Arestia Empire'S World Domination
Chapter 26: Home

...—Capital of Excelia, Arestia— Empire...

...— 27 August 1238—...

"I'm home."

Only two of these words came out of Ares' lips after he entered his wife's private room.

However, there is no answer. Only the empty space that Ares met after opening the door that in his daily life made his heart warm.

"Where's Excel?" To a servant behind him, Ares asked puzzledly, a question that at once referred to his two children, Raze and Orcian.

"Um. he's in the flower garden, Your Majesty." The waiter revealed with a little fear.

Making the atmosphere soft, Ares painted a bright smile, "It's okay. But... has anything happened since my departure?"

"I feel. ever since he attended an audience with Queen Gardom's Envoy, he has somehow been more alone." The waiter's face looked difficult.

"so." Ares soon learns that Florentia must have sent something to involve her family.

Given the personality of Excel, even Ares did not dare to talk about his son's engagement, now and in the future. Moreover, as a former individual who has lived in the modern era, he prefers to free his children to find their own partner, although surely Ares will do the screening before.

"He, is the hand puppet I asked for already?" At a normal-looking female bodyguard knight with long blond hair tied in a ponytail and a aunt and mother of Milly, Ares gave a hopeful smile.

"I'll take it first." He bowed deeply, pleading for permission to leave Ares' guard.

"Yes" said Ares.

Seeing her departure, Ares momentarily fell silent. Feelings of worry about the future of his children enveloped Ares's mind.

There is a feeling that Milly and Ares' mistresses want their children to be given power in the future. Not that they will force it and behave disobediently, but certainly as a woman who has been taken by a noble—more Ares is an emperor—Ares thinks if these desires have come.

Ares thought that he had to give his women reassurance about their child's future so that they did not have high expectations and revolt if it happened, although the possibility is very small.

I thought I'd round them up tonight.

And also.. has Esther returned from the north?

The memories of the past appear again. Ares slightly misses his meeting with a girl he saved a few years ago, which has been the target of hatred of villagers because of the peculiarities that appear from both colors of his eyes are very contrasting—because it is considered as a cursed child.

Ares continues his steps, heading to a park where he expresses his love for Excel for the first time, which Ares thinks is to use only as a political and military tool when revealing.

On his way, Ares was reunited with him, who carried two hand puppets resembling the head of a lion and the eagle—, which became the symbol of the Aubert Family.

Of course, both hand puppets are made in such a way that they look cute and adorable, very interesting when used to spend time with small children.

Until a while, Ares arrived at the door connecting the palace building with a large garden in one corner of the palace.

The atmosphere is bright, the air feels very cool, the expanse of colorful flowers seems to complement the beauty. For some reason, there was a feeling that Ares wanted to do a picnic.

Looking at a bluish-white gazebo in the shape of a hexagon, Ares found his two children playing accompanied by Excel who sat down and looked to the other side towards the flower bed.

Isn't it weird Excel always takes care of the two of them alone?

Is this also because of an Excel phobia that does not want to create Raze and Orcian like what happened to him as a child?

Expelling his increasingly runaway thoughts towards something very far away, Ares stuffed both hands into each of the bottom holes of the hand puppet.

With a deep bow, Ares settles close to the gazebo without causing the slightest sound of footsteps.

The servants and guard knights fell silent, looking at their Master with a strange look.

For them, Ares' behavior was far from that of the other nobles. Even so with his wife, the Empress, who also wants to take care of her children without relying on the help of servants, although also at certain times Excel still needs it.

Hiding behind a gazebo wall about half the height of a human body, Ares raised both hands, as if to bring up the stage and act as the mastermind of a stage.

"Lion Lord, what are you doing?" Ares changed his tone, his right hand moving the eagle doll to look as if he was talking.

Ares turned his left hand, making the lion doll stare at the eagle doll in his right hand, "Oh, I'm eating, Lord Eagle. Do you want to too?"

Raze and Orcian averted his gaze, approaching Ares' place excitedly. Likewise with Excel, she smiled gently, looking warmly at her husband who came to surprise her.

Not that Excel can't feel the presence of someone moving closer to him. From now on, his mind was very runnyam.

Moreover, with the palace's tight security in addition to the guardianship of the Cornwall Clan, Excel can have the peace of mind to let his two children play around him freely.

"Dad's home!" Orcian shouted happily, the tone he cast was full of longing.

"Well! Aya! This pa?!" Raze's words were not revealed clearly, yet both of his eyes sparkled as he saw something he had never seen before, which was no different from something Orcian felt.

Ares changed the dialogue of the two dolls. Reversing both hands so that the two dolls can face each other with their two children.

"Hello, my name is Lord Lion!" With a slight bow, Ares moved both hands of the lion doll in his hands to lightly pinch the Orcian's nose.

Orcian felt a softness, his hands extended out to the lion hand puppet and took over it, "Dad, borrow it!"

His right hand no longer felt anything. The eagle doll had Raze take over, she brought the doll's hand closer to gently caressing her sister's cheek.

Excel moved closer, sitting right next to the Orcian who was engrossed in playing a small doll in both hands.

The two looked at each other, together displaying a gentle smile. Even so, Excel was looking forward to a sentence, something Ares always said to him after a long breakup with him.

"I'm home."

Feel the happiness because the three people he loved have returned intact. Showing a smile, Excel involuntarily shed a tear from one of his eyes that was now closed, radiating from his expression a very heavy longing.

"Welcome back, Father."

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