Chapter 10: So cute, picky eating is allowed

Chapter 10 – So Adorable, Picky Eating Is Allowed

The air went dead silent.

Amos had arrived earlier than scheduled.

So the only brother there to meet him was Frey.

Frey had always been a cold, quiet type since childhood. He seemed fine now, but the two others beside him were practically bulging-eyed, staring at where the tiny halo had just flickered.

That little halo wobbled as it peeked out, shivered, then someone yanked it back like a tiny golden flash.

Or some kind of golden mirage.

“This is too weird—too weird,” one Crown Clan guy muttered. “I was just joking about wanting to see a halo, and boom, there it was! Haha… I must be losing it from all these late nights. Where’s the medical pod? I need to lie down.”

He turned away in a daze and slapped his face hard, looking even more stunned.

“And I even saw a white fluffy paw—today’s *freaking* weird—”

He took two steps before the guy next to him grabbed him, yanking him back. Then he got pinched—*hard*.

He yelped before he could think.

The other guy looked just as stunned. He pulled his hand back and whispered, “You felt that? So it’s real?”

“No way!” the pinched one shouted, eyes wide. “Dude, pinch *yourself* next time?!”

Still, everyone’s eyes stayed locked on the small bundle in Amos’ arms.

Wrapped up in his spare uniform, the little one hid completely inside the coat—no clue what it was.

“Is this really—?”

Frey snapped out of it first. His brow furrowed, reacting exactly like Amos had when he first saw Xiao Chuzao.

The Crown Clan wasn’t supposed to have kids anymore.

And now, with the galaxy in chaos, anti-Crown and anti-Saint Cas groups were everywhere. Schemes, ambushes, assassination attempts—they’d become routine.

First, Saint Cas controlled too much territory to cover every leak. The bigger you are, the more cracks show. Second, the Crown Clan’s psychic strength was insane—aside from self-destruction or internal fighting, no other race could kill them.

Amos just cradled the little bundle.

“Let’s go to the med center first.”

The royal court had its own mini starship base, and the med center wasn’t far.

Saint Cas winters were *bone-chilling*, especially after snowfall. Snowflakes still swirled in the air, and the snow was already five centimeters deep. Even the Crown Clan’s usually silent steps crunched in the snow.

Xiao Chuzao had never seen snow. He was freezing—but too curious to care. The wind was brutal.

So the rest of the walk went like this—

Zao Zao peeked out, lifting the coat just enough—then ducked back from the cold.

No more looking for Zao Zao!

Ahhh, what a strange sound! It seems the wind outside has stopped. Zao Zao will just take one quick peek!

Quietly lifting the edge of the fabric, he immediately shrinks back from the cold.

Waaah, Zao Zao isn't looking anymore.

But why is there such a sound? Zao Zao *has* to take a look.

The little tyke works up his courage and struggles to poke out his tiny head—his little ears instantly numbed by the chill.

He goes "Meow meow!" and swiftly pulls his head back in again.

Nope nope nope, not looking one bit!

By the time they reached the medical center, the Wangguan Clan members trailing behind Amos had gone numb.

All along the way, they kept wondering—Could this really be one of their own cubs?

Here he comes! Here he comes! This little thing is about to peek out!

Aww... he chickened out.

He’s coming out again!!

Aww... he pulled back again.

His little head pops out—Aww, gone again! Their hearts were doing flip-flops, more turbulent than during any battle they’d led.

Finally arriving at the medical room, warm air washes over them as the central air conditioning hums softly.

Only then does Amos gently place the bundle in his arms onto the soft bed.

Now the whole medical center is in an uproar.

They'd been feeling hopeless before—as the most advanced medical center in the Saint Cas Empire, they had no solution for the psychic energy issues of their nation's royal family and various royals.

Until a few days ago, they received a communication requesting they prepare all the equipment needed for a Wangguan Clan cub.

God only knew how ancient that equipment was.

The Wangguan Clan hadn’t had a cub in centuries, right? Whether those old relics could still work—and how—was a serious problem.

They'd thought they had more time, until Amos arrived early.

Medical researchers at the center are scrambling to coordinate various devices currently under maintenance or repair.

While standard medical pods would work, for the Wangguan Clan—with their unique psychic energy and special physiology—they weren’t the optimal choice.

If they really could have a Little Highness...

Heh heh, the Little Highness!

After reporting the situation, the researchers didn’t even turn their heads, practically staring at that little bundled-up form as they left.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chuzao finally sticks his head out—only to get thoroughly chilled. His tiny paws clutch his head as he tries to warm his poor ears. His little halo trembles, then shakily emerges from beneath Amos’s clothes, popping up firmly into place.

Except for Amos, the others kept muttering among themselves—how unbelievable this all was, how it had to be some trick, how something was definitely off.

Then this time, they clearly saw that little halo—a golden hue never before seen among their clan, ornate yet delicate, small and crown-like, like the world’s most exquisite handcrafted jewel, radiating a soft glow.

The clothes rustled as a small, fluffy head emerged from within. The previously flattened ears perked up instantly, their pinkish centers visible through the light. The little one, just having come out, seemed momentarily disoriented by the brightness, squinting his large eyes tentatively before gradually opening them fully.

They were a pair of clear, amber-colored eyes, like liquid amber.

Just one glance from those eyes made the Crown Clan members present feel their hearts pounding faster and faster.

It had been centuries since any of them had seen a Crown Clan infant—they themselves had been the last generation of younglings in their clan, and it had been hundreds of years since they reached adulthood.

This sensation was utterly unfamiliar to them, so much so that they widened their eyes in shock, almost instinctively drawing on their mental defenses to resist this bizarre feeling.

*“Meow!”*

Daddy, why is it so cold?

Xiao Chuzao glanced at the unfamiliar faces behind him, but the little one barely noticed them—this was a baby accustomed to being overlooked, never the center of attention. To a young cub, strangers were just strangers. He quickly located Amos's position, gave a little shiver, and squirmed free of the garment.

A pair of neatly groomed, adorable snow-white wings snapped open behind him with a swift motion, lightly fluttering.

His tiny tail also perked up and swished.

He toddled over to the bedside, the small halo atop his head gleaming brightly as he raised a tiny paw and whimpered, *“Meow meow!”*

Daddy, want to be in Daddy’s arms!

---

"See clearly now?"

Amos spoke as he extended a hand, offering a helping hand to the little one.

Xiao Chuzao hooked his tiny paws onto Amos's clothes and swiftly scrambled into his arms. Moving with remarkable speed, he initially burrowed headfirst into Amos's embrace before adjusting his posture, lifting his head slightly. The halo, following the motion of his head, popped back into place with a bounce.

*“Meow?”*

What?

See, see clearly now.

A soft little bundle of an infant—no bigger than two hands cupped together!!!

The miniature crown-like tiara atop his head—there was no mistaking it, absolutely no mistaking it!!

"Your Majesty!!! Where did you find this one??!!"

"Found him in the nesting grounds."

Frey had remained silent from the start. The moment he saw that tiny halo, he had confirmed the cub's identity. But there were still questions to be answered—where exactly had this child come from? Was he a unique bloodline, or did he share ties with the existing Crown Clan?

Was he a natural birth, or an unintentional creation from some laboratory...

All these thoughts came to a halt the moment his gaze met the infant's clear, guileless eyes.

*“Meow?”*

Talking about Zao Zao??

Xiao Chuzao tentatively poked his head out, uncertain. His big amber eyes blinked slowly, his tail gave a swish as he looked around curiously.

Amos casually pulled a fruit from his pocket— Yes, the ruler of Saint Cas had very naturally pulled out a fruit from his pocket... a fruit!!

Do you always carry snacks with you now?

This fruit is nutritious, but not very good.

They watched as the little one clearly frowned, hugging the fruit.

Over the past few days on the starship, Xiao Chuzao had already tried all the fruits Amos prepared—both the tasty and the yucky ones.

Xiao Chuzao hated wasting food. He looked up at Amos, then down at the fruit, before finally opening his mouth. His tiny, sharp teeth scraped uselessly against the fruit’s skin.

The damage inflicted on the fruit was practically zero.

The crew members stared intently at the little one.

Ha ha, he's pretending to eat!

He's being picky!

Crown Clan kids are never picky eaters!

Something's definitely wrong with him!

Frey observed the little one, leaning in closer. His expression was cold, but his eyes were intense.

Xiao Chuzao got flustered by the attention—he had never been stared at by so many people before. Clutching the disgusting fruit, he hesitated for a moment before offering it to Frey.

Frey: …?

"Meow."

Are you hungry too? Here, you take it.

Algae doesn’t really like this fruit anyway.

The little one, now free from the unpleasant fruit, happily wiggled his little tail in Amos’s arms.

Frey suddenly found himself holding a fruit, completely frozen, his brain short-circuiting.

–What does this mean?

"For me?"

"Meow!"

The soft little white fluffball nodded.

Mhm!

Frey went quiet, then took a jerky step back.

His mind reeled—they should conduct more thorough tests and investigations on this little one to determine why… he’s picky.

*Ahem.*

He’s actually picky.

Picky when he’s supposed to be growing, no less.

But, but, but—

How cute!

It's okay to be picky.

Frey's brain short-circuited.

"Meow!"

Go ahead and eat, it's fine—Zao Zao's already full!

The little white fluffball placed its tiny paw on Amos's arm, wagging its tail back and forth, its eyes showing concern.

Going hungry really sucks—Zao Zao knows that.

Then Xiao Chuzao heard someone nearby mutter:

"Wow, he actually understands human speech. That's incredible!"

The wagging tail stopped mid-swish.

Xiao Chuzao, who had just been feeling proud of himself, suddenly turned his little head around, his round face frozen in shock: ...

As these words fell, the surroundings fell silent.

The speaker then realized—oh wait, this *is* one of their own race's cubs. If he can't understand human speech, wouldn't that mean they can't either?