Chapter 43

**CHAPTER TITLE: The Precious Body's Royal Past**

In the grand temple of the sand kingdom, stacked high against the sky, the sun god's blessing shone with radiant splendor. The obelisk stretching toward the heavens gleamed in its divine glow, while the sun palace, covered in gold and adorned with every kind of precious jewel, shimmered in luxurious elegance. In the king's bedroom, every detail spoke of power and splendor.

Arkin raised his eyes and met Nefetia's gaze. Beneath the almond tree's shade, Nefetia's black hair fluttered in the gentle breeze, her cheerful voice bubbling with energy.

He had slept too little, and his mind felt strangely off. It had crossed his mind yesterday, oddly enough, that Nefetia looked like a little squirrel.

With her enormous golden eyes, fluffy black-and-brown fur... a cute, adorable squirrel.

Right now, that squirrel was chattering away with words he couldn't quite make out, her voice breaking into fragments and dissolving in the air.

So, let's think about it carefully, step by step.

Arkin calmly began to mull over the information from the former Kepet royal line. Nefetia had no personal companion, yet she had sixteen concubines? Sixteen? Even six was too many—what in the world was sixteen?

Sixteen men taking turns entering her chambers just to produce an heir? That girl...

Arkin swept his flushed face repeatedly with his hand. Everyone seemed to be losing their minds. Hearing something like that and just brushing it off?

Was that even allowed? Was he the only one thinking this was a problem? Was this even sensible? Was everything fine?

Arkin looked around with an agitated face. It couldn't be just him who heard the serious content. Everyone else had their chins on their hands, pretending not to be shocked.

Why were they all sitting there quietly? When others were gossiping, they couldn't even start an argument?

Arkin suddenly closed his eyes and noticed Seneca dozing off, along with Elio. Even Draconis was sitting there motionless, snoring away without a single word of complaint.

Tch, the weaklings are all sleeping now?

Arkin clicked his tongue and turned his attention back to Nefetia. He forced himself to calm his racing heart and listen carefully. Now she was calmly explaining her mother's absolute position.

"The king of Kepet is not just a ruler," Nefetia said. "He is the mediator who connects the heavens and the people. There is no fault in anything we do."

"Whoa."

Petra clicked her tongue in astonishment. Among them, only Petra, Arkin, Serena, and Princess Amalfi—still staring at her nails—seemed to be awake.

Nefetia continued without flinching.

"Our royal women are special. The men merely support us. Among them, the most noble is me, Nefetia Himedin."

Her face glowed with pure pride no matter who said what. Nefetia pressed on.

"The most important part is that I received a special oracle at birth. I was born with the prophecy that I would become a great king and write a new history. So, everyone tells me that I will be the most powerful ruler in Kepet history."

She took a breath, then continued in that proud voice.

"Especially our shrine is built with a special stone that captures the light of the sun god—the Magma Stone. This mysterious stone is a holy material that only Kepet can handle. It was given as a gift of goodwill from the Stonegard Kingdom long ago."

Nefetia smiled gently and looked at Petra with warm, generous eyes, as if addressing a loyal subject.

"As a reward for Stonegard's loyalty and devotion, our Kepet..."

" A gift of goodwill? Loyalty and devotion?"

Petra's voice cut in sharply. She stood up with a start, glaring at Nefetia with narrowed eyes.

"What...?"

"Why?"

The sudden commotion caused everyone to wake up from their drowsiness.

"Hey, Nefetia. What are you talking about?"

Nefetia looked at Petra with confusion. The wind blew between them, tension thick in the air.

"What do you mean?"

"The Magma Stone is never a gift of goodwill. Kepet imposed absurd conditions, pressured us, and stole it. We can't call it a gift like that. Right?"

Petra tugged at the string around her neck and pulled it forward. A smooth contract stone hanging from the thin leather strap sparkled with a red glow.

"Look, this is the Magma Stone. It's a rare mineral resource found only in our territory, Stonegard. Our ancestors forced Kepet into humiliating treaties to obtain it."

"I don't know..."

Nefetia's face flushed with embarrassment, and Petra mocked her.

"Don't know? You think there's no way you wouldn't?"

"..."

"Your mother, Queen Mahati, certainly knows everything. She prattles about receiving the sun god's blessing, but she seems not to know the reality at all."

Petra unleashed a nonstop barrage of attacks. At least it was clear she held deep-seated resentment toward Kepet.

"Nefetia, you seem not to know anything about your homeland, so let me explain it to you myself. Your mother, the king of Kepet, has been hiring mercenaries from all directions to reinforce the defense along the southern border recently. But no one comes to help Kepet. Why?"

"Princess of Stonegard, please refrain from making rude remarks."

Her voice trembled, but Nefetia tried to maintain her dignity.

"Is calling it rude? Well, is speaking the truth rude?"

Petra sneered.

"It seems Queen Mahati has overly protected and raised her daughter, preventing her from facing reality."

"Since I haven't inherited the throne yet..."

"You seem not to know the world at all, pretty princess. Politics should be learned and mastered before sitting on the throne."

Petra coldly retorted to Nefetia.

"Your kingdom, Kepet, is always like that. You live believing only you are right and only you are blessed. So, there's no proper etiquette at all. You think you can do whatever you want, even if it harms others or is rude."

The tension between the two princesses became unbearably tight, as if they were about to grab each other's collars.

"It makes sense that you haven't learned the most important thing in the world—how the world turns—while chatting with sixteen concubines and learning how to argue. I can understand why you have such poor manners."

"What are poor manners?"

Nefetia's eyes wavered.

"Then, shall we call it clean manners? Ever since arriving at Credo Island, you've been touching men and women indiscriminately and acting so shameless... Right, Arkin?"

Suddenly, Petra tossed the ball to him.

Arkin stiffened his face. It was indeed awkward, but he had zero desire to side with Petra right now.

"I... I'm fine. Petra."

Was saying "I'm fine" enough?

Arkin watched the scene with a complicated heart. The Nefetia who had been arrogantly showing off her absolute power now looked vulnerable for the first time.

"Enough!"

Seneca's sharp voice rang through the hall. The chief priest stepped between the two princesses.

"This is the time for each of you to introduce your own kingdom. It is not the place for arguments or accusations."

Seneca scanned Petra and Nefetia with cold eyes.

"Both of you, please sit down. And if this happens again, I will impose sanctions according to the training rules."

As if nothing had occurred, Seneca tried to resume, but the atmosphere had already turned icy.

"Your appearance today is... truly pitiful. It's almost amusing."

Seneca swept his unkempt beard with a indifferent face as he evaluated today's lesson.

"Before dinner, I will impose the punishment for the lateness of Nefetia and Prince Zafiri last time."

"Aw... so much punishment. Just let it go by, you have no flexibility at all."

Zafiri grumbled, but Seneca cut him off firmly.

"Tomorrow's 'humble service' time, you will clean the elephant pen."