Vitori had left with the promise of returning by the time they finally decided to take the last step in their lives and get married.

Naturally, he wanted to stay longer, but his absence from the Tower would raise suspicion in the capital, especially considering everyone knew about his close connection with Emma. That was why the old man reluctantly departed.

"Nana, are you really going to help me today?" Close to evening, Emma found herself with a little helper who seemed extremely eager to assist her in the kitchen.

The small girl huffed and nodded twice, her excitement obvious.

Emma smiled helplessly. Cooking for three people was hardly difficult, especially when the other two rarely demanded much, aside from Nana’s fondness for sweet things.

And the kitchen itself barely had enough space for two people to stand comfortably.

So, Emma simply bent down and lifted Nana into her arms.

The little girl tilted her head, only to soon find herself seated atop the counter.

Emma picked up a carrot and a peeler before instructing her, "Okay, this is how you do it." She carefully demonstrated how the carrot needed to be peeled.

Nana absorbed every bit of the lesson attentively, watching the motion from top to bottom as the thin outer layer came off.

Understood. She could do it.

Raising her tiny hands, she took both the carrot and the peeler from the silver-haired woman.

Emma observed her for a few moments as Nana first gripped the vegetable firmly in her little hand before slowly peeling away the dirty outer layer with careful movements.

Her actions were slow, but Emma was thankful the girl prioritized safety over speed.

Soon after, Emma busied herself with peeling the remaining vegetables. Today’s menu was stew.

William had gone out to bring some meat and herbs—

"Here they are."

—and he had already returned.

"Seriously, you don’t even spend half an hour wandering around," Emma remarked with a faint smile as she accepted the basket of ingredients from her beloved.

"Hmm? Well, I don’t particularly get along with anyone here," William confessed something Emma already knew. "And I hope you understand the reason."

"Hmm...your ability to sense darkness, huh?"

William nodded. "Until now, Nana has been the only being who doesn’t harbor any disturbing darkness."

Emma smiled wryly. "Somehow, I feel insulted, but I won’t ask what you see in me."

William paused.

Truthfully, he wanted her to ask.

Ever since that conversation with Lamb in the forest two days ago, he had been wanting to ask Emma about the secret she was desperately hiding.

It was important for them to remain transparent with each other because Emma was his emotional support. The person who still gave meaning to his life. And somewhere deep inside, he held an almost absolute certainty that, in the future, it would be Emma who kept him grounded and level-headed.

All the powers he had recently gained still hadn’t changed his personality completely because of this one girl.

Just the thought of her rejecting him that day...

It made him realize how badly he could have changed.

But well, since she had been avoiding that conversation entirely, he hadn’t pushed the matter yet. Still, a time would come when he might go out of his way and become a little persistent to make her tell him.

He could already imagine the guilt he would feel while cornering her into it, but this was necessary.

Far more necessary than either of them had yet realized.

"Hmm?"

His attention suddenly shifted toward a pair of diligently working little arms on the other side.

Tilting his head slightly, William sent Nana a mental message.

{Helping sister?}

The little girl didn’t even lift her head as she replied,

{Don’t disturb me, brother. This is important. If I don’t do well, big sister won’t let me come here again.}

William almost chuckled at those words.

The sight before him was simply too adorable to resist.

Her tiny tongue peeked out slightly, a few unruly strands of hair hanging over her eyes as she focused with utmost seriousness on peeling the carrot.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough space for him to make his way to the other side.

Letting out a sigh, William remarked, "I feel like we need to expand this house at this point."

Emma hummed in agreement. "Because of the kitchen? Well, there is some space we can still utilize."

William smiled wryly before sending a mental message to the big silly girl this time.

{Emma...how long are you planning to keep me starving? It has already been five nights...and with Nana separated by only a thin wall, there’s no way she wouldn’t hear your screams.}

Clang!

The last part startled Emma so badly that the knife slipped from her hand, her face turning a deep crimson.

Grinning, William used telekinesis to stop the knife before it hit the ground, gently placing it back onto the counter.

Blushing furiously, Emma looked at her lover before muttering, "You know...we might need to build a whole new house just for that, right? I mean...you aren’t exactly quiet when we do it either."

Despite her embarrassment and the barely audible voice she spoke in, she still managed to hold her ground and say it anyway.

William narrowed his eyes, his smirk faltering slightly at that. That was foul play.

He only made noises when she went on top...that sight was simply too—

Ahem.

Best to keep his thoughts safe around the little one.

"Let’s talk about it later," William said, and Emma instantly nodded.

The house was spacious enough for the three of them to live comfortably, but as two young lovers deeply infatuated with each other, there were certain things they could barely restrain. So yes, this was a genuine problem that needed to be dealt with soon.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, cutting through the atmosphere, a loud triumphant harrumph echoed out, drawing both their attention toward the little girl.

Nana sat there with her chest puffed out proudly, holding up the peeled carrot in victory.

Emma and William glanced at each other at the same time, both forced to use every ounce of willpower to stop themselves from laughing.

In her determination to remove every bit of the dirty outer layer, Nana had peeled away far more than necessary.

What remained was barely thicker than the peel itself.

Nana widened her eyes expectantly, waiting for their compliments.

William didn’t disappoint. Somehow squeezing himself into the cramped space, he picked Nana up into his arms before whispering,

{You did well. You can definitely be a big help to Emma, right?}

He turned his gaze toward Emma, while Nana looked at her as well, though the little girl’s eyes held far more hope than confidence.

The silver-haired woman smiled helplessly before nodding. "Okay, you can help."

"Ehehe~"

They were instantly rewarded with an adorable little giggle as Nana hummed happily in delight.

Seeing her like this made both their hearts melt at once.

How could someone possibly be this adorable?

However, just then, William suddenly jolted, his eyes narrowing sharply.

Emma blinked in surprise. "What happened?"

William turned toward the window before muttering in a slightly dazed voice,

"Someone is approaching...someone familiar."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.