Free Web NovelThe sound of the branch dropping drew everyone’s attention, and yet no one dared to speak at this moment.
For a time, the courtyard became unusually quiet.
Wen Yuzhi wanted to go pick up the branch that had accidentally fallen, but Wen Yuzhi’s eyes couldn’t help nervously fixing on Mansendis not far away.
Like a timid, cautious young beast—out of instinct, unconsciously wary and guarded toward an older, stronger existence beside it.
But Yiluo and Feier, who had originally been standing behind Wen Yuzhi, were Ge De—yet at this moment, they chose to block Wen Yuzhi from the front.
It was a protective posture.
And the one they were guarding against was their own sovereign.
This way of doing things unquestionably went against the loyalty they had always upheld. It was unbelievable—absolutely no Ge De had ever shown a similar situation before.
After all, primitive-tier were not like the Heimo, who were good at thinking. Primitive-tier did things on instinct, and would only submit to the strongest.
Yet now these two Ge De didn’t hesitate. For Wen Yuzhi’s sake, they would rather brace themselves under fear and still stand in front of Mansendis.
Even the Heimo walking at the very back felt a bit startled.
Facing the two Ge De’s wariness, Mansendis didn’t even look at them.
Mansendis’s gaze went straight to the snowfield off to the side.
The Heimo behind also followed Mansendis’s line of sight and looked over.
That is...?
Seeing that huge snow beast Wen Yuzhi had built, these Heimo, without prior agreement, seemed to fall into a bizarre silence in that instant.
That shape... that look... it was indeed very imposing, sure.
It was just... the more they looked, the more it felt like the king...
Alvin was probably the calmest one among these Heimo. Alvin saw that snow beast and could still smile as Alvin praised, “Little Highness is truly clever and skillful.”
With Alvin speaking first, the other Heimo also chimed in one after another.
“Yeah, yeah, Little Highness made it look really nice.”
It was just too nice—so nice that they recognized at a glance whose beast form it was.
Thinking of that, they quietly used the corner of their eyes to size up the silver-haired sovereign’s reaction up front.
Mansendis didn’t care at all about the commotion behind.
Mansendis’s gaze only lingered on that snow beast for a few ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) seconds.
From the traces on the ground, it wasn’t hard to guess that just now Wen Yuzhi had been playing in the snow here with these two Ge De.
And their arrival had, without a doubt, broken the original relaxed atmosphere here.
Wen Yuzhi no longer had the relaxed posture from a moment ago, and looked a bit tense at Mansendis and the grand, sweeping line of Saint Clan behind.
Wen Yuzhi didn’t know whether to step forward and salute, or whether it would be better to move aside right now.
While Wen Yuzhi was spacing out, the other had already come to Wen Yuzhi’s front.
A black shadow fell from above. Wen Yuzhi blankly lifted his head, and Mansendis was also lowering his head to look at Wen Yuzhi.
Noticing that the teenager’s hem—because the teenager had been sitting on the snow—was already dampened in places, Mansendis frowned very slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Mansendis bent down and scooped Wen Yuzhi up from the snow.
This wasn’t the first time Mansendis had reached out to hold Wen Yuzhi.
So even though the movements still weren’t fully practiced, they also weren’t that unfamiliar.
In the eyes of the other Saint Clan, this obviously made them feel shocked.
Could it be they were having hallucinations in broad daylight?
These Heimo couldn’t help feeling a bit dazed.
Wen Yuzhi also hadn’t expected Mansendis to suddenly come and hold Wen Yuzhi—especially under the gaze of so many eyes.
And yet, as long as Wen Yuzhi lifted his head, Wen Yuzhi could see the shocked looks of the Heimo behind. For no clear reason, Wen Yuzhi felt that the situation right now carried a kind of unspeakable shame.
So Alvin and the others watched as Little Highness widened his eyes and looked timidly at them. Then, as if realizing something, the little cub’s cheeks rapidly flooded with a thin, shallow blush. After that, that small head topped with silver hair slowly, slowly shrank back into Mansendis’s arms.
Only one little cowlick that stuck up remained, still exposed above—as if trying to cover it up, but failing.
This...
These Heimo, all of a sudden, felt an impulse to immediately clutch at their chests.
You had to know: the Heimo who were able to stay by Mansendis’s side and work had personalities that were among the calmest and most steady in the entire Saint Clan.
Yet this time, they finally understood why those colleagues who had followed Mansendis to Kanirila, after returning, had kept thinking about Little Highness and couldn’t let it go.
Such an adorable Little Highness—if it were them, they also wouldn’t be willing to let go.
Wen Yuzhi still didn’t know that the Saint Clan behind had taken in every bit of that series of emotional changes just now. Leaning against the silver-haired sovereign’s chest, all Wen Yuzhi could smell with every breath was the other’s scent.
It was amazing.
.
Clearly cold and indifferent—yet what caught Wen Yuzhi off guard was that this embrace didn’t feel as ice-cold as Wen Yuzhi had imagined.
Aside from the clothes being a little uncomfortable, the feeling of nestling in that embrace made Wen Yuzhi feel at ease.
Mansendis carried Wen Yuzhi back into the palace.
Mond and Merita were looking for Wen Yuzhi. Seeing that Little Highness was being carried back by the king, Mond and Merita’s expressions froze for a moment, and then they hurriedly performed a salute.
Merita was a bit more attentive; Merita also noticed the traces of Wen Yuzhi’s clothes being soaked by snow.
After saluting, Merita immediately spoke up: “King, I’ll take Little Highness back to the room to change clothes.”
“No need.”
Mansendis didn’t look at the hand Merita wanted to reach out—wanting to take the teenager from Mansendis’s arms.
Mansendis carried Wen Yuzhi straight back to that room Mond had carefully arranged.
The system on the door automatically recognized Mansendis’s identity. After it opened, Mansendis precisely found where the walk-in closet was, and set the teenager in Mansendis’s arms down.
“Go change your clothes.”
Mansendis said.
After saying it, Mansendis felt that the tone seemed too cold. Words that were meant to be said properly came out sounding more like a command being issued to a subordinate.
But just as Mansendis was thinking about whether to say something else to soften what had been said, Wen Yuzhi—after being set down—didn’t obediently go change clothes right away, and instead stayed in place, hesitating for a moment.
Then, under the silver-haired sovereign’s gaze, the little cub in front chose to gently hug Mansendis once.
It was a very brief hug.
It was almost as soon as there had been contact that the little cub in front shrank back again.
But no matter what, it really was a hug.
And it was the first time Wen Yuzhi had主动 hugged Mansendis.
Before the silver-haired sovereign could react, after Wen Yuzhi gathered the courage to do it, Wen Yuzhi didn’t dare lift his head to look at the other’s expression. Wen Yuzhi hurriedly hid inside the walk-in closet.
And even closed the door.
Bang.
Mansendis looked at the door that had already shut, but didn’t get angry.
The long bone spines by Mansendis’s feet were even more excitedly wriggling and twisting.
Cub... hug... warm...
But Mansendis couldn’t be bothered with the companion entity right now. Mansendis was still thinking about that hug from the little cub just now, and what surfaced in Mansendis’s mind was still what Mond had said before.
“Between close blood relatives, you need more contact. A greeting kiss and a hug in daily life can both do a great job of improving your relationship.”
The young Mansendis hadn’t cared about that sentence at all.
But now, Mansendis felt that sentence did have some truth to it.
Of course, the range it applied to was limited to Mansendis’s child.
As for other royal-blood, Mansendis only had killing intent toward them.
Still, before leaving, Mansendis glanced at those excited bone chains.
In a cold voice, Mansendis emphasized, “This is my child.”
Not your cub.
“And also, the one being hugged is me.”
Not you.
Bone spines: “......”
Those cold words one after another made them so mad that they directly shrank back into the mental sea.
And they decisively overturned what they’d said before.
Cub absolutely isn’t Mansendis’s biological child!
How does Mansendis have any right to produce such an adorable cub!
Maybe the more they thought about it, the angrier they got. They simply snuck over to Wen Yuzhi’s side.
Wen Yuzhi was leaning against the door panel in a daze right now.
Just now...
Wen Yuzhi actually really went and hugged the other?
Even now, thinking back on it, Wen Yuzhi felt that what Wen Yuzhi had done was far too bold.
With Mansendis’s status, doing that might even be very rude.
Next time... better not do that again...
Wen Yuzhi was secretly thinking that in his heart, and yet Wen Yuzhi felt as if something lightly poked Wen Yuzhi’s arm.
Wen Yuzhi lowered his head and saw that the bone spines that had originally been following beside Mansendis had, at some point, run over here.
They were working hard to hold up a clean set of clothes. Seeing Wen Yuzhi look over, they even shook the clothes twice.
Cub... hurry and change... or you’ll get sick...
They couldn’t speak, but Wen Yuzhi still understood what these bone spines meant.
“I’ll go change right now.”
Wen Yuzhi softly said to them as if making a promise.
After changing and coming out, Wen Yuzhi found that these bone spines were still waiting.
“Aren’t you going back?”
Wen Yuzhi asked curiously.
This “back” naturally meant going back to Mansendis’s side.
After all, Wen Yuzhi already knew they were Mansendis’s companion entity.
They, however, didn’t hesitate at all and made a motion like shaking their heads.
Not going back... going to follow cub...
“Then do you know where the kitchen is?”
Seeing that they didn’t intend to go back, Wen Yuzhi didn’t bring it up again, and instead asked them where the kitchen was.
Know.
It seemed that because they could answer the little cub’s question, the bone spines proudly straightened up their chests... if they had such a part.
In Wen Yuzhi’s eyes, it was simply these bone spines straightening their bodies.
Wen Yuzhi’s brows and eyes couldn’t help curving downward a little. “Then can I trouble you to take me there?”
...Of course you can...
Being asked so softly by the little cub, these bone spines were like they’d been injected with chicken blood—becoming extremely excited.
They led the way in front while also winding around Wen Yuzhi’s wrist, as if carefully holding the little cub’s hand.
Can’t let cub fall!
These bone spines were fierce and imposing.
Wen Yuzhi also cooperated and obediently let them “hold” onto him. fгeewebnovёl.com
When coming down the stairs, Wen Yuzhi suddenly said, “Wait.”
Wen Yuzhi had seen Yiluo and Feier.
Those two huge Ge De guards were standing bolt upright in the corridor, faces cold and indifferent, and in their hands they were holding a small hand basket that looked completely out of place with their image.
Wen Yuzhi recognized at a glance that they were waiting here for Wen Yuzhi.
And Yiluo and Feier also saw Little Highness’s figure.
They walked over, but stopped at a distance before reaching Wen Yuzhi.
From their expressions, it was obvious they were afraid of something.
Afraid...
Wen Yuzhi followed their line of sight and discovered what they feared was those bone spines.
And these bone spines, when facing them, were nothing like how they were in front of Wen Yuzhi. Instead, they slid along the ground, the segments opening and closing between joints like rotating blades.
As if, as long as those two Ge De dared take one more step forward, the bone spines would immediately launch an attack.
Out of fear, Yiluo and Feier also didn’t dare make any further rash moves.
Seeing this, Wen Yuzhi could only communicate with the bone spines in a negotiating tone. “I want to take that basket. Can you let Yiluo and Feier come over, okay?”
Mm.
The bone spines thought for a moment, but chose to directly take the small hand basket from the two Ge De’s hands. Then they even held it up on themselves in a posture that looked like they wanted to carry it for Wen Yuzhi.
...This works too... probably?
Wen Yuzhi blinked.
As for Yiluo and Feier, Wen Yuzhi could only apologize to them for the time being.
The kitchen was not far from the first-floor staircase.
Ever since Mansendis ascended the throne, this place had completely become something like a decoration. Under normal circumstances, no Saint Clan came here at all.
Wen Yuzhi’s arrival made the servants in the kitchen freeze for a moment.
Little did they know—seeing them also made Wen Yuzhi freeze.
These...
Wen Yuzhi couldn’t tell what race they were, but Wen Yuzhi could confirm they weren’t Saint Clan. freёwebnovel.com
They had none of the Saint Clan’s traits, and they also didn’t look like humans.
Their bodies were a transparent, jelly-like form—each one was a round ball, and on top of the head were two pointy antennae, looking exactly like some kind of ocean creature Wen Yuzhi had once seen in a book, something called a sea hare.
“You are...?”
Wen Yuzhi asked in surprise.
However, the response Wen Yuzhi got was—
“Guji guji.”
Those jelly creatures made chirpy sounds.
Wen Yuzhi couldn’t understand a single word.
Crap, it looks like we can’t communicate...
Just as Wen Yuzhi was feeling a headache coming on, Mond noticed the commotion and walked over.
“Little Highness.”
As Mond spoke, Mond saw the situation in the kitchen.
Almost instantly, Mond understood.
Mond introduced them to Wen Yuzhi: “Little Highness, these are from the Gumu Clan. Their level of civilization is still relatively low—they can’t speak—but their cooking is very good. Your breakfast this morning was prepared by them.”
“Guji guji.”
As if hearing Mond talk about them, those Gumu also called out.
All told, these Gumu were the second spacefaring race Wen Yuzhi had come into contact with besides the Saint Clan.
It was hard to imagine that something so small could cook—and that the cooking could be good.
And what Wen Yuzhi didn’t expect even more was Mond’s next sentence.
“They were already working in the royal palace before the king was even born.”
Wen Yuzhi never expected their seniority to run that deep.
“Then their age would be...”
Very, very old?
Wen Yuzhi didn’t say the last words out loud.
But Mond seemed to see Wen Yuzhi’s confusion.
“Little Highness, these Gumu are all over four hundred years old. By the Gumu Clan’s average lifespan, they’re still in their prime.”
Over four hundred years old? Still in their prime?!
Wen Yuzhi looked shocked.
In the world Wen Yuzhi used to live in, humans had accepted cosmic radiation, and after evolving, lifespans did increase—but not to the extent of living to four hundred, let alone this being only the prime stage.
Wen Yuzhi suddenly thought of the Saint Clan. Since the Gumu Clan’s lifespan was that long, then the Saint Clan...?
Wen Yuzhi asked the question out loud.
Mond also answered patiently: “A Saint Clan lifespan can generally reach five hundred years. The Salilaino bloodline can be a bit longer.”
So in their eyes, Little Highness truly was a little cub.
However, what Mond didn’t tell Wen Yuzhi was that this was only the theoretical lifespan. In reality, very few Saint Clan could live that long—most couldn’t endure the torment of mental energy turmoil early on, lost their reason, and were killed by companions.
And the Salilaino’s actual lifespan was even shorter, because the pain they endured was also the deepest.
Little Highness had just returned to Dark Tower Star, and the body still hadn’t been nursed back to health. Whether out of love and protectiveness toward a cub, or out of consideration for the Saint Clan’s current situation, Mond didn’t want Wen Yuzhi to learn about this awful matter so soon.
At the very least, it would be better to wait until Little Highness adapted for a while longer.
