#Chapter 13. Clover

Ariel, who had been braiding Lucy’s hair, fell into thought.

After Bruno and Jessica returned, Damian became even busier. He frequently went back and forth between the port and the imperial palace, and nobles visited the ducal house several times.

Bruno hadn’t come to the ducal residence since then, perhaps having given up on sending Damian as an envoy.

However, there was no conversation between Damian and Ariel either.

Damian, who maintained consistent silence, was the same as usual. Perhaps because he had given a direct answer in the study that day.

‘I don’t know what you’re saying, wife.’

His indifferent voice flowed through her memory. Right, he was the same as usual.

Rather, once Ariel learned of Bruno’s dark intentions, she might have concluded on her own that Damian’s thoughts were also flowing in an unfavorable direction.

Thinking rationally, it didn’t make sense for Damian to pretend not to know even while aware of Bruno’s dark intentions.

Wasn’t Damian still the one who sought out Ariel when night came?

Right, he couldn’t be like that.

He was just naturally a man of few words.

“Mom……”

At Lucy’s call, Ariel raised her head.

When she met the child’s eyes through the mirror, Lucy gazed at Ariel with a worried expression.

“Is something wrong? Mom?”

“Hm? No.”

Ariel quickly smiled and shook her head, but her daughter’s expression became even more worried.

Finally, Lucy called Ariel once more.

“Mom. I heard somewhere that when you share sadness, it becomes half.”

“That’s a good saying. If something sad happens to Lucy, make sure to tell Mom. Mom will share the sadness in half.”

“…… What about Mom? I’ll share Mom’s sadness too.”

“Of course. Mom will also tell Lucy if something sad happens.”

Ariel, who smiled while saying this, tied Lucy’s hair with a pink hair ribbon.

“Mom, you look very sad right now……”

“No. Mom isn’t sad at all. I was admiring how pretty our daughter looks with braided hair.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. The child who had been facing the mirror suddenly turned her head to meet Ariel’s eyes and opened her mouth.

“Benjamin from House Orsini. I once helped ease Benjamin’s sadness.”

Lucy, who brought up her own story, shared her experience as if trying to prove her usefulness to Ariel.

“Benjamin received a gift from Elisha. But Benjamin isn’t good at expressing himself. His personality seems a bit strange. Ah! But he’s not a bad friend……”

“Really? Benjamin received a gift from Elisha?”

Ariel smiled at the surprising news.

“Yes. But Elisha gave Benjamin a really pretty glass marble. But Benjamin thought it was so precious that he hid it carefully at home. But that was a secret only I knew.”

Ariel nodded while listening attentively to the child’s story.

“But Elisha didn’t know that, so she thought Benjamin threw away her gift.”

“Oh my. Elisha misunderstood.”

“Yes. But I had promised Benjamin it was a secret, so I couldn’t tell Elisha…… Anyway, so I told Benjamin to explain. But he wouldn’t talk about it.”

“…… Why?”

Ariel, who had become absorbed in Lucy’s story, opened her eyes wide and asked.

“I don’t know. He must be stupid. What did he say again. He said he’s a man who doesn’t suit Elisha.”

At those words, Ariel burst into laughter without realizing it. She was too surprised that such mature words came out.

“So I just listened to Benjamin’s nonsense. But even that was comforting. He said he was glad he could confide in me at least.”

“It was fortunate for Benjamin, but Elisha, who misunderstood, must have been very hurt.”

“Benjamin said he’ll talk about it later. When he becomes a cool man.”

“Then Benjamin needs to become a cool man quickly, doesn’t he?”

“Right. Phew……”

Lucy, who sighed, looked at Ariel and sighed repeatedly. Then she placed her small hand over the back of Ariel’s hand.

“When I grow up, I won’t meet a man like Benjamin. What about you, Mom? Is Dad a cool person?”

Ariel, who slowly moved her eyes leisurely, smiled bitterly.

“Our Lucy shouldn’t meet such a person. But Dad is naturally a cool person. Dad was cool at the award ceremony, wasn’t he?”

“Yes. Oh! Mom, I discovered a pretty container in Dad’s study. Do you know what it is?”

“Dad’s study?”

“Yes. I went to Dad’s study briefly to look at books, and there was a pretty container, so I was so curious I opened it. But inside there was a handkerchief with Mom’s name and Dad’s name engraved on it.”

A pretty container…… What Lucy mentioned was the gift the previous duchess had received at the ducal investiture ceremony.

Since the duchess passed away and it became a keepsake, he had always treasured it greatly.

So he put her handkerchief in there. She thought he had thrown it away…….

As expected, right.

He couldn’t be like that.

No matter if what was contained in his eyes wasn’t her and Lucy but the Zenova family.

“But Lucy. Touching things in Dad’s study without permission……”

Lucy, who realized her mistake, jumped up from her seat.

“Uh-hm…… Mom, let’s go for a walk!”

*

“Lucy. Do you know the name of these white flowers blooming in the field?”

“Hm? No. What is it?”

Lucy bent her knees to look at the flower Ariel pointed to. She brought her face close and tilted her head to look.

“It’s called clover. Actually, if you give it to rabbits, it acts as poison and isn’t good for their health, so be careful. But you can make a ring with this clover.”

“A ring?”

Lucy’s eyes lit up.

“Yes. Mom also learned this from Grandma when she was young. If you make a hole in the center of this flower and insert the stem…… Ta-da! Like this, if we wrap it around our Lucy’s hand and tighten it, it becomes a ring, right?”

“Wow! I want to try too!”

“Then, Mom will sit over there, so break off two stems of flowers.”

“Yes!”

Lucy, who answered, began to look carefully and choose among the clovers to pick pretty ones.

Seeing this, Ariel, who put on a gentle smile, settled down and sat not far away.

“Mom! Look at this! Isn’t it pretty?”

Lucy, who broke off two stems, showed the plump clovers placed on her palm.

“So pretty. Shall our Lucy try making a ring?”

“Yes, yes.”

“…… Madam.”

While they were sitting and talking like that, the butler called Ariel from behind.

“The matter you asked me to look into……”

The butler started to speak but stopped and glanced at Lucy.

“It’s fine, please speak.”

“As you said, it seems Marchioness Orsini and Lady Jessica met.”

“Is that so?”

“However, the marchioness’s reaction didn’t seem very pleasant. She appears to have refused what Lady Jessica said.”

“…… I see. Then this time, find out exactly who is going as an envoy to the Eastern Continent. Since Bruno probably won’t go. Jessica might move again.”

“Yes, understood. And……”

The butler glanced toward Lucy again. Ariel nodded as if it was fine and told him to speak.

“Lady Lucy took an Eastern Continent history book from among the books in His Grace’s study and then returned it.”

“An Eastern Continent history book? I see. You may withdraw now.”

The butler, who bowed his head, withdrew.

At the same time, Lucy, who flinched while hearing the butler’s words, hummed a tune unnecessarily while fidgeting with the flower.

“Lucy?”

Ariel gently called Lucy.

“Uh, um, Mom! Look at this! Ta-da!”

“You did so well!”

Ariel, who applauded Lucy for completing the flower ring, didn’t spare her praise.

She wouldn’t respond to the cute deflection, but making the flower ring was certainly worthy of praise.

“Pretty, right? I’ll give this to Mom.”

Lucy, who put the flower ring on Ariel’s finger, smiled brightly.

“Mom’s hands became prettier.”

“Right? But they said our Lucy took an Eastern Continent history book. Is that correct?”

“Th, that……”

“Why would our Lucy take an Eastern Continent history book from Dad’s study?”

Ariel, who approached Lucy with a smiling face, asked again.

The child’s expression, which seemed like cold sweat might flow, was cute, but she definitely needed to know why Lucy chose specifically an Eastern Continent history book from Damian’s bookshelf.

It wasn’t a book with a pretty cover nor was it thin, so why on earth.

“If Lucy tells me properly, Mom will make a flower crown for Lucy as a reward.”

“A, a flower crown? You can make a flower crown too? Really?”

She nodded to the child who asked in surprise. If she got angry, the content she could learn might be falsely reported.

Since the child was pure, she would share her story if given proper compensation.

“I accidentally heard Dad’s story. I just looked it up because I was worried we might not be able to go on the family trip.”

Ariel looked at Lucy and smiled gently.

Of course, inside she was thinking of warning the maids.

No matter where Lucy heard this story, carelessly gossiping about the ducal residence situation was a very big mistake.

Even if it was within the ducal residence.

“I see. That’s something Mom……”

“Mom, but you know. I…… need a tutor.”

The topic of a tutor suddenly came up from Lucy’s mouth.

“A tutor? Why?”

“Mom, do you perhaps hate it if I learn academics?”

“No! Of course not. If our Lucy wants to learn academics, Mom will help as much as possible.”

“Then get me a tutor! And I want to know about politics too!”

“Politics?”

Ariel opened her mouth in surprise and then nodded.

“Mom will…… invite a few people.”

How could our daughter want to learn such things even when she wants to learn.

She’s such a big talent, it’s troublesome. Really.

“Really? Wow, our Mom is the best! Then teach me how to make flower crowns too!”

“Yes! Mom will teach you how to make flower crowns. Now, it’s a bit different from making flower rings, but like this……”

Ariel, who picked flowers blooming in the nearby field, showed Lucy how to make a flower crown.

Lucy, who immediately nodded, began choosing clovers nearby.