"This is my adopted daughter..." Ry-Two introduced.
The little girl in his arms politely gave Rio a bow, then shyly said, "Hello, aun... sister!"
"Wow! Sister looks so beautiful!" she hurriedly added, finishing with a bright, seemingly sincere smile.
She was clever. In the middle of her greeting, the little girl noticed this beautiful aunt's furrowed brow when she heard "aunt," so she quickly switched to "sister" instead.
So far, that term had proven very successful when she was trying to charm female customers while selling her flowers.
"He he, you're such a sweet talker."
Rio immediately felt good after being praised, so she smiled back and returned the greeting, then gave the little girl a quick once-over, curiously checking her out.
"This..." But when her gaze dropped to the girl's legs, Rio froze.
Ry-Two was just about to explain when Henry came from inside, carrying their two babies in his arms.
The children curiously exchanged glances the moment they met.
"Hi, little babies!" The little girl lit up, delighted to see her new sisters—but then she froze again when she looked up at the face of Henry, who had just stepped out.
After a moment of awkward silence—
"There are two daddies!" The little girl exclaimed, her mind failing to process the absurdity. In the end, she simply decided to roll with it.
"Hey, little cutie." Henry greeted her with a smile, then glanced at the two adults.
He said, "Let's go in first; it's cold outside."
...
Inside the living room.
Strangely enough, only Rio and Ry-Two were there; Henry had already taken the three children away.
"Do you mind giving me some explanations?" Rio softly asked. Her tone wasn't accusatory—just filled with genuine curiosity.
She was already a mother of two babies, and it would be a lie to say she didn't care about this little girl.
In fact, it was quite the opposite—Rio couldn't wait to get to know her better.
Just like the little girl craved a family, this "bigger girl" longed for a sweet daughter—one who would whisper soft words into her ears, not the kind who clung to their father like glue.
She'd been sleeping alone these past two nights, and let's just say—it hadn't exactly been pleasant.
After all, her two daughters were no longer by her side, and she had to sleep alone in a new bedroom she still wasn't familiar with.
Sometimes, she even missed the babies' cries that used to wake her up in the middle of the night.
And despite already living a life of luxury before this, Rio found herself struggling to adjust to the new one.
But what could she do?
She couldn't just kick Ry-Two out and demand to sleep with Henry, along with their daughters, right?
That would be too shy, too out of character for her.
Which was why Rio now saw this unexpected incident as a chance to improve her lonely nights. So what if her real daughters had "betrayed" her?
Let their Papa take care of them!
She would look after this more sensible adopted daughter instead. Not only was she cute, but she was also sweet with her words—and much nicer than expected.
"This..." Ry-Two hesitated.
He subtly looked around, hoping for backup from the original—but then remembered how Henry had ruthlessly walked away with all three girls in his arms.
("Deal with it on your own.") That's what Henry had said before disappearing upstairs.
Honestly, Ry-Two should've expected this.
And Rio understood why Henry made that decision—after all, Ry-Two was his clone. Meaning Henry would likely have made the same choice himself.
That was also why explaining things to Henry was pointless—they could just merge back later and share memories.
Still, Ry-Two nervously scratched at his knee.
Finally, he took a breath and gathered his thoughts before speaking.
"It was like this..."
He told the full story—how he first met the little girl, who had been completely fine and healthy at the time, then how he had trained her poorly, leading to the accident.
Then came the hospital scene... and how he ultimately decided to adopt her.
...
By the end of his narration, Rio was livid.
"I can't believe you did something so stupid!"
"It's good you finally learned your lesson—but at what cost?"
"Just kneel there and reflect on your actions!"
She marched him to the front door, made him kneel, and ordered him to raise his arms in surrender.
After giving the Clone a big scolding, Rio let out a dramatic "hump!" and stomped upstairs.
Her anger wasn't unfounded.
Just imagine—what if Henry had given that same kind of "guidance" to their two daughters?
For Rio, this kind of thoughtless action needed to be reined in—and never happen again.
...
A short while later, Henry came down—with a dark expression.
Two babies' wailing could be heard echoing behind him, but after a fearsome roar from their mother, they quickly realized who the real boss in this house was—and fell completely silent.
"Hey," Henry greeted with a crooked smile as he approached Ry-Two. Without another word, he gave the Clone a swift kick to the butt—then kneeled beside him.
The two men sat there, punished together.
There was a long silence between them.
"Fppttt—"
"He he."
Then, both burst out laughing.
...
That night.
After feeding the little girl dinner and washing her clean, Rio shot the two men a final glare before hugging the little girl to her room.
Tonight, Rio wouldn't be lonely anymore.
With her back turned to the two men, she smiled softly.
"Bye bye, Daddy! Papa!" the little girl called, waving both hands at them.
Ry-Two waved back at his adopted daughter.
Henry simply nodded before heading to his room with his two daughters in his arms.
The Clone followed behind.
"You really don't want to merge back?" he suddenly asked.
Henry glanced over. "Until the next System power-up, let's stop merging daily."
"Ry-Two, you need to learn to be independent," he added.
The Clone wasn't convinced. He shook his head. "That's nonsense. I'm you. What matters is your decision, not mine."
Henry just gave him a mysterious smile. "But didn't you already do a good job on your own?"
"Ry-Two, you should live, not just act."
With that cryptic line, Henry entered his room, closed the door, and locked it.
"Hey! What's the meaning of this?" Ry-Two shouted.
"Your punishment—sleep on the sofa tonight and think about how to live like a proper person!" Henry's voice echoed from inside.
Frustrated, Ry-Two roared, "I'm you! You know that!"
There was a long silence... then suddenly, the door swung open.
Thinking Henry had changed his mind, the Clone stepped forward happily—only to be met with a surprise attack.
"Damn you!" Henry scolded, delivering a swift upward kick.
It was the same move Ry-Two used against those who had attacked the Superheroes Bureau.
"Fuchhh—!" Ry-Two crumpled to the floor, clutching his crotch, his face contorted in horror. He hadn't expected that from the original.
"...Why?" he asked, feeling wronged.
Henry stared down at him, grumbling, "Think about it yourself. Remember—you have your own daughter now."
"Think like a father."
"Be responsible."
Then the door slammed shut again, locking him out.
Left alone in the cold hallway, Ry-Two dragged himself to the railing and sat down.
He glanced up at the ceiling, full of confusion and loss.
"Think on my own..."
It was another dreamless night for the Clone—not from caring for daughters this time, but from thinking about life.
And whatever conclusion he reached... no one knows.
...
The next morning.
Henry stepped out of his room with his two daughters in his arms—only to spot a piece of paper stuck to the door.
(Don't find me, I go out.)
It was unmistakably his handwriting—or to be more precise, Ry-Two's.
"Damn... this guy didn't run away from home just because I kicked his nuts, right!?" Henry was speechless. He hurried downstairs to tell his girlfriend about it.
But when he arrived in the living room, Henry froze in place. "???"
The Clone was still there.
On his lap sat the little girl, now dressed in a slightly oversized but beautiful dress, and the two of them were happily playing together on the soft carpet.
All around them were piles of toys.
"When we came down earlier, he was already here with all this stuff," Rio said from behind, carrying a small tray of food in her hands.
Seeing how happily the two played together, she had decided to just have breakfast in the living room instead.
'So... this guy just went out to buy toys?'
'Then why jump-scare me with that note!?' Henry grumbled inwardly as he walked to the sofa.
"Ba ba! Toys!" Henrietta was the first to react. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the mountain of colorful treasures.
There were toy cars, building blocks, and even some role-play sets...
"..." As for Rion, she didn't say a word—but her gaze was locked onto the pile of dolls nearby.
She reached out a tiny hand, cutely trying to grab at one.
"Good morning, Papa!" the little girl cheerfully greeted Henry, clearly recognizing him as "Papa", instead of "Daddy" like Ry-Two.
Then she turned to her little sisters with pride sparkling in her eyes and showed off her collection.
"He he, little sisters! Look what big sister has!"
Henry placed his two daughters on the carpet, letting them join in the fun.
The children played together joyfully under the warm smiles of the adults.
"Not bad," Henry praised as he sat beside Ry-Two. "You know how to take care of her on your own now."
But the Clone shook his head.
"She's no longer just a 'little girl'. She's one of us now."
His eyes softened as he looked at the new family gathered before him. His smile was gentle, his voice calm.
"Her original name is Ana. Now she's Ry-Ana—Ryana Smith. My daughter."
Ry-Two smiled, truly believing his duty as a father began now—unaware that her past hadn't been left behind... and soon, it would come for them both.