Chapter 45: The Sirens' Hideout, II

The sight of the inn’s interior compelled Louis to pause.

“Oh.” He was mildly impressed.

While the exterior looked shabby, the inside was clean and neatly arranged with various trinkets that gave it a quaint feel rather than old and run-down. It was clear at first glance that the owner took pride in maintaining the establishment.

It seems quite busy.

Despite being past lunchtime, many patrons filled the inn. A delightful aroma wafted through the air as well.

Wow! This place must have great food!

Judging by the enticing scent alone, Louis expected the meals here to be excellent.

Louis approached Pablo, who stood near the entrance of the inn.

Suddenly, they heard a voice:

“Welcome!” An orange-haired woman approached Pablo with a smile as she finished serving another customer.

“Welcome to the Siren’s Resting Place. Are you staying overnight or just dining?”

“Well… We were planning on spending the night here… Do Hamon and Julia still work here?”

“…Do you know them?”

“We used to be close friends about ten years ago.” As he spoke, Pablo subtly glanced at Louis out of the corner of his eye.

Meanwhile, the orange-haired woman stared back at him before exclaiming in surprise:

“Could it be… Mr. Pablo?”

Taken aback by her words, Pablo looked at her closely and hesitantly asked:

“You wouldn’t happen to be… Moana?”

“Oh, it’s you! Pablo!” The woman called Moana grabbed both of his hands and happily shook them. Pablo’s shoulders puffed up with pride as if boasting to Louis, See?! She’s one of my regulars! Louis shook his head slightly while observing her closely.

She had slightly wavy orange hair, pale skin dotted with freckles, and green eyes. While not conventionally beautiful, she was charming due to her bright and cheerful demeanor.

Pablo felt uplifted by Moana’s energy. “Ha-ha! Look at how much you’ve grown from that little bean.”

“A bean?! Don’t call me that! I’m a fully grown lady now—twenty-four years old!”

“I can’t believe it’s been that long already.”

“It has been ten years since your last visit!”

“Oh… I should’ve come more often. By the way, where are Harmon and Julia? Did they go to the market?”

“Oh…” Moana’s cheerful demeanor shifted slightly as she answered Pablo with a hint of sadness. “My parents…passed away three years ago.”

“What?! How did this happen?!”

“…It was an accident—a horse-drawn carriage accident.”

“Oh dear…”

Seeing Pablo’s grief, Moana tried to reassure him with a bright smile. “I’m okay now. Lucia and I inherited this place, so we’re doing well.”

“That must have been…difficult for you.” Pablo patted her shoulder proudly.

Moana’s eyes welled up at Pablo’s comforting words for the first time in ages. She hastily wiped away her tears and beamed again.

“Oh geez… Silly me! Anyway, it’s great to see you! My parents have missed you dearly.”

“Well…I’ve been quite busy…”

“Oh right! No time for chitchat. Lucia, Lucia! Come here! Look who’s here!” Moana yelled toward the kitchen.

Soon, another woman emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her reddish-brown hair framed green eyes, and she had fair skin devoid of freckles. While Moana exuded a cheerful charm, this newcomer possessed a serene beauty.

Pablo was taken aback as he murmured upon seeing her.

“…Lucia?”

“Oh!” Lucia quickly approached him and looked up at Pablo. “Mr. Pablo…sir?”

“Ha-ha! Lucia! You’re old enough to get married now, aren’t you? Or have you already tied the knot?”

“I haven’t yet.”

“Well then… What’s wrong with the men of Luft Hagenn? How could they let such a pretty girl like you stay single?!”

“What about me, Mr. Pablo? Me too?” asked Moana.

“That’s right! Our Moana is quite lovely herself!”

Pablo hadn’t seen his dear friend’s daughters in ages, and he was amazed by how much they had grown. The sisters were thrilled that their favorite uncle from childhood had finally come for a visit. They stood there chatting happily for some time.

Eventually, the twins grew bored of their parents’ conversation and tugged at Pablo’s pant leg while whining.

“I’m huuungry!”

“Me tooooo…”

The sisters finally noticed Louis and the twins, startled by their presence.

“Who are they? They can’t be your kids, right?”

“They could be, though.”

“Based on what evidence? Look at these angelic faces! How is that possible?”

Moana’s expression turned icy as if her earlier enthusiasm had been feigned. Lucia mirrored her sister’s reaction.

Taken aback by their incredulous response, Pablo cleared his throat awkwardly before answering them.

“Ahem… Th-they’re my nieces.”

“Oh really? But even then, it seems unlikely. No matter how I look at them, there’s no way such adorable children could come from your family tree…”

“Well… They’re very distant—like super-distant relatives.”

“Hmm… I suppose that’s possible.” Moana then squatted down in front of the twins.

“Hmm…” She scrutinized them with a thoughtful expression before breaking out into a delighted grin.

“Aww! Oh my goodness… You two are just too cute!” Moana hugged both tightly and nestled her face between their soft cheeks, beaming contentedly.

“Eeeek!”

“That tickles!”

The twins giggled nonstop, unaffected by Moana’s hair tickling their faces. Their gentle reactions made it hard for Moana to let go anytime soon.

Lucia found herself in a similar predicament as she knelt before Louis.

“…?” Seeing his bright eyes, Lucia internally sighed.

Haaah… Being cute can be exhausting.

Despite her thoughts, her mouth naturally uttered words perfectly suited for this situation.

“I’m hungry…sister.”

“Oh…!” Lucia’s face instantly melted at Louis’s plea. Unsure of what to do with herself, she gently picked up Louis while trembling slightly.

“W-would you like something yummy, sis?”

“Yes…”

Louis effortlessly mixed formal and informal language, melting hearts wherever he went. His cuteness had previously sent the maids’ hearts fluttering back at the grand duke’s castle, and now it was striking straight at Lucia’s heart.

“Is Room One at Lucia’s Inn available?”

“Yes!”

“We can’t let our angels sleep just anywhere!”

“That’s right!”

In that brief moment, Louis and the twins had already captivated the sisters.

Moana picked up one twin and strode toward the best room at Siren’s Retreat. Lucia followed her with Louis in her arms.

Pablo was left behind, staring dumbly after them.

“…” Pablo went from being reunited with an old friend for the first time in ten years to feeling like yesterday’s leftovers in an instant.

“Well? Aren’t you coming?”

“…Yes.” With Fin prodding him from his shoulder, Pablo finally moved, trying hard to hide his disappointment and hurt feelings.

“We’ll let you rest here!”

“We’ll bring some yummy food for you later!”

After enduring their relentless pestering, Louis sighed with relief as he watched his sisters head off to work.

“Ahh… Cute kids can be exhausting.”

“I know, right?”

“They’re too much!”

Pablo observed the three siblings looking worn out, as if they had accomplished something monumental. His face visibly darkened at the sight, but it quickly vanished when Louis turned her attention toward him. She eyed Pablo’s feigned nonchalance and bluntly asked:

”…Were you just making that ‘I’ve eaten shit’ expression?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Oh, I definitely caught you… So, what’s your connection with those twins anyway?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Their parents were friends of mine from my mercenary days.”

“Mercenaries? Sword for hire?”

“Yes, they were quite amusing companions. They fought all day long until one day, sparks flew between them and they ended up having their first child together. That was Moana. After her birth, they retired as mercenaries and opened this inn here in Luft Hagenn. I also used to visit often because of them.”

“I see. Hmm… Well then, hurry back.”

“What?” Pablo was taken aback at Louis’s abrupt order to leave after just entering the room, but Louis seemed unperturbed.

“Why so surprised? Didn’t you need to find out about ships heading to the Autumn Continent?”

“Oh… Um, that aside, but do we really have to go today…?”

“…”

“We must! We absolutely need to leave today! Of course! I’ll be back soon.” With Louis glaring at him, Pablo nodded reluctantly, trying not to cry over his wasted time and effort.

“Fin!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Go with him.”

“Understood!” At Louis’s command, Fin promptly climbed onto Pablo’s shoulder.

Louis continued. “Also, see if you can find any elixirs while out there!”

“…Yes, sir.” Pablo slumped as more tasks were added to his growing list.

Soon, he and Fin left the inn without even taking a break.

Whump.

Louis threw himself on the bed.

Meanwhile, the twins sat on the windowsill with their chins resting against it, watching cats pass by outside.

“Aww, kitty!”

“It’s such a tiny kitty!”

“I miss big kitty…”

“We wanna see Nabi…”

Louis sighed softly at his dejected children.

I wonder how nabi is doing.

He thought about Thunder Tiger, the big kitty he had sent away six months ago.

Since I gave him a hint to consume light attribute stones, he should be able to nurture Nabi well enough.

As Thunder Tiger could prove invaluable to the Trujan Clan, they wouldn’t neglect him.

With that reminiscence behind him, Louis looked around from where he was sitting on the bed.

Snooze…

The twins, who had been whining earlier about missing their big cat, were now fast asleep curled up next to him.

They truly look like angels when they’re asleep.

Like all children, twins looked especially adorable while sleeping, mainly because they weren’t tormenting anyone at that moment.

“Yawn…” Watching his peacefully slumbering siblings made Louis sleepy as well. He pulled a pillow closer and rested his head on it. Soon, his breathing evened out, and he fell fast asleep alongside the other two.

The three kids cuddled together, sharing their body heat.

“Kids, breakfast is—”

“Oh my… Ah!” Moana and Lucia froze upon seeing the trio soundly asleep on the bed. After gazing at them for some time, the sisters quietly closed the door with wide smiles on their faces.

“How cute…”

“Yes, so cute…”

Grinning from ear to ear, the sisters slowly turned away. Little did they know how these peacefully sleeping children would shape their lives going forward.