Shian shot a blank stare at the person waiting inside his palace, a short, annoying potato of a boy with shining golden eyes. What was this brat doing here?
"I came to deliver this to you, big brother," the boy said brightly, rising from the sofa in the meeting room with a wicker basket in his hands. Shian raised an eyebrow. Why was this little punk being so nice?
His palace wasn't lit with grand crystal chandeliers, not that it had any to begin with. The real Shian had apparently preferred natural light, so all the tall windows stood open, letting in a warm breeze that stirred the curtains and ruffled their hair.
"What's that?" Shian asked with a deadpan expression. It hadn't even been an hour since they saw each other back at the queen's palace. He'd just returned after a damn long walk, and now this tiny gremlin was already here, invading his space.
Nova's eyes sparkled as he heard Shian speak. His smile widened, almost blinding in its enthusiasm. "This is my new recipe! I made them with honey and lemon. Big brother likes those, right?"
Right. Like Shian would know. Faceless had no clue about the real Shian's food preferences.
Nova ran up to him with the basket held up proudly. "Try one, big brother!"
Shian eyed both the boy and the cookies suspiciously. He wasn't sure whether to be touched or terrified. This potato wasn't even a full-grown human. Was it safe to eat anything he made? What if he died from poisoning?
Just then, Klein appeared out of nowhere like an overly excited puppy. "Ooooh, you made honey lemon cookies, Prince Nova?" he chimed, visibly delighted.
Nova beamed. "Yeah, Klein!"
That was all the confirmation Shian needed to understand who was behind this situation.
He turned to Klein, smiling with thinly veiled annoyance. "Hey, Klein. Let's have a talk after this, shall we?"
Poor Klein visibly shivered.
Sighing in resignation, Shian took one of the golden-colored cookies from the basket. He glanced at Nova, then at the cookie again. With a deep breath, almost like a man facing his death, he finally took a bite.
"Oh," he said after the first taste. "I thought it was going to be horrible."
"My prince!" Klein cried in dismay as Nova's expression fell and crushed.
"But it's actually good," Shian added quickly.
"Say that first!" Klein muttered, already on the verge of tears.
Shian walked toward the sofa and flopped onto it with a sigh. "It's good," he admitted, chewing lazily. "Are you sure you made this yourself?"
Nova nodded with a proud smile. "I made them myself."
Shian didn't quite understand why this little potato looked so ridiculously happy over cookies, but Klein did.
He knew that Prince Nova had been trying for years to get even a glance from Shian, the same way Prince Shian used to long for the Queen's attention. But no matter how many times Nova tried, Shian never once acknowledged him. Forget speaking, Shian often isolated himself completely from the younger prince.
So, Klein was happy to see this small moment happen. The prince was finally opening up to someone. But at the same time, Klein couldn't stop worrying. How did this change happen overnight? He had made sure the prince wasn't possessed or cursed, but still, his entire personality had flipped, like day and night. Was that even possible?
"So," Shian finally asked, grabbing another cookie from the basket Nova had placed in front of him, "you came all the way here just to bring these?"
Nova straightened up. "That was my main reason... but if Big Brother's okay with it, may I ask for some advice?"
Shian raised an eyebrow. Advice? If Nova wanted guidance, wouldn't Hayes or Ivor be the better choice?
"What kind of advice?" he asked.
Nova looked surprised at first, but then his entire face lit up with joy. His eyes sparkled, and he gave Shian the kind of look that screamed, 'Big Brother is giving me advice! I'm so happy!'
Shian's expression turned blank.
"Have a seat, Prince Nova," Klein interjected smoothly, stepping in to mediate the moment. He picked up the cookie basket from the table.
Shian blinked and caught the cookie basket. "What are you doing with my cookies?"
"I'll ask the maids to prepare something proper for the two of you," Klein said, calmly prying the cookie basket out of Shian's hand.
"Let it go, my prince. Only two cookies are allowed per day!" Klein declared with a stubborn grunt.
Shian stared in disbelief. What was wrong with the people in his palace?
"Freya," Klein called out to the maid waiting by the door, "take this and follow me to the kitchen."
Just like that, Klein and Freya disappeared into the halls with the cookies. Shian leaned back with a deep sigh of annoyance.
That damn crybaby potato.
"So, what kind of advice do you need from me?" Shian asked, eyes fixed on the ceiling in mild irritation. "If it's anything about cooking, forget it. I don't want to die from my own food."
Nova sat properly across from him. His posture was straight like a textbook prince. "Actually, it's not for me, Big Brother," he said softly. "It's for Brother Cyrus."
Shian blinked and tilted his head to look at him. "Cyrus?" he repeated in surprise.
Nova nodded. "As far as I know, Brother Cyrus doesn't really ask anyone for advice. Not because he's prideful or anything... He just doesn't want to bother the other princes."
Shian's eyebrow twitched. So, it's fine to bother me instead?
"Just get to the point already," Shian snapped, voice edged with annoyance. "What kind of advice are you looking for?"
He was getting more irritated by the minute. Couldn't anyone let him have a moment's peace? He literally died yesterday. He hadn't even been in this body for a full day yet, and already people were knocking on his door, asking for favors. Just give me a break, dammit!
"Big Brother?" Nova's voice came again, cautious.
"What now?" Shian grumbled.
"Have you ever heard of the Executioner?"