Kael took a seat beside Lisa, who had been watching everything with wide eyes. The moment he sat down, her pout turned into a cheeky grin.
"You're in trouble~," she teased, nudging his arm.
Kael grinned back, leaning in to pinch her cheek. "And you're still too cute to be taken seriously," he said.
"Ow! That hurts!" Lisa protested, swatting his hand away.
Across the table, Alaric gave him a small smile. He hadn't intervened—he never did with Lyra's scoldings—but his expression said, You handled it well.
Ellie set down the bowls and plates with a polite nod, and the family gathered quickly. Kael barely waited. He tore through the food with a hunger he hadn't realized that he had built up.
The warmth of the food settled in his belly, slowly pushing away the fear that had clung to his skin since seeing that thing.
He didn't speak much. Just ate. The others noticed—Lyra especially—but they let him be.
By the time he finished his second round, the tension in his shoulders had eased.
Whatever was in those ruins could wait. For now, he was home. Safe. Surrounded by warmth, food, and family.
"Someone was hungry," Ellie said with a chuckle as she watched Kael fall back in his chair, his plate licked clean.
Kael glanced at her and gave a lazy smile, rubbing his stomach. "Yes, aunty. It feels like I haven't eaten since I was born."
The others laughed, and Lisa mimicked his stuffed expression, puffing out her cheeks. Kael ruffled her hair in response, still too full to tease her properly.
"That's good," Alaric joined in, raising his glass of water. "You need to eat more if you're going to train properly."
Lyra shot him a playful glare, shaking her head. "You and your training. That's all you ever think about, dear."
"Of course," Alaric replied with a smirk, "a strong body needs strong fuel."
Their light banter continued for a while longer. Kael remained mostly quiet, offering a few smiles and nods.
Eventually, he stood up and stretched.
"I'll head to my room," he said with a yawn. "Thanks for the food, Mom. Ellie."
"Sleep well, dear," Lyra replied.
Kael walked down the hallway, feet dragging just a little. He reached his room, his hand grasping the handle lazily.
But the moment he opened the door—he froze.
Not out of fear. Out of shock.
There she was.
Nyx.
Standing right in the middle of his room, wearing the gown—the very one Kael had stolen from his mother's wardrobe.
"Oh my~" she purred, slowly turning to face him with a sultry smile. "Welcome back, dear Kael."
Her voice was laced with deliberate sweetness, but her eyes burned with mischief.
The dress—if you could even call it that—barely covered her body. The neckline hung so low it seemed like it might fall off with a single breath.
Her breasts, massive and full, almost spilled out, the outline of her nipples clearly visible through the fabric. Her long legs peeked through the side slit, and the fabric swayed gently with every subtle movement of her body.
Kael froze in awe.
He couldn't move. His body refused to react, locked in place by the sheer allure of what he was seeing.
Nyx stepped closer, slowly, each step deliberate and almost predatory.
"You weren't expecting me?" she asked, her lips curling into a smile that was both seductive and dangerous. "But I was expecting you."
Her hand grazed her collarbone, fingers trailing down to the swell of her breasts.
"Like what you see, dear Kael?" Nyx teased, her voice dripping with playful seduction.
Kael stiffened. "Umm… yes," he muttered, eyes unable to decide whether to look away or keep staring.
Nyx laughed softly, the sound low and intoxicating. She clearly enjoyed the flustered mess he had become. His face was red, his throat dry, and his fingers twitched slightly.
"Aww… what a gentleman," she said, taking another slow, deliberate step closer. Her body leaned slightly forward, the gown falling just a little more, revealing more of her tantalizing cleavage.
"But it's just a 'look, no touch' policy here," she added with a wink, clearly toying with him.
Kael felt the heat rise inside him. He clenched his fists and turned away.
"Stop teasing me," he said.
Dropping to the floor, he crossed his legs and shut his eyes tight, forcing himself to breathe evenly. He tried to calm both his body and his mana, focusing inward.
Nyx blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
"You've got a sexy lady in front of you," she said, walking around him slowly. "And your first instinct is to sit on the floor and absorb mana?"
She leaned over slightly from behind, her breath brushing the back of his neck. "What a waste of my beauty," she whispered.
Kael's ears turned red. But he said nothing.
Not because he didn't want to—but because if he opened his mouth now, he feared his control would shatter.