That smirk practically said, "So what if you don’t agree? Do I need your permission? With your mother on my side, can you do anything she doesn’t want you to do? No—you can only chicken out even if you’re unhappy. That’s the perk of having a strong wife, little boy."
Kallus, seeing that look and understanding exactly what his father’s smirk was saying—albeit indirectly—couldn’t help but feel frustrated, with a flicker of anger mixed in. But he was helpless in this situation. With his mother already in that mood, if he dared to respond to his father’s provocation—a provocation his mother knew nothing about—it would only end with him being beaten by Amelia until his face turned red, black, and blue.
Otherwise, he would have shot back, "Why are you being so smug, old man? What perk? Just say it—she dominates you, and you can’t do anything but be Mother’s slave. It’s not just me who chickens out! What about you? Don’t you remember how many times you’ve embarrassed yourself?" Dammit...
But oh well, he didn’t have the luxury to say any of that to his father while his angry mother was still in the room.
But there was one catch here... While Kallus had agreed to give more freedom—yes, freedom—to his father (and what freedom we’re talking about here... well, that’s for later. You’ll learn about it eventually, if you haven’t guessed already), he had absolutely no intention of actually doing so.
Simple reason—he wasn’t about to grant what he’d just promised under the terrifying gaze of his mother and the threat of her flying chappals. He’d only agreed so he wouldn’t be beaten into a pig by his mother’s wrath.
As for what would happen when his mother eventually found out he wasn’t keeping his word—or if his father ran off to complain about the mistreatment he was receiving—well, that was a problem for future Kallus.
When that day came, he’d either think of something clever... or simply make a run for it.
Thinking that, he gave a small nod to himself—internally, of course. He didn’t want to give anything away to his father or mother that might clue them in to whatever scheme he was cooking up in his mind, especially after he had clearly suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of his parents.
Just then, as he finished his thought, he heard the sound of something being crunched... and the faint slurp of a drink through a straw. Confused by the sudden noise right beside him—where his silent sister was sitting—he turned to look at Luna.
What he saw left him shocked and speechless. Luna, who had been a little worried earlier when she saw him arguing with their father, William, was now not only unworried—she was thoroughly enjoying herself. A popcorn bag sat on her lap, one hand tossing kernels into her mouth, while the other held a paper cup of soda. She munched and sipped as if she were watching some live drama... and clearly, it was a drama she was enjoying quite a lot.
Luna, the little princess, felt her brother’s gaze and looked at him, blinking innocently as she continued chewing the popcorn already in her mouth. After swallowing it and taking a sip of soda, she fixed her eyes on him and spoke—drawing the immediate attention of Father William and Mother Amelia.
Both parents were a bit taken aback, left momentarily speechless by their daughter’s current behavior. Meanwhile, Luna, completely unconcerned by the stares she was receiving from her parents, focused solely on her brother.
"What’re you looking at, brother?" she asked, straight-forwardly and with just a hint of arrogance.
Oh..." As if realising something, she added, "Do you want some popcorn too?"
Kallus, frozen in shock and left utterly speechless at what he’d just heard, almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. Fortunately, his strong constitution and sturdy body prevented that from actually happening.
It was a different story for Mother Amelia and Father William, though. They had just taken a sip of water—and promptly spat it out to the sides as they stared at their daughter, who couldn’t possibly be acting any naughtier than she was right now.
Kallus’s mouth twitched. Without a word, he flicked his fingers and smacked Luna on the head so fast that she didn’t even have time to react, let alone stop him.
Startled, she tossed away the soda cup in her hand—though it didn’t hit the ground, instead floating midair. Luna didn’t care whether her drink fell or not; she was too busy clutching her head with both hands, rubbing the sore spot where Kallus had struck her.
Only after the pain faded a couple of seconds later did Luna lift her head to glare at her brother—the very same brother who had just struck her without any reason at all.
Thinking about how unreasonable he was, she spoke with a mix of anger, grievance, and hurt in her expression.
"Why? Why did you flick my head like that? I didn’t even do anything! You’re so unfair, brother. How can you hit a little girl like me—and your own sister at that?"
Kallus’s mouth twitched even more as he listened to her complaint, which painted him as the bad guy bullying his poor little sister.
"Quit your acting, little devil. You think I need a reason to beat you? Hmph... I don’t."
"And ohh, do tell me, little Luna," Kallus shifted his tone from the irritation sparked by her odd behavior to the warm friendliness of the best brother in the world, "why were you having popcorn and soda at this time, as if you were enjoying what was just happening now? Was it really that good, hmm?" He asked with a smile, but Luna knew it was a trap he’d laid for her.
Did she care? Hmph, not at all—she was fearless. "Of course, big bear. It was just that good, and I enjoyed it. It’s not happens often—when you and Baba argue about something only to be completely demolished by Mom, with neither of you getting what you wanted. I just enjoy it."
"After all, I want to be like our mom—bossing both you and Papa around like it’s nothing at all. And you two becoming my little servants, just like you already are to Mom," she said with a mischievous grin.
Hearing this, both Kallus and his father, William, shivered, the same thought flashing through their minds: No, no, your mom is enough. But they dared not say it out loud for Mother Amelia to hear, lest they face her wrath.
Meanwhile, Amelia laughed. "Hahahaha! Aww, my dear princess, don’t worry—they’ll be your slaves in the future... if they aren’t already," she said with a wink.
And just like that, a family banter began between the four of them, mostly dominated by Amelia and Luna to an impressive extent, while William and Kallus were thoroughly overpowered—until the two of them ended up lying on the ground, crying in defeat.
Meanwhile, both William and Kallus—the Imperial Father and the Imperial Commander of the Void Fleet—suffered within the universal plane at the hands of the Imperial Mother and the Imperial Princess. If word ever got out, Kallus would have no place to even show his face.
Outside the universal plane, in the actual universe, preparations had been largely completed by the Seven Grand Admirals within their respective fleets. Each of the seven battle fleets now stood in their most perfect state, fully prepared for deployment in the coming battle. Every crew member was brimming with energy and excitement, eager for action after a hundred years of relentless training.
All that remained now was Kallus’s Imperial Commander speech—once delivered and given his final approval, they would depart from the Solar System and the Sol Region to carry out the missions assigned to each fleet.
Back in the universal dimension, at the Imperial House—Kallus’s villa within that realm—the crying Kallus had finally had enough. He wanted to fly, but he couldn’t, as his wings were being suppressed by his mother and little sister.
Just then, as the family of four laughed and cried over their own silly jokes, Kallus received a call from the Red Empress, who chose not to make an appearance in person and instead contacted him directly.
The moment the call came through, everyone calmed down, and Kallus answered.
The moment the call came through, everyone calmed down, and Kallus answered. A voice came from the watch he wore, the unmistakable tone of the Red Empress.
"Imperial Command," she addressed him formally, for this was an official matter. "All preparations have been completed by the fleet and the Grand Admirals. They, along with the crews, await your scheduled speech—and, finally, your approval to set things in motion."
"Ohh, so everything is ready?" said Kallus, a hint of reluctance in his voice. He had been enjoying his time with his family and felt that a little more of it would have been nice—after all, he didn’t know when they would next be so free and carefree, sharing such lighthearted talk. But, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end, and this was that moment for him.
"Yes, Imperial Commander. Everything is in place."