That night, I returned home using teleportation.
The familiar sensation of space folding around my body lasted only a fraction of a second before the world snapped back into place. The front gate of the house stood before me, quiet and unchanged, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
I couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.
Watching Boris punish Alea had been… entertaining, in a way.
If I hadn't told him to tone it down, Alea might have ended up being beaten relentlessly. Fortunately, Boris only flicked her forehead with his fingers.
Well—
Only a flick.
But judging from the way she nearly collapsed afterward, it must have hurt like hell.
I reached out and opened the door.
"I'm home."
Almost immediately, footsteps rushed toward me.
"Oppa! You're back!"
"We missed you!"
They gathered around me with bright expressions, their relief and happiness obvious.
But there was one person who stood apart.
So-ah.
