~stare~
Lysandra stared at Luke, who was busy scribbling on the colorful papers their mother had just handed them. Both of them were lying on the floor, which was covered with a soft, animal fur carpet to make it comfortable for the babies to play. Their play area was surrounded by short, colorful wooden fences, meant to keep them from wandering too far from their designated space.
Jenessa was working at her desk nearby, while Sophia sat on the sofa, knitting something.
'Sigh... In the end, we didn't get to go to the garden,' Lysandra thought, then shot an intense glare at Luke. 'I was looking forward to exploring, but this bastard just had to ruin it.'
Absentmindedly, she stared at the colorful wooden fences in front of her. Suddenly, a sheet of colored paper was shoved into her face, blocking her view.
'Motherf**er!' Lysandra cursed internally, startled by the sudden interaction. Then she noticed Luke's drawing, making her even more annoyed. The picture was drawn with a red crayon, one of the edible ones, according to Sophia's explanation to Jenessa. The drawing was round at the bottom but spiky at the top, with more similar shapes inside it. Though vague, Lysandra could still make a rough guess about what it was.
'A fire?' She raised an eyebrow.
Curious, she grabbed one of the colored papers and a crayon, then started drawing. First, she tried to make a straight line, but her lack of strength as a baby made it come out wavy. She attempted again, this time more slowly. While still not perfect and overly large, it was at least satisfying. Next, she tried drawing a V beside the straight line, but unfortunately, she placed it too far away. Ignoring the mistake, she drew another straight line beside the V.
'Hmph... Luke should be able to recognize this as an M, or else he's an idiot,' she thought before showing it to him. She intended to let Luke know she understood his drawing meant 'Magic'.
Luke stared at her scribbles, seemingly processing them, then suddenly held up his palm for a high-five.
'???' Lysandra blinked in confusion. Then, realization struck. 'Ah! He's trying to give a thumbs-up!'
She understood immediately since she had once tried flipping Luke off but had only managed a high-five instead.
Determined to continue their "conversation," Lysandra carefully drew a shaky T meaning thumb on her paper. Luke nodded in response.
'So... what about magic?' she thought, trying to communicate her question by shrugging and raising both hands, mimicking a clueless gesture.
Luke seemed to catch on and started drawing again. When he was done, he showed her a single letter: E.
Lysandra frowned, confused. She shook her head, signaling that she didn't understand.
Luke squinted in irritation before adding another letter next to it, a capital A. Then he looked at her expectantly.
'EA? Hmm... maybe he means "early"? Ah! He wants us to start learning magic early!'
Realizing this, Lysandra quickly scribbled N and W on her paper. Now?
Luke responded by drawing a Y = yes.
'So he wants us to start learning magic at this age,' she concluded.
Just then, Luke began drawing again. When he finished, it was an M. Which Lysandra quickly interpreted as M = Manhwa.
'Heh, his M is even uglier than mine,' Lysandra thought smugly before sketching a simple drawing of an open book. Though oversized, it was still recognizable.
Luke nodded in approval.
'Well, I have been wanting to try some of those magic methods from all the manhwa we read...' Lysandra mused, growing more intrigued by the idea.
'So, do we collect mana from here like in the manhwa?' Lysandra tried to convey her thoughts by tapping her lower abdomen to Luke.
Mana—a mystical energy used for magic. In this world, mana usually starts forming in the body after the age of seven. The more mana a person stores, the stronger their magic becomes.
In the fantasy manhwa that Lysandra and Luke had read, protagonists often gathered mana in different parts of their bodies. Some stored it in their lower abdomen, others near their heart, stomach, or even different pressure points. It all depended on the world-building of the author.
'If I remember correctly, in 'Fuck You Bad Ending,' the magic system works by collecting mana in the lower abdomen,' Lysandra thought to herself.
Luke, noticing Lysandra's gesture, nodded in confirmation.
'So, do we start collecting now?' Lysandra asked again, this time tapping the floor to emphasize her question.
Luke shook his head.
'Later, then.' Lysandra nodded, understanding his response and agreeing to wait.
As the twins silently communicated through their twins' sixth sense, they understood each other without the need for words. A knock suddenly echoed from the office door. Before Jenessa could even ask who it was, the door swung open without permission.
A man strode in boldly, as if the office belonged to him. His deep V-neck tunic, a muted white, exposed just enough of his chest to give off an air of charismatic ease. The sleeveless fabric layered elegantly over his frame, refined yet relaxed. Draped over his shoulders was a long, dark green coat trimmed in white, its structured design and subtly flared edges hinting at nobility.
His wavy green hair, slightly tousled yet undeniably stylish, framed his face in loose strands, making the playful glint in his muted grey eyes even more striking. His thin, elegant eyebrows naturally arched, giving him a look that was always on the verge of a smirk. A single-lens monocle rested over one eye, its delicate silver frame connected to a long, dangling chain earring on the same side, an accessory that only enhanced his aristocratic yet mischievous charm.
In short, his entire appearance screamed playful and eccentric. But of course, you couldn't judge a book by its cover, though in his case, the word eccentric might as well have been his middle name. And that was exactly why, the moment he stepped into Jenessa's office, Luke and Lysandra's expressions turned dark. They knew this man all too well—so much so that just the sight of him made them feel exhausted.
"Honey~!" The man called out in a sing-song voice, striding straight toward Jenessa with an easy, carefree smile.
Jenessa, who was smiling sweetly, tapped his chest lightly. "So, what brings you here, Darius?"
Darius—his name as annoyingly familiar as his personality simply grinned. Instead of answering, he placed his hands on Jenessa's shoulders and began massaging them gently.
"Can't a husband visit his wife whenever he wants?" he teased, his tone playful and full of mischief.
Jenessa sighed in mock defeat, placing her hand over one of his in an affectionate gesture.
Darius' gaze then swept across the room until it landed on Luke and Lysandra, who were playing in their designated area. His eyes immediately brightened, and in an instant, he let out a loud, delighted exclamation.
"So my cuties are here!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Luke and Lysandra flinched. They barely had time to react before Darius came rushing toward them like a playfully aggressive puppy—full of excitement, fast, and absolutely unstoppable.
With the survival instincts of cornered prey, Luke and Lysandra scrambled to get away as quickly as possible. Luke made a beeline for the play fence, attempting a desperate escape, while Lysandra crawled in the opposite direction.
Unfortunately, Lysandra was not fast enough.
Darius swooped her up with ease, lifting her into his arms and smothering her with over-the-top kisses. His affectionate nature knew no limits.
'No! Go away! Eww, I'm covered in his saliva!' Lysandra wailed internally, her exaggerated thoughts only making her struggle more frantically. She clawed and pushed at her father's face, but no amount of resistance could stop Darius from showering his beloved daughter with endless affection.
Then, as if claiming another prize, Darius reached for Luke.
Luke, who had been halfway up the fence, turned pale. His hands trembled as he gripped the bars, silently pleading for mercy. But Darius had no intention of letting his son escape his fatherly love.
"Come here to Daddy, my cute Luke~!" he cooed, his voice unbearably doting.
Luke let out a helpless whimper, sounding dangerously close to tears, like a small puppy cornered with no way out.
In the next moment, both twins were captured, trapped in their father's arms, enduring another round of relentless kisses.
Jenessa, watching the scene unfold, let out a soft laugh before finally stepping in. "Darius, I think you should stop now. They look very uncomfortable," she said, amused by the twins' scrunched-up, suffering expressions.
Darius paused, blinking as if he had only just noticed their discomfort. But instead of looking guilty, he pouted dramatically.
"Aww, but our kids are so cute! Their cheeks are just begging for kisses," he said, planting another quick kiss on both Luke and Lysandra.
Jenessa sighed, though a smile remained on her face. "Still, you should at least give them some space to breathe. Do you do this every time you visit them?"
"Of course! They're our precious children, so I have to shower them with endless love," Darius declared, his tone carrying the exaggerated weight of someone who had overcome great hardship. Then, with a mischievous smirk, he turned to Jenessa.
"Or... could it be that you're feeling left out?" he teased. "Don't worry, I'll give you some love too."
Before Jenessa could react, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then another at the corner of her eye, before finally brushing a gentle peck against her lips. When he pulled away, he gave her a warm, affectionate smile.
Jenessa's cheeks tinted pink, though she kept her smile as she lightly punched Darius's arm.
Meanwhile, Luke and Lysandra watched the whole thing unfold with pure disgust.
'Ugh, get a room!'
Sophia, seeing her master and mistress being so affectionate with each other, felt a wave of happiness wash over her. Unknowingly, a gentle smile spread across her face as she clasped her hands together.
"Aww~ they love each other so much," she whispered softly, wiping away a small tear. 'After everything they've been through, they finally have children of their own... after so many hardships.' Memories surfaced of a time when Lady Jenessa had been so distressed, struggling with the pain of not being able to conceive. As Sophia stood there reminiscing, her eyes fell on some drawings scattered across the children's playground.
"Huh? What's this?" she murmured, bending down to pick up one of the pieces of paper. Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed more colorful drawings scattered all over the floor, the same area where the children had just been playing moments ago.
"M... MASTER! MY LADY!" Sophia's voice rang out in excitement. Both Jenessa and Darius turned toward her, looking confused and worried.
"What is the meaning of this, Sophia? Shouting like that in front of your masters," Jenessa asked, her tone laced with disapproval.
Sophia flushed with embarrassment and quickly bowed her head. "Forgive my behavior, my lady. But you both must see this," she said, hurrying to hand them the colorful sheets of paper Luke and Lysandra had been using to communicate. At the sight of this, the twins' expressions turned grim and anxious.
As Jenessa and Darius carefully examined the strange symbols and drawings, Lysandra shot a sharp glare at her brother. 'This is your fault,' her eyes seemed to say.
'What?! How is this my fault?!' Luke's posture stiffened as he crossed his arms defensively. 'How else are we supposed to discuss our next steps in this new life if not through these papers?' he pouted inwardly, frustrated.
"T-This... this looks like those ancient symbols! The ones no scholar has ever been able to decipher!" Sophia's eyes sparkled with excitement. Hearing this, Luke and Lysandra exchanged bewildered glances, feeling their confusion deepen.