Chapter 361: Welcome Home, Big Brother [Castle Bonus]

Stepping down from the carriage, Ruvian found himself standing along a quiet road within Natoris Town, his gaze already fixed upon the familiar house ahead.

The residence of House Castelor.

It had been almost two months since he had last stood here, yet somehow, the place looked almost exactly as he remembered it. Seeing it again caused a strange warmth to slowly rise within his chest.

Behind him, the carriage soon began moving once more, its rattling wheels gradually fading into the distance.

Ruvian remained there silently for a moment, simply gazing at the house while the cool wind brushed lightly through his hair.

And before he even realized it, a small smile had already formed upon his face.

Ever since entering the academy, Ruvian had slowly begun noticing something strange about himself.

The emotions he felt no longer seemed like something merely borrowed from the original Ruvian Castelor, and there was no longer any clear boundary separating what belonged to him and what belonged to this body.

At some point, this body had simply begun to feel entirely like his own.

If that was truly the case, then what exactly was this feeling stirring inside him now?

Why did his chest feel strangely light just from seeing this house again, and why was there this quiet sense of comfort drawing him toward it?

Was that feeling truly his?

Or had the memories and emotions left behind by Ruvian Castelor gradually intertwined with his own until there was no longer any distinction between them?

Perhaps, without even realizing it, the two of them had already become something that could no longer be separated.

After standing there for another moment, he finally began making his way toward the house.

He had not told anyone that he would be returning today, so he was already looking forward to seeing the expressions on their faces when he suddenly appeared at the door.

"I wonder how they’re going to react."

*****

Reaching the front door, Ruvian stopped with his hand already halfway raised. For some reason, he drew in a slow breath and held it there for a brief moment.

Then, with the small smile still lingering on his face, he knocked.

Knock, knock.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, the sound of small footsteps hurriedly approached from inside.

"Coming~!" a young girl’s voice called out from behind the door.

Ruvian’s smile widened slightly the moment he recognized Ciela’s voice.

"Ciela, what did I tell you about opening the door by yourself?" another voice quickly followed, carrying the warm yet weary tone of a mother who had dealt with the same thing for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Honestly, this child... you should at least ask who it is first before you..."

Her words abruptly came to a halt as the door began to open.

Standing in front of Ciela was a woman whose youthful beauty had barely changed from what he remembered, with soft features that bore such a striking resemblance to his own.

Her blue eyes met his, then slowly widened until Ruvian could clearly see his own reflection within them.

For a moment, his mother did not move at all, her lips slightly parted as she simply stared at him. Ruvian felt something tighten gently within his chest, yet the smile on his face never faded.

"I’m home, Mom."

Her expression broke at once.

Before Ruvian could even react, she rushed forward and wrapped both arms tightly around him. His eyes widened as his body shifted back slightly from the sudden force, one hand left hanging awkwardly in the air.

Then, feeling just how tightly she was holding him, his expression gradually softened.

"Mom...?"

She said nothing at first, merely holding him even tighter. After a brief pause, Ruvian slowly lifted his arms and returned the embrace.

Then, she whispered quietly.

"Haa... why do all of my children always make me worry?"

Ruvian simply let out a small, helpless smile.

"Whaat~? I was included in that list too? I thought it was only Ciela," Ruvian said while still holding her.

His mother let out a soft chuckle before finally loosening her arms around him.

"You’re the one who made me worry the most," she said with a broad smile, though her eyes were already beginning to grow slightly teary. "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back already? Have you eaten yet? I could have prepared something if you had told me sooner."

Ruvian gave her an apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry, Mom. The test ended earlier than expected, so I didn’t really expect to come back this soon either," he replied. "And no, I haven’t eaten yet. It’s fine, though. I can just have some leftovers."

His mother immediately pouted.

"What do you take your mother for?" she said before reaching up and gently tugging at his cheek.

"I’ll cook something for you."

Just then, Ciela slowly peeked out from behind her mother, half of her small body still hidden from view.

In her arms was a stuffed chipmunk doll, held tightly against her chest.

Her cheeks were puffed up, and the moment Ruvian looked toward her, she immediately turned her face away with a tiny huff.

"Ruvian Jr. said Big Brother is a meanie~," Ciela declared, squeezing the stuffed chipmunk even tighter. "You left Ciela for so long, and you didn’t even write a letter for her. Meanie!"

She puffed her cheeks even further after saying that, clearly looking angry.

Unfortunately, with her small frame and the stuffed chipmunk pressed tightly against her chest, she looked far more adorable than threatening.

Seeing that, Ruvian blinked.

’Ah, right...’

Now that he thought about it, he really had not written anything specifically for Ciela in his previous letter.

Ruvian let out a quiet sigh before lowering himself until he was closer to her height. Honestly, he still felt slightly awkward doing things like this.

It was not because he disliked it, but simply because acting this way with a younger sibling was something he had never truly been accustomed to.

Still, looking at Ciela’s puffed cheeks, Ruvian found himself giving in anyway.

With a small, resigned smile, he gently tilted his head.

"How about I make it up to you with something?"

Ciela’s pout immediately weakened.

Her eyes slowly shifted back toward him, curiosity gradually replacing the indignation on her face.

"What is it?"

*****

A few minutes later, Ciela’s laughter filled the house as Ruvian carried her on his back. Her small arms were wrapped around his shoulders, while Ruvian Jr. was squeezed between them like another passenger joining the ride.

"Go, go, Big Brother~!"

Ruvian let out a short laugh and quickened his pace around the living room. Ciela immediately squealed in delight, lightly kicking her feet behind him as her laughter grew even louder.

"Hey, don’t blame me if Ruvian Jr. falls off."

"He won’t fall!"

Ciela declared proudly.

She then leaned forward and rested her chin on top of Ruvian’s head, clearly enjoying herself far too much.

"Big Brother is strong anyway, so he can carry both of us."

Hearing that, the corner of Ruvian’s lips slowly curled upward.

’She’s already learned how to sweet-talk people, huh?’

His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued walking.

’Who even taught her that?’

From the nearby kitchen, the rhythmic tapping of a knife against a cutting board blended with the soft crackling of the stove.

His mother was already preparing something for him, occasionally glancing toward the living room. Each time she did, a small smile would appear on her face before she quietly returned to cooking.

"Big Brother, again!"

Ciela suddenly shouted the moment Ruvian began to slow down.

She bounced lightly on his back, refusing to let him rest just yet.

Ruvian’s eyebrow twitched as he glanced sideways at her and adjusted his grip beneath her legs, worried that she might slip if she kept moving around like that.

"You really plan on making me work for your forgiveness, huh?"

Ciela giggled at his words and hugged his neck tighter.

"Hmm~ fine, Big Brother isn’t a meanie anymore, so Ciela will forgive you."

Ruvian let out a quiet laugh, but before he could say anything else, Ciela tightened her arms around him just a little more before murmuring softly near his ear.

"So....

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[Chapter 361: Welcome Home, Big Brother]

Plot Points = 310,000