I AM A MAGE BUT WITH MILF SYSTEM - Chapter 554 - 554: The reunion - part 1
If he returned.
They finally reached the top of the mountain, the path opening into a vast plateau surrounded by radiant clouds.
At the center stood a grand castle, gleaming under the rays of the sun. Around it, smaller castles were scattered like a constellation, each one beautiful and unique in its own way. Gardens filled the spaces between them, overflowing with beautiful flowers that released soft fragrance into the air.
Julian paused for a moment, his expression unreadable as his gaze swept over what he had built long ago.
“Still standing,” he murmured to himself.
Seraphine watched him quietly, sensing the faint pull of nostalgia that clung to his tone.
“It’s beautiful,” she said softly.
As his eyes lost themselves in the scenery, a movement caught his eye.
Someone was walking in the gardens near the central castle. A graceful figure, her long blonde hair swaying with the breeze. She wore a flowing blue gown that shimmered like river under the sunlight, every movement elegant, effortless.
Julian froze.
That walk. That presence. That warmth that his heart recognized before his mind could name it.
The woman turned.
Her eyes widened the instant they met his and every color seemed to drain from her face. The basket she carried slipped from her hands, scattering petals across the stone path. For a heartbeat, she couldn’t breathe—she simply stared, trembling, as if afraid that what she saw wasn’t real.
“Julian?” she whispered, her voice breaking.
He took a step forward, his throat tight.
“Eleanor…”
The sound of her name seemed to break something inside her. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as tears welled in her eyes. She stumbled forward, one hand pressed over her mouth, the other reaching toward him as if afraid he might vanish if she blinked.
Seraphine stood silently beside him, her usual confidence gone. She watched with glistening eyes, her hand clutching her pendant.
Julian closed the remaining distance in a few steps. When Eleanor reached him, she threw herself into his arms with a sob, burying her face in his chest. Her body shook as she clung to him, fingers gripping his robes tightly.
“You’re real,” she cried. “You’re really here…”
Julian’s arms wrapped around her instinctively. The moment he felt her warmth, the months of distance and pain seemed to dissolve.
“Of course… How can I leave you alone, Eleanor?” he murmured, his voice rough but steady.
Eleanor leaned back slightly, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. Her trembling fingers traced his face—his jawline, his lips, his cheek.
“You haven’t changed,” she breathed. “Not even a little.”
“Neither have you,” he said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. “Still beautiful enough to make people jealous.”
Eleanor let out a shaky laugh between sobs. “Still the same silver tongue…”
“I thought I would never hear that voice again.”
Behind them, Seraphine looked away. She had seen her mother cry only once before—when Julian had died. To see her cry again, not from grief but joy, made her own eyes water.
Eleanor reached up and cupped Julian’s face in both hands. “You don’t understand,” she whispered. “We thought you were gone forever. We tried to move on, but… I couldn’t. None of us could. Regina, Gregoria, Lisa—they’re all still here…” Her voice broke again.
Julian leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. “You waited,” he murmured. “You all waited… and I came back.”
For a long moment, they stood like that—two souls who had been torn apart by death, reunited in the world he had created. The wind breezed around them, petals swirling like soft rain.
Seraphine finally spoke, her voice steady. “Mother… he’s really back.”
Eleanor turned her head slightly, looking at her daughter through blurred vision. A small, tearful laugh escaped her lips. “I see that, my love. You were right to never stop believing.”
Julian pulled back slightly, his gaze shifting from Eleanor to Seraphine. The two women—his past and his legacy—stood together under the endless purple sky.
Eleanor brushed a tear from her face and smiled up at him. “Come,” she said, taking his hand in both of hers. “Everyone has to see this. They won’t believe it unless they see you with their own eyes.”
Julian squeezed her hand gently. “Then let’s not keep them waiting.”
Hand in hand, they walked toward the castle gates as Seraphine followed quietly behind. The soft chime of bells echoed from somewhere within the world, as if the world itself had sensed the return of its creator.
The central garden was a breathtaking space—a perfect circle of green grass surrounded by flowering trees. A fountain stood at its heart and stone benches were arranged in a semicircle, clearly a gathering place for the women who lived here.
As they entered the garden, his harem began pouring out almost instantly.
The first to arrive were Regina and Gregoria. His mother and grandmother.
Both part of his harem, both women he had loved in ways that defied conventional understanding.
Regina stood frozen, her hand pressed to her chest as if to keep her heart from bursting free. She looked exactly as he remembered—perhaps even more beautiful, if that were possible. Her red hair cascaded down her back in waves and it was longer than before, reaching past her waist.
Her eyes—those brilliant blue eyes that Julian had inherited—were wide with shock, glistening with tears that had not yet fallen. She wore a gown of deep green that hugged her curves perfectly, the neckline modest yet somehow managing to tease a hint of her cleavage.
Her figure was still perfect. A narrow waist flared to big hips, and her posture carried the natural elegance of nobility mixed with maternal warmth of a mother. She had always been both soft and strong, and time had only enhanced those features.
Beside her, Gregoria looked equally stunned. His grandmother appeared younger than Regina despite being a generation older. Her blonde hair, so similar to Seraphine’s, was styled in a loose ponytail.
