"...Promise?"

"Promise," Gregory placed a reassuring palm on Oliver's shoulder.

Oliver smiled, his gaze dropping to the ground. "...Because you always keep your promises, I will trust and believe you until the dawn of my death," he said.

Gregory beamed at Oliver, his laughter bubbling up. "Hehe," Gregory chuckled, trying to stifle his amusement. "Oli, calm down. We may be getting older, but we're still young. We're not even middle-aged yet!"

"Yeah, right," Oliver grinned, glancing through the window.

"Anyways!" Gregory asked calmly. "Say, are you ready for dinner?"

"I am," Oliver replied, tilting his head towards the direction of the doorway. "Let's go fetch the kids."

"Alright, let's go," Gregory turned around with Oliver.

Oliver and Gregory walked out of the room, and as soon as they passed through the doorway, all the candlelights suddenly and magically extinguished, shrouding the room in darkness.

     The night deepens as the moon casts its bright glow upon the dark sky adorned with shimmering stars. The luminosity of the moonlight creates a heavenly ambience, reflecting the vast expanse of the cosmos in its gentle glow. A serene stillness settles over the surroundings as a light, gentle breeze rustles through the grass.

     Soft, muted yellow lights reminiscent of morning sunlight emanate from the windows of the neighbouring mansions. Each resident seeks solace within the confines of their grand homes, resulting in streets devoid of any pedestrian activity. The wind continues to whisper its presence while the world remains cloaked in silence, undisturbed by any intrusive noise.

     Meanwhile, inside the comforting mansion, Victoria, Elizabeth, Albert, George, and Jean gather in their shared bedroom. The boys explore the vacant spaces, their curiosity leading them to every nook and cranny, while the girls open the closets and carefully select dresses and shirts. With their chosen garments, the girls bring them to the clean sheets of their canopy beds.

"Albert, George, Jean!" Victoria called out. "Put on your clothes now!"

     Albert, George, and Jean only wore white cotton shorts and shirts. Their bare feet touched the ground without shoes or socks. The boys glanced in Victoria's direction as water droplets fell from their damp hair. Together, they walked towards the bed where their clothes awaited them.

"Okay!" Albert smiled, and his brothers followed behind.

     In the meantime, Victoria and Elizabeth were wearing silk chemises. They also had bare feet, having no loafers or stockings to shield them from the cold floor. And their loose hair cascaded down their backs, slightly damp.

"It's almost time for dinner! Let's get dressed now!" Elizabeth giggled, picking up a neatly folded dress from the bed.

The children then put on their clothes, carefully slipping into dresses and shirts. Once ready, they gathered in front of the mirror, gazing at their outfits through the reflection.

     Victoria wore a pastel lilac dress, its shoulder dropping as the short sleeves gradually puffed up. Her flowy, high-waisted skirt boasted a pleated, bell-shaped design that swayed with each step she took from the mirror. Finishing her look were white stockings and a pair of flats that caught the light, adding a radiant contrast to her attire.

     Elizabeth donned a dress with a silhouette similar to Victoria's outfit. However, Elizabeth's dress exuded the essence of a spring leaf. While her attire covered her shoulders, it still featured short sleeves suitable for the evening hours.

     Meanwhile, the boys—Albert, George, and Jean—wore identical dainty suits. They sported white shirts underneath their cotton coats, with black breeches positioned above their stockings. Completing their polished look were leather shoes, enhancing their overall appearance.

Victoria twirled in front of the mirror, her skirt floating up and revealing the stockings underneath. "Epic!" she grinned.

"Hey...! That's my dolly!"

Suddenly, a disruptive commotion reached Victoria's ears from behind. She quickly turned around and spotted Elizabeth and Jean.

"Hm, no," Jean said, refusing to release Elizabeth's porcelain doll.

"Jean, that's mine!" Elizabeth attempted to wrest the doll from Jean's grip.

Jean started gnawing on the porcelain doll's blonde hair. "Erm!"

"Eww! Jean, stop it!" Elizabeth's anger slowly intensified.

Meanwhile, Albert and George cheered in the background, their voices filled with laughter.

"Ooh!" George's knees bounced as he watched the two quarrel.

"Bite it, Jean! Bite it harder!" Albert encouraged, bursting into laughter.

"Albert... shut up!" Elizabeth glared at Albert.

"Ow, hey..." Albert quickly backed off, moving further away from Elizabeth.

Elizabeth then made a determined attempt to snatch her doll away from Jean. "Give it to me! Give it!"

However, Jean maintained a firm grip on the doll as he continued biting its head. "Hm!"

"Hey, guys, stop!" Victoria intervened, stepping forward.

"But Jean has my doll!" Elizabeth voiced her complaint.

Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open, and Oliver and Gregory entered with broad smiles.

"Hello, kids!" Gregory greeted, waving his hand. However, as he entered the room and caught sight of the commotion, his hand gradually lowered, and he raised a brow in surprise. "Uhh—"

Elizabeth persisted in her attempts to wrestle her doll away from Jean's grasp while Jean continued to bite on her toy. "Jean! Stop it! Give it back! Give it back now!" Elizabeth groaned.

"No!" Jean shook his head stubbornly, slurping on the doll's hair as if it were pasta.

"Eww! Yieek! Stop it!" Elizabeth yelled in disgust.

"Uhm... children?" Oliver raised an eyebrow in confusion. "...What's going on?"

"They're fighting over the doll," Victoria explained, glancing at Oliver as she moved closer to her parents, seeking refuge from the ongoing dispute between her siblings.

"Jean is taking my doll!" Elizabeth growled, gripping the doll's body tightly and engaging in a tug-of-war struggle with Jean.

"Dolly!" Jean gasped, attempting to pull it back towards himself.

"This isn't yours!" Elizabeth groaned in frustration.

"No, no!" Jean shook his head, trying to reclaim the doll and bring it back to his side.

"Give... it..." Elizabeth forcefully snatched the doll from Jean's hands. "Back!"

Jean's grip on the doll slipped. "No!"

"A-ha! It's mine!" Elizabeth triumphantly stuck her tongue out at Jean.

"You're just an old doggy's poopy!" Jean retorted, sticking his tongue out.

"Ha!?" Elizabeth gasped, taken aback.

"Wow! Jean used a naughty word!" Albert giggled mischievously.

"Dad!" Elizabeth pointed at Jean, her eyes seeking Oliver and Gregory's attention.

Oliver approached Jean, bending down to his level. "Aye, aye, aye!" he admonished calmly. "Watch your mouth."

Jean defiantly stuck his tongue out at Elizabeth one last time.

Elizabeth responded by sticking her tongue out as well.

Oliver stood up straight, placing his hands on his hips.

"You used to swear like that, too," Gregory smirked, whispering to Oliver.

"What? I've grown up!" Oliver whispered back.

Gregory crossed his arms, his eyes firmly fixed on the children. "Alright, kids, no more fighting. Come on! We're a family! Families don't fight!" he said.

"Ehh..." Elizabeth averted her gaze, her attention drifting towards a corner of the room.

"Your father is right, children. Since the day we welcomed each of you into our family, you have become siblings in our hearts," said Oliver.

"Uh-huh! Now, kids, it's time to apologise to each other," Gregory commanded, urging his children to reconcile.

"...Please?" Oliver kindly interjected, his eyes shifting between Elizabeth and Jean.

"Our fathers are right!" Victoria said. She then grabbed Elizabeth's forearm and pulled her closer to Jean. "Didn't I tell you? We must behave because we are the children of... the Hidesine-Podeshire!"

Oliver and Gregory beamed with pride at Victoria's words.

"Hmm..." Elizabeth looked into Jean's eyes, contemplating their connection.

"...Sorry," Jean offered a sincere apology, making direct eye contact with his sister.

"Fine, it's fine," Elizabeth responded with a hint of a scoff. "I'm sorry too for sticking my tongue out at you..."

Unexpectedly, Jean stood up and wrapped his arms around Elizabeth in a tight hug.

Elizabeth was surprised, her heart softening at the unexpected gesture. Slowly, she reciprocated the hug, embracing her brother with equal tenderness.

"Aw," Victoria's face lit up with a luminous smile, touched by the sight before her.

"Amazing," Gregory remarked, raising his chin. "Now that everyone has reconciled, are you all ready for dinner?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" Albert leapt forward.

"Yes! I'm hungry!" George chimed in, squeezing through his siblings to join the group.

"Yeah!" Victoria nodded vigorously.

"Let's go!"

Oliver and Gregory, with their children, exited the room, their steps accompanied by their joyous laughter as they headed towards the dining area to enjoy a meal together.