After dinner, when Zenith placed a hand on her belly and announced she was pregnant, Paul looked like he'd been waiting for this day forever. Even so, he couldn't suppress the uncontainable joy that welled up in him. He almost rushed to hug Zenith but held himself back and instead began dancing in place.
Ever since Zenith had given birth to Rudi, the couple had hoped to have another child. And now, that wish was finally coming true.
Rudi's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he ran over and pressed his ear to her belly alongside Paul. Zenith smiled gently and stroked his head.
"That's wonderful, Rudi. You're not alone anymore."
She paused, glancing at Allen, who stood nearby with arms folded and a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"That means... you'll have another little brother or sister to play with. There'll be a third child in the house. So, you'd better act like a proper big brother, okay~?"
Rudi nodded, then turned to look at Allen. A curious glint shone in his eyes.
Allen, too far to hear what was said, tilted his head slightly, trying to understand what they were talking about.
Rudi simply smiled without replying, resting his head back on Zenith's belly.
Allen being my distant cousin still feels unreal, Rudi thought. He's really something... when it comes to interacting with people, he's sensitive and always knows the right thing to say. But when it comes to his own feelings, he's so dense.
Is it a confidence issue? Maybe he doesn't realize how Paul and Zenith truly feel about him. Paul once told me Allen's family background is complicated, that he was even hunted by his so-called birth father. I was born into this world with no real attachment to this family, but Allen? His issues come from the past... a distant, cold upbringing that makes him bad at recognizing affection.
Rudi gave Allen a look of sympathy just as Paul picked him up, replacing him at Zenith's side, pressing his face into her lap like an affectionate puppy.
Allen: …
Rudi: …
Just then, Lilia stepped out of the kitchen, having just finished cleaning up.
"Congratulations, my lady."
Zenith patted Paul's head fondly. "Thank you. Say, Lilia, you've been here for over five years now... perhaps it's time we found someone for you? You must feel lonely on your own."
Lilia lowered her eyes to the hem of her maid uniform and murmured, "Thank you... I... don't have any plans for the future yet."
"Well, I suppose it's hard to find a match here. You were a noble guard once, right? It would probably need to be someone of Paul's status at least. Maybe we should ask Philip? A minor noble might suit Lilia better. What do you think, Paul?"
Paul's eyes darted toward Lilia. She was looking down, her red hair obscuring her gaze. But their eyes met for the briefest moment—then quickly looked away.
His smile stiffened.
Paul couldn't help but recall past transgressions with Lilia, and the occasional wayward hand...
"Ah, yes. Lilia is... exceptional. Ha... ha ha."
Allen watched all this with folded arms, lips slowly curling into a smirk.
Here it comes... the infamous affair arc.
The timing lines up too. Maybe this time, the butterfly effect won't derail things?
Just then—knock knock knock—urgent knocking sounded at the door.
Allen stiffened. His mind flashed to a late-night visit from Roxy a month ago.
No way... don't tell me another butterfly flapping its wings?
But Paul and Zenith exchanged calm glances.
"That'll be Rawls."
"Right, must be."
Lilia opened the door. Sure enough, it was the blond, long-eared Rawls. He nodded to her, then glanced at Rudi and Allen with a gentle smile.
Behind him emerged a bundled-up little figure.
It was Sylphy, dressed in thick winterwear not seen in the original plot. The fur-lined collar of her coat framed her tiny face. Her nose was red from the cold, and beneath long lashes, her red eyes reflected Allen's image.
"Good morning, Allen."
"Hey! Why only greet Allen?!" Rudi whined, puffing over.
"Sorry, Rudi. Good morning."
Allen chuckled. It had snowed for ten days straight, and he hadn't seen Sylphy in all that time. Now, in her snug winter coat, she looked so adorable.
He ruffled her head. "Morning, Sylphy. First time I've seen you in winter clothes. You look cute."
Her ears twitched. ". . . Thank you."
Thanks to Allen's early involvement, Sylphy hadn't suffered the year-long bullying from the original story. Having felt friendship early, her timid nature had begun to fade. She now resembled her future kind, understanding self.
Even Allen's casual praise didn't fluster her much anymore. She simply accepted it with a soft thank you.
Rawls smiled at the scene and turned to Paul. "The snow's stopped. Time to prepare for the monster cull."
——
In the Asura Kingdom, monsters are rare. This is partly because during their winter dormancy, local knights lead yearly purges of nearby forests. It's national policy—to maintain prosperity and trade.
Such details were never covered in the original story because they didn't concern Rudi. But subtle clues existed, like the book in his home: "The Monster Ecology and Weaknesses of Fittoa."
Books are expensive in this world. If they owned that, it wasn't for children.
Thanks to Allen's constant fretting over Sylphy, he'd often drag Rudi along to bring Rawls food. This led to them occasionally helping with monsters. Word spread fast: the village's two ten-year-olds were no ordinary kids.
Naturally, they were invited to help prepare the culling.
Snow blanketed the forest. With the trees bare, the visibility was shockingly clear. The village men spread thorned nets, reinforcing the forest's edge to keep monsters from fleeing toward the village.
Allen and Paul stood at the front lines to guard against ambush. Rudi and Sylphy stayed at the back, observing.
"Uncle, does this happen every year? I never heard of it."
Paul adjusted his grip on his sword. "You lived in the capital. Of course not. New to you?"
"A bit... hey, what's that?"
Allen pointed into the forest. Between the trees stood a rough wooden structure—an old shack.
"Oh, that? A safety shelter."
"A what?"
"A place for travelers or merchants trapped in snowstorms. They're all over the woods."
Allen recalled his snowy journey the previous year.
That trip… had I used a wagon like planned, I'd probably have been delayed.
If I'd stayed in one of those shelters, I might never have met Roxy. And without Roxy, I'd have barely scraped by on Affection Points.
So in the end, that assassination attempt actually helped me... Misfortune hides fortune, and fortune hides misfortune?
Guess I got lucky.
Meanwhile, Rawls was stringing nets with a few other men.
"Hey, Rawls. Aren't we going in deeper than usual?" a burly man asked.
"No problem. We've got Allen this year along with Paul. Even if something stirs, we'll be fine."
"True, Allen's talented. Can't believe a knight's son is so good with magic too. First Roxy, now Allen. Guess your daughter's in good hands, huh?"
Rawls smiled faintly and looked toward the back of the line.
Sylphy's been so much happier since Allen arrived. No longer alone...
His heart softened.
If Sylphy's happy, then Nodah can rest easy. She always blamed herself for Sylphy's green hair, as if it were her fault.
Suddenly—
Crunch.
Rawls stepped on something hidden beneath the snow. It wasn't soft snow—but something hard and cylindrical.
Before he could react, shouts rang out.
"Rawls!!"
"Get back!!"
The snow exploded beneath him. A massive mouth burst upward, ringed with slick, jagged fangs.
Rawls's heart turned cold.
Mutated Forest Serpent—Rank D.
The monster had been awakened mid-hibernation.
And it struck the first thing that disturbed its slumber.
(End of Chapter)
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