"Grandpa!!" Violet. Arneld and Ermely's youngest daughter, stood with her hands on her hips when Arthas opened her bedroom door with an angry face. "Grandpa hates Vivi, right...?" Her face turned sad with her clasped hands fidgeting.
"Grandpa..." Father and son, Arneld and Matthius, gave Arthas intimidating stares. "If we find out Violet cried, we will imprison you in the reading room full of scholars for life." The father and son threatened.
"Hey! Don't you know you don't look like a King and crown prince anymore? You're like psychopaths." Arthas approached, gently hugging his granddaughter. "My love for you exceeds the love of your father and brother who are like psychopaths." He said while stroking Violet's light purple hair.
"I have to attend a meeting. I'll be back tomorrow morning." Arneld left with several ministers who were waiting for him.
Matthius. The famously cold prince approached while smiling at his sister. "Tomorrow morning, come with big brother to see the horses, okay." He invited, and Violet nodded. "Big brother is going now to follow the meeting."
"Okay!" Violet exclaimed along with her brother's steps toward the door before he truly disappeared with their father.
"Now, my dear granddaughter..." Arthas carried Violet on his shoulders. "How old are you now, kid?" he asked while swaying left and right, making laughter bloom on Violet's face.
"Ahahha... F-fi-five years old, grandpa!" Violet answered while laughing.
"Really? You've grown up so much." Arthas put Violet down, afraid those two possessive men would come back with murderous stares.
"I want to enter Aetheria Academy and become a great mage like Sir Niel and the seven heroes of light!"
Arthas pinched Violet affectionately. "You definitely can. Grandpa will always support you."
Violet clenched her fist in the air, "Hmph! I will strive."
Arthas posed the same as Violet while shouting, "Because we are the royal family, no matter how difficult it is we will face it. For the light that illuminates!"
"For the light that illuminates!"
Meanwhile, in the kitchen. The Queen of Luminaria, Ermelynda De Lumine, was busy with dough and butter on the table. The servants who saw her broke out in a cold sweat. How could they possibly just stand by and watch the holder of the second highest position after the King make dessert by herself. They were very afraid Arneld would impose beheading as punishment considering his love for Ermelynda was so extremely great it was called madness.
"U-um... Excuse me, Your Majesty. Let me do it."
Ermelynda, or Ermely. She wiped the sweat that came out of her forehead after putting cute-shaped biscuits into the oven. "It's fine. Before becoming a Queen, I often did this at grandmother's house." She said, turning around and smiling very kindly.
"But, we'll get in trouble later." The servant who said this bowed trembling.
"If Arneld scolds you, I'll divorce him. What, did he perhaps forget that he once lost to me during the academy exam? Huh." Ermely replied.
"Who is divorcing whom? I don't remember ever giving in, I only remember giving in to a man, ah no. A unique woman full of wonder." Arneld, who had previously said goodbye to go to a meeting, leaned against the doorframe there before walking closer.
"Light always shines upon His Majesty the King of Lumaria." The servants bowed deeply as Arneld walked past them.
Ermely turned her face away. She busied herself arranging cute biscuits for her beloved daughter who was playing with her father-in-law. "Weren't you having a meeting?"
Arneld signaled for the servants to go out, then his two hands wrapped around Ermely's waist coquettishly. "Why are you only cold to me? When you're with Violet and Matthius you're so warm. Go to mama Ely who spoils me?" He nuzzled his face against Ermely's fragrant body.
"Stop it." Ermely turned around, with her hands carrying a small box containing cake. "This is not a romance-themed story! Don't make it like that. Get lost. My dear Vivi is waiting." She tried to release Arneld's two arms that were wrapped tightly around her waist.
"What number am I in your life?"
"Vivi, Mathius, then Sir Niel. You're last."
Thud!
Like lightning striking in broad daylight. "That damn Sir grandpa! How dare he steal my Ely!" His eyes blazed with anger at Niel who was who knows what right now. "Just you wait!" He dashed off, toward Niel's room.
"Such a thing." Ermely walked slowly, very elegant and showing the charisma of a Queen with high dignity toward her beloved daughter Violet's room. But when she arrived, she was instead presented with the sight of grandfather and granddaughter sleeping on the floor after being exhausted from playing.
Ermely placed the cake box on the table, took a blanket from the closet to prevent the cold from disturbing their sleep. "Good night." She turned off the light, then slowly closed the door so as not to make a sound that would wake her granddaughter and grandfather.
"Are they asleep, mother?" asked Mathius who had just finished replacing his father who had run off to lead the meeting, and his path to the room reversed direction when he saw his mother standing in front of his sister's room.
Ermely nodded slightly. "Just let them be. They must be very exhausted."
"Understood, mother."
"You too, eat." Ermely gave Mathius a small bag of biscuits. "Even though you say you're grown up, in mother's eyes you're still mother's little boy. So, don't stop mother from giving something as a form of mother's love for her son." She gently embraced Mathius's body and stroked his head softly.
"Do as you please. If anyone dares to mock, I myself will punish them." Matthius returned his mother's hug. His fatigue seemed to fly away with the wind that had just blown.
"Stay mature in the eyes of the world, but lean like a son when you're with mother."
"I love you, mother."
"Mother will love you even more if that's the case."
"Thank you."
Ermely loosened her hug. "Do you want mother to sing you a lullaby?" Her son nodded shyly. "Come. But, this is a secret. Don't tell your father."
"Alright." Mathius replied amid his walk toward his room. Today was truly tiring. He would rest to stay fit to enter the academy again in a week.
"Hm," Someone smiled back there from behind the dim light. "Grandpa... look down from up there at the royal family of the future. Beautiful, isn't it? Grandpa's worry that tyranny would repeat was pointless."
"Hey, are you that free that you can smile in the hallway like this?"
"Father..." Arneld turned when he heard his father's voice right after the sound of the door closing. "You feel it too, right?"
"That's right. I hope malicious intent doesn't strike again."
"Want to go for a drink?" Arneld glanced at his old father.
Arthas chuckled softly for a moment hearing his cold son invite him first. "It feels good to be invited to drink by my son who is like a block of ice."
"Never mind. In your old age you should be thinking about what you want to say at your last moment." Arneld walked ahead, which his father then followed with an annoyed look.
"You unfilial child!"
Without anyone knowing, Arneld curled a smile that was almost like a laugh for his victory in teasing his father. He had done it dozens of times if he saw the slightest opening from his father who was very much like his grandfather.