In the sudden silence that fell over the lounge, Ordion stared intently at the faces of the three youths who had just learned the darkest truth they had been hiding all this time.
The red-haired youth took a slow breath, his facial expression turning very serious.
"Now that the three of you know this true historical fact," Ordion said, breaking the silence, his voice sounding heavy yet full of hope. "...I truly hope that, no matter what happens, you will still be able to support and stand by our husband's side until the end!"
Hearing the request that seemed to doubt their loyalty, Victor, Kaydan, and Calverd returned Ordion's gaze with equally serious expressions. Their eyebrows furrowed.
"Are you an idiot?!" Victor suddenly exclaimed, his voice echoing with a firm and slightly offended tone. "I will never betray my husband! Never! Besides, I have already been kicked out of the Zernest family and have nowhere to return to. The one standing before you right now is solely Victor Vedegra, the eleventh spouse of Arvin Vedegra! Bear that in mind carefully, Ordion!"
Hearing such a fiery declaration from Victor, Kaydan also leaned his body forward.
"Of course I will always be with him!" Kaydan answered without the slightest hesitation in his eyes. "He is my hero, he is my savior who freed me from the shackles of slavery that had snatched away my life all this time! He is the only most precious person in my life right now. I will certainly never betray him, even if this world crumbles!"
Not wanting to be left behind, Calverd also voiced his feelings.
"I am also the same as the two of them!" Calverd answered in a very firm and resolute tone. "He is my husband! In this vast world, only he and all of you are my only family. I have sworn to myself that I will always do my best for him, no matter the obstacles!"
The barrage of responding answers instantly warmed the atmosphere of the room. All the youths in the room nodded slowly, then gradually smiled in satisfaction and relief. The sincere answers from the three of them were heavily laden with absolute loyalty to their husband.
However, amidst that relief, Victor racked his brain again, piecing together the puzzle that had been bothering his mind all this time.
"Now, it is my turn to ask!" Victor said in a demanding tone, wanting to confirm a piece of information. "Are Prince Oliver, Princess Elenora, and also the princess's younger brother related to our husband's previous life as well?"
"You are correct!" Allen answered calmly, taking over the conversation to erase the eleventh spouse's curiosity. His eyes looked gently at Victor. "Everyone here, and also those he is currently picking up, are people who have been specifically chosen by him to redeem our husband's regrets in his previous life."
Allen paused his sentence for a moment, letting that fact sink in.
"And thanks to that previous life as well, he knows all kinds of secrets that exist in this world!" the pink-haired youth continued, his voice implying deep admiration. "Take the Elixir of Archmage we just drank yesterday, for example. None of us had ever known about the existence of that elixir until he himself brought and gave it to us."
Hearing that explanation, Victor, Kaydan, and Calverd became even more speechless. Their backs leaned limply against the sofa.
Their husband, who always appeared strong, calm, cold, and firm yet at the same time so full of affection, turned out to harbor so many of the world's secrets that not even a single one of them truly understood in its entirety.
Clap!
A quite loud and crisp clap suddenly shattered their reverie. Allen, who had clapped his hands, successfully made all the youths in the room immediately shift their gazes to him.
"Enough thinking about him and his dark past!" Allen interrupted with a strong aura of leadership. "He has already given us a clear task. For now, let us quickly divide the teams that will move to investigate and explore the forest around the capital!"
The atmosphere in the room instantly turned more serious. The eleven youths immediately conferred together.
Serious conversations, arguments, and security considerations took place in the lounge for a few moments to ensure there were no loopholes for errors in their execution.
After a long time of conferring and weighing each other's strengths, the results were carefully determined.
Alrain, Davin, and Arion would form one team to explore the northern part of the capital's forest.
Ordion, Dylan, and Victor were assigned to sweep and explore the eastern forest area of the capital.
Allen and Alrian, the two of them would explore the western forest area of the capital.
As for Alvein, he took on a special task that required him to always be with Kaydan and Calverd while outside the mansion to hide their presence from the public, in accordance with what their husband had commanded.
The three of them would explore the southern forest area of the capital.
Once the division of tasks was complete and everyone was ready to go, the eleven youths rose from the sofas in unison. They walked side by side down the stairs to the first floor, then walked out to the front terrace of the mansion.
Upon arriving outside, beneath the bright morning sunlight, Alvein immediately took his position. He tightly gripped Kaydan's right hand and Calverd's left hand, then activated his invisible magic.
In the blink of an eye, the figures of the three youths were no longer visible to anyone standing on the house terrace.
"Listen to me, don't ever release your grip on my hands for even a second!" Alvein's voice said, sounding firm from the empty air. "I must continue to hide the presence of the two of you so it remains unknown to the capital's residents while we walk down the streets later!"
"Okay, I understand!" Kaydan's voice answered resolutely from the same direction.
"Of course, Alvein! I also do not want to ruin everything our husband has planned." Calverd answered in a relaxed yet obedient tone.
Hearing their readiness, Allen, who was standing on the terrace steps, swept his gaze toward the gathering points of all his family members.
"Are you all ready to go now?" Allen asked, confirming for the final time.
"We are ready!" all the youths answered in unison, their voices bouncing off the front wall of the mansion with burning enthusiasm.
"Okay, let's go!"
Led by Allen, the eleven youths, including Alvein, Kaydan, and Calverd, who were walking in their invisible forms, began to move. They walked side by side toward the mansion gate, opened it, then stepped out calmly to blend into the bustling streets of the capital in order to complete the mission from the person they loved the most.