Chapter 21. The Gift

Rapellian looked down at El and smiled slightly at the incredibly delicate and small warmth.

At the sound of his laughter, El relaxed and raised the corners of her mouth, revealing her white teeth.

“Briel and Riello refuse to leave the library.”

Rapellian spoke first as he matched his steps to El’s pace.

“Why?”

“It seems they’re searching through every book they can find to create a splendid name for you.”

“Anything would be fine…… I actually like my current name too.”

Rapellian turned his steps toward the greenhouse, intending to truly take a walk since it was still too early for breakfast.

“I can’t casually name someone who is part of our family and important to me. I gave you your current name too hastily.”

The words “part of our family and important to me” carried by Rapellian’s gentle voice resonated deeply with El.

Her hand gripping his pinky finger tightened.

She felt as if one corner of her heart was being tightly constricted, yet also experienced a soft, gentle relaxation.

She had never belonged to anyone throughout her life.

She had never fully belonged anywhere throughout her life.

El’s heart swelled with this sense of connection she was experiencing for the first time.

‘I feel like crying.’

She felt like tears might come.

Until now, she had lived feeling as if she were alone in pitch-black darkness where she couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

But with his single sentence, it felt like someone who breathed alongside her had appeared.

She felt relief that she was no longer alone.

Even if she wasn’t in the light, just being able to be with someone was good enough.

So El decided to smile instead of cry.

When El simply smiled broadly without any response, Rapellian opened the greenhouse door and entered.

A warmth different from outside embraced them.

“You could choose a name yourself, but a name is originally the first gift received from someone, so I’d like it to be a splendid name that you’ll appreciate.”

As they entered following the slightly hot warmth, there was a large myrtle tree in the center of the greenhouse.

Most myrtle trees had already lost their flowers and were beginning to bear fruit, but the central tree still proudly displayed its white flowers and yellow stamens.

“Do you like flowers?”

“Yes, I like them. They’re fragrant and soft and nice.”

“What else? What do you like?”

Rapellian asked as he plucked a myrtle flower and handed it to El.

His blue eyes gazed at her red ones and curved gently.

El stared at him as if enchanted and inadvertently said while receiving the flower:

“Angels.”

“Angels, what else?”

“Blue ey…… deep blue sky.”

“Angels and deep blue sky. I see.”

El felt embarrassed by what she had unconsciously blurted out and almost said, so she slightly lowered her gaze.

Then a fragrant scent rose from the flower he had given her.

Suddenly, she wanted to capture this scent and keep it from ever disappearing.

“It has a nice fragrance. I like how it’s both refreshing and subtle.”

“Myrtle gives off a scent not only from its flowers but also from its leaves. Since you like it, I should have some prepared for you.”

Rapellian gestured to Jane, who was standing some distance away.

Jane nodded slightly, indicating she understood.

“Thank you. This is the first time I’ve received flowers as a gift.”

El closed her large eyes and smiled brightly.

As if her injured cheek didn’t hurt at all, El smiled beautifully and radiantly.

It was a warm smile like gentle spring sunshine.

Rapellian felt himself strangely crumbling at El’s kind smile.

Then he once again felt the sensation of surroundings becoming so quiet that not even the sound of small insects could be heard.

His breathing eased in this perfect peacefulness.

On the other hand, this silence that came without warning was so peaceful that it was dizzily stimulating.

Rapellian let out a small sigh and firmly grasped El’s hand.

He was almost afraid that this silence, this stillness, might shatter the moment he let go of her hand.

“It’s an honor, Lady.”

He pushed away the extreme emotions where serenity and fear coexisted—something he had never experienced before—and kissed the back of El’s hand.

After all, if a gentleman receives thanks from a lady, he should properly respond in kind.

However, El turned as red as a ripe rose and raised her arm holding the flower to cover her face with her forearm.

“I-I’m not a lady.”

El’s healthy red lips moved hesitantly.

Her peeking, moving lips looked dainty and cute.

While Rapellian vaguely thought El was pretty, he also felt angry.

He didn’t like at all that such a gentle and pretty being had to grow up in such a place with such treatment.

‘This will only make her more downtrodden.’

Rapellian replied with the hope that El would live like others her age and enjoy all the things she hadn’t been able to experience:

“Who would dare contradict me when I call you a lady? You can be confident. You are now part of the Mosteros family. All men will kneel and bow their heads before you.”

It was a statement that could be considered quite arrogant, but coming from him, it was impossible not to accept.

“Ah. But that doesn’t mean you should offer your hand to just any man.”

That would be quite unpleasant to him.

It was a statement typical of someone who had once driven away all sorts of men trying to cling to Michaela.

“Yes. I understand.”

El responded without hesitation.

No matter how much it might be a matter of etiquette, having just anyone rub their lips on the back of her hand didn’t seem pleasant.

“Let’s go. It’s almost time for a meal.”

Rapellian turned around with a pleased smile at her cool response.

Once again, his pinky finger belonged to El.

⁕⁕⁕

After breakfast, the four Mosteros siblings gathered together.

El also took her place beside Michaela.

And El’s face was gradually turning red in front of their serious debate.

“Sister, what’s wrong with Ruby or Garnet?”

“They’re too simple.”

“S-simple……”

Riello stammered and looked shocked at Michaela’s rather scathing criticism.

“But Sister. I think it’s a name that suits El very well. El’s eyes are as beautiful as ruby or garnet.”

Briel stepped forward to take the side of the stunned and stammering Riello.

“Sister, I looked it up, and ruby is very hard and solid. Wouldn’t El grow strong and healthy like a ruby from now on?”

“That’s a reasonable point, but it’s too intuitive. The same goes for Rose or Rosie.”

Michaela took a sip of tea and rubbed her chin with a troubled expression.

El, who had become the center of this debate, didn’t know what to say and just busily rolled her eyes, alternately looking at these beautifully sparkling people.

But she didn’t feel bad. She was so happy her bottom almost lifted off the seat.

The attention poured entirely on her made her heart swell with joy.

Affection really made people feel elated.

“Then what non-simple name have you thought of, Sister?”

Riello, whose shock had somewhat subsided, asked with his chin raised and eyes full of defiance.

Michaela thought, ‘Look at that, that, disrespectful gaze,’ and sniffed haughtily, crossing her legs arrogantly before speaking.

“Aniella.”

“Aniella?”

“It means angel.”

“Isn’t that too casual?”

At Riello’s comment, Michaela uncrossed her legs, sat up straight, and spoke in a rather stern voice.

“Hey now, casual?”

“You told me mine was simple…… Ugh. Si-sister.”

When Riello grumbled, Michaela stretched out her arm, grabbed Riello’s soft cheek, and pulled it, shaking it.

“You insolent little brother. I didn’t raise you to be such a narrow-minded boy, did I?”

“Ow, it hurts. It hurts. I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll grow up to be open-minded.”

Riello rubbed his hands together and stamped his feet, trying to free his captured cheek.

Only then did Michaela release her grip, laughing triumphantly like a victorious knight.

“That really hurt. Briel, look at this.”

Riello rubbed his reddened cheek vigorously and showed it to Briel.

Briel laughed softly and summoned a cool energy to his hand, applying it to Riello’s cheek.

“Sister, is there a reason you chose that name?”

Briel, who had cooled Riello’s cheek somewhat, asked Michaela.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if it had a similar pattern to ours? I’m Michael, Rapel is Raphael, Briel, you’re Gabriel, and Riello is Uriel. It would be strange if only El suddenly got a name like Ruby or Rose.”

“Ah, I see. That’s a sound judgment.”

Briel nodded in agreement, quickly convinced by Michaela’s argument.

Briel also thought that since El had now become part of their family, it would be nice if her name resembled theirs.

“Brother, what do you think?”

Briel fixed his gaze on Rapellian, who had been quietly observing without expressing any opinion.

The others’ eyes also turned to him.

El looked at him with quite an expectant expression.

As everyone’s attention converged on him, Rapellian put down the tea he had been leisurely savoring and calmly spoke.

“She says she likes angels and deep blue sky.”

“Who said that?”

“El did.”

“Why do only you know that?”

Michaela showed signs of feeling left out.

Rapellian looked at his sister with an expressionless face that showed not the slightest hint of wavering.

“Should I have informed you?”

When Rapellian asked dryly, Michaela just burst into hollow laughter.

“Brother, how could you do that? You should have told us. That’s unfair.”

Riello defended her with a “Hmph!” and a sulky tone.

He had just declared he would grow up to be open-minded, but that had already become useless.

“It’s your fault for being cooped up in the library without doing any preliminary research.”

“Our brother is too much.”

At his merciless and indifferent reply, Riello clutched his chest and buried his face in Briel’s shoulder.

“So what name did you come up with?”

“Rasiel.”

“It’s frustratingly decent. What does it mean?”

“El said she likes her current name and also likes the sky, so I thought Ciel would be nice. But that alone didn’t seem enough to feel like a child of our house, so I combined it with my name.”

Michaela and Riello, who had been quietly listening, both bristled at his final statement.

Like true siblings, their similarly beautiful features changed to identical expressions.

“Why specifically your name? I have a name too.”

“That’s right. We have names too!”

Despite their strong opposition, Rapellian remained extremely calm.

He replied casually in an almost arrogant tone, as if it were entirely natural:

“Because I’m the one who brought her here.”