The easy laughter with his friends still echoed in Nero's ears as he excused himself from the pavilion. The moment he was back in the quiet of his room, he pulled out his phone, a small smile on his face.
[Hi! My queen. How was your 'discussion' with Eltreth?]
Khione's response was almost instantaneous.
[Boring! It was just a provocation about competing against me for you!] (Khione)
Nero wasn't shocked. That sounded exactly like the fiery princess. A playful idea popped into his head, and he decided to tease his usually unshakable girlfriend.
[Oh? I've become so popular lately? Hehehe! I'm happy. Maybe I should start a harem?]
He hit send, a grin on his face. He waited for a sassy reply, a cold retort, anything. But his phone remained silent. The seconds ticked by. His grin slowly faded. A single, cold drop of sweat trickled down his temple. The silence was deafening. A sense of dread, cold and sharp, began to creep up his spine.
"Uh oh," he muttered to the empty room.
