CHAPTER 1005: CHAPTER 154 - SHREDICA’S WINTER AND THE FINAL PIECE (1)

Attending the academy felt like a damn drag these days. It wasn’t that it was exhausting or anything—it just didn’t have the same spark anymore. The lessons that once felt interesting now just blended into white noise. Every hallway felt the same, every lecture dragged on like it was testing my patience. The excitement I used to have for learning had fizzled out completely, replaced by boredom that crept into me like a slow fog.

Rose and Irene still looked as radiant as ever. No one except me knew about their pregnancies. Their bellies hadn’t started to show yet, so nobody had even a clue about what was going on. They still moved around like normal—talked, smiled, laughed—but there was a quiet, hidden glow about them that only I could notice. It was like they carried a secret warmth inside them that only I could see.

Irene, though, had started to look a bit chubbier lately. Her face had grown softer, her body rounder in certain places—but to me, that only made her more beautiful. It gave her this gentle, mature allure that hit differently.

"Really?" she asked me, her brows slightly furrowing as she placed a hand over her stomach. There was a faint tremble in her voice, like she was afraid of hearing something she didn’t want to hear.

As her man, I couldn’t exactly say anything that’d make her feel insecure. Whether she was slim or a little chubby didn’t matter to me. She was gorgeous either way. It was natural for me to tell her that. But I could tell from her expression that she thought I was just being nice, maybe just humoring her. She probably thought I was saying it just to make her feel better, not because I meant it.

And yet, in her eyes, I could see it—she wanted confirmation. She wanted me to tell her, not as a sweet lie, but as something real.

"Really," I said with certainty. And before she could even respond, I leaned forward and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and warm against mine, and I could feel the tension melting off her shoulders. That kiss wasn’t just to calm her down—it was to remind her that she was mine, and that nothing about her could ever turn me away.

When we finally pulled away, her cheeks were a soft shade of pink. "I-If you really say so..." she murmured, looking flustered but clearly comforted. "Still, I can’t believe it’s been months since you got me pregnant. I’m kind of scared and excited at the same time. I honestly have no idea how to take care of a child... much less be a mother. I wonder how Gabrielle does it?"

I chuckled a bit at that. "Well, if you ask me, she’s just doing what she’s always done. Gabrielle’s not exactly the ’by-the-book’ type. She’s a mother by instinct, not practice. You don’t need to worry. I think you and Rose will do just fine. I guarantee it."

And I meant that. Parenthood wasn’t something you learned from a manual—it was something that came from the heart. Knowing Irene, I knew she’d be an amazing mother.

She smiled faintly, though she still looked uncertain. "I don’t know if you’re just flattering me or actually mean that," she said, half teasing, half shy. "But thanks anyway." Then she tilted her head and asked, "By the way, why aren’t you attending your lectures as much lately? Are you busy with something?"

"Yeah," I admitted, leaning back in my chair. "I’ve got a lot going on politically."

My focus lately had been on unifying the Great Forest—a task that was slow as hell but steadily moving forward. I had already secured the cooperation of the Beast King and a few influential tribal leaders. On top of that, the Elven Kingdom had decided to back me up. It had taken me an entire season—four long months—to get this far, but the progress was real. Still, there was a mountain of work left to climb.

How long would it take? Years, probably. I’d only managed to convince two rulers so far. The Titans, Centaurs, and Dwarves still remained, and none of them were known for being easy to deal with. Lionel had warned me plenty of times that the Centaurs were stubborn as hell, damn near impossible to reason with. But Solaris had shared some insight that might just work on them.

Irene smiled faintly, her eyes shining with both admiration and amusement. "You really are working hard, huh? Politics, alliances... are you really planning to take over the whole world?"

I laughed softly. "Well, it’s not gonna happen unless I work for it. I’ve got to put everything I’ve got into this if I want it to work out. Otherwise, I’d just be wasting my time doing something complicated for nothing. And besides—if I didn’t work hard, I wouldn’t be here right now, kissing you like this."

I leaned in and kissed her again. Her breath hitched, her face flushing red.

"You’re hopeless..." she whispered with a small smile before kissing me back. And when she did, she started pulling off my clothes, her hands trembling slightly with desire. Soon after, we fucked and it was a slow, deep, and full of the kind of warmth that made time stop.

For that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just her and me with our breaths, our bodies, and the sound of our hearts syncing together. It was a reminder of everything we’d built and everything that was still to come.

***

After leaving Irene’s office, I made my way back to my dorm. The air outside felt sharp and cold, the kind that nipped at your skin the second you stepped out. The wind carried a faint chill that whispered of the coming winter—a long, harsh one by the feel of it.

I took a deep breath, the air stinging my lungs a little, and exhaled slowly. A small white wisp of fog escaped my mouth, vanishing into the cold night.

When I reached my dorm room and pushed the door open, silence greeted me. Empty. Not a single soul inside. My girlfriends were probably out shopping again, laughing somewhere in the city.

I let out a quiet sigh and tossed my coat on the chair. "Guess it’s a lonely night tonight..." I muttered to myself. Maybe I should’ve stayed a bit longer with Irene—but it couldn’t be helped.

It had been a while since I last spent a night alone. The quietness of the room felt strange but not unpleasant. In a way, it was kind of refreshing... like taking a breath after everything that had been going on.