Duchess Elara gazed at her son's face, who was now in the form of a five-year-old boy. The sincere smile etched on Calian's tiny lips seemed to be a cure for the inner wounds that had been gnawing at the Duchess's heart for so long. Slowly, Elara smiled too. A smile of relief and happiness blossomed amidst the flow of tears still wetting her cheeks.
"You are truly the son I am proud of, Calian." Elara whispered in a hoarse voice filled with pride. Her smooth hand stroked her son's chubby cheek.
"And you are the mother I am proud of." Calian answered quickly, his eyes narrowing playfully. Then, his tiny finger pointed toward Wolvin, who was still standing transfixed with a look of amazement beside the sofa. "And Wolvin... he is the spouse I am proud of!"
Duchess Elara turned, looking at her son-in-law who was in the form of a Night Wolf Beastfolk. Elara's gaze was now much softer, full of acceptance. She waved her hand gently.
"Wolvin, come here, Son." Elara called softly.
Without the slightest hesitation, Wolvin stepped closer to his mother-in-law, even though he didn't exactly know why he was being called in the middle of this private mother-and-son moment.
However, something unexpected happened.
When Wolvin was standing close enough, Calian suddenly aimed his tiny palm toward Wolvin. The corner of Calian's lips lifted mischievously.
"Temporary Reversion."
Poof!
Thin smoke and magical light glowed, enveloping Wolvin's body. In the blink of an eye, Wolvin's 17-year-old body shrank drastically.
His clothes became oversized, his sharp ears became rounder and softer, and his dashing wolf tail now looked like a small ball of fur wiggling about.
Wolvin had transformed into a 5-year-old beastfolk boy, just like Calian.
Wolvin's golden eyes widened. He stared at his shrunken hands and feet with an expression of utter shock.
"Darling!" exclaimed Wolvin in a high-pitched voice typical of children, his face turning bright red. "Why did you turn me into a little kid like this?! This is embarrassing!"
Calian laughed crisply seeing his spouse's cute behavior. "Come on, don't protest! Sit here!" invited Calian while patting his mother's left thigh, which was still empty.
"Isn't she your mother-in-law?" continued Calian with a coaxing tone. "You've lost parental affection for a long time because of hiding, right? It's better if you sit here with me so our mother can feel relieved hugging her two 'children'!"
Hearing his husband's words, Wolvin's heart fluttered. He looked at Duchess Elara, who was now spreading her left arm, welcoming Wolvin with a warm smile. There was no rejection there, only pure affection.
Wolvin's hesitation vanished. Without further doubt, little Wolvin climbed onto the sofa, sat on his mother-in-law's left lap, and hugged the woman's waist.
Duchess Elara now held the two boys close. Her biological son on the right, and her son-in-law on the left. She buried her face between them, hugging them with full affection.
Wolvin fell silent. His body was stiff for a moment before finally relaxing completely. He was swept away in a feeling he had forgotten for years. The scent of a mother, a soothing heartbeat, and a protective embrace. After years of living on the run and in hiding as a hunted Beastfolk, he had forgotten what it felt like to be loved like this.
"Warm..." Wolvin uttered softly, his voice trembling as he held back tears. "This is really warm..."
Duchess Elara heard the whisper. She tightened her embrace on Wolvin.
"Do you feel happy, Wolvin?" asked Elara gently.
"Of course, Mother-in-law!" answered Wolvin firmly, though he couldn't hide a small sob that escaped his lips. He buried his face in Elara's chest. "This warmth... is something I have missed very much all this time."
Duchess Elara smiled emotionally. Her hands moved gently, stroking Calian and Wolvin's backs alternately, channeling the affection and warmth that had been held back for so long. The living room was now filled with such a strong aura of family, as if the walls around them were smiling seeing the warmth of that family.
They remained in that position for quite a while, letting time heal their respective inner wounds. However, Elara realized they couldn't stay like this forever. Time kept moving, and danger still lurked if they stayed here too long.
Duchess Elara took a deep breath, then released her embrace slowly. She kissed the tops of the two "little children's" heads in turn.
"Let's go!" said Elara while wiping away the remaining tears, her voice sounding strong again. "We don't have much time. We must go to the main mansion immediately to meet your father."
Hearing the instruction, Calian and Wolvin nodded obediently. The two of them jumped down from Elara's lap.
"Restore Reversion."
Magical light glowed again. In an instant, Calian and Wolvin's bodies lengthened back, their muscles formed, and their cute faces returned to being the faces of handsome and cute adult young men. their physical conditions had returned to normal.
"Let's go, Mother!" invited Calian, extending his hand to help his mother stand.
The three of them walked side by side toward the exit of the West Pavilion. However, just as Calian's hand touched the door handle, he suddenly stopped. His steps halted, causing Elara and Wolvin to stop as well.
Calian turned his body, looking back around the room that had accompanied his loneliness all this time.
"What is it, Calian? Is something left behind?" asked Elara, confused.
"I almost forgot!" answered Calian while slapping his own forehead. "I have to return the state inside here to how it was when I first arrived."
Duchess Elara frowned for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "Ah, that's right. That's a good idea. If any servants or guards come in and see this place clean and tidy, someone will surely be suspicious that you used magic."
Elara's eyes then sparkled with curiosity. "Do it! I also want to see how your [Time Loop] works."
Calian nodded. He stepped to the center of the room, then raised both hands high, like an orchestra conductor ready to lead a song of death. His eyes flashed with transparent time magic energy.
"Restore Reversion!"
A wave of invisible energy spread from Calian's body to every corner of the room.
Before Wolvin and Duchess Elara, an astonishing scene began to unfold. The building slowly began to change, as if time were being forcefully pulled back to a dark past.
The sofa where they had just sat, whose fabric Calian had cleaned with magic, now faded rapidly in color. Thick dust appeared from thin air and stuck back to its surface. The soft foam deflated again and tore in several parts.
The clean table became blurred again, covered in a thick layer of dust. The walls whose cracks Calian had closed now cracked open again; the fissures spread like tree roots, followed by green moss growing at an unnatural speed in the corners of the room.
The ceramic floor that had been gleaming returned to being dull, cracked, and filled with dirt and rotten wood splinters. Spider webs knit their nets again in the corners of the ceiling. A stifling musty and damp smell filled the air once more.
In a matter of seconds, everything inside the West Pavilion returned to a deplorable state, the state where Calian first set foot there.
Duchess Elara covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in horror. She looked around the room which now looked like a haunted house abandoned for decades. Her heart sank seeing the reality of her son's living place.
"Calian..." called Elara with a trembling voice, her eyes glassy looking at her son. "Is... is it true this was the condition when you first came here?"
Calian lowered his hands, his breathing remaining regular. He looked around with a flat gaze.
"Yes, Mother." answered Calian casually, as if it were no big deal. "This is exactly how it was when I first arrived here. Everything was dirty, broken, and deplorable. There was no decent place to sit, let alone one I could use for sleeping."
Tears welled up again in Elara's eyelids. She never thought her husband was so cruel as to put his own flesh and blood in a place worse than a horse stable.
Fortunately, he possesses [Time Loop], thought Elara with a feeling of relief yet pain. If only he didn't have that blessing, who knows what would have happened to him. He might have died from disease or the cold in a deplorable place like this.
Wolvin was no less shocked. He looked around with a gaze of disbelief.
"Darling..." called Wolvin, getting goosebumps seeing the original condition of the pavilion. "Did you really live in a place like this alone?"
"Yes, Wolvin! This is indeed the condition of this building when I first arrived. But don't worry, I could handle it back then." answered Calian while smiling reassuringly.
Wolvin shook his head in amazement. "I thought from the beginning the condition was pretty good like before. Turns out you fixed it remarkably well."
Calian just waved his hand. He didn't want his mother and wife to dwell in sadness seeing the condition of the place.
"Never mind, forget about this pavilion! That is in the past." stated Calian firmly. "Let's go to the main mansion immediately. The sooner we go, the sooner we leave this cursed empire!"
Hearing those spirited words, Duchess Elara and Wolvin nodded in agreement. They steeled their hearts to leave this place full of bitter memories.
"Let's go!" invited Elara.
The three of them walked toward the main door whose wood had become rotten again. Calian held the door handle, took a deep breath, then opened it wide. The midday sunlight immediately burst in, dazzling their eyes for a moment.
However, the hope for freedom that had just welled up in their chests was instantly dashed.
Once the door opened fully, their footsteps froze. Their eyes widened in shock.
In the front yard of the pavilion filled with wild grass, dozens of soldiers in full armor bearing the Larvin family crest were standing in neat rows, forming a semi-circular barricade surrounding the exit. Their spears and swords gleamed, reflecting the sunlight.
And in the middle of the troops, stood a dashing man with a dominating and gripping aura. His gaze was sharp and cold, as if capable of annihilating anyone who dared to look at him.
It was Duke Maxwell Larvin. Calian's biological father was waiting for them in front of the West Pavilion.