Reincarnated as Twins: And Then, I Was the Only One Abandoned - ☆22 The Egg Hatches

☆22 The Egg Hatches 

When I stepped outside to see Aiza off, I noticed a commotion next door. 

With Elysia’s arrival, her mansion was bustling as cargo was continuously being carried in. Large wagons arrived one after another. And teams of workers carefully moved in luxurious furniture. 

At this point, it’s not just a vacation home anymore—they’re probably planning to live here permanently. 

There were also several elven women dressed in maid-like outfits. 

I kind of want to get to know them. 

But will they be as blatantly discriminatory as Fia? 

As I stood there holding the egg and observing the moving process, I caught the maids glaring at me as if I were something filthy. 

I knew it. 

“Why would anyone build such a shabby little doghouse right next to Lady Elysia’s estate?” 

“Earlier, I saw a creepy black dog running around in that yard. We should warn the guards to make sure it doesn’t try to bite Lady Elysia.” 

They weren’t even whispering—they were speaking loudly enough for me to hear. 

Uh… I built my house here first, though. 

Unable to withstand the scornful gazes from multiple women, I retreated back inside my house. 

For now, I placed the egg back on the tablecloth. 

If it’s about to hatch, does that mean it’s a reptile? Maybe a dragon? 

Wait, aren’t eggs supposed to be kept warm for them to hatch? 

It’s already winter, and I do have a magic heater running. Maybe I should just leave it in front of that? 

Then again, this thing has been absorbing a ton of mana—it’s definitely a magical beast. 

In that case, would it be better to keep feeding it mana instead of just heat? 

Might as well give it a try. 

I concentrated mana into my hands and wrapped them around the egg. 

A faint light emanated from the egg. It gradually turned red and intensified in brightness. 

Huh? Is this working? 

I poured more mana into it, but I was starting to feel drained. 

Then—*crack*. 

A sharp sound echoed as a crack formed on the massive egg. 

The crack spread rapidly. And soon, the eggshell crumbled away. 

What emerged from inside was a stunning bird. Its entire body was covered in brilliant red feathers. 

It looked around briefly, then locked its large red eyes onto me and let out a sharp chirp. 

So… cute… 

I gently lifted it up in both hands. 

It seemed completely at ease, letting me do whatever I wanted. 

Wait, wasn’t there a thing about birds recognizing the first thing they see as their parent? 

Even as it trembled slightly in my hands, it continued to stare at me with those vivid red eyes. 

Before I realized it, I was smiling back at it. 

Since it feeds on my mana, there’s no problem with food. 

Now, I need to think of a name. 

Red…….. 

Ruby? Should I go with Ruby? 

No, that’s too obvious. 

Ruby… Rubita… Rubis… 

Huh? 

That actually sounds good. 

“Your name is Rubis!” 

I spoke to it, and Rubis let out another sharp chirp. Its voice rang as if expressing joy. 

◆◆◆

By the next morning, Rubis was already capable of flying—though still a bit unsteadily. 

It seemed to have taken a liking to my shoulder. It flew around the room only to return there every time. 

Vald was watching its movements with the gaze of a predator eyeing its prey. 

…….…Don’t even think about it. 

You don’t need to eat it, right? 

If you kill it, there’s no coming back from that. 

As I prepared breakfast with Rubis perched on my shoulder, I heard the door open again. 

I didn’t even need to turn around—I already knew it was Elysia. 

Seriously, could you at least knock? You make me jump every time. 

“Good morning, Souta. Oh, are you having breakfast now?” 

“Yeah, morning. What’s up? It’s pretty early.” 

“The escorts for our next journey are arriving this evening, so we’ll be departing tomorrow morning.” 

As she spoke, Elysia walked closer and noticed the small bird sitting on my shoulder. 

“Oh? Who’s this?” 

She leaned in for a closer look, but Rubis remained completely unfazed. 

“It’s the bird that hatched from that egg.” 

“Huh?? It *already* hatched?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” 

She glared at me with a look of betrayal. 

Uh… because your maids are scary? 

I quickly changed the subject. 

“Do you know what kind of bird it is?” 

“Hmm… a red magic bird… In my country, there’s a legend about a Phoenix that’s born once every thousand years. But surely that’s not the case. I don’t even know if Phoenixes actually exist.” 

She suggested having a researcher examine it, but that sounded like a hassle. Hence I refused. 

So, we’re leaving tomorrow. 

It’s been a while since I last traveled. 

By the time we get back, the new year will have already started. 

The dark elf village didn’t have any kind of New Year celebrations, but I wonder if they do anything like that here. 

…Probably not.