Arthur laughed and answered without hesitation, "And yet... I would always choose you."
The scene faded softly, then slowly returned to reality.
Isabel looked at Arthur and smiled that smile that meant more than a thousand words, "May God bless you."
When the scene before them faded, the siblings stared at Arthur and Isabel, as if trying to process what they had just witnessed.
Meanwhile, Kayden had almost finished off the dining table. He devoured everything placed before him without shame, and didn't forget to forcefully feed Henry from time to time, as if he were in a battle with no room for mercy.
Adele looked at them, raising an eyebrow in astonishment.
The table was covered with layers of empty plates, and she didn't understand how the sacred viewing had turned into a fit of hunger and collective convulsions.
Kayden muttered, staring at the empty plate before him, "That was... too good." He reached out, wanting to ask Mary for more, but suddenly stopped when his eyes met Adele's deadly glare.
He froze in place. "......"
George broke the silence and suddenly asked, "By the way, what was the angel's sacrifice?"
Isabel looked at him, then answered calmly, "She didn't tell us... but Arlo did, after he was forced to talk. He said she first allowed her aura to seep completely into his body, then..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...Then, in order to execute the breaking, she sacrificed part of her body."
"Arthur... you stayed very late inside the Lord's room. What did he say to you?" Isabel finally asked, her voice carrying a curiosity she had rarely shown lately.
Arthur hesitated for a moment, then answered seriously, as if trying to avoid turning his night into an endless series of questions "He said that fate... will return to take something."
Something strange gleamed in Roger's eyes for a moment, a fleeting surprise he quickly hid behind his usual silence.
He knew all too well what fate meant when it chose... for he had been chosen before, when it decided to take him, and couldn't bear the price.
In his early days, he had felt something like luck... luck that allowed him to see Lord Matthew up close,
before he realized that that sight was not a blessing... but the beginning of a curse.
It wasn't easy for Roger to talk about it.
That night he fell brutally, and no one saw him...
As if the shadows had swallowed him, then returned him with something broken, unseen.
Kayden stared at the ground for a few seconds, his features vaguely blank, then suddenly stood up and said, "I think I ate too much... I feel like I'm about to explode."
He was indeed suffering from sharp stomach pains; he wasn't making excuses this time. Contrary to his habit, he hadn't eaten well for a while.
Now, when he overdid it, the punishment came immediately.
Kayden ran to his room, mumbling incomprehensible words.
Henry looked at the accumulated dishes on the table, then said in a neutral tone "He ate... a lot."
In his room, Kayden stretched out on the bed and began to wonder if this was the end of his life.
For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to his old world, a world summed up in a hearty meal and a good movie.
But now he was paying the price of luxury with indigestion.
Not long passed before Henry rose with a heavy sigh and began searching through the old drawers. After a few minutes, he found the medicine.
He went upstairs with slow steps, then opened Kayden's door to find him sprawled on the bed like a lifeless corpse.
"You lazy dog, take this." He practically threw the medicine in his face.
Kayden slowly raised his head, as if returning from the dead, stared at the box, then muttered emotionally, "Oh, saintly savior..."
He quickly took the medicine, then returned to pretending to be dead, this time with more precise drama.
He stretched out on the bed, his legs tilted at a strange angle, one hand dangling over the edge, his eyes half-open like a poorly cooked fish.
Henry asked, watching this scene, "Which part do you think she sacrificed?"
Kayden thought for a moment, then answered lazily, "I don't know. Ask Colton... or Adam. He knows strange things."
Henry shook his head, then mimicked Kayden's position with double dramatic collapse: "I won't ask anyone. I'll die."
He curled up on the bed like a salted fish on the brink of destruction.
Kayden muttered, "This medicine... is making it worse." Then he added, "Find it out yourself. It'll be better than asking."
"Maybe I'll find it out myself," Henry declared confidently.
But Kayden frowned and retorted sarcastically, "You really are a loser dog."
"Who's the dog?" Henry asked, raising his voice.
"Is there anyone else but you?" Kayden shouted unconsciously.
"Kill yourself, you crying dog! You beggar!" Henry replied immediately, as if trying to stop Kayden by any means.
Kayden suddenly stiffened, then kicked Henry hard. Henry tried to dodge the blow but fell to the ground, while Kayden burst into laughter a loud laugh that reached the ground floor, where it annoyed Arthur.
"I'm not going to die, you stupid dog!" Kayden shouted.
But Henry grabbed his foot and pulled him to the ground. Neither understood how this fight had really started, but they kept hitting each other, as if something inside them had exploded.
"Is your brain as thick as your bones?!" Henry shouted.
"Huh! And from whom did I inherit these thick bones?" Kayden asked with sarcastic curiosity.
Henry paused for a moment, then answered honestly, "From your mother."
Kayden froze, then pounced on him, screaming, "You insult my mother?! You damned one! We don't insult our mothers!"
"But I didn't!" Henry tried to protest, but Kayden had already grabbed his hair and started hitting him on the head.
Isabel suddenly entered the room. She looked at the chaos furniture scattered, brothers exchanging blows.
Isabel shouted, "Roger!"
Roger came up, smiling like someone invited to a party, opened the door, tossed the scene behind him, and entered with a wicked grin.
At that moment, George also came up, looked at his mother, and said coldly "Roger is more backward than both of them combined."
Then, from behind the door... the sound of beating was heard.
Roger hit Kayden on the head, then Henry, shouting:
"Are you two children? Fighting like this at your age?! Aren't you ashamed?!"
Kayden withdrew and sat far away, while Henry moved to the other corner, and Roger remained standing in the middle.
George finally entered, and before he could speak, Kayden protested "I didn't do anything wrong!"
Henry pointed at him: "Loser dog! You're not even a man!"
George knew very well that Roger often encouraged his brothers to fight, but he probably didn't do it this time because of his presence.
Roger stood up, trying not to cause trouble, then finally muttered, "You two are idiots... when fighting, gather your spiritual energy in your fist and then hit. Like this!" He gathered his energy into his fist and prepared to hit George, but the latter quickly stepped back. "Or you should focus your power on your foot for kicking!"
Roger kicked quickly, but George dodged the blow.
Outside the room, Isabel remained wondering what exactly was happening.
But no one left that room that night.
And Kayden and Henry didn't speak after that.
Kayden slept where he was. That night, Kayden saw a dream... or a memory. He returned as a ghost, just as he had come the first time, watching himself from afar.
He saw himself closing the room door tightly and refusing to open it, Silent, but boiling inside, sitting on the floor, drawing the end scenario in his head.
Kayden planned, then decided.
But what stopped him wasn't regret or personal hope, but an external voice, a voice that kept repeating tirelessly, "Eden, I'm not moving from here. Open the door."
Henry was behind the door, his voice mixed with worry and resistance, but Kayden didn't respond.
He secured the rope, stood on the chair... seconds passed... then a sudden crash was heard.
Henry shouted very loudly, "You bastard! I swear I'll kill you!"
He lunged at the door, struck it violently until it broke and he burst into the room.
He found Kayden hanging, his body swaying, life nearly escaping him.
He rushed to him, grabbed his legs, lifted him, managed to reposition the chair with difficulty, and untied the rope
Kayden muttered weakly, "Get out."
But Henry didn't respond. He looked at the rope, then started pacing the room like a storm. He opened the drawers, threw the knives out the window, tore the long sheets, and overturned the cabinet.
But he knew Kayden well... knew how stubborn he was, and a brilliant planner. 'There's more.'
He searched under the bed and found the knife.
He tried to pull it away, but Kayden resisted, accidentally cutting Henry's palm.
Kayden looked at the blood with half-empty eyes. "Get out."
But Henry stood his ground, his eyes unwavering. "Why? Why do you want to die?! Do you know that our mother will see my face every day and be reminded of you? Do you know we're twins? If you die, none of us will live in peace!"
Then he looked at his wound and muttered, "Mafilda will hide the scar, but... not the memory."
He took the knife and left.
As soon as he left, Kayden felt short of breath. He opened his eyes, searching for the reason for his suffocation, but found only himself.
His face was buried in the pillow.
He raised his head and saw Henry sleeping on the floor like a monkey, as if he had died there.
Kayden noticed that Henry's hand had healed, but the marks remained. He had left them to remember. Kayden moved and kicked him. "Wake up."
Henry opened his eyes angrily. "You lunatic, have you ever learned any manners?!"
He returned the kick, but Kayden dodged.
George, who had taken over the bed, woke up because of the idiots' noise, while Roger was already awake, holding the black cat.
Colton sat silently in the form of a black cat, watching his master who had lost his mind... and made no sound.
Kayden went into the bathroom to get ready, and Henry left the room heavily with Roger and George. As for Colton, he stayed where he was, silent... like a cloud about to rain.
After breakfast, Kayden went upstairs and found Colton quietly closing his book and rearranging the rows of books with unmistakable precision.
"You're... very organized," Kayden commented with a hint of admiration, before sitting down and watching Colton.
Colton spoke in a calm tone tinged with gratitude. "Master, ever since I came to this place... life has started flowing through my veins again. My spiritual power was dormant for years. I never thought I would be able to advance. But after completing the contract fully, my body began to respond, as if something that had been asleep inside me had awakened."
Kayden understood what he meant and added, "The underworld... is not without its challenges and difficulties, is it?"
Colton nodded. "Yes, but... the evolution of demons is very different from that of humans."
Kayden moved his chair slightly forward and asked with genuine interest, "What do you mean by that?"
Colton stopped arranging and turned to him, his face serious. "Our bodies are different, and so is our nature... our living conditions are not like what you humans are used to. You might be special because you don't fully belong to this world, but I don't want to harm you, Master. Your essence could become contaminated... it could shrink, or even die. And you, frankly—"
Kayden interrupted him in a calm but direct tone, "I'm still weak. So, what are you going to do?"
Colton bowed before his master with sincere respect and said, "Since you're somewhat free now, I will return to the underworld for just two days. During this time, please, don't leave the house, don't cause any trouble, and don't do anything dangerous... in my absence."
A brief silence prevailed before Kayden replied briefly, "Fine."
Colton stared at him for a moment, unbelieving. "..."
As for Kayden, he pretended not to care.
"Aren't you curious?" Colton asked, smiling with childish pride.
Kayden shook his head with apparent indifference. "Not really. Tell me yourself when you return."
Colton laughed lightly and said confidently, "I won't tell you until I succeed!"
And in one motion, he returned to his true form.
'So flashy... why wasn't I born a demon? No, wait... demons are ultimately just slaves. Terrible idea entirely. A demon needs freedom... poor Colton,' Kayden thought as he watched him in silent internal commentary.
"My lord, don't go out. I repeat... don't go out at all! If something happens to you, don't come back crying," Colton spoke this time in a more serious tone.
But Kayden only responded with a silent look.
Then Colton stared at him again... four eyes watching steadily, before he completely disappeared from the place.
Not even two hours had passed before Kayden felt suffocating boredom. 'Why didn't my phone come with me too?' he wondered, sighing slowly. 'There's no electricity here...'
He went downstairs lazily, and there he saw Mafilda busy preparing a basket filled with fresh fruits. He approached her, took a quick glance at the basket, then reached his hand out to steal a brown apple.
But another hand stopped him.