Aidan, who was now four years old, had started to show some of his abilities—from walking to running to speaking confidently. as well as he had also developed a habit: whenever he found a book nearby, he would drag it to his mother's bed, point at the letters, and ask, "What does this mean?"—relying on the maids to help him understand. His vocabulary had also grown, allowing him to talk in a way that made him seem more mature for a kid his age.
Sophia, seated at the dining table, watched as her son excitedly pointed at the words in the book and called out, "Mother, how would you pronounce this letter?" She gazed at him fondly, thinking that children his age usually love playing outside. But Aidan had refused to go out, focusing his time on those books. Every time she tried to take him, he would burst into tears. It was only after he turned two and a half that he started to go out a bit. She couldn't help but wonder what had caused this sudden change.
As for the books, it all started one day when Liam, free from his duties, had sat beside Aidan and read him a story. From that day on, Aidan had clung to it, never letting it leave his side.
As Sophia peeled a piece of fruit and fed it to him, she asked, "Do you like reading that much, Aidan?"
Aidan nodded eagerly, his little head bobbing up and down like a chick pecking at the air. While it was now easy for him to understand what people said, reading was still hard—especially because the alphabet of this world was different from what he remembered on earth. Maaya had a different language.
Sophia chuckled at his adorable reaction. Behind her, Lily remarked, "Perhaps we should start his studies a bit early. He seems truly fascinated by those books. Furthermore, his vocabulary also seems better than children his age."
"An interesting thought, Lily," came a voice from behind. Both women turned simultaneously to see Liam standing there. Shrugging off their surprised looks, he took a seat beside Sophia and poured himself a glass of water.
"Aidan, do you want to learn reading?" Liam asked straightforwardly.
"Yes, Father," Aidan replied, his voice cute. Aidan kept his sentences easy and simple—but he was sure it wouldn't take much longer for him to speak as he wanted. He had been slowly but steadily showing his maturity in his words and patterns. Probably in half a year to a year, I won't need to hide as much as I have been hiding, he thought.
"So it's decided then. Aidan's studies will start early," Liam announced, leaving no room for refusal.Maaya, education typically began at five years old."
Sophia opened her mouth but closed it after understanding it was her son's own choice—while also respecting her husband's decision.
I hope you won't regret this decision, Aidan, Lily thought to herself.
"Anyway, Liam, when did you come back from the Dark Forest?" Sophia questioned, her tone concerned.
"Just a few minutes ago. While heading towards the assembly,I thought I'd pass by home to check before going there."
"So what was the conclusion of the investigation?" Lily asked, voicing what Sophia wanted to know as well.
Liam moved his gaze upward as he said, "I don't know," a sense of confusion in his voice.
Both Lily and Sophia's eyes widened as they looked at him. He was fourth ranked being at the pinnacle of human essence—for him to say he didn't understand something was more than just concerning.
Seeing their expressions, Liam halted their imagination. "Whatever is happening is not something that will unfold in a month or two. It will take years, if not a decade." Waving his hand, he continued, "And even if it comes now, I am still here. Unless it involves those beings, I am confident I can handle the situation."
"The unusual thing is that it seems as if mana is gathering in the Dark Forest."
Sophia heaved a sigh of relief. "So it's just a beast tide, then?"
"Could be, could be not. It's still too early to make conclusions. If it's that, then it's alright—but the mana swirling is unlike any beast tide we've seen.The Dark Forest is not something you can take lightly—not even I can take it lightly. Edward told me to keep an eye on the situation if I can."
"Well, anyways, I should go now. I'm already too late for the assembly. I don't want to hear Edward nagging me again," Liam said as he stood up from his chair. He began to vanish from where he stood.
Just before he completely disappeared, Lily asked, "Any news from the different races about the situation?"
As if scoffing, Liam replied, "You know how those guys are. One is too prideful for their good, while the other two seclude themselves in their own worlds."
"I'm not sure, but Edward might raise this issue in the coming conference.Anyways, it doesn't matter. And stop worrying so much—I'm still here."
Liam's last gaze fell upon Aidan as he completely vanished from the room.
Aidan's mouth was open wide as he struggled to process everything he had heard. Dark Forest?Beast tide? Other races? Until now, Aidan had only seen humans, so he never expected other races to exist. But now, he wasn't sure anymore.
His tiny hands clenched. He hated not knowing things. Dark Forest? Other races? His understanding of this world was too paltry.
Even after hours spent in the library, the language in those books was not something he was able to read. If only he could read them... maybe he'd have known about other races sooner.
I need to learn more about this world. Damn it, why can't I just grow up faster? He thought.
Lily, who had heard Liam's words, clenched her fists angrily. "Those damn races... always thinking of themselves. So many lives could've been saved if they'd just set their pride aside."
"Lily, control yourself," Sophia responded, standing up and making eye contact with her. "Anger has never brought solutions—only confusion. That problem is not something we need to worry about. Trust Liam—he will not let harm come to us."
Lily knew what Sophia said was true, but what about others? If only those races acted together, so many calamities could have been avoided.
"I'm heading out, Sophia," Lily said. "I should do some training. It'll help me calm down." She said her goodbyes to Aidan while pinching his cheek.
Aidan grabbed Lily's hand and asked, "Aunty sad?" His eyes drooped, his lips forming a sad expression.
For a moment, her fierce expression wavered. She leaned forward, brushing his hair back gently.
"You're too sharp for your age, Aidan... Aunty just gets loud sometimes when she cares too much. But don't worry—Aunty is not sad."
Her lips formed a half-smile as she vanished from the room.
Sophia was now the only one left as she massaged her temples, her other hand ruffling Aidan's head.
What was it that triggered Aunt Lily so much?Was it the beast tide, the other races, or something else? Aidan thought, but no clear answer came to mind.