By the time Takatsuki had breakfast ready, Durandal walked out of the room, yawning.
"Good morning, Bianka."
Durandal's face flushed slightly upon hearing Takatsuki's greeting.
"Morning…"
For some reason, Durandal felt a little different today.
Was it because of what they did?
Was it because it had been too long since they had done it?
She couldn't quite figure it out, but looking at the clock in the living room, "It's already so late, I'm going for my morning run first."
Bianka was slightly surprised to see the clock pointing to seven.
This was the latest she had ever woken up in a long time. Although it was still a holiday, this was already a sign of laziness for Durandal.
"It's already so late, don't go. Have breakfast first."
Takatsuki quickly said, watching Durandal hastily tie her ponytail, preparing to go for her morning run.
"This…"
Touching her somewhat rumbling stomach, after such intense exercise and a whole night passed, Durandal was actually a little hungry.
But she always felt something was off if she didn't go for her morning run.
It wasn't during a mission either…
Mission?
Durandal tilted her head. What mission?
Oh, she must mean going to work, rushing to see the students early.
"It's fine, one less day won't matter."
Takatsuki placed the plates on the dining table, walked over to Durandal, and put his arm around her slender waist.
The girl's body trembled slightly, then relaxed, leaning gently into his embrace.
"You think it's because of who?"
Durandal pouted playfully, but also gave up on her plans for morning exercise.
"You were amazing yesterday. Today, we…"
Perhaps having acquired a taste for it, or perhaps having suppressed it for too long, Takatsuki had some other thoughts.
But before he could finish speaking, he was pushed away by Durandal.
"?"
He watched Durandal quickly stand up and walk towards their daughters, who had just opened their bedroom door.
Saying that in front of children was indeed not very good.
Looking at her slightly flushed earlobes, Takatsuki thought there might be more to it than just that reason.
During breakfast, Ai suddenly suggested the idea of wanting to buy new clothes for her younger sister.
Durandal agreed without thinking twice.
"You go ahead, I'll be home working on my manuscript today."
Himeko had called yesterday to urge her, and she hadn't drawn any manuscripts last night because they were resting together. The actual reason was…
Shopping was truly a painful experience for Takatsuki.
"No!" *2
As a result, Durandal and Ai simultaneously rejected Takatsuki's idea. Only An ate her food expressionlessly, without speaking, as if the matter of buying clothes wasn't for her.
In the end, facing the threat of not being allowed in bed tonight, Takatsuki still chose to compromise.
Don't misunderstand, it wasn't that Takatsuki was afraid of not being comfortable sleeping in bed; it was mainly because buying clothes for his daughter was indeed a very important matter.
However, after they started shopping, Takatsuki quickly gave up.
Carrying several shopping bags, as soon as he entered a store, his sharp eyes found a seat in the shop, and he quickly found a place to settle himself.
"So tired…"
Durandal said with a chuckle, seeing Takatsuki sit down so quickly, "Then you rest well here. I'll take the children to pick things out."
Durandal took the two children to pick out clothes.
After browsing, Ai ended up with the most clothes. This child was too lively; she wanted everything she saw.
Even after a lot of filtering under her mother's supervision, she still bought several tote bags.
An, on the other hand, was adaptable; her clothes were basically chosen by Ai, who bought identical outfits. Because they were twins, their body types were the same.
As for their different appearances, fraternal twins are also very common.
However, Takatsuki still couldn't understand the fun of shopping with girls.
Just as he was dozing off, leaning against a nearby wall, he felt something touch his cheek.
"Hmm?"
Opening his eyes, Takatsuki saw a shopping bag held by Durandal against his face.
"Are you done shopping?"
Takatsuki thought they had finished buying clothes and he was supposed to carry them, so he subconsciously took the shopping bag.
Durandal sat down beside him, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"You can open it and take a look."
"A look?"
Takatsuki looked at the shopping bag in his hand, reached inside, and took out the clothes that the staff had neatly placed there.
"This is…"
Looking at the black clothes in his hand, neither the material nor the size suggested they were for children.
"A suit?"
"Yes," Durandal nodded. "Didn't Welt say last time that you didn't have any formal clothes? Next time, wear this."
Takatsuki was very touched looking at the suit in his hand. In his memory, this seemed to be the first time…
He had received a gift from someone else, and it wasn't just bought casually; it was something he hadn't even noticed himself.
He naturally remembered Welt saying something like that, but he didn't care much. After all, he was just a cartoonist, and before that, a mercenary. He had nothing to do with the social elite, so he had never bought one.
But could a gift from his wife be the same? The meaning was different!
"Thank you, Bianka, I like it very much."
Takatsuki's words also brought a smile to Durandal's face. "That's good. Although I'm confident about the size, let's try it on here."
"Okay, good."
He went into the changing room and put on the new suit. Just as Durandal had estimated, the size was perfect.
Wearing his new clothes, he walked out of the changing room and turned around in front of his wife and children. "How do I look?"
"Daddy is so handsome! Don't you agree, An-chan?"
Ai was the first to clap, while An, as if her soul was wandering, also nodded along.
Both children were wearing cute new dresses, looking like two porcelain dolls carved from pink jade.
"Your mother has good taste."
After changing out of his clothes, Takatsuki wanted to return the favor, but looking at the clothes in the shopping bags he was carrying on both sides, he ultimately gave up on buying more clothes, as it would be redundant.
Although he didn't buy new clothes for himself often, they did.
Just as Takatsuki was thinking about how to return the favor, he suddenly felt something flash before his eyes.
When he subconsciously looked over, he saw a shop.
Was this shop… always here?
Although Takatsuki had no impression of it, upon seeing this shop, Takatsuki thought of how to return the favor.
"Bianka, don't go back yet."
Putting all seven or eight shopping bags from both hands into his right hand, Takatsuki took Durandal's hand.
"Is there anything else we haven't done?"
Takatsuki shook his head. "It's still early, not even three o'clock. We can play outside for a while longer. Come with me."
Takatsuki pulled Durandal, Durandal pulled Ai, Ai pulled An, and the family, like a train, was led by Takatsuki towards the newly discovered shop.
At first, Durandal was curious, but upon entering the shop, she immediately couldn't take her eyes off it.
"Welcome."
The attendant came over to greet them as Takatsuki and his family entered the shop.
"Bianka, you take the children inside first. I'll just handle the procedures here," Takatsuki said with a smile, looking at Durandal, who could barely move.
"Okay then… I'll wait for you inside with the children."
Durandal hesitated for a moment, then agreed to Takatsuki's suggestion.
After all, a room full of cats was simply too tempting for her.
"Please handle their procedures for me as well. Also, are there any lockers here?" Takatsuki said to the staff with a smile, watching Durandal eagerly go inside to pet the cats.