Chapter : 647

Ken Eliot stood in front of the massive buffet table. The grand ballroom buzzed with loud conversations. Wealthy nobles laughed and drank from crystal glasses. A string quartet played soft, elegant music in the corner. Ken ignored all of it. He only cared about the food.

He slouched his shoulders. His white dress shirt hung untucked over his belt. His navy blue suit pants were slightly wrinkled. He buried his left hand into his pocket. He picked up a small, fancy white plate with his right hand.

He stared at the catering spread. He felt intensely disappointed.

"This is a massive scam," Ken mumbled lazily. He poked a tiny cracker with a silver tong. "Rich people have terrible taste in food. Look at this. It is a cracker the size of a coin. It has a single green leaf and a tiny fish egg on top. That is not a meal. That is a garnish. I need real food. I need a giant slice of pizza. Or a massive bowl of noodles."

He continued down the long table. He scooped a large pile of roasted shrimp onto his plate. He added three tiny chocolate tarts. He did not care that the shrimp touched the chocolate. Food all went to the same stomach anyway.

Ken glanced over his shoulder. He checked on the 13th Unit.

Princess Iris stood near a large marble pillar. She spoke politely with a foreign diplomat. She looked calm and regal. Naomi stood right beside the Princess. Naomi wore a sleek red dress. She smiled a warm, confident smile. She kept a sharp eye on the surrounding crowd. She looked very relaxed today.

Sayma stood near a window. She wore an elegant blue gown. She discreetly wrote notes in a small notepad hidden in her sleeve. Laxmi wore a bright orange dress. She looked bored. She stared at a group of snobby nobles. She clearly wanted to punch them. Zinia wore a dark green suit. She stood near the dessert table and happily ate a giant turkey leg.

Luna leaned against a wall. She wore a loose gray dress. Her eyes were closed. She was asleep while standing up. Risa wore a cute pink dress. The sweet healer admired a sparkling chandelier above her. Ira stood perfectly still next to the entrance. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

Ken smiled a goofy, relaxed smile. His team was doing great. They survived the political greetings. Now they were just killing time.

Ken turned back to the buffet. He saw a massive, beautiful chocolate cake sitting on a raised silver platter. His dark, sleepy eyes lit up with joy.

"Finally," Ken cheered quietly. "A real dessert. I am going to claim a massive corner piece. The corner pieces always have the most frosting."

He reached out to grab a cake slicer.

Suddenly, a very small, soft voice spoke from right beside him.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Excuse me, mister. Can you please help me?"

Ken stopped moving. He slowly looked down.

A young boy stood next to the buffet table. He looked about ten years old. He had soft, cherub-like facial features. His skin was flawless. He had wavy, golden blonde hair. He wore a pristine, very expensive white suit with gold trim. He looked like an angel.

His big, wide green eyes stared up at Ken. They looked innocent. They looked helpless.

"I cannot reach the chocolate cake," the boy said softly. He pouted his lower lip. He pointed a tiny finger at the silver platter. "I am too small. My brothers left me all alone. I am very hungry. Can you please cut a slice for me?"

Any normal person in the entire Belmontia Empire would instantly melt. Any normal person would smile, pat the boy on the head, and cut him a giant piece of cake. The boy looked sweet and harmless.

Ken Eliot did not melt. Ken Eliot did not smile.

Ken blinked his sleepy eyes. He stared at the small boy. He did not move a single muscle. His sharp mind instantly analyzed the entire situation. He processed the visual data in a fraction of a millisecond.

"Okay, let us look at the facts," Ken thought casually to himself. He slumped his shoulders even further. "This is the most exclusive, secure, high-society political gala in the entire continent. The Emperor is here. Foreign kings are here. Only elite guards, rich politicians, and Royal candidates are allowed inside this room."

Ken looked at the boy's expensive white and gold suit.

"There are no random children at this party," Ken reasoned smoothly in his mind. "This kid is dressed in supreme royal colors. He has green eyes and blonde hair. That means he is part of the Belmontia Imperial Family. He is one of the Princes."

Ken remembered Sayma's tactical notebook. He remembered the roster of all twenty-one candidates in the Succession War.

"This is the 21st Prince," Ken deduced lazily. "Eros Belmontia. The youngest sibling. He is a direct competitor for the throne."

Ken crossed his arms over his chest. He looked down at the innocent, pouting face. Ken understood the dynamic. He knew what kind of game the young Prince was playing.

"This is a classic anime trope," Ken analyzed with amusement. "The innocent child character. He acts sweet and helpless. He uses his cute face to make older people drop their guard. He makes his enemies underestimate him . But behind the scenes, the cute kid is always a total sociopath. He is the secret mastermind. He probably poisons people's tea while they are distracted."

Ken loved spotting these cartoon tropes in real life. It made the boring political party much more entertaining.

Prince Eros looked up at Ken. The young boy maintained his flawless, innocent act. He let a tiny, fake tear form in the corner of his green eye.

"Please, mister," Eros begged softly. "I just want a small piece of cake. I promise I will not make a mess."

Ken decided to play along. But he refused to make it easy. He wanted to test the young manipulator. He wanted to see how long the kid could keep the cute act going.

"Oh, you want some cake?" Ken asked lazily. He put on a massive, goofy grin. He picked up the cake slicer. "I understand. Cake is fantastic. You are a growing boy. You need a lot of sugar."

Eros smiled a bright, grateful smile. "Thank you, mister. You are very kind."

Ken sliced a massive, perfect piece of chocolate cake. He placed the cake onto a small china plate. He picked up a silver fork. He held the plate out.

Eros reached his small hands forward to take the plate.

Ken smoothly pulled the plate back. He did not hand it to the boy. Instead, Ken used the silver fork. He scooped a giant bite of the chocolate cake. He popped the cake directly into his own mouth.

Ken chewed loudly. He closed his eyes. He let out a loud, highly dramatic sigh of bliss.

"Wow," Ken mumbled with a full mouth. "This is incredible. The frosting is perfection. It melts right on the tongue. You have excellent taste in desserts, kid."