Chapter 120

Kaiden flinched, knowing he had messed up greatly. It would've been one thing if the foul-mouthed Luna or the very emotionally expressive Nyx was this furious with him for what he'd done, but if this extremely serene creature who was the human embodiment of the moon was so angry, then he truly made a big blunder.

He glanced at Julia, who failed to meet his eyes. "S-sorry…" she whispered in a low tone.

Kaiden sighed. "It's fine. I shouldn't keep things from my girls."

"That's right!" Aria hissed.

He gently detached himself from Lux, who started watching the unfolding drama with glittering eyes and an entirely amused expression. As a teen, the young girl lived for these dramatic moments.

Kaiden then went to Aria and reached his arms out to envelop the woman in a hug.

To his utmost horror, his Moon Valkyrie refused the gesture by swatting his hands away in annoyance. "No, Kaiden, this time around, you don't get to hug me, kiss the top of my head, and whisper sweet words into my ears to make up. I know that I seem like a soft woman, but let it be known that Aria Levander can put her foot down when the situation calls for it!"

*Stomp!* She stomped on the ground to further communicate her current stance.

While it was true he didn't know that the situation with Julia would end up devolving into a battle when he said his goodbyes to his three lovers and went to check on the mother, but it was also true that he had more than enough chances to escape and call for backup after he killed the two grunts who kicked the door down.

Kaiden merely chose not to—he wanted to settle things with his own hands.

He lowered his hands and began explaining his thoughts with a pained expression, "I didn't call you because I feared for your safety-"

Aria wasn't having it. "So? Do you think yourself to be bulletproof, Kaiden Grey? Don't delude yourself. Your life was at an incredible risk. I'm forever grateful for what you've done for me and my family, but that doesn't mean I can't be angry if you do something reckless—no, something outright stupid like this."

Seeing the extreme amount of worry and hurt in her eyes, Kaiden couldn't help but have his heart contort painedly. Aria clearly felt like he didn't trust her when push came to shove, and he couldn't help but realize that she was exactly right. He believed them to not be ready for what had to be done.

"I'm sorry, Aria. I couldn't bear imagining any of you dying on me."

Aria's harsh features decreased in intensity when she saw he understood her, however, that didn't mean she was finished. "They say the biggest victims of war are not the fallen soldiers but the mothers and wives who have to bury the remains of their sons and husbands. I now fully understand why such a saying came into existence. Do you think losing you would be easier for us than the other way around? That we love you less than you love us? That we are women who evolved to have the notion of grief ingrained in our existences so we can deal with it easier than men? … Or are you just a hedonist who doesn't want to deal with loss?"

Aria's accusations pained Kaiden, but what truly made him feel horrible were the heavy tears forming in her eyes.

"We might not be very strong right now, but we're not just your girlfriends, Kaiden. We agreed to become your Valkyries so that we could stand by your side through thick and thin. We want to be there for you when you face grave peril, not just when everything is sailing smoothly. If you just want girlfriends to have fun cooking and easy dungeon streams with, then I-"

Kaiden didn't let her finish her sentence. In the next moment, he pulled the sobbing woman in for a hug.

Now, he fully understood the amount of pain he'd caused. Kaiden knew his decision was logical. Even if he didn't consider their current weak state of being, the girls were not mentally ready to kill humans.

However, that didn't excuse his actions. He asked these precious existences to accompany him through his supernatural journey.

They were not eye candies he could have fun with when he felt like it.

They were his Sinsworn Valkyries, his greatest allies.

In a way, he betrayed them. It was fine for him to tackle the final boss in a dungeon if he was stronger than them. It was fine for him to ask them to deal with the small fry while he did so. It was also fine for him to tell them to step aside if he felt he was enough to deal with an enemy.

However, it was not okay for Kaiden to ask them to stay at home while he went and risked his life. That was not how the relationship between the Paragon of Sin and his Sinsworn Valkyries was meant to function. As soon as they became his Valkyries, they ceased being damsels in distress, transforming into warrior women. He had to accept that fact whether he liked it or not.

Kaiden didn't understand it perfectly well before, but he did now. These three were ready to go to hell for him, just like he was ready to do the same for them. What he did yesterday was akin to spitting on their resolve.

"I will never do this to you again," he decided.

Aria sniffled, after which she looked up into his gaze with her gorgeous, teary eyes. Once she felt he got her point perfectly well, she needily nuzzled her head into his chest and nodded, "Good."

They remained as such for a long time, during which Kaiden stroked her hair and back lovingly.

Once they were done and all grievances were properly addressed, the pair said their goodbyes to Julia and Lux.

It was time to level up!