Chapter 53: Back Home
The next morning arrived quietly.
For once, I woke up before Lillith.
Barely.
She still had herself wrapped tightly around me beneath the blankets, one arm around my waist while her face rested against my chest peacefully.
Honestly—
Seeing someone capable of annihilating fortresses sleeping so calmly was still surreal.
Morning sunlight filtered softly through the tent while the sounds of birds echoed faintly outside.
For several minutes I simply laid there quietly staring upward.
Home.
After everything that happened—
I was finally almost home.
Then suddenly."
"...Leo."
I looked down slightly.
Lillith’s eyes were still closed.
"...Are you staring at another woman?"
I stared at her blankly.
"You were literally asleep."
"Mhm."
"...There are no women here."
"That’s good."
Then without opening her eyes, she tightened her grip around me before burying her face deeper into my chest.
I sighed quietly.
Eventually after another ten minutes of Lillith refusing to let me leave the blankets, we finally packed up camp and resumed traveling.
The closer we got to the Aldric territory, the more familiar everything became.
The roads.
The forests.
The distant hills.
Even the air itself somehow felt nostalgic now.
Lillith sat beside me quietly while guiding the wagon forward.
Unlike usual, she seemed calmer today.
Still possessive.
Still constantly touching me.
But calmer.
Almost like simply reaching the territory had relieved some of the tension inside her.
Eventually—
The Aldric checkpoint finally came into view.
A large wooden gate blocked the road ahead while guards patrolled the walls above carrying the Aldric family crest on their armor.
The moment the soldiers noticed the approaching carriage, several immediately straightened.
Then one of them froze entirely.
"...Young Lord Leon?!"
Another soldier turned sharply.
"What?"
Their expressions immediately changed the second they properly recognized me.
Within moments, multiple guards rushed down from the checkpoint toward the carriage.
"Open the gate!"
"Hurry!"
One older knight stopped directly beside the wagon while staring at me in disbelief.
"...You’re alive..."
I blinked slightly.
"...Was that in question?"
The man looked genuinely emotional.
"Your father ordered half the territory searching for you."
That made my chest tighten slightly.
Right.
From their perspective—
I had just vanished.
The knight’s eyes then slowly drifted toward Lillith sitting beside me.
Immediately, his posture became significantly more nervous.
"...Lady Nightbane."
Lillith smiled politely.
"Hello."
The knight visibly swallowed.
Honestly—
Watching grown armored soldiers become terrified around her had started becoming strangely normal.
Eventually the gates slowly creaked open.
The moment they did, the knight immediately stepped aside respectfully.
"Please proceed quickly."
Lillith lightly flicked the reins, and the carriage rolled forward once more.
As we passed through the checkpoint, I noticed more soldiers staring at me in shock from the walls above.
Some looked relieved.
Others confused.
A few glanced toward Lillith nervously before immediately looking away.
I had a feeling rumors were about to spread very quickly.
The remainder of the journey passed surprisingly quietly.
By evening, the familiar outline of the Aldric manor finally appeared in the distance.
The moment I saw it—
Something inside me relaxed.
Home.
Warm lights glowed through the manor windows while guards moved around the estate grounds outside.
The carriage slowly rolled toward the front entrance.
And almost immediately—
The doors burst open.
"LEON!"
Before the carriage had even fully stopped, my mother sprinted down the manor steps toward me.
Behind her came Alex.
Then servants.
Then guards.
Chaos immediately erupted.
The second I stepped out of the carriage, my mother threw her arms around me so tightly I nearly lost balance.
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
"You idiot..."
Her voice shook slightly.
"Do you have any idea how worried we were?!"
"...Sorry."
Honestly—
That was all I could really say.
Behind her, Alex stared at me silently for several moments before letting out a long breath.
"...You look terrible."
"You should see the other guy."
Alex snorted despite himself before suddenly pulling me into a rough one-armed hug too.
The tension in his shoulders told me everything.
He’d genuinely thought I might not come back.
Then suddenly—
A voice exploded from behind the crowd.
"LEOOOOOOON!"
I barely had time react before Finn came sprinting across the courtyard like a madman.
The second he reached me, he immediately grabbed both my shoulders dramatically.
"You absolute bastard!"
"...Hello to you too."
Finn looked halfway between furious and emotional.
"Do you know how much paperwork I had to do because you vanished?!"
"...Why were you doing paperwork?"
"Because your father shoved responsibilities onto me while everyone panicked!"
Alex immediately frowned.
"Wait you actually made Finn do paperwork?"
"He cried for three hours," one servant muttered nearby.
"I DID MY BEST."
Despite everything—
I actually laughed.
For the first time in a while, everything almost felt normal again.
Then suddenly—
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
I noticed Finn’s expression slowly changing.
His eyes drifted toward the person standing quietly beside me.
Lillith.
She still held onto my arm possessively while silently observing everyone around us.
Finn visibly stiffened.
"...Oh."
The single word somehow carried incredible amounts of fear.
Lillith smiled pleasantly at him.
"Hello Finn."
"...Lady Nightbane."
The way Finn straightened instantly almost made me laugh.
Almost.
Then Lillith calmly wrapped both arms around mine again before softly leaning against my shoulder.
"I brought Leo back safely."
My family collectively looked toward her afterward.
Then toward me.
Then toward the way she was attached to my arm like she legally owned it.
The silence became slightly awkward.
Eventually my mother recovered first.
"...Right."
She quickly wiped her eyes before forcing herself compose properly.
"Lady Nightbane, thank you truly for protecting my son."
Lillith immediately looked pleased.
"It was nothing."
Considering she may or may not have annihilated an entire foreign territory in the process—
That statement felt mildly absurd.
Then suddenly my mother’s eyes drifted downward.
Toward my broken prosthetic.
Immediately her expression fell.
"...Leon..."
The courtyard quieted slightly again.
I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck.
"...It broke."
"That is clearly not the issue."
Before things could become emotional again though, Lillith suddenly stepped slightly forward.
"I already told him he needs more rest."
Her tone carried faint annoyance.
"But he insists on doing stupid things."
"Because I’m not helpless."
"You attempted lifting a supply crate with one leg."
"...That sounds bad when you say it out loud."
"It was bad."
My mother actually nodded in agreement immediately.
"She’s right."
"Traitor."
Meanwhile Finn stared between the two of us with growing concern.
Then slowly—
"...Leon."
"What?"
"...Why does this feel less like she rescued you and more like she adopted you?"
Lillith instantly narrowed her eyes at him.
"I can still throw you into orbit."
Finn immediately straightened.
"Welcome home Leon."
Honestly—
Some things really never changed.
