Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Cesare and Lucrecia did something so immoral behind his back, it's truly unbelievable...

Alas, every family has its own troubles. Thinking of this, he felt even more that a good child like Luce was truly precious, and he wanted to meet the father who could raise such a child.

Upon hearing Alexander VI's request, Luce obediently nodded, turned around, and softly called out into the shop, "Father, this old man from Borgia wishes to see you."

Novia wiped her hands and came out.

The moment his face became clearly visible to Alexander VI—

Alexander VI's pupils contracted to their maximum size in an instant, his cane fell to the ground with a clatter, and his mouth opened wide enough to fit a fist.

Novia... is actually Luce's father?!

So, isn't Luce...? Luce is...?

With a "whoosh," Alexander VI felt his world spinning and nearly fainted.

Novia, however, seemed oblivious to Alexander VI's astonished expression. He walked to Luce's side, casually placing his hand on Luce's shoulder, adopting the posture of a perfectly ordinary father, and looked gently at Alexander VI, asking:

"Hello, how can I help you?"

This seemingly innocuous greeting sounded to Alexander VI no less severe than a final judgment.

He shook his head frantically, like a rattle-drum, but no sound came out of his throat.

Seeing this, Novia smiled and added:

“Luce is a serious child, and she will remember any advice that is helpful to her. As for my cooking, if it can bring you a moment of pleasure, then it is my honor.”

Alexander VI felt as if the sky had fallen.

She was picky about the food she prepared and even gave her daughter a lecture on "independence and self-reliance"...

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it felt like I was about to ascend to heaven any second now.

Fortunately, Novia didn't seem to intend to pursue the matter; after saying that, she turned and went back.

Alexander VI, having survived the ordeal, stiffly bent down, picked up his cane, and then kept gesturing to Luce with his eyes.

Did Luce understand the complex meaning in his eyes?

Not sure.

The blue-haired girl simply returned his smile with her usual innocent and radiant one.

.......

On the other side of the street corner, Eri was about to move to another spot to continue her observation when two figures unexpectedly appeared beside her.

Good morning, night watchwoman.

There were two children, a boy and a girl, who looked like twins, with slender figures and pure, innocent appearances like angels.

Cesare and Lucrezia.

Alexander VI's two children, who "engaged in inappropriate behavior," were also underground dealers who had been providing Erise with information. It was these two who asked Erise and the Demon King to resolve the Borgia matter.

“It’s you guys.” Eri said, turning her gaze away from the breakfast stall and nodding.

"Erise, are you looking at Luce and her father?" Lucrecia tilted her head, her innocent blue eyes sparkling with a cunning beyond her years. "Could it be that Erise is troubled by her relationship with her father? This is the first time I've heard of Lord Manazuru's son... Maybe it's because he just came back and there's been a lack of communication, so it's awkward?"

Eri didn't answer, but her silence itself was a form of acquiescence.

How should I put it? Meeting these siblings was truly an accident.

But what's even more surprising is that Eri finds a reference point in the brother and sister for her own troubles about forbidden love that she "doesn't want to be".

So, Erise asked in a casual tone, trying to probe further:

"Pretty much. So, what do you guys think about a relationship like Luce's with her father?"

Upon hearing this, Lucrecia gave a knowing, enigmatic smile.

Cesare glanced at Eri with a hint of worry.

As information brokers, the two were already masters of reading between the lines. In just a moment, they recognized that behind the topic of Erise lay a problem similar to their own situation.

Cesare, as the older brother, seemed more cautious. He organized his thoughts and was about to say something like "It's best not to" or "That road is difficult."

However, the younger sister had no such intention at all.

Before her brother could speak, Lucrecia grasped Erise's hand, her eyes unwavering and her tone resolute:

"Erise, let me tell you, you really don't need to think so much about these things!"

"Hey?"

Eri was stunned.

“As long as you two are mutually in love,” Lucrecia’s blue eyes gleamed with excitement as she lowered her voice, as if imparting some secret technique, “then you must strike first! Understand? Make it a fait accompli! When that time comes, even that old geezer in my family will be forced to agree! Because he needs me and my brother. Whether he was alive or after he died, everything he built requires us to maintain and sacrifice. So he can only swallow his pride!”

These shocking remarks caused Eri's brain to shut down on the spot.

"Is...is this really okay?"

Eri asked stammeringly, feeling both panic at being persuaded and a sense that this was far too unorthodox.

“Of course you can.” Lucrecia smiled mysteriously, leaned close to Erise’s ear, and said, word by word, “You need to let him know how important you are. You need to become an indispensable part of him, not an option that can be easily discarded. Otherwise, what do you plan to do? Are you going to spend your whole life like this, secretly watching from the sidelines?”

Cesare, standing to the side, could only sigh helplessly after hearing his sister's words, then nodded and added:

"Yes, that's about it. Lucrecia's words were a bit direct, but that's the gist of it."

Eri felt as if the door to her new world had been kicked open.

However, I have to admit that I'm somewhat... tempted.

Just as she and Lucrecia were getting along very well, Alexander VI, carrying large bags and small packages, walked over.

"Father/Old man?" The brother and sister were both surprised. "You bought so much today?"

Alexander VI's face darkened: "From today onwards, for the next seven days, this will be our family's three meals a day. No one is allowed to object!"

After he finished speaking, he happened to catch a glimpse of Eri, who was about to slip away. Thinking of the help he had received from her, Alexander VI gritted his teeth as if he were cutting off his own flesh, and painfully took out a bun and a cup of soy milk from the bag and handed them to Eri.

"Hey, Eri, this is for you. Eat it with respect! Understand?"

Eri accepted the breakfast with a strange feeling and quickly said goodbye.

She walked to a secluded corner and took a bite.

What to say.

Indeed... it's quite delicious.

It was so delicious that it temporarily soothed the bitterness in the girl's heart.

........

The afternoon sun was scorching, and on the beach, a colorful ice cream truck replaced the breakfast stalls of the morning.

Luce and Novia stand side by side, working seamlessly together to make cross-shaped ice cream.

"The ice cream tastes even better today than before!"

Hearing the praise, Luce looked at Novia with delight, his eyes sparkling.

This heartwarming scene only made Erise, who was in the distance, feel even more uneasy.

Just then, a woman wearing black sunglasses appeared at the very front of the line.

Lilith.

Luce paused for a moment. He was quite clear about the origin of this "anger" and understood that this was probably the main reason why his older sister, Eri, had such twisted thoughts.

Although it seems to be the father's fault...

Luce thought to himself.

But upon closer reflection, that's not entirely true; it's just that Lilith didn't know how to articulate her thoughts clearly. Yes, that's exactly it.

The blue-haired girl quickly found a reasonable explanation for the other person's behavior and convinced herself of it.

Lilith walked up to the stall, took off her sunglasses, patted Novia on the chest to indicate that she was alright, and then looked at Luce with great interest.

“A cross-shaped ice cream, strawberry flavor,” Lilith said.

Just as Luce was handing her the ice cream he had made, Lilith swiftly shoved the lollipop she was eating into Novia's mouth.

Simultaneously,

Lilith took the ice cream, licked it, and then gave Luce a sly smile.

“Your name is Luce, right?” Lilith leaned closer, her warm breath brushing against Luce’s ear. “Oh dear, in a way, I’m your mother too.”

If this provocative remark were said to Eri, it would probably ignite a war on the spot.

But in the distance, Eri, who was already prepared for battle, witnessed a scene that left her speechless.

Luce was not confused at all; instead, he nodded naturally.

Then, in a clear and calm tone, it called out softly a few times:

"Mother."

Now it was Lilith's turn to be stunned.

But the blue-haired girl's reaction was not out of naivety or retreat.

On the contrary, it's because they know too much.

Luce remembers seeing a book called the "Elepantine Papyrus" during her forced studies. It recorded that in the fifth century BC, on the island of Elepantine in Egypt, there was a custom of worshipping Yahu and Anat—the predecessor of Lilith—as a single parent-child deity called "Anat-Yahu".

Therefore, it is entirely reasonable for Lilith to claim that she is her mother.

This threw Eri, who was hiding behind a coconut tree and knew nothing about these things, into complete confusion.

What? Luce just accepted it like that? Then... then does that mean I have to call Lilith "Mom" from now on?

Chitose, Izanami, and now Lilith—three mothers? Even though I already knew, this is still a bit too much…

However, Luce's crisp and clear "Mother" made Lilith's joy almost overflow from her eyes. She went straight around the counter, squeezed between Novia and Luce, and announced that she would help as well.

Thus, the duo transformed from a "father-daughter pair" into a wonderful "family of three".

Lilith had no intention of helping at all; in fact, she was just gleefully causing trouble, snatching ice cream from Novia's hand one minute and pinching Luce's cheek the next.

When curious guests asked Luce who the two people next to her were, Luce answered very naturally:

"They are my father and mother."

Every time she heard this answer, Lilith was overjoyed, and she couldn't help but take Novia's hand and gently rub it against her cheek.

Looking at the three people enjoying themselves, Eri felt like she was an unwanted outsider who shouldn't be there.

I'm so annoyed...

.......

Time slowly slipped towards dusk.

The setting sun painted the sky and sea with a warm orange-red hue. People and Servants on the beach gradually dispersed, and the ice cream was almost sold out.

Just now, Novia was sent away by Lilith under some pretext, and now only Luce is left in front of the stall.

The silence that followed the noise quickly dispelled the feeling of being filled during the day, and a sense of emptiness even greater than before rose in Luce's heart.

Soon, only one ice cream was left.

And the last customer to come and make a purchase also appeared at just the right time.

Paracelsus.

He was a regular at this ice cream stand.

“Good evening, Luce,” Paracelsus greeted with a smile. “Looks like I’ve arrived just in time.”

“Good evening, Mr. Paracelsus.” Luce handed him the last ice cream.

Just as Paracelsus took the ice cream, he asked casually, "Speaking of which, I think I just heard that Luce, you seemed to have someone with you? Where is that person now?"

Luce answered truthfully, "He just left."

“Oh?” Paracelsus pushed up his glasses. “Speaking of which, what kind of person is he to Luce?”

If Luce had been asked this question in Novia's presence, he would probably have answered "his father."

But now, Novia is not here.