Chapter 62: 62 – Strategy And Preparations

"I have a feeling that Head Sage Yue has his eyes on Azar," Mana muttered.

Raven, who had cheered up after the double milkshake treat, became morose again. Mana felt guilty, but unfortunately, there was no other way but to discuss this before they actually went to meet the man in the evening.

"I'll try to put him off as much as I can," Raven said. "I don't want him to meet either you or Azar." Deep down, Raven feared the Moon Temple immensely. With just a word, they had ruined his life, branding him as a 'cursed child'. If he hadn't met Jules and then Mana…his miserable existence would have dragged on as usual, probably until he died or lost his mind, whichever came earlier.

Mana poked him in the middle of his forehead, pulling him from his gloomy thoughts. "Are you crazy?" she scolded. "There's no way I'm going to let you meet that horrible man by yourself."

"But he's my father…"

Mana huffed angrily. "We're in this together, Raven," she said firmly. "Besides, that man may have provided half of your genetic material, but for all factual purposes, my Papa is your Papa, all right?"

Raven couldn't disagree with that. King Jaren was, in every way that mattered, the one who was the real father to him.

"There's probably more to this bloodstone than what my grandmother told me," Raven murmured. "Head Sage Yue must know something, and that's why he's so interested in you. Maybe he thinks that it was the power of the bloodstone that brought Azar to us…"

"He may be half-right," Mana said. "I think it was the ancient master's opal as much as the bloodstone." She patted Raven's hand absently. "It is uncanny if we think about it, how coincidentally we found each other and then everything just fell into place and it was one thing after another and the whole chain of events finally led us to our little Azar."

Raven patted the little dragon. "This little one really is the treasure of several lifetimes," he murmured.

Azar nuzzled his Daddy and Mommy affectionately. His eyes were droopy and his belly was round after feasting on milkshake and cookies.

"So the two of us will go and meet Head Sage Yue first, and Papa will look after Azar," Mana said. "After that, we'll have dinner with Crown Princess Pica."

Raven nodded. "Are you sure you want to accompany me…?" he asked again. "It won't be very pleasant, I'm afraid."

Mana swung an arm around his shoulder. "Don't fuss, my dear fiancé," she whispered in his ear.

Raven flushed scarlet.

"Do you think it's good time to give the brooches we made to both your parents?" Mana asked. "I think we should. I noticed that they were both eyeing Papa's brooch…they must have learnt that we made them for Papa and Queen Carolina. They'll have something to show off when they return…and we'll have our information channel opened up."

Mana's devious smile made Raven giggle. He suddenly felt invincible. As long as he had this girl with him, holding up the sky with her small hands…was there anything that he wouldn't dare to face? Even if his biological parents were terrifying monsters in his psyche…with Mana by his side, he wouldn't back down today. Mana, Azar, King Jaren, Jules and the others…this was his new family. These were the people who had picked him up and nurtured him and loved him unconditionally, who made him realise that he wasn't a cursed child or a calamity, who gave him the strength to believe in himself. If he still cowered in fear in front of Head Sage Yue and Crown Princess Pica…wasn't he letting them down horribly?

Thus motivated, Raven sat up straighter and began to discuss strategies to handle his parents with Mana.

Mana was quite satisfied with her little fiancé's attitude.

King Jaren came by shortly after lunch, looking exhausted and exasperated.

"Head Sage Yue wants to meet Raven in a restaurant," he grumbled. "And Crown Princess Pica also wants to meet you two for dinner in another restaurant."

"Which ones?" Mana asked.

"Head Sage Yue has chosen Rose Pavilion – apparently one of his merchant devotees highly recommended it for a private conversation," King Jaren said.

Mana giggled. Rose Pavilion was exactly the restaurant she had sent Fox and Vanilla to, earlier today. Her restaurant, the one made especially for couples! She wondered what Head Sage Yue's reaction would be when he realised that he had chosen a romantic restaurant to meet his estranged son!

Mana's mischievous expression made King Jaren smile fondly. "You little brat," he murmured. "You're going with Raven, aren't you?"

"Of course," Mana said.

King Jaren nodded approvingly. He was afraid Raven would somehow talk Mana out of it, and he knew that Raven may get bullied by those two shameful parents if Mana didn't accompany him. With Mana around, he could rest assured. Now that she had recovered, his little Mana could gain the upper hand over absolutely anyone.

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"Head Sage Yue's choice of restaurant is rather unfortunate, though," he murmured. "I did try to talk him out of it, but he insisted."

"Look at it this way, Papa," Mana said cheekily. "He'll actually owe us a favour this way. First, you tried to stop him, and then I'm accompanying Raven. If I didn't, wouldn't Head Sage Yue be called an incestuous pederast by rumourmongers…?"

King Jaren was stunned. "What on earth have you been reading?" he thundered. "You're ten years old! You're not allowed to read about or use such filthy language!"

Mana was taken aback. She did occasionally forget that this body was only ten. She looked at Raven, whose eyes had widened in horror, and Azar, who was thankfully asleep and hadn't heard anything.

"Sorry," Mana murmured.

King Jaren sighed and patted her hair. "Sometimes I forget that you have memories of another lifetime as well…" he whispered. "But Mana…I just want my little ones to be innocent and carefree children as long as possible…"

"Yes, Papa," Mana said obediently.

"Crown Princess Pica wants to meet you at the Phoenix Restaurant," King Jaren said. "At least she has enough sense to choose the most expensive restaurant in town and line my pockets!" He smiled at the two children. "Make sure you two get her to order everything expensive on the menu and earn some money for your old Papa, all right?"

Mana and Raven both giggled this time. "Yes, Papa!"

"Head Sage Yue also heavily hinted that he wanted to meet Azar," King Jaren said. "And Crown Princess Pica categorically said that she didn't…although, I think she did that just to annoy him." He sighed. "However, I don't like the way Head Sage Yue looks at our little Azar."

"Neither do we," Raven said. "We thought it would be best if you kept Azar with you while we went out."

King Jaren was quite relieved to have such sensible kids. Raven was mild-tempered but extremely clever and very protective of Mana, and Mana was fierce enough to browbeat pretty much anyone, and they wouldn't really be in danger with his imperial shadow guards accompanying them in secret. But his little grandbaby Azar – even though the most magically powerful, was still an innocent baby just a few months old. He wouldn't let this precious grandchild face hostile or malicious people if he could help it!

"All right, then, off you go!" King Jaren said. "Get dressed properly. A carriage is waiting to take you."

Mana blinked innocently at King Jaren. "Papa…this is my room, you know?" she said mildly.

King Jaren looked around in surprise for a moment and then burst out laughing. "Ah, sorry, little Mana," he said cheerfully. He picked up the sleeping Azar and cuddled him against his broad chest.

Azar opened one eye sleepily. "Grandpapa?" he asked.

King Jaren kissed the top of the little dragon's head. "Yes, little one?"

"Want to eat peaches," Azar mumbled.

King Jaren chuckled. The late Queen Dora's favourite peach tree had finally borne fruit, thanks to the spring water recommended by Azar. And they'd become Azar's favourite fruits very soon.

Well, who was King Jaren to say no when his adorable grandson asked for something?

Thus, King Jaren wished Raven and Mana luck and went off into his private garden with his dragon grandson to eat peaches.

"Azar is becoming such a glutton," Mana complained half-heartedly.

Raven chuckled. "Let him eat what he wants. I promise I won't ever let you or any of our children be short of money," he said. The communication device had made all five of them a really rich bunch of kids.

Mana raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you get that from? Have you been reading the romance novels that Fox secretly bought to get ideas on how to propose to Vanilla?" she demanded.

Raven flushed. "I mean it," he said softly.

Mana's heart softened.. "I know," she said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

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