Chapter 83

‘I thought we’d grown fairly close… no, that there was at least some trust built up.’

“My lady, Boni. It’s nice to look out the window, but you have to be careful.”

Reina sat with her hands neatly folded, fixing her gaze on the two children. With no adult stopping them, the girls glanced around guiltily before sticking themselves back to the carriage window.

“Look over there, Boni. The roof has two colors.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen a building with a two colored roof before.”

What was boring scenery to adults seemed like a freshly opened treasure box to the children. Even trees they had seen back in the duchy felt different somehow. They burst into giggles at something as simple as a single leaf drifting in the wind.

Then the carriage lurched hard.

Both children lifted up with a bounce and lost their balance. The accident happened in an instant, and Reina’s eyes widened.

She shot out her arms and caught them before they could topple backward. Hugging them both, she staggered back and hit the back of her head against the seat.

“T-That was close…”

A sharp ache slowly spread from the back of her head.

But that level of pain was nothing to Reina. She was just relieved the children hadn’t fallen. That was all she felt.

“R-Reina… are you all right?!”

Peter jumped up awkwardly in alarm.

“M-Mom, are you okay? I’m sorry. I should’ve just stayed sitting. Does it hurt a lot?”

“Reina, I-I’m sorry…”

Startled, the children clung to her so tightly she couldn’t loosen her grip.

It wasn’t a major accident.

Still, the carriage’s violent jolt, the sudden stop in the children’s laughter, and the silence that followed felt unfamiliar, heavier than any noise.

Bang bang. A knock sounded against the carriage.

Damian, still seated, tapped on the carriage wall.

“Peter, how much farther to the townhouse?”

“One more block, Your Grace.”

Soon the carriage slowed and came to a stop.

Damian opened the door and stepped out first.

Once his feet touched the ground, he let out a small breath and spoke.

“Let’s walk the rest of the way.”

“Your Grace?”

It wasn’t a request. It was a report disguised as an order.

Damian looked at Reina, who was still holding the children tightly.

“It seems Estelle and Bonita want to see the streets more closely. Isn’t that right?”

Hearing their names, both girls peeked up from Reina’s arms and looked at Damian, then glanced back at Reina, who hadn’t answered yet.

“T-That sounds good.”

Only then did Reina loosen her grip.

Even after the pressure eased, Estelle and Bonita didn’t pull away right away.

“Is it because of us?”

Estelle finally asked carefully.

Was it because of them that the carriage had stopped and they were walking now?

Reina shook her head and gently soothed her.

“Days with weather this nice are rare. Walking is good on days like this.”

Estelle stared into Reina’s pale yellow eyes for a moment, then slipped out of her arms. Damian helped her down from the carriage.

“Boni, shall we get down too?”

Bonita didn’t ask any questions. She just nodded quietly at Reina’s suggestion.

Reina stepped down first so she could help Bonita.

“Wow.”

As her foot touched the paved street, she almost exclaimed without realizing it.

It finally felt real that the long carriage journey to the capital was over.

“What is it, Mom?”

“Nothing.”

Reina smiled brightly as she set Bonita down. The moment Bonita’s feet touched the ground, she reacted much the same way.

Looking at the small head that was clearly thinking the same thing, Reina giggled.

“Is this the capital?”

“That’s right. Uncle Peter says if we walk just a bit more that way, we’ll reach the duke’s house.”

“Are we all living there together?”

“Yes.”

Bonita couldn’t hide her excitement, eyes shining.

All but the bare minimum of attendants had been sent ahead to the townhouse with the luggage carts. Even though it was close, they wanted the luggage unpacked first.

At some point, Damian had already picked Estelle up in his arms.

The awkward posture he’d had the first time he held Bonita was nowhere to be seen. He looked practiced now.

“Boni, do you want Mom to carry you too?”

“Mmm, I-I’ll walk. I’m really heavy now, and I’ve grown a lot.”

“Really? Then shall we walk holding hands?”

As always, Reina naturally held out her ring and little fingers, and Bonita wrapped her small hand around them.

Watching the two, Estelle hurriedly spoke to Damian.

“A-Ah, Dad. I want to walk too.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m all grown up too…! I can walk!”

Damian stared at Estelle’s slightly sulky face.

When had his daughter’s expressions become so rich? Feeling a strange new emotion, he set her down without a word.

Once on the ground, Estelle stared at Damian for a long moment.

“…”

“What is it?”

“…Your hand.”

“My hand?”

“Can I hold your hand while we walk?”

Damian had assumed that once Estelle was down, she’d naturally go to Reina.

So when his small, precious treasure asked if she could hold his hand, his entire heart swayed.

It was an unexpected flutter, but it felt good.

“It seems I wore new gloves today for this reason.”

Gloves without the slightest sign of wear.

A hand clad in stiff new leather was carefully offered to Estelle.

Estelle glanced once at Reina and Bonita, then at Damian, before holding only his ring and little fingers.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yes.”

As Damian started walking with Estelle, everyone else followed.

It was an extremely slow procession, matching the child’s stride and pace.

Bonita whispered to Reina.

“Mom, there are lots of houses like the duke’s castle here.”

“Are there?”

“Yeah. But they’re not as big as the duke’s castle gardens. The buildings are smaller too.”

“The house we’ll live in here will be smaller than a castle too.”

At Reina’s answer, Bonita rolled her eyes around, then fixed her gaze on one spot.

“Smaller?”

“Yes.”

“…Then what’s that?”

“Hm?”

Bonita pointed ahead. The moment Reina took in the sight, she froze and gaped.

“…What is that?”

“That’s the Winternight ducal residence, Reina.”

At her near mumble, Peter answered softly so only she could hear.

The garden wasn’t that large.

That is, it wasn’t larger than the ducal castle back in the Winternight lands. But to exaggerate just a little, someone visiting the capital for the first time might mistake it for the imperial palace.

“…Is that the imperial palace?”

And Bonita, visiting the capital for the first time, asked Reina exactly that.

“Pfft.”

At the child’s innocent question, Peter almost burst out laughing, barely holding it in as he bent down and answered in Reina’s place.

“It’s where Lady Reina and Bonita will be living too.”

“Wow.”

“It’s smaller and more modest than the residence in the duchy, though.”

At Peter’s words, Reina thought that if this counted as modest, truly modest people must’ve frozen to death on the last Star’s Birthday.

‘Ah.’

A sharp thought slipped out from somewhere inside her.

‘Why am I thinking like this more and more?’

Even though no one could see her thoughts, she felt oddly guilty and touched her lips.

“Is something wrong, Reina Botn?”

“…”

Damian called her, but there was no answer.

He looked at her. She wore a familiar expression, the one that said she was completely lost in unrelated thoughts.

Damian strode over.

“Do you prefer being called Baron of Lian?”

“…N-No! I’m sorry, Your Grace. What did you say?”

“You think too much. I’m not saying that so apologize. Let it go.”

He then tilted his head slightly toward the townhouse.

“Let’s go.”

At some point, the front gate had opened.

The townhouse, empty all winter, had been neatly maintained. With the snow gone and spring arrived, the garden had been refreshed, buds forming on the spring flowers.

The head butler of the capital residence stood at the front, with all the servants lined up behind him to greet them.

Being on the receiving end of greetings instead of giving them made Reina’s skin prickle all over.

“Welcome home, Master.”

The head butler bowed deeply and offered a silver tray holding several bundled invitations.

“Hm.”

Damian glanced over them indifferently, then tore them apart without even opening them and dropped them to the ground.

“…?”

“Y-Your Grace?”

Everyone froze at his unhesitating action.

Reina called out to him cautiously. He answered.

“They’re trash.”

“Trash…?”

“Yes, trash.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

He strode into the townhouse, and Reina followed after him.

She caught a glimpse of the seal stamped on the discarded invitations.

‘Was that the imperial crest?’

No, that can’t be…

Muttering to herself, Reina followed Damian inside.

She hadn’t clearly seen what seal was on the invitations.

But no matter how Damian was, there was no way he’d tear up invitations bearing the imperial seal without even reading them.

‘I must’ve seen it wrong.’