Caesar fixed the collars of his black and red suit whilst walking through the heavily guarded palace gates. The guards were used to his frequent visits and didn"t even bat an eye as they opened the thick doors.Once the doors were creaked open, he walked inside the relatively well-lit halls. Many of the candles, sconces, and chandeliers were lit. Their flames flickered with an inch of life and only the sound of Caesar"s rhythmic foot-steps resounded throughout the corridors.
Most of the servants were either resting in their quarters or serving someone of the royal family. Thus, the atmosphere was rather quiet and relaxing as Caesar made his way to his room. He took a few of the cuter dolls out of his storage ring and held them under his right arm once he reached the door.
The doll was adorned in a light-blue dress and carried a permanent smiling expression. Her eyes were scarlet and her eyelashes were beautifully curled. The fake hair that rested on top of her head cascaded down like a river and further accentuated its beauty.
Although Caesar always felt that Dolls were rather weird, this one, in particular, seemed quite decent. With this in mind, he confidently opened the door and stepped inside. He was pleasantly greeted by loud laughter and the sound of turning pages. Ahri was sitting on one of the larger chairs with Elizabeth on her lap. They were currently reading the contents of a hefty book that looked decently expensive.
Their heads immediately jolted in Caesar"s direction once they heard the door creak. Naturally, Elizabeth jumped out of Ahri"s lap and bolted to the door. Her arms were spread out wide as she leaped into Caesar"s arms.
Caesar caught her jumping figure and held her up for a few moments. He stroked her smooth hair for a few moments before handing the doll to her. He had never been a father in his past life, so he was somewhat inexperienced when it came to parenting. The only idol he could follow was his own father, who made his life a living h.e.l.l.
Elizabeth"s smile brightened up as she received the doll from Caesar"s hands and brought it into her own embrace. "Thank you, father!" She said politely and curtsied elegantly, befitting a princess. Caesar was taken aback and glanced at the cover of the book in Ahri"s hands which read, "Etiquette"
Caesar pat Elizabeth on the head and smiled, "I a.s.sume you two haven"t eaten dinner yet, come join me," he said softly and pulled both Ahri and Elizabeth by the hand. He didn"t praise Elizabeth for her quick learning because he didn"t want her to become too complacent.
Thus, the three of them soon entered into the dining hall. The aroma of perfectly prepared food a.s.saulted their noses as they open the doors. Crowley was sitting at the end of the table with bags under his eyes and a half-eaten piece of steak in front of him.
He greeted Caesar with a friendly smile and soon directed his attention back to the thick doc.u.ments in his hands. Ahri and Elizabeth glanced at Crowley worriedly whilst walking to the dining table and sitting down.
A few prepared maid-servants served the three of them respectfully before backing off and standing at the side. They were served a succulent piece of medium-rare steak, garlic mashed potatoes, a light salad, and a gla.s.s of fresh water.
Elizabeth attempted to cut the steak as she had learned from Ahri but failed miserably. Her attempts could be considered cute and Ahri soon helped her cut the piece of steak with a loving smile on her face.
Caesar was silent as this transpired and a small amount of mana permeated out of his index finger. It subtly flowed into Elizabeth"s body before being abruptly cut out, as if something had terminated the stand of mana.
Shocked, Caesar could only continue biting the piece of meat as he scrutinized Elizabeth in a new light. From what Musashi had told him previously, Elizabeth was either a Nymph or a Valkiry. However, after meeting Ginger, he was somewhat confused as to why Elizabeth hadn"t awakened her mana yet.
"Is she perhaps a human? No, then I wouldn"t have been charmed in the past…" he thought inwardly as he took another bite. His observations went unnoticed and his face remained placid as if he weren"t contemplating about anything.
Dinner soon ended in a relatively calm fashion and Ahri escorted the exhausted Elizabeth to her room. She was a young girl and eating such a heavy meal had surely drained her energy. Once she left his and Crowley"s presence, an awkward silence descended upon the room.
Nonetheless, Caesar maintained his calm expression as he pushed the empty plate to the side. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Crowley, handing him 2 platinum coins from a pouch.
"Here father, share this amongst the residents in the slums, I"m sure they wouldn"t mind moving once they are paid," he suggested with a smile and flicked the two coins into Crowley"s hands. He was aware that money wasn"t the issue, but it would certainly help.
Crowley stared at the two coins for a few moments before sighing deeply and replying, "It is not the matter about the slums I am worried about… you don"t need to worry, those houses will be vacated by the end of the month."
Crowley paused as he looked up at the ceiling, "it"s limbo kingdom… their demands are getting more and more outrageous. I"m afraid that even with your presence, our kingdom will be gobbled up by the end of the year."
Caesar knew of his father"s worries and sat in a nearby chair, "when is their "wedding" starting? I"ll solve the issue." he said soothingly, to which Crowley put up the number four, which signified four weeks from now.
Caesar nodded his head and stood up from the chair, "I"ll take care of it father… I will leave the kingdom in three weeks from now and talk to this Limbo kingdom. If I can"t solve the issue, then we can only pray that their military strength is sub-par."
As Caesar spoke to here, he once again stood up from his chair and headed for the dining room exit. He was rather exhausted and once he reached his bed, he immediately fell asleep. The next few days would be hectic, especially since he now has a time limit.