TWPND 27

TWPND

Posted by Aashi, Released on July 22, 2026

Chapter 27

An Indifferent Gaze

It wasn’t the gentle, affectionate gaze she was used to from Ekiel, but an utterly indifferent one.

It felt frigid, like the look one gives a complete stranger.

Ekiel then withdrew his gaze from Jucy and turned back to Ritain, continuing to speak.

“…I couldn’t say. Today is the first time I’ve seen her awake.”

“You couldn’t say?”

“Yes. Isn’t she of a gentle and mild disposition? Or perhaps she instinctively feels a familiarity with my mana because I treated her yesterday.”

Ekiel’s response was exceedingly business-like and blunt.

“Kya, kyarreung?”

Jucy, bewildered that Ekiel was pretending not to know her, grabbed his trouser leg with her front paw in protest.

At that, Ijeten’s eyes widened, and he dragged Jucy, who was refusing to leave Ekiel’s side, back to him.

“Come here! What are you doing!”

“Kyang!”

“Hmm. Gentle? Familiar with my mana?”

Ritain raised an eyebrow, staring intently at Ekiel as if trying to gauge his true intentions.

“Is that not the case?”

“Indeed. My daughter has a fine character and is clever enough to remember your mana after accepting it once. But I want the truth, not such wordplay, Emperor of Rilberg.”

Ritain’s eyes were no longer smiling.

An immense pressure emanated from him as he fully revealed the majesty of the blessing he received from Ganash, the Golden Tiger.

He was truly a small boy standing before a giant tiger.

But Ekiel didn’t even blink.

He, too, was a great mage who had become the emperor of a magical empire in the Western Continent at a young age.

It was a moment when all onlookers, though trembling in fear, witnessed firsthand just how formidable the young emperor of Rilberg truly was.

‘Hmm.’

Not bad.

Just as the light in Ritain’s golden eyes, which had been blazing like the sun, began to subside.

The three archmages, who had remained quietly in the background until now, stepped forward to flank the Rilberg emperor as if to protect him.

Among them, a male mage with light brown hair placed a hand on his chest and offered a polite greeting.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Penterin Empire. I am Urna Rudella, one of the ten great archmages of the Rilberg Empire. Might I suggest that a conversation of this nature be held at a private invitation at a later time?”

Ritain gave a slight nod at Urna’s polite intervention.

That archmage had deliberately cut the conversation short.

Implying it was not a topic for a place with so many people.

‘Perhaps… it’s because the fact that Jucy and the Rilberg emperor know each other is related to the Dark Divine Beast.’

Deciding he would willingly let it go, he relaxed his expression, and Urna continued with a faint smile.

“The Rilberg Empire has brought a modest gift to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty, the Emperor of the Penterin Empire.”

“Oh, a gift.”

Ritain deliberately spoke in a louder voice to change the subject.

Then he crossed his arms and replied more arrogantly.

“This being our first exchange with the Rilberg Empire, I am curious as to what gift you would present to me.”

“Haha, I fear it may not live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”

As Urna broke into a cold sweat and glanced at Ekiel, the expressionless boy extended a hand into the air and released a small amount of his mana.

An oval, black subspace materialized there. From it, Ekiel retrieved an elaborately wrapped gift box.

“Good heavens!”

“What is that?”

“Is that spatial magic?”

The people murmured in astonishment.

Jucy’s eyes sparkled as she stared in wonder at Ekiel’s incredible magic.

Ijeten, too, found his eyes wide with surprise.

He had been trying not to be amazed by every little spell the boy emperor cast, but he couldn’t help but marvel at magic that controlled space itself.

“Your Highness, your mouth.”

Count Talon sidled up and discreetly reminded him to close his agape mouth.

“…Get lost.”

“Ugh.”

But Ijeten, embarrassed, needlessly punched the count’s shoulder and turned away with a huff.

Ijeten was tormented.

Hah, if even I, a manly and rather mature(?) person, can be so captivated.

Ijeten became even more determined to keep a close watch on the tiny Jucy, lest she be enchanted by the strange magic of that pretty-boy emperor.

“Happy birthday.”

Urna took the box from Ekiel and handed it to Ritain’s aide-de-camp.

Only after the aide-de-camp and a few priests approached and confirmed there was nothing wrong with the box was the lid opened.

Click.

“Oh.”

Inside were two pairs of crystal orbs, each smaller than a fist.

Ijeten and the aide, who were watching up close, were puzzled, but a glint of recognition appeared in Ritain’s eyes, who instantly knew what they were.

“This is, surely…”

“Yes. They are communication magical devices. They work in pairs.”

Ritain’s aide-de-camp exclaimed in admiration.

“Heavens! The ones said to exist only in the Rilberg Empire! Aren’t these the most difficult magical items to obtain!”

Ritain wore a look of great satisfaction.

“My thanks. I shall place one in the Princess’s Palace and one in my chambers. It was inconvenient having to visit every time I wanted to hear my daughter’s voice.”

Laughter broke out among the crowd, who took the emperor’s declaration of using the precious communication crystal orbs for something as trivial as the Princess’s Palace as a joke.

But Ritain was serious.

Later, the magical communication devices were indeed installed in Jucy’s and the emperor’s rooms.

Though it was very different in that it wasn’t the Penterin imperial family’s Princess’s Palace, but a place a little farther away.

***

And so, the grand birthday banquet for the Penterin Emperor concluded safely, despite a few minor incidents.

The Rilberg delegation returned a little early, and Jucy and Ijeten were sent back to the Princess’s Palace early on account of being children.

Ijeten grumbled slightly as he escorted his sister back to the Princess’s Palace, holding her tightly in his arms.

“Jucy, your big brother was a little upset. You just jumped into another boy’s arms and then attacked me.”

“Kyahang.” (Whatever.)

Jucy looked up at Ijeten, who was escorting her while holding her tight despite his hurt feelings, and snorted.

Come to think of it, it was absurd.

Seduction magic, my foot.

Even if he had used seduction magic, how could he openly attack the emperor of another empire in front of everyone?

‘What am I to do with that fiery temper of his?’

Jucy’s eyes widened when she saw that the back of Ijeten’s left hand, which was holding her, was slightly red.

Did this happen when he was fighting with me at the banquet hall? It was clearly frostbite from my supernatural ability.

‘Sigh.’

Jucy felt a little sorry.

Thinking about it from Ijeten’s perspective, his reaction was understandable.

His little sister, who always huffed and snorted at him, had suddenly let herself be held by some strange kid.

‘It is a bit strange.’

Ijeten’s loyalty(?), which drove him to even challenge the emperor of another nation to protect her, was admirable.

You have now become my perfect subordinate.

To warm the frostbitten back of Ijeten’s left hand, Jucy placed her front paw on the affected area.

Ijeten’s eyes went wide.

“Jucy?”

“Grrr.” (Stay still.)

“Hehe. Thanks. Your brother isn’t upset anymore. And this is nothing.”

Ijeten stroked Jucy’s round head and grinned foolishly.

Jucy thought her brother’s smile was foolish but also cute, and hopped into her room with her maids.

“Good night, Jucy!”

“Kyang!”

“I’ll come see you tomorrow!”

“Kyang.”

Jucy twitched her ears and entered the room aloofly.

Ijeten watched the cute white tiger’s retreating back with a broad smile before turning to leave.

Jucy went straight to the bath, washed up with Sophie and Uni, had her fur dried, and after looking at a picture book for a while, she found herself staring blankly at the terrace.

“Your Highness, are you not tired?”

“Kyahng.” (I’m not tired.)

Tap, tap—

When Sophie asked worriedly, Jucy shook her head, tapped the terrace door with her front paw, and looked up at her.

“Do you want to go out… alone?”

“Kyang.”

“Hmm.”

Sophie looked troubled for a moment, then smiled brightly.

“Just for a little while.”

Jucy nodded.

As the door opened, Jucy scurried out onto the terrace and spun around.

It was late evening, and the crescent moon and twinkling stars were shining brilliantly.