CHAPTER 216: WELCOME HOME

No one should have been there. The house had been empty for weeks. And yet... he could feel someone’s presence.

The teapot slipped from his hands. It hit the table with a loud clang, spilling hot tea everywhere, but Jude barely noticed.

"Lambard! Eline!" he shouted toward the open kitchen door, his voice sharp with disbelief. Then, without another thought, he dashed down the hall and up the staircase.

"What’s wrong, Jude?!" Eline’s voice called from below.

"Jude! What happened?" shouted Lambard.

But Jude didn’t answer. His heart was pounding too loudly to hear anything else.

He threw open the bedroom door—

And froze.

"Oh... oh, my God. Thank you... thank you!"

Tears blurred his vision as he looked at the two figures standing there, the two people he had prayed for every single day since their disappearance.

For a long moment, he could not speak. In all his years as a butler, he had never felt emotion this overwhelming.

The sound of hurried footsteps from Lambard and Eline behind him that was running up the stairs finally brought him back to himself.

Jude straightened his body while trembling and then bowed his head deeply, his voice breaking as he spoke the words he had dreamed of saying again.

"Welcome home, Lord Dominic. Welcome home, Lord Shiao Yi."

...

Until just a moment ago, Dominic had been standing in the middle of a vast desert. But with nothing more than a blink, he now found himself inside his own bedroom.

Shiao Yi’s power was truly extraordinary.

How far had they traveled this time?

Dominic had grown somewhat used to Shiao Yi’s teleportation ability, but even so, he couldn’t help feeling amazed every single time.

Perhaps because of the long-distance jump, a faint dizziness washed over him.

"Are you okay, Dominic? It was a pretty long jump, so you might feel a bit off," Shiao Yi said, concern in his voice.

"Ah, I’m fine now," Dominic replied, steadying himself. "Still... incredible. We’re really back, just like that, in an instant."

When he said that, Shiao Yi smiled shyly, a faint, soft smile that caught Dominic completely off guard.

And so without thinking, Dominic pulled him into his arms and kissed him.

How could he make such an innocent and beautiful expression so suddenly? How many times would he make Dominic fall for him all over again?

Just then, an hurried footsteps approached their room and the door suddenly burst open.

It was Dominic’s butler, Jude.

He must have heard the noise and rushed in to check.

But what happened next left Dominic utterly speechless.

Jude’s face turned twisted and tears began to stream down his cheeks.

Jude had served the Beaumont family since before Dominic was even born. He was a strict, precise butler, disciplined, serious, and calm to the core. It was rare to see him show even the slightest emotion.

And yet, here he was, crying.

Dominic was so stunned that for a moment, he could only stare in disbelief.

Soon, the sound of more footsteps came from the hallway. It was Eline and Lambard, there’s no doubt that they are also running toward the noise.

The sound seemed to bring Jude back to his senses.

After composing himself, he straightened his body and then bowed his head deeply in his usual graceful manner.

"Welcome home, Lord Dominic. Welcome home, Lord Shiao Yi," he said with trembling emotion.

Dominic smiled faintly. "Ah, yes. We’re home, Jude."

As he spoke, the feeling finally sank in, he was truly home.

After everything, after the darkness and the endless sand, he was back where he belonged.

Home at last.

"Ahhh! My lord! My lord! Lord Shiao Yi!"

"Lord Dominic! Lord Shiao Yi! Whoa! I can’t believe it! Whoooa!"

The quiet emotional warmth that had filled Dominic’s heart just moments ago vanished in an instant.

He was suddenly smothered in a crushing hug from Eline, who was crying and sniffling uncontrollably.

Then she grabbed Shiao Yi next, wrapping her thick arms around him so tightly that Dominic feared the poor man might be strangled to death.

As Dominic watched helplessly, Lambard came up behind him and smacked him hard on the back several times.

Dominic coughed, trying to catch his breath.

"You’re not holding back at all, are you, Lambard?" Dominic muttered while shooting him a glare.

Lambard grinned through his tears, his face twisted with a mix of joy and emotion and then he threw an arm around Dominic’s shoulder.

"I knew it! I knew you’d both be alive, my lord! You’re not the kind of man to die that easily and with Lord Shiao Yi by your side, it was certain!"

Then Lambard leaned close and whispered in Dominic’s ear, his tone teasing.

"And, uh... quite the wild look you’ve got going there, huh? I’d love to hear the full story about that, my lord."

Dominic glanced down at himself.

He couldn’t deny it, his current state was completely unsuitable for a nobleman standing in the middle of his city home.

He wears tattered loincloth and half naked, he looked more like a savage than a lord.

When Dominic next opened his eyes, he felt wonderfully refreshed, the kind of deep, satisfying rest that came only after utter exhaustion.

Shiao Yi was still asleep beside him while breathing softly.

The boy’s body was small and delicate and though he was strong in spirit, it was only natural that his physical stamina couldn’t match Dominic’s.

Dominic knew he had pushed him hard, too hard even perhaps. He hadn’t complained once, but he must have been utterly drained.

Dominic slipped out of bed quietly and letting him sleep a little longer.

After the overwhelming welcome from Eline and Lambard, the first thing they had done was bathe and change into clean clothes.

Then, with fresh tea poured by Jude and a hot breakfast prepared by Eline, they finally sat down to eat.

Dominic remembered the blazing desert sun they’d left behind, it had been high in the afternoon sky there. But now, outside the window, morning light shone. It made no sense.