Chapter 561
There was a minor uproar caused by the dead Dorgon messing with the living Carl, but thankfully, nothing serious happened afterward.
If there’s anything noteworthy, it’s that the Commander of the 6th Legion, who was in Leon, returned to his home country and was promoted to the commander of the Southern Regional Army, and that Ainter returned to the Academy with Shati. But honestly, those things weren’t exactly events that threatened my mental stability.
“Seems like blondes are destined to be linked with silver-haired folks.”
And it seemed the Emperor was satisfied when he nodded at the reports of Ainter and Shati mingling happily in high society.
It was a bit of an awkward scene, really. If he were merely commenting on his younger brother and sister-in-law (in the making), it’d seem a bit overly sentimental. But then again, the Empress also had silver hair, just like Shati. Rather than relief about his younger brother’s marriage, he looked more like a lovesick puppy.
“Opposing colors, but that’s what makes them attractive, right?”
“Haha, the Minister’s right. It’s their differences that draw them together.”
But given that this was about none other than the Empress, I had to agree. I couldn’t show any hesitation; otherwise, I’d end up getting scolded by the lovesick Emperor and the slightly miffed Empress.
Thanks to that suitable attitude, peace continued uninterrupted, and I could focus solely on my own matters.
“Wahh!”
“Our Pedi is so fast!”
I was engaged in the extremely important task of crawling around the floor with Pedi.
‘How many hours has it been already?’
I was starting to feel a bit tired, but I matched Pedi’s pace with a smile since he was having so much fun. My little Pedi’s enjoyment was way more important than my fatigue.
‘Just a little longer, I can hold out!’
I turned a blind eye to my aching knees as I watched Pedi strut around with pride.
Before I knew it, Pedi had grown big enough to crawl on his own, making up for lost time after being stuck in bed. He zoomed around the mansion as if cleaning every nook and cranny. In fact, the knee pads I put on him were turning black after just one day.
So, I crawled around with him. I worried if I left him alone, this little bundle of energy might wander off to who-knows-where, and laying him down in bed would just earn me some loud wails of displeasure.
Of course, the maids were eager to take care of my little lord, trying to dissuade my awkward crawling around, but if this wasn’t a time to have a legitimate break, when would I get to play with Pedi? Sharing emotional moments with my children is one of a father’s essential duties!
– Woof!
“Whoa!”
‘Ah.’
At that moment, as I was busy crawling, a disaster struck as Pedi and Titi crossed paths.
“T-Titi!”
“Not over there!”
And I caught sight of Yuris and Sophia rushing toward Titi from the opposite direction.
Alas, it was already too late. With a curious baby and an energetic dog meeting, there was nothing we could do to stop it.
‘Guess I’m in for at least three more hours of this.’
I closed my eyes at the bleak future ahead.
When Pedi and Titi team up, it’s not simply 1+1; it’s closer to an explosion of chaos at 10 or 20 times the usual power. I was trying to steer Pedi away from Titi, but I never expected Titi would catch wind of Pedi’s scent and rush over.
‘She’s already figuring out the little lord’s trail.’
I felt a bit betrayed, just a smidge. My pet, who seemed unconcerned about the owner’s struggles, was off playing with my little lord.
But even so, it was merely a fleeting annoyance; I didn’t feel any strong negative emotions. Even Titi, an animal, likes my little Pedi.
‘Let’s understand from a father’s perspective.’
Plus, having more playmates for Pedi isn’t a bad thing for me! When the triplets start crawling, I’m sure they’ll have a blast playing with Titi too.
– Woof woof!
“Ahh!”
Seeing Pedi and Titi interact as if they were chatting made me smile uncontrollably.
However, the next five hours of crawling around the mansion had me nearly in tears. If this goes on, I might end up more accustomed to crawling on all fours than walking on two legs.
As the sun shone brightly, Pedi, after all that chaotic exploration, would fall soundly asleep at night.
He could sleep without stirring, even until dawn. It was only natural after expending all his energy during the day.
“Waah!”
“Waaah!”
“Alright, Daddy’s here.”
Thanks to this, I had significantly more time to care for the triplets. If Pedi had cried at dawn, I might have collapsed from exhaustion!
“Oh dear, what’s got you all so upset?”
Anyway, I carefully checked on Cecilia and Katlea, who were crying their eyes out, gently patting their backs. Luckily, Maria seemed to only blink her eyes, so at least that was a relief.
“Our eldest daughter sure is being mature.”
“A─”
In response to my words, Maria beamed at me and reached out her hand.
So cute! Even with her siblings crying on either side, she’s managing to smile so adorably. If my hands had three fingers, I’d have held Maria’s hand right away.
“…Uwaaa…”
“Ah.”
And when I didn’t take her hand as a father should, Maria started to whimper.
This is bad. If all three of them start crying, it’s going to be tough! If I pull my hands away now, the little ones who had finally quieted down will surely wail even louder.
“Cecilia and Katlea can come to me.”
“T-Trixie!”
Stuck in this dilemma, Trixie, who had been sleeping in the next room, came over.
I was swept away with emotion. While I was crawling around on all fours, it was Trixie who tended to the triplets. For Trixie to give up her sleep just to help me was quite touching.
“Maria will calm down quickly if you hold her. Just a few gentle pats and she’ll be back to smiling in no time.”
Taking Trixie’s wise advice, I quickly scooped Maria into my arms.
And just like that, the weeping Maria started flapping her ears and laughing.
‘So cute.’
I really, really wanted to pet her little ears just once.
*
The mansion was filled with energy every single day.
From dawn, there was Pedi dashing through the place, followed closely by his older brother crawling around instead of walking, while Titi would zoom in from who knows where the moment Pedi appeared in the hall.
Our triplets Maria, Cecilia, and Katlea demanded three times the attention, and Rizie’s belly was slowly rounding out with time.
‘It feels like several families are living under one roof.’
A smile crept onto my face at that thought. Who would look at this scene and think it was just the everyday life of one family?
Of course, I wasn’t complaining. The hustle and bustle was a symbol of happiness. It was proof that our family would face no threats or hardships, living in warmth forever.
‘…Family.’
The very word made my heart race.
Whether married or not, my brother already treats all his lovers like wives. He’s only holding wedding ceremonies every six months to be considerate of the guests, but he’s already made all his promises in his heart.
Yet, the concept of marriage shouldn’t be taken lightly. Being essentially married is different from having an official union.
‘It’s already my turn, huh?’
And with that fluttering came a sense of wonder. Back when my sister Maru got married, it felt like my turn would be far off, but now it’s approaching quickly.
‘I’m going to marry my brother.’
Looking down the unusually clean hallway, I recalled a time when my brother faced direct competition, namely Marcilio as a surprising rival, startling news that made Maru concerned and impulsive, leading Rizie to follow her fervently, and completely overwhelmed by it all, I confessed before I could even express my feelings properly.
Thinking back on it now, it was a chaotic situation. Like a big cat invading a calm lake, the fish that used to live there were all floundering about, everyone had gone a little crazy back then.
‘How embarrassing.’
I unconsciously fanned my flushed face and sighed.
At the time of my confession, I hadn’t really built a strong connection with my brother yet. I had shown my liking, but not my heartfelt affection. With worries about other potential rivals popping up, and being the fourth one in line, I was anxious and confessed in a hurry.
The original plan was to spend three years at the Academy building that connection, and even after graduation, I’d casually run into my brother to increase the chances of him accepting my feelings.
…
‘Thank goodness he accepted…’
I was really, truly relieved. It was miraculous that such an unlikely confession turned out successful; after all, I was almost left to build my feelings after getting rejected by him beforehand.
No, honestly, I can’t see him with anyone else; that chance could have easily slipped away from us.
‘…Why did he accept?’
Sometimes, I find myself wondering that. Why did he accept a confession that even I thought had a low probability of success? Unlike Rizie, who was close to him in the same club, I wasn’t even in the same circle.
Even when I try to brush it off saying “Good is good,” that thought just lingers in my mind. If he was just feeling pity for me, would that feeling still hold strong?
If our relationship is sustained by sympathy rather than mutual feelings, can I truly call myself his wife?
‘I don’t know.’
I squatted against the wall, my back resting on it. I felt ridiculous for even contemplating this, days away from my wedding, and pitiful for not being able to ask my brother directly.
I should be brave enough to inquire! What am I doing, stuck between inaction and action? What’s the point of maintaining such a cowardly relationship?
—yet, something in me still desires to keep it like this, and that makes me hate myself.
‘How pathetic…’
The consequences of misplacing the first button are lasting way too long.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.