"Which was?" Michael asked, his curiosity piqued. This was his sonâs love life after all, he had to know everything about the soon-to-be mother of his future mini baby monsters.
"She loves archery. Although, like me, she is capable of wielding multiple weapons, her heart lies in shooting arrows every once in a while. So, we went to an arrow shooting range. There, we had a small competition to see who could hit more bullseyes, with a few challenges added in to make the moment more interesting."
"Who won?" Collins asked almost immediately.
"Of course, I did," Anthony replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
At his words, the entire family looked at him as though they were staring at a naive fool. Sensing their collective gaze, Anthony cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke again. "I gave her a head start, you know. Besides, the final score wasnât that far apart. The scores were... well, extremely close, you know."
"It doesnât change the fact that you won," Irene interjected with a slight sigh. "Even if you were better, you should have allowed her to win the first round, then let her win another round, and finally take the third. That way, she would have had the best of three."
"It seems love and romance arenât my grandsonâs strong suits," Collins said, shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment.
"Vega is her own woman," Anthony replied firmly, defending himself. "She isnât like other women who might get upset over a meaningless loss. She was lovely and sweet about it, even laughed when I teased her."
"And what women have you possibly met to know that?" Michael countered dryly. "It doesnât matter what you think, Anthony. The fact remains that you should have lost the game, itâs that simple."
Michaelâs tone carried a sigh of resignation, as though he could already imagine Vega breaking up with Anthony by the next morning.
"Letâs just continue to hear about the date," Mitchelle interjected with a soft smile, cutting through the mock tension. Unlike the others, she didnât tell Anthony that he should have lost. To her, if Vega were truly such a small-minded person, then she didnât deserve her son in the first place.
"After that, we basically did normal things. We went to a museum, which, truth be told, I had never visited before. Although, at my current level, I wouldnât exactly call it a museum, since it was filled with Master-ranked and even a few Grandmaster-ranked weapons and artifacts," Anthony continued, his tone both casual and thoughtful.
"After the museum, we visited an aquarium. Vega knows an unbelievable amount about aquatic life. She explained every single fish we saw as though she had dedicated her entire life to studying them. It was a sight to behold," Anthony chuckled lightly as he recalled Vega animatedly describing the creatures swimming beyond the glass.
"Then we shifted our location to another place for our date, an auction," he said, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes. "We caused quite the chaos there, as Vega and I practically outbid everyone for every item that was auctioned off that day. At one point, someone even threatened Vega, demanding that she back down from a bid since that particular item was his goal for the night. Guess what Vega did?" Anthony asked, glancing around at his parents and grandparents, his lips curling into a smirk.
But before any of them could answer, he continued, his tone turning proud and amused, "She placed a bounty on his head for a billion quarks right there on the spot. And just like that, a peaceful auction turned into a slaughterhouse for a billion quarks." Anthony laughed quietly as he remembered the arrogant young master who had foolishly dared to threaten Vega.
Neither Anthonyâs parents nor his grandparents expressed any disapproval of Vegaâs actions. In their eyes, if someone was foolish enough to court death, then bless them with it, there was no need to drag things out unnecessarily.
"This brings us to our final destination," Anthony said with calm finality, his voice lowering slightly as he leaned back in his chair. "The Null Estate."
"You brought her to the estate?" Michael asked, visibly surprised.
Anthony nodded with a small smile. "I introduced her to the maids and guards. I just wanted to show her where I had grown up. But we didnât spend much time there; after a short tour, we left."
Michael let out a long sigh, shaking his head slightly. "Sigh... What sort of parents are we? Even the maids and guards know about our sonâs relationship, and yet here we are, just finding out now."
Mitchelle ignored Michaelâs words entirely, her mind already spinning. They had been so busy that they hadnât even noticed the signs. One might assume that being Supreme Monarchs allowed them the luxury of leisure, but in truth, their schedules were packed beyond measure.
"When can we meet her?" Mitchelle asked eagerly, her voice carrying an undertone of excitement. She didnât just want stories; she wanted to see Vega for herself. She wanted to look into the eyes of the woman who had managed to capture her sonâs heart.
âI should go back to the estate and bring Anthonyâs baby pictures. She would love them, right?â Mitchelle thought silently, already planning her next move with a smile tugging at her lips.
"You can meet her tomorrow, or the day after," Anthony replied with an easy smile. "Iâm sure she doesnât have much on her schedule, and she would probably be just as eager to meet all of you. This would be the perfect time, since everyone is already gathered here."
His words brought a quiet sense of anticipation to the table. Even Collins, who usually kept a stoic demeanor, seemed slightly pleased at the idea. The thought of meeting the woman who had made Anthony smile so openly stirred curiosity in all of them.
"She must be something truly special to make you talk like this," Irene commented warmly, studying her grandsonâs face with a faint smile.
Anthony chuckled softly, his expression warm. "She is. Vegaâs not just strong or beautiful, sheâs grounded. She has this calm confidence that just... pulls you in. Being with her feels effortless, natural. Like she was meant to fit into my life."
Mitchelle exchanged a knowing glance with Collins, both silently acknowledging that their grandson had fallen deeply, hopelessly, in love.
Anthonyâs smile lingered as he looked around the table, taking in the familiar faces of those who had loved him since the day he was born. He couldnât wait for Vega to meet them, to meet his father, his mother, his grandparents, the family that had shaped him into who he was.
The thought filled him with a rare warmth. Tomorrow, or perhaps the day after, Vega would walk through these doors, and two worlds, his and hers, would finally meet.