The figure's cheerful laughter fell silent for a moment as she looked at the two twins, assessing their situation with a sharp, perceptive gaze. Then her eyes froze, and her mind went blank.
'What did I just see? My eyes aren't deceiving me, are they? Grey and Grace… These innocent children everyone praises so much… Kissing?! Maybe I should just leave?' she thought, still unable to recover from the shock.
The silence dragged on, tightening the twins' nerves even further. They couldn't understand why they felt so awkward, since they were sure they hadn't done anything wrong, yet the panic kept rising with each passing moment.
"So, you've grown up already, have you?" the woman asked with sarcasm, then quietly shut the door behind her and deliberately walked inside. Her smile was rather threatening.
Grace wanted to run, but she was too afraid to move.
Grey lowered his head in submission.
They began babbling over each other. For once, the twins' synchronization failed.
"Y-you"
"We… we"
"A-Aunt… Aunt… Morgana, w-what… what are you doing here?" Grey asked, stammering. He had no idea what to do. Should he step away? Hide? Or just politely greet her?
"Hehe, I simply wanted to check on my dear little nieces and nephews while my friend is away. But who would've thought I'd stumble upon something far more interesting…" Aunt Morgana replied with a sly smile.
Her face and figure were completely hidden beneath a black hooded cloak, but Grey could swear he saw a malicious grin, looking at them like criminals caught red-handed. It made him uneasy.
"Would you care to explain what exactly you were doing here?" Morgana asked, her gaze repeatedly flicking to their lips smeared with lipstick.
"We…" Grey was about to start making excuses, but Grace abruptly cut him off. She had already gathered her thoughts and realized she hadn't done anything wrong.
She smiled at Aunt Morgana with the same cunning grin and, instead of giving a simple answer, made an offer:
"We were playing vampire aristocrats. Aunt Morgana, do you want to play with us?"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
She laughed so hard that a sharp pain stabbed her side, her body curling up like a shrimp.
She couldn't even imagine that her friend's children would one day suggest something like this. Just picturing the expression on Catherine's face, she couldn't hold back another fit of laughter. She even had to wipe away a few tears that had formed with her finger.
"Ahaha, you want me to join, little Grace? Does the game involve kisses?" Morgana teased, "Who should I kiss first, you or Grey ? A deep one or with tongue? You know, little one, you should be more careful. Your aunt is a succubus. I might just agree… fufufu."
"K-kisses?" Grace stammered, her voice trembling with embarrassment and uncertainty. "What do you mean? We just… we just…" She faltered, unable to find the right words to describe what they had been doing. "We were just eating each other's faces. Like Aunt Constance and Uncle Constantine!"
Her statement began confidently, but with each word her voice grew quieter and quieter, melting away like ice under the rays of the spring sun.
Morgana, who had just managed to stop laughing, did not expect to hear such a reason. She almost felt like crying, but another uncontrollable fit of laughter hit her with renewed force.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Should she consider this girl too innocent, foolish, or utterly shameless and bold?
Morgana didn't know.
Composing herself a little, she began to wonder what she should do. She couldn't just let this situation run its course, right? What if they did something even more foolish? Should she explain the birds and the bees to the twins?
Two pairs of eyes stared at her with nervous yet curious looks, as if they didn't understand why she was acting so strangely. It seemed the twins were waiting for her to finish laughing and finally tell them the joke so they could laugh together.
Morgana clicked her tongue.
She felt awkward and wanted to run away, but the two pairs of eyes, silently asking their question, didn't leave her for even a moment.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you about kisses… Tsk, tsk… Do those old folks not teach you anything at all? What prudes! And Catherine? Has your mother really told you nothing about love?" she asked, slightly irritated.
"Mother said that one day we would fall in love with someone outside our family, and then we should protect that person, marry them, and have children…" Grey replied, still confused.
"Hmph, what a vague explanation. She probably thought you were too young for the details," Morgana muttered, thinking aloud. "Well… um… What you were just doing is called kissing."
"But… we often kiss Mother, it's nothing like that," Grace objected.
"What you just experienced is called a lovers' kiss. Only people who truly love and care for each other can kiss like that," Morgana tried to explain, but realized it wasn't enough when she heard the girl's next question.
"Then what's wrong with us kissing as brother and sister? I love him very much and care about him, just like he does about me."
'Ugh, damn old geezers,' Morgana groaned inwardly. 'You're responsible for teaching the twins, so why did I have to catch them at the worst possible moment? I'm a succubus, not a nanny! If I start teaching them my way of dealing with hormones, next time it won't stop at simple kisses.'
As her thoughts drifted into those ominous directions, she felt an urge to act on them and watch the world descend into chaos, but she pulled herself together just in time and shook her head.
'Bad Morgana, you mustn't corrupt the twins. They're your friend's children! Catherine will kill you if she finds out.'
Yet no matter how much she argued with herself, deep down Morgana had no idea how to explain everything to children. In the end, she wasn't human, and their morals were completely foreign to her.
Gathering her thoughts, she tried to come up with a reasonable answer that wouldn't ruin her relationship with her friend:
"It's about romantic intent. Kisses between a mother and child, an aunt and nephew, a brother and sister should be filled with warmth and care. Those kisses reflect your family bond."
"Then what are kisses between lovers?" Grace had no intention of dropping the topic.
"Kisses between lovers are a special way of expressing love and passion," Morgana said. "They can be gentle and exciting, deep and sensual. In such kisses, people convey their attraction, their desire to be together, to become one, and to have offspring."
"We don't understand," the twins replied in unison.
"In short, the way you were just kissing is considered wrong for a brother and sister! Only adults can kiss like that!"
Morgana threw up her hands helplessly, deciding to give up and simply state it as a fact. She couldn't stand against the relentless curiosity of the two twins and was very afraid of saying too much.
"You'll understand what I'm trying to say in time. For now, just listen to Aunt Morgana and don't do that again."
Although she wanted to say far more, she chose to leave it at that.
Her worldview as a succubus differed greatly from human norms. Truthfully, in demon society, what the two twins had done was not considered wrong at all. Marriage between close relatives was quite common, meant to strengthen family bonds. It had no effect on the health of offspring in their race, unlike with humans.
For Morgana, this was simply a very amusing situation. It was only because of her friend that she had bothered to intervene at all and stop the twins.
However, she couldn't freely say everything that came to mind, so Morgana decided to inform Catherine and leave her to deal with her own children.
"But…" Grace tried to object.
"No 'buts.' Your mother will explain the details. Until you hear her explanation, you are forbidden from repeating what happened today. Understood?" Morgana ordered strictly.
"Umu/Understood," Grace and Grey replied.
"Aunt Morgana, will you tell Mother what we did?" the girl asked, shifting from one foot to the other. Although she didn't think she had done anything wrong, she didn't want her mother to find out. After all, her sandal was still fresh in Grace's memory.
"Don't worry, I won't give you away. I'll just advise your mother to enlighten you sooner. After all, you'll soon be entering society, and such knowledge is necessary."
"Thank you, Aunt Morgana," Grace exhaled in relief.
"Alright, now it's time for you to clean up the cottage and prepare dinner. Your mother will be home soon."
===============
The sun slowly sank below the horizon, painting the spring sky of Nightingale in shades of pink and red.
Catherine and Cassia, tired but satisfied, were flying toward the outskirts of the Village of the Forsaken. Even though they had been gone only a short while, it felt as if they were returning home after a long journey. It was always like this whenever they lost sight of the twins for more than a few hours.
Their trip to the vampire city had been successful: the banquet for Grey and Grace's birthday had been arranged, and a carriage for the celebration had been rented.
"I hope my dears weren't too bored without us. Fufufu," Catherine said with a light laugh, brushing back a loose strand of hair.
"Hahaha, my lady, I'm sure they had plenty to do in our absence. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about the village's safety. Those two never sit still," Cassia replied with a hint of sarcasm, though a bright and gentle smile rested on her face.
As they approached the house, warm light spilled from the windows, and the scent of something delicious lingered in the air. Catherine raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"It seems they remembered my instructions, and the village is perfectly fine. You see, Cassia, they didn't cause any trouble… And you were worried…" Catherine said cheerfully.
'You were the one worrying the most! You were the one tugging at me every half hour, hurrying us to return as quickly as possible,' the maid thought to herself, but did not voice her thoughts aloud.
To be honest, she herself felt a great sense of relief upon seeing that nothing was burning and all the buildings appeared intact. It seemed Grey and Grace had truly behaved well.
"Mom! Cassia! You're back!"
Soon, they heard the joyful shout of the twins as they rushed forward to hug them. Seeing that they were unharmed and full of energy, Catherine felt tears prick her eyes at the realization of how much her beloved children had grown.
She held them tightly, feeling warmth spread through her heart.
"My little ones, how I've missed you! Fufufu. Did you miss Mama?"
Hearing the familiar "Fufufu," the twins' bodies tensed for a moment.
For a brief instant, panic gripped them. They feared that their all-powerful mother had somehow discovered their secret. But when no scolding or admonishment came, the children exchanged glances and restored calm and cheerfulness to their faces.
Quickly trying to change the subject, Grace chattered on without letting go of her mother's embrace: "Umu, we were good. We made dinner, just like you asked! Come on, let's go!"
Grey didn't stay passive either. The boy grabbed Cassia by the hand and pulled her into the house.
Inside, they were greeted by a set table that made the travelers' mouths water.
The table was covered with a pristine white cloth. In neat rows, like little soldiers, clay pots filled with potatoes and meat—fresh from the oven—stood ready. Steam still curled from beneath the lids. The aroma of roasted meat mingled with hints of spices, filling the cottage with the delightful scent of fresh food.
At the center of the table sat a large bowl of salad—a true explosion of color and freshness. Juicy tomatoes gleamed among emerald leaves of lettuce. Thinly sliced cucumbers and thick sour cream added a cool contrast to the warm dishes.
Even the cutlery had been arranged neatly.
Every detail showcased how diligently the twins had approached the task.
"Did you make all of this yourselves?" Catherine asked in surprise, shifting her gaze between the children and the table.
"Umu! We're already grown-ups!" Grace nodded, proudly puffing out her chest.
"Really?"
"Well, almost… we did need a little help," Grace admitted, whistling innocently.
"And who helped you?"
"Aunt Morgana…" Grey answered, not daring to meet his mother's eyes.
At their answer, Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Morgana? I suppose she's utterly bored of the dull village life. Fufufu. A demon succubus teaching children to cook! What an explosive bit of news!" Catherine laughed heartily at the absurdity of the situation. She had never suspected that her demonic friend could teach the children anything good.
Cassia couldn't suppress a chuckle either, but she still asked, "I hope you didn't tire her out too much?"
"How can you say that, Cassia? We were very well-behaved," Grey replied with an innocent look, reaching out his hand to habitually pat the maid behind the ears.
"Umu-umu," Grace chimed in, "we only made a little mess in the kitchen with flour. And broke just one plate. And…"
"And started a small fire," Grey finished, lowering his eyes.
Catherine and Cassia gasped in surprise.
"F-fire?!"
"Just a tiny one! Aunt Morgana put it out quickly," Grace hurried to add, unusually honest today.
The children were putting the blind old man's teachings into practice. By distracting their mother with minor mishaps, they made sure she wouldn't suspect anything. They knew they couldn't keep their secret if she started asking for details.
Catherine shook her head but couldn't hide a smile.
"Oh, children… what am I going to do with you?"
"Love and forgive?" Grace suggested, hope in her voice.
"And go eat," Grey added, rubbing his stomach.
Everyone laughed, and the tension melted away instantly. The family settled around the table, and the room filled with cheerful chatter and the clinking of cutlery.
"Tell us about your trip," the girl asked, heaping salad onto her plate.
Catherine and Cassia exchanged a conspiratorial glance.
"Oh, it was… quite the experience," Catherine began cautiously.
"Especially when that vampire tried to bite me on the tail!" Cassia snorted, a hint of irritation in her voice.
It was only in moments like this that the maid completely forgot about restraint and duty. In the company of the twins, she said whatever came to mind, without trying to be polite or proper.
The children giggled, and Catherine continued, "But overall, everything went well. We… um… met some old friends and made some new ones."
Grace leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "Did you see a real castle of the vampire aristocrats?"
"Oh yes," Cassia replied, her eyes sparkling mischievously, "it was huge and very old. With tall towers and long corridors."
"Were there ghosts?" Grace asked, her eyes wide.
"Fufufu, perhaps. Who knows? Vampires are very secretive creatures," her mother winked.
Dinner continued amidst lively conversation. The family of four laughed and teased one another, creating an almost idyllic atmosphere. Such an evening would surely remain in their memories as something truly warm… if only each of them hadn't secretly longed for it to end, afraid of revealing their own secrets.
Catherine and Cassia were hiding the preparations for the celebration, while Grey and Grace concealed their recent mischief.
==============
Dear readers, I have to inform you that this work was rejected when applying for a contract without the possibility of revision. Therefore, I was forced to create a second version of the book, where I will publish the latest updates.
I will not give up on this version, but some chapters will be posted a little later than in the main one.
The book is called "The Mad Immortal"
https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-mad-immortal_34969618200258905###
Many thanks for your support, active comments and reviews.
This will help more readers to get acquainted with my book, which means my chances of getting a contract will increase and you will receive content more often. (The author also needs to eat and provide for his family)