"Mm..." Adrian mumbled softly as he stirred from sleep.

Frowning slightly, he blinked his eyes open and noticed his left arm had gone numb.

Sunlight streamed in through the small gap in the curtains, making him squint.

He let his eyes adjust before glancing down at the person lying beside him.

Ariana was still fast asleep, her head resting on his arm and her hand placed gently on his chest. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed in a steady rhythm.

Just seeing her made his morning feel brighter.

Carefully, he slid out from under her and laid her head on the pillow.

He walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a pair of shorts to wear.

It was the weekend, so there were no classes. Still, he had promised Thalia a tutoring session, so he'd have to leave in about an hour.

Crossing the room, he poured water into the kettle sitting on a small shelf and placed it on top of the artifact stove he had built a few days ago. It worked well and let him control the heat precisely.

As the water began to warm, he reached for the coffee pouch on the nearby shelf—but paused when his gaze drifted to the mirror across the room.

Turning to look at his reflection, he noticed several faint red marks on his neck and chest.

Ariana had been... quite passionate last night. Bold and demanding. She didn't stop until nearly dawn, and the moment they did, she fell asleep right away.

Adrian chuckled softly, remembering how she mumbled in her sleep afterward.

'Adorable,' he thought, stealing a quick glance at her before returning to the kettle. He placed a tablespoon of coffee into each cup.

He had made this coffee blend himself—selecting just the right coffee beans.

As he prepared the coffee, he suddenly heard a familiar groan behind him.

"Now... this is a view I could wake up to every morning..." Ariana's voice was husky as she leaned back against the headboard, pulling the blanket around her bare body.

Watching Adrian make coffee, his toned back on full display, was a sight she never got tired of.

Adrian brought the coffee back to the bed, gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, and handed her the cup.

Ariana leaned against him as he sat beside her.

They sat together in a quiet, peaceful silence until Adrian finally asked, "Any plans for today?"

Ariana gave a small shrug. "Nothing important. What about you?"

"I promised Thalia I'd teach her the second thread. So… a few hours," he replied.

Ariana frowned slightly. "She's already ready for that?"

Adrian nodded thoughtfully. "In my opinion, she's far ahead of the others. More than ready to learn the next Thread."

Ariana hummed in response, trusting his judgment.

"But… will you teach her your way?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of concern.

Adrian raised his brows. "My way… as in?"

"I mean your unconventional methods of Runesmithing," she clarified.

Adrian tilted his head. "Is that a problem?"

"Of course it is." Ariana turned to face him. "You know better than anyone what your creations can do. Why would you pass that kind of knowledge on to someone else—someone who could unintentionally cause real damage?"

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. "The way you say that… it stings a little."

Ariana's voice softened. "I'm not trying to hurt you. But Adrian, we both know how dangerous your techniques can be in the wrong hands. You're mature enough to handle it—but not everyone is. And even if Thalia keeps it to herself, there are powerful people out there who could force her to reveal it."

She paused for a second, then added gently, "In a way… you're putting her in danger."

Adrian thought about her words and slowly nodded. She was right.

"Okay. I won't teach her everything I know. But I can't use the old-school methods either. They're just… boring."

Ariana smiled and cupped his cheek. "I know you'll find a middle ground—just like you always do."

Adrian exhaled and pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

They sat like that for a while, enjoying the silence, before Adrian spoke again. "Did you get any letter from your father?"

Ariana let out a soft sigh. "I did. But there was no mention of… us. He did ask me to visit home if I had time." She glanced at Adrian. "I have a feeling he already knows."

Adrian nodded. "Hmm… he has friends in the upper circle. So yeah, that's possible."

Ariana hesitated, then asked, "Adrian… is there a chance you could bring Uncle Adam into this conversation?"

Her voice trembled a little, clearly showing her nerves.

To her, if her father rejected their relationship, she might be forced to walk away from her family. But if there was even a small chance he could accept it—she wanted to take it.

Aria.

He called out.

His soothing voice dispelled the storm of emotions she started to suffer from.

She looked at him. His comforting gaze was enough to let her know that he had got this. That he was confident in gaining his blessings.

Ariana leaned toward him, "I am sorry...I am just a little anxious...knowing what my father's first reaction would be."

Victor gave importance to his relationships a lot, treating his younger brother as his guardian, and for him, Adrian was just like his own son.

So, naturally, seeing the two children now entangled in romance would not sit well with the man.

However, Adrian knew he would somehow make things right. He just knew it.

....

Not so long after, Adrian took a bath and changed into his formal clothes before leaving the room.

Ariana was tired that's why she decided to rest in his room for the time being.

Adrian told her that he would bring breakfast for her when he returned, giving her another reason to stay back.

"Morning, Prof."

"Good morning, sir."

He was greeted by several students who, despite today being the end of the week, were still loyal to their routine and woke up early for training.

He greeted them back as he walked towards his workshop.

Now that he thought about it, teaching Thalia his technique was dangerous, and it could lead to world disaster.

'I will just add a few things to the conventional method...' With those thoughts, he reached the workshop and found rather than one, two students standing there.

"Hmm?"

"Good morning, sir."

"G-Good morning, Professor."

Greeted Thalia and the Princess.

Adrian's questioning eyes made Sylvie nervous ones as she asked, "Can I also join? Please."

Adrian was about to say something but then he realized that she must be finding a way to distract herself.

That's why he nodded, "Okay."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.