Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 457 - 456- Family day(1)

It was a sunny day.

A group of four had gathered at the mansion situated at the edge of the town.

It had been over ten days since the incident, and slowly, the academy had recovered from the tragic event.

The property damage had been repaired. The soldiers’ families had been compensated. Every newspaper had shown their side of the story, forming assumptions, with a few still trusting Runebound’s security.

But what flashed prominently in the papers wasn’t just the security details of Runebound—it was the unified decision made by the other major academies.

The exchange program.

They didn’t explicitly say anything, but only a fool would fail to notice the timing of the proposal and connect the dots.

Offering students the option to transfer from any of the five major academies to anywhere they wanted, free of any transfer cost—yes, that was a bit too obvious.

Ariana heard about the news, and her reaction was just as Adrian had expected. Plain.

She said, ’If they really want to leave, there is no point in trying to convince them.’

Adrian, however, had something else in mind. And that was why he had called all the students for an assembly the next day.

But for today, his focus was on his family.

Gathered in the backyard of the mansion, Annabelle and Ariana were chatting under the bright sun.

In this chilling winter, the sun felt like an oasis. They decided to utilize the day by simply lazing around—eat, talk, and then eat more.

Adrian and Ruby had taken charge of the cooking.

They were having a barbecue today.

Ruby was preparing lemonade beside the barbecue grills while Adrian arranged the coal.

As she stirred the contents of the jug, she asked him, "Do you think I should interfere in this matter?"

Adrian hummed before asking, "The academy’s matter?"

Ruby nodded. "While I have just come into power at the Tower, I surely can make the other academies delay this exchange program."

Adrian shook his head. "No, it would be unwise." He pointed his finger at the coal, and a small fireball lit up, slowly burning the coals.

Turning to look at her, he added, "Not only would it merely delay the inevitable, people would start slandering you for favoring Runebound. No one other than you knows how impatiently people are waiting to charge you with that accusation."

It was no hidden fact that Ruby and Adrian were engaged. And with that knowledge made public, if she made any move to help Runebound, people would start questioning her intentions.

A Tower was meant to remain impartial—a pillar of support for humanity, not a charitable institution.

Not to mention, people hadn’t forgotten the recent events involving the Towers, which had caused many to start doubting their intentions.

Under such circumstances, if the young lady of a prominent family also misused her power for selfish reasons...that would only worsen an already bleeding wound.

"Is there nothing I can do to help? I know what this academy means to you and Aria," the redhead said, her shoulders drooping.

Adrian chuckled. "Runebound wouldn’t shut down even if there were only a single student left." Nudging her with his shoulder, he added, "And...your presence here is already helping. You bring peace to Ariana and joy to Bella."

Ruby smiled sheepishly, lowering her gaze as she said, "What peace? For that, you’re here, aren’t you?"

Adrian shook his head. "It’s not the security Warden Ruby brings. It’s how much you care about me that puts Ariana at ease. She knows that under your watch, I won’t do anything reckless."

Ruby chuckled. "Well, I always make sure of that."

A brief but sweet silence descended between them as they remained engaged in their work.

While Adrian washed the grills, Ruby squeezed more lemons into the drink before finally turning and walking toward the other two.

"Hm? What is it?" Ruby asked, noticing Annabelle scoffing at something.

Ariana shook her head. "I was saying how I can see Duke Nolan handing his daughter’s hand to Adrian’s during the upcoming event."

Ruby froze, then recalled, "Duke Nolan’s daughter...Elana, right?"

Annabelle snickered. "You say that as if you don’t remember that clingy girl who always keeps chasing Darling. And Darling himself seems quite attached to her as well."

Ruby hummed as she sat on the same bench as Ariana and asked, "Why...are they so close in the first place?" Her voice was quiet, careful not to be heard by Adrian.

Ariana folded her legs to give her more space and said, "Elana was initially burdened with her father’s legacy. Constantly reminded of whose blood ran through her veins, she slowly lost confidence. At one point, I felt she might just run away. But then...Adrian changed her life."

Annabelle rolled her eyes. "This stupid Darling of mine...always lifting others up even when he doesn’t need to." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Ruby huffed. "Leave that man alone for an hour and see how many butterflies come fluttering after him."

Annabelle nodded, and Ariana silently agreed.

The three women fell silent until Adrian called out, "What’s with the long faces? Today is supposed to be about laughing and talking."

They all turned to look at him before Ruby asked quietly, "He...recently told me about Raven."

Turning to Ariana, she asked softly, "How did you react when you learned about her?"

Ariana asked back, "I’m curious to know your reaction, considering Annabelle accepted it quite calmly."

Ruby smiled wryly. "Shocking, wasn’t it?"

Ariana nodded in agreement, making Annabelle groan. "Whaaat? She’s an exception."

Ruby exhaled and said, "Well, I was upset. But then he told me about her significance in his life...what she once was to him. And the fact is, he wasn’t asking whether she could be part of the family. He was ready to convince me rather than to rethink his decision."

Ariana snorted. "Of course. He did the same with me."

Ruby’s brows lifted. "You agreed, I assume?"

Ariana shrugged. "I would’ve taken some time, but I know myself better than anyone. Sooner or later, I would have yielded. I just saved him from needless worry."

Annabelle scoffed. "Easy woman."

"Says you?" Ariana shot back.

Ruby sighed. "I don’t even have the right to be upset...we’re just engaged in name."

Ariana tilted her head. "Oh yeah? If he truly thought of you as nothing more than a friend and a fake fiancée, he wouldn’t have bothered telling you about Raven in the first place."

Ruby lowered her head, her chest filling with complicated thoughts.

She wanted to ask—if he didn’t see her as just a friend, then what was she to Adrian? But she refrained. Instead, she asked,

"Have you ever seen Raven before? What does she look like?"

Annabelle crossed her arms. "I’ve talked to her a few times. She has a nasty personality. Always trying to seduce Darling."

Ariana hummed. "Truth be told, I’m quite curious as well."

Ruby glanced at the silver-haired woman. "What do you say?"

Ariana grinned before calling out, "Adrian."

The brown-haired man, busy grilling meat, looked up and met Ariana’s gaze. "Yes?"

Ariana tilted her head. "This is supposed to be a family day, isn’t it? But someone’s missing, don’t you think?"

Adrian blinked as realization dawned on him.

He hesitated before asking, "Who...exactly are you talking about? I’d like to hear the name, just to be safe."

Ariana’s eyes narrowed. "You have more than one person in mind? Of course I’m talking about Raven."

Adrian chuckled aloud as all three women narrowed their eyes at him.

After a brief pause, he asked, "Really? Should I try inviting Raven?" He advanced towards the three and said, "While Annabelle knows her...wouldn’t it be awkward for you two? I don’t want to make things difficult."

Today, it was supposed to just relax. While he wanted all of them to meet each other, it didn’t have to be today.

However, "It’s fine, Darling. I think Raven also deserves to relax for a day." Annabelle spoke in a warm tone.

Ruby nodded, "I don’t mind at all. Rather, I am quite eager to see the woman who has seduced you so easily." There was a sarcastic edge to her voice which said she wasn’t wary of Raven.

Adrian turned towards the silver head and heard her saying, "We have to meet sooner or later. And given we all remain busy most of the time, why not use this day to just greet each other?"

Adrian smiled in response and glanced at everyone.

Receiving their genuine agreement he said, "Alright, I will ask her."

As he happily texted Raven the three women felt a little troubled.

They weren’t wary, rather cautious of Raven.

She was once Adrian’s wife and held a significant position in his life.

If she turns out to be breathtakingly beautiful, they surely would lose some confidence.

But that was a trivial matter.

They honestly wanted to meet the only woman who once was Adrian’s haven.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please drop a comment