Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 89: The Heartbroken Maid and the Feelings of the Twins.

—Julius's POV—

After being unconscious for ten long days, I was finally awake. Of course, I knew that because I was back in my physical body and I had opened my eyes to find myself under a familiar ceiling. The one that belonged to my adoptive mother's childhood home.

"Hmmm… Things do feel a little different than before… Ehh? My voice changed as well? That's a surprise." I said as I raised my upper body with some issues. "Oi, oi… What the heck is going on here?" I asked myself as I looked around the bed.

While trying to raise my upper body, I thought I was heavier than I was before but it turned out that it had nothing to do with me. My difficulties in raising my body were all due to a certain group sleeping on the same bed as me.

For starters, there was a small fox and a slender elven woman sleeping on my right. Those were Laura and Sarana.

"Did they sleepwalk in here again? It is a little amusing that they started to do that ever since we met each other. At least this time around it isn't Catris's fault." I mumbled to myself.

Now, sleeping to my left there was a certain rabbitkin pressing herself against me in order to rob me of my body heat. It was Mia.

On the same side of the bed, although not sleeping in it directly, was my adoptive mother who was resting on a chair nearby. The little fairy princess, Leaf, was comfortably sleeping on her lap.

"Seeing them like this makes me feel a little guilty for worrying them… Though, it is not like I knew that having a partial awakening would put me out of commission for so long… I really need to learn to control my emotions. Can't afford to lose my cool like that again. I cannot worry everyone like this…" I spoke to myself as I patted Mia's head.

And lastly, sleeping directly on top of my stomach, there were two girls that I knew very well who were very different in nature. An angel and a devil they seemed to be, though I knew that in reality one was a valkyrie while the other was a sentient weapon modeled after the vampire race.

"Remillia is one thing, but I think I will have a lot to explain about Karen when everyone wakes up…" I laughed very awkwardly to myself. 

I wasn't surprised to see Karen here with me since I witnessed how Yraura had fulfilled her promise after my mock battle with Thor. I was quite happy to see Karen here with me.

In fact, Karen had changed a little too after being brought to this world. She still retained her angelic/valkyrie appearance she had before, but now she looked way smaller and younger than she was.

Judging by what I saw on Lia's divine realm, Karen now was around my height and age, just like she wanted.

Yraura's powers were truly astonishing! I couldn't believe that I was able to witness divine magic so closely!

With my All-Seeing Eyes, I was able to see everything behind the magic Yraura used, and while I might not be powerful enough to use divine magic right now, I might be able to use her magic in the future. 

It was a great experience.

"Putting that aside for the time being… I'm starving… Lia told me that mom has been feeding me soup while my lights were out, but I really need something with a little bit more substance…" I mumbled as my stomach began to roar, loudly demanding some food. "Time to get up, I suppose." I muttered.

As much as I wanted to wake up everyone to tell them that I was alright now, I couldn't bring myself to do so. Everyone seemed extremely tired, so I decided to let them sleep for the time being.

"It was an intense duel, after all. Remillia must have used a lot of energy without telling me. The visit of the Gods of Earth was also kinda stressful so it is not surprising that Karen seems so exhausted too." I smiled awkwardly. 

Things went well with the Gods of Earth, but it was still an exhausting meeting. If it wasn't for Hestia's honesty, I don't think we would have agreed to an alliance so easily after finding out about the lies of Odin and Zeus about the potential origin of my soul, or maybe we would have, but I don't think the level of trust would have been the same.

My soul is similar to that of a primordial… Yeah, I don't understand what's up with that at all…

Well, it doesn't really matter to me right now. I suppose I will find out about the meaning behind that eventually.

Onto more interesting topics, my mock battle with Thor also went well. I didn't precisely win but I didn't lose either.

With one final exchange of strikes between us, I was sent flying several kilometers away while Thor's torso was completely obliterated. It exploded just like that when my attack landed just like that…

I didn't think I was powerful enough to cause such damage to a god… Well, Thor did say that the Gods of Earth were weaker than the ones of Unitya, so a very powerful mortal from here could easily face them in battle.

Ah, before I forget, Thor didn't die from my attack. The damage he suffered to his body was quickly restored since he is apparently immortal... Somehow?

Naturally, I was very taken aback since I thought that Baldur was the immortal one, but I didn't try to question Thor's ability after the duel was over. Didn't have the mental fortitude to ask after his body was blown to bits...

Anyway…

"Everyone here has been taking care of my unconscious body day and night… Yeah, I can't just wake them up. I'm going to let them rest for a bit. Perhaps I can repay them a bit with something from my cooking repertoire." I mumbled to myself as I prepared to use some magic.

With my spatial magic it was quite easy to escape the grasp of all the maidens sleeping on my bed. I used my magic to teleport myself to the dining room.

As soon as I arrived I created a small light to illuminate my surroundings using light magic. 

I was welcomed by the sight of a messy yet empty dining room. There was no sight of my adoptive father, my great grandfather or my sisters, so that meant that everyone in the house was fast asleep.

As for the mess that I spoke for… All of the tables in the room had piles of boxes, books, potions and even food ingredients… Some of which seemed to be wrapped up as gifts.

"I wonder what is all that for… Oh well, no matter. I can use some of these ingredients, so I hope mom and the others don't mind. I'll go to the market and replenish them in the morning if necessary." I said as I began walking around from table to table gathering the ingredients I needed.

That was when I realized that something was amiss about myself…

"Hmm? Were my arms and my legs this long before? My pajamas feel really tight…" I said before I began to inspect my body.

I wasn't wrong to feel doubts about my body. After all, it wouldn't take long for me to remember what Golden Awakening had told me.

"Ah… Right… Ash did say that I would go through a growth spurt to adapt to my new power, didn't he?" I tilted my head while smirking from ear to ear. 

An unbelievable amount of excitement had quickly taken over me. Without waiting any further, I created a small ball of water and turned it into a flat surface to act as a mirror for me to see the changes.

Much to my delight, to say that I had grown was an understatement. For the longest time, I had stood at 1.34 meters tall and now, I seemed to be around 1.65 meters tall. Not only that, but my hair had also grown considerably, it had grown enough to go past my shoulders. I could easily arrange it into a ponytail or a bun if I wanted to.

"I guess that I wasn't focused at all after waking up since I failed to notice such a drastic change in my hairstyle…" I spoke awkwardly while smiling with excitement at my reflection. "But still… I have finally grown! I am finally taller! No one will be calling me short or fun-sized or small and soft ever again! Hehehe! This is great!" I couldn't contain my happiness.

My hair and my height were not the only things that changed, of course. My facial features appeared to be more mature and manly while my body seemed slightly more muscular and athletic than before. Without the intention of sounding too arrogant or narcissistic, I looked quite handsome. I was no longer cute but handsome, a great distinction.

That fact alone made me quite happy.

It was easy to see all the changes in my body due to my pajamas being rather small for me to wear now.

It was a joyous event for me… More than joyous, I was simply ecstatic to have gotten such a wonderful growth spurt.

That being said… Mom was certainly not going to like the fact that all the clothes she bought for me before the tournament are not gonna fit me anymore…

Guess we will have to go shopping again… Sigh…

"Oh well, it can't be helped." I just shrugged since it wasn't that important. "I'm actually more interested in seeing everyone's reactions to this change." I smiled mischievously.

After admiring my reflection, not in a narcissistic manner of course, I dispelled the magical water mirror and decided to go to the kitchen.

"I wonder if I should make some pasta. I found some flour and some tomatoes in the dining room, so I should be able to do so. I believe I also had stored some meat in my Item Box… I'll look for it later." I was talking to myself as I walked into the kitchen.

Without even thinking about it, I used light matic to illuminate the entire room. As soon as I did that, I saw someone I wasn't expecting to meet at this time or in this place for that matter…

Sitting on the corner of the room with a blank look on her face was a familiar elven maid I was acquainted with. It was Marie, the elven woman that I met in Norvek after the ordeal with Earl Casca. She served Eliana and Marina as their maid.

Just like I said, I wasn't expecting to meet her in our kitchen this late at night…

"Umm… Good evening. What are you doing here Marie?" I asked while looking at the elf with a puzzled expression on my face.

The elven woman didn't answer my question. In fact, she didn't even raise her gaze to meet mine. Her eyes were focused on the emptiness in front of her. She was pale and almost seemed completely devoid of life…

I don't know if it was due to my eyes or simply intuition, but I could somehow tell that she was suffering from heartbreak or even worse. The loss of someone special…

(Lia, did something happen? Did anyone die while I was gone?) I decided to ask the goddess.

(Actually, yes…) She replied affirmatively. (It was Eliana... She died from an illness just a few days ago, or at least that's what they say. For some reason, I cannot learn anything specific about it and that fact is bothering me a lot… It is almost like something is messing with my powers and my perception. It is extremely uncanny…) Lia complained after revealing the shocking truth.

(I see…) I looked at Marie with a sympathetic look on my face.

Eliana is dead… Frankly, I just can't believe it.

I mean, to me it was practically yesterday when she came to visit me to wish me good luck in the tournament. It is difficult for me to think that a person like her could die so suddenly and so easily…

More than that, I thought that I hated her a little for all the annoying schemes she hatched and the fact that she tried to kidnap my sisters and I, but… My heart feels a little burdened and heavy… Perhaps I didn't hate her as much as I thought. Her antics, sure… I think a small part of me liked her as a person.

She wasn't all that bad… Barring that kidnapping attempt, she was just a patriot trying to do the best to protect her family and country…

Of course, that doesn't mean that it erases the bad things she did. I'm certain that the Goddess Skell shall punish her accordingly, but I think she at least deserves to be remembered. For the sake of Marina and Alicia, at least.

I guess I have nothing to do but pray for her… May Skell have some mercy on her.

Now what to do…? What should I say to Marie in this situation? Hmm…

After pondering on the situation at hand for a bit, I decided on my next course of action.

After making my mind, I left the ingredients I gathered on the counter and walked toward Marie. 

Without missing a beat, I gave her a hug. It was just the best I could do in a situation like this.

"Ehh? Who are you…?" Marie finally  responded to my presence. "Ah… You… You are…." I could feel the shock in her voice.

"Julius? Yes. Awake? Also yes." I replied while hugging her. "I just woke up moments ago." 

"You're really awake…" Marie suddenly nodded to herself as if to confirm the facts. "You look different… You didn't look like this a few hours ago when I was watching over you…" She seemed rather confused.

"Well, you could say that I went through a fast growth spurt. Don't mind the details." I laughed a little awkwardly. "What are you doing here though?" I asked Marie.

"I'm going to live in your village for a while… Your parents are going to take care of me while I get back on my feet… Since Eliana is already… Then I…" Marie was about to say something about her lover but she stopped.

"Is that so? If that's the case, I'll make sure to show you around the village. We will take great care of you." I decided to not pry any further for the time being.

"Thank you, but… Can I ask you something?" Marie asked timidly.

"Sure." I nodded.

"Hmm… Why are you hugging me?" Marie spoke bashfully. I could feel a desperate need for comfort in her voice.

"No particular reason. You just looked like someone who needed a hug or two." I replied honestly. This was the best I could do to comfort her at the moment.

"Ah… I see…" Marie sounded a little baffled. "You're not entirely wrong…" Marie said before wrapping her arms around me to hug me back.

As her tears began to soak my shoulders as she cried silently, I simply patted her back to give her some comfort. I wasn't particularly bothered by it as long as I could manage to help relieve some of her pain. She had just lost her lover, so it was the least that I could do.

We were like that until Marie was able to calm down, but even then she didn't let go of me…

"Marie, do you wanna help me out to make some food? I'm actually starving right now." I smiled awkwardly while talking to Marie.

"Ummm… Sure, I don't mind helping, but shouldn't we wake up your mother and the other first? Everyone was worried sick about you…" Marie asked timidly. A semblance of life had returned to her eyes at last.

"I would like to, but let's not. I know that they were worried about me and that is precisely why I'd rather let them rest for a little longer while I prepare a special meal for them as a way to thank them." I replied honestly.

"I understand…" Marie said while still wrapping her arms around me quite tightly. 

"Thank you for understanding." I decided to indulge a little more.

"In any case, I'm glad that you woke up… It has been ten days since the tournament ended. You have been unconscious since then." Marie explained.

"Hmm… Is that so?" I was already aware of that fact, so I didn't give her much of an answer.

"Your mother didn't seem too worried about you waking up, but the others…" Marie didn't finish her sentence.

“I see… I really must have worried everyone…” I was also painfully aware of that fact but decided to play ignorant. “I suppose I will have to make the meal extra special this time. Time to put all of my appreciation and love into a meal!” I spoke with burning determination. I was extremely motivated to test my might in the kitchen.

Words can only express so much, so I want to express how sorry I am to those I love through my actions. I really fucked up badly this time, so I want to apologize in the best way I can. 

It might not be enough to make them forget about what happened back at the arena with my rampage and how I allowed myself to be dominated by my own power and hubris, but at least it is a start for making amends.

“I’m cooking all types of pasta tonight, so I am afraid you won’t be catching a wink of sleep if you decide to help me Marie.” I warned the elven maid.

“Pasta? What’s that?” She tilted her head in an adorable manner.

“A very wonderful dish. You’ll have the chance to taste it before anyone, so please look forward to it!” I gave her a wink and a thumbs up before I decided to move to the counter and begin my work.

“Is that so?” Marie didn’t seem particularly motivated but that was to be expected due her circumstances. “I wasn’t sleeping much these last few days anyway, so don’t worry about that. I’m happy to at least be able to help, even if it is just a little.” There was still some sadness in her voice, yet it really felt like she truly wanted to help.

I guess I was wrong about her not being motivated.

“Then I’ll be counting on you to help me make a wonderful meal for everyone.” I smiled at the elven maid in front of me.

In response, the elven maid just stared silently at me with a faint blush on her face. She had a complicated expression as she stood up and walked to the counter to stand by my side.

“I’m not particularly skilled when it comes to cooking, but I’ll try my best to be of help.” Marie broke her silence.

“Don’t worry about it. The fact that you’re helping me is plenty enough.” I smiled again at her. “Alright, let’s get started! There’s plenty of work to do, so let’s start by making the dough and giving it some funny shapes. Normally this process would take a long time, but I believe that with some magic I can accelerate it enough for everything to be ready in a couple of hours! Then we should take care of the sauce. Perhaps we could make more than one type, like bolognese, napolitan, pesto and carbonara… We will need some big pots for that and plenty more ingredients… Maybe I will have to make a run for the market if we run out, so…-” I won’t deny that I got excited at the prospect of making one of my favorite foods.

Marie seemed to have a hard time following my words, but she still seemed eager to help despite that. Thus the two of us officially began making my apology meal for my family.

—Luna’s POV—

“I can’t sleep…” I said while looking at the ceiling above.

“Me too…” My older sister replied.

The two of us had come to our room after taking care of Julius during dinner. Since neither of us had any appetite, we decided to spend time watching over the boy we loved.

The two of us were lying on our twin beds on opposite ends of the room. The moons had risen high in the sky, making their light illuminate everything through the window.

“Is Julius ever going to wake up? I’m worried…” I muttered those words to myself. Even though the goddess had reassured us, I was starting to lose hope.

“He is going to wake up sooner than we think. I know it. You should know it too. We both know how Julius is. He is just making us wait to tease us…” My sister was trying to be optimistic.

“He is teasing us huh… I can see him doing that.” I answered before letting out a sigh.

“Knowing him as well as I do, he is surely waiting for the most surprising moment to suddenly wake up to shock everyone. He is just that kind of trickster.” My sister was somewhat annoyed. “I know it because I would do exactly that… I wonder who he learnt that from!” She spoke sarcastically.

“Yeah, I wonder about that too…” I replied in a dejected manner.

It has been ten days since the end of the tournament. Ten long days since Julius fell unconscious. Ten very long days where I have been unable to hear the voice of the one I loved. Ten days since I experienced fear beyond belief…

Back then, Lady Lia answered my prayers and stopped Julius’s rampage. But this was the result… Even when I couldn’t do anything other than pray, I still feel like everything that happened is my fault.

“You’re blaming yourself again?” Liliana asked.

“Yes…” I let out a sigh.

“Sis, you didn’t do anything wrong.” She tried to comfort me.

“I didn’t do anything, period.” I said. “Mom and Dad at least we're trying to stop everything, but all I could do was to lay on the ground and pray for everything to stop… It was pathetic…” I shared my real thoughts with my twin. “I just can’t stop thinking about it… If only I was strong enough, I would have been able to stop Julius and he wouldn’t be unconscious right now.”

“You’re being too harsh on yourself, sis.” Liliana suddenly raised her upper body and looked at me with a comforting smile. “Following that logic, everything should be our fault too. We were also lying on the ground and praying for that situation to end somehow.” She said as she stood up and walked over to my bed.

“But… That is just how I feel… I’m always standing behind everyone… Always behind and being protected… I hate it… It makes me feel useless.” I was once again honest with my thoughts.

“Seriously… What am I gonna do with this younger sister of mine?” Liliana said as she sat beside me and suddenly flicked me in the forehead.

“What was that for?!” I was enraged after yelping from the pain.

“That’s for thinking that you’re useless. You are not. Nobody has ever thought that you are useless. Not Dad, not Mom, not me and certainly not Julius.” Liliana spoke with a serious expression. “Before you say that I do not know everything about how you feel, please remember that we are twins. I know exactly what you’re going to say before you say it, and also… I am the one who can relate to you the most.” My sister’s expression softened as soon as she looked me in the eyes.

“Liliana… I…-” I was about to speak but my sister covered my mouth with her hand.

“Not finished.” She said. “I also feel like you from time to time. Ever since we met him, Julius has done nothing but protect us from all harm. It is embarrassing for an older sister to be protected by her younger sibling all the time, you know?” Liliana smiled bitterly.

I nodded in agreement given that she was still covering my mouth.

“But… It also makes me happy. Sure, I wish I was as strong as Julius so he wouldn’t have to protect me all the time and I would also like to protect him for once, but… It just makes me happy that the one I love is always by my side protecting me. That fact should make you a little happy too, right?” My sister asked me. Her cheeks were flushed and a gentle smile had replaced the bitter one she had before.

After giving it some thought, I once again nodded in agreement.

“See? It is not so bad to be protected, especially if it is the one you’re in love with.” My sister cheerfully said.. “But I won’t say I don’t understand your frustration. I am painfully aware of how weak I am, and that no matter what I did during the final match of the tournament, I know it wouldn’t have changed a thing. Lady Lia herself said that this was the best possible outcome and it was only possible because Julius recovered his sanity by himself. It is frustrating, you know? To be told that you can’t do anything for the sake of the one you love when he is always giving his all to protect you is frustrating beyond belief.” A serious expression appeared on her face again.

As usual, I had forgotten how much my sister and I could relate to one another in spite of our different interests. She had expressed into words exactly how I felt about this whole ordeal.

“But being protected or the fact that we couldn’t do anything doesn’t mean that we are useless. That’s what Mom, Dad and Julius would tell us if they were here.” My sister said. “There’s nothing wrong with being protected and there are times when your efforts will be useless no matter what you do. But that doesn’t mean that you as a person are useless.” My sister suddenly began to pat my head.

I was taken aback by how mature my usually playful and cheeky older sister was all of sudden.

“That’s what Mom told me a few nights ago after you went to sleep. She knows exactly how we feel about this situation and told me that we shouldn’t feel bad about it, since they themselves also felt useless during the tournament.” My sister said as a tender smile appeared on her face again. “Do you know what dad told me after that?” She asked.

I shook my head in response… I was curious to know about the conversation I had missed while I was lying on this same bed all depressed.

“If it bothers you that much being protected for your weakness, then get strong. It is as simple as that.” My sister tried to mimic our father’s voice. “That’s what he said. Such dumb advice to give to your daughters when they are feeling frustrated and useless, as if it was such an easy feat to become as strong as him and Julius are… But he’s not wrong.” My sister said while laughing awkwardly.

If it bothers you that much being protected for your weakness, then get strong. It is as simple as that… Although those words were not particularly inspiring, they resonated with me more than I thought.

“It obviously is not going to be easy… You’ve seen how hard Julius trains each day and how much effort he puts into everything. Honestly, I have always admired that part of him. Every time that I see him giving his best makes me want to do the same. To give my all when doing something… That’s one of the things I love about him.” My sister spoke with honesty while looking out through the window. “I don’t know about you, Luna, but I think I want to follow Dad’s advice and get strong. I want to follow Julius's example and give my all in everything I do. What are you going to do?” My sister asked as she removed her hand from my mouth.

I took a moment to carefully consider the words I would say. I wanted to be honest with my sister and myself.

“I want to be strong. And…” I took a deep breath before looking at my sister again. “I want to be more direct with what I want too. I want to stand beside everyone, not behind. I don’t want to be protected all the time.” I was transparent with my sister and told her my desires.

“That’s good then! I guess it is time we put some extra effort too instead of lazing around like usual! We are also the children of the Skull Crusher and the Crimson Witch! We should work our hardest to be worthy of that title!” My sister patted my head and smiled with satisfaction.

After the incident with Julius in the finals, I just couldn’t help but feel the way I was feeling. Useless and weak… I always wanted to change that part of me, but felt like I was unable to do so… But now I feel the opposite… Thanks to my sister’s words, I feel like I’m capable of changing that part of myself too.

My sister always had an unexpectedly good way with words in spite of her usually playful and mischievous personality. Whenever she gets as serious as this, it makes me admire her more as my older sister.

“Now that we have decided to become stronger, we definitely should go and eat something! Julius would scold us if he knew that we were skipping meals for his sake and quite frankly, all this serious talk made me feel very hungry.” My sister giggled while holding her grumbling stomach.

“I suppose you’re right. I’m feeling a bit hungry too. I could use a snack” I smiled back at my sister before I was thoroughly embarrassed by the grumbling of my stomach. It sounded like the roar of a huge bear, much to my dismay…

I could only blush in response to the betrayal of my roaring stomach as my sister laughed at me.

“Didn’t you say that you wanted to be more direct and honest with your wishes? Well, your mouth might have not said it, but your body did. Since we’re both starving, how about we go to assault the pantry. I believe there are some leftovers in the kitchen and there’s also a few of my hidden snacks! Let’s eat a bunch before starting our serious training tomorrow!” My sister raised her fist skyward while her voice was filled with motivation.

“Yes! Let’s empty the pantry! I feel like I could eat an entire cow by myself!” I followed my sister’s example and raised my fist skyward in spite of my embarrassment.

“What are we waiting for then! Let’s go get some food!” My sister said as she grabbed me by the hand and pulled me out from my bed.

Without wasting any time, my sister and I left our room and headed downstairs, almost like hungry wild beasts hunting for prey. Our prey was already dead and cooked into a meal though…

However, what none of us expected was to see that there were already two people sitting in the dining room. The mere sight of one of them made my sister and I both stop in our tracks as we entered the room…

“So? How is it?” A young boy with black hair asked the other person sharing a table with him.

“I never had anything as good as this before… It is so unbelievably good that it makes me feel like I’m in a dream. It feels like this meal was cooked by the gods themselves…” A blonde elven maid replied while looking at the contents of her plate.

“You don’t need to exaggerate that much, but I appreciate the compliment.” The boy replied while giggling awkwardly. “I’m happy to get your seal of approval though. I really hope everyone else likes it too.” The boy sounded a little nervous as he grabbed his fork and began eating the food on his plate.

At that moment, both Liliana and I looked at one another with disbelief. Both trying to make the other confirm if what we were seeing was real, yet none of us spoke or moved… We were too shocked to do so.

“Hmm… It is very good. As expected, it is very difficult to ruin something as tasty and simple as gnocchis. The pesto rosso was also cooked perfectly, so I’ll give everything an eight out of ten considering that it was my first time making this dish with the ingredients available here. It might need a little more spices though…” The boy said after happily munching his food. A smile I knew too well had appeared on the boy’s face.

As soon as I saw that familiar smile, tears simply began to stream down my cheeks as I realized who that boy was and what was going on in front of me… 

Julius was finally awake.

My sister and I immediately looked at each other again. My sister also had tears streaming down her face. No… It was better to say that she was ugly crying. It was more than likely that I was making the same expression as her. Both of us were sobbing uncontrollably due to the relief we felt.

“You’re crying like that because of me, right?” I heard Julius’s voice right in front of me.

Both my twin and I quickly looked forward only to see that Julius was actually standing in front of us. He must have noticed us and teleported himself near us.

But more importantly, he had changed a lot compared to the last time we saw him a few hours ago… 

He was now taller than Liliana and I and his facial features looked way more mature. His hair had also grown considerably flowing all the way down past his shoulders and his eye color had changed from a normal brown to a deep bright silver.

Yet… That smile of his was the same as it was before. That goofy yet reliable and reassuring smile remained the same even though he had changed all of a sudden.

“It seems there’s another thing I have to apologize for… I really made you have a terrible time due to my stupidity and my hubris… I’m sorry. I wish I had better words to say, but that’s all that comes to my mind right now… I’m sorry.” Julius suddenly apologized while smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of his head.

Before I realized what was going on, my older sister and I were already hugging Julius as if our lives depended on it… The idea of letting go of him made me terrified. I thought that if I didn't hold him, he might fall into an eternal slumber this time…

“I really made you two worried this time… I’m sorry, really.” Julius spoke compassionately while hugging the two of us back. “I know that words might not convey how much I regret showing you such a horrible part of me, but it is one of the few things I can offer right now.” His words carried a great sadness as he spoke to us. I could feel that he was afraid of what we would reply.

Neither my sister nor I reply to his words. We only limited ourselves to hug him and to cry silently. This was the first we were able to have a conversation with Julius since the tournament started.

“I really screwed things up badly this time… Do you think Mom and Dad will be angry at me?” He asked rather nervously.

They won’t be. They were just as worried as we were. They patiently watched over you day and night until now. They dealt with everything just so you’d recover peacefully…

As much as I wanted to say those words, none slipped past my lips. I was too preoccupied with the boy in front of me to even talk… I couldn’t hide my relief as my tears continued to stream down my face.

“Silent treatment huh… You’re that angry for what I did?” Julius asked with some pain in his voice.

I’m not. I’m glad you’re awake. I love you. I’m glad that you’re back. I’m happy that you’re still yourself. I don’t want to see you like that again…

Once again my words were stuck in my throat. I was only able to cry silently the more I heard Julius’s voice… Even though I desperately wanted to answer his words soaked with pain, I was not able to do so. I felt extremely pathetic once again…

“I guess I have no other choice…” Julius's words had some strange allure behind them. “Is there anything I can do for the two of you to forgive me? I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” Julius threw a dangerous line out of desperation. He shouldn’t have done that in front of Liliana and I.

For a moment, the room was silent while my sister and I looked at each other. Both of us had stopped crying as soon as we heard those words. Because of that, the two of us were easily able to convey to the other what we wanted Julius to do. It was all due to our bond as twins that we could communicate just like that.

“So you are saying that you will do whatever to earn our forgiveness?” Liliana spoke first while looking at Julius straight into his eyes.

“As long as it is within my possibilities, I will do anything in my power to earn your forgiveness.” Julius spoke with seriousness but I could tell somehow that there was a bit of playfulness mixed in there too.

“If we asked you to build a castle back home, would you do it?” I asked.

“A simple matter. It will take a few months, but it is not impossible.” Julius nodded.

“Then… What if we asked you to take down a dragon?” Liliana asked.

“Hey, the only good lizard is a dead lizard. Always heard from Auntie that dragon meat is pretty tasty.” Julius happily nodded again.

“Then…” My sister and I spoke in unison while looking at each other. With one final nod, the two of us confirmed what we wanted to ask for. 

“What if we asked for marriage?” I asked with as much seriousness as I could muster.

“Would you grant us that to earn your forgiveness?” My sister matched my seriousness as she questioned Julius.

I didn’t feel particularly nervous despite having asked such an outrageous question, yet I still could feel my heart beating wildly… Was it simply excitement? Liliana and I had decided to confess our feelings a long time ago, but we didn’t expect to do it in such a manner, so perhaps I was excited to finally do it… Or was I actually nervous about his answer all along? I wasn’t completely sure about it.

I just knew that I was happy that I was finally able to confess my feelings.

As soon as Julius opened his mouth, I began to feel like my heart was stuck on my throat. I had just confirmed that I was actually extremely nervous…

“What are you talking about?” The words that came from his lips made my heart sink for a moment. “Aren’t we getting married already?” Julius suddenly giggled while looking at us.

“Ehh?” Both Liliana and I were taken aback by his answer.

What does he mean by that? He never asked us for such a thing!

“Could it be that you two don’t remember it?” Noticing our confusion, Julius asked for confirmation. “Don’t you remember the promise we made when you returned my necklace back to me? I didn’t know it was mine at the time, but I’m certain that I remember exactly what you two asked of me for taking the necklace.” Julius said with a playful smile on his face while showing off his wooden necklace, the one we had found after it fell from the sky.

The promise we made? Could it be that he is talking about the first time we went to Norvek? I remember that he was able to put on the necklace and then Liliana and I… Oh…

“You said that since I had shamelessly stolen the necklace you found I had to stay together with the two of you forever.” Julius continued to smile while playing around with the necklace. It was a very nostalgic sight. “I don’t know about you, but to some people, giving something like this necklace and asking to stay together forever often means marriage.” He suddenly decided to tease us.

Both Liliana and I looked at one another with incredulity. All the plans, all the efforts and all the late night conversations about confessing our feelings had been for naught…

“Julius… Could it be that you were looking at us in that sort of way since the beginning?” My sister asked Julius with a smirk on her face. She was trying to tease him back, but it was clear that she was embarrassed.

“Well… Not exactly. I was hoping to have a normal sibling relationship with the two of you when I was taken in by you and your parents. I won’t deny that you two became very precious to me by the time we made that promise. I fully intended to keep that promise as your little brother, though…” Julius averted his gaze for a moment to compose himself. “I guess that I have been more aware of you two these last few weeks, so I intend to keep such a promise in another way…” He spoke rather awkwardly despite the confidence he seemed to have before.

I was in disbelief… Our efforts had come to fruition, yet we didn’t know about it… I didn’t know what I should say in this situation. I was ecstatic after hearing Julius’s words after having a crush on him for so long, but I just couldn’t think of any words to say without looking like an idiot…

“What I’m trying to say is that I do want the two of you to stay by my side forever, just as we promised… Not as your adoptive little brother, but as your partner…” Julius blushed while smiling at us.

“Hoh? Is that so? Now I feel like a fool for all the mental preparations we had to go through to confess our feelings. It all feels like a waste now!” Liliana jokingly complained while blushing furiously. “I’m happy to hear those words though! I knew that you wouldn’t be able to resist our charm and would eventually fall for the two of us. Since you are putting it like that, I suppose I have no other choice but to accept your proposal.” She spoke with pride while smiling from ear to ear.

“It was difficult not to do so… You two are more charming than you think.” Julius laughed awkwardly at Liliana’s words before looking at me.

I was left paralyzed when those deep silver eyes of his looked into mine.

“Luna.” He called my name with a lot of affection in his voice. “What do you think about marrying me? You don’t need to do it if you don’t want to, but from the bottom of my heart I want you to stay by my side.” Julius said while gently holding my hand.

“I…” I was extremely nervous to have him so focused on me, but I knew that I couldn’t back out from this now. This was what I wanted to achieve from the start, so if I escaped I wouldn’t have a second chance like this one. “Julius… I have liked you since the moment I first laid my eyes on you.” I was honest with my feelings.

Even though a part of me wanted to stop due to the embarrassment I was feeling, now that I had opened my heart it was impossible to do so.

“I have had a crush on you ever since that moment… And each time that you showed me how amazing you were, I found myself falling harder and harder for you… I was very annoyed when you got engaged with Mia instead of me. I was very pissed off when you started flirting with Neris and the other girls at the tournament, but…” I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Even though all those things piss me off so much and I would rather have you all to myself, my feelings for you are bigger than you can imagine… Whether you are marrying ten girls or a thousand, my feelings won’t change. I love you more than anything, so I want to be your wife!” I was completely honest with what I felt for him.

The happiness I felt about telling my loved one what I felt for him was simply indescribable.

“That was beautiful sis!” Liliana was the first to speak up. She had some tears in her eyes while looking at me with pride. “I wish I had come up with something like that!” She also complained a little.

“I agree. It was really beautiful.” Julius smiled and nodded. “Honestly, I wish I could be less selfish… Sadly, cute girls are my weakness, so I suppose that is impossible for me.” His expression soon turned awkward.

“Yeah, we don’t care about that.” Liliana said. “It is kind of our fault for letting everyone steal our thunder… Perhaps we should have just sneaked in your bed before you could meet Mia… We might have been able to have you all to ourselves.” Liliana jokingly complained.

I nodded in agreement with Liliana.

“You already did that in the past though.” Julius rolled his eyes in a joking manner. “But, I’m happy to know your feelings about me. It makes me happy that you two love so much, but you know what all that entails, right?” Julius asked.

“What? We are still getting married… Right?” I was a little scared of what Julius was about to say.

“Obviously. Though, this actually means two things. One, we can’t act as siblings any longer. If we are going to get married, I rather that things are not completely fucked up… I would prefer our relationship to be normal please. I don’t want to have sister-wives.” Julius looked a little disturbed.

“Ah, so it was about that…” I let out a huge sigh of relief. Though, I was surprised that Julius was worried about such a small and insignificant thing.

“Oh! So you’re saying that you want to be lovey-dovey with us? That’s fine by me!” Liliana spoke with excitement.

“Yes, so let's begin by acting as lovers instead of siblings please…” Julius nodded awkwardly. “As for the second thing… You can still ask me whatever you want to earn your forgiveness for what happened at the tournament.” Julius said.

Those words echoed in my ears… A malicious yet alluring plan soon came to my mind.

“That again? There’s nothing to forgive dummy! Why are you even apologizing in the first place? You got us worried, sure, but I’m happy now because you woke up and you are together now! There’s no need for you to apologize about anything!” Liliana spoke with annoyance and scolded Julius.

“Is that so? Still…” Julius seemed a little unsure. He really looked like he wanted to make it up to us for what happened in the tournament.

“If Liliana doesn’t want to do anything, then let her be. I do have a request though.” I said while mustering all of my courage.

“Luna?” Liliana looked at me with suspicion.

“Let’s hear it. As long as it is something that I can do, then I’ll be happy to oblige.” Julius nodded happily while looking at me.

“Good, then…” I took a deep breath. “Close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you otherwise.” I said as my face began to heat up. I was surely blushing furiously.

“Alright.” Julius immediately complied without any hesitation whatsoever. “What should I do after this?” He asked.

“Stay still.” I said before lunging forward toward Julius.

“Oh, you sly fox!” My sister shouted as soon as she realized what I had done. It was far too late.

Before long, my lips had come into contact with Julius. It was only for a very short time, but there was no doubt about it… I had given my first kiss to him and I had taken his first as my trophy.

As far as I knew, neither Mia nor the other girls at the tournament had ever kissed Julius in the lips. Which only meant that I was his first kiss… It was a fact that I would treasure forever.

“Ah… That’s…” Julius was completely taken aback by my actions. He was touching his lips while looking at me.

“That’s cheating! We all said that we would draw straws to see who would get his first kiss!” My sister was outraged by my actions..

“No one is going to steal the march from me again.” I smiled with pride while puffing my chest. I was so unbelievably happy that I didn’t care about my sister’s anger. “He is my future husband, so there’s no problem about kissing him like that.” I brushed off my sister's complaints.

“You’re going to suffer the pain of a thousand smacks for this betrayal!” My sister shouted. “More importantly, I won’t be left behind!” Liliana shouted before launching herself toward Julius to kiss him too.

This little spectacle of ours caused a huge ruckus that could be heard all over the house… I soon began to hear steps coming from the upper floor.

Yet I didn’t particularly care about being noisy or stuff like that… With just one conversation, my relationship with Julius had forever changed and also, I felt a little more confident in myself than before.

Chapter 89: The Heartbroken Maid and the Feelings of the Twins.

END

GodlyKamui

Heya! Author here back with a new chapter! How are y'all doing? I'm doing just fine, very busy as usual. Very tired as well. Working toward the public during the holidays sucks quite a lot... I am not going to make much of a comment on this one since I'm quite literally about to pass out from exhaustion. I apologize for the delay on the chapter though.

As usual, please don't forget to comment and leave some hearts since that motivates me to continue writing the story! Don't forget to join the discord: https://discord.gg/uH6APbzrFR