Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot-Chapter 376 - 375 - The Interruption.

Knock. Knock.

The sound was soft, almost hesitant, but it might as well have been thunder to Raven’s ears.

That was when the voice came, like a bomb blowing the warmth of the room.

"Raven," said Argon’s voice from the other side—deep, measured, but with a faint current of wariness beneath it. "Who is there inside with you? I sense a familiar yet unfamiliar... presence."

Raven’s spine stiffened.

That voice had never failed to make him feel like a child caught in the act of stealing a candy.

He turned toward Catherine, whispering in surprise, "Mother, father is here—"

He wondered if he was going to see another reunion today, but he froze as soon as his eyes found Catherine’s.

Because her expression wasn’t confusion or fond surprise—it was hatred.

Even that wasn’t the loud or flaring kind. No—it was cold, ancient, and patient. The type of hatred that could wait a thousand years to be repaid.

Raven’s eyes widened by a fraction as realization dawned.

’Right...’

Catherine doesn’t know this Argon.

She knows the old one.

The one who cared for nothing but power. The one who treated people as tools, whose affection was as conditional as his approval.

The Argon who saw Catherine not as a woman... but as a resource.

’In her eyes,’ Raven thought grimly, ’he’s still that bastard.’

He recalled how even in the novel, where Catherine had stayed with Raven for sixteen years, there had never been any contact between Argon and her.

It was as if neither of them cared what happened to the other.

So, how could it be any different now?

After all, the only thing she could remember about Argon was probably the lack of words and feelings and the suffocating chill of being unwanted.

A humorless smile tugged at Raven’s lips. ’Looks like his redemption arc still has a few Chapters left.’

Still, he had to ask Cathrine a question.

"Should I tell him the truth?" He murmured.

Catherine’s head moved in a sharp shake—a silent, furious no.

Raven sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, alright..." he muttered under his breath before calling out, "It’s just Valeria, Father!"

A short pause. Then Argon’s voice softened slightly. "Oh... I see. I’m coming in."

The door creaked open, and light filtered in—faint, golden, and almost reverent. Argon stepped inside, his armor dim against the room’s gentle glow.

His gaze swept across the room, landing on Raven—who was lying comfortably on Valeria’s lap.

"..."

For a man who had seen demon wars and divine bloodshed, Argon looked like someone who had just walked into the wrong room of an emotional drama.

After all, from what he knew, although Raven and Valeria weren’t on bad terms, they weren’t this close.

So, this looked strange to him.

Raven, on the other hand, blinked up at him innocently. Catherine—hidden within Valeria’s body—stared back at Argon with quiet loathing.

Argon frowned at that as he felt like something was definitely... off.

Yes, Valeria’s gaze had always carried a faint dislike toward him, and he accepted that—he’d earned it.

But this... this wasn’t just dislike.

It was personal. Deep. Familiar in a way that made his chest tighten.

What was this feeling?

What was he missing?

It was then that Raven spoke up.

"Father," he drawled, breaking the tension, "if you’re done disturbing our brother-and-sister bonding moment, could you maybe—oh, I don’t know—leave?"

Argon blinked. "I, ah..." His mouth opened, closed, then opened again like a knight trying to recall his battle plan mid-duel. "Right."

He nodded dumbly, turned around, and left, unable to recall what he came to say.

The door closed with a soft click.

Raven exhaled slowly, then whispered, "You can stop glaring, Mom. He’s gone."

Catherine didn’t reply. Her eyes were still fixed on the door—sharp, glimmering, and wounded.

Raven could tell there was so much she wanted to say... but wouldn’t. Not yet.

Neither was he going to ask her, as it was something Argon needed to take care of.

Argon, on the other hand, walked down the corridor, his brow furrowed in quiet thought.

Something about the way Valeria had looked at him—that piercing contempt—had stirred something old, something buried.

’Why did it feel so... familiar?’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

His thoughts drifted back—unbidden—to that distant, grim day.

He remembered finding her—a pale woman with broken mana channels, lying on the road, her body trembling but her aura... extraordinary.

He’d picked her up without a word and taken her home, not because of compassion but curiosity.

She had potential. That was all he’d seen.

Nothing more.

And when desire followed, he hadn’t questioned it.

She was quiet, obedient, and powerless. It was convenient.

And so he used her—body and presence alike—to chase strength.

At that time, he was at a phase where he wanted to see growth in himself and the family.

Catherine had come right in time for him to think of having another child, hoping for another strong son, which he got.

However, the day Raven was born, she mysteriously disappeared.

No one could find a trace of where she went, as she seemed to have vanished into the air.

Though it wasn’t surprising now that he thought about it.

Every woman married to the patriarch was supposed to be killed after giving birth to their child, all to eliminate any people who could influence the minds of their children.

Therefore, it was possible that Catherine, who was aware of this, had planned her escape and succeeded.

Argon sighed deeply, dragging a hand through his hair. ’Why am I even thinking about her now?’

She wasn’t coming back, and even if she was, there was no way she would return to him.

For her, he was probably an evil man.

But then again—

’That is a burden I must carry,’ Argon sighed inwardly, pushing the thought away, as if trying to bury it again.

But it lingered—like a ghost refusing to fade.

Somewhere behind him, Raven’s muffled voice echoed through the hall. "...Great. I think you just gave him an existential crisis."

Catherine smacked the back of his head lightly. "Quiet, child."

Raven grinned faintly, rubbing the spot. "Love you too, Mom."

For a heartbeat, even Catherine’s cold eyes softened—and in that brief silence, both knew what neither dared to say aloud.

’Some wounds took lifetimes to heal...’

And some families were stitched together with regret, humor, and unspoken forgiveness.

But will Argon ever be forgiven for what he had done? Would Raven be able to get the love of his father and mother, not as separate entities but as one?

’I wish Father would solve this soon...’ Raven sighed inwardly.

But just as he exhaled, Catherine’s form inside Valeria flickered.

It was faint at first—like the shimmer of heat over stone—but to Raven’s soul eyes, it was a flare of alarm.

He froze, his relaxed posture vanishing as he sat up straight in an instant. His pupils glowed violently with golden light, reflecting the disturbance in her soul essence.

"...No," he whispered under his breath, his tone shifting from calm to sharp concern.

He knew that she was going to go away, and he had thought that he was prepared, but it turns out that he was not even close to being prepared.

Catherine—no, the presence of her—was dimming. Fading.

The vibrant, golden glow that had surrounded Valeria’s aura was beginning to unravel, dissolving like morning mist under sunlight.

Her eyes softened as she noticed his reaction.

"It seems my time here is over," she said quietly, her voice carrying that strange mix of serenity and sorrow that only mothers mastered.

Raven clenched his fists. "But you just arrived."

A gentle smile touched her lips—one both proud and unbearably sad. "It was never meant to last, child. My link with Valeria was temporary."

She cupped one of his cheeks. "The moment I decided to burn the remnants of my soul in Valeria’s body to meet you like this, I had marked the end of my stay. But it was all to meet you. To touch you."

Her hand moved, trembling faintly, as she brushed invisible dust from his shoulder. "And now that I have... I can rest a little easier."

Raven looked away for a moment, jaw tightening. "You can’t just say things like that and expect me to nod along, you know."

A soft laugh escaped her. "As much as I hate to say it, right now, you sound like your father. Too arrogant and domineering."

He sighed, unable to stop the faint smile tugging at his mouth even through the ache. "That’s not a compliment."

"Maybe not," she admitted, the flicker of amusement in her tone fading as her expression grew solemn again.

"Raven, listen carefully. When the Wish Dragon appears—when the moment comes—ask it for fifty years of protection."

"Fifty?" His brows furrowed. "That’s... a lot."

"It’s not enough," she said gently, shaking her head. "Argon and Crisaius will need at least that much time to become strong enough to face what’s coming. Even with their talent—no, especially with their talent—they need time to grow into the monsters they’re destined to be."

Her hand lingered on his cheek for a heartbeat. "Promise me."

Raven looked at her, at the mother he’d only just met and was already losing, and gave a single, quiet nod. "I promise."

He didn’t know if he could keep it, but he gave her his word.

The flickering grew stronger now. Catherine’s glow fractured into countless golden motes drifting through the air like dandelion seeds caught in the wind.

Valeria’s body trembled, her own soul slowly reclaiming control.

Catherine’s voice grew faint, fragile like a candle’s last flame. "You’ve grown so much... more than I ever hoped. And though I missed every step, I’m proud of every scar you carry."

Raven’s throat tightened. He wanted to say something—anything—but the lump in his chest refused to move.

So he whispered, "Thank you."

Her expression softened, tender as a sunrise. "No, my dear boy. Thank you—for not hating me."

Her light dimmed to almost nothing now, her outline breaking apart like dust in moonlight. But she still smiled—warm, maternal, unyieldingly gentle.

"Always know, darling..." she said with the tenderness only a mother could, "...I love you more than anything in this world. And for you, I can do anything."

And then, almost as if the world itself was holding its breath to listen, she spoke her last words.

"So, until we meet again, my son. Don’t look for me. Just live and grow stronger, so that I’ll have something worth coming back to."

Her form dissolved completely, the final glimmers fading into Valeria’s chest as she slumped, unconscious, into Raven’s arms.

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. The faint hum of mana in the air faded away, leaving only the quiet rhythm of Raven’s breathing and Valeria’s steady pulse.

He brushed a strand of her hair aside, his gaze distant, a sad smile ghosting his lips.

"First time meeting, first goodbye," he murmured. "Figures my family would turn even that into a tragedy."

But even through the heaviness in his chest, there was warmth in his eyes—hope glimmering faintly beneath the sorrow.

Because deep down, he knew that wasn’t the end.

Some bonds weren’t bound by time or distance.

And when Catherine said "until we meet again," she meant it.