Chapter 25

When they reached Muren's old house, the couple felt nostalgic around the village block. Across the deep forest nearby is where they have first met each other during the assigned labor work.

This was also where they have shared some intimate and romantic walks together.

Muren felt his heart drumming, he could almost hear it clearly with his ears, banging against his chest. Airen softly slipped her fingers over her husband's arms down to his palms to cool down his heating skin.

"It will be alright," She assured with a mellifluous whisper. "She has always been your mother who loved you dearly. Possibly even more than I could."

Clueless, their two sons were merely anticipating their arrival and marveling at the new surroundings.

Since they have never explored much aside from their village block and the underground, they would naturally be thrilled with some other environment.

They entered the house and gently knocked to state their arrival.

The wooden door slowly slid open and they were welcomed by an old woman.

Muren observed that his mother had gotten older back when he had last left her. They all entered politely barefoot, then proceeded to the living room to rest on the wooden benches.

"It is good to see you again, Madam Lumen," Airen greeted warmly with a pretty smile.

The old woman had only batted her eye away to dodge the daughter-in-law, clearly expressing her determined disapproval.

Muren, despite seeing such a scene a few years ago, seemed to be quite used to it already that he could only sigh and shake his head with disappointment.

Maybe it also helped him when his wife would stay unbothered by the mother's disapproval no matter how harsh the treatment for her could be.

He would only admire Airen more because of such a patient and respectful attitude.

The kids had joined them to rest and giddily paid their respects to the old woman, which they knew was their father Muren's mother.

Coen first took Madam Lumen's feeble and wrinkled hand and slowly touched it with his forehead. Toren did the same and the old woman seemed to have softened by the gesture along with seeing the adorable children.

"We are very glad to see you, grandma!" Coen smiled ear to ear.

"Our friends always spend their time with their grandparents and I thought it must be wonderful to have one!" Toren added.

Madam Lumen seemed quite delighted and flattered with such remarks that she offered the children with the snacks from her shelf.

The kids began questioning their grandma with random things to quench their innocent curiosities.

Meanwhile, Muren stared at his wife's face and saw the satisfaction in her eyes, as if telling the world that she was somehow content with Madam Lumen's acceptance to the children in spite of her disapproval to the wife.

He felt a pang of bittersweet tinged emotion to see such sad, yet blissful expression from a beautiful woman.

Until now, Muren could not fathom the reason why his mother hated her so much that she did not mind her son running away because of it.