Arvin immediately implanted his absolute command into the hovering soul.
"My absolute command to you is: be yourself just as you were before you were bound by this soul seal! Never leak any secrets you know about our family without my permission! And lastly, never betray me until forever!"
As soon as the command sentence was finished being spoken, all the thick black smoke was sucked in and merged back into Davin's body.
A gripping silence enveloped the living room. All eyes were fixed on the figure on the ice block.
And what happened next, the youth's chest rose again. Air was sucked into his lungs, his body moved again to breathe with a normal rhythm, and the flush of life spread back across his face.
Right after the remnants of the thick black magic circle disappeared from the floor, Davin opened his eyes. He immediately sat up on the ice block, turned his head, and looked at his husband's face.
"My King, is the ritual finished?" Davin asked curiously, looking at his two hands. "I feel—"
Before Davin could finish his sentence, Arvin immediately lunged forward and hugged the youth's body very tightly. He buried his face in his spouse's shoulder, feeling immense relief that the dangerous ritual had succeeded and he had not lost his beloved spouse.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness the ritual succeeded!" Arvin exclaimed with an incredibly relieved tone, his embrace tightening as if he didn't want to let go of the youth. "I thought... I really thought I would lose you forever when I saw you stop breathing."
Hearing his husband's slightly trembling voice, Davin smiled warmly. He raised both his hands and returned the hug, rubbing Arvin's back with deep affection.
"I am perfectly fine, My King." Davin replied gently. "But, there is something strange. I feel like the two of us are now truly connected to each other. I can even feel your sense of relief flowing very clearly inside my chest."
"That is a certainty, because we are connected and your soul is now bound to my soul!" answered Arvin, still reluctant to release his embrace. "I truly feel relieved because I didn't lose you! To be honest, I was very worried and scared for a moment."
Hearing that honest confession, Davin never expected that this figure of a man known to be strong and always calm actually harbored such a great fear of losing the people who were part of his family.
You really love me so much, even when we haven't been bound by the Life-and-Death contract? thought Davin, feeling deeply moved. Because my soul is now bound to your soul, your feelings are directly connected to me. I can feel it! I completely understand what you are feeling and how immense your fear is right now, My King.
Davin smiled very gently again while continuing to hug and rub his husband's back to channel calmness.
Through the emotional bond that now flowed between them, Davin truly believed and understood the absolute reason behind the history of Arvin Vedegra becoming the greatest villain in world history.
In that era, the reason he was known as the greatest villain who destroyed the world was not because of ambition or power, but purely because of an outpouring of revenge for the deaths of all his family members whom he loved so deeply.
....
The tension that had previously gripped the living room slowly subsided, replaced by a relieving warmth. Long sighs were heard from various corners of the room.
Smiles tinted with an immeasurable feeling of relief were now etched on the faces of Allen, Alrain, Ordion, Alvein, Alrian, Kylen, Dylan, and Arion.
One by one, they immediately stepped forward, approaching Arvin and Davin.
"Did the ritual truly succeed perfectly?" Allen asked first, looking at Davin closely, making sure there was nothing strange with the physique of his husband's eighth spouse.
"Yes, the ritual succeeded one hundred percent!" answered Arvin with an exhausted yet very happy smile. "To be honest, I thought I would really lose Davin forever. It felt like my heart almost dropped when I saw him suddenly stop breathing and his skin turn pale on that ice block."
"But at least, that momentary sacrifice yielded an absolute result. You and he will never be separated by death!" chimed in Alrain, feeling very happy and relieved seeing the smile on the face of the husband he loved so much.
"You are right, Alrain. I feel very grateful that this dangerous ritual ended without incident." Arvin said, sweeping his gaze towards all of them. "From now on, all of us will be inseparable! I am very—"
Before Arvin could finish his sentence of gratitude, a complaining and slightly pouting voice immediately cut him off quickly.
"Wait a minute, who said everything is over?" protested Kylen, taking a step forward with both arms crossed over his chest and his lips slightly pouting. He felt unwilling because he still bore the status of a mortal being. "You still haven't finished your task because you still haven't bound my soul and made me immortal like Davin! Come on, don't waste any more time, do the ritual on me right now!"
Hearing the enthusiastic demand from the prince, Arvin chuckled softly, then held both shoulders of his sixth spouse very gently.
"I am sorry, Kylen." Arvin said softly, looking straight into the prince's blue eyes. "I really cannot do it for you today."
"Why not?!" interrupted Kylen quickly, his facial expression instantly turning anxious and impatient about his mortal status. "Is it... is it because you actually object to making me your sixth spouse? Or do you actually not like it if I become immortal and be with you forever like them?"
"Shh... never think like that because I don't feel that I am the kind of person you think I am." Arvin answered with a very gentle tone to calm Kylen who was starting to overthink. "The reality is, my mana and energy are completely drained after performing the Soul Seal ritual on Davin just now. That magic demands a highly unreasonable energy toll."
Arvin then looked at the others with an understanding gaze. "For now, the remaining mana I have is only enough to transport all of us with teleportation magic to return to the Victoriaz Kingdom. And even after we arrive there later, with this body that has crossed its limits... there is a high chance I will faint immediately."
Hearing the honesty and seeing Arvin's physical condition which indeed looked exhausted, Kylen, Dylan, Davin, and Arion were stunned.