Happy Friday!
We are almost halfway through the novel. For those who don’t know, this story has 41 chapters and 3 extras, so we are halfway through the main story.
Without further ado, here’s the chapter. Do enjoy.
The father greeted the son who had returned home without even sending a letter beforehand at the foyer. The imposing father with a full mustache had such a presence, that it was hard to believe that he was the same age as Count Swain. There was no tenderness, and when children meet him for the first time, they would usually burst into tears.
It has been like that ever since I was young, so I was already familiar with the scene of Father making children cry. The only one who saw this Duke who was full of majesty and then smiled was Mirabell.
「Oi, isn't there something else?」
As soon as he saw Father's face, smiling stiffly, His Highness Prince Yuriel who was behind me, pulled on the hem of my clothes.
It seems that they have met several times, so he won't start crying, but from what I've heard from Mirabell, it seems that His Highness thought that Father disliked him. It's not that he disliked him, it's just that his unsociableness made him bad at humoring children.
And Father too, when children, who he was terrible with, were around, he would knit his brows.
「I didn't think that going somewhere far away meant someplace like this.」
「Do you not have any friends?」
「Because a hedge between keeps friendship green. Even if I suddenly call on them, it will be troublesome for them.」
The one who doesn't have any friends, with the exception of me, was your eldest brother.
「Sorry, tousan. Mirabell drove His Highness out together with me.」
「…I see.」
「…long time no see, Duke Roderick.」
「Yes. It's been half a year.」
「Aah.」
「…」
What's with this awkward atmosphere.
The His Highness Prince Yuriel who was always cheerful was nowhere to be found, and the talkative Father from when he talked to me or the other people in the house or Mirabell was also absent.
「I'm going back to study with Mira.」
「Are you planning on making Mirabell unhappy?」
「I'm not good with dealing with your father!」
It was only a whisper, but most likely, Father heard it too.
「I'm going back.」
「Maa, please wait. I even have a portrait of Mirabell from when she was a child.」
How simple. I inadvertently thought that he was adorable. Enticed, he turned around and came back without saying anything.
「I'm going back after I take a look.」
「I planned on having dinner here too, though…」
「I'm eating with Mira.」
「Just for today, you don't have to eat the vegetables.」
「I'm going back after I eat.」
How simple.
I carried the sleeping His Highness Prince Yuriel who was hugging the portrait of Mirabell when she was around five years old to my bed. Wasn't he at that age where he needed to take an afternoon nap every day? I forget, but he's only five years old. For him to have the same lifestyle as us might not be good for his body.
When I was five years old. At the very least, I wasn't as clever as this child. He will surely become a ladies' man. He is a beauty, and he is just as knowledgeable as I am at this age.
As if he wasn't at a disadvantage due to the age difference, it seems like he would steal my fiance away.
Speaking of being five years old, even though he doesn't know anything, he acted like he's older and got close to Mirabell. That girl liked older men, that's why. Or rather, it's because she liked my father. Even though I mimicked Father's behavior, it was a desperate attempt.
But that girl found it irritating.
When I poke His Highness Prince Yuriel's cheeks, due to the elasticity, it bounced back. Why was the skin of women and children different from those of adults and men?
The fragrance, was different depending on the person, I think.
There were many women who used perfume, but personally, I'm not good with strong scents. Since a long time ago, Mirabell had always had the scent of milk. His Highness Prince Yuriel was the same. Was it because they're always together? Was it because they were always together that the scent permeated? If that's the case, then I have mixed feelings about it.
「In the short while that I haven't seen you, you've developed a weird habit, Dii」
I was surprised by the voice that came from behind me.
What was I doing? And Father who just came to talk to me, what did he see?
「What habit?」
「Burying your face in children's necks while pulling their cheeks.」
「Like a pervert.」
「You were the one who did it.」
He's unconscious, but was that not ok? However, it's a problem even if it was intentional, so I couldn't even give an excuse.
「I thought that you were only blindly devoted to Mii, but you had this kind of preference, huh?」
What preference.
Looking at a male, and a child on top of that, with those kinds of eyes? How was that even possible?
The only one who could call Mirabell 'Mii' was my father. A young lady in love yielding to the one she loved, that person should only be me. The me who was still displeased whenever I think about that may be, in a sense, more immature than His Highness Prince Yuriel.
「I didn't know that tousan disliked me.」
「It was a joke. Forgive me. …it seems that you're doing well, with His Highness Prince Yuriel.」
Ha, I laughed. If it was a strict household, and if one had this kind of attitude towards one's parent, one would've been scolded, but my father was overprotective, so there's no need to worry about that. Because of that, there was an immature son like me.
「Wi(・)th(・) His Highness Prince Yuriel, is that sarcasm?」
「What a wretched son. Aren't you just taking out your anger on your father?」
As you had guessed, whenever he saw that my fiance shrugging her shoulders like usual whenever she didn't listen to me, he would laugh as if he was amused.
He was a no-good father who enjoys seeing me troubled.
「It seems that tousan is still bad with children.」
「Aah…it seems, so. On top of not having a face that children prefer, I can't communicate well with children.」
I've heard that excuse many times.
My slightly irritated father's excuse was that because he learned a lot of hard to understand words, he doesn't know any words that children understand.
When I said, 「You say things like that too and it often makes me irritated」, I was glared at by Mirabell.
「If he's sleeping, then he's simply adorable.」
For a word like 'adorable' to come from someone who looked so aggressive, it's already too funny.
「Maa, even when he's awake, there are times when he's being cute, although it's rare.」
When I thought about the letter in my pocket, the corners of my mouth rose once again.
「It seems to be going well, with His Highness Prince Yuriel.」
「This time, it's definitely sarcasm.」
He emphasized 'this'.
「Is His Highness Prince Alan still relying on you?」
「Yeah. You don't need to say it. 'Wi(・)th(・) His Highness Prince Alan' would be uncalled for.」
With a wry smile, Father started poking His Highness Prince Yuriel's cheeks.
「Dii too, and Mii as well, there was a time when you guys were like this.」
「Madame Claire said that as well.」
「It seems that she too is doing well.」
My mother and Mirabell's mother were close friends, which was what connected our two families. Mirabell's mother was a beautiful lady, but it seemed that Mother was also a famously beautiful woman in high society. If you asked Father, he would say that Mother was so much more beautiful than anyone else and no one else could compare.
On this subject, Count Swain wouldn't yield either, and would say that his wife was number one.
I stopped myself from saying that Mirabell was number one. Since I didn't want to argue with the immature adults.
「I, also remember kaasan, although it's faint. Besides, she nags a lot, but Madame Claire is like another mother to me. Tousan is also really important to me. However, for this child, he doesn't have anyone.」
He's done wonderfully so far, and became an honest child.
His father doesn't even publicly protect him, and his support was his awkward eldest brother who has a troublesome habit. He is a child with determination.
「I intend to lend him a hand a little. It might inconvenience tousan, though…. Because His Royal Highness Prince Yuriel is, one of my friends.」
Father laughed, as if making fun of me.
「If you can inconvenience me, then try it. Mii would probably say that too. You're a little too good to be true and it's annoying. My clever son is independent and boring. It would be nice if you let me take care of you once in a while. I am your father.」
It would be a little embarrassing for Mirabell to see it.
The letter that His Highness Prince Yuriel gave me, only had two lines.
I dislike you and you're unpleasant, but it's not like I hate you.
Be my friend.
I don't know if it's cute or not, but the awkwardness seemed strangely adorable. At the same time, this beautiful handwriting that you wouldn't think that it was written by a child was, even now, a painful reminder of the days that he spent all alone.
'Be', does that mean that, to this child, I was already considered his friend?
While poking the sleeping Highness's cheek, I suddenly wanted to try doing it.
「I'm going to go back to work. I'll have dinner with you two.」
「Got it.」
A little while after Father left, His Highness Prince Yuriel woke up. He brushed off my hand that was still poking his cheeks as if it was annoying, and rubbed his eyes.
「Mira…」
He's still half asleep.
「Do I look like Mira?」
「…there's no way you look like her. You're hard.」
He had said,「You're like a fragile woman」to Mirabell, so calling me 'hard' made me pleased.
「Do you want to go to the study? I can lend you Mirabell's favorite book. …Your Highness Prince Yurii?」
As expected, was he uncomfortable, for an instant, His Highness squinted his eyes.
「I'm hungry. Arrange for dinner first, Dia.」
It seems that he's fine with calling my name.