SPECIAL CHAPTER 26
Part 148
One day that winter, when all of the Duke of Bigor was in an uproar and crying, except for Irene, who had been temporarily sent to Count Ethart’s sister-in-law, she met her second daughter, Leila. This time, Adrian came in with his shirt completely torn off, and when he met the cloudy sky blue eyes that looked exactly like hers, he shed tears. On the first day she met her sister, Irene took off her favorite dress and wore it. Holding her cradle with her sparkling eyes, she looked at Leila for a long time before carefully placing her own sword she had brought with her next to her sister.
“Oh my, Irene? Are you giving your sword to your sister?”
“Yes, mother.”
“That’s Irene’s favorite.”
“It’s okay because I like Leila more now.”
What she put down was none other than Irene’s treasure, which she had received from Adrian as a birthday present for her last summer. The blade was dull and light, so it looked more like a toy than a sword, but she used to pull out the sword quite skillfully and imitate swordsmanship, and when she said she was giving up that precious thing to her younger brother, I guess my baby is an angel.
“Irene, Leila will be so glad to know how her sister feels. But it’s too big for her, so she lets Irene keep it. Now, look at this. “I think Leila likes this ribbon?”
She gave her Irene’s sword back and instead pointed to her Irene’s ribbon fluttering over Leila’s face. Leila was reaching out her little hand to grab the ribbon on Irene’s head as she lowered her head to look down at her. Irene quickly untied her ribbon and placed it in her sister’s hands. As Leila laughed, holding the ribbon in her maple-leaf-like hands, Irene threw away her beloved sword and stood in her crib, looking at Leila smiling.
“Mom, can I touch Leila?”
“Then. Say hello, Leila seems to like her sister very much.”
Irene excitedly greeted Leila, who grabbed her outstretched finger and giggled again.
“Hello, Leila? I am your sister. You are my sister.”
She asked because Irene was so cute looking at Leyla who was doing the pooping again with a sigh.
“Irene, are you glad you have a little sister?”
“Yes, mother! I will love her the most in the world!”
“Really? Leila would like it. But Irene, don’t you love your mother the most in the world?”
“Uh… However, father said he is the one who loves mother the most in the world…”
“What? Your father talks too much.”
What did you say in front of your daughter, Adrian?
“I thought everyone in Laurent knew that father loved mother the most?”
“Did your father say that?”
“No, Ethan said that.”
What was the butler talking about again…? She hugged Irene, who was tilting her head, and sat her on her lap, rubbing her face against her chubby cheek and saying,
“Mom also really, really loves dad. And I really, really love Irene and Leila too. And I love Jenny, and I love all of our Duke family. Mom is very happy because she has so many people she loves. Is Irene the same?”
“Yes! I love everyone too. So I’m very, very happy.”
“Really? Since Irene said she was very, very happy, mom also became very, very happy. Now, give me a kiss.”
After Irene burst out laughing and kissed her on both cheeks, Jenny, who was stamping her feet next to her, also spoke in a anxious voice.
“Me too, me too, miss. I love you so much too.”
Irene laughed and jumped off her lap and kissed Jenny on the cheek. Jenny, who was clenching her fists and smiling with a happy face that almost made her faint, said that there would be no face washing today, but for a moment she looked straight and promised Irene.
“You are not allowed to kiss anyone except your parents, Miss Leila, and me. You remember, right?”
“Huh! That’s why I didn’t even do it to Daryl!”
“Good job… what?”
“Oh? Did he ask you to kiss him?”
“No, he tried to kiss me, but I avoided it. I tried to kick his legs like my father taught me, but I thought it would hurt, so I held back.”
“Miss. In that case, don’t hold back and give…”
“Jenny.”
She stopped Jenny, whose eyes were burning, and looked at Irene, who was looking at her with her bright eyes. A light kiss on the cheek was a kind of greeting that indicates closeness, so she might say that she wants to kick as much as she wants, but she thought she knew how Jenny and Adrian feel.
‘By the way, you’re a little boy who I can’t let down my guard, our dastardly crown prince.’
“Irene. Even if you don’t like it, if someone tries to get to you, you can kick them as hard as you can. But before that, give me a warning.”
“Uh… I didn’t hate it, but my father taught me to always do this when someone approaches me.”
“Like this?”
As she asked, Irene took her position and showed off her series of movements with quite agile movements. The fluid movement of twisting her body and using the reaction to hit her with her elbow, then kicking her leg and stepping on the fallen opponent with all her might must have been thanks to Adrian’s early education, but how did she, who found walking on two feet fascinating, come out with such a talented daughter? She applauded and pledged to actively support Adrian’s swordsmanship training in the future. Adrian, who heard this story, seemed to be pestering Sir George to hurry up the launch of ‘Irene’s Shadow’, but whatever. Good was good. She secretly supported him by saying that it would be a good idea to make ‘Leyla’s Shadow’ soon.
* * *
In the winter of 442 in the Laurentian calendar, Duke Bigor’s reign was almost like a battlefield.
After 20 years of public service, Damien has suddenly decided to retire. Damian, who had risen to the position of Minister of Finance for the past five years and transformed the honorary position of Minister of Finance into a Lorentine version of an undercover envoy, was an administrator respected by all commoners. The notoriety of the mysterious rabbit that was known to flash in the east and west also spread throughout the kingdom.
Nelia, the Duchess of Rapture, would take over as Minister of Finance. She would do better. King Remina persistently tried to persuade Damian, but Adrian’s encouragement, telling her to do what she wanted, helped her this time too. She did everything she could. The children had grown up, and she decided it was time to look at other things for the second act of her life. She decided to stay with Adrian for a while and figure out what to do next.
Jenny welcomed Damian’s retirement more than anyone else, but Damian’s retirement ceremony was approaching, and Irene, who graduated from the academy, and Leila, who was on winter break, would also return. That alone was crazy, but Adrian’s bombshell travel announcement.
At his retirement ceremony, Damian had to shine more than anyone else, and Irene and Leila would have grown up by an inch. All the dresses had to be remade. And, they had to pack their suitcase. Since they were two people who basically lived for one season once they left, they had to prepare generously. Damien, watching Jenny running around losing her mind, tried to console her by saying that there was still a lot of time left until the retirement ceremony, but Jenny didn’t have enough time to prepare Damian’s suitcase for an entire season.
And today, on the twentieth day of winter, Damien and Adrian were sitting face to face in the large carriage of the Duke of Bigor, which was heading out of the South Gate of Midoc to the Royal Academy of Lorentine. It was to attend the graduation ceremony of Irene, who is graduating from the academy today. Damian, who was very excited about her daughter’s graduation ceremony, was chattering away, and suddenly his eyebrows drooped. Damien’s eyes fell on the long scar on the right cheek of Adrian, who was smiling brightly, and out of habit, she stretched out his hand. Adrian bent down and placed his face in Damian’s hands. Even though it’s a scar that’s been around for 5 years, she still got upset every time she saw it. Looking at Damien’s face becoming blurred, Adrian laughed awkwardly and made an excuse.
“It’s a lot blurry now.”
“I guess Jenny’s new ointment is working.”
It hadn’t been long since he started applying the new ointment developed by Jenny, who had achieved the pinnacle of herbal research, and the scars were definitely fading. Bigor, who had no idea what he wanted to become in the future, showed greatness as a maid, and Damien always supported him and cheered him on.
Adrian smiled, wrapping his hand over the hand that was comforting his stomach. It was still a beautiful smiling face, so Damian also laughed along with his eyebrows drooping. Five years ago, a group of remnants who had been driven out by the division of the Vito Empire on the southern continent invaded the southern border of Lorentine. Every time Lorentine was caught up in the crisis of war, Duke Bigor, who had retired, returned to his position as commander-in-chief and led the victory, but the fierce battle with the defeated remnants who had nowhere to go left a scar on his cheek. And it also left a shadow on his beautiful wife’s face.
Adrian said, gently smoothing Damian’s cracked eyebrow with his finger as he pressed his heart against the dead guys.
“Don’t make that face.”
Looking at the scar reminded her of Adrian’s hardships on the battlefield and her mind became clouded, but Damien also spoke in a bright voice because she knew how restless her husband was when he saw her dark face.
“I was just checking to see if my husband looked handsome today?”
Adrian laughed and accepted Damian’s words.
“Am I handsome today too?”
“Yes, I think you look a little better than yesterday. This is a big deal. Because you continue to look good.”
“Damian is always beautiful too.”
“After hearing the same thing for 18 years, it seems like it’s true now.”
Damian smiled and waved her hand, and Adrian tilted his head and responded seriously.
“I have never said anything untrue to Damien.”
“All right. Am I the prettiest in the world?”
“Of course.”
Looking at Adrian, who nodded his head seriously as expected, Damian burst into laughter. Adrian smiled happily as he heard the loud laughter. From the day he first met his wife until now, she has been beautiful and loving without missing a single moment. She always smiled with her bright face, which made her even more lovely.
Although it wasn’t always fun to be surrounded by so much attention, Damian always had a cheerful smile for those around her. Adrian was always saved by that smile. He was always grateful for Damien, and that’s why she loved him even more. Adrian, who moved to the seat next to Damien to pat the back of his wife’s hand, whose eyes were dazzling again today, asked about the trip they were planning to leave soon.
“Where do you want to go this time?”
“Hmm… Shall we go west this time? I want to go see my father and go to the Duchy of Bigor. I feel like I haven’t been there in too long.”
As Damian laid out various plans, Adrian, who was happy to go anywhere with Damian, smiled brightly and nodded.
* * *
In addition to Duke Bigor’s carriage, carriages from all over entered the academy. As Damian and Adrian were being led to the auditorium where the graduation ceremony was held, a tall young man got out of the white carriage that followed them. It was Crown Prince Daryl holding a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms. As soon as their eyes met, Adrian’s forehead cracked and Damian laughed awkwardly, but Daryl paid him no mind and strode over to say hello.
“Master, Duchess. Long time no see.”
“What are you doing here? The person who graduated the year before last.”
“My childhood friend said it was her graduation ceremony. Can I come to see it? Haha. I’m just here to celebrate.”
There were few people who could respond politely to Adrian’s frown. Damien, who always appreciated that point, intervened before the two started fighting like always.
“Irene will be happy. Thank you for coming, sir.”
“It’s been a while, so she might want to spar, ma’am. Haha.”
She looked at the crown prince, thinking Irene might be like that, but he was also wearing a sword, so Damien sighed inwardly.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on March, 27.
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