Return of the General's Daughter-Chapter 202: Children Of The House Of Mendel

It was already dark when Jethru and Lara arrived at the Mendel’s estate. When Sandoz and the twins, Ivan and Ivy, heard the horses neighing, they eagerly ran to the gate to welcome their grandfather and sister Lara.

"Grandpa, Sister, why were you gone for so long?" Ivy pouted, her doe-like eyes misted, and Jethru’s heart melted.

He lifted her and twirled her around. The experience of being eagerly welcomed at the door was a new one for him, and his heart warmed.

"Grandpa, please set me down! I’m not a kid anymore; I am a big girl." Ivy exclaimed, trying to sound serious, but her laughter bubbled over, echoing through the narrow alley, warming the early evening chill. She wiggled playfully in her grandfather’s strong arms, squirming a bit as she added, "I think I’ve gotten too heavy for you to carry!"

"Whose heavy? You are still my little girl." Jethru lifted her higher, and a shrill scream came out of Ivy.

Lara smiled as she watched the heartwarming scene. Her master had changed so much, but for the better. He became a little less stern but only to the others, not to her.

Sandoz and Ivan were well-behaved and stood at the side, though both had a longing look on their faces. They wanted a hug from their big sister.

Lara was adept at reading faces. Sandoz and Ivan were like an open book to her. Their big eyes were expressive. She approached them in light steps and gave them a quick hug before ruffling their hair.

"Sandoz, I’m sorry. All the rabbits had escaped," Lara said after fixing his disheveled hair. "But I caught something better, for each of you."

Sandoz’s eyes, which had suddenly drooped, widened. "Can I see them?" He asked excitedly.

"Let’s go inside first," Lara said, holding each boy’s hand and entering through the gate.

When Lara presented the three rabbits, the boys unanimously agreed to let Ivy select first.

Ivy selected a female rabbit with the frosted pearl color— a pearl with black, blue, and chocolate shading.

Ivan, on the other hand, selected the one with the straw-color fawn fur.

"Big sister, it is so cute." Ivan gushed out. "I’ll name this Alpha, similar to my old name."

Lara raised an eyebrow. Ivan was still fixated on the name Alpha. Was he not happy when his name was changed?

She was quite surprised when she first learned that people in that period were familiar with the Greygo alphabet. Has their grandmother encountered someone from Greygan? It wasn’t impossible, though, as Greygo was an ancient civilization that had conducted extensive exploration.

"Do you know what Alpha means?"

"Yes..."

"I know," Ivy interrupted her brother. "Alpha means first, or the leader."

"Good girl." Lara patted her head. Ivy happily sat down while inspecting her new pet.

Lara’s eyes settled on Sandoz, who was now holding the chocolate-colored bunny. He lifted it with practiced care, tilting it slightly as he peeked underneath.

"Sis, this one’s a boy," he announced. His high-pitched voice made the two other rabbits flinch. "Those two are girls." He pointed confidently at the twins nestled together nearby. A grin spread across his face, revealing two oversized adult teeth growing in where his baby ones had recently fallen out. "My rabbit’s going to be the head of the family."

"What?" Ivan raised a brow. "That’s not fair."

Lara let the kids argue and laugh amongst themselves as she carefully pulled out two tiny, dark gray pups, barely bigger than her palm. They curled into tight little balls as she gently laid them on the floor, first placing down a soft white patch of their mother’s fur like a carpet.

"Oh, wow. They are so cute." Ivy reached out instinctively to scoop one up and placed it on her lap.

Lara shook her head and gently intercepted the gesture. "They’re still very young. Too delicate to be handled just yet."

Ivy pulled back her hand reluctantly, disappointment flickering across her face—until Lara handed her a slender bamboo tube with a soft teat fitted at one end.

"You can feed her, though," Lara said warmly.

Ivy’s eyes lit up, her face blooming into a smile as she cradled the feeding tube with quiet reverence.

"Be gentle," Lara taught her how to feed the little thing, and Ivy learned quickly. She was a fast learner.

"Sandoz, come here. You feed Little Grey."

The boy looked up in surprise at Lara. He thought that she would ask Ivan, but he was the one she called instead.

A shy smile appeared on his face, making him more handsome.

Sandoz was used to taking care of the little animals that his Grandpa and Sister brought home to their house at the plateau. He has also become accustomed to parting with them when the time came. He understood that the animals were meant to be free.

"Sis, are we going to keep these two or are we setting them free when they grow like the others?"

Lara hadn’t thought about it, but now that the question was out in the open, she made a decision.

"I’ll keep them. These are Grey’s pups. I promised him that I would look after them."

Sandoz remained silent as he continued to feed Little Grey, along with Ivy. Ivan, on the other hand, was busy chasing after the rabbits who were running around the room, a bit disoriented.

Lara watched Sandoz. In the last few days, and even earlier, he had been so well-behaved, which bothered Lara. His actions seemed to be guarded, like he was treading on eggshells.

She studied Ivan and Ivy. They were inherently good children. But because they were children, small fights could happen, and during those fights, Sandoz was always the one who apologized, even if he was not at fault.

What a pitiful child. At such a young age, he already understood his place. He must have realized that no matter how good Jethru and Samuel were, they were still Ivan’s and Ivy’s blood relatives. That’s why, in everything, he always let the sibling select first, and he would be content with whatever was left.

Lara sighed. She knew how Sandoz felt. Because once upon a time, she was like that too. Whatever gifts her father would bring home, she always let her two younger siblings select first, and hers would be the leftover - the ugliest one.

But looking at Sandoz now, the corner of her lips curled up into a small smile. She was content to see the old Sandoz was back. Carefree, and whose laughter could thaw even the coldest heart.