Celestial Dragon Hoof Mark

Amira tightly closed her eyes, pressed her lips together, and gently took off her coat. Charlos reached out, a faint curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and Shalria shoved the doors open while clutching two fruits in her arms.

"Brother, I'm here!"

Charlos turned his head. Shalria rushed over with the two Devil Fruits in her arms and plunged straight into his embrace.

"Ow, my stomach." Charlos let out a muffled groan.

Shalria raised her head and excitedly held up the fruits. "Brother, look! Two Devil Fruits!"

Charlos truly wanted to punch Shalria. He forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and said, "Shalria, you just hurt your brother when you ran into me."

Akali stood silently to one side, watching the scene before her.

Charlos took the two Devil Fruits and said calmly, "You did very well, Shalria."

Shalria grinned. "Hehe, Brother, I'm amazing, right?"

"Amazing. Very amazing."

Charlos turned to look at the sisters Amira and Amina and found that they had nearly finished dressing. He muttered quietly, "Missed quite a sight."

Akali spoke up. "Saint Charlos, shall I have them change again?"

Shalria tilted her head and asked curiously, "Huh? Brother likes watching people change clothes?"

Charlos hurriedly waved his hands to stop her. "Stop. I don't like that. I'm an upright gentleman; I don't have that sort of hobby. Akali, don't ever bring up something like that again."

Akali bowed. "Understood."

Just then, Amina suddenly let out a soft cry. "Sister... it hurts."

Charlos immediately looked at her, his tone darkening slightly. "Come here. Where does it hurt?"

Amina timidly shook her head. "N-No, it doesn't hurt..."

"Tell me. Where does it hurt?" Charlos's tone brooked no refusal.

Amina pressed her lips together and said aggrievedly, "My back... My back hurts..."

Charlos directly reached out and gently lifted the hem of Amina's maid outfit behind her, his gaze falling upon her back.

On the girl's fair back was a glaring, savage Celestial Dragon Hoof Mark etched into her skin. The brand was still red and faintly seeping blood, looking utterly vicious.

Shalria leaned over from the side, her face full of innocent confusion. "Brother, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

As Charlos looked at the fresh, unhealed slave brand, memories instantly surfaced in his mind.

He had nearly forgotten. Every slave of the Celestial Dragons in this world was forcibly branded with the Celestial Dragon Hoof Mark, a symbol marking them as slaves for eternity.

The brands on these two girls had not even healed yet.

Charlos immediately said, "Akali, go get medicine for injuries. Treat their wounds at once."

After saying that, he turned to Amira, who stood silently beside him with her head lowered. "What about you? Do you have one on your back too?"

Amira's body trembled slightly. She slowly turned around with her back to Charlos and gently pulled down the collar at the back of her clothes.

On her smooth back was the exact same bright-red Celestial Dragon Hoof Mark, still swollen and stained with blood.

Charlos frowned tightly and lightly touched the brand on Amira's back with his fingertips.

"Does it hurt?"

Amira shivered slightly and replied softly, "It hurts..."

Just then, the palace doctor hurried inside carrying a medicine box. He dropped to his knees before Charlos with a thud, his tone respectful yet panicked.

"Saint Charlos! I have brought the medicine! I will treat the two ladies' injuries at once!"

Charlos nodded indifferently. "Treat them."

The doctor hurried forward and carefully treated the hoof mark wounds on Amira and Amina's backs, which were still red and bleeding.

Charlos sat quietly by the bed and watched without saying a word.

Shalria obediently sat beside him, leaning against his arm as she asked softly,

"Brother, you don't like that mark?"

Charlos lowered his eyes to look at her and spoke seriously.

"I don't. Shalria, if one day you were branded with such a mark too, would you be unhappy?"

Shalria immediately lifted her little face, looking proud and utterly confident.

"I'm Shalria of the Rosy Family! Who in this world would dare put a mark on me? No one would dare!"

Charlos raised a hand and gently rubbed the top of her head, soothing her softly.

"That's right. No one would dare, my little princess. I simply don't like the members of my Personal Guard bearing such humiliating brands."

Shalria nodded as though she half understood. "Oh, so that's how it is."

A moment later, the doctor finished treating the wounds and bowed as he reported,

"Saint Charlos, the wounds have stopped bleeding and healed. They will no longer seep blood. However, the Celestial Dragon Hoof Mark is a permanent brand and cannot be completely removed."

"I know." Charlos waved a hand casually. "Leave."

The doctor bowed and withdrew from the palace.

Amira and Amina slowly rose to their feet, then walked together to Charlos and dropped to their knees.

The sisters spoke softly and gratefully. "Thank you, Saint Charlos."

Charlos looked at them, his tone serious and solemn.

"Don't rush to thank me. Let me make this clear first: there is currently no way to remove this brand. But remember this—if there is ever even the slightest way to erase it, I will definitely remove this humiliation for you."

The moment his words fell,

The brilliant light of hope suddenly shone in the eyes of Amira and Amina, who had been filled with nothing but humility and fear.

The despair born from living for so long in the humiliation of slavery was, for the first time, completely illuminated by a ray of hope.

The sisters' eyes reddened as they bowed deeply.

"Thank you very much, Saint Charlos!"

An ill-timed sound suddenly rang out. Grrr—

Charlos raised an eyebrow slightly. "What was that sound?"

Amina lowered her head tightly, her voice weak. "I'm sorry, Saint Charlos... My stomach was growling."

Amira's expression changed. She immediately prostrated herself on the ground, pressing Amina's head down to make her kowtow while bowing herself as well.

"I'm sorry! We have displeased Saint Charlos!"

Charlos looked at them and said slowly, "If you're hungry, then you're hungry. I'm not like the other Celestial Dragons. Akali, prepare some food."

Akali bowed in acknowledgment. "Yes."

Before long, several dining carts were pushed into the palace, laden with food. Amira and Amina could not help swallowing as they stared at the lavish spread.

Shalria hurried forward, casually picked up a dessert, and stuffed it into her mouth. "Brother, this dessert is so good. You should try it too."

Charlos stepped forward and lightly slapped her hand away. "This is for the two of them, not us."

Shalria pouted. "I was just tasting it for them. You two, hurry up and eat."

Amira and Amina walked forward, picked up the food, and hurriedly stuffed it into their mouths.

Watching the sisters devour the food, Shalria tilted her head and said in confusion, "Brother, they look kind of like little pets."

Charlos paused slightly at her words, then turned to Shalria. "If the little pet you raised was hungry, would you let it starve?"

Shalria answered without hesitation, "Of course not."

Charlos said, "You can't even bear to let a pet go hungry, so you must not let them go hungry in the future either, understand? They are Brother's people. If they ever go missing, Shalria, Brother will hold you accountable."

Shalria's eyes lit up as she asked expectantly, "They're Brother's people? Then can Brother give them to me?"

Charlos shook his head. "No. I said before that I want to form my own Charlos's Personal Guard."

Shalria puffed out her cheeks and asked pitifully, "Then why did Brother just say you'd hold me accountable?"

Charlos glanced at her indifferently, his tone frank. "If they disappear someday, it will definitely be because you were being mischievous and lost them. Naturally, I'll hold you accountable."

Shalria immediately turned away in a huff and snorted softly. "Hmph, mean Brother!"