First, he had to become the girl's uncle in name, that is, become her father's sworn brother. Only then could he rightfully take the position of regent.
Second, to ensure he would never betray the girl, the woman took out a box with a blood-colored parasite and told him that after he swallowed it, he would become the girl's exclusive blood slave and puppet, never having freedom again. In return, he would also become her closest and only support until she gained the right to protect herself.
He didn't hesitate much. As soon as the woman finished speaking, he swallowed the parasite under her slightly shocked gaze.
From that day on, he became the only non-royal prince in the Periwinkle Kingdom and later, when the girl's father's health gradually declined, he took the position of regent and held power alone.
Later, a great upheaval occurred in the imperial court.
The girl's mother and father, one died outside, the other died inside the palace.
In a single night, she lost the two people she loved most. She cried uncontrollably in his arms.
During those dark and depressing days, he held her every day and never left her side.
When the new emperor took the throne, those restless claws in the Periwinkle Kingdom's court revealed themselves. He removed and crushed them one by one without leaving a trace.
He had originally thought he would stick to the plan and stay by the girl's side until she learned how to use power and govern the empire.
But the world never runs out of surprises.
One day, the girl suddenly disappeared.
Even though her body was still in his arms, the blood contract from the Sacred Spirit Parasite clearly showed that the person in that body was no longer the girl.
At the same time, the parasite, having lost its master, rebounded with double the pain.
If he hadn't been holding on to search for the girl, he would have fainted on the spot the moment she vanished, falling into a half-dead state between life and death.
He sent people to monitor the body's every move and found that her behavior was completely different. It was impossible that she and the girl were the same person.
Over the next three years, he searched all over the empire, turning over every place he could. But he never found a single trace of the girl.
There were moments when he nearly lost the will to live.
But his body remained in that half-dead state, which meant the girl was still alive, just in a way he hadn't expected.
Later, because his body couldn't bear the parasite's backlash anymore, he had no choice but to lead the army north and settle in the Northern Frontier.
Before he left, he left behind unbreakable restrictions and shadows for those ambitious people in the court. Only after confirming they had engraved the untouchable boundaries deep into their instincts did he finally collapse in the carriage. Senior General Duanmu and General He brought him to the Northern Frontier.
Time kept flowing by.
In a flash, many years had passed.
Waking up once again from familiar waves of pain, he realized that this time, the rebound had weakened.
He lay dazed on the bed for a long time, staring at his body, which had long been disfigured by torture over the years. When he finally reacted, he endured the pain he already knew so well and carefully focused on the parasite's signals.
It wasn't an illusion.
After so many years, he could feel the girl's presence again.
But now, his body couldn't move at all, so he immediately sent someone to check in Plumera City.
The results came quickly.
The person in that body was very likely the girl.
But one thing was clear the girl seemed to have forgotten everything from the past. She had forgotten him.
After leaving the tower, Elara silently pondered over Commander Shu's words for a long time.
Those few questions of hers had never been answered, but instead, Commander Shu had asked her several questions filled with meaning.
Unfortunately, she couldn't find any related memories in this body.
Only the sacred spirit blood continuously sent complex feelings, clearly expressing that he hadn't lied.
Could it be that this body really had a good relationship with Commander Shu during childhood? Was she really raised by him before the age of seven?
This completely overturned Elara's original assumptions.
She still couldn't find any supporting evidence in her memory.
But... if everything he said was true, then it would at least partially explain why Commander Shu was willing to hand over the Northern Frontier.
Still... someone as deep-thinking and composed as Commander Shu, who stayed calm even when the army of Salvia Kingdom nearly broke the city, someone who always appeared perfectly rational... would he really be bound by old memories?
How close must their time together have been for him to now willingly suffer pain and still hand everything over?
Elara felt something was still strange... or maybe it was because she didn't have those memories and couldn't truly understand?
Either way, with the sacred spirit blood present, everything Commander Shu was doing now matched what he had expressed.
One of her goals in coming north was the Northern Frontier.
She had to take it back.
Otherwise, Plumera Kingdom would always be incomplete.
Commander Shu's cooperation saved her a lot of trouble.
From every angle, it was beneficial to both Elara and Plumera Kingdom.
So, even though she had no related memories, Elara didn't mind going along with Commander Shu's words.
After he asked her those questions, she was silent for over ten seconds, then looked at him seriously and said:
"If I was truly raised by you, Uncle, then I will grant you the title of Prince of the North as soon as we return to Plumera City. Your status and treatment will match that of a retired emperor. How about that?"
"A few months ago, I rebuilt and expanded the royal palace in Plumera City. Besides my own quarters, many new buildings have been added. Your residence doesn't need to be outside the palace. You can live in the Ning Shou Palace inside my imperial residence."
"Everything in the palace can be arranged to your liking. You don't need to report to me before entering or leaving. It will all follow your wishes, Uncle."
"I'll have Oswyn and the doctors from the Valley of Divine Healers treat your body."
"If you wish to inspect the Northern Frontier army or return there to take a look, you can go whenever you like."
"You just need to rest peacefully in the imperial palace and recover. How about that?"
As long as he had no ill intent, Elara would honor everything she just promised.
The kindness of raising her and the pain he had endured these years deserved proper repayment, so she would elevate him to the highest rank of a prince and give him supreme status.
As long as he stayed loyal and lived peacefully in her palace, she would heal his body and let him enjoy the highest honor and position, giving him everything he deserved in return.
Elara didn't mind supporting one more person.
As long as he had no ill intent, those words just now were sincere.
But after she finished, Commander Shu quietly laughed and looked down slightly.
"So... you really see me as a parental figure."
His laughter was odd, not quite like laughter.
Elara stared at him and saw that he laughed a little, then started coughing, covering his mouth as his thin body trembled slightly. He looked even weaker.
"Uncle, do you not want this?" she asked, frowning at the strange smile on his lips.
Commander Shu wiped his lips with a handkerchief. His face looked even more sickly, but his voice remained calm and gentle as he shook his head:
"No, I have no objections. You may decide."
Elara couldn't understand that strange smile he showed earlier, and Commander Shu didn't give her time to question it.
After their talk was nearly over, Commander Shu said he wasn't feeling well and summoned Senior General Duanmu and General He, who had been waiting outside, to take her orders. He had his attendant push his wheelchair away.
By then, the battlefield had also been mostly cleared. Damon was already waiting outside the gate to report on the weapons and armor collected.
Elara temporarily put aside thoughts of Commander Shu, got up, and walked outside with the half-kneeling Senior General Duanmu and General He.
"I'll go take a look."
"Yes."