Catherine’s chambers were peaceful and calm. The troubles and gossip of the outside world never reached this place. Here, the twins grew up surrounded by their mother’s love, safe and cared.

  With each passing day, they became more lively, more inquisitive. Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and a thirst for discovery. Their days were filled with smiles and ringing laughter.

  A year had passed since the assembly that finally broke Catherine’s spirit.

  She had completely lost faith in her husband. Only Cassia and the newborns had witnessed her bitter tears on that ill-fated day.

  During that time, Adam never visited the children. His absence said more than words. He believed every rumor without question and never tried to find out the truth.

  Catherine’s heart was shattered.

  From that moment on, she withdrew entirely from the secular world, dedicating herself wholly to the twins. Her resentment and anger toward her husband had converted into absolute indifference. Their relationship became nothing more than an empty formality. Only the tender age of her two little ones held her from a final, irrevocable break.

  Fortunately, Cassia was always nearby. She listened quietly to her mistress and shared her worries. Her support acted as a lifeline for Catherine.

  The entire small world of the twins revolved around these two women.

  It was no wonder that the second word they learned, after the tentative “Mama,” was the playful “Kassi.” This small moment brought tears to the young maid’s eyes and filled her with love.

  Then came their first steps.

  Grey and Grace clumsily chased after the cat-girl’s tail. Their excitement often ended with new bumps and bruises.

  For the first time, Catherine used her position to call the healer often. He visited her palace more than anyone except Cassia.

  One day, tired from so many calls, the healer finally spoke up. He asked Catherine to buy a soft carpet and said his pay was too low for how often he was needed. He even asked for a raise.

  Catherine finally lost her patience.

  Her husband had been gone for over a year, and now even his staff refused to do their jobs.

  She was not weak. She was a powerful woman, and her patience was almost gone.

  Catherine let out all her anger and used her aura to put the healer in his place. A strong wave of pressure filled the room, making even the solid walls shake.

  “If not for requests like this, then why does our family even keep a healer on staff?!” Her voice thundered through the air, carrying all the outrage she had long held in check.

  Startled by the surge of aura, Adam Starlight hurried to the palace of his third wife.

  It was almost funny. This was his first visit to Catherine since their wedding night.

  Deep down, he agreed with the healer. He thought the doctor shouldn’t have to deal with such small problems. Still, Adam was too careful to upset Catherine when she was angry.

  Catching Catherine’s sharp gaze, Adam quickly moved to appease her. He assured her that everything would be resolved promptly, cast a few fleeting glances at the twins, and then hastened away.

  Yes, he ran away.

  He didn’t want to talk to his third wife while she was upset.

  Catherine didn’t detain him. Just looking at this man made her even more annoyed. She had to restrain herself from telling him everything she thought of him.

  An hour later, Adam sat on his throne, deep in thought.

  He had sent someone to get carpets for Catherine’s rooms and ordered the healer to do whatever she asked, without arguing.

  Adam thought to himself, ‘Does this fool really think he can challenge the strongest person in the Province of Light and get away with it?’

  He tapped his fingers on the armrest, thinking about his relationship with Catherine.

  She was an impressive woman—smart, beautiful, and gentle. It seemed that several generations of his ancestors had to live the lives of ascetics so that he could receive her love. And he understood this truth perfectly.

  But reality was different.

  The dark-haired boy wasn’t the only reason for their problems. Adam kept a dark secret that no one else knew.

  Whenever Adam was alone with Catherine, he felt overwhelmed by negative feelings—like guilt, fear, and even disgust. It felt unnatural, but he couldn’t change it.

  It was beyond his control.

  These mixed feelings left Adam drained and empty. He tried to find comfort with his other wives and even looked forward to boring paperwork, but nothing helped. Anything to avoid thinking about Catherine.

  Cassia stood quietly by the throne, watching Adam’s changing expressions. Her eyes showed only contempt.

  Even though Cassia’s bold attitude annoyed him, Adam didn’t dare scold her. She was close to Catherine, and he didn’t want to make things worse.

  Adam sighed, tired.

  “Cassia, I know I’m very handsome. But could you stop burning me with that look?”

  “Heh… As you wish, Your Excellency. Do you need something?” the maid asked, bowing her head.

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  “Tell me about the children. How are they?”

  “They are well, Your Excellency,” Cassia replied tersely.

  “I want details,” Adam said, his voice more firm this time.

  ‘I know you’re angry. But I am still the damn governor! Ruler of the Province of Light! Do you understand?! Show at least a shred of respect, little slave. If not for Catherine, I’d have executed you for such insolence!’ he thought to himself, gripping the armrest of his chair.

  Realizing she could remain silent no longer and finally shared a few details of the twins. She knew her tone was harsh, yet she felt no remorse. It was this very man who had caused her mistress suffering. The fact that she still stood there at all could be considered an act of civility.

  With mixed feelings, Cassia started to speak:

  “Well, Grey is smart and curious. He likes building towers with the wooden blocks my lady made. He’s always taking apart magical devices and trying, but failing, to put them back together. He…”

  “Enough! No more about the boy. Tell me about the daughter,” Adam interrupted, his face twisting in disgust at the mention of Grey.

  Seeing his reaction, Cassia had to work hard not to spit in his face.

  “Grace. She’s a very good girl. Lively and carefree, always laughing or sleeping with a blissful smile…”

  “She loves playing with our hair and is already speaking quite well. Her favorite games are hide-and-seek and tag.”

  “Oh, just recently, her favorite toy—a big soft horse named Boni—split along the seam on its back. I stitched it up myself. Grace crawled nearby, her face full of concern, warning: ‘Cassi, don’t sew too hard! As soon as Boni says “i-go-go”—throw the needle away immediately!’”

  “…I could barely hold back my laughter at that moment. Ahahaha… If plush Boni had suddenly said ‘i-go-go’—I wouldn’t have just thrown the needle… I would have died right there. Ahahaha.”

  Cassia realized she had talked too much about the children and quickly stopped, knowing it wasn’t proper.

  Adam paused, looking lost in thought.

  “You may go,” he said, letting the maid leave, though his mind felt scattered.

  Cassia walked back to the estate, thinking about Adam’s behavior.

  ‘Could it be that this man will finally get his act together? Damn it, I shouldn’t get so flustered just talking about the twins. I still want to be the perfect maid! Perfect! I mustn’t reveal my lady’s secrets. But… But… They’re so charming…’

  ‘Alright, it’s fine. This vain governor can consider it his victory.’

  ‘Unfortunately, he’s lost far too much.’

  ‘I’ll never tell him how sweet the little master’s affection is, or how amusing it is to tease young Grace.’

  ‘He’ll never know how attached she is to her brother.’

  ‘He’ll never see, in little Grey’s beautiful eyes, all the love and devotion that shouldn’t even belong to someone so young.’

  ‘And how adorable he is when he falls asleep on my lady’s chest, reaching out for his older sister…’

  ‘Heh-heh, he worries every time he doesn’t feel that tiny bundle of joy nearby.’

  ‘Damn it, this irresponsible, useless man doesn’t deserve my lady! He may be an excellent ruler, but he’s a completely worthless husband!’

  Cassia, lost in thought, kept walking toward the estate.

  She didn’t notice her steps getting lighter and faster as she got closer to Catherine’s rooms. That was where her little family waited, the ones she loved most.

  Meanwhile, things changed after what happened with Adam.

  He had struggled with himself for a long time, but finally decided to act. He couldn’t put it off any longer.

  Adam’s choice was based on several reasons.

  First, having Catherine in the Province of Light helped him politically, and he couldn’t afford to lose her as an ally. Second, he wanted to stop the rumors hurting his reputation. And finally, even he had softened a bit after seeing little Grace.

  After that, he started visiting Catherine’s mansion regularly, at least once a month.

  Their meetings were always tense and awkward.

  Catherine stayed quiet, and Adam didn’t know what to do. They were completely different, like ice and fire.

  How did it come to this?

  When they first met, Catherine was young and inexperienced. She traveled the world, free and unburdened. She came to the Province of Light to see the greatest human empire, and that’s where she met Adam.

  There was a civil war going on, but Adam stood in the temple as if nothing else mattered. He looked so handsome in that moment.

  While others fought for the throne, Adam seemed not to care and spent all his time with her. Still, he skillfully managed the province’s politics, turning the brothers against each other and gaining support from the church and senate.

  His eyes seemed to shine with a special light. That look touched her young heart.

  He showed his admiration openly and started to court her.

  She quietly accepted his attention.

  Adam turned out to be charming—good at listening, talking, and surprising her. They spent hours talking about myths, legends, and human nature. There was something almost unreal about him, as if he came from another world.

  He was confident, ambitious, handsome, and mysterious. He seemed like the perfect partner, and she was drawn to him.

  But even then, Catherine wasn’t easily won over by sweet words.

  It took Adam three years to truly win her heart.

  They married as soon as he became ruler. The ceremony was secret. He promised to love her forever, and she promised to stay by his side through everything.

  Catherine still remembered being led to the bridal chamber and his gentle words as she fell asleep after their wedding night. She had never been happier.

  But she didn’t know her fairytale was already over.

  Adam changed the next day.

  The light in his eyes faded. The passion that once excited her was gone. He became just another ambitious senator, focused on power and influence.

  As for her, she became just a trophy to show off. No matter what she did, Adam ignored her, her presence even seemed to bother him.

  It was confusing.

  Was she really so bad in bed? It shouldn’t be like this.

  Catherine knew she was beautiful. She was the province’s top expert, and her intelligence could helped Adam’s goals. She couldn’t see any reason for his coldness.

  But he was still distant.

  Catherine was completely confused. She didn’t know what to do to win back her husband’s love. Then she realized she was pregnant.

  She was so happy.

  ‘Maybe having a child will warm my husband’s heart. Maybe I can bring back our happiness,’ she thought.

  But that was a naive and foolish hope.

  Instead, she got a cold palace, suspicion, and indifference. All because Grey was born with black hair.

  Had she been her former self, she would hIf she were her old self, she might have killed Adam without hesitation. But now she was a mother, and her children’s happiness came first.would return to her.

  ‘It would be nice if he visited sometimes. Grey and Grace, my little treasures, shouldn’t grow up without a father,’ Catherine thought, trying to see something positive.

  So, she put up with Adam’s visits.

  She felt torn between wanting to forgive and fear to remain an outcast.

  Every visit from him left her with more questions than answers.

  ============

  In that odd mix of happiness and worry, two more years passed quickly.

  Today, the twins turned three. They looked almost identical, except for their hair color.

  Grace sat in front of her mother, who brushed and braided her white hair. The little girl enjoyed every moment. She loved when her mother played with her hair.

  ‘Mommy’s hands feel so nice,’ Grace thought, feeling happy. ‘Not like my silly brother, who always hurts me! I won’t let him ride Boni anymore!’

  A loud knock at the door interrupted her serious thoughts.

  Without waiting for an answer, Adam Starlight, their monthly visitor, walked in.

  He skipped any greetings and got straight to the point.

  “I’m glad you’re all ready. It’s time to go. Your Awakening Ceremony awaits.”

  Adam paused for a second, but seeing that no one was moving, decided to make himself perfectly clear.

  “As you already know, three years of age is a special milestone for citizens of the Roman Empire. By this age, the skeletal structure is fully formed. Children acquire essential skills: they learn to walk, develop established reflexes, and gain a basic vocabulary for conscious communication.

  All of this is a necessary foundation for the Awakening of the Magical Core.

  The Magical Core is the fundamental element for the circulation of mana, which is later used for practice and the enhancement of one’s powers. This core is unique to every individual and is hidden deep within your body.

  Our great Empire is renowned for its laws, which safeguard the rights of all its citizens. In accordance with the Law of Universal Development, every resident of the Empire has the privilege of one day participating in the ritual of Magical Core Awakening.

  It is a great honor and glory, as well as a crucial milestone in the life of every person. Do you understand?”