Rio found the whole thing amusing, watching as Rose fumed about her mother's love for him.
Layla reassured her, "Don't worry, Rose. Dad loves you more."
As Rose heard Layla's voice, she looked at her older sister with a glimmer of hope and said, "Mom may have betrayed me, but I know Sister Layla loves me more." The young girl declared, her spirits lifting.
However, Layla's eyes didn't support her words, and she gave a forced smile to Rose, mumbling, "Uh, about that..."
"What?!" Rose exclaimed, her face a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. "You also love Big Brother more???"
It was a well-known fact that Layla loved Rio even more than his own parents did, so it was obvious she would have a special place in her heart for him. Asking her that question was amusing in itself, and seeing Layla flustered and caught off guard amused everyone even more. Even Aliyah was surprised by the extent of Layla's love for Rio, considering how close she and Rose were.
Rose slumped onto the table, feigning defeat, as Second Mother served Rio first. The dishes included rice, an array of colorful vegetables, and a creamy square-shaped dessert.
Rio sampled each dish, making sure to offer Rose a taste first, noticing her eyes following the food. The atmosphere around the table became warm and inviting as they engaged in lighthearted conversation.
Rio maintained his calm demeanor, basking in Second Mother's affection. Rose, on the other hand, acted as the energetic and pampered younger sister, while Layla took on the role of a supportive girlfriend, engaging in lively conversation.
As their meal drew to a close and the conversation wound down, Rio said his farewells and left the Havenglow Villa.
With a heart full of warmth and gratitude, Rio made his way back to his apartment with Layla by his side. As he opened the door, he heard some noise coming from the previously empty second room. He walked towards it and saw Nyla setting up her bed, having just moved in.
Her face brightened upon seeing him, and she said playfully, "Finally, you've returned... come... come help your lovely wife, sweetie. This isn't just my bed, but yours too."
Rio sighed but obliged, helping Nyla set up the bed. Meanwhile, Layla just smiled at them and decided to clean the kitchen since she noticed that Nyla was almost done and didn't require much help.
As they finished, the doorbell rang. Nyla went to open the door, and there was someone delivering a large box. Nyla instructed them to place the box inside and set it up. As they opened the box, Rio noticed it was a TV. They placed it on the large wall in front of the couch and did all the setup before the delivery person left.
Rio, Layla, and Nyla settled down in front of the television and they flipped through the channels only to find their recent visit to the school dominating the news headlines.
An enthusiastic reporter recounted the story, "Rio Havenglow and Our goddess Lily were spotted together at Golden Seal Military School earlier today! Students and faculty alike are buzzing about the power couple's surprise appearance."
Images of Rio and Layla walking side by side flashed across the screen, accompanied by excited commentary and speculations.
The trio exchanged looks before collectively sighing.
Rio grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, shaking his head.
Layla said softly, "I guess our little outing didn't go unnoticed."
With a lively smile, Nyla added, "This is why I like being at the castle, away from these nosy people... We should head back to the Empress Villa."
They all nodded in agreement, eager to return to their own home and escape the prying eyes of the media.
The trio used the [Astral Recall] to go back to Empress Villa, exhausted from their recent events on Earth. As it was still nighttime, Rio, Nyla, and Layla all decided to sleep in Nyla's bedroom.
Rio slept in the middle as Layla and Nyla used him as a pillow and fell asleep.
The boy couldn't complain as he let them use him as their comfortable pillow. Instead, he was happy that two beautiful girls were hugging him, and their aromatic perfume worked like a lullaby as he too drifted off to sleep.
The following morning, Lia noticed the trio still fast asleep and chose not to disturb them. She quietly left the empress villa.
When Rio awoke, he saw Layla and Nyla still sound asleep. He freshened up and decided to go outside.
Noticing that Helia had been spending more time in her room lately, he thought it might be a good time for a one-on-one conversation with her.
As he approached her room, he asked playfully, "What are you up to, Lioness?"
Helia looked at him, noticing they were alone, and began to stammer, "I... I..."
Rio had never seen her stammer before, but he couldn't understand why she was doing so now.
"What 'I'?" he teased.
"I was making tea..." Helia finally said, blushing as she finished her sentence. Her nerves were getting the better of her with Rio in her room.
Rio noticed that her hands were shaking as she held the kettle.
He stood up and said, "You should sit down before you break it."
He took the kettle from her hands and motioned for her to settle on the couch. However, the cross-shaped slave mark compelled her to follow his words, even if she didn't want to.
He poured tea into two cups, placing one in front of her and keeping one for himself.
As they sat down to enjoy their tea, Rio remarked, "I didn't think you would be making tea. I've been lucky enough to have your tea in the past, but it's still kind of strange."
"Why do you think it's strange?" Helia found some courage as she asked, looking at Rio with a hint of curiosity. Even though Rio made her nervous, and their bonding was very sensitive, she was a brave girl, so she collected herself to ask him.
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Edited By: TheWhiteSnow
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