“Surely, that’s Anash’s power.
It was an unusual case of awakening a power before her first birthday.
But she was sure she’d learn to use it soon enough, because once it was awakened, it wouldn’t go away.
Contrary to Nowton’s belief, after a few days, Juicy couldn’t use her powers.
No way.
“No, Juicy. You can do it.”
“Kyung!”
From then on, Nowton went into overdrive with Juicy.
“Okay, like this! Squeeze your hands! Give it some pressure!”
“Quang?!”
“Or, like this, right in the eye! Push!”
“Khaaaang?!”
He was telling me to do this, that, and the other thing, as he knew it, but it wasn’t working.
“Kwah, kwah, kwah, kwah.”
Juicy grunted in frustration.
Looking at the saddened eyes of juicy as she looked up at me in frustration, she felt like she was about to burst into tears.
“Oh, no.
Already, the Dark Divine Beast had awakened.
The withering of the sacred birch is a sign that it has sensed the Dark God Beast’s awakening from the seal and is withering and dying.
Furthermore, according to the Emperor’s words, there are traces of a large beast in the birch, which is not good.
“The Dark One must be seeking revenge on Anash.
If Juicy was Anash’s reincarnation, she would be his target.
But just as Juicy, who might be Anash’s reincarnation, was young and incapable of using her powers, Nowton was certain that something was wrong with the awakened Dark God.
“He’ll be looking for a white tiger first. Then he’ll look for Juicy, the rumoured white tiger, first, and he hasn’t shown any signs of reluctance yet.
Nowton’s eyes narrowed as he considered, a menacing flash of gold in them.
“If he had been intact, Juicy would have been dead soon enough, or there would have been reports of him going on a rampage somewhere and destroying a kingdom.
‘He’s barely scratching the surface of Anash’s birch, so there’s still time for us.
Nowton glanced at Juicy, who looked up at him with an innocent expression, and steeled himself.
‘We’ll just have to track him down and catch him. So don’t be nervous…….’
But as the days went by, Nowton’s stress levels rose.
Every day, he and Juicy practised their skills, but it wasn’t working.
Every day, he feared that Juicy would be attacked while he was away.
As he sat on the couch in the crown prince’s office, planning today’s training, he let out an uncharacteristic scream.
“Aaaahhhh!!!”
“Huh, His Highness the Crown Prince?!”
“I’m so anxious, can’t I just live in the Empress Palace and guard it 24/7, that would make me feel better!”
Nowton racked his brains and kicked the large table.
Boom!
Another innocent, expensive marble table was shattered.
Count Talon shook his head in disbelief.
For over a week now, he’d been plagued by nightmares of Juicy being kidnapped by a ‘gnome’ he couldn’t quite identify, then assassinated, then dragged away and tortured.
Pushed to the limit, he was going insane.
Even tonight, in his dreams, he’d picked up a white tiger cub that had been horribly mauled, and his feather-light body had none of that warmth.
It was a dream, but now he was terrified that Juicy was in danger.
“You’re going crazy.”
“It doesn’t matter, you’re already crazy.
Swallowing back a stream of curses, Count Talon summoned his servants to remove the smashed table and buy a new one.
Then he gave Nowton some serious advice.
“You’d better stop worrying about the Empress,” he said, “and relax. The Imperial Knights of Penterin are elite knights.”
Count Talon was serious.
The Emperor had stationed half of the Imperial Knights at the Empress’s palace.
Sir Xavier and Sir Hampston, the elite knights who make the rounds and are the constant presence in front of the Empress’s chambers, are two of the best knights in the order.
Sir Xavier is especially trustworthy, as he comes from the Green Anaconda Sioux clan, known as the Four Divine Beasts.
Even the handmaidens surrounding the Empress are all fierce, combative beasts of prey.
They are an elite army that must be sent to battle and prove their worth.
Still, the emperor and crown prince were not reassured.
“Too much.
Swallowing a sigh, Count Talon reassured him that there was no need to worry, but Nowton couldn’t shake his concern.
“Still. Juicy is still too small.”
“Look at her now, she’s so ill, she’ll be too weak to defend herself when there’s real trouble.”
Nowton’s eyes, usually so full of life and energy, were glazed over.
He was fierce, as if he would explode at the slightest touch, and naturally he was even more unforgiving with his employees.
No one wanted to come face-to-face with the crown prince’s golden eyes, so they shied away.
“I want to resign and run away.
“Me too.
As the crown prince’s employees were seriously contemplating their resignations, there was a knock at the door and a voice announced the arrival of the maid of honour.
“His Highness the Crown Prince.”
All eyes were on the bouquet of flowers in Sophie’s hand as she bowed politely.
The small, clumsily woven bouquet was tied with a blue ribbon.
The colour reminded her of Juicy’s eyes.
“What is that?”
Nowton asked urgently, jumping up and turning to Sophie.
Sophie’s smile was small.
“It’s a gift from the empress to your majesty.”
“A gift?”
Nowton’s fierce golden eyes rounded with curiosity, and he sprang to his feet.
“Juicy, to me?! Really?”
It was amazing how dangerously the crown prince sometimes looked like a boy of his age.
“It’s all thanks to the Empress. Woohoo.
Sophie said softly, holding out a bouquet of flowers with a blue ribbon tied around it, to Nowton.
‘Yes. The Empress made this bouquet by picking every single flower in the palace garden, one by one.”
Nowton took the bouquet with a puzzled expression.
He buried his nose in the bouquet, running his fingers along the gnarled stems that had been bitten off in his mouth.
A slight smell of earth and fragrant flowers wafted into his lungs.
“Empress Juicy was bothered by your lack of energy the other day, so she went out to the garden with me and made this.”
” Indeed, .”
Nowton laughed and wrinkled his nose at the same time as he imagined Jussie making all those hand gestures and footsteps to give it to me.
His eyes felt hot, as if they were about to water.
He turned to Count Talon, holding the bouquet up as if to show it off, and asked.
“Am I crying?”
Nowton, of course, did not expect an answer from Count Talon.
He just wanted to enjoy this moment of being touched by Juicy’s gift.
However, the unsuspecting subordinate scrutinised him, and said stiffly.
“……No, he is not crying, Your Highness.”
The Earl of Talon replied coldly, and Nowton snapped his head round to glare at him.
“Do you want me to make him cry?”
“Of course not, Your Grace.”
The Earl of Talon lowered his tail coldly.
“Then shut up. And tell Aunt Sophie and Juicy. Tell her thank you, I’ll be stronger now, and not to worry!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Nowton certainly looked more cheerful than before.
Thinking it was rather cute to see the crown prince fumbling around trying to figure out where to put the bouquet of flowers he’d received from his sister, Sophie headed back to the palace.
***
The next day.
A huge bouquet of flowers was presented to the Empress.
“From His Highness the Crown Prince, …….”
It was no ordinary bouquet, but a jewelled bouquet made of precious gems and pearls.
“How many pearls?”
“It’s in return for your gift yesterday.”
Juicy’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.
The gorgeous bouquet of jewels, three times her size, shone brightly.
She could hear Yuni whispering to Lord Xavier that if he sold all those gems, he would build another Empress Palace.
Juicy was horrified.
“Not so fast!
