A/N:- My dear readers, if you find Amanda’s mother’s name, comment so I can change it.
....
Amanda was the first to greet him near the door, and it helped more than she realized. Seeing a familiar face before stepping into what was bound to be a tense conversation had a way of calming the nerves.
"You look great. This is the same white shirt we bought that day, isn’t it?" Amanda asked, hugging his arm as she led him inside.
Kyle nodded. "Yeah. You liked it, so I decided to wear it for a special occasion."
Amanda beamed. "That’s so sweet of you. Come on, Mom can’t wait to see you."
Kyle nodded, and the two walked side by side into the reception area.
The house was enormous, as expected. As the main residence of Patriarch Maylith, it was every bit as grand and luxurious as one would imagine.
They followed a soft carpet until they reached the dining area, where Miss Maylith was busy giving instructions to the maids.
"Mom!" Amanda called.
The lady turned, and the moment she spotted the young man beside her daughter, a warm smile spread across her face.
"Ah, you finally gave my little Amy’s feet some rest," she said, stepping forward to give Kyle a brief hug.
Kyle chuckled. "Was she walking around waiting for me?"
As they pulled apart, Martha let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head.
"I was this close to scolding her. I lost count of how many times she walked outside just to check if you’d arrived."
Kyle laughed while Amanda let out an embarrassed groan.
"Mom, you didn’t have to tell him that."
Martha huffed. "How could I not? Who else am I supposed to complain to about your childish behavior?"
Amanda hugged Kyle’s arm again and pouted.
"Blame him for spoiling me so much."
Kyle could only smile helplessly as he found himself caught between the mother and daughter.
Shaking her head with a fond smile, Martha said, "Anyway, Kyle, come. Let’s sit down and chat."
Kyle nodded before extending a small paper bag toward her.
"Um... I brought this for you."
Martha’s eyes lit up as she noticed the neatly wrapped gift inside.
"You really didn’t have to," she said, though the excitement in her voice betrayed her words.
Kyle smiled awkwardly.
"It’s nothing special, so please don’t get your hopes up."
Amanda giggled.
"It doesn’t matter. Even if you wrapped a bunch of stones as a gift, she’d still be excited to open it."
Martha didn’t even bother denying it.
Instead of opening the gift immediately, she led the two of them toward the reception area.
Once they were seated, Martha smiled and asked, "So, Kyle, how’s your new life as a Nightwalker?"
Kyle let out a thoughtful hum.
"It’s been chaotic, I have to admit. But I’m never bored, so... yeah, it’s been nice," he answered honestly.
Before being introduced to the Aether World, his life had been shrouded in darkness, with no clear path ahead.
Everything around him had been falling apart, yet he had done nothing to hold it together.
Until he decided to end his streaming career.
That single decision had rattled quite a few people.
"I’m glad to hear that," Martha said. "During her early days, Amanda used to complain all the time. She’d cry about having to wake up so early every morning or train for hours without a break."
Kyle chuckled.
"I can definitely picture her doing that."
Amanda pouted.
"I didn’t cry. I was just annoyed by how strict the academy was. And Kyle, I should remind you that despite not always wanting to train, I was still one of the academy’s best students."
Kyle nodded with a smile.
"I know that, Amy. I’ve fought alongside you enough to know you never skipped the basics."
During the resort incident, Kyle had spent a few moments observing the battlefield from the sidelines.
Apart from Layena, if there was anyone who had faced that overwhelming horde without flinching or showing even a hint of despair, it was Amanda.
She might not possess the flashiest arsenal of spells, but her courage alone made her shine the brightest.
Martha watched the two with quiet satisfaction.
Listening to Amanda talk about Kyle every day was one thing, but seeing the young couple so completely absorbed in each other’s company filled her with a reassuring sense of peace.
After a brief pause, Martha rose to her feet.
"I’ll go bring us something to drink."
The moment she walked away, Amanda scooted closer and buried her face against Kyle’s shoulder, taking in a deep breath.
"Wah... what is this amazing fragrance? It smells so good."
Kyle chuckled.
"Behaving so shamelessly. We’re not in your room right now, silly girl."
Amanda puffed out her cheeks.
"What’s wrong with flirting with my future h-husband?"
Kyle barely managed to suppress his laughter. She was blushing so intensely while trying to sound confident that the effort had the opposite effect.
She had even stuttered while saying it.
Shaking his head with an affectionate smile, he gently took her hand and pressed a kiss against the back of it.
Looking into her eyes, he smiled.
"Have I told you how beautiful my dearest looks today?"
Amanda’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.
"No, you didn’t."
Kyle grinned.
"Absolutely breathtaking. You wore black on purpose so I’d keep looking at you all day, didn’t you?"
Amanda immediately looked away, her reaction telling him he had guessed correctly.
Kyle let out a helpless sigh.
"You can’t do this, babe. What would your father say if he caught me stealing glances at you?"
Amanda huffed.
"The only person allowed to steal glances at me is you, so I’m sure he’d understand."
Kyle could only shake his head.
She was far too adorable.
A girl this cute deserved countless kisses and cuddles.
Just then, the front door opened, followed by the sound of several pairs of footsteps entering the house.
Amanda and Kyle stood up.
"It must be Father," Amanda said.
Kyle drew a slow breath, mentally preparing himself to face the man.
Meeting him last time had been much easier.
Back then, Kyle had been representing Clan Astortia, and he had convinced himself that Patriarch Maylith was unaware of his relationship with Amanda.
This time, however, there was nothing left to hide.
He wasn’t here as a guest from another clan or as a fellow Nightwalker.
He was here as Amanda’s boyfriend.
That meant first impressions no longer mattered. What mattered now was proving that he was worthy of standing beside her.
Taking a quiet breath, Kyle straightened his posture before following Amanda toward the entrance.
Standing by the doorway was a familiar man, the one who held the greatest authority within the clan.
Maylith Hades.
Even with his composed expression, the pressure he carried was unmistakable. His mere presence commanded respect without the need for a single word.
Yet, what truly caught Kyle off guard wasn’t the patriarch himself.
It was the elderly man walking beside him.
"Ah, Gramps?!" Amanda exclaimed, her eyes widening before a bright smile blossomed across her face.
Without the slightest hesitation, she hurried toward him.
The old man chuckled, spreading his arms just in time to catch his granddaughter in a warm embrace.
"Easy now, my dear," he laughed. "Your grandpa was just on the verge of getting beaten up by an angry crowd. If you tackle me like this too, I might not survive the day."
Despite his teasing, he held Amanda close, his wrinkled face softening into a smile filled with unmistakable affection.
Kyle’s face turned deathly pale.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
"What do you mean by that?" Amanda asked in alarm. "Who dared to beat you?"
The old man let out a weary sigh.
"There was a young girl on the train suffering from a berserk Nightmare. I thought I’d quietly remove it without drawing attention." He rubbed the back of his head helplessly. "Unfortunately, some fool mistook me for a molester. Before I knew it, the entire compartment was glaring at me. They cursed me from head to toe, and a few hotheaded youngsters even looked ready to throw punches."
Kyle felt the blood drain from his face.
His breathing grew shallow.
Hades frowned.
"You shouldn’t have traveled by public transport in the first place." His expression remained stern as he added, "Fortunately, it never turned violent. Otherwise, cleaning up the aftermath would’ve been troublesome."
The old man gave an awkward laugh.
"I know, I know. I only wanted to avoid attracting attention."
Kyle silently lowered his head.
He suddenly found the floor incredibly fascinating...
But that didn’t work for long.
"Ah, gramps. Meet my boyfriend, Kyle."
The old man finally turned towards the person she was pointing to.
And the world took a deep breath at that moment.
"You....!!"
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Remember? The girl was panting and looked pale? Turned out she wasn’t scared of the possible molesting after all.