## (Rudeus Greyrat) - (Point of View)
Zenith got pregnant. Apparently, I'm going to have a brother or sister.
Zenith had been worried about this for years now. She was anxious about not being able to conceive another child after us. Several times I heard her sigh, wondering if perhaps she was no longer capable of having children.
But about a month ago, she started showing some symptoms: changes in taste, nausea, vomiting, and constant fatigue. What's commonly known as pregnancy symptoms. Since she recognized that feeling, she decided to consult a doctor. The diagnosis was clear: apparently there was no doubt.
The Greyrat family exploded with joy at the news.
"What if it's a boy? What should we name him?"
"What if it's a girl? Which name would suit her?"
"We still have available rooms, right?"
"We can reuse the clothes Rudy and Daiki wore as babies."
The conversation was endless. That day was joyful from start to finish, and laughter never stopped. I was honestly happy too.
Daiki, for his part, simply nodded in approval when asked. But I noticed something more in his eyes. A warm gleam... something he almost never showed so openly.
Siblings tend to destroy everything I cherish...
And then...
The problem came a month after that celebration.
The news of Lilia's pregnancy shook the entire house.
"Excuse me... I'm pregnant," Lilia announced with absolute serenity, just when the entire family was gathered.
In that precise instant, the Greyrat household froze completely.
Who's the father...?
Nobody dared ask that question. The atmosphere didn't allow it. But everyone sensed it.
Lilia was a very dedicated servant. She sent almost all her salary to her family in the capital. Unlike Paul, who frequently left the village to resolve some local problem, or Zenith, who regularly attended the dispensary, Lilia barely left the house except for strictly work-related reasons. She also had no known close friendships, much less anyone with whom she had an intimate relationship.
Could it have been something casual with some stranger...?
I, however, knew.
I knew that Paul, since Zenith got pregnant, had to adopt a regime of abstinence. I knew that, unable to contain his impulses, he had quietly gone to Lilia's room in the middle of the night.
And they weren't exactly playing cards.
## (Daiki Greyrat) - (Point of View)
I watched the scene unfold with my usual outward calm.
But inside...
Okay... this is bad.
If this continues like this, my parents are going to end up fighting. Hard. The family could even break apart.
And Lilia... if they kick her out... how is she going to survive with a baby? The chances are minimal. Almost none.
Damn... this could end very, very badly.
That last number hit me like a punch.
A woman who just gave birth traveling alone to the south of the Asura Kingdom. A month's journey on foot because she wouldn't have money for carriages. With a newborn. In winter.
The odds were... catastrophic.
Risks everywhere:
Bandits on the roads.
Cold that kills in one night.
Diseases after childbirth.
Hunger. And... worse things, people capable of taking advantage of a woman alone with a baby.
Every option was practically a death sentence.
‹No. That can't happen.›
Lilia had taken care of us for six years. She'd been discreet, efficient, quietly protective. She didn't deserve a death sentence.
Because that's what kicking her out in these conditions would be. A death sentence disguised as "personal responsibility."
I observed Paul, pale as wax in his corner. Zenith, with an expression of stone. Lilia, serene but with trembling hands on her lap.
And Rudeus, who was clearly calculating his own intervention.
Our gazes crossed briefly. A silent understanding passed between us.
‹My little brother is going to intervene. Good. I'll support him.›
## (Rudeus Greyrat) - (Point of View)
"I-I'm sorry... It's probably mine," Paul confessed without any resistance.
No, actually that's commendable. Maybe I should praise his honesty. Although, thinking about it, maybe it wasn't out of virtue but shame: he couldn't lie after all the sermons he used to give me in front of the whole family... Be honest. Act like a man. Protect the girls. Never act with falsehood... Yes, that's probably why he was incapable of hiding it.
And that's fine. I don't hate you for that, Paul. That side of you... I don't dislike it.
Of course the situation is an absolute disaster...
I thought this as I saw Zenith suddenly stand up with her face hardened like a statue and raise her hand in fury.
And that's how, with Lilia sitting at the table, an emergency family meeting began.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
From my point of view, Zenith was being extremely calm. She didn't throw a hysterical scene at her unfaithful husband; she simply slapped him. On Paul's cheek remained the mark of a red maple leaf.
"After helping with Madam's delivery, I was planning to take the liberty of leaving this house," Lilia responded.
"And the child?"
"After giving birth in the Fittoa region, I intended to raise it in my homeland."
"Your homeland was to the south, right?"
"Yes."
"After giving birth, with your weakened body, you won't survive such a long journey."
"...Perhaps, but I have no one else to turn to."
The Fittoa region is in the northeast of the Asura Kingdom. According to my knowledge, a journey from there to the "south" of the kingdom would take almost a month, even using shared carriages. Still, the Asura Kingdom is a safe place with good weather. It wouldn't be an extremely harsh journey... under normal conditions. But Lilia has no money. She can't afford a carriage and would have to go on foot.
That's when I intervened.
"Mother... if I'm going to have two new siblings now, why is the atmosphere so heavy?"
I tried to sound as childish as possible.
"Because your father did something he shouldn't have."
"I see... but could Lilia really oppose Father?"
Alright. Sorry, Paul, but this time you'll carry everything. You deserve it.
And so I began my elaborate lie about Paul blackmailing Lilia. A strategic lie. Necessary.
## (Daiki Greyrat) - (Point of View)
I watched Rudeus weave his web of lies with surgical precision.
Impressive. Every word calculated to change the narrative. To load all the blame on Paul—who objectively had the greatest responsibility anyway—and exonerate Lilia.
But there was a problem.
"Mother. Rudeus is right."
Everyone turned toward me. It was rare for me to speak extensively in these situations.
"Lilia-san is not at fault. And expelling her would be..." I made a calculated pause "...sentencing her to death."
Zenith blinked at my direct tone.
"Death? Daiki, that's..."
"A month walking south," I interrupted. "With a newborn. In the middle of winter. Without money for decent inns. Without a doctor. Without anyone."
I raised one finger for each point.
"On those roads there are bandits. Many. A woman alone with a baby is... an easy target. The cold can kill in a single night. And if she gets sick after childbirth... without help... that's almost a death sentence."
I swallowed.
"Realistically... there's a seventy or eighty percent chance that one of them won't make it to the end of the journey alive."
Silence.
"And..." I lowered my hand "there's a very real possibility that both will die."
Zenith brought a hand to her mouth, clearly shocked by the cold analysis.
"Daiki..." Paul murmured from his corner.
"I'm not finished."
"Even if they manage to arrive alive... they'd do so without money, without provisions, and completely dependent on the goodwill of a family that, in all probability, is already at its limit."
My eyes settled on Lilia.
"She sends almost all her salary home. That means there's nothing to spare there. That they're barely getting by. And if they're like that now... adding a daughter who returns without income and a baby who needs food, clothes, care..."
"It's asking them to sink with her."
"It's not just a dangerous journey. It's a slow condemnation. For everyone."
Rudeus was looking at me with something like astonishment. He clearly hadn't expected me to intervene so directly.
"Daiki." He spoke in Japanese, so low only I could hear. "Thanks."
"But... but she and Paul... betrayed my trust..."
"Yes. Father betrayed your trust. And that's unforgivable."
Paul lowered his head.
"But punishing Lilia-san with expulsion..." I looked directly at Zenith "isn't justice. It's excessive. And it drags the baby down with her. A baby who didn't ask for any of this."
"Mother. You taught me that family protects the weak. That we take care of those who can't take care of themselves."
I paused.
"Lilia-san and her baby are in the most vulnerable situation possible. They have no power. They have no options. They have no one else."
"Expelling her would be... contradicting everything you instilled in us. Everything you say we are as a family."
Zenith was looking at me with eyes bright with contained tears.
"Besides. The baby is Rudeus's and my brother or sister. Technically. We share a father. We can't... I can't allow my younger sibling to die before being born."
That seemed to break something in Zenith.
Then I said the words I knew would change everything.
"And if you still decide to expel her... then I'll go with her."
"WHAT?!"
"I'll go with Lilia-san. I'll accompany her on the journey south. I'll protect her from bandits. I'll hunt to provide food. I'll use healing magic if she gets sick. I'll carry the baby when she's too tired."
I looked directly at Zenith.
"Because that baby is my sister or brother. They share my blood. And I'm not going to allow my younger sibling to die in the snow before they have a chance to live."
"Daiki, that's... you're six years old!" Zenith almost shouted. "You can't...!"
"I'm Advanced level in God Sword Style," I interrupted. "Advanced level in God Water Style. Intermediate level offensive magic. Advanced level healing magic without need for incantation."
I raised my hand, and an emerald green light instantly shone around it.
"I can hunt. I can fight. I can heal. I can protect," I continued. "I'm more capable than most mid-level adult adventurers. And I'll use every one of those abilities to ensure that Lilia-san and my younger sibling arrive safe and sound at their destination."
Paul was looking at me with an expression of absolute horror.
"Daiki, you can't be serious..."
"Completely serious," I looked at him directly. "You created this situation with your lack of self-control. I won't allow the consequences of your actions to kill two innocent people. Especially when one of them is my brother or sister."
If Zenith expelled Lilia, I would absolutely go with her. Without doubt. Without regret.
Zenith opened her mouth. Closed it.
"You... you would go... would you really go?"
"Without hesitation. It's my duty as an older brother to protect my younger siblings. All of them. Including the one who hasn't been born yet."
Rudeus, finally recovering from his shock, spoke.
"I'd go too."
Now it was my turn to be surprised.
"Brother, you don't..."
"Yes I would," Rudeus interrupted me. "If my older brother goes, I go. We're a team, remember? And that baby is my younger sibling too. So if Daiki's going to protect them, so am I."
"Rudeus..." Zenith sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Mother," Rudeus continued. "But Daiki's right. That baby is family. And we're not going to abandon family just because our father made a mistake."
Paul had been left completely speechless, looking at his two sons with an expression of total devastation.
We were two six-year-old children willing to risk everything to protect a sibling who hadn't even been born yet.
"You two... you two..."
Then he looked at Lilia, who was crying inconsolably now.
Finally, Zenith covered her face with both hands and sobbed.
"Lilia... stay. Stay with us. You're already part of the family! I won't let you leave just like that!"
She paused, looking at me directly through her tears.
"And I'm definitely not going to lose my two sons just because I'm angry with my husband."
She approached and hugged Rudeus and me.
"You two... how did we raise such incredible children? So noble?"
We didn't respond. We just hugged her back.
Over Zenith's shoulder, I saw Lilia looking at me with an expression I would never forget.
Absolute gratitude. Total devotion. As if she had just witnessed a miracle.
Because, in a certain sense, she had.
A six-year-old child had just declared that he would abandon everything to protect her and her baby.
Simply because it was the right thing to do.
## (Lilia) - (Point of View)
I'll be clear: the pregnancy is my fault. I was the one who seduced Paul. When I arrived at this house, I didn't have that intention. But night after night, listening to their moans and cleaning a room impregnated with the scent between a man and a woman, I'm also a woman, and sexual tension accumulated. At first I managed on my own, but every time I saw Paul practicing swordsmanship in the garden, that unconsumed spark burned more fiercely deep in my body. Every time I saw him train, I remembered the first time. That time, when we were both much younger and slept in the kendo dojo. The man was Paul, and it was a night of forced approach. I didn't dislike it, but we weren't in love either. I couldn't say it was romantic, and at first I even cried. But the next one who tried to court me was a greasy minister. Compared to that, what happened with Paul didn't seem so bad and I stopped giving it importance. When I learned Paul was looking for a maid, I thought I could use that episode as negotiating currency.
And when we reunited, Paul was much more of a man than before. The boyish youth had disappeared, replaced by hardness and strength. I think it was an achievement to resist six years before a man like that. At first, Paul didn't pay attention to me in that way either. If it had continued like that, the spark would have been completely extinguished. But from time to time he made risqué comments and the flame grew. I could resist, yes, but I knew I was in a precarious balance. Zenith's pregnancy broke that dam. Knowing Paul was unsatisfied, I saw an opportunity. And I took that "opportunity" to invite him to my room...
So yes, it was my fault. I thought pregnancy was a punishment. A punishment for giving in to my desires and betraying Zenith. But... I was forgiven. Daiki-sama forgave me. That intelligent child understood perfectly what had happened, guided the conversation with surgical precision and managed to make everything end in the cleanest way possible. With a calmness that seemed like someone who had already lived something similar in the past. That terrible calm. That understanding without a shred of emotion.
Unsettling... no, I must never call him that again. I've avoided him all this time for considering him unsettling. That cold child. Precise. Almost inhuman in his calculated logic. He must have noticed that I avoided him. And still, when everything was collapsing, when my life was falling apart, when my baby was in danger of dying in the snow... he offered himself without hesitation.
He didn't save me with strategic lies like Rudeus-sama. He didn't look for an elegant solution that would leave me in peace. Daiki-sama entered that room and presented the brutal reality: my expulsion would mean death. Pure and simple. And when that wasn't enough, when he saw it still wasn't sufficient, he offered himself as a sacrifice. "If she goes, I go."
That child I've despised. That unsettling child. That inhuman child.
Is my savior.
I'm ashamed to have looked down on him for years. He's a man worthy of absolute respect. A man I must serve with the greatest loyalty, until the day of my death. No... I've ignored and despised him so much that my gratitude alone won't be enough to compensate. It will never be enough.
Yes... if this child in my womb is born healthy and grows... I'll make them serve Daiki-sama. With all my being. With every fiber of my existence. Because I owe him everything.
My life. My baby's life. Our future. Everything.
## (Rudeus Greyrat) - (Point of View)
That night, long after everything calmed down, Daiki and I were in our room.
Finally, I spoke in Japanese.
"Brother. What you said today..."
"Yes?"
"Would you really have gone?"
Daiki didn't respond immediately. He stayed looking at the ceiling, processing the question.
"Yes," he finally said. "I would have gone. Without doubt."
"That's... that's crazy, brother. You're a six-year-old child."
"I'm a six-year-old child with Advanced level combat abilities and knowledge from a previous life," he corrected. "More capable than many adult adventurers."
"Still..."
"Rudeus," he interrupted me gently. "That baby is my brother or sister. They share my blood. And in my previous life..." He paused. "In my previous life, I couldn't save anyone who mattered to me. My parents died in front of me. I couldn't do anything."
"This time is different. This time I CAN do something. I have the power. I have the abilities. And I'm not going to sit idly by while someone in my family dies when I could have prevented it."
I stayed silent, processing.
"And if Mother had maintained her decision? Would you really have abandoned everything?"
"Yes."
"Your home?"
"Yes."
"Your training with Father?"
"I can train anywhere."
"Me? Sylphiette?"
That stopped him. Prolonged silence.
"...I would have asked you to come with me," he finally admitted. "Both of you. Sylphiette too. You would have been welcome."
"And if we had said no?"
More silence.
"Then..." His voice sounded smaller than usual "...it would have been the most difficult sacrifice of my life. But I still would have gone. Because not allowing an innocent baby to die takes priority even over my own happiness. Then when everything's fine, return here."
Something broke in my chest.
"Brother... you're too noble for your own good."
"It's not nobility," he denied. "It's just... the right thing. What must be done."
"That IS nobility, idiot."
"...If you say so."
I turned in my bed to look at him directly.
"Brother. Thank you. For having the courage to say what I couldn't. For taking the argument beyond my emotional manipulations. For... for being you."
"You don't have to thank me. We complement each other, remember? You with empathy and persuasion. Me with logic and determination. Together, we saved Lilia and the baby."
We stayed in comfortable silence for a moment.
"Brother," I finally spoke. "When you said you'd go... I saw Lilia's expression. I'd never seen anyone look at another person like that."
"How was she looking at me?"
"Like you were her savior. Her absolute lord. Like she owed you her entire existence."
"...That's excessive."
"Maybe. But it's true. You just gained Lilia's unconditional loyalty for life."
"I don't need her loyalty. I just needed her to survive."
"I know. That's why she gave it to you."
Daiki didn't respond, but I could feel his discomfort with the idea.
"Get used to it, brother. Lilia's never going to forget what you did today. Neither will the baby when they grow up and find out."
"...Wonderful."
The sarcasm in his voice made me laugh.
"Come on, brother. Being a hero has its benefits."
"I don't want to be a hero. I just want my family to be safe."
"Too late. You're already a hero. At least to Lilia."
"Great. Just what I needed."
We both smiled in the darkness.
"Good night, heroic and noble older brother."
"Good night, manipulative and strategic younger brother."
"Hey, I prefer 'diplomatic.'"
"Noted and rejected."
And with that exchange, we let ourselves drift into sleep.
Tomorrow would be another day.
## (Zenith Greyrat) - (Point of View)
That night, after the children finally fell asleep, I found myself alone in my room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, with my hands on my growing belly, processing everything that had happened.
The door opened softly. Paul entered cautiously, as if expecting me to throw something at him.
I probably should.
"Zenith..."
"Close the door."
He obeyed immediately. He stood there, like a scolded child waiting for punishment.
"Sit down." I pointed to the chair by the window.
Paul sat without protesting.
"Do you remember the day Daiki was born?"
Paul blinked at the apparently random change of subject.
"Of course I remember..."
"Do you remember the first thing you did when you saw him?"
"Zenith, I..."
"You doubted me. You saw our son with black hair and red eyes, features neither of us has, and your first reaction was to accuse me of infidelity."
"I know. I know and I regret every day that..."
"You confronted me," I continued, ignoring his interruption. "In front of Lilia. In front of our newborn son. You asked me, with those eyes full of distrust, how it was possible that baby was yours."
I emphasized each word.
"Do you know how that felt, Paul? I had just given birth. I was exhausted, in pain, vulnerable. My body was destroyed and my mind was barely processing that I was a mother. And the man I loved was looking at me as if I were a stranger. As if I were capable of betraying him in the most fundamental way possible."
"You only shut up when Rudeus was born. You saw that the second baby had your hair, your eyes, your face in miniature. Only then did you believe that Daiki was also yours. Only then did you stop doubting me."
Paul had tears running down his cheeks now. I deliberately ignored them.
"No," I interrupted him before he could speak. "Don't apologize. Not now. Not yet."
I stood up, walking to the window. Looking toward the moonlit garden, but not really seeing it.
"It took me months to fully process what you did. Months. Every time I looked at Daiki, I wondered if some part of you was still doubting. If some part of you loved him less because his features didn't scream 'he's mine' at you."
I turned to face him directly.
"But I forgave you. Eventually. Because I loved you. Because I knew your doubts, though hurtful, came from insecurity and not malice. Because I saw your genuine remorse and because you were the man to whom I had given my heart."
"And now... Now it turns out that YOU are the one who was unfaithful to me. You, who accused me of betrayal when I was most vulnerable in my life, are the one who really betrayed our vows."
Paul collapsed in the chair, as if my words were physical blows.
"The irony is almost comical," a bitter laugh escaped my lips. "If it weren't so painful."
I let the silence settle between us.
"But you know what, Paul? I'm not surprised. Not at all."
His eyes lifted toward me.
"When I married you, I knew exactly what kind of man you were. I had stupid romantic illusions. I knew your reputation. All those countless women in your past. That inability of yours to keep certain... impulses under control."
I stood up again, walking slowly around the room.
"Elinalise warned me before we got married. Do you know what she told me exactly?" I stopped by the window. "'Zenith, Paul is a good man. He's a noble, honorable, and strong man. But he's weak with women. If you marry him, this is going to happen eventually. Prepare for it or don't marry him.'"
I looked back to see his reaction.
"I chose to marry you anyway... Because I loved you. Because I saw the man you could be when you really tried... Because I believed, naively, that our love would be enough to keep you faithful. That it would be enough to anchor your loyalty."
I walked back toward the bed, but remained standing this time.
"But deep down, I always knew, Paul. Always. I always knew that sooner or later your weakness would win. I just hoped... I hoped it would take longer. That you'd give me more years of happiness. More happy memories. That you'd be a better man before breaking my heart."
"I still love you... Damn it, I still love you. And that makes me feel stupid and weak and pathetic."
Paul made a movement to stand up. I stopped him with a look.
"You're going to stay seated."
He obeyed.
"Lilia will stay," I continued. "Not for you. Not because I forgive you. Not because I believe what you did is something that should be easily forgiven. She stays because my children, our incredible, noble, too-mature children, showed me today something you should have seen years ago: that punishing Lilia would be punishing an innocent baby. And I'm not going to let my wounded pride destroy a child's life."
I walked toward him with measured steps. Deliberate.
"You'll sleep in another room. I don't know for how long. Until I can look at you without feeling like hitting you."
"Zenith..."
"Don't speak... You're going to listen."
He shut up immediately.
"You're going to be an exemplary father. To all our children. Including Lilia's. Because that baby isn't guilty of your mistakes. That baby didn't choose to be conceived in betrayal. And deserves to have a present and loving father. Do you understand?"
He nodded slowly.
"You're going to regain my trust," I continued. "Day after day. Month after month. Year after year if necessary. Because you destroyed it, Paul. It was betrayal. It was lies. It was choosing your desires over everything we built together."
I leaned forward.
"You accused me of infidelity when I gave birth to your son. When I was most vulnerable. When I needed you to trust me more than ever. And then YOU were the one who betrayed me in the most fundamental way. Do you have any idea how that feels? Really?"
"It's as if all those doubts you felt about Daiki, all that insecurity, all that poison you poured over me... came home. And now I have to wonder if I should question myself. If I should doubt you like you doubted me. If I should feel that same coldness you felt for months."
I straightened up, wiping the tears with the back of my hand.
"Now go... Go before I decide that looking at your face one more time is too much."
Paul stood up slowly, walking to the door like a defeated man. When he reached the threshold, he stopped.
"Zenith... it was never that I didn't love you enough. You always were... you've always been everything to me. I'm just... weak. Pathetically weak."
I didn't turn to look at him.
"Yes. You are. And that's what hurts the most."
"I'll be better. I swear it. I'll be the man you deserve."
"I hope so, Paul."
"Because this is your last chance. There won't be a second one. There won't be a 'next time I'll understand.' This is it. Use it well."
He nodded silently, finally leaving and closing the door carefully behind him.
I was left alone, sitting back on the bed.
The tears came in a rush, all at once, as if they'd been waiting for the first crack to escape. I clung to the pillow desperately, as if it were the last thing I had left in this world.
And yet... I also cried with relief.
Because despite everything my family was still standing. Lilia would stay. Her baby would live. My children wouldn't have to abandon their home. Daiki wouldn't have to offer himself in sacrifice. And Rudeus... Rudeus wouldn't carry that lie for the rest of his life.
For the first time in a long while, the future didn't seem like a condemnation... but an opportunity.
And Paul... Paul would have the chance to redeem himself. Or not. But at least he'd know. He'd know exactly what his situation was. He'd know there was no turning back.
I put my hands on my belly again.
"Little one," I whispered to the darkness. "Little girl. Whatever you are."
"You're going to be born into a complicated family. Imperfect. With a father who made terrible mistakes. With a mother who forgave them, yes, but who will never forget. With older brothers who understand things no child should understand."
My voice became softer.
"But you're also going to be born into a family full of love. With siblings who would give everything to protect you. With parents who, despite their devastating flaws, will do the best they can. With people who chose to stay even when they had reasons to leave."
I took a deep breath, wiping away the tears.
"That will have to be enough."