113 I prefer a sister

In reaction to her friend's frantic questions, Lara only shrugged her shoulders. "It's a secret. Maybe if you are a good girl I will tell you.", she then joked.

"You!", Tanya shouted angrily, but one could see that she enjoyed bantering around like this.

After that, they played around a bit more until it was dinner time.

"Can aunt Tanya stay with us tonight?", Jane asked after dinner. It seemed like she had taken a liking to this woman.

"How about I marry your dad and then I can stay every day?", Tanya asked in response. Although it was asked jokingly, it was a good way to find out Janes reaction to her father marrying someone else.

"That would be great!", the little girl exclaimed in elation. Before asking a question, which made the adults around the table speechless. "Then does that mean you and father will make me a little brother or sister then? I would prefer a sister just so you know."

"It's not that easy.", Ivan tried to explain, "Even if we marry, this wouldn't mean that you would instantly get a child."

"But you and Mommy got one directly after marrying.", Jane objected.

"That's because we were lucky.", while answering like this, he glanced at Jane with trepidation. He wasn't sure if her view was the same, but when he saw her nod he was glad.

"Oh, then I'll wish you luck."

"Hoh, so you like the idea of your dad and me marrying? Don't you fear that I'll bully your mother after?", Tanya asked while making a scary face. She just couldn't help herself. Seeing this cute little girl really made her want to tease her.

Jane looked at her with mock disdain, "Can you even do that? From what I know you always lost to my Mommy."

Ivan chuckled while Lara outright started to laugh out loudly. Tanya, on the other hand, blushed in embarrassment. It was true that back when they were in a party she would often challenge Lara and generally lose. But she soon recovered.

"That was back then. Now I'm much stronger than her.", she then proudly announced. During these years she had continued adventuring, unlike Lara who had fully concentrated on management.

In response, Jane only looked at her with disdain. "Do you really think mom didn't train?"

"She did?", Tanya then turned towards Lara, "How the hell do you even have the time for that?"

"Why shouldn't I have the time? As long as one is good at multitasking there is no reason not to use one's training skill while doing paperwork.", she answered as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Of course, that wasn't the case. To use one's training skill a high amount of concentration was needed and most people wouldn't be able to do anything at the same time, not to mention doing paperwork, which would require some concentration in itself.

Tanya looked at her as if she had seen a monster, "That's really too abnormal. Wait that is not right. I'm sure that you weren't able to do it before."

She was right, in fact only after she had gotten pregnant with Jane, had her mind expanded, which resulted in this ability. But since she didn't understand the connection, she saw no reason to tell her friend about this. Because if she did, then she surely would want to sleep with Ivan even more, just to try if it would happen to her too. As such she chose to answer the question only with dignified silence.

"Your silence won't work. I'll surely find out how you did it."

"Is it something unusual to be able to use one's training skill while doing other things?", Jane asked in a confused voice. Agitating Tanya even further.

"Don't tell me you too use your training skill on the side?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? This way I can do something more fun. Just sitting around and using that skill is way too boring."

Hearing her answer Tanya could only shake her head before focusing her gaze on Ivan. "It must be your fault.", she then proclaimed.

Ivan had just thought about how Jane was the same as himself. If not for his training skill being a duo training skill, then he too would just operate it on the side. Luckily he had changed the skill slightly and could now use it on the side, besides these sessions with Irena. So when Tanya accused him suddenly he was unclear on why she would do that.

"What do I have to do with it?", he asked innocently, while already being sure that it should have something to do with him. After all, Lara had only changed after meeting him and both he and Jane were able to use the training skill while doing other things.

"Only after meeting you has she become able to train like this. So you have to be the one responsible.", Tanya proclaimed proudly.

"Don't you think that this argumentation is kind of shaky?", Lara threw in.

"I don't care. You help me to be able to do it too. Oh, and while we are it, make me able to hide my Uradel Mark too.", she unreasonably requested.

"Tanya behave.", Lara warned. Her friend's behavior sometimes was just like a little child.

"I don't care. Besides, we already decided that I would marry you two, so where is the problem."

When Ivan heard these words, he looked at Lara in surprise. How come there was such a decision and he hadn't heard anything about it.

Seeing his look, Lara calmly answered, "Didn't you tell me to take care of finding the concubines? She is one of these that have applied. But because of her family, it has to change to marrying as a real wife." She then proceeded to explain Tanya's situation and why they had come to their decision.

Ivan hadn't cared that much about these things. To him, this had always only been a way of suppressing the effects of his bloodline flareups. But a real wife was something different. That was just the way he felt.

Lara is married to him because of what his past self did and he accepted Tang Lin because of his feeling, but for Tanya, there wasn't anything like this. So he wasn't really that keen on marrying her, still, if his wife wanted this, then he could only compromise. After all, it wasn't like he would make a loss. Not only was Tanya beautiful, but she also had a great background and talent.

"Hmmm, since I told you to make the decision, then you make the decision.", he indirectly agreed.

"Thank you.", Lara smiled at him. She was happy for the trust he showed.

Tanya smiled at the sight of them and silently pulled Jane away, leaving them some space. She understood that it was important for them to have their moments.

"Then about the others?", Ivan asked.

Lara instantly understood that he meant the other applicants, so she told him about them. When she told him about Celine and the ritual he became happy. If this worked, then it would become so much easier for both him and Lara.

"Let's hope that it works.", he voiced his hopes.

"It will. The System itself said that the ritual would work. It's just that I'm not completely clear on the specifics of it."

"Well, we can only wait and see. For now, let's go and check on these two children." It hadn't taken him long to understand the kind of person Tanya was and in his view calling her a child was completely warranted.

The two of them went towards where these two had vanished. Unconsciously they walked side by side, with their bodies nearly touching, looking like a real couple.

This time once again Lara came over to sleep with Ivan. While they felt closer, they both still kept some distance from each other.

While they laid together in the darkness, Lara's voice suddenly sounded out. "Did you know that I hated you?"

"From what had happened, I wouldn't have expected anything else."

"Then do you know that I hated Jane too at the beginning? And even wanted to abort her?", there was a slight tinge of remorse in her voice.

"But now you love her very much.", Ivan replied. He didn't think that her thoughts were wrong. He would never be able to fully understand her thoughts at that time, but not hating the thing that would always remind her of being hated would be weirder in his opinion.

When Lara heard his simple answer she let out a relaxed smile. True, what did it matter what she had felt back then? Only her current feelings mattered.

"Someday we will have another child."

Hearing her, Ivan looked at her in shock. He really hadn't expected her to say something like this. It seemed like she had been affected by Janes words before. He wanted to ask her what exactly she meant, but hearing her steady breathing he swallowed down his questions.