The Evil Emperor's Fragile Heart

"What the hell?!" Mana shouted before anyone else could say anything. A green haze began to coalesce around her, and crackling bolts of reddish gold and silver white electricity flashed occasionally in the haze.

"You think a disgusting man like has the right to seduce my Papa? Have you looked at a mirror? Have you looked at your qualifications? Do you think you are worthy?" Mana hissed in a menacing voice as she slowly took steps forward to where King Min was sitting on the floor.

"You think my Papa is lonely because he doesn't have anyone by his side? My Papa is so handsome and so cool, do you think it will take more than a smile and a wave from him to have countless people rushing to him to offer their hearts to him?! But my Papa doesn't do that, because he is not a scumbag like you!" Mana continued in an ice cold voice.

She fixed her sharp eyes on King Min, who was cowering on the floor at the moment, and darting furtive glances at her as if she was a big tigress and he was a small little rabbit that was about to be killed by her.

"I want to poke your eyes out for daring to cast your dirty gaze on my Papa!" Mana said coldly.

"It's not like that!" King Min wailed, tears dripping down his face. "I just – I just…"

Head Sage Yue crossed his arms and stood next to Mana in support. "You just what?" he spat.

King Min shrunk further, and his entire body trembled. He was clearly terrified of Head Sage Yue.

Then King Min looked up and met Raven's gaze. "Nephew Raven! You know that I am not a bad man! Please help me! You are so beautiful and kind, Nephew Raven! Won't you help your Uncle Min who is being slandered and attacked without cause?!" he cried pitifully, trying to crawl towards Raven.

Mana and Head Sage Yue blocked him immediately.

"You even dare to cast your filthy gaze at my Raven?! Are you tired of living?!" Mana hissed, and the powerful green magical haze around her became like emerald flames, radiating a very dangerous aura.

No one had seen Mana so angry before.

However, King Min ignored her and moved to the side, trying to get a glimpse of Raven. In a simpering voice, he cajoled, "Nephew Raven, this little princess is so fierce and vicious and violent! She must be bullying you a lot, am I right? You must have been forced by your cruel grandfather to go to live with these people in the Emerald Kingdom and even become engaged to this violent girl! Don't worry, little Nephew Raven, you can come to the Pearl Kingdom and live with me, and I will take care of you properly! You are so beautiful, like a flower – how would such a fierce and vicious and violent girl be able to treasure you? You must save me and come to me, little Nephew Raven, and I will teach you how to…"

"Enough!" Head Sage Yue roared and stamped his foot, and his powerful water magic spilled over, raging around him. "You dirty scoundrel, do you think I would let you lay a finger on my son?!"

King Min did not dare to look up at Head Sage Yue, Instead, he hung his head pitifully. "But little Nephew Raven is so pretty, shouldn't we keep such a beauty within the family?" he murmured, almost as if talking to himself.

Mana looked at Head Sage Yue. "Father," she said quietly. "Are you going to take out the trash, or would you like me to do it?" Her eyes flashed dangerously.

Head Sage Yue sighed and the fierce power around him receded a little. "I will settle this, little Mana," he said softly. "I apologise for the trouble caused by this man. He will be dethroned publicly first thing in the morning." He bowed and apologised to King Jaren, King Corvus and Raven as well.

King Jaren's face softened as well. "Then we will rely on you to sort out this mess, Head Sage Yue," he said. After all, this involved the king of another nation – and it would look bad from a political perspective if King Jaren or King Corvus were to be directly involved with the matter.

"Jaren is right, it is best for Yue to sort out this mess," King Corvus said. "Yue, if you need help, let us know. To protect our Raven and Mana, the Obsidian Kingdom is always willing to lend a helping hand."

"Indeed," King Jaren agreed, patting the two little dragons in his arms lazily. "To protect our Mana and Raven, the Emerald Kingdom will always step up to help as well."

"So will the Sapphire Kingdom," Bella, who had been silent until now, spoke up as well. "Papa and Raven and Mana are acknowledged members of the royal family of the Sapphire Kingdom, and very dear to us."

King Min stared at them, stupefied. "No, no, no! How is this possible?! No! I don't accept this!" he cried hysterically. "All of you are ganging up on me! This is not what is supposed to happen! I am the King of the Pearl Kingdom! I can get whoever I want! King Orion will help me! He promised – he promised that I could have Raven as long as he and Princess Mana broke up! It's just – it's just that I didn't expect King Jaren to be so attractive and I thought – I thought…" his voice trailed off.

Everyone's gazes sharpened, especially Head Sage Yue's.

"So, Cousin Min, you went and made a deal with King Orion of the Amber Kingdom, is it?" Head Sage Yue asked in a soft, dangerous voice.

King Min trembled violently and then he wrapped his arms around his knees and rocked himself back and forth like a deranged person.

"I – I just wanted little Raven…" King Min murmured, his voice shaking with fear and he was almost incoherent as he stammered and stumbled over his words. "I – I heard that – that he is very pretty – like – like the best of both Cousin Yue and Princess Pica – and – and that he is – he is very gentle – not fierce like Cousin Yue and Princess Pica…" he looked at Raven again, trying to make himself look as pitiful as possible. "Little Raven – Nephew Raven – won't you – won't you help your Uncle Min…?" he pleaded.

Raven's eyes flashed and turned dark, losing the gentle, pearlescent rainbow hue that his eyes normally had. Purple electricity crackled around him and he looked even more dangerous than Mana or Head Sage Yue at that moment.

Raven walked up to Mana, who was eyeing him worriedly, and took her hand in his own, lacing their fingers together.

King Min let out a terrified scream at the sight of Raven's dark, liquid eyes.

"You – you – how did your eyes change?!" he cried. "M-m-monster!"

Raven narrowed his eyes at King Min and the latter scuttled back on the floor like a cockroach.

"Ah, would you look at that," King Corvus said in a mocking tone. "A filthy monster is actually calling an innocent little boy a monster!"

King Min whimpered.

Raven laughed suddenly. "Well, I am a monster, and my Mana is fierce and vicious and violent – aren't we the perfect match made in heaven, Uncle Min?" he asked, throwing out the words 'Uncle Min' as an invective.

King Min trembled all over and remained silent.

"Daddy is not a monster and Mommy is not fierce and vicious and violent!" Azar piped up, his cute baby voice full of anger. "Daddy is a good boy and Mommy is a good girl!"

"Yes, Uncle Raven is a good boy and Auntie Mana is a good girl!" Alya spoke up as well. "This man is very bad and he wants to do bad things to Grandpapa and Uncle Raven!"

"Mommy, Azar wants to smash this bad man!" the little black dragon said to Mana, blinking his big, round, emerald eyes adorably.

"Dad, Alya also wants to smash this bad man along with Azar!" the little white dragon said to Jules, batting her beautiful mismatched eyes at Jules.

King Corvus and King Jaren looked at each other, trying to control their laughter. Jules, Bella, Mana and Raven were the same – but all of them couldn't hold on for long.

The six of them burst out laughing.

"Devils! Monsters! You are all demons!" King Min cried, clutching his head and rolling himself into a ball on the floor. "Cousin Yue, Cousin Yue, save me from these demons! They all want to kill me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I won't covet Raven's beauty any more! I won't try to seduce King Jaren any more! They are very scary! I want to go home!"

Everyone rolled their eyes. What 'I want to go home'? Weren't they in King Min's home in the first place?!