Chapter 955: Alternate Timeline: A mother’s happiness

If Kiara attends, then Lux would most likely accompany her as well. The tiny Beast Emperor kitten instantly appeared in his mind.

Alexander Phoenix coughed lightly and maintained a dignified expression outwardly, but inwardly, he had already begun wondering whether cats preferred yarn balls, feathers, or shiny ornaments for entertainment.

Perhaps he should prepare several options.

A ruler planning war strategies one moment and thinking about cat toys the next would have been an amusing sight for anyone capable of reading his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Callista remained silent beside him, but her own thoughts were equally turbulent.

Perhaps...

...perhaps this was finally a chance.

A chance for father and daughter to grow closer.

Even if she could not reveal the truth now, she still wanted the two most important people in her life to build some kind of connection before fate dragged them farther apart.

Every bridge began with a single plank.

She would build the rest slowly.

The Emperor and the consort remained immersed in their separate thoughts until the atmosphere was suddenly interrupted.

The palace doors opened abruptly.

An Imperial Guard hurried inside before kneeling immediately.

"I apologize for disturbing Your Majesty," he said hurriedly, "but the Supreme Commander requests an audience."

Alexander Phoenix frowned faintly. At this hour, interruptions were forbidden unless the matter was urgent.

"Tell him to wait," the Emperor replied calmly. "I will meet him shortly."

The guard swallowed nervously.

"Your Majesty... the Supreme Commander did not come alone."

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened instantly.

"There are guests accompanying him, and one among them is a peak-stage Legendary Realm Spirit Warrior who traveled from afar specifically to meet Your Majesty."

"Eh?"

Alexander Phoenix immediately rose from his seat. The chair legs scraped softly against the polished floor. Even Callista’s expression changed slightly.

Peak-stage Legendary Realm experts were not wandering merchants who appeared casually at palace gates.

The Emperor no longer cared about lunch.

"Very well," he said quickly. "I will be there immediately."

The guard bowed and hurried away.

The Emperor turned toward Callista with mild apology in his eyes. "I am sorry, dear. I must go."

Callista nodded gently. "I understand."

Without wasting another moment, the Emperor strode out of the chamber with such urgency that even the servants lowered their heads instinctively as he passed.

Once he disappeared from sight, the dining hall suddenly felt much quieter.

Callista let out a soft sigh.

"He is always busy."

A faint smile mixed with helplessness appeared on her lips.

"If an 8-star rank has truly arrived, then he most likely will not return for lunch."

For several moments, she remained seated quietly. Then suddenly, an idea surfaced inside her mind like a fish breaking through still water.

"How about visiting Sera?"

Her eyes brightened slightly.

"That child has been happily avoiding punishment by claiming Kiara was outside the city."

The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.

"Now that Kiara has returned, I should personally accompany her to the store and make sure she receives proper punishment while also continuing her training with that heavy Chimera and whatever that name was."

Her expression softened slightly.

"The last time, those assassins ruined everything before I could spend enough time there."

Decision made, Callista rose gracefully from her seat and returned to the Inner Quarters before ordering a maidservant to summon her daughter.

***

Some time later, Callista Frost and Serestia Phoenix exited the Imperial Palace together under heavy military escort.

Nearly a hundred soldiers accompanied them under the command of a General, their armor gleaming beneath daylight while the thunder of marching boots echoed through the streets like distant drums of war.

The common people instinctively stepped aside wherever the procession passed.

Some lowered their heads respectfully.

Others simply stared in awe, staring at the Royal Carriage pulled by a Pair of Rank-5 Rhino Beasts.

Callista herself felt somewhat helpless regarding the exaggerated escort as she wanted simply to go there unnoticed, but after the assassination attempt from before, the Emperor had become far stricter about security.

A husband who ruled an empire still became an anxious man when his loved ones nearly died.

After nearly ninety minutes of travel, the procession finally arrived near Nexus Store.

Not wishing to obstruct Kiara’s business, Callista ordered the General to keep the majority of the troops outside the alley and keep the roads open for the public while only a handful of guards accompanied her inside.

"And do not block the customers," she added calmly.

The soldiers obeyed at once.

Soon, the small group approached the store entrance.

Then everyone froze.

Even the General blinked once in disbelief.

Because seated behind the reception desk was none other than Arceus Silver.

At that moment, Arceus was nervously staring at Noah, who was currently reviewing a notebook filled with store procedures and transaction details.

Sweat lightly formed along Arceus’s palms.

Noah’s teaching style was not cruel, but it was frighteningly strict.

Every detail mattered.

Every mistake was corrected immediately.

To the surrounding guards, however, the sight before them appeared completely surreal.

Two impossibly attractive men, while studying business records together...

Several guards bitterly smiled unconsciously, envious of their looks, before quickly restraining themselves.

Then Arceus noticed the newcomers. His eyes widened immediately.

"Aunt Callista? Sera?"

He instinctively rose from his seat in surprise.

For a moment, the old habits of noble upbringing overtook him completely as he prepared to step forward and greet them properly.

But before he could leave the desk, Noah calmly addressed him.

"Mr. Manager."

Arceus instantly stopped.

Noah did not even raise his voice. "We are still within working hours."

The words struck Arceus like cold water poured over his head.

Right.

He was no longer merely a noble heir.

He was now the manager of Nexus Store.

Work came first.

Taking a small breath, Arceus straightened himself and immediately adjusted his behavior.

When he spoke again, his tone became calm and professional despite the faint nervousness hidden underneath.

"Welcome to Nexus Store, Queen Consort Callista, Your Highness Serestia."

The sudden change left both Callista and Serestia stunned.

Mother and daughter exchanged confused glances.

Serestia blinked repeatedly.

Callista narrowed her eyes slightly.

The mother and daughter turned their head to exchange glances, wondering the same thing.

A noble heir of House Silver working reception at Nexus Store?

What in the heavens had happened here?

*

After hearing the entire story from Arceus Silver, Callista Frost’s smile only grew brighter and brighter, like a mother who had suddenly discovered a long-awaited spring after enduring years of winter winds, because to her, the matter of House Silver attempting to erase its own heir in the name of honor was far less important than the fact that her eldest daughter was getting engaged.

Why cling to sorrow when joy was standing right before one’s eyes?

With Kiara’s personality, Callista did worry that it would be incredibly difficult for her to marry someone. And the fact that Kiara is already 20, with only four years left before that ideal marriageable age slips past, only heightened her worries more.

But after hearing this, Callista was filled with joy.

In her mind, pain was like dark rainclouds floating across the sky, while moments of happiness were rays of sunlight that people must hold tightly before evening arrived again.

Arceus had practically grown up before her eyes.

Back when he was still young, Kaelan Phoenix used to drag him around the palace gardens while Serestia followed behind, causing trouble like an unstoppable little storm, and among all the younger nobles, Arceus had always possessed the gentlest manners and the calmest temperament.

Yes, Arceus was not strong in cultivation since birth, but Callista found him the most likeable of all the noble heirs she knew.

So now, seeing him become connected to Kiara filled her with genuine delight.

Of course, Arceus conveniently left out several important details.

He never mentioned that the engagement was only an arrangement.

He never explained that they intended to remain nothing more than housemates acting as a couple before society.

Nor did he mention that marriage itself was never truly planned and would never materialize either.

But in Arceus’s eyes, such details were unnecessary.

The Imperial Family would only meet them occasionally.

There was no need to unravel every thread beneath the cloth.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the store, Kiara had taken over Arceus’s position at the reception because the lunch break had already ended and business hours had resumed once more. She didn’t bother to stay with the Queen Consort and the Princess to engage in any sort of conversation. She just let them talk with Arceus while she attended the store.

Alucard, Noah, Zion, the General, and several Imperial Guards also remained downstairs, quietly giving them privacy upstairs.