Year 407 of the Armored Dragon Calendar.
In a large house in Buena Village, a birth was underway.
Despite the complications the pregnancy had presented, they had Lilia, who possessed a wealth of knowledge and techniques for assisting in childbirth.
Her presence was vital, as the labor was taking longer than expected. The fact that she arrived just as the child decided to make an appearance was, in Zenith's words, incredibly fortunate.
The father, on the other hand, seemed completely useless. He paced in circles around the room, clumsily trying to help: Paul Greyrat, a well-built man with light brown hair and green eyes.
The mother, the one doing all the hard work, was Zenith Greyrat. She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who maintained an unmatched composure even in the most difficult moments. However, this was her hardest task yet.
This was why Paul Greyrat was so nervous. Although he had faced many things in the past, his wife's labor was not something he could solve by swinging his sword. If anything, he just had to stay out of the way and tread carefully.
It wasn't that she was losing blood or suddenly fainting. It was that seeing his wife so vulnerable proved to him that he was completely useless in this room. And that because of him, Zenith was now suffering.
Well, suffering was an exaggeration, because a life was being created inside Zenith, and despite everything she had been through, she truly wanted this child.
But Paul? He hadn't expected it. He wanted the child; he was going to take care of him and teach him good values, but it wasn't something he had planned for. And today, shortly before his child was born, that was how he felt. Happy for Zenith and for having a child, but at the same time afraid and uncertain about how he would raise him.
Lilia noticed something when Zenith's screams ceased and the baby rested in her arms. She looked at the newborn in surprise.
*Why isn't he crying?* Lilia wondered, feeling a sudden chill run down her spine.
If a baby didn't cry, there was clearly a problem. In her experience, once the amniotic fluid was cleared, an immediate cry was expected. But that didn't happen. Instead, an even stranger sensation crept down her spine, because the baby was looking at her as if judging her.
*No, he isn't looking at me.* The baby had his eyes closed, but she could swear he was watching her.
Given her training, the first thing that came to mind was that the child was stillborn. For a moment, that was what she believed, until she saw his chest slowly rising and falling. He had a pulse, and his forehead was warm.
Even so, he wasn't crying. And that worried her deeply.
Lilia remembered the words of a teacher: "Babies who do not cry at birth usually have some kind of abnormality." She thought for a moment about the meaning of that phrase.
*Huh? Where did that come from?*
The newborn's hair was so peculiar it was impossible to ignore. It was so different from his parents' hair, so different from his surroundings, that it stood out even in the candlelit room.
"Black hair?" Lilia whispered softly.
Zenith tilted her head toward Lilia.
"Lilia, what is going on? Can I see him?"
"Yes, my lady, but..."
"Let me see, please," Zenith demanded with a seriousness Lilia could not ignore.
Lilia stepped closer and gave her a glimpse.
The child's hair was not blonde like hers, nor brown like his father's. Instead, it was a jet-black so unusual it looked like an ink stain on a white canvas. It was as hard to ignore as a dark cloud in the middle of a clear sky.
And when he opened his eyes, a subtle but noticeable red hue filled his gaze, leaving both women astonished.
It was not a soft red, nor a purplish red, nor the muted red of a newborn, but the gleam of rubies under the candlelight. Like a freshly polished gem.
Paul was a restless man most of the time, but he froze the moment he saw the baby. He stood there at the edge of the bed like a statue. That was his way of "thinking", the way he acted when cornered between two conflicting thoughts.
He was a man who made rash decisions. He had always been that way his whole life. And this unexpected situation would be no exception.
"No," he whispered, backing away slightly.
"No what?" Zenith asked.
"Zenith. What is..." Paul stammered. "...this? Why... why did this happen?"
"I don't... I don't understand." Zenith was exhausted, making it hard for her to process what her husband was saying. "Aren't you happy? I gave birth to your son. You should be happy, honey."
And when she saw Paul's blank stare at the black-haired baby, she understood everything.
"Oh, I know what you're implying, Paul. Say it."
She propped herself up on the bed with the strength of an angry mother, ignoring the fact that she had just given birth.
"Do you remember what you said?" Paul asked.
"What did I say, Paul?"
"You said that if I promised to be faithful, you would let me sleep with you."
"Yes. What does that have to do with anything right now?" Zenith asked.
"That now it turns out you said it to hide someone else's pregnancy. Were you going to hide it forever? Hoping he might be born with your traits and go unnoticed?"
"Are you listening to yourself, Paul?! What do I gain from that?"
She looked visibly upset. Not hurt, not yet. She had gone through so many emotions that day that feeling hurt was the least of her concerns. However, she did feel betrayed by the man she loved.
"Paul, you were gentle when I asked you to be! There was blood, Paul! My body was trembling when... How can you doubt it was my first time? You got me pregnant that time, so don't talk nonsense. Come on, don't be an idiot. He is your son. Besides, do you want me to remind you how you used to be?"
She looked straight at him.
"I don't even need to say it. You know exactly what I mean."
The man who accused her did nothing but look at her. Then, he slowly looked at the black-haired baby. Then, at nothing. And then he turned his gaze back to Zenith.
"Look at him, Zenith. How do you explain that? His hair is just so..."
"I don't have to explain anything to you."
"But..."
"Even if he were born with purple, red, or fiery hair, he would still be just as much mine as he is yours!"
Before the argument could escalate, Zenith suddenly hunched back into a birthing position. The abrupt shift left Paul completely bewildered.
"No. Not again. No."
"What's happening?!"
Lilia was a competent worker. Despite having a leg injury that prevented her from running, she shoved the baby into Paul's arms and moved as fast as she could toward Zenith. She leaned over and checked her.
Paul held the baby with a care never before seen in him. He had held swords for years, but this baby was far too fragile.
*Am I an idiot?* he thought.
As for Zenith, her belly was still swollen.
Lilia regretted not noticing sooner. Paul's suspicion had invaded and poisoned the room from the very moment the baby was born.
"Lilia, are you going to tell me what's happening? Is she okay?" Paul asked.
"Master Paul, there is another. Another baby."
Twins. Fraternal, identical, it didn't matter. The situation had just become incredibly complicated, especially for Paul, who was now sweating while holding the first baby.
"Damn it! Why didn't anyone tell me there were two?!"
"Breathe, my lady. Save your energy."
"Lilia, please, let this be over."
"This one will be faster, I guarantee it."
The second birth was faster, but no less exhausting. Her body barely had any strength left, though her maternal energy seemed infinite.
It was another boy. He didn't cry either. He had light brown hair like his father, and when he finally opened his eyes, they were green.
Paul tried to make amends for his mistake, albeit clumsily.
"Zenith, I... I'm sorry. I should have thought before... I am so sorry."
"Lilia, my babies. Please. Give them to me."
"Zenith, please."
With extreme care, Lilia brought over the little one with brown hair. Then she approached Paul, seeking silent permission. He simply nodded. What could he do after all those accusations? Nothing.
"Here he is, my lady."
"My sons. My two beautiful sons." She leaned in and kissed each of their heads.
Paul took another step toward the bed.
"Uh, I..."
"Come here. Look," Zenith called to him. "This baby has your eyes. Even your hair, and that cowlick you always have."
"I know. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you. Never."
"I won't lie to you. I understand. A baby that looks nothing like you. I'd have questions, too. But you are a hypocrite. That's all I'm going to say." Zenith lowered her head for a moment.
"I know perfectly well. You are completely right. I have no valid excuse."
Zenith sighed, raising her gaze again.
"No, you don't. But these two need their father. They don't need a perfect man. They need someone who is present. Who loves them. Who takes care of them. Can you do that? Can you love them both equally?"
Paul couldn't stay on his feet. His legs gave out, and he ended up kneeling on the floor.
He stared at the babies. One with his hair and the other with a new color. Paul rested one hand on Zenith's leg and the other on the black-haired baby.
"I will. I swear I will love them."
Zenith let out a faint smile.
"Good. Because if you ever doubt me again, you'll be sleeping outside with the beasts. Understood?"
"Understood, my lady." Paul let out a stifled laugh.
"And you won't be able to touch me for a day."
"A day?! Zenith, I've waited for months. I don't think I can take it!" Paul said, almost shouting.
"Of course you can. You're strong, aren't you?"
Privately, Lilia thought that one day wasn't long at all, but she kept that to herself. The only thing she could think about now was why neither baby had cried.
◇◇◇
Half an hour later.
Zenith was resting. She had used healing magic on herself and had finally settled into bed.
The brown-haired baby tried to say something.
"Ah, ah."
Zenith smiled at that. She looked at her two sons. She studied their small faces. Their soft breathing. The way both of them were completely different. The black-haired one remained still, while the brown-haired one was somewhat restless despite being a newborn.
Neither of them cried.
"Trying to speak, are we? Hmm, you will be Rudeus. Rudeus Greyrat."
She pressed a kiss to Rudeus's forehead. Then, with the same smile, she turned to the black-haired one.
"You will be... Damian!"
The baby turned his face slightly. From that moment on, he didn't look at her again. What Zenith's tired mind interpreted was that he hadn't liked the sound.
"You don't like that one? This is strange. They didn't tell me a baby could choose."
"In theory, they can't, my lady..." Lilia whispered.
"It doesn't matter. If he doesn't like that one, we'll try another, right? I was improvising anyway."
She looked at her son again.
"Hmm. Roland?"
He didn't look at her.
"Adrian? Kieran? Lysander?"
Nothing. Unlike Rudeus, the black-haired one wouldn't look at her. That puzzled her. More than she expected.
"Look at me, son!"
"Let me come up with something. We've got nothing to lose." Paul decided to intervene this time.
"What are you going to try?"
"I'll let my instinct take over. Like I always do."
Paul got up from the chair and walked over.
"Hmm. Cassius? Carius? No. Darius? Dari..."
"It's not going to work, Paul. Give up."
"Just watch, my love. Just let me. Hmm. Ji? O? Jill!"
Nothing. The baby had reacted to the "ji" and the "o", but didn't look at them.
"I like it starting with 'Da'... but he doesn't like Darius or Damian. Hmm. Dai?" Paul asked.
The baby turned his head slightly.
"It's working, Paul! You're doing it!" Zenith exclaimed.
"Listen to me, son. Da... i... eeee... ki?" Paul almost bit his tongue. "Son, do you like Daiki?"
The baby looked at him and didn't turn his face away. It was the first time they didn't feel judged by the little one, but rather like the direct targets of genuine surprise. As if his eyes had suddenly widened, making it clear that he liked it.
"Daiqui is a strange name." Zenith tried out the sound.
"No, my love. It's Da-i-ki."
"Hmm, since when did you become a teacher?"
"There's a first time for everything, right?"
*Daiki? That name... no, I don't understand anything. Is that even a name? What is this language?* thought Rudeus, who could barely process what was happening.
Meanwhile, in little Daiki's mind, despite trying to process the names, he felt exhausted.
*A new life. Why? What did I do to deserve this?*
However, his thoughts were interrupted by a wave of exhaustion. The simple act of keeping his eyes open and processing the new language completely drained him.
*I suppose that even with my intelligence, this body has its limits. For now, all I can do is sleep. Observe and learn.*
"Welcome to the world, my little ones," Zenith said, holding her two sons against her chest.
"I will train them to be strong. To be honorable. To be better than I was," Paul said.
"Paul, they were just born," Zenith said with a laugh.
"I know, I know. But someone has to make them strong. They aren't always going to be in your arms," Paul insisted.
"I know they won't, but let me just cherish every second with them. Don't make me think about that now. They will always be my little babies."
"We left our party behind. Our friends. They hate us now. Maybe we should have made different choices, but I don't regret being here with you. It was worth it." Paul let himself fall onto the bed.
He tried to wrap his arm around Zenith's waist and slide his hand up to her cleavage, but his hand was slapped away.
"Paul Greyrat, absolutely not."
"But, my love, we've waited so long. And you already healed yourself with magic. Wouldn't it be better...?"
"One day without touching me. I told you this half an hour ago."
"But that's too long!"
"Two days. For every complaint, I double it. Do you want it to be four?"
"Alright, alright!"
"I thought you were a strong man, but you're so weak. Hmm, you deserve it."
◇◇◇
— Paul's Point of View —
Some time has passed since then.
Twelve days.
Right now, I am bathing my two sons.
Why? I was forced to. Well, not really, but I deserve it. I was an idiot who got carried away by impulse. Now I have to take care of them from time to time, which is what a father should do, I guess. When I tried to make funny faces, they seemed to feel embarrassed.
No, they're babies, they shouldn't feel embarrassed, right?
I remember wiping my boogers on the curtains as a kid, but...
Who am I to judge them?
Maybe they just don't like my faces. Although one thing bothered me. No, it didn't bother me. It made me feel small. When Rudeus took a bath, he at least made faces. When Lilia bathed him, he splashed more than usual toward her clothes, as if he intended to get her wet.
With Daiki, however, it was the exact opposite. He stayed so still that he simply let himself float, without reacting to the hot water, the soap, or anything at all.
According to Zenith, there was no difference.
To her, Daiki was the "quiet baby" who reminded her of her brother. To her, Rudeus was the "expressive baby" who reminded her of herself. I didn't know how to respond to that, but she said it with such certainty that I accepted it. And now it was my turn to bathe my firstborn.
"Dai, come on. I don't know, laugh, cry, kick, do something."
Although he still didn't understand the new language, Daiki noticed his father's restlessness. On instinct, he kicked his foot to make a small splash.
"Dai?! That's my boy!"
"What's wrong, honey? Why are you shouting?"
"Zenith, he splashed!"
She hugged me tightly and we kissed right there.
It was a big step.
Maybe too big.
I was happy.
That was for sure.