The large bed made by Raon was strangely circular, and everyone was lying around Qiong Xing in the center.

There was clearly enough space to sleep wherever they wanted, but for some reason only Qiong Xing was designated to be in the middle.

"Is that a problem?"

It was not that it was a problem, but it was strange.

It felt like a child insisting they had to sit in the middle.

"But if we don’t do it like this, we can’t all touch Qiong Xing, right?"

He did not understand why they needed to be touching him at all.

"......We are just sleeping, right?"

"Yeah, but if we sleep like usual, we will end up fighting every day."

Why would sleeping lead to fighting?

He did not understand that at all.

"So it means everyone wants to sleep close to Qiong Xing," Joa explained, unable to watch any longer.

"Before it was just Leander and the others, but now there are more people, right? It would be unfair as mates if only Leander and the others got to sleep next to you."

Was that really how it worked?

He still did not fully understand, but if Joa said so, then maybe it was.

"So everyone is... satisfied with this?"

"Yeah."

"Yep."

Then it could not be helped.

Qiong Xing gave up and closed his eyes as everyone surrounded him and drifted off to sleep.

He could not shake the feeling that he had been cleverly talked into this.

That day the weather was nice, and Qiong Xing was sunbathing while watching the children running around the garden.

"This might be the ideal retirement."

"You’re still too early for that."

Elias who was also sunbathing beside him looked exasperated.

"You should be talking about that after Lian, Yue or Yue have kids."

If the ones running around were grandchildren or great grandchildren, calling it retirement might make sense, but unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, they were his own children.

"It’s more of a feeling, a feeling. I just thought it would be nice to relax like this."

Sunbathing peacefully on the porch while watching his children or in imagination, grandchildren running around in the yard.

It really was nice.

"No, why are you so eager to get old? Live in the present."

"...I was just in that kind of mood."

He had been indulging in an imagined future where he might enjoy a peaceful old age like he never could in his previous life.

"It’s like practice. When the children leave the nest, I’ll spend my remaining days quietly and a little lonely... lonely? Huh?"

"There’s no way you’d be lonely."

Surrounded by energetic mates, grown children, and eventually even grandchildren, Qiong Xing could only imagine a future that was lively and noisy.

"Besides, even right now it’s just this number, but it’s going to increase even more. I don’t think there will ever be a day you can actually rest."

It’s going to increase?

Wait, was that actually the plan?

Qiong Xing started to seriously worry whether his stamina would be able to keep up.

"Do your best, Mama."

"Please go easy on us, Papa."

Qiong Xing found himself grateful that the pregnancy rate was low.

"Papa Elias, hurry pick me up!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Responding to the twins, Elias went off to help them with tree climbing.

Qiong Xing watched his retreating figure when, without him noticing, Mayo had come up behind him and wrapped around him.

"Good morning, Mayo."

"Mayo~ Mayo~."

Mayo responded with a soft sound, and when Qiong Xing reached out to pat its head, it leaned in and rubbed its cheek against him.

Mayo had grown far larger than Qiong Xing, and even bigger than Elias and the others now, but mentally it was still a child.

It would come to see him like this and cling to him affectionately.

"Looks like they are going to climb trees today. Why don’t you go join them?"

"Mayo~"

Mayo shook its head firmly and tightened its hold as if insisting it would stay there.

"I see. Then let’s just laze around together today."

Qiong Xing leaned back against its large body and relaxed.

"I kind of feel like a villain boss or something."

"Mayo~?"

Him leaning against a giant serpent while lounging arrogantly.

It might actually suit him.

"If it were like this, I should have had my hair dyed black."

He was thinking such childish thoughts like "black equals villain," when Mayo suddenly spoke again.

"Ah, but white suits Mayo after all. If it were black, Mayo would lose half of its cuteness."

Even while relaxing, Qiong Xing remained a doting parent who wanted to proudly show off the cuteness of his children.

Gold was cool too, but he seriously entertained the childish thought that it was not as cute.

"Ah, but in my previous life they say white snakes are the messengers of gods. It suits Mayo who is cute and beautiful."

His mind was becoming increasingly hazy with sleepiness due to how relaxed he was.

"I wonder what those two are doing right about no—"

"I’m going to sleep too~"

At that moment, Qiong Xing saw a future where Iseul would descend from above with that voice and crush him.

"I, ah, I might die..."

He turned pale for a brief moment and then—

"Eh, wait, wai—guah!"

In an instant, Iseul was struck down like a fly by Mayo’s tail at incredible speed and slammed directly into the ground.

"..."

Everyone, including Elias, froze in shock at the sudden turn of events.

"...Mm, well done, Mayo."

"Mayo~ Mayo~"

Qiong Xing patted Mayo while thanking it for saving him and Mayo happily wagged its massive tail in delight.

However, Iseul was still lying directly beneath it.

"Qiong Xing, are you hurt?!"

"I’m fine thanks to Mayo."

"Well, that one is just reaping what he sowed. Good job, Mayo."

Mayo who is praised by Elias as well immediately wagged its tail even more energetically from joy.

"W-wait, so-someone he—guah!"