93.

Norma adored children. Perhaps it was because he’d been separated from Nicholas when his brother was about Archie’s age, leaving him with a wellspring of unspent affection, all of which now poured into Archie.

Archie, a McFoy with a soft spot for beautiful and shiny things, was utterly captivated by Norma. More than anything, he firmly believed that his uncle was the reincarnation of Sir Lantus, the greatest holy knight since the founding of the empire.

It wasn’t without reason; Norma Diazi bore an uncanny resemblance to the legendary knight, Lantus Diazi, from his dazzling silver hair that glistened under the sun, to the signature golden eyes of the Diazi line. Not to mention his prowess, worthy of the title of Holy Knight Captain.

To a child, he could only be the reincarnation of Sir Lantus!

Today, once again, Archie was so enraptured by his now uncle that his tea had gone cold without him taking even a sip.

‘Incredible! Not only is Sir Lantus—no, my uncle—part of the McFoys, but he’s my family! Where can I brag about this?’

Whenever Archie faced Norma, he couldn’t hide his boundless excitement, though he deeply regretted not having any friends to share his pride with.

He still found it hard to believe and counted on his little fingers to keep track.

‘One, two…’

Including Antoinette, he’d gained two family members at once. Before, he’d had only his aunt, so this felt like a tremendous gift.

Norma found it irresistibly endearing when Archie, in the middle of a conversation, would absent-mindedly gaze at him. It reminded him of Aisa in so many ways. Once again, Norma felt infinite gratitude toward his late mother.

Suppressing a chuckle, Norma spoke, “What are you counting?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing, uncle. Really.”

Lost in his dreamlike thoughts, Archie hastily hid his hands behind his back, shaking his head as if to dispel any suspicion.

The sight of the flustered child made Norma chuckle softly. Then, he raised an eyebrow with a hint of playful guilt.

“You must miss your aunt, but here I am, always taking her time away. I’m sorry.”

‘Not really… If anything, I see her more often than before, so it doesn’t matter.’

Of course, Archie couldn’t tell his uncle, “It’s fine, I’d rather see you,” so his eyes darted around, looking for a way out.

McFoy tradition made summers the busiest time of year, what with the opening of the vintage cellars and various seasonal duties. During this period, the head of House McFoy was either in the office, the study, or the audience hall, rarely seen even at mealtimes, let alone tea.

The young master knew this all too well.

While he adored his aunt, he didn’t entirely relish spending time with Aisa. In Archie’s view, his aunt was far from delicate and could be quite irritable.

Their conversations rarely lasted beyond ten minutes, often ending with Aisa delivering ‘loving’ lectures and raised voices.

Since hide-and-seek was also out of the question with his aunt, Archie often felt stifled talking with her.

“I don’t mind, really. Uncle, you help me train every day, and we get to eat delicious treats together too. And…”

Archie mumbled, then suddenly straightened his posture, a proud look on his face, as if he were about to say something grand. Norma had to bite down on his lip to keep from laughing.

“It’s because of the duty of the head couple, as I understand. I’m twelve now, so I know about things like that!”

Archie looked up at him with a gleam in his violet eyes, as if he expected praise.

Norma blinked a few times, then looked over Archie’s shoulder at Harry, who wore an awkward smile and lowered his head after attempting to say something.

“Pfft.”

“…Why are you laughing? Am I wrong?”

Realizing the situation, Norma couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. Archie, thinking he might have misunderstood something, frowned.

“You’re absolutely correct. I laughed because you’re so clever. The future of House McFoy is indeed bright.”

Norma tousled Archie’s soft hair, his smile full of genuine affection.

Archie’s frown slowly disappeared. As a McFoy, he rarely appreciated others laughing at his words, but he made an exception for those with beautiful smiles.

Beaming with pride at the effusive praise, Archie hummed happily and plucked a candy from the tray, chewing on the sweetness while admiring his uncle’s face, as was his habit.

Suddenly, Archie noticed something peculiar.

‘Uncle’s face is red today, and he looks a bit dazed, like someone who hasn’t slept well… Could it be…?’

“Aunt must have been picking on you again!” Archie declared confidently. Unlike his usual serene appearance, Norma’s flushed face and slightly distant expression struck the child as signs of distress.

And Archie had heard a thing or two about the recent rumors buzzing around the estate. It was impossible not to know, with the servants all whispering about it.

> “The Master clearly adores the Lord..”
> “Poor Sir Norma. The Lord is so oblivious; he must be heartbroken.”

Piecing it together, Archie arrived at a conclusion.

‘My aunt, who lacks even basic awareness, is making my kind-hearted uncle suffer!’

Archie knew all too well the sorrow of dealing with a loved one who was utterly clueless and unyielding. He felt deeply for his uncle, who, to his eyes, appeared desolate.

Norma was slightly taken aback by Archie’s outburst. He found it amusing how the child’s thoughts jumped here and there just like Aisa’s, and he decided to speak up.

“Hmm, that’s not it. Why would you think so?”

“But your face is so red today, uncle.”

“…It’s still red, huh?”

“Yes, very red.”

Hearing Archie emphasize “very,” Norma felt a pang of embarrassment, wondering how obvious it was. He raised a hand to his cheek, trying to cool it down.

“Well, the reason my face is red… that’s definitely because of Lady Aisa.”

“I knew it!”

“But she didn’t trouble me. Of course—”

In a different way, perhaps. Norma bit back the words to avoid further confusion.

Noticing Norma’s somewhat dazed expression, Archie asked, puzzled, “Then you’re not sad?”

“No, not sad at all. It’s…”

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Norma leaned in across the table, eyebrows raised in playful secrecy.

“Archie, come closer.”

He beckoned Archie, who obediently leaned in, and then whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

“It’s not sadness. When I see Lady Aisa, I’m so happy that I can’t help but blush. But let’s keep that just between us, all right?”

Norma finished with a quiet laugh, meeting Archie’s gaze with a wink.

“A secret.”

A secret, indeed. Not that anyone within the entire household didn’t already know, and his intention to tease the young boy was more than apparent.

But with Norma’s low, secretive voice, Archie felt as if he’d just been entrusted with a grand espionage mission. Nodding solemnly, he was completely swept up in the intrigue.

Norma held back a laugh with difficulty. Meanwhile, Archie, deep in thought, furrowed his brow.

‘To think he’d call that look happiness! Aunt really is clueless. What could she possibly be doing to someone as sweet as Uncle?’

Quickly taking his uncle’s side, Archie resolved to bring some joy to him in his aunt’s stead.

‘This won’t do. If Aunt doesn’t notice, then I’ll just have to be the one to make Uncle happy. What’s fun around McFoy? Hide-and-seek is definitely out.’

For someone who always insisted he was practically grown up, Archie was surprisingly aware that hide-and-seek was a bit childish.

After some quick thinking, he remembered a tale about McFoy that his history tutor had shared with him during a lesson break just a few days ago.

“Uncle, come here!”

With his eyes bright with excitement, Archie motioned for Norma to lean in. Although there was no real need for secrecy, Norma’s earlier whispering had Archie feeling as though they were secret agents, fully committed to the role.

“You know the lake visible from the eastern tower?”

Norma couldn’t help but know it; that lake had been the backdrop to Aisa’s disastrous marriage proposal. Just thinking about that day’s chaos brought a faint taste of bitterness.

“Behind that lake, there’s a forest, or well, more like a cluster of trees, not quite big enough to call a full forest. It used to be a shortcut out of the estate—”

Archie leaned in even closer, his whisper just loud enough for Norma to hear.

“There are three big ponds there with bridges crossing them!”

“Three of them?”

Norma found Archie’s serious, conspiratorial tone adorable and eagerly played along, nodding with exaggerated interest.

“Yes, and they’re much deeper than they look! Anyway, if you cross all three bridges with your eyes closed, then toss a gold coin into the pond at the last bridge, the goddess is supposed to grant a wish.”

Despite Archie’s efforts to whisper, the nearby knights, with their keen senses, could hear every word. The little master, treating an old legend as if it were a closely guarded secret, was too charming, and they couldn’t hide their smiles.

“Some foolish people say the West is beyond the reach of the goddess, but that pond is actually one of the most famous sacred sites.”

Archie made sure to sprinkle in a bit of pride in McFoy’s legacy for his newly adopted uncle.

Norma nodded along with enthusiastic curiosity, and Archie’s eyes sparkled with a sense of purpose.

“And here’s the most important part. Apparently, people went there to make wishes for love.”

“A pond that grants wishes for love, hmm.”

In the empire, Mehra was revered as the mother of all life, and her divine power was often seen as a source of boundless vitality.

Since people believed that life originated from water, most legends and mystical events associated with the goddess often involved water. And considering that love was one of humanity’s deepest desires, it was no surprise that the forest pond would have such a legend.

Archie looked at Norma with eyes that said, ‘Doesn’t that sound exciting? Don’t you really want to go?’

More than anything, with Mrs. Seymour conveniently absent, Archie’s longing to venture beyond the estate was all too apparent.

‘He really wants to get out of the castle.’

Archie had been pestering Mrs. Seymour daily to let him go outside with Norma. Each time, she’d resolutely refused, and each time, Archie hadn’t hidden his disappointment.

‘The busy city streets might be dangerous, but a visit to the lake shouldn’t be too bad.’

Norma, finding Archie’s eagerness to cheer him up charming, decided to overlook the boy’s transparent motives. In truth, he couldn’t bring himself to disappoint those hopeful violet eyes. He couldn’t betray that look.

“I’m not too familiar with the way, so you’ll have to show me, Archie.”

At Norma’s words, Archie’s face lit up with excitement. Just in case Norma changed his mind, Archie sprang to his feet.

“Let’s go right now!”