CHAPTER 291: LITTLE GLUTTON

The King leaned back slightly in his seat, his brows drawn together in thought. His gaze was firm but uncertain. "There is something I still fail to understand," he began, his tone slow and deliberate. "The Abyss...its boundary is impassable. No mortal or cultivator has been able to got through alive."

He paused, his eyes searching hers, his tone softening slightly. "Forgive me for saying this, Your Majesty, but when I heard that you survived the passage, I believed it was because you are a celestial being. I assumed your divinity must have shielded your group. Was I mistaken?"

The Empress regarded him calmly, her veil swaying faintly as she shook her head. Her voice was low, measured, and dignified. "You are not wrong to assume so," she said quietly. "But it was not my power that protected them."

The King’s frown deepened. "Then whose power did?"

"The Ice Belle," she answered. "It was her divine energy....pure and untainted...that cleansed the path for us. Without her, we would have been consumed by the darkness before we ever took ten steps into the Abyss."

The King blinked, his composure breaking for the first time. "The Ice Belle?" he repeated, almost incredulous. "You mean to say one of the Divine Elementals...the last of the ancient spirits...travels with your group?"

The Empress nodded slowly. "Yes. And not just any elemental. The Belle of Ice herself, reborn and bound to Xavier."

At that, the King rose from his chair, the weight of her words sinking in. His eyes darted briefly toward the window, where the fading light of dusk spilled across the marble floor. "Bound to him?" he muttered.

The Empress’s voice interrupted his thought, "Yes, you heard that right. The Ice Belle’s purity allowed us to pass the Abyss untouched. The dark miasma and corrupted Qi recoiled from her presence. That alone should tell you her importance."

The King stared at her, his eyes sharp with disbelief and awe. "If what you say is true, then this elemental is no ordinary being. It could change everything. But..." He hesitated. "Such beings are said to be beyond mortal control. How could it possibly be bound to a human...much less a young cultivator like Xavier?"

"Fate," the Empress replied, her tone reverent and low. "The creature chose him. Their bond is one born not of cultivation, but of spirit. You will understand once you see them together."

The King exhaled slowly, his skepticism melting into reluctant intrigue. "Then show me," he said finally. "Let me see this creature with my own eyes."

The Empress inclined her head gracefully. "You will, Your Majesty. And when you do, you’ll understand why I said she may be our greatest hope. The Ice Belle’s purity can repel the rot itself. In her lies the balance between destruction and salvation."

The King’s expression hardened into solemn resolve as he nodded. "Then I must see her tonight. If what you say is true... she may indeed be the light that breaks the shadow."

The Empress’s veil fluttered faintly as she rose. "Then come," she said softly. "Let me show you the miracle that survived the Abyss."

As they made their way through the long corridors of the palace toward Lucas’s chamber, the air between them felt heavy with unspoken concern. The King walked beside the Empress in measured silence. It was then that the Empress broke the silence, her tone calm but edged with grim understanding. She said that those behind the usurpers...the true minds orchestrating the chaos...were far more dangerous than anyone could have imagined.

"They have hidden the truth in plain sight," she murmured, her voice soft beneath her veil. "Every trail I followed led to nothing. Every vision I sought ended in haze. It was not mere cunning, Your Majesty. Whoever they are, they have invested unimaginable resources to blind even the heavens themselves."

The King turned his head slightly, his expression thoughtful yet troubled. "You, a celestial seer, unable to see through them? That speaks of something beyond mortal power."

She nodded slowly. "Exactly. I am certain they are using a celestial mind seal. It is a forbidden art, one designed to conceal thoughts, destinies, and even the very presence of those bound by it. If they’ve placed such seals on their advocates, then every move, every betrayal, every whisper against the thrones is orchestrated from shadows we cannot perceive."

The King frowned, his pace slowing. "Then it is no longer a matter of rebellion... it is corruption rooted in the divine itself."

The Empress’s veil shifted slightly as she inclined her head. "Yes. And if that is true, then the rot we fight may not be confined to Lechia or Valerion alone."

They walked on in silence after that, the weight of her words lingering like a storm cloud above them.

When they reached Lucas’s chamber, the King paused briefly at the door. He exhaled, preparing himself for the sight of the young man who had risked everything in the name of their alliance. Then, with a light push, the door creaked open.

The scene before them was far from what either of them expected.

There, in the soft glow of the chamber’s lamps, Lira sat cross-legged on the floor, her brows furrowed in fierce determination as she wrestled with a piece of cooked steak. The other end of the steak was clutched tightly by the Ice Belle, who hovered just a few inches above the ground, her tiny hands gripping the meat like a prized treasure.

The sight was almost comical...the divine creature’s translucent hair shimmered faintly with frost, yet her puffed cheeks and narrowed eyes gave her the look of a stubborn child refusing to share her meal. Lira, on the other hand, was muttering through gritted teeth, "You already had yours! This one is mine!"

The Ice Belle hissed softly, the air around her turning colder as a thin layer of frost began forming on the steak.

Lira gasped. "Don’t you dare freeze it again, you little glutton!" She tugged harder, and the two of them toppled backward...one onto the rug, the other midair, fluttering indignantly before darting back toward the food. The Ice Belle’s strength was surprisingly strong for a creature of such little size.

The King blinked, stunned by the absurdity before him. The Empress’s veil shifted slightly as her lips curved beneath it..the faintest trace of amusement.

After a long moment, the King cleared his throat, his deep voice filling the room. "I see Valerion’s defenders are... quite fierce."

Lira froze, her face flushing crimson as she turned to see them. "Y–Your Majesty!" She scrambled to her feet, dropping what was left of the steak. The Ice Belle quickly swooped in, scooping up the piece triumphantly before perching on Lucas’s chest with a self-satisfied chirp.

The Empress stepped closer, her eyes softening as she gazed at the tiny being.

The King’s gaze followed hers, his expression a mixture of awe and disbelief. The Ice Belle, sensing their attention, looked up with her wide, innocent eyes...then promptly turned her back to them, nibbling contently on her stolen meal.

The King couldn’t help but shake his head. "This... is the divine being that crossed the boundary of the abyss?"

"Yes," the Empress replied, her tone calm but filled with reverence. "Do not be deceived by her form. Within that small body lies power even the gods would envy."

The King said nothing more, his gaze lingering on the small spirit who seemed more interested in her food than in the awe she inspired.