Chapter 65: Sera Design’s

Kael woke up to the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen and the sound of Noah making small noises from his crib. He slowly sat up, but the movement immediately caused pain to spread across his side.

"Ah..." Kael groaned as he placed a hand against his ribs.

He remained seated for a moment, waiting for the discomfort to settle before attempting to move again. Yesterday’s fight had left him more battered than he wanted to admit. His forearm was bandaged, his shoulder was bruised, and even getting out of bed required more effort than usual.

After a moment, he looked toward the crib. Noah was awake, moving his little hands while staring at the hanging toys above him.

"Good morning, buddy," Kael said with a tired smile.

Noah turned his head slightly at the sound of his father’s voice.

Kael smiled and carefully got out of bed. He approached the crib and looked down at his son, who seemed perfectly happy despite the trouble he had caused his parents the previous day.

"At least someone woke up feeling energetic," Kael remarked.

He was about to pick Noah up when Sera entered the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Sera asked as she noticed him standing beside the crib.

Kael looked at her. "Good morning to you too."

Sera glanced at his bandaged arm before looking at Noah. "Don’t tell me you were planning to carry him."

"I was only going to pick him up," Kael replied.

"With that arm?" Sera asked.

"I still have another one," Kael pointed out.

Sera gave him a look that made him reconsider his argument.

Kael sighed. "I wasn’t going to do anything reckless."

"That’s what you said yesterday before coming home injured," Sera reminded him.

She walked over and carefully lifted Noah from the crib, settling him against her chest. Kael watched her adjust their son’s position before stepping away.

"Let me handle him this morning," Sera said. "You should sit down and stop pretending you’re completely fine."

"I can still help with things around the apartment," Kael replied.

"Then you can help by following the medic’s instructions," Sera said.

Kael smiled. "You’re enjoying being in charge."

"I’m enjoying having a husband who listens," Sera answered.

"Those are two different things," Kael said.

Sera laughed softly and carried Noah toward the living room. Kael followed at a slower pace, making sure not to strain his injured side.

—--

Breakfast was already prepared when Kael entered the living room. Sera had made eggs, toast, and tea, and she had placed his plate on the table before settling Noah comfortably nearby.

Kael sat down and looked at the food.

"This looks good," he said.

"It is," Sera replied as she took her seat opposite him. "And before you ask, I didn’t make anything complicated."

"I wasn’t going to ask," Kael said.

Sera raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Kael picked up his fork. "All right, maybe I was."

She smiled while Kael began eating. He occasionally glanced at Noah, who seemed comfortable that morning. Seeing his son in a better mood improved Kael’s own mood, especially after the worry they had experienced the previous day.

After a few minutes, Sera looked at his bandaged arm.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked.

"Only when I move it too much," Kael answered.

"Then don’t move it too much," Sera advised.

Kael chuckled. "You make recovery sound very simple."

"It is simple," Sera replied. "You’re just not very good at following instructions."

"I’ve noticed that everyone has suddenly become an expert at telling me what to do," Kael joked.

"Maybe that’s because you keep giving us reasons," Sera answered.

Kael shook his head with a smile and continued eating.

When they finished breakfast, Sera cleared the table while Kael remained seated. He wanted to help, but he knew she would only send him back to the sofa if he tried. Instead, he watched her move around the kitchen and thought about how much she handled every day.

He had spent so much time thinking about becoming stronger and improving his abilities that he hadn’t fully considered how much work went into maintaining their home. Even when he was at the Hunter Association, Sera was taking care of Noah, preparing meals, and finding time for her own interests.

He remembered their earlier conversation about her design sketches and decided to bring it up.

"Sera, have you worked on your designs recently?" Kael asked.

She turned from the kitchen. "A little. I started reorganizing some of my old sketches yesterday."

"Can I see them?" Kael asked.

"Of course," Sera replied.

She finished putting away the dishes before bringing her sketchbook to the living room. Kael shifted on the sofa to make room for her, and she opened the book between them.

===

The first few pages contained rough drawings of furniture arrangements and room layouts. Some were simple, while others included notes about lighting, colours, and the use of space. Kael turned through several pages before stopping at a drawing of a living room with large windows, a comfortable sofa, and shelves built into the wall.

"I like this one," Kael said as he studied the drawing.

Sera leaned closer to see which page he was looking at. "Really?"

"Yes. It looks comfortable without making the room feel crowded," Kael explained.

Sera smiled. "That was what I was going for. I wanted to make the space feel open but still give people somewhere to sit and relax."

Kael studied the drawing again before looking at her.

"Did you draw all of these?" he asked.

"Most of them," Sera answered. "Some are older, though. I made them when I was still in school."

"Why haven’t you done more with this?" Kael asked.

Sera became quiet for a moment before turning a few pages and showing him more of her sketches.

"When I was younger, I enjoyed drawing rooms and rearranging furniture," she explained. "I used to imagine what different houses would look like if I designed them myself. But my family didn’t think it was something worth pursuing."

Kael listened without interrupting her.

"They had other plans for me," Sera continued. "There were expectations about what I should study, who I should associate with, and eventually who I should marry. Design was treated like a hobby I would grow out of."

She closed the sketchbook briefly and rested her hands on it.

"I stopped working on it for a long time. I suppose I got used to putting it aside," Sera admitted.

Kael looked at her. "Do you still want to pursue it?"

"Yes, I do," Sera answered. "I just don’t know where to start."

"Then let’s start with what you have," Kael suggested.

Sera looked at him. "My sketches?"

"Your sketches, your ideas, and whatever else you’ve already worked on," Kael explained. "You don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin."

Sera opened the book again.

"I was thinking about putting together a portfolio," she said. "Something I could use when applying for courses or looking for opportunities."

"That sounds like a good idea," Kael replied.

"But I don’t know whether my work is good enough," Sera admitted.

Kael looked through the pages again before answering.

"I’m not a professional designer, so I won’t pretend I can judge everything," he said. "But I can tell you that I like what you’ve drawn. More importantly, you seem to enjoy doing it."

Sera smiled faintly. "I do."

"Then don’t give up before you’ve even started," Kael encouraged her.

She looked down at the sketchbook and ran her fingers over one of the drawings.

"I’d like to take a proper course too," Sera said. "I want to learn the technical side of things and understand the software designers use."

"Then we should look into it," Kael replied.

Sera raised her head. "We?"

"Of course," Kael answered. "It’s something you want to do, and I want to support you."

She smiled, although there was still a little uncertainty in her eyes.

"Wouldn’t that put more pressure on our finances?" Sera asked.

"We’ll plan for it," Kael assured her. "We don’t have to spend everything at once. We can compare courses, check their fees, and decide what fits our budget."

Sera nodded slowly. "I’d like that."

Kael leaned back against the sofa.

"Then your first assignment is to finish organizing these sketches," he said.

Sera laughed. "My assignment?"

"Yes. I’ll be your supervisor," Kael replied.

"You’re currently injured and can’t even carry your son properly," Sera pointed out. "I don’t think you’re qualified to supervise anyone."

Kael placed a hand against his chest. "That was unnecessarily harsh."

Sera smiled. "Would you prefer an honest assessment?"

"No, thank you," Kael replied.

They both laughed, and Sera continued explaining some of her ideas. Kael listened, asked questions, and helped her identify which sketches she wanted to develop further. He didn’t understand all the technical details, but he could see how much happier she looked whenever she talked about her work.

A notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Family Man System]

[Special Family Quest Unlocked: Support Your Partner’s Dream.]

[Task Description: Your partner has a personal ambition she has put aside for years. Help her take a meaningful step toward pursuing it while respecting her choices and supporting her independence.]

[Objectives:]

[1. Help Sera organize her existing design work into a portfolio plan.]

[2. Support her in identifying a suitable learning opportunity.]

[3. Allow her to make the final decisions about her personal goals.]

[Primary Reward: $10,000.]

[Additional Reward: Professional Design Course Sponsorship.]