Chapter 23

* * *

Bonita’s sudden behavior raised many doubts. What was the child actually afraid of.

The direct cause that made her run off had been the loud noise and chaos, but the real trigger for her fear lay elsewhere.

‘The gift?’

However, when they checked the gifts Bonita and Estelle received, there was no real difference in their contents. Damian even asked Estelle if there had been anything strange, but the child only shook her head gently.

Damian ordered his subordinates to look into the gifts distributed at the temple, yet every single one turned out to contain dark bluish jam cookies and black dried fruit.

Irritated for no clear reason, Damian had all the gifts meant for Estelle and Bonita thrown away. Instead, he gave each of them a tin filled with prettier and tastier cookies.

Tapping a pen lightly against some documents, Damian sank into thought. This question had remained unresolved for several days since Star’s Birthday.

He wondered if it might be unrelated to the kidnapping incident, but if that were the case, there was no way Reina wouldn’t have known.

Reina clearly hadn’t expected the child to react so strongly. She had casually told Bonita and Estelle to accept the gifts.

‘In the end, it has to be connected to the kidnapping.’

As if that weren’t enough, the restoration of the Count Pantale family was already complicated, leaving him with more than enough on his plate.

Damian let out a sigh and rubbed his face with dry hands.

‘…This is becoming troublesome.’

Before the weather fully warmed, Damian had to go to the capital. He had taken responsibility for handling the Pantale family’s reinstatement.

Because of that, his already delicate relationship with the imperial family was deteriorating toward its worst point.

On the surface, they were lord and vassal, but recalling the emperor’s cold gaze left Damian displeased.

He was used to such looks, so it ended at mere irritation for him. But Estelle had never been exposed to that kind of gaze.

He couldn’t imagine what the small child would feel if she were to face them directly.

Estelle, who carried the bloodline of Winternight mixed with the blood of Finecke.

It didn’t bother him in the slightest, but what would those lofty royals and nobles think.

They would whisper about inferiority, yet still covet the child bearing the name Winternight.

The child he treasured above all else would become the greatest prey in the empire.

‘They probably already approached Reina Botn with that in mind.’

If it were Reina, the person Estelle trusted and relied on most in this estate, someone could abduct Estelle without raising any suspicion.

He wanted to make excuses and avoid going to the capital altogether, but the Pantale family’s reinstatement was at stake.

Damian, who had intervened most deeply in the matter, couldn’t skip any of the meetings.

Once he went to the capital, he would be staying there for quite some time, which meant Estelle had to go with him.

And since he would be bringing along a fragile child unlike himself, he needed at least a minimal safeguard.

‘For now, no one is more suitable than Reina Botn.’

Up to this point, Reina seemed completely on Estelle’s side and showed no sign of personal ambition.

But it wasn’t as if Reina had no weakness.

‘Bonita.’

As long as her young daughter Bonita Botn, who looked just like her, existed, Reina could be threatened at any time.

‘She already was threatened once.’

Damian pondered this issue alone.

“…”

As he walked down the long corridor, sunlight streamed in through the large windows set into the walls.

The winter sky held an oddly piercing shade of blue. It was the same sky as always, yet it changed colors with each season, which felt strangely fascinating.

When Estelle first arrived at this estate, it had been early winter. Now, like the color of the sky, it was a sharp, cold winter.

Since the weather always grew cold so suddenly around Star’s Birthday, he felt relieved they had found the child before it turned colder.

Looking out the window, Damian gazed at the outdoor garden, where even the magic stones could no longer keep the flowers alive in the deepening cold.

‘She must be in the glass greenhouse.’

Heading for the greenhouse was both a strange decision and an obvious one.

* * *

Unlike the cold winter air outside, the glass greenhouse was warm. There was no need to search. Following the sound of cheerful laughter led Damian straight to the people he was looking for.

Estelle’s face was flushed bright red, as if she’d heard something embarrassing, while Reina and Bonita laughed as they watched her.

Reina wore her usual gentle smile, while Bonita laughed freely. Seeing Bonita make such different expressions with the same face made Damian wonder if Reina ever laughed like that too.

Desserts that looked barely touched sat on the table, suggesting they had been more focused on conversation than food.

He wondered if it was all right to intrude on such a perfectly lovely trio.

What if he spoke up and ruined a painting in progress by splashing ink across it. That thought crossed his mind.

As Damian stood there for a long while, unable to move, Reina turned her head toward him.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she didn’t seem overly startled. She stood, greeted him, and offered him a seat.

Estelle still looked tense as she watched Damian.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to come, so I didn’t prepare an extra cup. Should I go get one now?”

“…It’s fine. I’m the one who came without notice.”

When Damian gestured for Reina to sit, she finally returned to her seat. Thankfully, there were four chairs at the table, so no one had to stand awkwardly.

Reina seemed troubled by the fact that only Damian lacked a teacup and cake, clearly thinking it over for quite a while…

“Estelle.”

“…Y-Yes?”

His daughter seemed strangely focused on him.

“What’s going on. Is there a problem?”

“N-No. It’s just…!”

“Did someone bother you? Is there someone in this estate who dares to trouble you?”

Just imagining it made Damian’s eyes sharpen with killing intent, as if he’d fallen into molten fire.

Startled, Estelle jumped up, afraid her father might punish an innocent person, and tightly grabbed Damian’s hand.

“I-It’s not that. I just have something I want to say…!”

“…Something you want to say?”

Something she wanted to say. Had she found something she wanted. She always shook her head whenever he asked.

And to think she reached out and grabbed his hand first. She had never done that before, and his body stiffened.

“…You can say anything.”

“T-That is…”

Watching her hesitate so much made Damian uneasy. Was it bad news. Did she want to leave the estate. Did she dislike him.

Estelle glanced at Reina, who simply smiled back at her.

The child soon spoke with a determined expression.

“…T-This Star’s Birthday gift…! The one Dad prepared was the best!”

“…”

Finally saying the word Dad, Estelle’s cheeks flushed red as she took a deep breath in and out.

It clearly hadn’t been an easy decision. Judging by the mood, Reina must have quietly encouraged her.

As Damian stared at Estelle with his mouth slightly open in shock, Estelle grew flustered again.

“Uh, maybe… calling you Dad wasn’t good? Then I’ll keep calling you Duke…”

Before she could finish fretting, her view suddenly lifted.

The Duke lifted her up with ease, wearing the brightest smile he’d ever shown.

“Say it again.”

“T-This… this Star’s Birthday gift, the one Dad prepared, was the best…?”

“…One more time.”

Only now did it truly feel like they were family. It was still far from enough to atone for losing her for eight unguarded years, but still.

He finally felt acknowledged as Estelle’s father. Just because of that single title.

Holding Estelle in his arms, Damian didn’t hide his joy.

“Good. We should tell everyone. Today is a celebratory day, so give everyone extra pay and mark it as a commemorative day.”

“…D-Dad?”

“Yes.”

Reina had expected something like this, but seeing it in person was beyond her imagination, and she laughed.

Watching Damian stride out of the greenhouse with Estelle, clearly intending to show her off, Reina took Bonita’s hand and followed.

Estelle’s face was as red as an apple, embarrassed by Damian’s exaggerated reaction. She shot Reina a pleading look for help.

Drawing a gentle curve with her lips, Reina called out to the Duke.

“My lord, such a big reaction isn’t good for the children’s emotions.”

“…”

Damian froze while opening the greenhouse door.

“I think this is only natural.”

“What’s natural to you and what’s natural to my lady are different. You’ve both grown up in very different environments, so your sense of normal is different.”

“…”

In other words, his excessive celebration could feel burdensome to Estelle. Realizing that, Damian frowned.

“…Then how should I celebrate this happiness?”

“Hehe. That’s something to think about from now on.”

Damian glanced down at Estelle in his arms.

Her once bright red face had finally calmed.

He decided he shouldn’t make such a fuss again.

“…Ah.”

At that moment, white snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

“This year’s first snow.”

“It is.”

They looked up at the wide sky beyond the greenhouse. At Estelle’s request, Damian set her down, and she ran off holding Bonita’s hand, hopping with excitement.

Watching the small children, Damian suddenly spoke.

“Did you tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That I… wanted her to call me that.”

He had never voiced such a desire to Reina, but she wasn’t someone lacking in perception. She might have noticed on her own.

“Yes. I told her.”

“…Why?”