Chapter 62– Surprises 3
[Seraphina’s POV]
Amy happily took a big bite of the cake I offered her.
"Mmm! It’s delicious!"
"Happy Birthday, Mom!"
Seeing her bright smile made my own smile deepen.
Next, I turned toward Gray and offered him a bite as well.
He accepted it with a small smile.
"Happy Birthday, Mom."
Of course, I didn’t forget Astrid either.
I turned toward her and quietly held the remaining piece of cake in my hand.
She blinked.
"...Hey, Seraphina."
"What are you waiting for?"
"Give me my cake."
I looked at her calmly.
"I’m still considering whether I should."
"After all, this cake was made by my children."
"Not by a lazy person who spends half her time dozing off."
Astrid immediately looked offended.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean by lazy?"
"I do my job perfectly!"
"It’s not my fault those two learn so quickly that they barely need my guidance."
She folded her arms proudly.
"And don’t change the subject."
"Those are my children too."
"Now hand over my cake."
"I’ve been waiting to taste what my little Gray and Amy made."
I could only sigh before handing her the remaining piece.
She happily took it and finished it in a few bites.
"Mmm..."
"It really is delicious."
"Good job, kiddos."
"Keep improving."
"Your amazing Aunt Astrid will be waiting for more delicious food in the future."
She shamelessly declared.
I simply shook my head helplessly.
Then I cut another slice for myself.
Unlike Amy...
I wasn’t going to praise my children simply because they were my children.
If something was good, I would praise it.
If it wasn’t, I would tell them honestly so they could improve.
False praise only created false confidence.
As their mother...
I wanted them to continue growing, not become satisfied too early.
I slowly took a bite.
The soft sponge...
The smooth chocolate frosting...
The rich chocolate...
The slight sweetness of the strawberry...
Everything blended together surprisingly well.
It wasn’t the finest cake I had ever tasted.
As the Matriarch of the Starlight Family, I had eaten desserts prepared by the greatest pastry chefs on the continent.
Compared to those masterpieces...
This cake still had room for improvement.
The frosting could be smoother.
The sponge could be a little lighter.
The overall balance could still be refined.
But...
Considering this was made by two children on their very first serious attempt...
It was remarkable.
More importantly...
Every bite carried the sincerity and effort they had poured into making it.
When I looked up, both Gray and Amy were staring at me with expectant eyes, quietly waiting for my opinion.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"It’s really good."
"The sweetness is balanced, and the flavors complement each other nicely."
"However..."
"There are still many things you can improve."
"The sponge can become softer."
"The frosting could be smoother."
"And with more experience, your overall technique will naturally improve."
She paused for a moment before smiling warmly.
"But..."
"For your first attempt..."
"You’ve both done an excellent job."
Both of them nodded repeatedly like little chicks pecking at rice, bright smiles spreading across their faces.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of disappointment.
Instead...
They looked even more motivated than before.
Then Amy suddenly spoke.
"Hey, Gray."
"You have to bake a cake for my birthday too."
Gray immediately frowned.
"Huh?"
"Why would I bake one for you?"
"On your birthday, Mom will prepare everything."
"So why should I be the one baking a cake for you?"
Amy stomped her foot.
"I don’t care!"
"As your amazing big sister, it’s your duty to make things for me."
"So stop asking questions and just do as I say."
"If you know what’s good for you."
Gray immediately turned toward me.
"Mom!"
"Look at her!"
"She’s trying to bully me!"
"You have to hel—"
Before he could finish...
Amy cut him off.
"Hey, brat!"
"Are you seriously trying to snitch on your big sister?"
She immediately reached over to smack his head.
But before she could...
Gray’s tiny figure darted toward me and hid behind my chair.
Amy chased after him without hesitation.
Watching the two of them circle around me made me smile.
Eventually, I decided to help my little troublemaker.
I gently picked Gray up into my arms.
Amy puffed out her cheeks.
"Mom!"
"Let that traitor go!"
"He dared to snitch on his amazing big sister!"
Gray immediately corrected her.
"Amy."
"You said it wrong."
"It’s not amazing."
"It’s annoying."
Amy’s face instantly turned red.
"Mom!"
"See?"
"That brat has no respect for his big sister!"
I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
I gently patted Gray’s head before placing him back on the floor.
Then I leaned down and whispered quietly,
"Sorry, son..."
"You’re on your own."
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to protect my little troublemaker.
If I stepped in...
Their little argument would end immediately.
And somehow...
The mansion would become much quieter.
Watching the two of them bicker had become one of the greatest sources of warmth in this home.
Besides...
I knew Amy.
She would never truly hurt Gray.
She loved her little brother just as deeply as I loved my son.
Gray looked up at me with a betrayed expression.
Amy, meanwhile, wore a victorious grin.
"Hmph."
"Now you’re finished, brat!"
Gray didn’t wait another second.
He turned around and bolted out of my office.
Amy immediately chased after him.
I simply watched them disappear into the hallway with a smile.
Beside me, Astrid burst into laughter.
"Evil, Seraphina."
"You should’ve seen Gray’s face when you betrayed him."
"It was priceless."
I only smiled without saying anything.
After calming down, I decided to call it a day.
I handed the remaining cake to one of the maids.
"Please keep this in the refrigerator."
"I think the two of them will want another slice tomorrow."
The maid respectfully accepted the plate before leaving.
Not long afterward...
The sounds of footsteps echoed through the hallway once again.
Amy returned first...
Dragging Gray behind her.
Apparently, she had eventually caught him.
The two of them sat beside me on the sofa.
Only a few moments later...
Gray’s eyelids slowly became heavier.
It was the first time he had stayed awake this late.
Before long...
He quietly fell asleep against the sofa.
Amy, who had been glaring at him only moments ago, simply looked at her sleeping little brother before letting out a quiet sigh.
I smiled softly.
Then I carefully lifted Gray into my arms.
He instinctively leaned closer while sleeping.
His tiny body felt surprisingly warm.
I carried him back to his room, gently placed him on the bed, covered him with his blanket, and softly kissed his forehead.
"Good night, my son."
When I turned around, I found Amy quietly standing by the door.
She yawned.
"I’m sleepy too..."
I walked over, gently kissed her forehead as well, and smiled.
"Good night, Amy."
She smiled back.
"Good night, Mom."
Then she quietly returned to her own room.
After making sure both of my children were asleep...
I stood alone in the silent hallway.
Thinking back on everything that had happened today...
A warm smile naturally appeared on my face.
Today...
Had been one of the happiest birthdays of my life.
With that thought lingering in my heart...
I finally returned to my room to rest.
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A/N:-
Ok seraphina’s Chapters are over next Chapter begins with gray wake up and continue i really like when pov changes in the novel so that why i changed to seraphina pov in this moment not to drag the novel show her thoughts process
i hope you guys like it
as for someone ask why i repeated amy’s and gray’s fight it because it’s their personality i don’t change it in the future Chapters they always fight bicker and in term of strength amy always win she has 3 years advantage and their talent evenly mach and gray’s only advantage is his past life memory fragments don’t misunderstand he doesn’t have all the memories he only possesses little memory fragments that why his personality doesn’t change and stay as little gray so it only give him slightly advantage when creating spell but that doesn’t mean he can surpass amy who trained hard as him