The room was deathly silent.
Only the innocent babbling of the infants and the slightly fearful gazes of the younger sisters remained, as it was the first time they had seen their older brother angry.
Xing Yu calmly ate her food; she knew this younger brother's behavior was merely the result of emotions suppressed for too long, needing a release.
Du Yao wanted to go teach the other disobedient younger brother a lesson, but ended up being sat on by the oblivious Miracle.
The faint rustling of the white flowers that Heluosi had accidentally caused to bloom swayed in the breeze.
"Spare the rod and spoil the child; let me give him a beating and he'll listen... oof!"
Du Yao had only taken a few steps before the other women joined forces to pull her back; actually beating him would only make the relationship between father and son even more strained.
"Nolan, Arthur, I, I didn't know it would turn out like this!"
Kara was undoubtedly the most heartbroken, tears streaming down her face.
One was Nolan, whom she wanted to protect, and the other was the result of her and Nolan, yet on their happiest day, things had turned out this way.
It was also because she had usually ignored Arthur's feelings.
"Kara, trust me."
Nolan lifted Kara from her half-crouching position and handed her over to the other women.
He half-crouched down and looked at his second son.
"You're looking for death, you stinky little brother!"
"I don't stink."
Hearing this, the women subconsciously looked toward Du Yao and Miracle; they were fighting again.
Du Yao slapped them both away, one after the other.
"Arthur..."
Nolan's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly cut through the brief silence after Du Yao and Miracle had been slapped away, as well as Kara's stifled sobs.
He offered no defense, showed no anger, and didn't even have a trace of embarrassment at being offended; he simply looked calmly at the son before him, who had shouldered too much too early, yet was as stubborn as a block of Kryptonian ice.
"...You're right."
This sentence exceeded everyone's expectations, and even the cold barrier in Arthur's eyes seemed to show a faint, imperceptible crack.
Nolan's half-crouched posture put him almost at eye level with Arthur, and in those deep eyes, there was no condescending judgment, only an honest examination.
"I have never been a good father. My firstborn children, Du Yao and Miracle, never gave me any cause for concern from the moment they were born.
Nolan tilted his head slightly to glance at the twins who had just crawled up and were baring their teeth at each other, only to be warned by Du Yao's gaze.
"Their biggest 'problem' is fighting with each other, but they have never truly needed the attention and comfort of me and Du Yao as their father and mother."
His gaze swept over the infants in their swaddling clothes—Sophia, Leia, Danqing, Aliyah, Delilah, Legra, Heluosi—these newborn little lives with strange talents.
"I developed a misconception.
I thought all children were like this, born with talents, growing up naturally under the protection of their mothers, and that the father's role was perhaps only more important when they needed to guide their power or face the World."
Arthur's eyes flickered slightly.
"I haven't been a good husband either. Although we have children together, I still haven't proposed to them or held a wedding."
Nolan looked at him, his eyes gradually becoming soft and firm.
"But, Arthur, you were wrong about two things."
The boy's eyelashes trembled.
"I didn't come back to accept cheers while wearing a halo, nor just to fulfill the label of a 'father'."
Nolan's voice was gentle but carried an unquestionable strength.
"I came back because this is my home, where my lovers are, where my children are—including you, Arthur Zo-El."
He spoke Arthur's full name clearly for the first time, emphasizing that Kryptonian bloodline inheritance.
"And, as far as I'm concerned, the past can be changed. I have never missed your past; I have always been here."
As soon as he finished speaking, golden light erupted from Nolan.
Arthur couldn't help but squint.
Suddenly, a new memory appeared in his mind.
The first time he opened his eyes, he saw a strange man.
When he was learning to walk, a pair of large hands carefully protected him from behind.
The first time he couldn't control his power, just as his Heat Vision was about to erupt, a hand covered his eyes.
Day and night, fragments of memories flashed by rapidly.
When he clumsily tried to freeze snowflakes with his frost breath for the first time, that observer with the encouraging gaze was there.
When the younger sisters were born, the person who, besides the busy mothers, also waited outside the delivery room, the first to touch the newborn's cheek with warm fingers.
When Du Yao and Miracle were fighting and causing chaos with their energy again, that person was there with the whole family, watching the show and placing bets.
"You... I..."
Arthur looked at the man in front of him in shock, his throat feeling as if it were blocked by something, unable to make a sound.
What immense power this was; time seemed to lose its meaning before him.
Although he had heard of his power from his mothers, aunts, and uncles, it was only when facing it that Arthur truly felt that shock.
It wasn't just Arthur; everyone present had their memories changed.
For these three years, Nolan had never left them.
The children's last lingering sense of unfamiliarity with Nolan disappeared, and their eyes were filled with closeness.
"What should you call me now? Arthur."
Nolan said with a smile.
"...Father."
The coldness in Arthur's eyes gradually melted, replaced by a bit of embarrassment.
Three years of companionship—the things he had said earlier felt like unreasonable tantrums.
"Since you called me Father, it means the score between us as father and son is settled. Now, let's settle the score for you making my Kara cry."
The smile on Nolan's face deepened, carrying a sense of "you are teachable" satisfaction, but immediately, that smile was laced with dangerous mischief.
"Do you know what happened to the last guy who made my wife cry?"
Arthur's expression stiffened; he certainly knew, as that person was still a famous attraction in Hell.
"I'll leave the rest to me. Spare the rod and spoil the child; those who can't bear to watch can go out."
Du Yao stepped forward, a long black whip appearing in her hand, her dangerous gaze making Arthur feel fear from his genes to his core.
If Arthur dared to vent his dissatisfaction against Nolan based on his grievances and resentment, then facing Du Yao—the "mother" who truly gave him life—the awe engraved in his bones instantly overwhelmed all his rebellion.
Du Yao and Miracle had forgotten to fight at this moment, eyes wide, carrying a hint of schadenfreude and... profound empathy? After all, they were too familiar with Du Yao's "education."
"Ahhh!"
...
After it was over,
Arthur lowered his head, picked up his spoon, and for the first time felt that the light in the dining room was so warm and bright, and the aroma of the food so enticing.
Although his butt hurt so much.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"