“I think I’m going to give birth soon too.”
“…What?”
“It seems I’ll give birth at the sa ti as Serena.”
Right after Serena left the room, Ruby walked in, throwing yet another shocking statent my way without giving any ti to process the shocking news.
“And… I’m also having twins, Frey.”
“…!”
The heartbeat I had been trying to control began racing again.
“…Why have you kept this from until now?”
“I wanted to surprise you. Though, I didn’t expect to reveal it like this.”
“Ahh.”
It still doesn’t feel real, but the pain from pinching my cheek tells this isn’t a dream.
The number of children I need to care for just quadrupled in an instant.
“…Ruby.”
“Yes?”
Lost in thought over this fact, I finally collected myself and asked her a question.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“What are you referring to?”
There’s sothing I need her to answer clearly.
“Are you truly okay with the way things are going?”
“….”
Just like the conversation I had with Serena.
.
.
.
.
.
“Frey, I just want you to be happy.”
“…What?”
That’s what Serena said to after telling she was carrying twins.
“You know, I love you so much.”
“Uh, uh-huh.”
“I love you so much that I’d give up everything for you. My personality, my freedom, even my life.”
“…Don’t say things like that.”
I gently held her hand and whispered softly.
“You’ve spent your whole life just taking care of .”
“I did that because I wanted to.”
“But still…”
“Do you know why I was able to do that, Frey?”
Serena’s eyes sparkled as she began to speak.
When was the last ti she spoke to so informally?
I can’t quite rember.
Sa with Kania.
Is it a trend these days for people to drop the honorifics they usually use?
“When I was younger, I was nothing but a tool… no purpose, no emotions… I was not alive, I simply existed.”
“…”
“But you were the one who breathed life into , quite literally I might add.”
“That could’ve been anyone, not just —“
“Don’t joke around. Who else would give 90 years of their lifespan to another person?”
I tried to brush it off, feeling embarrassed, but her gaze was dead serious.
So, I decided to just listen quietly, placing my hands on my lap.
“Even if I forgot that fact, I always subconsciously knew. The reason I can move the way I do now is because of you… because of your sacrifice.”
“…Ah.”
“Yes, my endless love for you stemd from that.”
“…”
“My blind and infinite love for the man who gave up 9/10ths of his lifespan for . There’s no other way I could possibly repay you.”
Serena paused for a mont and smiled softly.
“I’m happy just watching you. I’m simply happy. Just hearing your voice gives the will to live, and as long as I can be held in your arms, I feel like I can accomplish anything.”
“…”
“Look, I even managed to cook, sothing I could never do before.”
Her hands were a ss, completely worn and scarred.
Unless she had been practicing cooking night after night for the past few months, they wouldn’t be in that state.
“The point is, I only need you to be happy.”
“But you…”
“Because your happiness is my happiness.”
Then, she pulled sothing out and placed it in my hand.
“And now, I want not just your happiness, but the happiness of everyone.”
It was a trump card, sothing that could flip the entire situation on its head.
“This is…”
“When all the gas are over, you can use it.”
As I stared blankly at the weapon.
Haha… Serena is still Serena after all.
“But, why wait until all the gas are over?”
“…Ugh.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to use it now?”
I decided to ask her a sharp question as she proudly shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, that’s… um…”
Serena began to stamr, sweat beading on her forehead.
“I… I want to win.”
“Huh?”
“I… I want to win this…”
“What did you say?”
I pretended not to hear and leaned in closer.
“I said, I WANT TO WIN!”
Serena, her face turning beet red, finally raised her voice.
“Even if it ends with a happy ending… I-I still want to win first place!”
“Why?”
“Well… that thieving cat… and that rude dog… I just want to put them in their place a bit, and, um… uh…”
Seeing Serena’s transparent motivations made her all the more adorable.
“You want to beat Ruby, don’t you?”
“…!!!”
When I hit the mark with ease, she flinched and looked away, clearly flustered.
“But what should you do?”
Maybe I should tease her a bit more?
“If things keep going like this, you might even lose to Roswyn.”
“…Ugh.”
The shock on Serena’s face as she gasped was just too cute.
“Alright, who’s next, I wonder…”
“F-Frey…! No, wait, honey! Please, just give a little more ti to appeal to you…”
Looks like I’ll be teasing her a lot from now on.
.
.
.
.
.
“Ruby, are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“…Why are you asking that?”
As Ruby prepared to leave the room, I asked her again. She chuckled quietly before responding.
“I’m the one who proposed this competition, after all.”
“But still… you could take more control over it if you wanted to.”
“Frey, do you know?”
Then, with a slightly more serious expression, she added,
“It’s not just you. Those girls are incredibly precious to as well.”
“…”
“They’ve all suffered so much, haven’t they? That’s why I don’t want any special treatnt at their expense.”
Her smile looked more beautiful than ever today.
“I’m just your gem, always by your side.”
“…”
“That’s all. I’m content as long as I can be part of your life.”
Her expression showed no hint of regret.
“…If that’s truly what you want.”
“Still, I plan to co in first.”
When I sighed and said that, Ruby’s smile turned a bit mischievous.
“Just asserting myself a little should be enough to establish the hierarchy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s like a fight for dominance among cats, but what can we do? It’s only natural for females to want to stay closest to the male.”
So, she does care about the competition a little after all.
Maybe she also has a rivalry with Serena?
“Bla yourself for being such a perfect male.”
“Who do you think will win between you and Serena?”
“…Ahemm.”
Curious about that rivalry, I threw the question at Ruby as she confidently grabbed the door handle.
“Ahem… W-Wha– I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She cleared her throat and opened the door.
“You know Roswyn is in the lead right now, right?”
“…”
Though I said that with a teasing tone, Ruby left the room without another word.
- Flinch…
I’ll just pretend I didn’t notice her body trembling slightly as she left.
“Alright, almost done…”
Feeling much more at ease after gaining the trump card, I stretched and relaxed.
“…Now, who’s next?”
I muttered to myself and turned toward the door.
“…”
Then, I fell silent and started to tremble.
- Twitch, twitch…
Roswyn poked her head through the doorway, her face flushed red as she glanced at .
“I am cute… I am charming… I-I am s-se… sexy…”
“Are you really?”
“…Eek!”
What should I do?
She’s already so cute.
.
.
.
.
.
anwhile, at that mont.
“Wh-When did you… start watching?”
“Huh? What do you an?”
“D-Did you… see practicing receiving kisses earlier?”
While Frey teased Roswyn, who had been caught practicing how to seduce him outside the door…
“…No, I didn’t see that.”
“Hehe, thank goodness.”
“But now you’ve gone and told .”
“…!”
Soone was watching secretly through the window from outside.
“And what kind of practice is ‘receiving kisses’ anyway?”
“U-Uwaaaah… I-I’m sorry…”
“You’re so cute today, Roswyn.”
“…!!!”
That person was none other than…
“…So that’s why you suddenly told to run an errand at the Magic Tower this morning.”
Glaring with a broad smile was Glare.
“That’s what this was about, huh?”
Though her eyes were not smiling at all.
***
sko-fi/genesisforsaken
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