🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 09
“Miss!”
Fortunately, not long after Rikt disappeared, Rita showed up. The glance he’d thrown toward the stairs must have been because he sensed Rita approaching.
The moment I called Rita’s name, I threw myself into her arms and burst into tears, pouring out all my sorrow.
Even though she had no way of knowing what had happened to me, Rita didn’t ask why. She simply patted my back gently.
When my sobbing finally faded into quiet sniffles, Rita pulled me back a little and brushed my sweat-soaked bangs aside with her hand.
…My tears and snot were all over Rita’s clothes now.
“R-Rita…”
“Have you calmed down a bit now?”
I hated how nasally my voice sounded, but Rita didn’t seem to mind at all. Without saying anything, she tucked my curly hair behind my ear.
“You really scared me, staying here all alone.”
“…Sowwy.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Nuh…”
I had landed hard on my butt, but it didn’t seem bruised or anything.
After crying my heart out, my mind felt strangely refreshed, like all the bad thoughts had been washed away.
“But why were you here instead of waiting in your room?”
“Th-that’s…”
Now that my thoughts were clearer, I started wondering whether I should tell Rita about meeting Elder Rikt. From what I’d seen before, the two of them didn’t seem to get along very well, and I worried I might just make things worse.
If I told her, it felt like a fight would break out. But hiding it made me uncomfortable too. Besides, she already looked a little upset that I hadn’t stayed in my room.
What should I do?
“Miss, please tell me everything without hiding anything from me. If something wrong happened while I wasn’t by your side, then that’s my responsibility.”
“……”
Hearing her say that made it harder to keep quiet.
And even if I didn’t tell her, there were probably plenty of ways she could find out. The place had seemed empty, but with so many people in this mansion, someone might have witnessed what happened here.
It would probably feel better hearing it from me than from someone else anyway. There was no point hiding it.
“…I met Elder Rikt here.”
“What? Here?”
“Mhm. There was a man and a woman with him too!”
“I think I know who they are.”
If she could guess from just that, those three must really spend all their time together.
“What did Elder Rikt say to you, Miss?”
And now I faced another dilemma.
Should I tell the truth? Or should I lie because I was scared of what Elder Rikt had said?
Honestly, I wanted to tell her everything. But somehow, I felt like I shouldn’t take his warning lightly.
Yeah… I should tell Dad instead. That definitely felt like the right choice.
“He didn’t say anythin’. I just got scared all by myself.”
“…Really?”
“Mhm. Rikt looks scary.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
Rita seemed unsure whether I was lying or not.
Maybe I’d gotten better at lying.
“Rita, I wanna go see the pwetty flowers now!”
“Ah, yes. Let’s go! It was just finished, so it’ll be perfect for cheering you up.”
“I’m sooo excited!”
Holding Rita’s hand, I stood up and headed toward the garden.
Part of me still felt uneasy for lying, but I forced myself to ignore it as I imagined how beautiful the completed garden would be.
“Woooow! No way!”
The moment the garden doors opened, I gasped in awe again and again.
Was this really the garden I designed?
“It’s sooo pwetty!”
Even seeing it with my own eyes, I could hardly believe it.
Centered around the swing and the fountain—which still didn’t have water running yet—were four branching paths, with flowers and trees divided into four color-themed sections.
Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling overhead, butterflies fluttering through the air.
It looked like a breathtaking painting come to life.
And all of this had come from my imagination…!
Well, when designing the garden, Rita had helped me a little because I couldn’t draw, and the guard knights had planted the flowers for me.
Still, I wanted to cherish the fact that I had planned and carried something out myself, even if it was small.
In my previous life, I never could.
No… actually…
‘Even the things I desperately tried to do, despite knowing I’d be criticized for them… I never managed to finish.’
That regret had remained lodged inside me like a thorn.
But today, it felt like I’d finally untangled it.
No—not felt like.
I truly had.
Unable to hide my excitement even a little, I let all my joy show openly.
“Guard kniiights!”
I ran toward the five guard knights standing in a neat line watching over me.
At this point, I was so excited I didn’t even care about the squeaking sound of my shoes anymore.
“Miss, you’ll hurt yourself if you run like that.”
“That’s right! If even a scratch appears on your body, we’re dead. Completely dead.”
“Hey, why are you explaining that to the young miss in such detail?”
The knight who looked like their captain promptly kicked the other two in the shins.
Thanks to that, they quieted down immediately.
“Thank you sooo muuuch!”
“……”
“Pwease take good care of me, Senica, from now on too!”
The five guards stared blankly for about five seconds before all looking deeply moved at once.
Four out of the five even started crying.
Well… my thanks were a kind of acknowledgment.
Like saying: I trust you enough to leave myself in your care.
Feeling embarrassed for some reason, I scratched my heated cheek before scampering back toward Rita.
“Rita, I wanna show Daddy this place!”
* * *
“Daddy!”
I burst into the office without knocking, but Hale welcomed me without even looking surprised.
Maybe because this had happened once already.
“Senica, looks like you finished decorating the garden?”
“Mhm! It’s sooo pwetty, I wanted to show off!”
“Can I go see it with you?”
“We can do that, but there’s somethin’ else too.”
“What is it?”
On the short walk from the garden to Hale’s office, I’d come up with an idea.
The Making Happy Memories in the Garden Plan!
Honestly, I didn’t even know whether this world had such a thing, but I decided I’d just go ahead with it first.
“Let’s take pictures together there!”
“Pictures?”
“Mhm! You and me dressed up all pretty! Then we can keep them forever. There’s a camera, right?”
I asked nervously.
Surely this world had cameras… right?
My whole plan wouldn’t fall apart… right?
Slowly walking toward me, Hale lifted me into his arms.
As his handsome face drew close, I instinctively inhaled sharply.
No matter how many times I saw him, I just couldn’t get used to that face.
“Why do you want to take pictures?”
“’Cause Daddy’s pretty, and the flowers are pretty too! Pretty things look even prettier together! I wanna keep it forever in pictures!”
Hale blinked slowly.
Then he smiled, though there was a trace of longing hidden within it.
“Not because you’re planning to leave me?”
“Mhm? Why would I?”
There was sadness in his voice.
Just as I was about to ask why he sounded so sad, his expression changed completely, bright and warm as if nothing had happened.
“If that’s what my princess wants, then I’ll make preparations so we can take them tomorrow.”
Hale lightly tapped his forehead against mine before heading toward the garden.
When we entered, the five guard knights were cleaning up the remaining mess while Rita supervised them.
The moment Hale and I appeared, they all hurried over and lined up in front of us.
With brooms still in hand and overly serious expressions on their faces, they looked ridiculous.
“Pffft.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
No one said anything, but all eyes immediately turned toward me, making me embarrassed enough to cling to Hale’s neck.
“You all worked hard.”
“Yes, sir. We hope the two of you enjoy your time together.”
At Hale’s wave, the guard knights practically fled the garden at lightning speed.
Only after Rita closed the door behind her did I turn back toward Hale.
Then I froze when our eyes met.
Had he been staring at me the whole time?
“Why are you startled?”
“U-Uhm? You’re too close…”
“You should get used to it.”
Had I ever been this close to a father figure before?
Ah… there had been one time.
When I’d gotten severely scolded.
In my previous life, my father had once fallen for my brother’s absurd lies and yelled furiously at me.
This situation was different, though.
Anyway… Father, I don’t know when I’ll build immunity to your handsome face…
…but I’ll try…!
“Okaaay.”
Hale shifted positions so I could see ahead better.
I thought it would feel uncomfortable, but the arm supporting me and his broad, solid back were surprisingly reassuring.
And since I was short, I’d never noticed before, but the garden looked even prettier from up high.
The white flowers—my favorite color and the symbolic color of the White Dragon clan—suited the mansion perfectly.
As Hale silently walked along the paths, taking in the scenery, I kept sneaking glances at his expression.
I was satisfied, but what if the true owner of this mansion wasn’t?
After making a full circle through the garden, Hale returned to the center, sat me down on the swing, and took a seat beside me.
Was it finally time for his review?
I clenched my fists tightly atop my knees and stared intently at his face.
“You decorated it well.”
“Really?”
Hale, who had been looking ahead, turned toward me.
The sunlight pouring down from above made it seem as though he had a halo.
His pale face, the faint blush staining his cheeks, and the longing in his eyes made him look like a young man in love.
His long silver hair drifted across my cheek.
This scene felt like…
Like I was facing a god I should never witness, one I could never truly meet.
“You were the right person to entrust it to.”
The hand gently brushing through my curly hair felt sweet enough to belong to a god.
I’d created this garden to make Hale happy.
But while I’d thought I was its owner, I realized I’d been wrong.
The true owner of this garden…
was undeniably Hale.
“…I’ll give it to you, Daddy.”
“Hm? Give me what?”
“The garden I worked really hard on decorating.”
Even though it had never really belonged to me in the first place, I shamelessly spoke as though it had.
Though Hale probably knew that better than anyone, he smiled brightly anyway.
Like the sunlight shining behind him.
“Thank you, Senica.”
“Mhm! Daddy looks even prettier when you smile!”
“Is that so? Then I’ll have to keep being pretty… if I want to make you as happy as you were today.”
“I’ll make Daddy even happier from now on too!”
