The young boy squinted his eyes, the way he was patted on the head made him look like a little animal that, after being frightened, was finally soothed.
And when Amos suddenly heard that word, “Father,” the hand he had resting on Chu Zao’s head froze all at once, and then he quietly averted his gaze.
But even after looking away, Amos couldn’t help but glance at the little one again out of the corner of his eye—he was not quite like a typical Crown Clan member.
He seemed quite used to having his crown and his wings out.
The golden halo, the snowy wings behind him, complemented with softly curled hair, made him look so fluffy.
It was overly adorable—
But speaking of which—
As Amos looked at Chu Zao’s wings, he felt a bit odd.
Those wings looked very smooth and neat, carefully groomed, but as he unconsciously fluttered them, Amos seemed to glimpse messy feathers hidden underneath the neatly arranged ones—
His wings were like some delicate, fragile handicraft. If you just looked from behind, they were pleasing enough, the texture tolerable, the lack of sheen something you could chalk up to the little one’s malnutrition.
But—
As soon as they moved, it didn’t seem quite right.
It was as if only the surface was bright and flawless—
Amos’s suspicion flashed by in an instant, but he didn’t think much of it.
Outside, light from the luminous planet filtered in, falling on Chu Zao’s soft, wavy hair.
It made him look even fuzzier, and as he glanced up, a radiant glow filled his honey-colored eyes, instantly brightening those already sweet-looking colors.
He truly—looked so adorable.
At last Amos withdrew his gaze, and his hand, and led Chu Zao outside.
In the distance, Holy Cas’s starships were landing and taking off, busy as ever.
Chu Zao had never seen such a scene before.
This place was so much vaster than Angel Realm.
Chu Zao’s eyes widened as he looked at this still-bustling Holy Cas, this court that had yet to fall into ruin.
“From now on you’ll live—”
Amos pointed in a direction.
There stood the Dwight family’s palace.
A vast palace, home to the entire Dwight family.
“There.”
“With Uncle Feeney, too?”
Chu Zao looked up at Amos, lightly pressing his lips together.
Amos hadn’t had time to answer or react further when Chu Zao spoke again.
“And with you, Father?”
At the very least, one after the other—there wasn’t much difference.
Amos thought to himself, finally answering.
“And your grandparents, your eldest uncle, your aunt, and your youngest uncle.”
Amos added, “You also have a great-grandfather, but he doesn’t live with us.”
At this time, the number of Crown Clan members was still rather considerable.
Many of the family still didn’t know all the details, or, having learned another member had joined, simply asked the age and then stopped asking further.
Chu Zao looked out the window—
He murmured softly,
“So many family members.”
The home, the kin Chu Zao had dreamed of.
That thin figure made Amos feel an inexplicable discomfort. At last he reached out and slung an arm around Chu Zao’s shoulders.
“Take care to recuperate. As a member of the Crown Clan, you’ll have many things to face in the future.”
“Yes, Father.”
Chu Zao looked up, the new title now rolling off his tongue more and more smoothly.
*
The appearance of the young Holy Cas prince caused ripples within the Crown Clan, but the most stirred were the Holy Cas people, who now kept a constant watch on the court’s official channel, waiting for any news of the young prince.
Because of the special times, the announcement, though carefully prepared, wasn’t overly grand. The star network already completely cut off from other nations, so only those within the Holy Cas Empire knew the details.
It had been ten days since the mighty Holy Cas had arrived here.
The Aberrant Beast hordes around Holy Cas that posed a threat had been eliminated. Some countries, having sensed something was wrong with Holy Cas, began to avoid provoking them.
The whole country was stabilizing.
Feeney had already started physical therapy, and Chu Zao had spent a full ten days studying in earnest. Hel thought this little one was pushing himself too hard—even to the point of suggesting there were some psychological problems.
Those issues were hard to spot, but in some situations you could see that the decisions he made didn’t quite match those of a normal person—for a certain goal, he seemed insufficiently concerned about himself.
Hel wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, since his contact with Chu Zao was limited—but at any rate, Hel insisted on giving Chu Zao two days off to relax.
During these two days, alongside Feeney’s rehab, Chu Zao focused on nurturing his health and began participating in some exercises.
For the most part, Amos accompanied him.
Solan and Feiman visited often.
Because Amos was ‘skipping work,’ the now even busier Frey showed up rarely, and Anya also dropped by now and then when he had nothing else going on.
Though Hel always doubted—could a powerhouse like His Highness Amos, with his combative streak and his lack of self-restraint really be suitable to train the little one?
After all, Hel believed—even if Chu Zao found it too much, he definitely wouldn’t say so.
And Amos, he probably wouldn’t notice, either.
Or perhaps—the entire Crown Clan still had little concept of Chu Zao’s frailty.
Today, Amos was rare busy; in the day he told Chu Zao to relax, do something he enjoyed, or wander the court a bit, and train in the evening.
Rumor had it that Emperor Clansis, having just spent ten days out destroying several higher Aberrant Beast Commander lairs, had returned.
He brought back valuable intelligence, and after such a long journey was already resting.
So Amos, too, was drawn into the busy flow.
“Uncle Feeney—”
Chu Zao leaned at the window, watching Feeney sparring with their youngest uncle inside. He blinked his big eyes.
“You almost fell just now—are you okay?”
Feeney, who’d been trying to put on a show for Chu Zao, froze awkwardly, curling his lips, but couldn’t help glancing at the little one.
He’d noticed this already, back in that year—this little one always had a way of sincerely stating uncomfortable truths.
“Hahaha, looks like we need to rearrange the rankings—”
Anya laughed, holding a silver-black chain, whooshing as he took advantage of Feeney’s sluggish reactions to tie him up tightly.
“Zao Zao, look, isn’t your little uncle better than your third uncle?”
Feeney: …
“Just wait till I’ve recovered. Don’t let me catch you off guard!”
Chu Zao craned his neck to look inside.
He said softly, “Although little uncle is really good, Uncle Feeney is still the best.”
Then he added, “In my heart.”
The Crown Clan’s senses were sharp—even at a low volume, those words were heard by both Feeney and Anya.
The words didn’t really offend either side, yet left both feeling oddly unsatisfied.
Feeney glanced at the little one, who, now resting, watched his difficult rehab with glistening, expectant eyes.
His eye twitched, the spasm hidden by his beard, and at last he sprang up in mock outrage.
“Zao Zao! Go find something interesting to do—don’t watch your Uncle Feeney’s rehab!”
So humiliating, so humiliating—
Feeney thought—
Let alone, before Holy Cas arrived, he’d said those things to Chu Zao.
Thinking of it now, Feeney could only feel awkward all over.
But—
After his little speech, he forcefully broke free of Anya’s chains.
He strode to the window, vaulted over with ease, and then bundled Chu Zao into his arms.
“Also—”
Feeney, though often unreliable, could sometimes be quite straightforward as a Crown Clan member.
“Forget what your third uncle said to you before—”
Chu Zao’s eyes widened a bit and he looked up at Feeney.
“Don’t worry. This is your home. We are your family. Your father will be the strongest, most reassuring future king of Holy Cas. That will never change, never.”
Feeney spoke seriously to Chu Zao.
As Chu Zao instinctively tried to return the hug, he pushed him away.
“All right, all right.”
Feeney said, one hand resting on the window sill. The sunlight on this slightly worn Crown Clan member was the best eraser, as if gently rubbing away the mess and scars from the Crown Clan’s history.
“Go wander around the court, but don’t disturb your third uncle’s rehab—go on, Zao Zao, don’t worry. They’ll all like you, I promise.”
Dealing with enemies was familiar, but when it came to unfamiliar family, the little one was a little shy, and as Feeney gave him a push and disappeared back inside, raising his voice in mock protest, Chu Zao smiled, the wings on his back fluttering.
“Then later—I’ll come get third uncle when it’s time——”
Chu Zao turned to go out, following the sunlight, moving faster and faster.
“What about little uncle? Little uncle! You’re only picking up third uncle, not little uncle?”
Anya’s voice called after him.
Chu Zao also turned, calling back, “I’ll get little uncle too!”
Anya was finally satisfied.
Chu Zao walked along the palace road.
He looked at everything around him.
In the court, patrol squads of soldiers moved back and forth.
A few hurried Crown Clan members occasionally passed him by.
Chu Zao didn’t disturb them, just walked on by himself.
He didn’t notice that, after he passed, those rushing Crown Clan members suddenly realized something, turned sharply, and stared at the little one behind them—
All the returning Crown Clan had by now heard the clan had gained a new member.
But not a cub, so in these busy times, it hadn’t drawn much attention.
But now, catching an unexpected glimpse of this little fluffy figure, exquisitely adorable, radiating a completely different aura from other Crown Clan—Chu Zao—they all froze.
That was—the new member?
Amos’s??
So small??
So soft?!
Nobody had told them the new member looked like this?!
Good grief—quick, quick—was there anything they could use as a gift for the first meeting!
Chu Zao followed the great avenue.
He arrived at the Dwight palace.
Amos had already pointed out the way to him, so he remembered and went directly there.
He’d always been staying at the medical center these days, so he hadn’t really had the chance to enter the Dwight palace.
Now, it was very quiet around the palace.
The steward must have been ordered not to remain inside.
Chu Zao had only intended to take a look around.
But as he reached the main gate, the palace’s cold-voiced AI quickly scanned the new arrival’s ID.
Having identified Chu Zao Dwight, the doors swung open instantly.
“Hello, I am the Dwight Palace AI ‘Yuan’, currently searching and updating data. Emperor Clansis is resting on the third floor. If you need anything, please speak up. My sensors cover every corner of the palace; as soon as you call, I will hear.”
“All right.”
Chu Zao instinctively walked in; he really wasn’t good at refusing kindness, not even from an AI.
“Thank you.”
Inside, Chu Zao looked around; the Dwight villa was not overly decorated, but it was tasteful.
There were great bouquets of flowers—Solan’s favorite.
Chu Zao instinctively went to look at them, then gazed out the window.
It was such a calm, peaceful scene.
The kind little Chu Zao had once longed for so much.
It looked much like before—only now he was inside, while his childhood self could only stand in some far-off corner and watch in envy.
Chu Zao leaned at the window—he just hoped not to trouble others.
He thought.
He needed to work harder, harder still, so as not to trouble anyone, to become a useful Crown Clan member.
Chu Zao clenched his little fist, as if he’d found his purpose.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise overhead.
Chu Zao jumped, instinctively looking up at the floor above.
He still remembered Yuan saying Emperor Clansis—his grandfather—was resting upstairs.
Had something happened?
He looked at the stairs, hesitated for a while, and then finally went upstairs.
Silence fell again.
Chu Zao passed the second floor, went up to the third, stopping at the landing, hesitantly looking toward the room at the end of the hall.
At the door of that room, a large wooden vase had toppled—nutrient water and flowers spilled everywhere, as though knocked over.
So that was the noise just now?
Chu Zao exhaled.
This must be his grandparents’ room.
In the Dwight household, only Grandmother liked flowers.
She always picked lots of beautiful blooms to bring whenever she visited.
Chu Zao quickly stepped over to put the vase right and pick up the scattered flowers, carefully trying not to make too much noise and disturb his grandfather’s rest.
He scurried over, gently set up the vase, and began gathering up the flowers to put them back.
But it was clear from the vase outside the room—this one got knocked over often, so Soran left only one in the sunny third-floor corridor, not daring to put more in their private space.
Behind Chu Zao, the door’s lock quietly turned.
Clansis, unsteady because of his crown’s collapse, stood quietly behind the door. He opened just a crack, his scarlet eyes showing a trace of madness and pain, quickly repressed.
It was—
Chu Zao.
Amos’s cub.
Clansis was fairly slow to react right now. He silently watched the little one gather up Soran’s flowers, putting each back into the vase—
Yes, no floral artistry at all; a typical Dwight, indeed.
Clansis thought so. He couldn’t tell himself, but after Solan had pulled him by the ear and lectured him a few times, he’d been allowed to gain a tiny bit of taste in this area.
Still, good—now that they were all picked up, he wouldn’t have to do it himself.
And if he told Solan the flowers were arranged by Chu Zao,
She’d probably beam and say, What a good boy.
Whereas if he did it, he’d just get an elbow to the ribs.
Perhaps reminded of some bad memory, Clansis clicked his tongue softly.
And that sound made Chu Zao, just putting flowers back, freeze and slowly turn his head.
He looked right into Clansis’s eyes.
Clansis’s temperament had passed down most to Frey.
Aloof, cold—not the rebellious arrogance and disregard for others like Amos, but genuinely indifferent to everyone else.
He was even colder than Frey, and now, as the most powerful leader of the Crown Clan, was an outright autocrat—his word was law.
Even the Crown Clan would say Clansis was hard to get along with.
Let alone outsiders.
Chu Zao wasn’t yet sharp enough to notice Clansis standing silently behind him.
Until Clansis made a sound, Chu Zao turned his head—and it was like seeing a horror film: the door was halfway open, and in the crack, his grandfather’s stern, intimidating face, those scarlet eyes, staring right at him.
Too scary—
Chu Zao stumbled, almost falling into the spilled water.
Truth be told, he barely kept his composure; if this was before, at a look like that, he would already have turned into a white ball of fluff.
The special training had really paid off.
Chu Zao took a deep breath.
“Did I disturb you?”
Under that gaze, the little one instinctively used honorifics.
From the headache and discomfort, Clansis’s face was especially grim—but suddenly he realized something—
Had he frightened this little one?
At last Clansis opened the door.
“No, I wasn’t really resting anyway.”
Clansis watched the little one.
“What are you doing here?”
“I—I, Teacher Hel gave me time off, Uncle Feeney told me to wander about, Father said this is where I’d learn to live, so I came to take a look, and just accidentally came in—”
Mainly the AI was so welcoming, Chu Zao felt if he didn’t come in it would probably be disappointed.
“Sorry—”
“No, no need to apologize.”
Clansis rubbed his brow and spoke again.
“I’m not questioning why you could come here. I just thought, with those awful medical stats of yours, you’d be resting in the infirmary, like a good boy.”
With how bad Chu Zao’s numbers were, Clansis hadn’t dared get close, afraid he might injure the child with a careless move.
He only felt confusion—why wasn’t Chu Zao obediently resting, but running around instead?
If something happened, he’d never be able to handle the consequences.
But—
The little one was already calling his father “Father” so smoothly.
Looked like all this time Amos had been ‘skipping work’ had paid off?
Clansis thought, after all, he’d always figured his second son was rather rotten, so cold, so unenthusiastic; it wasn’t his style to get close to family—at best, he’d drag his siblings off to training.
So Clansis was sure Amos would have to wait a long time before this cautious little one called him “Father.”
And another thing—he really did look busy, but judging by how worn he was, what kind of hardships had he gone through? Even trying to clean up? Careful, don’t slip.
Clansis, looking at the cub, didn’t even dare move.
“It’s fine, just leave the spilled water—Yuan will take care of it.”
Yuan piped up: “Yes, Emperor Clansis. Delighted to serve Your Highness the little prince.”
Clansis didn’t spare it a glance, waiting for Chu Zao’s next move—ideally, he’d decide to go back to the infirmary, at which point Clansis would sigh in relief.
Of course, he never forced the cubs in his family—but if Chu Zao wanted to wander, even if Amos’s psionics might always be protecting him, Clansis still felt anxious, his headache growing worse, though he forced it down. He thought, Amos, having just gotten a cub, hadn’t yet developed any real protective instinct.
Fine, somehow the pain and discomfort seemed to have eased a little now.
If the little one wanted to keep exploring, he’d just follow behind.
Chu Zao, who’d meant to act busy and leave, had to stand, looking toward Clansis again.
He’d meant to tell Clansis he was leaving so he could rest—since Clansis looked so intimidating.
But as he spoke, seeing just how unwell Clansis looked, he abruptly changed tack.
“Are you… not feeling well?”
Chu Zao reached out his hand, though he didn’t really know the reason, or if it was some psychological trick of Feeney’s, but—
“May I help massage you? When Uncle Feeney feels ill, I sometimes do, and he says it helps a lot.”
Soft, well-mannered, pretty, and adorable—Clansis had never encountered a cub like this, reflected in his eyes.