Dinner was finally over. It had lasted for nearly two hours, and everyone had eaten more than usual.

Hades leaned back, feeling completely stuffed. His stomach was full of the delicious dishes, especially the brown meat his mother had prepared—it was simply out of this world.

"I'm going to learn cooking too," Peri muttered quietly as the three of them sat together on the sofa. Hearing Hades praise his mother's food had made her a little jealous. She wanted to impress him too, and what better way than by cooking something he'd love?

Hades chuckled. "You don't have to learn something you're not really interested in."

"Who said that?" Peri frowned. "I used to help Mama in the kitchen back home."

Luna smiled at the girl. "Oh? And what kind of help did you give her?"

Peri looked up as she counted on her fingers. "I used to wash vegetables, take peas out of their pods, and I can even boil water!"

Luna laughed softly. "That sounds very promising."

Hades shook his head, watching as his wife teased the innocent girl.

Peri tugged on Hades's sleeve, her eyes watery. "You won't eat what I cook?"

Hades smiled and brushed his thumb against her cheek. "Even if it kills me, I'll finish every last bite."

Peri's cheeks turned pink, a shy smile spreading on her lips.

Luna couldn't help but tease, "Oh my, Hades… are you saying Peri's food could kill you?"

Hades froze, while Peri growled at the silver-haired woman.

Kaelith, sitting nearby, smiled quietly. It was nice to see the children getting along so well.

Just then, Quintessa returned from inside the house—she'd gone to use the restroom.

"Do you want to rest, Mom?" Hades asked as she walked out.

The air in the dragon's realm was heavier than what humans were used to, and after such a long journey, Quintessa must have been feeling tired.

However, "Not now," The woman responded with a smile before she turned toward the other redhead in the room and asked, "Your Majesty, care to have a stroll? I really want to have a look at the castle."

Kaelith's brows elevated. None in the room miss the true motive behind the invitation that's why no one else but kaelith spoke, "Yes sure."

Seeing the two ladies walking away, Hades smiled fondly.

"What is it?" Luna asked, his smile was so infectious that she couldn't stop her lips from arching as well.

Hades shrugged, "Just happy to see them getting along."

Peri huffed, "Well, isn't it obvious? They have a topic on which they could restlessly talk forever."

…

Kaelith led the lady toward the castle's courtyard.

The silver moonlight poured down like a soft curtain, bathing the garden in a gentle glow.

A narrow cobblestone path wound through the garden, its round stones glimmering faintly under the moon.

The two women walked in silence for a while before Quintessa finally spoke. "I'd like to apologize first."

Kaelith gave a small hum, quietly encouraging her to continue.

Quintessa took a deep breath. "You probably already know this, but my family didn't treat Hades kindly at all. He may have held the family's title, but my husband never truly saw him as one of us."

Her shoulders drooped as she went on. "He treated him harshly—threw him out of the house, forced him to live on his own, and never once granted his wishes."

A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. "There was even a time when Hades was badly injured after a battle. He couldn't work to earn money anymore, so he begged my husband for help. And do you know what my husband did?"

She paused before saying softly, "He lent Hades three gold coins—with an interest of one gold coin for every day he couldn't repay it."

Kaelith's calm expression showed she already knew.

Quintessa wasn't surprised. Even before learning that Hades was the son of a Dragon King, she had always sensed that someone was watching over him from the shadows.

The lady lowered her gaze before speaking again, her voice trembling.

"Even though I called myself his mother, I never did what a mother should have done. I couldn't protect my son from the cruelty my husband showed him. I couldn't stand by his side when he needed me most. While I slept under a warm quilt, he barely had a torn rag to keep out the cold. When I ate lavish meals, he survived on dried meat and herbs just to stay alive."

Quintessa shook her head, her eyes filled with guilt. "The truth is… I don't deserve his love. I don't even deserve to be called his mother. It's only because of his kindness that he never blamed me—and still worries about me."

Kaelith let out a dry laugh. "Well, I can't say I deserve that title either."

Crossing her arms, the dragoness spoke quietly. "When he was born, a war was raging. That's why we decided to send him to another realm—somewhere he could grow up safely, far from the claws of our enemies."

She sighed softly. "Later, I was too weak and wounded to bring him back and protect him with my own hands. I kept hearing about his pain and struggles… yet all I ever did was offer him a little support from afar. Nothing more."

A faint, sorrowful smile appeared on Kaelith's lips. "You're not the only one who feels undeserving. I too missed the moments every mother wishes to witness—the first smile, the first steps, the little joys. And now, after all this time, I've suddenly appeared in his life and called myself his mother."

Kaelith paused, and so did Quintessa.

Both ladies looked at each other before Kaelith said, "We both have failed him in a way or another but it is a fact that he cares about us. About you a little more than me." There was a hint of complain in her voice when she the later part.

Quintessa softly smiled, her gaze drifted past kaelith as she said, "He is just like that…when he loves someone, he offers them his world."

Kaelith hummed, "That's why, we shouldn't reject his feelings and continue to look after him."

Quintessa smiled at her before giving Kaelith a brief bow, "Thank you for letting me be the mother of such a wonderful child."

Kaelith also said, "And thank you for taking care of him when I wasn't around."

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