Perhaps, to Jewel, the little prince had merely been a source of entertainment... a convenient pawn... another piece she could use to torment the emperor.
Whatever had truly occupied Jewel's heart back then...
Love had certainly not been one of them.
"Now that you know she can't return and can only live in this realm," Shin said indifferently, "go back. There's nothing here for you anymore."
He paused before delivering the final blow.
"She doesn't even remember you."
Prince Xati's face darkened.
So that was why...
No wonder she had never understood whenever he made trees suddenly collapse nearby.
Back then, it had been their secret signal. A silent way of letting each other know they were nearby.
Meanwhile, watching the father and son from the side, a meaningful grin appeared on Tristan's lips.
It seemed that no matter how much Shin claimed to despise the little prince, he still cared enough not to reveal the whole truth about Jewel's past.
Prince Xati remained reluctant, doubtful, and unable to believe it. The once unrivaled Empress mother had been reduced to this fragile human.
Even so, he climbed onto the bed, intending to curl up beside Yeri.
Before he could settle down, Shin kicked him off without hesitation.
Thud.
The little prince landed butt-first on the carpet.
Shrieking in fury, he raised a hand to attack Shin, only to realize his demon orbs were gone and the restraints still bound him tightly.
Shin grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air.
"She's in this state for a reason," he said coldly. "You forced her to remember, didn't you?"
"I didn't!" Prince Xati shouted, his little legs dangling as he tried to kick Shin. "I only wanted to peek into her memories! What are you accusing me of?!"
Shin and Tristan exchanged a glance.
Well, such an act was harmless among demons. Humans, however, were different. Especially Yeri, whose mind had already been pushed to its limits once before.
Shin tossed the little prince back onto the carpet before turning to the Light Realm being.
"You can take him away."
The Light Realm being blinked "...?"
Take him where?
He had no ability to open a passage to the Demon Realm. His duty was merely to guard the Human Realm and preserve the balance between realms.
Seeing that neither Shin nor Tristan intended to elaborate, while the little prince continued hurling curses at his father, the Light Realm being finally spoke.
"Emperor Hexion, the little prince cannot remain in this realm. He has already violated multiple laws by trespassing into the Human Realm."
"I'm not going back!" Prince Xati screamed as though nobody else had a say in the matter.
"The fallen tree that blocked our car..." Shin asked. "Was that your doing?"
The little prince proudly lifted his chin with a smug scoff, silently admitting it.
Shin "..."
So this little abomination had been wandering around the Human Realm for quite some time, and had hidden himself remarkably well.
After giving it some thought, Shin discussed the matter with the Light realm being. They agreed to let Prince Xati remain temporarily under the same arrangements as before. As for the laws he had violated, the demon realm would compensate the light realm accordingly.
"I refuse!" Prince Xati declared arrogantly. "I won't become a lowly human! Don't try to trick me. This prince knows I can stay in this realm without following your ridiculous rules."
"You don't want this. You don't want that." Shin's voice turned stern. "Do you really think I have no way of dealing with you just because you possess the key?"
The little demon merely rolled his eyes before raising a tiny fist. "What are you so proud of? I can tell you're weak wearing that disgusting human vessel. I was just careless earlier. That's the only reason you two got the upper hand."
Shin had heard enough.
Without another word, he slapped a scroll onto Prince Xati's forehead.
The instant it activated, countless glowing symbols erupted around the little prince like a swirling tornado.
In a blink, every trace of his demonic power was sealed.
Not only his abilities, but everything that identified him as a demon: His silver hair gradually darkened into black, his ruby-red eyes became ordinary black as well, even the tiny horns protruding from his forehead vanished. Only his clothes remained unchanged.
The transformation happened so quickly that Prince Xati didn't even have time to react.
He simply blinked his big eyes in stunned silence.
Tristan "..."
The Light Realm being "..."
"He's just an ordinary child now," Shin said with visible satisfaction. "Apart from that mouth of his, he shouldn't be capable of causing any trouble that threatens this realm."
Only then did panic finally appear on Prince Xati's face.
He frantically tried to access his storage space where all his weapons, forbidden scrolls, the key, and countless treasures were kept yet nothing happened.
Again.
Nothing.
Flailing his tiny hands wildly in the air, the little prince's expression slowly crumbled as the horrifying reality sank in.
Everything...had disappeared.
"Impossible! You're so weak. How could you have used so much of your power while inhabiting a human vessel?!" Prince Xati exclaimed, pointing at Shin in disbelief.
"You had the chance, but you chose not to," Shin replied without offering any further explanation.
Even while occupying a human vessel, their abilities were only greatly diminished, not completely sealed. Otherwise, he, the Demon Emperor himself, would never have chosen to inhabit one.
"Undo the seal. Right now," Prince Xati demanded.
"Only if you hand over the key and return obediently to the Demon Realm. Otherwise, if you insist on staying here, you'll have to follow my arrangements," Shin said, giving him two choices.
Perhaps the latter was preferable. If this little abomination remained in the human realm, he could at least keep an eye on whatever he was plotting.
Prince Xati ground his teeth, glaring at Shin with undisguised fury. Unfortunately for him, such a look had no effect on Shin whatsoever.
After a while, the being from the Light Realm bid them farewell and disappeared, saying he needed to report everything that had transpired to his superiors.
With only the three of them left, along with the sleeping Yeri, Shin sat beside the bed before turning to Tristan.
"Take him away."
Tristan didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. "You've already said that. It's not like we're taking the trash out."
"He'll only disturb Yeri's sleep. Besides, what will people think if he keeps hanging around her?" Shin said matter-of-factly.
"When did you start caring about what people think?" Tristan asked, suddenly feeling a bad premonition.
Shin looked at him steadily. "She's not even twenty, yet there are already rumors that she's pregnant. I don't care about my own reputation, but it's different for her."
Tristan's mouth twitched. "Are you suggesting I take him in as my son? We don't even look alike."
Since the little prince had retained his original appearance, he bore no resemblance to anyone in the human world.
"Just say you accidentally picked him up. If you're too lazy, drop him off at an orphanage or hire someone to look after him," Shin said with a shrug.
Tristan: accidentally what?
Prince Xati, who had been listening as though he didn't exist, finally exploded.
"What do you mean?! Did you think I don't understand the human language you're speaking? This prince already know it, and I certainly know what an orphanage is!"
Shin remained completely unfazed.
"Then how about feeding him to the polar bears? In this weather, no one would even know he was here."
Tristan: "..."
Prince Xati instantly paled.
He knew exactly what a polar bear was. Just two days ago, he had grown bored and ordered his giant snakes to play with them. Those creatures had been so terrified that they had gone into hibernation indefinitely.
"I... I'm going back to the Demon Realm."
Shin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're actually afraid of those adorable, fluffy, killer bears?"
Prince Xati practically ground his molars to dust as he repeatedly insisted on returning.
After several more rounds of arguing, Shin finally lifted the seal.
"Hand over the key."
The little demon pursed his lips, glanced at the sleeping Yeri, and quietly chanted an incantation.
The next instant, his appearance changed.
Instead of his original face, he now looked exactly like a miniature male version of Yeri.
"You..." Shin immediately grabbed him by the collar. "Damn brat."
The little rascal had tricked him. He had only pretended to surrender so he could briefly regain enough power to change his appearance.
Tristan nearly burst out laughing, never in his life had he imagined the feared Demon Emperor would be outwitted by his own son.
"Never! Why should I go back when Mother Empress is here?" the little prince declared defiantly.
After sealing him once more, Shin intended to restore the little demon's original face.
Before he could, however, the little prince threw himself onto the floor, rolling around in a full-blown tantrum while hurling threats in every direction.
"So what if you change my face back? I know a forbidden summoning spell that can summon another demon even while my powers are sealed! This prince also understands human politics, social media, and the power of the vox populi! You're committing child abuse!"
The veins on Shin's forehead throbbed.
Changing one's appearance was a mediocre ability that many demons possessed. If he really could summon another demon, then disguising himself as a miniature version of Yeri would hardly be impossible.
"Since you know how this world works," Shin sneered, "then you should also know that insisting on becoming her child will only harm your own mother."
Prince Xati sat upright and pondered seriously.
"Then this prince shall be Empress Mother's little brother."
Shin looked at him with open sarcasm. "As whose illegitimate son? Her father's or her mother's?"
"It doesn't matter. Either is fine. Just say they somehow misplaced this prince years ago and only recently found him."
Shin had reached the end of his patience. He genuinely wanted to fold the little demon into a thousand pieces.
Didn't he claim he understood the human world? Who in their right mind simply misplaced a living child?
Glancing at Tristan, Shin spoke with complete seriousness.
"Bury him."
Tristan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I still think the 'accidentally picked him up' story is more believable. Adoption would make for decent publicity."
"I refuse!" Prince Xati declared. "This prince will never be an orphan!"