Chapter 236 - Lunch with family and friends!

The midday sun spilled warmly through the tall windows of the Valentine estate’s dining hall, gleaming against polished silverware and the spread of steaming dishes. Laughter and chatter filled the long oak table, softening the air with a rare sense of ease.

Luca sat midway down the table, Aurelia at his side, with Kyle, Selena, and Lilliane spaced across from them. At the head sat Darian, silver hair catching the light as he carved through roast meat, while Selene, ever graceful, poured a cup of wine for him with a smile. Lisa leaned forward with childlike eagerness, nibbling on bread rolls as she glanced from guest to guest, curious about each.

The atmosphere was... normal. Warm. Almost disarmingly so. Luca found himself resting back in his chair, letting the voices wash over him. It was the kind of meal he might have dreamed of in another life—one where worries didn’t stalk his every thought.

Then Selene’s gentle voice cut across the hum.

"So," she said, her eyes curving with faint amusement, "tell me—how is Luca in the academy?"

The air shifted, all eyes sliding toward his friends. Luca arched a brow, suppressing a wry smile.

...Is this that legendary scene where parents ask their child’s friends embarrassing things?

Strangely enough, he didn’t feel nervous.

Kyle, never one to hesitate, leaned back in his chair with a grin. "How’s he in the academy? He’s cool. Like, actually cool. Not just smart—though he’s damn smart too. I still remember our first big dungeon expedition." His hands came up, gesturing animatedly. "Professor Emeron was twisting words, lying through his teeth to make us falter. Everyone was rattled—hell, even I was second-guessing myself. But Luca? Calm as a stone. Didn’t flinch, didn’t let a single word get to him. He cut through the act like it was nothing."

Kyle laughed, a rich, careless sound. "That’s when I thought, yeah—this guy’s no ordinary student. This guy’s someone worth following."

Luca hid a faint chuckle behind his glass of water, sipping slowly.

Good. He’s clever enough not to say ’brother-in-law’ here, at least.

His gaze flicked to his parents.

Darian had paused mid-bite, his brows lifting slightly in surprise before settling into quiet pride. Selene’s lips curved into a restrained but pleased smile, her eyes lingering on Luca a beat longer. Lisa, meanwhile, clapped lightly, her face bright. "See? I told you, Mother, Brother’s amazing!"

Heat tugged faintly at Luca’s ears, but before he could react further, another voice came.

Selena.

She set her fork down carefully, her posture poised as always, her voice measured but steady. "We may not have interacted much in the past, but... there is one thing I clearly remember about Luca." Her eyes flicked to him, amethyst irises catching a glint of memory. "When his loved ones were in danger, he caused carnage against the cultists who stood in his way. That massacre still lingers in my mind."

The words struck harder than he expected. The faint taste of food soured on his tongue. Instantly, his thoughts flew to the baby dragon—the desperate night, the fury that had burned through his veins when it had been taken. His jaw tightened. His fists, resting on his lap, curled until his knuckles whitened.

Those bastards...

He exhaled slowly, unclenching, masking the storm beneath his expression.

Across the table, Darian’s hand stilled on his knife. Selene’s brows pinched faintly, though she said nothing, studying her son with quiet gravity. Lisa shrank slightly in her seat, her wide eyes darting from Luca to Selena as though trying to make sense of the weight in her words.

The silence that threatened to stretch was broken by Lilliane’s small, wavering voice.

"L-Luca... he’s..." She hesitated, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her sleeve, her eyes darting nervously across the table. Her voice cracked faintly as she forced herself to go on. "He helped me. A lot. I... I wasn’t very good at making friends. Or... or talking to people. But he tried. He pulled me out of my shell, little by little. And..." Her gaze dropped, her knuckles pale as she gripped her skirt under the table. "When I was kidnapped by the cultists... he saved me."

Her words trembled at the end, but the sincerity rang through.

This time, the entire table stilled.

Darian’s expression tightened, the pride he’d shown earlier tempered now with a shadow of concern. Selene’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes sharpening as she studied her son more intently than ever. Lisa, unable to hold back, reached under the table and clutched at Luca’s sleeve, as though grounding herself in his presence.

And Luca? He sat in silence, the storm of memories and emotions swirling beneath his calm mask. His friends’ words weighed heavily on the air, mingling with the warmth of the meal, turning it into something far more complex than he’d expected.

Aurelia set her fork down gently, her movements measured, almost ceremonial. She brushed a strand of golden hair from her cheek, then turned her gaze to Luca—eyes soft, yet steady with conviction. A smile lingered on her lips, the kind that only someone who had watched, understood, and cherished could wear.

"You know," she began, her voice warm, "Luca has never once turned his back when someone was in danger. No matter how hopeless the situation, no matter how overwhelming the odds... he was there. Standing at the front. Not for glory, not for recognition—but because that’s who he is."

Her words carried a weight that settled over the table. One by one, the quiet chatter, the light clinks of silverware, all faded away.

Aurelia’s fingers curled lightly against her lap, though her tone grew steadier. "He has this way of making others believe they’re not alone. He doesn’t just fight beside us—he makes us believe in ourselves, even when everything around us is collapsing. When he looks at you... you feel like your dreams matter. Like your ambitions are just as important as his own."

Her eyes shimmered as she spoke, catching the sunlight filtering across the table. "And ,everyone knows about what Luca did in the beastridge mountain, for which he was even awarded by her majesty."

For a heartbeat, Aurelia hesitated, her smile softening into something achingly tender. And then, with a sharp edge of conviction that rang clear across the silence, she declared:

"Because Luca is the kind of man who takes despair upon his shoulders... so that others can still hold on to hope."

The words struck deep. The table remained frozen, even breaths hushed, every eye anchored on Luca.

Darian was the first to stir. His lips curved into a bright, proud smile—rare, unguarded, almost boyish. "It’s really surprising to hear about all these things about my own son.," he admitted with a light laugh, though his voice betrayed a note of awe.

Beside him, Selene had gone still, her fork lowered midway to her plate. Her eyes shimmered faintly, emotions flickering like shadows on water. She pressed a hand against her chest, as though steadying a heart that suddenly felt too heavy, too full.

And then Lisa leaned forward, her voice brimming with sincerity. "That’s right! When brother was in the infirmary this time... do you know? Every single first-year stayed at the training grounds. Injured, exhausted—but no one went back to their dorms. Not until he woke up."

Darian’s eyes widened at that revelation, caught off guard. Selene’s breath hitched softly, her fingers tightening where they rested against the table, trembling ever so slightly.

Luca’s face burned with embarrassment. He scratched his cheek awkwardly, looking down at his plate as though the food had suddenly become fascinating. But then his gaze lifted, sweeping over Aurelia, Lisa, his parents—his friends.

They saw him as more than just Luca. They saw the man that he truly is—and that truth burned brighter in his chest than any flame of doubt ever could.