Chapter 42: Fatherly kindness and filial piety.jpg

Chapter 42 A Heartwarming Father-Son Moment.jpg

Fei Man lurked in the shadows, watching as the kid suddenly grabbed the candy.

Her striking features looked even more pronounced in the dim light, and the way she peered from her hiding spot gave off a distinctly sinister air.

She even exhaled a flat, deadpan sigh: "It really worked?"

For a second, she looked downright evil.

Little Chuzao froze, candy clutched in his hands.

He glanced between the treat and Fei Man, gingerly tugging the string tied to it—

Then he let go. The bag hit the floor as he scrambled back a step.

"A-Auntie...?"

The kid’s amber eyes went round as saucers.

Fei Man strained to force a smile, trying for something approachable.

—Great, now she looked even creepier.

The candy-baited tyke was ready to bolt—"Daddy! Daddy! Auntie looks like she eats kids for breakfast!"

Fei Man caught on instantly. Her smile vanished, replaced by her usual ice-queen act. She untied the string and handed him the bag.

The kid eyed her warily.

"You know that, don’t you, Zao Zao?" Fei Man continued. "That whole mess was because of the arrow. You’ve gotta trust Auntie."

She put on her most serious face: "Do you really think Auntie would do that?"

She totally would, but no way she’d say that.

Mission accomplished, Fei Man stepped into the light. Her straight-faced act made her seem almost trustworthy—especially holding candy while lecturing the kid.

For a moment, she almost pulled it off.

To little Chuzao, Fei Man was the epitome of a Crown Clan member: stone-faced, quiet, and barely spoke. Daddy had mentioned she was a total badass, always off fighting the Aberrant Beast Legion.

Even though Fei Man’s "affection" had freaked Chuzao out, he hesitated, thinking of his Cupid’s Bow. Tentatively, he reached out a tiny hand and took the candy.

Fei Man watched as he unwrapped it, gave it a sniff, his huge eyes sparkling. He swallowed hard—then carefully tucked it away.

Fei Man blinked.

"Why not eat it?"

She’d been stalking him for days before settling on this peace offering.

Xiao Chuzao was supposed to be a candy fiend.

"Zao Zao pinky-promised Daddy… five candies max a day."

The reply came in a tiny, sugary voice.

"Zao Zao already ate his share, so... Hm? Zao Zao shared one candy with the teacher, so he only had four today. Can Zao Zao have one more?"

Xiao Chuzao's eyes widened in delight, forgetting his fear of Fei Man for the moment as he gazed at her expectantly.

"Auntie, will you back Zao Zao up?"

Fei Man hesitated.

She was staring at Xiao Chuzao.

Ah...

How’s he this sweet?

Fei Man barely remembered the last time she’d seen such a young member of the Crown Clan. It must have been during her own childhood, but those memories were hazy—training stuck with them more.

And now—Chu Zao was just this tiny little guy, hugging the ghost bear made from Amos’ clothes, his big round eyes fixed on her. So small, so fragile, a handful of candy could’ve kidnapped him.

Though logically, within Dwight’s palace, no shady creep was gonna candy-nap Xiao Chuzao.

Finally, under the little one’s hopeful gaze, Fei Man snapped out of it.

"Alright," she said.

"But it’s just a bag of candy. Eat it. If Amos isn’t happy, tell him to take it up with me. Zao Zao doesn’t know this, but when we were kids, we covered for each other all the time. I threw Amos under the bus plenty, and he got his hits in too."

Gradually relaxing in this atmosphere, Fei Man itched to smother him but was afraid of scaring him like last time.

Little Crown kids were hardly ever this good. She used to think Amos was being overly protective, but now she understood—if this were her child, she’d do the same. Ugh, why wasn’t Zao Zao hers?

Fei Man’s crown flickered faintly above her head, its shimmer drifting closer to Xiao Chuzao’s halo.

But the little one, after taking a candy, quickly looked up.

"Daddy can’t hit Auntie!" he said seriously, blinking his big eyes.

"Auntie didn’t do anything wrong. Daddy can’t just hit Auntie."

Holding the ghost bear with one hand, he plopped onto the rug beside his crouching aunt, popping the candy into his mouth. He tugged at Fei Man’s sleeve, smiling as he sucked on the candy.

His soft, pale cheek pooched out where the candy lump was.

Though the little one was still wary of Fei Man squishing him with kisses again, he knew she was family.

And the moment he tilted his head up, Fei Man’s crown halo brushed against the little one’s.

In that instant, Fei Man saw an unfamiliar scene.

A fever-flushed little Chu Zao, his face flushed, pawed through the underbrush, clutching his stomach.

That Xiao Chuzao seemed sick, his whole body listless, even his slightly curled black hair drooping. Every few steps, he puffed out shaky hot breaths.

But by then, Xiao Chuzao had already attended the Angels’ lessons. He’d taken diligent notes in every class and knew which herbs could cure illnesses.

For the Angels, this was a basic skill—even if a young Angel fell ill, their family would gather herbs, either consuming them directly or brewing them into medicine. But Xiao Chuzao had nobody.

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Back then, Xiao Chuzao had already run into many walls with the Angels and didn’t want to cause more trouble, so he decided to search on his own.

The little guy was very familiar with this area and soon found what he was looking for.

He picked the medicinal herb, his lips puckered in protest.

He thought for a long time, seemingly trying to convince himself, before finally pulling out a greenish-yellow fruit from his pocket. Then, with a frown, he ate the bitter herb bit by bit.

"So icky..."

His voice was hoarse and weak.

The taste was so bad that tears nearly spilled, and since the medicine didn’t take effect immediately, he chomped on it again.

He lowered his head and muttered after a long pause, "So sour..."

That season, there were no sweet fruits in the wild.

In the end, the little guy slumped against a tree, picking at the fruit.

How old was Xiao Chuzao back then?

Fei Man couldn’t really say, but he seemed even smaller.

He didn’t cry afterward, just quietly finished the sour fruit before mumbling to himself after a while: "It’s okay, it’s not bitter anymore, it’s okay… If I’m craving sweets later, I can make some fruit jerky—"

He rubbed his little belly, soft and still fever-flushed: "When Zao Zao grows up, I’ll buy a whole bunch of candy."

He seemed to gesture to himself, then withdrew his tiny hand, scrunching up small.

"Next time I take medicine, it won’t be icky anymore..."

His little wings folded in, wrapping around his small body. After soothing himself for a long time, he murmured again, "Zao Zao ouchie… mouth tastes icky… but Zao Zao doesn’t really need candy..."

He spoke in a tiny voice, the fragile, sick little one whispering to himself.

"Why… doesn’t Zao Zao have a family?"

The sick little one searched for medicine alone, using the sour fruit to wash away the icky taste.

A mere bag of candy—something so unattainable for the little one back then.

Everything seemed to push every one of Fei Man’s buttons.

"Auntie Fei Man?"

Two similar voices overlapped.

Fei Man came back to herself in an instant.

Xiao Chuzao was puffing out his cheeks, looking at her.

The little guy cocked his head, his small halo bobbing worriedly.

"Auntie, what’s wrong?"

Clutching his ghost bear, Xiao Chuzao scrambled up and squinted at the halo above Fei Man’s head. "You feeling okay? Zao Zao will go fetch Daddy..."

Fei Man gazed at that adorable little face, and before Xiao Chuzao could even finish speaking, she suddenly reached out, abandoning all restraint in that moment and forgetting her original purpose. She scooped up the little cub, pulling out handfuls of candy from her pocket and dumping them all into Xiao Chuzao’s arms.

Xiao Chuzao: ?

"All for Zaozao."

"Ah...? Thank you, Auntie—"

The little one was a sweetheart, still confused but polite enough to say thanks, only to see Fei Man ball her hands into fists.

Such a precious Little Crown Clan kid—

Fei Man had heard stories from others, but this was her first time seeing it firsthand.

Who?

Where exactly was that?

Fei Man lowered her head and peppered him with kisses, her face suddenly stern.

"It’s okay, Auntie’s got you now..."

She trailed off, catching herself mid-sentence as she glanced at the cub.

The cub, now kissed several more times, widened his eyes: !

No doubt about it!

She was a total kiss monster!!!

The kid squirmed to escape.

Fei Man, who’d relaxed while playing with the cub, now held him tight and planted more kisses: To·tal·ly·busted!

Meanwhile, Amos, who’d been waiting downstairs but knew the cub had left his room, finally came upstairs.

The king spotted his kid loaded with candy, little hands waving.

"Papa, papa—"

The little one called out in panic.

The next instant, the cub was yanked right out of Fei Man’s grip.

Fei Man wore a guilty look, raising a hand to explain.

Amos eyed the candy haul, then the unused rope in Fei Man’s hand. He paused—already piecing together what his usually dependable (but hopeless today) sister had tried.

He turned to Hale, who’d also arrived, and said,

"Teacher, Zaozao should learn how to spot a scam first."

Hale studied Fei Man’s drooping head and actually cracked a smile. It felt like the pre-pollution carefree days were back. He chuckled and nodded. "Your Majesty, you’re right."

Only after Xiao Chuzao—kissed yet again—was whisked off did An Ya finally step up.

He eyed the leftover candy stash in Fei Man’s arms.

An Ya pouted. "That’s cheating... but thanks, Sis."

You're about to claim the top spot on Xiao Chuzao's dislike list.

Sorry, but every man for himself!

Now's his chance—

Fei Man: ......

Fei Man stood up and hooked an arm around An Ya's neck.

"Kid, long time no fight."

Fei Man was still boiling with pent-up anger.

"Come with me—to the training grounds—"

An Ya, ranked last on the Dwight Family's combat rankings and beaten up by his older siblings since childhood: "......Huh?"

This just goes to show you shouldn't gloat in front of others.

*

Amos and Hale had already taken the little one to the training grounds.

The little one kept yapping the entire way.

After getting kissed all over his face again, Xiao Chuzao's impression of Aunt Fei Man underwent a subtle shift—even her initial "fishing" act now seemed like her wanting to smother him with kisses.

"Mm-hmm," Amos responded, setting the little one down on the ground. Not far away stood several soldiers in Saint Cas Empire uniforms, saluting Amos, who murmured, "Daddy'll go teach her a lesson later."

Beat up... Auntie?

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

It's not that bad.

Xiao Chuzao touched his cheek and thought for a moment.

"Auntie also gave Zao Zao candy."

The tenderhearted little boy tilted his head up.

Amos paused, crouched down, and patted the little one’s head again.

"Alright then, Daddy won’t go scold her."

"Uh-huh."

The little one nodded and glanced around.

"So, what now, Daddy?"

"Today, let’s try working on controlling Zao Zao’s power again and see if we can control how long it lasts."

Amos nodded at the soldiers facing him.

Hale observed from behind, brow slightly furrowed.

He realized something at that moment—Amos seemed a little too protective of Xiao Chuzao.

Hale pondered carefully. It seemed Amos had never strayed more than a hundred meters away from Xiao Chuzao. But considering Xiao Chuzao’s special situation and being the only cub in the clan, it wasn’t completely out of line. Hale kept this observation in mind but said nothing further, just watching quietly.

Not far away, members of the elite squad were rapidly advancing through the area.

Keeping pace with the royal guards during their fully loaded march for field exercises, they instinctively turned toward the commotion in the training grounds.

This time, Xiao Chuzao had been brought to a semi-open training area, giving them a clear view from their position.

"Ah... is that His Majesty?"

Peng Liang, gasping for breath, threw an arm around Chao Huangmu's neck—the latter not even breaking a sweat.

"Quick, quick! You've got sharp eyes—tell me if the Little Highness looks badass and formidable—"

Chao Huangmu also instinctively glanced over.

Amos shifted slightly, making space to reveal the pint-sized Chu Zao.

Dressed in a miniature dress uniform, his soft black hair was fluffy with slight waves. Only his profile was visible—pale skin, amber eyes, exceptionally good-looking, crowned by a golden halo with small snow-white wings folded behind him. He resembled the most captivating doll in a display window.

Chao Huangmu blinked, his usual cheerful grin vanishing instantly as his mask dropped. He murmured under his breath, "Adorable—"

"God! So precious!!"

Peng Liang's voice immediately overpowered Chao Huangmu's.

Chao Huangmu snapped back to reality, eyeing Peng Liang, who still seemed to be imagining a mighty Crown Clan heir, now completely stunned.

"Is this how they're supposed to be? When do we meet the Little Highness? After the National Celebration?"

Peng Liang looked dazed, deep in thought. But if this was the case—

"Then we must lay down our lives to protect the Little Highness—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Chuzao had already summoned a gleaming Cupid's Bow. The little royal drew the string, releasing a shimmering golden dart—slow by their squad's standards.

"Even the bow's tiny."

Still catching his breath, Peng Liang gestured excitedly.

"Goodness."

Their usually stone-faced teammate, who'd been regulating his breathing, turned his head.

"Every Crown Clan member, including His Majesty, possesses unique abilities. You know they're innately superior to us."

"Of course! I'm just amazed—the Little Highness is nothing like I imagined."

Peng Liang whispered, cupping his cheeks.

"Now I understand why Saint Cas citizens worshipped the Crown Clan's Little Highness in our history texts."

Then the dart pierced a volunteer test subject from Saint Cas military.

The man froze briefly before lovingly staring into his fellow soldier's eyes, grasping his hand—"My dearest, how could I have been so blind to my feelings for you...?"

The bunch of them gawking from afar: "Whoa—!!!"

This...this is exactly what you’d expect from the Crown Clan!!

Over there, Xiao Chuzao clutched his little bow.

Even the Saint Cas soldiers who’d volunteered and mentally prepared themselves were hit with a psychic backlash—mainly because each person’s reaction varied based on their experiences, thoughts, and maturity. So the little guy’s impact varied wildly from person to person, making this weirdly overbearing vibe downright deadly!

Hale kept track of the time.

"Hmm, based on the tests so far, Zao Zao can kinda control how long the mental interference lasts, but he’s not precise yet. It’s likely because he can’t wield his psychic abilities skillfully yet. He might need to grow a bit more or gain better mastery—the Crown Clan doesn’t have many archers left."

When it comes to archery, the kid’s still got a ways to go.

"Maybe we should wait for the Third Prince to return—he’s good at this."

As Hale spoke, he fished out a medicine bottle, only to freeze when the kid rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy. After a beat, he took the candy and continued talking to Amos.

"Your Majesty, what do you think?"

Xiao Chuzao also tilted his head curiously at Amos.

A...third uncle he’d never met?

Amos mentioned the third son of the family.

His face was unreadable. "I’ll observe further."

Amos was clearly itching to shoot the idea down. The third son of the Dwight Family was the second strongest of this generation, the weirdest and the flakiest. But the guy had freakishly good luck, often stumbling into success by pure dumb luck. Whether it was due to prolonged exposure or not, his Third Army had picked up his whole vibe—even though they were disciplined as hell, they still got lost all the time, only to bumble straight into the Aberrant Beast Legion’s hideouts—and wipe them out in one go.

Finn Dwight should’ve gotten the message with Fei Man and rushed back to the Saint Cas Imperial Star together.

But now—Fei Man was already back.

But Finn was MIA—only his signal kept happily pinging away.

Somewhere in the distant cosmos, at the stronghold of an Aberrant Beast faction.

The guy standing on top of the Aberrant Beast Legion’s boss sneezed.

"Your Highness, we’ve mopped up the battlefield. Those sneaky Aberrant Beasts—we finally bagged ’em!"

"Ah..."

Finn sighed, irritably kicking the beast beneath his feet a few more times before looking up. His bearded face abruptly brightened, and he laughed heartily.

"Agh, c’mon, let’s book it back! I hear the big interspecies summit is about to start. We should make it, y’know, if we don’t get lost."

"Absolutely! We’ll be back in three days max!"

Finn’s aide said with certainty.

A little over a week later.

With under two days to go before the big interspecies summit.

The Saint Cas Empire’s starship was ready for departure.

Amos walked at the forefront, cradling the little one in his arms. Not one to spread his wings in situations like this, he wore a heavy cloak, blocking out Saint Cas’ stubborn snowstorm for himself and Xiao Chuzao.

Saint Cas reporters kept their distance, only snapping shots of the Crown Clan from afar—no closer access allowed.

This multilateral and multi-racial conference not only addresses the issue of interstellar pollution but also involves some commercial collaborations.

Civilian starships will also follow, trailing behind the Saint Cas military convoy.

The ceremony there is grand, but what concerns the entire Saint Cas most is the Crown Clan.

"Has Fenix returned yet?"

Feman inquired.

"No, not a single word."

Frey replied.

"Ah... If nothing unexpected happens—looks like something unexpected has happened again."

Anya chimed in.

This time, almost all members of the royal family from the Crown Clan have made an appearance. Melon and Kaman stayed behind to monitor the changes in the crown, so they did not join this trip. Only Hel insisted on going along this time.

Not only because he wanted to teach little Chuzao as much as possible within his limited time, but also because the planet where the multilateral conference is held is one that Hel once visited with his beloved Morlo.

Thus, Hel's long-absent figure successfully ignited the Saint Cas Empire's star network.

'It’s His Majesty!! Amos His Majesty!!'

'All the princes are here!! Wait? Where is Prince Fenix?'

'Prince Fenix seems to have not returned yet.'

'Isn't that His Highness Hale? Oh my, His Highness Hale had already announced he would no longer make public appearances, and all related information was deleted. What’s going on?'

'But His Highness Hale's complexion looks rather good! Ahhh, that’s wonderful.'

'Is His Majesty Amos carrying something?'

'Not sure, it’s too far away, can't make it out. If only we could get closer!'

'Much of the Crown Clan’s information is classified. His Majesty and the Highnesses have boarded the ship. I’ll check the merchant fleet side—this is when I really wish I were more capable. I’d love to represent Saint Cas Empire’s industries and negotiate collaborations elsewhere!'

'Might as well beg to have His Highness Hale's information restored.'

Amos boarded the starship and issued the command to depart.

He took his seat on the command chair.

Placing the young one on his lap.

Mori didn’t accompany them this time.

But Yuan had received Mori's instructions and was installed on the starship as an auxiliary AI this time.

It blinked its lights: "Butler Mori’s note: Fruit time after meals! Fruits are ready!"

Soon, a small basket of fruits was delivered—of course, selected with nutrition and health in mind, including some Zao Zao liked and some he didn’t.

The starship launched, and Amos carried Xiao Chuzao to settle nearby.

Xiao Chuzao examined the fruits in his lap—

Here's the edited translation incorporating all expert suggestions:

He recognized one kind—the sour one he'd eaten before.

The little guy paused to think, then handed the untouched fruit to Amos.

"Daddy, daddy—"

"Hmm?"

Amos looked down at the kid.

Then he saw the fruit held up to his mouth.

He hesitated briefly.

He opened his mouth and took a bite.

At this point, the little one got braver. Instead of simply handing the fruit to Amos, he stared at him eagerly.

"Daddy, sweet or sour?"

Amos kept a straight face as he swallowed.

"Sweet."

Oh wow!

The little one blinked, took the fruit back, and took a bite himself.

Amos gave a soft laugh at that moment.

Amos laughing like that? That was rare—the other Crown Clan members automatically looked over.

They saw the little one's face pucker up from the sourness, holding the fruit, looking from the fruit to Daddy in shock, yelling in betrayal.

The Crown Clan: ... The Crown Clan members gaped at Amos. Amos had never allowed them to tease Xiao Chuzao, but now: ...Hey, you jerk!