Chương 1702: [1599] – Y07.099 – A Man IX

"It looks good," Jurot thought, while his wife stood opposite him, the woman adorned in one of the many attires of the Aswadian people, fluttering robes, a long sash across her front, each a deep crimson, for they were at the House of Crimson Cloth, for the Iyrman held such a pedigree, and his pockets were so deep.

"You have said that about the last nine outfits…" Pam finally spoke up, for she realised even if she wore a hundred different outfits, the Iyrman would speak the same words.

"I have not spoken any lies," Jurot replied.

"Iyrmen do not lie," Pam replied, narrowing her eyes, her husband grunting affirmatively.

"What do you like of my outfit?" Jurot's ears turned red, and as his brother had informed him, he did not speak the first thing that came to mind, nor did he speak of the second, and as he considered the third, the Iyrmen thought deeply a moment.

"The colour looks good upon you," Jurot began, holding a wisdom within his words the woman hadn't expected.

"The flowing robes accentuate your figure well." Pam flushed lightly, and upon seeing the Iyrman quickly tense his jaw, the woman considered her husband's face, noting that her husband had grown up too.

"Now it's my turn to pick clothes for you."

'Huh?' Jurot blinked. As Jurot was so swiftly defeated by his wife, within a certain estate, carriages prepared to leave, and lightly they prepared.

"I hope it was a wonderful time for you," Tamil said, clasping the half elf's forearm, a gentle smile upon his lips which denoted he knew the answer to that question already.

"The desserts were delicious," Adam confirmed, winking at the fellow.

"Once again, thank you for inviting us."

"When you are in Arisa, you may send word."

"Thank you for your permission?"

"Ah," Tamil replied, reaching up to push his glasses lightly, chuckling nervously.

"I mean you should send word if it pleases you."

"I'll consider it." Adam's lips formed a wide smile, and with that the group slipped away within their carriages back to the estate.

"Mummy, did you see?" Jirot asked, peeking up towards her mother.

"I saw." Jirot smiled bashfully, the girl leaning in to nuzzle her mother's nose, reaching up to grab the woman's face.

"Mummy, how come you always talk about taxes with Mrs Aliya?"

"It is good to know of the political situation within Aswadasad, and taxes are the start of such a conversation," Vonda replied.

"Oh."

"Mummy, are taxes maths?" Jarot asked.

"It involves much maths."

"I see…" Jarot blinked, turning to look up towards his father, and as their gazes met, the boy smiled.

"I do not like maths, I like daddy."

"You! What is Karot teaching you?" Adam grumbled, hoisting up his son, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Karot's head turned towards his mother, blinking, his tail slumping behind him.

'What I did?' However, his elder siblings all snickered together, letting out a cackle, then Konarot furrowed her brows.

"Mummy?"

"Yes?"

"Why is daddy so funny?" Vonda swallowed, her face tensing to stop herself, as little Jirot blinked, turning towards her eldest sister. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"What is Jirot teaching you?" Adam accused, causing his eldest daughter to flush lightly, while Jirot raised her hands, inhaling deeply, but a moment passed and she turned to catch her mother's eyes, the pair both swallowing and tensing their faces together. When her father plucked her onto his lap, the girl remained staring into her mother's eyes.

'When did father become so wise?' Adam's fingers squeezed along their green legs, each like sausages, and the two gripped at his sleeves and shirt. The half elf stared down at the tops of their heads as they continued to babble away between one another. Vonda's ankle pressed against his, causing his eyes to dart to meet hers, and the half elf smiled, though it was an awkward smile, and not because he was blushing from his wife's flirting.

'It's so easy to feel the difference between them,' the half elf thought, squeezing their calves gently, wrapping his arms around their waists. Even with how much of a name he had made for himself, the children's lives wouldn't be easy. It was one thing for those who looked like half dragons, but at the very least, once they were old enough, who would dare to trouble them? However, Jirot and Jarot, who had reached as big as they were going to get, it didn't matter. Even with their tattoos, what could he expect?

"It is okay, daddy," Jirot called, reaching up to rub his face gently, taking the half elf out of his thoughts.

"Do not be worried."

"Worried?" Adam replied, suddenly straightening up after being caught so brazenly.

"What do you mean?" Jirot pinched her father's nose, holding the half elf's nose, her amber eyes glistening with the sudden wisdom her father sometimes displayed.

"A man's mind is his castle, but your gates are always open." Vonda pulled her scarf over her face, staining her scarf with tears, all the while Adam blinked down at his daughter, while the triplets furrowed their brows, for if Jirot was bullying her father this hard, it must have been important. Adam's laughter filled the carriage, tears slipping down his face freely, though they were not all so full of joy, yet as he lifted his twins, he planted firm kisses against their cheeks.

Jirot thought of her mother's words, and thinking upon them, the girl stood upon her father's thigh, trying to not slip off due to her fine socks, but she gripped her father's shoulder and collar tight, and with his arm to support her, the girl stood tall and firm, like a tower.

"Daddy, did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

"You do not?"

"I know what I know, my dear, and I do not know what I do not know."

"I know that you know," the girl said, bringing a chubby hand up to his cheek, brushing it gently, feeling his harsh jaw.

"Daddy!"

"Yes?"

"Just like babo, you must endure. Soon, we will let you cause trouble, but right now, you cannot." Jirot rubbed his cheek tenderly, in the same way he would do for her.

"Do you understand?"

"I understand…" Adam held his daughter's gaze, his daughter who had inherited her mother's wisdom, who was twice as wise as he, and before he was able to hug her tight, the girl hugged his head tight.

"Daddy, you are working hard…" Jirot whispered against the half elf's ear.

"Daddy is," Adam confirmed, holding the girl close. It was this daughter of his, who had bullied him relentlessly, who would trouble him so, it was this daughter who adored him with such affection. As the carriages rolled within the estate, the others had also returned from their shopping and their business within Arisa finally completed, they enjoyed their evening together.

"Ahm, when we are in the capital, you may spoil us well," Jirot said, reaching out a hand onto her ahm's, the girl patting it lightly.

"Oh? You will allow me to spoil you?" Korin asked, suddenly leaning in towards the girl, raising his brows wide.

"Mm…" Jirot's eyes slowly trailed towards the beautiful woman nearby.

"Only if ahm and aila will spoil us together."

"Aha!" Korin's grin widened, the fellow chuckling, lifting the girl up, though thought twice of the matter, but she was already within his arms, and the girl smirked up towards him.

"What a lovely niece I have."

"Yes."

"How was the chess exhibition?"

"The desserts were exquisite," the girl replied, smiling wide.

"Kaka and I fought Mister Qasem, but we were unable to defeat him."

"Ah? I am certain you did not allow him to claim victory so easily."

"Of coas not."

"Of course not," Korin repeated.

"Of coas not, of coas not, kaka and I, we stood, like oaks, and like a tree with a great foundation, those planted within the soil of the Iyr, we remained firmly, and with hearts of steel, we fought and we fought, until the last drop of blood." Korin blinked, wondering how the little girl could speak the tongue of gold and silver so well.

"Jirot, you speak our tongue so well."

"Of coas, for I am my mother's daughter."

"Of course."

"Of coas." Korin blinked down towards the girl, and as she made to speak, the girl suddenly narrowed her eyes towards her ahm.

"Yes?"

"Ahm, you must speak lovely to me, because if daddy meets with your mother in law, he may cause trouble, and who will stop him?" Jirot asked, her threat not subtle in the slightest.

"How are you better at politicking than your father?"

"Of coas, for I am my mother's daughter." Korin held the girl's gaze, noting a sharpness within her eyes, the girl reaching up to brush his beard gently, and she slipped out his arms, waddling away. Little Jarot followed his sister with his eyes, caught his ahm's gaze, and followed after his sister.

'Oh,' Adam thought, watching his daughter slip away after threatening her ahm, playfully, but there was a certain hint within her voice, of her look, of something greater.