"Pffft, you start to look like a little piggy~!" Isha ughed without holding her voice back as they sat in a restaurant, pointing her finger at Ren, whose face became swollen where she took the hit.

  "Ugh… an unexpected development," Ren murmured, rubbing her now craggy face with a little bit of annoyance in her voice.

  "Well, Master, you did take the hit pretty well. You didn't even flinch." Zern praised, trying to ease her bad mood.

  "Still, you should've dodged. That is your way of fighting, not taking it head-on." Leinor sighed, sitting next to her, as he gently pressed an ice bag to her chin.

  "Uuu… true, but his eyes pissed me off! He looked at me like a little girl!" She pouted, only to see Isha's finger point at her nose.

  "You ARE a little girl," She added, gulping down her wine while Zern quietly ate his steak, not wanting to get involved.

  "I am already an adult!" Ren procimed, looking provocatively at Isha. "So no, I am not!"

  "Like hell you are!" Isha snorted, challenging her.

  "I have had it since the start of this year! I do!" Ren countered her compint, which... was not the best idea.

  "Pfft!" Isha sprayed wine from her nostrils right onto Ren, drenching her completely, straight out of the blue.

  "Yuck! Don't do that! It's filled with gooey stuff!" Ren cried out, grabbing the table sheet, hurriedly wiping her face off with it while Leinor ughed silently, trying to help her clean up, unable to stop giggling.

  "Easy, easy, let me help," he whispered to her, picking Ren up and letting her sit in his p while he cleaned her face and started to feed her with small bites from his pte. "Chew on the other side of your face, I'll hold the ice to it..."

  "Gross... You two make me sick..." Isha moaned as she watched the two, making faces at them.

  "Hah, jealous?" Ren snorted, rolling her eyes while chewing on a juicy piece of meat.

  "Not really. Of course, your boytoy wags his tail for you! It's not surprising." She snorted as she ordered another jug of wine, unable to stop herself from arguing with Ren.

  "J-e-a-l-o-u-s~!" Ren moaned, stretching in Leinor's p, enjoying herself to the fullest. "Who is the little girl, then, huh?"

  "You… you!" Isha fumed, and soon, surprising them, tears welled in her eyes. "Fuck you! I AM jealous! When I was the same age as you, I sold my body just to get dried-up bread in exchange! So... FUCK YOU! BOTH OF YOU!"

  "Sshh… It's okay…." Ren, without warning, stood up and climbed over the table, nding next to her, hugging Isha and snuggling up to her. "Sssh... It's alright, I was just teasing you..."

  "Hey, let… let me go!" she struggled, almost crying, but Ren had enough strength to hold her down.

  "Ssh, it's okay. I'm sorry I made fun of you," she whispered, her voice being honest and kind, so much so that it surprised Isha, even in her somewhat drunken state.

  "S-stop… that… you are… grossing me… out..." She sniffed as she worked back her tears, finally feeling Ren's fingers releasing her.

  "Ahaha, am I? Weren't you ughing at me because of how I look now?"

  "Fuck you…" she murmured, wiping her tears before reaching towards the wine jug again.

  "I'm… sorry," Leinor added, making Isha's hand stop for a moment before her fingers wrapped around the bottle and pulled it to her mouth.

  "Stop. Just stop." She swung it, taking a big gulp, "I just lost my cool for a moment." She sighed, shaking her head as if she had just gotten out of the shower, taking a deep breath before picking Ren off her neck and throwing her back onto Leinor's p like she was a doll. "None of you is at fault for it. Life is unfair... That's it. Some had to be born into wealth, some into poverty, and some even died before seeing the sunlight. It's my job to bring the most out of what I have been dealt."

  "You're a strong one. I like you!" Ren raised her thumb at her.

  "Hmf. Who cares about that?" She rolled her eyes, yet still blushed. "Anyway, I'm going. Thanks for dinner. Meet you all tomorrow and be ready, I'll whack any one of you if we meet!" she yelled at them, smming her now-empty bottle on the table, almost shattering it.

  "Let me escort you back." Zern stood up at once, seeing her wobbly steps.

  "Like I need that!" she rolled her eyes, but still, after Zern got up, she did not refuse his hand while walking out of the restaurant.

  "She should hook up with Zern if Boursat only looks at her like a daughter," Ren murmured, looking after them, right until they disappeared.

  "Why do you hate Zern so much?" Leinor chuckled, making her lean back, giggling.

  "Ahaha, don't say that. I think they would look good together! She is a fiery one, and Zern's a little too stiff. Maybe some iron working on him would help him soften up."

  "Why is your mouth so dirty?"

  "Huh?" Ren blinked her eyes, leaning back against his chest, "I'm not the dirty one here~!" She smiled with a tinge of excitement and grabbed the wine bottle.

  "Ren. We shouldn't." Leinor cut in immediately, watching as she brought it to her lips.

  "Come on, just a little sip~!" she giggled cheekily as she slurped on it, only to vince, "Ouch, it stings! Oooo... the inside of my mouth!"

  "Silly, you got smacked, of course it stings!" he patted her head gently. "We should go home."

  "Don't you want a sip? It's tasty!" Ren asked, ignoring him, holding up the bottle, right where it touched her lips.

  "We shouldn't even taste it yet. So no."

  "Aww… come on~!" she giggled, and took another sip. Before Leinor could argue... she just turned around, kissing Leinor on the lips.

  The sudden attack completely froze his entire body like an electric shock buzzing through every fiber of his being. Ren's soft, small lips slowly pressed on his while the little sip of wine she had in her mouth flowed through as she made him drink it. There was no escape as Ren wrapped her hands around his neck and looked into his eyes with a sly, provocative gaze, forcing him to drink it. Of course, Leinor soon recovered his mind and held her waist with utter confidence, returning the kiss, forgetting himself in it as he tasted the sweet, sweet aroma of her whole being. When their lips finally separated, Ren just giggled, watching him with a happy expression.

  "Was it yummy~?"

  "Mmm." Leinor nodded, still dazed.

  "And the wine?"

  "That too," came another slight nod as he gently held her face, closing in again.

  "I think that was enough," Interrupted a voice from straight to their left, and when they looked, Anya was standing there with a way-too-calm expression.

  "Ah!" both of them excimed at the same time, looking a bit lost on what to really say...

  "I was looking for you, Young Lady." She continued, "If I remember correctly, you are still under house arrest by yours truly." Anya's eyes traveled to her daughter's face. "Why aren't you back home, hm?"

  "Ugh… Mom… I can expin!"

  "I'm listening."

  "We had a big fight in the first round and-"

  "And you should have come home after that, resting for tomorrow. It seems like you two forgot yourself." Anya finished it for her.

  "It's my fault, Lady Anya, I-"

  "Silence, boy." She snapped at Leinor, making the Prince shrink his neck back to his torso, "You are only engaged, not married yet." Anya continued, looking at his hands, which still held Ren's waist.

  Realizing the fact, Leinor immediately let go of her as Ren hopped out of his p, fiddling with the edge of her clothes.

  "Let's go," Anya commanded.

  "Tomorrow, LeiLei~!" Ren smiled before going after his mother.

  He could do nothing but watch her leave as he touched his lips and soon trembled all over, leaning back in his chair and releasing a satisfied, happy smile that remained on his face... Even when he fell asleep in his still-empty room back at the pace.

  …….…..

  "We need to keep an eye on her more closely."

  "Yes, My Lady. It was my fault." Hal bowed, lowering his head as far as he could, standing before Anya.

  "No, Hal. It wasn't." She smiled, lying on the sofa in the main living room, watching the fme in the firepce with a half-empty wine gss in her hand while the moonlight peered through the windows. "She is just like me. Ahahaha, I don't bme her, I was the same... Anyway, she has grown up quickly over the past few years, and they may get married. However, until then, we don't need a scandal, so keep a close eye on her to prevent any foolish actions. Let them develop their love over the next four or five years before getting married. After that, they can do what they want. Haaah... Still... I'm afraid I'll need to wait a long time to have grandchildren."

  "My Lady, it's-"

  "Hal. You also know that XenXen and I tried many times before it finally happened. The stronger you are, the harder it is to bear a child. Also, I'm afraid she ruined her body, which is our fault... She will face more obstacles than I did."

  "No, it's not your fault, don't say that, My Lady," Hal added at once, shaking his head.

  "It is. We are her parents. We should have done something... In the past two years, her growth has been stunted... Thank god she had her first period, or I would have freaked out by now!" she moaned, shaking her head while emptying her gss. "But her height, body, everything is... developing too slowly. She should have gained at least a few centimeters in the past two years, no? She started refining her body too early, and now she is at a level where she is almost done with it. We look young because we reach the fifth and sixth levels around the age we are now... She? She will probably always look like... that. What future is that?" Anya moaned, frustrated, holding her head, but Hal didn't have an answer to that.

  …….…..

  The following day, when the top fifty assembled near the arena, Leinor looked especially happy. The glow of yesterday was still pstered all over his face... The second to arrive was Zern, coming up to him with a warm cup of tea.

  "Here, Prince."

  "Thank you. How was yesterday?"

  "Hm? You mean?" He asked, before clicking in his mind, "Ah. I just escorted Lady Isha home."

  "Lady… huh?"

  "What, you don't see me as one, boytoy?" Isha arrived right then, answering before Zern could.

  "Not really," Leinor answered honestly, by reflex, sipping the tea that Zern brought over.

  "The feeling is mutual because you ain't a man either." Isha countered, her hands on her waist.

  "Whoa, everyone is here already? What did I miss?" Ren ughed as she arrived, hopping onto Leinor's back, climbing onto him, and grinning widely.

  "Someone is in a good mood!" Isha decred as she watched them. "Ew."

  "Of course!" Ren showed a big V with her fingers. "I'm out of house arrest by this morning! Mom said I can move around freely again!"

  "Oooh, the big girl is out of mommy's prison, ey?" Isha smirked at her, while Zern silently sighed and went to bring a few more cups of tea for them... At least that's... peaceful.

  "I'm fired up!" Ren hummed, "Let's get this party started, and after we finish, we'll hold a way bigger party, what do you think?"

  "A party? What, with orange juice? Count me out." Isha shook her head. "I had grown out of children's me balloon parties."

  "Come on, Boobie Lady~ It will be fun! You can bring your own two balloons!"

  "What did you call me?"

  "Moody Lady," Ren repeated, knowing full well that Isha heard her the first time.

  "Oh no, you didn't!"

  "Then I didn't." She shrugged, "Anyway, it's a party, yey~!"

  "Let it go, Lady Isha." Zern cut in, coming back with tea for her and Ren. "Master sometimes has too much energy. The tournament will be a good exercise for her, releasing the built-up excess. She will probably be too tired and the first to cancel it..."

  "I don't know how you put up with her." Isha nodded at him with an understanding gaze, sipping on the tea.

  "She is surprisingly easy to get along with," Zern answered honestly, "and I never felt like she was showing a different personality to us than how she feels inside. She is honest. I can't say that about others for utter certainty, but I can surely say this: She means what she says. While working in the Guards, I noticed how others wear masks, especially as one ascends higher in the social hierarchy. Master never holds back her feelings or hides them. She wears them proudly. The same goes for the Prince. He is reserved, compared to the Master… but honestly, he has the same personality deep down… and I can feel at ease with them."

  "Looking at them makes me rethink my sanity." Isha grumbled, shaking her head, "But that's true. I never met someone as annoying as her."

  "Just wait until we fight. I'll make you eat every word that had left your lips, Boobie Lady!" Ren cut in quickly.

  "You-!" Isha fred up again, but the arriving Emperor on the wall silenced everybody.

  "I'm happy to announce the start of the competition's second round in celebration of our glorious Empire's National Day!" His voice swept across the arena and walls; no matter where one was, they could hear him perfectly, "We don't just celebrate our home on this day but also our young stars! I hope we will see great performances from you, and you will all show the world that our next generation can't be underestimated! That you will be better than anyone before you!"

  While he was giving his grand speech, Ren suddenly noticed her mother right up on the walls, sitting almost right next to the Emperor, watching her with a small smile as her lips formed some words that made Ren giggle.

  "Beat them all up, sweetie."

  "Hey, LeiLei," Ren whispered.

  "Hm?"

  "If you beat me when we meet, I'll let you kiss me again." Lienor's face immediately went tomato red, but as she clung to his back, Ren felt the fighting spirit rising in Leinor. Besides his ears turning red... "Fufufu, that's it! Now you look like someone ready~!" she pecked the back of his head. "Go get 'em, tiger!"

  "After a night of constant grading, here are the new rankings." Aerthus IX's speech arrived at the most crucial part by then, and with a swish of his sleeves, fifty silvery medallions flew down from the wall, nding in every competitor's hands. "Every piece has a number etched into it. If your number is drawn, come up to the stage."

  "Fufufu, still number one~!" Ren ughed while Leinor raised his, showing that he was number two.

  "Oh, I came up to third." Zern chuckled, while Isha's mouth was twitching

  "What about you, Boobie?"

  "Don't call me that!"

  “Nuuumbeeeer~ Whaaaat iiiiissss iiiiiit~?”

  "Te… tenth...."

  "Well, you took it zily yesterday. Don't worry, this means nothing!" Ren tried to cheer her up, but Leinor was already smirking at her, making Isha fume with anger.

  "First battle is between numbers 2 and 44!" The Emperor's voice resonated again after drawing them out from a box.

  "Good luck! Make it quick~" Ren ughed, jumping off his back and patting his bottom.

  "Good luck, Prince." Zern nodded, unlike Isha, who just crossed her arms under her boobs.

  "Hmf, don't look at me, boytoy."

  "Yeah, sure." He snorted and rolled his eyes before jumping up to the stage.

  Watching, his enemy seemed to be a younger-looking man, around his mid-twenties, with short, bck hair and green eyes. He was a bit skinny-looking, but his facial expressions showed experience as he cupped his hands, which Leinor returned in kind.

  "The battles from now on permit the use of personal weapons and armor. However, maiming or killing your opponent is forbidden." Aerthus IX said while looking down at his son, "Everybody. When in the ring, ranks, or origin, forget it. In there... nothing matters. Don't think about consequences, as there won't be any if you beat someone. Social rankings are forfeited when you step on the floor of the arena! We want to see talented people rise from every part of life, just like General Xendar did. Remember! The Empire is your home. If you protect it, it will do the same to you. Now… let's start the second round of the competition!"