When Naraka opened her eyes, she realized Nujah was no longer in her arms. Panic rose in her chest—until Vekhir cleared his throat and spoke calmly:
"Do not worry, my Queen. He is with his siblings right now."
Naraka narrowed her eyes.
"Let me guess… was it Erymas who told you this?"
Vekhir smiled faintly and sat beside her.
"I would never reveal my spies, and you cannot look into my mind, my Queen. You respect personal boundaries too much for that."
After a short pause, he added:
"Seluva will arrive soon, together with Miluva and Soluva."
Then his tone grew serious.
"While you were asleep, I had to make some decisions. I sent Naraka's Hand to secure the border regions. I also informed Herinhard about the attack aimed at your new son. He said that if the enemy dares to come again, he will personally deal with it. You need not worry."
At that moment, Nujah entered the room, watching Naraka with an unusually serious expression. Vekhir noticed his gaze and started laughing.
"What is it?" Naraka asked.
Vekhir tried to hold back his laughter.
"Nothing, my Queen. But… don't tell anyone I said this. He went to bake a cake. Ren and Maria went with him. Vercurius is guarding them, and Maria's illusionary soldiers are stationed all around. In Shiora, even the smallest threat would be detected instantly, and Vercurius would erase it. You can rest easy. Or… shall we sneak a look at them together?"
Naraka sighed and shook her head.
"Sometimes I forget how clever you are, Vekhir. Very well, let's—" She stopped suddenly.
"No. I cannot do such a thing. What was I even thinking…"
She had barely sat down on her bed when, all at once, confetti burst across the room. The door opened, and in came Nujah, Ren, Maria, and Vercurius—carrying a cake.
Vekhir bent over, laughing.
"I fooled you well, didn't I, my Queen? But I must admit, this wasn't even my plan. Forgive me."
When Naraka looked at Nujah, he still seemed so small, so childlike. Yet that wasn't what mattered. She smiled warmly.
"So… this little plan was truly yours, little fox?"
Nujah's cheeks flushed red as he lowered his head.
"I'm sorry… but a surprise party must stay a surprise. This was all I could manage in a short time. For your birthday, I'll make it much bigger."
Naraka chuckled and nodded.
"Is that so? Then I will look forward to it."
She reached for the cake.
Maria grinned.
"Uncle likes strawberry. This is my first time baking, but if it's made with love, it will taste good," she said brightly.
Meanwhile, Ren waved his hands frantically, signaling "Don't, Mother!" But before he could say more, Vercurius kicked him lightly to stop him, and Maria silenced him with an illusion.
The cake looked wonderful, but since it was their first attempt, there was some nervousness. Naraka studied it carefully.
"You really made this without help?"
Nujah answered proudly:
"No. I followed the recipe from your book. The one you wrote for the people. I copied it exactly. I've never really read books before, but yours were so clear and easy to understand. It was simple to follow—thanks to you."
Without hesitation, Naraka ate the entire cake in one sitting.
"It's perfect," she said with a smile. "Is there more?"
Nujah laughed a little sadly.
"It took me three hours just to make this one."
Naraka softened her tone.
"Forgive me for eating it so quickly. But it was so good—I couldn't stop myself."
Nujah smiled.
"It's fine. Next time, I'll make a bigger one."
Naraka laughed lightly.
"We'll see." Then she pulled Nujah onto her lap.
"From today, I'll personally oversee your training—with your siblings."
She turned to Ren.
"Ren, find Muzan and bring him here immediately. Otherwise, no sweets for a week. Understood?"
Ren saluted.
"Yes, Commander. Should I bring him frozen, if needed?"
"Yes," Naraka replied firmly.
In an instant, Ren vanished, leaving a chill in the air behind him.
Naraka then noticed that Nujah was shivering slightly. She conjured a glowing coat of light and wrapped it gently around him. Then, together with his siblings, she carried him toward the training hall.