In both paths Azriel had walked in his memories, Iryndra had never truly believed he was a prince.
Not that he blamed her. Under those circumstances, almost no one would have.
The truth was that Azriel Crimson was a prince whose face had never graced public eyes. Most people only knew of him through exaggerated rumors.
Azriel Crimson was famous in name but not in face.
He was perhaps the only child among the great clans who could walk unnoticed in a crowd. If, by chance, someone did identify him, awe wouldn't necessarily follow. The swirling rumors about him were too contradictory, too strange. People wouldn't know how to react.
But Iryndra wasn't like most people.
In fact, she didn't seem to care much about Azriel's princely status. While it had taken her time to accept that the "mister" she regarded as family was royalty, her behavior toward him had hardly changed.
Jasmine and Nol, however, had plenty of questions.
In their eyes, Azriel had essentially summoned a little girl in the void realm.
But Azriel wasn't inclined to explain everything piece by piece. Instead, he promised to answer all their questions once they returned to the Crimson estate.
Reluctantly, they agreed. They understood this wasn't something they could push him on.
For now, the four of them remained in the same room, a strange atmosphere settling between them.
It wasn't hard to tell.
Both Nol and Azriel were looking at Jasmine with wry smiles as she clung to Iryndra like a child clutching a treasured doll.
"She's... she's so cute! How could you hide such a cute creature from me all this time, Azriel?"
Jasmine gushed, hugging Iryndra so tightly that the latter squirmed, trying in vain to free herself.
After an entire minute of struggling, Iryndra gave up, her small frame wilting in Jasmine's arms.
Azriel looked at her with a mixture of pity and understanding.
Iryndra met his gaze, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her flushed face pleading for salvation.
Azriel winced as if struck by an arrow to the heart. The sheer adorableness of her expression nearly undid him. But before he could intervene, Jasmine turned her attention to him, her crimson eyes sparkling like stars.
"Azriel, we're keeping her, right?!"
Her enthusiasm was palpable, but Azriel met her gaze with a deadpan expression. Iryndra's face somehow turned an even deeper shade of red, practically steaming now.
With a long sigh, Azriel spoke.
"She isn't a pet, dear sister. But… I was planning to take care of her anyway. Even if you, Mom, or Dad weren't on board, it wouldn't matter. Whether anyone agrees or not, she's my little sister now. And if anyone dares to go against that... I won't spare them."
Iryndra's golden eyes widened, her lips trembling.
Iryndra looked at Azriel, more tears forming in her eyes. Jasmine's face, however, turned stern.
It was clear she had heard Azriel declare that Iryndra was now a princess. Though she didn't know the full story between the two, Azriel's words only confirmed her suspicions. Her voice dropped, gaining a more serious tone.
"What nonsense are you saying?"
The air between them grew heavy, tension radiating through the room. Nol and Iryndra glanced nervously between Azriel and Jasmine, their unease growing.
Both siblings locked eyes, their expressions turned cold and unreadable.
Nol had never seen them before. It was as if the prince and princess of the Crimson Clan were about to clash.
But Azriel didn't have a chance to respond before Jasmine continued.
"Why would I—or Mom and Dad—ever turn this adorable child away? You want to take care of her? Good. So do I. We're going to properly adopt her into the Crimson Clan."
Her declaration left everyone stunned. All eyes turned to Jasmine, their shock unmistakable. She didn't waver, instead directing a warm, affectionate gaze at Iryndra.
"I don't know what happened between you and my little brother to make him say those words... but you must be extraordinary. I may not share the same experiences you two have, but if you're okay with it... would it be alright if I called you my little sister as well?"
Tears streaked down Iryndra's face once again. Without a word, she buried her face in Jasmine's chest, letting out a muffled sound.
The three of them smiled as Jasmine hugged Iryndra even tighter, almost squeezing the life out of her.
Barely able to move, Iryndra shifted her head slightly to look at Azriel, her eyes pleading once more.
Seeing her call for his help again, Azriel's lips curved into a mischievous smile. He crossed his arms, watching her squirm in Jasmine's embrace.
"Since the future crimson queen has spoken, shouldn't you address me as 'big brother' and Jasmine as 'big sister'?"
Iryndra's golden eyes went wide as Jasmine's gaze sparkled with excitement.
Caught between the two of them, Iryndra panicked, looking back and forth before finally lowering her head. Her shoulders trembled, and in a voice barely above a whisper, she said:
"B-Big Brother... Big S-Sister."
"Kyaa! Cute! Too cute!"
Jasmine squealed, clutching Iryndra even tighter, treating her like a precious plush toy.
He turned his face away, pretending to focus on the wall.
Nol noticed immediately. His eyes widened as he pointed an accusing finger.
"Master... are you blushing?"
Silence blanketed the room as all eyes shifted to Azriel.
Jasmine's grin widened. She covered her mouth with one hand, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Little brother, are you embarrassed?"
Azriel shot her a dry look.
"Master, your ears are red."
Suddenly, Iryndra vanished from Jasmine's arms, startling her. The next moment, she reappeared beside Azriel, clutching his pants as she tried to catch her breath.
"Azriel... does she have—!?"
Jasmine blinked in disbelief.
Before he could continue, a voice interrupted.
"She has a [Space] affinity? You finally wake up from your coma, and now a little girl with a rare affinity appears out of nowhere? Can you do anything normally for once?"
Everyone's heads snapped toward the door, where Joaquin stood, leaning casually against the frame.
He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, his gaze landing on Azriel.
"If the next time I leave and come back you have a titan sending you love letters, I won't even be surprised."
Azriel's lips twitched at the remark, while Iryndra gripped his pants tighter, peering cautiously at Joaquin from behind him.
Azriel glanced down at her, his amusement evident.
'Where is that fearless attitude she showed back in the underground colosseum?'
It felt like he was looking at two entirely different people.
"Where the hell have you been?" Jasmine demanded coldly, her glare sharp enough to cut.
Nol, meanwhile, casually materialized a wooden chair and sat down, watching the scene unfold like it was a play.
Joaquin smiled at Jasmine's question.
"The void creatures are finally starting to act as expected. This island doesn't have many high-ranking ones, but other islands... let's just say some have already been wiped out."
Despite his ominous words, there wasn't a single scratch on him, as though he hadn't been in a fight at all.
Then Joaquin's gaze shifted to Iryndra.
"And who might this little girl be?"
Azriel didn't hesitate. His voice was steady as he replied,
"She's mine and Jasmine's little sister."
Joaquin blinked, looking between Azriel, Jasmine, and Iryndra in turn.
He repeated the motion several times, his expression growing more incredulous with each glance. Finally, he stared at his own hand, then back at Iryndra, and let out a hollow laugh.
"One of those bastards must have gotten to me. I must be trapped in some kind of nightmare. There's no way I'd cheat on Aeli... no way."
Everyone turned to Azriel, whose entire body trembled as he struggled to hold back his laughter.
Joaquin's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You... do you understand who you're laughing at?"
Taking a step toward his son, Joaquin froze as Iryndra suddenly appeared in front of Azriel.
Her expression had gone blank, her eyes cold as she stared at Joaquin.
Jasmine, Nol, and Azriel's eyes widened in unison. Iryndra wasn't just standing there—she was shielding Azriel.
"Don't move forward."
The air around them shifted. The mana in the room rippled, as if bending to her will. Jasmine and Nol exchanged alarmed glances, while Azriel stood frozen, his thoughts racing.
Something had changed. Iryndra had done something, though most of them could comprehend what it was.
'Did she just use [Imperial Will]?'
Joaquin narrowed his eyes, his steps halting as he observed her. Then, he smiled. No—he grinned. Wickedly.
"Little girl, you're gifted. And bold—bold enough to stand before me with the intent to kill."
Iryndra didn't flinch. If anything, her presence grew colder. Azriel felt the air around her shift once again. Her demeanor reminded him of the first time he'd seen her.
For some reason, Azriel's heart was thumping slightly louder, but not out of nervousness.
Nol also placed his hand against his chest, confused, as he mumbled,
It was as if their emotions were being affected.
"Someone like you does not scare me," she said evenly. "I've faced worse." Her gaze sharpened, accusatory. "You looked at him with the intent to harm."
Joaquin scoffed, his smile tightening.
"Clearly, you've faced many things, but..." His eyes narrowed, his tone darkening. "Are you sure you can afford to stand in the way of someone like me?"
Azriel sighed inwardly, resisting the urge to facepalm as he watched the tension build.
'I should stop this, shouldn't I...?'
Clearly, the two of them were forming a misunderstanding. Since Joaquin had just arrived, missing out on some important parts, and... it seemed that Iryndra somehow had no clue who Joaquin was.
But... but this was too much fun.
Iryndra clenched her small fists, her knuckles turning white.
"Are you sure you can afford to stand in the way of a Heptarch?"