The Next Day
Aaki was waiting for the prince and princess at the training ground.
Shortly after, both of them came running.
"Sorry, Master, we're late!"
"Yeah, Yuuya and Reiyu are so cute—they wouldn't let me go!"
Aaki nodded.
"It's okay this time. But remember, training requires discipline."
"Understood," both replied, nodding.
The princess raised her hand slightly.
"Mr. Aaki, can I ask something before we start training?"
"What is it?"
"It's just… how do Big Sis and you have kids?"
The prince burst out laughing but quickly covered his mouth before Aaki could hit him.
Aaki looked at her calmly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… if they're your kids, then why weren't you and Big Sis taking care of them? Yesterday, you said you left. Why did you leave?"
"Yeah, I was wondering about that too, Master," the prince added.
"And one more thing," the princess continued. "When you left, why didn't Big Sis take the kids with her? Where were they all this time?"
Aaki took a deep breath.
"I understand what you're asking…"
He paused for a moment.
"…Where should I start?"
"When I was alone, searching for my little sister, I came across a forest."
"I heard newborns crying in the distance… and I rushed toward the sound."
"As I followed the cries, I found two newborn babies… abandoned."
"I picked them up and tried to find their parents, but there was no one."
"They were crying a lot. I thought they might be hungry, so I used magic to get milk."
"I tried to feed them, but their mouths were so small… I couldn't do it properly with my hands."
"That was the moment… when I first met Miyuna."
Flashback
The babies cried in Aaki's arms as he struggled to feed them milk.
Then suddenly—
"You're having a hard time, aren't you?"
Aaki looked up.
A beautiful woman stood before him.
For a few seconds… Aaki couldn't take his eyes off her.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently.
Aaki snapped out of it.
Miyuna sat down beside him.
"Give me the kids."
Aaki carefully handed the babies to her.
Miyuna gently took the milk and began feeding them. Aaki watched her silently.
"You know… you've been staring at me for a while now," Miyuna said with a small smile. "Is there something on my face?"
Aaki hesitated.
"Oh—no… I was just… uh… it's nothing. Sorry if that seemed rude."
Miyuna smiled softly.
"It's fine. Don't worry. You just got lost in your thoughts… that's kind of funny."
Aaki blinked.
"What…?"
"It's nothing," she replied.
Then she looked at the babies.
"Tell me… are these your children? Where is their mother?"
Aaki fell silent for a moment. Then his voice lowered.
"I found them here… abandoned. I tried to search for their parents, but I couldn't find anyone…"
"I didn't know what to do, so I thought they might be hungry…"
"But I couldn't feed them… my hands are rough, and I was afraid I might hurt them."
Miyuna stayed quiet for a few seconds.
"…How could a mother be so selfish as to abandon her children like this…"
She sighed softly.
"Well… it doesn't matter anymore. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be called a mother."
Then she looked at Aaki.
"And about what you said… about hurting them…"
"You're wrong."
Aaki frowned slightly.
"What do you mean? My hands are rough—they'll definitely get hurt."
Miyuna took a small breath.
"Give me your hand."
Aaki slowly extended his hand.
"Now… squeeze my hand as hard as you can."
"What?!" Aaki hesitated.
"Don't worry. Do it."
Aaki squeezed her hand tightly.
Miyuna didn't react at all.
Instead, Aaki noticed something—her hand felt incredibly soft… like a flower.
"See?" Miyuna said with a gentle smile. "Your hands aren't that hard after all."
Aaki still looked unsure.
"But they're still rough…"
"Give me your hand again."
Aaki obeyed.
This time—
Miyuna squeezed his hand.
"Aah—!"
Aaki immediately pulled back.
"What was that?!"
In his mind, he thought:
Her hands were soft like a flower just a moment ago… but when she squeezed mine, it felt like a hundred elephants stepped on it…
She's strong…
Aaki looked at her again, sensing the power within her.
That's amazing…
"Are you still alive?" Miyuna waved her hand in front of his face.
Aaki snapped out of his thoughts.
"Oh—sorry…"
Miyuna smiled.
"Now you understand, don't you?"
Aaki gave an awkward smile.
"Yeah… that was quite a strong explanation."
"By the way, what's your name?" he asked.
"I'm Miyuna," she replied. "And you?"
"…I'm Aaki."