CHAPTER 600: A CORRIDOR IN CHAOS

Princess Nina was relieved.

Utterly, completely, and adorably relieved.

Her brother chipmunk had comforted her, and now she felt safe enough to smile again.

"Brother, when I see you next time, I’ll show you my art," she announced proudly, lifting her little chin with the dignity of a royal but the wobble of a child who had been crying not long ago.

"Oh? Wow, you have new art?" Luca tilted his head, genuinely excited about it. He’d always found her drawings adorable, much to the distress of a few guardians, although he still wondered if she really loved chipmunks that much.

"Yes!" Nina puffed her cheeks. "I drew Mr. Quackers as a heroic knight and Snowy as a flying dragon. Then of course, I drew my brother Chipmunk as the princess!"

From somewhere off-screen, Snowy sneezed as if rejecting the idea. Mr. Quackers gave a proud flap of approval.

Luca chuckled, trying not to imagine how chaotic the drawing might look. "I’ll be looking forward to it. You can show me as soon as possible."

The little princess nodded vigorously, then sniffled again. Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears even as she smiled. "Goodbye, Brother Chipmunk..."

"Goodbye, Nina. Everything will be fine. I’ll ask your brother to call you as soon as possible, alright?"

Her small hands tightened on the terminal. "Thank you, Brother..."

When the call ended, Nina turned to her two companions. "See? Everything will be fine! We don’t have to live in the forests anymore, Mr. Quackers! And Snowy, no more grass and pond water!"

Mr. Quackers quacked in triumph. Snowy thumped his foot like a victorious drumbeat.

Nina took a deep breath, straightened her tiny back, and finally opened the bathroom door.

Relief filled her. She was safe. She was fine. She was—

...staring at a pair of legs.

Silence.

The air seemed to freeze.

Her small head tilted up slowly, dread pooling in her stomach. There, waiting with arms crossed, stood the Empress herself.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Nina shrieked, the sound piercing down the hallway like an alarm.

The Empress actually flinched.

And before she could even react further, her daughter—face burning scarlet—bolted forward by stepping on Snowy’s back like a springboard and took off like a wild animal on the run.

Her mind was racing. Her heart was thundering. All she knew was that she had been caught.

The Empress followed quickly, but not too quickly. With her spiritual abilities, she could have caught Nina in an instant, but she did not want to risk hurting her panicked daughter, whose instincts were screaming for escape.

Through the corridor they went: one little princess, a flapping duck, a scrambling wolf, and a regal Empress who could not believe this was happening inside the Imperial Palace.

Nina ran until—

"Ah!"

She skidded to a stop, staring at the broad frame of her father, the Emperor, who now blocked her path.

Her tiny heart sank. She was cornered.

From behind, the Empress approached, her tone softening. She was about to tell her daughter to stop, that there was no need to be afraid, that they would simply call her brother over to explain everything properly.

"Nina, about your brother—"

But the moment the word "Brother" left her lips, the princess froze in horror.

Her family was one that was not built for the life of crime. Not that she hadn’t tried, but she had never been successful. She had always been honest to a fault, and now the pressure of the truth loomed over her like a giant shadow. Her mind spun wildly, imaginary reels clattering as they spun, searching for something, anything to say.

Click. Click. Ding!

The words locked into place, and she shouted at the top of her tiny lungs,

"M-MY BROTHER IS IN LOVE!"

The corridor shook with the echo.

IN LOVE.

IN LOVE.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

The words rebounded like thunder, rattling the chandeliers.

The Emperor froze. The Empress froze. Imperial Butler Henry, who had just stepped into the hallway, nearly fainted against the wall. Even Mr. Quackers and Snowy stopped in their tracks, stunned into silence.

And Nina, overwhelmed by her own declaration, plopped down onto her little butt with a thump, her eyes wide and cheeks red.

The echo of "IN LOVE" still seemed to hang in the air, too shocking for anyone to process.

Meanwhile, away from the rattled Imperial Palace, a white-haired giant slowly descended from the medical tank. The hiss of the chamber releasing echoed through the bay, droplets sliding down his shoulders as he inhaled like someone who had just stepped away from death’s door.

Waiting with a towel in hand, Kyle raised a brow. "Captain, you actually survived!" he teased.

Xavier’s lips twitched. "Barely."

In truth, he was the one who had asked for the training. After realizing he shared the same rating as Duke Leander, he figured there was no better way to harness his abilities. Techniques could be taught by anyone, but there was always the lingering instinct to hold back. The gap between S-rank and SS-rank was far larger than most realized.

And when SS-rank was combined with decades of battle-honed experience... it felt like fighting against death itself.

Still, as much as he felt like his soul had been knocked against the gates of the underworld, he admitted it was the most effective training he could get for now.

He threw the towel around his neck and asked calmly, "Any news while I was out?"

Kyle straightened, his usual teasing replaced by seriousness. "The reception of the products was once again impactful. But this time... it may have been big enough to shake even the oldest institutions."

Xavier’s brows lowered. He was just about to question further when, as if reading his mind, his terminal began to ring.

The name flashing across the screen made both men pause.

His father.

Xavier immediately raised a hand, blanketing the entire medical bay with a layer of spiritual energy. Only when the barrier settled did he accept the call.

"Father," he greeted evenly.

Silence answered him.

A long, deafening silence.

Finally, the Emperor’s voice came through, strained with suspicion. "Son... what is your mother’s fourth favorite hobby?"

"???"

Both Xavier and Kyle stared at the screen in disbelief. Xavier’s mouth opened, then closed, before he answered awkwardly, "...cleaning your ears?"

On the other end, there was an audible gasp.

Xavier’s brows furrowed deeper. "Care to explain what is happening, Father?"

The Emperor’s voice trembled with unnatural gravity. "Son, we believe there is a need for an exorcism."

"...What?"

"An exorcism."

"Father, I heard you the first time. But why in Solaris would I need an exorcism?!"

"Then if you don’t need one," the Emperor thundered, "are you seriously telling me you’re in love?! Worse, if it isn’t you who needs cleansing, then is it your beloved?!"

Xavier froze.

Kyle froze.

And somewhere that was originally safe, Sid, the guardian mecha, froze.

The silence that followed could have broken walls.

Kyle could’ve sworn that several scenarios were probably running through the minds of everyone at once. And as someone who knew the prince for so long, all he could say was that he understood.

Only, how could anyone else ever believe him?