Morning came gently through the paper windows of the room, sunlight filtering in thin golden lines across the floor and bed sheets. The estate was beginning to wake.
Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the faint sounds of servants moving through hallways, sliding doors opening, footsteps crossing polished wood, and the muted clatter of breakfast preparations.
My eyes slowly opened. And immediately I felt something pressed against my mouth. For one terrifying second, I thought I was being smothered in my sleep.
I looked down to see it was a foot. A small foot, which is attached to none other than Maki.
I stared blankly for several seconds.
At some point during the night, Maki had transformed from a human girl into some kind of spinning weapon. She was now sleeping completely sideways across the bed, one leg stretched over my face while the other rested squarely on my stomach like she was pinning down an enemy.
How did someone this small occupy this much space?
I slowly turned my head to the left.
There was Mai, peacefully asleep while hugging my arm tightly against her chest like it was a treasured stuffed toy. Her expression was calm, her cheeks slightly puffed, and she had no intention of releasing her hostage.
So, to summarize—
One twin was using me as a mattress. The other was using me as a teddy bear.
Excellent. I considered waking them immediately but then the sliding door opened.
I reacted on instinct as I snapped my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.
There was absolutely no reason to do that, but I just did it anyway.
Soft footsteps entered the room. I recognized them quickly; don't ask me how I recognize them with my eyes closed.
It was Maki's and Mai's mother.
Through barely opened lashes, I could make out her figure standing a short distance from the bed. She had likely come to wake the twins or check on them after hearing where they slept.
She stopped for a bit a distance away from the bed and simply looked at us, no, at Maki and Mai.
Her gaze first moved to Mai, who was clinging to my arm with complete shamelessness, then to Maki, who still had one foot on my face and the posture of someone who had lost a fight against gravity.
A smile formed on her face; I saw that while I was peeping with a squinty eye
The kind of smile that existed only when no one was meant to see it, and there was affection in it.
Maybe seeing her daughters sleeping peacefully, without fear or bruises or tears, was enough to draw it out.
Her eyes then settled on Maki's wild sleeping position.
I could almost feel the maternal urge rising within her to scold the girl for sleeping so disgracefully.
She suppressed it; instead, she stepped closer quietly. She crouched beside the bed and gently touched Mai's shoulder first.
"Mai," she whispered.
Mai mumbled something incomprehensible and hugged my arm tighter.
Her mother tried again, brushing hair away from Mai's sleeping face.
"Wake up."
This time Mai stirred, blinking sleepily. The moment she realized where she was and what she was holding, her face went bright red. She released my arm so quickly it nearly slapped back into my chest.
Then came Maki.
Her mother lightly lifted the leg currently occupying my face and placed it down.
"Maki."
No response.
"Maki."
Still nothing.
Then in a calm, practiced movement, she pinched Maki's ear.
"OW!"
Maki shot upright instantly.
I almost applauded. And I couldn't keep pretending to sleep either with how Maki rattled on my body when she walked up.
She looked around wildly before noticing her mother kneeling beside the bed.
And she noticed her own sleeping position, and she noticed my expression.
"…I move a lot when I sleep," she muttered defensively.
"No kidding," I said dryly.
Both girls quickly scrambled off the bed, fixing their clothes and trying to regain dignity that had long since fled the battlefield.
Their mother stood gracefully and gave me a formal bow.
"Thank you for looking after them."
I sat up, rubbing my face where Maki's foot had nearly left an imprint.
"They looked after me plenty."
Maki frowned. "I said I move in my sleep."
"Yes," I replied. "Like a curse spirit."
Their mother hid another smile behind her sleeve. It's my first time seeing her smile openly; character development, I guess. Then she turned toward the twins.
"Come. Wash yourselves before breakfast."
They obeyed surprisingly fast.
Before leaving, Mai glanced back once, embarrassed. Maki did too, though she tried to hide it.
~~~
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