Nikolai knew he wasn’t a genius. His abilities in planning and tactics were greatly lacking compared to his wives, especially Kumiko and Selene. That’s why the mission and planning would be taken care of by his wives with the support of Leona and the other three maid captains.
’There’s ten hours till we head out...’
After the eting with his six captains, he was alone.
Nikolai allowed them to do whatever they wanted until two hours before the mission started. Ryan and Alexei rushed to their other halves, while Seraphina vanished to the practice rooms with the others.
He also sent Leona and the other maids to enjoy their free ti, because they would be the busiest tonight.
"I should go see my mother."
Although he wanted to visit Nikita, it was about ti he stopped avoiding his mother.
He tapped his desk with closed eyes while using his obsidian eye to trace the aura of his mother and father. Once he found them, he jumped off his seat and rushed to the door. "Okay, she’s with dad." Nikolai soon left his office and headed to where he sensed them.
***
Countless thoughts lingered in Nikolai’s mind as he left the main mansion, heading to his father’s private residence. Because the combat maids were off duty, he only saw the non-combat types washing and cleaning along the way.
’The household feels so peaceful right now.’
Near the western canyon, his father’s mansion stood in the centre of a huge garden. The beautiful flowers that filled the Volkov estate all ca from this area.
’So this is Grandmother’s garden...’
Although she didn’t plant them, he learned from his grandfather Viktor about how she loved flowers, and he insisted on having them planted in the compound even decades after she passed away.
A bright flash of blue, red, pink and orange flowers greeted Nikolai, who reached the entrance of his father’s mansion. Several maids tending the garden giggled and bowed to him before returning to cutting the plants amongst themselves.
"I’m here..."
He climbed the stairs and reached the door inside a huge wooden archway.
Bang!
However, the mont he went to ring the bell, the door slamd open, and before he could react, a bear-sized human lunged at him.
"Dad!?"
Thud!
Ivan jumped into the air and blasted Nikolai’s chest with his feet, sending him flying.
"Kyak!"
Nikolai rolled on the ground, spitting out blood as his dad pointed at him with a frown, "How could you make your mother wait this long!" The next mont, he dashed at Nikolai with fists raised.
’Damn it!’
Unlike before, Nikolai leaned to the side and avoided the first blow. ’Shit! He’s serious.’ With a grunt, he swiftly jumped back to avoid his father’s second uppercut using his elbow.
Ivan slid across the ground, with hot steam hissing from his fist that collided with Nikolai’s elbow. "Son, you’ve improved." His low voice echoed through the air, while he touched his chin as if assessing Nikolai’s strength.
"Why did you attack , old man!?"
Nikolai attacked.
He couldn’t lose to his father, and rushed forward with a rapid jab. Ivan’s eyes opened wide as the blow caught him off guard. The two followed up, throwing dozens of punches in rapid succession.
A blow to the ribs, a kick to the abdon.... a kidney shot.
Their moves were almost identical, with each blow, the father and son hit each other in the sa spot as if competing.
Crack!
Nikolai stomped on the ground, cracking the smooth concrete panels.
"Nikolai!"
A shout suddenly ca from behind.
’Hm?’
When he looked back, his mother stood at the door while glaring at him, with her black hair tied up, with curled bangs and a slight frown. "You’ve broken my path!" She darted towards him while speaking, her aura exploding like a raging fla.
’!!!’
She suddenly threw a punch so fast he blinked.
His eyes shimred with a blue light as the world slowed down. He ducked beneath the blow thanks to his blood art. But his mother’s lips curled into a smile as she adjusted the orbit of her fist.
Thump!
Nikolai’s body slid back, dragging the broken stones.
’What!? My Blood Art failed!?’
Elizabeth smiled at him while shaking her hand, which turned red. "How did you beco so hard, you almost broke your mother’s hand." Then she slipped past his guard, gripped his arm and tightened her muscles.
"Mother!?"
"Hah!"
She tossed him over her shoulder.
The mont he landed on the floor, she looked at him with a victorious smile. "My cute son. Did you forget who’s bloodline gave you that power?" She held out her hand, helping him up before she kicked Ivan’s shin. "You should know better, why did you attack him and ruin my garden?"
"...sorry, honey."
"Yeah, yeah. I know you were excited to see our son." Elizabeth hugged the two n with her arms and stood in the middle. "My big wolves, you’ve beco so strong and cute. I missed you oh so much." She spoke with a cute tone while hugging Nikolai closer.
"But why did you avoid so much... did I do sothing wrong?"
Nikolai didn’t know how to answer his mother’s question.
He looked down at his mother with a bitter smile, pretty like he saw in the pictures, but also... a sense of calm overwheld him whenever she was close. It made Nikolai nervous and fearful that he might lose this calm.
It differed from the feeling Nikita gave him, but still sothing he never wanted to lose.
"Hmmm... well don’t worry about it. I’ve seen your cute babies," she smiled to herself, while hugging him tighter. "That perverted werewolf has beco so mature." Elizabeth knew about Nikita’s actions over the past fifteen years, how she snuck into his room, then stripped and would either sleep with him or dance naked.
’She didn’t bring that up... right?’
Nikita would have been embarrassed enough to die if his mother had ntioned those things. It was a dirty secret in Nikita’s past that she would love to forget. Even when Nikolai ntioned them during sex, she would suddenly beco aggressive and bite him.
"When I ntioned it in the hospital the poor girl started to cry."
"Mother!?"
"What?"
Elizabeth’s atmosphere reminded Nikolai of Nagisa, the pure and gentle maiden he had imagined as a child vanished. His mother was quite crude, violent and seed to enjoy making fun of her children.
"Ah... but that cute girl, Nagisa’s daughter called mom. It made shiver!"
Ivan didn’t interrupt when Elizabeth spoke; instead, he seed happy just to walk into the mansion slowly with the three of them still connected.
"Prepare us so drinks and refreshnts." He whispered to one of the maids at the door, who nodded and rushed away with a slightly red face.
’Hmm?’
There was a tingle down Nikolai’s back the mont his father spoke to the maid.
’Was that killing intent...? No... who would show that here.’
Nikolai deluded himself into believing his mother wouldn’t get jealous of a maid. He even turned away from the clear devilish expression on her face as she glared at his dad.
"Mom?"
"It’s nothing... let’s go sit down."
Nikolai followed as his parents ushered him inside, each step marked by the subtle tension radiating from his mother. Elizabeth’s aura didn’t explode anymore, but it constantly pulsed with a dense wave that focused entirely on Ivan’s back.
Ivan pretended not to notice, but Nikolai caught the slight stiffening in his father’s shoulders. Even he wasn’t bold enough to look back.
The hallways of the private mansion were quieter than the main estate. Despite the well-lit corridors and polished floors, the place felt heavier, as though the walls held mories he wasn’t prepared to confront. His mother kept an arm around him, occasionally brushing his hair and twirling the long bangs around her finger.
"it’s wonderful to see you so grown up in person."
They entered the sitting room. Ivan settled on the long couch with a sigh, but before he could lean back fully, Elizabeth grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upright. "Sit properly. We have guests," she said while giving Nikolai a wink and smiling.
Ivan straightened without complaint.
Nikolai sat opposite them, feeling like a child again despite all the battlefield scars and the wives waiting for him at ho. His blood arts, his authority, even his titles ant nothing here. In front of his mother, he suddenly felt like a child again... and sohow it was a good but also complicated feeling.
A different maid returned with a tray of drinks. But the mont she bowed, Nikolai felt the sa faint trace of killing intent flicker from his mother, not enough for the maid to notice, but he did, and he realised why.
The maid’s cleavage was in Ivan’s line of sight when she bowed.
Elizabeth’s lips curled into the scariest smile he’d ever seen, as the room beca colder and she looked at the maid. That’s all we need." The maid’s body shook, and she escaped imdiately like a rabbit facing a fox.
anwhile, Ivan also froze, his hand reaching for his cup.
’I... I have to help dad and change the topic.’ Nikolai cleared his throat. "Mother... about earlier. I wasn’t avoiding you intentionally." To this, his father looked at him with a shocked expression, then quickly gave him a thumbs-up.
His mother imdiately slapped Ivan’s head.
"Idiot."
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