Inside Adia’s room.
“What?”
Victoria had come to inform Adia and Victor of what Vane intended to announce at the party.
“…Aydin will marry Regina and Hilde.”
While Victor remained indifferent, Adia stood frozen, shock washing over her.
“Alright, sister. I’ll take my leave for now. I still have preparations to make for tomorrow.” Victoria said in a light cheerful tone.
“…Okay,” Adia replied monotonously, still struggling to process the sudden turn of events.
Victoria's mood lifted considerably
after hearing Vane explain that the chances of Aydin turning into a femboy—were very low, and that he intended to marry Aydin to the twins. She threw herself into her duties with renewed enthusiasm.
Once Victoria left the room, Victor snorted, “Hmph. What’s so great about marrying those snot-nosed brats?”
He turned toward the door. “Mother, I’m going out for a while.”
“Victor, wait—where are you going?” Adia asked anxiously.
“I’ll take a walk around the city.”
Without waiting for a reply, Victor left. The casual dismissal made Adia’s fury boil over.
She slammed her clenched fist onto the table.
“Damn brat. Running off to some brothel again. Can’t he see how serious the situation is?”
“I’ve told him again and again to show some affection toward those twins, and he doesn’t care at all.”
“Can’t he at least think with his D*ck for once? Anyone can tell they’ll be stunning beauties in a few years.”
“They share the same father—so why can’t he have even a fraction of Aydin’s intelligence?”
“Damn it.”
After a moment, she drew a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
Chewing on her thumbnail, she began to think.
'Vane is an idiot. Vain and selfish. He doesn’t care about his family—only his reputation, his bloodline, and the name of his house.
'For now, he pampers his daughters because having daughters is considered prestigious in this world.
'But if either of those girls were to marry outside the family, I’m certain he wouldn’t spare them a second thought.
‘Traditionally, the eldest son inherits the noble title after his mana awakening—but it isn’t mandatory. The lord may choose whomever he deems most capable.
'And compared to Victor, Aydin is clearly the better choice.
'Still, Vane blindly follows tradition and places far too much importance on bloodlines. That’s why I believed he would choose Victor as his heir and marry the twins to him—combining ducal blood, his own lineage, and Victoria’s beauty, which those two girls inherited.
'He married me for political standing, as the daughter of a duke. He married Victoria later, dazzled by her beauty despite her being only a count’s daughter—someone he met during his travels.
'Victoria is nothing more than a pretty face. She doesn’t care about Vane’s position. She fell in love with his appearance and status, convinced he’s some grand hero. She doesn't even have the will to fight for inheritance.
‘A typical boobs but no brains.
'I could care less for how much affection Vane is giving to Victoria. Everything should have been fine as long as victor is the next heir.
'But everything fell apart because of Aydin.
'Even if Aydin or Victoria didn’t seek power, I feared Vane would still consider him as his heir due to his exceptional talent.
'The only reason it hadn’t been decided yet was the uncertainty of his mana awakening—there was always the chance he might fail.
'But now that Vane intends to marry the twins to Aydin, it means he’s already made his choice.
'As long as Aydin awakens his mana, he will become the next Marquess.'
"Damn it… damn it… damn it…"
Adia exhaled slowly.
“Calm down, Adia. There are still four years before anything is finalized.
“There’s still a chance Aydin might fail his awakening… or become a femboy.
“If all else fails…”
A cold glint flashed in her eyes.
The Next Day
The members of the House of Gilded Vain traveled in a grand entourage.
At its center moved three main carriages, flanked by four others—two in front and two behind—forming a protective formation. One carriage carried maids, butlers, and supplies. Another held Marquess Vane along with Victor and Aydin. The third was reserved for Adia, Victoria, and the twin sisters.
“Father, where are we going?” Aydin asked, peering out the window.
Vane folded his hands calmly, closing his eyes. “In this world, there exist eight Primordial Gods, twenty-one Major Deities, and four legions of Minor Gods,” he began.
“A child after reaching the age of 18 has to attend the ceremony in one of the temples to receive God's blessings, which grants the blessed child with the ability to use mana.
“The child can later learn to use the gift of magic to protect the kingdom.
“The benediction ceremony is traditionally held in a temple dedicated to one of the Eight. While every family honors all eight gods, each noble house chooses a single patron deity—along with favored major and minor gods—based on bloodline and magical affinity.”
Vane opened his eyes, looking at Aydin, he said, “our house serves the Goddess of Night.”
Aydin’s eyes widened slightly.
“That is why,” Vane continued, “we are traveling to her temple.”
Soon, the entourage reached their destination.
The Temple of Night rose from the land like an ancient relic of another age—colossal, silent, and eternal. Dark stone buildings clustered around the main sanctum, forming what looked less like a single structure and more like a small village devoted entirely to worship. Towers etched with silver runes stood beside low prayer halls, and glowing lanterns lined winding paths, their pale light visible even beneath the sun.
At the temple’s heart loomed the main shrine—vast, cavernous, and carved directly into the mountain itself.
The ceremony hall resembled a sacred cave. From the ceiling descended a waterfall, its waters shimmering like liquid starlight, forming a curtain that hid the inner sanctum beyond.
All attendants were ordered to remain outside. Only the priestesses, priests, and immediate family were permitted within.
Regina and Hilde were dressed in diaphanous white ceremonial garments, light and flowing, bordered with delicate embroidery. The priestesses led them through cleansing rites—chants, blessings, and offerings meant to purify the body and steady the soul.
As sacred hymns echoed through the chamber, the twins were guided toward the waterfall.
“Walk through together,” the High Priestess instructed gently.
Hand in hand, Regina and Hilde stepped forward nervously. The enchanted water cascaded over them, soaking them as they passed through the veil.
Behind the fall lay a shallow pond, glowing faintly with spiritual light.
The twins waded toward its center. From outside, only their silhouettes were visible through the flowing water.
The chanting changed.
The arcane runes carved into the walls and floor ignited one by one, forming mana circles, bathing the cavern in radiant light as the priests and priestesses poured their power into the ritual.
The twins cried out in fear at first, overwhelmed by the sensation—but soon the mana enveloped them completely. Their voices softened, then faded, replaced by calm breathing as the energy harmonized with them.
Aydin took a step forward instinctively.
“They are safe,” Vane said firmly, stopping him. “Their bodies and mana channels are being reshaped. Any interference could be fatal.”
A few minutes passed.
At last, the chanting ceased. The glowing waters receded, flowing back through the waterfall.
“You may return,” the High Priest announced.
Regina and Hilde emerged slowly, drenched and trembling from cold and exhaustion. Victoria and the maids rushed forward, wrapping them in warm towels and guiding them toward the altar.
The High Priest nodded to an attendant, who stepped forward holding a crystal sphere.
“Regina,” he said.
She placed her hand upon the crystal.
It flared to life—blue and green intertwining.
Murmurs of excitement rippled through the chamber.
“Hilde.”
When Hilde touched the sphere, it glowed red and brown, pulsing steadily.
Joy erupted among the priests.
“Congratulations, Marquess Vane,” the High Priest said warmly. “Both of your daughters have awakened successfully.”
“They are dual-affinity mages. Regina bears Water and Wind. Hilde holds Earth and Fire.”
Vane exhaled, his excited composure finally breaking into a joyful smile. “My thanks. Truly.”
The High Priest studied the twins carefully. “Do you feel any lingering discomfort?”
The girls exchanged glances, hesitant.
“…it feels weird," Regina and Hilde admitted, as they squirm their legs. “Like… something between our legs.”
The High Priest glanced at Victoria, who understood and looked beneath the towel.
Her expression subtly shifted—surprise flickering across her face.
“This…” she murmured under her breath.
Two Days After the Benediction Ceremony
Inside the Marquess’s villa, a grand celebration was underway.
Most of the preparations had already been completed in advance; all that remained was welcoming the guests invited in the capital. Over the past two days, Marquess Vane and Victoria had been relentlessly busy—visiting influential nobles, paying respects at various temples, meeting the king, and attending to countless obligations of a noble house.
During this time, Victor and Aydin had been instructed to remain within the villa.
Adia, meanwhile, had not been seen since the ceremony. Claiming poor health, she had kept herself locked inside her room, refusing all visitors. With the household stretched thin by preparations, the servants had little time to question her absence.
As evening fell, the guests began to arrive one after another.
Aydin stood quietly near the edge of the hall, observing the lively atmosphere. He noticed Victor laughing and talking like an idiot with a group of young nobles of his age—his apparent friends he had made during earlier visits to the capital.
To Aydin, they felt like they were his boot lickers.
Aydin had no such companions.
He had always spent his time with his sisters, and so he remained alone, watching the gathering in silence.
Suddenly, he saw Victoria approach him with a tense expression.
“Aydin—here you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“Mother? What’s wrong?” he asked, startled.
“There’s no time,” she said quickly. “I just need to tell you something.”
“…Alright.”
“You remember what we discussed earlier. About announcing your engagement to Regina and Hilde?”
“Yes…”
“It’s cancelled.”
Aydin froze. “What?”
“You’ll understand later,” Victoria said firmly. “I only came to inform you. For now, forget about it entirely. Don’t mention it to anyone—okay?”
Before he could ask anything more, she turned and hurried away, leaving him standing there, stunned.
“What… in the world is happening?” he muttered.
Moments later, the head butler’s voice rang through the hall, announcing the arrival of the hosts.
From the grand spiral staircase at the center of the hall, Victoria descended from the left, holding Regina’s hand.
On the opposite side, Vane descended with Hilde.
The two pairs met at the center, and together they walked down the remaining steps—Vane and Victoria on either side, Regina and Hilde between them, fingers tightly interlaced.
The twins were radiant, dressed in elegant ceremonial attire that complemented their newly awakened attributes. Pride shone unmistakably on the faces of both parents, as though this moment marked the pinnacle of their lives.
Once they reached the raised platform below, the butler handed a crystal wineglass to Vane.
The hall fell silent.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Vane began, his voice carrying effortlessly across the room, “thank you for gathering here tonight to share in our joy.”
Murmurs of anticipation rippled through the crowd.
“As many of you have already guessed, two days ago my daughters underwent their ceremony of benediction—and both awakened successfully as dual-affinity mages.”
Applause thundered through the hall.
Aydin noticed several nobles exchanging sharp glances, calculations flickering behind polite smiles.
There is a glint of greed in the eyes of many aristocratic nobles with sons, hoping to gain the hand of the girls in marriage.
“Thank you,” Vane said, raising a hand slightly. “But that is not all.”
The room quieted once more.
This time another round of applause came through, but more louder and cheerful than the last one.
"Congrats Vane"
"Congratulations Sir Marques, you are very lucky. "
.....
"But this is not the end. We are also very proud to announce that, by divine will, both my daughters are not only mana users, they have also awakened as hermaphrodites."
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then the hall erupted.
“Congratulations, Marquess Vane!”
“How fortunate!”
“What an extraordinary blessing!”
The applause this time was louder, brighter—tinged with envy and awe.
It took several moments for the crowd to settle, even as Vane gestured for calm.
When silence finally returned, he spoke again.
“Therefore, following the laws of inheritance of the kingdom, by the authority granted to me as head of this house, I hereby declare—Hilde shall be my official successor.
“The future Marquioness of the House of Gilded Vain.”
Gasps echoed through the hall.
A brief pause followed, then the hall applauded once more, but with less enthusiasm.
“Thus,” Vane concluded, lifting his glass, “I thank you all for honoring us with your presence tonight. Please—enjoy the celebration.”
The moment the formalities ended, the hall came alive.
Nobles surged toward the Marquess, while elegant ladies gathered around Victoria, showering her with admiration and praise. Conversations overlapped, laughter rang out, and behind polite smiles, ambitions stirred.
Several aristocrats—men and women alike—voiced their eagerness to see their own daughters wed into the House of Gilded Vain, whether to Hilde or Regina. Vane and Victoria responded with practiced grace, neither confirming nor denying anything, deftly guiding conversations away from commitments.
Across the hall, Victor stood frozen.
The weight of the announcement crashed down on him belatedly. His jaw tightened, his hands curled into fists. Without a word, he turned and left the hall. Behind him, the friends he had been laughing with moments earlier exchanged looks and snickered, their mockery no longer thinly veiled.
Aydin remained where he was, unmoving.
The noise of the celebration faded into a dull hum as his thoughts spiraled.
‘Why are they offering their daughters to Hilde and Regina for marriage?
‘Mother once told me that women cannot inherit noble titles in this kingdom. Then why is Hilde named as the next Marquoness?
‘If it were Regina, I could at least understand… But Hilde? She isn’t the scholarly or calculating type. I don’t think she is capable of politics.
‘Do they expect her to grow into it? Or is it something else?’
He clenched his fists.
‘Even if I wasn’t chosen as heir, I could still have married them. There was no need to cancel the engagement entirely.’
His chest felt tight.
‘What… What the hell is happening?
Amid laughter, music, and celebration, Aydin stood alone—yet more isolated than ever.
Copyright © [January] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
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