In the evening, the chandelier in the main dining room of the Altavis family mansion emitted a warm golden glow. The aroma of delicious dishes filled the air, accompanied by the gentle clinking of cutlery hitting porcelain plates.
All members of the core Altavis family had gathered at the long dining table and sat enjoying their meal while chatting lightly. The atmosphere felt peaceful and harmonious after a long day.
However, the tranquility of the dinner was disturbed when the double doors of the dining room were opened from the outside.
A city gate guard soldier walked in hurriedly but still politely, followed by a young girl walking hesitantly beside him. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor, causing everyone at the dining table to stop their eating activities and turn their heads in unison.
The soldier bowed respectfully. "Pardon me to interrupt your busy schedule and family dinner time, My Lord. This young lady insists on meeting you and also Madam Elisalva right now!"
Everyone's eyes in the room instantly widened. They were astounded, not because of the interruption, but because of the young girl's appearance.
The girl was wearing simple, somewhat shabby clothes, but her facial features were very familiar. She bore a striking resemblance to Elisa. The shape of her eyes, her nose, and most surprisingly, her hair. The girl's hair was bright purple, a color very identical to Elisa and her son, Allen.
Duke Elgard put down his napkin slowly, his eyes narrowing sharply examining the unfamiliar yet familiar figure.
"Alright, thank you for bringing her here. You may return to your post!" ordered Duke Elgard calmly.
Once the soldier bowed and left the dining room, closing the door behind him, Duke Elgard immediately focused his full attention on the girl.
"What is your name? And what urgent business do you have that you want to meet me and my sister at a dinner hour like this?" asked Duke Elgard with his heavy but not intimidating baritone voice.
The girl squeezed the hem of her shirt nervously, but she tried to hold her head up.
"My name is Erica." she answered with a voice that trembled slightly but was clear. "And I came here to meet both of you because of a testamentary mandate from my late mother. She instructed me to hand this directly to you."
With trembling hands, Erica handed a letter that looked dull from age to Duke Elgard.
Duke Elgard accepted the letter. He broke the seal slowly, then took out the paper inside. The atmosphere at the dining table became silent and tense. Only the sound of the paper unfolding was heard.
Duke Elgard's eyes moved left and right, reading every line of handwriting on the letter carefully. His brow furrowed deeply, as if digesting heavy information. Elisa, sitting not far from him, looked at her brother anxiously, wondering what the content of the letter brought by the girl who looked like her was.
However, suddenly, Duke Elgard's shoulders, which were tense earlier, slowly relaxed. He let out a long breath, a sigh of relief that sounded very clear in the quiet room.
Elisa became even more curious. "Brother Elgard, what is it? Why do you look relieved like that after reading it?"
Duke Elgard smiled faintly, then handed the paper to his sister. "Read it yourself, Elisa. This is good news for you."
With slightly trembling hands, Elisa took the letter and began to read it. Seconds passed, the tense expression on Elisa's face slowly melted. Her eyes sparkled, and this time it was her turn to sigh in relief, as if a mountain's burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.
"Thank goodness..." murmured Elisa softly.
Everyone at the dining table became confused as well as curious about the strange behavior of the siblings.
"Father, Aunt Elisa, what is actually happening?" asked William, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer. "Why do you two feel relieved like that? Who is this girl actually?"
Duke Elgard looked at his son, then shifted his gaze to Erica with a warm look like an uncle to his niece.
"Children, listen carefully!" said Duke Elgard. "Erica's grandmother was your late grandmother's biological sister who lost contact decades ago! In other words, Erica has thick Altavis blood. She is your cousin!"
That news surprised them all. However, William's confusion had not been fully answered.
"Then, what does that fact have to do with you sighing in relief earlier?" asked William again, still not grasping the main point.
Duke Elgard answered again, this time with a tone full of satisfaction.
"Erica's late mother requested in her will that one of us adopt her after both her parents passed away." explained Duke Elgard. He looked at Elisa, then shifted his gaze to Allen. "With this, Elisa no longer needs to worry about the successor of our branch family. Erica is a girl. She can continue the lineage without any problem."
That information took a few seconds for Allen to digest. However, once he realized the implications, his cute face instantly brightened.
"YEEESSS!"
Allen immediately cheered happily. Disregarding dining table etiquette, he jumped from his chair and spontaneously hugged Kazien's neck sitting next to him.
"My Love! Did you hear that?!" exclaimed Allen hysterically happy. "I don't need to turn into a girl! I don't need to give birth to a child for you! It seems Goddess Nirfelia has given the answer to all your anxieties and mine!"
In the corner of the room, Erica stood frozen.
Of everyone in the dining room, Erica was the most shocked. She had just arrived, still nervous, and suddenly saw a handsome yet cute young man hugging another young man affectionately while shouting about not needing to become a girl.
"M-My love? What does that mean?" asked Erica spontaneously, her voice squeaking from severe shock. Her eyes widened staring at Allen and Kazien. "Aren't... aren't you both men?"
Erica was so focused on that "deviant" interaction that she didn't even realize there was a High Elf with long pointed ears sitting right across the table, close to her.
Alvin, seeing Allen's happiness, smiled gently. "I'm happy for you too, My Dear! Finally, the burden on your mind is gone." said Alvin to Allen.
Alvin's melodious voice made Erica turn her head. And that was when her heart nearly stopped.
"E-Elf?!" shrieked Erica stepping back, bumping into the chair behind her. "Why is there an Elf here? And... why does he also call that man 'my dear'? What is actually happening in this house?!"
Erica was even more shocked, unable to believe what she heard and saw. The noble world she imagined turned out to be far crazier than she suspected. There were men hugging, a creature other than the human race having dinner with humans, and talk about gender change.
Duke Elgard realized the poor girl's confusion. He cleared his throat softly to calm the situation.
"Calm down, Erica. Let me explain." said Duke Elgard patiently. He pointed one by one to the young men at the table. "That golden-haired High Elf is named Alvin Dass'el Latreess, or usually called Alvin. And the one hugging my son is your cousin, his name is Allenzi Altavis or usually called Allen. And the brown-haired one next to Allen's seat is Arken Altavis or usually called Arken, my adopted son."
Duke Elgard paused for a moment, then continued his sentence.
"The three of them are the fiancés of Kazien, my third son sitting next to that High Elf."
Erica's jaw dropped. Her eyes blinked rapidly, trying to process the information.
"B-But Lord Duke Elgard..." stammered Erica, her brain short-circuiting. "Aren't the three of them... all men?"
"Correct!" answered Duke Elgard casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "My son, Kazien, only wants to marry cute-faced men. And those three are the ones willing to marry him!"