The room fell silent again for a few seconds. Arvin felt like someone walking through a thick fog without a compass. The script of destiny he knew had been torn apart, and he didn't know which way to step.
Allen completely understood the burden on his husband's mind. He knew that for someone as strong as Arvin, losing one's direction was a terrifying crisis. With a very natural movement, Allen reached for Arvin's hand, grasping it gently to channel his warmth.
"My husband..." Allen called softly, his tone flowing with affection and understanding. "Who says you don't have a purpose anymore? Have you forgotten that you have to protect your family?"
Arvin's eyes widened slightly. Allen's words were like a gust of wind sweeping away the fog in his head. He is right. The safety of my family in this world is an absolute priority that I must not forget, no matter what happens to the storyline of this world!
Arvin could not refute what Allen had just said to him.
"You are right!" Arvin replied, his gaze slowly sharpening again, radiating the aura of a true leader. "My family is in danger. If we want to survive, the Vedegra territory needs more than just an ordinary army."
Arvin straightened his back. "At the very least, I have one plan. I will find and recruit the many outcasts hiding within this kingdom's territory. Those who are exiled, betrayed, and oppressed in their own lands, yet are actually incredibly talented. I will bring them all to the Vedegra territory and build a force that neither this kingdom nor the world could ever imagine!"
Hearing the plan, Allen nodded in agreement. However, a different reaction came from Alrain. The green-haired youth who had been listening intently looked surprised. His brows furrowed, indicating a logical confusion.
"My Love..." Alrain interrupted hesitantly. "How could you know the locations of those outcasts? Let alone confirm that they are talented. Weren't you... back then, you almost never went anywhere and only focused on the Vedegra territory?"
Gasp!
Arvin's breath hitched. His mouth opened slightly, but not a single sound came out. Alrain's critical question had just struck his blind spot perfectly.
Arvin was left speechless. His mind spun at maximum speed, trying hard to come up with a reasonable excuse. How do I explain this? Should I say that I know because this world is a BL game: The Sign of Destiny? That I know all the hidden secret locations because I played it to completion over and over again?
The harder his brain was forced to work to concoct a lie, the more tongue-tied he felt. Arvin still couldn't find a logical excuse. It was as if his heart and his brain simultaneously refused to lie to the two most precious people in his life right now. He desperately wanted to be honest, because he was fully aware that a sincere relationship must be built on honesty, not a pile of lies that would eventually become a ticking time bomb.
But on the other hand, his heart was still not ready. Revealing his identity as a "player" from another world was a secret too massive and absurd for them to comprehend right now.
Seeing his husband suddenly freeze with a pale face and evident confusion, Allen quickly realized that something incredibly heavy was weighing on Arvin. Without demanding an answer, Allen raised his free hand and patted Arvin's shoulder very gently.
"You don't need to think about answering it, My Husband." Allen said soothingly.
Instantly, the touch and the words snapped Arvin out of his reverie. He turned quickly toward Allen.
"If you don't want to say it, you don't have to force yourself to say it." Allen continued with a smile that was so sincere and comforting. "You just need to live this life together with the two of us. Enjoy our time without having to overthink something that burdens you, especially if it might cause you to lose your own sense of self."
Hearing Allen's understanding words, Alrain, who just realized that his blunt question had cornered his future husband, was immediately struck by an immense wave of guilt. He bowed his head, not daring to look into Arvin's eyes.
"My Love, please forgive me..." Alrain said with a trembling voice, apologizing sincerely. "I truly didn't mean to make you feel burdened or cornered like that with my question. If it is your secret and you don't wish to tell it, it's better that you don't. Please... forgive me."
Seeing Alrain drooping and feeling so guilty simply because of a perfectly reasonable question, Arvin's chest felt tight with a surge of deep emotion. He felt he didn't deserve such immense loyalty and understanding from the two of them.
"No, Alrain!" Arvin replied quickly. He reached up and touched Alrain's cheek, guiding the man to look at him again. "You are not at fault. I am the one who should be apologizing to both of you because I am still hiding something and am not yet ready to say it."
Arvin gazed intently at Alrain's face, a face that was sharp and handsome, yet always managed to look cute. Then, Arvin's gaze shifted to Allen, who was still faithfully holding his hand.
"I promise you." Arvin said in a very serious tone, making a vow from the deepest depths of his heart. "When my mind is truly ready, and the time is right... I will definitely tell you both everything. Without hiding a single thing."
The atmosphere in the living room fell silent for a moment. After exchanging silent glances, Allen and Alrain shared a thin smile, signifying a deep, mutual understanding.
"Forget about that for now." Allen said, breaking the silence and intentionally shifting the topic so his husband wouldn't feel cornered. He looked at Arvin with eyes full of curiosity. "Now explain to me, what actually happened inside those ruins? Why did time feel so strange?"
Arvin looked at Allen's face for a moment, sensing his sincerity, then turned to Alrain, who sat quietly beside Yonna.
Seeing the lingering hesitation in Arvin's eyes, Alrain smiled gently. "Don't overthink it, My Love." he said soothingly. "If the time comes when you are ready and want to tell us, tell us everything. We will always listen. But for now, just answer Allen's question."
Hearing the unconditional support from both his partners, Arvin paused. The weight on his chest lifted slightly. He took a long breath, refocusing his mind on the strange events within the forest ruins.
"Inside those ruins... a rather extreme time distortion occurred." Arvin began his explanation with a serious tone. "The laws of time in there run much slower compared to the outside world. It seems that one hour we spent inside the ruins is equivalent to six hours in this world."
Allen's eyes widened slightly. The pieces of the puzzle in his head finally clicked together. No wonder our homeroom teacher and classmates looked at us with such shock and disbelief when I said we were only in the forest for an hour. It turns out, to those outside the ruins, we had been missing for over six hours.
After explaining that, Arvin's thoughts drifted back to the person he had met at the dormitory. He looked at Alrain again, seeking confirmation for his own analysis.
"Alrain, regarding your story earlier..." Arvin narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is it true that Ordion liked me from the beginning and simply didn't dare to tell me in the past?"
"Yes, it is absolutely true!" Alrain answered without a hint of doubt. His voice was firm. "He liked you very much, My Love. When we fought to the bitter end, he admitted everything. He also spoke of how much he regretted that his own fear had driven him to the side of the Kingdom, ultimately making him your enemy."
Arvin massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed for the second time. A new burden seemed to settle in his mind.
"Good grief... I never imagined that Ordion secretly liked me." Arvin muttered, still trying to process the absurd fact. He stared at the tiled floor beneath him. "In terms of ability and character, he certainly fits my criteria for a strong ally. But... I don't want to create a harem larger than this."
Arvin glanced at Allen from the corner of his eye. "Allen would surely object if I made him my third spouse. Because back then, he said he would strongly object if anyone other than himself became my spouse."