Chapter 491: The Sweetest Delivery

Riley was understandably puzzled, though his confusion only deepened when a peculiar sound, seemingly coming from where Kael was seated, suddenly broke the silence.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

"...?"

It sounded almost like the rhythmic clattering of several bills, the sharp clicking noises echoing throughout the room and immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

What was that?

Before anyone could ask, however, the dragons, whose senses were naturally far more sensitive than those of ordinary beings, suddenly turned their heads toward the large open window.

And what greeted them was a sight none of them had expected.

"...!"

Outside, a magnificent flock of what appeared to be birds was soaring through the sky in perfect formation!

Except these were no ordinary birds.

Each one seemed to have been woven entirely from countless threads of dense, radiant mana, their elegant bodies shimmering with a golden brilliance that made them appear almost otherworldly.

And with every flap of their enormous wings, beautiful trails of golden light unfurled behind them, leaving swirling traces of mana that lingered in the air before gradually dissolving into tiny, glittering sparks.

For a moment, everyone in the room could only stare at the breathtaking sight, too awestruck to utter a single word.

Then...

"...!"

"Wow!"

Liam suddenly gasped, his little finger pointing frantically toward the window.

"The storks! The storks actually came!"

"?!"

The golden dragonling looked absolutely shell-shocked.

His eyes widened so dramatically that he seemed to have forgotten how to blink, his little mouth hanging open as he stared at the magnificent flock approaching the estate.

The storks!

Those are storks?!

So many?!

And while the two children were practically trembling with wonder and excitement, Riley wasn’t doing much better.

"...?"

What?

What was all this?!

The black dragon stared outside in utter disbelief before suddenly turning toward the man who seemed to have orchestrated this entire display.

And sure enough, Kael was already looking right at him.

Their eyes met.

Then, with the faintest smile playing across his lips, the Dragon Lord silently mouthed:

Like it?

"...!"

Riley’s eyes trembled.

He looked back toward the window, where the majestic flock was now heading straight for the open windowsill, their shimmering wings scattering golden light as they swooped closer.

It was an absolutely marvelous sight.

But what made it even more extraordinary was the realization that every single thread making up those magnificent birds had been created from his mate’s own mana.

Like it?

How could he possibly just like something like this?

No.

He loved it.

Absolutely loved it!

Riley tightened his hold on Kael’s hand beneath the table, his heart feeling so full that he genuinely didn’t know what to say.

And as though the flock had been waiting for precisely that response, the storks gracefully entered the room, their luminous wings moving in perfect synchrony as they circled above his head in what seemed like a beautiful dance meant for him alone.

Then, all at once, they swooped down toward him!

"...!"

Pop! Pop! Pop!

One after another, the storks dissolved into soft bursts of golden light, their condensed mana flowing directly into Riley’s body.

And the moment that familiar warmth spread through him, the black dragon couldn’t help but close his eyes.

Gods.

It felt like receiving the warmest, most comforting hug imaginable.

A hug that carried all the love his mate couldn’t possibly express through words alone.

And somehow, Riley knew there couldn’t have been a better time.

So, with Kael’s hand still wrapped securely around his own, the black dragon gently lowered the personal barriers that had allowed him to move around without anyone being any the wiser.

"!!!"

The reaction was almost immediate.

Several magical beings froze where they stood, their eyes widening as they suddenly sensed something that had previously been concealed from them.

A small, precious presence.

One that was unmistakably new, yet already carried traces of the two dragons seated before them.

"Riley...?"

Lady Cirila’s voice trembled.

But before anyone could properly react, Lawrence Hale suddenly blinked in surprise.

"...?"

Right before his eyes, several glowing letters had begun appearing out of thin air!

Unlike the dragons or the drakes, Lawrence Hale couldn’t exactly perceive the subtle changes in mana surrounding his son, so Riley had deliberately prepared something his father could easily understand.

And as the golden letters finally settled into place, the man found himself staring at a message that made his entire body go still.

Hi, Grandpa!

"...!"

Lawrence’s lips parted.

Then he slowly looked toward Riley.

"Son...?"

The black dragon smiled.

And that was all it took.

"Oh, Riley!"

The black dragon’s mother was already on her feet, both hands flying to cover her mouth as tears immediately sprang to her eyes.

Lady Cirila wasn’t far behind.

"Kael... Riley... Is it really...?"

"Yes, Mother," Kael actually answered softly.

"Oh, my goodness!"

The two women hurried forward, practically wrapping the couple in a tearful embrace before either Riley or Kael could say another word.

And judging by the way Renee kept laughing and crying at the same time, she was having considerable difficulty deciding which emotion ought to come first!

But just as everyone began gathering around the couple, someone suddenly noticed that the children had grown unusually quiet. Then came the faint, trembling sounds of someone struggling to hold back their sobs.

"...?"

Riley turned his head.

And froze.

Because Orien and Liam were crying!

"Eh?"

The two little ones were standing beside each other, their eyes glistening with tears as they stared at something held carefully in their hands.

Apparently, while the magnificent storks had been flying overhead, two tiny objects had quietly fallen into their laps.

And now, when the children lifted those beautiful beads toward the light, the rays passing through them projected a single glowing word onto the floor.

UNCLE.

"Huhuuu...!"

"I... I’m going to be an uncle..." Liam whispered, his voice trembling.

Orien sniffled.

Then, clutching his bead tightly against his chest, the golden dragonling solemnly declared, "I’ll be the best uncle!"

"Me too!" Liam immediately agreed. "I’ll take really good care of the baby!"

"Mn! We’ll protect the little one!"

The two children looked at each other before nodding with such absolute determination that anyone unfamiliar with the situation might’ve thought they’d just sworn some incredibly important oath.

And Riley...

"..."

He was completely bewildered!

Wait a minute.

He definitely hadn’t commissioned anything like that from Mr. Winston!

What he’d originally requested was for the craftsman to help everyone create special beads using their own personal belongings, something they could keep as precious mementos of this day.

But these two beads?

Those certainly weren’t part of his preparations!

Riley immediately turned toward his husband.

"Kael...?"

The Dragon Lord, however, merely watched the two emotional children before offering a subtle, entirely unbothered shrug.

"It’s best to invest this early."

"..."

Riley’s mouth fell open.

Invest?!

Right.

Of course.

Because apparently, the Dragon Lord had decided that there was no better time than now to recruit additional protectors for their child, or at the very least, a pair of particularly animated distractions.

He’d even gone so far as to promote his own nephew to uncle when Orien should’ve technically been a cousin!

After all, Liam was a bona fide uncle, and knowing Orien, the golden dragonling would’ve thrown endless tantrums if his partner got to be an uncle while he didn’t.

Oddly enough, that was actually quite possible.

Then again, judging by how the two children were already pledging to become the best uncles imaginable, Riley had a feeling his husband’s "investment" would pay off quite nicely.