Chapter 97

After that, the conversation cut off again.

Damian spent a long while wondering what he should say to Bonita.

Growl—

At that moment, a rumbling sound came from Bonita’s stomach.

“I-it’s not because I’m hungry!”

“Alright.”

“I-I’m really not….”

Bonita’s face turned red like a ripe tomato.

Damian secretly thought that since Bonita was small, cherry tomato would be more accurate than tomato.

He nodded slowly and said casually,

“I’m a little peckish.”

“Peckish?”

“It means I’m hungry.”

“Your Grace, you’re hungry?”

Bonita leaned her upper body toward him.

Only then did Damian feel like the air around her had lightened, and he felt relieved.

And recently, Reina had seemed very worried about Bonita. Damian didn’t even understand why he was paying this much attention.

Still, to exaggerate a little, seeing such a tiny child looking so dejected wasn’t pleasant at all.

‘She’s overly mature, so maybe it can’t be helped.’

Bonita stared at Damian.

He kept a straight face and continued,

“But today’s contents are a secret. We agreed to open it together.”

Bonita pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Then shall we sneak out only the things that Reina Botn and I didn’t make and eat those?”

“Is that okay?”

“If we keep it a secret, it’ll be fine.”

“A secret?”

“Yes. A secret.”

As he said that, Damian quietly pulled out only the case with the cookies.

Bonita startled when she saw them.

“Mom said not to eat cookies before a meal.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s a secret anyway.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. Let’s keep it a secret from Estelle too.”

Click. He opened the case and showed her.

Various cookies were arranged inside like jewels.

Damian nudged the cookie case toward Bonita.

She still hesitated and glanced at him.

“If you’re unsure, then just one. That way you’ll still be able to eat properly later.”

At those words, Bonita seemed reassured and finally looked closely at the cookies.

“…”

After a brief pause, she picked one up and sniffed it.

“…?”

Then her cheeks flushed pink as she opened her mouth wide and stuffed the cookie in all at once.

Damian recognized the cookie she had chosen as a blueberry jam cookie.

“You don’t have a blueberry allergy?”

“A blueberry allergy?”

Bonita, chewing her cookie, looked at him in confusion.

“I mean, when you eat blueberries, do you get itchy or feel like you can’t breathe.”

Bonita shook her head firmly.

“That’s a relief. Seems you didn’t take after Reina Botn in that regard.”

This time, Bonita tilted her head.

“And I didn’t take after Mom?”

“No. Reina Botn has a blueberry allergy.”

“That’s not true.”

“…Hm?”

“Mom eats blueberries.”

Bonita swallowed the cookie and said,

“When I was really really little, Mom and I ate blueberry muffins together.”

* * *

As they headed toward where Damian and Bonita were waiting, Estelle said,

“My hat flew away. What should I do?”

“Should we ask the knights to look for it?”

“Mmm, but the knights are protecting us, right? If I just ask them to search for it, wouldn’t that give them more work?”

Estelle asked in a worried voice.

After thinking for a moment, Reina took one of Estelle’s hands firmly.

“Then shall we look for it together?”

Estelle stared at their joined hands, then looked up at Reina.

“Is that okay? Boni must be hungry, and Dad is waiting too….”

“If we tell them we went to look for your hat, they’ll understand.”

“R really?”

“Of course.”

Only then did Estelle smile softly.

Hand in hand, they walked in the direction the wind had blown.

Thankfully, the noble they had just encountered didn’t follow them.

Judging by the lack of any other presence, it seemed there were no other families out on a picnic.

‘It’d be troublesome to run into anyone else.’

Reina still hadn’t memorized the entire noble registry.

The person earlier had merely been a young noble eager to assert dominance. If they had met someone truly strict about etiquette, it would have been far more exhausting.

‘Madam Beanz said she’ll teach me soon. It’ll be fine.’

Reina felt her hand sway as a soft humming reached her ears.

The melody was similar to the tune she had hummed earlier.

It seemed Estelle’s mood had improved a little.

Reina looked at the peaceful scenery spread before them.

‘Well, anyone would feel better in a place like this.’

She gently swung Estelle’s hand along with her.

“Your hat must’ve flown quite far.”

“Seems like it.”

Estelle searched the ground while Reina checked the tree branches just in case.

“Oh my, my lady. Look over there.”

Reina pointed to a tree a little farther away.

The hat had gotten caught in its branches.

Reina and Estelle looked up at the tree, which seemed tall.

“M maybe it won’t look so big up close.”

“R right?”

Convincing themselves, they walked closer.

“…”

“…”

The tree that had looked tall from afar seemed even more massive up close.

“J just a moment.”

Reina reassured Estelle that she could do it if she tried.

Then she stood on tiptoe and reached for the hat.

“…”

But it wasn’t a height she could reach just by stretching.

She tried jumping.

“…”

“…”

Even jumping didn’t make a difference.

Reina and Estelle both looked disheartened.

“It won’t reach….”

“It won’t reach….”

If Reina couldn’t reach, Estelle certainly couldn’t.

Even so, Estelle tried standing on tiptoe and then jumped a few times.

Shaaa—

The wind blew, and leaves rustled.

Both of them stared wide eyed, hoping the hat might fall.

But it didn’t budge.

“Should we go back? It might be better to ask His Grace or the knights.”

“Mmmmmm.”

Estelle seemed reluctant and only hummed in response.

Reina looked down at her and suddenly lifted her up.

* * *

“When I was really really little, Mom and I ate blueberry muffins together.”

Bonita’s words kept echoing in Damian’s head.

He had planned to ask Reina when she returned, but even after waiting quite some time, there was no sign of her.

Reina had gone to find the hat, and Estelle had gone to find Reina. Both were late.

‘Did something happen.’

If it had, he would have known.

Knights were guarding the area.

Moreover, Damian possessed high quality aura. If there had been killing intent or hostility, he wouldn’t have missed it.

“Should I go look for them….”

“Mom and my lady?”

“Yes.”

At some point, Bonita had moved closer to him and was fiddling with her fingers. She nodded.

As Damian stood up, Bonita stood up as well.

She checked her clothes again to see if anything was stuck to them and smoothed out her skirt, looking satisfied.

“Are you going to wear the flower crown?”

“Yes. What if I leave it here and someone steals it.”

“…I see.”

What kind of thief could sneak past the knights of Winternight.

And even if they did, they certainly wouldn’t steal a flower crown.

But he couldn’t argue with the child’s serious decision.

“Shall we go.”

Damian briefly considered carrying Bonita.

But she preferred walking on her own.

“…”

He quietly extended his hand to her, folding in only his ring finger and little finger.

It was a natural and familiar gesture now.

Bonita stared at his hand and smiled.

“Can I hold it?”

“…If you want to.”

A small hand tightly grasped his large one.

“Let’s go.”

Unlike his usual stride, Damian shortened his steps.

He adjusted his pace to match the child’s.

They headed in a direction different from the flower field.

Bonita noticed and asked,

“Your Grace, the flower field is that way.”

“I know.”

“Then why are we going this way instead of that way?”

“Because Reina Botn and Estelle are here, not there.”

Damian answered in a way suited to Bonita’s understanding.

Bonita asked, unable to hide her curiosity,

“How do you know they’re there?”

“Not there. Here.”

“Anyway.”

For Bonita, there or here didn’t matter.

“I can feel Estelle’s aura from this direction.”

“Wow. How can you feel that?”

“Someone with aura like mine can sense whose energy it is.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I want aura too.”

“…”

Knowing what kind of power Bonita actually possessed, Damian couldn’t answer that.

Bonita, however, didn’t seem to mind at all.