Help! My Moms Are Overpowered Tyrants, and I’m Stuck as Their Baby! - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Corruption, Murder, and a Good Night’s Sleep

The sun had long begun its descent, casting the orphanage courtyard in soft hues of gold and deepening shadows.

I stood at the gate, facing Riven, who was very clearly trying not to look terrified.

I smiled. “See you next week?”

He hesitated, shifting his weight between his feet. “…Do I get a say in this?”

“Nope.”

He sighed dramatically, running a hand through his already-messy hair. “Figures.”

Still, despite his very obvious reluctance, there was something about the way his shoulders relaxed, just slightly. Like he wasn’t as resigned as he had been earlier.

And then, right before I turned to leave, he did something surprising.

He smiled.

Just a small, reluctant quirk of his lips. Barely noticeable. But it was there.

I grinned back at him. “Don’t die before next week.”

“No promises.”

Behind me, I could feel the burning gazes of my mothers, their expressions hovering between suspicion and outright hostility.

Verania’s golden eyes gleamed ominously.

Sylvithra’s cold stare made grown men crumble.

They said nothing.

They didn’t have to.

Because the way Riven stiffened immediately like he’d just been marked for death by two apex predators said everything.

I turned, heading back toward the royal carriage.

Riven, wisely, did not move until I was already gone.

The moment I climbed into the plush, velvet-lined carriage, exhaustion hit me like a brick.

Between the running, the chaos, and the sheer amount of food my grandparents had force-fed me, I barely lasted five minutes before my eyelids drooped.

The soft rocking of the carriage, the warmth, the distant sound of hooves against cobblestone…

Before I even realized it, I was asleep.

And that’s when the adults started talking.

Verania leaned back against the cushioned seat, arms crossed. “So. How long before we kill someone?”

Sylvithra didn’t even look up. “Give it a day.”

Saelira, ever poised, traced a gloved finger along the embroidered edge of her gown. “It is… odd, isn’t it?”

Ilythia nodded, her soft expression betraying a deeper calculation. “For an orphanage of that size, its allocated budget should have been at least ten times greater.”

Veylen tapped his fingers against his knee, gaze sharp. “Someone is diverting funds.”

Eryndor simply cracked his knuckles. “Then we will eliminate them.”

The carriage fell silent.

Not because anyone disagreed.

But because they all silently acknowledged that this was the inevitable conclusion.

Verania smirked. “Finally, something we all agree on.”

Sylvithra exhaled through her nose. “We need proof first.”

Eryndor waved a hand. “A formality.”

Veylen, ever meticulous, nodded. “The records will tell us everything. If funds were being misdirected, we will follow the trail.”

Ilythia, ever the diplomat, sipped her tea. “I assume we will be discreet?”

Verania snorted. “Since when are we discreet?”

Saelira smiled thinly. “She means efficient, dear.”

Verania rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, efficiency, diplomacy, making it look like an accident I know the process.”

Sylvithra finally closed her eyes, sighing deeply. “I cannot believe I have to say this, but perhaps we should not immediately execute everyone involved.”

Verania gave her a pointed look. “Who are you?”

“I’m simply suggesting,” Sylvithra continued, “that we confirm who is guilty before we start purging half the treasury department.”

Veylen raised a brow. “Half?”

Sylvithra sighed.

Saelira smiled lightly. “We will do this properly. Veylen, begin a financial audit first thing tomorrow.”

Veylen nodded once. “Already planned.”

Ilythia tilted her head, thoughtful. “We will need to ensure that whoever was involved understands the… gravity of their actions.”

Eryndor smirked. “In other words, an example must be made.”

Verania grinned. “Now that’s the part I like.”

Sylvithra gave her a tired look.

Saelira sighed, smoothing out her skirts. “Regardless, this will be handled swiftly.”

Verania, stretching lazily, smirked. “Good. Because I have other priorities.”

Sylvithra raised a brow. “Such as?”

Verania’s golden eyes gleamed. “My daughter is getting too close to that boy.”

Sylvithra pinched the bridge of her nose. “This again?”

“She has one friend.”

“Yes.”

“And it’s a boy.”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“And?”

Verania scowled. “I don’t like him.”

Sylvithra sighed. “You don’t like anyone.”

Verania gestured vaguely. “Yes, but especially not boys who stand too close to my daughter.”

Saelira, watching the exchange, took a delicate sip of wine. “Is he truly that much of a threat?”

Verania huffed. “It’s about principle.”

Eryndor, ever the warrior, grinned. “Then we train her harder. If she’s powerful enough, no one will dare to get close.”

Verania brightened. “That’s the best idea you’ve had all day.”

Sylvithra rubbed her temples. “Why are we like this?”

Saelira smiled, unbothered. “Because we are tyrants, dear.”

As the palace came into view, glowing against the darkened sky, the conversation continued.

By morning, the investigation would begin.

By noon, the first names would be uncovered.

By nightfall…

Well.

The empire would soon be missing a few corrupt officials.

And, somewhere in the carriage, their beloved four-year-old granddaughter snored softly, blissfully unaware.

I woke up warm, comfortable, and vaguely confused.

There was a soft rocking motion, like I was being carried, and the familiar scent of jasmine and steel filled my senses.

Blinking sleepily, I realized I was cradled in my mother’s arms.

Sylvithra’s hold was firm yet gentle, her dark cloak wrapped around me like a second layer of warmth. I could hear the quiet click of her heels against stone as she walked, and beyond that the deep, hushed voices of my grandparents and Verania.

I turned my head slightly. “We’re back?”

Sylvithra glanced down, her violet eyes catching the glow of the moonlight. “Not quite.”

I frowned, still half-asleep. “Where are we?”

Verania’s voice came from just ahead. “Somewhere special.”

That woke me up a little more.

I shifted in Sylvithra’s hold, trying to get a better look at my surroundings. It was dark now, the palace illuminated only by flickering lanterns, casting long golden shadows against the towering walls.

But we weren’t heading toward the usual halls.

We were somewhere higher.

I could feel it in the air the change in atmosphere, the way the wind carried a crisp, open scent.

“Are we going to the roof?” I asked.

Sylvithra smiled, the barest curve of her lips. “Not quite.”

We reached a grand spiral staircase, leading upward, higher than I had ever been before.

I could feel something waiting at the top.

Something vast.

Something breathtaking.

And when we finally stepped onto the highest balcony of the palace, I forgot how to breathe.

The view was Indescribable.

From up here, the entire capital stretched out beneath us, the city lights flickering like a sea of stars, winding through the streets like flowing rivers of gold.

The sky above was endless, a deep canvas of velvety midnight blue, speckled with constellations that shimmered like scattered diamonds.

And ahead of us, rising beyond the city walls, was the great Imperial Observatory, its silver domes reflecting the celestial glow, its towering spires reaching toward the heavens.

I stared, mesmerized.

“…Whoa.”

Verania smirked. “Good, isn’t it?”

I barely managed a nod. “It’s… so high.”

Eryndor stepped beside me, his presence solid and unshakable. “This is the highest point in the empire,” he said, gazing out over the land. “From here, you can see everything that belongs to you.”

I blinked.

Wait.

“Belongs to me?”

Ilythia chuckled softly. “One day, little one.”

Veylen, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, nodded toward the horizon. “This is where emperors come to reflect. To see the world as it truly is.”

I swallowed, suddenly feeling very small.

The weight of the moment settled over me.

It wasn’t just a view.

It was a lesson.

A silent, unspoken truth:

This is your kingdom. One day, it will be yours to protect.

Saelira, always elegant, placed a gentle hand on my head. “You are young, Elyzara. But you will come to understand the significance of this place in time.”

I nodded slowly.

For once, I didn’t have anything to say.

I just… took it all in.

The empire. The sky. The stars above and the lights below.

The weight of the future.