Chapter 1091 - 1091: 1091
The general froze.
The Emperor frowned. "Do not tell me you escorted me here without even knowing why."
General Calden lowered his head further.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I failed to ask Grand Secretariat Quenric about the purpose beforehand."
The Emperor slowly turned his head toward the old man beside him.
Quenric gave an awkward smile. "I thought the explanation was unnecessary."
The Emperor sighed softly. "It does not matter."
After a short pause, he added, "I will simply purchase something from the store. That should compensate for interrupting her business."
Then he looked down toward his mount. "Amara. Land."
The giant stingray responded instantly.
Its wide wings tilted slightly as the enormous creature descended toward the ground.
Fortunately, the street in front of the store had a wide empty area, leaving enough space for the beast to land without using any special abilities.
The ground trembled slightly as Amara touched down.
Grand Secretariat Quenric stepped off first.
The Emperor then knocked lightly on the door of the carriage.
Inside, Queen Consort Callista Frost waited.
Because the stingray's body was surprisingly thin despite its enormous width, stepping down from it was easy. Callista descended gracefully, her veil fluttering softly in the wind.
Once she reached the ground, Amara rose into the air again, hovering quietly above the street.
With General Calden leading the way and Quenric standing at the Emperor's right side, the royal couple walked toward the entrance of the store.
*
Inside the Nexus Store, Kiara remained seated behind the counter, watching calmly.
She had intentionally provoked the general.
This was simply a test.
She wanted to see how the Emperor would react.
"Let us see what kind of man you really are," she thought quietly.
Soon, the door opened.
The Emperor entered first.
Behind him came the general, the grand secretariat, and finally the veiled queen consort.
Kiara's gaze briefly rested on the woman beside the Emperor.
Her face was hidden behind a thin veil.
Was it her mother, the woman who abandoned her? She wondered.
Kiara activated her Eyes of Sage quietly.
At the same moment, Zion stepped forward.
"Welcome to the Nexus Store."
His voice sounded calm and emotionless.
"What items are you looking for today?"
The greeting startled both the Queen Consort and the Grand Secretariat slightly. They were clearly unused to being treated like ordinary customers.
The Emperor, however, only glanced around the interior with interest.
"Interesting."
Kiara finally stood up. "Your Majesty."
Her voice remained neutral.
"Evening hours are the busiest time for my store. So please tell me your purpose quickly."
Although she had stood up out of courtesy to a customer, she did not leave the counter.
She spoke from a distance.
Grand Secretariat Quenric frowned slightly at the behavior but remained silent.
The Emperor did not seem offended at all.
Instead, he spoke plainly.
"I heard that your store is housing a Beast Emperor. I simply wish to see it once. After that, I will return to the palace."
Then he added calmly, "To compensate for disturbing your business, I will purchase something. Show me your merchandise."
Kiara had originally planned to drive them out of the store.
But the moment the Emperor mentioned buying something, the situation changed completely.
Now he was a customer.
And customers were always welcome.
"Alucard. Zion."
"Show His Majesty and his companions around the store."
The two immediately obeyed.
The Emperor began walking through the aisles, followed by the general and the grand secretariat.
But the queen consort did not move.
She remained standing near the entrance.
Her gaze was locked on Kiara.
For several seconds, she simply stared.
Then her lips trembled slightly.
"Kiara…" she whispered.
Tears slowly formed in her eyes.
"Dear?" the Emperor called gently.
The air inside the Nexus Store felt strangely heavy after that single whispered name slipped from the lips of the Queen Consort Callista Frost. It was soft, almost fragile, yet it struck Kiara harder than any blade ever could.
"Kiara…"
The word lingered.
For a brief moment, time itself seemed to slow, stretching thin between breaths.
The Emperor noticed.
"Dear?" Alexander Phoenix called, his voice calm but edged with curiosity as he turned his head slightly toward her.
Callista Frost reacted quickly.
She raised her hand and gently wiped the corner of her eye before any tear could fully fall. Her movements were smooth, practiced, as if she had long learned how to hide emotions beneath grace.
"Owner Kiara's appearance…" she began, forcing her tone into something steady, "it resembles my mother's quite closely."
She lowered her gaze for a second before continuing.
"I was simply taken aback, Your Majesty."
The explanation sounded reasonable.
Perhaps too reasonable.
"More like yourself," the Emperor casually replied with a small nod. "I was also surprised when I first saw her."
Meanwhile, Kiara herself could see the resemblance of herself in her biological mother. And that made her feel like needles pricked her skin
While the Emperor accepted it easily, the others inside the store exchanged subtle glances and they couldn't help but look at Kiara and the Queen. The resemblance had not gone unnoticed, but no one dared to voice it openly.
Behind the counter, Kiara stayed silent.
Before the silence could stretch further, the Emperor shifted his attention back toward her.
"Have you ever heard the name… Lysander Frost?" he asked.
Kiara's expression remained unchanged.
But inside, her thoughts sharpened.
"I know that name," she admitted inwardly.
Outwardly, she shook her head without hesitation.
"No."
The lie came out smooth.
Effortless.
The Emperor continued, his tone casual as if discussing an old story.
"He was the leader of the Frost Clan. The clan was destroyed long ago during a beast tide."
He paused briefly, as if weighing his next words.
"If he were alive today, he would be about your grandfather's age."
Then he added, almost as an afterthought,
"You wouldn't happen to be unaware of your grandfathers' names, would you?"
Kiara answered immediately, without giving even a fraction of time for doubt to appear.
"My grandparents were ordinary farmers, Your Majesty. They were killed over five years ago, along with my parents, during a burglary."
The words were simple.
But behind them lay layers of carefully constructed lies.
The Emperor's expression softened slightly.
"I see."
He turned away after that, as if the matter had already left his mind.
But before the moment could fade completely, the Queen Consort stepped forward slightly.
Her restraint broke for just an instant.
"There is something I wish to ask you," she said.
Her voice carried a faint tremor.
"I heard you are from Copperton village."
She hesitated.
"Your mother… was she perhaps named… Tiara?"
The Emperor turned back again, this time with clear curiosity.
"Dear," he asked, "do you know his mother?"
The question lingered in the air.
For Kiara, the moment felt sharp.
Dangerous.
Too many threads were beginning to connect.
She did not allow it to continue.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. Queen Consort," she said calmly. "But I am not interested in discussing my personal life with people I have just met."
Her tone was polite.
Yet firm.
"You are here as customers. I am here as a weapon seller."
She met their eyes without hesitation.
"Let us keep it that way."
The words drew a clear boundary.
A line that neither side could cross without consequence.
Callista Frost fell silent.
She had not received the answer she wanted, but what she had seen and heard was already enough.
"This is her…" she thought, her chest tightening.
But she did not push further.
Not here.
Not now.
She quietly stepped back and followed the Emperor as he moved deeper into the store.
*
Only after they left the reception area did Kiara finally exhale.
A long, controlled breath.
"I thought I was caught…" she muttered internally.
Her mind replayed the conversation.
"The resemblance… the questions… that Frost Clan member…"
Pieces began connecting.
"So that is why someone from the Frost Clan came here earlier."
She shook her head slightly.
"Forget it."
Her gaze sharpened again.
"The Emperor is the real opportunity."
A faint glint appeared in her eyes.
"He is wealthy. And more importantly… curious. If he insists on seeing Felix, then I might as well make the most of it."
*
A few minutes later, Alucard returned with a list.
Kiara took the paper and scanned it quickly.
Her eyes moved line by line.
"Single-shot pistol x1
Revolver x1
P-365 x1
P-226 x1
Fragmentation grenade x1
Concussion grenade x1
Anti-Tank Grenade x1
Stun Grenade x1
Sting Grenade x1
Smoke Grenade x1
Tear gas Grenade x1
Molotov cocktail x1
Contender x1
9mm bullets x1000
RIP bullets x1000"
She raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Your Majesty," she said, "do you intend to purchase everything listed here?"
The Emperor nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
He spoke calmly, but there was a clear intent behind his words.
"The Second Prince wishes to establish a firearms division."
"I have agreed to consider it officially once results are proven."
He paused briefly.
"But before that, I must understand these weapons myself."
Behind him, Grand Secretariat Quenric remained silent, though his eyes flickered with quiet approval. The idea had been his.