"My husband..." Words that all fathers fear. They know that one day they will listen to that and suffer by antecedence until that moment. Well, at least those who love their daughters.
No father can say they're happy when a strange man appears out of nowhere and steal their little princesses. They spend so many years giving their best for their daughters, and one day they realize they are no longer the most important man in their life.
With that thought in mind, no one could blame Heike for not reacting well to discovering that Rose is no longer his little princess. Not even Lucien could be upset with a father for such a reaction.
But Heike already expected that day. It took him several years to realize that Rose was growing and would inevitably become a woman. That's why he prepared for that moment.
The first time he thought about that was when he saw Rose playing with little Neal twenty-five years ago. That was when Heike made a promise to himself that his daughter would have the best husband in the world.
But he couldn't depend on luck to find that husband, and Neal was a perfect choice because he was just a baby. So Heike helped Elliot, his best friend, raise the boy and make him the perfect husband for Rose.
Elliot had nothing against that. Even though he was chosen as the King of Camblea, he still respects Daisy more than anyone else, and even if he had to make his son Rose's servant, that would be his honor.
And so they raised Neal. The prince was taught to be a strong and honorable warrior, but most of all, he was taught to respect Rose, be kind, and totally loyal only to her.
Well, that was what Elliot thought. But Heike didn't think quite that way. He not only taught Neal to be nice to Rose but also to be what he considered the perfect husband for his daughter.
Neal would never take Rose away from her parents; he would never get to be the most important man in her life; and the main thing, the young prince would never manage to make Rose stop being Heike's little princess.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Heike planned everything perfectly. They were going to be a perfect family forever. He wouldn't let any guy show up out of nowhere and steal his most precious treasure.
But something wasn't in his plans. When Rose asked to travel the world alone, he was clearly against it. But how could he say no to Daisy?
Heike knew that wouldn't end well, and now Rose returns home with Lucien, not just a random guy, but a villain!
Exactly, Heike can clearly see that Lucien is a bad guy, whether because of his devilishly attractive appearance, his mysterious aura, his teasing smile, or the army of beautiful women with him.
[Damn!! Even his scent makes me sure he's a lascivious man!] Heike can't stop imagining Lucien devastating his little princess.
But he can't panic. Yes, he can't scold Rose because of Lucien, or he would be giving her more reasons to walk away from him.
So he tries to make a fake smile, which is obvious to everyone, so he just looks at Lucien with a thoughtful expression. "Lucien, right? It's a… peculiar name."
[Fuck it! Even his name makes him look like a villain!!] He thinks as he compares Neal to Lucien. While one is a gentle angel, the other is a devil.
Lucien smiles and extends his hand to him. "And you are Heike, my father-in-law."
[Father-in-law...] Those words echo in Heike's mind. [Shit!! How did it end up like this?? She left just over a year ago, but isn't that going too fast? He already really considers himself her husband, but that can't be right... maybe it's not too late yet.]
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Heike shakes Lucien's hand quickly, but he can't keep looking at that fucking handsome face, so he quickly turns and smiles at Neal, who now doesn't know what to do.
"Neal really missed you, Rose." He speaks while ignoring Lucien and trying to get Rose closer to Neal.
But as much as he 'gently' tries to push Rose towards the prince, he can't get her to move an inch. When she left home, she was still in the Zero Realm as Daisy didn't want to give her more powerful potions while her body was still maturing. But now Rose is much stronger than Heike.
Still holding Lucien's hand, Rose smiles at Neal. "Hi, young prince. This is Lucien, my husband."
[Why is she repeating that, and in such a sweet, proud tone?] Heike and Neal think at the same time. But it is obvious that Rose wants to make it very clear that nothing can separate her from her lover.
Neal nods to Lucien while Rose introduces him. "This is my childhood friend. Well, I actually saw him grow up."
For Rose, Neal will always be a friend. She sees him as a young boy while Lucien is the man of her life. And Neal can understand that just by looking at them.
"Lucien, right? Should I use some royal title?" The King walks toward him while speaking in a friendly and respectful tone. "Anyway, nice to meet you."
"King." Daisy comments. "Lucien is the King of the West Continent."
Elliot makes a thoughtful expression. "King of the entire continent?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"Well, I rule alongside my sister, and we have loyal people to help us." Lucien answers.
"Incredible!" Elliot makes an impressed expression. "I also have loyal friends that I consider my family, and yet it's not easy for us to govern just half of this continent."
"You can't complain when your friends are so undisciplined." Donna looks at the Lords with a mocking expression.
Elliot does a sorry look. "I'm really sorry for that. I saw you defeat those creatures, but my people don't understand that you helped us. They're afraid of the unknown and that it impairs their judgment."
"Hahaha..." Donna starts to laugh. "Don't need this shit; the truth is I hate your people, and I didn't contain my strength when I was fighting to make a big mess in your city. I hate damn slavers!"
Donna's boldness shocks the Lords, who are now even angrier with her, including Heike. But Elliot can see how concerned Daisy's expression is whenever they look at Donna hostilely.
Elliot is a wise person, and unlike Heike and the other Lords, he doesn't let his emotions blind his judgment. He can even see how Daisy respects Lucien, and that's why he's sure he's a man above all others.
Not just that, but he sees how Lucien has Daisy's approval to be Rose's husband, in addition to the fact that she has said he has cured her. So he thinks Lucien is probably the most powerful person among them, and he definitely doesn't want to offend him.
That's why Elliot quickly looks at the Lords with stern expressions, clearly ordering them to be silent. And who looks at Heike with that expression is Daisy, of course.
Then he looks at Donna and Lucien again, not knowing what to say. Lucien realizes that and speaks in a neutral tone. "You don't have to fear anything; we won't interfere in your kingdom."
Elliot can see that Lucien has no interest in the eastern continent and thinks he probably only came because of Rose. Yet, this is the first official contact between the rulers of the continents, and he hopes to forge an alliance with Lucien.
"What about a dinner later?" He suggests. "Give me the opportunity to formally apologize for those mistakes."
Lucien sees similarities between Elliot and Ron. They are smart people who know how to be diplomatic, but they also hide second intentions. The crucial difference is that Ron is part of the family, while he can't really trust Elliot.
"Sorry, but we don't have that time right now," Lucien responds, also diplomatically. "I just came here to work some things with Daisy and meet my father-in-law. But I have to get back as soon as possible."
Elliot makes a genuinely sad expression. He really wanted to know more about the ruler of the western continent. "I understand. Well, I won't take your time, but in case you need anything, let me know, and I'll do my best to help you."
Lucien just nods. Then Elliot bows to Daisy before heading back to his floating platform with his son. Heike follows him and whispers that he'll keep an eye on Lucien and his group before returning to his wife's side.
The other Lords don't seem to agree very much with that. They are still upset with Donna and Lucien, thinking they humiliated them. Yet, they trust Elliot's judgment and realize that trying anything could result in a very bad ending for them, especially after Oya's show of strength.
As the floating platform of the Lords and King fly back to town, Neal continues to look at Rose with a depressed expression. Lucien can see that the boy is really in love with her and is heartbroken, but the prince only still has a heart because he was so merciful and diplomatic.
The little vampire happily smiles as he holds Lucien's hand. "Thank you, hubby! I know you wanted to kill them, but you didn't do that because of me."
He strokes her hair and kisses her forehead. "However, I can't promise that I won't kill anyone until we get back as I don't think they'll really leave us alone."
"What matters is that you gave them a chance, so if they ever bother us again, I'll be the first to attack." She comments and kisses his lips.
Daisy smiles and shakes her head as she watches their scene, but Heike makes a shocked expression. "I can't believe you would actually attack little Neal. You were always so close… they're our family!"
Rose can understand her father's way of thinking. She actually wanted to think that way because she grew up with those people. However, only when she met Lucien did she really feel that she had found people besides Heike and Daisy who could be her family.
She wants to tell Heike that and explain how she has her own family now, but she can't. He is her father, and she loves him. She respects him and understands his feelings. So she bows her head in silence.
Heike sighs as he gazes at Lucien with a thoughtful expression. [Damn devil!! How much have you influenced my little princess??!]
Despite not being able to read Heike's mind, Lucien has an idea of what he is thinking. And he can't help but wonder why things can't be as easy as it was with Anne's father.
Well, Anne's father was a humble person who knew his daughter would fly higher than he could ever dream about. He saw that Lucien would be the perfect person to be with her while they go on adventures together.
Heike, on the other hand, is arrogant and possessive like Lucien. And because of that, he thinks the best place for Rose is beside him, along with Daisy. Also, he sees Lucien as a bad influence and doesn't believe that a man with a harem can truly love a single woman as she deserves.
Daisy also notices the tense atmosphere between Lucien and Heike. Then she starts moving the ships towards her house, a big castle just like those of the other lords.
She also notices the way Rose stands next to Lucien, always supporting him. But she doesn't feel that instinctive desire to be by Heike's side.
[Is there something wrong with me?] She wonders as she stands beside him to keep him from doing anything to Lucien.
