“Explain,” Kian crossed his arms over his chest.

With his back slightly arched forward, Ezrel calmly explained what happened in the early morning. “Please forgive me for my incompetence,” he concluded, bowing lower than before.

Tapping his finger on his arm, Kian stared at the black-haired man in front of him. None of this was his fault, but he let Malak get into a dangerous situation. Ezrel should have brought him back into the house as soon as he discovered it. Kian couldn’t fathom the thought of something happening to his love. The sight of Malak’s haggard and drained appearance pained Kian. The image reminded him of the time his husband's head was on display on a spear. He refused to let it happen again.

“Don’t make that mistake again,” Kian warned. As he was about to stand up, he placed his hands on his desk.

“Sire, there’s another matter,” Ezrel quickly added.

The other king sighed before sitting back down behind his desk.

“A letter from Lord Rirdris arrived this morning. Acrilas should fall under his rule before the end of the day. He also requested an audience,” Ezrel resumed the content of the letter.

“Let him occupy the castle. I’ll meet him in five days. Is there anything else?”

“None.”

“Good.”

This time, Kian successfully left his office. Meanwhile, Ezrel wrote a letter in Kian's name and sealed it with his seal. Then, he grabbed his cloak and sword to meet Lord Rirdris’ messenger.

In front of his bedroom, Kian grabbed the doorknob but hesitated to enter. He walked toward the servants' quarters instead, turning on his heels. Reaching the first floor, Kian easily found his way to his destination. As he approached the door, Kian scrunched his nose at the smell. After knocking on the door, he stepped inside.

With a neutral expression, Kian entered the room. A dark-haired woman with cat ears was sound asleep in the bed. He watched her with a cold stare. Quickly, he noticed the thick collar around her neck. Immediately, understanding and relief flooded through him.

A rattle drew Kian’s attention to the corner of the room. There, a smaller and younger version of the sleeping woman shivered in fear. She splayed her cat ears sideways with eyes wide with fear. When Kian took a step forward, she let out a timid hiss. They stared at each other.

“Come with me,” he ordered before turning around to leave their room.

Halfway down the hallway, he heard gentle footsteps carefully following him. Walking into the kitchen, Kian saw Çiçek was preparing lunch.

“Sire?” she asked in surprise. Quickly, she wiped her hands on the apron around her waist. “How may I be of service?”

“She’s Malak’s guest. Prepare a bath and give the child new clothes and food,” Kian answered as he nodded toward the werecat hiding behind the door frame. “Clean the other one up too.”

Çiçek's eyes followed the pointed direction. She warmly smiled at the shy girl. “Yes, Sire. Is there anything else?”

“Bring her to my office when she's ready.”

“Understood.”

（＊〇□〇）……！

Malak woke up in confusion. He expected to find himself in the streets. Instead, he was lying in bed, as if nothing had ever happened. He had to be sure. He could not lie there any longer. Struggling to sit up, the maid immediately helped Malak.

“I need to get up,” Malak panted in exhaustion.

She frowned at him with worry in her eyes. Shaking her head, she disagreed with him. Instead of helping Malak out of the bed, she repositioned him in a more comfortable position. She placed a thick, fluffy pillow behind his back, and the bed cover was rearranged over his lap. Satisfied, she took a step back.

Too weak to argue, Malak leaned comfortably into the pillow. “Once again, I have made everyone worry about me.”

The maid hesitantly took Malak’s hand inter hers, and they exchanged a silent stare.

“Should I ask Kian to train me?” Malak asked while tilting his head to the side.

The maid’s eyes brightened up and nodded.

The male demon smiled before another cloud darkened his expression. “Don’t you think he’ll be against it?”

She bit on her lower lip before tightening her grip on his hand.

“Thanks,” Malak answered as he placed his other hand on hers.

It was then that he remembered the two female werecats who were with him. He wondered where they were and hoped they could find a refuge. Although he saved one of them, he wished he could have done more. If only he had better control of his powers. Instead, he needed to rely on others. He hated how weak he was.

Suddenly, a loud crash caught their attention. It came from Kian's office. Worried, the maid helped Malak to his feet. Acting like a cane, she carried him to their destination. As they got closer, a loud and threatening female voice could be heard. Malak paled at the threats thrown at Kian.

“Let's hurry,” Malak rushed.

Without knocking, they entered the office. The sight surprised Malak. While his husband casually leaned over his desk, the decor and plants near the window were destroyed. It didn't seem to bother him that two dark-haired werecats were huddled together in one corner. The oldest bared her teeth and extended her claws as she prepared to fight, all the while using her body to protect her younger sister.

“Kian,” Malak called as the red-eyed demon shifted his attention to him.

While worried, Kian’s expression softened. “You should be resting,” he gently scolded as he rushed to Malak's side.

The maid quietly took a step back until she was beside the door, while Kian helped Malak to the seat behind the desk.

“How are you feeling?” the king asked with a slight frown.

“I'm alright,” Malak smiled in return. “What happened?”

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“Sister, it's him!” the youngest girl whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Hush,” the eldest quickly added.

“He saved me from that man. He also healed you. We need to thank him!” She jumped from the safety of the corner of the room before her older sister could protest.

“Saori, come back!” she shouted distressed.

The small werecat stopped a few meters from the couple. She grasped her clean shirt with her small scarred hands. With her ears cutely split to the side, she took a tentative step closer.

“Thank you for saving us,” she shyly mumbled as her tail wrapped around her leg.

“You're welcome,” Malak smiled warmly. “Are you hungry?”

“He gave me food,” she pointed at Kian. “And a warm bath! There were lots of bubbles,” she grinned happily.

Kian shifted into a more comfortable position. But the sudden movement startled the little girl, causing her to take a step back.

“I'm happy you liked it,” Kian answered softly to not startle her further.

“What's your name?” Malak asked.

“Saori! You?”

“I’m Malak and this is Kian,” Malak answered while pointing at himself and then at his husband. “And who’s that?”

Everyone’s attention shifted to the sister standing in the corner. She tensed at the unwanted attention. Straightening her back and tilting her chin up, she confidently stepped toward Saori without breaking eye contact with the demons.

“This is Mizuki,” Saori answered with a bright smile.

“Thank you for saving us,” Mizuki said with a forced smile.

Kian raised an eyebrow and, under Mizuki's scrutiny, he lazily raised his hand. Summoned, the maid quickly approached him.

“Would you bring Saori to the kitchen? I’m sure she would enjoy Çiçek’s baked goods,” Kian acknowledged the maid.

Mizuki’s grasp tightened on her sister’s shoulder. With a finger in her mouth, Saori hesitated and looked up at her sister for approval. Her eyes twinkled in anticipation and expectation. Unable to resist her, Mizuki nodded reluctantly.

“I’ll bring you some!”

Mizuki was left alone in the room with the demons after they left. The fact her sister was not in imminent danger relieved her, but she was also anxious to see her leave her sight.

“Take a seat,” Kian waved at the empty chairs on the other side of the desk.

She obeyed and sat down. Although she was intimidated by Kian's nonchalant attitude, she kept her chin high and refused to break eye contact. Silence took over the room as the two stared at each other.

“How is your wound?” he asked, determined to break the ice.

Mizuki's onyx-coloured eyes moved to him. Malak shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Her black eyes pierced through him as if she could see right into his soul.

“It's all healed,” she nodded once before sealing her lips again.

Kian's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

“I'm glad,” Malak answered with a shy, relieved smile.

“What do you want from us?” Mizuki asked after a moment of awkward silence.

“Nothing.”

Her face was awash in indignation as if she had been slapped. “I don't believe you. There must be a reason you saved us!”

“What would we possibly want from slaves?” Kian shot back in annoyance at her tone but immediately regretted it when Malak pinched his thigh.

Unfazed by the insult, Mizuki didn't back down. “Are you looking for a body slave? Is that why you saved us?”

Shocked and insulted, Malak stared at her. Kian, however, lost control. His magic unfurled from his body. It swallowed his office as day became night. In fear, Mizuki quickly stood up, knocking the chair over. She tried to run for the door, but it was already too late. There was no exit. Darkness engulfed the room.

“Someone thinks rather highly of herself,” Kian sneered as he took a step toward the girl.

Combating her fleeing instincts, Mizuki hissed at him. It, however, didn't come out as threatening. Backed into a corner, her body uncontrollably trembled in fear. Her cat ears split to the side and her tail was between her legs.

“I-I'm sorry,” she apologized in tears.

“Is this how you thank your saviour? One that risked his own life to save a stranger?” Kian asked coldly as he got closer to her step by step.

“I… I…”

“If it were me, you'd be dead in that corner of the street long ago. Who knows what may have happened to your precious little sister now.”

Overwhelmed by fear, she closed her eyes and suddenly transformed into a small black cat. Kian stared at the animal in surprise. It was curled up in the corner, shivering. With a sigh, he rolled his shoulders before calling the shadows back.

“Kian, what happened?” Malak pleaded in distress as he stood in the middle of the room. “What did you do? You both disappeared!”

Kian lifted his hand. In his grasp, he held the cat by the scruff of its neck. It was now Malak’s turn to stare at the animal. He never knew werecats could shift into cats.

“Is this… Mizuki?” Malak asked as if he wouldn’t believe it unless Kian confirmed it.

“It sure is,” Kian smirked.

Walking toward the dropped chair, Kian put it back up. Then, he dropped the cat on the seat. Kian leaned on the desk with his arms and long legs crossed. Malak sat back on the seat behind the bureau.

“Is this why you ended up as slaves?” Kian asked as his eyes bore into the small, powerless cat. She meowed. Kian rolled his eyes. “Cut the bullshit. What’s your relationship with the Imperial family of the Eastokya Dynasty?”

She licked her nose before sitting up straight. “We are the children of the previous Emperor.”

Kian’s eyes burned vividly, but his facial expression remained neutral. “Is that so?”

Mizuki nodded. “Before the current Emperor was the Crown Prince, he made sure to get rid of all his potential competitors.”

“Was that even allowed?” Malak asked innocently, with a slight tilt of the head.

“My mother was merely a Noble Lady, while the current Emperor’s mother was the Empress. They couldn’t be punished until proof of their crime was exposed.”

“Why would he want to get rid of you? You can’t inherit the title,” Malak continued.

“My mother, although she was only a Noble Lady, was favoured by the past Emperor. The Empress didn’t like it. When the current Emperor ascended to the throne, he and the Empress Dowager secretly sold us to slave traders.”

The silence felt heavy on their shoulders. It was no secret that every fight for the throne was cutthroat. All the male siblings faced one another in the quest for power. While the females were bargaining chips to gain alliances and more power in the family. Kian could sympathize with Mizuki.

“What do you want to do now? Do you wish for revenge?” Kian asked.

Mizuki sneezed at the thought. “And for what? Become the Empress and rule over the Eastokya Dynasty? Please, I’m not that desperate.”

Kian shrugged as Malak simply observed the scene. “Well, what do you want then?”

Suspicious, Mizuki stared at Kian for a moment. “Why do you care? And who are you?”

“It seems like this greeting was long overdue,” Kian smiled as he stood up straight. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Yoshioka Mizuki. I’m Kian Osman, the rightful King of the Bazahian Kingdom and your ex-fiancé.”

Malak’s face whitened at the mention of the title. In shock, Mizuki transformed back into her human form.

“What? You’re him?” she asked incredulously, staring at Kian from head to toe. “You look nothing like your portrait!”

Kian laughed mischievously. “Because it wasn’t me.” Mizuki frowned at him as he continued. “My father, the King at the time, wanted to build an alliance between the two countries. A marriage would be the simplest and most effective way. Unfortunately, I already set my heart on someone else.”

Malak smiled lovingly at Kian who returned it.

“I see,” Mizuki mumbled in disappointment. “Then, who was the man in the portrait?” she mumbled to herself.

Kian smiled but didn’t answer her question. It would be more amusing to see her reaction when she recognized him.

“Now, what do you want?” Kian asked once more but in a friendlier tone.