After cuddling, Natalie plans to have her best friend's family over for breakfast soon. The kids must be getting hungry.
"How about we start breakfast now? We can talk more there!" Natalie exclaimed enthusiastically as she tugged at her best friend's hand to follow.
"My pleasure!" Martha replied no less enthusiastically. She turned her head to look at the children, and her gaze fell on someone.
Martha smiled and waved her hand, "Come on, Hana! Stand next to Auntie!"
Hana happily obeyed, "Coming, Auntie!" She walked over to her, leaving Eric and Noam who still hadn't finished their argument.
Martha looked at the girl in front of her with sparkling eyes. She couldn't resist pinching Hana's cheeks in excitement.
"How cute! Hana's getting bigger and prettier!" Martha squealed with delight. She always liked Natalie's daughter because she wanted a daughter.
"Thank you!" Hana laughed happily.
Arion blinked in surprise, 'Wait! You're going to leave them? Not even trying to break them up?'
When Arion looked at the two adult women, he knew he couldn't rely on them. Especially when he saw them whispering suspiciously to each other.
"Want to bet how long it will take them to finish this time?" Martha whispered with a suspicious grin.
Natalie giggled happily, "That'll be fun!"
Hana tilted her head, curious about the topic of their conversation, until they giggled suspiciously. Arion sincerely hoped that his older sister wouldn't catch on to their infatuation.
Arion sighed resignedly, '...Never mind.'
After many obstacles, they finally managed to gather in the palace dining room. Usually, when they ate together, only Natalie and Hana dominated the atmosphere with small talk.
But this time, the atmosphere was more lively because of the addition of other hyperactive people. Moreover, this addition was a very lively family. They now dropped the formalities and didn't care about the royal etiquette. They preferred to be casual.
"Eat more, Noam," Natalie said happily as she watched the boy eat heartily.
Because their families were so close, Noam did not hesitate to devour all the food served in front of him. It made Natalie even happier to see the boy eating so well. It was as if they were part of the same family.
Noam grinned happily, "I will, Auntie!"
While Natalie watched Noam, Martha watched the twins, especially Hana. She knew Eric didn't like a lot of attention. But she still made sure to ask the little boy.
"Would you like some dessert, Hana?" Martha asked as she began to hand Hana one of her favorite desserts.
Hana will accept it enthusiastically, but then becomes lethargic, "I would love to. But Dad is still punishing us by not letting us eat dessert. The punishment ends at the party tonight."
Martha gave her a pitying look, ''Too bad. How about some chocolate milk?''
Hana happily accepted. Even so, she still sulked at Arsen who didn't care about her grumbling. Oscar beside him just laughed out loud, either to annoy his rival or because of Hana's story.
Martha chuckled and turned to the other twin, "What about you, Eric? Do you want anything else?"
"I'm fine." Eric politely declined. He had no appetite. He just wanted the day to go quickly.
'The atmosphere is more crowded than usual.' Arion thought as he saw the scene in front of him. Only Arsen and Eric remained silent from the beginning to the end.
When they finished their breakfast, the two families moved into the large living room of the palace. While the children gathered, the queens chatted on the sofa.
The kings? They went straight to Arsen's office after breakfast. Of course with some dramatic scenes from Oscar who didn't want to go with Arsen, which ended with him being scolded by his wife and Arsen having to drag him away.
"Look Arion, this is Seth. I hope you two become good friends in the future." Natalie said softly as she brought Arion closer to the still-sleeping Seth.
"And not compete as much as certain father and son pairs." Martha continued, which was greeted with laughter from both of them.
'So he's my future friend.'
Arion looked curiously at the baby beside him. He had been sleeping very soundly since the beginning despite all the noise around him. But he didn't seem bothered at all. Are babies really like that?
Arion frowned nervously, 'Will he be as ignorant as his father and brother?'
Physically, the baby next to him was very similar to his father and brother, with red hair. What if his nature was the same?
Arion swallowed nervously, '...Can I face it?'
He was unprepared for what the future would bring. If Eric had such a fate now, how would he, who had less courage than his older brother, survive?
He couldn't imagine himself making scathing remarks to another royal prince. He didn't want to unintentionally bring trouble to this kingdom and its people.
While the queens were still squealing with delight, they didn't notice that the twins and Noam had finished their whispering and were approaching the two adult women.
"Mom. Auntie." The call made the two adult women turn their heads. They found the twins and Noam standing before them with expectant eyes, except for Eric, who looked resigned.
"Yes?"
"Can we spend some time in the park afterward?" Hana asked in a pleading tone. Noam nodded vigorously beside her, supporting Hana's words.
Natalie chuckled amusedly, "Of course you can. Enjoy your time. But don't overdo it."
Next to her, Martha gave a thumbs up, signifying that she permitted Noam to spend time with his two friends.
Hana hesitated for a moment, "Actually, we want to invite Arion and Seth as well," She said in a low voice, almost a whisper. But Natalie and Martha could hear her clearly.
Natalie was silent, "Why?"
Martha raised her eyebrows in curiosity. She didn't mind. After all, Noam was already taking care of Seth without her supervision, just the supervision of the nannies.
"Sibling bonding time!" Hana replied enthusiastically, impatient to start their special event.
Natalie frowned, "You're still not allowed to hold Arion unsupervised, dear. Especially without Mom or Dad's supervision." She firmly refused.
Come on, the twins are so young. Only 5 years old. How could she let them take care of their baby brother without her supervision? Absolutely not!
Hana's smile began to fade and was replaced by a sad look on her face. Eric rolled his eyes, already anticipating his mother's answer.
To be honest, he was a little relieved. As much as he wanted to spend time with his siblings, he didn't want anything to happen to Arion because of their carelessness.
Meanwhile, Noam looked at his mother expectantly, hoping she would help them come to an agreement.
"We'll bring Nova and Noam will bring his servant! That way Mom can spend time with Aunt Martha in peace. Dad and Uncle Oscar will chat for hours too."
Hana looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping her mother would allow it. She really wanted some sibling bonding time, especially with Noam and Seth here. It's a rare opportunity that has to be taken.
Natalie looked at Hana doubtfully, "I'm still not sure..."
Martha patted Natalie's shoulder, "Don't worry too much, Natalie. The kids will want to enjoy their time alone without adult interference anyway.''
Noam was happy to hear that his mother had agreed to their request. However, their biggest challenge was still to be solved, which was getting permission from the twins' mother.
Natalie immediately protested, "But the babies--"
"Come on, let the babies enjoy being raised by their own older siblings. They'll learn to be good older siblings." Martha said casually.
She didn't seem bothered by the idea of her five-year-old taking care of her several-month-old baby. Natalie began to suspect that Martha had done it in her own kingdom.
Natalie sighed, "Fine, you can do it. Only if Nova watches you guys." She said resignedly, still feeling unsure. But if Nova is watching over them, everything should be fine, right?
Eric sighed in resignation. He was still not sure. But he had no choice. He had to take care of his little sister and now his baby brother too.
Hana's face brightened, "We promise we will keep Arion and Seth!" She said excitedly but also seriously.
"I'll keep a close eye on them, Mom," Eric said seriously, trying to calm his mother down a bit.
Arion grimaced nervously, 'So my fate in the next few minutes is in the hands of these kids?'
"In that case, Mom will entrust Arion to both of you," Natalie said firmly after she had managed to solidify her heart. She had another plan that she would share with Martha later.
"Leave it to us!" Hana said confidently as Eric nodded firmly. This was the first time Natalie trusted the twins to take care of Arion without her supervision, so they wouldn't betray her trust.
"Take good care of Seth, Noam," Martha warned her eldest son seriously, knowing that he was sometimes too distracted. Though she didn't sound like she minded, that didn't mean she wasn't worried.
Noam saluted firmly, "No problem!"
He had already had the experience of taking care of his baby brother on his own, but still under the supervision of the nannies.
Arion swallowed nervously, 'Should I be worried?'