The doors of the throne room swung wide open.
And at the far end, seated on the great golden throne with one elbow propped on the armrest and a smile on his face, was Mark.
At first, nobody reacted.
The wives who hadn't known about his return stood frozen at the entrance, unable to look away.
Ely covered her mouth with one hand, Yuki's eyes were glassy, and Emilia simply stood motionless, one hand resting on her belly.
"Hey, girls," Mark said, rising to his feet. "Sorry I'm late."
Ely was the first to break the silence.
"MASTER!"
She ran to him without a second thought, her white hair streaming behind her, and threw herself into his arms with such force that Mark nearly toppled back onto the throne.
Ely clung to his neck as if afraid he might vanish again and started bawling, completely oblivious to everything else.
