Ares bit back a scream, his heart pounding against his ribs. He glanced at Kirine, his aide, and lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. “You were supposed to be watching her! Where the hell did she go?”
Kirine’s eyes widened. “It was just for a moment! I stepped out to get some snacks, and when I came back, she was gone. What do you want me to do?”
Ares’s breath came out in a ragged exhale. “You don’t even hear yourself, do you?”
A commotion from behind them caught their attention. “Is something the matter?”
“No, nothing,” Ares replied, forcing a smile.
The aide, sensing their tension, turned to face them. Their eyes met, and Ares plastered on a more convincing grin. “We were just talking about how nice the weather is today.”
The aide raised an eyebrow. “With all these dark clouds?”
“Exactly,” Ares replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
As the aide turned back to the front, Ares leaned closer to Kirine. “I’ll start looking for her, and you—”
The door to the audience chamber swung open. “You may enter now.”
Ares froze. “I have something urgent to attend to, I’ll be right—”
“His Majesty is expecting you.”
Kirine and Ares exchanged a glance, resignation etched on their faces. With a heavy sigh, they stepped into the chamber, their hearts pounding in their chests.
“Mom! Dad!”
Sasha’s cheerful voice cut through the tense silence. Both Ares and Kirine froze, their hearts pounding. There she was, their daughter, wandering freely through the Emperor’s audience chamber, but the relief was short-lived. How had she even gotten here?
Before they could process it, the Emperor’s thunderous voice echoed through the room. “Who thought it was a good idea to bring a child into the palace?!”
The scolding jolted them back to reality. “It was his idea,” Ares and Kirine said in unison.
“We did it together,” Ares corrected.
“What do you mean ‘together’? You were the one who suggested sneaking her in!” Kirine countered.
“And you agreed to it! Wow, where’s your loyalty?” Ares retorted.
“If I’m disloyal, then you’re just shameless,” Kirine replied.
“Actually, you’re both disloyal and shameless,” Ares said.
“Enough!” The Emperor’s voice boomed, cutting through their bickering. “Neither of you did the right thing, and now you dare argue in front of me?”
Ares and Kirine fell silent, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
The Emperor’s patience was wearing thin. He wanted to scream, to let loose a torrent of fury, but Sasha’s delicate nature held him back. Instead, he forced a calm, controlled tone. “Why on earth did you leave the child to wander the palace alone?”
Ares hesitated, swallowing hard before explaining. He recounted how Sasha had always been left alone in their mansion whenever they visited the palace. Today, knowing she would be just as lonely here, they had made the rash decision to smuggle her in.
The Emperor couldn’t help but let out a short, incredulous laugh. “There are educational facilities in the palace specifically for children. You could have simply used those.”
His meaning was clear: there had been no need to sneak her in.
Kirine and Ares exchanged a glance, their faces burning with shame. They had blown the situation completely out of proportion.
“We’ll be taking our leave now,” Ares said quickly, eager to escape the Emperor’s disapproving gaze.
The Emperor waved a dismissive hand, his expression hardening. “I’ve already heard everything from Riley.”
Ares tilted his head, a silent “Ah” escaping his lips. The Emperor knew about his conversation with Riley, about his memory loss.
“Anyway, I didn’t call you here just because of Sasha. The Pope is coming on a visit. Be on your guard, especially you, Kirine.”
Kirine’s voice rose in surprise. “Me?” She pointed to herself, her eyes wide with disbelief.
The Emperor nodded as if it were obvious. Kirine blinked, confusion washing over her. As the head of the Imperial Magic Department, she rarely crossed paths with the Pope. The sudden warning made no sense.
“Did something happen between me and the Pope Eustania in the past eight years?”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. “The Pope Eustania passed away four years ago.”
Kirine’s confusion deepened. “Then who’s the Pope that’s coming?”
“Vincent Holy, the current Pope.”
Kirine gasped, her breath catching in her throat. The name sent a shiver down her spine.
“This can’t be happening.”
Kirine’s mind raced, unable to comprehend the words she had just heard. Her mouth gaped open, her eyes wide with disbelief. “He’s… He’s the Pope now?” Her voice was a mere whisper, barely audible.