Chapter 105
Kai turned the handkerchief over and over in his hands for a while, then clenched it tightly. The figure of a female appeared in his mind–Nyx.
It was clearly just a slightly childish handkerchief, but as soon as he touched it, he couldn’t explain why, but he felt a strange joy.
Kai resisted this feeling of joy and raised his hand, intending to toss the handkerchief into the Space Button, to bury it with the miscellaneous items. But then he hesitated.
He covered his chest, clearly feeling the reluctance coming from there. After much hesitation, he quietly hid the handkerchief close to himself and sighed in relief,
Confronting his true desires didn’t seem so hard to accept after all. Having done all of this, Kai glanced at the time–it was 3 AM. There was still half a day until Nyx would visit him again.
He quietly sat in the dark, gently pinching the corner of the handkerchief, and rubbing it between his fingers. It was a bit unbearable, yet he felt a faint sense of anticipation.
This time, Kai maintained his human form for an unusually long time. Perhaps it was the thought of seeing Nyx that kept him stable. Even though his head was pounding, he didn’t lose control or turn into his beast form.
“Would you like to use a painkiller?” one of the staff couldn’t help but ask.
His Loss of Control Index had already reached 97, and they couldn’t even imagine the kind of pain Kai was enduring. If it were any other male, they would have gone mad by now, but Kai managed to stay so calm for so long–truly amazing.
The staff had prepared a powerful painkiller for him. Kai shook his head. At his level, ordinary painkillers were almost ineffective, and if he used strong painkillers, the sedative components would make him fall asleep.
He couldn’t afford to fall asleep before Nyx arrived. Kai’s anticipation was so obvious that the staff finally realized he was waiting for Nyx. They exchanged glances.
“Lord Nyx won’t be coming to the Supervision Office today.” After some hesitation, the staff finally spoke up. Kai froze.
“She’s just not coming today,” the staff quickly clarified before his emotions started to get agitated, “Lord Nyx is attending a banquet at the Palace today, but she’ll be here tomorrow.”
The so–called Palace banquet was actually just a family gathering with only members of the royal family and Nyx and her guardians attending. To prepare for Nyx’s arrival, the entire Palace had been bustling with activity.
Remembering Nyx’s preferences, Aurelius had already inquired about the menu and personally prepared a series of dishes
for her.
“My Elder Brother asked me to come help you.” The Second Imperial Prince’s head popped in from the door, eager to assist Aurelius in chopping vegetables.
Following behind him were the Third and Fourth Imperial Princes.
Aurelius paused for a moment. He refused their help and assigned other tasks to the princes, subtly sending them away. Having not gotten what they wanted, the princes left.
The Queen watched all of this and walked up to Aurelius, frowning disapprovingly, “Aurelius, why are you so wary of your own brothers? While Nyx is still favoring you, you should help your Younger Brothers. If they catch Nyx’s eye, they can help you maintain your favor.”
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The Queen thought he should let them have this small opportunity to show their worth. Aurelius lowered his head in obedience. He didn’t argue with his mother but lowered his gaze clearly unwilling to follow her advice.
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Seeing that he wasn’t cooperating, the Queen raised her voice and scolded, “Can’t you even tolerate your own brothers? Nyx is an SSS–level female, and she’s bound to have many males around her. You need to curb some of that jealousy–females don’t like overly jealous partners.”
It was as if her words hit a nerve, and Aurelius’s eyes flickered. The Queen seized the opportunity and softened her tone, “Look at those two lions around her–if you go fighting for favor they’ll definitely be united. You’ll need more brothers to help you.”
Such situations weren’t rare. Many males in‘ the Empire wanted to share the same matron with their brothers to avoid falling behind in the competition for her favor.
Aurelius recalled the dinner at the Marshal’s manor not long ago, and his fists clenched tightly.
“Think about it carefully,” the Queen left him to contemplate. Her words distracted him, and his work efficiency slowed significantly. He accidentally burned his hand.
The pain brought him back to his senses. He stopped letting his mind wander, speeding up to prepare the dishes before Nyx’s arrival, then changed into a clean, elegant outfit, making sure he was well–groomed from head to toe.
As promised, Nyx arrived at the Palace and immediately greeted the elders.
Though she couldn’t hide her awkwardness in front of the elders, the young female was extremely polite and well–behaved, making the Queen feel affectionate, constantly sighing about how she didn’t have such a lovely daughter.
After sitting down, Nyx looked up and saw Aurelius, unable to resist quickly blinking her eyes. Aurelius today was exceptionally handsome as always. Aurelius not only had an extraordinarily handsome face and excellent temperament, but also an impeccable sense of fashion.
Every time Nyx met with Aurelius, she secretly admired him. No wonder he was the Crown Prince of the Empire–his image was flawless. Male competitors, however, were quicker to spot Aurelius’s ulterior motives.
Aurelius’s public image had always been good, but that was more because of his skills and aura. This meticulously polished appearance was clearly something he put a lot of thought into, and it was reserved for Nyx alone.
He was like a beast carefully grooming itself for mating, trying to show his best side to the young female. For a moment, whether it was Felix, Theon, or Zayne, all of them were on high alert, wary of their strong competitor.
The Queen subtly gave the other princes a signal. Taking the hint, the Second, Third, and Fourth Imperial Princes stood up and moved towards Nyx, eager to serve her by setting the table.
Nyx looked bewildered. There were servants specifically assigned to attend to her in the Palace. There was no need for so many princes to serve her. She instinctively looked toward Aurelius, a hint of asking for help in her gaze.
Aurelius’s lips were pressed tightly together, his brow furrowed. Before he could rise to stop them, Felix was already one step ahead.
“I’ll handle it.” Felix intercepted the utensils from the Second Imperial Prince and took his place.
The Third and Fourth Imperial Princes‘ tasks were taken over by Theon and Zayne.
Compared to Aurelius’s one–against–three strategy, the other princes were obviously too inexperienced. Their positions were taken, and they froze, hesitating for a moment before awkwardly retreating to their seats.
Seeing them falter, the Queen shook her head helplessly. If all her children were like Aurelius, she’d be more at ease.
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Aurelius’s comprehension and learning abilities were exceptional. The dishes he made were not only pleasing to the eyes but also had the perfect balance of color, aroma, and taste. Even his male competitors had to admit his excellence.
Nyx smiled at Aurelius, her eyes curving, “I really like it.”
Hearing her praise, Aurelius’s mood, which had been heavy for a while, suddenly lightened.
The relaxed mood lasted until the meal was over, when the Queen suddenly took Nyx’s hand affectionately and led her to admire a painting. The painting depicted Nyx herself–harmonious colors, and lively brushstrokes, and even a layperson could tell that the artist was highly skilled.
“This is a gift from Lucian,” the Queen smiled and brought the Second Imperial Prince over, explaining to Nyx.
Nyx was surprised, “Thank you, but-”
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The painting was beautiful, but it was a portrait of her. If Aurelius had painted it, she would’ve accepted it, but a gift like this from the Second Imperial Prince felt a little odd.
“No need to thank me.” The Second Imperial Prince eagerly interrupted her rejection, suddenly remembering something and becoming a little shy, hesitating to speak.
The Queen spoke on his behalf, smiling at Nyx, “The handkerchief you gave Aurelius was just too cute. His younger brothers are all so envious.”
Nyx suddenly understood. So it was about the handkerchief. It was just a matter of making a few more handkerchiefs, which wasn’t a big deal. She was about to nod in agreement, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Aurelius standing not far
away.
Though he tried hard to hold it back, his usual composed demeanor cracked slightly, his brows and eyes showing a hint of displeasure.
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