Chapter 197: He is the One
Gara hadn’t expected life to corner him like this—to force him into a choice between the father of his children, and the father of the child he now carried.
"How about letting the triplets—no, forget it." Tristan sighed. "Alright, if you truly don’t want to be with him, I won’t push it. Sorry for suggesting it."
Gara’s chest tightened with guilt. "No, Uncle. I’m the one who should apologize. I know you only want what’s best for me and the triplets... but I really don’t want him to know about them."
The truth was, Gara had already been disappointed by that man. When he was desperate—trying to escape from slave party, Satyo’s gang—Langga was nowhere to be found.
That devil man was his first choice because he said that he would be there, but he lied to him. And with the man’s ’Cunning’ trait, Gara had no doubt Langga wasn’t someone he could trust.
"Alright, Gara," Tristan murmured softly on the other end. "I’ll respect your decision."
After the call ended, Gara stepped out of his room with a heavy heart.
The fire lightbulbs in the hall were already dimmed, leaving only the silver glow of moonlight seeping through the windows.
The entire mansion was quiet. Everyone else had gone to their rooms.
He was about to head into his lab to distract himself, to tire out his mind and hopefully fall asleep...
But his steps halted when the door next to his room opened.
Madha stepped out. "You’re not sleeping?" he asked, eyes scanning Gara’s face.
"Not sleepy," Gara answered simply.
The brown-eyed man reached out and pulled him into a warm embrace. "Is it about the Monster Mist? Is that what’s bothering you?"
Madha’s hand gently brushed through Gara’s soft hair, his voice calm and tender.
Feeling that warmth, hearing that caring tone, Gara’s heart steadied. He became even more certain. Madha was the one he wanted to stand beside.
"No," Gara shook his head, returning the embrace. "Probably because I didn’t move around much today. My body’s not tired enough."
They stayed like that for a while, quietly holding each other, sharing warmth and comfort in the silence.
Then Gara softly spoke again, "After the first semester, we’ll have a break, right? What if... we hold our engagement ceremony then? We could invite Yuvika, Orman... maybe even Kian, if we do it in Raksa County."
Madha loosened his arms slightly, just enough to look at Gara’s face. There was a glimmer of surprise in his eyes.
Gara smiled at him.
Madha leaned in, brushing his lips gently against Gara’s. "Alright. Then... how about we hold the wedding right after?"
Gara chuckled. "You’re in such a hurry."
"When it’s with you," Madha said softly, his brown eyes full of warmth, "even today wouldn’t feel too soon."
Gara rose on his toes and pressed a soft kiss to those lips.
He might not be able to promise when they’d marry, but his heart was already his vow. It belonged entirely to Madha.
...
Before dawn broke, the house within the dimensional pocket was already stirring with life.
Gara emerged from his room, dressed in his black Liner robe. A diamond-shaped badge glimmered on his chest—engraved with a single ruby in the center and curling markings around it.
He’d seen others at the academy with two rubies; it seemed the gems indicated student year.
Beneath the robe, he wore a burgundy uniform made of soft cotton.
Soon after, Fian and Madha stepped out of their rooms as well.
Madha’s usual guard-like aura was gone; the uniform made him look younger, but still full of charm.
The three young men walked side by side—Gara and Fian’s robes edged in white, while Madha’s bore a shade of purple.
But no one would even notice the colored hems of their robes, because the combined charm of the three young men was simply too dazzling.
Ares, who had just finished turning off all the lights inside the house, watched them with a hint of envy.
Gara could only sigh. He wished he could help Ares enroll at the academy too, but unfortunately, the young dragon was officially listed as deceased.
After saying their farewells, the three of them stepped out of the dimensional space.
Gara slung his satchel beneath his robe and descended to the first floor.
Outside the house, Yuvika was already waiting with Orman and Kevio. This time, the heir of the Keenan Merchant House stood quietly, head lowered—none of his usual arrogance showing.
His two subordinates, the very source of his confidence, had failed. And though he made it in, his rank was barely above the minimum.
Basically, he was the weakest among everyone here.
The six of them departed for Gyakarta Academy using two carriages, since they had quite a few belongings to bring along.
They’d already been reminded not to pack too much, but what counted as ’a little’ to Yuvika apparently wasn’t the same as what the staff had in mind.
Two large cloth bags and several smaller ones were loaded onto the carriage.
Naturally, Gara wanted nothing to do with that mountain of luggage. He quickly climbed into the other carriage, dragging Madha and Fian along with him.
From their seats, the three watched in silent amusement as Yuvika, Orman, and Kevio struggled to fit themselves—and all their bags—into the cramped space.
That chaotic morning scene was just a small glimpse of what awaited them on their first day at the academy.
Eventually, the carriages rolled to a stop in front of the academy gates. They’d seen these gates before—but this was the first time they saw them wide open, welcoming them in.
One by one, the carriages halted before the entrance. Groups of students, each wearing a badge with a single ruby engraved in its center, stepped through the grand gates.
Inside, several upperclassmen—each bearing badges with two rubies—stood in neat lines, guiding the confused newcomers through the entrance.
Gara’s group was soon approached by one of the second-years—a beastkin student with long, furred ears.
"Names and origins?" he asked solemnly.
Yuvika stepped forward and listed each of their names.
The upperclassman’s ears twitched slightly in surprise. He blinked, then muttered under his breath,
"So the monsters actually know each other..."
...