Chapter 7

I had already brought two branches over to the spot where I’d gathered them earlier.

“Hey, Uncle Klein. Can I join in too?”

At the sudden voice, Dad’s gaze lowered slightly.

“You’re…”

Dad frowned. He clearly didn’t recognize who it was.

‘Right, Dad never paid attention to anyone except me.’

He didn’t even remember the faces of the maids who came and went every day.

“Ah, my name’s Valux.”

“…Valux? Ah, you’re my older brother’s son.”

“Yes. I’ve got nothing to do today, so I was wondering if I could play with my cousin?”

Valux grinned brightly as he asked.

Dad glanced at me with a slightly displeased look. He didn’t seem able to harshly turn away a child.

“Ledi, what do you want to do?”

He’s putting the choice on me?

Ugh, that’s unfair!

“Do whatever you want.”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to give me a choice. I thought he’d immediately say no.

“Let’s do it together. I’ve never built a snowman before.”

Why is he suddenly acting friendly?

How am I supposed to refuse when he says it like that?

“O… okay…”

“Great. Bell, go on ahead. I’ll stay and play for a bit.”

With my reluctant permission, the boy waved Bell away energetically.

“So?”

“Huh?”

“How do you build a snowman?”

He’s starting from there?

I glanced at Dad, who gave a slow nod.

“You make a snowball like this, then shape the body and head.”

I showed him by making a small snowball with my hands.

“Then you make it reaaally big.”

“Hmm, move aside. I can use telekinesis to make it…”

“No! You have to make it with your hands to feel accomplished. Here, hold the snowball!”

I shoved the snowball into Valux’s hands. He blinked at me.

“Now roll it, go!”

I started rolling my snowball across the snow-covered garden.

After hesitating for a moment, he followed my lead and began to roll his too.

‘He won’t get annoyed later and fling me away with telekinesis, right…?’

I worried for a moment, but watching him actually put effort into it made me shake the thought away.

“Done!!”

After running around for a while, we managed to build a snowman as tall as Dad.

Of course, I couldn’t lift the top part, so Dad did it for me. The snowball was even bigger than I was.

“Wow, it’s amazing.”

I giggled.

I’d always wanted to make a snowman when I was little, but I never asked Dad because I was afraid.

If I got sick again, it would only make him worry more.

But now, after living one life already, I wasn’t as afraid anymore.

Everyone had said I wouldn’t live to twenty.

And they were right.

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah. It was one of the things I really wanted to do before I died.”

Dad gently patted my head. I glanced at Valux, who was silently staring at the huge snowman.

“You did a good job too, Young Master!”

Surprisingly, he hadn’t complained at all and had actually helped roll the snowballs.

From how flushed his cheeks and fingertips were, it looked like he’d worked pretty hard.

“It’s cold. You should both come inside soon. How about some cocoa?”

“Gasp, really? With marshmallows?”

“Of course.”

I nodded eagerly.

Cocoa with little boat-shaped marshmallows floating on top was a rare treat. Dad didn’t let me have sweet things often.

“You should come in too and warm up.”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

Valux’s eyes widened, then his face lit up.

‘What, did he want cocoa that badly?’

He’s unexpectedly childish.

Or maybe Dad’s cocoa is just that good.

I thought about it as I bounced in Dad’s arms.

Once inside, Dad placed Valux in the warm dining room. At some point, he’d already lit the fireplace.

“Wait here a moment. I’ll bring some snacks.”

Valux looked around, clearly fascinated by the annex’s interior.

The warmth slowly melted the cold from my cheeks and hands.

“Young Master.”

“Valux.”

“Hm?”

“Stop calling me Young Master. You’re not my maid. Just call me Valux. No need to speak so formally. Or… well, since I’m eight, calling me big brother wouldn’t be bad either.”

Calling him big brother at my age felt weird.

And knowing his fickle personality, he might suddenly get annoyed later and tell me to stop calling him that.

I didn’t want to end up on this moody boy’s bad side.

“Okay, Valux.”

“…You’re not going to call me big brother, huh.”

Valux pouted in dissatisfaction.

Then why give me the choice in the first place.

But since I didn’t want to make an enemy out of a moody child, I immediately flashed him a bright smile.

“Big Brother!”

Adapting quickly to reality is the key to survival.

“Hm. What is it, Ledi.”

Valux replied with a satisfied look.

…That’s the nickname only Dad uses for me.

I almost said something, then reminded myself of his fickle nature and shook my head.

“Nothing. Just thanks for helping me make the snowman!”

“Well, it was… surprisingly fun. Normally it would only take five minutes with telekinesis, but doing it by hand took us over an hour.”

He spoke with an expression that was a little too cynical for an eight-year-old.

So… was that a compliment or a complaint?

Which is it.

“Some things are more fun when you do them without using your ability. It feels rewarding!”

“Maybe. I wouldn’t know. I was always told to focus on developing my power first.”

He tilted his head slightly.

Well, in noble society, your ability’s usefulness and uniqueness determined how you were judged.

I’d heard that Healing Ability was considered one of the rare abilities.

Though no one knew about mine.

I didn’t have many chances to use it on others anyway, since my body was so frail.

‘Maybe all my lifespan got used up healing myself.’

I’d also heard that powers controlling the four elements or the weather were rare.

And some people had time or space manipulation abilities, which were said to appear only once every few generations.

‘Maybe this time, I should reveal my ability to raise Dad’s standing.’

I crossed my arms and thought.

If I healed people in exchange for money, I’d have funds to invest later. I’d be able to manage money more freely.

“Hmm.”

Hmm~

Hmmm!

Maybe I should reveal it slowly, like it just manifested.

As I chuckled to myself, Valux rested his chin on his hand and stared at me from across the table.

“You smile a lot.”

“Uh… is that bad? Should I stop?”

“No. I like it. Your eyes look like pink diamonds. They’re pretty. They sparkle.”

Come to think of it, that’s what he said the other day too.

“You like pink?”

“Is it weird for a boy to like pink?”

Huh, what’s that supposed to mean.

Liking something is just liking something.

“No? I like blue. And black. And pink too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

“I take after my dad. And blue was my mom’s eye color, so I like it.”

I giggled, and Valux watched me silently before speaking quietly.

“…Me too.”

“Huh?”

“I like it because it’s the same color as my mom’s hair.”

Oh, so he’s a mama’s boy. I nodded.

I love my dad, and he loves his mom. Fair enough.

As I swung my legs, the door opened.

Dad came in carrying three steaming cups and a plate of cookies.

Valux looked at him with a curious expression as he spoke.