Chapter 26
Picnic
Lucius woke up from his sleep and looked around the room. It was still dark. Checking the time on his phone, it read 4:48 AM.
Strangely, he felt fully awake—completely free of drowsiness. Curious, he glanced at the second bed to his right and saw that Sophia was already up.
She lay on her side, back facing Lucius, fiddling with her phone. He called out softly,
"Sister Sophia, you're already awake?"
Sophia slowly shifted and sat up, leaning against a stack of pillows. Turning toward Lucius, she gave him a warm smile.
"Yeah. Good morning, Luci."
Lucius sat up and returned the smile.
"Good morning to you too, Sister. By the way, what are you doing? Sending an official message to take a day off work?"
Sophia paused mid-typing and nodded. After a few seconds of silence, she asked,
"Yeah, I just finished writing the letter. I'll send it later at 6 AM. By the way, Luci…"
"Yeah?" he replied.
Her gaze drifted to the balcony.
"You're not sleepy, right? How about watching the sunrise together? Maybe... for one last time?"
A brief silence followed. The last part of her sentence tugged at Lucius's heart, but before he could respond, Sophia quickly added,
"Ah—sorry, I mean the last time this year, since it's almost November. We might not be able to see each other for a few months."
Even with the clarification, Lucius disliked the thought. He got up and walked over to Sophia's bed, standing beside her before wrapping her in a big hug.
"Sister Sophia…"
Sophia gently returned the hug, and Lucius continued,
"Even if we're apart for months—or even years—we can still talk online, right? We can video call anytime.
"Or! You and Eve can come visit if you have time! I'll give you a full tour of the facility! How about that?"
As he gently caressed Sophia's back, she tightened the hug and finally replied,
"You're right. Maybe before the new year, Eve and I can visit you. Then you can give us the tour."
Lucius chuckled softly, then loosened the hug.
"Alright. Let's watch the sunrise together.
"Let's wake up Eve. She might get angry if we don't ask her to join, haha."
Sophia nodded, then gently nudged Eve awake.
"Eve... Evelyn... Wake up."
Eve stirred, stretching her arms and legs before slowly blinking open her eyes. When she saw both Sophia and Lucius standing by her bed, she jolted upright in alarm.
With a tense voice, she asked,
"What? What happened?"
Lucius quickly tried to calm her, flashing a reassuring smile.
"Nothing happened, Eve… Actually, sister Sophia and I want to watch the sunrise together. And knowing you, we figured you'd want to join too. Unless... you don't want to?"
Eve let out a sigh of relief as her shoulders relaxed.
"Huft… I thought something serious happened. I've never seen you both waking me up together like this—it spooked me."
Her mood returned to normal as she smiled.
"Uh… sunrise? Sure! Let's watch it together!"
Sophia walked over to the closet to look for a blanket. Lucius joined her and found only two blankets, along with a gown, some towels, and a bedcover.
Holding the two blankets, Sophia turned to Lucius.
"Oh… only two."
Eve walked over holding the bedcover.
"Why don't we use this instead? It's bigger, warmer, and it can cover all three of us!"
They paused for a second to consider it.
Then, Lucius smirked as an idea came to mind. Looking at both his sisters, he said,
"Actually... I have an idea. Haha… It might be silly, but I think my wings are warmer! So... want to try?"
Eve's expression lit up.
"Yes! Brother! I actually really wanted to try holding your wings!"
Sophia smiled too, though she looked puzzled as she asked,
"But… Luci, how are you going to let the wings out? Change your clothes?"
The three of them fell into thoughtful silence.
"I'll try something," Lucius finally said.
He walked over to the suitcase and rummaged through it until he found a large-sized shirt—an old, comfortable one he used to sleep in. With it in hand, he headed into the bathroom.
Inside, he took off the newer shirt he was wearing and set it aside. Since the old shirt wasn't very valuable, he decided to modify it.
First, he removed the bra he was wearing, then summoned his wings. Staring at himself in the mirror with his upper body now bare, he felt a bit embarrassed and quickly worked on putting the bra back on—struggling a bit with the clasps near the wing bases, but eventually managing.
Next, he took the old shirt and made two vertical incisions from the bottom up the back, stopping short to leave the upper center intact—creating space for his wings.
Wearing the shirt again, he checked his appearance in the mirror. From the front, it looked decent—though the shirt now hung like a curtain, with space between it and his belly due to his chest.
Unlike the previous, tighter sleep shirt, this one was loose at the bottom, and the back was open.
To finish the makeshift modification, he tied his previous shirt around his waist like a belt to close the gap.
Leaving the bathroom, Lucius saw his sisters waiting with curious expressions.
Even though it wasn't their first time seeing his wings, they'd only seen them twice—once right after his transformation, and again in the video. But now, they were finally able to see them up close… and even touch them!
'Huh… why do I feel embarrassed?'
Lucius walked toward Sophia and Eve, then turned around to show his back.
Eve immediately burst into laughter at the state of his shirt.
"Hahaha! Brother, you really did a great job!"
Lucius smiled sheepishly. "Haha… let's go see the sunrise."
Not forgetting the blankets for extra cover, they opened the balcony door. The sun hadn't risen yet, so Lucius returned to the room and carefully dragged the largest sofa out to the balcony. Thanks to his transformed body, carrying it by himself wasn't a problem, and fortunately, the doorway was just wide enough to let it pass through.
Once he set it down gently, Eve immediately sat on the right side. Sophia followed, choosing the left. According to plan, Lucius sat between them, then spread his wings to envelop both of his sisters.
Eve curiously ran her fingers over the feathers. The primary ones felt rigid and strong, while those behind her felt soft and plush—like a blanket.
Once her curiosity was satisfied, she leaned comfortably against Lucius's shoulder and into his wings. Lucius, in turn, wrapped both sisters fully in their warm cover.
Sophia, although curious, didn't reach out to touch. Instead, she simply leaned against Lucius and rested quietly.
"Wow… it's actually warm," Eve murmured.
Sophia draped the blanket across their front and added her thoughts.
"Yeah. Honestly, it's even warmer than the blanket."
Lucius smiled. "Good to hear that."
They waited quietly as the first light of day began to stretch across the sky. Slowly, the sun rose over the horizon, casting its golden glow across the balcony and the forest beyond.
The weather was clear that morning—just a touch of mist lingered, but not enough to block their view of the lush greenery below.
Eve was the first to break the silence. "How about we take a selfie?"
Lucius and Sophia agreed. Eve darted back to the bedroom to grab her phone from the nightstand. In her rush, she nearly collided with the second bedframe—but her enhanced reflexes let her dodge it gracefully.
Lucius felt something shift behind him but ignored it. A moment later, Eve returned with her phone in hand, standing in front of him.
"Let's take a photo!"
The siblings took a handful of selfies together, including one that showed off Lucius's full wingspan.
They ended the activity around 6:15 a.m., when Sophia needed to send a letter requesting a day off from work.
Lucius and Eve put the sofa back in its original spot, and the siblings returned to their morning routines—bathroom, changing clothes, and some light stretching.
Lucius also took about thirty minutes to train his wings. This time, both Eve and Sophia stood nearby, watching with curiosity.
By the time breakfast arrived, everyone had finished their routines, Lucius changed his clothes to a more polite and girly so the servants didn't put their suspicions towards him.
Just like the day before, they gathered in the dining room, where Edward was already waiting for them.
After exchanging greetings, the siblings sat down and began eating.
Edward started the conversation. Because the servants were nearby, he used the usual fake name.
"Lucia, I've arranged your transportation. Luckily, I managed to get a female driver—she'll be here after lunch."
As he said that, everyone's attention shifted to him. Eve spoke up.
"Isn't that a bit early? If I remember right, Sister Lucia is supposed to leave in the evening. I think it'd be better if the driver came around 4 p.m."
Sensing Eve's reluctance, Edward nodded quickly.
"Alright, sorry about that. I'll tell her to come at four."
He then shifted the topic.
"Erm… by the way, what do you all want to do today?"
Lucia took the initiative.
"Let's go outside," she said, turning to Edward. "Is there anywhere nice to hang out? Like a natural spring or a lake? We could have a picnic for lunch and be back before three."
She added with a light smile, "Ah! Don't forget to bring your camera, hehe."
Edward nodded. "Sounds good. There's a small lake near the forest. The trail's easy to walk, and locals often go there to fish. It's got great views and some open space for relaxing.
"If you're feeling adventurous, there's also a waterfall about 10 kilometers from here. But that place is always packed with visitors, so I'm not sure it's the best option."
Sophia gave her opinion.
"The lake sounds nice. If the waterfall's crowded, that might be tough for Lucia. I'm fine with the lake."
Eve and Lucia agreed.
They were nearly finished with breakfast by then. Lucia, having emptied her plate first, asked for confirmation.
"So… are we heading out right away?"
Everyone looked at each other and nodded. They agreed to go directly after breakfast.
Still, they needed about thirty minutes to prepare picnic supplies—food, blankets, and other things they wanted to bring.
After all preparations were done, Edward led the group. He carried the heaviest items, followed by Lucia with the food. Eve walked beside her, carrying Edward's camera and tripod, while Sophia brought up the rear, holding miscellaneous items like bug spray, napkins, cutlery, and various other things they might or might not need.
The road to the lake could only be accessed from the side of the main gate. First, they had to walk a couple hundred meters downhill, then turn left into the forest.
There, they followed a narrow trail used by locals who foraged or fished at the lake.
On the way, they passed a few friendly villagers returning from the forest, each one warmly greeting them first. Some even offered part of their harvest. Naturally, everyone in the group returned the greetings with smiles and polite small talk—always kindly refusing the generous offers.
As Edward led the group, Lucia, growing curious, quickened her pace to walk beside him.
"Edward, is the lake close?"
Instead of answering, Edward simply raised his index finger and pointed ahead. In the distance, about a hundred meters away, an open clearing could be seen.
"I can see it! That's the lake!" Eve exclaimed excitedly as she ran to Lucia's side, pointing in the same direction.
She must have used Luse's shared vision to scout ahead, unable to contain her curiosity.
Her energy immediately lifted everyone's spirits, drawing smiles from each of them.
After the brief pause, Edward said, "Let's go. It's just up ahead."
They walked for another minute, finally breaking free of the forest canopy into a wide clearing.
It looked like a serene, untouched meadow nestled deep within the woods.
A wide, medium-sized lake stretched before them—but it didn't shimmer or ripple. Its surface was completely covered by a thick blanket of tiny floating green plants, soft and even in color. From a distance, it looked just like an open field of grass—so solid it almost seemed surreal.
Not a single glimmer of blue water peeked through the greenery. The illusion was perfect—almost unbelievable.
Everyone went silent. The view was so breathtaking it seemed to cast a gentle spell on them.
Even Eve, despite already seeing it through Luse's eyes, stood just as stunned as the others.
Edward was the first to break the silence. Having seen it before, he smiled and waved them forward.
"Let's go over there," he said, pointing to a clear patch near the lake where the grass was sparse. The soil there was dry enough for a picnic.
As they walked toward the spot, the siblings couldn't take their eyes off the lake. None of them had ever seen anything like it.
If Edward hadn't told them it was a lake, they might have assumed it was just a wide, grassy field.
Still in awe, Lucia murmured aloud, "Wow… That's crazy. I never thought there was a lake like this here…"
While the others walked ahead, Sophia paused and pulled out her phone. She took a few pictures from behind, capturing the forest path and the group framed in the shot.
Eve, excited by the idea of getting beautiful photos together, fumbled with the camera she was carrying. Noticing Sophia lagging behind and snapping pictures, Eve called out and ran back toward her.
"Sister! Let's use this camera!"
Hearing Eve, Edward and Lucia stopped and glanced back, smiling at her excitement.
"Let's put down the food and your stuff first, Edward," Lucia said with a chuckle. "Let Eve enjoy herself for a bit."
She patted his shoulder and walked ahead, still smiling. Edward followed with a grin of his own.
Together, they cleared the area of dead leaves, rolled out the picnic mats, and set up the portable furniture Edward had been carrying. With Lucia's help, it only took a few minutes.
Then she began unpacking the food and ingredients they would use later.
Meanwhile, Eve and Sophia had already taken dozens of beautiful photos—including candid ones of Lucia and Edward preparing the area.
Once they were satisfied with their pictures, Eve and Sophia joined in with the preparations.
With everything set up, they could start playing games or enjoying activities before lunch, then return for more games afterward.
But behind all the smiles and laughter, a quiet truth lingered in everyone's heart.
In just six hours, they would have to say goodbye to Lucia.
So, while they still had time, they intended to make the most of every second—to create the best memories they could.