CHAPTER 110: A HUSBAND. A FATHER...WHAT IS THAT?

Mika caught the subtle tremor in Yelena’s body as she clutched the chain tighter, her proud facade wobbling just slightly under the weight of his stare.

He hadn’t meant to push her this far, at least not yet. So, softening his tone just a little, he asked to tease her out of her nervousness.

"Hey, Yelena...do you want me to take the lead, or do you want to do it yourself?"

The question caught her off guard, pulling her attention to him. But before she could even form an answer, his lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk.

"Ah, but it doesn’t really matter, does it?...There’s no way you could take the lead in something like this, since you’re completely inexperienced."

"You’ve never had a man in your life to guide you in these matters after all, so asking such a question is a waste of my time."

The words stung more than she expected. They were true, painfully so, but the way he said them, so condescending, so smug, ignited something sharp inside her.

"What are you talking about, Mika?" She tilted her chin up, forcing a smirk onto her lips. "You say that as if I couldn’t get a man if I wanted one. The only reason I’m single is because I chose to be. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s because I couldn’t."

Her voice gained fire as she pressed forward, proud and unyielding.

"And just so you know, if I wanted, ninety percent of the male population would be at my feet, begging, licking my shoes for a single chance with me...Not just humans, either."

"Even the sentient beings of the outer worlds would give anything for me to even glance their way, so don’t you dare look down on me."

She scoffed, lifting her chin high, glorying in her own words. But Mika only tilted his head slightly, his expression infuriatingly calm, almost amused.

"Sure, sure. That’s totally right. You are one of the women who saved the world, after all. Of course the entire world would bow at your feet."

His easy agreement only fanned her pride further, until his next words pushed her down like a slab of ice.

"But it still doesn’t change the fact that you’re completely inexperienced when it comes to intimacy and relationships."

The casual, merciless way he said it made her falter, her smug smirk trembling at the edges.

"Think about it..." He went on, his voice low but steady, every word pressing deeper. "You’ve remained single your entire life. You’ve never let anyone close. While I, on the other hand, half your age, have had more experience than you. Tell me, Yelena..." He leaned in slightly, his eyes locking onto hers. "...who’s really the older one here?"

Her lips parted soundlessly, her pride stuttering under the truth of it. Heat rushed to her face, not the playful flush of teasing, but the raw embarrassment of having her most vulnerable truth laid bare.

Because he was right...Entirely right.

Anyone who looked at her would naturally assume she once had a husband, a partner, someone, as she had a daughter so it only made sense that her daughter would have a father as well.

But the truth was stranger, darker, and more mysterious, as there had actually been no man.

Not for her, not for the other battle angels as well.

Mika had grown up with that question gnawing at him.

As a child, he, Charlotte, and the others had asked again and again who their fathers were. And every time, Yelena and the rest had deflected, dodged, smiled away the question.

They claimed the girls were born from love itself—incarnations of devotion and affection, born from their mothers’ hearts.

And Charlotte had believed it as a child, the others too, content with the magical explanation.

But Mika?...Mika had always been skeptical.

For a time, he thought maybe they were adopted, all of them. It seemed the only logical answer.

Yet when curiosity had driven him, as an adult, to test it by running a inheritance test—the truth shattered that assumption.

That was...Charlotte and Yelena shared blood.

The other daughters and their mothers too.

They weren’t adopted.

They were real, their SSS-class blessings passed down in blood, unmistakable.

So who had fathered them?

That question had haunted him for years, lingering at the edge of every thought, but it was a question no one would answer.

Every time he asked, they brushed him off saying"

"You don’t need to know such things, Mika."

"It doesn’t matter,does it?"

"A husband? What exactly is that?...Seems boring"

Always evasive. Always avoiding the question just like they when he asked about his own mother.

And the daughters...the daughters didn’t care.

They didn’t need fathers, not when they had him. Mika. He had been their anchor, their family.

But still, the question nagged at him sometimes.

Who?...How?...Just what the hell was going on in this twisted family of theirs?

But now though, he didn’t care enough to push for an answer. Because even if some man showed up tomorrow, claiming to be Charlotte’s father, Yelena’s husband, Mika already knew how it would end.

By the next sunrise, that man would be gone. Erased.

Because Mika had made his choice long ago: the mothers and the daughters were his. Entirely, wholly, unshakably his.

And no phantom father from the past, no stranger from nowhere, would ever take them from him.

And while he was thinking about how Charlotte and her sisters were born, Mika then noticed how Yelena’s gaze faltered, how her lips pressed together as though something heavy had sunk into her chest.

For a second, he thought she was brooding about his jab at her inexperience, maybe even regretting that she’d never had a partner. His own chest tightened in concern and he reached out instinctively, brushing his thumb across her hand that still clutched the chain.

"Are you alright, Yelena?" He asked softly. "I didn’t mean to tease you about something that might hurt. I didn’t think...I didn’t know you cared so much about not having someone in your life."

"If it makes you feel better, you were right earlier, you really could have any man if you wanted. Not just 90 percent of them but the entire 100 percent would crawl to your feet if you just crooked your finger...So don’t let my words bother you."

He had expected a small smile, maybe a softening of her expression. But instead, she blinked at him blankly, her tone almost dry when she finally spoke.

"Mika...what in the world are you talking about? When did I ever say I cared about not having a partner?"

That left him momentarily speechless, while she went on, her words steady and sharp.

"My whole life, I’ve never once thought about needing another man in it. Not once. You, Charlotte, the others, you were always enough for me. More than enough."

"...So, why would I need anyone else when I already had everything that mattered?"

And from the way she said it, he realized she truly meant it. Not even a flicker of longing crossed her face, her life had been filled entirely with her family, and that was all she ever wanted.

Mika let out a slow breath, relieved, but also oddly warmed.

"Alright...I believe you." He murmured, lips curling into a faint smile. "But then why the face just now?"

At this, her lips tightened, and she puffed out her cheeks ever so slightly before glaring at him, like a child scolding her own child.

"Because...." She huffed. "Because you..." She jabbed a finger into his chest and pinched his nose suddenly, making him blink. "...you’re acting like you’re above me just because you have more...experience in these stupid things and that irritates me."

"A boy two decades younger, looking down at me?...Acting smug because he’s done more than me?"

She gave his nose another pinch, scowling.

"I don’t like that at all. Don’t you dare look down on me, Mika. That’s unfair."

Her words spilled out with surprising heat, like her pride was stung more than anything else and Mika couldn’t help it, he chuckled softly, even as she tried to glare holes through him. He then wrapped his arms lightly around her waist, pulling her closer in a reassuring hug.

"Of course not, Yelena. I’m not looking down on you at all." He murmured against her hair. "I know exactly how much you’ve sacrificed. You raised Charlotte, you raised me, you held the others together."

"You’ve never said it out aloud but that’s probably why you never had time for anyone else. And honestly, I don’t think it’s a weakness...You’re stronger for it. The others and I, we know it and are so thankful, even if we don’t say it aloud."

Her rigid shoulders softened just slightly at that. For a moment, she seemed relieved. But Mika wasn’t done. He tilted his head, smiling faintly as his eyes trailed down, catching the thin nightdress she wore.

"But that doesn’t mean you can’t get some experience now." He added gently, his voice dipping lower. "You said it yourself, you’ve never had a chance. Maybe this little condition you want to fulfill can give you something close to it. A first step. A taste of what it’s like when you’re...in that kind of relationship."

His hand brushed the side of her waist, lingering just enough to make her shiver.

"So, why don’t we start with that, Yelena?"

"W-What do you mean?"

She blinked at him, confused to which he leaned closer, whispering.

"...I mean, it starts with you taking this off."

His fingers tugged lightly at the strap of her nightgown.

"My clothes?" Her eyes widened. "Why...Why do I have to take them off, Mika?" She clutched the thin fabric against her chest, her voice flustered. "Is it really necessary?"

"Of course." He answered smoothly. "How else am I supposed to compliment your body? You think I can see through fabric?" His smile deepened, teasing but firm. "Of course, I don’t need you naked. Not all the way. Just take this off. The gown. That’s enough."

Her lips parted as though to protest again, hesitation flickering across her face.

"But...couldn’t you just say it with me still wearing this? It’s not impossible..."

"I told you before, I don’t do things halfway." Mika shook his head slowly, gaze steady. "If I start something, I go through with it until the end, properly. No shortcuts. So, if you want this chain around your belly, Yelena, then you’ll have to do this right. So..."

His hand brushed her dress again, firmer this time, his eyes locked on hers.

"...take your clothes off."