Ch.3Twins in the Dead of Night

Even as the children grew up, my devotion never wavered.

I still followed them around to the point of being annoying, always making them laugh.

Now the twins would even seek me out first.

As time passed, our bonds grew deeper.

Six years went by like that. The twins were 15, and I was 17.

We built countless, countless memories together.

Asena had risen to become the head of the family. Until then, Grandmother Riana had been holding the position, but it seemed she finally felt it was time to step down.

I thought so too.

Asena was brilliant and wise.

She showed mercy when mercy was needed, and firmness when decisions had to be made.

She built up the Praester Family to be respected by everyone.

As Asena grew, her cuteness diminished somewhat, but she showed none of the stubbornness, obsession with others’ downfall, or the merciless and cruel personality traits I had seen in the novel. Seeing her like this made me proud.

Kirsy remained just as she was in childhood.

She was incredibly affectionate.

Who would think this Kirsy was the same as the one in the novel?

She had a bubbly charm and enjoyed making jokes like me, always pulling me along whenever she found something fun.

While Asena enjoyed reading, Kirsy preferred playing outside.

Either way, they both seemed healthy, which made me satisfied.

Grandmother Riana seemed to share my thoughts.

Sometimes during our private conversations, she would make me blush by saying that adopting me was the best decision of her life.

I no longer felt uncomfortable about the Praester family either.

When I first read the novel, I thought of them as a villainous family, but now I had come to consider it completely my own.

I worked harder for my sisters too.

I needed to become a strong person. I had promised with my own words to be their support. Especially since I came from a commoner background, I needed to put in more effort.

To be someone the legitimate daughters of this powerful Praester family could rely on, I needed to develop the necessary abilities.

After much consideration, the method I came up with was ultimately martial prowess.

Politically, there wasn’t much I could contribute. Asena and Kirsy were already handling those matters well, and as someone of commoner birth, there weren’t many areas where I could step in.

Even Grandmother Riana, who cherished me so much, advised that it would be better for me not to extend into politics.

I could understand everything. As I mentioned, this world had a strict class system.

I learned swordsmanship daily from Lawrence, the Praester family’s training master.

Whenever I trained, Asena or Kirsy would come to watch.

Their presence gave me strength, and my skills improved rapidly.

We continued to grow.

Of course, some things remained unchanged. Habits and routines from childhood.

First, I still woke Asena up every morning.

She had become somewhat more solemn since becoming the family head. She rarely laughed at my jokes anymore. One could say she had grown colder.

But in the mornings, she still showed various emotions like when she was younger. Perhaps because in her bedroom, she didn’t need to be the family head? When we were alone, she was always my little sister Asena.

When I called her name, Asena would wake up and give a small smile.

Then she would stretch out her arms toward me.

I would take her in my arms and lift her up, carrying her to the window.

And while I carried her, Asena, who had become less expressive, would give me a light kiss on the cheek.

It was usually the only display of affection she showed me throughout the day.

At night, it was Kirsy’s turn. Just before bedtime, I would visit her room.

Kirsy and I would share warm tea or milk and chat for a while.

Afterward, I would say goodnight and kiss her forehead.

Then Kirsy would smile brightly and lie down to sleep, and I would blow out the candles before leaving her room.

These habits might have been time to stop, but it seemed a shame to end them just because they might be embarrassing.

More expressions of affection are always better, and Asena and Kirsy still enjoyed them as much as they did as children…

I still found them cute.

Time continued to pass peacefully like this.

It was the year I turned 19, becoming an adult.

In this world, nobles typically entered the Academy as soon as they became adults.

That’s the same Academy that serves as the setting for “The Frontier Nobles Academy.”

While the admission criteria varied widely depending on family circumstances, most entered at 19.

I too had been looking forward to the day I would enter after becoming an adult.

After all, it was the moment I could enter that Academy I had admired.

But when I reached the age of admission, I faced opposition from Asena and Kirsy, who were now 17.

They asked me to wait just two more years.

When the topic of me entering first came up, Kirsy would be gloomy all day, then try to appease me with aegyo, throw tantrums, and run errands while watching my reactions.

When we were alone, she would whine and beg me to postpone for two years so we could enter together. If I went now, we wouldn’t see each other for a total of four years because our times would overlap.

Thinking about it now makes me smile at how cute Kirsy’s behavior was.

Asena, on the other hand, was a bit frightening. As if showing what it meant to be the family head, she flatly refused.

It was the first time she had issued an order to me, which surprised me.

‘No. You can’t go.’

She said I would be looked down upon if I went alone. Had I forgotten why she became the family head instead of her brother? Did I know how much they despised commoners behind their backs?

She spoke harshly, preventing me from going to the Academy. Sometimes I forget how strict this world is about social status unless she reminds me like this.

Even illegitimate children are despised, let alone an adopted commoner.

…But I had anticipated this. I told Asena I was prepared for that much.

‘…Still, no.’

That was what she said when she couldn’t find a counterargument. Only then did I understand why she was acting that way. She felt the same as Kirsy.

As she grew older, Asena had become less expressive, and I sometimes forgot this.

‘You’ll be lonely if I leave.’

When I said this with a smile, her stern face turned red.

And her final words were the killing blow.

‘…You promised you’d always be by my side.’

…I couldn’t leave. The more I saw them, the more I realized Asena and Kirsy were personalities that felt loneliness deeply.

Well, waiting two years wasn’t that difficult. I also enjoyed spending time with my sisters.

And so, after two more years passed, Asena and Kirsy became adults.

Now the moment to enter the Academy had truly arrived.

.

.

.

It was the day before we would take the carriage to the Academy.

Before departing for the capital for two years, we were having our final dinner with Grandmother Riana.

Unlike when I first met her, she now had more wrinkles, a hunched back, and had lost weight.

But her dignified expression remained unchanged.

Grandmother gave us various pieces of advice.

We nodded, taking in each one carefully.

Asena nodded with a stern face, while Kirsy sniffled and hugged Grandmother Riana, saying she loved her.

Grandmother Riana smiled slightly and asked me to take care of the twins.

I told her not to worry.

Afterward, we left the room. It was a night of many thoughts for me too.

It had already been 11 years since I came to this family. The spirit and pride of the Praester family were deeply embedded in my heart.

‘Make them untouchable.’ I repeated the family motto to myself.

I had grown stronger through sword training. I could confidently say my skills wouldn’t be lacking anywhere.

To further develop these skills, I applied to the Knight Department at the Academy.

Asena and Kirsy were in the Politics Department, as in the novel’s flow.

As the faces of the family, they had no other options.

On the other hand, since I couldn’t represent the family politically, I built up my strength this way.

Sometimes wars break out between families.

It was good to think of it as preparation for such times.

Of course, I’m always against war.

I headed to Kirsy’s room.

Inside, she was smiling while preparing warm tea.

There wasn’t much to say. I just listened to her. She seemed to have many expectations.

I told her tomorrow would be a meaningful day so she should sleep early, and following our unbroken routine, I kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

****

Kirsy’s heart was still pounding.

Tomorrow was the day she would finally enter the Academy she had been looking forward to.

She was excited about the new friends she would meet.

“…Ah..I’m so excited..”

In the isolated territory of the Praester family,

there were no friends to meet.

What would the friends gathering in the capital be like?

She imagined.

If there was one regret, it was about her brother.

He had applied to the Knight Department. While his choice wasn’t incomprehensible, it was a bit sad.

If they could have taken the same classes, they could have built many more memories there too.

Although it had been a while since Caden kissed her forehead and left, Kirsy still couldn’t fall asleep.

Various thoughts rolled around in her head.

‘….This is the last night here too.’

Kirsy thought, looking at the ceiling. This Praester castle where she had lived her entire life…

Kirsy suddenly sat up in bed.

The reason was, as always, Caden who kept running through her mind. Whenever she was away from him, her thoughts always turned to him.

The night was so long that she missed him even more.

And Kirsy had thought of a way to be close to him.

Both Caden and she knew that tomorrow they would leave for the Academy.

So she thought, since it was their last day, why not spend a little more time talking before falling asleep?

Like when they were children, lying in bed chatting softly, then gently drifting off to sleep.

……She didn’t want to call her sister Asena. Just because.

She wanted to talk with Caden alone.

Kirsy got out of bed.

After lighting a small candle and placing it on a stand, she carefully left her room.

“…..”

Feeling the luxurious carpet with her bare feet, she headed toward Caden’s room.

For some reason, with each step toward him, her mood was becoming more excited.

She was worried that with such feelings, it might be difficult to fall asleep.

Kirsy arrived at Caden’s door without realizing it.

She swallowed hard and briefly put her ear to the door. Then she knocked very lightly.

-…knock…knock..knock..

He might be sleeping.

That would be a bit disappointing.

-…tuk! Tutuk!

Suddenly, footsteps and signs of movement were heard from inside.

A smile of relief spread across Kirsy’s face.

It seemed he wasn’t asleep yet.

“…Brother, can I come in..?”

Since the night was so quiet, even such a small sound should have been audible.

Kirsy waited for his answer. There was no response.

“…I’m coming in..?”

Since he hadn’t told her not to come in, Kirsy grabbed the doorknob.

Suddenly, the door flung open.

“Hah!!”

Kirsy jumped in surprise, clutching her startled heart.

It was Asena who appeared from inside.

“…Sister??”

Asena also looked surprised, her eyes wandering as if caught stealing. Her arms hovered awkwardly in the air.

It had been a long time since she had looked so flustered.

Asena quickly composed herself, cleared her throat, and asked in a calm voice.

“..Kirsy. Why are you here at this hour?”

“…..What about you..?”

“….”

“Were you talking with brother about tomorrow?”

Kirsy tried to peek through the open door to see Caden.

But for a room where Asena had just been, it was quite dark.

“…Without even turning on the light..?”

“Brother was already asleep when I arrived.”

She had thought they were talking, but it seemed Caden was already asleep.

“…Ah..”

It was disappointing.

She had wanted to chat about various things on their last night in the castle.

“…What were you doing inside then, sister? Brother is sleeping.”

Kirsy asked.

“…..I came to discuss the precautions we need to take at the Academy again… but since brother was already asleep, I just fixed his blanket.”

“Really?”

“Go to bed now, Kirsy. I’m going to bed too.”

Asena patted Kirsy’s shoulder and leaned in.

And as her face came closer, features illuminated by the candle Kirsy was holding became visible.

Slightly reddened cheeks. And glistening, wet lips.

“Sister, why are your lips so moist?”

Just as Asena had patted Kirsy’s shoulder, Kirsy moved her hand toward Asena’s lips to fix her up the same way.

But at that gesture, Asena startled more than ever before and jerked her head back.

-Whisk!

And she covered her mouth, showing signs of embarrassment.

“…Sister?”

Since Asena had become the family head, such strong reactions were rare.

Asena’s startled reaction made Kirsy’s heart pound in surprise too.

Asena’s eyes blinked rapidly several times.

Then the head of the Praester family touched her own lips, let out an “Ah” sigh, roughly wiped them with her arm, and exhaled.

Afterward, she answered in her usual monotone manner.

“…..Go to bed, Kirsy. I’m tired now too.”

With those final words, Asena walked past Kirsy.

Kirsy watched Asena walk away. Her actions were incomprehensible, but she attributed them to Asena acting strangely due to her complex feelings.

Kirsy grabbed the doorknob to close Caden’s door.

“…..”

And then, she looked back in the direction Asena had gone.

Her footsteps could no longer be heard.

Kirsy slipped into Caden’s room.

She knew he was sleeping, but an invisible force pulled her in.

“..Phew!”

She even extinguished the candle she was holding.

She didn’t want the light to wake Caden.

Kirsy placed the candle holder on the table without making a sound, then approached Caden who was breathing deeply in sleep.

-Thump.thump.thump.

Was it because she had been startled earlier? Her heart kept pounding.

Kirsy suddenly realized it had been a very long time since she had come to sleeping Caden’s side.

Before she knew it, she was standing right next to the bed, looking down at Caden.

She couldn’t talk with him as planned, but she still wanted to sleep with him tonight.

“….Brother, can I sleep with you?”

She asked, but of course the sleeping Caden couldn’t answer.

Since he didn’t say no, Kirsy carefully leaned over and began to crawl into Caden’s bed.

“….”

For some reason, her mouth was getting wet, so Kirsy swallowed.

Then very carefully, she lay down on the bed.

Caden didn’t wake up.

-Thump..thump..thump…

Her heart, which had been startled because of Asena, now seemed to be calming down. Kirsy looked at Caden. It was the familiar face of her beloved brother.

Just looking at him made her smile.

At the same time, she felt that this wasn’t enough for their last night in the castle.

And she knew what would satisfy this longing feeling.

Kirsy inched closer to Caden. Then she carefully lifted his arm and slipped her body underneath it.

-Thump.thump.thump

Her heartbeat quickened again. Kirsy was puzzled.

Even though it had been a long time since they slept together, her heart had never pounded like this when sleeping with Caden before.

Kirsy concluded that her heart was racing because she was afraid of waking Caden.

Like herself, Caden would have a tiring day tomorrow when they boarded the carriage.

He might be upset if she woke him.

Despite the long time they had spent together, Kirsy still couldn’t be completely comfortable around Caden.

She still wanted to show only her pretty side to him. Even now, she couldn’t even burp in front of him. That’s how much she wanted to look pretty to him. That’s how much she didn’t want him to dislike her.

But tonight, even Kirsy couldn’t stop herself. Despite the risk of waking him, she wanted to fall asleep in his arms tonight. Once her desire started, it couldn’t be stopped.

Kirsy was now pressed against him.

…It was much happier than she had imagined. She felt her body warming up from the joy.

She indulged in one last desire. She was already in his arms. Though they were already close, she wanted to eliminate even the smallest gap.

She slowly raised her arm, trying to embrace him.

If she could hug him like a pillow while sleeping, she would finally be satisfied.

“….Mmm…”

But perhaps her desire was too much, as Caden groaned and woke up.

“….Mmm..? Kirsy?”

“Ah..! Brother…sorry..did I wake you?”

Kirsy startled and withdrew her arm.

“….What are you doing here. Oh, tsk. Did I drool? My lips are wet.”

And she moved her body away from his. Though it was her who had been greedy, she felt unexpectedly sorry now that he was awake.

“No…since it’s our last night in this castle…I just wanted to talk with you..”

“…Didn’t we already talk in your room earlier..?”

“….It wasn’t enough.”

Caden burst into laughter. Kirsy’s heart also relaxed at his laughter. She had been worried about how angry he might be.

“….Still, we have to take the carriage tomorrow. Let’s stop talking and go to sleep.”

“…Ah….okay.”

Kirsy raised her upper body with disappointment. Since Caden had refused, it seemed she should no longer insist and go back to sleep in her own room.

“…? Kirsy. Where are you going?”

“…..Huh?”

“You’re already here. Let’s sleep together tonight.”

“…..Huh…?”

“…If you don’t want to, just go.”

“Ah, no, I want to!”

Kirsy threw herself into Caden’s arms, worried he might change his mind.

“Oof!”

He let out a brief groan, but only laughter came from Kirsy’s mouth.

“Hehehehehe.”

She was happy. It was perfect for their last day.

-Thump.thump.thump.

Her heart beat more fiercely. But in her happiness, she didn’t bother to find a reason.

She wrapped her arms around his body. And like her, Caden also embraced Kirsy tightly.

Kirsy felt her heart fill up. It was so cozy. It felt like coming home to a place she hadn’t known existed.

“….Let’s sleep now, Kirsy.”

Caden said in a sleepy but gentle voice.

“…Okay.”

Kirsy replied, then didn’t disturb Caden’s sleep any further.

Soon, Caden fell asleep, breathing peacefully.

But even after entering his warm embrace, Kirsy couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.

Because her heart was beating painfully fast.