Chapter 213: Winter Break III
Cecilia's words landed like a thunderclap. My parents exchanged stunned glances, my mother covering her mouth while my father looked as if he'd just been hit with a revelation of epic proportions.
Count Chase, however, took the subtle approach, simply raising an eyebrow. "Cecilia, was it?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral.
Rachel and Seraphina, both realizing the effect of Cecilia's words, tried to stifle their laughter behind polite coughs, but their eyes sparkled with amusement. Meanwhile, I could feel my own face heating up as I struggled to regain control of the situation.
"Yes, that's right!" Cecilia said cheerfully, looking as innocent as a cat after stealing cream. "I just thought it would be lovely to make this a family affair."
My mother finally found her voice, although it came out as a rather strangled, "Well… yes. That's certainly… one way to look at things."
"Cecilia," I whispered, trying to sound reproachful, but she only shot me a mischievous grin.
"Oh, come now, Arthur," she replied in a whisper only I could hear. "Don't tell me you're not enjoying this at least a little."
Enjoying it? If watching my family collectively short-circuit counted as enjoyment, then perhaps. But with three princesses now embedded in my winter break—and my life—for the next few days, I had a feeling this was only the beginning of a rather eventful holiday, one destined to become Nightingale family legend.
Just as the shock was beginning to settle, Rachel, face redder than a sunset, took a deep breath and blurted out, "I—I want that too! Mother! Father!"
Silence. Then, every eye swung to her in pure, unfiltered astonishment. My mother, bless her, looked as though she might faint on the spot, while Count Chase seemed to be calculating the logistics of this newfound "family" arrangement.
Meanwhile, Rachel's confidence wavered as she realized what she'd just declared, her blush intensifying as she glanced at me, equal parts proud and mortified. Cecilia's eyes sparkled with triumph, while Seraphina looked on with mild amusement.
I cleared my throat, attempting to restore some semblance of order. "Right, well, now that everyone's met, shall we get settled in? I can give you all a tour—maybe outside," I added hastily, noting my mother's dazed expression and the dangerously delighted gleam in Cecilia's eyes.
Rachel, still glowing crimson, nodded fervently, and we made a graceful retreat toward the doors. As we stepped outside, I could hear my father murmuring something about having a "very strong drink" as my mother tried to process the fact that, in less than ten minutes, our house had been turned into a scene from a romance novel.
And to think, it was only the first day of break.
"I'm surprised you didn't join in on the 'Mother and Father' routine, Sera," I remarked as I led them through the estate grounds, trying to keep things light.
She shot me a faint, slightly mischievous smile, a rare blush creeping across her normally stoic face. "Well, I didn't want my new Mother and Father to faint."
I felt my neck heat up as I suppressed a groan. 'Lucifer Windward, how on earth did you survive this? And that was with five girls, not just three.'
The tour continued, and as we made our way to the family house, I could already sense the three of them noting every detail, pointing and laughing at photos lining the hall. Rachel stopped in her tracks, practically sparkling as she held up an old photo of me as a baby, chubby cheeks and all.
"Oh, you look so cute!" she exclaimed, her voice full of genuine excitement.
I raised an eyebrow at her, amused. Rachel, with her intense background, wasn't one for open displays of affection. She either kept people at a distance or treated them with genuine warmth in her own quirky way. Today, it seemed, I was being treated to the latter.
Cecilia, of course, was another story entirely.
Finally, we made it to my room, which, despite being spacious, felt slightly more claustrophobic with three sets of eyes inspecting everything.
As if on cue, Cecilia smirked, glancing around with a dramatic sigh. "Oh, that's the bed where you went under me, remember?" she muttered, her tone sly but just loud enough to reach the other two.
I mentally counted to ten as I watched Seraphina and Rachel shoot each other wide-eyed glances before turning to glare at me in perfect, unspoken solidarity.
'Cecilia, you do like me, right?' I thought, sighing inwardly. 'So was it absolutely necessary to throw fuel on this particular fire?'
Even Luna, as disinterested in mortal matters as she typically was, piped up in the back of my mind with a dry, 'Good luck, Arthur.'
It seemed that everyone, human and qilin alike, recognized just how dire this situation had become.
Rachel's face flushed, her expression caught somewhere between irritation and embarrassment as she looked from the bed back to me. Seraphina crossed her arms, trying to look composed, though the slight pink in her cheeks gave her away. Meanwhile, Cecilia just looked pleased with herself, arms folded and leaning against my desk with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Well," Rachel finally muttered, clearing her throat. "If you'd let me have some of your time, I'm sure I could make a better memory than that one." She cast a sharp look at Cecilia, whose smirk only widened.
"Oh, Rachel, you're welcome to try," Cecilia replied, as though amused by a friendly challenge.
Seraphina gave them both an exasperated sigh, her usual stoicism cracking ever so slightly. "Really?" she said, arching an eyebrow. "We've been here five minutes, and we're already having a showdown?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to suppress a laugh. This was beginning to feel like an absurd play, one where I was the unassuming lead in a three-act production about one young man and a string of misunderstandings.
"Well, let's not turn this into a battleground," I said, trying for diplomacy as I moved toward my desk, taking a seat to hopefully give myself a little distance. "We're supposed to be on break, after all."
Rachel finally let out a soft laugh, the tension in her posture softening. "Fine," she relented, stepping back and taking a seat on the chair across from me. "But only because you've earned a bit of peace, Arthur."
Cecilia and Seraphina exchanged amused glances, taking their own seats around the room. I glanced at the three of them, inwardly bracing myself. If this was only the first day, the rest of the break was bound to be as lively—and exhausting—as ever. But for now, at least, things were calm. Or calm enough.
"So, any plans for the rest of the day?" Cecilia asked, casting an innocent glance around the room as if we hadn't just avoided a skirmish.
I leaned back, grinning. "Only one plan, actually."
"Oh?" Seraphina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"To survive," I said dryly.
The three of them laughed, and for a moment, the air felt light again, as if the banter, rivalry, and lingering tension had faded into the background. For now, we were just four friends—or something close to it—taking a break, with winter waiting just beyond the window.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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