Chapter 66

Chapter 66

The next morning.

A ray of morning light pierced through the palace window, falling upon Luo Ci’s face. He scrunched his tiny brows and awoke.

He yawned, then finally peeled open his eyelids.

Huh? He was actually lying on Da Fa’s tail?

And his shoulder blades ached so much…

So uncomfortable.

He instinctively reached a small hand behind him to feel, but instead of smooth skin, he touched something hard.

Sleepiness vanished in an instant. Startled, he pulled a mirror from his storage ring. Sure enough, a pair of tiny wings extended from his shoulder blades. They resembled demonic bat wings but were much smaller and a rosy pink, like blushing rose petals.

Wings…

He had wings now!

His ear tips twitched with excitement. He tilted his head back and tugged on Da Fa’s fur. “Look! My wings!”

As the little one stirred, the giant wolf also opened his eyes. He watched the child in front of the mirror, awkwardly twisting to examine his tiny bat wings, his baby-fat cheeks flushed with excitement, his pink tail swaying in sync with his movements.

So adorable.

Grrr…

He wanted to devour him whole.

Luo Ci concentrated hard, trying to sense the presence of his little bat wings, attempting to control them as he did his tail. He clenched his small fists, his entire face straining with effort as he held his breath. The delicate, rosy pink wings fluttered incessantly, making even his ear tips tremble.

The immature wings flapped faster and faster, and the little one felt a pulling force that slowly lifted his short legs off the ground. He strained until sweat beaded on his forehead, managing to stay airborne for only about ten seconds before losing strength and flopping down with a soft "flump."

Fariel’s gaze never left the child. The height he floated was almost level with his nose. As the child fell, he tensed, extending a massive front paw. Like a wisp of white cotton, the child landed softly on his paw pad. He licked the child’s face gently, and Luo Ci hugged the anxious wolf, whispering, “I’m okay.”

“Grrr…” Fariel confirmed the child was unharmed, then gently picked him up by the scruff of his clothes and placed him safely on the carpet.

Luo Ci puffed out his cheeks and pouted in disappointment. Why could he only float such a tiny height, even with wings?

But then he reconsidered—at least the little wings had grown, and there was still plenty of room for improvement…

With that thought, his mood brightened again.

Excited by this good news, the child couldn’t wait to share it with everyone he knew.

First in line were his two friends, Jia Xide and Kevin. He scurried to the sitting room.

The sitting room was at the end of the hallway—small but cozy. Kevin usually had breakfast there in the mornings.

But when he pushed the door open, only Jia Xide was inside.

Kevin was usually the earliest riser, so Luo Ci found it a bit odd, but he still eagerly shared the news with Jia Xide first.

Jia Xide’s eyes widened. At first, he didn't understand what Luo Ci meant by "growing little wings"—until the child turned around to show him.

The tiny bat wings emerging from his shoulder blades were a translucent, shell-pink, like the roses seen in the moonlit gardens of the fifteenth season. Gossamer-thin and delicate, they quivered, emitting a faint glow. Jia Xide gaped before finally blurting out, “…So you really aren’t human after all.”

Luo Ci cocked his head, thinking Jia Xide was too slow—had he really always believed he was human?

Even for a child barely knee-high, these newly sprouted tiny bat wings were still too small. Without concealment magic, they didn’t affect his clothes at all.

Jia Xide stared longingly at the tiny wings. He was usually terrified of dark creatures, and these wings clearly belonged to one. Yet they were so pretty and cute that he didn’t feel the slightest fear. Instead, he even began to think how nice it would be to have such wings himself…

The table groaned under a lavish breakfast. Luo Ci turned his head, looking around. “Is Kevin not here?”

“He went to see His Majesty the King. Apparently, the king is hosting an important guest, so Kevin said he’d be back late.”

After spending time together, Jia Xide was no longer as afraid of Kevin. In fact, he even showed a hint of concern about Kevin meeting the king alone. Luo Ci suggested, “Why don’t we go find Kevin? We can wait for him outside the hall.”

Jia Xide thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, I remember the way.”

Kevin had two main purposes for meeting the king: to pay his respects and to report on the progress of his mission. However, based on past encounters, King Saxon and Kevin had a… peculiar dynamic.

King Saxon favored Baroque-style gardens and had maids prune and shape the trees daily.

Luo Ci casually picked up a cheese roll to nibble on as he walked, his cheeks bulging cutely. Jia Xide, curious about Luo Ci’s race, asked, and Luo Ci said he was a vampire. Still skeptical, Jia Xide insisted he must be an elf. Chatting like this, they soon arrived at the main hall.

Upon entering the garden, they overheard maids whispering with their heads close together: “The Crown Prince really got the short end of the stick. His Majesty originally adopted his nephew, intending for him to inherit the throne. Who knew the king’s *own* son would be born?”

“Ever since the little prince was born, the Crown Prince has been neglected by the king.”

“Sigh… After all, the little prince is His Majesty’s own flesh and blood. The Crown Prince barely returns to the palace these days. If not for the magic test confirming his strong abilities and his voluntary enrollment in the academy, the king would’ve offed him ages ago…”

“Just now, the king summoned a unit of royal guards inside. Did the Crown Prince do something wrong?”

Jia Xide went white as a sheet at these words.

Luo Ci was surprised to overhear such secrets but frowned as he listened further. The maids, who worked in the garden year-round, couldn’t be wrong—why had King Saxon suddenly called in the royal guards?

He dropped the cheese roll, appetite gone. “Let’s go check.”

The palace’s main entrance was guarded by armored soldiers. Though Jia Xide was shaking like a leaf, the soldiers unexpectedly didn’t stop them.

Luo Ci’s pink, doll-like eyes widened—a vampire’s natural compulsion. By the time the two entered, the guards were still dazed.

The issue with Kevin, in truth, was related to his mission.

The curse placed on the little prince was undoubtedly the Pope’s handiwork, derived from a demon’s curse a millennium ago. Back then, the Paladin had arrived and taught them how to break it, with the method meticulously recorded in his notes.

Yet, despite following the notes, Kevin couldn’t lift the curse from the little prince.

It was highly likely the Pope had altered the demon’s curse, rendering the old seal useless.

This wasn’t actually a grave mistake, but King Saxon had long sought a reason to punish Kevin. Now that he had a biological heir, his adopted son was now a nuisance. Before his own child grew up, he needed to eliminate this thorn in his side—and this was the perfect excuse.

Kevin had removed his sword before the audience, leaving him unarmed. Soon, the royal guards restrained him.

When Luo Ci and Jia Xide barged in, King Saxon, seated high on his throne, frowned. “How did you get in?”

This was the king of the Duchy of Horton, one of the strongest nations in the medieval continent. His imposing aura made Jia Xide’s knees buckle, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Luo Ci, however, showed no fear. He angrily demanded, “Why are you detaining Kevin?”

King Saxon studied them. His spies had reported they were Kevin’s classmates—Jia Xide from the desolate Polaris region, and though the little one’s origins were unclear, anyone who associated with someone like Jia Xide wasn’t exactly high-class.

King Saxon couldn't be bothered to give them a proper look.

Given the presence of numerous royal guards, King Saxon slowly responded to the accusation in front of everyone: “Out of jealousy, he attempted to harm the royal heir. Isn’t that enough reason?”

Upon hearing King Saxon's nonsense, Luo Ci got pissed off: “Kevin would never harm the royal heir!”

“The proof is right there,” King Saxon said coldly. “Kevin brought a so-called method to break the curse, but it didn’t work. Instead, it made my son’s condition worse.”

The method didn’t work because the Pope had altered the curse.

As for the latter part, the claim that the young prince’s condition had worsened was entirely fabricated by Saxon.

Even the court physician had confirmed that the young prince’s condition had slightly improved.

But King Saxon would never admit that.

Luo Ci refused to believe his lies, his cheeks puffed out angrily: “I call bullshit! It’s just some stupid curse, isn’t it? Release Kevin, and I promise to find a way to break the curse within a week!”

“Impossible,” King Saxon looked down his nose at them. “You associate with Kevin, which means you could be in on it too. I could hold you accountable as well, but out of respect for your status as students of Andigas Academy, I’ll let it go this time. Leave the palace now, and I’ll overlook this incident. Otherwise…”

His threat was clear.

Hearing they might be held accountable, Jia Xide turned pale, his voice shook as he asked, “T-then, will you imprison Kevin…?”

“Attempting to harm a prince calls for the harshest punishment, especially since Kevin is also suspected of coveting the throne and envying the young prince. If we go easy on him, everyone would think they can get away with it,” King Saxon said icily.

Upon hearing the accusation of coveting the throne, Kevin’s eyes flashed with mockery, though his gag prevented him from speaking.

Jia Xide paled further, desperately pleading with King Saxon, who remained unmoved.

Luo Ci tilted his head back and snorted, rolling his eyes, “You’re so full of it. What’s so great about that worthless throne anyway?”

It wasn’t Kevin who coveted the throne—it was King Saxon, fooling himself into thinking others wanted it.

“…” King Saxon had never been so openly challenged before. His cold, knife-like gaze daggered into Luo Ci, radiating menace.

Not backing down, Luo Ci stood his ground. If it came to it, he could just have Da Fa roll over and flatten the palace—he doubted King Saxon could do anything to him.

King Saxon fumed but stayed put.

Just then, Luo Ci noticed a familiar scent—the scent of withering golden oak leaves.

King Saxon’s expression abruptly changed as he rose from his throne in panic. Surrounded by blood servants, a young man with silver hair, red eyes, and pointed ears swept into the room, dressed in opulent noble attire. His appearance unmistakably marked him as a Pureblood.

Luo Ci’s eyes lit up in recognition—this was the prince of the Golden Region, a descendant of Uncle Felatumo: “Brother Hobbs?”

Hobbs immediately recognized the Young Prince, surprised to see him here when he’d heard the Young Prince had gone to the magic academy.

As a Pureblood, the Young Prince was far above him. Hobbs bowed eagerly, lifting the little one’s hand to kiss it gently: “Young Prince, long time no see.”

“Mm,” Luo Ci glanced at King Saxon, who had hastily descended from his throne. Hobbs ignored King Saxon’s attempts to suck up, staying close to Luo Ci: “Young Prince, have you come to inspect your territory as well?”

“Inspect my territory?”

“Indeed. The Duchy of Horton belongs to you. I’ve merely been managing it temporarily under Lord Felatumo’s orders,” Hobbs said humbly.

King Saxon’s face went pale with shock.

The little one’s pink, round eyes widened in surprise. Though he knew he owned vast lands, he’d never bothered to check maps or scrolls detailing them. This news completely caught him off guard.

Luo Ci: “…Wait, what?”