"What serum are you referring to, dear?" I raised my eyebrow, slightly intrigued. Prilly's face turned even redder as everyone followed my gaze towards her. As if representing Prilly, Mara stood up and explained that they were talking about a blood serum that could make our kind to be immortal.
"Where did you learn about this serum, Mara?" Timothee inquired with a furrowed brow, his curiosity piqued by the mysterious nature of the conversation.
"From a weathered tome filled with ancient legends," Mara replied nonchalantly, her eyes gleaming with a hint of secret knowledge as she settled back into her chair.
"You shouldn't delve into such arcane knowledge at your age; the foundations are what matter most," Timothee cautioned, his tone tinged with concern. Glancing at Prilly, he added, "Prilly, perhaps it wasn't wise to divulge this information."
"I apologize, Lycan," Prilly said softly as she lowered her head, feeling a tinge of disappointment wash over her. She hesitated for a moment, contemplating her words before continuing. "But it is said that this serum was created by a powerful witch centuries ago. It's rumored to grant eternal life and unlimited power to those who consume it."
The room fell into silence as everyone processed this information. The idea of immortality and ultimate power seemed enticing, but at what cost? Timothee spoke up again, breaking the stillness.
"You can discuss this, but don't investigate on your own without my supervision. Rogue would be very interested in finding out about that serum too," Timothee continued. "Now, let's focus on our training. Our strength and abilities are what truly matter in this world."
We all nodded in agreement, knowing that our leader was right. While the idea of immortality may seem appealing, it could also bring dangerous consequences if pursued without caution.
"Sleep, children. Tomorrow morning, core training will begin." Timothee smiled and got up, carrying the dirty plates to the sink.
The children groaned but obediently headed off to bed, knowing that Timothee meant business when it came to their training. As they drifted off to sleep, they couldn't help but feel excited for the challenges that awaited them in the morning.
I approached Timothee, who was washing the dishes without complaint. "Why are you doing that?"
Timothee looked up from the sink, a small smile playing on his lips. "I just wanted to help out a bit," he replied casually. "Plus, it's kind of therapeutic for me."
I whispered in surprise as I assisted him in clearing the plates and placing them in the dish rack, "I just discovered that a well-known Lycan such as yourself, known for their cruelty, is actually willing to help with household chores."
"What's wrong with doing this job?" Timothee asked back.
"I muttered under my breath, 'This job is so menial."
Timothee laughed. "Do you think something like this is beneath you, Mrs. Hemsworth?"
I couldn't help but smile at his use of my married name. "No, not at all. It's just not something I'm used to."
"Well, get used to it," Timothee replied with a wink.
As we finished up the dishes, we continued our conversation about our mating event. We returned to the mansion together while discussing it. Asher and Sawyer, who were already full and sleepy, were escorted to their rooms by Fae Aurora, while we went to our respective rooms.
Around 3 in the morning, I felt a strange movement beside me. It made me turn and I was surprised to find Timothee dropping down there.
Timothee's sudden appearance startled me, and I could see the mischievous glint in his eyes even in the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains. He held a finger to his lips, signaling for me to be quiet as he tiptoed closer. Without a word, he handed me a folded piece of paper, his expression a mix of excitement and secrecy.
Curiosity piqued, I unfolded the paper to find a hastily scrawled message: "Meet me in the garden at dawn. Trust me, you won't want to miss this."
With a silent nod, Timothee vanished into the shadows, leaving me with a sense of curiosity.
Reluctantly, I ended up searching for my cloak that I carelessly threw away when I returned from the orphanage. Putting it on in a flash, I hurried to tail Timothee, who had already disappeared in the mansion's corridors.
The garden Timothee referred to was a garden located in the middle of the mansion's backyard. There was a gazebo there with a transparent roof that could reflect the moonlight into it.
"Why did you suddenly bring me here?" my question became clearer as he turned and smiled mischievously.
"Look at those snowdrop flowers. Like blooming snow in the morning," Timothee spoke.
"Oh, yes. They're sparkling," I approached.
"According to legend, snowdrops symbolize hope and courage to face an unforeseen future," Timothee spoke enthusiastically. I felt embarrassed for underestimating his knowledge.
I smiled and nodded in agreement, listening attentively to Timothee's explanation about snowdrop flowers.
"I invited you here because I wanted to show you the sunrise earlier. It usually looks very beautiful from here because of the glass reflection here. But it seems we can't today because the sky is overcast," Timothee pointed to the gazebo next to us.
I sat beside him and gazed at the neatly arranged snowdrop flowers in the garden.
"I hope the clouds will disappear in three minutes," I mumbled. Timothee raised his eyebrow; it seemed like he was used to my quirks.
"What if it remains cloudy?" Timothee turned to me.
"It's okay, there's always tomorrow. We can come again to watch the sunrise together," I replied with a smile.
We sat in the gazebo and enjoyed the peaceful dawn atmosphere. We talked about everything, from flowers to how Timothee came up with the idea of rescuing abandoned rogue children.
"To be honest, at first, I didn't believe you were that good, Timmy. I thought they were right that you were very cruel," I rubbed my knee.
"Who said I was very cruel?" Timothee asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Many people have stated that. But I was very surprised to find out that you are a Lycan who runs an orphanage, not a ruthless Lycan," I answered honestly.
Timothee smiled and nodded. "Lycan... are all Lycans very cruel? Lycans are also humans, right? Why are Lycans always portrayed as monsters? In fact, they also have hearts and feelings like other werewolves."
I nodded in agreement. "There are so many negative prejudices about supernatural creatures, whereas in reality, they are not much different from ordinary humans. In fact, they often have kinder hearts."
"When we get married in the future, many things will happen, Barby. Are you ready?" Timothee's eyes stared at me with certainty.