“They’re really having fun together, aren’t they?”

Should she pretend not to notice? Sarah hesitated for a moment. Recently, Elexa had been sneaking into Ambrosia whenever everyone was asleep, apart from his time playing with Claude, and both she and Ethan knew about it. Nevertheless, they had been pretending not to notice because of a request from the Emperor and Empress.

‘Elexa wants to give his soon-to-be-born sibling a gift, and he’s been trying to prepare it on his own. But since it’s a secret gift, if we helped……’

‘He’d probably cry for days without eating.’

‘Sigh, that’s why I’ve been pretending not to notice. But when I see a child struggling so hard on their own…… it just breaks my heart……’

‘Yes, it must hurt.’

The Emperor had subtly asked Ethan for help.

‘Claude seems to be helping him actively, though. But, when no one’s around, he insists on sneaking into Ambrosia. If it’s okay with you……’

‘Yes. I’ll tell the Ambrosia staff. They should set up some secret entrances so Elexa can sneak in.’

‘Thank you, Sarah.’

The Empress had smiled gently with Sarah, waiting eagerly for the gift Elexa was preparing. So, Sarah too, even though she didn’t know what exactly Elexa and Claude were preparing, couldn’t help but wait with anticipation. Sarah sighed as she thought about the two children who would be nervously waiting for her in the room. She glanced at Benjamin, who had created this situation.

“Why did you have to spill that I know? Look at the mess you’ve caused.”

“If they’re just running around, that’s one thing. But this isn’t a small problem.”

Benjamin had acted like he was embarrassed in front of Claude and Elexa, but in truth, he was heading straight for Sarah. He was determined to get rid of the bothersome children once and for all.

“Claude’s been treating me like a porter, just bringing Elexa around.”

“For someone who’s complaining, you seem to be carrying out your duties pretty faithfully. Were you enjoying it?”

“Not at all.”

Benjamin shook his head with a serious expression, but Sarah knew he secretly enjoyed sparring with Claude. She stretched his cheeks with her hands and spoke.

“You like it.”

“……”

Seeing Sarah smiling brightly, Benjamin twitched his lips but said nothing and turned his gaze away. His ears subtly turned red.

“You’re not honest.”

Sarah said this and knocked on Claude’s door. There was a clattering sound from inside, followed by Claude’s urgent shout.

“Come in!”

“Hehe.”

Sarah hummed a tune as she opened the door and entered. There, the two children, with their eyes wide like rabbits, were kneeling on the bed and looking up at Sarah.

“Oh my, is that His Highness the Crown Prince? What brings you here at this hour?”

Sarah lightly bent her knees to show respect to Elexa and approached. She naturally knelt down beside Claude and immediately picked him up in a hug. Then, she extended her other arm to Elexa. Elexa, who seemed nervous about being scolded, climbed into Sarah’s arms with a bright smile. Despite the late hour, Sarah couldn’t help but feel a bit excited about this unexpected gift of time. Ethan had wanted to come too, but since Elexa was still afraid of him, Sarah was glad she had managed to separate him without Elexa running away in fear.

“So, what has our Claude been doing, staying up this late?”

“Hmm, well, you see……”

Claude glanced at Elexa, unsure whether it would be better for him to explain. After all, it was because of him that they had gathered so late, so he thought it would be better for Elexa to speak. But as he hesitated, seeing Elexa’s fidgeting fingers, Claude clenched his fists as if making a decision. Claude was the kind of child who understood friendship and courage—he was the type of child who could speak up for a friend when they didn’t have the courage to speak for themselves.

“I was spending time with Elexa because he wanted to make a wish come true.”

“……Oh?”

“You know, Her Majesty the Empress said that children are like gifts in life, and there’s nothing more joyful than having them come to you.”

“Of course.”

“So, Elexa wanted to make Her Majesty even happier by having two siblings.”

At Claude’s words, Sarah’s eyes widened. So, Elexa wanted twin siblings. Seeing Elexa nodding eagerly, it seemed to be true.

“I understand your feelings, but that’s something only the heavens can decide.”

Sarah spoke kindly, trying not to disappoint Elexa while explaining the reality.

“At this very moment, Her Majesty the Empress is already carrying a sibling for His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s too late for there to be twins now, since the sibling is already growing inside.”

From the size of Penelois’s belly, it was obvious they weren’t twins. Even if Elexa tried his best, it was impossible for a single baby to suddenly split into two.

“Will you be disappointed if there’s just one sibling?”

“……No!”

Elexa quickly shook his head, looking startled. He already loved the sibling growing in Penelois’s belly very much. He could now understand what Penelois meant when she said just having the sibling would make him happy.

“But if there’s more, that would be even better!”

“Hehe. Since the Emperor and Empress have such a good relationship, it’s very likely that another sibling will come soon after the first. That way, the Crown Prince will get what he wanted, don’t you think?”

“……If their relationship is good, more siblings will be born?”

“Yes, the chances of that happening are higher.”

At Sarah’s words, Elexa’s eyes widened in realization. Claude seemed to be just as fascinated, listening intently, his eyes shining brightly. After a moment, Elexa thought carefully on his own and cautiously voiced his concern.

“But my father and mother have always had a good relationship since I was born, but no siblings have come.”

“That’s because the situation wasn’t right. Bad people kept targeting you and Her Majesty Penelois.”

“……That’s right! That’s what happened.”

Finally, Elexa’s confusion was cleared up, and his face brightened. He began to bounce excitedly on his feet. Sarah gently released the two children from her arms and patted their heads. Though the children were smart enough to impress their teachers every day, their education in this area was still lacking. So Sarah was thankful to see their pure side and asked.

“So, what have you two been doing all this time to get more siblings?”

“Well, I’ve been helping the Emperor and Empress spend more time together.”

“Hmm?”

“When Elexa asked what the sibling would look like, the Emperor told him that he got a sibling because he spent a lot of time alone with the Empress.”

“……”

At that moment, Sarah remembered something Benjamin had said before.

‘I taught Elexa about how to get a sibling. I advised them to make more time for each other.’

While Sarah was thinking about Benjamin’s words, Claude continued speaking, still with a flushed face.

“So, Elexa said if I stay with him, I can help Mom and Dad spend more time together, and Elexa……”

“Claude.”

Sarah called the child’s name seriously.

“Do you want a sibling too?”

Claude paused for a moment, tilting his head before answering.

“Yeah, of course! When my sibling is born, I’ll take really good care of them. I’ll carry them every day and feed them too! Even when Mom and Dad are busy, I’ll always be there for them.”