At the Star Police Station…
“Name, age, identity…”
A young, by-the-book star police officer, asked the pair seated across from him—a grown man and a little girl—with a solemn expression.
Shushu clung nervously to Almer’s clothes, though her posture remained as well-behaved as ever.
This was her first time being brought to a police station in both her lifetimes. How could she not be nervous?
“Do you understand that flying above the city is dangerous? There are so many hover cars passing by each day. A little extra speed, and things can go wrong quickly. The child might not understand, but shouldn’t the adult know better?”
Almer’s handsome face was dark with displeasure. He said nothing but stated, “Ruan Xiao, age 100.”
Ruan Shu: “!!!”
The young girl stared at him in shock. How could you… how could you say that?
Shameless!
Almer, on the other hand, didn’t want to embarrass himself.
The star police officer fell silent too, then slapped the table. “Are you playing a prank on me? Isn’t Ruan Xiao the name of Marshal Ruan? Would he make such a rookie mistake?”
Ruan Shu nodded earnestly from the side. Exactly, exactly—her dad would never make that mistake.
Almer retorted, “Are people not allowed to have the same name?”
“And you? What’s your name?”
Caught off guard, Ruan Shu blurted out automatically, “Almer.”
The real Almer: “……”
Ruan Shu: “……”
The star police officer: “……”
The entire interrogation room fell into an awkward silence.
Then, Ruan Shu’s little face turned bright red, and she wished she could just shrink into her neck and disappear.
Boo hoo hoo… She could explain! She didn’t mean that she was named Almer!
“Show me your identity chips, both of you!” The star police officer was on the verge of exasperation. One of them had the nerve to use the Marshal’s name, and the other, the Emperor’s. Incredible.
Looking at the little girl, who radiated an air of “I’m very easy to bully” despite her well-behaved demeanor, he found her even bolder than the guy next to her!
The star police officer approached, and while Ruan Shu obediently held out her wrist, Almer looked visibly reluctant.
The officer scanned the identity chip on the inside of Ruan Shu’s wrist, and a mechanical voice immediately responded: “Ruan Shu, age four, guardian: Imperial Marshal Ruan Xiao.”
The young officer: “……”
The young officer: “???”
The officer hesitated, glancing back and forth between Ruan Shu, the young girl with the flushed cheeks, and the young man sitting beside her. He then looked back at the ID scanner.
Ruan Shu’s face was bright red as she spoke in a soft, almost timid voice, “Ruan Xiao is… is my dad’s name.”
I’m so sorry, Dad. I embarrassed you.
It’s all Almer’s fault. Aren’t you supposed to be the Emperor? Why… why did you fly over the city?
The young officer: “…”
Honestly, he’d been more speechless in this one day than he’d been in the past year.
“And you?”
Almer had no desire to be scanned.
But Ruan Shu, feeling braver now, tugged on his wrist and held it out. She couldn’t be the only one to lose face here!
There was another “beep” as the scanner processed his ID. “Almer Reynold Berlinhan…”
The name Almer was the current Emperor’s, while his last name carried the former Emperor’s. Their names were passed down this way, so the reading continued through the full list of names before finally stopping.
The young officer’s expression twisted slightly as he looked at the two of them.
Ruan Shu sat there obediently, while His Majesty’s expression was decidedly unamused.
Almer: “Could you skip the first name and just start from Reynold?”
That was his father’s name.
The young officer swallowed nervously, realizing that this was beyond him. Better to call in the Chief.
Ruan Shu tugged on Almer’s sleeve, whispering, “Are we going to get locked up?”
“No.”
“Will they call our parents? Why did you fly over the city anyway?”
Almer replied, “Flew too fast. Got lost.”
Ruan Shu: …
Sigh~
The two sat there in silence until the Chief arrived.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I deeply apologize for this. I’m so sorry you were brought in.”
When the Chief of the Star Police Department heard that one of his young officers had brought in the Emperor, he’d been so shocked that he’d nearly spat out his tea.
At first, he thought he’d misheard. Then, he saw the ID information the young officer had sent him.
One was the Marshal’s daughter, the other was the Emperor himself. The officer had managed to catch two royals in one go!
Almer waved it off. “It’s fine, as long as you don’t post my picture anywhere.”
The Chief: “…Understood.”
The Emperor, ever mindful, paid the fine without complaint. Without needing anyone to pick them up, he took Ruan Shu and left the station.
“Oh, by the way, that young officer was just doing his job. Don’t make things difficult for him just because of my position.”
After all, he was in the wrong. Although his expression had been grim the whole time, he didn’t make it hard for the young officer.
The Chief straightened up and promised, “Rest assured, Your Majesty. I won’t just go easy on him; I’ll give him a raise!”
Almer: “…”
As they left the station, Ruan Shu’s stomach growled audibly.
It had been a while, and she was hungry.
Almer gave her little belly a gentle pat. “Alright, let’s go eat.”
They went to the highest-end, five-star restaurant on the main planet, known for its excellent ambiance and service. Most importantly, the food was delicious, with dishes made from rare mutated plants.
As soon as the dishes were served, Almer was busy feeding the little one next to him.
Ruan Shu held her knife and fork awkwardly. “…”
“You should eat too.”
Just as Ruan Shu managed to swallow the food in her mouth and utter a sentence, a piece of grilled fish was placed by her lips.
The little one opened her mouth and took a bite.
“I’m not hungry. I’ll eat once you’re done,” the young man said lazily, watching her eat with amused interest.
“Waiter, one milk juice, please.”
Ruan Shu’s big round eyes blinked at him. Was that for her?
Almer raised an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘What do you think?’
One was eating while the other was happily feeding her, when a curious voice interrupted.
“Your Majesty?”
Both Ruan Shu and Almer turned to look, seeing a well-dressed middle-aged man approaching.
“It really is you; I thought I’d mistaken you.”
Ruan Shu noticed that Almer’s relaxed demeanor vanished. Now, a faint smile played on his lips, his posture exuding elegance and an aura of nobility, though there was a subtle distance to his manner.
“Good afternoon, Uncle Kanat.”
Beside the middle-aged man stood a beautiful young girl with golden hair, who curtsied with noble etiquette.
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”
Kanat laughed heartily as he introduced them, “What a coincidence to run into Your Majesty here. I wonder if you still remember my niece, Lin Mo? You met her when she was little, though she moved to Cota Star with her parents afterward and hasn’t been back since.”
Almer gave the girl a polite nod by way of greeting.
“Apologies, but I meet too many people each day to remember everyone I’ve met in the past.”
His tone was indifferent, and the hopeful gleam in the girl’s eyes faded a little at his words.
Kanat patted her hand and continued with a smile, “That’s alright. My niece will be staying on the main planet for a while, so you’ll have a chance to get acquainted.”
Lin Mo gazed shyly at the Emperor’s handsome face, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.