Chapter 164: Spending time with the Imperial Twins

Liora’s words were blunt and heavy. So heavy that Cassian felt his heart dropping into his stomach, and he lowered his head.

Julian felt a lump form in his throat, a mixture of grief for these children and a desperate, selfish urge to survive. He couldn’t let them carry this weight.

He reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he placed it on Cassian’s shoulder.

"The law of the land is absolute, Princess," Julian said, his voice a soft, grounding hum. "But laws are written on paper. Character... character is written on the soul. You both have shown more of it today than many men twice your age."

He used the moment of their shared, somber reflection to move. As Cassian looked down at his boots and Liora adjusted her grip on her skirt, Julian’s free hand dipped toward the fountain.

With the practiced grace of a thief and the precision of a scholar, his fingers found the cool, damp stems of the Sleeping Lilies. He pinched the base, feeling the slight resistance before they snapped silently.

One. Two. Three.

He slid the pale, silver-edged flowers into the deep pocket of his inventory. His heart hammered frantically against his ribs—[Stability: 26%]—but his face remained calm.

He didn’t mean to use the children to get the lilies, but it sort of happened that way.

"Come," Julian whispered, gently steering Cassian away from the fountain. "The sun is shifting, and it’ll start scorching soon. If we stay too long, we might wake the lilies, and we wouldn’t want to be rude to the botany, would we?"

Liora looked up, her expression shifting back to a curious tilt.

"You’re right, Master. They’re starting to twitch."

He laughed and then nodded.

"So, where else would you like to show me?"

They finally reached the center of the Glasshouse. It was surprisingly quiet, the air cool and filled with the soft rustle of silk as the children stayed close to Julian’s side.

He used the rare moment of relief and freedom to turn their stroll into an impromptu lesson, pointing out the subtle geometry of the stone arches and the way the palace’s light shifted with the sun. It was a great way to note the hour of the day if one was without a pocket watch and in a place where there was no clock.

The children enjoyed the lesson and were carried well, using their smart brains to answer the questions their master threw at them from time to time. Julian was glad. After all, he found the most joy and satisfaction when he was teaching. Especially when the ones he was teaching were following and enjoying the session.

"Now, shall we discuss a little bit of state affairs?" he asked, and they, seated on the marble edge of a fountain, nodded vigorously.

With the way Julian taught, there was no child who would not enjoy his lessons.

For the following hours, the weight on his chest lifted, his [Mental Stability] inching up to 30%, and it was all thanks to the peace with the kids.

When it was becoming late noon, and they could not put off lunch any longer, not when the maids had come this far to find them and remind them for the third time, Liora and Cassian both insisted Julian join them for lunch.

Julian was skeptical. The only reason his eyes were finally coming alive, and his complexion was returning, was because he wasn’t around other people. There were no judging eyes, no forced activity, and no one to make his stomach wretch.

He had stomached the macaron before, but he couldn’t say he’d be fine eating a real meal.

"You can go ahead and eat your lunch, your highnesses," he said, giving a polite smile as he declined.

"Are you not coming because of Father?" Liora asked, looking a little disappointed.

"Well," It was mostly that, but he just wanted to stay here for a bit longer, away from eyes, away from his room, away from a bed that reminded him of his constant morning distress, and away from himself.

Thanks to the queen, he was able to get out for a while, but he didn’t know when he’d get an opportunity like this again. He may very well spend the coming days locked in his room and drowning in his own despair.

"You don’t worry about Father," Cassian muttered, his wooden sword hanging limp at his side. "He never eats with us, so he won’t be there to bully you."

Julian didn’t know whether to feel glad about this or sad for them because of how their father was treating them.

How could he not have meals with them? Even if he was the Emperor, it was cruel.

His eyes flickered with pity, but before he could offer a word of comfort, he heard heavy footsteps approaching. And he did not like the figure in front of those parading footsteps.

And that was because it was the Emperor.

Aurelian stood at the top of the stairs, his silhouette sharp and imposing against the harsh afternoon sun. His golden eyes swept over the scene below, landing on Julian with a cold, mocking light.

"I do not recall the Jade Wing having a secret passage to such a vast, green expansion, Master Astrea," the Emperor’s voice drifted down, smooth and dangerous. "Why are you not in your confinement?" It was another way of asking, ’Who let you out of your cage?’

Julian stepped forward, shielding the children instinctively, even though he knew the Emperor was after him.

"The Empress was kind enough to invite me for tea, Your Majesty. I was merely escorting the Prince and Princess back."

Aurelian narrowed his eyes for half a second and then began to descend the stairs slowly, his boots clicking like a timer on Julian’s heart.

"Escorting? Or infecting?"

Julian narrowed his eyes. What was that supposed to mean?

"Julian Von Astrea, I admit you have great teaching prowess, but to my children, you are a poor influence. I recall the incident of my brother’s marching mare,"