"Hello," It was a voice belonging to a young boy. He could be seen standing in front of the door while looking at the redhead with a welcoming and curious gaze and smile.
"Hi." That voice belonged to a young girl standing next to the young boy. She has a welcoming smile and curious gaze while appearing very proper.
Cale's eyes lit up as he looked at them. Just as he expected, they looked the same as their mother. They have white hair that reaches their shoulders, with the only distinction away from their mother's purple eyes being those pairs of golden eyes flickering between amber and gold under the chandelier.
They looked very beautiful like elves! Even though he had never seen them, his mother said they had a very beautiful appearance.
Cale shook his head and bowed properly. "My name is Cale Henituse. Nice to meet you."
The young girl and young boy looked at each other before mirroring the noble in front of them perfectly.
"Nice to meet you, young master Cale. My name is Aeternus Veritas Elynesis of the Aurelian Association." The boy lifted his head and smiled brightly.
The girl continued, her voice tinted with curiosity. "My name is Astraea Apricity Elynesis of the Aurelian Association. Nice to meet you, Young Master Cale."
Cale smiled brightly, looking at them in awe at how synchronized the siblings were. Aeternus and Astraea looked at each other and smiled genuinely at how pretty the boy in front of them looked. It was darn obvious whose child this young master belonged to.
The servants in the dining room also smiled brightly as they watched the three children interact. They worked soundlessly, and by the time the children sat down at their seats, the only ones left were the head maid and a few maids.
So the scene that Jour and Celaena saw was the children chattering about their interests and the servants smiling softly.
"Well, it seems you raised a charming young boy, Jour."
Jour rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Your son is a complete copy. That stoic face and way of speech are the same."
No more words were exchanged between the two women, but their grins as they welcomed the hugs of their children indicated how proud they were of their children.
Jour's smothered kisses on her cute son's cheek, rewarded with a happy giggle. She leaned back, and once again, she found herself falling in love with the child in front of her.
She had never imagined herself bearing her flesh and blood due to the circumstances, but here she is, a child of her own. It was a miracle in the first place that she could even be at peace.
Celaena understood the underlying gratitude in her friend's eyes because she also felt the same. Her children were her world when her first world collapsed before her eyes. If it weren't for them, she wouldn't imagine what sort of things she would do that could potentially kill herself.
The past was an unimaginable pain for them.
"Mommy," the three children's voices pulled the two out of their minds, and they smiled lovingly.
"Ready for dinner, Cale dear? I already told your aunt that you like well-cooked steak." Jour switched so fast that Cale could only nod numbly.
Looking at the two children other than him, he asked, 'Do you know what they were thinking about earlier?' with his eyes.
Aeternus and Astraea shook their heads but followed after their mother. Looking like two little ducklings trailing behind their mother duck due to their sunny theme outfits for that day.
If the head maid covered her nose with a handkerchief, no one would talk about it.
"I presume you already met my friend's children, Cale?" Jour said, placing the napkin on her lap.
Cale vibrated with excitement and nodded, making Celaena worried that his head would fall off.
The boy didn't know her train of thought as he talked. The excitement in his voice stirred Astraea to also talk with her mother's friend, whom she had met once before.
The two chatterboxes paved the way for the quiet ones to converse with them.
A sense of serenity and liveliness overlapped each other, making those outside feel warm just by the slightly ajar door.
***
"Mommy, are we staying here for the night?" Cale looked up at his mother, who was drying his hair with a towel, with wide, innocent eyes.
Jour nodded, "That's right! Mommy has been thinking about being your godmother for a long time, and since going back would take a few weeks, we will stay here for the night. Do you want warm milk or just water tonight, Cale?"
"Oh, I want warm milk..." Cale said before his mind disconnected completely. His reddish-brown eyes blinked multiple times before he registered what his mother said.
"WAIT! GODMOTHER!?" Cale screamed, causing Jour to also look back at her son.
She nodded, "Yes, Godmother. What about it?"
"Don't you think it would be better to tell me this when we are riding the carriage to get here?" Cale questioned his mother with an incredulous look on his face.
Jour looked to the side and didn't think anything was wrong with the situation. She thought that was how it was supposed to be when you tell your child that they have a godmother to take care of them when you are not around. There was nothing wrong.
Seeing the confusion, Cake mentally facepalmed himself.
Of course. How could he forget that his mother wasn't a normal, noble young lady?
Not knowing what her son was thinking with such a cute blank face, Jour ruffled the wet hair with the towel playfully. "Well, now that you know. When you see her again, call her aunty, okay?"
"Em…" Cale resigned and nodded solemnly, but he didn't think it was that bad. Celaena didn't seem all that bad, and his mother seemed very close to her. Maybe that was why she trusted her enough to name her his godmother.
Ruffing the now-dried hair, Jour kissed her boy's forehead and reminded softly. "Go to sleep now, we're going to get up early so we can see Daddy faster, okay?"
This time, Cale nodded excitedly and tucked himself in. He wanted to see Daddy again!
Jour placed another kiss on her son's forehead before she went out of the bedroom.
The expression of a doting mother immediately took a 180-degree turn as she glanced at another mother, who came from the other end of the hall. Jour observed silently and sighed in her heart. If she weren't with a child and a husband, she wouldn't regret courting her friend.
Her figure was alleviated by the dark outfit she had chosen for the night, while her white-haired shimmered like strands of silver under the moon's unwavering attention, and her eyes lazily skimmed Jour's existence. No wonder her friend was called the Moon Goddess's favorite in their youth. Could anyone resist such temptation in front of them without going dizzy from a nosebleed?
In a good mood, Jour jumped and embraced the stoic woman, who flinched at the contact. With a giddy giggle, Jour resurfaced and whistled playfully. "It's been a while since I did this, don't you think so? Oh, you smell divine tonight!"
The sudden hug attack didn't amuse Celaena.
"It seemed you reverted to your old self."
Jour grinned innocently while staring into the pool of the galaxy before her.
"Jour, get dressed." Celaena sighed as she said that
Jour stood properly again, and with a wave of her hand, her nightgown was replaced by an assassin outfit. The only color on the black cloth was the glistening ruby on the golden chain belt that glinted ominously against the dark hall. Her crimson hair was braided into a ponytail with a little black rose charm as a little touch of luxury. However, if one looked closely, one could see the black rose was glass with black liquid in it, while the golden chain with the ruby was a whip.
The magic that was created for such a wardrobe change was excellent if one knew how to control mana to a certain extent.
Celaena smirked knowingly at the excited look.
"Let's go. We have a lot of time discussing how my son should be treated as your godson when we get there."
Celaena rolled her eyes, but she accepted the offered hand with mirth dancing in her eyes.
In place of their figures that were once under the night were specks of materialized magic.