Seeing Shirahoshi, Zhong Hao showed no surprise, clearly having noticed her long ago.
Zhong Hao walked over and pulled a large bag of chocolate from his space, handing it to her as if coaxing a child. Though this child was rather large, standing over two meters tall. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be taking a nap at this hour?"
Shirahoshi was innocent and adorable. Toward Zhong Hao, who had saved her mother's life, she was especially close. Zhong Hao treated her well too—not entirely to win her over, but also because he genuinely liked this pure-hearted girl.
Shirahoshi took the bag, her eyes sparkling. "Amazing! Where did such a huge bag come from? Is Lord Zhong Hao really a magician?"
Zhong Hao shook his head. "Don't worry about that. These are milk chocolates I brought from the West Blue. Try one."
Obediently, Shirahoshi pinched a piece of creamy white chocolate from the bag and put it into her mouth. A smile immediately bloomed across her face. "So sweet! Lord Zhong Hao, what is the West Blue like?"
Zhong Hao walked out of the palace and led Shirahoshi to sit against an enormous coral. After taking out a box of dark chocolate and putting one piece into his mouth, he said, "The West Blue? Its seas are calm, and there are signs before storms come, so you can spot them well in advance. There are many countries and many islands. The islands have trees, flowers, and birds singing in them. There are many simple, honest commoners, as well as some bad people who like to bully them."
Shirahoshi's face filled with longing. "Shirahoshi really wants to go out to sea too, but Father, Mother, and my brothers all say I can't. There are many bad people up there who would