Chapter 107: Leto and Asteria

"What do you mean?" Nero tried to act dumb.

"I am here to help you bathe," Asteria replied and walked to Nero.

"I didn't ask for help, and I can bathe on my own."

Asteria grabbed a jug and spilled it on Nero. "This is my first time here, in this bathhouse." 

Asteria grabbed the clean cloth to wash Nero's body. She sat beside Nero and started washing his hand.

"You have never been here before?" Nero asked again to confirm.

"I always bathed in the tower." Asteria smiled at Nero and continued, "Well, you broke that tower now, though."

Nero was busy in his thought: 'She is a virgin.'

When Nero activated his God's eyes, he could see Asteria's soul was as pure as an angel.

"You are too innocent for a demon," Nero commented.

"Part demon," Asteria commented and moved to the right to wash Nero's other hand.

"Have you and your mother decided on who is coming with me?"

"We have, and we hope you treat us well."

Nero raised his hand so Asteria could wash his armpit.

"So, how has your life been here, in the palace?" Nero asked to ease the mood.

"This is actually my first time in the palace," Asteria replied.

"So you have been locked up in that tower for your entire life?"

"Yes."

"And you always waited for someone to take you out of that tower and free you?" Nero smiled and added, "On the white horse?"

"What are you going to ask me next? Why isn't my hair long, or did I sing songs or something?"

Nero's smirked vanished. He turned to Asteria and asked, "Why… how do you know that reference?"

"I don't know. I know a lot of things, and I don't know why," she replied.

"Any strange memories?"

"Yes, but in fragments," Asteria replied honestly.

'Is it what I think it is?' Nero shook his head and thought, 'No, no. I am just getting carried away by my emotions.'

'Just because her name and face resemble 'Princess Astrea' doesn't mean Asteria is her reincarnation.'

When princess Astrea was traveling with Nero, he had told her all the stories about princesses he knew and remembered from his past life.

Asteria started washing Ziro's back and uttered, "Well, my mother was with me."

"Hmm?"

"She and I, we both have been locked there since I was born."

"Have you never seen that bastard king?" Nero asked curiously.

"I had. And mom and I, we both resented him and wished him to die. We always prayed and waited for you to come and embrace us."

Nero smiled wryly and said, "Your prayers have been answered."

Asteria leaned on Nero's back and began washing Nero's chest. Her breasts were pressing against Nero's back as she wiped his chest.

'Does she not realize how dangerous it is to give a bath to a naked man like this?' Nero wondered to himself.

He was trying to control himself, and the side effects of using his demonic powers were already showing.

'If she sees my snake turning into an anaconda, who knows what might happen.'

Asteria moved her hands down to Nero's thigh and said, "I will wash—"

Nero shrugged his body and said, "I think you have done enough. You should go now."

"But the lower part—"

Nero interrupted her, saying, "I will take care of it. Leave me alone." 

"I was just trying to help you, but okay." 

Nero could easily feel the sadness and disappointment in her voice.

Asteria wore her clothes and left the bathhouse without speaking anything.

SIGH!

Nero sighed and sighed.

"What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself.

Nero adored princess Astrea like a little sister, and after seeing her lookalike like that, he was in a slump. He was aware that Asteria didn't mean it that way, but he couldn't help but imagine that.

"It is tough to be a gentleman," he sneered.

After washing himself, he dipped in the bathtub to put his mind at ease and later finished the bath.

After exiting the bathhouse, Nero was on his way to the room where he first encountered Leto and Asteria.

Previously, Leto and Asteria were locked in the heavily guarded tower, but once Nero attacked the palace, the guards left.

Nero had also cast a barrier around all the females and children and asked them to leave the palace. Leto and Asteria had realized it was the demon from the prophecy, so they left the tower before it could collapse and safely entered one of the rooms of the inner palace.

Nero was wearing different attire than he always wore. He looked like royalty in his current robe.

He stood in front of the door and sighed nervously.

"Why the hell am I nervous?" He knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to open the door,

"It's open," the voice said from inside.

Nero opened the door and went inside to see Asteria crying in Leto's arms.

"Uhh… maybe I should come later," Nero stepped back.

"No, it's fine." Letro stopped Nero and whispered something in Asteria's ears.

"We have decided who will join you in your journey," Leto asserted and continued, "But first, do you promise to treat us well?"

"I can guarantee that," Nero answered instantly.

"So, the person who will join you is…"

Nero honestly didn't care who would join, but he was hoping for it to be Asteria.

'Even if there is a little chance that Asteria is the princess Astrea, then I don't want to miss it,' Nero thought to himself, 'Not again.'

"We have decided that Asteria will join you," Leto answered.

"Okay."

"Ma, please. You go. You have suffered more than me," Asteria insisted Leto.

"Don't worry about me. You have a great life waiting ahead for you, and I am sure…" Leto turned to Nero and asked with an apologetic look on her face, "I am sorry, but what is your name?"

"Zeus," Nero told his real name rather than his alias.

"Zeus…? Only Zeus?"

"Yeah, I don't have any last name."

Leto turned to Asteria and continued, "I am sure Zeus will take care of you and make you happy."

"But you deserve to be happy too!" 

'So she was crying because of that.' Nero thought Asteria was crying because of what happened in the bathhouse, but she was crying for leaving her mother behind.

"AHEM!" Nero cleared his throat and said, "I will make your mother happy too."

"You will?!" Asteria asked with a wide and cheerful smile on her face.

Nero nodded and held Leto and Asteria's hands, "Come with me."

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A bonus chapter for hitting 250 power stones coming up in five minutes.