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Chapter 32
“Don’t say things that would upset someone who lives in a small house.”
Noah gently rubbed her back in mild reproach and went back into the room.
The adults swept and wiped down the room, now empty and bare after the furniture was cleared out.
Clare picked up the small pieces of trash scattered on the floor and tossed them into a garbage bag.
With the four of them working together, the cleaning was finished safely by around noon.
“Waaah!”
Clare twirled around in circles through the spotless, empty room.
“…It turned out better than we thought, right?”
“Really. I expected we’d find something nasty.”
“Guess that bastard paid attention to Clare being around.”
“At least he had a shred of conscience.”
Reto listened quietly to their complaints about the former tenant.
He had suspected before, but it confirmed for him that her brother must have been quite a nuisance.
“As, I’m hungry…”
Clare patted her slightly deflated little tadpole-belly.
“Then should we eat out?”
Reto, sitting on one knee, looked Clare in the eye as he spoke.
At the mention of eating out, Clare’s eyes sparkled.
“Eat out! Valena!”
“Valena?”
“That’s the restaurant the young lady likes.”
As explained, it was famous for its seafood pizza and steak.
“And for children, they give a different gift every month.”
Noah quickly added the key info that this month’s gift was a collaboration plushie with Kitchen Knife Bunny.
“Then that’s where we’ll go.”
Clare’s chubby cheeks squished beneath her eyes.
“You’re paying?”
Noah asked in a slightly hopeful tone.
“Of course. You all helped me clean the room, so it’s on me.”
“You heard that, Clare? Brother-in-law’s treating us.”
“Thank you, Brother-in-law!”
“Before we go, I’ll give the restaurant a call.”
As went to the living room, called to confirm, and came back.
“Perfect timing—just four seats opened up. I made a reservation.”
After changing out of their dusty clothes, the four of them drove down into town.
“The weather’s been great these past few days.”
Reto asked Clare, who was sitting in the back seat:
“Don’t you want to ride while looking up at the sky, sister-in-law?”
“How?”
“Like this.”
Noah pressed a black button.
The roof that covered the car slowly folded back.
“Waaah! Wooooow!”
“Oh my goodness, look at that!”
Blue sky filled Clare’s and As’s eyes.
“As, it’s the sky! The roof turned into the sky!”
“And the wind—this is amazing. I’ve never experienced this before.”
“Brother-in-law, you’re incredible! So cool!”
Who knew something this fun and exciting existed!
Overwhelmed, Clare even clapped her hands, shouting how amazing it was.
If not for the seatbelt holding her small body down, she would have bounced up and down with excitement.
“I’ll have to give her rides like this often.”
Reto smiled happily at the sight of Clare in the rearview mirror.
At Valena, the four of them ordered the restaurant’s famous seafood pizza and steak, along with salad and pasta.
For drinks, they all chose sparkling water with fruit honey.
“This is Valena’s gift for our young guest.”
The waiter brought over a finger-sized Kitchen Knife Bunny plushie. It wore a Valena apron.
“By the way, you two…”
As unwrapped the toy bag and asked Noah and Reto:
“When will you be getting married?”
“The sooner, the better!”
“You think so too, sister-in-law?”
Reto was moved, thrilled at the agreement.
Seeing the burly man clasping his hands over his mouth like a child, Noah actually found it cute, her heart softening.
But As, sensing it wasn’t really his business, quickly turned his gaze away.
“Well, we do have to set a date.”
After a short thought, Noah shared her opinion.
“Since we’re talking about it, sooner sounds good to me too.”
“Would before spring ends be too soon?”
Reto asked.
But As was skeptical.
“It’s already mid-April, though.”
Outside, spring was in full bloom. Even if they started preparations now, holding it within spring was unrealistic.
“We’d need to book a venue, and it takes months just to fit the young lady’s dress. Then we’d have to find the right jewelry, shoes, and professionals for makeup and hair…”
“Earliest would be autumn then?”
“Then maybe we should at least file the marriage registration first…”
Clare listened to the adults while chewing her steak.
‘Marriage must be complicated.’
She was once again learning something new.
“But, brother-in-law.”
Clare suddenly asked, curiosity sparking.
“You’re a noble, right?”
“In a sense, yes.”
He was adopted, but Reto didn’t bother mentioning that. Instead, he placed a slice of pizza on Clare’s plate, now empty of steak.
“Then… isn’t there something you can’t do with money?”
“Clare.”
Startled, Noah called her name in warning.
“But Aunt Sencha said so…”
Feeling a little wronged, Clare hurried to explain.
“She said nobles think money can buy anything. That even if they’re not much to look at, they always act like they’re so great.”
“I’ll have to call that sister of mine when we get home.”
What on earth are you teaching my little sister?
Noah barely held back her irritation when—
“…You’re right.”
Why didn’t I think of that?
Reto’s face suddenly brightened with a radiant smile.
“Our sister-in-law is a genius…!”
Overcome, he kissed the top of Clare’s head.
Clare froze with round bunny eyes, caught off guard mid-bite.
“Money will solve it.”
“That… sounded kind of arrogant, though.”
Noah frowned.
“So what exactly are you planning to do?”
Reto flashed a confident smile.
“For the first and last time… I’ll make use of it.”
That noble wealth.
After dinner, back at the hilltop mansion, Reto went straight to borrow the phone.
Of course, only after washing his hands thoroughly, just as Clare ordered.
“Who do you think he’s calling?”
As asked while taking off his coat.
“Since he said he’d use his noble resources… probably Marquis Oceanus, or someone connected.”
“Hm…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Doesn’t he… still not know?”
Realizing what he meant, Noah curved her lips into a sly smile.
“…You’re being cheeky.”
As sighed and shook his head.
“But you know how much grief he’s given me.”
“So this is revenge?”
“Revenge? Hardly.”
Noah dismissed the idea but still cast a sidelong glance at Reto, who was on the phone.
“…It’s sweet, isn’t it?”
That he’s so desperate to marry her.
To think he’s been pretending otherwise all this time, when he likes me this much…
For all her grumbling, Noah’s face was melting with happiness and tenderness.
“….”
Seeing this, As hunched his shoulders slightly.
“That man… he’s never been fond of being a noble, you know?”
Even when they were dating, Noah had never seen him flaunt wealth or social rank.
If anything, he seemed obsessed with reminding himself he was only an adopted son.
But now, for the very first time—
Reto was using noble privilege to hurry their marriage.
“Haaah…”
What do I even do with him?
A faint shadow passed through As’s blue eyes as he looked at Reto’s back. His eyelids lowered, long lashes casting a shade across them.
“….”
Instead of answering, As quietly left the room.
His chest felt heavy, as though lunch hadn’t digested properly.
When he stepped out to the balcony for air, he found Clare playing with the Kitchen Knife Bunny plushie from the restaurant.
“Hm?”
Hearing someone, Clare scampered over to him.
“What’s wrong?”
She took his hand with worried eyes.
“Did you get indigestion?”
“No, just felt a little stuffy.”
As brushed it off lightly and sat beside her.
“Did my sister bully you?”
“That’s not it either. I just needed some fresh air. The weather’s nice today.”
But in truth, something similar had weighed on him.
“Hey, As.”
Clare suddenly asked:
“What is love?”
“…What?”
“Remember what Grandma said before?”
Clare lifted the bunny plushie to As’s chin, making it kiss him.
“She said love is like people—there are so many, you can’t point to just one thing and say, ‘This is love.’”
“Wise words from the great lady.”
“Grandma’s really smart!”
As nodded.
‘That’s true…’
The definition of love varied as much as the number of people.
In such a wide world, how could there be a single, uniform kind of love?
So the look he’d just seen in Noah’s eyes earlier—was merely one form among countless loves.
‘But still… what a shock.’
For a fleeting moment, he had seen it.
The affection shining in her shadowed blue eyes was nothing soft or fairytale-like.
It was dark and endless, like a swamp one could never escape, hardly something you’d call “love.”
“But…”
Clare’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Big sis and brother-in-law… they’re getting married because they love each other, right?”
“Of course.”
“But you know, until just recently they fought a lot. Big sis yelled a bunch, drank, and even cursed at him.”
“….”
As laughed awkwardly. Now he understood why people said you couldn’t let your guard down around kids.
They really had shown quite a mess in this house.
“…Young lady, do you not want them to get married?”
“Mmm…”
Clare shook her head firmly.
“It’s okay since uncle lives with us. If he went far away like Aunt Sencha, I wouldn’t like it.”
“That’s how I feel too.”
“But what if after they marry, they fight again, and Big Sis gets sad and cries?”
“My goodness, young lady…”
As hugged her warmly. The thoughtful girl hadn’t forgotten the times her sister had hurt and wept.
“If that happens, we’ll scold the young master together!”
As raised his fist.
“Remember what the great lady taught us.”
“Persuasion! Before he acts up, strike first!”
Clare laughed and made a little fist too.
“When we scold the young master, this fist’s name will be ‘Kindness’!”
“Kindness? You mean you’ll hit him kindly?”
“It means, ‘Beating up is justice.’”
“Oooh!”
Though she didn’t really get it, Clare just burst out in innocent laughter.
