CHAPTER 30: SPARK OF FAMILIARITY

None of the four noticed that one of the mischievous twins had been quietly trailing behind them—and now, Egypt was standing right beside them, staring up curiously at the group.

She had heard everything.

"Uncle," she piped up, calling out to Alpheus while tilting her head adorably.

"What does ’You fuckers, what the hell are you doing here?’ mean? Is that some kind of greeting?"

The color instantly drained from Alpheus’s face.

His glare vanished as shock took over—he hadn’t even realized Egypt was there, let alone that she’d heard him say that.

For a moment, he stood frozen, unsure how to respond to the innocent question coming from the small voice beside him.

The three men turned their attention to the cute little girl now clinging to the hem of Alpheus’s shirt. She blinked up at them, wide-eyed with curiosity.

The moment her eyes met theirs, the trio stiffened—paralyzed as if they’d been turned to stone on the spot.

"Uncle, are these your friends?"

Alpheus didn’t answer. He simply gave a stiff nod.

With a bright smile, Egypt cheerfully waved at them. "Hehe... Hey fuckers, what the hell are you doing here?"

She mimicked Alpheus’s tone almost perfectly—thinking it was some kind of friendly way to say hello.

Alpheus’s eyes widened in horror. In a flash, he reached down and gently clamped his hand over her mouth, panic rising in his chest.

"Fuckers, my name is—"

"No, no, Egypt—shhh! You can’t say that!"

He crouched beside her, struggling to find the right words. How was he supposed to explain to her that those words weren’t a greeting—but very, very bad language?

"Pfffttt!"

The trio couldn’t hold back their laughter after seeing Alpheus’s panicked reaction to the little girl.

Seriously? This big guy’s actually scared of a kid?’ Alfonso thought to himself, barely holding in another snort as he watched Alpheus’s flustered expression.

Alpheus shot a deadly glare at his friends before turning back to Egypt.

"Egypt, y-you shouldn’t say those kinds of words. You’re still a kid... and those are bad words—really, really bad words! So please, don’t say them again or we’re both going to be in big trouble with your mom!"

But Egypt only looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Okay, I promise!" she chirped. "I won’t say ’Hey fuckers, what the hell are you doing here’ again—since it’s a bad word!"

Alpheus couldn’t help but groan and slap his palm against his forehead.

"Pfftttt! HAHAHA!"

Alfonso and Calyx finally lost it, bursting into full-blown laughter. Egypt’s innocent delivery of that foul word was just too much to take—it was like watching a kitten try to roar.

Alpheus shot them another withering glare, clearly not finding the situation half as funny, but the two were already wheezing with amusement.

"Did she really just say that with a straight face?" Alfonso gasped between laughs. "She’s funny—hahaha!"

Calyx nodded, wiping tears from his eyes. "I swear, if I had a daughter like her, I’d have to watch her all day just to keep her in line!"

Meanwhile, Dave stayed quiet, though a small, amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips. His laughter never came—he was too distracted. His eyes stayed on Egypt’s face.

There was something about her... oddly familiar.

For a moment, he was lost in thought, trying to figure out who she looked like—someone he knew. He tilted his head slightly, his brows drawing together.

"Uncle, who are they? Why are they laughing? Are they crazy?" Egypt asked innocently.

Alpheus couldn’t help but shoot another annoyed glare at the trio.

His eyes zeroed in on Calyx in particular. He was almost certain this whole mess was his doing. That nosy gossip must’ve seen all the photos he’d been looking at earlier and gotten curious enough to trail him.

But of course, Calyx didn’t come alone—he had dragged along his two equally nosy friends.

"I don’t know them. I don’t know these assholes—I mean, these crazy people," Alpheus said, forcing a tight smile as he turned back to Egypt. "Come on, let’s go back to your classroom. We’ll wait for your mommy there, okay?"

"Okay..." Egypt said slowly, still glancing over her shoulder at the trio. "But... what about them?"

Before she could stare any longer, Alpheus gently blocked her view with his body, placing a hand on her shoulder to guide her back.

The trio didn’t say a word, but their curious eyes stayed glued to him, silently demanding answers.

Egypt, however, gently pushed Alpheus’s hand away and turned back to face the three men again—which made their faces light up instantly.

"Uncles! Are you Uncle Alpheus’s friends?" Egypt asked sweetly, her big eyes twinkling with curiosity.

The three men couldn’t help but melt at her cuteness. Even Alfonso and Calyx, still recovering from earlier laughter, found themselves smiling helplessly.

"Y-yes... and you, baby girl, what’s your name again?" Dave replied, crouching down so they were at eye level. As he got a closer look, he felt a strange jolt of recognition. Her face was becoming more and more familiar.

"I’m Egypttt Racquel Lincolm, and I’m five years oldddd! Hehe!" she chirped proudly, flashing a toothy grin. Dave blinked. Alfonso and Calyx exchanged wide-eyed glances as her resemblance to someone they knew became even more apparent.

Alpheus didn’t know how to react. These three weren’t supposed to know anything. He was supposed to be the only one aware of the twins’ existence.

But because of his friends’ nosy nature—and their terrible timing—they had stumbled right into the biggest secret he was trying to keep from them. And now, he had no idea how he was going to explain any of this to Sylvia.

"E-Egypt?" Calyx echoed. He couldn’t help but stare at the little girl in front of him.

"Yes!" she replied, turning to him with a bright smile. "Uncle said Egypt is also a beautiful place, just like me! That’s why my name is so pretty! Right? Right?!" she beamed.

The three men glanced at each other.

Alpheus, meanwhile, facepalmed. Hard. Egypt’s boundless energy and friendliness were usually endearing—but right now, it felt more like a disaster in motion.

"Y-yeah, it is a beautiful name," Calyx said, forcing a laugh. "Just like... uh... just like one of our friends. He’s named after a place too... haha."

His voice trailed off as his mind raced with possibilities, slowly stitching together conclusions that were beginning to feel too real.

"Anyway, baby girl, who’s your mom?" Dave asked bluntly, unable to hold back his curiosity.

Egypt looked up at him innocently.

The other two men also leaned in to hear her answer. The same question had been hovering unspoken between them, and now they were just one step away from confirming the wild theory that had been playing in their heads.

Before Egypt could speak, Alpheus stepped forward to intervene. But before he could say a word, a small, sharp voice cut through the moment.

"Egypt, come here! Didn’t Mommy say you’re not supposed to talk to strangers?" the voice scolded—icy and composed.

All three men turned toward the source, caught off guard by the sternness of the voice—so cold and mature for a child.

Their eyes widened in disbelief as another little girl stepped into view. She looked exactly like Egypt.

The new girl’s expression was serious, her eyes cool and guarded as she approached. Without hesitation, she stepped in front of Egypt, shielding her protectively with her small frame.

The resemblance between the two girls was unmistakable.

And suddenly, everything started falling into place.