CHAPTER 228: PRAISES

Hades could feel three distinct gazes locked onto him—each heavy in its own way.

Peri’s eyes glittered with amusement, a teasing smile tugging at her lips as if she were watching a drama unfold.

Marilyn looked puzzled, head tilted slightly, trying to grasp the situation before jumping to conclusions.

But Luna... Luna’s narrowed eyes bored straight into his soul. Those were the ones that made his heartbeat stutter.

Still, as he had already told Beatrice, he carried no shame for the bond they’d formed. So he breathed out slowly and said it plainly,

"It’s Beatrice."

The silence that followed felt endless.

Every passing heartbeat stretched thin, trapping Hades inside it. His palms grew warm. Should he explain? Apologize? Offer comfort? Prepare to be smacked?

He readied himself for anything.

But the backlash he expected... never came.

"Phew..." Luna exhaled dramatically, brushing a hand across her forehead. "I really thought some random girl seduced you."

Marilyn let out a soft hum. "I was curious too. It felt like some old flame suddenly returned. Turns out it was Queen Beatrice."

Hades blinked.

"Huh? You... aren’t surprised?"

They weren’t angry, not even mildly offended. There wasn’t a trace of shock on their faces.

Luna shook her head. "No, Hades. We all knew how close you and Beatrice were. I saw it back then—when you both rescued Peri from the temple."

Marilyn continued, "And the way Queen Beatrice looks at you... it’s obvious she sees you as a man, not just an ally."

Hades leaned back slowly, tension slipping from his shoulders as he processed their words.

He’d been genuinely nervous—more than he wanted to admit. After all, he had only just mated with Marilyn. And now, here he was, preparing to bring Beatrice into their bond as well.

He didn’t regret what happened with Beatrice. Not for a second.

But guilt still pressed at him, subtle but present.

He hadn’t given any of them the time they deserved.

Not Marilyn, not Luna, not Peri... and now Beatrice would be stepping into that same unbalanced space.

Luna’s hand settled gently over his, warm and grounding.

"Didn’t I tell you?" she said softly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I will always respect your decisions. The only thing I ever want is your presence in my life. So don’t worry."

Her voice held no hesitation, no hidden tremor—just certainty.

Marilyn leaned closer, her tone calm, almost serene. "I, myself, joined this family in an unexpected way. Beatrice... she’s someone who already held a place in your heart long before we got together. Naturally, I would never object to her joining us."

Hades lowered his head for a moment, breath leaving him in quiet relief.

If gratitude had weight, it would have bowed his shoulders. He silently thanked the gods—every one of them—for blessing him with women who understood him more deeply than he sometimes understood himself.

But then his gaze drifted to Peri.

Unlike the other two, she hadn’t spoken. She simply watched him, expression unreadable.

"What about you, Peri?" Hades asked, voice careful. Her view mattered just as much—perhaps even more. "I want to hear your thoughts."

Because the woman they were talking about bringing into this family... was her mother.

Peri’s fingers curled slightly on the table as she exhaled, her voice dropping into something softer—something she rarely allowed others to hear.

"I... have never seen my father, Hades. You already know that."

Her eyes lowered, following a memory only she could see. "He died before I was old enough to understand anything. So all my life, it’s been just my mother. I grew up watching her fight alone—ruling a throne people kept trying to shake, standing tall like a lone warrior no one could topple."

Her shoulders lifted with a slow breath.

"But I’ve seen the sides she hides too," she continued, each word stripped of its usual steadiness. "There were moments when she looked... cornered. Helpless. Times when the pressure crushed her and people questioned her decisions—when she stumbled under expectations she could never fully meet."

Peri shook her head, a faint, sad smile rising and fading just as quickly.

"But she never backed down. Not once."

Her gaze sharpened a little, not with anger—but with a quiet, aching admiration.

"She never sought support, not even from me. She kept moving, convinced that relying on someone meant becoming weak. That letting others see her wounds would only make them cut deeper."

Her voice softened to a whispering truth.

"She taught herself to live alone... even when it hurt."

Peri finally lifted her gaze, meeting Hades’s eyes with a softness that carried years of unspoken weight.

"So now that she has finally let go of those restraints..." she murmured, voice steady but threaded with emotion, "and allowed herself to lean on someone... you can imagine how much courage she must have gathered."

The room seemed to still be around her words.

Hades’s jaw tightened—not in frustration, but in resolve. His voice held no wavering.

"I understand, Peri. And I promise you... I will never let her regret this decision. Ever."

A faint smile touched Peri’s lips, tender and relieved all at once.

"I know, Hades," she said quietly. "If there is anyone I can trust with her... it’s you. That’s why I never objected when I saw you getting closer."

Hades nodded, "And I will never let that trust waver. I promise."

They shared a brief silence, which was both comforting and grounding.

Then, "Shall we eat? My stomach is demanding some food." Luna broke the silence.

The others soon smiled and they started eating.

A storm came, unexpected and violent but at the end of the day, everything turned out to be fine.

....

"Yes, I told her," Ava said with a bright, satisfied smile as she stood before her Lord.

Her Lunar magic still shimmered faintly around her fingertips—the last trace of the message she’d sent soaring across the realm. Through that silver thread of power, Torseque had been informed that everything was fine, that everyone was safe. Relief had traveled with the message.

Beatrice had already dispatched search parties, worried when her people reported an empty site. Her anxiety wasn’t unfounded—Beatrice never panicked, yet she had still acted. That alone spoke volumes.

"Well, I will visit her soon," Hades said, exhaling a slow breath.

The eagerness was there in his tone, warm and unmistakable. He missed her. He wanted to see her. But he wasn’t a man who abandoned his responsibilities—or his wives.

Luna and the others deserved his time just as much. He couldn’t ask them to travel with him. Not right now.

And he couldn’t ask the Queen of Torseque to leave her throne simply because he wished to see her. Beatrice had a kingdom to hold together, battles to fight, burdens she had carried long before he appeared in her life.

So, for now, they had to endure it.

A small distance—nothing unbearable, but enough to remind them of the weight of their roles and the ties pulling them in different directions.

Ava clasped her hands behind her back, her eyes softening. "She’ll be relieved to hear that."

Hades nodded, but there was a quiet ache in the motion—a longing tucked beneath responsibility.

Soon. He will see her soon.

Shaking his head, Hades let the tension ease from his shoulders.

"How are you, Ava? I’ve barely spoken to you these past days."

The pink-haired girl stiffened for a heartbeat before her cheeks warmed, a shy blush tinting her skin. She clasped her hands lightly in front of her and lowered her gaze.

"I am doing well, my lord," she murmured with a small smile. "And... I apologize that I couldn’t reach the village on time."

Worry had gnawed at her from the moment she heard Luna was injured and that an unknown force had targeted her Lord. She had been ready to run straight to them, consequences be damned.

But Avalin had stopped her, her gaze as always stern at that time too.

Ava was needed in the castle. As long as her Lunar magic could reach Torseque, she was the thread binding communication between kingdoms. Her presence wasn’t optional; it was essential.

And with her mother already rushing to the site, Ava had no choice but to obey.

"It’s okay," Hades said gently.

He raised his hand and brushed it through her soft pink hair, fingers trailing in a slow, calming motion.

A quiet purr escaped her—small, involuntary, and unmistakably content.

"You’re doing your best," he added, voice warm. "You deserve some praise."

Ava nearly melted under his touch when suddenly—

**DOOOOOM**

A heavy explosion shook the furniture and causes the chandelier to rattle.

Hades instantly dashed outside and the sight left him speechless.

On the ground was Averis, bruised and bloodied while Kaya stood there, her body wrapped in blinding brilliance.

The whole compound was damaged, stone cracked, trees split in half, fountain cracked.

"What...in the world..."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please make sure you drop a comment if you have been enjoying the story so far.