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‘They don’t look like 1-year-olds at all….’

The twins grew like sprouts. Their development was so rapid that no one could believe they were a year old.

I can’t believe it’s already been a year. I remember giving birth as if it was just yesterday… I replayed the events of the birth.

***

They say childbirth is painful, but it was uniquely painful for me. It wasn’t because I wanted children, it was because, as I feared.

Both twins were extremely healthy. Again, not just healthy kids, but ‘extreme’ healthy kids.

Carrying them around in my belly was hard enough. But the real hell was giving birth. In my mind, I might as well just cut off my arms and reattach them.

The level 60 stats made childbirth less dangerous, but they didn’t make me better at it. I walked into the birthing room feeling like I was about to enter the Demon King’s War for the fifth time, and just as I felt like I was about to enter the Demon King’s War for the fifth time, my children came out into the world.

“A princess and a prince.”

“Just the right size.”

Exhausted, I spat out the words as I dropped my head and breathed raggedly.

Mary wiped the sweat from my face with a busy hand. August, who had been working his healing magic on me, clicked his tongue as he checked on the children.

“Your Majesty is strong. I can’t believe you didn’t scream.”

“Well, I’m still a hero for defeating a demon, so that’s something to show for it.”

At my best bravado, August’s expression turned grotesque. He looked at me like I didn’t have the energy to make a joke at this point. Not having the energy to giggle, I smiled faintly.

August handed me the children. They were heavy, like the man who had pushed my high-level stamina to the limit.

“Look at them, Meyer, they’re our kids.”

I whispered, leaning my face into Meyer’s arm that was supporting my body. Meyer’s forearms were stained red. I could clearly see my hand and nail marks on his forearms, which had never left a mark no matter how hard I beat him. I must have pinched and twisted him a lot.

While I was giving birth, Meyer insisted on joining me in the delivery room, saying he couldn’t leave me alone.

I was sure he’d freak out 100% if he saw me giving birth…

I went into the delivery room half worried, and half anxious, but all of that went away as soon as I started to push. My head was so white with pain that I couldn’t think.

I was in Meyer’s arms, using his forearm for support to push through the pain. It didn’t seem to do much to relieve the pain, but I realized that whatever little it was, it didn’t matter, because I had given birth safely.

At that moment, hot water was dripping on my forehead.

“… You are very undutiful kids.”

The boiling sound rang in Meyer’s throat. I struggled to look up. Meyer was crying, his face distorted. He looked more distressed than I was.

“I can’t believe you put your mother through this. That’s mean.”

“At this point, it’s easy to get out.”

I smiled and reached for his eyes. My fingertips smeared with moisture as they touched the corners of his eyes.

“You can hug them too, I can’t hug them anymore because my arms are numb.”

“W-what if they get hurt. Newborn children are weak entities…”

“They may be newborns, but they have your blood. They’re not that weak.”

I glanced at their stats and pushed them into Meyer’s arms.

The children’s base stats were outstanding, as befits the children of a Black Knight. The stats made up for all the hard work I’d put into them.

Yes. It’s better to be strong and big like Meyer than weak and ordinary like me.

As I thought this, I looked at Meyer, stiff with helplessness, and the twins crying in his arms.

***

Born at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, I gave the names of spring and summer.

From then on, the twins grew rapidly: they walked fast and babbled fast. Being twins, they seemed to have some competition. Still, there were subtle differences, with Belle, the older sister, being more persistent and greedy. Her brother, Aistas, wasn’t as easy to please, but…

“Hey, Belle, you can’t push your brother like that!”

I exclaimed in panic. We were walking along, holding onto the railing together, when Belle pushed Aistas to the ground, thinking he was in her way.

Aistas immediately rolled over and stood up. This one didn’t cry much. Aistas grunted and lunged angrily at Belle.

However, because he was still not balanced, he fell to the ground again as soon as Belle reached out.

Where does that belligerence come from? Is it education or heredity? If it’s heredity, I don’t think it’s on my side of the family, it’s the blood of the Grand Duke of Knox after all?

But Meyer grew up to be a well-behaved, good-natured adult. Although somewhat selfish…

I still had faith that they could be reformed, and I searched for a tutor for the twins. Fortunately, I quickly found the right person.

“Anasta!”

“Thank you for trusting me with this.”

“I, too, thank you for taking care of the troublesome work yourself. I know I can count on you, Anasta.”

I squeezed Anasta’s hand and shook it.

These were the children of the next emperor or duke, and only someone with a title could be in charge of their education. Anasta had a title, she was trusted by me, and she was used to dealing with children. She was also a healer, which made her the perfect choice for the children’s education.

Anasta smiled shyly at my enthusiastic cheers.

“It’s just that Jeanne and Sevi are both grown up and need less of my care, and I’m bored, so it doesn’t bother me at all.”

“But you have the estate, you could have chosen to concentrate on it.”

“No. I guess I’m more suited to taking care of one or two people like this than many. The weight of many is too much for me.”

Anasta smiled bitterly and shook her head. She still seemed to be reeling from the aftermath of Fabian, and since it wasn’t a good topic to bring up, I turned the conversation away.

“So you’ve left the estate to Jeanne, then?”

“Yes.”

“Phew, that’s what I said, but I’m glad you agreed right away. If you said you cared about being the lord, I was going to at least ask my clinging to you.”

“Don’t you think too highly of me?”

Anasta, who knew nothing, laughed out loud. I shook my head seriously.

“No. It’s not like it’s easy to find a healer, and August is busy with so many things, I don’t want to leave the kids in his care…”

“Are you in a hurry for a healer? I thought the children were all in good health, taking after Grand Duke Knox…”

Anasta lowered her voice in concern; the worry on her face made me realize I had been vague; I added hastily.

“Oh, of course, they’re healthy. They’ve got great survivability, great immunity, great stamina…”

“And?”

“They just get hurt a little too often.”

“Hurt?”

Anasta exclaimed, startled. I furrowed my brow in a serious expression and lowered my voice to a whisper.

“They get into too many little accidents together. If I so much as glance at them, they’ll scream and fight. Or they get into trouble together.”

“Already?”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

I screamed and grumbled. I know it’s hard to believe now that kids who’ve just passed their first birthdays are fighting, but she’ll see for herself soon enough. I shook my head.

“I’m not going to be your average nanny. They need the focus and attention of an expeditionary force.”

“They’re like your own children.”

“That’s not a compliment, is it?”

Anasta didn’t respond to my prodding, only giving me a vague smile.

She still thought I was exaggerating. I was relieved.

She hadn’t signed yet. I didn’t want to say anything too bad about the twins and have Anasta run away.