A Sister, At Last
The silence hung. Not cold, but heavy. Almost delicate.
Then Leon cleared his throat. "Ahem."
That did it.
The girls blinked, shaken out of their daze, looking at each other before slowly turning back to Nova.
Rias blinked furiously. Then turned to Leon, finger pointed at the woman standing next to her father. "Da—Daddy," she breathed, voice half stuck in shock. "She's… she's Duchess Nova. The Nova, isn't she?"
Leon grinned and rose to his feet, performing a mock-dramatic bow. "Yup, sweetheart," he declared, arms wide open. "The one and only—Moonstone's toughest rose."
The women gazed once more at the figure on the bed. Since her face was now clearly in view, any remaining skepticism dissolved like morning sun on mist. This was real.
Leon slapped his hands together once, a grin pulling at his mouth. "Well then," he said, voice light but brimming with pride, "no more games."
