Chapter 40

Chapter 40

At night, the entire air harbor was unusually quiet.

Normally, even at night, the air harbor should be operational. But seeing the situation, Bai Sha knew that the person in front of her had forcefully cleared out the airport.

Two pairs of strikingly similar deep blue eyes met, each slightly startled, sizing each other up for a few seconds before Bai Sha averted her gaze first.

She pursed her lips, slightly lowering her somewhat pale face, even her gem-like, sparkling eyes dimmed a bit.

Unexpectedly, the more she withdrew, the more intense his gaze became — as if trying to pierce through her face to see into her soul.

Bai Sha, under this piercing gaze, silently took two steps back.

...Damn, why does this person look so much like the avatar she created in the City of No Bounds!

Because this appearance was too outstanding and eye-catching, Bai Sha only wore that avatar in the City of No Bounds for a day to enjoy the thrill, and then kept it stored away ever since.

She named the avatar "Zero" and occasionally downloaded ready-made models and scripts from the internet, projecting "Zero" into them for amusement — starting with popular action scripts like "Star Wars", "Alien Attack", "Rescue Mission" — turning "Zero" into the protagonist of these movie scenarios. Watching "Zero's" sharp actions and vivid expressions, Bai Sha was so impressed she whistled in admiration. Out of a kind of narcissism, she treated "Zero" as her alternate identity, deriving much pleasure from this viewing game.

Later, she even downloaded melodramatic romance scripts — the kind where the male and female leads deeply love each other, but due to family pressures, the female lead must make the male lead believe she loves someone else, resulting in the male lead forcefully making her love him, inadvertently hurting her, being replaced by another male character. Bai Sha wasn't interested in these unfulfilling plots, but she loved seeing "Zero" suffer — watching him betrayed, used, deceived, losing his love, yearning in vain, deeply loving someone only to be discarded, struggling between extreme love and jealousy, and ultimately losing himself. She found it thrilling, even saving classic scenes as gifs, occasionally looking at them when bored, considering them her spiritual nourishment.

Bai Sha admitted she was a bit twisted... but she never expected the virtual "Zero" to turn into a real person!

With this thought, she subconsciously shrank her head in guilt.

Unbeknownst to her, this behavior, to others, appeared as a display of fear.

"You've frightened her."

A familiar voice chimed in. Baisha turned to see a young man with brown eyes standing nearby, his cape embroidered with glinting gold threads, and gold-rimmed glasses adding to his refined appearance. It was the "Imperial Secretary of the Empire" she had seen in the holographic projection on the starship.

"She's just been through a Federal interrogation and her spirit has barely calmed down. Look how frail and pale she is. Surrounded by armed guards, it might have been better to have a more private and comforting setting for this encounter..."

The man with silver hair and blue eyes slightly furrowed his brow, glancing at Baisha but not dismissing the suggestion.

"Follow me," he told Baisha, his voice a mix of elegance and frost, tinged with an unspoken restlessness.

A dense crowd escorted him as they moved.

Unaccustomed to such grandeur and still on guard, Baisha dutifully followed without looking around.

She missed the man glancing back at her, noting her discomfort, and signaling the head of his guard to slow down and create some distance.

The Imperial Secretary observed this and slowed his pace, too.

They entered the waiting room of the spaceport with Wei Li and Ren Jun following. Most of the guard remained outside.

The room wasn't large, about 50 square meters, furnished with bookshelves, a round table, sofas, and some green potted plants.

Seated on the sofas, Wei Li, the most approachable, spoke first, "Nice to meet you, child. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Wei Li, currently serving as the Imperial Secretary of the Ares Empire."

Baisha nodded in greeting.

Wei Li paused briefly, turning to the man in the center, "And this gentleman is the 32nd Emperor of the Ares Empire, Cecil Ronin."

Though she had guessed it, Baisha was still taken aback by the official confirmation of his identity.

"…Hello, Your Majesty."

After speaking, she hesitated to look at him—praying they wouldn't delve into her device's data. If they did, she feared she might never leave an imperial cell!

Bai Sha lowered her head, looking at the soft carpet under her feet. This new, colorful and soft carpet was divided into geometric patterns, with a blooming golden-blue passionflower in the center, surrounded by intricate and lively blue jay decorations. These birds seemed lifelike, with various postures and silver threads interwoven in their spread tails, shimmering under the light.

The carpet, as luxurious and exquisite as the sofa they were sitting on, was clearly out of place in this small, somewhat austere waiting room, obviously a recent addition.

Bai Sha stepped lightly on the carpet, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the Emperor had not responded to her earlier greeting.

Suddenly, a shadow fell before her. A cold touch landed on her cheek — someone with fair, flawless fingers grasped her chin, forcing her to look up directly at him.

The bright light shone in Bai Sha's eyes.

She squinted slightly, offering no resistance.

"Why won't you look me in the eye?" Cecil Ronin asked slowly, his cold yet handsome eyes fixated on her.

"...I am simply shocked, Your Majesty," Bai Sha replied calmly, with a hint of well-placed fear, "After all, we look so much alike."

Cecil Ronin: "...Perhaps you are right, we just look alike." He suddenly released Bai Sha's chin, frowned deeply, and turned to Wei Li, "Coming here today was a mistake. She couldn't possibly have royal blood — and yet I actually believed such a crazy rumor."

Cecil Ronin's tone seemed to simmer with impending thunderous rage.

Wei Li sighed: "Stop trying to avoid it, Your Majesty. The royal medical team is already waiting outside. A simple genetic test will quickly give you a definitively reliable answer."

Then, two doctors in white uniforms came in with medical kits, respectfully drawing blood and collecting various physiological data from Bai Sha and Cecil Ronin.

Bai Sha: "Isn't it necessary to take bone marrow?"

The doctor drawing her blood momentarily showed a look of great alarm, then humbly replied, "We wouldn't dare. Whether it's for genetic testing or psychic power testing, a sample of □□ is sufficient."

Upon hearing this, Cecil Ronin's gaze grew even colder: "They dare to take your bone marrow?"

"...Just a little bit," Bai Sha gestured with her hand that had just been drawn blood from, her fair yet slender wrist causing Cecil Ronin to frown slightly, "It was for a recheck of my psychic power before entering the military academy."

Cecil Ronin stated firmly: "The Empire's technology is not that backward."

Bai Sha: "Oh."

In their brief exchange, Bai Sha's seemingly respectful yet casual demeanor opened the eyes of Wei Li and Ji Lun.

Cecil Ronin appeared not to notice this at all. After having his blood drawn, he rolled down the sleeve of his arm, carefully fastening each gem-studded cufflink, looking deeply preoccupied.

After a long and silent fifteen minutes, the doctor who had taken their blood returned with the test results.

"The tests confirm that His Majesty is not this lady's biological father. However, there is a high genetic overlap between the two, with a probability of kinship over ninety-five percent."

"In other words, this lady indeed possesses royal genes. And, after verification with the gene database, she is likely a direct descendant of the previous emperor."

Bai Sha blinked and turned her gaze towards Cecil Ronin.

"So, does that mean you are my... uncle, or something else?"

Cecil Ronin's face darkened instantly.

"The previous emperor had only two children," said Wei Li with a smile in his voice, "Princess Xipes Ronin and the current Cecil Ronin."

Bai Sha understood: "So, I am the daughter of that princess?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Wei Li and Ji Lun stood up, leaned forward, and bowed, performing a greeting customary for the royal family, "Welcome back to the Ares Empire."

Cecil Ronin, still seated on the sofa, remained silent. A few seconds later, he stood up and walked out of the waiting room, his military boots striking a cold, merciless rhythm on the floor.

Watching his retreating figure disappear through the door, Bai Sha thought to herself, I'm not his illegitimate daughter who tarnished his reputation, is such a reaction really necessary?

However, realizing Cecil Ronin was her uncle, not her father, Bai Sha felt a significant weight lifted off her shoulders. She even managed a smile, curiously asking, "Then, where are my father and mother? Aren't they around?"

The room fell into silence.

Half a minute later, Wei Li slightly bowed his head, speaking in a tone laced with reassurance, "We also do not know their whereabouts."

"...Precisely speaking, Princess Xipes Ronin has been missing since she left the empire twenty years ago."

"We don't know when Your Highness was born, nor why you ended up in the remote star systems of the Federation — Princess Xipes disappeared without any engagement. We also cannot determine who your father is. But we, the people of Ares, never abandon our children. Please believe that Princess Xipes did not intentionally leave you behind..."

Bai Sha pondered over the logic of these words.

Her mother was the empire's princess, missing for twenty years.

Twenty years — the princess certainly wasn't pregnant with her at the time of her disappearance.

...She finally understood why the Emperor's attitude towards her was so conflicted.

Her aunt had been missing for twenty years, unmarried before her disappearance. Now, twenty years later, a niece suddenly appears out of nowhere, but there's still no sign of her aunt or the unknown uncle.

"Your Highness, I hope it's not too much to ask, but do you really have no memories of Princess Xipes?" Wei Li's gentle brown eyes looked at Bai Sha, making her feel a faint sense of guilt.

She had regained consciousness on the planet Lanslo, already six or seven years old. Naturally, she had no memories from before her arrival on Lanslo.

Without any leads on Xipes Ronin, her existence was quite awkward for the royal family.

"Cecil Ronin... I mean, Uncle, does he dislike me?" Bai Sha suddenly asked, knowing this was crucial for her future in the Ares Empire. She couldn't stay in the Federation anymore, and if the empire was a hostile environment, she might as well leave for the frontier stars and become a free mercenary.

Wei Li responded, "Don't overthink it. The royal family values kinship deeply, and His Majesty had a very close relationship with Princess Xipes, a brother and sister who would trust each other with their lives. On that account, His Majesty will certainly take good care of you and ensure you receive all due privileges of the royal family."

What Wei Li left unsaid was that as an Ares native, Princess Xipes would have protected her child at all costs in the face of danger. But since Bai Sha had been neglected in the Federation for years... it was highly probable that Princess Xipes had met an unfortunate fate.

Otherwise, Wei Li couldn't imagine any other reason why the Princess would have abandoned her child in the Federation's star sector.

And the person least able to accept this was probably His Majesty — the princess was his only surviving relative, and now that her descendant had returned to the empire, she brought no good news about the Princess.

His Majesty would need some time to accept this.

As for the newly discovered Highness...

Wei Li sighed, his gaze towards Bai Sha filled with compassion.

"Ji Lun, please take care of the young princess," he said, standing up and adjusting his glasses in a slow, graceful manner, "I'll go out and talk to His Majesty."

Wei Li left the airport's waiting room.

He stood on the steps, his pale eyes scanning the dimly lit docking area.

The Emperor of the Empire hadn't gone far.

Dismissing his guards, he directed them all back to the starship. He stood under the vast, dark night sky, his back so straight that not a wrinkle marred the fabric of his clothes. Like a silent shadow, he blended into the darkness, only the passionflower brooch on his chest persistently refracting a soft blue glow.

Cecil Ronin removed the brooch, holding it in his palm, the pure sapphire radiating light.

— Wei Li recognized it as the adulthood gift Princess Xipes had given to Cecil Ronin many years ago.

It was difficult for the people of the Empire to have children, and even the Ronin royal family typically had only one child per generation. The previous Emperor had a daughter and a son, which brought joy to the citizens as it meant a potential expansion of the royal lineage. However, there were also concerns: history had shown instances of strife among heirs to the throne.

When one heir is clearly stronger, the choice of a crown prince is not so difficult. But when both are similarly aged and exceptionally talented, it can lead to manipulation and discord sowed by those with ulterior motives.

The Princess's response was to give away this brooch.

While the passionflower is a symbol of royalty, it is more commonly associated with the Emperor. By gifting the brooch to her brother, the then Crown Princess signified to all the citizens her willingness to share the empire's highest honors with him. Their sibling bond was as solid as rock, unshakable by the lure of the throne. Regardless of who would ascend to become Emperor, they would remain the closest of family.

Who could have foreseen what happened next...

Wei Li stood in silence, watching the Emperor lost in thought with the brooch.

After a while, he approached Cecil Ronin, accustomed to being by his side, "We should actually feel happy, Your Majesty."

The Emperor's brows furrowed, and he glanced sideways.

"The existence of the young princess lets us know that Princess Xipes wasn't alone in the years she was away from the empire," Wei Li said slowly, his words always persuasive, "We both know what kind of person Princess Xipes was. Anyone she admired, loved, and chose to be with to have a child must have been the best in the world."

"...Princess Xipes simply had her own adventure in a place we couldn't see. Her nature was to love freedom, she must have been very content. Besides, she met her lover and had a child. At least the first half of her adventure was probably more beautiful than we can imagine."

Cecil Ronin knew Wei Li's reasoning made sense.

But none of it could make up for the pain of losing her.

Where exactly did she go?

Has she been wandering and homeless?

Why did she separate from her own child?

The heavens pushed the daughter of Xipes Roning into his sight, yet why are they so stingy in revealing even a hint of information about his sister?

"Perhaps what I'm about to say will displease you, but I still need to remind you: the young princess is innocent." Wei Li believed that the emperor would soon calm down, "At least you have fond memories with Lady Xipes. But what about the young princess? She grew up in a foreign land, enduring hardships, believing herself to be an orphan abandoned by her parents, and then faced such treatment from the Federation upon reaching adulthood... She hasn’t lived like a member of the Roning family, you can't expect her to act like the elder princess right away..."

"Xipes was a competent sister," the emperor suddenly spoke, "But if my niece is of the same disposition, it would actually trouble me."

Wei Li was slightly startled, then chuckled softly, "Indeed."

"Compared to the elder princess, the young princess actually resembles you more..."

The emperor's face suddenly turned colder again.

"That's the only thing about her that I am dissatisfied with."

Wei Li: "..."

Wei Li took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a surge of impulse to resign and go home.

This kind of impulse had occasionally arisen in Wei Li from the time when the emperor was still a prince and he, a minister serving the prince.

"What do you plan to do with the young princess?" Wei Li massaged his temples, "You need to be gentler with her, as you're currently her only elder and guardian. Also, how do you plan to announce her existence to the public?"

"Forgive my frankness, but now is not the right time. The young princess's spirit body has not yet fully formed. In a dire situation, she wouldn't be able to protect herself."

Once Baisha's identity is made public, she will be the sole heir to the throne. However, her upbringing in the Federation and her unawakened spirit body will bring her immense troubles. Some will be overly demanding and oppressive towards her.

"Let her return to the Empire as a member of the royal family," Cecil Roning pondered for a moment, "Wait until her spirit body is fully formed, then hold the prince's coronation ceremony. She is merely inheriting her mother's title, and no one in the Empire has the right to stop her."

Most imperial nobles awaken their spirit body before the age of five. Baisha's age without a fully formed spirit body is not just a matter of being incompetent; she would typically be seen as 'naturally flawed' by noble families.

But Baisha is not to blame.

The royal medical hospital sent another report to the emperor after completing the genetic testing.

Baisha's physiological data indicates that she did not receive proper care in the Federation. Her cells and spirit body are both desperately in need of nourishment. This also relates to the uniqueness of the royal spirit bodies — every royal child needs ample nutrition from birth to build a strong physique to match their superior spiritual power, and their spirit bodies require more sustenance.

It's like a nest of birds, where those well-fed show a significant difference in size compared to those that aren't. The same principle applies to the growth of spirit bodies.

"According to Jilun's report, the young princess's spirit body is very strong," Wei Li recalled, "For now, it seems the only issue with her spirit body is its formation. You don't need to worry excessively. Once back on Youdu Star, she can undergo a comprehensive examination."

The emperor gazed at the report in silence for a moment, a faint fury sparking in his eyes.

"Why don't we just annihilate the Federation?"

"We cannot, Your Majesty. We need to coexist with the Federation."

"They dared to interrogate her."

"Heh, if they knew the young princess's true identity, they'd probably only regret not having killed her."

“……”

A brief silence fell between the two.

Wei Li: "Let's set these matters aside for now. Don't you plan to visit the young princess? She just called you 'uncle', but you left too quickly to hear it."

Cecil Roning's eyes flickered.

He stroked the brooch in his palm and said softly, "I will give her this brooch as my gift upon meeting her."

The two exchanged a glance and turned towards the guest room. Cecil Roning had abruptly left the room earlier, with Wei Li following him, leaving only Jilun there. Baisha might have felt uneasy.

But as they opened the door, they heard the contented purring that an animal makes when soothed —

A black panther lay relaxed on Baisha's lap, while she happily stroked it, showing no signs of unease, sadness, or even discomfort.

Wei Li: "..."

The Emperor: "..."

The Emperor, expressionless, gave Jilun a cold stare.

Jilun, enduring the strange sensation of his spirit body being forcefully stroked, was puzzled by the Emperor's sudden hostility:

What's going on? Hadn't he done well enough?