The convoy continued on and soon reached the very center of the capital city.

There stood a massive palace, shining in pure white;

Surrounding the palace was a huge defensive barrier, preventing visitors from simply barging in and requiring them to enter through either the front or back gates.

As the carriage finally came to a stop, Wang Xiaole effortlessly hopped down to the ground, holding Mewo White;

Ahead of him, six "Army Breaker-class" orc warriors formed three layers of defense, working in tandem to guard the area;

Nearby, another patrol unit made up of "Battlefield Harvester-class" soldiers kept a tight watch on their surroundings.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, greetings, Princess!"

The guards were delighted to see the princess, who had been missing for some time, return; one by one, they saluted before informing the Polar Bear:

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, we have kept the princess's disappearance a secret so far as silent as the grave, even the former queen remains unaware."

The former queen referred to was the grandmother of Mewo White, the Polar Bear's mother-in-law;

A centenarian, she was the longest-lived royal family member and was once a monarch before the Polar Bear's reign!

Most people on the continent were familiar with the Polar Bear's youth and his path to kingship, where he outmatched all internal competitors to become the king;

While this understanding is not entirely incorrect, it does overlook significant parts of the story.

Unlike what many assumed:

The Polar Bear did not ascend to the throne through violence;

There were no major conflicts before or after his succession.

Due to Wang Xiaole's possession of Freya's memories, he knew secrets unknown to the common folk, such as:

The Polar Bear's journey to becoming king followed this sequence:

Starting as a commoner, he surpassed all others in a contest→caught the eye of the queen's only daughter→married into the royal family of the cat clan→eventually ascended the throne as the queen abdicated.

The true story was:

The Polar Bear's early life was that of a promising commoner who rose to success through his own merits, a rags-to-riches tale of marrying into royalty.

Incidentally, the surname "White" was esteemed in the country, a typical "royal family exclusive surname";

The Polar Bear's original surname was not "White," but he was allowed to use it after marrying Mewo White's mother.

Although he was a son-in-law, the former queen relinquishing all power meant he now held unrivaled authority within the nation.

Based on Wang Xiaole's knowledge:

After the transfer of power ceremony, the former queen had fully retired and not stepped out of the palace for many years;

It was because of her reclusive nature that she had no knowledge of the disappearance of her granddaughter, Mewo White; otherwise:

Wang Xiaole would have instantly earned a deadly enemy in the former queen without even meeting her;

It was rumored among the common folk that:

The former queen loved her granddaughter so dearly, even more than a father cherishing his daughter!

Given such an affectionate grandmother-like figure, Wang Xiaole was grateful not to have crossed paths with her.

Meow White may have been tired, as she stopped at the main entrance after only a few steps and looked up with anticipation on her little face.

Based on her understanding of her daughter, White Bear believed this was her need for being spoiled, so he stopped in place, waiting to carry her to her father's warm back.

Although the king must present a cold and stern image in front of outsiders and subordinates;

when facing his daughter, White Bear is just a worried father.

"Daddy will carry you on his back, just like when you were little!"

With a smile on his face, White Bear happily lowered his body, ready to embrace his little daughter.

Heave-ho!

With a push of his foot, Meow White arrived on the back of the person she wanted to go to.

It was not White Bear's back, and the person who carried Meow White was not her father either.

"Uncle, you don't need to thank me. I am a mature person, taking care of little sisters like Meow White is only natural!"

What happened in the previous moment was not Wang Xiaole carrying Meow White, but the little girl actively going to her big brother's back.

In an instant, White Bear felt like he lost something;

especially when Wang Xiaole calmly spoke those words, White Bear felt even more like a detestable son-in-law taking his daughter away from him.

As Wang Xiaole walked a distance away, a voice of resentment still lingered behind:

"I hate you!"

White Bear's current hatred is a feeling shared by fathers all over the world;

when they face the annoying creatures called "son-in-law," this feeling becomes particularly strong.

Of course, Wang Xiaole now, and the role of the son-in-law to White Bear, are still far apart, not even close by a long shot.

Meow White is still just a little girl who doesn't understand what love is, simply sticking close to her big brother out of a spoiled thought.

At most, this feeling can be considered a kind of dependency, not even close to the faintest hint of love or the feeling called "liking".

But even so, White Bear must be vigilant and prevent any issues before this dependency evolves, making his daughter "wake up" early on.

All hopes are placed on tomorrow's exploration of the ancient city by White Bear;

he believes that through the trap he has set, his daughter will surely see the true face of that boy!

Anticipating what will happen tomorrow supports this father, preventing him from venting his dissatisfaction on the spot.

So, White Bear hurriedly stepped faster before Wang Xiaole truly entered the palace, walking a few steps quickly, and soon arrived at the side of the two walking together.

Once this entourage entered the palace, the first thing to do was to visit the former queen living in the private chambers.

After being carried to her destination by her big brother, Meow White stopped being spoiled, and immediately hopped off Wang Xiaole's back.

Previously, when Meow White had not left the palace, she often came to play here with her grandmother;

hence, the gatekeepers at the entrance, upon seeing Meow White's figure, smiled and informed her:

"The Queen will be delighted to see the Princess, we'll let you pass now."

Mewo White nodded, ready to take her big brother inside;

But at that moment, one of the guards suddenly reached out and stopped Wang Xiaole.

"Princess, this is a human, he can't come in!"

The guard looked at Mewo White and, along with his companions, gave Wang Xiaole a stern look, as if ready to act immediately.

"..."

"Just looking at us like that won't work. If we say he can't come in, then he can't."

Mewo White's cute approach failed.

However, Mewo White's attitude was straightforward. Determined to advance and retreat with her big brother, she turned around, preparing to leave with him.

Seeing the princess planning to leave, the guard immediately became anxious:

"Your Highness, please don't leave, let's talk about it!"

Stepped forward, step by step.

"How about we go in to report and ask for the Queen's opinion?"

Stepped forward, step by step.

"We were wrong, truly wrong! Your Highness can bring this human in, we won't stop you anymore."

Stopped stepping forward.

When Wang Xiaole accompanied Mewo White, he knew from the moment she turned back that she had won the previous confrontation through her wit.

Under pressure from the princess's temper, the guards later allowed Wang Xiaole to pass through, but still harbored hostility towards this human.

Just before entering the palace chambers, Mewo White suddenly remembered something. She turned her head and stared at her father with clear eyes.

The polar bear understood his daughter's intention but still replied:

"Go in with that boy, I won't go see your grandmother."

"..."

Mewo White felt somewhat regretful but had no choice. After glancing back at her father who was leaving the door, she took her big brother's hand and went inside.

"Phew, that's enough! The Queen of our country wouldn't want to see a betrayer like me, why ruin her good mood?"

The low murmur belonging to the polar bear gradually echoed in the corridor, turning into a slightly lonely breeze, drifting away in all directions.

After reaching the depths of the palace chambers, Mewo White gestured for her big brother to wait in place, then began searching around the room.

Wang Xiaole thought that Mewo White might be looking for her grandmother, as the former queen had been missing since they arrived.

If it were a familiar place like Dibiles, he would certainly help search;

However, since this was a place Mewo White frequented, he decided it was best not to act rashly, so as not to cause any trouble.

Wang Xiaole prepared to find a place to sit down.

Considering the host's feelings, he deliberately chose a less conspicuous corner. However, as he took a step, he suddenly stumbled.

Beside Wang Xiaole was a wall. Anticipating his unsteady balance, he quickly propped himself up on it, stabilizing himself.

When he looked down, he immediately understood what had tripped him.

"Why hasn't this room been cleaned? Why is there a huge ball of yarn lying on the floor with no one taking care of it?"

Possibly because of the bump, or maybe due to being awoken;

When there were only a few sounds coming from Wang Xiaole, the "yarn ball" shifted slightly, then smoothly unraveled completely.

"What a lively young girl's voice."

The wriggling of the "yarn ball" became more and more pronounced, and from beneath the fuzzy surface, came the sweet, childish voice of a little girl.

Following that, the "ball" extended fully, revealing its original form to Wang Xiaole.

It was a girl who looked to be in her early teens, with a petite figure similar to Mewo White, appearing almost like her twin;

The girl resembled a newborn kitten, now gazing at Wang Xiaole, who had a mature figure, with half-open eyes, while extending her doll-sized limbs in synchronization.

At that moment, Wang Xiaole couldn't help but ask Mewo White if this girl was her sister or older sister.