Chapter 234: Precious Moments and Visitors
Though he felt a little selfish, when he asked to sleep together, Albe surprisingly agreed without hesitation.
"Am I okay? Want me to call that guy over?"
The "guy" Albe mentioned was probably Iseul.
It wasn’t that Qiong Xing didn’t accept him, but he clearly hadn’t fully come to terms with Iseul yet.
"No, you’re fine."
With Iseul, he felt restless in a different way.
Albe couldn’t be held like he was by Leander and the others, so he asked to hold hands instead.
Slowly, the earlier flutter of restlessness faded.
"Here, make sure the blanket’s up to your shoulders. The twins will be fine. I don’t really understand it, but Lian is attached to Naz, and Rui and Yue are being taken care of by that old couple over.
Iseul’s presence seemed to disappear entirely from his mind.
"I’m... really lucky, huh. Albe, tha...nk you... I... love... you..."
He surrendered to the drowsiness washing over him and let himself drift off.
...
Listening to the soft and steady breaths of Qiong Xing who is sleeping beside him, Albe finally felt a sense of relief.
He had noticed how exhausted Qiong Xing was. Yet there was little he could do for him and seeing Qiong Xing never ask for help with his own needs left him a little frustrated.
"I love you, huh..."
Just those words could make so much effort feel worth it.
When Albe had received the call, he had rushed over, worried that something had happened, only to find that the reason was adorably simple.
Qiong Xing was lonely and couldn’t sleep alone.
Being the responsible person he usually was, this surprised Albe, but he was genuinely happy that Qiong Xing had relied on him.
The warmth radiating from his grasped hand seemed to warm Albe’s very heart.
"I wish we could stay together forever..."
Albe couldn’t help but feel frustrated that Qiong Xing was human.
With such an obvious difference in lifespans, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much time they had left together.
Knowing it was limited made every moment precious and he wanted to do something and anything for him, no matter how small.
"Hey, rely on me more."
Need me more.
Let me stay closer.
He didn’t want to become a guardian or protector; he just wanted to be needed, to be near Qiong Xing as much as possible.
Still, Qiong Xing who loved him as family made Albe want to return that love in kind.
Compared to humans or beastmen, demons were not known for being particularly affectionate.
But that was only among demons themselves.
For Qiong Xing who cared for them so deeply both Cari and Albe loved him as family.
"Caribert said he wants to become stronger."
Caribert had asked how he could protect his mother and Albe had taken the opportunity whenever he could to teach him magic.
Since their elemental attributes were different, it was unclear how well Caribert was doing, but even as a child, he was putting in his best effort.
"Do you understand? Everyone revolves around Qiong Xing."
His mates, those meddling old couple, that former foolish prince, he and Cari, they all did.
That was why Albe wanted Qiong Xing to live.
To live as long as possible.
As promised before, he would watch over Qiong Xing’s children. Yet, above all, Qiong Xing himself was the most important to him.
Different from his younger brother Caribert, Qiong Xing was the one who truly cared for him.
He didn’t need Qiong Xing’s child, just being able to be with him, even for a little while, was enough.
"Rest well for now."
Qiong Xing rarely showed emotion, but recently his usual composure had been slipping.
It had been visible in his frustration with the men who had harassed them before coming here.
Albe wanted him to rest while he still could, and if he could help him do that, he would gladly do so.
As they sleeping together while holding hands there was only joy in that for Albe.
"I love you too."
Though he wasn’t always good at expressing words, now that Qiong Xing was asleep, Albe finally could said that.
He felt a faint pressure in their joined hands as if Qiong Xing had responded in his sleep.
...
He awoke to his name and the lively cries of the twins.
"Qiong Xing, Qiong Xing, sorry."
Iseul whose looking on the verge of tears held the twins and looked down at him.
"Nura?... Ah, it’s mealtime, huh?"
As he sitting up and taking the twins, Qiong Xing gave them their milk.
As they drank desperately, his mind gradually cleared and he leaned on Iseul to help support him while he tended to them.
"That must have been tough, right? Thank you."
"No, it’s fine. Most of it was done by those three... I’m sorry."
His voice was so pitiful that he almost laughed, but he understood that he had done his best in his own way, and he was grateful.
That he could apologize honestly like this was probably progress.
"You did your best, didn’t you? That’s what makes me happiest."
When he smiled and said thank you, he finally seemed relieved and let out a sigh of comfort.
"Once the twins settle down, shall we go out somewhere together? I want to try flying on your back again."
"If it’s Qiong Xing, sure. Where do you want to go?"
"Hmm... somewhere with a nice view... oh, are they full?"
Qiong Xing left the twins with Iseul to burped them, while Albe led him toward the next room.
"Thank you... huh? Naz is here..."
"So you weren’t listening? I told you before you went bed that Naz is watching Lian sleeping."
Qiong Xing vaguely remembered him saying that, but when he half-asleep, he hadn’t fully processed it.
Seeing Lian sleeping soundly in Naz’s arms made him smile.
He seemed to have grown quite attached.
"Thank you. That must have been hard, right?"
"U-uh, no. Q-Qiong Xing was... um, I don’t really understand, but she seemed... happy. I... I really didn’t do anything."