Chapter 116: Shocked
As they walked away from Prince Kael’s house toward the packhouse, Emira could not help the small smile that tugged at her lips.
She actually wanted to laugh at the two people beside her, but she had to bite down on the urge and keep her composure. Or she might end up angering the two.
Prince Kael looked downright horror-stricken, and so did little Jasper, who had so boldly declared just minutes ago that he was not scared of Prince Kael.
The words were still fresh in her mind, making it harder to keep a straight face now that the ’not scared of anyone’ was clinging to the Prince’s shoulder like his life depended on it. His small fingers were fisted in Kael’s collar, and his face was buried so deep that only a tuft of messy hair was visible. He was actually clinging to the person he was scared of.
Emira pressed the little bunch of flowers against her face, pretending to smell them, though, it was just a poor excuse to hide her amusement.
No matter how hard she tried, the image of Prince Kael carefully holding Jasper-as if the boy were a fragile explosive that might go off if he breathed too loud-was simply too much.
She could practically see the tension in his shoulders, as though he had no idea what to do with the small creature in his arms. Ha! This was almost a perfect revenge for the hours on end that he made her hold the bowl over her head.
By the time they reached the packhouse, she had managed to calm her expression, though the laughter still threatened to spill out if she thought about it for too long.
The moment they stepped inside, however, her amusement dimmed a little. She noticed it immediately-the air shifting, voices dying down, and the faint scrape of cutlery that suddenly sounded too loud in the silence.
Prince Kael didn’t say a word, yet his mere presence seemed to command stillness. Every pair of eyes turned toward him, some lowering quickly while others lingered for only a second before looking away. It was strange to watch how naturally the silence settled, as if everyone had rehearsed it countless times.
Emira slowed her steps slightly, her earlier amusement replaced by quiet curiosity.
She had eaten here for the past few days with Ryn, and the atmosphere had always been lively. Only Prince Zen would show up then, and everything would continue normally. But now, standing beside Prince Kael, she understood why he avoided it.
If every time he entered, the entire hall froze like this, then it was no wonder he preferred to stay away. It wasn’t just respect that silenced the room, it was the kind of unease that came from not knowing what to say in front of someone far above your reach.
Emira glanced up at Kael, who didn’t seem to notice or care about the effect he had on everyone.
He simply kept walking with an unreadable expression, Jasper still tucked securely in his arms. And though she tried to suppress it again, the corners of her lips curved upward once more.
Somehow, the idea of this intimidating man being brought to silence by a sleepy, clingy child was too ironic to ignore.
Unknown to her, this time, everyone in the room had gone silent, not because of their unease but because of the scene before them... It looked like a family of three had just walked in. And seeing their most dangerous prince like that, was not something anyone could have expected.
Just then, a man stepped hurriedly forward from one of the tables, bowed his head slightly and extended his arms. "Your Highness... I’ll take him," he said in a low voice that could not hide his worry.
Emira frowned as she cast the man a look. Why did he look as if he had stepped forward to collect a corpse?
His shoulders were rigid, his hands trembling slightly as he waited for permission. What was wrong with these people? For a moment, she honestly wondered if they really were werewolves-or frightened rabbits masquerading as one. How could they all be so terrified of their own Enforcer?
Thankfully, before she could say something that might make the situation worse, Jasper stirred in Kael’s arms. The boy blinked up sleepily, then broke into a wide grin when he recognised the voice.
"Daddy!" he chirped happily.
The man froze for a heartbeat, his shock plain before relief softened his expression. Emira saw the stiffness in his posture melt away as Jasper wriggled slightly in Kael’s arms, turning toward the prince.
The boy beamed up at him, his small face glowing with pure sincerity. "Thank you, Your Highness, for bringing me here!" he said with the kind of boldness that only children possessed.
Emira blinked, taken aback. A few moments ago, he had been trembling in terror, and now he was chatting with the most intimidating man in the room as if they were old friends. Good boy!
Then, as if remembering something important, Jasper dug his hand into his pocket and after a moment of fumbling, pulled out a crumpled piece of candy, unwrapped it carefully, and held it up.
"This is for you," he said brightly, reaching up to place it at Kael’s mouth.
Emira winced. Oh no. She hadn’t expected that. Of all things to do... She half-expected Kael to glare at her or at least hand it back politely to the boy.
She was about to step forward and rescue the situation before it became awkward but Kael surprised her.
Without hesitation, he leaned down, took the candy from the boy’s small fingers, and popped it into his mouth.
"Very sweet. Thank you."
For a moment, there was silence again. No one seemed to know how to react to the sight of Prince Kael accepting candy from a five-year-old.
Jasper, however, looked utterly delighted. He grinned up at the prince as if he’d just made a lifelong friend, then finally turned toward his father and stretched out his small arms to be taken.
The man hurriedly stepped forward and gathered the boy into his arms, still looking faintly dazed. Emira could see the disbelief written all over his face and knew she couldn’t blame him for his shock.