Chapter 272

[Third Person's PoV] 

As Cid was comforting Akane, Celeste grabbed hold of his head and shifted her body to the side to get a good look at him.

*"Who the hell is this?! Woah! Woah! Woah!!"*

Although she understood that the discussion between Akane and Cid was important, Cid's sudden transformation was too much for Celeste to simply ignore.

*"Dad-dy~. That word just took on a whole new meaning!"* Celeste thought, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she gazed at Sung Jin-Woo's appearance.

*"My daddy was already handsome, but this?! Why would he ever choose his old look when he could look this divine?! Make it make sense!!"*

Cid's eyebrow twitched as he felt Celeste going feral, clinging to his head while he continued comforting Akane—who, at that moment, resembled Cha Hae-In.

'Celeste…' Cid sent her a mental message in warning.

*'I'm sorry, but can you blame me?! My already handsome daddy just turned into a hunk of a man before my eyes! Where has this been all my life?!'* she gushed, hugging him tightly and pressing her face against the back of his head, a bright smile spreading across her face.

Meanwhile, Cha Hae-In looked up at him, her tears still flowing naturally.

"How… how is this possible?" she whispered. "I remember everything—living as Cha Hae-In and as Akane. I remember it all vividly."

"I'm sure you already know the answer… since you remember what happened to me before," Cid replied, doing his best to ignore Celeste, who was still rubbing her face against him, small hearts practically popping around her.

Akane already knew the truth; she was just too overwhelmed to process everything properly. The collision of both sets of memories had left her disoriented.

"Reincarnation…" she muttered. Then, as her eyes widened in disbelief, she stiffened. "That's right… You've reincarnated multiple times by now."

A warm smile slowly grew on her tear-streaked face. Though she was still crying, her tears now carried a different emotion.

"I'm so happy I got to see you again," she said.

Lifting her head, she pressed a soft kiss against Sung Jin-Woo's lips. As their lips lingered, her transformation began to undo itself. Seeing this, Cid chose to revert back as well.

When Akane pulled away, she smiled gently.

"That was from Cha Hae-In, who never got the chance to confess her feelings."

*'NOOOOOOOOO!!! GIVE ME BACK MY DADDY!!'* Celeste wailed, thrashing in his hold. *'TAKE THIS UGLY TROLL AWAY AND BRING BACK MY SUPER HANDSOME DADDY!'* 

Cid had never been more tempted to hit a child than he was in that moment.

---

Alexia wasn't riding a dragon. Instead, she soared through the night sky with her own majestic white wings, each occasional flap propelling her forward. Her silver hair flowed with the wind, and amidst the stars, she looked like a divine deity.

Her eyes burned with determination as she flew toward her destination—her home. Her kingdom.

She gazed at the intricate web of fate before her—thirteen threads in total. As she reached out and traced a finger through the illusionary strings, images flooded her mind.

Visions of Counts, Marquises, and Earls—nobles sworn to serve the kingdom—appeared before her. Instead of fulfilling their obligations, they had become corrupt. These very people, entrusted with power, had allied themselves with the Cult of Diabolos, oppressing the land they were meant to protect.

Alexia clenched her fists, her expression twisting in anger.

"And what has Father been doing about any of this?" she muttered, her voice laced with frustration. "Damn it. How could he let this happen right under his nose?"

She exhaled sharply.

"I see why Cid wanted me to take over the kingdom," she said, her golden eyes gleaming with power. "With a king like that, it's only a matter of time before this nation crumbles into history."

With a single, powerful flap of her wings, she streaked across the sky like a shooting star, closing the distance to her kingdom in mere moments.

Alexia soon spotted the kingdom beneath her, the streetlights piercing through the darkness like stars scattered across the ground. Orange and white lights flickered below, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes were set on one target.

The castle.

She swooped down, landing heavily before the front gates. The ground trembled beneath her impact, chunks of stone scattering in all directions as a thick cloud of dust rose.

The guards, caught off guard, hastily drew their swords. Their astonished gazes locked onto the winged figure silhouetted within the swirling smoke. The commotion drew more knights from within the castle, their weapons drawn and expressions hardened with determination.

Leading the charge was Iris.

As Alexia folded her wings, they dissolved into shimmering light. Before the dust had fully settled, Iris's authoritative voice rang out.

"State your business! Why have you caused such a disturbance in front of the royal castle?"

Alexia emerged from the smoke, a smile playing on her lips—one that barely concealed the anger simmering beneath. Her piercing gaze locked onto her sister.

"Why, I'm visiting home, of course. Hey, Iris. It's been a while."

Iris's eyes widened in disbelief. "Alexia?!" 

'The air around her… it's different. Foreign even.' 

She hesitated only a moment before giving her command. "Put your swords away!" she ordered, sheathing her own.

But before she could fully lower her weapon, Alexia's voice cut through the night.

"Do not. Keep your weapons drawn."

"What?" Iris's brows furrowed. She exhaled, frustration creeping into her tone. "Alexia, what are you doing? Come inside. We can talk about this."

Alexia's smile remained, but now her eyes narrowed into crescents, a chilling contrast to her words.

"I'm afraid this isn't something we can simply discuss, dear sister. And as for why I told you to keep your swords out…" She lifted her chin slightly. "It wouldn't be right for me to attack someone unarmed, after all. Though, of course, you could always just step aside. But I doubt you'll allow that, given what I have planned."

Silence hung heavy in the air. Iris's stomach twisted with unease, her fingers tightening around her hilt. The guards exchanged wary glances, uncertain of what to do.

Iris swallowed. "And what, exactly, do you have planned? Why would you need to attack us?" Her voice was cautious now. The ominous shift in Alexia's presence sent a shiver down her spine.

Alexia raised a hand to her cheek, tilting her head slightly.

"Isn't it obvious?" she mused. "I'm staging a coup d'état."

The words struck like thunder. The guards stiffened. Iris's expression darkened as she took a step forward.

"Alexia." Her tone was grave. "Take that back. Do you have any idea what you're saying? If you retract those words now, we can act like this was just a slip of the tongue—like you were simply throwing a tantrum."

Alexia's smile vanished. As she slowly opened her eyes, they pulsed with power, glowing against the night. A coldness settled into her gaze.

"I see," she murmured. "So that's what this is. You still see me as a child. You think I'm joking."

A chill ran down Iris's spine. Instinct took over, and she leapt back, sweat beading on her forehead as she raised her sword in defense.

Alexia stretched out her hand, a deep blue aura flickering to life around her fingertips.

Before anyone could react, an unseen force enveloped them. The knights cried out as they were lifted off the ground, their bodies suspended helplessly in the air.

Iris gasped, eyes wide as she struggled against the invisible grip. Below them, Alexia stood firm, her glowing gaze fixed upon them with unyielding authority.

"Tell me, sister," she called up, her voice eerily calm. "Do you love this kingdom?"

"Wha—?"

"Answer me!"

Iris stammered, still reeling from the sudden shift in power. "Y-Yes! O-Of course I do!"

Alexia's eyes narrowed. Without warning, she swung her arm downward.

The force holding them aloft vanished, and they crashed into the ground with a resounding impact. Dust exploded around them as the earth cracked beneath their weight. The knights groaned, struggling to move. Iris, pinned down, gasped for breath.

Alexia stepped forward, her footsteps slow and deliberate.

"Then you will not stop me."

She walked past the fallen bodies without a second glance.

"This is for the betterment of the kingdom, after all."

With a flick of her wrist, the castle gates burst open, the sheer force of her power sending them slamming against the walls. The resounding boom echoed through the night.

"Father is not a worthy king."

And with that, she stepped inside.