Little Star had already turned a month old in the blink of an eye.
The house was filled with family and friends who had come to congratulate the Moon.
Kiana☆'s gaze swept across the crowd, and only then did she belatedly slap her forehead.
"Ah! I forgot about Dad!" A faint shimmer of light surfaced in her eyes as her thoughts stirred.
....
On the other side, beneath the starry sky of Venus, Siegfried was sprawled flat on the grass, limbs splayed, sighing and lamenting.
Griseo sat beside him, holding a paintbrush, earnestly sketching his utterly lifeless expression onto the canvas.
Suddenly, a purple light wrapped around Siegfried without any warning. Griseo tilted her head slightly.
"Looks like Mr. Siegfried is about to leave."
Before Siegfried could react, before he even had time to cry out, he maintained that sprawled posture and, with a loud thud, smashed straight into the house, instantly becoming the center of attention.
Everyone looked at his miserable yet comical state, and for a moment, silence fell.
"I, I'm back?!" Just as Siegfried's booming voice started to rise, Kiana☆ reacted swiftly and clapped a hand over his mouth.
Siegfried immediately shut up, nodding repeatedly. When he pried her hand away, even his breathing became light and careful.
Tiptoeing, he scrambled over to the crib, peeking cautiously at the little girl inside.
Seeing the faint smile still lingering on her delicate, doll-like face, his voice softened unconsciously, his tone full of lingering fear.
"Good girl… Grandpa thought he'd never see you again."
....
In a corner no one was paying attention to, Durandal stared fixedly at Fu Lin. Her gaze kept wandering back and forth between the top of his head and behind him, as if she were stubbornly searching for something.
Fu Lin was made thoroughly uncomfortable by her staring and spoke up first.
"What are you looking at?" A faint blush suddenly spread across Durandal's cheeks. She hurriedly looked away and asked in a low voice,
"Um… Fu Lin, where are your cat ears and tail?"
Fu Lin: "...They're gone."
Durandal blinked, a hint of regret appearing in her eyes. The question she wanted to ask reached her lips, then was swallowed back down. She only muttered softly, "I thought… I thought you always had them."
Hearing that, Fu Lin caught her slightly disappointed expression out of the corner of his eye, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
The next second, two pairs of fluffy cat ears popped out without warning, the soft ear tips giving a gentle twitch.
Durandal's eyes lit up instantly, like stars being ignited. She subconsciously reached out, her fingertips carefully brushing against the soft, fluffy texture, her voice brimming with unconcealed delight.
"Mmm~… still so soft." Fu Lin's body stiffened, the tips of his ears turning red enough to drip blood. He awkwardly turned his face away, pretending to be nonchalant as he snorted softly.
"Hurry up. Don't let Kiana☆ see."
Just as the two of them were frozen in place, a puzzled voice suddenly came from the side.
"What are you two doing in the corner~?" It was Elysia, holding a small cake, with Klein following behind her carrying a fruit basket.
Elysia's gaze swept around and quickly landed on the two soft, fluffy cat ears atop Fu Lin's head.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Oh my~ let me touch them too~?"
Fu Lin's face flushed bright red in an instant, and the fluffy ear tips began trembling violently.
As soon as her words fell, Rozaliya's scream rang out not far away. The two sisters had somehow crept over and were peeking from behind a potted plant, eyes wide open.
"Liliya, did you see that? Cat ears! Cat ears! That's amazing!" Rozaliya bounced around excitedly, nearly knocking over a nearby vase before Liliya grabbed her.
The commotion quickly drew everyone else's attention. Fu Lin hurriedly composed himself, and with a flick of his fingers, the cat ears quietly retracted.
Elysia's fingertips stopped in midair, just in time, as she watched the soft, fluffy cat ears disappear from Fu Lin's head. She blinked exaggeratedly, putting on a regretful expression.
"Aww, how stingy. You won't even let me touch them once~"
Klein, holding the fruit basket, lightly nudged Elysia's arm and reminded her in a low voice, "Lady Elysia, don't tease him. Everyone's looking over."
Sure enough, everyone's gazes were now directed this way. Even Siegfried temporarily forgot about hovering by the crib to amuse the little girl, stretching his neck to peer into the corner.
Fu Lin let out a muffled snort and turned to head somewhere less crowded, only to suddenly have his path blocked by Rozaliya.
"Big brother, big brother!" Rozaliya shook his arm, her eyes sparkling like they held stars. "Do it again! I haven't seen enough yet! Liliya wants to see it too, right?"
Liliya crossed her arms and nodded with a straight face. "Mm. Do it again. Liliya wants to touch the cat ears too."
With no way to shake them off, and noticing Durandal and Elysia standing nearby with looks of expectation in their eyes as well, Fu Lin could only sigh helplessly.
The two pairs of fluffy cat ears quietly popped out again, the tips trembling lightly, so soft it made one want to reach out and touch them.
"Wow!" Rozaliya cheered.
This noisy scene finally caught Kiana☆'s attention. She looked at the cat ears atop Fu Lin's head and smiled, tilting her head as she asked, "Fu Lin, I thought you didn't like the cat-ear look. Showing them in front everyone like this, what are you trying to do~?"
Fu Lin: "..."
Just as he was about to retract the cat ears, Kiana☆ reached out and pressed a hand on his head, gently rubbing the soft cat ears with her fingertips as she commented, "Nice texture~ but… hurry up and change back for me…"
Before she could finish speaking, the little girl in the crib suddenly let out a babbling sound, waving her tiny hands as if she too had been drawn by the excitement over here.
Siegfried hurriedly turned back, picked up the little girl, and shouted to everyone, "Come on, come on! Little Star is awake!"
Everyone's attention shifted instantly, and they all swarmed toward the crib.
Fu Lin took the chance to retract his cat ears and let out a sigh of relief, only to feel the hem of his clothes being gently tugged.
Turning around, he saw Durandal standing behind him. Her cheeks were slightly red as she spoke softly, "Um… next time, next time could you let me touch them again? Just once."
Looking at her earnest, expectant expression, Fu Lin didn't know why he felt a strange sense of moral guilt. He awkwardly let out a quiet "Mm."
At that moment, Rita approached with a tray of exquisite desserts, her hair swaying lightly with her steps. A trace of scrutiny flickered through her eyes.
Her gaze landed on Durandal's flushed cheeks, then drifted to the two standing very close together.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of the tray, alarms blaring in her mind.
'Oh no. What happened while I was gone? Why does Lady Durandal look like this, don't tell me she was bullied by Mr. Fu Lin?'
A proper smile still rested on her face, but her voice carried a hint of probing gentleness.
"Lady Durandal, Mr. Fu Lin, please try the macarons and mousse I just made. They're at the sweetness you both like."
As she spoke, she lightly offered the tray to the two of them, her gaze flickering back and forth between them without relaxing in the slightest.
Durandal naturally picked up a light blue macaron.
Fu Lin also noticed the scrutinizing look in Rita's eyes and felt uncomfortable all over. He casually picked up a piece of chocolate mousse, murmured a low "Thank you," and tried to use eating dessert as an excuse to avoid that gaze.
But Rita's eyes remained glued to him. The "wariness" in her gaze was almost overflowing, as if she were guarding against some little thief trying to steal something important.
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Hey Everyone!
LordIsland here! How are you? Everything good?
Wishing you a very happy new, may all your wishes come true in 2026.
And may everyone win the 50/ 50's and get the characters they wish for!!!!