"So, how is it? This is my first time using human organs as ingredient so I am not so sure about the taste"
-It is amazing, master! It is the best one I have ever had!
Knowing that gives me mixed feelings.
Almas took his time eating the stewed human liver with eyeballs with a delighted(?) expression.
Click, click.
A bat appeared out of nowhere. It was Xavier.
"My lady there are three men who are waiting for you in the drawing room. They claimed themselves as your brothers and brother-in-law"
So they have arrived already.
"Okay. Thanks for notifying me"
I went up using the door that is connected to the mansion.
When I entered the drawing room, my two brothers abruptly stood up and embraced me with teary eyes.
"You're okay, right?!"
"Who was it?! I will fucking kill the bastard that attack your town!!!"
As expected from my brothers.
"I am fine so please... let go. I can hardly breathe"
After releasing me from their grasp, I had a better time breathing again.
Still worried, the two sat beside me, forgetting the other guy that was in the room. Brother Roman was saying comforting and encouraging words while brother Nicholas was cursing under his breath. He was muttering so fast that it was as if he was rapping what he will do with the mastermind behind the attack.
"I am glad that you two are here. And I also get that you both are worried, but as you can see I am perfectly fine. The attack happened the day I was gone and it ended a few days after I got back"
"Still, you were lucky this time. It is better to be sure about the security in this place"
"Let's build a castle"
Inspired from what brother Roman said, brother Nicholas took a sheet of paper and started drawing right away.
After a few minutes, he showed a draft of what the castle would look like. It had high walls and spikes from all over. It even had a poison moat that has poison plants around.
The more amazing this is that brother Nicholas was able to drew all this in a short amount of time despite hating the fact of having to do anything related to paper works.
"There is no need for that"
"Why?!"
"As you saw on your way here, A wall is already under construction"
Besides, the number of civilians dying because of this tacky designed would be higher than the amount of thugs that will come to my town.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door slightly opened revealing a small hand at the lower half of the door.
"Huh? What are you doing here, kid? It is not good to interrupt adults' conversation, you know"
Dereck who was staying quiet all this time walk towards the door and carried the small child.
Ivan then pointed towards me and said, "Mama!"
Because of this one word, the already tense atmosphere in the room got even heavier.
"Hahaha!"
Everyone was staying still, excluding brother Nicholas who laugh it off and thought that the kid was joking.
Brother Nicholas stood up and gently took Ivan from Dereck and lift him up.
"Kid, what's your name?"
"Ivan... Ivan Emond"
"Really? Who is your mother?"
"Dianna Emond"
In response to brother Nicholas' question, Ivan said my name whilst pointing at me once again.
"Then, who is your father?"
"I don't have one"
Although the question was getting more sensitive, brother Nicholas and Ivan were laughing.
I stood up and took Ivan from brother Nicholas. I walk to the other side of the room, putting brother Roman and Dereck in the middle between us.
"Brothers and my brother-in-law, I present to you three my son, Ivan Emond. I adopted him just recently and of course, his name is already in the family register"
Bam. Bam.
He who cannot accept the reality, brother Nicholas banged his head, twice, on the wall which sobered brother Roman and Dereck.
"Oh, so this is not a dream?"
"It is is not"
After a thirty minute long explanation, they now, somehow, understood why I adopted Ivan and accepted it as they had no other choice.
Just because brother Nicholas is the head of the family doesn't mean shit to this matter.
It is not like they can do anything about it since I am now the legal guardian of the child. Meaning, if they want to remove his name from the family registration document, they will have to make me remove his name or wait till I die.
While explaining, Ivan got tired from playing with Dereck and fell asleep.
"Oh, right, there is still something important that I have to tell you guys. And since everyone is here, I think that this is the perfect moment to say it"
"What is it?"
"You know that I love you all, right?"
"Hey, Bea, you're scaring me. Nothing's going to happen to you, right?"
"Of course not! As I was saying, you all do know I love you guys, right?"
Still confused, they nodded.
"I am not your sister Dianna Emond but someone else"