Julian’s tense shoulders loosened slightly at her words, though his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. He glanced at her shyly, still too flustered to speak.
"Do you want me to take you to a healer?" Ruby asked, her brows raised.
"No, no, wife... it’s a small thing... I don’t want to waste money," Julian quickly shook his head, his fingers tightening around the blanket. He was scared inside, worried that if a healer checked him, they might see through his act.
"But why do you always end up in my room?" Ruby narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
Julian immediately looked away, avoiding her gaze. His fingers fidgeted slightly.
Before she could question him further, a loud knock sounded from outside the door.
"Wife!!" Milo’s voice came through, urgent and loud.
Julian let out a relieved sigh, as if saved by fate, and quickly climbed down from the bed. He rushed to open the door, revealing Milo standing there with a deep frown on his face.
"What happened?" Julian asked, straightening his robes.
Ruby, still watching him closely, stepped up behind him and raised an eyebrow at Milo.
Milo hesitated for a moment before saying, "Come with me." He looked at Ruby briefly, his lips pressing into a thin line, before turning around and leading the way.
Ruby and Julian exchanged a glance before following him.
When they entered the living room, Ruby stopped in her tracks, blinking in surprise.
Ethan was sitting on the sofa, holding Leo in his arms. The little boy looked half-asleep, lazily resting his head on his father’s shoulder. Beside him, two unfamiliar ghost sat quietly. They were both strikingly pretty, with delicate features and fair skin. One of them, who had slightly shorter hair, held a small boy in his lap, the child gripping the fabric of his robe tightly as if afraid to let go.
And Adrian wasn’t here, leaving Karl to scrutinize the guests with narrowed eyes. His baby-blue gaze flickered between them and Ruby, his expression shifting between curiosity and something else–something more suspicious.
"Wife! We have guests at home!" Karl announced, his voice filled with exaggerated sweetness as he walked up to Ruby and clung to her arm. "But I don’t know who they are... He keeps saying he knows you very well." His eyes darted toward Ethan and the two unfamiliar ghosts.
Karl’s grip on her tightened slightly.
He was trying his best to appear elegant, despite the fact that he had just woken up. His dark hair was a complete mess, his baby-blue eyes still heavy with sleep, and his robe? Wrinkled beyond saving.
Yet, as he stood there, he glanced at the guests again.
They looked so pretty.
Their clothes were old, but somehow they still looked clean and neat. Even while holding a baby, they had this refined air about them.
How should wife know such pretty ghosts?
Especially ghosts with babies.
His mind whirled, and suddenly, a horrifying thought entered his brain.
What if his wife was planning to take more husbands...? And that meant he was going to have... more husband-in-laws?
Karl swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling an urgent need to fix his hair.
There was no way he was going to lose to those pretty ghosts.
He straightened up slightly, discreetly pulling at his robe in a weak attempt to make it look less like he had been sleeping seconds ago.
Ruby, watching Karl’s strange behavior, sighed. "Yeah, I know him," she confirmed, nodding toward Ethan.
Milo, standing off to the side, gasped.
Julian, who had remained silent, felt his heart sink slightly.
How should wife know such pretty ghosts?
His mossy green eyes darted to the guests again.
Milo’s eyes widened even more.
His hands clutched his robe as he whispered, "What if wife..." He gulped. "...is planning to bring more husbands?"
Julian’s body tensed.
His lips parted slightly as his mind spun.
No... that can’t be... can it?
His gaze snapped back to Ruby.
Julian clenched his fists, swallowing his hesitation.
"Wife," he started slowly, his voice unusually soft, "Can we... talk?"
However, because he had spoken so softly, his words didn’t quite reach Ruby’s ears. Instead, she focused on Ethan, who looked like he was about to stand up.
"No, please, have a seat," Ruby said, walking toward them and settling onto the opposite sofa.
Ethan hesitated for a moment before nodding and sitting back down. "Sorry... we didn’t want to bring the children, but there was no one to take care of them at home," he said, his voice carrying a hint of guilt.
Ruby waved her hand dismissively. "It’s okay! I don’t mind. Are they sleepy? If you’d like, you can let them sleep in my room while we talk."
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Oh my goodness, thank you." He let out a small, grateful chuckle, his smile warm and genuine.
Ruby turned toward Julian, who stood silently near by with blank expression. "Julian, show them the way."
Julian nodded without a word and gestured for Ethan and his friends to follow. The three ghost carefully carried the sleeping babies down the hall to Milo and Adrian’s room. Once they were sure the little ones were comfortable, with pillows placed on both sides for safety, they returned to the living room.
Julian headed toward the kitchen, motioning for Milo to help him prepare something for their guests. Meanwhile, Karl, without any hesitation, plopped himself right next to Ruby, pressing close as if staking his claim.
Ruby blinked at him, slightly amused by his behavior but choosing not to comment.
She turned back to their guests. "Alright," she began, She turned back to their guests. "Alright," she began, "this is Karl." She gestured toward Karl, who was clinging to her. "The one with blue hair is Julian, and the brown-haired one is Milo. They’re my husbands. I have another one, Adrian, but he’s at work right now."
Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise. He had never met a witch who allowed her husbands to work–let alone introduced them so openly . Most witches he knew kept their husbands under strict supervision, never allowing them to have jobs or freedom outside the home.
—To be continued...🪄