Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine-Chapter 218 - 217- Hesitant

Inside the grand dining hall, seven people sat around the long table, quietly enjoying their dinner.

After Alex had arrived, Lord Steelhound personally invited him to join the meal—an offer Alex naturally accepted.

Natasha, Jullie, and Rebecca were out in the market at the moment, wandering through the busy streets. Since Jullie would soon be settling down in the Steelhound territory, Rebecca was showing her around. Alice had gone with them too.

To Alex's left sat Sarah, while Celestria took the seat on his right.

Across from them were Eric, Ark, and the lady of the house—Veronica.

As the soft clinking of cutlery filled the room, Victor looked up and spoke.

"First of all, I want to thank you, Alex."

Alex blinked, caught off guard by the sudden gratitude.

"...I don't understand."

Veronica smiled gently and stepped in to explain. "Because of you, our relationship with the Monarch has started to heal. We never thought we'd be able to reconnect with the other side... but thanks to you, our daughter got to see the land where we were born and raised."

Victor and Veronica had deep ties to their homeland. Not only were they born there, but they also served it with pride for many years. Yet when they made the difficult choice to leave, they feared they had burned every bridge behind them.

But Alex changed that.

Because of him, the Monarch welcomed them with warmth rather than bitterness. He even allowed Rebecca to enter the domain.

Victor had spoken to Natasha earlier, and to his surprise, there was no anger in her voice. Instead, her words carried calmness. From what she said, it sounded like the Monarch had never once spoken ill of them. If anything, he always praised Victor and Veronica whenever he spoke of the past.

"I never did anything intentionally, sir. So no need to thank me." Alex spoke truthfully.

Ark narrowed his eyes, "Just accept the thanks already." Hearing his voice, which contained evident displeasure, Alex heaved a sigh.

He still hates Alex because Alex was in a relationship with his sister.

No one paid much attention to Ark and the dinner began.

Celestria and Sarah were silently slicing the steak using a knife and fork. Their movements were elegant and well-measured. And on the other side, the Steelhound family also seemed quite refined in their movements.

'Guess I am the only one who struggles with these things...' Alex has never been in such an environment, in either of his lives, which could have taught him mannerisms. Although he didn't eat like a savage, he still wasn't as elegant as the others.

"So what do you plan to do now, Alex?" Victor asked curiously. He was aware that Alex had been training with his friends in the Blood Domain, but what surprised him was his sudden visit to the human realm.

Alex informed him, "We have been overworking quite a lot these days, so a brief vacation before returning to the Blood Domain for training."

Victor hummed. He thought so.

"Can I also join your training?" Ark suddenly asked, much to Alex's surprise.

Alex glanced at the Lord of the house with a troubled look before Victor said, "They aren't going to train there just to get stronger. They have a purpose in mind."

"Well, I can be helpful. I can also be one of the ten participants." Ark argued. He wasn't weak in any sense...definitely stronger than Celestria and Amanda.

Victor glanced at Alex and left the decision to him.

Alex wanted to sigh in weariness but then he decided to end the matter right away, "I can only take one person from the Steelhound family. So considering that, if you can defeat your elder sister, Rebecca would be replaced."

Ark's complexion shifted as he took a strong gulp and lowered his head.

He didn't say anything after that, and that reaction elicited a giggle from Veronica and Celestria.

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Ark couldn't even land a clean hit on his sister before, and now that she has gone through her third evolution, she was practically impossible to defeat.

The dinner, after that, went peacefully.

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*Cirk*

A soft crack split the silence as fire slipped through the dry wood, causing it to break with a quiet snap.

The bonfire danced gently, its flames swaying with the passing breeze.

Around it, a few people sat in peaceful silence, their minds far from battle or duty—just enjoying a rare moment of calm.

Sarah sat with Alice nestled in her arms. The little girl was fast asleep, her breathing slow and steady against Sarah's chest.

Not far away, Natasha sipped wine, sharing quiet chat with Jullie.

Rebecca and Celestria sat beside Alex, who held a long stick over the fire. A few marshmallows were roasting at the end of it, turning golden from the heat.

"We're heading to the hunting spot tomorrow," Alex said, his eyes on the flames. The location was close—one Rebecca had often visited—and so he made it a priority.

Rebecca grinned. "Can't wait."

But then Celestria leaned forward slightly, her tone playful. "Aren't you forgetting something before that?"

Rebecca's brow lifted, confused, as she turned to Alex. "What?"

Alex looked at her calmly and replied, "I'm going to meet your parents with you… and ask for their blessings."

Rebecca blinked. Her breath caught for a moment. That... she hadn't expected.

So that's why he insisted on going now. Her father being home was rare, but this still felt sudden—too sudden.

And yet, her heart skipped all the same.

"You don't want them to know about us?" Alex asked softly, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Rebecca quickly shook her head. "It's not that! I could never doubt us, Alex... It's just—" she paused, struggling to put her thoughts into words. "It's the fear that if he rejects you or says something to insult you... I don't know how I'd react."

Celestria let out a light chuckle. "You're overthinking it, Rebecca. I'm sure he already knows. He's probably just waiting for you to bring Alex home officially—as your partner."

Rebecca exhaled, her lips pressing into a tight line. Deep down, she knew Celestria was probably right. Her father wasn't blind. But a small part of her still held onto that lingering fear… the kind that stayed even when logic said it shouldn't.

Alex leaned in, ready to say something comforting, but before the words could leave his mouth—

"Agh!" Sarah cried out.

The sudden noise cut through the warmth of the night, and everyone immediately turned to her. Alice woke up with a jolt, startled and confused.

Alex stood up fast, his eyes narrowing in concern. "Sarah?"

Her head had tilted back slightly, and faint, glowing markings had begun to appear across her face.

Natasha reacted instantly, pulling Alice gently away from Sarah, shielding her just in case.

Alex stepped closer to the Saintess and knelt beside her, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"Sarah. Talk to me. What's happening?"

She didn't respond.

Her eyes were closed, her breath shaky, her fists clenched at her sides. The pain was written all over her expression.

Then, in his mind, a voice echoed—clear and calm:

[Don't panic. The deity is descending.]

The Curse suddenly spoke, taking Alex by surprise.

Alex asked, "Are you sure about this?"

[Yeah, just give her a minute.]

Alex trusted the Curse and informed the others too, "The Goddess ..she is descending in her body."

That caused a few to gasp since the news was too shocking. Even Natasha showed caution since the being in question was not something even she could defeat at her best.

Thankfully, Sarah soon calmed down.

The green lines on her face faintly glowed as, with her eyes closed, she finally spoke, "It's been long, brother."

However, the voice they heard definitely didn't belong to Sarah.

Alex didn't hold back when the Curse tried to show up.

Dark lines appeared on his face as the Curse spoke, "It sounds funny to hear you call me brother. Last I remember, you called me filth?"

Those words caused Alice and Natasha to frown at the same time.

The Goddess flinched for a moment, but then she soon regained her composure and honestly responded, "At that time I was told that you are a greedy being who wishes to destroy the upper realm."

"You sensed Mother's presence from me yet you couldn't identify who I was?" The Goddess of Life was the daughter of Titan Goddess Gaia, so she surely must have felt her presence from the Curse.

However, "You were causing such a description which, as someone responsible for bringing new life to the world, couldn't bear to see." Billions of lives were wasted before her eyes, and not only from the other side—many from their sides were sacrificed, too, once the Curse lost control.

And that formed the Goddess' impression of him.

"Look, there is no point in discussing things about the past. Just get done with your business here and leave. I know you don't have much time left anyway."

Her expression turned grim, but what he said was true. She was here to deliver a warning.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.