I remained seated, my gaze locked on the floor, my mind a whirlwind of questions. Nora had broken an artifact that rewound time and erased our memories of the event. I needed to remember what happened—whether I’d used Void Portal or not. If I had, what exactly did I do? The questions were piling up, and the lack of answers gnawed at me. Attending this dinner had been a mistake. Hell, saving the Queen had been a mistake in the first place. I should’ve let her die and freed myself from her egotistical nonsense.

The guards stationed in the room moved cautiously, their swords drawn. One approached a nearby window, peered outside, then, finding nothing, closed the curtains before returning to his post.

“This is bothersome,” the blonde girl said, her posture straight and firm. “Who would dare to attack us here?”

“Elves,” the Queen said with venom in her voice. “Who else, Miu?”

“Maybe the Star broke on its own?” Miu suggested. “Maybe it lost its power?”

“Impossible,” Nora interjected. “Trust me on this, Miu. Something happened. I wouldn’t have broken the artifact without reason.”

Miu grabbed a piece of orange from the table and ate it, her expression unreadable. I kept my eyes averted, staring at the ground as though it held the answers I sought. I hoped she was right—that the artifact had malfunctioned or lost its power—because I couldn’t take another attack. After the cannibals and the slavers in the cave, my quota for near-death experiences was long overdue…

Mirelda walked to the table and sat two chairs away from me. Her eyes flicked toward the small gap in the curtains before settling on me. She didn’t speak, but the way she looked at me made it clear: she was suspicious. Playing it cool, perhaps, but definitely watching me.

“Do you know what’s going on, Axel?” she asked, her tone almost casual.

“No, Your Highness,” I replied evenly. “Of course, I don’t.”

“Funny how trouble always seems to follow you,” she said, her gaze sharp.

“With all due respect, Your Highness,” I replied, keeping my voice dull, “you poisoned me and had Queen Nora charm me to determine if I worked with the elves. I believe there’s no real reason for you to suspect me further.”

“Who said I was suspecting you?”

“Please stop treating him like an enemy, Mother,” Miu interjected, her voice firm but respectful. “He doesn’t deserve this. He saved your life.”

“She’s right, Mirelda,” Nora said. “Stop it. Axel isn’t the enemy. If he wanted you dead, he wouldn’t have lifted a finger when the elves attacked. You’re being paranoid.”

“Fine,” Mirelda said, throwing up her hands. “I didn’t realize Axel was the man of the night.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said, my tone neutral.

The room fell into silence, the tension thick in the air. After about two minutes, the door opened, and General Thum stepped inside. He bowed to both Queens before straightening his posture, ready to deliver his report. I rose from my chair, turning to face him. A small part of me hoped he came bearing good news.

“No enemies,” Thum said. “Everything is clear.”

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“The prisoners?” Mirelda asked.

“All accounted for,” Thum confirmed. “We are not in immediate danger. Queen Nora, how long can the Time Star rewind time?”

“A few minutes,” Nora replied. “Three or four, at most.”

“Whoever the enemy was could have attacked again by now,” Thum said. “It’s been over five minutes. Either they changed their minds, or they’re planning a different approach.”

“I’m just glad I let Boey go with his friends,” the Queen said, leaning back in her chair. “Damned elves.”

“What do we do now, Queen?” the general asked, his voice steady. “What are your orders?”

“We wait until tomorrow,” she replied, gesturing toward me with a slight tilt of her head. “Prepare a room for Axel here. Sending him out into potential danger wouldn’t be very queen-like of me, not after his help with the elves.”

“Of course.” Thum gave a curt nod before opening the doors. “It’ll be ready in a moment.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said, watching Thum step out and shut the doors behind him. “You’re very generous.”

“I wasn’t suspecting you, by the way,” Mirelda said, her sharp eyes locking on me. “I was just curious how you manage to stay so calm in situations like this.”

“I don’t understand, Your Highness.”

“Like when the elves attacked us,” she clarified. “Your expression didn’t change. It was as if you’d already seen everything life has to offer and couldn’t be bothered by any of it.”

“I’m nothing like that, Queen,” I replied, shaking my head. “I think you got the wrong impression—”

“Did you really love your mother, Axel?” she interrupted, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of her empty plate. “Or are you just… desperate?”

Her question caught me completely off guard. Desperate for what? I tilted my head down, staring at the floor, unsure how to respond. Did I love my mother? Of course, I did. She’d been my only constant after my dad left and my sister passed away. She worked two jobs to make sure I had enough to eat, enough to wear so my friends wouldn’t mock me. She wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t entirely bad either. She was… okay. Definitely not “Mother of the Year” material, but she tried.

“How about you, Queen?” I asked cautiously. “Did you love your mother? Is that why you didn’t kill her and instead banished her from Nu’tar?”

Miu’s eyes darted to Mirelda, as though this was a question she had wanted to ask but couldn’t bring herself to.

“I don’t know,” Mirelda said, her voice softer now, her eyes thoughtful as they rested on me. “She gave birth to me. Without her, I wouldn’t exist. And I gave her a second chance instead of killing her outright. I think that makes us even.”

“Ugh,” Nora said, cutting through the moment. “She tried to suffocate you in your sleep, didn’t she? Some mothers…”

“I like you, Axel,” Mirelda said abruptly, her voice shifting back to its usual serious tone. “Talking to you feels… refreshing, despite your dull aura.”

Grunting reflexively, I coughed awkwardly and looked at her. “Thank you, Queen. That means a lot to me.”

“We both know that’s not true,” she replied, her words as sharp as a blade. “But I’ll allow that lie to slide.”

I said nothing, simply nodding. It wasn’t worth risking her agitation—she was the most unpredictable person I’d ever encountered. Thanks to my deadbeat father’s interrogation tapes, I could usually figure people out quickly: the way they talked, ate, moved. But Mirelda? She was a different story entirely.

The door creaked open, and Thum stepped inside. “Queen,” he said, bowing slightly. “Axel’s room is ready.”

“Good,” she replied. “You can retire to your room whenever you’d like, Axel.”

“Then I shall do that, Your Highness,” I said, bowing to both queens. “Thank you for the dinner.”

“Leaving already?” Nora asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Yes, Your Highness,” I replied. “I’m still feeling a bit sleepy. Probably the poison’s aftereffects.”

“Fine,” Mirelda said dismissively. “You may go.”

“Thank you, Queen,” I said, turning and following Thum toward the exit.