"Well..." Sophia scratched her cheek. "I don't really know what happened. No one told me."
"Huh..." Raelis let out a sigh, turning to Lydia. "And you? Do you know anything?"
All of a sudden, his mother grabbed his ear and gently pulled it.
"Hey, be nice to her," his mother said with a pout. "She has been helping me take care of you for the last three years. The least you can do is say thanks."
Raelis's brows twitched as his gaze locked onto Lydia.
Even though she wasn't saying it out loud, from the faint trembling at the edges of her lips, he could tell she was enjoying this.
But he found it very hard to believe she had remained loyal for the last three years, especially when she had betrayed him around two weeks after his bloodline test in the past.
Even so...
"You'll get a thank you later. For now, I need answers," Raelis said in a serious tone, which made his mom back off slightly.
"I was only joking when I said I didn't know anything," Sophia muttered sheepishly. "You were actually the talk of the imperial palace for a few weeks. Apparently... you were the one who absorbed the Ancient Flame Remnant."
His brows furrowed. "Does everyone know?"
She shook her head. "Of course not. Only the emperor and a few higher-ups know about it. Your siblings don't know, and neither do the princes or princesses."
"But you found out?" Raelis asked, puzzled.
"Mhm." Sophia puffed her chest confidently. "That's the perk of being someone the entire imperial palace ignores. They didn't even notice when I snuck inside the throne room and heard the emperor's speech... though they did throw me out in the end."
His mother was just as silly as always.
She was energetic and mostly unserious. But when it came to discussing actual matters, she became a completely different person.
And since she was acting like this... that meant nothing major had happened in the last three years.
Or so he'd like to think, but her constant fidgeting was telling him otherwise.
"Mother, I—"
"Mom." Sophia cut him off with a pout. "You always used to call me mama, so you might as well stick with mom."
Noticing the determination in her tone, Raelis had no choice but to give in.
"Fine... m-mom. What else are you hiding?"
A cheerful smile appeared on her face as she grabbed his hand and guided him to the bathroom.
"There are some clothes inside. Wash up, dear. I'll tell you after," she added.
He flashed her a confused look and entered the shower. He got washed fairly quickly, then stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in some oversized clothes.
"Ah... yeah, Madam, I think we forgot to account for him not having any muscle..." Lydia muttered, looking him up and down.
"Um... it's fine, I think he'll grow into it," Sophia replied skeptically and walked up to him, buttoning the last few buttons of his shirt.
"T-There... it kind of looks like it fits...?"
Raelis decided to finally end their little fun.
He controlled the heat around his body and slightly expanded it outward, causing it to cover his clothes. Then, he began heating up his clothes just enough for them to shrink, but not burn.
And as his mother finally turned toward him, her eyes widened.
"S-See?" She pointed at him. "I told you he'd grow into it."
"Madam..."
The clothes were a perfect fit, and only then did he realize how skinny he was.
I'll definitely have to go to the training center later, Raelis decided, and walked up to his mother.
"So? What now?"
"No need to act so distant, little Rae," she wagged her finger before suddenly halting. "Right... the emperor said you had to meet him after you woke up."
Raelis sighed. No wonder... he's either going to skin me alive, or scold me. I don't think he'll like someone stealing his Ancient Flame Remnant.
"Mom... that sounds pretty important."
"Mhm. It is. I think we should go now if we don't want to pay a visit to the guillotine," Sophia replied, turning to Lydia. "You stay here. We'll be back soon."
Lydia curtly bowed. "Yes, madam."
With that, his mother grabbed his hand before leading him out the door.
He walked absentmindedly and began inspecting the warm invisible layer around his body.
Ever since he'd managed to create a thin heat barrier around himself, it was now passively on at all times. That meant he had gained a very high fire resistance shield.
Raelis glanced at his mother, who was happily leading him, and a warm smile couldn't help but form on his face.
He had missed this feeling so much. Only after she died did he realize what he had lost.
Now, one of his wishes, and goals until he departed for the academy, was to maintain his mother's happiness.
And Raelis could do that by establishing himself in the imperial palace before he left.
The most dangerous people in the palace are the emperor's direct concubines, Raelis recalled. They still hold a grudge against Mother...
That was because the circumstances which led her to be kicked out of the palace were none other than her rejecting the emperor.
She was forced into a marriage she never wanted. And when it finally came down to their wedding night, rumors spread that a loud slap resounded, followed by his mother storming out of the emperor's room.
And the rest is history... Raelis thought, matching his mother's pace as they finally arrived in front of the throne room.
She nonchalantly approached the guards and explained the situation.
But once she finished, a small problem arose.
"Very well. Raelis Varekan may enter. You two are to stay here. Emperor's orders."
"Hmm? That's not what I heard last time," Sophia said with a tilt of her head. "The emperor clearly told me and Raelis to come and see him after he woke up."
The guard's brows furrowed. "Sophia Varekan, do you dare disobey the emperor's order?"
Before things got out of hand, Raelis stepped in.
"And do you dare to cross her in front of the person who has an audience with the emperor?" Raelis asked in a cold tone and tightened his grip on his mother's hand.
These two guards are both under the concubines' influence. I'm not leaving my mother here.
"Raelis Varekan." One of the guards tapped the hilt of his sword. "Even if you are the emperor's guest, orders are orders—"
"Oh? Raelis?" A familiar voice rang out from behind them.
And as he turned toward it, he was met with the two-faced Zeri.
She acted as childishly as always as she ran up to him and firmly hugged him.
"I thought you were gone for good! I'm so happy you're safe!" she said with a warm smile, then turned to the two guards.
For a moment, her expression cracked, revealing her true nature.
"Move—I mean, move aside, please." Zeri corrected herself. "I also have an audience with the emperor, and I'm allowed a plus one. I'm bringing Madam Sophia along. Will there be a problem?"
The guards stared at her in silence before finally moving aside and pushing the throne room's doors open.
Raelis's brows twitched at how easily they caved in.
But even so, he stepped forward and entered the chilly throne room alongside his mother and Zeri.