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Chapter 12 — "Day Off"
I…
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
The emperors.
My parents.
But…
why were they dressed like that?
I blinked once.
Then again.
No.
That wasn't casual attire.
"…Are they… in pajamas?"
Yes.
Royal pajamas. Probably insanely expensive, magically comfortable, and absurdly elegant… but pajamas, nonetheless.
Emperor Leonard stood before me, arms crossed, wearing an expression somewhere between amusement and surprise. His golden blonde hair fell loose, without the usual ceremonial styling, and his wolf ears twitched slightly as he tilted his head. Even like that, dressed like a human at-home version of a king, he radiated an overwhelming presence. His pale skin with golden undertones seemed to glow on its own.
Beside him, Empress Selene Valeborn held a steaming cup in her hands. Her pajamas were dark, simple, almost minimalist—but somehow exuded intimidation. Her black-blue hair fell straight over her shoulders, and her pitch-black eyes pierced me with such intensity that I forgot I had literally just fallen from the sky a few minutes ago.
Silence.
Then—
Are they… laughing?
No. It couldn't be.
The empress raised an eyebrow.
The emperor brought a hand to his mouth, clearly trying to hold back a laugh.
Seriously?
I tried to sit up.
Yes, I could.
Just a little movement…
But the moment I put a hand on the ground, something changed.
Their expressions tightened.
No longer amused.
No longer relaxed.
They looked… concerned.
"Uh…?"
The light of the imperial garden began to fade around me.
No.
Not now.
The world blurred.
My chest burned.
My magic… felt thick, heavy, like it was refusing to respond.
Ah.
Now I understood.
I felt like I was going to—
---
That was the last thing I thought before I passed out.
---
When Leo collapsed unconscious before them, the scene at first had been almost comical. The crown prince of the empire, decked in an excessively ostentatious royal outfit, hair a mess, pale, landing disastrously in the garden on the emperors' day off.
But the laughter didn't last.
Not even close.
Emperor Leonard was the first to notice something was wrong.
"…Selene."
The empress had already set her cup aside.
Both approached their son's motionless body.
Leo's skin had lost its usual glow. His lips were pale, and his breathing irregular. The excess magic he'd used to survive the fall—combined with previous overuse of his power—had taken its toll.
"Call Seraphiel," Leonard ordered, calm but firm.
As if he had been waiting for that command, the royal butler stepped forward.
Seraphiel.
Pale white eyes.
Perfectly combed light blue hair.
Straight, impeccable posture—even in a crisis.
With a single gesture, he activated his total echolocation magic.
Energy ran through the prince's body, layer by layer, vein by vein, structure by structure.
The silence became heavy.
"Your Majesties…" he finally spoke, with absolute seriousness. "The prince will not survive long in this condition if he continues."
The words hit like a boulder.
Selene closed her eyes for a moment.
"I suspected as much."
Leonard sighed.
"I had predicted that during the year you were away, he would do extravagant things," he said calmly. "At least it's not as bad as I feared. I expected worse."
Selene nodded.
"Same here. At least he came back in one piece."
They didn't speak out of cruelty.
They spoke from experience.
Leo had always been… curious.
Far too curious.
He experimented. Tested limits. Tried the impossible.
This wasn't the first time he'd returned from the edge of death.
Not even the worst.
"Seraphiel," Leonard continued. "You know what to do, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
---
The prince was immediately transported to one of the most luxurious rooms in the imperial palace. Within minutes, the empire's best doctors gathered around his bed, activating spells, artifacts, and diagnostic barriers.
Selene watched silently.
Analyzed.
Then she spoke.
"His magical veins are damaged," she declared. "And he's been abusing his power recklessly."
Seraphiel nodded.
"Notable, Your Majesty. Even more so considering he used a forbidden spell to create a magical creature."
One of the imperial doctors swallowed nervously before speaking.
"Your Majesties… for the prince to fully recover, he must remain in absolute rest, similar to a coma, for a minimum of forty days."
Leonard didn't hesitate.
"Thirty."
The doctor paled.
"M-Majesty… that's impossible. Not even with all the empire's resources—"
"Not forty," the emperor repeated firmly. "Thirty."
Seraphiel turned his head slowly.
"Do not be disrespectful," he said coldly. "His Majesty knows what he says."
The doctor lowered his gaze.
"…Forgive me, Your Majesty."
Leonard stepped forward.
"Listen carefully," he commanded. "The prince will recover completely in thirty days. Not a day more. Not a day less."
He lifted his gaze.
"The empress possesses one of the empire's most powerful water healing magics. And I… as everyone knows, control the magic of time."
The air vibrated faintly.
"Even if impossible," he concluded, "I will make it possible. Some things cannot be delayed."
Selene approached the bed.
She studied her unconscious son's face.
And with an expression only a mother could show, she murmured:
"Leopold Valeborn… I hope that when you wake up, you stop being so spoiled and start visiting us more often, ungrateful child."
Silence filled the room once more.
---