At the garden, Reina was walking in a fast pace. This is a rare situation that Lisa visited her without any celebration. The last time that they met was years ago, when Reina was seven months pregnant with Shin.

"Your majesty, please be reminded that the king would like to meet you at the docks in thirty minutes to scan the area and the ships that will arrive with the goods from the outside world."

"Please tell the king that I have an important matter to attend to. He needs to attend to it without me."

"But--"

"Just for this instance, Mr. Jester. This is a very urgent need. Tell him that Lisa is here and he will understand." the queen's secretary nodded and immediately made his way out of the garden while Reina is in a hurry to see her dearest friend.

A lot of things are running inside her mind. 'Why is Lisa here?' 'Has Helios finally decided to claim Lukedonia?' "Will Helios start a war with us?' "Is Lisa in trouble?' Reina is overthinking, worried as she is for her kingdom as she is not just a queen but a mother and a wife.

"Lisa." Her voice is soft as soon as she saw her friend in the gazebo. She immediately welcomed her with a tight hug.

"Reina, it's been a while." Lisa welcomed Reina in her arms tightly, slowly sobbing.

"What brings you here?" Reina pulled a seat for her and they both sat down around the table. "Is it...?"

"No." Lisa shook her head, trying to fight her tears not to fall.

Reina sighed in relief knowing that whatever she was thinking earlier wasn't the reason why Lisa is here.

"Then if it is not the destruction of Lukedonia, then what is it?"

"This." Lisa slowly pushed Hiruma to Reina as she is showing him to her. "This is Hiruma. He's starting to look like his father." She chuckles.

"He is starting to look like Helios." Reina smiled and slightly pinched the boy's cheek. "Last time I saw you, you were just this small." Then she lifted her hand up to a small level above the ground.

Hiruma just puffed his cheek and pouted.

"I came here to hand him over to you."

Reina was in shock with what Lisa said. Lisa can't even look her in the eyes when she said those words. She only looked down on her knees, hands clutched with the hem of dress and lips chewed.

"What's going on?" Reina immediately hugged Lisa as she started to cry her heart out to the fact that she has to give her son away for a deep reason.

Hiruma just watched the both of them, sitting on the chair beside his mother while he kick the air.

"I have to let him go, Reina. Helios found another way to strengthen his life force and that is to sacrifice someone close to him." Lisa hugged Reina so hard that it is hard for her to spill her words. "He wants to sacrifice Hiruma!"

Reina was in shock with the words that her friend said. She knows before that the governor of the underworld wants to take over the kingdom but she didn't expect that he will get this far... by sacrificing someone close to him.

It was said before that he will attack Lukedonia and claim the souls of the nobles to make him the rightful owner of the throne of the underworld but she didn't know that he found an alternative... and that is through a sacrifice.

"W-why-- I mean, how did he came up to this resolve?" Reina is in shock from what she heard. She never imagined that he will go this far.

"He knew that this powerful kingdom's queen and I have a strong bond." Lisa chucked while tears are falling from her eyes. "We were inseparable since we were young, Reina. And with that, he reconsidered. Looked for another way to strengthen his life force and claim the throne. Years of research, he knew that the only way was a sacrifice. Lucifer challenged him with what he found out and with that, he said last night that he will sacrifice someone close to him."

Reina was in shock, giving sympathy with her friend with her troubles.

"...I know that he will sacrifice our son." Lisa continued, crying. "I'm so sorry, Reina. I didn't imagine that our friendship will lead to this. I'm sorry if I am giving such a burden to you."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Lisa, no. It's not your fault."

"I-if I just chose a rightful partner, I wouldn't have faced this. If a just chose the duke, I wouldn't be in this situation."

"Lisa..." Reina is out of words on how to soothe her friend. She also can't think of anything else to comfort her friend but to hug her.

"I will leave him to you. I will make sure that he won't look for him."

"But that is impossible. He is his son. He will look for him. Lisa... don't tell me..." Reina gasped, parting from the hug and covered her mouth. "Don't..."

Lisa shook her head and smiled. "I will leave him to you." Then she stood up and hugged his son. "I entrust you with them. Be a good boy and follow them, alright? Someday, you'll show your dad what a better man you are."

"Lisa, please. There is a better resolve than this."

"I'm sorry if I have to leave like this Reina. But please, understand."

"I--" Reina realized that Lisa's situation is harder than hers where she only has to hide her daughter to protect her from her father but with Lisa's situation, she is suffering the hardest. To sacrifice herself in exchange for her son's life.

"Please take care of him... Please raise him to be a better man than his father." and with that, Lisa immediately made her way to the forest, disappearing from the eyes of the people close to her.

Franken, who was eavesdropping to the conversation, finally left his hiding spot and discreetly made his way back to the library where Shin, Raizel and Olga are.

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"I hope you like the room. Tomorrow, I'll show you around the palace. Here." Reina gave a small stuffed animal to Hiruma. The boy didn't respond to her yet his gazed his fixed outside the window while sitting at the corner of his bed to his new room.

Reina thought to give him some time alone knowing how hard it is for him to absorb what happened overnight.

"I'm so sorry for what's happening. I promise, I'll give you a life that Lisa wanted you to live."

"No, your majesty. I am the one who should be sorry. You just got caught in the middle of this problem of our family."

Reina hugged Hiruma tight. She didn't expect that this boy would be matured at a young age. She doesn't know what this boy had gone through the past years he's been alive.

"Just call me Aunty Reina. No need to be too formal. Besides, me and your mother are bestest friends." Reina chuckled and showed her fingers crossed. "Like this."

"Okay, Aunty Reina." Hiruma smiled lightly.

"Go to sleep now. I will also ask Olga to look after you. I'll introduce her to you tomorrow. For now, have some rest." Hiruma nodded and made his way to bed.

Reina covered him with a blanket and left his door ajar as she makes her way out.

"Reina." A firm voice called her. He was leaning on the wall, arms crossed to his chest. "To our room. Now." Maximillian walked pass her in fast pace.

Reina sighed knowing that she is in big trouble.

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"Do I have to tell it to you all over again, Max!? Lisa chose to save his son! What's wrong with that!?" Reina raised her voice to her frustrated husband who is walking back and fort to their room.

"She has someone else. Why us!? Why us who was threatened by her husband!? I know that you two are close friends but--"

"BECAUSE ATLANTI IS GONE! IT SUNK YEARS AGO!" Reina slapped Maximillian with the truth that there is no place welcome for them anymore for there are no more relatives or Atlanti that they can run into. "You don't understand my pain, Maximillian. You never did."

"I never did!? Who chose and saved you in the verge of death, Reina!? If it wasn't for me, you've been been just like Atlanti! If it wasn't for me, you're not here!" Reina gave Maximillian a hard slap making him stop talking.

"If you saving me is this price that I have to pay, then you should've just let me die in that ocean after the volcanoes of my country erupted! You should've just had chosen a nobles than an Atlanti who broke the prophecy for you!"

Maximillian got quiet. His hand, resting on the face that Reina slapped and his mind, saying that he shouldn't have said anything. He regrets what he said. He does. He loves Reina more that anything but he is also afraid.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I am not in your shoes. I don't know."

"It's not as easy as apologizing. You're my husband. You should be the first person who understands me." Reina sobs followed by a hug from behind by Maximillian.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll be a better king-- no. Husband to you."

Reina held his arms, gently rubbing it. "He is our responsibility now. Helios might accept Lisa as a sacrifice for his pride and ego for now but time will come, he will look for him. And once he finds where he is, we must be prepared."

"I don't know. We have Shin to worry. I can't think of any other way to keep him under our roof." Reina released herself from the hug and looked at him dead straight in the eyes.

"Why are you so afraid of your own daughter? You've seen her. She means no hard."

"For now, yes. But we don't know once she grows up."

"Maximillian!"

"Okay, fine. We'll raise her right. I promise." Maximillian gave her a tight hug, assuring her that she will not have to worry anymore.

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It's pass midnight, Reina is while Maximillian is looking outside the window... observing.

He has a lot going into his mind and now, he has another one to worry. Reina is right A time will come that Helios will look for Hiruma and they must be prepared for that. He must let Raizel know as soon as possible but hearing the news from Frankenstein, he believes that he is well aware already and prepared. He just doesn't know how Raized will act once he finds out that the son of a certain someone is seeking refuge in Lukedonia after hearing such grave threat of sacrificing the whole country for his own gain.

As much as he doesn't allow it, he has to. For Reina. This is what makes her happy and he must oblige after years of letting her follow in his shadow.

But how can he hide Hiruma from the eyes of everyone? He will wander off around Lukedonia to meet people. Helios will find him soon and might claim rage towards the kingdom. He knows that Reina won't give him up without a fight... but how? How can he protect him?

While his mind is a biz, he remembered how he fell for Reina. He saved her and Lisa from the destructive volcano of their country. After serving Lukedonia, Lisa went off and chose to marry Helios while Reina and Maximillian knew each other more and more until they tied the knot.

and with that...

Maximillian thought that Shin and Hiruma should tie the knot together.

Hiruma will be a full resident of Lukedonia once he marries Shin who will be a full pledge princess at coming of age.