Thirty minutes later.
Lucian lay still, with his head resting on Seraphina's lap.
Seraphina's fingers moved slowly and tenderly through his hair, each gentle stroke filled with unspoken care and warmth.
Meanwhile, Lucian wasn't sleeping.
He was staring at the floating screen inside the darkness of his mind.
[Quest: Welcome home]
Objective:
– Bring your mother out of the facility and bring her home.
Reward: 3 AP
Difficulty: E+
Failure Penalty: None
— — —
[Ding!~]
A moment later, another screen slid into view.
[You have completed the Quest: Welcome home.]
[You have completed the objective.]
[You have acquired 3 Attribute Points.]
Seeing the notification, he instinctively called out his status.
[STATUS]
Name – Lucian Foster
Race – Human
Titles – [LOCKED]
Bloodline – ??? (Dormant, Sealed)
Affinity – [LOCKED]
Talent – [LOCKED]
Rank – [LOCKED]
[Attributes]
Strength – 4→6
Agility – 5→8
Constitution – 4→7
Intelligence – 8
Will – 6→8
Perception – 3→4
Charm – 8
Stamina – 6→8
Mana – [LOCKED]
Attribute Points (AP) – 8
— — —
This was the result of his hard work after one full year.
His body was now stronger than ever before—
But it still wasn't enough.
Not for him.
He wanted more power, not only to protect the ones he loved…
But also because he had slowly started to like the feeling of growth.
As he was thinking this—
"Ai—Lucian," Seraphina called softly.
"Hm?"
His eyelids fluttered open slowly.
He shifted, trying to sit up, but her hand pressed him down firmly.
"Stay."
He stared at her, then hummed and lay still.
"What is it?" He asked.
She went silent for a moment, then asked.
"What should I call you?"
He blinked, tilting his head slightly in confusion, an unconscious habit she knew far too well.
"I mean to say…
What should I call you? Lucian or Aiden."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then—
"I don't know," he replied honestly.
"You can call me whatever you want."
Her lips curved into a small, tender smile.
She brushed the hair away from his forehead, her thumb lingering there just a second longer than necessary.
"Okay, dear."
***
Later, Lucian drove off to pick up Lia from college.
He needed to talk to her about his mother.
About their blood relation.
She had to know about it, if she didn't already.
Reaching the campus, he parked nearby and waited. He didn't step out. He stayed inside watching, until Lia appeared and opened the passenger door, sliding into the seat beside him.
"Did you wait long?" she asked casually.
"No," he replied, starting the engine.
"I just arrived."
The car rolled forward.
"How was your day?"
"Hm, nothing crazy happened. Just the usual. But…"
She paused mid-sentence, suddenly hesitant.
Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Mm? What happened? Did someone hurt you, or say something bad?"
He asked, his tone getting colder and darker.
"Ugh, nothing like that happened." She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"You don't have to react so much."
Despite her words, there was a smile on her face.
"Then?" He pressed.
"Well… a guy proposed to me."
The car screeched as Lucian slammed the brakes.
The sudden stop made the vehicle jolt violently.
"Ah—sorry," he muttered, forcing himself to drive again… this time faster.
"What's his name?"
His voice trembled despite his efforts to sound neutral.
"His name is Elijah. He is one of those popular kids in college."
She said it casually, but her lips twitched into a smile as she saw his reaction.
"So… what did you reply?"
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
'This happened too soon. He shouldn't have approached her yet.'
Elijah, that guy should have asked her out at least 6 months later.
But it happened now.
Why now?
He tried to calm his mind, along with all the murderous thoughts.
And seeing Lia's small grin, he feared to hear the answer.
What if she accepted and said yes?
He would do anything to separate them, but—
"I rejected him."
Her answer didn't disappoint him.
He exhaled silently, not even realising that he had been holding his breath.
"Good girl."
He reached over and patted her head gently.
She giggled.
"Hehe~ why would I need anyone else? I already have you."
He turned to look at her, genuinely confused.
She was smiling—warm, unwavering—her eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made his chest feel oddly tight.
He looked away, focusing on the road.
"…I see."
He didn't understand what she meant.
But she didn't seem to mind.
Her smile only deepened as she watched him drive.
After a minute of silence—
"I wanted to ask you something," Lucian said suddenly.
"Mm?" She hummed, urging him to continue.
"...Did you know I was adopted?"
The change was instant.
She froze.
Her eyes widened slightly, unsure how to respond—afraid of his reaction.
Seeing her expression, he understood.
"So you did."
Her shoulders trembled.
His voice remained calm, as if he had expected it.
It hadn't been difficult to figure out—especially after finding the adoption papers while they were settling into their new home.
He could've confronted her before, but he didn't.
Still, he was just waiting for her to tell him herself.
But now, things were different.
After bringing his mother home, he had to be the one to speak, since he couldn't just tell her that he wanted an unknown woman to live along with them.
"Why are we talking about that? Is it necessary?" she asked shakily.
"Are you going to leave me now that you know?"
Lucian frowned.
"Lia…"
His tone hardened.
"Listen carefully.
I am never leaving you. Ever."
The final word was absolute.
"So get that foolish thought out of your head."
Her eyes widened.
Then she smiled—a soft, relieved smile.
"…Hm," she murmured faintly.