With a gentle and careful movement, Calverd released his embrace, then took a half-step back.
He looked up, gazing intently at the face of the blue-haired youth before him. That face was not merely the face of a husband to him, but the figure of a hero who had pulled him from the abyss of ruin.
Arvin returned the gaze of the pair of emerald green eyes that now looked braver. His hands, which had just provided warmth, slowly lowered.
"Do you feel more relieved now, Calverd?" Arvin asked gently.
The indigo-haired youth nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I feel much better already. Thank you, My Dawn."
Calverd then smiled. It was not a forced smile or a bitter one hiding a wound, but a sincere, sweet smile radiating from his lips in front of his husband.
After that, he turned his body and began walking back to his seat next to Kaydan.
"I want to quickly get rid of this troublesome trauma of mine, so I can freely serve my husband well like the others." Calverd said softly, his voice sounding clear accompanying his footsteps.
Hearing the steely determination behind that sentence, Arvin looked at the back of his spouse who continued walking toward the dining table.
"Yes, you don't need to rush. Wait patiently until I finish all my business out there!" Arvin answered in a tone that provided an absolute guarantee. "I promise, I will never let you sink into that trauma of yours alone, to the point I have to lose the sweet smile from that cute face of yours."
Hearing the praise about his cute face, Calverd's steps halted for a moment and he looked back. A faint red blush spread across his cheeks as he nodded slowly while smiling shyly.
"I... I am really looking forward to it, My Dawn."
While resuming his steps, Calverd calculated the possibilities in his head.
At least, I still have plenty of time until my turn to serve my husband truly arrives. Calverd continued in his heart, trying to be optimistic. My status as the twelfth spouse is very advantageous for me. It gives me highly precious free time to continuously strengthen my mentality little by little before I'm truly ready to share physical intimacy with him.
Upon reaching the dining table, he sat back down in his chair. Calverd folded his arms on the table and refocused his gaze on his husband, who was standing in the middle of the room.
For the sake of my hero whom I have also chosen to be my husband, I must definitely be able to overcome this! his determination burned. I also don't want to lose the warmth he has just given me.
Seeing Calverd already sitting calmly and the situation fully under control, Arvin swept his gaze around again, looking at the faces of all his spouses now gathered before him.
"Attention, everyone! It is now early morning. Our time here is up. Kylen and I must return immediately to continue our journey to the Flamort Kingdom." Arvin announced, his voice turning firm again. "And remember my earlier words, don't forget to drink the elixirs in turns!"
His eyes shifted to his sixth spouse.
"Kylen, take one bottle of elixir for yourself on that table and bring it with you. Drink it later when we have returned to the carriage!" Arvin instructed.
Kylen nodded in understanding. "Okay, Darling!"
The bluish-white-haired youth immediately stepped swiftly toward the dining table, took one of the Elixir of Archmage bottles that radiated a purple galaxy glow, and then walked over to his husband.
After Kylen stood beside him, Arvin looked back at the other ten youths in the room.
"I leave all my plans in this capital of the Astoria Kingdom to all of you!" Arvin said, concluding his meeting that night and giving a final order to all his spouses.
As the head of the household began to direct his hand forward to create a gate that would bring them back, he was forced to stop his action after hearing a sudden shout break the silence.
"Wait a moment!" Victor exclaimed with a fairly loud and clear voice from his seat.
Arvin lowered his hand. "What's up, Victor?"
The purple-haired youth got up from his chair with a very serious facial expression.
"Can you spare your time for just a few moments specifically for me?" Victor requested bluntly. "I want you to bind my soul to your soul tonight as well, and make me an immortal human like them. I'm very afraid that as time passes, this cute face of mine that you like will grow old, and you will instead turn around and dump me because I am no longer attractive in your eyes!"
Hearing those words fraught with insecurity, yet simultaneously so blunt and possessive, Arvin could not hold back his laughter, chuckled softly.
That will never happen. Even though I'll grow old, my feelings for you will never fade, Victor.
Arvin raised his hand, focusing his mana for a long, solid block of ice to materialize right on the floor.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Calverd froze in his seat. His eyes widened. He was truly in deep shock upon hearing the dialogue between Victor and Arvin just now.
He just realized a crazy fact that was completely beyond reason: that all the members of his new family right now were immortal humans who could not age and could not die.
So that's how it is, huh? he thought in astonishment. The puzzle pieces that had been confusing him all this time finally fell neatly into place. He finally realized what had actually happened earlier in the palace courtyard. No wonder Kaydan's head suddenly became whole again without the slightest trace, even though I clearly saw Balden decapitate him right off his neck. They are all monsters... no, they have all been blessed with absolute immortality by him!
Instantly, the indigo-haired youth reconsidered his own fate as the only human still bound by the cycle of life and death. The fear of death that would slowly but surely come to pick him up immediately overshadowed him strongly.
I don't want to be separated from my husband after all this! And I also don't want to be separated from all of them! I don't want it! Calverd's soul screamed, the fear of separation overpowering everything.
In the midst of Calverd's fearful reverie, Arvin had finished preparing his block of ice.
"Come here, Victor, and lie down—"
However, before Arvin finished his instruction to Victor, a shout full of despair echoed again in the dining room, cutting off Arvin's words.
"Please make me an immortal human too, just like them, My Dawn!" Calverd shouted spontaneously while squeezing the edge of his pajamas. "I really want to be with you and also with all of them forever! I don't want to die alone. I beg you..."
He really wanted to refuse the sudden request from his twelfth spouse. However, when he turned his head and saw Calverd's facial expression that was so pitiful, fraught with the fear of being abandoned, Arvin let out a long sigh. He truly did not want to make his indigo-haired spouse feel disappointed.
Can I do it to both of them at once consecutively? Arvin wondered with slight hesitation, measuring the mana capacity left inside him. But, there's no harm in trying. I just need to prepare at least four bottles of mana recovery potion that I must drink to restore my mana from a critical point.
With his decision firmly made, Arvin raised his hand again.
Crack!
The air froze again, and a second solid block of ice materialized right next to the block of ice he had previously created.
"Alright, if that's the will of you two." Arvin said with a resigned smile, though his tone of voice sounded very gentle. "Come here, the two of you, and lie down on those ice blocks!"
Hearing that approval, Victor and Calverd immediately moved from their positions. They walked quickly toward the two cold blocks of ice, slowly climbed up, and laid their bodies on top of them, ready to bind their souls to Arvin.