Blanche grabbed her father’s cheeks and stretched them sideways.

“Is this really Dad?”

My dad saying something like this?

Could it be Mom pretending to be Dad?

Is this really Blanche’s dad?

Did his soul switch with someone else’s?

“If I’m not your dad, whose dad am I?”

This chilling gaze.

“Heh, what’s this. It is Dad after all.”

Now that’s more like Dad.

“Blanche. Let’s go to Mom. She’s waiting for you in the bedroom.”

“…Mm.”

Dad said as he climbed the stairs.

“I’m sorry. For not being there when you were in Mom’s belly. For missing your first words, your first steps.”

Tch, who does he think will be moved by that?

“Then you should stay by my side forever.”

The day I first met Dad.

The day Dad first hugged me.

The day I first called him Dad.

For everything, Blanche was the first.

When I washed my hands and entered the bedroom, Mom was crying.

“Mom, why are you crying?”

Blanche ran to Mom and climbed onto the bed. Inside the box on Mom’s lap were.

“Larien. Are you looking at those again?”

Things Blanche used to use long ago. Dad gently scolded Mom with a smile, asking if she was looking at them again.

“You were this small, but now you’ve grown up…”

Mom wrapped her hands around Blanche’s feet, comparing them to baby socks as she continued to shed tears.

“…Shu Shu really was the first, wasn’t she.”

Blanche felt she could return the love she first received to the babies.

Because she had received so much that it was overflowing.

“Mom, I want to say hello to the babies.”

“They might be too small to answer yet, you know?”

“Still!”

Blanche placed her hand on Mom’s belly and closed her eyes.

‘Let’s meet in good health.’

She was excited to meet her siblings. Would they look like Mom? Or Dad?

‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll love you no matter what you look like.’

Blanche was no longer lonely.

Because she would have siblings to build snowmen with in winter.

Time passed quickly.

The pink spring turned into a bright summer, then a cool autumn came, and before long winter was approaching.

While I had said I wouldn’t leave the bed first, Jade really didn’t let me move at all.

Even though the doctor said I should walk occasionally, he wouldn’t allow me to go outside the Rowe mansion.

Honestly, it seemed excessive at times, but I understood.

As the doctor had worried, having twins was more difficult than when I was pregnant with Blanche.

The babies seemed to have different tastes, as there were many foods I couldn’t eat, and while my belly grew, I lost weight elsewhere.

I often woke up at night with stomach pains, and I would get upset over Jade’s usual manner of speaking that I was used to ignoring before.

Above all, I didn’t want to get irritated, but I couldn’t control my growing sensitivity.

But Jade put up with all my annoyances and corrected his brusque way of speaking.

Seeing him barely holding back what he wanted to say and comforting me instead made me melt.

Also, Blanche submitted a leave of absence from Romer Academy, saying she needed to protect me.

Thanks to that, I got to spend all day with Blanche like when she was little, which was nice.

On the other hand, knowing that Blanche was aiming for early graduation made me feel heavy-hearted.

As if knowing this, Blanche said:

She could be top of her class anytime, but this was the only time she could be alone with Mom.

She wouldn’t go back.

I knitted gloves for the children with Blanche, and we looked through all sorts of books to think of good names.

“Mom, I suddenly got curious. Why am I called ‘Blanche’?”

Blanche asked as she warmed her frozen hands by the fireplace.

Oh, how cute. How could she be so delicately beautiful? There wasn’t a single unattractive part about her.

“You’re curious about why Mom gave you that name?”

“Yes. I understand why Dad gave me ‘Gloria’. Since I’ll be the next Marchioness of Rowe after Dad, Lady Gloria was the one who passed the law for female succession of titles.”

I recalled the day Blanche was born.

“There are two reasons. One is that ‘Blanche’ was your grandmother’s name. I wanted to leave a name that showed you were Dad’s daughter.”

“Then what’s the other reason?”

“You know your name means ‘white light’, right?”

“Yes, white light reflects all light.”

Blanche focused intently on my words, seemingly very curious.

“I wanted you not to be swayed by others, to have your own principles and live your life as yourself without being pushed around. I liked the meaning of shining with your own color.”

“Mom, I like my name even more now! It’s so cool! I got it, I’ll be a person with strong convictions!”

A person with strong convictions, huh.

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Tears welled up and my stomach tightened.

“Mom? Does your stomach hurt? Hey babies, be quiet because Mom is in pain.”

Blanche ran over and stroked my belly while speaking solemnly.

She was so lovable, already fulfilling her role as the eldest so well.

Her hands were very warm, full of heat from sitting by the fire.

“Our baby touched me, so it doesn’t hurt anymore. Oh right, did you know Dad agonized a lot when choosing your name?”

“No, I didn’t know that!”

“He thought about it so much. He looked through ancient language dictionaries, names of famous people from various countries, and the entire Rowe family tree, writing down all sorts of things. There was Chloe? Elze? And things like Odette too.”

I could clearly see Jade saying that revealing Blanche’s existence wasn’t an impulsive act.

“Jade said he had never named anyone before then. After putting in all that effort thinking, he told me to choose again if it was strange?”

Blanche seemed pleased but also embarrassed, puffing out her cheeks. A red flush spread across her white cheeks.

“Among those, ‘Gloria’ stood out the most. The meaning ‘glory that comes with light’ also connected with your name.”

“…I’ll cherish the names Mom and Dad gave me.”

“I’d be so grateful if you do.”

“Actually, I was curious after seeing Mom and Dad take days to name the babies. If you chose my name like that too.”

I knew from Jade. That Blanche was worried about not being loved when the siblings were born.

‘That will never happen, Blanche.’

Blanche was my everything, my reason for living, and my first family.

“Blanche. Come here.”

“Mom, I’m scared I’ll press on your belly…”

“Like this, you can hug me.”

Blanche carefully put her arms around me, tensing her body.

I was grateful for her posture, trying not to press on my belly.

“When Mom first locked eyes with you, my heart fluttered. Like a sprout blooming.”

“…Mm.”

“I’ve said this before, but. Thank you for being born. I was happy and joyful that you came to me. When you called me Mom, I was so overwhelmed. When did our baby grow up so much?”

“Will I still be Mom’s baby even when I’m an adult?”

“Of course. Even when you become a grandmother, you’ll always be Mom’s baby in my eyes. I wish time would slow down a little.”

…It hurts.

‘It’s wet down there…’

When I gave birth to Blanche, it was also calm like this before suddenly becoming painful.

“Mom? What’s wrong? Mom!”

Blanche tilted her head and gently shook me. I barely managed to pull the bell rope.

“Larien!”

Jade burst through the door.

“Ja…de. Please call the midwife. And take Blanche out…”

“No, Shu Shu wants to stay here! I want to be by Mom’s side! I won’t leave! Mom, don’t be in pain, did Shu Shu hurt you like this too? I’m sorry…”

I struggled to breathe slowly, trying not to show it.

“Larien, wait just a bit. I’ll bring the midwife.”

Jade put his hand on Blanche’s waist and lifted her with one arm.

I smiled at the struggling Blanche.

“Blanche, Mom is… fine. Don’t you want to… see your siblings?”

“You two! I’ll really scold you if you hurt Mom!”

In the end, Blanche’s shouting gradually faded as Jade carried her out of the bedroom.

Soon after, the midwife and Mary entered.

“My lady, breathe in and out slowly.”

The midwife encouraged me, saying I was doing well. Mary knelt beside me, holding my hand and crying.

“Our young miss, it must be so hard, oh my, look at you sweating. What should we do. I really wish I could give birth instead! I hate seeing our young miss in pain the most…”

I remembered Mary holding my hand and keeping my fading consciousness together when I gave birth to Blanche.

“Ma…ry.”

“Yes…”

That Blanche was born safely, that I’m here now.

It was all thanks to Mary. Come to think of it, Mary was the only one by my side on the day I became ‘Larien’ too.

She said she waited for me to wake up. That she was always on my side. She came with me to Lekah without hesitation.

Saying she would follow me anywhere.

“Thank you…”

“Don’t say that, it scares me like you’re going to leave us, young miss!”

No, Mary.

I’ve always wanted to tell you.

And now I understand.

“My first family… wasn’t Blanche, but you… you know.”

Mary, because of you I held on until I met Blanche.

“Am I… your family, young miss…?”

“Yes…”

Will you be there for me this time too?

“Me too. Young miss was my only family too. Don’t worry, I’ll always be with you, just like before.”

Reassured by Mary’s words that she wouldn’t go anywhere, I breathed.

Before I knew it, the bright sky had given way to a quiet darkness.

Snow fell, welcoming the birth of the children.

“The first baby born is your son, and the second is your daughter.”

The midwife washed the babies and placed them beside me.

“…Aster, Estera.”

I met the child I had lost and the child with incredible strength.