[Darkoina Continent....
.....Melisande Palace]
The moonlight stretched within the horizon, illuminating the castle of the largest neutral faction of the Darkoina Empire.
The house, which was always filled with a brick or tense atmosphere, was now beaming with happiness.
And why shouldn't it be?
The lady of the house, who had been missing for over a decade, is finally back home.
Ember, the headmaster of the Darkoina Academy, hugged her daughter tightly.
"My daughter, you don't know how much I have missed you," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.
Even though she was now at the later stage of ascension level and had gone through a lot, she still couldn't hold back her tears.
Her sapphire hair flowed behind her as she abruptly stepped back.
"You aren't injured anywhere, right?" she asked, checking her body thoroughly. "There isn't any problem—."
"Mother," Raima whispered softly, looking at her with teary eyes. "...I missed every good part of their life."
Ember's gaze turned softer as she glanced back at both her granddaughters standing at the side.
"I am sorry," Raima whispered again, staring back at her daughters. "...I am sorry for being absent—."
"Come on, mother," Nadya cut in, trying to cheer her up. "How long are you going to apologize?"
With a bright smile, she walked toward her. "And why are you acting so sad? It's not like we have already turned adults."
"You certainly have," Elysia whispered to herself, but because the room was silent, her voice echoed.
"…Wait, what?" Raima knitted her brows as she asked, while Elysia covered her mouth in fright.
"Don't listen to her," Nadya quickly cut into their conversation. "She is as stupid as you left her."
"Who are you calling stupid?" Elysia rebuked, glaring at her.
"Oh my, did I hit a nerve, sister?" Nadya asked back with a bright smile.
"I don't want to spoil everyone's mood by arguing with you," Elysia replied, folding her arms over her chest.
"Don't try to act like a bigger person in front of mother," Nadya replied, her voice filled with annoyance. "You always act like—."
"Okay, enough, both of you," Raima intervened, her strict voice making both of them flinch.
But soon, her strictness melted into gentleness as she whispered, stretching her arms. "Come here."
Elysia and Nadya quickly skipped the steps to hug her.
Their giggles echoed within the room as they snuggled into their mother's arms.
Raima's gaze, however, trailed past them.
Her smile faltered as her eyes landed on a boy sitting quietly in the corner.
Her heart clenched involuntarily as their eyes met for a fleeting moment.
'...Why?'
Raima thought as she tried to steady herself, but her mind betrayed her.
The broad, well-defined silhouette of the boy before her began to overlap with a memory—a figure cloaked in shadow, a mask concealing a face that she never saw.
...But that person made her feel true fear.
Her body turned cold, sweat beading on her brow.
"Hm?"
And both the sisters quickly noticed it.
"Mother?" Elysia asked, breaking the hug, her voice etched with concern. "What happened?"
"…Nothing," Raima replied, her voice low as she moved toward the chair to sit down.
Nadya helped her while she glanced back at Eden, standing close to her grandmother.
"You're as beautiful as ever, Lady Ember," Eden said with a dazzling smile. "Just as I remember when we first met."
"You're still quite the charmer," Ember replied, pinching his cheek playfully.
"I haven't forgotten how you tried to cozy up to me back then."
"And I'm still trying," Eden quipped, his grin widening.
"Oi, Neil!" Nadya's voice snapped through the air as she glared at him. "Stop flirting with my grandmother."
"I am just talking," he replied, still smiling at Ember. "Though I wish I could do more."
Raima looked at the boy weirdly, having a hard time comprehending what was happening.
She tried her best to piece things together, only to come to one conclusion.
'A boy my daughter's age was flirting with my mother?'
She shifted her focus toward Nadya as she asked, "...You never told me, who is he?"
"My fiancé," Nadya replied, a little bashful while introducing him. "...His name is Eden Morton or Neil Rosalind."
"Wait, you have a fiancé?" A sudden realization dawned upon Raima as she asked. "....And is he related to Lady Sylvia?"
"She is my master," Eden said, making her glance at him.
"...And Stephanie?"
"She is my mother," he replied with a bright smile.
"..."
Raima quickly averted her gaze while trying hard not to tremble.
...And everyone in the room noticed it.
Eden smiled as he said, looking at everyone, "I will be outside for a while, you guys should catch up."
Without saying anything else, he walked out of the room.
.
.
.
"Sigh."
The sound of my own heavy breath filled the silence as I tilted my head back, staring at the ornate ceiling above.
Step after step, my feet carried me out, my thoughts getting deeper into the unease that had taken root within me.
'Why is she behaving like that?'
I wondered, feeling an uncomfortable sense of guilt forming within.
Have I really done something terrible to her?
Am I really the one who forced her to stay away from her family for so long?
Did I... Did I really hurt Nadya by taking her mother away from her?
"Sigh."
I sighed once again as I found myself on a balcony, looking down at the ground.
The chilly breeze rushed past my face as I closed my eyes.
[You are thinking too much.]
Edda's voice echoed in my head as I let out another sigh.
'And why should I not think about it?'
Honestly, I have tried to ignore it for so long, but everything around me seems so... fabricated?
My good-for-nothing father's negligence.
Everything that happened with Angelina.
Everything that happened that made me obsessed with her.
None of it felt natural.
It all seemed designed, fabricated by someone with a twisted agenda.
And now, I was certain—someone close to me was pulling those strings
"...."
My mother's face flashed past my eyes, but I quickly shook my head.
...She is the only person who genuinely loved me even in the game.
...I shouldn't be suspicious of her.
"...."
But that weird feeling is still making me think deeply about it.
"Neil."
I turned around as I heard my name.
"What are you doing?" With a smile, Nadya gracefully walked toward me.
"Nothing." I replied, shrugging. "Just admiring the view."
"Hm." She hummed softly as she stood beside me, her eyes staring into mine. "Is there something on your mind?"
"....."
"You can share anything with me, you know." Nadya whispered softly, intertwining her fingers with mine.
"....It's about your mother." Eden whispered, averting his gaze. "...I think—."
"That she might know the other version of you?" Nadya cut in, surprising me.
"Wait, did you—?"
"Yeah, I read her thoughts." Nadya replied, nodding her head.
"She keeps comparing you to someone—a masked man," Nadya continued.
"But because she doesn't know about your abilities, she's trying to ignore the possibility."
"...."
I felt like my legs were losing strength as I heard her words.
'No way.'
That's not possible.
Playing with time isn't something I would do.
No matter how bad things go, I would never do that.
"Anything else?" Drawing in a deep breath, I asked solemnly.
"She thinks that man was close to your mother," Nadya said, her gaze locking onto mine.
"...And she also wonders if you might be his son."
I frowned at her absurd words. "....How is that even possible?"
"I don't know." She replied, replicating the way I shrugged. "I have no idea how that could happen."
"..."
Once again, I looked down from the railing into the darkness.
My mind clouded with different thoughts.
Do I really have to talk with my mother about this?
...Do I need to confront her about her past?
'...'
I don't know.
"....Nadya."
"Yes, babe?"
"...I am sorry—."
She silenced me with a gentle hand over my mouth, stepping closer until her warmth surrounded me.
"Don't say that." She whispered tenderly.
"I might've destroyed your happy life," I mumbled, averting my eyes. "I might've taken so much from you—"
"You would never do that," she cut in, shaking her head. "You'd never hurt me, and I'll believe that until my last breath."
"But still—."
"Hey, leave those things for future Eden." She cut in with a bright smile. "For now, why don't you just enjoy what you have?"
"..."
Quietly, I slid my arm around her waist as she stepped even closer, her presence chasing away the cold.
"What do you say?" she whispered, pressing her body against mine, her lips brushing lightly over my own. "...My room's empty right now."
"Your mother just arrived today," I said, my brows lifting slightly.
"That's exactly why I'm doing this now," she replied with a mischievous grin. "I need to make sure she knows you're off-limits."
I chuckled softly, shaking my head at her boldness.
She tiptoed, her lips finding mine again, the kiss lingering just long enough to leave me for more.
"Well?" she asked, her voice low, teasing, as her lips hovered close.
"I'd be a fool to say no," I replied, sweeping her into my arms with a smile.