Chapter 80: Family Morning

The two girls walked confidently into the dining hall, where Edward was leisurely buttering his toast."Good morning, Dad," Seraphina greeted as she sat.

"Good morning," Edward replied with a smile, but his brows furrowed in confusion as he looked up at her. "Wait—when did you get here?"

Seraphina chuckled as she settled into her chair, while Nancy paused before sitting down next to her.

Then Edward’s eyes fell on Nancy.

The toast slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

"Those scoundrels," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before he settled back down.

Nancy immediately stiffened. "I-I’m sorry, sir," she stammered, lowering her head. "I-I insisted—"

"Relax," Seraphina interrupted, casually taking a bite of an apple. "Dad’s not that scary once you get to know him..."

"Yeah, no need to worry," Edward chuckled, brushing aside her concern. "Just make yourself at home—just like Seraphina does."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean? This is my home."



Edward smiled as he sipped his coffee. "That’s exactly my point."

Nancy concealed her smile behind her cup.

"Nancy," Edward said, placing his glass down. "I want to seek your forgiveness for all I’ve done."

Nancy looked up from her coffee, taken aback. "No, sir, it’s—"

"Call me Dad," he said with a warm smile. "You’re part of the family now."

A cozy warmth filled Nancy’s heart. Family. She never thought she’d hear that from him, but she was surrounded by these wonderful people who made her feel right at home.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Y-Yes, sir... I mean, Dad."

"Good," Edward said, finishing a glass of orange juice. "And you don’t have to worry about anything. Your sister-in-law and Tyson have handled all of your problems."

Nancy blinked, unable to speak. The weight she had carried for so long suddenly felt lighter. "W-What does that mean?"

"It means Albert won’t bother you anymore," Seraphina said, casually munching on her apple. "We all worked together to make it happen—even Dad."

"I did nothing," Edward corrected with a sigh. "You and Tyson are the ones who made this possible. My plan was different." He leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. "I wanted to take care of him personally, but... too bad."

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "You need to get used to this, Nancy," she said. "Our father-in-law prefers fighting to planning."

Nancy froze, her cheeks immediately flushing red. Father-in-law? Was that intentional or merely a slip of the tongue?

Seraphina’s smirk grew wider, clearly relishing Nancy’s reaction.

Nancy bit her lip, her heart racing. The idea of marrying Tyson had always lingered in the back of her mind, but hearing it spoken aloud—especially by Seraphina—made it feel real.

Seraphina chuckled to herself, believing Nancy would be the ideal addition to their family. She could already picture how Tyson would react if he knew just how flustered Nancy was at that moment.

But then again... Seraphina’s own wedding was still far off, and Tyson’s? That was an even greater mystery.

"Dad, I think we should plan my wedding with Alex," Seraphina said casually, sipping her coffee. "How about... in two months?"

"Done," Edward replied without hesitation. "Whenever you’re ready, I’ll bring Alex and personally entrust the groom to your care."

The three of them erupted in laughter, envisioning the ridiculousness of Edward escorting Alex down the aisle as a father typically does for a bride.

"Oh God," Seraphina wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "He’s going to love that."

"He’ll look sexy in a bridal outfit, nonetheless," she smirked again.

Nancy shook her head, giggling. These people... Despite everything and the chaos surrounding them, they still found ways to laugh and love.

In that moment, Nancy realized—this wasn’t just a family she was joining; it was a family to which she truly belonged.

"Morning," Alex yawned as he walked into the dining hall, rubbing his eyes. "Why is everyone laughing? Are you making fun of Tyson?"

"Yeah, we are," Seraphina admitted candidly—then she looked at Alex’s face and suddenly erupted into laughter once more.

"Oh my god, I can’t stop—" she gasped between laughter, wiping tears from her eyes.

Alex paused, his smile wavering. "Wait a minute..." He narrowed his eyes. "Hold on. Are you mocking me?"

"Oh, Nancy, welcome to the jungle, by the way," he said, shaking his head.

Seraphina playfully smacked his shoulder as if she were personally offended. Alex smirked and, in perfect retaliation, snatched the apple right out of her hand and took a big bite.



Before she could object, a loud thud echoed from upstairs, followed by hurried, stumbling footsteps.

"NANCY!" shouted a desperate voice.

Everyone turned to the staircase just in time to see Tyson charge down like a man fleeing from a burning building.

Nancy’s heart tightened. Is he alright?!

"There he is—idiot," Alex muttered, shaking his head.

Tyson threw himself down the stairs, skipping steps in a sheer panic. He nearly face-planted at the bottom but managed to save himself awkwardly.

"I’M LATE—SO LATE!" he shouted, sprinting past them.

He was halfway to the door when Seraphina casually said, "She’s here."

Tyson skidded to a stop so abruptly that he nearly toppled over. He turned quickly, In an instant, his whole demeanor softened upon seeing Nancy with his family.

His panic has vanished. His urgency has faded. He simply remained there, grinning like a complete fool.

"I thought you had left me," Tyson huffed as he approached, still catching his breath. Without hesitation, he gently kissed Nancy’s forehead before sinking into the seat beside her. "I’m sorry—I overslept."

Nancy’s cheeks flushed under the weight of everyone’s stares. She wanted to respond, to say something, but the warmth of his smile suggested he already understood.

Across the table, Seraphina pinched Alex’s arm, causing him to wince.

"What was that for?!" he whispered, rubbing his arm.

She shot him a look and then subtly gestured toward Tyson. See that? That’s how you treat your girl after a beautiful night together.

Alex rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. Then, as if to emphasize his point, he pursed his lips and leaned in toward her with exaggerated slowness.

Seraphina’s eyes grew wide with realization. "Don’t you dare," she warned, her voice low. It was too late.

Alex pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, lingering just long enough to tease her more.

"Good morning, babe," he whispered against her skin.

Seraphina pushed him away, her face flushing. "Stop it!" she snapped, but she quickly regained her composure, determined not to let him see how flustered she felt.

Alex smirked with understanding. "Mhm, whatever you say."

"I heard you discovered a new way to get stronger," Alex smirked at Tyson, crossing his arms. "Do you really believe that after using whatever that is, you’ll be able to beat me?"

"Yes," Tyson replied without a hint of embarrassment, not pausing for a second. "The method can raise at least four power points."

Alex nearly choked on his coffee as his gaze darted to Edward, who nodded in confirmation. Initially, Alex had dismissed whatever experimental enhancement his father and Tyson were working on—probably some desperate gamble. But hearing that it could increase by four power points? That changed everything.

"Dad," Seraphina said, her voice cautious. "Are you really planning to do the enhancement today? We still haven’t conducted any human trials. Let’s try it on someone else first—just to be safe."

"No." Edward’s reply was resolute and definitive.

He rose slowly, his presence commanding as the whole family went quiet, their eyes fixed on him.

"I am the leader of this city, and I will conduct myself as one."

"But Dad..." Tyson hesitated. "It might be dangerous. We don’t know if there are any side effects or hidden risks."

Alex stayed silent,

"Let me go first," Tyson finally said, determination burning in his voice. "I introduced this method, so I’ll take responsibility for it."



Nancy tightened her grip on his hand.

She knew this method was created by her father, and they hadn’t even started human trials yet. The risks were too numerous and too uncertain. Watching Tyson volunteer for something so dangerous made her heart ache with worry.

Edward turned to his son, then to Nancy. His expression softened. "It’s good to see you taking responsibility, Tyson," he said. "But remember—you don’t only have this responsibility."

Tyson paused, puzzled by his father’s words. Nancy, on the other hand, understood. Her gaze faltered as it dropped slightly.

"I am the leader of this city," Edward reiterated. "And I will take the first step. That’s what I’ve learned from my past mistakes."

Before Tyson had a chance to protest, Alex suddenly stood up, his chair scraping across the floor.

"Fine," he said. "Then I’ll go second. Whether I fail or succeed—I don’t care."

Edward calmly watched his eldest son. He understood Alex well—once he made up his mind, nothing could change it. After a brief pause, he nodded.

"Then it’s settled." Without another word, Alex turned and started walking toward his room.

Seraphina watched him leave, completely stunned by how serious everything had suddenly become. Shaking off her surprise, she hurried after him.

Tyson clenched his fists. "Then I’ll go with him," he said, glancing at his father. "we’ll do this together."

Edward smiled. "We will."