"Can I see them?" Riz asked.
His mother-in-law replied, "Of course. Just don't make too much noise."
Riz and Theodore didn't hesitate for a second. As soon as Fiona gave her permission, they quickly rushed toward the door.
They cautiously entered the room. It was quiet.
Despite the calm, they can see inside the room a group of nurses are busy tending to the aftermath of the labour.
A nurse quietly tidied up the room, disposing of the used linens and cleaning the tools while another checked the infants to make sure they were properly swaddled.
Theodora lay in the centre of the room, softly resting her head on pillows. Her hair looked damp with sweat and her face was pale. Her chest rose and fell steadily.
She looked utterly exhausted, but there was a peacefulness in her expression.
Riz didn't want to wake her up so he silently turned toward the cradles beside the bed where the twins lay peacefully.
Theodore joined him. Together, they leaned over to get a closer look at the babies.
The tiny figures were wrapped in identical white blankets. Only their small faces peeking out.
"They're both inherit your black hair," Josephine said.
Riz glanced up at his stepmother and asked, "Which one is the boy and which one is the girl?"
He had never dealt with newborns before, and the twins looked remarkably similar. He found himself unable to tell which one was his son and which was his daughter.
They were wrapped in cloth of the sa colour. He couldn't discern them.
Theodore also gives Josephine a curious look. Like Riz, he seed to be at a loss when it ca to distinguishing between the two.
Josephine laughed. Their question amused her. "It's not always easy to tell, is it? That's normal. Their features haven't developed yet."
She moved closer to the cradles and pointed first to the baby on the right. "This one here is the boy."
Riz get closer and observes his son's tiny face.
"And this one," Josephine continued, turning to the baby on the left, "is your daughter. She's a little smaller than her older brother."
Theodore, who had been watching closely, smiled. "They're both beautiful. Have you thought of their na?"
Riz hesitated. Then, he felt embarrassed as he admitted, "Err... no. I can't co up with anything good."
Naming his children was a task he had thought about, but he knew his naming sense was not the best around here.
He is unsure of the extent of the disastrous na he will co up with.
Josephine and Theodore exchanged glances. Their faces lit up with excitent.
"Son, why don't you leave it to us?" Josephine suggested.
"Yeah," Theodore chid in.
Riz looked at them.
Seeing the genuine excitent in their eyes, it was clear that both Josephine and Theodore had probably been considering potential nas for a while.
They were more than ready to take on the task.
"Okay, as long as their na sounds decent. Also, don't forget to get Theodora's approval."
Though Riz had no experience, he was pretty sure as the mother of the children, she would get angry being left out.
Josephine assured him, "Don't worry, Riz. We're not that inconsiderate."
With Theodora and the twins peacefully asleep, there was no more he could do in the room.
He took a final glance at his family before excusing himself and leaving the room.
Without much thought, Riz decided to head to his study. He might as well take a look at so docunts.
Not that he's a workaholic. It is simply because there's not much to do to pass his ti.
No social dia, no streaming services, no gas.
Work beca the easiest way to pass the ti.
Riz sat down and began sorting through the papers.
"Let's see what we have here..."
So were reports on the latest developnts in the kingdom such as the water supply.
Overall, the majority of the pipes had already been laid in almost every place in the capital. The installation of water ters in households was also nearly complete.
So resist, saying it's unnecessary. They could just get the water straight from the source.
But with the awareness of cleanliness, disease prevention and health increasing among the populace, public opinion gradually turned in his favour.
In so neighbourhoods, the water was already supplied.
They no longer needed to trek to the nearest well or river to fetch water. Instead, they could simply turn a valve and have clean water flow directly into their hos.
The ti saved and the convenience provided help boost the level of acceptance.
While the progress was promising, it would take years before the project could be considered complete.
Putting the water supply report aside, another report is about the ongoing construction of several new rail lines.
The success of the Bideford-Baroks line was undeniable.
It revolutionized transportation between the two cities, boosting trade, reducing travel ti, and fostering economic growth.
Many of his governors send their proposals but not every proposal for a new line is feasible or necessary.
He had to be careful to not cause overexpansion.
"Sigh... what else is there to read?" he muttered.
Riz skimd through the letters he left unread. One caught his attention.
It was a letter from Audrey. He feels like it's been a long ti since he heard from her.
'When did this arrive?' he glanced at the date on the letter. 'Two months ago?!'
"Sh*t!" He cursed under his breath.
If it was during that ti, he was probably too preoccupied with Theodora's pregnancy and ignored it.
Audrey must be feeling frustrated right now.
Riz read the letter.
"The governor is being sheltered in the presidential palace? And this Acellin Celestia…"
What to do? Audrey has been there for so long.
Waiting for a favourable reply from them looks like a waste of ti.
"At this point, intimidation might be the only language they understand. It's ti to contact Wilmot."
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