Chapter 490: Surrounded by Love

Ah.

Such cutie pies.

On days like this, Riley couldn’t help but feel grateful for magical orbs capable of capturing such precious moments. After all, how could he possibly resist wanting to preserve the sight of those two being so adorably earnest?

Contrary to the golden dragonling’s worries, the black dragon was far too fond of the children to think anything other than how precious they were.

Still smiling, Riley quietly reached beneath the table for Kael’s hand.

As though already knowing exactly what he wanted, the golden dragon immediately intertwined their fingers, his large, warm hand offering a familiar sense of reassurance that made Riley’s already excited heart give a little flutter.

Kael gently rubbed his thumb against the back of Riley’s hand, and the black dragon couldn’t help but think that this really was the perfect time.

Just then, however, every magical being gathered inside the estate’s much cozier living room suddenly turned toward the door.

The place looked almost nothing like the pristine, ancient receiving area it had once been, having gradually transformed into a considerably warmer space where the family could comfortably gather.

But even before anyone announced the arrival of their visitors, or before a single figure appeared in the doorway, everyone had already sensed the approaching presence.

Light footsteps that most wouldn’t have noticed soon echoed from outside, followed by a familiar voice.

"Oh! Right, this one opens by itself sometimes."

Mr. Winston sounded rather amazed as he muttered those words near the entrance, apparently still getting used to the fact that magical devices no longer deactivated around him unless he specifically wanted them to.

And really, who could blame him?

When the colossal tree had first appeared for all of Eryndra to witness, Mr. Winston had been among those who received an unexpected reward for their contributions. He hadn’t even known what was happening at the time, having been asked to hide somewhere safe, and yet, when he finally came to, he discovered that his nullifying ability had undergone an extraordinary transformation.

Instead of indiscriminately disabling practically every magical device he came into contact with, he could now control precisely when his ability would take effect.

He still remembered how he’d trembled and cried upon discovering what had happened.

Even now, the man knew he would remain forever grateful to the beings who hadn’t merely saved Eryndra, but had also given him the opportunity to enjoy his life and discover an entirely new side to his craft.

So when he was approached just the other day with a request to help prepare something of considerable importance, Mr. Winston naturally accepted without hesitation.

Which was precisely why he was now entering the Dragon Estate alongside Ms. Lee and Orryn’s trusted housekeeper, their unexpected arrival drawing a few surprised looks from the other dragons.

Lady Cirila was the first to recover her composure.

"Please, come in. Make yourselves comfortable."

With her usual graciousness, she welcomed the three newcomers inside, and they politely returned her greeting before turning their attention toward Riley.

The black dragon offered them a warm, reassuring smile.

Then, as though taking one last opportunity to appreciate the moment, Riley tilted his head and allowed his gaze to wander across the room.

His mother and father were seated together, their shoulders finally free of the heavy burdens they’d carried for so long. The gentle smiles on their faces were brighter than Riley could remember seeing in quite some time.

Not far from them were Lord Karion and Lady Cirila, who had somehow become the most welcoming in-laws he could ever have asked for, their affection for the entire family so genuine that Riley sometimes wondered how he’d gotten so fortunate.

Nearby, Orryn and Ilyss were practically glued to each other, though their attention kept wandering toward the children.

And unlike before, when their expressions had been filled with so much anxiety and longing, there was now a quiet wonder in their eyes, as though they still couldn’t quite believe they were finally allowed to enjoy moments like this together.

Then there were the children themselves.

Honestly, looking at those two was enough to make Riley believe that perhaps the future couldn’t possibly be so bad.

And of course, there was Thyrran, who had stubbornly remained by his side and made sacrifices he never should’ve had to make.

Aside from those gathered with them today, the ex-mortal also found himself thinking about the other people who’d continued standing by their side even when everything had seemed so terribly bleak.

After all, the only reason they could afford to enjoy a peaceful break like this was because those very people were still working tirelessly behind the scenes to help Eryndra get back on its feet.

Then again, a certain golden dragon had made it abundantly clear that one particular alleged usurper was absolutely not to be invited to today’s festivities, all for the sake of world peace, of course!

As such, Riley, who knew exactly whom his other half was referring to, had wisely agreed.

He’d simply send some baked goods over next time!

And really, knowing his mate, Riley couldn’t help but feel amused that even on such a happy occasion, the golden dragon still had his own little grievances to settle.

But that was Kael for him.

The very man who was now sitting right beside him, holding his hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

His mate.

The man who had become his past, his present, and his absolute future.

Riley’s fingers tightened slightly around Kael’s hand.

These were the people he wanted to share this moment with.

The very people he knew would celebrate alongside them.

It had taken some time to reach this point, mostly because neither Riley nor Kael had wanted to announce anything until they were absolutely certain.

And since they couldn’t exactly go to a human hospital, they’d even gone so far as to nervously consult the guardians, repeatedly checking on the little one’s development until they could finally reassure themselves that everything was progressing as it should.

So perhaps it was no wonder the children had become so distressed.

After all, they’d barely heard anything from the adults throughout the past several days!

But now, with all those familiar faces gathered around them and the reassuring warmth of his husband’s hand wrapped around his own, Riley decided that there really wasn’t any reason to keep everyone waiting any longer.

He made a subtle gesture.

Ms. Lee, who’d been waiting for precisely that signal, immediately made her way toward the center table.

Under the curious gazes of everyone present, she carefully placed a smooth, disc-like object right in the middle before stepping aside with a knowing smile.

It was a magical device.

One Riley and Kael had specifically prepared for today.

And judging by the way several pairs of eyes immediately settled on the unfamiliar object, everyone was understandably curious about what it was supposed to do.

The ex-mortal’s lips curved into a smile.

He was just about to begin their little reveal when, much to his surprise, he felt the hand holding his own give a gentle squeeze.

"...?"

Riley turned toward his husband.

Kael was looking at him with an expression of quiet consideration.

"How about we go with this other one first?" the Dragon Lord asked softly.

Huh?

Riley blinked.

For a moment, he could only stare at the golden dragon, completely thrown off by the unexpected question.

What other one?