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“Mom, Dad, how about you guys at least maintain the rule of self-discipline?” Peter offered.
“Are you calling us lawless?” their mom asked with a thin smile.
“Beatrix, did you hear me say such a thing?” Peter asked his sister and the latter shook her head.
“I asked you a question and you’re asking someone else. Is that how you reply to your mum now?” the queen questioned with a displeased countenance.
“How about we just focus on downing the fruits, as many as our guts could possibly take, and then you guys can play your boring game of love in your room after the race?” Peter suggested again with a frown.
“You’re like this because you don’t want a family dinner and outing?” the king questioned.
Peter shook his head, “No, it’s just…”
“Are you actually unhappy because Phoenix might be returning with my big sis soon?” Beatrix asked unexpectedly.
Peter wore a look of astonishment, “Why would you think such a thing, Riri? Of course, I want to see them again,”
“But you won’t be happy to see one of them, right?” his mum asked this time.
“Can you guys just let me eat in peace? It’s a family dinner, right? Let’s just eat, less talking. We do the race and retire to bed, please!” he stressed and then continued eating his chosen fruit.
Vellio rose from his seat and walked to Peter, “Did you two have a conflict because of his mate?” he asked his son, using the voice transmission technique.
“Dad, I don’t want to talk about this. Let’s get whatever that’s left on the list done and go to sleep,” Peter answered without using the technique.
His dad sighed, “Stand up, young man,”
“What? If I don’t obey, what are you going to do? Beat the life out of me? Or break my bones? I’m not afraid of you, old man,” Peter harrumphed and picked up another fruit.
“I know. I’m not here as a warlock, a wiz king or a man with great authority. I’m here so we can talk things out as father and son!” Vellio calmly responded.
“This is clearly not the right time to do it, Dad. And even if it was, I’ll still not talk,” Peter snapped.
“Young man, I said stand up and I’m not repeating my words again,” Vellio ordered.
“Dad, just do your worst. I know you won’t kill me anyway,” the unbothered Peter said and continued munching on the fruit.
“Okay,” contrary to Peter’s expectations of being punished in some way, his dad simply walked to sit close to his wife once again and then they began to discuss using the voice technique and laugh.
Peter, on the other hand, was a bit unsettled in his heart as to why his dad didn’t force him to stand up. What was he cooking? This man was no less of a schemer than his wife!
‘Should I stand up now or not?’ he thought with uncertainty.
“I see we came on time! You guys are eating without Phoenix, huh?” a melodious masculine voice rang out, making the family to look in one particular direction.
A tall, magenta-haired young man with purple eyes and pink lips ascended the stairs of the pavilion, hands in his pockets, dressed in a casual light blue loose woollen sweater and white shorts, with white flip-flops for footwear.
“Phoenix!”
“Son!”
“My boy!”
“Eldest brother!” the little one exclaimed in happiness and quickly rose from her seat. “You’re back!” she cried out as she rushed excitedly to him.
Phoenix removed his hands from his pants pockets, caught her and carried her in his right arm, stroking her head while she giggled.
“You’re never that way with me. Am I even your brother?” Peter sulkily said.
She stuck out her tongue at him, “He’s my favourite, so is my big sis,”
“Don’t be biased toward me, okay,” Phoenix advised after planting a peck on her forehead.
“I’m not! You’re not like him who only reads boring history books and… and scary stories as bedtime stories. How does he expect me to have sweet dreams? And he always tells me to…”
Phoenix placed his left index finger on her lips, “Shh! Less talking, baby girl,” He then carried her towards Peter who had already stood up.
“Here’s Riri,” he handed the unwilling Beatrix to Peter who eagerly carried her in his left arm with an amused look.
“Look, it’s destined that I’ll carry you tonight, despite all your designs. Hahaha,”
Beatrix pouted with arms crossed and harrumphed, “You’re just lucky tonight,” she said before looking away.
He stroked her hair gently, “Riri dear, I promise not to read scary stories to you anymore. I’ll just read the history books alone,”
At that, Beatrix started to struggle, “Put me down, you villain!”
Alas, she was in no way a match for him and could only give up after seeing she was struggling to escape in vain. And it didn’t look like Phoenix was planning on getting her back. What hard luck!Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Phoenix walked to his adoptive parents who were still seated but wore unhappy faces.
“Son, you finally know the way back home, huh?” the queen questioned with arms folded.
Phoenix quickly went down to his knees, his hands across his chest with a guilty look, “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad. I was supposed to return long ago but em…”
“You found your mate for so long and didn’t even bother to come introduce her to us. Are you afraid that we’ll steal her from you?” the king asked.
“I’m really sorry. I’m wrong,” Phoenix took out a long black cane from his spatial ring and handed it to the king, “Here, Dad. Please discipline me as you see fit, so I won’t make such an error again,”
The king threw away the cane, “Who wants to hit you?”
“How can you not get it? Where is my daughter-in-law?” his mum demanded, to the point of rising from her seat and looking around.
“Yeah, where is my big sis?” Beatrix asked, also looking around for any trace of her sworn sister.
“If you forgive me, I’ll tell you,” Phoenix said with a smile.
With a cocked brow, Queen Valeria asked, “So you know how to bargain now, Fee Fee?”
“Mom, stop calling me that,” Phoenix said in a small voice.
The Queen scrunched her eyebrows, “I bathed you for at least a year and that’s the beautiful nickname I gave you. What? Is it now wrong to call you Fee Fee?”
“Mom!” Phoenix whined. This woman was so hell-bent on embarrassing him.
“Your mom is right. Fee Fee, don’t try to dodge the crucial thing. Where is your mate? Why didn’t you bring her with you?” the king said in support of his beloved spouse.
“But I stated my condition already,” Phoenix shrugged.
“Okay,” Vellio rose and helped Phoenix get to his feet, and then warmly embraced him, patting his back for a while. Then they parted.
“Mom, are you not going to hug me?” Phoenix asked.
“Men and women should keep their distance,” she said with arms folded, looking away from him with a scoff.
“So why doesn’t it apply to Dad?”
“We’re a couple,” she retorted.
“And what about us two? Where is it stated that a mom can’t hug her beloved son?”
“If I hug you, you’ll bring out my daughter-in-law?” the queen questioned.
He smilingly nodded, “Definitely,”
“Okay then,” in a second her face changed from sulky to enthusiastic as she rushed to hug her son tightly.
“I’m glad you’re back,” she said, “We all missed you,”
“I think it’s my mate you miss more,” Phoenix said, trying to part with her for the hug was becoming suffocating to him.
“Mom, we’ve hugged. Please let go of me,” he beseeched but his mum didn’t seem to want to let go any time soon.
“Mom, she’s here with us,” Phoenix had to divulge.