The news that Leticia was pregnant with twins quickly spread throughout the entire palace.
Upon hearing the news, people rushed to congratulate Leticia.
“Congratulations, Your Grace! Two babies! This is a double blessing for the principality!”
Occasionally, some would reveal their ambitions along with their congratulations.
One such person was Banessa.
“Your Grace, from today, I will swing my sword for twenty hours a day! I will hone my skills to the bone, so please, let me be the swordsmanship teacher for the babies.”
Banessa, his eyes gleaming with greed, spoke as he rushed over as soon as he heard the news.
“When the two royal heirs are taking their first steps, they’ll be able to wield a baby spoon like a wooden sword… Ow, Julia!”
“You can probably ignore this fool’s nonsense. In any case, congratulations. The Royal Knights will protect the two little ones with our lives!”
Banessa’s ambitions ended when Julia, who had followed him, grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away.
She received countless other congratulations as well. There’s a saying that words have power. With every blessing she received for her unborn children, the vision of a bright future seemed to become clearer.
‘I’m truly loved.’
The love she received from everyone was immense. She hoped that this happiness would be passed on to her children as well. She wished that they would become close, supporting each other like Dietrian and Julios.
Then, she suddenly thought of people far away in another country.
Dana and Callisto.
The most noble siblings of the Empire.
The two of them were very close.
Though Dana would be horrified to hear that.
“Close siblings? Oh, I assure you, that only happens in novels! If I were an only child, both my body and mind would be much healthier than they are now. I’d rather the saint take me than spend another moment with my ticking time bomb of a brother!”
Even without seeing her, Leticia could picture Dana’s disgusted expression.
‘I wonder how Callisto would react.’
He wouldn’t have batted an eye at his sister’s complaints about him. He might have even laughed at her lengthy grumbling.
Dana, exasperated, would have placed her hand on her forehead at Callisto’s nonchalant demeanor.
A warm smile played on Leticia’s lips.
‘Yet, when it truly mattered, they would give their all to help each other.’
Just like when Dana, who was a princess, bowed her head first to Leticia, who was merely a duchess, for Callisto’s sake.
Just like how Callisto, who had always acted as if emotions were worthless, wept bitterly as he held Dana’s lifeless body.
For a moment, Leticia’s expression darkened.
‘Rehir… I wonder if he’s doing well.’
Leticia also had an older brother. Not the fake Rehir, who was merely a puppet of the ‘Darkness,’ but the real brother who had been devoured by the ‘Darkness.’
After Julios was resurrected, Sigmund appeared in Leticia’s dreams and shared various backstories with her.
Thanks to this, Leticia learned many things.
She learned that Josephina had been deceived by the ‘Darkness’ her entire life, and that she had followed the will of the ‘Darkness’ without even knowing that her son had been taken from her.
Moreover, she also learned where the real Rehir’s soul was.
“Rehir’s soul is currently with Dinute. He has forgotten everything that happened in the human world because his soul was too severely damaged. Considering what he went through, it might actually be better this way.”
Leticia didn’t feel a sibling bond with Rehir. However, it bothered her that he was as much a victim as she was.
The only solace was that Rehir’s soul was incapable of recognizing the harm he had suffered.
“Dinute plans to send Rehir’s soul back to the human world once it has recovered. Both Dinute and I will do our best to ensure that he meets proper parents in his new life and that he can live happily, so don’t worry too much.”
Proper parents, unlike Josephina.
In truth, it was Josephina’s fault that Rehir ended up that way.
Josephina had originally been a temporary saint. She only needed to fulfill the role of saint until the next one was born.
The goddess Dinute had sufficiently compensated Josephina. Any ordinary person would have recognized how great a reward they had received.
But Josephina repaid Dinute’s grace with betrayal. She wanted to rule as a saint until her dying day.
The ‘Darkness’ exploited Josephina’s greed, and armed with its malevolent power, she killed countless people, twisting the order of the world just to remain a saint until her death.
It was ironic that Josephina’s son was one of her greatest victims.
‘Why did Josephina do it?’
People say that you come to understand a mother’s heart once you have a child of your own, but Leticia felt the opposite. Even if she died and was reborn ten times, she didn’t think she could ever understand Josephina.
Josephina was a person without maternal instincts. Even though she hated Leticia, it wasn’t as if she genuinely loved her other children. To Josephina, her children were merely tools.
The reason the Darkness could take hold of Josephina was that she was trash who would sacrifice her children for her greed.
‘Enough, stop thinking about it.’
Leticia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Josephina and Rehir.
They were both part of the past. Josephina had paid the price for her sins, and though it would take time, Rehir would recover and reclaim a new life.
If Leticia was fortunate, she might be able to watch over Rehir’s new life from afar. She might even be able to help him secretly.
In any case, she had her own life now.
She wanted to fully enjoy the newfound happiness that had come to her.
“Leticia. Can’t you sleep?”
Dietrian hugged Leticia from behind. Leticia exhaled a short breath, turned over to face Dietrian, and nestled into his embrace.
As she felt his warmth, the past she had been trying so hard to forget moments ago began to fade away. With a much more peaceful heart, Leticia buried her face in his chest.
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
“No, I was already awake. What were you thinking about?”
“Just… various things. I was thinking about the babies we’re expecting. What about you?”
“I was thinking about that too. I’m worried if I’ll be a good father, curious about whom our children will resemble, and wondering what their genders will be.”
“You will be the best father in the world. I guarantee it.”
Dietrian smiled and spoke softly as he wrapped his arm around Leticia’s shoulder.
“Leticia, you know…”
“I’m listening.”
“I feel twice as happy, but I also feel twice the responsibility.”
“Because we’re having twins?”
“I need to be a good father to both of them. I’m not sure if I’m that extraordinary.”
“I’ll guarantee it again. You are that extraordinary. You can trust me because this is coming from the goddess’s sole representative.”
Dietrian burst out laughing at her mock-serious tone as if she were making a prophecy. His black eyes were full of warm affection for her.
“I’m glad I asked you. You always say exactly what I want to hear.”
“Oh, did you plan this?”
“Halfway, yes. That’s why I’m even happier. You always tell me exactly what I want to hear. I feel like only the future I hope for will unfold when I’m with you.”
“I feel the same.”
“You once said you wanted our child to resemble me, right? How do you feel now?”
“I still hope they take after you more, but I’m fine if they resemble me too. But honestly, now I’m more curious about their gender than whom they’ll resemble.”
“Their gender?”
“Will they be boys, or girls?”
“They could be one of each.”
“Which do you prefer?”
“I love them all. Whether boys or girls, I’ll teach them whatever they desire. If they want to hunt, I’ll take them hunting. If they love music, we’ll play instruments together.”
“Still, I’m curious about their gender. Have a dream about it. Use the power of Gilead. Look into their future.”
Dietrian laughed again.
“I’ll try, but you know that’s not something I can control. As you’re aware, my power over Gilead’s gift is the weakest. My mother and brother are much stronger.”
“Hmmm… then should we ask Julios?”
“My brother?”
“I’m too curious to wait. He’s arriving tomorrow, isn’t he? Maybe we could ask him when we share the news about the babies?”
Leticia peeked up at him and smiled bashfully. Dietrian grinned back.
“That’s a perfect idea.”
* * *
Julios had been away from the capital for a few days.
As the Wing of Prophecy and a Gilead, he protected Zenos with the power of foresight.
This power was incredible, allowing him to prepare for uncertain futures, but it had its limits. His dreams didn’t always reveal the entire future he wanted to see. Often, he had to piece together fragmented clues.
Not long ago, he had a dream about a plague spreading in a small territory. Julios immediately assembled a team to investigate and locate the territory from his dream. Fortunately, there were enough clues. Most of the territory’s residents worked in a gemstone mine.
He tracked down the lord who owned the mine and identified the territory from his dream. Julios then hurried to the place and met the lord in person. He could have sent someone else, but he deliberately chose to go himself.
“A plague is going to spread in my territory?”
The lord, seeing a royal and the Wing of Prophecy visit him directly, took the warning very seriously.
“I will eliminate any sources that could trigger the plague immediately. I’ll also gather all the medicinal herbs that can counter the disease and summon all the doctors in the vicinity.”
“If you can hold out for a couple of months, you should be able to get through it. We’ll send knights from the capital soon. Pay special attention to the water supply. Emphasize to your people that they must boil their water before drinking it. I’ll also send supplies that can help with sanitation.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you, Your Highness.”
As Julios saw the lord’s grateful expression, another vision came to him.
This place will avoid the plague.
Once again, Julios had managed to save Zenos, if only in a small way. He returned to the capital with a happy heart, carrying the gift the lord had given him as a token of gratitude. But when he arrived at the capital, an even greater gift awaited him.
“Twins?”
“Yes. Kailas confirmed it. In two or three months, even a doctor will be able to verify it.”
“Congratulations, Leticia.”
Even though Julios knew that Leticia would be carrying twins, he was still overcome with emotion and pulled her into a tight hug.
Every time he heard about the children that would be born, a special feeling filled his heart. It was thanks to the nieces and nephews Dinute had shown him in a dream that Julios had chosen life over death. Just knowing that the beautiful future he had glimpsed was drawing closer overwhelmed him.
“It’s perfect timing. I have something for you.”
Julios took out a small wooden box. Though it wasn’t adorned with any fancy decorations, its polished finish and carefully crafted design hinted that something precious was inside.
“What is this, Julios?”
“Open it. I got it from the Lord of Soltern.”
“Soltern?”
“That’s where I prevented the plague.”
“Ah.”
“He gave it to me as a gift of thanks. At first, I didn’t think I needed to accept it.”
Julios smiled playfully.
“Soltern’s gemstones are famous as birthstones. They’re said to symbolize eternity. When parents give them to their children, they’re wishing for their longevity. I thought it would be perfect for you, so I accepted it without hesitation.”
Leticia paused as she carefully opened the box.
Inside, resting on black velvet, were two gemstones, each the size of a fingertip, lying side by side.
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