After spending the entire afternoon ying with Eve and giving all his attention to Margaret and Nyx in the evening, Arthur leaves his bed to go to the toilet outside his bedroom. It''s a few hours before dawn, and he feels a cold wind brush against his bare back in the hallway.


    "Hmm?" He walks back to the small hall on the fourth floor of the mansion and finds an open window with the curtains fluttering.


    ''She''s on the roof,'' Nyx''s voice echoes in Arthur''s mind.


    He quickly leaps through the window, grabs the top, and, with a swift motion, propels himself upward,nding on the roof where he finds Aria sitting.


    "Mom?" Arthur looks at her with a curious expression.


    She smiles gently at him. "You found me."


    Arthur can see a hint of worry in his mother''s eyes, which confuses him. "Are you okay?" He moves closer and sits right next to her.


    "Yeah," Aria wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him into an embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "I was just getting some fresh air."


    "I see…" Arthur ces a tender kiss on Aria''s forehead as they both gaze at the starry sky.


    They could stay in that position for hours without getting tired, simply enjoying each other''spany in silence. But after a few minutes, Aria speaks first.


    "What are we doing here, darling?" Her tone is a mix of curiosity and confusion.


    "I don''t know," he responds honestly. "I didn''t think I could feel certain things, but I do. I like these people… Josephine, Oliver, this ce… Margaret and Eve have been having so much fun…"


    "What about you?" Aria asks. "Have you been having fun?"


    He smiles broadly and proudly. "I''m always having a great time around the women I love."


    "Of course you are," she rolls her eyes but keeps her gentle smile. "I try to tune out my senses, but it''s impossible not to hear you throughout the house with Margaret and Nyx in every corner, doing naughty things… it won''t be long before Nyx gets discovered that way."


    "Is that why you''re concerned?"


    "No."


    "Then what''s the reason? That noblewoman?"


    "No, she''s no threat to us," Aria responds honestly, but her expression grows more stern. "But the same can''t be said about Josephine and Oliver…"


    "But we can protect them… right?" Arthur looks confused.


    Aria takes a moment to answer, as if she''s hesitant or thoughtful. "It''s not that simple."


    "Hmm…" Arthur has no idea what''s going on in his mother''s mind. He remains silent, and after a few more minutes, she speaks.


    "Your father thought he could protect everyone in the vige, but his foolish morals and principles could get everyone killed at any moment…"


    "I''m not my father."


    "No…" Aria lovingly caresses his face. "He believes he can save everyone, fix the world… you, on the other hand, think you can eliminate anyone who threatens those you care about."


    "You think like me, don''t you?"


    A nostalgic gleam passes through Aria''s eyes. "In part, yes, but… Arthur, this world is vast, with dangers lurking everywhere. It''s not as simple to protect those we love, even if we have the power."


    Arthur grows increasingly puzzled, "Isn''t it precisely power that we need to protect those we love?"


    "It is the main thing," she exins. "But power is not just individual strength… you are still very young and are getting stronger much more quickly than anyone else. But you need to understand howplex things are."


    "Then exin it to me," he asks.


    "Okay…" She lets out a sigh as if she''s about to deliver bad news. "Josephine, Oliver, and their family… they are not like us. They are limited… no matter how hard Oliver and his cousins work on their cultivation, they need years to achieve the results that you and Nyx can attain in a few weeks."


    Arthur listens intently as Aria continues. "People like that noblewoman will keeping; there are always more of them… This Count works directly for the King. If we kill his family, the royalty of Lumindel will investigate… sooner orter, they will trace it back to the Drummonds, to us…"


    "They are dangerous, I understand," Arthurments.


    "That''s not the problem," she continues, still caressing his face. "It''s hard to fight when you have to protect weaker people. That''s why my focus now is on strengthening you and Eve, making you strong before we go out to explore the world."


    "Is that why you and father went to the vige?"


    "Exactly," she nods. "I''m not just worried about Josephine and her family''s safety, but also the fact that people like us draw a lot of attention… and we are not ready for that yet…"


    Arthur couldn''t help but agree with Aria''s words. He knew so little about the world, about cultivation and Astral Beasts, that he felt like a grain of sand on a beach.


    "Do you think we should go back to the vige and focus on getting stronger?" he asks.


    Aria''s eyes shone with pride as she looked at him. "I can see how hard you strive to get stronger every day. Of course, you and the girls have a lot of fun doing it, but I also know you''re always willing because it makes you, Nyx, and Margaret stronger."


    Arthur didn''t know how to react to that; his lips just curved into a loving smile. "We''re doing our best."


    "And it''s working," she ces her finger on his bare chest, and a dark light shines intensely. "Your Astral Energy seems more powerful every day, and Margaret''s too… it''s impressive, but it also has some limitations…"


    Arthur is clearly confused, and Ariaughs. "When I chose Margaret as my disciple, I was prepared to use all my resources to make her stronger, but I knew she would always be a weak link in our family…"


    "But you can make her as strong as us. However, you can''t do the same for Oliver, of course. And Josephine wouldn''t ept something like that either… do you understand?"


    He nods. "I understand. So… going back home seems best."


    "I don''t think so." Aria shook her head. "That night… when we left…"


    Arthur knew Aria was talking about when he killed Emilio and his family. He was a bit concerned about what Aria meant, but her gentle and loving smile remained the same, calming his heart.


    "I understand, darling~" She speaks warmly. "You have some needs, and you can''t fulfill them in the vige… you are what you are: a lover at home and a hunter outside."


    Again, Arthur couldn''t deny Aria''s words. "I am like that… but I would never hurt the people from the vige."


    "Of course, baby~" Aria smiled, continuing to caress his face. "But I also saw how you looked at that noblewoman today…"


    "It''s not what you''re thinking," he quickly tried to argue.


    But Aria just giggled. "I know it wasn''t romantically, but because she''s an Ascended Mage… I know you, my son. I know you want to test your strength against her… kill her…"


    "If she''s a threat to our friends…" hemented, a cold glint in his eyes.


    "I agree," Aria paused for a second. "But I just exined why it''s a never-ending cycle… we could protect Josephine and her family if we werepletely discreet, but people like us always attract too much attention…"


    "People like Josephine and Oliver can deal with others like them, but people like us bring problems to them."


    "I understand, really," Arthur was enjoying the routine with the Drummonds, but he saw how it was a dangerous path for everyone now. "So, where should we go?"


    "I don''t know yet," Aria responded honestly. "But the longer we stay here, the moreplicated things can get for Josephine and her family."


    "Makes sense," Arthur nodded. "But what about that woman and her brother? They''ve already seen us, so if we leave now…"


    "The Drummonds will be in trouble, I know," Aria responded and then smiled at Arthur. "Onest hunt, perhaps?"


    Arthur also smiled but then grew confused. "What about the Counting after his children?"


    "Well… we''ll have to think of a way to avoid that." Shemented with a thoughtful expression.


    "Hmmm…" Arthur also looked thoughtful and then pulled Aria back into his embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Let''s think about it; after all, two heads are better than one, right?"


    "I''m not so sure about that…" Aria giggles, her body feeling so good in Arthur''s arms that she closes her eyes and just enjoys the moment. "But thinking this way is quite pleasant…"


    "No doubt," he agreed, a proud smile on his face.


    They stayed in that position for several minutes until Arthur spoke first. "I have some ideas…"


    "Whatever it is, we better make it work during that banquet," shemented.


    "Yeah," he nodded. "We can do it… onest gift for Josephine and Oliver before we leave."