The confession slipping from Davin's lips instantly made Arion widen his eyes. His breath hitched in his throat.
The reddish-yellow haired youth frozen, as if time around him had completely stopped.
The fact that the people around him had lived a previous life and returned to the past was something far too difficult for common sense to digest.
A profound silence blanketed the bathroom for several moments before the brownish-white-haired youth finally broke the quiet between them.
"At that time, our husband was branded as the greatest villain of the world." Davin said, continuing his explanation of the dark history that had unfolded. His voice was calm, yet it carried a palpable weight of dread. "He was not just an ordinary villain. For your information, in that era, he completely destroyed the Marland Kingdom, the Flamort Kingdom, and the Victoriaz Kingdom."
Arion's eyes trembled upon hearing his story.
"Back then, with my own eyes, I watched those three great kingdoms turn into a sea of ice." Davin continued, his gaze distant as he pictured the horrors of that era. "All the buildings, along with all the people, froze into eternal ice statues that could never melt."
Davin then shifted his gaze, looking at Arvin, who was still holding Allen, with a deeply gentle and understanding expression.
"At first, I also hated our husband for his cruelty in that era. But, when I met him again in the present, I finally learned the truth." Davin stated sincerely. "I discovered that the reason he was ultimately labeled a terrifying villain was to avenge the tragic deaths of all his family members, and for the sake of everyone living in his territory."
"Then, why did he destroy those three kingdoms all at once?" Arion chimed in, his tone laced with shock as his pale light purple eyes sought answers from Davin. "Was the Victoriaz Kingdom also directly involved in the murder of his family?"
Davin shook his head slowly. "Not because of the murders, but because the three kingdoms he destroyed had formed a massive alliance and greedily dared to invade his territory just to seize the gold mines there."
Davin took a brief breath before continuing his tale.
"And what makes it even worse..." he explained with an indignant edge, "those three kingdoms went as far as capturing and enslaving his people. Knowing that the people under his protection were being oppressed like that, he immediately took action and destroyed those three kingdoms without any mercy."
The revelation that their husband destroyed those three kingdoms out of a desire to protect his own people left Arion thoroughly stunned.
"So, the reason he knew everything about me..." Arion muttered softly, his mind beginning to connect the dots regarding his encounter with Arvin in the academy hallway.
"It might be exactly as you are thinking right now." Davin interjected straightforwardly. "He knows every secret in this world, things that even we ourselves have never known for sure."
Hearing that, Arion slowly turned his head. He gazed intently at his husband's face with a probing look as a sliver of doubt crept into his heart.
"Did you... did you make me your spouse simply because you felt pity for my situation?" Arion asked in a quiet voice. He feared that Arvin had saved him from the slave seal purely out of sympathy for his tragic past, rather than out of sincere affection.
Upon hearing that doubt, Arvin immediately shook his head with firm conviction. "I am genuinely interested in you, Arion."
At the same time, his brain was spinning rapidly. Arvin realized he had to provide a logical reason to make everything sound plausible.
Suddenly, the idea crossed his mind to weave a fabricated story to make it all seem natural, preventing anyone from suspecting that he was actually a transmigrator from another world who knew everything from a game.
"In that era, you once came asking for my help to break your slave seal, but I rejected you coldly." Arvin began his fabricated tale with a highly convincing expression. "You even begged and swore to become my slave if I were willing to help you. The exact words you used back then were identical to what you said to me in the academy hallway yesterday."
Arion fell silent, as if he could vividly feel the despair of his past self from that era.
"After I ruthlessly turned you away, you fell into despair and took your own life." Arvin continued, his expression shifting to one of deep seriousness and profound regret. "When I inadvertently investigated your background following your death, that was when I deeply regretted my decision. I regretted refusing to help a brilliant alchemist with a cute face like you."
Arvin looked directly into Arion's pale light purple eyes. "And given a second chance in this current life, I don't want to repeat the same mistake and lose you again. That's why I immediately laid everything bare during our very first meeting."
The long explanation, spoken with a remorseful tone, left Arion stunned, washing over him with mixed feelings of being touched and cherished. Furthermore, his husband specifically mentioned his special ability in the field of alchemy.
"But, aren't you already incredibly capable of using alchemy magic yourself?" asked Arion, still a little puzzled as he recalled how easily Arvin had constructed this spacious, two-story shelter house along with its many bathrooms. "Why would you need me?"
"I can't do everything alone forever, Arion." Arvin replied in a very gentle tone, completely breaking his arrogant facade. "As strong as I may stand, I am still a human being who relies on others, especially on my precious spouses like all of you."
"Do you truly like me?" Arion sought confirmation once more, desperately needing an absolute answer to soothe his heart.
"I like you very much!" Arvin answered swiftly, without a single shred of hesitation. "If I weren't drawn to you, I would never have approached you, let alone wanted you to become my spouse."
"You don't need to doubt him, Arion." Dylan interjected suddenly. The black-haired youth, who had been quietly listening the whole time, finally stepped a little closer. "At our academy, he always speaks bluntly and doesn't care at all about the feelings of whoever he's talking to. Because of his cold and ruthless nature, no one dares to approach him. He also never wastes his time carelessly approaching anyone if he genuinely isn't interested."
Dylan's explanation, coming from a student of the same academy as Arvin, provided a reassuring new perspective.
"So, is that your reason for remaining willing to be his spouse, even after discovering the reality that our husband was the destroyer of three kingdoms in his previous life?"
Dylan gave a firm nod, devoid of any doubt. "Even though I knew about this reality from the very beginning, I would never doubt my feelings for him for a single second."
"Why are you so certain?" Arion pressed.
"Because to me, and to many people at the Astoria academy, he is a hero for the commoners!" Dylan answered, his chest swelling with pride. "There is not a single student from the commoner class who doesn't admire and respect him. Our academy has become a safe and fair place for us commoner students entirely because of him, so those noble students no longer dare to oppress us."
The words of pride that Dylan had just spoken flowed like a soothing stream, washing away the lingering doubts in Arion's heart.
The realization that his husband fiercely protected the common people, both in his past life and in the present, solidified Arion's feelings completely.
In his eyes, Arvin was no longer just a tremendously powerful husband, but a hero and the savior who had rescued his life from his family's generational slave seal.
"My Star, please forgive me for foolishly questioning your feelings and intentions." Arion said with utmost sincerity, bowing his head in evident guilt. "I swear, this is the first and the last time I will ever doubt your feelings for me."
Arvin offered a warm smile. He waved gently, beckoning Arion to come closer to him and Allen, who was still holding him tightly.
The reddish-yellow haired youth stepped closer without a moment's hesitation.
What happened next was that Arvin stretched out his left arm, instantly pulling the Reddish-yellow haired youth's body into an embrace.
"You don't need to apologize, Arion. Even though we are not officially married yet, in my eyes, you are already my spouses whom I love and trust deeply." Arvin whispered reassuringly.
Arion returned his husband's embrace tightly, absorbing a warmth that chased away all his anxiety, creating an incredibly emotional and peaceful moment.
However, that serene and touching atmosphere did not last long.
Splash!
A sudden cascade of cold water splashed heavily against the bodies of Arvin, Allen, and Arion all at once.
The three of them jolted in surprise and turned their heads. Standing nearby was Alrian, holding a wooden bucket he had just emptied right over them.
The green-haired youth planted his hands on his hips, wearing a mock scowl on his face.
"Just how long are you three going to keep hugging each other over there?" Alrian complained suddenly. "Come on, let's finish our bath quickly before everyone else from the arena returns to this shelter house!"
Hearing the complaint, which ruined the mood but was entirely logical, Arvin, Allen, and Arion exchanged glances for a brief moment.
The three of them burst into uninhibited laughter before finally joining Alrian, Dylan, and Davin to continue their shared bathing moment.