Chapter 458: Letters from a Demon Father

Lunch unfolded quietly, the clatter of silverware blending with soft conversation. The table, silent in the first few minutes, soon filled with stories. Everyone had something to share about the previous year, a stretch of time that had felt far longer than twelve months.

Franky kept his distance. The little wyvern lingered in the hallway with only his head angled toward the cracked door. His curious eyes tracked every movement in the dining room. He wouldn’t dare approach the table, but he clearly refused to miss anything either.

Luke had placed a plate of food on the floor near the corridor: meat, a few fruits, and some regular leftovers. Beside it he set two small bowls, one with water and the other with milk. He had no real idea what a newborn wyvern was supposed to eat; all he knew was that they were smaller cousins of dragons. So he’d offered a bit of everything and left the choice to Franky.

“So I actually had a funeral?” Luke asked, swallowing the knot of curiosity and grief the topic stirred in him.

The family hesitated. The memory was heavy, but with Luke sitting there, alive, talking, breathing, the pain had given way to a relief that still felt unreal.

“It was symbolic,” Martin explained, leaning forward on his elbows. “After eight months with no trace of you, I had to do it. For Clara’s sake.”

Luke’s adoptive mother said nothing. She only twisted her napkin between her fingers, her shoulders tight. His sister, seated beside him, rested her head against his arm, the same way she had when she was little.

“I knew you’d come back, brother. You told me you’d take care of me forever.”

“And I will,” he promised with a tired, affectionate smile. “You won’t even have to work. You can spend your whole life playing games and watching cartoons.”

The table let out a quiet laugh. The air lightened as more stories came: the frantic searches, the missing posters plastered across town, the endless lines at government offices. No official agency could help. The “tutorial” wasn’t a place any government could imagine, much less reach.

“I’m sorry about your engagement, Noah,” Luke said at one point.

The fact that Luke disappeared seems to have ended up hurting his brother’s relationship.

“My brother vanished. If I couldn’t help find you or hold the family together… why would I start a new one of my own?” He shook his head lightly. “Don’t worry. Things weren’t great between us anyway.”

Luke nodded, but the guilt wouldn’t budge.

“Want some more, Artemis?” Clara asked suddenly, hoping to shift the mood.

Luke took the chance to explain the enchanted necklace. At first, no one believed him, until a voice, unmistakably feminine echoed from the artifact and made everyone glance around the table in shock.

“It’s all right, Mrs. Baumann. I’m not hungry,” Artemis replied. Her voice was gentle and polite, nothing like the tone Luke was used to hearing from her.

“You’re not hungry?” Luke repeated, suspicious. “Where are the insults because I’m not feeding you? Where are the complaints?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Luke,” Artemis replied. “A lady eats only what she needs and does not use crude language.”

Oh, this damn woman is pretending to be normal.

***

After lunch, Martin and Noah decided to stay home instead of returning to the office. They worked together at the law firm, but neither of them had the slightest mindset for routine that day.

When Luke stood to head upstairs, Franky followed immediately, padding behind him with light, almost soundless steps.

“Luke,” Noah called, catching up before he reached the first stair. “Is it okay if I use your computer for work? I’m staying here with you all for a while. Dad’s been using my laptop lately.”

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“Go ahead,” Luke replied. “Strangely enough… technology feels weird to me now. It’s like I’ve lost the desire to touch anything electronic.”

“Thanks,” Noah said, giving his brother’s shoulder a quick squeeze before stepping back.

Luke entered his room and shut the door. The moment he turned around, Franky was already inside.

“Why are you following me?”

Franky clicked his tongue, the sound halfway between impatience and some instinctive animal tic. “You said you’d take me to the magic place. Until then… I’m staying close to you.”