Early in the morning one week later, in the Hutton Kingdom at the turn of the new year.
As the magic-train slowed to a smooth halt and the scenery outside came to a standstill, the doors slid open to reveal a station roofed with ochre-red brick and stone.
"We're here! Ikerite, my home!"
Iphatia's cheerful voice and light footsteps echoed across the platform of Ikerite Central Station. She looked around eagerly as she walked. Not having returned to Ikerite in so many years, she had missed this city terribly.
Soaring towers on either end lent the central station a grand presence. Marble pillars, murals, and stained-glass windows all radiated a rich sense of history—an architectural style unseen in the Crete Empire.
After retrieving their travel documents in the City of Flowers and finalizing their entry and exit records, followed by a few days of journeying by train all the way from the Kingdom of Posen, they had finally returned to their old home, the royal capital of Hutton. Iphatia could hardly wait to head back to her ducal mansion.
"Alright, Lord Duke, Duchess, and aunt of the young miss of the ducal estate—I'll probably take Boss Cat back to the restaurant, and then head to my dormitory. Hans has already arranged a vehicle for you all," Lanqi said to the people before him as he stood on the platform.
Although Butler Hans had been serving the Wilfort family all these years, he was in truth Duke Mikhail's trusted confidant planted in the Wilfort Chamber of Commerce. Now that Duke Mikhail had returned, Hans would naturally be returning to the duke's household as well.
The ducal estate was quite some distance from Ikerite Academy, whereas Boss Cat Restaurant was only two streets east of the academy. The dormitory in Ikerite Academy's School of Sages was Lanqi's most familiar lodgings; after months away, he missed it dearly.
"Do you want me to accompany you tonight? For instance, cook you dinner and help clean up around the place?"
Talia, overlooking Lanqi's strange form of address for the time being, offered.
Normally, she could have continued staying at Lanqi's place for a few days under the Demon King of Mad Love state. However, the fusion's duration had expired along the journey, separating her and Ranfe once more, leaving her with no real reason to move back into Lanqi's dorm room.
So her itinerary for the day was to first stroll around the ducal estate with her sister, check in on Hyperion there, and then head back to Boss Cat Restaurant.
"No, no, I can handle the chores myself, and dinner's easy—the school is packed with restaurants."
Lanqi shook his head emphatically.
The moment Talia showed up, Sigrid and Hyperion would likely follow. He shuddered to imagine the sheer nightmare if all three of them crammed into his dorm room. After enduring such an arduous journey and maintaining the Demon King of Mad Love state for an entire month, all he wanted today was to get home and enjoy a good rest.
"Come along, come along! First to the ducal estate, then over to Boss Cat Restaurant, and after that you can head back to Ikerite Academy," Iphatia urged eagerly, inviting Lanqi over.
She also wanted to visit Boss Cat Restaurant to see the legendary Moonshadow Fox from the Demon Realm. Having heard that the shop housed such a familiar brought back from the Northern Continent, she was dying to go pet the fox right away. Naturally, having her sister and brother-in-law by her side would make it all the more delightful.
Furthermore, before parting ways in the City of Flowers, Rosalinda and Aetio had promised to visit Ikerite as well to celebrate the loving family's return. Once they wrapped up their business, they would likely arrive before long. Iphatia looked forward to it immensely, wishing for nothing more than a bustling, lively ducal mansion.
"Er..."
Lanqi observed Iphatia and Mikhail for a moment.
Iphatia looked as though she had completely forgotten what happened that night in the City of Flowers, while Mikhail's expression remained as placid and unruffled as ever.
On that night at the Sacred Silver Vine Arena in the City of Flowers, the footage of his excruciatingly cringe-inducing date with Talia had been witnessed in its entirety by Iphatia—and given Iphatia's personality, she had surely shared every bit of it with Mikhail without holding back.
As a result, their journey back to Hutton had been intensely awkward. Mikhail and Iphatia stuck together, while Lanqi and Talia kept to themselves, both pairs consciously steering clear of each other with minimal conversation.
Lanqi originally felt that he and Talia shouldn't appear together in front of Iphatia and Mikhail anymore, lest it bring back that mortifying topic for everyone.
Yet from the looks of it now, Iphatia seemed much more natural around them, and was especially as affectionate with Talia as ever.
"Ipha has already explained our origins and past to me... That fellow Pranay definitely knew, but if Iphatia hadn't told me herself, I might never have known for the rest of my life," Talia said, seeing through Lanqi's hesitant observation and clarifying the situation for him.
On the way back, Iphatia had found an opportunity to come clean to Talia about the secret she had harbored for so many years.
Though learning that Iphatia was not her biological sister ought to have made her feel a sense of loss, for some reason what welled up from deep within was mostly relief.
"Meow."
Boss Cat rested both paws on Lanqi's arm, listening to their conversation and roughly piecing together what had transpired.
It figured that since Tata once said anyone who dared question their sisterhood was executed by the Demon King, it would have been weirder if Pranay had dared to speak up.
"So, Lanqi, do you understand now?" she added to Lanqi.
"Understand what?"
Lanqi failed to grasp Talia's meaning for a moment.
Ever since their second date in Palieu, he found himself occasionally baffled by what Talia was thinking. Now that their telepathic connection was gone, understanding her words was even harder.
Talia fell silent for a moment and stepped in front of Lanqi.
Cupping a hand beside her mouth, she leaned in close to his cheek.
"If you want me to call Iphatia 'Mother,' I can agree to that too," Talia whispered into Lanqi's ear in an almost imperceptible murmur.
???
Lanqi snapped his head back instantly, staring at Talia. He began to suspect this Talia was an impostor.
Her actions and words were growing increasingly bizarre, leaving him more and more unable to cope.
"I have to return to the School of Magic Engineering to see Professor Polao. Originally, after proctoring the exam in the Kingdom of Posen, I should have come back early to handle the follow-up matters with him. Now that it's been delayed by months, I can't keep Professor Polao waiting any longer."
Lanqi didn't want to be caught off guard by Talia anymore today. He needed time to analyze how to handle this newly updated Talia. In this patch, she had turned into a full-blown Trisolaran demon—he couldn't even lane against her.
"Professor Polao, huh... That's true, we really can't keep him waiting. He scolds even Emperor Loren whenever he feels like it..." Iphatia pouted, looking rather disappointed.
She also held great respect for this professor who had mentored Duke Mikhail.
"I will help Professor Polao handle some of his official affairs later, so there is no need to worry. Come to the ducal estate today and allow me to properly entertain you," Mikhail, who had been quietly watching Lanqi for a while, finally broke his usual silence and extended an invitation. "Besides, I do not know if Hyperion has fully recovered yet. Even with Antanas looking after her, she would certainly want to see you."
He sensed that Lanqi and Talia hadn't figured out his and Iphatia's secret yet.
The explanation Iphatia had later given Talia was that while watching her sister and brother-in-law's date that day, she had gotten too nervous and fled with her friend, while Mikhail was still handling matters down in the arena and hadn't made it back up to the director's office before the commotion broke out.
Right now, the more he avoided the two of them, the easier it would be for them to notice something was off. By maintaining his usual composed demeanor, they would hardly suspect that the black-haired woman with an entirely different physique had anything to do with him.
"Right, right! Just think, Lanqi—wouldn't Hyperion be terribly disappointed if she didn't see you today?" Iphatia clung to Mikhail's arm as she addressed Lanqi and Talia.
As she chimed in, she stole a glance at Mikhail.
All four of them should have been extraordinarily awkward, yet throughout the entire journey, Mikhail appeared to be the least awkward person of all.
She knew her husband was a master of mental fortitude, his mindset cut from the very same cloth as Lanqi's. He knew full well that the best strategy was that as long as you didn't act guilty, your cover wouldn't blow.
"Alright, then Tata, let's head to the ducal estate first, and afterward I'll escort you and Boss Cat back to the restaurant," Lanqi sighed helplessly.
Hyperion had recently been adjusting to the bodily changes caused by her demon bloodline awakening. From time to time, toxins secreted by her own body triggered hyperimmune reactions. Even with Antanas, a Demon Realm doctor, caring for her, the pain she had to endure wasn't any less. Leaving Hyperion unattended today was simply out of the question.
"Meow meow meow! I missed home so much! But I've never been to a ducal estate before." Boss Cat rolled around happily in Lanqi's hands.
Last time, Lanqi had brought back three elites from the Protos Empire—the lively and enthusiastic Antanas, the dignified and gentle Sinora, and the steady, capable Pranay—all of whom it liked very much.
Later, even when it realized that they were great demons just like Tata, Boss Cat was no longer afraid. After all, it was now the mascot of the Crete Empire!
This time, aside from the resident singer who had arrived early and the delivery driver who had yet to arrive, Lanqi had brought back two immense backers: the Duke and the Duchess. It could finally experience what it felt like to be an aristocratic cat!
"Let's go."
Having settled their itinerary on the platform, they passed through ticket barrier after ticket barrier and exited the platform. The group strode across the spacious concourse of Ikerite Central Station.
The hustle and bustle gradually faded behind them.
Not long after stepping outside Ikerite Central Station, they spotted the figure waiting for them at the edge of the square.
"Young Master, Miss Tata, Lord Duke, and Duchess, it truly has been a long time."
Hans's voice was deep and low, like that of an old father worn down by years of toil, as he smiled at them. Even though he looked like an amiable elderly man, Lanqi still suspected he used to be an assassin.
"Hans, do you plan to continue working for the Wilfort family from now on, or will you return to the Aransal family as their butler?"
Instead of letting Hans take his luggage, Lanqi took the initiative to help load the Duke and Duchess's trunks into the carriage, taking over Hans's labor.
"I am, of course, the butler of the Wilfort family. I watched the Young Master grow up from childhood, so if I could no longer stay with the Wilfort family, it would truly be difficult to part with," Hans replied without declining the help, watching Lanqi's respectful treatment of elders with fond approval.
"It is fine, Hans. In a couple of years, the Wilfort and Aransal families might no longer be separate households anyway. When that time comes, you won't need to fret over which family's butler you are."
Mikhail saw Hans's attachment to the Wilfort family built up over all these years, while also knowing full well Hans's loyalty to the Aransal house. Returning to the Aransal household or remaining with the Wilfort family would both leave Hans torn.
Fortunately, this dilemma had a perfect solution.
"That's right, keep it up, Lanqi! Win over both my daughter and my goddaughter-slash-sister!" Iphatia pumped her fist in encouragement.
Yet the moment she caught Talia's glare, she shrank back, not daring to shout any further. She still didn't quite have the nerve to flaunt her maternal dominance to her face.
"Hehehe, Young Master, you must work hard," Hans encouraged Lanqi.
"Hans, you really don't need to worry about me. I served as a butler for a time back in Palieu, the City of Flowers. My professional competence as a butler might not be any worse than yours," Lanqi replied, knowing Hans was teasing him.
"That must have been learned from me, then. Having watched me work for so long, you must have picked up how to imitate me," Hans said as he walked to the front of the carriage and opened the driver's door.
"I won't deny that."
While working at the Baptiste family's estate, Lanqi had indeed modeled himself after his own butler, Hans. Talia had merely remarked that his imitation had turned out a bit warped.
After boarding the vehicle, their long-awaited journey through Ikerite began.
The winter morning sunshine carried a pleasant warmth, making this city-state exceptionally lovely.
Shortly into the ride, looking into the distance, brick-red walls, pointed eaves, and tulips and calla lilies in the Royal Botanical Gardens came into view, their vast sea of blossoms wafting a rich fragrance even from afar.
"Whoa, is this really Ikerite?"
Iphatia gripped the window frame with both hands, gazing at the landmark buildings of Ikerite she hadn't seen in years, as well as new structures she had never laid eyes on. Over the past decade and more, Ikerite had transformed into a city both familiar and foreign to her.
Compared to the antique elegance of the Crete Empire, the style here was much brighter and fresher.
Crete's architecture emphasized grandeur, permeating the city with an air of solemnity. Hutton, on the other hand, was dominated by beige and white historic buildings, while its newer architecture featured taller structures and glass curtain walls. Historic ruins blended ingeniously with modern planning in clean, orderly harmony.
"Identity really is important after all, meow! With a passport, returning to the Hutton Kingdom went without a hitch; otherwise, even if you sneaked in, you'd just be an unregistered alien," Boss Cat said, recalling the customs checkpoint they had passed through on their way back.
The war had only recently drawn to a close, and international travel had not fully normalized, meaning any entry or exit came with tedious inspection procedures.
Fortunately, all of their identities were legitimate, and traveling with Duke Mikhail spared them a great deal of trouble. They were treated with VIP respect throughout the journey, which allowed them to head straight to the vital hub city of Ikerite immediately after crossing the western border.
"Actually, Little Black Bread, if you had chosen to return to Ikerite with Loren a month or so later, it wouldn't have cost you much time either. Customs wouldn't even care whether you had Ikerite citizenship," Mikhail said to Boss Cat.
Ever since coming out of Blood Moon City, he had heard everyone calling the little black cat that, so he had started calling Boss Cat "Little Black Bread" as well, and Boss Cat seemed to have given up resisting the moniker.
"No way, meow! I'm an Ikerite cat."
Boss Cat shook its head vigorously. It had almost lost its nationality.
The day it followed Lanqi to the Crete Empire, it realized its nationality had been wiped out by Lanqi—that guy was a born-and-bred Imperial running dog. Thankfully, Loren had fought to win back its citizenship.
Though the cost was Loren losing his own nationality.
Amidst dozens of minutes of casual chatter, the scenery outside the window quietly shifted into a bustling commercial district. Passing by all manner of cafés, restaurants, bars, and shopping malls, the wide avenues grew thick with the lively hum of urban foot traffic.
"When Emperor Loren returns to Ikerite, will we need to receive him?" Iphatia asked Mikhail in the front passenger seat.
As a duke and duchess, when the Emperor of the empire arrived, they would very likely be called upon to host him. Or rather, since few others could handle him with ease, it was hardly an easy task, making them the most suitable candidates.
"I doubt it. It certainly won't be a grand, high-profile state visit. He'll probably just notify the Hutton authorities, then make a low-key trip back to his home territory of Clantel, passing through Ikerite for a day or two along the way to check in on Ikerite Academy, his own residence, or the temple," Mikhail said, speaking from his understanding of Loren and the current political situation.
As for the approximate date of Loren's return, Loren had only shared it in private that day with Mikhail, Iphatia, and the Snow Witch.
"Wait, is it really fine for you two to discuss the Emperor's itinerary like this?"
Talia was astonished; the way Iphatia and Mikhail were chatting about this felt far too casual.
It wasn't that she thought Lanqi or Hans couldn't keep a secret, but rather that Boss Cat knowing was equivalent to Antanas knowing, and Antanas knowing was equivalent to everyone knowing.
"It doesn't matter. Who could possibly harm Loren anyway? He's a Tier 9—who could kill him?" Mikhail said nonchalantly. Even Hyacinthus couldn't defeat Loren.
When the day came for Loren to arrive in Ikerite, even if assassins showed up, Loren would be in no danger whatsoever.
Chapter 872