There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 788: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 69

No one was surprised by the abrupt appearance except for Julia, who felt like a Goddess had just entered the room.

A goddess of storm, perhaps, but a goddess nevertheless; with beautiful glistening bronze skin and silky platinum hair flowing down as she moved with energy. The deep, enthralling blue eyes made it hard for people to turn their gaze away.

Julia wanted to sigh; how could a family filled with such beauties? She never cared about appearance before, but she started to think that she should--even if it was only to make the future family picture look less unbalanced visually.

The golden storm was replied by another golden storm. "That’s why you should stay home more often, my daughter."

The girl pursed her lips and stomped her feet as she moved toward the couch. "You should have told me, Dad! And why is my sister crying!"

"Oh, you’re calling her that already?" Kar arched his brow.

Lucy tilted her head. "How else should I call her?"

Zein chuckled and gestured toward Julia with his chin. "Well, as an apology, you can be the one taking her to wedding dress shopping."

Julia blinked in surprise because they hadn’t even talked about the date yet while Lucy was gasping in excitement. "Yes! Yes!" the golden storm rushed toward Julia and hugged her arm. "Sis, sis! When can you go? Now? Should we go now?"

"Lucy, you should start by introduction," Asa pulled the startled Julia off his sister’s hold. "Besides, I haven’t gotten her a ring yet, so we should do that first--"

"No ring?! What the hell, Asa?" Lucy stood up with a horrid gasp. "What kind of disgrace are you?!"

Bassena smirked smugly. "See?"

Zein laughed and shook his head. "Your daughter, alright."

Each one of them was just adorable in his eyes. Yes, including the confused addition. The poor girl had to get dragged around by two siblings with too much spare energy around the house for a house tour. Even Kar slipped outside to avoid joining them.

Well, it was nice hearing the house got rowdy again. Lucy had been getting bored since he couldn’t play with his fathers like when he was a child anymore, so she had been visiting the Guardian Tree to hang out with her ’blue cousins’ instead. The house became rather desolate because of that, and while Zein loved how calm it was, sometimes it could feel lonely.

Hah. To think he would feel lonely being alone in a house. Zein felt like he was truly getting old.

He still didn’t like getting involved in the activity itself, but he loved hearing the sounds his children were making. Julia didn’t speak much, but she seemed to assimilate herself quickly after that initial chaos at the start.

"They’re taking her to her room," Bassena reported while cuddling his husband on the chaize lounge of their bedroom, listening to the noise upstairs. "Whoa...they didn’t even let her check the bedroom. I think they took her to the gaming room right away."

"It’s a good decision to gather all the children’s rooms on the third floor," Zein chuckled. "Poor girl wouldn’t have to go up and down too much."

"Yeah, I should remind them that she wasn’t an awakened," Bassena smiled, leaning down to kiss his husband’s closed eyelids. "You like her, don’t you?"

"There no reason not to," Zein shrugged. "At any rate, she’s someone who Asa chose with his heart, so I won’t say anything."

But...yeah; as a matter of fact, Zein quite liked her. Julia was reserved and calm--except for that initial meeting--and she seemed to be a good brake for Asa. It was nice knowing that they would be together in that spaceship, supporting each other.

Yeah...it was nice.

But not for Julia, who had to do some breathing exercises after following Asa and Lucy around the house--no, the mansion. Damn--she felt like she was back in the university on the day when the classes were done in different buildings.

"Are you okay, Ju?" Asa stroked her back as she took a deep breath on the patio.

"No? This feels so overwhelming," Julia exhaled slowly, before taking another deep breath.

It wasn’t just about the physical exertion of doing a house tour; her heart was yet to settle from the nerve-wracking moment of meeting her benefactors. It wasn’t quite digestible yet that she would have to call them fathers soon.

No; actually, they wanted to be called that already. Now.

Asa grinned and whispered. "But not bad, right?"

"I guess?"

"Let’s take a breather in the garden; the breeze is nice there at this time of year," he held Julia’s hand and followed Lucy who was already running toward the garden.

Julia could see the golden storm rushing toward Asa’s twin, who was lounging on one of the garden benches while smoking. It didn’t look like a regular cigarette, however; the smoke looked like an iridescent haze and odorless.

"Why do you have this when you’re on vacation?" Asa tapped the golden needle dangling from his twin’s lips.

Kar took the golden needle and blew the fume away from his siblings. "Didn’t you hear me? I had been taking care of the garden."

"Using mana?"

"Sharpening my elemental control," the esper shrugged.

"Geez--you’re going after the elementalists too? So greedy."

Kar scoffed. "I’m making enough excuses so you only need to guide me without being criticized, punk."

"Who the hell needs your help for that?!"

Only three hours after seeing each other again in three years, the twins who were so inseparable during their childhood already started bickering. Julia watched those two adults wrestle with their hands on the garden bench in bewilderment.

"Don’t misunderstand, Sis," Lucy plopped beside her and whispered. "They bicker a lot, but I promise they love each other."

"I know," Julia replied. "Asa acted like he didn’t care, but he always followed the Deathzone news and looked all anxious."

"I know, right?" Lucy giggled and scooted closer until her shoulder nudged Julia’s. "I’m sure Kar never felt as comfortable receiving guiding as he did with Asa--not even if he received it from the Saintess."

Julia smiled; looking at the twins like that reminded her of the kids in her orphanage in the past. Ah, she was glad that she could invite them...although she had no idea if they would have the time.

"Oh, I love this!" Lucy hugged Julia, who was still in the middle of nostalgia. "I finally have my own sister!"

The excited claim returned the twins’ attention to the girls. "What about Nari?"

"Nari is Nari, but Sister’s parents are also my parents--right?" Lucy looked at Julia with sparkling eyes.

"Well...yes," Julia smiled bashfully. The fact that she was asked to call them ’fathers’ felt more and more real. "But, you can just call me Julia."

Lucy perked up. "Yeah? Can I call you Ju? Or is it only for Asa?"

"It’s not like he asks for permission to do that," Julia shrugged, making Asa grin awkwardly.

"Then I’ll call you Ju!" Lucy decided quickly, as always, hugging her new sister’s arm excitedly. "How long will you stay this time? Asa, you’ll go to Grandpa for the ring, right?"

"Who else would I go to?" Asa looked at his commlink to check his schedule. "Anyway, we’ll be here for a week."

"Whaat? Only a week?" Lucy gasped and whined with one breath. "But then we can’t hang out with Nari and Byul since they are still in punishment!"

Asa arched his brow, looking at his twin again. "Punishment? What punishment?"

"For keeping their relationship a secret," Lucy giggled.

"Mine is because I didn’t call Dad for three days after I got out of the Deathzone," Kar corrected.

"Your fault," Asa scoffed.

"Your fault," Kar pointed at his twin with his golden needle. "He was like that because you’re in a lockdown."

"I was on a deadline, you punk!"

Ignoring the bickering twins, Julia turned to ask Lucy instead. "Are they those childhood friends of yours?"

"Yep," the girl nodded quickly. "You know that actor--Hanbyul?"

Julia raised her brows. "Really? The girls in my dorm love him."

"Hmm..." Kar’s focus suddenly shifted as if Julia’s words summoned his senses.

"Careful; he got our fathers’ jealousy," Asa smirked.

Kar glanced sharply at his twin. "And you’re not?"

"Don’t expose me like that!"

Julia laughed, remembering the time Asa would narrow his eyes when other researchers asked her out. He would also look at her with sad puppy eyes when she went out with other researchers, even though those people were just her friends and all girls--as if he was jealous the girls could hang out with her.

Thankfully, other than working those amber eyes to his advantage, Asa never did anything more--like telling them to not get close to her or anything. Because of that, Julia thought he was cute instead.

But, yeah--jealousy seemed to run in their blood.

"Anyway, don’t make things complicated," Kar waved his hand. "We can just gather in Projo once the punishment ends."

"Oh!" Lucy clapped. "This is why you’re the oldest!"

Asa nudged his twin with a grin across his lips. "That means you’re paying, right? Older Bro?"

"Disgusting."

"Yeah, he’s paying," Asa raised his thumb. Naturally, the rich one should be the one taking out money. "But, hey...is it okay?"

Kar arched his brow inquisitively at his twin’s sudden sheepish gaze. "What is?"

"I mean...me getting married before you?"

"Why wouldn’t it be?"

"Because you’re older and whatever," Asa shrugged.

It was only a split second, but Kar could see Asa glancing at Julia. It seemed like a concern that the girl brought before, and it made him laugh in tease. "Whoa...do you always see me like that, little brother?"

"Eww!"

"My sentiment exactly," Kar scoffed. "Don’t think of useless stuff; my baby is still young."

"Ugh--it’s so weird hearing you calling him that," Lucy shuddered.

Kar smirked. "Then why are you getting us together, hmm?"

"Because I didn’t think you’d be this sappy?"

"After seeing our fathers?"

"...you have a point," Lucy sighed. "It’s all my fault, ugh!"

"Anyway, don’t worry about it, Julia," Kar turned toward the fiancee. "Just give me your child or something."

"The hell?!"

Kar shifted his gaze at Asa, still with a smirk across his lips. "I’ll need a successor--unless you want to be the patriarch?"

"I shall present you with the best one, Sire." Asa bowed politely, prompting Lucy to gasp.

"Whoa...selling out your unborn child like that..."

Julia asked curiously. "What if I can’t have children?"

The twins raised their brows, looking at each other wordlessly for three seconds before shifting their gaze toward their only sister.

"Why are you looking at me?" Lucy narrowed her eyes.

"She’ll outlive us, so let’s just leave it to her," Kar decided lightly.

"Heey!"

The garden filled with laughter as Lucy lunged at her brothers. Surrounded by the flowers, the soft breeze, the warm sunlight, and the laughter, Julia felt like she could understand why Asa could act like everything was easy for him.