’Yes, but both in a good and in a bad way.’ Lith replied.
’Are you ashad of Protector? Would you really hide his existence like he was a criminal just because he’s different? Are you ashad of ?’ Solus asked.
’Don’t be ridiculous!’ Lith thought. ’I’m not ashad of him and I would let the whole world know you if I wasn’t certain that people would only see you as an artifact instead that as a person.
’Also, revealing Protector’s nature is easy as pie compared to telling any sane woman that I literally have a hot girl at my fingertips.’
Solus blushed, thinking about how hard it had been for even Tista to accept the fact that her brother had a magical conjoined twin ever since he was four.
’Yeah, I think that even Phloria might pass out when you’ll tell her about .’
’Indeed, she will. The only question is if she will do it before or after strangling .’ Lith inwardly sighed. He couldn’t save Phloria from her Awakening without Solus, which ant they were bound to et sooner or later.
’But know this: I’m not ashad of you in the least. Whoever can’t accept you is not worthy of taking part in my life.’
Lith played with the kids, showing them how to activate their new toys’ enchantnts. It was just the second ti that they had t Lith, but he was already their hero.
The clothes he had given them didn’t itch and he always brought bags of marvels for them.
"You’re way better with them than I am." Ryman said once he ca out of the bathroom, wearing a green shirt and brown pants.
"Are you kidding ? Didn’t you tell that you sired a lot of pups?"
"Indeed, but it’s my first ti handling humans. They grow so slowly and are so slow on the uptake. Not to ntion how noisy and frail they are. Yet I wouldn’t change them for the world."
"What do you think of Kamila?" Lith asked.
"She’s a beautiful woman. Definitely prettier than the other one."
"I ant as a person!"
"I know, but so far that’s the best I can say about her. Are you sure you want to do it? You can always have your answer another ti. I don’t want you to get hurt because of ."
"Now or later is the sa. So things are like a band-aid. The faster the better." Lith said, speaking English for the first ti in almost two decades.
When Kamila and Selia returned, seeing Lith playing with the kids while Ryman checked the dinner ward the hearts of both won.
’I can’t believe they nad both their kids after Lith. They look so cute and behave like normal children. Shapeshifting aside, of course.’ Kamila thought as, in the heat of the make-believe battle between their toys, the children’s fingers turned into claws for a split second.
’Protector seems to be a better husband than most. Beast or not, compared to Fallmug he is a saint. He built this whole house by himself to keep his family safe, not to hold them prisoners.’
’I can’t believe I spent almost half an hour without clothes ripping or sothing breaking.’ Selia thought, almost moved to tears. ’Once I give birth I must ask Lith to babysit the kids so that I can finally get a night out.
’I always thought about leaving them with the Hydra, but I don’t trust her judgnt. Beasts have an odd concept of raising kids and the last thing I need is for those two little cyclones to learn magic.’
Dinner went more smoothly than everyone expected. After the initial shock, Kamila quickly adapted to the situation, becoming more relaxed. The four of them talked about their respective lives for a bit before starting to tell each other how they had t.
Selia’s first et with Protector was heavily redacted due to the presence of the kids, whereas Kamila only had to leave out the reason that had led her to et Lith in person before moving on their first date.
"Such a romantic story. I wish this oaf was that caring back then, instead of just being a freeloader." Selia sighed.
"I wasn’t a freeloader!" Protector rebuked her. "I was trying to learn human customs and I helped you with hunting big ga. It was you who never explained to what a proper date was until you got tired of just-"
His eyes fell on the kids, forcing him to use an understatent.
"Stay ho and cuddle. Correct if I’m wrong, but it took you months."
Selia blushed violently, making Kamila chuckle at the idea that despite the fact that they knew so little about each other when they had t, they had gone so far to get married.
"Stop making look like a pervert in front of our guests. So things are better left out. Lith is almost like a son to both of us, and there are our actual children listening too!
"After hearing how cute a couple they are, can’t you at least try to make our love story look more like a fairy tale and less like a tavern joke?" Selia tried to sound angry, but she couldn’t hide her embarrassnt.
Back then she was younger and bored out of her brain due to isolation. She just wanted to relieve so pent-up stress with her newfound hunting partner. Selia had never believed for a second that one day she would have to share that part of her life with soone else, so she had been more carefree than usual.
"As you wish, my lady." Ryman gave her a deep bow, before starting to recount how he had been srized by her poetry and gracefulness, lying so blatantly that even the kids soon started to laugh at Selia’s expense.
"I’d say that’s enough." Selia was red up to her hears. "I bla you for this, Lith. Before spending so much ti with you, he wasn’t such a smartass."
Kamila’s awkwardness at that point had completely disappeared. The kids, the house, the food, even the couple’s quarrels were exactly like those she would have expected from normal people.
And that was when it struck at her.
’What’s normal, exactly? Lith’s eldest brother was "normal" and yet almost had him killed. Fallmug was a "normal" man and yet he treated his family like they were re possessions. My mother is a "normal" woman, yet she never cared for like Protector does for Lith.’ Kamila thought.
’After all the evil I’ve seen people do to their own kin as a Constable, judging Emperor Beasts out of prejudice is simply hypocritical. I need to step down my high horse and take things as they co.’
After the al, the kids fell asleep in their parents’ arms while Lith projected a movie. After Protector put them to bed, the grown-ups could finally talk freely.
"Is there anything you want to ask us, dear? Don’t pull your punches, the worst has already passed." Selia said.
Kamila asked them about Selia’s pregnancy and when the child would start to shapeshift, to which Selia answered honestly. The only difference with human babies was that hybrids would shapeshift in case of stress, so quite often.
"Luckily, they are born with no teeth nor claws, so they are harmless."
"Have they ever hurt you?" Kamila asked.
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