Chapter 426: Late Night Visit
Damian sat quietly at the edge of the enormous bed wearing only his underwear while the four women slowly gathered their clothes. Every movement felt reluctant. None of them truly wanted to leave.
After waiting ten long years for him to awaken, spending only a few hours together felt almost cruel, yet they also understood the burden now resting upon his shoulders. Tomorrow would bring another mountain of responsibilities, and unlike Earth, there was no room for laziness within the palace of a Prince.
Hazel fastened the final clasp of her gown before walking over to him. She gently brushed several loose strands of black hair away from his face, her fingers lingering against his cheek for a brief moment.
"I’m so sorry about all the trouble you have to go through right now. I promise you, it will end after your coronation."
Damian merely shrugged before reaching for the golden jug beside the bed. He calmly poured himself another cup of wine, watching the crimson liquid swirl beneath the candlelight.
"It depends on whether I can take back my empire within three months."
"You can."
Ruby answered so quickly it almost sounded rehearsed. There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her voice.
"You have us helping you."
Rachel immediately nodded in agreement before pointing directly at him with a playful grin.
"But remember our deal. You have to make it known our wedding will happen alongside your coronation."
Damian couldn’t help chuckling. He raised an eyebrow while studying the expressions on their faces one after another. They looked genuinely excited, almost impatient. Considering what he had asked of them earlier, he found their reaction surprisingly calm.
"You three seem oddly okay with doing what I asked."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Should I be worried?"
Hazel immediately shook her head.
"In the realm of Gods there are only two kinds of families you will usually find. There are families bound together by genuine love. Hurt one member and every relative will gladly die seeking revenge."
Her smile gradually became bitter.
"And then there are families held together only by blood. Families filled with ambition, manipulation and betrayal where everyone smiles while quietly waiting for an opportunity to stab someone else in the back."
She lowered her gaze.
"Unfortunately... we were born into the second kind."
Ruby slowly nodded.
"We never experienced what a real family was supposed to feel like."
Her eyes quietly drifted toward Damian.
"That is why we fell in love the first time we experienced genuine affection. Since then, we’ve already made our decision. We would rather die than lose that."
Rachel folded her arms before speaking with complete certainty.
"If burning our old, dysfunctional families gives us a chance to build a new family filled with love then none of us will hesitate."
Damian simply stared at them. For several long moments he said nothing.
Then he slowly rose from the bed.
Crossing the remaining distance between them, he stopped before the three women. One after another, he gently kissed each of them upon the forehead before softly patting their heads.
"Since we’re getting married soon... we’ll have to start thinking about children."
A small smile tugged at his lips. The three women immediately froze.
"I want at least one child from each of you. I want a house that actually feels like a home."
Their faces instantly flushed crimson.
Without warning all three embraced him at once, nearly knocking him backward beneath the force of their excitement.
Hazel laughed softly while resting her forehead against his shoulder.
"We’ll have everything we’ve ever dreamed of. You don’t have to worry. It’s only a matter of time."
The other two quietly nodded. Even Damian found himself nodding alongside them. Once he stepped into the God realm, many of today’s problems would disappear.
The journey remained unimaginably long. But looking back he had already come farther than anyone had ever believed possible.
There was no turning back now.
Eventually the women reluctantly took their leave. They looked back several times before disappearing beyond the doors, leaving Damian alone inside the enormous chamber. After dressing in a simple robe, he wandered quietly across the room before stopping beside the open window.
The cool night breeze drifted inside.
Beyond the palace walls, emerald rain poured steadily across the capital. Countless rooftops shimmered beneath the strange green rainfall while the twin moons hung silently overhead, illuminating the city with an eerie beauty unlike anything Earth could ever produce.
Damian slowly lifted his cup before taking another drink.
"You seem worried."
Rin’s familiar voice came from somewhere behind him. Damian slowly nodded.
"It’s the usual."
Rin raised an eyebrow.
"You’ve secured your wives’ support. You’ve also cornered Grand Chancellor Dabin’s faction."
He casually sat upon the nearby sofa.
"I’d say you’re doing remarkably well for someone who’s only been awake for a single day after sleeping through an entire decade."
Damian never looked back. His eyes remained fixed upon the rain.
"It’s not that simple. We’ve been the ones making every move so far. That’s why everything seems to be going our way."
He quietly swirled the wine inside his cup.
"Our enemies haven’t responded yet. That’s what worries me. In a world filled with Demigods and Gods... how could I not be?"
"Halt!"
A sharp voice suddenly echoed from somewhere beyond the chamber.
"State your intent!"
Damian’s eyes narrowed. He slowly raised one hand toward his face and his vision immediately blurred.
Far beyond the chamber, a pair of enormous violet eyes silently opened in midair within the palace corridor. Through them he saw Loth standing awkwardly with a modest wooden box held carefully against her chest while two palace guards approached with their weapons already drawn.
She looked completely bewildered.
"Let her in."
Buzz!
Damian’s voice echoed directly through the corridor. Every guard immediately flinched and their eyes instinctively shot upward toward the floating violet eyes watching them from above.
Recognition struck almost instantly and the two guards immediately lowered themselves.
"Yes, Sire!"
Clank.
Moments later the chamber doors slowly opened and Loth cautiously stepped inside before quietly closing them behind her.
She froze almost immediately upon noticing Damian standing near the window and a faint blush crossed her cheeks.
She steadied her breathing before respectfully lowering her head.
"Sire..."
She carefully extended the wooden box toward him.
"I brought some cigars."
Swoosh!
She barely managed to blink before Damian appeared directly before her. He gently accepted the box before flipping open its lid.
Several neatly arranged cigars rested inside.
For the first time that evening his expression softened and a genuine smile quietly appeared.
"Twenty..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
Almost instinctively his thoughts drifted back toward the friend who had first placed a cigar between his fingers years ago.
He truly missed Earth.
Loth quietly watched the emotions passing across his face before gathering enough courage to speak again.
"If Sire would allow me to keep you company tonight then I’ll tell you everything that happened on Earth during the ten years you were asleep."
Damian slowly raised an eyebrow and a faint, mischievous smile curled across the corner of his lips.
"Then come inside. I have a feeling it’s going to be a very long night."
He closed the box with a quiet click.