Yes, expecting both to be girls was honestly greedy of him, and he knew it well. Still, he thought at least one of them would be a girl.

But both boys….

Though the result that completely missed his wish was disconcerting and disappointing, Aaron instantly erased those emotions.

After all, Eileen was healthy and the children were born healthy. That alone was enough.

And the fact that they resembled Eileen was still valid.

“Can I see Eileen now?”

“Of course.”

“Then, would you both like to come in with me?”

When Aaron invited them, the Ceres ducal couple shook their heads.

“No. We’ll come in a little later, so go ahead and have a comfortable conversation with Eileen first.”

“Yes, don’t worry about us and go quickly.”

Aaron didn’t particularly refuse and gave a slight bow before following the doctor into the delivery room.

“Are you disappointed?”

That was the first thing Eileen said as soon as their eyes met. Aaron shook his head and headed toward the bed.

“They’re your and my children. Gender doesn’t matter much.”

“But you insisted they would definitely be girls?”

When Eileen asked with a mischievous smile, Aaron acted shamelessly, claiming he had never said such a thing.

“You worked hard, Eileen.”

And then he hugged her and patted her back so she couldn’t refute.

“Really……”

I’ll let it go this time. Eileen chuckled and quietly accepted Aaron’s touch.

“Aaron. Have you seen the babies’ faces?”

“Not yet.”

“Since they’re boys, do you think they’ll resemble you?”

“Well, I think they’ll resemble you.”

As if to resolve their curiosity, a nurse approached carrying the babies.

“This is the first baby, and this is the second baby.”

She placed the first in Eileen’s arms and the second in Aaron’s arms.

Aaron looked down at the mischievous angel who had made his heart drop at the last moment.

And he sighed.

“Ah.”

No matter how he looked at it, the baby’s hair color was not golden like Eileen’s but silver like his own.

The baby still had its eyes tightly shut, so he couldn’t tell the eye color, but somehow he felt uneasy.

Aaron checked the firstborn in Eileen’s arms, just in case. The firstborn also had silver, not golden hair.

No way, it can’t be. It won’t be. If one conceded, the other should concede too.

Even as he muttered inwardly, the rising anxiety didn’t easily subside.

* * *

“They’re Aaron de Monston, alright.”

That was the answer Former Marquis Lucas gave as soon as he saw the identical twins.

The two children inherited the brilliant silver hair and vivid purple eyes from Aaron.

Not only that, but they also looked exactly like Aaron. If the two children got lost in the Monston territory, they would be immediately brought to Aaron.

“……But their personalities must resemble Eileen.”

Aaron carefully wiped the mouth of his firstborn, Lucian, with the handkerchief handed to him by the nanny.

Then he picked up the second-born, Nathan, who had started fussing, and patted his back.

“You look practiced.”

“I’m their father.”

With that brief answer, the crying sound quickly stopped. The sound of gentle breathing spread.

The twins, who had been considerate of their mother from the womb, were the same after being born in the world. They ate well and slept well without any major ailments.

Though they were a bit fussy when sleepy, strangely, when Aaron held and soothed them, they would fall asleep as if nothing had happened.

Former Marquis Lucas looked at Aaron holding the child with warm eyes.

It was a scene that would reassure and delight the people of the Monston family in heaven.

Especially if his friend Leo had seen it, with his personality, he would have shed tears and showered Eileen and the children with all sorts of good things.

The image appeared so vividly in his mind that laughter naturally flowed out.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing.”

Former Marquis Lucas slowly shook his head and continued speaking. A smile still remained on his lips.

“And I think their personalities will be exactly like yours, Aaron.”

As if he didn’t even want to imagine such a thing, his purple eyes were filled with annoyance.

So you know your personality isn’t that great. Former Marquis Lucas burst into laughter. It was just a stifled laugh to avoid waking the sleeping Nathan.

“I don’t understand why you’re laughing.”

Aaron carefully placed the sleeping Nathan on the bed and said while gently poking Lucian’s cheek, who was still awake.

“He’s a strange grandfather, isn’t he, Lucian?”

Then Lucian smiled brightly and shouted “Baa—” as if answering.

“Well, Lucian, you think so too?”

Former Marquis Lucas laughed helplessly and tickled Lucian’s nose bridge. Just as Lucian burst into laughter at the touch, the closed door opened, and Eileen, who had gone out briefly to meet Cordelia, entered the room. Unlike before she went out, her pale cheeks now had a subtle warmth, and her green eyes sparkled brightly. The corners of her mouth also formed a smooth arc.

Did she hear good news? As Aaron’s curiosity rose, Eileen greeted Former Marquis Lucas.

“Former Marquis, you’ve been waiting long, haven’t you?”

“Haha, not at all. I had a pleasant conversation with Aaron. By the way, they really are carbon copies of Aaron, just as Young Marquis Eden said.”

“Right? I’m still surprised every time I see them.”

Eileen giggled as she approached the bed.

“Eileen. Did you have a good time with Cordelia?”

“Yes. Actually, I heard some good news.”

“What news?”

“Well……”

Just as Eileen was about to speak, a loud “Maaa!” was heard. Startled, they looked down to find Lucian still awake and stretching his chubby arms.

“Lucy, did you miss Mommy?”

“Maaa! Uuuu!”

When Eileen picked him up lightly, the excited Lucian poured out babbling. It was quite noisy, causing the soundly sleeping Nathan to stir.

“Lucy, let’s be quiet now. If Nathan wakes up too, Mommy will have a hard time.”

Aaron put his finger to his lips while patting Nathan.

“Shii?”

Lucian stopped babbling and brought his tiny finger to his lips, mimicking Aaron.

“Well done. You’re a wonderful son who thinks of his mother.”

“Abu!”

Somehow understanding he was being praised, Lucian raised his chin. When Aaron gave him a light kiss as a form of praise, Lucian’s clear laughter spread throughout the bedroom.

After a moment, Lucian covered his mouth with his small hand and mumbled “Shii—”. But due to the continued noise, Nathan frowned and opened his eyes.

“Uu……”

As Nathan whimpered upon waking, Aaron sighed softly and lifted him up. Nathan blinked his large eyes slowly, still drowsy. Eileen met Nathan’s eyes and smiled brightly.

“Nathan, did you sleep well?”

“Maua! Abuuu!”

At Nathan’s babbling, Lucian’s eyes narrowed. Then, pointing at Nathan, he started babbling.

“Shii!”

“Shii?”

When Nathan tilted his head, Lucian brought his hand to his mouth.

As if the twins had some kind of connection, Nathan immediately covered his mouth with his small hand.

The purple eyes looking at each other shone beautifully, filled with satisfaction.

“Mi……”

Eileen, who barely swallowed a harsh word, screamed inwardly. They were so adorable she felt like she might go crazy.

Both Aaron, who was holding Nathan, and Former Marquis Lucas seemed to feel the same emotion, as they gritted their teeth and shuddered.

“Shii?”

The twins, who had no way of knowing why the adults suddenly maintained silence, simply babbled.

As winter approached and the weather grew colder, the Monston family home was filled only with warm heat created by love.

* * *

After seeing Former Marquis Lucas off, the couple went upstairs and carefully opened the door to the children’s room.

The children, who were like angels when awake, remained angelic while asleep.

The two kissed the children’s foreheads and quietly left the room. Soft moonlight settled on the corridor filled with darkness.

When Aaron reached out his hand, Eileen gently took it and intertwined their fingers. A faint smile formed at the warmth shared between them.

“Aaron. Aren’t our kids just too adorable?”

I wish I had a phone to record videos of them!

Aaron chuckled as he watched Eileen pour out words the children couldn’t understand.

“Our children are cute, but I find you, Eileen, the cutest of all.”

The warmth briefly lingered on her forehead before departing. The small contact turned Eileen’s cheeks peach-colored.

“So what was that good news you heard from Cordelia?”

“Ah!

Eileen let out a short exclamation before continuing.

“Cordelia is pregnant!”

“……Really?”

He had expected news like their joint business was going well, or that she had found a delicious dessert shop.

It was truly unexpected news.

“How pretty would a daughter resembling Cordelia be!”

“It might not be a daughter, you know?”

“It’s definitely a daughter!”

Unlike when she was pregnant, her answer was full of certainty. Aaron lightly pinched Eileen’s cheek.

“Ow, that hurts!”

“You weren’t like this when you were pregnant with our children.”

When Aaron let go, Eileen glared at him slightly.

“This time, unlike before, I really have a strong feeling about it!”

“Then if we have a third child, what gender would it be?”

Though their steps were slow, they had already approached the bedroom.

“Hmm……a daughter?”

“Really?”

Aaron tilted his head slightly. So that’s how it is.

“I still wish for a daughter who resembles you.”

The hand wrapping around her waist became more blatant. The distance closed until she could feel his breath.

“In that sense, what do you think about having a third child?”

The sweet whisper was still hard to refuse. So Eileen answered with a deep kiss instead.

—End—