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Chapter 178: Opening The Gate

Chapter 178: Opening The Gate

(Several hours ago)

Alone in the empty Parlement chamber, Agiel stood motionless with his eyes sealed shut. He lifted the glass of wine to his mouth, allowing the rich scent to fill his senses before finally indulging in a long, satisfying sip.

"Now I really wonder why people get drunk to run away from their problem, It would be so much efficient to just die."

As he savored the taste of his drink, a sudden gust of wind swept through, tousling his hair. In response, he instinctively turned around, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"What? I wasn’t saying I would, it was just a... rhetorical complaint."

As he held the glass of red wine, its shimmering hue caught his attention. The liquid seemed to dance with the light, creating a mesmerizing display which cast a warm glow on his face.

"We’re getting so close, for the first time in a thousand years, but it’s so complicated... we’ve reset his memory twice, and as a result, the thing is now in control, but for some reason it is a pacifist with no will to fight. I expected him to become... unless... was it part of your plan?"

For a fleeting moment, he remained rooted to the spot, his body frozen in time.

Time stood still as he gazed up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. Slowly, a gentle smile began to form on his lips.

"I’m very grateful for your help, but I would be even more grateful if you could share more of your wisdom."

A soft laugh escaped him as he brought the wine glass to his mouth for a sip. After taking a drink, he held the glass up in front of his face, his smile spreading across his features.

"Let’s open the gates of Hell, shall we?"

About an hour later, in her mansion, Gloria, wearing an apron and reading a cookbook, was busy in the kitchen, cooking a new dish for Solaria.

Artesis was peacefully trotting through the halls when she noticed her and jumped in panic.

"My Queen! What are you doing?!"

"Hm? Isn’t that obvious? I cook."

She took a spoonful of the soup she had prepared and grimaced.

"Um... these cookbooks are really a joke, why am I even keeping them?"

"My Queen, you are a Queen! You can’t do this! Please leave the housework to us!"

The maid took an apron and a spatula.

She hurriedly made her way towards Gloria, determined to snatch the book from her grasp.

However, the Queen effortlessly dodged her, without even sparing a glance.

"My Queen, please!"

"Calm down, I’m not doing this out of obligation, I’m just cooking for my children, is this abnormal for a mother?"

"But... you are a Queen... The Queen should never..."

"You really need to relax a little. In this house, I’m the boss, and I make the rules. I want you and the others to let go of this crown joke a bit, especially in front of Moonra and Solaria."

she went straight to the cupboard where she kept her plates and trays. Opening the doors, she looked through the carefully arranged dishes before choosing the perfect ones for lunch.

"It took a while but Solaria started eating again. Moonra helps me feed her too, do you know what that means?"

The cat maid, more and more surprised, shook her head.

"That means my bond with them is getting stronger, think about it. She knows I’m the one cooking, but she’s eating, that means I’m reaching her slowly. Plus, Moonra was eager to help me, so he’s not afraid of me anymore... we’re really starting to see the end of the tunnel!"

With a joyful laughter, she merrily filled the plates with delicious food, adding a touch of whimsy by decorating them with colorful stickers.

The maid stood there, completely taken aback by the sight before her eyes.

After finishing her task, Gloria gracefully picked up the plates and made her way towards their room, leaving the maid, behind.

As Artesia tried to process what had just happened, she blinked several times, her mouth hanging open in astonishment.

Her gaze shifted to the table where the cooking book had been left, and as she observed it intently, a perplexed frown appeared on her face.

"... Wait... isn’t that... a book of fairy tales?"

The queen moved cautiously, making sure not to spill anything from her cooking.

As she ascended the stairs, her eyes wandered up to the ceiling.

"Up yet? You’re improving a lot."

Up above, a shadowy form moved and slipped behind her. In an instant, the being rose to its full height and let out a loud yawn.

"... Up?... maybe... but not for long... I’m just... what was I doing?... what day is it?"

"Day off, honey, you look like you need more sleep."

"... Oh... Yeah... when in doubt, sleep... by the way... what are you doing?"

With a slight shrug, the Queen proceeded on her path, a smirk adorning her face.

"I’m serving my kids lunch, there’s more in the kitchen, go eat if you’re hungry."

Inhaling deeply, the maid wrinkled her brow.

"Caramel soup?"

"Hm? No, that sounds gross... well, there is sugar, but that’s part of the recipe."

"... Can I help you?... I want to see how... hm... see these two enjoy... your glorious meal."

"Sure, oh, could you slip in some good comments about me too? Try not to push it, but something good about me."

As they made their way through the grand house, they finally arrived at the door of the princess.

Gloria softly knocked on the door and spoke with a melancholic tone.

"Moonra, lunch is ready, open the door."

The prince took a deep breath and we proceeded towards the door at a leisurely pace.

Since Solaria’s disappearance, he had confined himself to her room, pretending to assist his sister with Eryl’s help.

He claimed that she was finally showing improvement, and with the other maids glad to be free from the responsibility of watching her all the time, he was left in peace.

Ratoncia, on the other hand, agreed to keep quiet as long as Moonra promised not to reveal her role in the situation.

He habitually opened the door halfway to retrieve the dish, just like any other day. After taking it, he would shut the door, and that would be the end of it until dinner, nothing too complex.

However, this time, the Queen was not alone. The moment he opened the door, he found himself face to face with Nosfera.

"HA!!!" he screamed in surprise.

"Hm?... oh... please, you see your face in the mirror... every day, you can’t be afraid of me."

"W-w-what are you doing here?! M-mother? Why is she here?!"

The queen seemed a bit startled.

"Oh, she’s just... is there an issue? Wasn’t she just looking out for your sister?" "What?! N-n-no! She... Solaria will be furious! P-p-please don’t come in!" The maid widened her eyes and furrowed her brow.

"Prince... please don’t fabricate stories about my conduct at work... are you insinuating that I lied to your mother? I have been sleeping in this room for weeks and... the princess has never blamed me. Let’s ask her..."

In her attempt to pass through, Moonra forcefully pushed her aside, swiftly closing the door and positioning herself in front of them, trembling.

"...What... the... Hell... Prince?"

Gloria, growing more intrigued, closely watched her son’s peculiar behavior, something she hadn’t seen in months.

Lost in her own thoughts, she turned to Nosfera and asked.

"Has something happened between you and Solaria?"

Puzzled, Nosfera responded. "Hello? I’ve been asleep all this time... Is this some sort of joke? Wait... I know, Eryl must have framed me!"

She tried to force the passage, but Moonra, panicking, held her hands.

"Prince... stay out of this... It’s between her and me."

"Wait! You’re wrong! Solaria is sleeping! She can’t be disturbed! And... and Eryl is in the tired!"

"Prince, I’m going to ask you politely... Get your polished butt off my... my... huh?"

As they stood face to face, Moonra noticed a sudden change in the servant that made him stop in his tracks: her eyes were now glowing a vivid orange, signaling the activation of her powers.

She ceased her aggressive stance and began to back away slowly, her intense gaze locked onto him.

Annoyed, the queen interjected.

"Can you both please cease your quarrel? Moonra, grab your plate now and wait to give Solaria hers when she wakes up."

As her son’s face grew paler, she passed the plate to him. His gaze was fixed on the maid, who, despite wearing a mask, seemed to give a clear warning to the Prince through her narrowed eyes.

"My Queen... I don’t think she would taste your food."

"Uh? What do you say?"

The Queen glanced in her direction and caught sight of her unusual expression.

Moonra trembled noticeably, sweat forming on his forehead as his eyes began to lose focus. Nosfera’s gaze shifted back to orange, fixed on the trembling boy.

"Prince, you mentioned the princess was sleeping? And Eryl is exhausted? Then why is this room empty?"