The sun began to dip toward the west, painting the capital's sky with streaks of orange and purple. In the backyard of the Altavis residence, the sound of heavy breathing broke the afternoon silence.
Kazien and Erica had just finished an intense session of physical and magical training. Their bodies were drenched in sweat. For Erica, today's training felt grueling yet deeply satisfying. She could feel the flow of mana in her body becoming more stable thanks to her cousin's guidance.
The purple-haired girl wiped the perspiration from her forehead and stepped closer to Kazien. The distance between them narrowed until Erica looked intently into Kazien's sapphire blue eyes with a hopeful gaze.
"Brother Kazien," she called out in her characteristic spoiled voice, "can I take a bath with you?"
Kazien's eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden request. He looked at Erica, making sure she wasn't joking.
"Are you sure you want to bathe with me?" Kazien asked to confirm.
Erica pouted, putting on the most pitiful expression she could muster. "Oh, come on! Aren't I your sister? Besides, you aren't interested in women anyway, right? I want to feel what it's like to sit on your lap while we bathe together! Please? Please? Please?"
Seeing his sister's persistent pleading, Kazien's defenses crumbled instantly. He let out a long sigh while offering a thin smile.
"Alright, alright, let's bathe together." Kazien answered in resignation, though his tone was gentle. "I can't possibly let my sister walk around with a frown."
Erica's face immediately brightened. "Yay! Brother Kazien is the best!"
Without warning, Erica lunged onto Kazien's back.
"Hup!"
Inevitably, Kazien nimbly caught Erica's legs so she wouldn't slide down. His reflexes were still razor-sharp even while relaxing.
"Hey! Don't jump like that so suddenly!" Kazien exclaimed with a hint of playful panic. "What if you fell and got hurt?"
Erica giggled near Kazien's ear. "You're a great mage. You could heal me in an instant, couldn't you? So, I don't have to worry. Hehehe."
"You naughty little sister." Kazien grumbled affectionately.
As a small punishment, Kazien's fingers moved nimbly, tickling Erica's calves as they hung by his waist.
"Aaa! That tickles, Brother! Hahaha!"
Not wanting to lose, Erica retaliated. Her hands slipped to the sides of Kazien's body, tickling his ribs mercilessly.
"Stop it, Erica! Hahaha!"
Their laughter erupted, echoing through the corridors of the grand mansion. Even though they were merely walking to the bathroom, that simple moment felt incredibly warm.
A few moments later, warm steam filled the spacious marble-clad bathroom. Inside the large soaking tub, Erica sat comfortably on Kazien's lap, hugging him and resting her chin on her brother's shoulder. The warm water submerged their bodies up to their chests, melting away the fatigue from their earlier training.
The atmosphere grew quiet. Erica traced her hand along Kazien's back, then looked up at her cousin's face from a very close distance.
"Brother Kazien..." she whispered softly, her gaze turning somber yet full of gratitude. "I am so happy to know you. You are the best brother I've ever had in this world."
Kazien smiled, his hand gently stroking Erica's wet purple hair.
"I am also happy to see your happiness, Erica." Kazien replied sincerely. "And you must remember, it's not just me who cares for you. Everyone in this mansion, even everyone in the Altavis territory, loves and cares for you deeply."
Erica's eyes welled up. "Yes, Brother Kazien. I can feel it. Your love is so real."
Kazien looked straight ahead, his voice sounding wise and comforting. "If you are ever in trouble, always remember your family. Because when the world turns its back on you, only your family will always stand by you when you are at your lowest."
Erica nodded firmly in her brother's embrace. A feeling of immense joy swelled in her chest. She felt like the luckiest girl to have been born into the Altavis family. The warmth, was something she had never imagined before.
Mwah!
Erica kissed Kazien's lips. She intended to give her first kiss to Kazien, the person she liked, yet knew she could never have as a husband.
Kazien never expected Erica to kiss his lips without hesitation.
"I'm giving my first kiss to you, Brother." Erica said after pulling away. "Because I wanted to give this kiss to the person I love, even though, unfortunately, he is someone I can never possess."
Kazien understood the meaning behind her words perfectly. He gently held Erica's right cheek.
"I'm sorry, Erica..." Kazien replied softly but firmly. "I do not like women, and I could never betray those three."
"I understand!" Erica replied, then smiled at him. "At least, please make sure your attention and affection for me never change!"
"Of course, Erica!" Kazien answered without hesitation. "I will never change. No matter what happens, I will always be the one who loves you!"
Erica smiled in relief and then hugged Kazien's body tightly. If I hadn't been born into the Altavis family, would I have ever received warmth like this? I don't even dare to imagine it.
Her thoughts drifted for a moment to her biological brothers. I wonder how my two biological brothers are doing. I hope they are doing well over there, living their new lives with their respective wives.
Meanwhile, in the mansion's living room.
The light of teleportation had just faded. Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken had just returned from the Guartav territory.
"Ugh, I'm so hot, and my body is covered in sand." Alvin complained as he patted his sleeves, sending small clouds of dust into the air. "I want to bathe right now!"
The Kazien who had just arrived paused for a moment, receiving a memory transfer from his clone in the bathroom. He smiled thinly.
"Just so you know, I and Erica are already in there bathing." Kazien said as a warning.
Alvin didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, he stepped firmly toward the bathroom. "That's fine!" Alvin replied casually. "We'll all bathe together so I can start cooking dinner quickly before Aunt Elisa gets home!"
Seeing Alvin so enthusiastic, the others followed closely behind.
"Wait for us!" they shouted in unison. They also wanted to clean up quickly and help Alvin in the kitchen.
Left alone in the living room, the Kazien standing there let out a sigh of relief. His task was done.
Poof!
His body instantly turned into a cloud of black smoke that faded into the air. His consciousness was now fully merged with the body in the bathtub, ready to welcome his three fiancés.
The sky outside was completely dark when the mansion's main door opened. Elisa walked in, her face weary after a long day of handling guild paperwork. However, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the scene in the dining room.
There, Kazien, Erica, Alvin, Allen, and Arken were already sitting neatly around the dining table, which was filled with steaming, delicious dishes. They hadn't touched the food yet, as if waiting for someone.
Elisa blinked, her fatigue lifting slightly at the sight.
"Why haven't you all eaten yet?" Elisa asked in surprise while removing her outer cloak. "You should have eaten first if I was late coming home."
Kazien smiled warmly at his aunt, whom he now called Mother. "It's okay, Mother." he answered casually. "How could we eat without you? Come, let's eat together."
Alvin, Allen, Arken, and Erica nodded in unison.
Elisa let out a long sigh, trying to hide a touched smile at the behavior of the five of them.
"Goodness..." Elisa murmured softly.
She walked over to the dining table, but before sitting in her main chair, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter with an official seal. She placed it directly in front of Kazien.
"That's a letter for you!" Elisa said, her tone shifting slightly into 'Guild Master' mode. "Why didn't you come to the guild to pick up your mail? This letter arrived a few days ago!"
Kazien looked at the letter. He recognized the neat handwriting. It was a letter from Ritalia.
Kazien looked at Elisa guiltily. "Mother, thank you so much for going through the trouble of bringing it here." Kazien replied sincerely. "I apologize; we were on a mission in the Guartav territory. And I didn't have time to stop by the guild because I had so much to handle beforehand, including the matter with the assassins and the Delfilian family."
Hearing his explanation, Elisa's stern expression softened. She knew how busy her nephew had been.
"Fine, just forget it!" Elisa replied as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "The important thing is that after dinner tonight, you must reply to that letter immediately. Didn't you promise to reply to her?"
Kazien nodded firmly. "Of course, I will reply to it this very night."
"Good! Now, let's eat before the food gets cold." Elisa invited.
That night, the dining room of the Altavis residence was filled with the clinking of cutlery and the warm conversation flowing between them.