So how did this happen?
To explain that, we first need to understand how the child ended up with a flower in his hand.
About an hour earlier.
The child, who had come out to the garden with the Knight Commander, didn’t seem to be in a good mood.
It wasn’t so much that he was angry, but rather upset because his already limited time alone with Ellie had been interrupted.
-…Adi. I can’t speak directly to you or hold your hand, but I can still talk to you like this by your side.
Ellie approached the child, who was walking slowly with his lips pouting.
“……”
-Or, should we create a code? I’ll ask questions, and you can answer. If it’s a ‘yes,’ clench one hand into a fist. If it’s a ‘no,’ clench both hands.
“……”
-What do you think?
…Clench.
The child, who had been dragging his feet, hesitated for a moment before clenching his right fist.
Only the right one, on the side where Ellie was standing.
Even if he wasn’t thrilled about it, there wasn’t much he could do.
If he spoke aloud, it would look like he was talking to himself, which could seem strange.
‘If we keep using this fist code, though, it’s only a matter of time before the trained Knight Commander catches on…’
But surely, he wouldn’t be suspicious if a five-year-old clenched his fists for a day.
After all, clenching fists was said to be good for child development; maybe they could pass it off as that.
After all, he was still young.
‘We can always change the code every day…’
Thinking this, they walked around the garden until the child stopped, not at his usual secluded spot to avoid other people’s gazes.
But in the middle of the garden, where the breeze was open and free.
The child squatted in front of the flowerbed near the fountain, staring at the flowers.
-Do you like that flower?
The child blinked and clenched his right fist.
-If you tell the gardener to put it in your room, it’ll be decorated by the time you finish your snack.
Except for those wildflowers from the flowerpot when he first scattered magic in front of Ellie, the child had never shown this much interest before.
Ellie suggested that if decorating the room with the flower wasn’t appealing, he could use it to make a different flower crown, trying to capture the child’s attention.
It was while they were having this conversation that it happened.
‘…?’
With the Knight Commander so close by, Ellie, who had been more on edge than usual while talking to the child, sensed something was off and discreetly turned around.
-…Huh.
She saw the Knight Commander gesturing with his eyes towards Rutus, who was leaning against a tree far away.
Could it be that he had been observing him like this every time he went for a walk?
Feeling baffled, Ellie clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly, just as the child had done earlier, while her eyes darted around.
‘Wasn’t the surveillance supposed to be over? Why is he here if the Knight Commander is already present?’
Was he here to monitor them out of mistrust? Ellie, wearing a scowling expression, stood up and stretched her legs, which had been crouched beside the child.
Seeing the Knight Commander making gestures toward Rutus from afar, Ellie guessed that he probably shared her sentiment.
…Or perhaps, since he (Rutus) had come all this way, he (Knight Commander) was hinting that they should at least have a conversation before leaving.
TL/N: “THEY” HERE MEANS RUTUS AND ADI.
Considering the Knight Commander’s temperament, the latter seemed more likely.
“Uh…”
-Oh.
Ellie’s attention, which had been focused on Rutus, was suddenly drawn back to the child.
Startled, Ellie looked down to find the child speaking.
Although his words weren’t directed at her, Ellie felt a twinge of anxiety and drew a sharp breath.
“Yes, ahem, ahem… Young Master, did you call for me?”
The Knight Commander, who had also been engaged in a silent conversation with Rutus, cleared his throat and spoke.
The child hesitated before asking,
“Is it okay… if I take just one of these?”
“If you’re referring to the flower, everything and everyone within the Duke’s estate falls under the authority of Ratcliffe.”
“……”
“…As the future master, you don’t need my permission if you wish to take it.”
“But that’s for later. Right now, it’s still Father’s…”
“Well…”
“What if I take it and ruin it, and then I get kicked out of my room…”
TL/N:
And if I pick it, won’t it hurt? The child added, but his last words didn’t reach the ears of the three adults present.
The impact of his previous statement was too significant.
-……
Ellie felt a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of the child’s birthday a few months ago, and her insides boiling.
After expelling all the servants from the annex and bringing his own people in.
He just handed things over without giving them any proper instructions about anything, so it was natural for the child to feel uneasy.
Even Ellie, who had spent over ten years with Rutus, found it hard to understand his intentions; how much more difficult must it be for a child who knew nothing?
“……”
The Knight Commander, at a loss for words, opened his mouth but couldn’t produce any coherent words.
Ellie turned her gaze, staring at Rutus, who was faintly visible behind the distant tree.
His expression was much the same as when Ellie first heard the child’s self-deprecating remarks.
After all, there was no way that Rutus, a Swordmaster, hadn’t overheard the conversation just now.
‘Let’s see how he squirms under the weight of guilt.’
Ellie bit her lip hard and turned her head.
She had roughly guessed that Rutus didn’t hate the child.
Even so, it didn’t erase the wounds he had inflicted on the child.
Nor did it erase the fact that he could have corrected the situation long ago, even after returning from the war but chose not to.
For those reasons alone, Ellie thought Rutus deserved to suffer.
As she rubbed her forehead, feeling nauseous, the child mumbled softly.
“I want… to give this to…”
Noticing the child glancing at her, Ellie’s eyes widened as she realized the unspoken part of his sentence was her name.
At that moment, something clicked in her mind.
-Adi, did you want to give that to Mommy?
The child clenched his right fist and nodded.
“The yellow one… lying down…”
The child added hesitantly, glancing at the Knight Commander.
So, it was because it was the same color as her eyes. Fortunately, Rutus and the Knight Commander seemed too distracted to notice their conversation, Ellie smiled faintly and asked the child,
-Thank you, it’s really beautiful. But…
“……?”
-Actually, I’d like you to give that flower to someone else, not Mommy.
“Marie…?”
-Hmm, well… How about I count to three, and you turn around?
Now holding a flower carefully uprooted with the roots still intact in his hand,
The child fidgeted with his dirt-covered hands, looking somewhat reluctant, before nodding with a sullen expression. Ellie placed both hands on the child’s shoulders and spoke.
-Okay, then… One.
As the count began to decrease one by one, Ellie became certain.
The reason it was a shame that the two have been awkwardly killing time like this until now?
-Two.
It was simple. They were too afraid to take the first step, making things worse, even though the issue could be easily resolved just by reaching out.
So if there’s no opportunity…
-Three.
Isn’t it just a matter of creating one?
Ellie smiled brightly.
The child turned around just in time.
* * *
Although the distance was far enough that Rutus was only faintly visible in the distance,
When the child’s eyes met Rutus’s for the first time, he seemed to recognize him instantly as the father he had been searching for and held his breath.
“……”
Thump, thump.
The child’s heartbeat was so rapid that Ellie, who only had her hand on the child’s shoulder, could feel the pulse beneath the skin and smiled wryly.
Rutus, caught off guard by the sudden turn of the child, stood frozen and unable to flee.
It was indeed bizarre that he hadn’t noticed the child’s movements earlier and failed to hide.
‘The conversation must have been quite shocking.’
If Rutus hadn’t been so stunned that he failed to react promptly, the child’s sudden turn might have ended in failure.
Though it was the outcome Ellie had intended, she couldn’t be completely sure it would work, so she mentally sighed in relief.
– Adi.
“……”
– Do you remember the promise Mommy made when you left the annex? That I would scold Daddy for how upset you were?
“……”
– How about you go and give the flower to Daddy?
For Rutus, having the child approach with a smile was probably like a punishment.
Just as he once did to her, he must have built a fence around himself early on out of fear that others would hate and resent him.
He’s always been this way. Despite his outward appearance of being tough and unflinching, he was actually a very fearful man.
– Daddy will be more afraid of Adi going directly to scold him than of Mommy scolding him instead. I can guarantee it.
“But… I’m small, so it seems like it wouldn’t hurt even if I hit him…”
– I’m not saying to hit him. How about a bet with Mommy?
“……”
– If you go and say just one word to Daddy, from that moment on, he will be weaker than you. He won’t be able to beat you.
That’s how a child’s growth goes.
From the moment you realized that they had grown this much while you weren’t looking and when you would whip yourself for the moments you missed…
You become unable to rest until you achieve whatever it is they want.
‘When happiness becomes so overwhelming that even the moments of everyday life are precious and unbearable…’
At some point, these things would become daggers stabbing the heart. It took time to reach that realization, but it would begin when the child approached and spoke.
-……
Ellie knew all too well, having experienced it herself.
Thus, when the child heard Ellie’s words, he fluttered his eyelashes for a moment and then slowly began to move.
Seeing this, Rutus finally tried to turn away and leave, but—
“No, wait! Don’t go!”
As Rutus turned his back, the child shouted and dashed toward him.
And,
Stamble—thud!
…He tripped over his own feet.
* * * *
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