Chapter 295: Silent
Two city guards stood at a corner where none usually patrolled, their armor catching the last light of day as they scanned the streets with sharp, wary eyes.
A merchant was packing up his stall much faster than normal, not even bothering to haggle with the last customer, his movements hurried and tense.
Further down the lane, a group of women walked closely together, speaking in low voices and constantly glancing over their shoulders as if expecting trouble at any moment.
The whole town seemed to be holding its breath.
And only I know it was Kiara who killed the High Mage’s right hand.
He kept his hands in his pockets, his black hair shifting slightly in the cool breeze.
Tomorrow was the weekend.
No academy, no classes, no need to maintain his loser facade for two full days.
He could fool around freely.
Maybe visit Eva and push her limits again, tease Olivia until her cold mask cracked, or find new ways to guide the other girls.
Plenty of time for that.
But first, he needed to go home.
The thought of his mother settled over him like a small, persistent weight.
Not crushing, but always present these days.
It had been four days since Eren left with the mages.
On the surface Mira seemed fine. Meals were prepared on time.
The house stayed clean and swept. She still asked Lor about his day and listened to his answers. Yet there was a flatness behind everything now. Like a candle burning inside a jar.
Still lit, but dimmer without enough air.
Lor knew exactly how much she loved Eren.
He had always known, in that awkward way children understand their parents’ relationship without wanting to examine it too closely.
The regular sounds from their bedroom at night, the muffled moans and rhythmic creaking of the bed that they tried but never quite managed to hide, had always been clear proof.
Their romance had never faded.
They were still genuinely, almost annoyingly in love after all these years.
Now the bedroom had been silent for most of the nights.
.
Yesterday – The Family Dinner
Lor had been upstairs in his room reading when he heard the front door open. Then came Mira’s voice, suddenly bright and full of life in a way he had not heard all week.
"Eren! You’re home!"
He came downstairs to find his father standing in the entryway.
Eren looked exhausted.
Not just tired from travel. There were dark circles under his eyes and a heavy tension in his shoulders that spoke of burdens Lor could not fully understand.
His clothes were neat, but he carried the look of a man who had been forcing himself to keep going.
Mira had immediately fussed over him.
She took his coat, touched his arm, and smiled wide even though the smile looked fragile at the edges.
She cooked a full, proper meal that evening.
Roasted meat with herbs, soft fresh bread, stewed vegetables, and even a simple berry tart for dessert.
The warm, comforting smells filled every corner of the house.
The three of them sat around the old wooden table like old times. For a while they talked about small things. Then Eren looked at Lor with genuine interest.
"So, how did the theory exams go?" he asked, tearing off a piece of bread.
Lor shrugged, keeping his tone casual. "I got thirty."
The spoon in Eren’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth. He stared at his son for a long second, as if he had misheard.
"Thirty?" Eren repeated, his voice flat with disbelief. "You’re joking."
Lor shook his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "No. Thirty marks."
Eren let out a short, disbelieving laugh and leaned back in his chair.
"Come on, Lor. You’ve been scoring single digits for months. Now suddenly thirty? Don’t tease your old man like this."
Mira, who had been quietly listening, smiled softly and set her spoon down.
"It’s true, Eren. I saw the results myself. I couldn’t believe it either at first. Lor even showed me the paper when I asked."
She reached over and gently squeezed Lor’s shoulder, pride clear in her warm brown eyes.
Eren blinked, looking between his wife and son. Slowly, the disbelief on his face melted into pure surprise, then genuine happiness.
His tired eyes lit up in a way Lor had not seen in a long time.
"Thirty?" Eren repeated, his voice rising with excitement. "From single digits to thirty? That’s... that’s a miracle, son!" He let out a loud, joyous laugh and slapped the table.
"I thought you were just scraping by with your usual tricks. But thirty? That’s real progress!"
Lor felt a strange warmth in his chest as he watched his father’s reaction.
Eren leaned forward, fully engaged now, the exhaustion on his face momentarily pushed aside.
"Tell me everything," Eren said eagerly. "Which subjects did you do well in? Did you finally understand those mana theory questions that always tripped you up? What about Maths? You hate it don’t you? How did the teachers react when they saw your score?"
Lor answered patiently, keeping his tone light while hiding the truth behind his sudden improvement.
Mira watched them both with soft eyes, occasionally adding her own comments about how proud she was.
For those few minutes, the table felt alive again.
Eren’s laughter filled the room.
Mira’s smile looked real for the first time in days. Lor allowed himself to enjoy it, sinking into the rare warmth of having both his parents fully present and happy.
The rest of dinner passed in comfortable conversation.
Eren even joked about how he would have to start bragging to the other merchants about his son’s sudden academic turnaround.
The berry tart was shared with extra portions, and for a little while, the heavy shadow of the capital and Eren’s new duties felt far away.
After dinner, Lor went upstairs.
His heart felt light.
He changed into his nightclothes, lit the small lamp beside his bed, and settled beneath the blankets with a book.
The house was peaceful around him.
Below, he could hear the faint sounds of dishes being washed and the occasional murmur of his parents talking together.
For once, he wasn’t worrying about his mother.
He simply read, turning pages as the evening slowly deepened into night.
The sounds from downstairs eventually faded.
He was halfway through a Chapter when a sound from his parent’s bedroom drifted through the wall.
At first they were low.
Then they grew clearer.
Mira’s voice carried through the wall, breathy and needy. "Ah...! Ah! Eren! Harder...!"
Lor closed the book at once.
He grabbed his jacket, climbed out the window, and sat on the roof for the next hour, staring at the stars and trying very hard to pretend he had heard nothing.
