Chapter 48

“Let’s go like this until we reach the captain’s office.”

It was an awkward position, but it was more natural than the first time Damian had held Bonita. Bonita rolled her eyes at the suddenly raised view, then quietly nodded.

The captain asked Bonita,

“So why did you come looking for Peronte?”

“Peronte… you mean Uncle Dean?”

“Yes.”

“Um, Mom said Uncle Dean bought me a present.”

So I came to get it.

The child’s honest answer was refreshingly straightforward and cute.

When they reached the captain’s office, he seated Bonita on the sofa meant for guests.

He rummaged around to see if there was anything to eat, but there was nothing a child would like. Only dried expedition rations and jerky.

“Hmm.”

If he’d known, he would’ve stocked up on snacks. Not even dried fruit. Giving a child such dry and tasteless food or jerky wouldn’t make her happy.

Bonita swung her short legs back and forth.

“…”

After thinking for a long time, the captain ended up bringing only a glass of water.

A quiet sigh slipped out of him.

Bonita didn’t seem to mind. She slurped the lukewarm water and rolled her eyes around.

“If you wait a bit, Dean Peronte will come.”

“Yes.”

And then another long silence followed.

In the end, the captain spoke first.

“…What do you think Dean Peronte bought for you?”

“Um.”

Bonita kept wiggling her short legs, then suddenly stopped and thought hard.

Seeing the child lost in thought, the captain felt like he’d asked a pointless question.

“…Then what do you want?”

This time too, she couldn’t answer right away. But unlike before, she looked excited.

Her cheeks slowly flushed like spring flowers.

Just as Bonita was about to speak, someone knocked on the office door.

“Who is it.”

“Dean Peronte, sir.”

“They say even dragons come when spoken of.”

That guy was never cut out to be a noble. The captain muttered that and told Dean to come in.

As always, Dean entered with an easygoing smile.

Judging by the large gift wrapped in colorful paper in his arms, it was obvious his target wasn’t the captain but Bonita.

“You didn’t even dry your hair properly.”

“Haha, keeping a lady waiting isn’t a knight’s virtue.”

Dean laughed as he roughly tousled his still damp hair. It wasn’t dripping, but moisture remained.

Bonita kept glancing at the gift in his arms.

“Uncle Dean, what’s that?”

Is that really my present. Her eyes grew huge.

He bent down and said,

“It’s a Star’s Birthday gift for our good Boni. It’s a little late though.”

With that, he handed the gift to her.

With a rustling sound, the wrapped present settled into Bonita’s hands, soft to the touch.

“I thought of you the moment I saw it.”

“…”

The instant she held it, Bonita could guess what he’d bought.

She untied the ribbon and tore off the wrapping, revealing a cute pink fluffy rabbit doll.

“…It does look like her.”

The captain gave a short comment.

“Right? I thought of Boni the moment I saw it.”

Dean said.

Bonita stared at the rabbit doll for a long while, then hugged it tightly and looked at Dean.

And smiled.

“Thank you. I’ll keep it next to my bed and hug it every day. And I’ll give it a name too.”

“A name? What are you going to name it.”

Dean asked, one of the two adults gazing fondly at the lovely child.

“Umm, th-that is…”

Bonita hadn’t expected that question and couldn’t answer for a while, only letting out small groans.

“Is this a gift ceremony right now?”

At that moment, someone appeared in the captain’s office without even knocking.

“Then my timing is perfect.”

It was Damian.

“Greetings, my lord.”

As soon as Damian appeared, the captain who had been seated and Dean who had been standing both straightened and greeted him.

Bonita, who had been standing there blankly hugging the rabbit doll, also got up and awkwardly tried to copy their movements.

“Stay relaxed. I only came to give Bonita a gift.”

In Damian’s arms was a neatly wrapped gift bundle.

It was very long.

“I came to keep my promise.”

At Damian’s words, Bonita’s small heart began to thump rapidly.

She felt like she knew what the gift was.

She placed the rabbit doll on the sofa, stretched out both hands, and took the gift he offered. It was heavy, almost too heavy for her to lift properly.

She set the bundle on the table and carefully removed the wrapping.

“…”

Before her eyes appeared a sword that anyone could tell was magnificent.

“It’s still too big for you to use now, but in a few years, you should be able to wield it. Until then, grow into someone worthy of this sword.”

“Ah…”

Bonita let out a soft gasp, like a sigh of awe. It was different from the cute smile she’d shown earlier.

The three adults standing there couldn’t say a word. They simply watched the child in silence.

Bonita’s nose began to sting.

“Th-thank you…”

She wanted to say thank you, but the words wouldn’t come easily.

Instead, tears formed and fell from her eyes one by one.

Her quiet sniffling filled the room.

Just then, small voices could be heard outside the office.

“If it’s Bonita, she’s with the captain right now.”

“Was she bothering you by any chance?”

“Oh no, thanks to her, we even got some rest…”

“Oh my, the door is open…”

“…”

“…”

Inside the captain’s office.

Reina stood frozen, wearing an indescribable expression as she witnessed her daughter crying among three large men.

Beside her, Estelle stood holding cookies, wearing the same expression.

The captain thought everyone had an uncanny talent for bad timing today.

Dean wondered how things had ended up like this.

Soon, servants carrying various snacks lined up behind them, and knights who had finished showering crowded around.

Everyone saw the child crying so pitifully and froze, unable to speak or move.

“B-Boni? What’s going on?”

Reina finally asked Bonita in an uneasy voice.

“T-The Duke.”

“The master?”

“The Duke is…”

The child repeated, “The Duke,” and then burst into tears.

She cried without making a sound, tears pouring down like a waterfall.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward Damian.

“…”

For the first time in his life, Damian felt cold sweat break out.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

He felt he needed to explain that first.

“Sniff…”

With every tear that fell, the looks directed at Damian grew more complicated.

“B-Boni? Can you explain to Mom what happened, slowly.”

Unable to endure the atmosphere, Reina gently asked.

Bonita rubbed at her falling tears with her small hands.

Reina rolled her golden eyes and glanced around.

Damian followed her gaze, realized what she was concerned about, and said,

“Everyone except Reina Botn and Estelle, leave.”

Since this was the captain’s office, it might’ve been better for the four of them to move elsewhere.

But there was a crying child, and the situation wasn’t urgent.

Calming Bonita came first.

Only after the door closed did Reina approach Bonita, bend down, and meet her eyes.

“Why are you crying again, sweetheart.”

At Reina’s question, Bonita shook her head side to side.

“Then did someone bully you.”

Reina asked even though she knew that wasn’t the case.

As expected, Bonita shook her head again.

“Then what is it.”

Bonita lowered her hands that had been wiping tears, clenched them together, and pressed them to her chest.

Then she mumbled,

“Here…”

“Yes, your chest?”

“It felt so full that the tears came out before the words could…”

“…”

“I wanted to say thank you, but it just burst out first…”

Only then did Reina notice the two gifts near Bonita.

A doll and a sword.

‘She kept saying “The Duke” and crying…’

Then it must be the sword.

Reina quickly deduced.

Not long ago, Damian had said he was choosing a swordsmanship instructor for Bonita.

There was one more thing Reina could easily tell.

“Were you happy that the master gave you a sword?”

At Reina’s gentle question, Bonita nodded.

Tears pooled in her eyes, her nose red, her lips tightly pressed together. Watching her nod like that was unbearably adorable.