Early the next morning, Little Medusa and Hestia left home at dawn, heading toward the royal palace to continue their unfinished medical duties and coordination.
Lorne, who stayed home alone, opened the window, leaned against the second floor, and read through the scrolls sent by Princess Ariadne, handling official business.
Time passed bit by bit. As noon approached, the streets gradually filled with more pedestrians, all stocking up on supplies in preparation for the upcoming natural disaster.
Carriages sped past, running back and forth Knossos City and the coastal fortresses, transporting all kinds of construction materials like metal, raw ores, lumber, as well as priests and sacrificial officials who carved runes—heading toward the camps.
The entire city, shrouded in gloom, resembled a tightly wound toy, desperately squeezing out its will to survive and its potential for war.
However, mistakes occur in times of chaos.
"Move! Move!"
At that moment, a panicked shout came from the street.
Lorne looked up and saw a heavily loaded carriage roaring down a slope, completely out of control, barreling straight toward the gate of Hestia's residence.
A pair of purple-haired twin girls stood unaware by the roadside.
"Watch out!"
Seeing a collision tragedy about to unfold, Lorne furrowed his brow and leapt down from the second floor, pulling the twin purple-haired girls aside just in time to narrowly avoid the charging carriage.
At the same time, the magic within his body surged silently. He forcibly grabbed the reins of the front horses and brought the two rampaging warhorses to a halt.
"Screeech!"
Accompanied by a piercing screech of friction, the carriage dangerously stopped to one side.
Then, a slightly chubby man drenched in cold sweat poked out his balding, round head from the driver's seat, his forehead beaded with sweat, clearly terrified.
"Sorry, sorry! Are you all alright?"
"Luckily this big brother helped us—just now, we were scared to death!"
The younger of the purple-haired twins gently patted her chest, looking terribly shaken, her delicate appearance filled with innocent fear.
Guilt flooded the chubby man's heart, to the point where he almost felt the urge to offer his life in apology.
Fortunately, the older sister gently waved her hand, appearing more reasonable and considerate.
"It's alright. Since no one's hurt, just be more careful next time. Besides, you seem to be in a rush, right? You should get going."
"Y-Yes!"
The chubby man nodded instinctively, only then remembering the urgently needed military supplies on the carriage.
He thanked them profusely, apologized again, and hurriedly jumped back on the carriage.
Weird. These two were always so tame before. Why are they suddenly acting insane?
Muttering to himself, the man whipped the warhorses and drove the carriage out of the city.
"You two, if you're alright…"
Lorne glanced at the two girls who had narrowly escaped danger, showed a gentle smile, and pointed upstairs to signal that he was taking his leave.
Unexpectedly, before he could turn around to go back inside, his arm was firmly grabbed by the two seemingly still-traumatized purple-haired girls beside him.
"O-Our legs are weak…"
The twin purple-haired sisters' faces were pale, their hands and feet cold and trembling.
Clearly shaken to the core after escaping death, their weakened bodies instinctively leaned toward the arms of the man who had just saved them.
On closer look, it had to be said, they were truly beautiful.
Their luxurious purple-and-white ceremonial gowns cascaded gracefully, accentuating their delicate, slender waists.
Two pairs of glistening shoulders were exposed, while their nearly shoulder-length purple hair fell thick like a waterfall, exuding a faint fragrance.
Their amethyst-red eyes, like sparkling gemstones, were set into faces as exquisitely sculpted as marble.
Their features combined gentle softness with a trace of sharpness, blending into an aura of nobility and mystery.
At this moment, however, perhaps because of the sudden accident and their shattered mental defenses, the two girls radiated a fragile vulnerability, like a cracked shell.
"This is my home. Would you like to come in and have a glass of fruit wine to calm your nerves?"
Feeling a twinge of sympathy, Lorne offered to support the girls, who didn't know whether they were lucky or unfortunate, and politely extended the invitation.
Upon hearing it, the purple-haired twin sisters quickly nodded and followed their "savior" Lorne into his house.
As expected, humans are all the same…
Crossing the threshold, the twin sisters who stepped in last exchanged a quiet look as a trace of mischief and smugness flickered in their eyes.
"Here, have some. It'll help settle your nerves."
Leading the sisters inside and kindly seating them, Lorne brought out two glasses of fruit wine and offered them with a warm smile.
The sweet and tangy aroma wafted through the air, and the sisters couldn't help but pick up the glasses and drink them down in one go.
As the refreshing fruit wine flowed down their throats, their tension finally eased a little and the trembling in their hands gradually subsided.
Once they had somewhat calmed down, the sisters formally expressed their gratitude to the man who had saved them.
They exchanged names and began to chat.
The two girls were indeed twins, the elder named "Sycina," and the younger, "Euryale."
They were born into a wealthy merchant family on a nearby island and had come to Crete to attend the harvest festival.
Unexpectedly, they had been caught in the beast tide and ended up trapped in Knossos City.
As time passed, their travel funds had run out during the lockdown, and they were thrown out by the innkeeper.
With nowhere to go, the two sisters wanted to find some work on the street to make a living, but unexpectedly they almost suffered a disaster.
As they spoke, the sisters clung to each other pitifully, their expressions sorrowful.
In response, Lorne expressed deep understanding and sympathy, offering a few comforting words.
"Thank you so much for helping us today. If you hadn't been there… we might've died in a foreign land…"
The more they spoke, the more helpless they seemed. One on the left and one on the right, they inched closer to Lorne in the middle, as if seeking warmth and comfort from their savior.
Two pairs of cherry lips whispered into Lorne's ears, their breath fragrant and moist, like two nimble serpents slipping into his ears and skull.
"We've spent all our money…"
"We can't find a job…"
"We have nowhere to live…"
"What should we do now… whimper whimper whimper…"
The warm atmosphere around the table cooled slightly. The elder sister quietly glanced at her younger sibling, who immediately returned a silly wink and a goofy smile.
"If there's a kind person who's willing to help…"
"We're willing to do… anything…"
They then looked pitifully toward the center again, seemingly hoping to gain support from a certain kind soul.
"Help? Of course!"
At once, Lorne stood up and slapped his chest with passion and resolve.
"Come on! Follow me upstairs!"
Saying that, he grabbed the hands of the exotic twin sisters on either side and hurried up the stairs.
"Ah?"
"So fast?"
Gazing at the row of half-open bedroom doors upstairs, the sisters' expressions changed, stunned and speechless, and they stopped in their tracks.
Sensing the tug from behind, Lorne looked back at the sisters in confusion.
"Hmm? You're not willing?"
"It's not that… it's just… too sudden…"
The younger sister, who had been the most vocal—l, gulped and hesitated slightly.
"Sigh, it's bound to happen sooner or later. You'll get used to it."
Lorne, with the air of someone experienced, offered gentle advice.
"True, then little brother, you'll have to take good care of us…"
Surprisingly, the elder sister remained calm, as if she'd seen all sorts of things.
A soft smile bloomed on her refined face as she took the initiative to follow behind him up the stairs.
But the eyes staring at the man's back… seemed to grow colder and colder.
(End of this chapter)
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