How to Use Children

"You two must not do such things!"

Aina tilted her head slightly, clearly confused by Kalinda's words.

Kalinda swallowed hard. She had long noticed the excessive closeness between Aina and Xia Lun, but she had assumed it was just the natural bond between two people who grew up relying on each other. Never did she imagine they had already crossed into forbidden territory...

Sharing the same bed? Kalinda didn’t believe for a second that nothing had happened between them.

"I already know, Aina. What you’re doing is wrong... Your children could also be at great risk, born abnormal." Kalinda pleaded earnestly.

Aina’s gaze sharpened. How did Kalinda know about her and Xia Lun’s child being abnormal? That was a matter from a thousand years ago.

"Though I don’t know what you’ve been through, your relationship will never be accepted by the world."

Aina frowned.

Could it be... that Kalinda had discovered their true identities as the Hero and the Demon King? Impossible.

Unless... her own identity wasn’t as simple as she and Xia Lun had assumed?

Aina’s mind raced, wondering whether she should subdue Kalinda immediately and force the truth out of her.

"What are you talking about?"

Xia Lun had woken up at some point and now stood behind Aina. "Ah, Teacher Kalinda, did you need something from us?"

Aina was dressed in a thin nightgown, while Xia Lun wore only shorts and a loose shirt—far too intimate for siblings, in Kalinda’s eyes.

"Yes! Something urgent!" Kalinda stared sternly at the two. As their elder, she felt she needed to be firm to make them listen.

After all, once she secured Wolund’s hand, they’d be calling her "Mother" anyway.

"Listen carefully, Xia Lun, Aina... siblings must not marry..."

"Siblings?"

Aina and Xia Lun exchanged puzzled glances.

"I’ve already figured it out. Your true identities—you’re both Wolund’s children, aren’t you? My instincts are never wrong." Kalinda pressed on.

Xia Lun’s face flickered with surprise. He hadn’t expected Kalinda to jump to that conclusion... though, thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable from an outsider’s perspective.

To Kalinda, his reaction only confirmed her suspicions.

This couldn’t go on any longer!

For all she knew, Wolund might not even be aware of this. If these two ended up conceiving a child, the consequences would be disastrous.

She had to find Wolund and explain everything immediately!

......

"That’s the gist of it." Xia Lun summarized the situation plainly in front of Wolund. "Teacher Kalinda seems to think we’re committing incest."

Wolund sat stiffly at his desk, his back drenched in cold sweat.

The gazes of Xia Lun and Aina pierced through him like twin blades.

Kalinda stood to the side, utterly lost, her expression blank.

"Explain things to your woman, Wolund." Aina’s voice was as cool and detached as ever.

Your woman...

Hearing that term, Kalinda covered her mouth in barely contained excitement.

Wolund didn’t dare argue. Clearing his throat, he hurriedly explained, "Ahem... Kalinda, you’ve misunderstood. Xia Lun and Aina aren’t my children... I’ve never even been in a relationship."

"Neither have I!" Kalinda blurted out.

"Er... As for Xia Lun and Aina, they’re actually elders in my family," Wolund forced himself to continue.

"Elders? But Xia Lun looks so young..." Kalinda frowned in confusion.

"They’re of a higher generation."

A much higher generation.

Wolund didn’t dare lift his head to see the expressions on Xia Lun and Aina’s faces now.

Kalinda was usually so sharp and capable—how had she suddenly made such a blunder?

"I am Xia Lun’s lawfully wedded wife," Aina suddenly declared, making Wolund jolt upright in his seat.

"Even if Xia Lun and I were blood-related, you still shouldn’t interfere in others’ private affairs, Kalinda," Aina admonished.

"My apologies..." Kalinda wished the ground would swallow her whole.

She had assumed they were Wolund’s children and worried that any scandal would tarnish his reputation.

"Wolund, keep a tighter leash on your people. Don’t let her wander around unsupervised." Aina gave a light scoff, and Wolund shuddered again.

Xia Lun watched the scene unfold with amusement, blinking slowly.

Aina seemed to approve of Kalinda—was she subtly trying to push them together?

But Aina said nothing more, simply taking Xia Lun’s hand and leading him out of the office.

"That woman is the fertile, obedient type," Aina remarked out of nowhere.

"But Wolund doesn’t seem interested yet."

"Does he dare defy our wishes?" Aina replied flatly. "Wolund isn’t getting any younger. Other men his age are already grandfathers."

Xia Lun tilted his head. "Aina, why are you suddenly meddling in their relationship?"

"Because of children."

"Hm?"

"I remember you like children."

Aina gently rested a hand on her abdomen. "Who knows if we’ll ever have another chance... So why not let Wolund have one first? You can play with it. If you get bored, we’ll just return it to them."

Xia Lun: "..."

Aina seemed to have some misconceptions about how children worked.

Children, huh?

Xia Lun did indeed enjoy well-behaved, innocent children. Their hearts were still pure, untainted by the world’s corruption... Being around them, he could learn much.

But his and Aina’s own child had been the exception.

Xia Lun thought of Aise, his son—the demon who should never have existed.

His words and actions sent chills down Xia Lun’s spine. Whatever dwelled within Aise wasn’t human, but something more akin to an eldritch horror from beyond this world.

And yet, he was Aina and Xia Lun’s only child. Xia Lun had checked—there was no possession, no external force at work.

"Xia Lun."

Aina stopped in front of him, rose onto her toes, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.

Before Xia Lun could respond, she covered his eyes with one hand. When she withdrew it, the scenery had shifted—they were back in their room.

Familiar flames flickered across their bodies as Aina pulled Xia Lun down onto the bed.

"What’s this about?" Xia Lun ran his fingers along Aina’s unfurled bat wings. "It’s still early."

Aina nipped at his ear and whispered:

"When troubled... one should do things that bring joy."