Chapter Text
She was so small. Smiling down at the form held in my arms, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly to myself.
“She has your eyes…” I glanced over at my husband, who, for all his flaws, never failed to fill my heart with warmth. Then I looked back at my little girl, only to find her bright blue eyes staring straight at me.
Lilia stood to the side, watching the bundle of joy with a worried expression.
“Lilia, is something the matter?”
She straightened before giving a slight bow.
“It’s nothing, Lady Zenith. It’s just… unusual for a baby to be this quiet. Then again, Rudeus wasn’t exactly normal either.”
On cue, Rudeus burst through the door, his face radiating excitement.
Shaking my head, I watched as my baby slowly succumbed to her exhaustion.
“Welcome home, Lyra.”
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“Open wide~”
I smiled at Lilia as I sat nearby, watching her try to get Lyra to eat some mashed-up apple. It had been a few months since I brought Lyra into this world, and in that time, she had been an endless ball of joy. She was always laughing and smiling; the only time she cried was when she needed feeding or changing.
Watching her refuse to eat, laughing all the while, only widened my smile further.
“We’re home!” came the voice of my wonderful boy, Rudeus.
“How’d it go?” I asked the blue-haired girl trailing him.
“Good,” she replied. “He still has a way to go, but he’s getting better.”
We had hired Roxy to teach Rudeus magic after he put a hole in the wall attempting a new spell. That boy was growing up too fast for his own good, but it was what he loved, so I wouldn’t stand in his way.
I wondered if Lyra would also want to try magic, or maybe even learn to be a swordswoman. Paul would be ecstatic, though with him teaching, I doubted she’d learn much. For all his skill, he could definitely do a better job at teaching.
“Rudy, could you please take your sister up to bed? Lilia and I need to prepare dinner,” I asked, standing and lifting Lyra from Lilia’s arms.
“Yeah, of course, Mother!” he said enthusiastically, reaching up to take her.
He carried her upstairs, letting her play with his finger along the way. I smiled as I watched them leave, a warm sense of peace settling in the house.
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Carefully entering my room, I laid Lyra down in her cot. I had been sharing the room with her ever since I destroyed my own a month ago. Not that I could complain — I got to dote on my little sister, and, of course, I got to be the cool older brother.
I sat down at my desk and pulled out a book about earth magic. Glancing quickly at Lyra, I noticed she was staring out the window beside me. Curious, I looked outside and saw the sun setting just over the distant hills, painting the sky in warm hues.
Smiling, I shook my head. “What are you looking at, Lyra?” I asked softly. She looked at me for a moment, then made a bunch of burbling noises before falling back onto her cot.
At least she knows her name now. She’s still too young to talk, but that’s to be expected. I’ll keep her safe no matter what — I won’t make the same mistake I made in my last life.
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“Rudy, dinner’s ready!” shouted Zenith.
Sighing, I closed my book and stood up. I quickly checked on Lyra; she was quietly sleeping.
Carefully sneaking from my room, I headed downstairs. As I entered the kitchen, Mother smiled at me.
“How’s Lyra?”
“Asleep, but knowing her, she’ll be up again soon.”
“She’s a lively one, that’s for sure,” said Paul as he pulled himself through the door.
“You’re home late. Did anything happen?” Mother asked, worry plastered across her face.
“Nothing to worry about. A few monsters were hanging around the village, but nothing I can’t handle!” he boasted.
“Yeah, we all know just how ‘strong’ you are,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?” he said, agitated.
“Nothing~” I turned my head and whistled, quickly escaping.
I walked over to Roxy and took a seat next to her at the table.
“Master, could we go over a new spell after this?” I asked.
She smiled at me. “Yeah, okay, but not too late — I’ve got a lot planned for you tomorrow.”
I nodded, starting to eat.
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“…and that is the basics of Water Shield.”
I sat at my desk, listening to Roxy explain an elementary-rank spell.
“Okay, let’s give it a try.” Closing my eyes, I imagined the atoms in the air forming a wall in front of me, while allowing water to flow from my hands.
Slowly, an almost glass-like wall began to form.
“Ehh?”
Turning my head, I saw Lyra staring, wide-eyed and bewildered, a tiny hand reaching out toward the shimmering water.
Smiling softly, I formed a small ball of water in front of her. Immediately, she started playing with it, giggling as I moved the ball in circles around her arm. She tried her best to keep her hand inside it, and for a moment, it looked like her hand glowed through the water.
Roxy walked over and gently picked her up.
“Hello there. What are you doing up this late?”
“Wabu!” she babbled, kicking her tiny legs.
Shaking her head, Roxy said, “I’ll take her to Zenith. You keep practicing.”
I nodded, watching her leave. Looks like her older brother’s going to have to teach her the ropes of magic — and I couldn’t be happier!