"Then, Young Lady Delmore, would you officially become my friend?"
He spoke so resolutely that I almost laughed without realizing it, but I bit my lip tightly to hold it back.
Perhaps because it was the first time she had been asked to become a true 'friend,' Linea hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
"Great."
I could feel that both of them were shy.
Watching the two of them playing so cutely, I said something subtly.
"So, shall we call each other by our names comfortably now?"
The more proactive Lucian spoke first.
"Li, Linea..."
"Good job! Linea should call your friend by name too."
Because I kept urging her on with interjections, Linea finally called out Lucian's name.
"Lucian...?"
Linea's voice whispered as she said that.
The child's pale pink lips looked embarrassed as they hesitated.
Linea seemed even more at a loss for what to do because she was still not used to this kind of situation.
"From now on, you're going to call each other by your names. Got it?"
In the original work as well, both of them had cautious and considerate personalities, so it took quite a while for them to speak comfortably with each other.
If left as they are, it will take five years just to reach that point.
'I thought I was the only one reading this and feeling so frustrated I was going to die.'
It was obvious that both of them wanted to get closer to each other. Yet, because they kept prioritizing each other, honestly, the original story was a bit frustrating.
At first, it felt awkward calling each other by name and speaking informally, but we quickly got used to it.
"I found this at Pecchia Square this time... I bought an extra one to give you if we meet again."
Lucian gave Linea a toy he bought there as a gift, having visited a few more times even after we parted ways.
"What is this? The texture is fascinating!"
The toy Linea was fiddling with was a squishy one.
A soft-touch toy that sticks to the wall with a 'snap' sound when thrown.
Lucian and Linea pressed their heads together tightly, fiddling with their toys and chattering away.
"They sell a lot of really interesting things at the market. I heard they have fireworks too, so it would be nice to go watch them together sometime."
“Fireworks?”
"Ah. We set off firecrackers at night to draw pictures in the sky."
"Wow! I really want to see that! I've never seen anything like that before."
Unlike Lucian, Linea, who had lived confined to her home, found everything he said fascinating.
And Lucian seemed to like Linea, who found the very story he was telling interesting.
However, my role was to soothe the children, who were chattering away excitedly as if on fire, and feed them.
"Alright, shall we eat first? That way you'll become a strong child."
"Yes!"
"You have to chew your food thoroughly."
Linea nodded, having heard it from me many times, and focused on her meal.
On the other hand, Lucian seemed a little awkward, perhaps because he had never heard such nagging before, but he didn't look displeased.
Then, as if trying to do exactly as I had told him, he started chewing on his food for a really long time.
I found it endearing and cute, so I swallowed my laughter again.
After the meal, I thanked Lucian.
"It was really delicious. Thanks for the invitation, Lucian."
"No. I was planning to prepare more, but then I'd get caught..."
Lucian, trailing off, soon glanced at me and Linea and continued speaking.
"...I stopped here because you said it was too much, but if you visit next time, I will welcome you even more properly."
"Even this much is a huge deal to us, so feel free to relax. After all, thanks to Lucian, we were able to eat all this delicious food."
Linea also greeted Lucian shyly.
"That was the most delicious meal I've ever had... Thank you."
I spoke to Lucian first.
"I can't invite you to my house yet, but would it be okay if I invited Lucian over when I move?"
"Gasp!"
Lucian gasped in surprise, as if he hadn't expected this.
Then Lucian nodded vigorously. It was to the point where I was worried his head might fall off.
"Absolutely! As for the invitation... please send it to this address!"
"I see. I'm glad to see that Linea seems to have made a good friend."
When I smiled at Lucian, he smiled shyly for the first time.
That smile was like a puppy that had rolled around on the grass to its heart's content, so I couldn't help but laugh.
'Cute.'
If he continues to grow up just like this, he seems likely to become an upright and handsome young man who suits Linea well.
'Future hardships for Linea? I will take care of them.'
I know who the main villain is anyway.
'Grand Duke Dischlie.'
Grand Duke Dischlie, the Emperor's younger brother, was the key villain in the original story.
Since Duke Lakan was a secondary male character, he wasn't an overt villain but a character who mainly moved from behind the scenes.
There was a strategic side to him, giving the impression that he was managing the overall movements of the empire, right?
In the original work, he was classified as the final mastermind at the end because of Linea, but he wasn't the actual villain.
And it wasn't even that he was targeting Lucian.
Unless it's an incident where I get killed, he can't really be called a villain.
'But the reason I died was that I was the one who tormented Linea.'
On the other hand, to Grand Duke Dischlie, Lucian was someone who had to be eliminated.
That way, the chances of his son becoming the successor will increase.
'Everything that happens until the two of them become adults is a scheme orchestrated by Grand Duke Dischlie.'
I have to stop this.
Thinking that, I happily watched the two children finishing their meal together and making bracelets with beads.
I hope children continue to maintain their innocence.
"Are you really giving this to me?"
Lucian was delighted to receive the bracelet that Linea had skillfully made.
Linea glanced at Lucian out of the corner of her eye and mumbled.
"But I've never made a bracelet for a boy before, so... I'm not sure if it'll turn out very good."
She seemed unsure whether it really appealed to Lucian.
Then Lucian smiled with a soft face like a puppy that had been bathed and dried well in the sun.
"This is my favorite bracelet I've seen so far. I'm going to wear it every day."
At those words, Linea's expression finally brightened.
It was visible that Linea, who previously seemed to be observing the atmosphere, was gradually becoming more comfortable with Lucian.
"Thank you."
"Let's have fun again next time we meet! I like you, Linea!"
"...Me too!"
And so, under the spring sunshine, the two children played to their hearts' content in the garden for a while, picking four-leaf clovers.
It was a peaceful day.
***
“Oh, I’m tired.”
I watched the two of them playing all afternoon, and in the evening, I went out separately with Linea, finished dinner, and returned.
Finally, my day ended only after I put Linea to sleep.
Fortunately, my mother-in-law didn't return today either, as she was at a dinner party that went on until dawn.
Thanks to that, Linea's expression was also good.
'It’s nice that I don’t see my mother-in-law as often these days.'
We were planning to leave this house before this social season ended anyway.
The schedule to meet with Carcel tomorrow was very important.
Unlike previous dates where we were just exploring each other, tomorrow will be business, officially removing his name from the contract.
I also stayed with Linea until the morning, then had to go to the bank to pick up the contract.
So I lay down on the bed and stretched out.
"Wow! Today was another rewarding day."
I extinguished the candle on the table and closed my eyes. Because I was tired, drowsiness quickly set in.
Knock knock.
Did I hear the sound wrong while half-asleep?
Just as I was thinking that, I heard a clear knock on the door once again.
Knock knock!
“Hmm.”
I opened my eyes and looked at the clock relying on the moonlight; it was already 11 o'clock in the evening.
It was past the time when most of the employees would have gone home, too.
The only person who would come to my room at this hour was my mother-in-law.
My mother-in-law doesn't even know how to knock. She just unlocks the door and comes in whenever she wants.
"...Who are you?"
When I asked cautiously, I heard someone's voice from beyond the door a little later.
"Uh. Mother. Can I come in?"
At the sound of anxiety in the voice, I quickly sat up.
And when I hurriedly opened the door, there was Linea, clutching a pillow tightly.
The child's body was trembling, and their eyes were teary.
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