lerbook Vol 2. Chapter 16: Blooming~
Vol 2. Chapter 16: Blooming~
Originally, after sensing that Limo had recovered, Yumo had actually been quite happy. She had even planned to temporarily let bygones be bygones and not settle accounts over what that troublesome girl had done earlier. They would just have a nice meal together as a family and enjoy some warm, peaceful time.
And then...
That brat had smashed straight through the window?!
Did she not know how to use a door?!
Not using the door would've been one thing, but she had smashed the dining table in one go and demolished over half the furniture in the living room too?!
Looking at the hall that had been reduced to complete chaos, Yumo's face darkened instantly. Her brows furrowed tightly, and her crimson eyes overflowed with extremely "kind" intentions.
Thus, Miss Yumo smiled as she dragged Limo by the tail and headed deeper into the wooden house.
—
Inside a sealed and dimly lit room.
Crimson Shadow of Silence Power suddenly rippled.
Red light rapidly converged and condensed, transforming into an imposing summoning formation!
As the formation operated, an overwhelming surge of power erupted from its center! Terrifying pressure spread in all directions! Had it not been for the crimson Shadow of Silence Power protecting the surroundings, the entire little black room would have been torn apart by the energy leaking from the formation!
Along with the outpouring of power, a legendary weapon slowly emerged from the formation!
And this...
Was the legendary anti-child artifact Yumo had painstakingly forged with Soul Spirit Steel and Liyu's feathers!
The "Chicken Feather" Duster!!!
The exclusive divine weapon for disciplining disobedient children!
"Ah! Mother! I-I-I know I was wrong! Please, noooo!!"
The moment she saw the feather duster, Limo's eyes shrank violently!
An expression of utter terror appeared on her face as she desperately struggled!
Unfortunately...
Although Limo was a powerful Demon King-class existence, before Yumo she had always been no different from a child.
Her resistance was meaningless.
After a series of frantic struggles and tail-whipping, little Limo was ultimately forced onto Yumo's snowy-white long legs.
"Mother! I won't dare do it again, sob... sob..."
Knowing escape was hopeless, Limo lay across Yumo's lap and pitifully begged for mercy. A mist had already formed in her crimson eyes, and combined with the wolf girl's naturally cute appearance, she unconsciously evoked feelings of pity.
However...
As adorable as she looked, in Yumo's eyes she was no different from a husky that caused trouble every day.
Actually, in the past, whenever Limo begged so pitifully, Yumo's heart would soften and she would usually go easy on her.
But this time, Yumo was determined to harden her heart.
She was going to teach this naughty, troublesome child a proper lesson!
If she didn't discipline her now...
Yumo had the feeling that sooner or later this child would tear the entire house apart.
Of course, one couldn't rely solely on physical punishment.
But physical punishment was also indispensable!
Thinking this, Yumo forcefully suppressed her softheartedness and put on a cold, even somewhat terrifying expression.
Afterward, enveloped by black mist, she immediately lifted Limo's little skirt and without another word removed her underwear. In an instant, the wolf girl's fair little butt was completely exposed beneath the overwhelming pressure of the feather duster. Seeing this, Limo's tearful pleas became even more intense.
Though her heart ached slightly, Yumo still steeled herself. Raising her hand, she pulled from the summoning formation the supreme divine weapon that even eighth-tier existences would tremble before!
"Pia!!~~"
Accompanied by exploding red light and crisp "papa~" sounds, the feather duster mercilessly greeted Limo's tender little butt.
"Ahhhhhhh, wuuuuaaahhhhh!!!..."
In an instant, the wolf girl's mournful cries echoed throughout the little black room.
Although the room possessed excellent soundproofing, her voice still reached the outside world.
High in the air, little Liyu, who had been praying for Limo's safety, couldn't help trembling all over after hearing her sister's miserable screams.
The little girl quietly reached behind herself and rubbed her own faintly aching backside.
'Good luck, Sis...'
—
While Limo was crying pitifully, the people of the Snow Night Empire were immersed in fear, grief, hatred, and countless other negative emotions.
At this moment.
Within Sky Dome, the capital of the Snow Night Empire.
At the city gates.
Under the watchful eyes of countless citizens and numerous nobles holding their breath, the massive gates slowly opened.
A funeral procession numbering several thousand people slowly entered the imperial capital. Black mourning banners and royal flags fluttered at the front of the procession. Clearly, those being buried were not only soldiers who had fallen on the frontlines during the Abyss Demon invasion, but also a member of the royal family.
Several days ago, a series of horrifying pieces of news had spread throughout the entire Snow Night Empire like a plague.
The simultaneous assault by tens of thousands of Abyss Demons.
The appearance of Snow Devourer.
The birth of a new Demon King-class Blood Butterfly.
The deaths of the Royal Grand Archmage and Third Prince Bernard...
Every piece of news had shocked and terrified the populace.
The Abyss Demons had not launched a large-scale invasion in hundreds of years.
Was this attack merely accidental?
Or had the peace that lasted centuries finally come to an end?
People couldn't help feeling anxious.
And now, after witnessing the funeral procession, that unease was once again stirred.
"I heard the Third Prince died in the Nivier Mountains! Along with Zack!"
"The Nivier Mountains? That's still far from the northern border! How did they die there?!"
"Who knows? Apparently, the Blood Butterfly skipped over the northern defenders and attacked the Nivier Mountains directly."
"H-how is that possible? T-then... could that monster attack the imperial capital someday?!"
"Who knows? If even members of the royal family and the Grand Archmage were killed so easily, if the Blood Butterfly really comes here, common folk like us are doomed..."
...
...
As unease spread rapidly, whispers arose continuously among the crowd.
Seeing this, on a platform in the distance, the vice-captain of the Royal Knights responsible for maintaining order, Kabarona, couldn't help grasping the sword at his waist.
"These noisy fools! Don't they know royal funerals are supposed to be silent?!"
However.
Just as Kabarona was about to explode with battle aura and silence the crowd, a woman's voice tinged with sorrow yet filled with authority entered his ears and stopped him.
"Leave them be. Let them speak. Without a body, this can hardly be called a royal funeral."
?!
"Y-Yes, Your Highness."
Upon hearing those words, Kabarona immediately withdrew his battle aura and anger and respectfully looked toward the woman seated behind him upon the main platform.
The host of this funeral.
Princess Fengling-Valedin of the Snow Night Empire.
As the Fourth Princess of the Snow Night Empire and the Emperor's beloved daughter...
The most beautiful angel of the Empire.
Fengling-Valedin naturally possessed beauty capable of toppling nations.
Her silky golden hair fluttered in the wind.
Long delicate eyebrows.
A pair of sapphire-blue eyes shining like stars and moons.
An elegant nose.
Rosy cheeks and cherry-red lips.
Enough to evoke pity and admiration from anyone.
At this moment, however, the beautiful princess was not dressed in her usual luxurious golden attire.
Instead, she wore black mourning garments.
A solemn floor-length black dress.
Black silk tightly embraced her body from the sleeves and waist all the way up to her chest, leaving not an inch of skin exposed. Only at the upper chest did it reveal a hint of creamy white softness beneath, perfectly accentuating Fengling's exquisite curves and especially her slender willow-like waist.
Her beauty was akin to that of a heavenly goddess.
Unfortunately, the bright and spirited blue eyes she once possessed no longer displayed nobility, elegance, kindness, and compassion.
Instead, they contained a desolation so profound that ordinary weeping could no longer express it.
There was no doubt.
Fengling was currently engulfed in extreme grief.
After stopping Kabarona, the beautiful princess sorrowfully looked toward the enormous coffin in the distance.
And while grieving, her blue eyes gradually narrowed.
A grave light emerged within them.
Though she knew her half-brother Bernard had never been particularly reliable, she simply refused to believe that he would die so easily beneath the Blood Butterfly's attack.
Recalling the bloodstains she had discovered earlier in the imperial garden...
A trace of hatred surfaced in Fengling's eyes.
And a bold conjecture slowly formed in her mind.
'Xue Tianao...'