Cecil and Cyrus remained standing at the top of the stairs, just watching. Edwin’s hand stroking Alesia’s back was that of an excellent parent, and indeed, he was close to a perfect parent.

“Cecil, Cyrus, did you sleep well too?”

“…Yes.”

Edwin asked with a faint smile, completely composed. It seemed the eye contact from last night had never happened, not even in a dream. Cecil suddenly realized. This was a bond shared only by the three of them, unknown to Leira or Alesia.

*

However, experiencing one shocking event doesn’t completely transform one’s life. Cyrus was still young, but he had already learned this fact early on.

He suddenly recalled a time when he was even younger, a scene he had witnessed with Cecil. Their fathers’ lewd night and Cecil who had witnessed that scene with him. Cecil who had been greatly shocked that day.

There was one good thing about this incident, which might have been a simple accident. Cecil had begun to develop curiosity about their fathers’ actions.

“Cyrus!”

He heard a voice calling him. Actually, he had sensed the presence even before hearing the voice, but he pretended not to notice and kept his eyes on the book he was reading. After waiting like that for a moment, he heard urgent footsteps approaching. Only then did Cyrus slowly raise his head.

“What?”

“It’s time for lunch.”

Sunlight poured onto the brightly smiling face. Though a servant could have delivered such a message, Cecil always came himself. This was one of Cecil’s traits that Cyrus loved most.

“I don’t want to eat.”

“Whyyy? There are lots of things you like. Even cherry pie.”

Cecil made a disappointed face, but Cyrus shifted his gaze back to his book, showing no interest in lunch. Cherry pie was something Cecil used to eat when he was younger, so Cyrus had come to like it too. Now Cecil’s taste had changed, and Cyrus was the only one who still liked it.

Cyrus smiled mischievously for a moment. It was always like this. Cecil had many things he liked, and his preferences changed periodically. It differed from Cyrus, who didn’t like many things and whose preferences remained constant once he liked something.

So when Cyrus followed Cecil’s tastes, Cecil would choose something else, seemingly noticing. Most of the time it was just coincidence, or Cecil recognizing Cyrus’s taste and giving up what he liked, but Cyrus couldn’t shake the feeling that he was always chasing after Cecil.

“Not really. I don’t want to eat.”

When Cyrus spoke grumpily and turned the page, Cecil stomped his foot in apparent frustration. After biting his lip and thinking for a moment, Cecil climbed onto the window ledge where his brother was sitting. Suddenly pushed aside, Cyrus looked up with an expression that asked what was going on.

“Why won’t you eat? Did something bad happen?”

“…”

Something bad… Cecil might not know, but such things were always happening. Noisy servants, the eldest Alesia who always bothered him with her chatter, wild snakes that recognized his identity and circled around when walking in the forest, stupid noble peers who lingered around him at parties, and…

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

The biggest problem was Cecil himself. Cecil might not know it, but he had been shaking Cyrus’s foundation since they were formed together in their father’s womb. If he had known it would be like this, somehow when they were newly formed and very fragile…

Lost in thought, Cyrus suddenly looked up. He saw Cecil looking at him with a worried expression.

“…Brother, kiss me.”

At the sudden request, Cecil made a stupid expression. The boy looked around absently before returning his gaze to his brother.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. I’ll eat lunch if you do.”

Even though Cyrus was the one asking, he confidently proposed a deal, and Cecil hesitated, licking his lips. Kissing on the cheek was something they had done every day since they were young, but at some point, they had started doing it away from others’ eyes. It was from that night when they witnessed their fathers having s*x.

Sometimes when their father Leira encouraged them to kiss each other and get along, they could do it naturally in front of people, but when they were alone, it felt different. Somehow it felt like they shouldn’t be caught, and they didn’t want to do it in front of others. So what had started as kisses on the forehead or cheek gradually moved downward, and lately, they had been pressing their lips together.

For reasons they couldn’t explain, it made them feel like adults, and although Cecil knew this act felt good, he instinctively did it in hiding to avoid being caught by others.

“It’s just the two of us.”

Cyrus emphasized and demanded once more. His attitude appeared casual, suggesting no problem at all. He was right. Right now, Alesia wasn’t there, and neither were the servants or their fathers. They were alone in the library.

After staring at his brother for a moment, Cecil leaned forward slowly, bracing himself on the ledge. Seeing Cyrus close his eyes before their lips met, Cecil closed his eyes too.

Smooch.

Soon after, soft and tender lips touched pleasantly, and Cecil kissed once more with a smacking sound. Then, as he slowly pulled his lips away, he saw Cyrus gradually opening his eyes. The afternoon sunlight gently shined through the uncurtained window, making Cyrus’s long golden eyelashes sparkle transparently.

“…Now you’ll eat lunch, right?”

When Cecil asked that, Cyrus finally smiled brightly.

“Yes.”

Even though he got the answer he wanted, Cecil’s heart beat rapidly. He could feel his face burning hot without even touching it. It seemed strange. He was just kissing his brother as usual, but ever since that day they witnessed their fathers, his heart raced and his cheeks flushed whenever they kissed.

“Let’s go now. Everyone will be waiting.”

“Okay.”

Cyrus finally put down his book and held Cecil’s hand. As he interlaced his fingers with his brother’s, he thought:

I want to become an adult as soon as possible.

*

But if one could grow up as quickly as one wished, there would be no children in the world. Still, for Cyrus, there was a time that felt like quenching his thirst. It was his secret meetings with Cecil.

After the two of them saw their fathers kissing ‘that day,’ they began to imitate the behavior, and Cecil especially enjoyed this game, lightly kissing and giggling whenever they were alone.

That day too was one when they had kissed as soon as they woke up in the morning, after checking whether Alesia was around. Heavy snow had fallen, canceling their swordsmanship lesson, and the three of them were lounging in the room. More precisely, it was when Alesia had left to play with the servants because she was bored, leaving the two of them alone.

Cyrus was just about to finish the novel he had been reading since last week, and Cecil sat beside him, flipping through a book Cyrus had brought.

“What’s psychotropic?”

“It’s something that affects people because it’s addictive. Brother, what are you reading?”

“It was in the book you borrowed?”

Due to Cyrus’s habit of reading whatever books he could get his hands on, Cecil was holding a book related to psychiatry. Cyrus frowned slightly and picked up a light novel, placing it in Cecil’s hands.

“Read this instead.”

“Tsk. I want to read this one.”

“That’s not…”

It wasn’t that he thought Cecil wouldn’t understand it. It just seemed like an inappropriate book for Cecil to read. But instead of explaining at length, Cyrus kept his mouth shut. Cecil, seemingly not serious about his words either, opened the book his brother had given him. He comfortably leaned his back against his brother.

And what happened next occurred because it was destined to unfold that way.

Cyrus, deeply absorbed in his book, suddenly became aware of Cecil leaning against him. Kissing his brother’s cheek was also an extension of their usual behavior. Smooch, the sound of skin rubbing against skin echoed, and Cecil shrugged his shoulders.

“…”

At that moment, their eyes met. The crimson light from the fireplace flickered on Cecil’s cheeks. It resembled the light Cyrus had seen when he first hatched from his egg. A pleasant silence flowed, and Cyrus slowly leaned his upper body forward. He could see Cecil’s hands tightening on the book. It felt like an attraction of destiny, Cyrus was certain.

Smooch.

Their lips collided, and they stared at each other, remaining still. No one came, and through the window, the vibration of falling snow felt cozy. There was no need for words like “open your lips” or “close your eyes.” If he just waited quietly, Cecil would part his soft lips to welcome him.

He felt a temperature slightly cooler than a human’s, but the same as his own. When the moist saliva gently caught on his tongue, he extended his tongue to delve into Cecil’s mouth. A tongue of the same temperature softly wrapped around his, and they intertwined smoothly.

It was their first kiss.

The two brothers shared their first experience without any awareness of sin, exchanging a kiss that should rightfully be shared with others.

He could see Cecil’s eyelashes trembling with his eyes closed. There was no way they could think about someone coming or being caught. That’s how intense and addictive the first experience was.

“…”

Cecil, slowly opening his eyes, stared at Cyrus blankly before breaking into a gentle smile. Cecil had no awareness that this was a sin. After gazing at the eyes of the same color as his own for a while, Cyrus pressed his lips firmly against Cecil’s, like stamping them.

A burst of laughter erupted, like what he had heard in the womb. Finally, Cyrus smiled too.

It felt good.

He loved his brother so much that he couldn’t bear it.

*

Before they knew it, the seasons flowed like a river, and the children had grown more than a span taller. The three who had been mere children were now entering puberty and showing their unique charms.

What they had in common was that all three had a talent for swordsmanship, promising futures as knights. Accordingly, a swordsmanship lesson was scheduled for this afternoon as well.

“Haa… just a moment…”

In a storage room where light didn’t reach, a thin, moaning sound leaked out. The storage room where the mansion’s odds and ends were kept was dark, and occasionally dust particles floated in the air. In that dark place, the presence of two people could be felt.