Not only her, but her two younger siblings—Marayam and Woble—couldn't escape this fate either.
So, she didn't resist her mother's arrangements at all.
There was no need to. Compared to death, what was this?
She had already accepted it. She was prepared to savor the few remaining moments she had. Her heart was at peace.
But her mother, who doted on Marayam, seemed blind to the reality. She was desperately hiring more guards, hoping to protect him.
Did she really believe that more guards meant a better chance of surviving the succession war?
How naive. Mother... when you realize nothing you do can save Marayam... when you watch your most beloved child die in front of you...
That pain must be unbearable, right?
For a fleeting moment, a look of pity passed through Momoze's eyes. Then it vanished.
"Strange... why do I feel so tired, even though I haven't done anything today? Huh... is this what dying feels like?"
...
Unseen by her or the two other guards—who still hadn't learned to express loyalty through aura—ten giant hamster-like puppet bears sat behind.
"Ready to wake up? Your will to die has stirred the guardian spirit beast into motion?"
From Ronnel's perspective, he watched from the corner as Clone No. 4 stood silently, witnessing it all.
Clone No. 4 had performed poorly since joining the guards. His presence barely registered.
Then, Ronnel noticed one of the hamster bears twitch its ears. Its entire body shrank suddenly.
...
In the Fourteenth Prince's room, the hamster puppet tied in Ronnel's hand vanished without warning.
"Looks like you paid some price to escape from me, huh?"
Ronnel glanced at his now-empty palm, then clapped his hands together.
"Oh well. That guardian spirit beast isn't going to last the night anyway~"
He dismissed it and turned his attention back to the other princes.
An attack had occurred near the Fourteenth Prince, but the dinner party in the main hall hadn't ended.
Judging by the order in which the princes had left, the next should've been the Ninth Prince, Halkenburg.
The shining star of Kakin's political world, Halkenburg had shaken off his escorts and was now striding toward the Hui Guo Rou King at the center of the banquet with resolute eyes.
Upon seeing his most promising child, Nasubi smiled and brushed everyone aside, making space for a private talk between father and son.
"I want to withdraw from the succession war."
The Ninth Prince's voice was firm and sincere.
"Attending banquets and celebrations—those are just for Father's sake. I don't want a throne drenched in blood!"
Nasubi, seated on his oversized throne, looked at his son with mild amusement. Whether the boy was naïve or politically shrewd, he couldn't tell.
But then, he noticed something else.
A massive guardian spirit beast loomed behind the Ninth Prince—one-eyed, two-horned, menacing.
Almost in response, another beast revealed itself behind the King. His own guardian spirit beast—a grotesque thing covered in beetles and human genitalia—flicked its tongue disdainfully at Halkenburg's unicorn-like beast.
"Hehehe... Do whatever you like~ Hui."
Once you've entered the succession war, there's no getting out. If you really want to quit... hehehe.
...
While the Ninth Prince was speaking with the king, elsewhere at the banquet...
Wearing black-rimmed glasses and slicked-back hair, the Fifth Prince, Tubeppa, approached the Fourth Prince, Tserreidnich, glass in hand.
"Want to form an alliance? Just the two of us~"
"So direct."
Their glasses clinked lightly as Tserreidnich responded. Tubeppa adjusted his glasses with a chuckle.
"Because it's that simple."
His eyes gleamed with intelligence and confidence.
"The Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Princes lack ambition. The Ninth has no intention of fighting. And the younger ones—Tenth and onward—are too young. No strength, no strategy."
"The real battle lies among the top five."
"And those first three... ugh, they're insufferable."
Disdain flashed across Tubeppa's face.
"Arrogance (Benjamin), greed (Camilla), and decadence (Third Prince Zhang Lei)... they should all be wiped out."
Tserreidnich raised an eyebrow, clearly in agreement.
"See you next Sunday, then."
"Sure~" Tubeppa nodded and walked away. Tserreidnich watched him go, his gaze growing colder.
"If you're still alive by then."
...
The King, having sent away the Ninth Prince, quietly observed the two princes who had just struck a deal.
Their guardian spirit beasts were now visible.
Tubeppa's spirit beast resembled a massive thorn-covered toad, its back blotched with odd spots.
Tserreidnich's was a bizarre creature—a two-horned horse with high-heeled hooves, a giraffe-like neck, and a human-faced head.
The human face was that of a beautiful girl, but it looked unsettling and unnatural on the creature's body.
The two beasts stared at each other briefly before turning their heads away in sync.
"Hehehe... All born from the same pot. The instinct's the same~ Hui."
Nasubi pinched his distinct mustache, a cryptic smile on his face.
"Guardian spirit beasts won't fight each other. They won't directly harm the host they're bound to."
"To become a true king's guardian, a spirit beast must have restraint. Beasts that only bite and claw die young."
"The same goes for people. In both politics and war, indirect means are everything. A general who can't find an enemy's weakness is mediocre."
"And the spirit beast that isn't controlled by its host's will—but excels in defense and manipulation—rises through the insight of its king. That is the fate of the Hui Guo Rou family!"
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)