After hearing those details, the group had an unbelievable expression, their faces frozen in sheer disbelief.
Once again, it felt like they were witnessing something completely beyond their comprehension… something straight out of a fantasy.
And yet, despite living in a world filled with magic and supernatural occurrences, even for Aether, this felt surreal.
Slowly, everyone turned their heads toward the sky, their gazes locking onto the beautiful little butterfly hovering above them, its delicate wings fluttering with an almost mesmerizing grace.
Then… they gulped.
That adorable, seemingly harmless little creature… was actually stronger than a Sovereign?
Fuck!!
Noticing that all eyes were glued to it, the cute little butterfly let out a soft, melodic hum before gracefully floating toward Maelona. With a sweet, childlike voice, it cooed, “Mama~”
“HIKK!!” Maelona let out a startled yelp, her body instinctively jerking backward just as the butterfly nearly brushed against her.
The tiny creature pouted as if sulking, then once again attempted to reach her. However, Maelona swiftly dodged, stepping away in a near-panic.
She was absolutely determined—there was no way she was going to allow herself to turn into a mindless monster again! She had suffered enough, and she refused to put her son-in-law in danger ever again.
The entire scene looked like something straight out of a comedic skit… almost like a real-life game of Tom and Jerry, with Maelona playing the desperate prey and the butterfly acting as the relentless pursuer.
Watching the absurd chase unfold, Dora frowned and turned toward Aether, her expression laced with curiosity. “So… are you saying that from now on, she’s officially the strongest one?”
Aether shook his head before calmly replying, “No, she is not strong in the way you’re thinking. As I already mentioned before, it’s not her physical strength that’s terrifying… it’s her spirit that holds overwhelming power.”
Dora hummed thoughtfully, taking in his words. Her brows furrowed slightly before she asked, “And how exactly are you so sure about this? I mean… how do you know all of this with such certainty?”
Aether simply smiled. It was a quiet, knowing smile, one that spoke volumes without uttering a single word. That was enough for Dora to understand—he had no intention of explaining any further.
She sighed, rolling her eyes as she muttered under her breath, “Forget it…” Her voice was barely audible, but Aether didn’t bother to ask what she had just said.
Then suddenly,
“So… It is not my sister, right?” Aria’s voice broke the silence, her tone laced with both confusion and a hint of horror. Her brows knitted together as she stared at the butterfly, as if trying to make sense of the situation.
Aether turned toward her and shook his head slightly, “I am not sure…” he admitted.
After all, the butterfly carried Maelona’s energy—there was no doubt about that. However, at the same time, it had been brought to life because of his nectar. That made things… complicated.
He couldn’t provide a definitive answer, no matter how much he tried to rationalize it.
Hearing that, Aria’s expression faltered. Her gaze dropped slightly, uncertainty clouding her thoughts.
How was she supposed to react to this revelation?
Should she be angry at her mother for unintentionally creating this strange situation?
No. That wouldn’t be fair. After all, her mother had only taken the medicine. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
Then… should she be angry at Aether?
No… That wouldn’t make sense either. He had only been trying to save her mother. His intentions had been pure, and he had acted out of necessity.
‘Nobody is wrong!!!’ Aria screamed in her mind, feeling an overwhelming frustration bubbling within her. She didn’t want to blame anyone. She couldn’t even bring herself to blame herself.
It was all just… a miracle. A bizarre, impossible miracle—just like that butterfly floating before them.
Aether nodded… Now that Maelona’s situation had been more or less resolved, it was time to shift their attention toward his true goal.
“Mother-in-law?” Aether called out, his voice steady.
Maelona flinched at his call, but instead of answering, she immediately turned on her heels and darted behind him, using him as a human shield. “Help me!” she cried, desperation evident in her voice.
“Mama~” The butterfly let out another affectionate call before shooting forward, determined to reach Maelona once more.
Aether’s eyes darkened slightly, and in a firm tone, he commanded, “Stop it.”
The butterfly came to an abrupt halt, its tiny wings fluttering as it blinked at him in confusion. “Papa?” it chirped innocently.
“Yes! It’s your papa! You better listen to him, hmph!” Maelona declared with utmost seriousness… while still strategically keeping Aether between herself and the butterfly.
Then—
“Thud!”
Aria staggered backward, her knees giving out beneath her as she collapsed onto the ground.
For a moment, she felt as if the entire universe had just betrayed her. Her chest tightened, and she nearly choked as blood threatened to rise to her throat.
This… this couldn’t be happening.
Maelona, finally realizing the sheer emotional devastation she had just inflicted upon her daughter, let out a nervous cough. Without wasting another second, she rushed forward and pulled Aria into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around her trembling form,
“I-I didn’t mean it like that! My sweet child, I am truly sorry!”
“It’s fine, Mom…” Aria muttered, her eyes devoid of light. “It’s just a butterfly… nothing more…”
“NOOOOO!!!” Maelona wailed, tightening her embrace around her daughter as if she could physically squeeze the despair out of her,
“My baby! Don’t be like this! I swear I didn’t mean it!!!”
Aether and the others exchanged glances, their expressions blank before they all let out a collective sigh.
Yep.
Aria was gone… Completely lost.
It’s not like Aether didn’t give his support… rather Aether wanted Aria to accept the reality rather than comforting her with fake things… letting her sink a little bit so that she could be ready for any ‘Real’ reality!
…..
…
After what felt like an eternity of damage control and frantic explanations, Aria finally managed to pull herself together.
Well… sort of.
Even as they stepped into the Wood Elf Village, Maelona was still clinging onto her, while Aria continued to mutter under her breath like a broken record:
“My mother had my husband’s baby before me… My mother had my husband’s baby before me…”
Maelona, now completely drowning in regret, gently patted her daughter’s back, as if that would somehow erase the trauma she had just inflicted.
She really shouldn’t have acted so carelessly. It was like a trigger just waiting to explode, and the moment it did—well, the results were right in front of her.
She meant… It’s one thing that the butterfly called him father, and it’s another thing Maelona herself accepted it!!
Meanwhile, the little butterfly fluttered happily around them, completely oblivious to the fact that it was the root of Aria’s existential crisis.
For now, though, Aether and the others chose to put aside that particular disaster and focus on the matter at hand—the Ebon Stone.
“You guys are playing with that thing? And you didn’t even think to call me?!” Dora frowned as she crossed her arms, her displeasure evident.
She was adamant about staying by Aether’s side, and honestly, at this point, she had an entirely different reason for it. If she left him alone for even a minute… would he end up creating another baby?!
Her worry was shifting in a much more concerning direction!
Aether chuckled at her reaction, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Well, you were busy gathering all those broken pieces, so I thought… why disturb you?”
Dora’s lips twitched, but she refrained from saying anything. He wasn’t wrong—she had been completely occupied with her duties. Still…
“Anyway…” Aether turned to Maelona, his expression turning serious, “Do you remember any of the symbols written on the stone?”
Maelona, still holding onto Aria, frowned slightly before glancing at Raven, who had taken it upon herself to support Aria’s broken spirit.
‘Poor child…’ Raven thought to herself, her expression turning sympathetic. Nobody wanted to deal with the reality of their mother having their husband’s child.
Even among the shameless dragons, this was beyond pitiful.
‘Thank goodness… this is never going to happen to us,’ Raven inwardly reassured herself with a firm nod.
But that was a concern for the future… Right now, they had bigger problems.
“Hmm… I think I remember a few symbols,” Maelona muttered, deep in thought. She turned her gaze toward the markings that Liora and Aria had previously drawn, then crouched down, grabbing a wooden stick before carefully sketching something onto the ground.
Aether’s eyes widened as Relief and excitement swelled within him.
‘So all this time… the answer was within my reach of my hand,’ he mused, a small smirk tugging at his lips. ‘So that’s what the Prophetess meant… Ah.’
However, as he studied the symbols more closely, his expression shifted into a deep frown.
“U… Unique? No… Union… Okay…” Aether murmured, his brows furrowing as he slowly deciphered the words based on the knowledge he had accumulated through and broken piece of papers.
Then, suddenly,
“Harmonious Union Blood,” Aether muttered, his voice laced with surprise. His eyes immediately snapped toward Raven.
“Hmm?” Raven tilted her head, blinking in confusion.
Aether’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “If it’s just blood… then…” His voice trailed off, his eyes softening as if a massive weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.
For the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel the need to worry anymore. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pressed a tender kiss to Raven’s forehead.
Raven smiled instinctively, though she still didn’t fully understand why her husband was suddenly acting like this. But if it made him happy… then she was happy too.
“Just blood?” Thalia blinked in surprise before suddenly wrapping her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly.
She had been so afraid… so sure that Raven would have to sacrifice something much greater. But if all it required was blood—
Then everything would be okay.