Today, Blackrock Fortress is completely different from the cold and imposing atmosphere of the steel city of the past; it is filled with a warm and cheerful festive spirit.
In the corridor, the metal shells of the rune golems responsible for daily cleaning were playfully decorated with simple little flowers cut from colored paper; the aroma of freshly baked desserts and honey wafted from the direction of the restaurant; even the constant, faint hum of energy in the air seemed to be drowned out by people's laughter and chatter.
All of this is because today is a special day—the children of Lord Lind and Alice, the hard-won twins, Leon and Leona, are celebrating their second birthday.
Alice, the mother of the brother and sister, devoted a great deal of effort to ensure their safe birth.
Pregnancy reactions are already intense, and twins put an even greater burden on the mother's body. During the last period, Alice spent almost the entire time under the protection of Lind's [Activation Aura].
Linde put aside most of his affairs to stay by her side at all times, using his immense spiritual power and precise control over life energy to ensure the safety of the mother and her two children.
In the end, everything turned out alright, and a pair of healthy babies announced their arrival with loud cries.
Although Alice was extremely tired, looking at the two wrinkled little ones in her arms, her face was filled with the happiness and satisfaction of being a mother.
Linde, in his deep purple eyes, also revealed a rare and clear emotion called "gratification".
At this moment, in the children's room specially decorated in the castle, a small celebration for the children is taking place on the soft, thick carpet.
Sunlight streamed through the large, stained-glass windows, casting warm dappled patterns. In the center of the room, Leon and Leona, dressed in elegant little gowns, sat on the carpet.
Leon, the younger brother, with soft black hair just like Lind's, was trying to grasp a colorful ball floating in front of him with his chubby little hands, radiating a soft arcane glow—a toy Alice made for them to practice grasping and magic perception.
His bright blue eyes (inherited from Alice) were wide open, his little mouth was pursed, and he looked serious, determined to catch it no matter what. Occasionally, he would make a "ya ya" sound of dissatisfaction when he missed.
The older sister, Leona, was quieter. She inherited her mother's sunny blonde hair, which was soft and fine, and looked as if it was edged with gold in the sunlight.
She held a fluffy snow fox doll that Nazira had sewn by hand in her arms, while her other little hand curiously played with the crooked name "Liana" embroidered on the doll with colorful thread.
She seemed less interested in her brother's "sports" and more absorbed in the touch of her fingertips and the company of her dolls. Every now and then, she would look up with her equally blue eyes, searching for her mother's figure, and reveal a sweet, slightly shy smile.
Their eldest sister, the fox-girl Linna, seemed especially like an older sister today.
Her beautiful silver-gray fur was meticulously groomed, and her fluffy tail swayed gently with happiness.
She was carefully protecting her two younger siblings, preventing Leon from bumping into things if he moved too much, and occasionally mimicking the tone of an adult in her clear voice:
"Leon, slow down~" "Leona, look here, hee hee."
Her expression, a blend of fox-like cunning and childlike innocence, was exceptionally endearing.
Their eldest brother, the human boy Aaron, was a completely different story.
He inherited his mother Leonis's silver hair and his father's resolute facial features. Although he was only a little older than the twins, he was as energetic as a little lion.
He was riding a wooden rocking horse meticulously crafted by a dwarven artisan (though he rode it with the aura of a charging warhorse), brandishing an unsharpened miniature training dagger, making "whoosh-whoosh-haha" sounds, patrolling around his younger siblings, and calling himself "the First Knight of Blackrock Fortress".
"Aaron! Slow down, don't bump into your little brother!"
Leonis leaned against the door with her arms crossed, a helpless yet proud smile on her face as she reminded him.
She had changed out of her military uniform today and was wearing a neat civilian outfit, still looking very heroic.
"Okay, Mother!"
Aaron answered without turning his head, but his speed did not decrease at all.
Nazla sat on a soft stool to the side, watching the scene unfold with a gentle smile on her lips, occasionally bending down to tease the little ones.
Alice sat on the carpet among the children. Although a trace of postpartum weakness still lingered in her eyes, her complexion was rosy and her eyes were bright. Looking at these children who carried Lind's blood and seeing their joyful scene, her heart was filled with warmth.
She reached out and gently smoothed Leona's blonde hair, which had been ruffled by the doll, then patted Leon's little bottom, reminding him not to be too impatient.
Linde did not directly participate in the children's play; he stood a little further away by the window, his posture still upright.
But those usually icy purple eyes now gently fell upon his offspring, reflecting the sunlight, blond hair, black hair, silver hair, and the children's innocent smiles.
The noise, the children's chatter, and even Aaron's "destructive" play before him were not perceived as noise, but as a strange and vibrant "life rhythm."
This rhythm, so different from the steel torrent he controlled and the cold, lifeless depths of the shadowy abyss, contained a powerful force, a force concerning "future" and "continuity".
He saw Linna carefully wrap her tail around Leona, who was trying to climb away; he saw Aaron, though reckless, always subconsciously avoid his younger siblings; he saw Leon, unable to catch the ball, turn around and crawl towards his sister for comfort; he saw Leona stuff her most treasured doll into her brother's arms...
A subtle, indescribable sense of satisfaction flowed through Lind's heart like warm water.
In his view, these small interactions were more exquisite than any complex array of runes, and more worthy of "analysis" and "protection" than any powerful alchemical creation.
At that moment, Aaron charged forward and stopped in front of Lind, tilting his sweat-covered face up, raising his little wooden sword, and shouting:
"Father! I will protect my younger brother and sister! Just like Uncle Astaire!"
Lind nodded slightly, condescending to extend his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against Aaron's silver hair.
“Very good, Aaron.”
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a powerful affirmation: "Remember your responsibilities."
The sunlight was perfect, filling the entire room and bathing the children's laughter, the mother's tenderness, and the rare warmth in the cold lord's eyes in a golden glow. There could be no greater joy than this.
This heartwarming scene reveals the gentle, beating heart beneath Blackrock's powerful exterior.
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