"DAD, are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you, little rascal," Kiho said while fixing Winter's tie. His son sat on the edge of his bed while he was down on one knee. "I'm just a little disappointed that you're keeping a big secret from me."

Since Tilly was coming home tonight, he asked Winter to wear the best suit from the collection of clothes that they bought the other day.

He also told Julian to pick the best suit that he had.

But since Winter was the younger one between the two, he chose to help Winter dress up first. Which he realized that he didn't need to do because his little rascal was already capable of taking care of himself. His son even had a good eye in picking the best tie to match his suit.

He felt sad about it.

I miss the chance of taking care of my son when he was still a baby.

"Dad, I love you," Winter said seriously. "But if you cheated on Mommy in the past, I will choose Mommy over you."

That statement shocked him.

Where did that come from?

When he calmed down, he gently flicked his son's forehead. He knew that it didn't hurt but Winter still gave him a big pout.

"I don't think I'm capable of seeing another woman the way I see your Mommy," he told his son. "If I could, I would let you hear my thoughts for a whole day. Just don't blame if you get a picture of how you were made."

"Dad!" Winter complained, his cheeks red from embarrassment. "I didn't need to hear that."

"Then, never doubt my love and faithfulness to your mom ever again."

His son pouted while scratching his forehead. "I'm sorry."

He just patted his shoulder before he stood up. "Let's go and check on Julian. I hope you get along before your mother arrives."

"Does it mean I'm allowed to enter the main mansion now, Dad?"

Okay, that question hurt him.

He gently carried Winter in his arms to match his eye level. "I apologize if I had to hide you here in the annex, Winter. I swear it won't happen again. From now on, you and your mom will reclaim your rightful place."

Winter smiled, then he wrapped his tiny arms around his neck. "Thank you, Dad."

He hugged his not-so-little rascal tight.

Please stop growing up so fast, our baby Winter.

He was savoring that warm moment with his son when all of a sudden, a knock on the door interrupted them. Since it was Amilo, he let him in right away. After all, he asked the jewel maker to check on Julian.

"Your Grace, we have a problem," Amilo said between heavy breaths. It seemed like he ran all the way there and it made him worry. "Lord Julian isn't in his room. I also noticed that some of his belongings and clothes were gone as well," he informed in a hurried tone. "It looks like Lord Julian has run away from home."

Winter gasped in surprise.

Guilt immediately crippled his heart, making him freeze from where he stood.

Julian…

"Dad, Julian ran away," Winter said while gently patting his cheeks as if he was trying to "wake" him up. "We should look for him."

Kiho, now fully awake thanks to his son, nodded firmly. "Yes, and we won't stop until we find your brother."

***

TILLY was still a little shocked after she found out that it was initially the Fire Mages who hunted down the Nystroms.

Obviously, she was long gone when it happened because Soleil Rosenberg didn't have the chance to meet Julian in the past. What bothered her was the fact that no one told her about that fact. It was understandable if Luna didn't know about it since she heard from Solaris that the Moon Priestess died a little after Soleil Rosenberg was killed.

But how about Solaris? And her Keepers? They should know, right?

Did they keep it a secret from me or they just didn't bother to tell me because they think so little of my Julian?

"Mother?���

Tilly turned to Julian and smiled. "Hmm?"

Julian, who was secured on her lap, put a gentle and warm hand on her cheek. "Your temperature is abnormally hot. Are you upset?"

She smiled and savored her son's touch.

To be honest, it was a little strange to feel a warm touch after getting used to Kiho and Winter's cold body. But it was strange in a good way.

"I'm not upset," she said with a smile. "I'm just… thinking."

Julian didn't look convinced by her excuse, but he smiled and changed the topic anyway. Aww, her baby was so thoughtful and mature. "Mommy, I'm not complaining. But what are we doing here?"

By "here," Julian meant the bench by the pond.

After their heartfelt reunion, she brought her son to the pond where her koi fish lived. She was happy that their "children" were still alive, and that the bench where she and Kiho used to rest in wasn't removed.

"Your father and I used to date here a lot in the past. This is my most favorite spot in the whole estate," she said with a smile. "Let's summon your dad and brother here."

Julian smiled and nodded. "Okay, Mother."

Tilly ruffled her son's hair, then she released enough of her Mana to let Kiho and Winter know where she was. We're here, my other two little cinnamon rolls.

***

KIHO couldn't help but smile a little while watching Winter run to the pond where he could see Tilly sitting on the bench. He was relieved to see that his wife had found Julian.

Tilly, thank you for returning at the perfect time.

When he saw that Winter was only a few meters away from his mother, he felt a little childish and competitive. He knew that it was petty, but he still moved so fast and so swift that he managed to outrun Winter in just a few steps– making him reach Tilly faster.

"Dad!" Winter complained behind him. "That's cheating!"

Kiho just smirked at Winter before he faced Tilly who raised her pretty brow at him. He cleared his throat, then he got down on one knee before he asked for her hand. When she gave him her hand, he brought it close to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Welcome home, my lady."

"Mommy!" Winter greeted his mother cheerfully. "I've missed you."

Then, the little rascal "bumped" into him hard enough for him to tumble on the ground when he hugged his mother's waist.

Insolent child!

He glared at his son, but Winter just smirked at him before he buried his face against Tilly's tummy.

Okay, that instantly made him jealous.

Julian, on the other hand, was sitting on his wife's lap.

I'd kill to be in their position right now.

"I've missed you, too, Winter," Tilly said to their son sweetly while she was ruffling his hair. "But tell me…"

She turned to him, making Kiho kneel properly in front of her.

To be honest, he didn't know why he did that. He just felt like he had to when he met his wife's glowing purple eyes. Even though her smile looked serene, he could clearly see in her eyes that she was pissed.

That made him gulp in fear.

I'm in trouble, am I not?

"Kiho, what made Julian run away from home?" Tilly asked strictly. "What happened?"

He froze in fear.

It wasn't only him though. Both Winter and Julian visibly froze in fear as well.

Boys, we're dead.

A moment later, Winter and Julian slowly and carefully detached themselves from Tilly. Then, the two boys knelt beside him. Winter was on his right, Julian on his left. Their children looked gloomy while their heads were hanged low.

"We're sorry, Mommy."

"We're sorry, Mother."

Kiho and Winter both looked at Julian at the same time in surprise.

Julian called Tilly 'Mother.'

That warmed his heart.

"Tell me what you're sorry for, boys," Tilly demanded, making the three of them turn to her at the same time. When she got their attention again, she crossed her legs in a very intimidating manner. "If you lie to me, you'll all regret it."

Kiho, once again, gulped in fear. "Tilly, I'm sorry I wasn't able to discipline our children well," he said. "Please don't be too harsh on the boys."

***

TILLY, despite trying to look and sound strict to make Winter and Julian confess, realized that the little boys refused to talk because Kiho was there.

Then, it means the cause of their fight was something Kiho wasn't supposed to know yet.

She decided to handle the problem using a different tactic.

Plus, she didn't enjoy seeing Kiho and their children kneel before her as if she was superior to them. She didn't want an hierarchy in their family.

"Winter, Julian," Tilly called her sons in a gentle tone but they still flinched before they raised their heads to look at her. To make the boys feel at ease, she smiled at them. "Do you want to sleep together tonight?"

That was when their faces finally lit up.

"Of course, Mommy!"

"I'd love to, Mother."

She smiled at how adorable her kids were. "Let's have a slumber party then."

Of course, she wanted to spend time with her children. But one of the reasons why she decided to have a "slumber party" was for her and her sons to be able to talk freely. It wouldn't ruin her plan tonight to listen to her kids first.

Plus, she had to wait for Luna and Roarke to bring Yumi to her before she could start making Kiho remember his past without having him lose control over himself.

I should prioritize my children first.

"How about me, Tilly?"

She turned to Kiho and her heart almost broke when she saw how sad he looked. He was probably feeling left out at the moment.

"Can't I join the slumber party with you?" Kiho asked in a very soft and very vulnerable tone. "Are you upset with me because I didn't do a good job looking after our kids?"

Aww, her original little cinnamon roll was making her heart melt.

Just endure it for a little while, Kiho. Once you retrieve your memories and we kick out whoever it is inside you, we can finally return to normal. But for now…

"Come here," she said while patting the space next to her.

Her husband's face lit up a bit, then he stood up and sat beside her while dusting off the knee areas of his pants. She noticed that he still left a decent space between us so they wouldn't accidentally touch each other in any part of their bodies. He was probably being careful not to startle her because he thought that she hadn't retrieved her memories yet.

My hon is still as gentleman as ever.

"Kiho, I want to spend time with our children first," she said gently while giving him the puppy dog eyes that she knew he could never resist. "I promise that I will talk to you in private later. Will that be alright with you?"

As expected, her husband instantly gave in to her pleading.

"Alright," he said without a hint of sulking. "I'm happy that you're here and I'm also glad that the children have their mother back, too."

"Thank you, Kiho," Tilly said gently, then she put a warm hand on his cheek. He looked surprised, but he didn't move his face away from her touch. Instead, he smiled at her as if he was giving her the permission to touch him any way she wanted. That gave her the confidence to gently run her thumb over his a little cold but soft lips. At that moment, his golden eyes glowed in excitement. "Kids, close your eyes."

Winter and Julian both gasped aloud, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the kids cover their eyes with their hands…

… while leaving the gaps between their fingers wide enough for them to still take a peek.

How cute.

She was tempted to kiss Kiho on the lips a while ago. Well, she still wanted to. But she decided to hold back since the children were watching.

And she doubted that she and Kiho would stop at just a kiss so she better avoid that for now.

To spare her children from the "trauma" of watching their parents make out, she just gave Kiho a peck on the cheek.

Thankfully, her husband already looked happy and grateful by that light kiss.

Happy, but not fully satisfied. She could clearly see in his glowing golden eyes that he wanted something more than a kiss on the cheek. But like her, he was holding back.

"Welcome home, Tilly," Kiho said with a smile. "I've missed you."

"I think I've missed you, too," Tilly said teasingly. "Thank you for taking care of our children while I'm away, Kiho."

***

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