"Thanks for the food!"

Dinner time.

After Mom bathed the twins, the twins started to grow attached to Mom as well. Perhaps they finally felt Mom's sincere affection as well. I mean, look at how Mom tried so hard just to pick clothes for the twins!

"...Since you two came here so suddenly, we didn't get to prepare clothes and the likes for you... Sorry, but can you two bear with wearing Lyra and Alt's old clothes?"

The twins nodded.

"Would you like to wear this one or this one?" Mom gave them choices.

The twins nodded. Mom was confused.

"...This one?" Mom pointed to a set of clothes. One for boy, one for girl. The twins nodded.

"...Or that one?" Mom pointed to another set of clothes. The twins nodded again.

".........This, then?" Mom became even more unsure. The twins nodded anyway.

"...Let's go with this then," Mom eventually settled for a set of similar clothes.

"Yep, the clothes suit you two," Mom said after putting the clothes on them as she patted their heads at the same time.

The twins narrowed their eyes as if they enjoyed Mom's gentle pat.

"Suit...," Freyr started.

"Us?" Freyja ended.

"Yes, that's right. We'll have to buy new clothes soon. Make sure to choose the ones you like, don't nod at just anything, okay?" Mom asked with a serious tone. She was seriously concerned.

"...Okay."

"Okay..."

The twins nodded but I wasn't sure if they really meant it or if they understood it...

Back to dinner time and dinner table.

I saw the twins stared at the food Chloe prepared wholeheartedly for them.

They timidly picked up the spoon and spooned a mouthful food into their mouths... Before their eyes literally sparked, and then they ate like they hadn't been fed for days...

"Oh my, I'm glad they liked it!" Chloe sighed in relief. She looked pretty tense when she observed the twins' movements back then.

"Chloe's food is the best!" I added.

"Lyra-sama, you're exaggerating!"

"No, it's true!" Alt-nii added.

"Haha, thanks for the delicious food as always, Chloe," Dad thanked Chloe.

"That's right. We don't say this all the time, but thanks for the food," Mom also added.

The twins stopped eating for a while, perhaps they were almost full by this time.

And then...

"Thanks for...," Freyr started.

"...food, Chloe," Freyja ended.

"Oh my, dear!" Chloe covered her mouth as happiness radiated from her face.

Currently, Niina was in her holidays—back at her home with her husband and Clavis. Well, the snow storm was coming, so all the more she had to be there at her home. But if she were here, I could imagine her squealing like crazy upon seeing the twins!

That night, after dinner ended, it was decided that we would be sleeping together. For bonding's sake!

We were lying together on the bed with the twins in the middle of us. I was right next to Freyja, with Mom next to me. Alt-nii was next to Freyr—excited that he finally had a little brother—with Dad next to him. To make sure Alt-nii didn't tease Freyr right away... Although Alt-nii was already 11 years old, he was still as mischievous as always. For Alt-nii's good name, I assure you he's gotten better!

"Would you like to have a bedtime story or a lullaby?" Mom asked the twins before she regretted it.

"Actually, your only choice would be bedtime story," Mom added quickly before the twins could even open their mouths.

"I will sing the lullaby, then!" Alt-nii volunteered.

"Rururu~," Rurune chimed in happily.

However, before Rurune could even do anything, the twins pulled her to be in the middle of them as they hugged her soft fur.

"Ruru...," Rurune showed a trouble face, but she stayed still, as if she was loving the twins' tiny hands caressing her fur gently!

"Cass will be narrating the story and I can do the water show just like what Firis had done for me," Dad decided on his part.

"Eh... eh... I, I will...," I was confused on what I should add.

"Lyra is the audience as well!" Alt-nii one-sidedly decided my role.

"Eeeh? But I want to contribute!" I protested.

"Whoa, you're already getting into the big sister role, aren't you?" Dad happily asked me.

Eeh, I was already a big sister in my past life. Add that I had an older mentality, I already saw myself as everyone's big sister!!

"Lyra can pat the twins gently to let them drift off to sleep, then!" Alt-nii suddenly suggested.

"...Pat them? Sure!" I quickly moved from my position. I moved up to put myself in the position between the twins, just above their heads. I locked eyes with Rurune as I said, "Sorry, Rurune, I only have two hands to pat the twins... You already have their hands to pat you, right?"

"Ruru...," Rurune seemed sad, but her eyes flashed a hint of understanding.

As Mom and Dad began the bedtime story, I patted the twins' heads gently. Alt-nii hummed a gentle melody... Huh, he could actually hum well! Quite unexpected, coming from a prankster like him!

...Yep, I was still his prank's victim, hahaha! I admit I sometimes tried to pay him back. I was getting more and more childish, huh?

Rurune sometimes "sang" along with Alt-nii as she drifted to her comfy sleep by the twins' patting.

Shortly after that...

Perhaps the twins were indeed exhausted from the long day they experienced, as they quickly drifted off to sleep.

Mom, Dad, Alt-nii and I were still awake, though.

We smiled at one another as we saw the twins' innocent sleeping faces.

"I'll need to add them to the family registry and handle the administration," Dad suddenly said.

"I'll need to ask Niina and Chloe to prepare for their daily necessities. Niina will be so surprised when she hear this," Mom added.

"Let's go shopping together after the snow storm is gone," Mom then looked at Alt-nii and I.

"Oh, there's something I want to buy!" Alt-nii excitedly added.

"...We'll go shopping mainly for the twins, though," Mom laughed at Alt-nii's remarks, "but it's also fine for Alt and Lyra to buy new things."

"Will it be okay?" I asked.

"Lyra, we're still a ducal house even if our circumstances might be like this, you know?" Dad dejectedly said.

"Haha... hahaha," I laughed awkwardly at Dad's remark.

"I'm also thinking of renovating the house," Dad suddenly dropped a bomb.

"EH?!" I quickly covered my mouth as my voice unintentionally raised. I saw the twins' eyes twitched for a bit, but they didn't seem to be awake... Phew!

Are we becoming richer so suddenly?!

As if sensing what I was thinking of, Dad suddenly said, "The hard work I've been doing is finally paying off. We can now secure more of our funds. I can finally give you a better life, Cass, Alt, Lyra."

"Didn't I say that didn't really matter? If I really love a wealthy lifestyle, I'd not offer the fund I received from working as the head of the royal magician to help develop the territory and to help the people."

"But it's true that we need to keep up with the other nobles. The kids are growing up and we've got two more kids as well," Mom added after she paused to think.

"Eh? I-I don't mind...," I quickly answered as I saw Mom and Dad looking at me and Alt-nii.

"That's right. I don't want those noble brats to be bullying my Lyra and Alt just because of our not-so-luxurious lifestyle. We should at least make it better," Dad added.

"Wow, wow, I can now boast and silence those nosy brats?!" Alt-nii excitedly said.

"...I think so?" I tilted my head, feeling a little bit troubled.

I was used to living a simple yet warm life like this... that I almost forgot the taste of wealth I experienced.

Well, as long as this family stays warm like this, having this kind of upgrade is nice!

I guess... [Achievement unlocked: Lifestyle Upgrade~☆]?