"Jett is gone, Julian can sleep with me now," Karl declared, tugging on Julian’s sleeve like a stubborn kid claiming his toy.
Julian blinked, caught between Karl’s dramatic grip and Ruby’s unreadable gaze. He gave her a helpless look, as if silently asking What do I do now, wife?
Ruby crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"But... brother Karl..." Julian mumbled, clearly torn.
"I—I’m scared of sleeping alone," Karl whimpered, lowering his head and squeezing out two shiny tears. "Jules, are you really going to leave me? Just like that? After everything we’ve been through?" He sniffled, his baby blue eyes shimmering like an abandoned puppy in the rain. "I—I can’t believe this."
Big, dramatic tears rolled down his cheeks.
Milo stared everything wide-eyed.
He leaned toward Ruby and whispered, "Wife... this is emotional torture..."
Ruby narrowed her eyes. "I know."
Karl sniffed harder, sneaking a glance to see if his performance was working.
"You..." Karl started, his voice trembling as he sniffled and looked away dramatically. "It’s okay. I know... I know you’ve been sleeping with wife lately, so probably... you don’t want me anymore, right?"
Julian’s eyes widened in panic.
Karl sat on ground and hugged his knees and buried his face in them like a tragic little dumpling. "It’s okay, Jules... if you don’t want to sleep with me, I can manage. I’ll just... sleep alone. Cry alone. Hide under the blanket and try not to make noise while sobbing."
He peeked up slightly to see if it was working then quickly wiped a fake tear with his sleeve for extra effect.
"I’ll be fine," he added in a choked whisper, "even if I freeze... even if spirts come to eat me..."
Julian looked completely overwhelmed.
"W-wife..." he mouthed silently to Ruby, begging for backup.
Ruby just turned her face away to hide her smile.
Milo, meanwhile, looked horrified.
And of course Julian, ever soft-hearted and helpless against emotional blackmail, finally sighed in defeat.
"Alright, I’ll sleep with you tonight..." he muttered, still glancing nervously at Ruby.
The moment those words left his mouth, Karl’s eyes lit up like the moon during ghost festival. He jumped to his feet with dramatic joy, grabbed Julian, and pulled him into a tight bear hug.
"JULES!!! I KNEW YOU STILL LOVED ME!!" he wailed dramatically, swinging Julian side to side like a long-lost lover returning from war.
Julian staggered, completely squished in Karl’s embrace. "Oof—Brother Karl—too tight—can’t breathe—"
But Karl was already lost in his celebration. "I won’t let you regret this, I promise I won’t cry tonight. I’ll even warm your feet!"
From the side, Milo whispered under his breath, "He said that last time too... then kicked Jules in his sleep and called him a pillow thief."
Ruby watched the scene, arms folded, expression unreadable. But there was a very faint twitch at the corner of her lips.
"Enjoy your night," she said coolly.
And Julian smiled softly though a tinge of sadness tugged at the edge of his lips. Of course, he wanted to sleep beside Ruby, feel her warmth, hear her heartbeat. But when he looked at Karl’s pitiful eyes, that soft voice trembling with fear, he just couldn’t say no.
If he hadn’t agreed... guilt would’ve gnawed at him all night. He knew Karl wasn’t just being dramatic. That witch really had hurt him. Starved him. Beat him. Made him feel like he wasn’t human.
Karl might laugh and cry like a baby, but Julian had seen the bruises faint now, but still there. He remembered the night Karl confessed, voice shaking, that he used to sleep on the floor without a blanket, too scared to ask for food.
He must still be haunted by those memories. By nightmares where he was locked away again.
Julian sighed and gently patted Karl’s head, watching him bounce around like a puppy.
Even if his heart wanted someone else’s warmth... this was something he had to do.
Morning, sunlight filtered gently through the curtains as Ruby tied her hair into a bun, her bag already packed at the corner of the room. She had returned from the company the previous night with a list of tasks in mind and the most important one was their trip.
She had asked Jett to gather detailed information about the Fabricated Fabric Village, which was a five villages away from her location.
But before that, she had a promise to fulfill.
She went home and found Julian sweeping the yard. His hair was tied up in a loose ponytail, his sleeves rolled, and his face glowing in the morning light. Ruby smiled.
"We’re leaving tomorrow," she said simply.
Julian blinked, "Really? Ghost God Temple?"
She nodded. "Pack your things. I’ve already arranged everything."
Later, she gathered everyone in the living room—Karl, Milo, and Adrian were seated on the sofa.
"We’re going to Fabricated Fabric Village," Ruby announced. "And also stopping at Ghost God Temple on the way."
"I want to come too!" Karl said, jumping up.
"Me too!" Milo added, eyes sparkling.
Ruby raised a hand. "No. Karl, you need rest. You haven’t recovered fully. And Milo someone needs to stay at home."
Milo’s face dropped visibly.
"Adrian?" she looked at him.
He adjusted his glasses calmly. "I’m busy at the company."
Ruby nodded. "Exactly. I’m going for work. I’ll be back in a few days."
"But wife—" Karl pouted.
"I’ve already made the decision." Her tone was final.
Julian looked at the others, trying to hide his grin.
He was going to spend time alone with wife!!!
Julian’s heart thumped like a drum the whole evening. It was as if the Ghost God himself had blessed him with a miracle. No clingy Karl. No Milo squeezing between them. No Adrian reading in the corner with cold eyes. Just him and Ruby. On a trip. Together. Alone.
It felt like a dream.
He kept checking and rechecking his bag twice folded his robes and even trimmed the loose threads off his robes. He wanted to look presentable. No, perfect.
Meanwhile, Ruby, though calm on the surface, had her own concerns. Leaving all her husbands at home—together—unsupervised?
A disaster waiting to happen.
—To be continued...🪄
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