Adam smiled nervously as he stood before the Emperor. The man radiated an unfathomable majesty and power, his mere presence sending shivers down Adam's spine. He struggled to maintain eye contact, the overwhelming aura making him want to shrink away in both fear and awe. Adam had always believed that power equated to authority, but in his mind, no one—aside from the gods—could be considered truly invincible. Except for the man before him.
Swallowing hard, Adam cleared his throat before speaking. "My Lord, the third prince is in perfect health. He is currently asleep along with the grand concubine. The child is the very definition of vitality. If you had told me that just hours ago, he was as lifeless as a corpse, I would have assumed you were mad based on my assessments." He hesitated before continuing. "He possesses skills, but Lady Aurora was, as expected, cautious. She did not allow me to appraise him, given my past involvement in declaring him deceased. However, I can confidently say that he is powerful. I suspect he possesses at least three or two skills, one of which must be legendary. If permitted, I will conduct a full appraisal tomorrow."
The Emperor nodded, his expression unreadable. "Hmm. Good work. You are dismissed."
Adam bowed and swiftly exited the chamber. Once outside, he exhaled sharply, his body still tingling with residual fear. "Emperor Justin II… he is truly formidable," he muttered. Shaking off his lingering dread, he walked away.
Meanwhile, within the Emperor's chamber, a stark contrast unfolded. The moment Adam left, the previously composed and authoritative figure of Emperor Justin transformed into something unrecognizable. The ruler of the empire, feared by many, was now hopping around in pure joy, his voice filled with childlike excitement. Tears streamed down his face as he embraced his best friend, nearly squeezing the life out of him.
"Justin, you idiot! Your behaviour is completely unbecoming! Can you calm yourself, you fool?" Ryan, the Grand Duke and Justin's closest friend, groaned in exasperation. He truly wanted to smack some sense into the man, but he held back. After all, he understood. It had been a long time since Justin had experienced such happiness.
The Emperor's children were his pride and joy. The crown prince and the first princess had been sent to the Central Continent to study at Midvest Academy, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. His second son, an adventurer at heart, rarely stayed in one place long enough to be coddled. His younger daughters, the second and third princesses, were his greatest sources of joy.
However, the world did not even know the third prince existed. Only a select few within the palace were aware of his birth. Justin had been devastated when he believed his fifth child had been stillborn. He loved all his children dearly and was fiercely protective of them. So much so that when his eldest two left for their studies, he sent four among his strongest subordinates with them , Leaving a hole in the defence of the Empire.
But he didn't care.
It was for his babies.
His thought process, as ridiculous as it was, could be summed up as: Screw the empire, I can protect it myself. But who will protect my babies?
This, of course, had earned him a thorough scolding from his officials, his wife, his concubines, and even Ryan. But those closest to him understood—this was simply how he was when it came to his children.
Dante's revival was as joyous an occasion to him as becoming a father for the first time. He felt renewed.
"Ryan, I'm going to see Dante! I'll talk to you later!" Justin announced, ready to dash out the door.
Before he could take a step, however, a strong hand grasped the back of his robes and effortlessly lifted him off the ground.
"My Lord," Ryan said, his voice calm but firm, "might I remind you that, thanks to your earlier decisions, we are short-staffed? You have numerous documents to review."
Suddenly, the space within the office expanded. The distance between Justin and the door stretched infinitely. Ryan had activated his skill, Expanded World. Though not a spatial user, his ability was incredibly troublesome to deal with. Even the mighty Emperor found himself utterly trapped.
Justin dropped to his knees, fake tears streaming down his face. "You demon! You fiend! How could you separate a father from his child? I thought we were friends, Ryan, you evil bastard!"
Ryan merely shook his head. "My Lord, have you already forgotten? Lady Aurora has no desire to see you right now. After what you said to her back then, do you truly think she would allow you near her child?"
The Emperor's wails stopped abruptly. His playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a somber expression.
Ryan continued, his voice softer but firm. "This is a situation you must face, Justin. You made a mistake, and you need to deal with the consequences. It won't be as easy as you want it to be."
Justin sighed heavily, the weight of his past words pressing down on him. He had known this moment would come. He had long accepted that his relationship with Aurora was fractured almost beyond repair, but deep down, he had still held onto a sliver of hope.
His mistake haunted him—especially now.
Like many, he had resigned himself to the death of his son. He had even insisted on burning the body, following tradition, allowing the child to return to the world and the wind. But Aurora had refused. She had believed, with unwavering certainty, that their son would live again. They had fought over it, and in his frustration, he had cruelly asked, Why do you insist on protecting a dead child?
Those words had cost him her love.
Since then, their relationship had been tense. She rarely spoke to him, communicating only with the Empress, the other concubines, Ryan, her brother, or her personal maids. He, in turn, had been at a loss for words. He had never known how to fix what he had broken. He hadn't wanted to see her suffer, yet he had been unable to console her. Looking back, he realized how selfish he had been. A grieving mother would cling to even the faintest hope. He had failed to understand that.
With a deep breath, Justin forced himself to refocus. He sat back down and turned his attention to the documents before him. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Send a letter to Octov. Tell him to inform those two that their brother has awakened. If they wish to return, make the proper arrangements."
Ryan nodded. "By your will."
As he turned to leave, he couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's defeated posture. With a snap of his fingers, he undid his skill, allowing the room to return to its normal size.
Ryan sighed, rubbing his temples. This is going to be a long road…