As the imperial carriage pulled away from the gate, the four guards remained frozen in place, their faces etched with disbelief.
"I never would have imagined that beautiful woman was Her Highness Princess Esdelara Wallfend Zien Da Erthland." said the soldier who had previously accused them of being spies.
"It is fortunate that she was not offended by your words earlier!" one of his comrades chimed in while wiping cold sweat from his neck. "If she had taken offense, you and all of us could have been executed on the spot for treason."
"You are right!" the soldier said again, letting out a long sigh of relief. He felt both relieved and weak in the knees, realizing that the Princess had not cared at all about his harsh accusations.
However, their peace did not last long. The small commotion that had occurred between Emperor Rodaz and Elara earlier had apparently drawn a lot of attention. Several residents of the capital, from merchants to pedestrians, now approached the gate with curious faces.
"Hey, Guard! Why did His Majesty the Emperor suddenly come here in such a hurry?" asked a male resident who worked as a blacksmith. "Who exactly were those three strangers? This is the first time I have seen His Majesty voluntarily come to the gate just to pick someone up."
Pressed by the growing crowd and not wanting to start the wrong rumors, the soldier had no choice but to tell the truth to the citizens. After all, there had been no instructions to keep the Princess's identity a secret.
"His Majesty came down here personally to pick up Her Highness Esdelara Wallfend Zien Da Erthland." the soldier announced loudly so that everyone gathered could hear. "She is the first princess of the Erthland Empire, the biological older sister of His Majesty our Emperor who left the empire a long time ago, along with her son. The Emperor had to intervene after we, the guard squad, made a foolish mistake by thinking their party were spies."
Upon hearing the honest answer from the soldier, the crowd of residents gasped in unison. A moment of silence fell before it exploded into an overwhelming sound of shock.
"What?! You accused a legitimate princess of the empire of being a spy?" exclaimed a middle-aged man in disbelief, shaking his head vigorously. "It is lucky she is humble and did not mind. Your foolish assumption could have cost you your life right here today!"
"No wonder His Majesty the Emperor had to come here to pick her up!" an old flower-selling woman chimed in, pointing at the soldier's face. "If it was truly him who arrived, then your accusations about spies would be immediately disproven. You stiff-necked soldiers who do not know how to recognize true royalty!"
The soldier remained silent. He bowed his head in shame, accepting the light scolding from the citizens. He could only admit in his heart how fatal his mistake was, one that had nearly cost him his life.
"Thank goodness everything turned out alright!" said another resident who seemed wiser, trying to calm the atmosphere. "At the very least, the news of the Princess's return along with her son will be a hot and joyful topic in this empire."
What happened next was entirely predictable. Like a fire consuming dry grassland, the news of the return of the empire's first princess and her son spread quickly by word of mouth, crossing streets, markets, and reaching every corner of the capital in a short time.
Many residents of the capital wept with joy, never expecting that the first princess, who was dearly loved by the people and had been the official heir to the throne in the past, had returned to her homeland safely. Not a few residents, especially among the young nobles, were immediately curious about the figure of the prince who had just arrived with his mother.
Meanwhile, far from the commotion at the eastern gate, the atmosphere inside the imperial carriage felt much calmer and more private. The interior of the carriage was very spacious, lined with maroon velvet and illuminated by magical crystal stones that emitted a warm light.
Instead of paying attention to the luxury around him, Wolvin continued to press his face against the glass window of the carriage. His eyes barely blinked as he observed the afternoon scenery of the Erthland imperial capital moving past him.
Along the neat streets, Wolvin saw many beastfolk from various clans, ranging from fox, bear, monkey, dog, to cat clans, walking side by side with humans. They were shopping, laughing, and living safely and peacefully without a single sign of discrimination. There were no demeaning stares, and no marks of ownership like those in the Yornvast Empire.
An incredibly warm feeling of relief suddenly flowed through his chest, replacing the trauma he had carried for so long in the Yornvast Empire.
"Mother!" Wolvin called out suddenly, turning his face from the window to look at Elara. The Night Wolf teenager's face was still filled with pure wonder. "You were right! Here, all beastfolk truly live safely and peacefully. I... I feel so relieved and happy to have arrived here."
Elara, who sat on the opposite seat with Rodaz, immediately gave a wide smile.
"Hahaha." Elara laughed with satisfaction, very happy to see the spark return to her son-in-law's eyes. "Of course, I never wanted to lie to you about this, Wolvin. And I truly hope that from now on, you can live comfortably, freely, and with pride in this empire without needing to fear discrimination."
"Yes, Mother!" Wolvin exclaimed happily, his black tail wagging under his trousers out of sheer joy. "Thank you very much."
Beside Elara, Emperor Rodaz, who had been silently observing until now, slowly furrowed his brow. The man could no longer hold back his curiosity about the dynamics of the relationship between his older sister, his new nephew, and the beastfolk teenager in front of him.
"Sister..." Rodaz called out softly. "Is this Night Wolf teenager your son as well?"
"Yes, he is my son!" Elara answered quickly without a second thought, her tone full of affection. But a second later, she corrected herself. "Or more precisely, he is my son-in-law!"
"Your son-in-law?" Rodaz asked, his voice rising slightly in surprise and growing curiosity. He peered behind Wolvin as if looking for someone else. "Then, if he is your son-in-law, why did he come here with you without his wife? Where is your other biological daughter?"
Hearing the innocent but misplaced question from her younger brother, Elara snorted with amusement and looked at him with a mocking gaze.
"What on world are you talking about, Rodaz?" Elara replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "Of course he doesn't have a wife. He is Calian's spouse! Did you not see the rings on their left ring fingers at the gate earlier?"
Emperor Rodaz was struck with shock after hearing his sister's blunt answer. In a silence that stifled his speech, the Emperor slowly turned and stared intensely at the ring fingers of the two teenagers sitting side by side in front of him.
And sure enough, under the afternoon sunlight streaming through the carriage window, Rodaz saw very clearly that there was a pair of identical gold rings perfectly fitted on the left ring fingers of both Calian and Wolvin.
"C-Calian..." Rodaz called out haltingly, staring at his nephew as if he had just seen a new species of monster. "A-Are you... have you always had a deviation and liked the same sex from the start?"
"No!" Calian answered casually yet still in a polite tone, his face showing no sign of offense.
"Then... if you are normal, why did you marry a man, and this beastfolk teenager?" Rodaz pressed, his noble logic still unable to accept it.
Calian turned his face to look at Wolvin for a moment, his gaze softening, before looking back at his uncle.
"Because he was the only person who was always by my side while I was locked away alone in exile." Calian answered honestly, his voice calm but carrying the deep bitterness of the past. "If Wolvin had not been there to accompany me, I might have gone mad from living in loneliness for years."
Emperor Rodaz was silenced. His eyes widened, extremely shocked to learn the dark fact that his biological nephew had been exiled and locked away during his time in the Yornvast Empire. Pity suddenly nipped at the Emperor's heart, making him begin to understand how strong the bond was between the two teenagers in front of him.
However, his instincts as an imperial leader thinking about the succession of the lineage took over once more.
"I see... your past must have been very difficult, Calian." Rodaz said softly, his tone sympathetic. He then looked at Calian seriously. "But... do you have no interest at all in marrying a woman for the sake of continuing the lineage?"
Gasp!
Wolvin gasped audibly. His heart seemed to stop beating for a second after hearing the question that had been thrown out so easily by the Emperor. His wolf ears dropped drastically, pressing limply against his head.
An incredibly cold fear suddenly crawled up Wolvin's spine. He was terrified that after being in a comfortable noble environment, Calian would agree to marry a noblewoman, and he would gradually be forgotten or replaced by his beloved husband.
Even though his mind was now filled with a storm of confusion and a sickening sense of insecurity, Wolvin held his breath. He looked down, clutching the hem of his shirt while waiting for the answer that would come from Calian's mouth.
Feeling the tension from his spouse, Calian offered a thin smile. The purple-haired teenager did not answer immediately. He intentionally took his time.
"Marrying a woman, huh...?" Calian murmured as if thinking hard while stroking his chin, letting the silence take over the space inside the carriage.