Jojo watched his father, who looked unusually troubled.
Still, even if he was worried of Sisi’s well-being, Jojo felt that his father truly wasn’t a very good man.
Why?
Because—
"Daddy..."
"Hm?"
"Why didn’t you say thank you to Sisi?" Jojo asked. "And why didn’t you say sorry for hurting her?"
"Ah—she... she left before I could," Kael replied, making up an excuse.
But the real answer was painfully clear in his heart.
He found it difficult to be objective in front of Sisi. Even a simple sorry or thank you felt heavy on his tongue, and every words of appreciation and admiration he had for her was stuck on his throat.
In a way, this powerful Beast King—whose strength could rival even a demigod—was afraid of her.
He beca overly sensitive around Sisi. Every word she spoke either soothed his heart like a gentle caress or pierced it like a sharp dagger.
And now that he had realized he was sexually attracted to her, his unease only deepened. He grew nervous, awkward—so much so that forming a proper sentence around her felt impossible.
"Daddy," Jojo said quietly, studying his face, "you told not to lie."
Kael froze.
If Jojo was a bad liar, then Kael was worse. His nervousness was written all over his face.
"...Is it that obvious?" Kael laughed awkwardly. "Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to her. I’ll give her jewelry, gold, and lots of things."
"But why don’t you say ’thank you’ or ’sorry,’ Daddy?" Jojo pressed. His head drooped. "Do you hate her?"
Jojo’s voice trembled. "Maybe Sisi doesn’t want to be my Mommy because she hates you."
Kael’s breath hitched.
"What... did you say?"
"Sisi asked if I knew anything about my Mommy," Jojo said, fidgeting with his fingers. "I told her the only Mommy I know is her. But she didn’t say yes..."
His voice grew quieter. "Sisi doesn’t want to be my Mommy. Maybe I have been a bad boy, so she doesn’t want anymore."
Kael was stunned.
Yes, perhaps Sisi disliked him. If not for their shared love for Jojo, they might even have beco mortal enemies.
But for her to refuse acknowledging herself as Jojo’s mother—
That shook him to his core, because one thing was true about Sisi, and it was her love for Jojo.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
’Does she not want this life anymore? She’s a free spirit. She doesn’t belong in this palace in the first place.’
Kael knew Sisi had stayed only for Jojo, and if she ever believed Jojo no longer needed her—
Would she leave?
His heart began to pound violently.
If Sisi wished to leave, it would be effortless. Her power was unique, unpredictable, who knew what clever escape she could devise using her creativity?
For the first ti since founding the Beast Kingdom, Kael felt an urgency that had nothing to do with his son’s safety.
He needed Sisi to stay, for Jojo... and for himself.
"Don’t worry," Kael said aloud. "Sisi still loves you."
’And even if she doesn’t,’ he added silently, ’I’ll make sure she stays.’
"But she doesn’t want to be my Mommy..." Jojo looked up again. "Daddy, you said I don’t need a Mommy. But... I want one."
"And it’s Sisi?"
"Mm!" Jojo nodded without hesitation. "Daddy, I’ll be five by the start of sumr. I want Sisi to be my Mommy as my birthday present!"
"You’re being ridiculous, Sisi is not a gift," Kael chuckled, ruffling his hair. Then he added, "She is your Mommy. So you can ask for sothing else for your birthday."
Jojo nodded happily.
He was secretly on a mission to convince his father to make Sisi his mate—because that would naturally make her his mother too.
He thought he was being sleek and clever.
But he hadn’t expected his father to agree so easily.
"But Daddy, you don’t even say ’thank you’ or ’sorry’ to Sisi. She won’t like you if you’re like this..." Jojo pouted as he crossed his arms. "Sisi is very kind. But you are very evil!"
"Evil?" Kael raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Why are you calling your own father evil, hmm?"
Before Jojo could escape, Kael tickled him rcilessly.
"Daddy—Daddy is evil! Ahahaha!" Jojo laughed and squird, trying to break free.
Only after Jojo was thoroughly worn out did Kael stop.
"Alright, alright," he said. "I’ll get you sothing to eat. Stay here."
"No!" Jojo protested. "I want to go down! I want to eat breakfast with Sisi! It’s lonely here, Daddy."
"...Fine," Kael sighed. "But promise you won’t cause trouble. I’ll be attending morning court."
"What’s morning court?"
"It’s when the other beastn gather to report their duties, and I, as King, must make decisions to make sure that the kingdom will run efficiently," Kael explained properly, as Jojo would eventually inherit this title as Beast King.
"Oh! Can I co too?"
"I thought you wanted to be with Sisi."
"Ah? Sisi won’t co?"
"No. It’s only for my subordinates, and Sisi isn’t one."
Jojo’s eyes lit up. "That’s right! Sisi is my Mommy! That ans—she’s your mate, Daddy!"
Kael smiled faintly and nodded. "You should stay with Sisi today. I need to explain her power to my subordinates first. She’s a witch after all, and beastn don’t like witches."
"Sisi is a witch?" Jojo tilted his head. "But Daddy, you said witches are evil and eat children. Sisi never eats !"
"She’s not scary either," Jojo added seriously. "And she never hurt ."
Kael sighed. "Maybe she isn’t. But everyone will think she is."
It was impossible to deny, especially when Sisi herself hadn’t bothered explaining. When he called her a witch, she rely shrugged, as if it didn’t matter what people think of her.
"Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Sisi stays," Kael said seriously. "And she’ll be your mother."
"Pinky promise?" Jojo lifted his little finger.
Kael hooked it with his own. "Pinky promise."
"Yay! Daddy, you’re the best!" Jojo cheered, hugging him tightly.
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