#15

‘So even she can cry.’

Scandia, who had seen Leonia cry for the first time, was deeply shocked.

Never once had Scandia associated Leonia with tears.

Because to her, Leonia had always been someone overwhelmingly strong.

Scandia had been captivated by that strength.

She believed without doubt that she could never surpass Leonia, and that the whole world must fear and revere her.

But today, Leonia’s eyes had welled with tears.

Because she was worried that something might happen to Varia during childbirth.

At that moment, Scandia remembered the young Leonia she had once seen. She had thought Leonia had changed a lot, but now, seeing her on the verge of tears, the image of that child remained vividly etched in her mind.

‘...She can cry.’

Even a beast can cry.

Even she can be shaken.

“...Even when crying,”

Scandia murmured,

“You were beautiful.”

So beautiful that she wanted to see it again. So much that she wanted to taste all of those tears herself.

‘I want to make her cry.’

This time, she wanted those tears to be shed only because of her. She wanted to see tears of worry directed solely at her—but also tears shed for a reason slightly different from that.

But Scandia buried that desire deep within her.

“Oh, well, it was the tear of a devoted daughter.”

Leonia gave a shy laugh.

‘See?’

To Scandia, that laugh proved how young Leonia still was.

‘The naïve one is you, Leo.’

Leonia always believed Scandia was the innocent, oblivious one—but in truth, Scandia was far from simple.

The only reason she had managed to conceal her identity in the imperial palace all this time was not mere luck. She had grown up constantly reading the room, forced to mature faster than anyone else.

But because she couldn’t let those thoughts show, she always had to live hiding what was inside.

Leonia would always call her cute and kind. And every time, Scandia would wonder—did Leonia really understand the weight of the words she was saying?

‘She has no idea what I’m thinking.’

Leonia often said she had dark thoughts, but the same was true for Scandia. If anything, in both frequency and content, her thoughts were even more dangerous.

‘The Duke knows.’

The Black Beast had sharp instincts. That’s why Ferio had to be wary of someone harboring feelings like these toward his daughter.

Scandia understood perfectly. If someone like herself tried to approach her own daughter, she would stop them no matter what.

“Will my mom be okay?”

Leonia, hugging her knees to her chest, murmured anxiously.

“I want the baby to be safe, too, but... I’m a bit more worried about Mom.”

“They’ll both be fine. They’re the strongest people we know.”

Scandia kept her feelings locked away. And she smiled in the way Leonia liked best.

“...I would’ve been in trouble if you weren’t here.”

Leonia gently bumped her head against Scandia’s shoulder, then began to rub against it like a cat. Her black hair, full of static, spread across Scandia’s sleeve like a spiderweb.

“Look! Static!”

“Your hair’s a mess now.”

Scandia smoothed down her tangled hair with his hand.

‘I still have to wait.’

She was still young, and Leonia even younger.

‘I can wait as long as it takes.’

This girl, whom everyone else feared and revered, smiled so adorably only for her. It would be disrespectful not to wait until they were both grown.

And Scandia was confident.

Confident she could stay by Leonia’s side until then. Confident she would ensure that Leonia never turned to anyone else.

“What’s the first thing you want to do when your little sibling is born?”

Scandia asked.

Leonia thought for a moment, then grinned.

“I’m going to tell Mom I love her.”

“You’re not going to cry?”

“I won’t cry anymore.”

“Really?”

“Well... maybe just a little when I see Mom and the baby?”

She held up her thumb and forefinger with the tiniest gap between them and smiled, saying, “This much?”

“Then let’s make a deal—you’re only allowed to cry today.”

Scandia held out her pinky. Leonia hooked hers around it.

“You have to forget I cried today, okay?”

“Understood.”

They sealed their promise with pinkies.

But deep inside, Scandia added a selfish promise of her own—that any tears Leonia shed from now on should be because of her, and for her alone.

***

It had been five hours since Varia went into the birthing room.

The sun had long since started to set, and the maids bustled back and forth from the room.

Each time, Leonia’s heart dropped.

The maids occasionally came out carrying bloodstained cloths, and every time the door opened, Varia’s cries of pain rang out clearly.

“You were right, Leo! Why doesn’t the world have a pregnancy-sharing spell?!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, just stop yelling...”

“It’s not fair I’m the only one giving birth! You do it too!”

Even her furious cries of resentment at Ferio, telling him to do the breastfeeding if nothing else, were fully audible.

At times, not even a scream escaped—only quiet, painful moans.

“Ma’am! He’s going to lose hair!”

“Here! Squeeze this doll! You’re going to rip the master’s neck—!”

The maids’ desperate efforts to save Ferio echoed from within.

It meant Varia was truly suffering.

“Please, please...”

Leonia finally pressed her hands together and prayed.

‘Just this once, I’m begging you. You made her cry twice and go back in time because of you. So please, let everything go smoothly!’

It wasn’t enough for just the baby to be born safely. Varia had to be safe too.

‘Let both of them survive...!’

She prayed with all her heart. Even more desperately than she had when she prayed in the orphanage as a child.

Scandia, sensing the tension, couldn’t bring herself to offer comforting words. Truthfully, her own thoughts were clouded with worry over the marquis in the West and her /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ own yet-unborn sibling.

Then—

“Young Miss!”

Connie burst out of the birthing room.

Leonia and Scandia stood at the same time. The chair Leonia had been sitting on tipped over with a clatter.

But that didn’t matter.

“Waaah, waaaaah!”

A strange, unfamiliar cry from within the room seized Leonia’s attention.

Thin and delicate, yet so powerful.

“M-Mom? What about Mom?”

“The madam is safe! And so is the little miss!”

With tears in her eyes, Connie urged them inside.

“Go on.”

Scandia said she would wait here.

“...”

As Leonia stepped inside, her feet moved slowly.

She didn’t see the physicians or maids bustling around.

Her eyes were fixed solely on Varia, lying in bed, and Ferio beside her.

Varia looked utterly exhausted. The strain had broken capillaries in her face, leaving her flushed and blotchy. Her hair was a mess, and her whole body swollen from labor.

But she was smiling.

Ferio, gazing down at her with a look full of love, pressed kisses all over her face. He was smiling too, and even had rare tears shining in the corners of his eyes.

Soon, a physician handed them a bundled cloth. Ferio whispered something to the baby wrapped within.

“...”

Leonia couldn’t bring herself to go closer.

‘That was supposed to be my sibling.’

The love of Ferio and Varia, the heir of House Voreoti.

‘I regretted it. For the first time.’

‘What if the baby resents me later?’

‘I have no intention of giving up what I have.’

The true heir to it all had finally been born, and Leonia was witnessing, for the first time, a scene she had only ever read about in her past life.

‘I regretted it. For the first time.’

The doubt she thought she had shaken off now gripped her again.

“Leo.”

Varia, noticing her, smiled brightly.

“Our daughter, come here.”

She gestured for her to come over. Miraculously, Leonia’s frozen legs started to move. Even she was surprised.

Before she knew it, her steps quickened until she reached the bedside.

“...Are you sure you just gave birth?”

Why do you still have so much energy?

Leonia joked awkwardly, flustered.

“And Dad...”

She trailed off.

Ferio, on the other hand, was a complete mess. His hair was wild, and his clothes were torn to shreds.

“Your mom’s stronger than any god.”

Ferio gave a breathless laugh at his own words. Varia mumbled an apology—she had been so out of it during labor she couldn’t remember what she had done to him.

“Is that the baby?”

Leonia pointed at the bundle in Ferio’s arms.

Because of Ferio’s massive build, the baby wrapped in white cloth looked just like a steamed bun.

“So cute. She looks just like you.”

Varia chuckled. Ferio smiled too, seemingly in agreement.

“Of course my sibling would take after her older sister.”

“Well, she did grow in my belly. It’d be nice if she had at least a little of me.”

“Should we have another one?”

“Not unless you’re the one giving birth—keep your mouth shut.”

Don’t talk like you’re the one doing the work without even a pregnancy-sharing spell.

Varia growled. Just days ago, she had claimed she’d give birth easily—what a contrast.

“Eheh, you got scolded!”

Leonia pointed at Ferio and laughed.

“I didn’t get scolded.”

Ferio grumbled.

“Anyway, now that you’re here, we can finally say it.”

“Huh? Say what?”

“Our second child’s name.”

Leonia’s eyes widened.

“You haven’t said it yet?”

“You named her, so you should be the first.”

“Is that a Voreoti tradition?”

“It can be one starting today.”

Ferio patted her head. Leonia looked away, suddenly embarrassed. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes again.

“Here.”

Ferio handed the swaddled baby to her.

“Uh, uh, uh...!”

Leonia flailed in panic, and Ferio gently adjusted her arms for her.

The baby was even smaller, lighter, and warmer than she had imagined.

“...”

Leonia’s heart was in turmoil.

This baby was supposed to be the firstborn. The true heir to House Voreoti. The original owner of everything Leonia now had.

“Oh my.”

With Ferio’s help, Varia lifted her upper body slightly and beamed.

“She recognizes her sister.”

The tiny baby tilted toward Leonia. When she adjusted to give the baby what she wanted, the baby relaxed and made soft smacking motions with her lips.

“...”

Leonia’s heart pounded.

“...Are you crying?”

Ferio asked, startled. Varia also looked surprised.

“Waaaah!”

Leonia burst into tears.

“H-How can something be so lovable and cute?!”

The baby was red, her unopened eyes puffy, and her tiny lips, pursed into a stubborn line, made her look oddly defiant.

And she carried the color black.

As expected, the baby had inherited the Fangs of the Beast.

But none of that mattered.

“Hello, Muscley...”

Leonia greeted her with teary eyes full of joy.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

And in that moment, she realized it again.

The original story she knew had long since ended. So this child had nothing to do with it either. She was simply her beloved little sister, born to the parents she loved most in the world.

‘Even so, originally, it was all yours.’

Everything I have now—was meant to be yours.

‘But I won’t give it up.’

Instead, I’ll give you what you never got to have.

‘I’ll be your sister.’

I’ll give you all the happiness overflowing from my heart. I’ll make you the most enviable little sister in the world.

“Our Lea.”

My little sister.

“Belleani Voreoti.”

Leonia finally spoke her sister’s name.

“Thank you... for being born as my sister.”