Reincarnated into a Failed Marriage Thorin, My Bro

The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of Seraphina's office, casting golden streaks across the polished marble floor. Aric entered cautiously, Thorin following close behind him.

The room was already occupied by Alden, who stood near the desk holding two items: a bottle of whiskey and a steaming pot of tea.

Aric hesitated for only a mont before rejecting the whiskey with a polite shake of his head—a gesture that didn't go unnoticed. Instead, he reached for the teapot, pouring himself a cup and murmuring a quiet "Thank you" as he took it into the room.

It was a small action, but one loaded with symbolism.

Was this Vayne trying to change? Or just another move?

Claire slipped past them, her presence marked by the faint scent of lavender soap—an aroma now familiar throughout the estate. Even Seraphina carried its trace today, sothing Ivy imdiately picked up on within Aric's mind.

[Oh no-] Ivy teased dramatically,

[Your wife slls like your soap now. What does that an? Are we winning hearts through hygiene products?]

Aric suppressed a groan, keeping his expression neutral as they settled into their seats.

No shit, man. I didn't think she actually used it. Does that an anything? Probably not. Knowing her, she's probably plotting my demise while slling like lavender.

With everyone seated, the conversation turned serious once more. Aric placed the banknotes Thorin had given him the previous night onto Seraphina's desk, sliding them toward her carefully.

"This is part of the buyout." he explained calmly. "Formality and bookkeeping."

Seraphina eyed the notes briefly before nodding curtly. Her shadow tendrils writhed slightly around her, betraying her simring tension despite her composed exterior.

Together, they finalized the remaining details of the contract: rights, royalties, usage permissions—all ticulously docunted.

Thorin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Now, about the installation team. I'll bring a group of dwarves here within a week. They'll handle wiring the entire estate with electricity, heated floors, and lighting systems."

"I'll provide them space, salary, and supervision." Seraphina interjected sharply

"But make no mistake—this is my...husband's work . If anyone questions ownership, they'll answer to ."

Her emphasis on the word "husband" sent a chill down Aric's spine. He could see the internal battle raging within her—fighting every fiber of her being not to strangle him or scream at him in public. Yet, she maintained her composure, her blue eyes icy as ever.

As the eting drew to a close, Aric hesitated montarily before broaching a sensitive topic. Clearing his throat, he spoke softly, choosing his words carefully. He had co up with a plan for the next step when Thorin leaves.

Despite having a literal S rating for his IQ however, maybe he turned it off. Because the next words that ca out of his mouth were nothing short of stupidity.

"There's… one more thing." he began, glancing between Seraphina and Thorin.

Ivy's warnings blared loudly in his mind almost instantly.

[Aric, stop talking right now! You're walking straight into a death trap!]

"I want to invite Lady Callista Duval here—to pay off our debt to her."

"We can offer her the generator, lighting, and ceiling fan—or, if that's absolutely out of the question, we could host a bidding war. Either way, I believe settling the debt will remove her influence permanently."

Ivy's warnings blared loudly in his mind almost instantly.

[Oh my god. You're so cooked Aric! YOU'RE FUCKED DUDE!]

Seraphina shadow tendrils shot out violently, aid directly at Aric's throat.

Shi- Aric scread as he was about to manifest a shield.

But Thorin acted swiftly, intercepting the attack with an earth-magic-coated fist. The tendril shattered harmlessly against his grip, leaving a faint crackle of residual energy in the air.

"Calm down, Seraphina." Thorin said firmly, his tone authoritative yet asured.

"Let the boy explain himself."

Aric froze, terror gripping him as he instinctively looked away from Seraphina's murderous glare.

IM SAVED! THANK YOU THORIN!

Swallowing hard, he pressed on, his voice trembling slightly.

"I know I cheated on you with her" he admitted brokenly,

"And I understand how much that hurt you. But if we settle this debt, she'll have no reason to stay involved in our lives. I promise—I'll finish paying her off, and then she'll be gone forever. Look, you can even supervise everything. Be present during negotiations, choose the location, decide who attends—it's all up to you. We could even go to her estate if you prefer."

For a long mont, Seraphina said nothing. Finally, she exhaled sharply, leaning back in her chair.

"Fine." she snapped coldly, her voice dripping with venom.

"But on my terms. Location, timing, attendees—all decisions are mine alone. And don't think for a second this changes anything between us."

Without warning, a second tendril shot out, grabbing Aric's chin and forcing him to look directly at her.

Her blue eyes burned with fury as she hissed,

"If you ever so much as breathe in her direction, consider yourself dead."

Why does she have to look so hot even though she's angry. Aric thought to himself but Ivy facepald herself hearing this.

Thorin released the remnants of her first tendril, stepping back slightly.

He clapped a reassuring hand on Aric's shoulder, his deep voice cutting through the tension.

"Well," he remarked dryly "let's hope you don't ss this up, boy."

As they exited the office together, Aric let out a shaky breath, still reeling from the confrontation.

Turning to Thorin, he managed a smile.

"Thank you." he murmured sincerely. "For stepping in back there."

Thorin shrugged nonchalantly, though his green eyes held a hint of warmth.

"Don't ntion it. Just try not to get yourself killed before the job's done, alright?"

He gave Aric's shoulder a firm squeeze before heading off, leaving the young inventor alone in the hallway.

After the tense eting with Seraphina and Thorin, Aric retreated to his room, his heart still racing from the near-death experience. He collapsed onto the bed fra he'd created for Thorin earlier, frowning slightly as he recalled their impromptu "sleepover."

They'd stayed up late into the night discussing everything from engineering principles to philosophical musings to even Aric real na and identity.—an unexpected bonding session that left Aric feeling oddly comforted.

Well that's a story for another ti.

But now, alone with his thoughts, he turned his focus once more.

Staring at the bed fra, he addressed Ivy silently.

"Creation Magic allows to manifest whatever I can perceive or imagine, right?" he asked, his tone thoughtful.

[Yes?] Ivy replied cautiously, tilting her head in curiosity.

[Why? What are you thinking, Administrator?]

Instead of answering verbally, Aric closed his eyes, concentrating intensely on the bed fra before him. Rather than simply creating it—a feat he'd done countless tis—he focused on dismantling it matter by matter.

Every atom, every particle composing the structure dissolved under his ntal command, breaking down into its most fundantal components until nothing remained.

When he opened his eyes, the bed was gone.

Ivy stared at the empty space in stunned silence before exploding into animated excitent.

[Holy- HOLY shit!] she exclaid, pulling up a glowing notification bar seemingly out of thin air.

[You… you just unlocked a sub-ability! Matter Manipulation! This is huge!]

Before Aric could process her words, Ivy paused mid-celebration, tilting her head as she picked up her phone for a phone call. After a mont, she nodded absently, responding aloud.

[Uh huh… yeah… really? Uh huh, okay.] She turned back to Aric,

[Well, congratulations, darling. Your fridge invention has earned you another heroic title.]

Aric blinked, montarily confused. "My fridge? Seriously?"

[Don't question it.] Ivy teased, waving the notification bar dramatically in front of him.

[Behold!]

Title Unlocked:

The Keeper of Preservation

(For revolutionizing food storage and preventing spoilage across races)

As the title registered, Aric felt a surge of energy course through him—his mana reserves expanding noticeably, his IQ ticking upward, and his control over Creation Magic becoming even sharper.

The boost was undeniable, leaving him invigorated and eager to experint further.

Monts later, Aric descended the grand staircase, spotting Thorin near the entrance hall. The towering dwarf stood surrounded by several servants, exchanging warm farewells before turning to leave.

Catching sight of Aric approaching, the servants all left in a hurry but Thorin offered a broad grin, extending his hand.

"Well, bro." he said warmly, gripping Aric's hand firmly in farewell.

"It seems you've got quite the journey ahead of you."

Aric winced slightly as their hands t—the pressure sending a sharp throb through his fingers.

This man is way too strong for his own good.

Thorin noticed imdiately, chuckling softly.

"Still got so work to do on your durability, eh?" he remarked

"Don't worry about it. Keep pushing yourself, and you'll achieve greatness. Just rember—you're bridging gaps between humanity and dwarves in ways no one thought possible."

He gestured toward the bag slung over his shoulder, filled with blueprints and schematics.

"With all these inventions, I've got plenty of renovations to oversee back ho. Thank you, Vayne—or should I say, Aric? Either way, you've made quite the impression."

Aric smiled faintly, rubbing his sore hand as Thorin stepped outside. Before disappearing entirely, the prince glanced back, offering one final piece of advice.

"I'll visit occasionally to check on your progress. Until then, keep doing great things, boy."

Ivy materialized in the screen again, practically bouncing with excitent.

[Guess what, Administrator? You've levelled up again! Congrats, you're now Level 10!]

Aric raised an eyebrow, intrigued. What's different this ti?

[Oh, just a little costic upgrade—and another title, of course!] Ivy chirped, pulling up his updated status screen.

Status Screen Updated:

Fra colour shifts from standard white to shimring gold—a visual indicator of significant growth.

New Title Unlocked:

The Bridge Between Races

(For fostering collaboration and innovation between humans and dwarves)

Aric felt a swell of pride as he absorbed the new accolade. It wasn't just about personal achievents anymore; it was about creating connections—building bridges where none had existed before.

Later that evening, Aric wandered into the bustling kitchen, drawn by the faint hum of activity and the savoury aroma of spices wafting through the air.

The head cook, a burly man nad Darius , stood supervising his team as they prepared dinner for the household staff. Pots simred on stoves, knives clattered against cutting boards, and the room buzzed with quiet efficiency.

Aric approached cautiously, his gaze drifting toward the sleek refrigerator tucked neatly in the corner. Its tallic surface glead under the warm glow of lanterns, standing out starkly amidst the rustic charm of the kitchen.

Opening the door, he couldn't help but marvel at how full it was—rows of neatly arranged ats, vegetables, and dairy products lined the shelves, preserved perfectly thanks to his invention.

"You." Darius called gruffly, pointing a ladle in Aric's direction.

"Your invention of this… 'fridge,' as you call it, is rather useful."

Aric turned to face him, "Oh? Does that an you've tested it?"

Darius nodded, setting the ladle down on the counter.

"Indeed. That slab of at you shoved inside? It didn't spoil—not after one day, not after two. Kept fresh like magic."

He crossed his arms over his broad chest, studying Aric closely.

"So, if you've got more of your crazy contraptions lying around, let know. I'm always open to things that make my job easier."

Aric grinned faintly, sensing an unexpected opportunity.

"Actually, there is sothing else I'd like to ask of you."

"And what might that be?" Darius replied skeptically,

"Alden keeps bringing whiskey." Aric explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I don't want it anymore—I'm trying to stay sober. Could you tell him to stop? Please?"

Darius stared at him for a long mont, his sharp eyes scanning Aric from head to toe. Finally, he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure. Why not? Though…" He smirked faintly, leaning forward slightly.

"If this is another one of your sches-"

"It's not." Aric assured him quickly, his expression earnest.

"I just… need a clear head right now. Trust ."

After a beat, Darius nodded curtly. "Alright, then. Consider it done."

As Aric left the kitchen, he felt a small sense of victory wash over him. One less temptation to deal with—and perhaps, one step closer to proving himself trustworthy.

Even if it's only to the head cook.