When Zenith stroked her belly and announced that she was pregnant, it was right after dinner.
Paul had clearly been prepared for it, yet he still could not contain his excitement. He wanted to hug Zenith, but forcibly stopped himself and danced around on the spot instead.
Ever since Zenith had given birth to Rudy, the two of them had wanted another child. Now, that wish had finally come true.
Rudy, too, looked at Zenith with fresh curiosity. He hurried to her side and pressed his ear to her belly alongside the excited Paul.
Zenith wore a gentle expression as she stroked Rudy's head.
"That's wonderful, Rudy. You finally won't be alone anymore."
As she said that, she suddenly paused and looked at Allen, who stood beside them with his arms folded and an unreadable smile on his face.
"That means... you'll have another little brother or sister, won't you? There'll be a third child in the house to play with. You need to fulfill your duties as an older brother, okay~?"
Rudy nodded, then turned to look at Allen, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
Because he was standing rather far away, Allen had not fully heard what Zenith said. He felt as though the two had mentioned him, so he dropped his amused spectator's smile, tilted his head in confusion, and gave them an inquiring look.
Rudy smiled without responding to Allen's wordless question, then pressed his ear against Zenith's belly again.
It still doesn't quite feel real that Allen is my distant cousin. He really is something else. He's incredibly sharp when dealing with people—he can accurately read their emotional shifts and always knows the right thing to say. But when it comes to his own feelings, he's a little dense.
*Is it a lack of