One might have expected the two sisters to run to each other, but what happened was that Ingvild nervously hid behind Keith, shedding her tears, whilst her older sister calmly walked towards them.
Ingrid's eyes were fixed on the little girl who was trying to hide from her, and with every step she took forward, her heart accelerated.
She did not doubt who this little girl was. After all, she could smell and sense the same blood in her veins.
The older Carmilla was holding back her tears, and in her mind, she was praying for this to not turn out to be a dream. She knew her heart would not be able to bear the pain that would follow if this little girl in front of her suddenly disappeared.
"Come forward, Ingvild." Keith lightly said as he pulled the little girl by her hand, making her stand by his side and look right into her sister's eyes.
Just a glance was enough to break all of Ingrid's resolve, and she dropped to her knees, finally allowing the tears to pour out.
"You have grown up..." She tried to speak but her voice broke as she cried.
Eight years. It had been eight years since she last saw her beautiful little sister, and she had indeed grown up a lot.
Seeing her sister cry, Ingvild let go of Keith's hand and lunged forward to hug Ingrid, holding her as tightly as she could.
Ingrid too hugged her back, but her hold was much gentler, full of care, affection, and comfort.
Keith glanced at the two sisters and then looked at his little sister, who was brimming with tears. He gently smiled at her and signalled her to follow him inside the Castle, which she obediently listened to.
Ingrid and Ingvild needed some privacy right now, and it was best if they were left alone for some time.
Kiara, of course, had a lot of questions on her mind, but she did not raise even one of them and simply hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Brother." She thanked him for finding and bringing Ingvild home.
"You're welcome." He planted a kiss on her head and then looked at Qingyue and Ayesha, who too had tears in their eyes. "Go ahead, cry all you want."
His words, somehow, helped them gather themselves and get a grip over their emotions.
Had they been holding those tears back in pain that ached their hearts, they might have done what he asked, but these were the tears of happiness, and his words had only made them feel a little dissatisfied.
"Hmph!" Qingyue wiped her eyes and pouted at him, and her action prompted everyone around them to smile at her.
"Minami, prepare breakfast for us."
"Yes, Master." His dear daughter bowed to him.
"I will help!" Kiara announced and then tip-toed to plant a kiss on his cheek before going to the kitchen with her friend.
It has been a while, and she wanted to catch up with Minami and also prepare some things for Ingrid and Ingvild.
Keith excused himself to his room, and Qingyue decided to inform everyone in the family about Ingrid and Ingvild.
Venessa was not in Sameran, and Celine, Sibyl, and Ginara were with her at her Space City.
Everyone else was in the city, and an hour later, the Castle was a lot livelier.
When Keith exited the dressing room after taking a bath, he found Ingrid standing in his room, waiting for him.
Her eyes quivered when she looked at him, and soon became misty, and only when he smiled at her did she walk up to hug him, burying her face in his chest.
"You don't have any questions?" He asked, knowing well that she must have figured out a lot of things after chatting with her little sister.
"No, Master. I am just grateful that she's here with me now." She honestly said.
Keith pulled her chin up, looked right into her amber eyes, and he found there nothing but love and respect for him.
Her heart skipped a beat when he leaned in, but to her disappointment, he planted a kiss on her forehead and not on her lips.
"Kiss me." She requested, and he smiled at her.
"No."
"Why?" She faintly asked as she looked into his eyes.
She could tell that he was attracted to her, otherwise, he would have never let her form the bond of a mate with him. But she never understood why he was holding back.
"If I kiss you then you won't be able to hold back." He playfully said. "It's not time yet."
"Time?"
Keith chuckled and then leaned in again, nudging his nose with hers.
"I will make love to you when you have stepped into the Primal Desolation."
Her cheeks warmed up in blush when she heard his words, and obediently nodded to him, not asking for the reason behind it.
Now that she knew when he would touch her, she was determined to step into the Primal Desolation as soon as possible.
"Go, be with your sister." He ushered her, and Ingrid hugged him again before nodding and leaving the room.
As soon as she left, Rebecca entered his bedroom and then cast a barrier around the room with magic to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on them.
"Did you kill him?" She asked, and Keith knew that she was talking about Qin Feng.
"No." He shook his head.
"He still had nine months, so, how did he just hand her over to you?" She curiously asked as she walked over and then clutched his shirt before tip-toeing and locking her lips with his.
Keith sensed her need in the kiss, and though she had successfully managed to ignite the fire in his loins, he did not give in to his desire to take her to bed.
"Tonight." He promised her after their lips separated, and Rebecca pouted at him but nodded her head.
"So, how did you do it?" She curiously asked.
"Well, I left him no other choice..." He playfully said, fuelling her curiosity.
"How?" She impatiently asked, and Keith told her about the current situation of the Underworld and how exactly he managed to force the Inheritor of Hades to hand Ingvild over to him. "He did not do anything wrong to her, right?" She solemnly asked.
Rebecca knew how the bonds of Pure-Blood Vampires worked, and she had seen with her own eyes how much Ingrid changed after she bonded with him.
She did not believe that Qin Feng held no ulterior motives towards Ingvild. And though the chances of him doing something to the little girl were very low as the Inheritor of Hades could not afford to go back on his promise, she knew that those fuelled with the lust for power could go to any lengths.
"No." He shook his head. "The only harm he caused her was by keeping her from drinking blood regularly. It is not irreversible."
Rebecca narrowed her eyes at his, and Keith was not surprised that she figured out the exact reason why Qin Feng did not want Ingvild to drink blood and quench her thirst.
"He wanted to exercise control over her and make her obedient to him." She grimly said. "What are the chances that he would lose his life in the battle against Nergal?"
"He won't lose." He shook his head, which made his blonde wife frown.
"He's stronger than Nergal?"
"He's strong enough to win the battle, and he could even kill Nergal, but it would come at a cost." He nodded to her, not giving her the details.
Keith knew that he had to keep the truth of Qin Feng possessing the Divine Nirvana Physique from everyone around him. After all, he planned on gathering that Physique for someone in his family.
It was also the reason why he could not let Qin Feng fight against Nergal.
The Inheritor of Hades would undoubtedly have to resort to using the powers of his Special Physique in that battle if he wanted to win, and it would come to light to the other Inheritors.
"I will watch." She suddenly said, and Keith smiled at her intentions.
She wanted to watch the battle and see through the weaknesses of the two and understand their Powers.
Ever since she had awakened her Powers, her comprehension ability had dramatically risen. She was a living nightmare for any enemy, and it was even unfair to the most gifted what she was capable of achieving after all her Powers and gifts were fully awakened.
And by now, Keith knew that his dear wife was blessed by Nyx.
"You won't be able to watch them fight."
"Why?" She frowned. "You won't take me with you?"
"You can come if you want." He smiled. "But the reason why you won't be able to see their fight is that it would never happen."
Rebecca met his eyes, and then she smiled dangerously.
"You plan to kill them."
"Just one." He smirked back at her.
"Who?"
"Nergal."
"Can I join the fun?" She expectantly asked.
"No." But he adamantly shook his head. "You are only allowed to watch."
Rebecca pouted at his words but obediently nodded her head.
She was smart enough to not overestimate her ability, and if he was refusing to let her join the fight, it meant that it was not going to be safe for her.
However, she was happy that she would get to watch the fight. And her heart was at ease too as she could jump in to protect him if something unexpected happened.
"Let's go. Breakfast is ready." He grabbed her hand and then walked out of the room with her.
