As the king Basileus Theron
Sfragidopouloswas about to shout orders at the maids who were panicking and fleeing through the halls, Shin Yato raised a hand.
"Not them," he said with a smile.
"Go get them yourself." Basileus froze for a fraction of a second.
Then, without a single question, he turned and rushed out of the room, his footsteps hurried and uneven. As the king disappeared down the corridor, Shin Yato shifted his gaze.
It settled on the queen.
One of her eyes was missing, the empty socket hidden beneath shadow. He stepped closer, then leaned slightly toward the bed where Elizabeth lay unconscious. "Your name, my lovely ma'am?" Shin Yato asked cheerfully. The queen stiffened.
"My… my name is Eirene," she replied, her voice trembling, her remaining eye never leaving her daughter. Shin Yato smiled.
"What a lovely name."
Shin Yato shifted his gaze.
It settled on the queen.
Then he hopped onto the bed and lay down beside the unconscious Elizabeth.
His fingers gently — almost tenderly — played with her hair.
The queen gasped and instinctively tried to move forward.
"No need to overreact," Shin Yato said lazily.
"I'm not going to do anything to her."
A smirk crossed his face.
"But I don't know about you."
Eirene gasped and instinctively tried to move forward. "No need to overreact," Shin Yato said lazily.
"I'm not going to do anything to her."
A smirk crossed his face.
"But I don't know about you," he added lightly.
"You don't look like the mother of a grown daughter." As he spoke, his fingers gently played with Elizabeth's hair.
Eirene froze, her entire body trembling. "Look at her," Shin Yato said with a quiet chuckle.
"Sleeping without a single worry."
"She looks like a flower," he continued,
"raised in a garden her parents carefully guarded." His gaze shifted to Eirene.
"But you should know," he said softly,
"even the most beautiful garden has thorns… mud… parasites." His fingers continued to move through Elizabeth's hair.
"Right?" "Please…" Eirene whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"Please don't do anything to my daughter." Shin Yato glanced at her.
"Me?" he said calmly.
"I'm not going to do anything." At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.
The king returned, breathing heavily, new clothes clutched in his arms like a servant.
Both Shin Yato and the queen turned to look at him.
"I—I brought the new clothes," Basileus said breathlessly.
The room fell silent once more.
The king looked at his wife.
Eirene stood frozen, her body trembling, unable to move—while Shin Yato lay beside their daughter, casually playing with Elizabeth's hair. "…You're already back?" Shin Yato said lightly. He rose from the bed and walked toward the king.
His gaze dropped to the clothes in Basileus's arms. "…Did you do something to them?" Shin Yato asked, a small smile on his face. The king panicked instantly.
"No, sir—!" he replied hurriedly, his voice shaking.
"I wouldn't dare to." "Oh?" Shin Yato said playfully.
"I thought you might've put some kind of seal or curse on them."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"After all, you are the descendant of that rat." Without waiting for a response, Shin Yato took the clothes from him and began changing—right there, in front of them.
Neither the king nor the queen dared to look away.
After finishing,Shin Yato stretched his arms slightly.
"Oh," he said casually,
"what nice clothes."
He glanced at the king.
"Do I look good in them?"
"Yes—yes, sir," the king answered immediately, his voice trembling.
Shin Yato smiled — light, almost harmless.
"Good."