"Ruby... is that your new husband?"
Ruby blinked once, caught off guard, her expression flat.
Jett’s ears turned red immediately, and he lowered his head.
Karl, still surrounded by his three clingy brothers, whipped his head around so fast it looked like his neck might snap. "HUH?!"
Julian blinked, Milo gasped, and Adrian—well, his eyes narrowed just slightly.
Ruby sighed and rubbed the side of her forehead.
"No," she said firmly.
"He’s someone I rescued."
Angeline raised a brow. "So... not yet?"
Ruby gave her such a sharp look that Angeline held her hands up and laughed.
Jett, meanwhile, looked like he might melt from embarrassment. He tried to step behind Ruby again like a shadow.
But Ruby simply looked at him and said in a calm voice,
"Don’t mind them. They just talk a lot when they’re bored."
And with that, she gestured for him to follow. "Come inside, Jett. You’re part of this house now."
Even if the others were still processing what exactly that meant..
They all finally went inside the house, the morning sunlight trailing in through the windows, casting soft shadows across the wooden floor.
Jett stepped in slowly, his feet quiet, but his eyes wide with wonder.
The house was much bigger than anything he had ever stayed in. The walls were clean, the furniture was soft, and everything smelled like lavender and sunlight—not dust and fear. There was warmth in the way the space felt lived in. Safe. Like a real home.
He turned his head gently, taking in every detail, the small vases of flowers, the blanket thrown carelessly over the couch. It made his chest ache a little. He had never had something .
Julian gently supported Karl, who still looked a little weak.
"Brother Karl, you must be tired," Julian said softly, placing a hand on his back.
"Go and rest for a while."
Karl nodded, his eyes still a little teary and his cheeks red from the earlier crying.
"Yeah... I’m so sleepy..." he mumbled, leaning a little into Julian’s side.
Then Julian turned to Jett, his expression kind, warm—the kind of smile that made people feel like they weren’t alone.
"And you too," he said, offering the same gentle tone.
"You can share the room with Brother Karl, okay?"
Jett blinked in surprise. Share...? With him?
He wasn’t sure if he should accept but Julian had already placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and started walking.
"Come on, I’ll show you the room."
Karl trudged ahead like a sleepy cat, and Jett followed behind them slowly, his heart still unsure but there was a flicker of something soft in his chest.
After gently tucking Karl and Jett into bed, both of them half-asleep already, Julian stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Just as he turned the corner into the hallway, he heard a soft, familiar voice from the living room.
"Wife... you don’t like that ghost, right?" Milo’s voice was quiet, almost whispery, with that innocent baby tone he used when he was feeling unsure. "He looked prettier than me..."
Ruby, who was sitting on the edge of the couch with a warm towel around her neck, looked up and sighed with amusement. "No, silly," she said gently, reaching out to flick Milo’s soft brown hair that was flopping messily over his forehead.
"I don’t like him. He has nowhere to go, so I said I’ll give him work. That’s all."
Milo’s lips puckered as he looked down at his feet.
"Like me? I didn’t have anyone too..." His voice dropped even softer. "Wife, you’re so kind..."
Ruby chuckled, her eyes softening as she flicked his forehead lightly. "Silly Milo baby," she said with a smirk.
"You have me, Julian, Karl, and Adrian. You’re not alone anymore."
Milo’s face lit up immediately, his lips spreading into a happy grin. "Hehe! Yeah! You’re right! I have a big family now!"
Ruby leaned back with a tired sigh. Then she narrowed her eyes at him, noticing something.
"Tell me, why aren’t you sleeping yet? Those dark circles under your eyes are as big as the moon."
Milo giggled, rubbing under his eyes shyly. "Umm... I was worried... I’m sorry for making you worry too!" he said, bowing his head dramatically.
Ruby raised a brow, then leaned forward and poked his cheek gently. "You don’t have to be sorry, baby. But go take a nap now, alright? You’ll feel better after rest."
Milo nodded, about to turn away, but then he looked back at her, blinking innocently.
"But wife... you have dark circles too!" he said with a pout. "You should take rest too!"
Ruby smiled and stood up, ruffling his hair as she walked past him toward the hallway.
"Alright, alright. We’ll both rest. Deal?"
"Deal!" Milo beamed, following her like a sleepy duckling.
And for a moment, everything felt peaceful again.
Ruby’s gaze shifted to the side, where Adrian was still quietly standing, arms crossed, his eyes lingering faintly in the background like a shadow that watched over them all.
"Adrian, you should take rest too..." she said gently, her voice softer now.
Adrian blinked and nodded once, his gaze flickering to Ruby’s face for a split second—long enough to catch the exhaustion in her eyes, the faint tiredness pulling at the corners of her mouth. Then he looked away and muttered,
Without another word, he turned and walked off silently with Milo, who waved sleepily as he trailed behind like a little duck, still smiling from their earlier talk.
Ruby stood there for a moment in the now-quiet living room. The warm sun light spilled in through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor.
And then, from around the corner, Julian appeared.
His movements were quiet, graceful. His soft blue robe rustled faintly with every step, and his gentle eyes immediately found hers.
Ruby didn’t say anything at first. She just looked at him, really looked and saw everything written in his face:
The worry he carried.
She stepped toward him, and before Julian could say a word..
She pulled him into a tight hug.
Julian blinked in surprise, his breath catching.
His arms stayed frozen for a second before he slowly wrapped them around her, burying his face in her shoulder, his cheeks flushed red, his heart pounding like it couldn’t believe this was real.
"...You shouldn’t take more stress," Ruby murmured softly into his ear, holding him close. "It’s okay now. He’s safe."
Julian didn’t answer.
He just closed his eyes and hugged her tighter... like it was the only place in the world where his heart felt steady again.