She Belongs To The Devil

After some more back and forth with Tobias, Joyce finally calmed down her anger and settled down in her seat. Tobias mostly listened to Joyce's threats without being bitter.

However, she still had the last say, "I hope you will remember what you promised earlier. Keep your winged friends and family away from Ariel. Or else, it won't end nicely for whoever comes after her. Their soul will undoubtedly end up in hell or get torn into oblivion."

"I'm well aware of that and I will make sure everyone else also understands that," Tobias replied politely.

He then looked at everyone's face one by one, and then collectively apologized once more. "I am utterly sorry for the part I played in causing harm to you all that night. If possible, please forgive me. But if I'm asking too much for you all, I will accept my fate."

Kenneth, just like almost everyone else in the room, was also mad at Tobias. However, after listening to him apologizing repeatedly, even going as far as lowering his head and saying self-deprecating things, his anger had calmed down by now.

He looked at Tobias and spoke on everyone's behalf, "As Joyce said, please make sure to keep all of the heavenly beings in check. If you do that, we will think of that night as a bad dream and forget about it."

"Thank you!" Tobias gave a small smile.

"Okay, let's talk about some other things." Ariel, thinking that Tobias had apologized enough, changed the topic. "Tobias, you know I accidentally ended up in heaven after everything went down that night. And funnily enough–"

"Wait, what?" Tobias widened his eyes and asked worriedly, "Please tell me my father didn't come here again to kidnap you."

Ariel laughed and waved her hand. "No, silly. I was chasing after my father because he was so mad. And I found myself in Heaven. But Grandpa found me and then took me to his garden. And you know what happened after that?"

"What?" Tobias hoped that it wasn't something bad.

"A shape-shifting creature from Grandpa's garden followed me back to Earth and he bit me! Now he is my familiar."

"Whoa!" Tobias had a shocked expression on his face when he heard that. "You got a familiar just like that? Why did I have to fight a gruesome battle to get mine?" He shook his head in disbelief and jokingly said, "I envy you, Ariel. Even the familiars love you."

Ariel chuckled and continued while fondly recalling Herbert. "He is such a naughty creature though. He drives me mad at times. But he is so cute when he takes the form of a cat, I just melt when I see him in that form."

"Cat, huh?" Tobias looked at his cousin's bright face and asked as if he was trying to figure something out, "What is his original form?"

"He looks like a boy with pointy ears. But when I first saw him, he was a nine-tailed fox. He looked so majestic in that form." Ariel cupped her cheeks while thinking back to her first meeting with Herbert and pretended to melt.

"You mean you subdued the nine-tailed fox? That prideful one who doesn't even spare a glance at anyone?" Tobias widened his eyes in surprise.

"Yes." Ariel smiled and cheerfully said, "His name is Herbert. And yes, he acts like a brat most of the time." She pouted.

Tobias laughed and subconsciously pinched Ariel's cheek. "Don't be too harsh on him though. He is just a baby, after all."

"A baby?" Ariel raised her brows. "How old is he?"

"Just three. So, he doesn't know any better. He loves showing attitude."

"Oh, no..." Ariel covered her eyes with her palm and spoke as if she was going to break down. "I was too harsh on that cute baby... He wanted to stay with me and roam around with me but I sent him back to Wyverndale thinking he was being a brat. But he was just being a baby! I should apologize to him when I get back home."

The two of them continued their conversation, forgetting that the others were still in the room. Seeing the two of them immersed in conversation with each other, the others started to leave the room one by one. They had yet to finish preparing for the departure today.

---

Theodore knocked on the door and said while entering the room, "Ary, you should also get ready. We will be leaving in an hour."

"Oh, my!" Ariel slapped her forehead and said while turning to look at her father, "I almost forgot we were traveling back today."

Ariel hadn't realized that she had been talking nonstop with Tobias for the past two hours.

Tobias also felt as if the time passed by in the blink of an eye. He had so much fun listening to Ariel's childhood stories and looking at her cheerful face that he forgot he had a few important meetings lined up in Heaven.

"I should also go back. I don't want anyone to come looking for me." Tobias got up and gave a warm hug to Ariel. "I'm going to miss talking to you. I hope this won't be our last meeting."

Ariel smiled and suggested half-jokingly, "If you miss me, land on top of our palace and bang on the barrier. I will fly out."

"Ariel!" Theodore narrowed his eyes at his awfully silly daughter and gently reprimanded her, "Don't give such ideas to poor Tobias. He might get hurt if he tries that. The barrier retaliates if someone attacks it from outside."

Tobias silently laughed. "Don't worry, uncle. I know I shouldn't do that." He looked at Ariel and said seriously, "I do, however, hope that there will come a day when there will be no need for the barrier. We can easily meet each other then."

"Mm… That sounds good." Ariel nodded her head and bid goodbye to her cousin.

Tobias then gave a gentle smile to Theodore and said sincerely, "Uncle, I am happy that I got to see you again. Thank you for not beating me, or worse, dragging me down to hell." He looked down and further said while smiling somewhat sadly, "I would have probably cried like a child if you had done that."

Theodore smiled, remembering the distant past. 'He used to be a crybaby. Now he has grown up to be a fine young man despite being raised by that narcissist asshole.'

"I didn't do any of that because it was Michael who made you do so by threatening to hurt your mother." Theodore furrowed his brows and further added while clenching and unclenching his dominant fist, "However, if you ever hurt Ariel again, willingly or unwillingly, I won't forgive you the next time. So, be mindful about that."

"Of course. I won't repeat the same mistake." Tobias then went on to promise Theodore as well, "I swear on God's name that I will rather get hurt myself than dance my father's tune."

Theodore frowned subconsciously and mumbled, "You didn't need to swear on His name, but I appreciate it."

Before Tobias could leave, Theodore suggested to him. "Also, make sure to be mindful about those who were or are still loyal to your father. You never know when Michael will strike at you. He doesn't have anything to lose anymore, and you might be surprised to know how low he can go to get power."

"At this point, he doesn't surprise me. I know he is capable of doing anything." Tobias took a deep breath and said firmly, "But I will be ready if he ever tries to meddle with me and my court."

"I'm glad to hear that." Theodore smiled and motioned to Tobias, "Come here." When Tobias took a step closer to him, he gave a hug to his nephew, taking the latter by surprise.

"You… You're hugging me!" Tobias exclaimed in a whisper, his body stiff because of shock.

Theodore laughed and patted Tobias on the back. "Yeah, so?" He pulled away from the hug and asked, "Am I not allowed to hug my nephew who I met after eons?"

"No, you are allowed to hug me. It's just that…" Tobias smiled, still holding the stunned look in his eyes, and stated, "You never used to like hugs. Heavens, you used to hate it when someone other than grandpa and grandma touched you."

Ariel suddenly stood by her father's side and asked in a surprised tone, "You used to hate hugs? Why did I never know this?"

"Umm… yeah." Theodore patted Ariel on the head and mumbled with a wide grin on his face, "Everything changed after I met your mother though."

"Wow! Mom made you more human, huh?" Ariel nodded her head continuously as if she entered into a dazed state.

Theodore ignored his daughter's remark and bid goodbye to Tobias, "Alright, Tobias, take care of yourself. I hope we will meet again but in favorable circumstances, not like this."

Tobias smiled, this time wider than ever since he felt grateful to his uncle for being so kind to him. "Farewell, Uncle. Farewell, Ariel. I will miss both of you. See you again in the future."

After saying that, he disappeared from the room, leaving the father and daughter with subtle smiles on their faces.