[My daughter. Are you there?]
Christian, now sitting alone in his office, sent a message to Olivia.
He didn't bother with any greeting and was casual in his tone. They were already far too familiar with each other.
And even if the number of times they had spoken face to face could be counted on one hand, they still talked a lot through messages and calls, after all.
He didn't expect her to reply right away. Lately she was busy, and would respond after a day or two, sometimes even later.
But maybe this time, she was free?
Christian raised an eyebrow at the quick reply, though not displeased. Without delay, he sent another message.
[You know? It seems like you've stopped making a fuss over me calling you 'my daughter.']
[Have you come to terms with the fact that I'm your dad already?]
He had originally wanted to talk to her about something important, but he still couldn't resist teasing her a little first. Even if just a bit.
Without a bit of bickering, the chat wouldn't feel quite right, after all.
[Do you want to be blocked?]
[You've made that same threat more than ten times already. Is it real this time?]
[Just say what you want!]
Still smiling, Christian felt like he could already imagine Olivia's puffed-up cheeks and narrowed eyes as she typed. Her annoyed expression was so vivid in his mind that it made the whole thing even more amusing.
Now satisfied with the reaction he had drawn out of her, even if he was unable to see it, he finally sent the question he had in mind.
[Have you told your mother about how you met that pair of man and woman the last time you went out?]
Her reply came at lightning speed.
Christian chuckled, softly humming to himself as he read her blunt answer.
'So it really is just that Eva misses her,' he thought.
[Why are you asking? Did something happen?]
Olivia followed up, and Christian who had intended to end the conversation there. Suddenly had a mischievous idea.
[No, I probably misinterpreted the situation.]
[Seeing her low appetite recently, and how she's always a little out of it in the mornings, I blamed it on other things, because I still couldn't bring myself to believe the possibility of… that.]
[… But maybe I should just admit it already, and have a serious conversation with her, instead of rejecting reality !]
He sent the messages while the corner of his mouth twitched, struggling to maintain a serious mood.
He was actually being truthful about the part regarding her appetite, and how she was always sluggish in the mornings… though by lazy, he meant something else entirely.
There was an alternative to food for her now, after all.
Christian was almost certain that lately, the amount of his seeds in her stomach far outweighed any actual meals. And honestly, he couldn't help but feel a strange sort of pride because of it.
These days, he often slept with both Eva and his sister together, and naturally, they always ended up having sex, almost without exception.
And that took time. A lot of time.
So really, her being drained in the mornings was to be expected.
[You don't possibly mean that you… knocked up mom, right?]
Seeing Olivia's reply, Christian's smile widened further. Without hesitation, he sent:
[Actually, I too am still a little unprepared, but…]
[Congratulations, you'll have a sibling soon!]
Maybe, he went too far with the joke this time. Olivia didn't reply with another message. Instead, she called him directly.
Christian blinked in surprise, then chuckled to himself.
'But it's still too fun!' he thought, unable to fully regret the prank.
"Kuhm," he cleared his throat, trying to suppress the laughter that was already bubbling up as he accepted the call.
"Is Mom really pregnant?"
Olivia's voice with her serious tone came through.
Christian, who had expected some sort of explosive reaction or over-the-top scolding, was caught off guard by that.
And it made him decide it was time to stop messing around, and come clean with her.
After a brief pause of silence, during which she didn't say anything, Olivia finally erupted.
Her voice rose, and she started cursing. But, Christian, unfazed, simply leaned back and listened. He brushed all of it aside with a smile on his face.
He was long used to this side of her.
Even if she cursed now, she would always end up apologizing later, after all.
Eventually, her voice calmed, and she asked, more directly this time, "Are you using contraceptives or not?"
Christian grinned. With a voice full of pride, he answered plainly, "Of course not!"
"Your mom is already too addicted to the raw feeling, after all."
'Well, I'm addicted to this raw sensation too,' Christian thought, as he waited for her response.
But in the end… it didn't come. She just stayed silent.
Is she embarrassed now?
While he wondered, Olivia suddenly spoke.
"All that's aside. Actually, I was going to talk to you about that pair of man and woman, I've come to a new understanding about them."
She's trying to change the topic now, right? Christian thought.
Still, he didn't interrupt and simply listened.
"I already told you before, didn't I? That it seemed like the principal knew them?" she asked.
"Yes?" Christian replied casually.
"Well, it turns out… they're actually from the same world as her."
Hearing that, Christian didn't react much. It wasn't a surprise. In fact, it was something he had already considered a strong possibility.
He had noticed similar patterns in the small groups, each of who came from the same world, and somehow ending up in the same country… or region here on Earth.
"So," he asked, "what kind of background and strength do they have?"
"Well," Olivia began, "they don't have any grand or prestigious background, but… they do have a pretty tragic backstory."
"Anyway, both of them are at the Fifth Mystery Stage. Just one step below the principal."
"But from the way the principal talked about them… her wary tone. I could tell they're not just any ordinary Fifth Stage Core Masters."