Delphine couldn't help but glance toward Caelum.
He sat just a short distance away from them, quietly reading a book beneath the dappled sunlight filtering through the garden canopy. Like the past four days, she was attending one of Regent Pixie's elaborate tea parties, an event that had become strangely routine.
"My Papa's very handsome, isn't he, Delphine?" Pixie asked innocently, her smile as radiant as ever.
The question startled Delphine, catching her completely off guard. Her cheeks flushed a deep pink, and she quickly averted her gaze, shaking her head to dismiss the embarrassment.
But the moment she did, she saw Pixie's smile falter.
"You don't think my Papa is handsome?" the little girl asked, her voice trembling as though she were on the verge of tears.
"Of course I do, Regent," Delphine replied immediately, panicked, and blushing even harder.
"Really?" Pixie's eyes lit up again, instantly soothed. "I noticed you always look at my Papa. If you like looking at him so much, why don't you stay here with me forever? Then you can look at him all day!"
Delphine couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips. She crouched beside Pixie and gave her a small nod.
"I'll think about that, Regent."
She knew she shouldn't have said it. Because she knew Pixie would take that to heart, hope was something the girl clung to like air. Delphine could see it in her eyes… the quiet yearning for a mother's love, a love she probably no longer remembered.
But it wasn't just Pixie that made it hard to say no.
It was Caelum.
These past few days, Delphine could no longer deny the feelings that had begun to stir inside her. It was foolish, irrational even, this admiration she felt for a man who was bound by an impossible love. A love that defied time, space… and even death.
She knew how deeply Caelum loved his wife. Everyone knew.
A love so profound that it traversed entire worlds. A love that ignored the cruel hand of time.
Delphine had never truly understood it before, how the Empress could love so much, so dangerously, that she would make a deal with the most feared being in Solmara just to speak with the man she once held dear.
Delphine used to believe that when someone died, love should be buried with them. That the living must let go, move forward.
But the Empress hadn't.
And now, Delphine had met a man who waited for a thousand years, for one woman.
She couldn't help but wonder. How deep must that love be? How true?
And if she, too, could have even the smallest chance to be loved like that... would it be wrong to reach for it?
Would her Empress be angry if Delphine chose another path? If she gave up her oath, her sworn loyalty… for something that made her heart feel alive?
Would it be betrayal… to follow her heart?
"Regent."
The voice of Cosmo pulled Delphine from her thoughts. He had approached, bowing slightly to Pixie.
"Mistress Luna has returned and would like to speak to everyone in Master Alpha's office. That includes the humans."
"Okay," Pixie chirped.
Cosmo then walked over to Caelum and bowed his head respectfully to deliver the same message.
Delphine swallowed hard.
Luna was back.
And with her return came fresh worry. Had the Empress been safe all this time?
Luna had been furious yesterday. Delphine still remembered the fire in her golden-black eyes when she told her Tuf declared the Empress as his human. She had tried to ease the tension… but she still didn't know if Luna believed her.
Caelum rose from his seat and approached.
"Come, Doll," he said gently as he lifted Pixie into his arms. "It seems Luna has something important to share."
He looked to Delphine, voice low and reassuring.
"Don't worry about your Empress, Delphine. Luna may not show it, but she is a very reasonable woman. I assure you… your Empress is safe."
And with that, he turned, leading them all toward Alpha's office.
Aside from Orso and Tuf, all of Caelum's children were gathered inside Alpha's office.
Luna was already there, standing by the tall window, gazing out into the horizon. The rest of her siblings lounged across the sofas, expressions ranging from tired to skeptical.
"Kitten," Caelum called gently, his voice lined with affection as he stepped into the room. "Where are Tofu and Bear?"
Luna sighed, her eyes still on the window.
"They had to stay in Aquilonis, Father," she replied. "The Empress still needs them there."
Caelum nodded slowly and made his way to Alpha's chair behind the desk.
"Luna! Are you serious?" Nugget burst out, disbelief coloring her voice. She stared at her sister like she had lost her mind. "Again? You're really going to take Tofu's words again?"
"I can't believe this," Peanut muttered, shaking her head as she looked at Nugget. "If I ever end up with a mate, make sure you kill him behind my back. I'm not about to act like a fool the way Luna does."
"Peanut," Caelum warned lightly, the fatherly reprimand laced with amusement but also a hint of sharpness.
"But it's true, Father!" Peanut pushed on. "Tofu always does this. He flirts with every woman he meets and Luna just forgives him. He flashes one smile and suddenly all is well. And the worst part? That bastard acts like he's the only one allowed to have feelings! The moment Luna so much as talks to another man, or even smiles at one, he loses his damn mind."
"Pea," Caelum said with a calm smile. "Your anger towards your brother is valid. But until you've walked in your sister's shoes… you don't have the right to call her a fool."
Peanut huffed and flopped into the seat beside Neko, who raised an amused brow but said nothing.
"So," Alpha spoke up from the single armchair at the corner, "what's the reason you called all of us here, Luna?"
They all noticed it then, the flicker of uncertainty on Luna's face.
A rare sight.
She took a breath, then moved toward Delphine, who was seated with her usual quiet composure. Behind her stood her three Saintess Knights, watchful, always tense around Luna.
"I spoke to your Empress," Luna began, handing her a box. "She asked me to give this to you."
Delphine blinked, puzzled, but took the box in her hands. She could feel the tension spike from the knights behind her.
They remembered Luna's rage from yesterday, and how useless their powers had been against her.
"What's inside?" Delphine asked carefully.
"I don't know," Luna answered truthfully. "She said you must be the one to open it first."
Delphine hesitated, looking around the room.
All eyes were on her.
Even Caelum, though composed, watched with subtle interest.
She slowly opened the box.
Inside… was a single piece of paper.
"Uhm… It's just a paper," Delphine said, lifting it for Luna to see.
Luna paused, visibly thrown. "I don't know. That's what she gave me."
Delphine wanted to ask, 'Are you sure you didn't hide anything?' but she swallowed the thought. Questioning Luna so openly wasn't wise. Not here. Not now.
And more than that… she had a strong feeling Caelum wouldn't appreciate anyone accusing one of his daughters of lying.
Delphine unfolded the paper.
There was a handwritten note.
"She said you had a message for me?"
Luna nodded once. "Yes. Her exact words were…"
She met Delphine's eyes, her tone heavy with significance.
"Tell him why I want to make a deal with him."
Delphine looked at Luna, then slowly turned her eyes to Caelum. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself.
"My Empress has someone in her heart," she began softly.
She didn't know why it felt so difficult to speak, especially in front of Caelum, but it was what the Empress had asked of her. And before they'd even entered Alpha's office, Delphine had already made up her mind.
She would ask for forgiveness… and permission.
She wanted to leave the Empress's side and remain in the Black Tower.
But until that moment came, she would carry out her duty. Her loyalty.
For everything the Empress had done for her and her brother, Delphine would repay it in full.
And maybe, just maybe, her Empress would understand why Delphine dared to hope. Even if there was no certainty that Caelum could love her in return… even if his heart had already died with the woman he once loved… she wanted to try.
In the short span of her human life, she wanted to be brave enough to love.
"But that someone… is no longer of this world," she continued. "Their separation was sudden. The Empress never got to say goodbye. And so, she wanted to cast a Dream Spell, one that could cross worlds. Just one final conversation. Just one last goodbye."
Delphine's voice trembled.
"But my Empress… she doesn't rely on mana to cast spells. Her power comes from her life force. Every time she uses magic, it chips away at it."
"What?" Milo's voice broke the silence, shocked. "That could kill her."
"Milo," Caelum said gently, his hand resting on Pixie's back as the girl sat contentedly in his lap, "Let Delphine finish first."
Milo pressed his lips together and nodded.
"There's a way to replenish her life force," Delphine said, "and my brother is helping her with that. But right now… her current HP is only around 150."
She swallowed hard.
"But she needs at least 600. Five hundred to cast the Dream Spell. And one hundred to continue living afterward. She said she no longer wishes to use magic once it's done. She just wants to live, quietly."
Delphine's eyes glistened.
"And according to Queen Azura, there's only one person who might be able to help her cast a Dream Spell that powerful… the Demon Lord. So she could finally speak to the man she loves…"
Her voice softened to a whisper.
"To Zeus."
She turned again to look at Caelum, watching his face carefully.
She had a feeling, something she couldn't explain. A strange pull that the Empress was somehow… connected to Caelum's late wife. And she thought, maybe… he would react.
But there was no flicker of recognition in his golden eyes. No sharp inhale. No change in the way his children looked at her.
Nothing.
"I see," Caelum finally said, nodding slowly. "A Dream Spell like that… it's incredibly difficult to perform. A human's mana pool would never be enough. And I understand why Seiryu can't do it either. To cast a Dream Spell, the caster must have a tether to the other world. Or at the very least, they must have been there before."
Delphine leaned forward, voice hopeful.
"Will you be able to help my Empress, my Lord?"
Caelum smiled faintly, his expression unreadable.
"If it's HP she needs… yes. I can give her that," he said. "I suppose it's time I uphold my end of the bargain anyway. You've stayed here, kept Pixie company… and you've kept your word."
Delphine bowed her head, her tears falling freely now.
"Thank you, my Lord… You don't know what this means to her."
Caelum said nothing more. But he held Pixie close, his hand stroking her platinum-silver hair gently.
"Is that it?" Luna's voice cut through the moment, sharp and pointed.
Delphine blinked, surprised. The others turned to her as well.
"That's all she told you to do?" Luna asked, her tone unreadable. "You're sure that's the only message she gave you? That's the only thing written in the paper?"
Delphine hesitated.
Luna finally understood Tuf.
She had intended to tell their father herself, that they had found Ceres. But she couldn't.
Something was stopping her. The words wouldn't come.
She couldn't bring herself to say it, to tell her siblings that Tofu had found their mother.
And it scared her.
Because maybe their mother had been wrong.
Maybe she wasn't the loophole in the deal between Caelum and Lucifer.
What if it was something else?
What if something had gone missing from the box… lost when she teleported back from the Empress Palace to the Black Tower?
"There's one more thing," Delphine spoke up hesitantly. "She asked me to do something in front of the Demon Lord. I just… I don't think it makes any sense."
"Then do it," Luna said sharply, leaving no room for argument.
Whatever it was, no matter how absurd or meaningless it seemed, if their mother had asked for it, then their father needed to see it.
Luna noticed the hesitation in Delphine's eyes.
And it angered her.
She knew that look. She'd seen it a thousand times, on the faces of women who fell in love with her brother. And now, Delphine wore that same expression while looking at Caelum.
A woman in love with a man who already belonged to someone else.
"You need to do it," Luna pressed. "Even if it makes no sense to you. The Empress… she wasn't well when she tried to cross Tofu's portal. And Tofu won't come back to me unless she gets better."
It was only half a lie.
"She's unwell?" Delphine asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Luna said, her voice quiet but firm. "She woke up missing parts of her memory. According to Tofu, when the portal snapped shut, she fell into a Dream Spell. And when she woke up… she knew something was missing."
Delphine looked shaken.
"And you were there when Tofu made that promise to your Empress. To bring her here. To meet our father," Luna continued. "But he's struggling to keep that promise, because something always interferes. Something might happen again if she tries to travel to the Black Tower. And unless Tofu fulfills his promise…"
Her voice cracked. A tear slid down her cheek.
"…he won't come back to me."
Luna reached deep into her most vulnerable fear, just to show them how far she was willing to go.
"Please. Even if it doesn't make sense… just do it."
"Hey… Kitten," Nugget rushed to her side, followed closely by Peanut, Vivi, and Milo.
They surrounded her protectively as Luna wiped her tears away.
Then, Pixie quietly slid off her father's lap and walked toward Delphine, her expression soft.
"Delphine," she said sweetly, "can you please do it? I don't like seeing Luna cry. And Tofu needs to come back here… so I can push him off the Black Tower from Papa's room."
Her small smile was tinged with sadness.
Delphine nodded.
She glanced around the room, scanning the space.
Then stood.
She spotted a tall flower vase in the corner and brought it to the center table.
She placed it gently at the center.
"Regent… may I borrow your tiara?" she asked.
Pixie nodded without hesitation and handed it over.
Everyone watched her every move with growing curiosity.
"There's one more item… something I've never seen before," Delphine said, her eyes landing on Alpha. "It's called a pocket watch."
Neko, who had remained silent until now, reached into his coat and handed her a gold pocket watch.
"Ahm…" Delphine hesitated.
"Does it need to be opened?" Neko asked.
She nodded.
He clicked it open.
Delphine began to arrange the three objects on the center table, just as the Empress had described in the letter. The vase, the open pocket watch, and Pixie's tiara.
Then she walked to Alpha's desk, grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper, and wrote down a series of unfamiliar symbols. Carefully, she slid the paper beneath the tiara.
"She told me in the letter… to show you this, my lord," Delphine said softly, stepping back and revealing the arrangement.
Everyone stared at the arrangement.
And like Delphine had said, it didn't make sense.
Even Luna began to doubt.
Had Delphine truly done what the Empress asked her to do?
"What did you write?" Luna asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I don't know," Delphine admitted softly. "I'm unfamiliar with the symbols."
She didn't know why, why a small, traitorous part of her heart felt a flicker of relief that no one understood the setup. That it all looked meaningless.
She shouldn't feel this way. The Empress was unwell. She needed her.
And yet… a hidden corner of her heart, one she didn't know existed until now, hoped this wouldn't lead to anything. And that guilt made her chest feel tight.
"It says… 'Love Zeusy,'" Neko read aloud, squinting at the neat script.
"Neko. It's not for you to touch," Alpha said, his tone a low warning.
"I didn't touch it," Neko grinned unapologetically. "I just read it."
Alpha was about to reprimand him further when the sound of a chair crashing to the floor made everyone freeze.
Their father… was standing.
His eyes locked on the arrangement, wide with a stunned, almost haunted expression, as if staring at a ghost.
"Papa?" Pixie's small, concerned voice broke through the silence.
But Caelum didn't respond.
He just kept staring at the arrangement in the center of the room.
And then, very slowly, he began to walk toward it. Each step deliberate and hesitant, as if moving too fast might make it vanish.
"My lord?" Delphine asked nervously as he drew closer, her heart pounding.
Caelum didn't speak.
He just stared.
Then, at last, he looked at her.
"Can I see the paper from the Empress?" he asked quietly.
Something in Delphine screamed no.
But she ignored it.
And with trembling fingers, she handed him the letter Ceres had written.
Caelum unfolded the paper.
His eyes widened.
It was a simple set of instructions, what to do, what symbols to write, written in the ancient native language of Solmara.
But at the bottom…
At the very end…
Two words were written in perfect, elegant English script.
Love Zeusy.
Words that meant nothing to anyone else.
But to him…
They shattered everything.
Caelum's hands trembled.
Because even after a thousand years, he would recognize that handwriting anywhere.
It was hers.
He looked back at the arrangement.
The items were different, yes, but the memory was unmistakable.
Because in his previous life, it had taken him four years just to convince the woman he loved to change the wallpaper on her phone from a vase, a watch, and a tiara… to a picture of the two of them with their ridiculous faces.
This was that arrangement.
His knees gave out.
Caelum collapsed to the ground, kneeling before the table. His arms trembled as if he wanted to embrace the memory but didn't dare ruin it.
Then they heard it.
The sound of him crying.
"Father," his children whispered, stunned.
It wasn't the first time they had heard him cry… but it still broke something inside them each time.
And then,
He laughed.
A sharp, choked sound between sobs.
"Papa?" Pixie asked again, confused and worried.
Luna moved to his side, kneeling next to him. She wrapped her arms around him.
And they saw it, her smile.
Even through her tears.
"Is this a dream?" Caelum asked hoarsely. "Kitten… tell me, is this a dream?"
"No, Papa," Luna whispered back. "This isn't Vivi's dream."
She held him tighter.
"She's here. Tofu found her. Bear and Tofu are with her now. And she's been trying so hard… so damn hard… just to see you again."
The room was quiet.
Heavy.
Peanut took a small step forward, unsure. "Luna…?"
She wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come.
But Luna understood.
And in that twisted, miraculous moment…
The weight in her chest lifted.
And she smiled.
She looked at her siblings.
At their father.
At the truth laid bare before them.
And she said, voice steady.
"The Empress of Aquilonis… is Mother."