Kael's dorm finally welcomed a brief moment of peace at night.
Sirin and Bianca were still children after all; after playing all day, they soon snuggled up to Kael and fell into a deep sleep.
Theresa was also quite tired. Holding Kael's arm, her head kept nodding, and eventually, she couldn't resist the sleepiness either, falling asleep leaning against the armrest of the sofa.
Moonlight, like water, streamed through the window and fell upon the four of them. Kael looked at the three girls beside him, each with a different style but all deeply dependent on him. His heart was filled with mixed emotions, which finally turned into an extremely soft sigh.
He carefully adjusted his posture, ensuring they were all sleeping comfortably.
He himself leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
As the night deepened and silence fell, faint murmurs of dreams began to sound.
First was Sirin, who was right next to Kael's left side. She seemed to be having a sweet dream, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, her small hand unconsciously gripping Kael's clothes. In a tone much clearer and smoother than usual, even carrying a hint of stubbornness unbefitting her age, she murmured softly:
"Brother... is Sirin's... no one can take him away..."
Kael heard these dream words in his hazy sleep and didn't think too deeply, only instinctively feeling that this child was quite possessive, probably a child's subconscious desire for exclusive ownership of someone they depend on.
He gently patted Sirin's back, and she burrowed deeper into his embrace like a comforted little animal, falling into an even deeper sleep.
Immediately after, Bianca on the right also made a sound. Her golden eyelashes fluttered, her small face appearing exceptionally pure in the moonlight. Her dream words carried a sense of bewilderment from her amnesia, yet strangely continued a certain "tradition":
"Brother... Bianca likes you... when I grow up... I want to... want to marry you..."
Kael: "..."
Hearing this in his half-sleep, he almost choked on his own saliva, and some of his sleepiness was dispelled.
He looked helplessly at the sweetly sleeping Bianca. This child, even with amnesia, she hasn't forgotten her "original intention," has she?
And Theresa, who had been sleeping by the armrest, was actually in a state of light sleep, half-awake and half-asleep.
She heard Sirin and Bianca's dream talk clearly!
Especially Bianca's phrase, "want to marry you," which was like a needle piercing her heart!
This instantly sobered her up.
She gritted her teeth in anger, her fists quietly clenching in the dark.
These two little rascals! One declared ownership, the other directly proposed! How outrageous! Kael was hers! He was the one she had known for over a decade, fought alongside, shared joys and sorrows with, the closest and most beloved! Why should these two little ones covet him!
But... they were both asleep, and they were still children.
As a "mature" S-Rank Valkyrie, she couldn't possibly wake them up to argue with them, could she?
Theresa was so frustrated that she could only puff out her cheeks, like an inflated pufferfish, silently accusing Kael of being a "ladies' man" with resentful eyes in the dark. Eventually, as she fumed, she actually drifted off to sleep in a daze.
The next morning, the sunlight awakened the dorm.
The first to wake up was Sirin.
Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her brilliant golden eyes.
What met her gaze was Kael's quiet sleeping face, so close.
His eyes were closed, his breathing even, and the slight weariness usually on his brow had smoothed out, making him appear exceptionally gentle.
Sirin looked at his face, and her heart felt as if it were soaked in warm spring water; an indescribable sense of peace and contentment arose spontaneously.
She unconsciously curved her lips slightly, revealing a faint yet incredibly genuine smile.
After this period of Kael's patient and meticulous care and companionship, the ice in her heart had indeed melted a lot. She had become much more cheerful, and her speech was no longer intermittent and full of fear as it was initially, but had become fluent and natural, and even... subtly trending towards a more "self-assured" direction?
Kael seemed to sense the gaze and also woke up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he met Sirin's smiling golden eyes.
That smile wasn't timid or dependent as usual; instead, it held a hint of... small triumph and satisfaction?
Kael paused for a moment, then also smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair: "Morning, Sirin. Did you sleep well?"
He thought Sirin looked much cuter being so cheerful, like a little flower finally willing to bloom in the sun.
"Mm! Very well!" Sirin nodded vigorously, her voice clear and with a hint of childish delight. She enjoyed Kael's touch, like a cat being petted.
Just then, Theresa also rubbed her eyes and sat up. She immediately saw Kael gently stroking Sirin's hair, and Sirin's look of enjoyment stung her eyes even more.
Recalling the dream words she heard last night, a mix of sourness and grievance surged into her heart again.
She no longer cared about her image, scooted over to Kael, tugged at his sleeve, and looked up, demanding in a pitiful tone with the nasal voice of someone just woken up: "Kael... I want it too... please pat my head, please hug me..."
Kael looked at Theresa's eager expression, finding it both amusing and soft-hearted.
He knew she had been tormented by documents these past few days and indeed needed comfort.
He smiled helplessly, naturally reached out, and also ruffled Theresa's soft white short hair, then gently hugged her.
"You've worked hard, Theresa."
Although it was just a brief hug and a simple pat, Theresa instantly felt as if she were recharged. All her grievances and fatigue vanished, and a brilliant smile bloomed on her face, as if she had received the best reward in the world.
"Hehe... it wasn't hard!" She happily hugged Kael's arm and rubbed against him.
However, while Theresa was happy, someone else was not.
Sirin watched as Kael not only stroked the white-haired big sister's head but also hugged her!
Her previously sunny little face instantly turned cloudy, then rainy!
She puffed out her cheeks, her golden eyes wide, staring intently at Theresa's hand holding Kael's arm. Her small fists clenched at her sides, and an invisible black aura seemed to emanate from her.
Unlike Theresa, she didn't loudly complain or whine; she just stared at Theresa with an extremely "harmonious" gaze, fuming like an inflated purple pufferfish, as if she would explode any second.
Kael quickly felt the almost materialized resentful gaze from his left side.
He turned his head and saw Sirin's pouting expression, her eyes clearly saying: "Brother! You hugged someone else!"
Kael: "..."
He felt like a tightrope walker, with "grown-up child" Theresa seeking comfort on one side, and "clingy kitten" Sirin, overflowing with jealousy, on the other. Next to them was golden-haired Bianca, just waking up, rubbing her eyes, and looking at them with a bewildered expression... This balance was too difficult to maintain!
He tried to appease Sirin, reaching out to pat her head, but Sirin turned her head away, dodging his hand.
She huffed, hugged her knees, and buried her face, leaving only a sulky purple back for Kael and Theresa.
Theresa secretly gloated at Sirin's discomfiture, tightened her grip on Kael's arm, and triumphantly lifted her chin towards Sirin's back.
Kael looked at this situation—one refusing to acknowledge him, the other clinging to him—and felt that the future was fraught with challenges and that he had a long way to go. He seemed to already foresee that such scenes would become his daily life.
Truly... the future was a dark one!
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