“……..”
“……..”
“……..”
Among the adults who had dumb faces and couldn’t say anything, the child was the only of puffing out her chest proudly.
There was deep silence in the lobby.
Fortunately, I was the first to come to my senses.
“Wh, what did you just say? excuse me. Artea… ?”
“yeah!”
You are Artea, right? There was no need to ask any more.
The child snorted instead of answering, but didn’t deny her identity.
On top of all that, he just called me aunt.
‘Is what I’m seeing a dream? Or is it an illusion?’
Wow, one day my niece suddenly appeared.
Even before the thank you card I was expecting to come.
‘I was just thinking about Artea. What’s happening.’
It was exactly like the niece I had pictured in my imagination.
The sudden reunion with my child…It wasn’t impressive at all.
“Are you my niece?”
“That’s true.”
A child looking up at me with silent eyes.
I just thought it would be hard to see his niece’s face.
It didn’t feel real at all.
When I asked the security guard a question with my eyes, he explained the situation.
“I brought the child because it seemed dangerous because she was alone on the street.”
“Artea alone?”
“That’s right.”
I looked around, but there was no nanny or maid.
Since I’m her aunt, Artea can come if she want to see me. huh. Let’s say so.
But to come here so suddenly and without warning?
I have never had a child, either in my past life or in my current life.
I spoke to Artea first in an awkward tone.
“Artea. You didn’t come here alone, did you? Where is the nanny or maid? What about the escort driver? Maybe you lost those people… .”
“Why are you looking for someone else?”
Artea’s voice became sharp.
I only answered in my heart.
‘Well, I think it would be difficult to hear the story of how we came so far from a child.’
How far is it from the Duke’s residence to here?
This means that it is a place that can be reached by riding a carriage for at least a full day.
But a child walked that distance alone without any restraint?
I gave a quick glance to the employees. It was a signal to find out more about how Artea got here.
‘The Duke’s house is located not a short distance from my house. I wouldn’t have been so frightened if she had been at least fifteen years old.’
When I saw her face that resembled my older sister, I thought i would shed tears.
The emotions I felt upon seeing my niece unexpectedly visit me after several years were shock and bewilderment.
but…I feel pressured to do something!
‘Her cheeks are getting fuller. I feel like her face is going to explode at this rate! Okay, if I had known it was coming, I would have prepared. Something a child would like!’
Yes, the other person is a child and I am an adult…..
No matter what I do, I have to do it first!
I cleared my throat a few times and tried to speak kindly.
“Well, Duke Killiet, where you lived, is very far away. I couldn’t see anyone next to me, so I was worried when the security guard said you were alone….”
“I came alone.”
“huh?”
A moment of silence.
I asked again gently, dismissing the possibility that came to mind for a moment.
“Wow, after Artea broke up with the adults, she came all the way here alone, following the security guards?”
“that’s right!”
Artea’s chin was lifted high.
She was cute and small, but judging by the twitching of the corners of her mouth, my approach seemed to have had an effect.
“Yeah! Because I came out alone without the adults knowing!”
“huh?”
But my voice sank again.
“You left the duke’s residence alone? stealthily?”
What does this mean now?
“I thought I couldn’t do it because the nanny was always with me. I did something called ‘run away’!”
“what?”
“You’re an adult, but you don’t know what it means to run away from home? Even I, a six-year-old, knows!”
“That’s not it.”
“Running away from home means sneaking out of the house. Hehehehe. I usually use a lot of difficult words!”
Artea, who was very refreshed, began to brag about how smart she was and how she knew many difficult words.
It was difficult to understand what was being said because it was rambling and the ending was not perfect, as expected from a child.
However, one thing was clear.
‘Artea ran away from home.’
Does this make sense?
My complicated mind began to run wild.
‘No, the duke’s daughter escaped without anyone noticing?’
Any noble daughter receives the utmost care under tight security.
It doesn’t make sense for a child to travel a long distance alone, but the princess of Killiet ran away from home and no one knew about it?
How much they wasn’t interested in my child!
“Artea. You can’t be proud to say that you ran away from home. Do you know what you did just now?”
Just yesterday, we received news that a village had been blown away by a monster’s runaway.
Kidnapping, disappearance, and other dangerous events filled my mind.
The voice that had tried to be kind became gloomy again.
“We were lucky and arrived safely, but it was a very dangerous situation. If someone had bad intentions and tried to harm you!”
Although I was taken aback by the sudden situation, I was from the Magic Tower.
Wizards are a group of people who have strong pride and do not easily break their own opinions.
It was my specialty to force them so that they couldn’t escape, and to present them with logic that was difficult to refute.
“Ignoring the adults and coming out alone is nothing to be proud of!”
“Ooh, ooh… .”
However, her proud speech didn’t shine.
“Artea?”
There was a fact I had overlooked.
The opponent was not a wizard, but a child of only six years old.
I have never had an argument with someone like this.
“Ah!”
Instead of admitting defeat to my sharp words.
The other person cried profusely, shedding tears like chicken shit.
‘Where has the kid who confidently straightened his shoulders in front of adults gone just a little while ago? Why is this happening all of a sudden?’
The initial firmness disappeared in an instant, and I began to move hurriedly in front of the crying child.
“Hey, over there.”
“Aaaah!”
But the crying became louder.
In the end, I kept my mouth shut and at the same time, my brain stopped working. And she repeatedly apologized.
“I’m sorry, my aunt is sorry!”
Today is a record day.
I don’t think I’ve ever faced an opponent in my life who gave me such an overwhelming and brutal defeat…..
***
“Me, me, me. Huh.”
“Artea. It’s because your aunt is worried about you. “I don’t hate you!”
“You’re lying!”
“The world is dangerous! Because there are many bad adults! I was so upset that something might happen!”
How many times did I tell you that I was sorry, gently pat your little shoulder, and tell you that I didn’t hate you?
The rewards of working hard on my brain and paying attention to every detail of my speech began to show.
“If i hadn’t worried about Artea, i wouldn’t have asked that.”
“Heung.”
Fortunately, it seemed to have had some effect, as Artea lifted her head, although it did not stop her tears.
It was that moment.
‘uh?’
At first it was a sudden visit.
She was hiding it behind someone’s body.
I couldn’t see it until now because she was crying so hard…
“I’m not a thoughtless idiot!”
I saw a tattered purple cat doll from how much she had hugged it.
It was a familiar item to me as well.
“This is a gift from my aunt. You said it would protect me!”
Yes, i wrote on the card i sent with Artea’s doll.
-It looks like a baby cat. Artea looks fresh and cute just like my older sister!
-Bellona. If it were a cat, it would look just like you!
When Artea was a baby.
She was at an age when her facial features were not yet clear, but the slightly raised corners of her eyes had already caught my eye.
So when I made her doll, it was just me and my older sister. I made a cat doll, remembering the purple eyes that Artea had in common.
‘I put a self-defense spell on the doll, but….’
However, the eyes of Artea, whom she thought was the prettiest, were filled with resentment.
She’s a child, so she can’t explain her position well… It seemed like, ‘I didn’t come here without thinking.’
“I’m not scared at all because I have Nanya. I don’t have to be an adult or anything.”
“I see….”
Only then did I realize my fatal mistake.
She met her aunt for the first time in a few years – it was like meeting my niece for the first time – and she was surprised at how she did everything.
‘It would have been better to first say hello to the child and hear the whole story, then get angry and say that you shouldn’t do that next time.’
I have never been close to a child.
I’ve never even raised it.
It was entirely my fault.
My older sister and my brother-in-law lost their lives in an accident, so i became sensitive.
“Your aunt suddenly raised her voice…I’m truly sorry.”
“Hmm.”
“But Artea, once again, I don’t say that because I hate you. Rather, I said it because I cared for you.”
To say the most important thing even though it was too late, I sat down in front of the child, bent my knees, and made eye contact.
“Artea, hello. nice to meet you.”
“hmm.”
“My name is Bellona Sortis. I am your aunt.”
It’s because I’m surprised, it’s not that I’m not happy to see you.
“I’ve wanted to see you all along, Artea. I really thought about you a lot.”
“…….”
“Now, look at it now.”
I held the child’s small hand and led her to my studio.
There, the magic tools being worked on were spread out in a mess.
“Just like I sent you the cat doll, I was making a birthday present for you this time too.”
Artea’s eyes opened wide as she checked the item. I spoke quietly.
“Even just now, I was thinking about you.”
“…….”
“Artea, do you know how to read?”
I carefully pulled Artea’s hand, who showed interest.
On the desk were blueprints and scribbles reminiscent of Artea.
-Will Artea like this?
-It would be better to meet in person and ask.
-I want to match Artea’s height, but how big is she?
Artea had already stopped crying.
“If i had known Artea would come, your aunt would have prepared you delicious food and fun toys and waited for you. i will definitely do that next time, so will you forgive her just once?”
“Ah, yes.”
Fortunately, she was relieved that she seemed to have been convinced, but at that moment, i heard a murmur that made me can’t believe me ears.
“Thank God, I thought my aunt hated me too…..”
What did Artea just say?
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
Coooool
Keep going keep going 😭😭😭🤏🤏