Kane stared out the window with a wagging tail. Beside him was his son who was acting the same. Sharon walked past and froze when she saw the two of them looking out the window in anticipation. She frowned, "What are you both doing?"

Oliver responded in a childlike voice, "We are waiting for sister!"

​​

Sharon frowned at him, "You are 11 now. Stop acting like a child."

Oliver looked to his father with large eyes, "Daddy~ Mama is being mean again…"

Kane hugged him tightly, "Ahh! My poor son… How could your dear mother treat you so coldly~ There, there…"

Sharon sighed and rubbed her temples, "Why do I feel like I am dealing with two children instead of just one?"

Oliver shouted, "AH! There's the carriage!"

Kane dropped Oliver and threw open the door. He ran towards the carriage with his arms outstretched, "Baby girl!!"

Sharon groaned in exhaustion watching the two run outside so quickly. She muttered to herself, "Now I get to deal with three children… This is why I am getting wrinkles…"

Sharon went to follow then and stood patiently as the carriage pulled to a stop. Kane and Oliver were jumping in excitement as they waited for the door to open. The carriage door was flung open before the driver could get down to open it for the passengers.

Seri crawled out with a pale complexion, "Oh god… Why must they live so far away?!"

Kane and Oliver rushed forward to help her down, "Seri!"

*BARFS*

Kane and Oliver: "…"

Sharon sighed and turned to the maid, "Please go prepare a fresh set of clothes."

The maid nodded and quickly left. Oliver started, "I'm going to throw up!"

Seri smiled apologetically, "Sorry… Couldn't stop it."

Kane smiled at her, "It's okay. I am just happy to see my baby girl again! If that means I am covered in vomit, then it is worth it!" Dante climbed out of the carriage and Kane's happy expression instantly turned sour, "What's he doing here?!"

Dante coughed awkwardly and looked away anxiously.

Oliver crossed his arms with a pout, "How will we get our quality Seri time now?!"

Kane nodded with a frown, "Let's send him back."

Sharon stopped her husband from going over to push Dante back inside the carriage. She spoke, "You both get cleaned up. Then you can assault Dante."

Dante blinked with a blank expression. He really was reflecting on his premature excitement.

After Kane and Oliver got redressed, they all retired to the dining room. Seri rubbed her stomach as she waited for the food, "Ugh… So hungry…"

Sharon motioned to the maid who brought over a cup of coffee, "Here, Seri. I know this is your favorite."

Seri took a sip and opened her mouth to spit the drink out. She laid her head on the table with a pout, "Tastes like dirt…"

Dante chuckled and rubbed her back. Suddenly, he felt a murderous aura directed towards him. He looked over to see Kane and Oliver glaring at him while holding knives and forks in their hands. Dante gulped and stopped trying to comfort her.

Sharon scrunched her eyebrows together, "Dirt?" She took a sip of the coffee with a frown, "No… This is exactly how she likes it…"

The maid bowed, "I'm terribly sorry Madam!"

Sharon shook her head, "It's no problem. Just bring Seri a glass of wine instead."

Seri held up a hand, "No thanks."

Everyone's mouth dropped.

Sharon blinked in disbelief, "N-No? Why?"

Seri turned to look at Dante who looked away quickly. Seri sighed, "I don't want the empty calories. I've been getting fatter lately."

Sharon narrowed her eyes, "Suspicious."

Oliver nodded, "I thought you were getting chubbier. You need to take better care of your body. You aren't even married yet, but you are getting double chins."

Seri's face twitched in irritation, "Brat…"

The food was finally brought out and laid down in front of them. One whiff of the food suddenly made Seri turn blue, "Ugh… Can I just have a bowl of soup?"

"SOUP?!" Everyone shouted simultaneously.

Kane spoke quickly, "But baby girl, isn't steak your favorite?!"

Seri looked at it trying to swallow her nausea, "It is… But…"

Sharon's eyes narrowed more, "Even more suspicious."

The maid's brought in a soup more soothing to Seri's new tastes and she quickly ate it. Seri turned to the maid, "Do you have any snickerdoodle cookies? I'm REALLY craving them."

The maid nodded and left to go prepare the treat. Sharon put her silverware down with a suspicious look, "That's it. I need to know. Why exactly did you grace us with your presence today?"

Kane frowned, "Darling… Does our daughter need an excuse to come see us?"

Sharon replied calmly, "She does since King William demands she work every day without vacation."

Kane still didn't understand, "What does that have to do with her visit? Maybe King William decided to give her a vacation."

Sharon tapped her finger on the table, "But why would he give her a vacation now? So. Spit it out. What is the reason behind your visit?"

Sure enough, you can't fool a mother.

Seri looked at Dante, "Yeah, Dante. Why exactly did we visit today?"

All eyes turned to Dante making him choke on his food. Dante put the fork down and opened his mouth.

Then he closed it.

Then he opened it.

Everyone waited "patiently" for him to spit out the reason. Seri reached over and gave him a pinch with a bored expression. He cleared his throat, "Seri and I are getting married and-"

Kane jumped up and roared, "WHAAAAAAT!"

Without allowing Dante to finish, he jumped on the table and dove to attack. Dante jumped away immediately and watched Kane crash on the floor.

Seri watched apathetically, "Also, I'm pregnant."

"&@#^$$*%!?!" Kane screeched out unintelligible words. He glared at Dante with fire in his eyes, "YOU GOT MY BABY GIRL PREGNANT!?"

Dante quickly ran out of the room before he could be murdered in cold blood. Kane ran after him screaming like a mad man. Although Dante was younger and stronger, he could never attack Seri's father who was the one who doted on her during her entire life. Dante was too grateful to Kane for that, so he could never raise a fist to him.

…Also, he was honestly scared of the power of a father's overprotectiveness.

Seri turned back to Oliver and Sharon who were still shocked by the news. She spoke casually, "Anyway, so that's the reason why we came here. We are getting married next week."

"NEXT WEEK!?" Sharon jumped up in surprise, "That's hardly enough time to plan a wedding ceremony!"

Seri raised an eyebrow, "We were just going to have William sign the marriage document and call it good."

Sharon cracked her knuckles with determination in her eyes, "Nonsense. Don't worry, Seri. Mother is going to give you the best wedding ceremony in the entire kingdom."

Seri blinked in disbelief, "In the entire Kingdom?! Mother… Did you forget how grand Mary's and Williams wedding was?"

Sharon let out a chilling laugh, "By the time I am done, their wedding is going to look like one put on by children."

Seri shivered, "Somehow I have a bad feeling about this."

After Kane caught Dante and vented out his anger, the family was sitting in the living room. Seri held a cloth to Dante's bloody nose. She spoke in a gentle tone, "Dante. You know you could have hit my father, right?"

"B-Baby girl!" Kane looked at her feeling aggrieved, "You want him to hurt your precious father?"

Seri glanced at him, "Daddy, you do realize that Dante let you hit him, right? He could easily have killed you if he wanted."

"Urg..." Kane crossed his arms and sat with a pout muttering to himself.

Sharon walked into the room holding documents, "Ah! Dante. I've been meaning to give you this for a while."

Dante took it and opened it up. He looked at the documents with an eyebrow raised, "This is?"

"The official documents stating that you will take our name when you marry Seri and become added to our family tree. Sign here~"

Dante: "…"

Seri spoke in surprise, "D*mn, Mother. How long have you had those ready and prepared?!"

"Since the first time you mentioned you slept with the man. I knew it was only a matter of time after that."

Dante glanced at Seri who blushed and cleared her throat awkwardly. Kane began to grumble from his desire to kill Dante. Seri noticed her father's depressed state and gave him a warm smile. "Father. I know you are upset that Dante knocked me up…"

Dante looked at her with a face that said: Don't make it worse for me.

She continued, "However, this means you will be a grandfather."

Kane sat up with a large smile, "A grandfather you say? Why didn't I think of that?!"

Oliver came to her side, "Sister. Can I feel your stomach?"

She gave a light chuckle, "You won't be able to feel it quite yet."

Kane also leaned forward, "Oh! I should prepare some good health tonics. This child must grow up healthy enough to beat up any who dare bully it!"

Sharon chuckled, "Who would dare bully the child of the Knight Seri and Duke Dante? They would have a death wish."

Dante watched as Seri's family fawned over her. He felt warmth invade his once cold heart. Was this what it felt like to have a family? The previous King had always complimented him, but he had never received warmth from him or the Queen. It had always felt like he was an outsider. Now seeing this warmth given to Seri, he was overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting to belong to a family.

Sharon noticed his longing and smiled tenderly at him, "Dante. Welcome to the family."

Dante's mouth opened slightly in surprise. He now finally understood what he had always wanted, but didn't know he needed:

A loving family.

A rare and faint smile spread across Dante's face causing everyone to pause. After Kane saw that rare smile, he felt his previous hatred for him disappear. Kane frowned and looked away while scratching his head, "I guess it's better that it was you and not the other one."

Seri chuckled lightly, "Is that the best you can do?"

Dante watched Seri's gentle smile with overwhelming love in his heart. He gave her hand a light squeeze. Seri turned to him and smiled even larger. It was a smile that no longer held any trace of sadness.

Suddenly, Dante's nose began to bleed more.

….

Despite begging her mother just to let her have a small and simple wedding, Sharon went all out to make it as spectacular as she could. As the Marchioness, whose title was reestablished by William, Sharon spared no effort in making sure her daughter's wedding would be grand. Instead of something small, everyone attended the wedding.

William led the ceremony.

Millie was the maid of Honor.

Lona's daughter Leia was the flower girl.

Oliver was the ring bearer.

Mary and PoonPoon (who was sitting on her lap) wept happily while watching in the audience.

Mathias sat next to Sophie holding her hand.

Artie and Lucius were attached to the hip while baby Leopold bounced happily on Artie's lap.

Penelope was chained up to a tree.

Kane wailed miserably while Sharon attempted to soothe him.

Joel dabbed his tears while Lona shook her head in exasperation.

Ebbie wore his newly tailored dress with his nose raised high.

Bertram accidentally took a snooze mid-ceremony.

Queen Hypatia and her husband fantasized about swapping.

Queen Luna watched the two while feeling as if she was watching her own children getting married.

Fern slept on a heated rock dreaming of the Holy Empress.

Even Simon attended the wedding despite no one inviting him.

Dante smiled softly to his beautiful bride as he said his vow, "Until death do us apart."

Seri gave a lighthearted chuckle, "Until death transmigrates us to another world."