At that moment, when Franz lost his sense of reason as he watched Judith buttoning her buttons, Bartholomew and Cheraan's house was enveloped in a peaceful silence.
If it were normal, the two of them would have gotten up already, but the fact that it was the second day of vacation kept weighing on their languid bodies. The sheets wrapped around their bare skin rustled pleasantly, and the body temperature tangled under the sheets was so warm that they didn’t want to open their eyes. However, no matter how much they held out, it was difficult to endure the sunlight pouring in through the wide window.
Cheraan was still fast asleep because she had her back to the window and her face buried in Bartholomew’s arms. Bartholomew, who was lying on his side with one arm extended to his wife, squinted his eyes and opened them slowly. However, the harsh sunlight, like a spear blade, pierced his vision straight ahead, and he had no choice but to sigh and lower his head.
As he tossed and turned, Cheraan groaned softly and shrugged her shoulders as if she had woken up along with him. It was a sound that was barely audible, but Bartholomew patted her shoulder with his large hand, wincing as if she had screamed. After doing this a few times, Cheraan fell back into a deep sleep.
Bartholomew stared blankly down at Cheraan’s sleeping face, completely forgetting that he had to get up. The corners of his eyes were naturally slightly upturned, so when his eyes were closed, the curves stood out even more.
Every time he saw her sleeping soundlessly with her lips slightly open, he would feel a pang in his chest. His heart would pound as if he were peeking at the dignified and proud God sleeping peacefully.
Bartholomew gently pushed back her hair so that it would not tickle her cheek, and stood up from his seat, careful not to wake her.
It took him an incredibly long time to pull his arm out, but even that was a pleasure to him. Bartholomew, stroking his chin, which had grown rough from the night's beard, went down with a speed that was disproportionate to his size and went straight downstairs to the kitchen.
On every holiday when he didn't have to go to the palace, he gave the cooks in his mansion a half-day off and prepared breakfast himself. Since the watermelons were ripe and delicious this season, he planned to make a salad with watermelon and toasted bread soaked in milk and drizzled with honey.
Bartholomew lifted a large oval watermelon with one hand and placed it on the counter, then cut it open with a large knife.
With a crack, the ripe flesh of a deep pink color was revealed, and the sweet-smelling liquid overflowed to the point where it dripped down to the countertop. He chose the part with few seeds and scooped out the flesh, then sliced the orange, blackberry, and peach one by one, and placed them all in a bowl, topping them with a few pieces of rose sugar.
After half-soaking the salad bowl in cold water, he immediately prepared to bake the bread. As he cut the freshly delivered wheat bread into small pieces and placed them on the pan, footsteps rang out on the stairs, and soon two little boys were hanging onto Bartholomew's legs.
"Father!"
“Dad! Good morning!”
The twins, who had woken up from their slumber and had insisted on getting changed and going out, appeared in their pajamas, jumping up and down excitedly. They wanted to be held. Bartholomew burst out laughing and held the two children one by one, sitting them in a place far away from the fire.
“Heike, Livif. You both need to stay still. It’s hot here, so don’t come near.”
The children nodded obediently. However, being three years old and curious and wanting to touch everything, they kept trying to bring their heads closer to the fan. Every time that happened, Bartholomew would slap the children’s small foreheads with his palm, like pushing away a disobedient cat.
“Oh, what did father say?”
“Don’t come near me.”
“Be quiet.”
“Yes, if you listen to Dad, I’ll make you something delicious.”
As the fragrant smell of butter began to fill the kitchen air, the children couldn't stand it anymore. Bartholomew quickly divided the panful of toasted bread into plates.
Cheraan and the children arranged the food neatly and stacked their own food carelessly. Bartholomew, who had even put the salad bowls that had been poured with honey and chilled on the tray, first had the two children sit on each shoulder.
“Hold on tight or you’ll fall.”
“Don’t fall off!”
“Hold on tight!”
The children sang in unison, their mouths wide open like baby birds. Their tongues were not yet fully functioning, so their pronunciation was murmured, but their voices were strong. Bartholomew played with his shoulders, moving them here and there, and then he lifted the tray. Two children on his shoulders, four heavy dishes on the tray. And yet, his steps as he climbed the stairs were unwavering.
Bartholomew, who had set the tray down on the table first, quickly hugged the children with his freed arms and sat them down on the chairs.
“Just wait a moment, I’ll wake up your mother.”
“Mom overslept!”
“That’s right! Heike woke up first!”
While the children started arguing over who woke up first, Bartholomew quickly went to the bedroom and gently grabbed Cheraan's shoulder.
“Cher, wake up. I made breakfast.”
“Umm...”
Cheraan frowned and shrugged her shoulders. Bartholomew smiled lowly, leaned down and kissed her cheek, then pressed his lips close to her ear and whispered.
“If you don’t wake up soon, the twins will eat all of yours too. Hurry up, I made your favorite watermelon salad.”
Cheraan, who laughed like a breath, either because the whispering sound was ticklish or because of the close body heat, opened her eyes slightly. The way she frowned as if the sunlight was dazzling was cute, and at the moment when Bartholomew’s mouth was about to reach her ear, Cheraan wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, biting his lips lightly.
“Did you sleep well, Bartholomew?”
Her voice, which was slightly lower than usual due to her lack of sleep, was very attractive. Bartholomew, who touched his slightly flushed ear in an instant, nodded with a smile.
“Why are your ears red?”
“Because you’re pretty?”
“Still? I gave birth to two of your children. At the same time. And yet you say I’m so pretty.”
“Of course not. ‘Still’? You’ll always be pretty.”
Bartholomew answered seriously. Cheraan, who seemed surprised by that reaction, suddenly burst into laughter and sat up.
“I told you I married a man who couldn’t be stopped.”
“It’s true...”
“I know, I know. I didn’t say it was a lie.”
Cheraan, who had kissed his chubby cheek, put on a robe and went to the small living room where the children were waiting. The twins, who were waiting on the chair, tried to stretch out their arms as soon as they saw Cheraan, but they soon became quiet when Cheraan opened his eyes wide.
“Livif, Heike. What did I say you should do when your mother is sitting on the chair?”
The children looked at each other and said.
“You have to be quiet.”
“Otherwise, you’ll fall!”
“Yeah, that’s how the good kids are. Did you sleep well?”
Cheraan kissed the children's round cheeks and sat down. The table where the four of them sat was neither too big nor too small, just right. Bartholomew and Cheraan cut bread and fed it to the children one by one, chatting away.
“Do you have anything planned today?”
“No. You and I don’t have that many days off, so I tried not to make any plans.”
“Then shall I stay home and play with our kids all day today?”
When Bartholomew winked, the excited twins screamed and pounded the table. However, they quickly calmed down after seeing their mother's reaction.
As the children were chattering away about what they would do with their father all day, a bell was heard ringing in the distance. It was the bell that sounded when the central door of the mansion opened, so Cheraan and Bartholomew raised their heads at the same time.
“a guest?”
“At this hour? There’s no way...”
As he was listening outside, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. When there was a knock on the door, before Cheraan could get up, Bartholomew put down his dishes and opened the door.
“What's going on?”
The man who knocked on the door was the head butler who took care of the affairs of the mansion. He said.
“Master, a man has come from the palace.”
“At the palace...? Is there something going on with His Majesty?”
“No, that’s not it. His Majesty sent word to have lunch together. He asked that you, the young master, and the young lady come too.”
The butler who had delivered the message bowed his head politely as he had when he opened the door and left. Cheraan, who had been listening to their conversation with his ears pricked up in the living room, burst out laughing.
“I was planning to stay home all day, but my plans fell through before I even started.”
“Franz, why did you invite me on a day like this? You must be jealous of my laziness.”
As Bartholomew playfully grumbled, Cheraan's laughter grew louder. Only the twins, who had not yet properly assessed the situation, looked around with wide eyes and asked.
“Father, are you going to the palace?”
“Then I can’t play with Dad?”
“No, you can play. Instead, let’s go to the palace and play today. Let’s go and eat something delicious. Yes?”
“Are you going to the palace?”
Heike asked first with sparkling eyes. When Bartholomew nodded, the children, forgetting that their mother was next to them, climbed up on the chairs and jumped up and down excitedly. Bartholomew and Cheraan, who were terrified, held them in their arms one by one before finally letting out a sigh of relief. Cheraan pretended to let go.
“If you guys act this rudely, I won’t take you to the palace. Do you understand? Your mother and father will go and have fun.”
“Oh, that’s not true!”
“That’s right! I won’t do that without manners.”
The little ones shook their little hands and heads at the same time. Cheraan, who met Bartholomew's eyes sitting across from him, nodded, saying, 'Don't laugh.'
He followed his wife's words faithfully, of course. He bit his lips so hard that his chin turned white.
If it were normal, the two of them would have gotten up already, but the fact that it was the second day of vacation kept weighing on their languid bodies. The sheets wrapped around their bare skin rustled pleasantly, and the body temperature tangled under the sheets was so warm that they didn’t want to open their eyes. However, no matter how much they held out, it was difficult to endure the sunlight pouring in through the wide window.
Cheraan was still fast asleep because she had her back to the window and her face buried in Bartholomew’s arms. Bartholomew, who was lying on his side with one arm extended to his wife, squinted his eyes and opened them slowly. However, the harsh sunlight, like a spear blade, pierced his vision straight ahead, and he had no choice but to sigh and lower his head.
As he tossed and turned, Cheraan groaned softly and shrugged her shoulders as if she had woken up along with him. It was a sound that was barely audible, but Bartholomew patted her shoulder with his large hand, wincing as if she had screamed. After doing this a few times, Cheraan fell back into a deep sleep.
Bartholomew stared blankly down at Cheraan’s sleeping face, completely forgetting that he had to get up. The corners of his eyes were naturally slightly upturned, so when his eyes were closed, the curves stood out even more.
Every time he saw her sleeping soundlessly with her lips slightly open, he would feel a pang in his chest. His heart would pound as if he were peeking at the dignified and proud God sleeping peacefully.
Bartholomew gently pushed back her hair so that it would not tickle her cheek, and stood up from his seat, careful not to wake her.
It took him an incredibly long time to pull his arm out, but even that was a pleasure to him. Bartholomew, stroking his chin, which had grown rough from the night's beard, went down with a speed that was disproportionate to his size and went straight downstairs to the kitchen.
On every holiday when he didn't have to go to the palace, he gave the cooks in his mansion a half-day off and prepared breakfast himself. Since the watermelons were ripe and delicious this season, he planned to make a salad with watermelon and toasted bread soaked in milk and drizzled with honey.
Bartholomew lifted a large oval watermelon with one hand and placed it on the counter, then cut it open with a large knife.
With a crack, the ripe flesh of a deep pink color was revealed, and the sweet-smelling liquid overflowed to the point where it dripped down to the countertop. He chose the part with few seeds and scooped out the flesh, then sliced the orange, blackberry, and peach one by one, and placed them all in a bowl, topping them with a few pieces of rose sugar.
After half-soaking the salad bowl in cold water, he immediately prepared to bake the bread. As he cut the freshly delivered wheat bread into small pieces and placed them on the pan, footsteps rang out on the stairs, and soon two little boys were hanging onto Bartholomew's legs.
"Father!"
“Dad! Good morning!”
The twins, who had woken up from their slumber and had insisted on getting changed and going out, appeared in their pajamas, jumping up and down excitedly. They wanted to be held. Bartholomew burst out laughing and held the two children one by one, sitting them in a place far away from the fire.
“Heike, Livif. You both need to stay still. It’s hot here, so don’t come near.”
The children nodded obediently. However, being three years old and curious and wanting to touch everything, they kept trying to bring their heads closer to the fan. Every time that happened, Bartholomew would slap the children’s small foreheads with his palm, like pushing away a disobedient cat.
“Oh, what did father say?”
“Don’t come near me.”
“Be quiet.”
“Yes, if you listen to Dad, I’ll make you something delicious.”
As the fragrant smell of butter began to fill the kitchen air, the children couldn't stand it anymore. Bartholomew quickly divided the panful of toasted bread into plates.
Cheraan and the children arranged the food neatly and stacked their own food carelessly. Bartholomew, who had even put the salad bowls that had been poured with honey and chilled on the tray, first had the two children sit on each shoulder.
“Hold on tight or you’ll fall.”
“Don’t fall off!”
“Hold on tight!”
The children sang in unison, their mouths wide open like baby birds. Their tongues were not yet fully functioning, so their pronunciation was murmured, but their voices were strong. Bartholomew played with his shoulders, moving them here and there, and then he lifted the tray. Two children on his shoulders, four heavy dishes on the tray. And yet, his steps as he climbed the stairs were unwavering.
Bartholomew, who had set the tray down on the table first, quickly hugged the children with his freed arms and sat them down on the chairs.
“Just wait a moment, I’ll wake up your mother.”
“Mom overslept!”
“That’s right! Heike woke up first!”
While the children started arguing over who woke up first, Bartholomew quickly went to the bedroom and gently grabbed Cheraan's shoulder.
“Cher, wake up. I made breakfast.”
“Umm...”
Cheraan frowned and shrugged her shoulders. Bartholomew smiled lowly, leaned down and kissed her cheek, then pressed his lips close to her ear and whispered.
“If you don’t wake up soon, the twins will eat all of yours too. Hurry up, I made your favorite watermelon salad.”
Cheraan, who laughed like a breath, either because the whispering sound was ticklish or because of the close body heat, opened her eyes slightly. The way she frowned as if the sunlight was dazzling was cute, and at the moment when Bartholomew’s mouth was about to reach her ear, Cheraan wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, biting his lips lightly.
“Did you sleep well, Bartholomew?”
Her voice, which was slightly lower than usual due to her lack of sleep, was very attractive. Bartholomew, who touched his slightly flushed ear in an instant, nodded with a smile.
“Why are your ears red?”
“Because you’re pretty?”
“Still? I gave birth to two of your children. At the same time. And yet you say I’m so pretty.”
“Of course not. ‘Still’? You’ll always be pretty.”
Bartholomew answered seriously. Cheraan, who seemed surprised by that reaction, suddenly burst into laughter and sat up.
“I told you I married a man who couldn’t be stopped.”
“It’s true...”
“I know, I know. I didn’t say it was a lie.”
Cheraan, who had kissed his chubby cheek, put on a robe and went to the small living room where the children were waiting. The twins, who were waiting on the chair, tried to stretch out their arms as soon as they saw Cheraan, but they soon became quiet when Cheraan opened his eyes wide.
“Livif, Heike. What did I say you should do when your mother is sitting on the chair?”
The children looked at each other and said.
“You have to be quiet.”
“Otherwise, you’ll fall!”
“Yeah, that’s how the good kids are. Did you sleep well?”
Cheraan kissed the children's round cheeks and sat down. The table where the four of them sat was neither too big nor too small, just right. Bartholomew and Cheraan cut bread and fed it to the children one by one, chatting away.
“Do you have anything planned today?”
“No. You and I don’t have that many days off, so I tried not to make any plans.”
“Then shall I stay home and play with our kids all day today?”
When Bartholomew winked, the excited twins screamed and pounded the table. However, they quickly calmed down after seeing their mother's reaction.
As the children were chattering away about what they would do with their father all day, a bell was heard ringing in the distance. It was the bell that sounded when the central door of the mansion opened, so Cheraan and Bartholomew raised their heads at the same time.
“a guest?”
“At this hour? There’s no way...”
As he was listening outside, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. When there was a knock on the door, before Cheraan could get up, Bartholomew put down his dishes and opened the door.
“What's going on?”
The man who knocked on the door was the head butler who took care of the affairs of the mansion. He said.
“Master, a man has come from the palace.”
“At the palace...? Is there something going on with His Majesty?”
“No, that’s not it. His Majesty sent word to have lunch together. He asked that you, the young master, and the young lady come too.”
The butler who had delivered the message bowed his head politely as he had when he opened the door and left. Cheraan, who had been listening to their conversation with his ears pricked up in the living room, burst out laughing.
“I was planning to stay home all day, but my plans fell through before I even started.”
“Franz, why did you invite me on a day like this? You must be jealous of my laziness.”
As Bartholomew playfully grumbled, Cheraan's laughter grew louder. Only the twins, who had not yet properly assessed the situation, looked around with wide eyes and asked.
“Father, are you going to the palace?”
“Then I can’t play with Dad?”
“No, you can play. Instead, let’s go to the palace and play today. Let’s go and eat something delicious. Yes?”
“Are you going to the palace?”
Heike asked first with sparkling eyes. When Bartholomew nodded, the children, forgetting that their mother was next to them, climbed up on the chairs and jumped up and down excitedly. Bartholomew and Cheraan, who were terrified, held them in their arms one by one before finally letting out a sigh of relief. Cheraan pretended to let go.
“If you guys act this rudely, I won’t take you to the palace. Do you understand? Your mother and father will go and have fun.”
“Oh, that’s not true!”
“That’s right! I won’t do that without manners.”
The little ones shook their little hands and heads at the same time. Cheraan, who met Bartholomew's eyes sitting across from him, nodded, saying, 'Don't laugh.'
He followed his wife's words faithfully, of course. He bit his lips so hard that his chin turned white.
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