性瘾者

Calyx turned to Kyle Sprouse and smiled. “Of course, I’ll be back before my birthday banquet. I can’t miss it for the world.”

Right now, he was having tea in the garden of Blanco Palace.

It was the palace reserved for the Crown Prince, and it was supposed to be for the Crown Prince only.

However, Calyx and Nero had a special bonding as half-siblings.

Hence, he was living in the Crown Prince’s palace even though he had his own residence.

Kyle Sprouse looked relieved by what he said. “We will prepare the banquet of the century for you, Prince Calyx.”

“Thank you,” he said, then he sipped his tea. “And I’ll pay you back by bringing a present that will strengthen the hold of the royal family over the nobility and the common people.”

It was his birthday, but he was also preparing a present as the First Prince of the empire.

.....

Kyle knew what he was preparing, hence the chamberlain for the Empress Dowager looked proud of him.

Yes, the former traitor had been reinstated in the Royal Palace.

This time, Kyle Sprouse had become his mother’s aide.

[And he seems happy to serve my Mother.]

“Your Majesty, you’re here,” Kyle said as he stood up, his face beaming while looking at the Empress Dowager. “Please take a seat.”

Calyx smiled at his mother while standing up. “Hello, dear Mother.”

Even though there were servants behind the Empress Dowager, it was still Kyle who pulled the chair for Her Majesty.

[Kyle looks like Mother’s slave despite his position.]

“Thank you, Kyle,” his mother said after sitting on the chair across from him. Then the Empress Dowager smiled at them. “You may sit now.”

Only Calyx sat down.

Kyle just smiled and bowed, then he stood behind the Empress Dowager like the slave– er, servant that he was.

They kept quiet while a maid served tea to the Empress Dowager.

When the servant left, only then did his mother speak.

“Must you really go before your birthday party, son?” his mother asked worriedly. “Can’t you just ask one of our people to go in your stead?”

“That won’t do, Mother,” Calyx said while shaking his head. “I have a duty to fulfill as the First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire.”

His mother sighed, her face filled with concern. “If you put it like that, then what more can I say?”

“You can give me your blessing to leave, Mother,” he said, smiling at his mother charmingly. “And you can tell me to come home safely.”

The Empress Dowager laughed softly. “My son is indeed brilliant,” his mother said, then he held his hands and squeezed them gently. “Calyx, my not-so-little prince, hurry and come back to me safely. And of course…” His mother’s eyes glowed brightly. “Don’t forget to bring it back, too.”

“Of course, Mother,” Calyx said, his ash-gray eyes glowing mischievously. “As the First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire, it is my duty to bring the new saint to the Astello Temple.”

And by doing so, the crows would finally have absolute power over the people who worshipped the Moon God.

***

<“NERO, you fucking brat.”>

Argh!

Nero got up and opened his eyes while clutching his head tight.

[That darn dream again…]

Recently, he had been dreaming about a girl with a foul mouth. He couldn’t see the girl’s face clearly, but he could remember that she had the same hair and eye color as him. And that was the weirdest part.

[A girl with the same hair and eye color as me?]

Only the de Moonasterios had a combination of white hair and ash-gray eyes in the entire world. But there was no female de Moonasterio in existence as of the moment. It wasn’t like he had a sister or…

“A sister,” Nero whispered to himself, clutching his chest tight this time when he felt a pang in his heart. “Why… am I feeling this way?”

He shut his eyes tight, trying to remember the face of the girl in his dreams.

But all he saw was darkness.

However, the girl’s voice kept ringing in his ears.

<“Nero, you absolute moron!”>

<“Gosh, you’re so fucking annoying.”>

<“When will you get your shit together, huh?”>

He groaned in a complaint, then he opened his eyes. “Will she die if she doesn’t curse? What a vulgar lady.”

No matter how much he tried to remember, he couldn’t recall an incident where he met a girl with a dirty mouth.

In the academy, only Hanna had the guts to talk to him.

[And Hanna is the example of a perfect noble lady: beautiful, gentle, elegant. Moreover, she’s reserved. She only speaks when she has to, and she’s always careful with her words.]

But the girl in his dreams…

[She only knows how to curse.]

“Nero~”

He raised his head when the door to her bedroom burst open.

As expected, Calyx entered his room as if it was his own.

He didn’t really mind, but he was kind of pissed as to how Sanford and Raku would let the First Prince enter his bedroom easily.

[I’m still the Crown Prince, and I deserve some privacy, do I not?]

“Oh, have you just woken up?” Calyx asked, then he sat beside him. After that, he put a hand on his cheek. “It’s rare for you to take a nap after class. You usually go straight to your office after you change your clothes.”

He was in his senior year as a student at the Royal Moon Academy.

Now that it was his last year in school, he could finally go home earlier than usual to fulfill his royal duties.

Usually, he would head straight to his office, just like what Calyx said.

But for some reason, he felt tired today. Hence, he took a nap. But it seemed like his nap turned into a deep sleep.

“I’m just a little tired,” Nero said, then he took a look at Calyx’s outfit. The First Prince was always dressed fabulously. But it seemed like he was dressed up more than usual today. “Where are you going?”

Calyx laughed softly, as if he was amused. “Did you forget that I’m headed to the Holy Land today?”

Ah, right.

The First Prince had an official outing starting today, and it had something to do with fulfilling his royal duty.

“Right, the prophecy,” Nero said when he remembered what the First Prince’s duty was. “Many years ago, we received a prophecy that said the First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire would bring the new saint to the Astello Temple.”

He clapped his hands. “I’m glad you remembered, Nero.”

“Have you found the new saint?”

“I’ll find out once I get there.”

Hah.

Calyx was being vague.

But since Nero wasn’t interested in the matters of the temple, he didn’t pry anymore. “Alright,” he said. “Have a safe trip.”

“Is that all you’re going to say?” Calyx complained, pouting. “I was hoping to hear you say you’ll miss me.”

He just gave the First Prince a disgusted look.

Of course, Calyx was special to him since they were siblings. But the thought of expressing his emotions verbally and physically made his skin crawl.

[And for some reason, I feel uncomfortable.]

“I’m going to miss you, Nero,” Calyx said, hugging him tight. “What are you going to do while I’m away?”

“I’m busy,” Nero said, patting Calyx’s back gently. “The Royal Family of the Hazelden Kingdom will be here soon.”

***

“SKYLUS, MONIK, where are you going?”

“Mommy, Sister and I will be back later,” Skylus said cheerfully as a response to his mother– the queen of Hazelden. “Don’t worry, we won’t be late!”

“I’ll take care of Skylus, Mom!” Monik assured their mother. “Bye-bye, Claude.”

.....

Claude was their three-year-old baby brother, but he wasn’t the youngest.

“Bye-bye, Baby Angel,” Skylus said softly, his tiny hand rubbing his mother’s baby bump. “Your big brother and big sister will return later.”

‘Baby Angel’ was the nickname that their family came up with for the baby in their mother’s womb.

Their parents didn’t know the gender of the child yet.

However, Skylus and Monik already knew.

[It’s a baby girl!]

“You two are up to no good again, aren’t you?” their mother teased them, laughing softly. “Alright, I’ll pretend that I haven’t noticed that you’re keeping a secret from mommy and daddy. But make sure that you won’t get hurt, okay?”

“Yes, Mommy!”

“Yes, Mom!”

Their mother chuckled. “Very well.”

After saying their goodbyes to their mother and baby siblings, Skylus and Monik ran out of the queen’s bedroom while holding hands.

“Son, daughter, where are you going?”

It was their father– the king of the Hazelden Kingdom.

“Does your mother know that you’re up to no good again?” their father, who squatted down in front of them, asked with a big smile on his face. “Skylus, Monik… babies?”

Skylus and Monik just laughed when they ran past their father who looked confused.

“Sorry, Daddy!” Skylus yelled, laughing while looking over his shoulder to watch them. “Sister Monik and I will just have a meeting!”

Their father stood up, his face full of concern. “What meeting? Babies don’t do meetings, children…”

“We’re not babies!” Monik said, laughing while waving at their father. “We’re the future of Hazelden Kingdom, Dad!”

Their father laughed. “Take care, Skylus, Monik.”

It looked like Skylus and Monik were running freely alone.

However, that wasn’t the case.

The Shadow Knights that the queen and king assigned to them were following them in the dark.

[Anyway…]

After saying goodbye to their father, Skylus and Monik went straight to their secret room.

The name sounded cool, but it was just an empty prayer room– a prayer room for no one.

Hence, it was the perfect place for Skylus who worshipped the Moon God, and Monik who worshipped the Light Goddess.

Their parents were generous enough to let them choose their religion at a tender age.

“Sister, I locked the room,” Skylus whispered. “But the Shadow Knights are outside.”

“Don’t worry, Brother,” Monik said, then she waved her hands. Pinkish lights filled the prayer room in a matter of seconds. “I recorded our voices when we were reading fairy tale books last night. The Shadow Knights will hear our recorded voices and not what we’re talking about at the moment. So, they will think that we’re just reading books here.”

Skylus clapped his hands, his face full of amazement. “You’re really great, Sister.”

“Thank you, Brother,” Monik said, then she stood up and twirled around. “Now, let’s begin our meeting!”

The four walls inside the prayer room lightened up.

Then the faces of their allies showed one by one.

The wall on their right side showed Hanna Quinzel’s face.

The wall on their left side showed Jasper Hawthorne’s face, who had a black cat sitting on top of his head.

The wall in the back showed a man wearing a fox mask that showed his pair of golden eyes. There were also people behind him.

And finally, the wall in front of them…

“Annyeong, everyone,” Princess Neoma, who was wearing an ugly mask, greeted them cheerfully. “Let’s start our meeting~”

Skylus and Monik both smiled and nodded.

The challenges that they had faced for the last five years weren’t easy, but here they were now...

***

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