#Chapter 9. Bruno’s Letter

Ariel, who had been lying in bed, came to her senses at the sound of birds chirping.

As she rubbed her eyes and turned her body, she felt a solid figure next to her.

Having barely gotten any sleep last night, it seemed she had unusually overslept.

Ariel covered her eyes with her palm against the sunlight streaming through the window.

“Ariel.”

“…… Damian?”

Damian pulled Ariel close to him.

It was when Ariel, trapped in his arms, was about to close her eyes again while resting her cheek against his solid chest,

“Bruno sent you a letter.”

It felt like having tea water splashed on her face.

Her mind snapped awake, and Ariel, who had opened her eyes wide when they wouldn’t close, rustled in Damian’s arms.

“A letter? What letter?”

“Hmm……”

Strength entered Damian’s arms that held Ariel tightly. Ariel, who stopped trying to get out, only raised her head to look at Damian.

Damian’s blonde hair reflected in the sunlight, shining like platinum.

The blue eyes within slowly moved horizontally.

It seemed he was reading the letter while keeping Ariel trapped in his arms.

“What does it say?”

Ariel asked, curious. Damian, who let out a chuckle, lowered his head as if he had finished reading the letter.

When he met Ariel’s gaze, Damian immediately smiled toward her.

The sound of paper being torn could be heard behind her head.

“Bruno says he’s coming to the residence. He needs to go to the port for a while, so tomorrow seems to be the only day he has time. How is your schedule?”

At Damian’s words, Ariel, who traced yesterday’s memories, slowly nodded.

She didn’t want to meet him if possible, but it would be difficult to refuse when Damian had given permission.

Damian was also busy handling schedules like banquets and award ceremonies, so he would need time to enjoy hunting with his brother.

“Tomorrow? That’s fine.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Damian finally released Ariel. Ariel, who sat up, looked around the bed.

A few pieces of paper sticking out from Damian’s hand remained like traces.

“But why did you tear the letter……”

Ariel, who brushed the paper pieces to the floor, turned her head back.

Damian, who had already gotten out of bed, threw the paper pieces in his hand straight into the trash can and was heading to the bathroom.

It was puzzling, but she figured he just tore it up.

More than that, what is our daughter doing after waking up this morning?

Ariel got up from her spot with a pleasant smile.

It was when Ariel, who had gotten out of bed like that, naturally turned her head to the mirror in front of her…..

Ariel let out a short scream.

“Madam! Madam! Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

On her neck! On her neck!

The maids waiting outside knocked on the door.

Ariel, who looked at her reddened neck, squeezed her eyes shut.

“…… No. Nothing’s wrong at all.”

*

“Mom, today…… you’re wearing a muffler?”

Lucy looked at Ariel and tilted her head.

“Ah, today the muffler looked pretty.”

“Then I want to wear a muffler like Mom too.”

“Sure, sure. Should our daughter wear a muffler too?”

Ariel nodded while combing Lucy’s hair.

“Derek will come to the house tomorrow.”

“Derek? Why is Derek coming to the duke’s residence? There’s no reason for him to come……”

When Lucy tilted her head saying it was strange, Ariel burst into small laughter.

She could feel that Lucy really had clear lines of affection.

When she heard that someone she didn’t like was coming to the duke’s residence, she immediately acted as if she couldn’t understand why he would come when there was no business.

“He seems to want to talk with you, Lucy.”

Even while saying this, Ariel hesitated a little.

In fact, it probably wasn’t Derek’s intention. Still, there was no need to speak badly of it.

When she looked at her daughter’s face reflected in the mirror, Lucy let out a deep sigh.

“You don’t like Derek much?”

“There’s nothing to like about him.”

Lucy, who shook her head side to side, met eyes with Ariel through the mirror.

Ariel smiled brightly at Lucy.

“Still, when Derek comes, you have to welcome him. Understood? He’s a guest coming to the residence. And he’s your only cousin coming to see you, Lucy.”

“…… Do I have to?”

Lucy, who puffed out her cheeks sulkily, made a mischievous face.

Looking at that appearance through the mirror, Ariel burst into laughter.

Because of that, Lucy’s hair that she had been holding to tie into a ponytail slipped out.

“Why is Derek coming to our house? I know it’s a lie that he’s coming because he wants to see me. Did Aunt Jessica say something?”

It seemed that detecting subtle atmospheres was the same for adults and children alike.

Ariel shook her head toward Lucy who had specifically mentioned Jessica.

“No. It seems Dad and Uncle Bruno will enjoy some light hunting behind the garden.”

As soon as she heard Ariel’s words, Lucy slammed the table and opened her eyes wide as if she understood something.

“Hunting! Right, hunting!”

Ariel gathered Lucy’s scattered hair in one place again and tilted her head sideways.

“Huh? Hunting?”

“No, yes. Hunting……”

Lucy, who smiled creakily, waved her hands as if to say no and touched the glass bead placed on the table again.

Ariel smiled brightly and tied Lucy’s hair.

When tied up in a ponytail, Lucy’s pretty head shape stood out more prominently.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

Ariel spread both hands wide and made a ta-da gesture behind Lucy’s head to show the completion. 

Lucy, seeing this through the mirror, gave a thumbs-up.

“As expected, Mom!”

“Really? I’m glad you like it. Then shall we choose a muffler to put around our Lucy’s neck?”

Ariel told the maid waiting behind to bring mufflers.

While briefly waiting for the maids, Lucy hugged Ariel.

“Mom. But…… but you know……”

Lucy, who had suddenly hugged her, called Ariel while hesitating a little.

“Yes? What?”

“Derek often goes hunting with Uncle too, is that true?”

At Lucy’s question, Ariel briefly traced her memories.

There wasn’t much she particularly remembered, but thinking about it, Jessica seemed to have said something like that at a tea party a few months ago.

That Derek liked hunting so much and was so good at it that he often went out with Bruno.

“It seemed like it. Why……? Do you want to hunt too, Lucy?”

Ariel asked, hoping it wasn’t the case.

No matter how much she wanted to do everything Lucy liked as much as possible, she didn’t want to keep dangerous objects like guns or knives near Lucy.

The same went for slingshots that children often used for hunting.

“No. I’m not interested in hunting at all. Rather than that…… that’s……”

It was when Lucy hesitated again. The maid came with different types of mufflers on her arm.

Ariel selected several mufflers to match Lucy’s bright yellow dress.

Ariel, who seated Lucy, who had been half in her arms, back in the chair, matched Lucy’s eye level.

“Rather than that……?”

Ariel waited for Lucy’s words while trying several mufflers against Lucy’s neck.

“When do I get to play with Dad?”

Ariel’s gesture of matching the muffler’s color stopped.

“Dad…… is home now. So, like! Dad, like, received such a big gift from His Majesty the Emperor. So…… isn’t he staying home now?”

Ariel, who looked at Lucy’s green eyes, opened her eyes wide like someone who had been severely hit on the back of the head.

“Derek always brags that he often goes out to play with Uncle Bruno. When he comes tomorrow, he’ll brag again……”

When Ariel couldn’t answer, the child’s feet that didn’t reach the floor moved in the air.

Her lowered gaze contained a bit of sulkiness.

“We’re the same Zenova family, so why…… is Dad always busy for me?”

Ariel put the muffler down on the side table for a moment. Then she carefully took Lucy’s hands.

“Dad…… will be home now.”

Ariel told Lucy. Then she just spat out the words that had been wandering in her throat.

“Right, let’s go on a family trip.”

Considering Damian’s schedule, it was a promise close to impossible, but…… she didn’t know.

As soon as she heard her daughter’s words, she couldn’t bear something. She felt like it would be okay to just say it first and see.

“A family trip? Really? That’s so great! Can I tell Derek when he comes?”

“…… Of course!”

Ariel nodded vigorously.

“Then Mom, when are we going? Let’s go quickly!”

Lucy got up from her seat and hopped around.

To think she was this happy about just a family trip. One side of her heart ached.

“First, Mom will ask Dad.”

“Can’t you ask now?”

Lucy kept pulling on Ariel’s sleeve.

“Yes. Mom will go and come back!”

Knock knock.

“Damian?”

Ariel arrived at the study and knocked.

Usually Damian even did work in the bedroom, but today the butler said he had gone up to the study.

It seemed he was quite busy since he had returned to the Empire not long ago.

“Come in. Ariel.”

At Damian’s permission, Ariel opened the door.

Damian, who had been sitting at the desk, took his eyes off the book he was looking at and raised his head briefly.

Damian’s blue eyes gazed at Ariel. It meant to tell him right away if she had business.

“Well……”

However, when she actually came to Damian, Ariel’s lips didn’t open easily.

“Well……”

Ariel, who only repeated the same words, averted her gaze and turned her head.

Damian, who had been silently gazing at Ariel, twitched his eyebrows.

“Well……”

Ariel squeezed her eyes shut while recalling Lucy’s green eyes.

“Let’s go on a family trip!”

Ariel, who had shouted first, slowly opened her closed eyes.

Damian’s gaze that had been looking up at her had already gone down.

His fingers opening the book he had closed seemed to be drawing an X.