Two carraiges continued to stumble into the heart of the night. Morris was sound asleep on his sister's arms. For Diane, the carraige ride was long and cumbersome. She began to wonder how Diego made it back alone, safe and sound when it was already dusk back then. Oh right... probably magic. She almost forgot about that. From time to time, Diego would ask her some questions about her childhood, family or mother, to which a string of tales would end up pouring from Diane's mouth. But now the man was quiet, and Diane felt bored. "Can't you just use your magic to teleport us there?" She immediately asked. "I don't use my magic unless if it is a real emergency." Diego briskly replied. "Why?" Diane asked, but the man played dumb. She sighed and leaned her head back.
A gentle neigh woke her up. She then realized that she had her head leaned on Diego all this time, and was even... drooling on him. She looked up and met his gaze. "My deepest apologies." She said, rubbing the corner of her lips with the back of her hand. Morris was still asleep, and the rays of the sun gradually visited earth. "I hope you had a good night." He said calmly. "Um, did you not sleep?" Diane asked, trying to be a dutiful wife. Diego smirked. "Don't try so hard, you will wear yourself out." He said, having seen through her intentions, and patted her on the head as if she were a little kid. "Am I not allowed to display some concern at least?" She said, seemingly annoyed. "Save your breath for later, you are going to need it when we walk through that door." He said as he alighted from the carraige and stretched his arms out. Diane was slow to understand before carefully handling Morris over to him. He held him gently with one arm and helped Diane out of the carraige with another. "Oh, and I shortened the contract to six months." He said with a sudden stroke of revelation. "Are you kidding me?!"
Diane was awed as she walked into the house. The servants at the front of the entrance, both maids and butlers came out of the house to regard him, and they neatly arranged themselves into two rows. "Master." They said, in a manner of recognition. While Diane was still at awe at what was happening, with Alice and Dorothy gaping behind her a middle aged man with blue hair the same shade as diego's and even brighter blue eyes slowly came down the stairs. "You may be dismissed." Diego ordered the servants. The maids curtsied while the butlers bowed before resuming their business. "Diego." The man began slowly. "Where on earth have you been? and who is this woman and the child in your arms?" The man inquired. "Uncle Regis ." Diego said in manner of greeting. Diane was shocked at first, because she believed the man to be his father. "Let me introduce you." He stated while patting the still sleeping Morris on his back. "This is my illegitimate son, and this here is my wife. We recently got married." Diane suddenly had a choking fit, while uncle Regis's eyeballs nearly budged out of their sockets. "You have an illegitimate child?!" Came the booming voice of a young male, followed by hurried foot steps. Standing at the top of the stairs was a young male with the same blue hair but Grey colored eyes. "It is only when it comes to gossip that you show up." Diego said with a smirk to the guy that quickly dashed to the foot of the stairs and began shaking him frantically. "Oh my brother, where did you go wrong with your upbringing?" He asked, crocodile tears spilling out of his face. "Wake this child up, and you will get the beating of a lifetime." Diego said coldly. The young man quickly stood at arm's length. "The woman is pretty though." The man whispered to uncle Regis, who just happened to be his father. "Diego, do you know that leonia went on a hunger strike because you didn't come home last night?" He stated. "Silly girl." Diego muttered under his breath, while Diane on the other hand just asked: "who is leonia?" Diane muttered. Diego ignored her, but beckoned at Dorothy who stepped forward and took Morris from her. "Lisa" He called out. A maid with grey hair and gold eyes stepped forward. "Please show her to her rooms. Let the children have a room for themselves also." Diego stated. Lisa nodded and guided Dorothy along with the kids away. "Hugo." He told the man that was standing not too far from him. "Please call for a family meeting."
In the conference room.
Members of the Raymond household started pouring in one after the other. Diego was sitted at the head of the long dining table with Diane sitted right next to him. The imposing aura that radiated from his being along with the stares that the family members threw at her made her feel uneasy. She had tried various excuses to leave, but one look from Diego made her to stay put. All of a sudden, a girl around the same age with Morris suddenly threw herself at him. "Brother!" She cried, tears falling from her ruby red eyes. Diego patted her head. "Leonia, compose yourself." Diego whispered softly into her ears. Gradually the sobbing stopped, and the little girl suddenly put on the demeanor of an adult. "You better have a plausible explanation for this." Leonia scoffed at him, while returning to her seat. "Diego dear, why did you suddenly call a meeting, and just who is this woman?" Diego's aunt, Maria, the wife of Regis and the mother of Theodore, the man who had immediately believed the idea of Diego of having a child outside, and Natasha, the lady with light blue hair and emerald eyes, who was just sitting quietly, giving Diane a scrutinizing gaze. "She.. is his wife." Regis responded quietly, so quietly that it could be mistaken for an Inaudible whisper. "That is right mother, and could you believe that he had a child with the woman.. OUCH!" Natasha kicked her brother mercilessly underneath the table, of which he exclaimed In pain. "Watch your mouth, Theodore." She began calmly. "This is Cousin Diego we are talking about." She stated, never releasing the cloud of an imposing demeanor that surrounded her. "Cousin Theodore, do you really think my brother is capable of doing such a despicable thing?" Leonia asked, turning her head to Theodore. "If anyone here is capable of performing such a foolish act, it is you." She responded bluntly, while she and Natasha secretly performed a low five underneath the table. Diane tried hard to prevent her jaw from dropping. She looked at Diego who was massaging the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed, seemingly frustrated. Diane knew she was doomed. Just what kind of a family was this?!
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After a long explanation, which made the throats of both Diane and Diego dry, and several unnecessary interruptions, the remaining five members of the main household of Raymond finally understood what was going on. Maria even tried to wipe off the memory of magic from Diane, since hers was stronger, but it was futile. Her body even seemed to have formed a sort of resistance to it, as she did not blank out like the last time. Theodore just sat there, muttering at diego's face, "how could you be so reckless, how could you be so reckless?" Much to the annoyance of the latter. Regis sat there, staring blankly at both Diane and Diego, Natasha gaze towards Diane was even more speculative and filled with interest, while Leonia just eyed Diane and pouted her lips. Well... she could still act childish, sometimes. Afterwards, not being able to bear the tense atmosphere any longer, Diane pleaded for Diego to end the meeting, of which he conceded to. The sun was already way up in the sky by then, and everyone else had other things to attend to. Leonia shot Diane a nasty glare before walking out. Diane felt a headache coming. How could she get along with this little sister-in-law of hers that was so obsessed with her brother?!
As both Diane and Diego walked towards their room, Diane had a sudden epiphany. She realized that the people born into the house of Raymond all had blue hair, different shades though, of which diego's was the darkest, and all of them all had different kinds of magic. Even Maria, whose red hair stood out like a sore thumb, also possessed magic. She absent- mindedly followed Diego into the room, before suddenly realizing something: "what are you doing In my room?!" She called out to diego while closing her eyes with both of her hands. "Your room?" He asked, menacingly, walking towards her and pulling her closer to himself. "You mean, our room?" He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. Diane pushed hard against him, but she found out that her hands were touching his chest,causing her to blush unexpectedly. Diego smirked, before lowering his head and whispering into her ears: "Dear, why are your ears so red?" Diane responded with an angry punch, of which he immediately avoided. Diane, on seeing this, harrumphed coldly. "I want my own room." She said while sitting on the bed. "Why? Won't my family wonder why we are still living in separate rooms even when we are married?" Diego stated. "It is not even a real marriage!"Diane cursed out. "It is real to an extent." Diego replied briskly. "When you actually divorce me and get married to the one you loved, won't your future husband wonder why you are still a virgin?" He asked with a naughty smirk, leaning so close to her that Diane lay flat on the bed to avoid him. He eventually got up and walked into the bathroom. "Don't worry, I won't do anything without your consent." He said as the door closed. "Says the one who changed the duration of the marriage!" She said as she flicked her hair with annoyance.