Chapter 957: Alternate Timeline: Ares Frost

The smile on Emperor Alexander’s face disappeared so suddenly that even the nearby guards felt the atmosphere change, because until this moment, all he knew about this visitor was that he was a peak-stage 8-star rank expert who claimed to be a close relative of late Lysander Frost personally and wished to meet Queen Consort Callista Frost after concluding official matters.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

At that time, Callista had already left the palace to visit Nexus along with Serestia Phoenix, and Alexander naturally assumed they had gone shopping or perhaps sightseeing through the capital streets to relieve boredom.

Who could have expected matters to turn this strange?

And now, after hearing the name "Frost," the Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A member of House Frost?

Not only that...

Judging from Callista’s reaction, not merely a relative but someone deeply tied to her past.

The Emperor’s instincts immediately sharpened.

A ruler who sat upon a throne for decades did not survive merely by smiling.

Even the gentlest kings learned how to smell hidden poison beneath polite words. ℯ

Meanwhile, Ares Frost continued smiling calmly as though Callista’s hostility were nothing more than a passing breeze brushing against his robes.

His expression carried neither anger nor embarrassment. Instead, it resembled a traveler patiently enduring rain because he already knew the storm could not last forever.

"Well," he said leisurely, "officially, I am here as the envoy of the Solaria Kingdom, Your Grace."

Then his eyes softened slightly.

"Unofficially... I came to meet my grand-niece."

"Grand-niece?"

The words instantly made Callista’s heart tighten. For a single brief moment, Kiara’s face flashed across her thoughts like lightning illuminating darkness.

But immediately afterward, she suppressed the thought.

No one knew the truth about Kiara.

No one.

Not even Alexander.

The only daughter acknowledged publicly by the Imperial Family was still Serestia Phoenix

And Serestia was absolutely not someone she intended to allow near this man.

Her voice turned colder and sharper, like thin ice cracking beneath footsteps.

"The moment you abandoned my father... your own elder brother, and fled from the Frost Clan during the time of disaster to save your life," Callista said slowly, "you ceased being family to me, Ares Frost."

Every word carried restrained pain.

Not loud.

Not explosive.

But heavy.

The kind of heaviness only old wounds could produce.

"When a house burns," she continued, "even strangers sometimes carry water to help extinguish the flames, yet you, who shared our blood, abandoned the house entirely while others died protecting it."

She took a slow breath.

"And because of that, the relationship between you and my children ended long ago. To you, they are merely a prince and a princess of the Phoenix Empire. Nothing more."

The nearby guards unconsciously lowered their heads.

Even Alexander Phoenix remained silent.

Because now he finally understood.

This was not ordinary resentment.

This was betrayal buried for decades.

Yet Ares Frost showed no anger whatsoever.

If anything, his smile became gentler.

"You may distance yourself from blood," he replied softly, "but blood itself does not disappear, Callista."

His gaze drifted briefly toward the sky.

"Whether people accept it or reject it, rivers still remember where they originated. Mountains remember the earth beneath them. And family..." he paused faintly, "family remains family no matter how many years pass, whether they live with us or separately."

Those words struck Callista harder than she expected.

Once again, Kiara’s face surfaced inside her mind.

A daughter she could not acknowledge.

A daughter she could not openly embrace.

A daughter she could not openly feel proud of.

A daughter standing painfully close, yet impossibly far.

For the first time since Ares appeared, she fell silent.

Seeing no further point in prolonging the conversation, Ares simply mounted his winged horse once more.

Before leaving, he glanced politely toward the Emperor. "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. Since I met my niece, I’ll take my leave."

Then, with a flap of wings cutting through the afternoon sky, both riders departed.

Callista remained standing still long after they vanished into the horizon. The wind tugged lightly against her robes, yet her expression remained stormy.

Only then did Alexander Phoenix step closer.

"Dear," he asked carefully, "what exactly is happening here?"

He glanced toward the disappearing figures. "Is he truly your uncle?"

Confusion lingered across the Emperor’s face. "I believed every member of the Frost Clan perished during the dungeon catastrophe, including all of my relatives from House Frost."

Callista inhaled deeply. The emotions swirling within her chest resembled tangled threads tightening around one another.

After several moments, she finally spoke. "He is my father’s younger brother," she said quietly. "When the dungeon disaster occurred, he fled for his life while my father fought to the death to protect others. Even fellow soldiers stand with each other, look after each other’s backs during times of crisis. Yet, despite being a blood, he abandoned his only elder brother."

The Emperor blinked.

Callista continued before he could interrupt.

"Perhaps his presence would not have changed the final outcome, and perhaps, he would not have survived if he had stayed," she admitted, "but betrayal is not measured by victory or defeat. Life or Death."

Her eyes dimmed slightly, and a bitter smile appeared briefly on her face.

"When a family stands at death’s door, people remember who remained beside them and who turned their backs. I hid the truth afterward because I did not wish the Frost Clan’s reputation, my House Frost’s reputation, to become stained further. So I told everyone he died alongside the others."

Then her voice softened faintly.

"The rest... You already know. The Late Former Supreme Commander Ignar adopted me afterward, and eventually..." her gaze moved toward Alexander, "I met Your Majesty."

Hearing this, the Emperor suddenly found himself facing an entirely different dilemma.

His eyes slowly shifted toward the Pegasus nearby.

The magnificent beast shook its white mane proudly beneath the sunlight.

Alexander hesitated.

"Dear..." he said awkwardly, "you would not mind the Pegasus itself, correct?"

Callista looked at him blankly.

What?

The Emperor coughed lightly. "Technically, it was gifted by the King of Solaria. Ares Frost is merely an advisor."

For a second, silence lingered.

Callista, for a moment, wanted to throw her fist at her husband’s face. She was reminiscing about her past. Instead of consoling her, this husband of hers was worrying more about the horse.

Taking a deep breath to control her anger, Callista finally nodded.

Alexander’s face immediately brightened again like a child escaping punishment. Without wasting another heartbeat, he mounted the Pegasus, but then a moment later, he extended his hand toward her.

"Come."

Callista blinked her eyes at his gesture. The earlier anger faded away instantly.

Though still emotionally exhausted, she allowed him to pull her upward.

Soon, the Pegasus rose into the air, carrying both husband and wife together while circling above the Imperial Palace grounds.

Since they remained within palace territory, no guards followed.

Yet below them, countless maids serving the Empress and other consorts watched with expressions filled with jealousy and irritation.

To them, the Emperor appeared utterly captivated by Callista Frost.

Meanwhile, among those standing below, Xander Cross silently observed the scene.

Regret flickered faintly within his eyes. He was an unofficial disciple of Lysander Frost and more or less grew up with the Queen Consort. He knew Ares Frost’s identity beforehand, too.

However, even he never realized the man had abandoned the House during its darkest hour.

Now the memory of warmly welcoming him earlier felt disgusting.

Some time later...

Far away from the palace, two winged horses descended briefly atop a grassy hill while their riders checked directions.

One of the younger men finally spoke.

"Master," he asked hesitantly, "should we not tell Lady Callista about the young miss?"

Ares Frost sighed softly. "If circumstances allowed, I would have told her directly."

His gaze turned distant.

"But Alexander Phoenix stood there. I could only leave subtle hints."

After a pause...

A trace of helplessness surfaced across his face as he continued, "And even if we revealed the truth now, given her current emotions, Callista would only believe I intend harm toward her daughter. She would oppose us with everything she has."

Then he clicked his tongue lightly.

"Enough. Let us continue."

Neighhh!

The winged horses launched into the sky once more.

Soon afterward, Nexus Weapon Store appeared below them.

The winged horses landed outside gracefully, attracting startled gazes from nearby pedestrians.

As both men entered the store, they too became momentarily surprised.

Arceus Silver was sitting behind the reception counter, recording inventory into a notebook while Alucard checked stock beside him. The elegant young nobleman handled the work surprisingly naturally while Zion was supervising him.

Meanwhile, Serestia Phoenix could also be seen nearby. The visitors had already learned from the Emperor about her punishment assignment at the store, so her presence was unsurprising.

Both newcomers stepped inside fully.