Led by Lady Sora, Kaden and Aurora made their way through the many different pathways of the golden mansion of the Asterion, walking in the direction of the Golden Son.

The air was thick with gold, yet hollow in the richness one would expect from it.

Kaden was a couple of steps behind Aurora, his face neutral and stern, his demeanor that of a true knight, making his already fearsome crimson eyes stand out even more. Coupled with the golden armor befitting a knight of Asterion, framing his lean, muscled body, and with Reditha resting at his belt in her crimson scabbard…

…he was nothing like a fraud.

While walking, Kaden took the time to look around, noticing how this gilded palace was no different from the one of the future. Ah yes, aside from making it even more golden in some strange fashion, it was all the same.

In their rhythmic steps, they passed by many servants along the way, all wearing traditional maid dresses dyed gold, and each motivated enough to spare a disgusted and scornful glance toward Lady Sora.

As for Aurora, they looked at her with cold, poisonous eyes, as if she had taken something that — by all gods — belonged naturally to them.

None, however, spared Kaden a single look, dismissing him as nothing but a regular knight, one of brawn and obedience, albeit a bit more handsome than the rest.

But who among them would ever settle for a knight based on looks alone? Their ambitions were high. And so would be their downfall.

Their contempt shone as brightly as the gold that built the palace, and was just as worthless.

Kaden found it funny. It was always pathetic to watch beings unaware of the dominion of their minds battling one another for a poisonous prize that would kill them at the slightest touch.

And it was even more pathetic to see them judge those they thought beneath them.

All for what? A little more gold?

One would wonder if that gold would follow them to the grave, or do anything for them once they got there.

How utterly human.

Kaden sighed inwardly, his thoughts pausing in time with his steps as they arrived before a door painted white and gold, a sun emblem blazing at its center, guarded by a knight Kaden would never forget.

This was the knight who had been with Solaris at the very start of his quest, the one who never missed an occasion to display his superiority.

Kaden's crimson eyes flashed coldly at the sight of him, yet his face remained stone.

"My Lady," the knight said, bowing his head respectfully to Aurora, his armor rattling with the gesture, "The Golden Son awaits your presence."

Aurora's smile widened so far you could have believed her face might split in two. The knight was dazzled by her beauty, a furious blush staining his cheeks before Aurora's words snapped him from his daze.

"Thank you, Knight Tib! And oh, how long has it been? I hope your family remains safe and well," Aurora chirped, her tone enthusiastic.

Knight Tib could not help but let a smile creep into his cold features at Aurora. "They have been well, my Lady. It is our honour that you ask after them." He bowed deeply. "May the Celeste bless your noble heart." His voice was genuinely sincere.

Aurora reached for the doorknob, then paused. "Hehehe! Worry not. Isn't it our duty to care for those who fight for us?"

Tib smiled shyly.

Kaden winced at that horrific sight.

"And forgive me, Knight Tib," Aurora continued, "but my mind has been hazy lately, your family is your wife and your son, right?"

Tib, elated to have the Lady of Stars' interest, answered quickly, unwilling to let her or his prince wait. "I have one wife and two sons at home. My eldest has seen seventeen winters, the second will soon crawl into his third," he said, nodding.

Aurora began to open the door, the creak echoing around them, still asking one last question, "They live well at 23 Rue of Sunhole in Asterion, don't they?"

"In the 15, my lady," he corrected.

Aurora nodded and finally entered, her voice trailing behind as she closed the door, "I will make sure to visit, Knight Tib."

Tack—!

The door shut, and Knight Tib stood there, unable to believe what had just occurred. Had the Lady of Stars promised to visit his home?

'I must make preparations! That useless woman better not sully my image before the Lady,' he thought coldly as he regarded Kaden and the lady standing beside him, wordless, before the door.

He looked at both of them with contempt, then took a couple of steps away, disdaining even the act of breathing the same air as them.

Kaden allowed the faintest smile to grace his face at the sight. Lady Sora, used to such moments, acted as if nothing had happened.

Still, she turned her head toward Kaden, who smiled gently, lightening her heart, and whispered in a voice only he could be heard with,

"Were you rushing or were you dragging?"

Kaden smirked and shook his head. "You look anxious, Lady Sora. Your teeth are falling faster," he observed.

Lady Sora glared playfully, her smile widening. "You are a great man, handsome knight," she whispered, then winked. "I wish I had met a man like you in my younger days."

Then maybe…

Just maybe then I wouldn't have become like this, she thought, recalling the day her mouth had been ruined for the crime of sharing her passion with the wrong people.

Kaden looked at her calmly, smiled at her words, then slid his hand beneath his breastplate where the gold coin Sora had given him nestled safely.

'I do not want to fight you, Lady Sora,' he thought inwardly. 'But will you betray your prince? Or are you also mind-brainwashed?'

Kaden pondered, deciding to verify the claim quietly later.

For now, he would simply wait for Aurora to emerge while observing the golden mansion around him as his thoughts wandered in a strange direction.

Maybe…

Maybe a day would come when he would have to burn it down.

…

"My love!" Aurora chirped, practically flying forward to embrace Solaris.

At the sight, Solaris's smile stiffened for the briefest moment before returning to normal as he accepted the hug. He raised a hand and gently touched Aurora's head, his eyes flashing with a faint bluish luster for a heartbeat.

'Still on. Good. Very good,' he mused inwardly before his smile widened.

"I have missed you, darling," Solaris said softly, his tone warm and tender, one that Aurora met with eager devotion.

"I could no longer sleep without you, my prince," she breathed. "My mind always drifts back to you, leaving me unable to do anything but wonder when I'll see you again." Her voice trembled, her beauty too unfair for their world.

Yet Solaris remained cold within, though outwardly he wore a mask of grief and tenderness, his voice faint and weary. "I've endured worse times, darling. But you already know my situation."

He softly caressed her right cheek. Aurora closed her eyes, savoring the touch. "You know that with my enemies watching, seeing you too often would place you in even greater danger."

He wrapped his hands around her head, pressed his forehead to hers, and whispered, "But all of this will change once I become emperor." His voice grew unnaturally clear inside Aurora's mind, his hands faintly shrouded in a barely perceptible blue glow. "Then we will finally be together, and you shall be Lady of Solaris, despite our family's tradition to never marry a Moonborn or Starborn."

He smiled. "I will be emperor. And no one will stop me."

Aurora mirrored his smile, hugging him tighter. "I dream about it every day," she whispered.

"Then how far is the destination, darling?" he asked, finally voicing what he truly wished to know.

Aurora's eyes flickered with an invisible red gleam before she slowly spoke, her tone soft.

"It's very soon, my love. Very soon. I've uncovered a suspicious dealing involving Lord Silver. I can see this as the path that will make you emperor," she said. "But beyond that, my love, to secure your throne completely, I'll need more information."

Solaris's heart swelled with delight at the news. "Tell me, darling. I'll give you everything you need," he said without hesitation.

'As long as you make me emperor, I'll indulge you in anything,' he thought inwardly.

Aurora's eyes began to glow with a faint, starry light as she continued, "I'll need the weak points of the Sun Empress."

Solaris's eyes widened, though he maintained his tender embrace like a devoted lover.

"We need her to make the plan smoother," Aurora whispered. "We need her full cooperation, her willingness to yield the throne to you, not just the small favoritism she shows from time to time."

She leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear. "Are you willing to do so, for the path?"

Her words sank deep into Solaris's mind, sweet as honey, laced with the promise of a radiant future. The man felt no doubt toward the truth in Aurora's request.

After all, she was his, and her mind, too, was his.

None would ever doubt something they believed to be completely under their control. Just as a god would never question the insignificance of a mortal before him.

And that was exactly why…

"Anything for the path, darling."

He paused, then whispered slowly,

"I will give you everything about my mother, the Sun Empress."

—End of Chapter 319—

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