CHAPTER 201: GET ALONG

"Haah~" Hades exhaled deeply as he sank into the bathing pool, letting the warm water melt away his fatigue.

It felt like he was bathing after weeks, even though only four days had passed.

They had returned about an hour ago. His two wives were sent to their rooms to rest—though Avalin had followed her younger sister for a much-needed scolding.

Hades had wanted to stay with them to offer support, but Marilyn assured him it was fine. He didn’t insist—it was, after all, something that needed to be settled between sisters.

Luna had already fallen asleep on their way back, so after asking Gloria to keep watch, Hades came here for a much-needed bath.

"It feels like home..." he murmured, washing his face. It was strange how, in just a few weeks, this place already felt like home to him.

Thinking about home reminded him of the letter he had sent to his mother, telling her he would visit soon. He had also asked her to send a message if anything happened instead of coming herself.

He had noticed, far too late, that she struggled to breathe in the dragon realm. Even during her short stay, her strength had visibly declined.

That once again reminded him how vastly different the two realms were.

A normal person entering this realm for the first time would constantly feel as if a heavy weight had been placed upon them. Even walking became tiring, and living without strain felt like a dream.

That was why he firmly told his mother not to send anyone—and not to come here herself—unless it was a real emergency.

[You seem pretty relaxed?]

He heard the familiar voice inside his head.

Hades sighed. "Didn’t you say that drowning in revenge would ruin a person’s peace of mind?"

[Hmm~ I’m not talking about Xelrath or your revenge. I’m just surprised... you don’t seem even a little curious about your new powers.]

Hades leaned back against the pool wall, letting the steam rise around him. "Truth be told," he said quietly, "I still can’t believe I actually pulled that off."

He could still remember that moment clearly—Luna’s pulse barely there, her breath completely gone. Her body had turned cold, lifeless. For a terrifying instant, she had already crossed to the other side.

That image was burned into his mind, a memory he knew would never fade.

But then, somehow, his newfound power had awakened, dragging her back from the brink of death.

[That was your first attempt at manipulating chaos particles.]

’How does that even work?’ he asked. ’How can chaos particles bring someone back from the edge like that?’

He hadn’t had much time to understand his powers since awakening his first core. Everything had happened too fast. Even when Zerathos explained things back in Torseque, it was vague at best.

[Chaos particles bind themselves to everything—whether it’s something as vast as a dragon or as delicate as the thread of time.]

[When you manipulated them subconsciously, your desperation twisted that thread, pulling her back to the moment just before she died. You didn’t heal her, Hades. You reversed her state.]

Hades nodded slowly, his expression turning firm.

The explanation sounded so absurd that, if it weren’t for the being speaking to him—or for what he had witnessed with his own eyes just days ago—he would have dismissed it as pure fantasy.

After all, reversing time wasn’t something one believed in. It was something people joked about in myths and bedtime tales.

’Do you think I’ll be able to use Chaos Particles consciously anytime soon?’

The whole concept of Chaos was vast and complex—too much for him to grasp all at once. That’s why, instead of asking what kind of miracles he could perform or how far his powers could go, he focused on what mattered most: learning to control them.

There was a brief silence before the voice finally responded.

[You have faced two dragon kings, and both of them warned the one sheltering you that you would bring about the end of all things. Do you truly understand what those words mean, Hades? Or have you brushed them aside as mere superstition?]

Hades leaned his head back, closing his eyes as he muttered, "Of course not—but I assumed they said that because of the things you’ve done in the past."

[That too... but the main reason they’re wary of me—and now of you—is Chaos itself. Chaos Particles are unstable beyond measure. Even a single slip can make you lose your mind and turn into the very thing they fear.]

Hades hummed softly, "I expected as much."

He lifted his hand, studying the faint marks on his skin—the lingering trace of that overwhelming sensation. He could still remember it vividly, the way it had surged through his body and flowed into Luna’s.

Back then, his mind was only on saving her. But now, when he recalled it... "It was overpowering—almost intoxicating."

[Exactly. You must exercise absolute restraint when dealing with it. I’ll do what I can to keep you from losing yourself, but remember—there may come a time when your will eclipses mine. And if that happens... even I might not be able to pull you back.]

Hades hummed in surprise, "Suppress you? That sounds impossible."

[You are destined to reach the pinnacle which I only dreamt of. Don’t consider anything impossible from now on.]

....

After a long, relaxing bath, Hades stepped out, drying his hair with a towel—only to find two familiar figures waiting in his room.

Luna had already woken up, sitting comfortably on the bed, while Marilyn sat beside her, looking unusually tense.

"Did I stay in there too long," Hades asked with a faint smile, "or did you two just decide that sleep’s overrated?"

"It was my fault, Young Master," Marilyn said quickly, bowing her head. "I... woke her up."

Luna exhaled a soft sigh. "And as I told you, it’s fine, Marilyn. I was already half awake."

Even so, the raven-haired woman still looked uneasy, her hands fidgeting on her lap.

"Relax," Hades said, walking over and pulling a chair for himself. "Luna’s much better now. And I was going to wake her for food anyway, so stop feeling guilty."

Marilyn lowered her gaze, cheeks coloring faintly. "Actually... there’s a reason I came."

Hades tilted his head. "Oh? Need help with something?"

Marilyn hesitated, her fingers tightening around the hem of her dress. "In our clan," she began softly, almost whispering, "wives prepare their husband’s favorite meal... after their first night together."

Her voice was so quiet that, if not for their heightened senses, even the silence of the room might have swallowed her words whole.

Hades hummed, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You want to cook for me? But didn’t you once say you only knew how to make survival food?"

Marilyn froze, her cheeks blooming with color. *He remembers that?*

Still, she quickly straightened up, determination shining through her embarrassment. "Just name it," she declared, puffing her chest slightly, "I’ll do my best to make it."

Hades chuckled softly. "We just need to eat something I like, right? Then it doesn’t matter who cooks it." He stood up, brushing his damp hair back. "Let me prepare dinner tonight while you two chat."

"B-but—" Marilyn tried to protest, but Hades cut her off with a raised hand.

"When you’re fully recovered, you can make me a proper three-course meal, okay? For now, just relax."

Before she could argue further, Hades was already out of the room, leaving the two women behind.

Luna watched him go, a small smile tugging at her lips. She patted Marilyn’s shoulder and said, "It’s okay. Don’t feel guilty. Living with Hades taught me one thing—you can’t apply normal social rules to him."

A gentle sigh followed as the silver-haired girl leaned back slightly. "Most households follow the old ways—women cook and manage the home while men handle the rest. But Hades... he’s not like that."

Marilyn nodded quietly, her gaze softening.

In their world, traditions were heavy and unyielding. Women were raised with a fixed path—marry, serve, bear, and fade away. It was the way of their clans for centuries.

But Hades never treated her—or any of his wives—that way.

He shared burdens instead of assigning them. He gave respect instead of asserting authority.

And that alone made him different from every man she had ever known.

"I must have used all my fortune to be his bride, since not only an ideal man like him but I also got you and Peri as well who welcomed me in this family without a moment of hesitation."

Luna smiled at the girl, "Of course, we would. After all, we all three have something in common."

A feeling for a certain man.

That emotion alone made them got along pretty well

And Luna hopes things would continue like this in the future too

Since all the chaos happening outside, a family drama was the last thing Luna wanted her husband to face.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.