"Greetings, Aunt Merisa," Nancy said politely as she stepped forward, the crystalline wings of ice on her back dispersing into tiny, glittering motes behind her. Her tone was respectful, soft, her posture perfectly straight.

"I'm good. How about you? How's your health? I heard about that incident," Merisa said, her voice warm and gentle as her eyes softened. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

Her gaze lingered on Nancy, assessing quietly a motherly instinct almost unconsciously taking over. From what she saw, Nancy seemed completely fine. Her body was strong, her draconic aura pulsing steadily, the once-fractured balance now harmonized. Even her mental fluctuations were smoother ..calmer almost solid, as though she had finally found her own path.

Because of her Virelan bloodline, Merisa's sensitivity to energy was extraordinary she could read a person's emotional and spiritual state with ease. And what she saw in Nancy now filled her with quiet admiration.

Nancy nodded once. "All thanks to Razeal's help," she said, her voice carrying genuine gratitude calm, certain, and sincere.

At those words, a visible flicker of surprise crossed Merisa's face. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes softening as she blinked once, registering what she'd just heard. Then, slowly, a gentle smile formed one that carried both warmth and melancholy.

It was perhaps the first time in years that she had heard someone speak of her son name with kindness the first time she'd heard anyone mention his name without bitterness or shame.

Honestly, it had become a rarity. Hardly anyone dared say his name in from of her anymore. Except for Marcella and Nova, no one even whispered it in her presence as if it were some forbidden word, a curse that might get them in concequences.

But now… hearing it spoken with such calm respect and even thankfulness it made feel something good inside her chest.

Arabella and Marcella exchanged a brief nod of greeting, acknowledging each other in silence before Arabella spoke again.

"We've come to thank Razeal," she said, her tone firm but surprisingly respectful. "For saving my daughter .. for saving her. What could have happened that day… doesn't even bear thinking about. Since he isn't here, I thought I should come and thank you, as his mother."

Her words carried sincerity, not just formality.

Merisa was caught off guard even more so when, without hesitation, Arabella suddenly bowed her head toward her.

The motion was fluid, deliberate, and utterly shocking.

Both Merisa and Marcella froze for a heartbeat, surprise flashing through their eyes.

The Dragonwevr and Virelan families had never been that close. Their relationship had always been tense.. distant, prideful, and edged with rivalry. And with Arabella's wild, fierce personality, something like this her bowing in front of anyone, much less Merisa was simply unthinkable.

Even Marcella's eyes opened slightly, her lips parting a little.

Nancy, standing beside her mother, turned her head to the side, her eyes widening as well. Her breath caught slightly in her throat as she watched the woman she knew best.. her fiery, stubborn, proud mother bow in front of someone else.

The sight left her completely stunned.

She had never seen her mother do something like this before. Arabella was the kind of woman who would rather break mountains than lower her head to anyone. Yet here she was.. lowering her head before Merisa.

Nancy's fingers curled slightly by her side. The shock slowly melted into something else a quiet, heavy realization that settled deep inside her chest.

It hit her that her mother must care for her far more than she ever thought.

Arabella's pride wasn't something she gave away easily. And for her to bow… it meant she had swallowed her own ego, something nearly impossible for her nature.

Nancy didn't say anything, though. She couldn't. Her lips trembled slightly before she turned her head away, unable to keep watching. It was too strange.. too emotional to see her mother like this.

She didn't want to witness it.

Still, deep down, the image etched itself into her heart.

Even if she looked away, she knew she'd never forget this moment.

Arabella stayed bowed for several seconds longer long enough that even the sound of waves seemed to fade around them. Then, finally, she straightened her posture again, her sharp eyes steady and composed once more.

The air between all of them was still heavy with unspoken emotion surprise, gratitude, confusion, pride.. all tangled together in silence.

"No, no… you don't need to do this, Arabella." Merisa's voice softened as she stepped closer, her expression both gentle and firm. "We might not have a good relationship, but your daughter is just like mine ..like anyone's daughter. No one would ever wish for something like that to happen to another mother's child. I'm sure if it were you, and you saw my daughter in danger, you would have stepped up to save her as well."

She sighed quietly, shaking her head. "There's no need for these unnecessary gestures."

Even Merisa, who was usually calm and composed, looked slightly uneasy seeing Arabella bow. She stepped forward, lifting both hands to rest them gently on Arabella's shoulders, her touch light but steady. "Please," she said softly, "raise your head."

Her tone carried warmth a sincerity that came from deep within her heart.

Arabella slowly straightened, the edges of her golden hair catching the light. Despite Merisa's words, she still held a soft smile on her face calm but unyielding.

"Yes, I would, of course," Arabella said with quiet conviction. "And this favor of his… I would never forget it." Her tone was steady, a rare blend of pride and humility that few had ever seen in her.

"There's no need for that," Merisa replied, shaking her head slightly, though the faintest hint of pride lingered in her eyes. "And well, I think those thanks should go directly to him.. he deserves it more than anyone. I've done nothing in this. If anything, I wonder if he might even mind it, hearing that the thanks meant for him were given to me…"

Her lips curved into a faint smile, though her eyes dimmed with bittersweet emotion. "He… seems to hate me for being his mother."

Merisa let out a breath, her tone turning distant for a moment as she gently patted Arabella's shoulder before lowering her hand. "As of now, he's not even part of the family," she said quietly. "I… had kicked him out that time."

Her voice wavered ever so slightly. She hadn't meant to say that it wasn't the right moment for such words but they came out anyway, unfiltered and honest. Maybe, in some way, she wanted to remind both herself and Arabella that she wasn't trying to take credit for her son's good deed. Maybe she wanted to accept the truth as it was.. that he had grown beyond her, apart from her, even if the thought stung.

Still, despite the painful confession, there was a faint, unshakable pride in her eyes a glimmer that hadn't been there in a long time.

Hearing that her son had done something good, something selfless, brought warmth to her heart. For so long she had feared the darkness in him the path he'd chosen before but now, hearing how he had saved someone, that light flickered once again inside her. Perhaps, after all, her son was changing. Perhaps the man she believed he could become was finally taking shape.

Arabella seemed to understand the weight behind her words. Her expression softened as she said, "Don't worry. The favor will be directed toward him." She smiled faintly, a knowing look in her golden eyes. "I told you because I know you'll be going to meet him soon. I thought it best that you be the one to give him our thanks.. since I really can't go where he went. Though I would've loved to thank him personally, I didn't know he would leave so quickly."

Her gaze drifted past Merisa, toward the horizon.. the endless expanse of ocean stretching behind her. The waves shimmered under the sun, rolling with soft rhythm, reflecting the thoughts both women kept buried in silence.

Merisa's lips curved in a small, understanding smile, but she said nothing, only nodding slightly.

Arabella's eyes returned to her, full of quiet empathy. "And… I understand," she said after a pause. "Don't be too sad over how he feels toward you. The actions you took might have been different from how I would've handled them.. maybe even harsher but that doesn't mean you were wrong."

Her voice lowered, gentler now. "It's hard being a mother sometimes. You try to do what's best for your child, even when they can't see it. Sometimes, it makes you the villain in their eyes."

Merisa's gaze softened, but she stayed quiet, letting Arabella continue.

"I believe you can bring him back," Arabella said. "Back to a better place.. maybe even help him forget the scars he's holding onto. You're strong enough to do that."

Her words carried genuine warmth, surprising even Marcella, who hadn't expected Arabella of all people to speak so sincerely.

Arabella smiled faintly, looking off to the side as if thinking back on her own life. "Don't be too hard on yourself for the actions you took," she continued softly. "Because you can see it too.. Because of what happened ...because of those painful choices he's become a better person. If maybe you hadn't done that, if you hadn't been firm with him when you were, then today my daughter's life might have been ruined."

Her tone wavered, a flicker of emotion rising in her voice. "He would never have learned from his mistake. He would've just sunk deeper into it."

Merisa's eyes dropped slightly, her fingers curling faintly at her side.

"What he did, and what happened to him," Arabella went on, "was sad.. yes but that doesn't make you wrong. You acted as a mother should. You might have been strict, but you were never cruel. And I hope… I truly hope he'll come to understand that one day."

The sound of waves filled the silence again. Marcella watched both women, her heart heavier now but touched.

"Sometimes," Arabella said quietly, "accepting the harsh actions of someone who loves you is harder than facing the hatred of someone who doesn't. He's still young maybe too young to see it now. But he will, someday."

Her eyes met Merisa's, firm and sincere. "Don't lose hope, Merisa. And as for you saying you kicked him out of the family" she smiled knowingly, "We both know how true that really is."

Merisa blinked, a small, tired smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Arabella chuckled faintly. "Once a Virelan, always a Virelan. I don't believe you ever truly wanted to push him away. You said those words only to teach him something.. and it seems it worked even if at one point it went very wrong. Still.. He's turning into a good person nosy, someone you can be proud of… as a mother."

At that, Merisa finally looked at her really looked.. and for a moment, both women shared the same soft, silent understanding that only mothers could.

Merisa smiled faintly at Arabella's words, though the expression on her face was complicated. She could feel every word echo inside her because it was the same thing her mind had been whispering to her all along.

And yet, that small smile carried a thousand emotions at once. One side of her heart told her that perhaps her choice back then had been the right one. But the other side the heavier one knew that her son's life had been shattered because of it.

So how could she be happy?

She exhaled softly, the weight of the past pressing against her chest. Her gaze drifted toward the endless horizon, the wind carrying the faint salt of the sea across her face. "I wish…" she said quietly, shaking her head, "I wish I could've found a better solution. I wanted to make him good.. I really did but yes, there would definitely have been a better way. I should've understood back then… what he was going to go through too."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"It will always be my biggest regret. Honestly," she continued, her eyes lowering, "I can never even understand now how stupid that decision was."

Merisa rarely allowed herself to speak so openly about this. Her tone carried a kind of raw vulnerability that even Marcella hadn't heard from her before.

As the two women continued speaking, Nancy who had been quietly listening from the side felt her brows furrow more and more with every word.

Her fingers curled slightly by her sides, her expression darkening as she bit the inside of her cheek. Something in her couldn't bear to listen any longer.

They were talking about him about Razeal as if what had happened had somehow fixed him, made him better, like punishment had been a lesson. But Nancy knew the truth. She knew what really happened.

Her frown deepened as she looked up, her blue eyes burning with restrained anger. She stared at Merisa's calm, composed face for a moment.. and then, unable to stop herself, she spoke.

"I wouldn't say that," Nancy said firmly, her voice cutting through the quiet like a blade through still water.

All three adults turned toward her.

Marcella blinked in surprise, and Arabella's eyes twitch.

Nancy stood her ground, shoulders straight, expression unshaken. "I don't think he was ever a bad person," she continued, voice unwavering. "So saying that he learned from his mistake.. that's a wrong statement to give."

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