Why Are the Kids Acting Like This?
Why are the kids acting like this? Luizen moved his hands with practiced speed, the way he always did when preparing a delicious meal for Scarlet and Rita. It was still early, but he was already making breakfast. Yet even now, a pair of crimson eyes watched him from the shadows.
“......”
Ever since that day, Scarlet had begun observing Luizen. She wanted to uncover his true purpose and understand why he kept calling them family. After watching him from dawn to dusk and carefully noting every detail, she had memorized his daily routine.
He woke at six, washed his face quickly, and started cooking. His choice of menu varied, but he almost always included meat in their breakfast. After serving them, he ate alone. Sometimes he coughed as if he’d swallowed wrong. Once finished, he either read the newspaper in the living room or disappeared into his own room. At lunchtime he made them another meal before heading out to work. From the occasional mutterings she’d overheard, Scarlet guessed he was an adventurer. He usually returned around seven in the evening.
The moment he stepped inside, Luizen would rush to the bathroom for a shower that lasted roughly twenty minutes. Afterward he prepared dinner, humming cheerful tunes the entire time as if cooking brought him genuine joy. Once he served them, he ate by himself again, then opened the window to gaze at the scenery before retreating to bed.
That was the rough outline of the man’s daily life.
Scarlet lay in bed, turning these observations over in her mind. Why doesn’t Luizen ever lay a hand on us? The question kept circling, refusing to leave her alone. Of course…! It’s not that I want him to. I’m simply wondering, that’s all.
She repeated his words in her head. Luizen and I… family…
“Sister, your face is all red.”
Rita’s gentle voice pulled her back to reality.
“I-is it? I must have overdone it this morning. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“You can’t get sick, Sister…”
“Don’t worry about me. Go to sleep.”
“Haaam… Okay… You should sleep soon too, Sister.”
“I will, Rita.”
Once Rita’s eyes closed, Scarlet let out a long, shaky breath. That had been close. She had nearly let her sister realize she was thinking about Luizen again.
After enough time had passed to be certain Rita was asleep, Scarlet carefully opened their bedroom door. The living room was empty. She crept forward on silent feet until she stood before Luizen’s room. Through the narrow gap in the door, she could see his silhouette. He lay under the covers, breathing deeply in peaceful sleep.
Scarlet watched him for a long time in silence, then slipped back to her own room and closed the door with the softest click.
Lately, Luizen had been occupying her thoughts more and more. Every time she stole a glance at him, her heart pounded so violently she thought it might burst. Why am I like this…? She had no idea why her chest refused to calm down.
Meanwhile, in the next room, the man in question cracked one eye open.
“She’s gone…” Luizen murmured, staring at the door.
Scarlet’s strange behavior had begun recently. To figure out what had triggered it, he searched his memory. The first time he noticed her acting oddly was the day after they had left that house. That morning he had risen early as usual to cook for the girls.
“……?”
While cooking, he had felt eyes on his back. When he turned, the gaze seemed to come from the direction of the sisters’ room. The door looked slightly ajar.
“Must have been my imagination…”
He scratched his head and returned to the stove, only to feel the same stare again moments later. This time he didn’t turn immediately. Instead he waited for the perfect moment, counting down in his head.
Three… two… one…!
He whipped around. There, peeking through the crack, was a head of bright red hair. Scarlet.
From that day on, the surveillance began in earnest. Whether he was reading the newspaper, eating, or even late at night, Scarlet would secretly watch him. She had been acting like a full-blown stalker for days.
Then came the morning when everything changed.
Luizen had been carrying breakfast to their room as usual when he noticed their door standing wide open. Two small heads—one red, one blue—poked out, staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes. The villainess duo, watching him like curious little animals.
He had sighed, thinking the number of stalkers had simply increased, when Rita timidly approached.
“Um… can we eat together today…?”
Her shocking suggestion froze Luizen’s brain for a second. Rita was the one suggesting they share a meal?
“I guess… that’s not okay, huh?” Rita’s shoulders drooped.
Luizen smiled softly. “Of course it’s okay! What about your sister? Is she joining us?”
“Yes. Sister said she wants to eat together too.”
“When did I ever say that?!”
“Got it. Then come sit at the table.”
Scarlet grumbled the whole way to her seat while Rita followed more cautiously. They came from the same womb. How can their personalities be so different? Luizen wondered as he watched them.
“Today’s breakfast is omurice. Give it a try.”
The dish he presented was a fluffy omelet draped over rice filled with ham and colorful vegetables—a children’s favorite. There was no ketchup in the house, so he had made it from scratch. The effort had been worth it just thinking about their happy faces.
Scarlet and Rita picked up their spoons and carefully scooped up a bite. They examined the omurice for a moment, then slipped it into their mouths.
Munch munch.
They chewed thoroughly. Their eyes widened, and suddenly they were devouring the rest at lightning speed. Luizen watched them with a warm smile.
Thank goodness. It seems to suit their tastes.
Seeing them enjoy the food he had made always brought out an instinctive fatherly grin. The sight filled his chest with gentle heat. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
I thought I’d never feel this again after that day…
The memory of that distant, painful day flickered through his mind. While Luizen was lost in thought, the two villainesses had already finished their plates. They wore slightly disappointed expressions.
“Is it not enough?” he asked.
After exchanging glances, both girls gave shy nods. Luizen went to the kitchen and brought out the two extra portions he had prepared for his own lunch and dinner. He didn’t mind giving them up at all.
“Here, eat as much as you want.”
As he set the plates down, Scarlet stared at him blankly. Her face looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
“Is something missing?”
“Water…” she whispered, voice as quiet as an ant. “The orange-colored water… do we have any?”
She seemed to be craving the orange juice she had enjoyed before. Luizen chuckled and returned to the kitchen, emerging with two cups filled to the brim. The moment he handed them over, both girls brought the cups to their lips at the same time. Their actions were perfectly synchronized despite their different personalities, proving beyond doubt that they were sisters.
After the meal, Luizen carried the empty dishes to the kitchen to wash them.
“Today’s breakfast was really delicious, Sister,” Rita said.
Scarlet nodded. “It was. The food tasted especially good today, Rita.”
Rita hesitated, then carefully brought up the subject that had been on her mind.
“You know… no matter how much I think about it, I don’t think that man named Luizen is a bad person…”
She spoke cautiously, remembering how her sister had scolded her for saying something similar in the past. But this time Scarlet smiled softly.
“You’re right.”
“Huh?” Rita blinked, wondering if she had misheard.
Scarlet’s smile deepened, gentle and a little shy. “Just like you said, Rita… the man named Luizen… doesn’t seem like he’s only a bad person.”
Seeing her older sister’s bashful smile, Rita’s mouth fell open in shock.
In the kitchen, Luizen rubbed his suddenly itchy ear. “Is someone talking about me?”
Meanwhile, in the bustling market district, a chase was underway.
“Stop right there, you little troublemaker!”
“You think I’d let myself get caught that easily, mister?”
A girl with golden hair darted through the crowded streets, a single piece of bread clutched in her hand. With swift, nimble steps she shook off her pursuer. Her name was Eola—the greatest mischief-maker in town and the future hero destined to save the world. Right now, however, she was simply a street urchin fleeing with her stolen breakfast.