Chapter 41: Masha’s Special Status

Chapter 41: Masha’s Special Status"Sorry to disturb you, Prince Nolan and Princess Elina." Two guards stepped out from the side, stopped a meter in front of them, and bowed respectfully. Nolan raised an eyebrow and turned toward them. "What is it?" The guard on the right lifted his head and looked at Elina, who stood beside Nolan. "Prince Nolan, His Majesty has requested Princess Elina’s presence. There’s something important he wishes to discuss," he said politely. If he and the others had once seen Elina as a weak candidate for the throne, that view had now changed. She was under the protection of the Singularity of Chaos—an extraordinary honor. His respect for her had risen sharply, now rivaling the respect he held for Aldric, Cedric, and Adalen. "Oh?" Nolan looked mildly surprised as he turned to his sister. "Father’s calling you. It must be about the Singularity of Chaos. Go and explain everything to him clearly, so there’s no misunderstanding." Elina nodded and replied, "Alright, I’ll go see him. Wait for me in the room, okay?" "Of course." Nolan smiled and gently patted her head. With that, Elina left with the two guards, heading to Ragan’s place. "By the way, Nolan, I have to go too," Evalyn said as she glanced at the chaos around them. "I need to help the soldiers clean up the mess caused by that black dragon—and also check if there are any remaining threats in the capital." Although most of the Black Dragon’s attacks had been successfully repelled, a few had broken through, damaging the walls and buildings in the square. Many people were also injured and needed help. Nolan didn’t object. Despite her young age, Evalyn was the captain of the capital guard. It was her duty to handle any threats that arose. "Alright. Be careful," Nolan said. "Mm!" Evalyn nodded enthusiastically. At last, the usually stoic man had said something that warmed Evalyn’s heart—and it filled her with quiet joy. She gently pinched Masha’s cheek before turning to leave. "Alright, little girl." Nolan lifted Masha slightly and looked at her chubby face. "Let’s go find your mother—she must be terribly anxious." Masha’s eyes sparkled as she nodded and hugged Nolan tightly around the neck. Then she turned forward and raised her left hand high. "Let’s find Mommy!" she exclaimed excitedly. But suddenly, a panicked voice rang out behind them. "Masha!" Startled, Nolan and Masha quickly turned toward the sound—and saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman running toward them. Her hair was golden yellow, just like Masha’s, styled in an Elarya braid. She was tall and slender, yet her figure was also voluptuous and captivating. She wore a red dress trimmed with lace at the chest, wrists, and hem. Small accessories adorned both sides of the dress, enhancing her graceful and elegant presence. It was hard to deny—the woman was the perfect image of a beautiful mother, the kind who would surely be the object of desire for young men in Nolan’s former world. "Mother!" Masha was momentarily stunned upon seeing her, then finally burst out in joyful surprise. Nolan looked equally surprised. The woman wasn’t just anyone—she was the lawful wife of the Duke of Austin, Duchess Anastasia. Anastasia stopped about a meter away, her breath coming in short gasps. Sweat dampened her forehead and neck, but rather than making her look disheveled, it only added to her striking presence. She looked up at Masha, who seemed healthy and uninjured, and exhaled a long breath of relief. "Masha," she said with a gentle smile. "Are you alright, dear? I was so worried you might be hurt." She pressed a hand to her chest, her face full of concern. Since being separated from her daughter by accident, she had felt panic rising, unable to calm herself. In the chaos of the crowd, finding a little girl like Masha was nearly impossible. On top of that, the black dragon’s earlier rampage had thrown everyone into turmoil—people were pushing and shoving, running in every direction to save themselves. She had searched every corner of the square but couldn’t find her daughter. Fortunately, after the black dragon was defeated and the chaos died down, the crowd began to thin, allowing her to finally find her little girl. Masha giggled. "Actually, Mother didn’t need to worry." She turned to Nolan and hugged his face tightly. "Prince Nolan saved me when the black dragon appeared. I was safe from the very beginning!" "Prince Nolan?" Anastasia blinked, surprised, and glanced at the handsome young man before her. Her heart skipped a beat, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. What a handsome man, she murmured without thinking. Realizing her mistake, she quickly lowered her head in a respectful bow toward Nolan. "Please forgive me for overlooking your presence earlier, Prince Nolan," she said with a composed tone, but her nervousness was unmistakable. In her panic over her daughter’s safety, she had completely overlooked Nolan—and now, blushing as she looked at him, she felt deeply embarrassed. If there had been a hole nearby, she would have gladly disappeared into it to escape her awkwardness. Nolan ignored her reaction and helped her up. "Please, don’t be so formal, Duchess Anastasia. Saving Masha was the right thing to do." His humble and sincere demeanor left Anastasia momentarily dazed. In truth, she didn’t know Nolan very well. Yet rumors about the prince had spread throughout the empire—even reaching the Duke of Austin’s territory in the east. Of course, all the rumors were negative: calling him a worthless prince, a slacker, an idiot, and worse. But now... why did everything feel so off? The Nolan standing before her was completely unlike those rumors. His face was handsome—like a smooth, intoxicating wine that could captivate women, especially those over thirty like her. If Nolan had known her thoughts, he probably would have recoiled in alarm, saying, "Wait, Lady, I’m still young! Mind your age!" "Duchess? Why are you daydreaming?" Nolan’s confused voice pulled her out of her reverie. Anastasia shook her head with a smile. "It’s nothing, Prince." She turned to Masha and opened her arms. "Come on, Masha. Your father is waiting." At her mother’s words, Masha’s face puckered into a pout, a hint of sadness showing. She looked up at Nolan and asked softly, "Prince, will we see each other again?" Nolan gently pinched her cheek. "Of course. If I have time, we’ll definitely meet again." "Yay!" Her chubby face lit up with joy. "Then let’s make a promise, okay?" She extended her tiny pinky, looking at Nolan expectantly. Nolan smiled and hooked his left pinky with hers. Afterward, he handed Masha to Anastasia, and the two of them turned to leave. Watching the mature woman’s back, Nolan chuckled softly, a playful sparkle in his eyes. "Masha really is Duchess Austin’s daughter? This is quite interesting..."