The Heir's Naughty Twins
7. Where's Dad?
"Yuje-nii." A curly-haired little girl with sweet round eyes called out to her brother.
Hot steam that froze in the air without smoke came out from the mouth of the five-year-old boy. Holding the tip of the big brother's haori for him to look over.
"Onaka suita." [My stomach is hungry.]
Name's Yujerian. A thick black-haired little boy who was now busy looking at the ocean stretched out before them.
With her equally round adorable eyes, Yujerian turned away. Holding her twin sister's little fingers.
She's freezing.
"Aren't you the one who said you wanted to see the sea?" he asked his sister, Yuveria. "You want to go to Oji-ue's house?"
Shut up for a moment, the sister nodded. "Kirai," murmured he was half pouting. [No want to.]
"Haha-ue will be angry if we don't deliver the message. Hold little. I'll give you mochi later."
"Hontou?" [Really?]
"Why should I lie?" Yujerian rubbed his sister's hair while removing the snow from it.
Although still wanting to see the sea, Yujerian immediately pulled Yuve towards the uncle's house near them.
Kitamura is not an uncle in the sense of family or having a blood relationship with them. But the man took care of the two like his own nephews until both considered him a substitute uncle.
Some time ago Kitamura's grandson was born. Yujerian and Yuverian were asked by Hestia to represent him present because there was a job in the next village that could not be left behind.
Yuveria won't be present. He said he hated seeing Hinatsuru flaunt his full family and always spoiled with a father they didn't both have.
Actually it was just an act of childishness as well as a sense of wanting to compete between fellow little girls, but Yuveria so disliked every time she had to come to Uncle Kitamura's house.
She's envious.
Yujerian couldn't say it wasn't painful, but he already understood enough that there was a reason why they didn't have a father.
"Nii chichi-ue wa doko de nani shiteru no?" [Sister Yuje, where is Dad and what is he doing?]
Yujerian's steps stopped. He looked at his sister who was trying to hide his mouth between thick scarves.
His hands are still cold.
"Don't I tell you not to talk about Chichi-ue in Japanese?"
"Yuve."
The girl pouted. "Every time I see them, I always show off having a father. Yuve also did not want to feel envious, but if Yuve felt envious, it was indeed Yuve's fault?"
"Yuve has me, right? They don't have people like me."
"But it would be perfect if there was also a Chichi-ue."
Yujerian thinks his sister just wants to whine. Rather than long, he decided to crouch. Letting Yuveria climb onto her back so that at least she felt that she had something else that no one in this village had.
There was indeed no one like Yujerian in this place.
Even deep in Yujerian's mind, for some reason, he felt that there was nothing like him in this world. That's not arrogance. Not a bit too confident.
This world always looked small in her much smaller eyes.
Yujerian was envious as well. Yet another corner of his heart felt that he had something more special and perfect.
Arriving at Uncle Kitamura's house, the two shouted from the front saying their greetings.
"Gomen kudasai!" [Excuse me!]
Yuveria came down from her back, then Yujerian crouched down to take off their respective shoes.
His sister held Yujerian's hand as they entered together, greeted by a number of people who also gathered to see the newborn.
"Oji-u."
Uncle Kitamura greeted him with a big smile. "Yuuki, Yuui, come on in."
Yuuki and Yuui are their unofficial Japanese names. Hestia just gave them a Japanese name so as not to feel too outsider with a name that is honestly not very common here.
Japanese-speaking voices surrounded them, and Yujerian stood holding his sister's hand to accompany her to see the baby sister.
But the one who was interested was actually Yujerian, while Yuveria looked away unconcerned.
He doesn't like what makes him jealous. He said, baby sisters are always nice to be loved by many people and have a father while they are not.
...*...