Ti continued to pass.
There were a few bumps early on at the academy.
Most of all, the fact that I was to marry the twins stirred up quite a commotion.
It was, of course, big news.
But that, too, soon passed.
The fact that I was of common birth, adopted, exiled from the Priester family, and then founded the ls family... all of this was widely known.
The fact that Asena, Keirsey, and I were not blood-related was so public that the nobles accepted it rather quickly.
If you listened to their conversations, wasn't "Isn't this a sibling marriage?" which was previously our main concern, but rather "Wasn't Cayden disliked by Asena?". Moreover, the uniting of the three families through a marriage alliance, especially the mighty Priester and Ice families, caused quite a stir.
Other than that, there really wasn't much of a problem.
Thanks to the help I received, I was able to adapt well to the classes, and no sudden issues arose anymore.
It was simply the flow of academy life with and my four won.
We gradually grew closer.
But there was a difference between how I treated Daisy and Judy, compared to how I treated the twins.
First, with Daisy and Judy, since we hadn't known each other for that long, we took things step by step.
Even though we shared deep emotional connections, there was still much more to learn about each other.
Of course, we had already kissed, but I beca more careful. I understood what it truly ant to cherish soone.
Light touches, like hugs with them, beca part of our daily routine.
We didn't openly show affection in front of others, but in those rare monts when we were away from prying eyes, we would embrace, sharing warmth.
Since it was the academy, it was common for soone to stumble upon us, but given that everyone already knew about my relationship with the won, it didn't cause much trouble.
With how busy the academy life was, I alternated als with them.
From the beginning, having all of us eat together made everyone uncomfortable.
During als, I would hear Judy and Daisy's daily stories and get to know them better.
As I spent more ti with them, they continued to occupy deeper places in my heart.
Daisy had a way with words, expressing her affection gently, which always left feeling calm and at ease.
Judy, on the other hand, wasn't one for words... she acted first.
She would occasionally surprise with a kiss on the cheek, leaving smiling. Especially when I teased her like I used to, she no longer got flustered but would retaliate with a kiss of her own on my cheek.
And so, with Judy and Daisy, things progressed slowly and tenderly.
I didn't know exactly when, but until the day of the wedding. I decided to savor these fluttering, exciting emotions.
The twins, however, were different.
We had hugged more tis than I could count.
There was nothing I didn't know about them, and nothing they didn't know about , so the dynamic was entirely different.
They advanced aggressively.
It was as if the promise of marriage had shattered the chains that once held them back.
Though I didn't want to compare, I couldn't help but notice that the twins' feelings were far deeper and more passionate than Daisy's or Judy's.
I had thought we'd already expressed plenty of affection, but I realized then that by their standards, it was nowhere near enough.
One day, I entered Asena's room to have a brief conversation.
"...So, Asena, about the estate taxes-mmph!"
Pretending to listen, Asena suddenly kissed .
Her breathing was rough, and her lips pressed against mine as she eagerly pushed her tongue forward.
Of course, we had hugged and kissed countless tis before, but I hadn't expected things to escalate to the next level like this.
I was caught off guard by her actions, but I didn't think of pushing her away.
Anyone who knew Asena would understand why.
The sa Asena who always wore a stern expression and acted so intimidating toward others... now, in front of , she was letting out soft moans, lting in my arms, visibly happy-so, so happy.
Occasionally, she would pull her lips away, a thin string of saliva connecting us, as she spoke between kisses.
"...I'm going crazy... huff... stick out your tongue, oppa... heh... you're my man now, aren't you...?"
Her affection was intense, leaving no room for subtlety as she expressed her love boldly.
I couldn't help but wonder where the cautious girl who promised to take things slowly had gone in the past few months.
And she seed fixated on the phrase "my man." She kept using it repeatedly, calling that over and over again.
I didn't mind, but it still felt strange.
I had long since stopped thinking of her as my little sister. But deep down, there was still a small part of that hadn't fully let go of that perception.
..And sotis, that fact stirred a faint sense of guilt, mixed with a kind of forbidden thrill.
Her tongue moved inside my mouth like it was her own ho, so skillfully that I found myself nearly getting lost in it.
In the end, I gently pushed her away and asked, half-talking to myself,
"...Ha... ha... You seem 'way' too familiar with this, don't you?"
I didn't ask because I didn't know why she was so skilled.
I already knew that while I had been asleep, the twins had stolen my lips.
It always made wonder how long Asena had been taking my kisses while I slept.
In any case, I spoke up, not only to calm her down but also to create a brief pause.
..But Asena didn't back off.
Even as I caught my breath, she leaned back in, stealing a quick kiss before pulling away with a confident look on her face.
"...Isn't it obvious?" she asked.
"What?"
I was speechless at her boldness.
It was as if she was saying that such minor details didn't matter anymore, that our future marriage made any reservations irrelevant.
When I couldn't find the words to respond, she looked down at with sultry eyes, even letting out a small smirk.
"Asena, did you just laugh?"
I couldn't help but laugh myself. It was absurd, but seeing her so happy made it hard to suppress my own smile.
"...Alright, fine. But we don't have ti for this. Co here, give your lips," she demanded, continuing the kiss.
Keirsey wasn't much different from Asena.
Though not as aggressive, she approached things differently from Daisy or Judy.
As soone who loved to take walks, we often rode around on Storm, feeling the wind in our hair as we explored various places. But Keirsey had a habit tugging on my arm, asking to stop Storm whenever the opportunity arose.
And, as always, when I did stop and help her down from Storm, she would take a quick glance around and then look at with deep intent.
Following her gaze, I would quickly realize we were alone, and just as easily, I knew what she wanted.
The mont that atmosphere settled between us, we would be kissing within minutes, always in the sa familiar position.
The kisses left no room for doubt; they were a stark reminder of the shift in our relationship. Every ti our tongues touched, I was reminded that they had grown into full-fledged
won.
Keirsey especially loved to sit on my lap, with our bellies pressed together.
She would wrap her arms around my neck, slowly close her eyes, and lean in for a kiss. The way her body trembled let know she was nervous, but sotis it felt like she was trembling from excitent as well.
And then... sotis, just sotis, as she sat with her belly against mine... she would subtly move her hips in a small circular motion.
Startled by the movent, I would pull her away.
"...Why?" Keirsey would ask, her expression dazed and innocent, as if she had no idea what had just happened.
When I couldn't answer, she'd close her eyes again and lean back in for another kiss, gently pushing her tongue into my mouth in a shy, playful manner.
Knowing Keirsey's sweet and affectionate nature, I didn't think she moved her hips intentionally... but truth be told, I couldn't be entirely sure.
Days passed like this, and before I knew it, the first year had flown by.
Another vacation was upon us.
In the carriage headed back to ls' territory. I glanced Asena, who sat next to with her eyes firmly shut, and asked once more.
"...Asena, shouldn't you be going back
-I'm not going back."
Priester's land-"
She cut off without a mont's hesitation, her voice unwavering.
No matter how much I tried to reason with her, she seed to have already made up her mind.
There was sothing I didn't want her to misunderstand.
It wasn't that I wanted to send her away because I resented her. I wasn't trying to isolate her by sending her back alone.
Judy, Daisy, and Keirsey had all decided to take the ls na, and that's why we were returning to ls domain together.
Asena, of all people, knew this, yet when she slightly opened her eyes to glance at , I could see the disappointnt clearly reflected in her gaze.
"...I don't know."
In the end, I threw up my hands in defeat, giving up on trying to persuade her.
All I could do was hope that Priester wouldn't crumble because of my choices.
Of course, Priester wouldn't fall apart just because Asena was gone for a while, but I couldn't help worrying about the distant future. She couldn't cling to my side forever.
Eventually, we arrived at the estate.
Though it was my land, everything felt foreign to .
I hadn't lived here for a long ti, and the city had been devastated by war. While it was being rebuilt, so much had changed that I knew I would need ti to adjust.
As we entered the plaza in front of the fortress, we were greeted by Ewin, my sister from the Hexter Orphanage, now the head maid of this newly established house.
"Oppa-no, Lord Cayden, I hope your journey was comfortable?"
"It's been a while, Ewin."
She smiled warmly but quickly adjusted her expression when she noticed the won behind .
"Ahem. Lord Cayden, before anything else, there is a guest waiting for you."
"A guest?"
I wondered if it was my grandmother, but sothing told that wasn't it.
"Yes. They arrived at the estate a few days ago and have been waiting since. If you'd prefer to rest or eat first, I can ask them to wait a bit longer-"
"No, Ewin, lead the way."
"Understood."
Ewin bowed deeply and began to lead the way ahead of .
I glanced back at the four won waiting behind .
"Go ahead and rest. I'll be back after I et with the guest."
"I'm coming with you, oppa," Asena said firmly.
"I'll co too," Keirsey added.
"I'd like to join as well," Daisy chid in
"L... I'll go too," Judy followed.
All of them refused take a break.
It seed each had their own reasons for wanting to stay by my side, but trying to argue with each of them individually would've been too inefficient.
If they wanted to co, I saw no reason to refuse.
They'd likely be by my side more often when I t with guests in the future, so I simply nodded my approval.
When we entered the room, to my surprise, it was Count Hexter.
"Count Hexter?" I called out in shock.
"Father?" Daisy echoed, equally stunned.
As I stepped into the room, the count turned, equally surprised.
"Oh, Lord Cayden..! I hope you've been well! And Daisy, you look radiant."
Despite the awkward incident that once threatened to strain our relationship with Count Hexter, we had redefined our ties after the establishnt of the ls family.
Count Hexter had improved the conditions in his own territory and, in return for the grain we had sent him in the past, he had gifted a considerable amount of wealth. It was an apology
for past events and a blessing for ls' future.
It also served as a valuable dowry.
During that ti, we had many conversations, unraveling any lingering tensions. He explained why he had been unable to assist in the past, offering a sincere apology. We even discussed
my engagent to Daisy, leaving on such good terms that it was clear we had parted with mutual respect.
And now, less than half a year later, he had co to see again.
"I should be the one asking. If you had sent word, I would have co to Hexter myself," I said, confused by his visit.
"No, it's right that the one with sothing to say should co in person," he replied, waving his hand modestly.
There was a subtle complexity to my current social standing.
Though a viscount, I was also closely allied with the powerful Priester and Ice families.
Of course, I didn't think that Count Hexter's courtesy was solely because of that alliance, but I couldn't deny that I now had a certain level of influence.
"Sothing you wish to say?" I asked, curious about the Count's hesitation.
Count Hexter glanced at the won standing behind , his gaze lingering on them before he respectfully bowed to them as well. Then, he hesitated, clearly reluctant to continue in
their presence.
"...Lord Cayden, I was hoping we could speak privately," he finally requested, his tone polite yet reserved.
But before I could respond, Asena softly intervened.
"...I'd like to hear it as well," she said, gently but firmly rejecting his request.
Knowing how Asena typically dealt with other nobles, this was as diplomatic as she could be.
"...Hmm," Count Hexter sighed, pressing his lips together as if unsure of how to proceed. Noticing the subtle shift in my expression, perhaps sensing my confusion, he offered more
context.
"Oh, please don't misunderstand. I haven't co to make any difficult requests. It's just... well, I feel a bit embarrassed, as it might seem like I'm pressing you," he explained.
"Pressing ?" I echoed, and with that, his words began to fall into place.
I was starting to understand what he wanted to discuss.
"Yes?" Daisy, too, seed to grasp the situation, covering her mouth in surprise.
Seeing our reactions, Count Hexter decided to speak plainly, no longer hesitating.
"Lord Cayden, what are your thoughts on setting a date for your marriage to Daisy?"
In truth, it was an entirely reasonable question for a father-in-law to ask.
Count Hexter continued, making his suggestion.
"...If you don't mind, I think it might be a good ti to start planning."
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