Vivian flew toward the south and entered his family estate.
"Haa... I don’t even know how many years it’s been since I was away," he sighed as he looked around.
The city below him had changed a little.
There were new buildings, wider roads, and more lights than before.
Still, the feeling of the place was the sa.
The air, the layout, even the distant noise felt familiar, like an old mory that never truly fades.
After watching the city for a short while, he turned and flew straight toward his family ho.
Not long after, the familiar estate ca into view.
The large gates, the tall walls, and the wide land behind them were just as he rembered.
Before entering, Vivian pulled back his aura completely.
If even a trace leaked out, Edward and his grandfather would sense it at once. He did not want that.
At least, not yet. So he hid himself and quietly slipped inside.
As he moved through the estate, he noticed several familiar faces. Servants, guards, old attendants.
They had aged, so more than others, but their expressions and habits were the sa.
Seeing them stirred sothing in his chest, a strange mix of warmth and distance.
He did not stop. He only watched from afar and continued forward.
Slowly, he made his way toward the garden.
It was morning. The sun was gentle, and the air was calm.
If he knew his mother well, and he did...she would be there, sitting with her tea.
And knowing her even better, she would not be alone. She always dragged soone with her during tea ti.
Vivian almost smiled.
If he had to guess who that unlucky person was, there was only one clear answer.
Charlotte.
So he flew toward the garden, and the mont he reached it, he stopped in midair.
"Just as expected," he muttered.
In the garden, a small table was placed under the shade of a tree.
Two chairs sat beside it, and the people there were exactly who he thought they would be...his mother and Charlotte.
A teapot rested between them, with two cups gently giving off steam.
His mother looked almost the sa as before.
Ti had touched her lightly. She had aged, yes, but her calm face and gentle posture had not changed at all.
But Charlotte...
Vivian’s gaze lingered on her.
She had changed a lot.
She no longer looked like the girl he rembered.
She looked like a grown woman now. Her face had matured, her body had filled out, and her height had grown a little too.
There was a quiet confidence in how she sat, sothing that had not been there before.
"How many years has it been..." Vivian muttered softly.
Charlotte’s charm had only grown stronger with ti.
Her long red hair was tied into a neat bun, showing her neck clearly. It suited her well and made her look even more beautiful than before.
Vivian felt his thoughts drifting in a dangerous direction.
If his mother was not sitting right there, he would have already gone down and said sothing very bold. Very, very bold.
He quickly coughed. "Ahem. Ahem."
The sound was light and controlled, just enough to clear his head. He made sure no one heard it.
"This isn’t the ti," he told himself, calming his thoughts as he continued to watch from a distance.
After calming himself down, Vivian looked at them again and erased all traces of his presence.
He moved closer step by step, slow and careful.
He wanted to surprise them. He even planned to suddenly appear and say, "Surprise."
But just as he got closer, he stopped.
He heard their voices.
"Charlotte, what do you want to learn today?" Elena asked as she took a small sip of her tea.
"Embroidery," Charlotte replied with clear excitent.
Recently, Elena had been teaching Charlotte many basic skills that everyone should learn...cooking, gardening, managing small household work, and more.
Today, it was embroidery.
"Hm?" Elena humd softly. "And why do you want to learn embroidery?"
Charlotte’s expression turned serious. She looked straight at Elena and replied, "For children."
Elena paused for a mont. "Whose children?" she asked calmly.
"My children," Charlotte answered without hesitation.
Elena smiled warmly. "Good. Very good. You are thinking far ahead. That is good."
Hearing this praise, Charlotte felt truly happy.
Even when royal mages praised her in her childhood, it never felt like this. This praise felt warm and real.
She smiled and took a small sip of her tea. ’Mother Elena’s advice is better than my mother’s,: she thought.
But when she thought about her real mother, Charlotte frowned slightly.
Just a few days ago, her mother had co to visit. The mont they were alone, she started giving advice.
"Look, Charlotte, it’s been four years..." her mother had said carefully. "I think he may already have another woman in his heart."
Charlotte knew where Vivian had gone, so she could only nod silently.
Then her mother leaned closer and whispered sothing bold and shaless.
"When he cos back, drag him down to your—"
Charlotte couldn’t even finish rembering it. Her face turned red just thinking about it.
However, Elena was different.
Elena’s advice was calm, practical, and sothing that could truly work.
That was why Charlotte trusted her more. Listening to Elena made her feel steady, not rushed or embarrassed.
As Charlotte was lost in her thoughts and was about to take a sip of her tea, her expression changed.
She froze mid-sip.
Her senses spread out without her even thinking about it.
For a brief mont, she had felt sothing...a faint flicker in the air. It vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Hm?"
’Did he return?’ she thought.
’That flicker... it carried his presence.’
Her heart started beating fast, loud enough that she felt it in her chest. She quickly cald herself and took a slow breath.
’But where is he?’
She looked around the garden in a very natural way, not wanting to seem suspicious.
’Co to think of it, that feeling ca from nearby... is he close?’
She focused her perception within five ters around them.
Nothing.
...Nothing at all.
Charlotte sighed inwardly.
’If he really ca back and didn’t want to be found, then of course I wouldn’t be able to sense him. He must be a Grandmaster by now.’
’Then why did that flicker appear at all?’
Her thoughts paused.
’Ah... that’s right.’
’Maybe he lost control for just a mont.’
’And why would that happen?’
She thought for a second, then one clear reason appeared in her mind.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
She looked at Elena, her eyes calm and bright, and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Mother... how many grandchildren do you want?"
"Huh?" Elena looked at Charlotte, clearly startled. She blinked once, then quickly recovered her calm.
"Didn’t we already decide that?" Elena said gently. "As many as you want."
"That’s true," Charlotte replied, placing a finger on her chin, acting thoughtful. "But don’t you want as many as possible?"
Hearing this, Elena smiled and shook her head slightly.
"No, dear. That’s not how it works. After you go through childbirth once, you will understand your own limits. Then you can decide."
As the conversation continued, Charlotte’s face slowly turned red.
She was clearly forcing herself to stay calm and serious while talking about such things.
But if there was soone even redder than Charlotte—
It was Vivian.
Hidden nearby, his face had completely turned red.
His ears felt hot, and his mind was in chaos.
He could not believe how calmly and openly they were talking about such topics, especially Charlotte.
’This... this is too much,’ he thought.
He almost moved. Almost revealed himself. Almost stopped them right there.
But then he paused.
If he appeared now, his surprise would be completely ruined. Not only that, he would probably never hear the end of it.
So Vivian did the only thing he could do.
He stayed hidden, endured the embarrassnt, and waited patiently... for the right mont.
"So after he cos back, I will do my best..." Charlotte said with a serious face.
Her face was completely red now.
Just then, she felt it again.
A flicker—this ti from her left.
Then another.
And another.
Her senses locked on.
’There.:
She found him.
He was on her left, hiding.
A smile slowly spread across her face. ’Got you.’
She decided to catch him while he was still hiding.
But first, she needed a distraction.
And to distract him properly, she needed to say sothing even more embarrassing.
So she took a breath and said,
"I think we should think about—"
She was just about to say sothing truly outrageous.
Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth.
Before she could react, her body was pulled backward.
She collided with a strong chest.
In that instant, a familiar scent filled her senses...the scent she had missed for four long years. Her heart skipped wildly.
Then a voice spoke right next to her ear, low and urgent.
"Shut up!!"
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