Emperor Augustus was feeling more stifled than ever. Over the years, as the emperor, he had made countless attempts to trouble Ethan Gray, but every time he ended up being the one to suffer, driven to rage and helplessness. He couldn't help but wonder if Ethan was part fox—every plan he meticulously crafted to ensnare Ethan always backfired on him, without exception, leaving him utterly humiliated!
To speak of the ill-fated relationship between Emperor Augustus and Ethan Gray, one must go back to the time when Augustus first ascended the throne.
Prince Ethan had long been under the control of Sophie Qiu, stripped of his right to speak. Yet Sophie Qiu never intended to compete for power with her own son, and since Augustus was indeed quite capable, he ascended the throne at just ten years old.
Because his own father irresponsibly abandoned the entire manor, Ethan Gray was naturally required to enter the palace on the day of the coronation. Disliking such occasions, Ethan was already in a foul mood, only to encounter Augustus putting on airs. Annoyed, Ethan tricked Augustus into a deserted spot and gave him a sound beating—not out of fear for harming the emperor, but to avoid unnecessary trouble. As long as no one witnessed it, even if word got out, no one would dare hold him accountable. He did it partly for Sophie Qiu’s sake, so she wouldn’t have to go to great lengths to clear his name.
Unexpectedly, after that beating, Augustus felt a strange kinship with Ethan Gray. Ignoring Ethan’s desire to slack off, Augustus insisted on granting him a royal title. Discovering Ethan’s reputation as the Demon King, he named him the Dark Lord and issued a special decree allowing Ethan to remain seated in the emperor’s presence. He even wanted to gift Ethan a manor, but Ethan found it troublesome and chose to stay at Ghost King Manor instead—truly a mark of imperial favor!
Yet, for all this imperial favor, Ethan Gray was constantly infuriated—especially since Augustus would always find ways to trouble him, assigning tasks and challenges. Ethan was not one to be pushed around, but Augustus was like an indestructible cockroach. Thus, their game of mutual scheming continued to this day.
Clearly, this time Ethan Gray had won again—but he still had to be wary of Augustus's counterattack.
Early in the morning, Cynthia Qi barely had time to feel happy before she saw the man beside her wake up, his expression growing darker and darker. Suddenly, he jumped out of bed, grabbed a robe, and rushed out of the room. Cynthia was stunned for a moment before she reacted and hurried after him—but she couldn’t match his speed.
So it wasn’t until now, panting and out of breath, that Cynthia Qi finally caught up to a room some distance away from the one they’d started in. When she saw two identical men inside, her face changed dramatically.
One stood and one sat, both silent—the atmosphere was eerie.
How could there be two of them? Cynthia Qi’s heart was filled with unease. Who was the man from last night, truly? And now, which of these two was the real Dark Lord? Or, was the one she’d fallen for even the Dark Lord at all?
Anxious and teary-eyed, Cynthia Qi clutched her sleeve, her gaze darting anxiously between the two men. She wanted desperately to understand what was happening, but the tense atmosphere—and her fear of the answer—kept her from asking.
Amid the strange tension, the bed curtains suddenly rustled. Yuna, droopy-eyed, leapt down from the bed, wobbling sleepily toward the two men. Miraculously, she didn’t mistake anyone, and hopped right onto Ethan Gray’s knee, gnawing on her paw as she stared at Augustus for a while, full of curiosity. “Dark Lord, he looks just like you! Is he your brother?”
Ethan Gray rubbed her head with a smile. "Silly thing, haven’t you heard of disguise?"
"Uh... I forgot..." Yuna pawed at Ethan Gray’s collar, nuzzling his chest. "Dark Lord, since he’s not your brother, you should teach him a lesson! I haven’t slept enough yet! He disturbed my sleep—so annoying!" She was every bit the spoiled kitten, except this kitten could talk—and her words could really get under someone’s skin!
Augustus glared at the Divine Beast he’d always been curious about but had never seen before, shouting angrily, "Teach me a lesson? How dare you!"
Teach him? The emperor!
But the Divine Beast couldn’t care less about the emperor—if anyone deserved her respect, it was her own father, not Augustus. She continued to snuggle in Ethan Gray’s arms, aggrievedly complaining, "Dark Lord, this emperor is bullying me!"
Cynthia Qi glanced at Augustus, her face pale. He was the emperor? Was he the man from last night?
Ethan Gray comfortingly stroked the Divine Beast’s fur, then looked up at Augustus, raising an eyebrow. "A beauty throwing herself into your arms is a blessing, Your Majesty. Why lose your temper? If you frighten the little kitten, she might flatten the palace, and then I’d be powerless to stop her. You know how formidable a Divine Beast is—far beyond human strength."
Dealing with Ethan Gray was bad enough, but now even this little wildcat refused to acknowledge him. Augustus ground his teeth, on the verge of another outburst, but for some reason, he suddenly calmed down. He elegantly straightened his robe, sat down, removed his human-skin mask, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank slowly. He looked so composed, it was as if the raging man from moments ago had never existed.
His face, inherited from Sophie Qiu’s beauty, was striking—completely different from Ethan Gray’s type. The delicate features were almost androgynous, yet not effeminate; in fact, they were nearly perfect. But Cynthia Qi was in no mood to appreciate it.
Throwing herself into his arms? Cynthia Qi’s mind buzzed with those words. He knew! Or perhaps he’d always expected her to do that. The emperor’s anger showed he had no idea beforehand, so he’d likely been set up by Ethan Gray. So, he knew she would throw herself into his arms, but deliberately let her choose the wrong one!
Good! Very good! Ethan Gray, you’re ruthless!
Cynthia Qi nearly ground her teeth to dust, her heart full of mixed resentment and anger. Though she’d approached him with ulterior motives at first, she knew she’d never wronged him. Was he really so eager to send her to the emperor’s bed?
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, are you all right?" A shrill voice came closer. A figure rushed in, dropping to their knees before Augustus, casting resentful glances at Ethan Gray, their expression full of grief, as if mourning the loss of their parents.