Chapter 300: ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT US?

Wilson led the group down the long corridor to his study. The large door opened with a soft click.Heidi and Penelope stood, still holding each other’s hands. Their expressions were anxious.

Owen and Kai just kept looking around the study.

They hadn’t been to Wilson’s study before, so their eyes moved curiously, taking in every detail.

A few minutes later, the royal physician arrived.

It was the same middle-aged man that had been called when Aristia fell unconscious because she was about to manifest a daemon.

He had sharp eyes and an efficient air, but this man had been reduced to a ball of fear by Wilson’s stare just because he couldn’t find out what was wrong with the princess when nothing was wrong with her!

He wasn’t versed in the manifestation of daemons and neither would he imagine a girl manifesting a daemon, so it wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

Because of that, he even began to doubt his efficiency. Who would have known that what had happened wasn’t something he could do? But alas, he would never find out.

"Your Highness," he bowed to Wilson, then looked at the twins. "Are these the children?"

"Yes," Wilson nodded.

On receiving confirmation, the physician prepared a small kit and placed it neatly on the desk. Inside the box were small pricking needles, sterile cotton, drops collection slips infused with alchemical reagents used for hereditary matching.

In the kingdom of Amberale, bloodline confirmation was a rare procedure— but it was one used carefully, and only under noble supervision. So it was safe to say that it was only used by nobility and aristocrats.

Evelyn looked exactly like Catherine, yet she had still been tested to be absolutely sure.

For a family as powerful as the Duke’s, they couldn’t take risks.

The physician turned to Henry and Jacqueline first.

"I’ll need a small sample from the both of you, Count and Countess."

Henry and Jacqueline weren’t commoners. They were a Count and Countess from lower nobillity working in Wilson’s household. It wasn’t a surprise to see nobles and Aristocrats working in the household of high ranking nobles as household staff.

For example, Catherine, as the Imperial Princess and daughter of a Duke from pure nobility, had Melanie, a lady of the aristocracy, as her lady-in-waiting.

In the same way, Count Henry Cedmond and his wife, were the butler and head of the servants of the mansion, looking after the household.

Henry extended his hand immediately and Jacqueline followed.

A small prick caused a bead of blood that dropped onto each alchemical slip.

Then the physician turned to the twins.

Seeing how nervous they looked, he couldn’t help but say gently.

"No need to be frightened. This won’t hurt."

Heidi stiffened while Penelope swallowed hard.

Aristia stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on each girl’s arm. This was new to them. Needles weren’t common for treatment in Amberale, much less for a blood test.

The concept of a blood test in itself was unfamiliar.

"It’s only a tiny prick. Just one second," she whispered then joked with a slight smirk. "Don’t be scared of a needle."

The twins nodded, their cheeks heating up with slight embarrassment. "We’re not scared."

The physician worked quickly.

With two small pricks came two drops of blood.

There were four slips.

He lined them up carefully on the desk.

The alchemical slips already began reacting, the base runes glowing faintly as the blood seeped into them.

Each slip pulsed softly with warm light.

Henry and Jacqueline clasped each other’s hands tightly, hearts pounding against their chest, hope blooming within them.

The room fell silent as everyone waited.

The first slip which was Henry’s matched against Heidi’s. It glowed steadily, then brightened.

The runes shifted, forming two overlapping rings.

A perfect match.

Jacqueline gasped, her hand flying to her mouth again.

The second slip which was Henry’s matched against Penelope’s followed seconds later, blooming with the same result.

The third and fourth slip was Jacqueline and Heidi, then Jacqueline and Penelope.

The reaction was instant. The glow was even stronger, like the alchemic script recognized them before it finished analyzing.

The physician nodded his head. "There is no doubt. These two girls are your biological daughters."

Henry collapsed into the nearest chair as if someone had pulled the floor out from beneath him.

Jacqueline broke into sobs.

Heidi and Penelope stared at the glowing slips with parted mouths, stunned. Hearing the physician’s words made them aware that it meant they really were the couple’s children.

"We... really... have a mama and papa?"

Jacqueline let out a choked sob so raw and emotional that even Wilson looked away out of respect for their vulnerability.

"Yes," she whispered, kneeling in front of them with tears pouring down her face. "Yes... you do. You always did."

Henry joined her, placing trembling hands on his daughters’ shoulders.

"We never stopped thinking about the both of you," he whispered. "Not even for one day."

The twins’ eyes filled with tears instantly. They couldn’t help but become emotional. All the years lies and mistreatment from the people that they thought were family, calling them burdens and saying that they were useless, only making stupid drawings all day, that was why their parents dumped them with them.

Penelope broke first and then Heidi, large droplets of tears falling from their eyes rapidly.

Jacqueline couldn’t cry again. Strangely, what escaped her mouth was a laugh. Slowly tears streamed from her face, but a smile remained as she pulled Heidi into her arms.

[Ah... Tears of joy.] Aristia thought.

Penelope trembled visibly before leaning into Henry’s embrace.

Everyone just watched.

Owen murmured near Aristia’s ear, "This is... kind of unbelievable."

Aristia nodded, her eyes not leaving them. "... I know." Then she looked up at him. "Amd how did you appear beside me without making a sound?"

Owen just shrugged.

Aristia rolled her eyes, thinking about what Owen had said.

But she was glad. So that was why Henry and Jacqueline always had that lingering sadness in their eyes, especially when watching them.

It was because they couldn’t forget their children.

Wilson quietly dismissed the physician and allowed the family to have their moment.

For a long while, no one moved.

Finally, Wilson cleared his throat gently.

"Let’s give them a moment to breathe," he said.

Slowly, they left the study and shifted to the seating area in the parlour. The twins sat between Henry and Jacqueline, who refused to let go of their hands for even a second.

Aristia and Owen went to seat on the opposite couch, but before Owen’s butt could touch the seat, he sat on someone’s lap instead.

’What...?’ His eyes widened, standing up quickly.

When he turned around, he saw none other than Alaric sitting there and smirking at him.

"Why did you sit on my lap?" Alaric asked.

Wha—!

Owen almost vomited blood. Sat on who? Why did Alaric say it like it was intentional? And he wasn’t sitting there when he moved to sit down!

Owen rolled his eyes, wanting to sit on the other side, but Kai was already seated there.

Catching his gaze, Alaric just jutted out his lip. If he could split himself, he would have also taken a seat on his sister’s other side, but he couldn’t.

And Kai was more bearable than Owen, so if he had to chose between the two, he would reluctantly accept Kai.

Left with no other choice, Owen had to stand behind the couch.

Jacqueline brushed Penelope’s hair behind her ear.

"Are you hungry? Do you want something warm to drink?"

Penelope shook her head.

Heidi whispered, "We had breakfast with Princess Aristia in The Vanilla Courtyard."

Henry nodded appreciatively at Aristia, then reached out and stroked Heidi’s head. He looked like he’d been holding himself together just so he wouldn’t frighten them again.

Heidi and Penelope exchanged glances. They had been alone for as long as they could remember. No parents. Never having memories of being loved like this. Their cousins weren’t exactly the best, and neither were their aunt and uncle.

Penelope’s lips trembled.

"Bu-But why...?" Heidi whispered. "Why didn’t anyone find us? We were in the capital... all this time..."

Her voice cracked on the last word.

That was what confused Aristia. It was the same with Evelyn, who was right here in the capital and yet hadn’t been found for years.

Oh no. Evelyn had said that her former lived in one of the Southern Fiefs before relocating to the capital before the people who raised her died.

The Anton Fief was in the south.

Henry lowered his head.

"We searched everywhere," he said hoarsely. They had. They really had. Amberale was so wide. It was an empire. The capital itself was large.

Jacqueline wiped her cheeks, voice breaking.

"We failed you... we failed you so much..."

The twins’ eyes filled again.

But Aristia stepped in.

"Mrs. Cedmond," she said. "It’s not your fault."

Everyone turned to her.

Aristia’s gaze dropped to the twins.

"If anything... it’s the people who took them. They’re the ones to blame."

Heidi and Penelope nodded slightly.

"But you’re here now. And we won’t let you go again." Jacqueline said firmly.

Heidi suddenly looked up at them, asking a question that startled the adults.

"...But, are you sure you want us?"