In Catherine's secluded chambers, an atmosphere of calm and serenity reigned. Political intrigues and malicious rumors from the outside world held no sway here. The twins grew enveloped in their mother's love and care, like tiny pearls cradled in a shell.
With each passing day, they became more lively, more inquisitive. Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and a thirst for discovery. Their days were filled with smiles and ringing laughter.
A full year had passed since that fateful assembly—the one that had been the last straw for Catherine.
She had completely lost faith in her husband. Only Cassia and the newborns had witnessed her bitter tears on that ill-fated day.
In all that time, Adam had never come to see the children. His absence spoke louder than any words—he had unconditionally believed every rumor, never bothering to clarify the truth.
Catherine's heart was shattered.
From that moment on, she withdrew entirely from the secular world, dedicating herself wholly to the twins. Her resentment and anger toward her husband had transformed into absolute indifference. Their relationship became nothing more than an empty formality. Only the tender age of her two little ones held her from a final, irrevocable break.
Fortunately, Cassia was always nearby.
Like a silent confessor, she could listen to her mistress and share in her troubles. Her presence and support had become a lifeline for Catherine.
The entire small world of the twins revolved around these two women.
It was no wonder that the second word they learned, after the tentative "Mama," was the playful "Kassi."
This tiny fact brought the young maid to tears, her heart melting with love.
Then came their first steps.
Gray and Grace clumsily tried to chase after the unruly tail of the cat-girl. Their zeal inevitably led to new bumps and bruises with every attempt.
For the first time, Catherine made full use of her position, constantly summoning the on-duty healer. He became the most frequent guest in her palace, second only to Cassia.
One day, the exhausted healer, worn down by endless summons, took a desperate step: he voiced his dissatisfaction and earnestly requested that Catherine provide a soft carpet. He claimed that his wages did not reflect the frequency of his calls and demanded a raise.
Catherine's patience finally snapped.
Not only had her husband been absent for over a year, but now even his subordinates refused to perform their duties.
She was not harmless, you understand? She was a powerful expert whose patience had reached the brink of collapse.
Like a volcano long restrained, Catherine unleashed the full force of her aura to put the hapless healer in his place.
A wave of pressure flooded the surrounding area, making even the sturdiest walls shudder.
"If not for requests like this, then why does our family even keep a healer on staff?!" Her voice thundered through the air, carrying all the outrage she had long held in check.
Startled by the surge of aura, Adam Starlight hurried to the palace of his third wife.
It was amusing—this marked his first visit to Catherine since their wedding night.
Deep down, he agreed with the healer, believing that the duty doctor's work should not be reduced to handling such trivial matters. Yet the governor was far too cautious to provoke an irritated lioness.
Catching Catherine's sharp gaze, Adam quickly moved to appease her. He assured her that everything would be resolved promptly, cast a few fleeting glances at the twins, and then hastened away.
Yes, he fled.
He did not want to speak to his third wife while she was in a foul mood.
Catherine did not hold it against him.
An hour later, Adam sat on the grand throne, lost in thought.
He had just sent his subordinate to fetch carpets and ordered them delivered to his third wife's chambers. He had also sternly reprimanded the healer, commanding him to fulfill every request without question.
'Does this fool really think he can provoke the strongest person in the Province of Light with impunity?' Adam snorted inwardly.
He tapped his fingers against the armrest of the throne for a long while, pondering his relationship with Catherine.
She was a remarkable woman: intelligent, extraordinarily beautiful, and remarkably compliant. It seemed as if several generations of his ancestors must have lived lives of asceticism just for him to earn her love. And he understood that truth perfectly.
Yet reality was cruel.
The dark-haired boy was not the only cause of the rift between them. Adam harbored a grim secret, known to no one.
Whenever he was alone with Catherine, he was swept by a storm of negative emotions: inadequacy, guilt, disgust, even fear. It was as if he were under some hypnotic spell. His condition could not be called normal, yet there was nothing he could do to change it.
It was beyond his control.
The inner contradictions exhausted him, leaving him feeling profoundly deficient. Adam sought solace in the arms of his other wives and concubines, but it brought no relief. God, he had even gone so far as to welcome tedious paperwork with anticipation.
Anything, as long as he didn't have to think about Catherine.
Cassia stood silently by the throne, watching the expressions flicker across Adam's face. Her gaze betrayed nothing but contempt.
Although the maid's audacious demeanor irritated him greatly, Adam did not even consider reprimanding her. She was Catherine's confidante, and he could not risk further enraging his third wife.
Adam let out a weary sigh.
"Cassia, I know I'm very handsome. But could you stop burning me with that look?"
"Heh… As you command, Your Excellency. Did you need something?" the maid asked politely, bowing her head.
"Tell me about the children. How are they?"
"They are well, Your Excellency," Cassia replied tersely.
"I want details," Adam demanded, this time in a more authoritative tone.
'I know you're angry. But I am still the damn governor! Ruler of the Province of Light! Do you understand?! Show at least a shred of respect, little slave. If not for Catherine, I'd have executed you for such insolence!' he thought to himself, gripping the armrest of his chair.
Realizing she could remain silent no longer, Cassia finally decided to share scraps of information.
Though she hated this man, he was still, nominally, the father of the twins. She knew her tone was harsh, yet she felt no remorse. It was this very man who had caused her mistress suffering. The fact that she still stood there at all could be considered an act of civility.
With a jumble of thoughts, Cassia began to speak:
"Well, Grey is growing smart and curious. He loves building towers from the wooden blocks my lady made herself. He's always taking apart magical devices and then trying—unsuccessfully—to put them back together. He…"
"Enough! No more about the boy. Tell me about the daughter," Adam interrupted, twisting his face in disgust at the mention of Grey.
Watching his reaction, Cassia had to summon every ounce of restraint not to spit in his face.
"Grace. She's a very good girl. Lively and carefree, always laughing or sleeping with a blissful smile…"
"She loves playing with our hair and is already speaking quite well. Her favorite games are hide-and-seek and tag."
"Oh, just recently, her favorite toy—a big soft horse named Boni—split along the seam on its back. I stitched it up myself. Grace crawled nearby, her face full of concern, warning me: 'Cassi, don't sew too hard! As soon as Boni says "i-go-go"—throw the needle away immediately!'"
"…I could barely hold back my laughter at that moment. Ahahaha… If plush Boni had suddenly said 'i-go-go'—I wouldn't have just thrown the needle… I would have died right there. Ahahaha."
Cassia had gotten carried away talking about the children but quickly stopped, realizing her behavior was inappropriate.
Adam paused for a moment, seeming lost in thought.
"You may go…" he released the maid, though his mind felt unusually scattered.
Cassia walked toward the estate, reflecting on Adam's behavior.
'Could it be that this man will finally get his act together? Damn it, I shouldn't get so flustered just talking about the twins. I still want to be the perfect maid! Perfect! I mustn't reveal my lady's secrets. But… But… They're so charming…'
'Alright, it's fine. This vain governor can consider it his victory.'
'Unfortunately, he's lost far too much.'
'I'll never tell him how sweet the little master's affection is, or how amusing it is to tease young Grace.'
'He'll never know how attached she is to her brother.'
'He'll never see, in little Grey's beautiful eyes, all the love and devotion that shouldn't even belong to someone so young.'
'And how adorable he is when he falls asleep on my lady's chest, reaching out for his older sister…'
'Heh-heh, he worries every time he doesn't feel that tiny bundle of joy nearby.'
'Damn it, this irresponsible, useless man doesn't deserve my lady! He may be an excellent ruler, but he's a completely worthless husband!'
Lost in her thoughts, Cassia continued on toward the estate.
She didn't even notice that her steps were growing lighter and quicker as she neared Catherine's chambers. It was there that her little family awaited—the one she loved so dearly.
Meanwhile, significant changes took place after the incident with Adam.
He had struggled with himself for a long time but finally resolved to act. He could no longer put the matter off indefinitely.
Adam's decision was driven by several factors.
First, Catherine's presence in the Province of Light was one of his political advantages—he simply could not afford to lose such an "ally." Second, he needed to put an end to the rumors that tarnished his reputation. And finally, no matter how callous he was, he had softened just a little when he saw little Grace.
From that point on, he began visiting Catherine's mansion regularly. At least once a month.
Their meetings were charged with tension and awkwardness.
Catherine maintained a solemn silence, and Adam did not know how to act. They were like ice and fire—completely incompatible.
How had it come to this?
When they first met, Catherine was very young, even inexperienced. She traveled the world—free as the wind, unburdened by anything. She had come to the Province of Light to see with her own eyes the mightiest empire of humanity. It was there that she met Adam.
The civil war raged around them, yet he stood in the temple as if the whole world were alien to him. How handsome he had been in that moment…
His eyes shone with a divine light. It was those eyes that touched her youthful heart.
He did not hide his admiration and began to court her.
She silently approved.
Adam proved to be a man of rare charm: skilled in listening, in speaking, in surprising her. They spent hours discussing myths, legends, and the mysteries of human nature. There was something magnetic about him, almost unreal, as if he had come from another world.
Authoritative, ambitious, beautiful, mysterious. He embodied every woman's fantasy of the perfect partner. She was drawn to him like a moth to flame.
Yet even then, Catherine was not one to be swayed by sweet words alone.
It took Adam three years to win her heart completely.
At the time, the struggle for the throne raged on, but Adam remained indifferent, spending all his time with her. He masterfully manipulated the politics of the entire province: he set the brothers against each other for the throne while securing the full support of the church and the tacit approval of the senate.
They married as soon as he ascended the throne. Their ceremony was secret. He swore he would love her forever, and she vowed to stand by him in sorrow and joy.
Catherine still cherished the memories of being led to the bridal chamber, of his gentle whispers of sweet nothings as she peacefully drifted to sleep after a night of passion. She had been the happiest she had ever been.
But she did not know that her fairytale had already ended…
Adam changed the very next day.
The sparkle in his eyes dulled. Gone was the intoxicating glow of infatuation that had once driven her wild. The former romantic had become an ordinary, ambitious senator, concerned only with power and influence.
And her? She had been reduced to a mere trophy, something he could flaunt before the nobility. No matter how she tried to catch his attention, Adam continued to ignore her. Worse, her very presence seemed to irritate him.
It was bewildering.
Was she really so dreadful in bed? But it shouldn't be like this…
Catherine knew perfectly well how beautiful she was. She was the province's most formidable expert, and her intellect was a valuable asset to Adam's ambitions. No matter how she looked at it, Adam had no reason to be so indifferent.
But he was.
Catherine was utterly bewildered. She didn't know what to do. How could she regain her husband's favor? And then she realized—she was pregnant.
Oh, how happy she was.
'Perhaps the arrival of an heir will melt the ice in my husband's heart? Maybe I can restore the happiness we lost?'
What a naive and foolish thought…
All she received was a cold palace, suspicions of infidelity, and complete indifference. All because Grey was born with black hair.
Had she been her former self, she would have killed Adam without a second thought. But now she was a mother. She had children. Their happiness had become Catherine's priority.
She no longer dared to dream that Adam would return to her.
'It would be nice if he appeared from time to time… Grey and Grace, my little treasures… They shouldn't grow up without a father…' Catherine thought bitterly, trying to find some good in the situation.
And so, she endured Adam's presence.
She was torn between the desire to forgive and the fear of being rejected again.
Every visit from him left more questions than answers.
============
In that strange mix of joy and anxiety, another two years flew by.
Today, the twins—alike as two drops of water, save for the color of their hair—turned three.
Grace sat before her mother as she brushed and braided her snowy white locks. The little girl savored every touch. She loved it when her mother "played" with her hair.
'Mommy's hands are so nice,' Grace thought, turning into a tiny cloud of happiness, 'Not like that silly brother, who only knows how to hurt me! I won't let him ride Boni anymore!'
Her serious thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock at the door.
Without waiting for an answer, their monthly visitor—Adam Starlight—entered.
He didn't waste time with pleasantries, moving straight to the point.
"I'm glad you're all ready. It's time to go. Your Awakening Ceremony awaits."
Adam paused for a second, but seeing that no one was moving, he decided to make himself perfectly clear.
"As you already know, three years of age is a special milestone for citizens of the Roman Empire. By this age, the skeletal structure is fully formed. Children acquire essential skills: they learn to walk, develop established reflexes, and gain a basic vocabulary for conscious communication.
All of this is a necessary foundation for the Awakening of the Magical Core.
The Magical Core is the fundamental element for the circulation of mana, which is later used for practice and the enhancement of one's powers. This core is unique to every individual and is hidden deep within your body.
Our great Empire is renowned for its laws, which safeguard the rights of all its citizens. In accordance with the Law of Universal Development, every resident of the Empire has the privilege of one day participating in the ritual of Magical Core Awakening.
It is a great honor and glory, as well as a crucial milestone in the life of every person. Do you understand?"