Chapter 492: A Lifetime Contract (End)

Gods!

The black dragon’s mouth hung open for a moment before he burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha!"

What could he even say to that? How was he supposed to chastise his mate for being so ridiculously calculating when those two children seemed perfectly delighted with their new designations?

Still, considering what had just happened, Riley couldn’t help but feel that his husband had inadvertently set the stage perfectly for what he’d originally planned.

With that thought in mind, he turned his attention toward the peculiar magical device that had already been placed at the center of the table.

With a gentle touch, Riley activated the runes engraved upon its surface, and almost immediately, a brilliant light burst forth!

Before everyone’s astonished eyes, an enormous, magnificent stork appeared, carrying a tiny white bundle in its beak. Its wings were so beautifully detailed, every feather looking almost lifelike, that for a moment, no one could quite understand what they were looking at.

But then, as their initial surprise began to wear off, a rich, heavenly fragrance gradually spread throughout the room.

"...?"

Wait a minute.

Was that... cake?!

Riley’s smile immediately widened.

"Anyone interested in making beads with us today?" Riley asked brightly. "Thanks to Ms. Lee and the staff, we’ve even got cake!"

Mr. Winston, Ms. Lee, and Orryn’s trusted housekeeper smiled before offering a polite bow, acknowledging Riley’s words.

And apparently, that was enough to finally bring everyone out of their astonishment, because the moment they recovered, the entire family once again focused their attention on Riley and Kael.

"Have you been feeling all right?"

"Riley! Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!"

"Oh, goodness, there’s so much we need to prepare!"

"Congratulations, you two!"

Amid the excited chatter, Orryn found himself dealing with a rather different problem.

"...?"

His wife was staring at him.

And so was his own son!

Judging by their expressions, they apparently thought he ought to have known about this entire arrangement beforehand.

But what was he supposed to say?!

He might have owned the business, but even he hadn’t known anything!

"Ilyss...?" Orryn called out cautiously.

His wife narrowed her eyes.

"Dad!"

Orien puffed out his cheeks, looking thoroughly dissatisfied with his father.

"...!"

The red dragon felt utterly wronged.

Seriously!

Why were they looking at him like that?!

Meanwhile, Riley’s and Kael’s parents were taking turns embracing the couple, their excitement so overwhelming that they could barely stop smiling.

What made the occasion even more remarkable was that Kael actually tolerated being hugged by someone other than Riley!

Clearly, the normally prickly golden dragon was in an exceptionally good mood today.

"Oh, how are we supposed to sleep tonight?" Renee exclaimed, laughing as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I don’t think I’ll be able to!" Lady Cirila admitted, already looking as though she was considering all the things they needed to prepare. "There’s so much I want to do!"

Beside them, Lord Karion merely chuckled, though judging by the unmistakable happiness in his expression, he wasn’t any less excited than the two women.

Then Lawrence approached.

He gave Kael a firm pat on the back before pulling Riley into a warm embrace.

"Congratulations, son."

"Dad..."

Lawrence held him for a moment before quietly speaking again.

"You know, I’ve been thinking about it for some time now."

"...?"

"I never really imagined pushing beyond my natural limits," Lawrence admitted.

Perhaps it was only natural for someone who’d spent so many years terribly ill, practically hovering on the brink of death, to have never seriously considered extending his lifespan.

After all, with a constitution that even the best healers had originally been unable to restore, Lawrence had already considered himself fortunate enough to have been given the chance to stand beside his family when they needed him most.

"But with my wife, my children, and now a grandchild on the way... perhaps it really is time to make an effort to live a little longer. Not forever, but long enough to be truly present."

"...!"

Riley froze.

Because he knew exactly what his father meant.

Ever since the day that many across Eryndra had come to refer to as the Great Judgment, Lawrence had carried a remarkable reward within his body.

But unlike the others, his gift hadn’t fully activated.

Not because there was anything wrong with it, but because Lawrence Hale himself had never truly wished to live like a magical being. As he’d explained, he was all too aware of how pursuing power that was never meant for him could lead to tragedy.

And perhaps it wouldn’t have been quite so terrible if the consequences fell solely upon the person responsible. But as they’d recently witnessed for themselves, those who suffered the most were often the innocent loved ones left to pay for someone else’s sins.

Lawrence had already made his share of unfair decisions, and regardless of his intentions, he was still living with the consequences. The last thing he wanted was to repeat those mistakes.

And so, the power had remained dormant within him, preserving his body in nearly perfect mortal condition without pushing him beyond the limits he’d chosen for himself.

The rest of the family had respected that decision.

Of course they had.

But that didn’t mean they hadn’t quietly dreaded the thought of eventually losing him to mortality.

Yet now...

"Dad..."

Riley felt his throat tighten.

Lawrence smiled, gently patting his son’s back.

"What? You don’t think I’d want to watch my grandchild grow up? With how long a dragon’s childhood lasts, wouldn’t I need to stick around for quite a bit longer?"

"..."

The ex-mortal, who knew all too well what it felt like to believe he didn’t have much longer to live, suddenly felt like crying.

And judging by the emotional smiles appearing on the faces of those who’d overheard their conversation, he certainly wasn’t the only one.

After a while, the black dragon instinctively brought a hand to rest against his abdomen.

He was so excited.

So incredibly excited for their little one to finally meet everyone.

And as he watched the family gradually gather around the beautifully decorated cake, their laughter filling the room, Riley couldn’t help but spare a quiet thought for the black dragons he’d never gotten the chance to meet.

Those who’d sacrificed so much.

Those whose hopes had somehow become the very ground upon which he stood, allowing him to reach this point in his life.

He wondered what they would’ve thought if they could see this.

A family gathered together.

A future that no longer seemed quite so uncertain.

And a budding new life that had only become possible because of their sacrifices.

Riley lowered his gaze, his palm resting gently against the precious warmth within him.

Thank you.

He didn’t know whether those dragons could still hear him.

But if they could...

He sincerely hoped they’d continue watching over their clan’s future descendants, just as they’d watched over him.

Then, before he could become too emotional, a familiar pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.

"..."

Riley smiled.

Of course.

His mate had probably felt every single one of those thoughts through their bond.

The black dragon tilted his head back, meeting those brilliant golden eyes looking down at him.

Kael’s expression was unusually serious.

"...?"

Then the Dragon Lord leaned closer, his voice dropping into a low whisper meant strictly for Riley’s ears alone.

"Your goal of increasing the draconic population," he murmured. "We can make it happen as soon as tonight."

"?!"

Riley’s eyes widened.

This man!

His entire hand immediately flew up to cover Kael’s face.

Honestly!

How could he say something like that at a time like this?!

And yet...

Barely two seconds passed before Riley slowly lowered his hand.

A familiar, knowing grin spread across his lips.

"Once today’s beads are done."

"..."

Kael looked at him.

Then the golden dragon gave a small, fond shake of his head before leaning down to kiss his mate.

But just as their lips were about to meet...

"...Wait. Are we actually going to eat the stork?!"

"...!"

It was Orien.

The little dragonling was staring at the magnificent cake with an expression of genuine horror, his anxious whisper apparently meant only for Liam.

Unfortunately for the mortified little one, Riley heard every word.

"Pffft! Hahahahaha!"

Oh heavens!

This child!

The black dragon burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he reached up to pull Kael’s face closer.

And as their lips finally met, Riley couldn’t help but murmur against his husband’s smile.

"I’m really looking forward to this."

And he truly was.

He was looking forward to all of his mate’s antics, to waking up and seeing each other’s faces every day, to the little one they would someday hold in their arms, to the family that would welcome that child with so much love, and to all the ordinary, ridiculous, wonderful days still waiting for them.

And as Riley listened to the endless laughter surrounding him and the steady heartbeat of his beloved, his heart felt so full that he couldn’t help but wish he could share every bit of that happiness with everyone.

It was then that he realized something with absolute certainty.

Now this...

This was one life contract he would never want to resign from.

[End of Main Story.]