The silence in the room held for one long moment.

Then Celestia laughed.

It was small and genuine. She shook her head slightly, and when she looked at Azael again there was something different in her expression. Not warmth exactly. But something closer to it than before.

"Hehe." She glanced sideways at Aeliana. "Sister. Your stepson is something else."

Then her gaze returned to Azael. He was still smiling — calm, unhurried, as though he hadn’t just said what he’d said to the most powerful woman in the room.

"Boy." Her voice carried its usual cool authority, but the edge of it had softened slightly. "Where exactly did you find that much courage? You do know who I am, don’t you?"

"Yes," Azael said simply. "You’re my mother’s elder sister."

He paused for a brief moment.

"And as for the courage — I don’t feel the need to be afraid when my mother is sitting right beside me. Why would I?"

No one spoke.

The quiet that followed wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind that settles when something has been said that deserves a moment.

A smile curved slowly onto Aeliana’s face. Small and quiet, but real.

Celestia looked at her sister for a moment — something thoughtful moving behind those clear blue eyes. Then she asked, her tone measured and genuinely curious.

"Were you always this close with him? From what I knew... it wasn’t like this between you two."

Aeliana held her gaze evenly.

"People change," she said. "Azael is not who he used to be. And yes, we are closer now."

Celestia considered that for a moment. Then she turned her attention back to Azael.

"Lucky you then," she said. "I’ll be direct with you, boy. I am stronger than Aeliana. In a purely technical sense, there is very little she could do if I genuinely decided otherwise." A pause. "But she is my sister. And I would never go against her." The faintest trace of something appeared at the corner of her mouth. "So yes. Good move."

She tilted her head slightly.

"One more thing. Do you actually believe you’re handsome?"

"Of course I am," Azael said, without a single moment of hesitation.

He turned to Arista beside him and looked at her with wide, deliberately pitiful eyes. Like those of puppy.

"Sister. Am I not handsome?"

Arista stared at him for half a second. She couldn’t deny those eyes.

Then she spoke,"Obviously you are. Handsome and cute, actually."

"There you have it," Azael said, turning back.

Lucas, who had been watching the entire exchange with growing fascination, muttered quietly to himself.

"This guy is something else."

Christina glanced at her brother.

"Troublesome is the word I’d use," she said.

Callius, who had been laughing under his breath for the past several minutes, finally let it out properly.

"Young man — do you have any idea how rare what you just did is?" He leaned forward with an amused grin. "There is not a single nobleman in this kingdom with the nerve to compliment her like that. Let alone attempt anything close to flirting." He raised a finger for emphasis. "The last man who tried flirting and I mean the last one, he left the conversation without the full use of his hands and legs. I mean his bones were broken by her."

The color didn’t drain from Azael’s face. But something moved behind his eyes very quickly.

’ She must be completely crazg woman despuet looking calm.’ he thought, with great feeling and absolutely no expression.

But a child ran down his spine.

Celestia’s gaze hadn’t moved from him.

"I’ll give you this much," she said. "You are handsome. I can acknowledge that plainly." She paused, and something shifted in her tone, like a blade being turned over slowly. "And since we’re being honest, if I had truly wanted to have you, boy, the fact that you are Aeliana’s son would not have stopped me. When I want something, very little does."

The room was very quiet.

Azael looked at her.

He knew, in some calm and rational part of his mind, that the correct response was to laugh it off. Bow his head slightly. Say something gracious and retreat from the territory entirely.

That part of his mind was immediately outvoted.

"Then I would have followed willingly, Your Majesty," he said, with complete composure. "Gladly, even. It would be the greatest honor of my life."

Silence.

Complete and total silence.

Even the children weren’t making noise.

Callius had stopped laughing. He was simply staring.

Lucas had his eyes fixed on Azael with the focused expression of someone watching a person walk a very narrow ledge over a very long drop and doing it with a relaxed stroll.

Christina had her hand pressed lightly over her mouth.

Aeliana had her eyes closed. Whether she was composing herself or simply choosing not to watch was unclear.

And Celestia.

Celestia looked at him for a long moment. Those ocean-blue eyes, cool and depthless, read his face with the unhurried patience of someone who was very rarely surprised and was deciding what to make of being surprised now.

Then, before anyone could say anything.

The chamber doors opened.

Two servants entered, moving carefully, carrying trays laden with a full tea and coffee service alongside small plates of arranged food.

The quiet, practiced sounds of porcelain and silver filled the room as they began setting everything on the low table with efficient, silent hands.

Nobody spoke.

The servants, to their credit, appeared to notice nothing unusual about the atmosphere. They moved through the room professionally, setting each piece down with care.

When everything was arranged, Celestia looked away from Azael at last and addressed the room in her usual composed tone, as though the previous few minutes had been entirely ordinary.

"Serve whatever each person prefers. Tea or coffee."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The servants moved through the group quietly, taking requests.

Callius exhaled slowly through his nose and reached forward for his coffee the moment it was placed in front of him. He looked like a man who had decided he had earned it.

Lucas accepted his tea without a word, though his eyes drifted briefly back to Azael with an expression that sat somewhere between disbelief and reluctant respect.

Christina leaned close to her brother again.

"He’s insane," she said under her breath.

"Completely," Lucas agreed.

Arista leaned sideways toward Azael, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I was just trying to compliment her. Who knew she don’t like it," Azael murmured back.

"Hah...next time asked me before trying to compliment or flirt."

Azael accepted his tea from the servant with a calm nod of thanks and settled back against the sofa.

Across the arrangement, Celestia lifted her own cup. Her posture was perfect, her expression composed, the picture of unhurried imperial calm.

But for just a fraction of a second brief enough that anyone not looking directly at her would have missed it entirely, her gaze moved back to Azael.

And the very corner of her mouth curved.

Then it was gone.

She set her cup down and looked around the room with that steady, even gaze that asked nothing and missed nothing.

"Now," she said. "Shall we actually talk?"

They continued to talk for half an hour or maybe more.

Finally Celestia said. "Alright. Now I would like to have talk with Aeliana and Callius in my cabin. Some important talk. You guys are free to do whatever you want." Celestia stood up.

Aeliana nodded and get up.

Both of them walked out of room followed by Callius.

Azael leaned back against sofa. "Finally she’s gone." He said with relaxed tone. Liked that of a person who was walking in dangerous road and finally came to safe zone.

"Oh! So you were actually tense?" Lucas asked from other side.

Azael watched him and nodded. "Of course I was. I thought she would just appreciate my compliment. I never knew she hate it."

"Haha that’s what I thought. You are interesting." Lucas said.

"I think he is idiot." Liana looked into Azael’s direction and chuckled. Her words were in more teasing tone. She was not trying to mock him or anything.

Arista wrapped her one arm around his shoulder. "Brother! Don’t do something like this again. I knwo she’s too beautiful. But still she’s Ice queen! Known for her ruthless nature."

"I understood. I would never do that again."

"It’s alright. Actually it was fun watch such things." Sabrina said while smiling.

"Does big brother like aunt Celestia?" Evan asked curiously. Mira also glaze at Azael with big round eyes

Azael gaze at him. ’This kids!’

"Of course, I like her. Who won’t? She’s such beautiful and nice lady. "

Christina raised her eyes ins surprised.

Lucas just chuckled.

"I think there is really something wrong with this brother. He likes our scary aunt!!" Evan said with shocked.

"Yess! He really have weird choice!! If aunt were to hear this he will be in big trouble."

"Hey kids! Don’t talk like this. Where did you learned this?" Sabrina scolded them.

While Azael just cursed his luck.