"If you three are so desperate to take care of me..." Her lips curved, crimson eyes flashing with playful defiance. "Then perhaps you should compete for the privilege."
Rosearia looked at the three men who practically had her cornered against the cold stone.
Before any of them could react—
A laugh echoed through the fortress. "Hahaha!"
Everyone froze. The suffocating aura of three apex predators instantly spiked, dark mana threatening to tear the roof off the hall. Neither Melody nor Anthony would dare breathe loudly right now, let alone laugh directly in the faces of the Dark Triad unless they had a death wish.
All four of them turned.
The sound had come from the adorable little creature Asmodeus had brought back from the black-market auction. It sat innocently on the carpet, its fluffy white tail curled around its tiny body.
"Hahaha!"
Adrian’s brow twitched dangerously. "What’s so funny?"
The little creature looked up, tilting its head as its pale silver eyes sparkled with sheer amusement. "It’s just so awkward." It flicked a tiny ear. "Seeing the legendary Dark Triad crumble because of one woman is unbelievable." It paused. "No disrespect meant to you." Its gaze shifted toward Rosearia.
Rosearia was too shocked to even respond.
"Shocked? No." She was amused. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across her face. She slipped out from between the three men, crouched down, and picked it up.
"You can talk?"
"Yes." The creature blinked its large eyes at her. "Why do you look so surprised?"
Rosearia slowly turned her head toward Aldric, Adrian, and Asmodeus. None of them looked even remotely surprised.
She let out a soft sigh. "Guess I’m the odd one here."
"Damn, you just ruined the mood, you calamity beast," Aldric whined, throwing his head back before dropping into a seat.
The creature gave him an offended look. "I was improving the mood."
"You call that improving the mood?"
"Yes."
Aldric scoffed. "You’re worse than Rose."
Rosearia smiled. "I’ll take that as a compliment."
"Don’t."
"Too late."
She sat down on the edge of the sofa and placed the little creature on her lap. For a few moments, everyone simply looked at one another. The strange, suffocating tension from earlier had disappeared, replaced by something much more ridiculous.
To break the silence, Rosearia looked down at the creature. "I’m going to name you."
The calamity beast immediately raised its head. "You people have a habit of giving animals names as though we are your personal property."
Rosearia blinked, gently stroking its soft fur. "Forgive me, then." She smoothed down its floppy ears. "What’s your name?"
The creature answered without a single heartbeat of hesitation. "Snowball."
Rosearia froze, holding herself back from a sudden burst of laughter. "Snowball?"
"Yes."
"What’s so funny?"
"Nothing, I was just about to name you that." She looked at its tiny face. "You’re just so cute."
Snowball narrowed its eyes. "I don’t think that’s a compliment."
Aldric crossed his arms over his chest. "Enough with all this." He leaned back in his seat and looked across at the Prince. "Now, Adrian, what do you plan to do about what your father announced?"
Adrian glanced at him, his icy-blue eyes unwavering. "My father announced a competition for the Crown Prince position."
Rosearia’s hand stopped stroking Snowball. "What?" She looked between the two men. "So your position as Crown Prince is actually at stake?"
"Not really." Adrian’s expression remained calm, cold, and absolute. "No one can take what belongs to me."
Aldric snorted. "That’s exactly what someone says right before four ambitious idiots try to stab him."
Adrian ignored him. "The competitors are the only problem. Since my father announced it tonight, by tomorrow we should know who the candidates are going to be." His expression darkened. "And my stepbrother, that son of a bitch, is going to be there too."
Rosearia’s eyebrows lifted. "Callistius, The Second Prince?"
"Yes" Adrian replied.
"You really hate him so much."
Adrian nodded. "I do, I hate how he loves to challenge me, it makes my blood boil."
Adrian turned toward her. "And what do you suggest?"
Rosearia tilted her head, her sharp, analytical mind immediately going to work. "If you only defeat them, someone else will challenge you later."
Aldric’s golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Go on."
"You need to make them understand why you should remain Crown Prince."
Adrian watched her carefully. "You think strength alone won’t be enough?"
"Strength is part of it." She glanced at him. "But a crown doesn’t belong simply to the strongest man."
Aldric raised an eyebrow. "That’s debatable."
Rosearia ignored him. "It belongs to the person people believe should wear it." Adrian remained silent, listening to her every word. "Your father isn’t simply trying to replace you. He’s testing you." She tapped one finger lightly against Snowball’s head. "If you destroy the other candidates without proving why the Empire needs you, your victory won’t last."
"And what exactly should I do?"
Rosearia looked directly into Adrian’s eyes. "Make them all regret challenging you."
Adrian chuckled, "I like the sound of that."
Rosearia smiled smoothly. "You don’t have to kill them, you can defeat them publicly, expose whatever makes them unworthy, and leave zero doubt about who should lead."
Adrian’s eyes flashed with deep thought. "So you want me to turn their challenge against them."
"Exactly."
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Adrian nodded slowly. "That might work."
"Of course it will."
Aldric looked between them with an amused grin. "Did you two just come up with a brilliant political strategy?"
Rosearia looked at him. "Yes."
"That strategy is perfect, might actually bring peace to this Empire who is always looking for a way to challenge those in power."
Snowball lifted its head from her lap and said sarcastically. "I agree."
Rosearia burst into a bright, breathless laugh. Even Adrian’s lips twitched slightly.
Aldric looked utterly betrayed. "You see?" He pointed at Snowball. "This creature is completely disrespectful."
Snowball looked up at Rosearia. "Is he always like this?"
Rosearia nodded. "Unfortunately."
"Traitor," Aldric muttered.
The room filled with quiet warmth. For a brief moment, everything felt strangely normal. No assassins. No political schemes. No secrets. Just the four of them sitting together with a ridiculous little calamity beast.
But Rosearia knew better than anyone that peaceful moments in her life never lasted. Her gaze drifted back toward Adrian. "The crown competition isn’t the only thing you need to worry about."
Adrian looked at her. "The attack?"
She nodded. "The assassins weren’t ordinary."
Aldric’s playful expression faded slightly. Neither was Rosearia’s.
"And that crest," she added. "Someone put it on them for a reason."
"I’ll find out what it means," Aldric said, his tone losing its usual teasing edge. "I’ll investigate it myself."
Adrian glanced at him. "Don’t get yourself killed."
Aldric smiled softly. "You worry about me too much."
Adrian glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
"If believing that makes you happy," he said calmly, "then I’ll let you believe it."
Aldric’s smile widened into an almost childish grin.
The conversation carried on for a while. But slowly, Rosearia began to feel the heavy exhaustion she had been ignoring all night. The ballroom clash, the magic overexertion, and the raw emotional tension were finally catching up to her. Her eyelids grew heavier. She tried to stay awake. She failed.
She shifted slightly on the sofa. Then again. Before she even realized it, her body leaned toward Adrian, her head coming to rest against his broad, solid shoulder.
Adrian immediately stopped speaking. He looked down. Rosearia was fast asleep.
A few strands of vibrant jade-green hair had fallen across her face. Her breathing had softened into a steady, peaceful rhythm. Snowball was curled comfortably on her lap, its tiny body rising and falling with each breath.
Adrian carefully adjusted his posture so she wouldn’t wake, his long arm subtly shifting to support her weight.
Aldric watched them, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. "Well." He tilted his head. "She really is comfortable with you."
For someone who had spent so much time pretending to be a delicate, helpless flower, she looked strangely peaceful like this.
Asmodeus stood several feet away near the hearth, watching silently. Then he spoke, his deep voice smooth. "I won’t be around for a while."
Adrian finally looked up. "Where are you going?"
Asmodeus slipped his hands into his long coat pockets. "Somewhere."
Aldric laughed. "That isn’t an answer."
"It’s the only answer you’re getting anyways."
Aldric rolled his eyes.
Asmodeus’s gaze moved back to Rosearia. He stared at her for a long moment before turning away. "I’ll see you when I return."
And with that — darkness gathered around his body. The next second, he vanished completely into the shadows.
Adrian frowned slightly, his icy-blue eyes fixing on the empty space. "He’s hiding something."
Aldric shrugged. "Asmodeus is always hiding something."
Then Snowball suddenly spoke. "Thanks to him."
Adrian looked down. The little beast was staring at the exact spot where Asmodeus had disappeared.
Aldric frowned. "For what?"
Fluffy lowered its voice, its pale silver eyes glinting with an ancient, solemn light. "For returning me to my master."
A sudden, heavy silence fell over the room. Aldric’s playful expression changed completely. Adrian looked down at Rosearia.
Fluffy gently placed one tiny paw against her hand. "She doesn’t remember her past life fully yet."
Aldric stared at it, his golden eyes narrowing. "She’s your master?"
Snowball nodded silently. Rosearia’s sleeping face remained peaceful, as though she couldn’t hear a single word.
Then Asmodeus’s deep voice echoed from somewhere within the swirling darkness. "I never do things for free."
Snowball’s ears twitched. "You’re still listening?"
"Of course." There was a trace of dark amusement in his voice. "She owes me one."
Then the darkness vanished completely, taking the Demon God’s presence with it.
Snowball stared ahead, flicking its tail. "What a greedy demon."
Aldric chuckled softly, though his eyes remained sharp. "That’s Asmodeus for you."
Adrian remained silent. His gaze shifted back to Rosearia, resting comfortably against his chest.
So many questions.
So many secrets about her that even they didn’t understand.
And now an ancient calamity beast was claiming she had once been its master.
He carefully brushed a strand of jade hair away from Rosearia’s face. She stirred slightly, resting closer against his body before settling again.
Aldric stood up and stretched his long arms. "You’re meeting your mother tomorrow, right?"
Adrian nodded. "Yes."
"And you’re taking Rose with you?"
Adrian looked down at the woman sleeping against him. "Yes."
Aldric smiled, a dangerous glint flickering in his slit golden dragon-eyes. "Then tomorrow should be absolute magic." He took a step toward the doorway. "I also need to investigate a few things," Aldric added, his tone dropping into lethality. "The crest, the assassins, and anything else that doesn’t make sense."
Adrian nodded once. "Be careful."
"I always am, even though I tend to enjoy not being careful."
Adrian laughed, "Of course."
The fortress slowly grew quiet. Rosearia remained fast asleep against Adrian, completely unaware of the dangerous conversations happening around her. Snowball curled itself tighter on her lap, purring softly. Aldric disappeared down the quiet corridor. And Adrian remained right where he was, holding her close through the cold night.
For tonight, there were no crowns to fight for. No enemies to hunt. No secrets to force out of anyone.
Just silence.
But tomorrow... everything would begin again.