual Holy Cas chaos go weirdly quiet.
‘What’s up? Not a sound. What happened to those Holy Cas people?’
‘They were blowing up, now it’s dead silent? I said it already, these Holy Cas folk are just like the Crown Clan—’
The whole face of Holy Cas was tough and a little crazy.
‘Could it be they saw the Crown Clan aren’t actually omnipotent, and lost their illusions? That easy? Haha…’
But that illusion could never be shattered. About ten or thirty minutes later, Holy Cas posts exploded again—
#How to make precise egg pancakes#
#Quick, come see the egg pancake tutorial to-the-gram!#
#Three levels, just three tries to get your perfect egg pancake#
The star web became a sea of pancakes.
For Holy Cas people—Her Highness Feiman making pancakes…? And these were marked suitable for babies—so she was making egg pancakes for Little Highness?! And needed their tutorial?!
To-the-gram, instantly, everything was precise to-the-gram!!!
Everyone else on the star web, swamped by pancakes: ??
Are you all okay?!
Meanwhile, the little cub was unaffected.
His face freshly wiped by Amos, he sat at the table, blinking big eyes.
In front of him was a steaming hot egg pancake Mori had just made. Chu Zao puffed his cheeks, munching it bite by bite.
He looked like a little animal at ease, hair fluffy, soft and small, leaning at Amos’s side.
The outside sun was just right, glowing on his rosy-white face.
Feiman, not giving in, served her own final effort, a pancake that actually held together, pushing it to the little cub.
Little Chu Zao’s eyes widened, looked down at the pancake, then up at Auntie.
He thought for a moment, then took a careful bite, raising the piece—Feiman’s ‘masterpiece’—high in his hand.
“Baba, Baba, Baba try.”
Amos: …
Amos didn’t hesitate: …Thanks, dutiful child, but Dad will pass.
He even wanted to remind him: don’t eat too much, careful you’ll get a bellyache.
Then the sound of someone entering at the door.
Razoring Auntie’s pancake, unable to eat or toss it, Zao Zao looked up at the door.
His honey-colored eyes lit up, and he tumbled off the chair, little short legs thumping as he ran over.
Anya had just come in and froze, watching the fluffy green dino dash toward him.
For a moment, Anya doubted himself.
Was the little cub really coming for him?
Did he really deserve this?
He was confused for a second.
But the cub was already there, raising up the pancake roll in his hand.
“Little Uncle, for little uncle.”
Face soft, cute, totally harmless.
Anya: “…For, for me?”
Did this mean his status in Zao Zao’s heart…had gone up?!
Anya coughed awkwardly, turning his face a bit.
“Well, since you say so—”
Anya bent down, eyed the pancake, and after a moment, took a bite—
The next second, he froze a little, eyes wide.
It’s not that a pancake can’t be eaten—it just depends on whether you used an egg utterly unsuited for a pancake.
That strange taste made Anya force it down in one gulp—
“Is it really that bad?”
Feiman doubted, took the half left and shoved it in her mouth—she choked too.
“Finish what you wasted.”
Amos calmly said, standing up.
“Zao Zao, you haven’t gotten your candy today.”
And so Anya watched the ‘green plush little dinosaur’ who’d just scammed him, say not a word more, turn without hesitation, and thump after Amos.
Eagerly bouncing along behind.
Mori came over, handed Anya water, and put Feiman’s stack of experiments in front of her.
In the background, the cub chirped, soft as a songbird, pleading for candy, as if awaiting dinner.
Feiman gloomily stared at her experiments, shoving them in her mouth one by one.
Anya, disappointed, finished his water, muttering—“Giving me all the bad ones—”
Not even a hug left for him.
Was he that low, that unworthy?!
Fine—he was unworthy.
Mori almost laughed, and even felt his nose tingle for a second—
A perfectly ordinary day.
But for the Crown Clan, it was precious.
With Little Highness here…it’s really nice.
*
Under a full sweep by Holy Cas, in a remote, dangerous corner, the Hymn mobile base lay almost coiled.
“The Holy Chalice Clan chief should be at his limit too—this disease targeting the Holy Chalice Clan was long in the works. Though our losses were big, it’s not for nothing.”
“But where did the Crown Clan get that little Crown cub—utterly hateful.”
“After the Holy Chalice Clan is gone, we’ll stay hidden for a long time, learn to be subtle. The Crown Clan can’t be dealt with all at once. We should put everything into studying that little Crown cub’s weakness—take the cub out, and the rest will slowly, inexorably collapse. We’ve wasted too long on a doomed race.”
“You’re right—the Holy Chalice Clan is surely losing control. Hiding so long, yet still facing extinction. They stole ‘God’s’ power, so serving His coming now is just their due.”
“We’ve failed too often—but at least each time it only affected the Crown Clan…once, twice, but never a third time—”
At the same time, in the Holy Chalice Clan stronghold.
“Any word? The Holy Cas Empire—is there a solution?”
“No, they can only suppress it for now. At this rate, not just here, but even those we’ve scattered outside who haven’t been infected—”
“How could this be… We’ve hidden for so long—are we really to end like this?”
“Listen—”
A weak voice suddenly cut in.
The discussing elders turned, panicked.
“Chief?!”
The clan chief, Caverno, who’d passed out earlier, now struggled in, collapsed into his chair, spent.
“Chief, you need rest—your time unconscious gets longer each time, and at this rate—”
“I might not wake again, right?”
Caverno smiled weakly, shaking his head.
“This is our crisis, a disaster that was bound to fall after we hid for so long with no progress—”
Caverno closed his eyes.
“Some ideas need changing, but that’s for later. I believe after this, the whole clan will know what must be done. But most important, we cannot let those wishing for our extinction get what they want. All infected, all who are unconscious—in one day, I’ll take them aboard a starship.”
Caverno looked up at the elders.
“We’ll self-destruct near the pollution zone, wipe out the plague, prevent its spread—”
“Chief, but—”
“All Holy Chalice must abide—”
Caverno bowed his head slightly.
“Myself included, and…Derrick too…”
*
Holy Cas Empire—Medical Center.
The little cub had just finished a psych check and was being held by Amos.
He suddenly realized something and looked up—
Chu Zao blinked.
Amos was waiting for results, and meanwhile the little cub wanted to visit other Crown Clan members at the center.
Especially after hearing from the pretty doctor that Job and Joshua had been naughty lately. The tiny cub flapped his wings and made a little fist, assuring the doctor—leave it all to Zao Zao.
Love and peace.
The doctor cheered for eternal love.
What strange magic this kid had.
As he was thinking this, Amos looked down to see the cub’s eyes glowing—quite literally glowing, staring up at the ceiling as if watching something.
Amos: ?
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s a little weird—”
Little Chu Zao stretched out his hand, clawing at the air.
It was a spiritual power he’d never seen, pieces like drifting, shiny confetti, glittering, but with specks of ominous black shooting through—though they faded quickly.
The cub blinked his eyes, nestled against Amos, looking up at him.
“Spiritual force I’ve never seen before.”
Not surprising.
Ever since his eyes had started glowing, the cub had seen more and more psychic energies.
In the windowlight, his little face was soft and fair, as sweet as a marshmallow.
Amos had kissed it not long ago.
It was indeed very kissable.
Feiman had kissed it even more.
Amos thought, and asked, “Zao Zao, do you not like being kissed?”
The little cub hesitated: “Not really—”
He shook his head.
“Auntie kisses too fast, makes Zao Zao’s head spin.”
Feiman’s kisses were a torrential storm.
Crackling down on Little Chu Zao.
“What about this?”
Amos leaned down and kissed his cheek.
The cub blinked a few times.
“No problem, Zao Zao’s fine with it.”
His little wings fluttered gently.
He seemed to be used to it.
He was a baby who loved cuddles—how could he not like kisses?
Actually, Amos wasn’t usually like this.
But his little cub was so sweet, soft, gentle, so he calmly, at a slow pace the cub could take, kissed him again.
By the time Feiman and Feeney arrived—
Feeney, for once intimidated by the little cub, stood behind Feiman, peeking around her.
They saw Little Chu Zao with both hands on Amos’s face, his big eyes wide open, looking a little stunned that Dad’s face was further than usual, as if doubting life.
He even used a free hand to touch his own round cheek.
“What happened to Zao Zao?”
Feiman was surprised.
“I was trying something.”
Crown Clan really did have a spirit of exploration.
His Majesty Amos soothed his precious soft cub—the little one was only a little impatient, not angry.
Just slightly doubting life.
“Zao Zao loses patience at the forty-fifth kiss.”
“Wait—Second Brother, you got Zao Zao annoyed kissing? …Eh…?”
Feiman blurted, then suddenly realized—her voice even changed. Was this really Amos???!!!
“You kissed him how many times??!”
Nooo the kissing curse is expanding XD