BGDBP 33

Chapter 33

It was dawn, neither morning nor night. Chris’s red eyes snapped open.

Chris was annoyed that he’d woken up at this hour again.

Why do I keep waking up around this time?

Maybe once a sleep pattern breaks, it simply doesn’t return easily.

After glancing once at the ceiling, Chris closed his eyes again. Then he stroked the small head resting on his chest.

Emotional healing…

Hm? Something felt strange. The sensation was… different. And the volume, too…

N-no way…

Before Chris could look down at his chest, he heard a voice.

“Mmm…”

It was a voice he’d heard before. Panicking, Chris quickly looked down.

The young lady who looked exactly like the doll he loved so dearly was in his arms!

What the hell is wrong with me?! Am I dreaming about this again?!

It was pathetic enough to dream about a woman, but dreaming of a woman who resembled the soft, squishy little baby doll who’d supported him during his hardest times? And why did the sensation feel so damn real?

I’m not some deranged pervert!

Chris wanted to beat himself senseless. But he couldn’t. If he moved, she might wake up.

Do I just leave her like this? Or should I wake her?

His head said, It’s a dream anyway, so might as well wake her and talk, but his heart scolded him, She’s sleeping so well. Why wake her?

Chris felt like he was going insane.

“Mmm…”

Then, the girl whimpered adorably in her sleep.

He could feel the tiny fingers fidgeting against his chest and the softness of her cheek pressing into him. His face heated up.

This is bad.

He had to escape. As a perfectly healthy man, this was way too dangerous a situation.

Just as Chris tried to lift his upper body—

“Mom… Mom…”

The girl began to sob. Hard enough that his chest grew damp.

“….”

Chris’s mouth fell open, but no sound came out. His mind went blank, every thought and movement shutting down.

W-why is she crying? Is she having a sad dream?

Was she dreaming inside his dream?

Whatever the case, Chris was at a loss. And then suddenly, his hand moved on its own, gently stroking her head.

Damn it, my hand!!

He panicked at his own body acting without permission. But his hand moved gently, softly, just like when he used to comfort his precious doll.

It was too late to do anything about it now. Squeezing his eyes shut, Chris spoke.

“D-don’t cry…”

His voice trembled. That had never happened before.

“Hush… don’t cry…”

He tried clumsy words of comfort.

Even if clumsy, comfort was still comfort. The trembling little body soon calmed down.

“….”

Before he knew it, Chris was peeking at the girl sleeping peacefully.

If only he could say she looked flawless, as if she’d never cried… but the skin around her eyes was swollen and raw, and her little nose was red like a cherry. She looked pitiful.

And yet, why did that pitiful face look so beautiful?

Chris’s heart pounded foolishly.

Lea scrunched her pretty face and asked Delis,

“Why are you suddenly trying to go to the Capital…?”

Her eyes were hollow from lack of sleep, her face gaunt from not eating—anyone could tell she looked like someone on the verge of madness after losing the woman he loved. Delis spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Just tell me if you can send me directly to the Capital or not.”

“T-that’s impossible. Even I can’t travel that far in one go.”

“Useless.”

Delis sighed and picked up his coat.

Lea blocked his way.

“Fine, act all tragic if you want. Sure, if the woman chasing you went missing, it’d be suspicious if you acted too normal. But there’s a limit!”

Her eyes reddened.

When Piani disappeared, Delis searched desperately for her.

Lea knew Delis wouldn’t give up easily. She knew how hard he’d worked to get that chance.

But the way he was acting now wasn’t like a man who’d lost an opportunity.

He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, sometimes staring blankly at nothing, seeing illusions of her. Like someone who’d truly gone mad from losing the person he loved.

Lea couldn’t stand seeing him like this anymore.

“Why are you still pretending here? Are you worried someone might be watching? That’s ridiculous. I’m right here, so who would—kya!”

Crash! Delis hurled the cup beside him to the floor.

The sharp shattering sound silenced her.

“You never shut up, do you.”

“W-why are you really acting like this?”

Lea clutched her head and shouted.

“You’d rather die than beg your older brother for help. You’ve always endured everything. And now you’re going to personally go to the young duke just to ask him to find her? You could’ve just sent a letter and waited! Why can’t you do that?! Is your pride really that small?!”

“….”

Chris’s cold eyes stared at her. Like he was looking at something filthy, not human.

Lea felt like her heart had been stabbed.

“If you’d ever actually been useful to me, I wouldn’t have to do this.”

“Listen, even if you use the imperial magic tools, it’ll be the same. That kid will never be found—”

“Shut up!”

Delis’s roar echoed through the room.

Lea stared at him in shock.

“You stay here and watch over Count Ribe and his wife.”

He glared at her once more, grabbed a small travel bag, and left.

Lea collapsed on the spot.

She’d thought that if Piani disappeared, he would finally look at her. At least until he found a new woman, he’d treat her kindly.

So why was he desperately searching for that foolish girl?

He doesn’t even know she’s already dead. He doesn’t even know I killed her…!

Biting her lip until it bled, Lea swallowed her tears.

Inside the carriage, Delis kicked the front hard.

“Damn it, this carriage is too slow!”

Startled, the coachman sped up, but a carriage could only go so fast.

This backwater countryside. I never liked anything about it.

The empty-headed smiling eastern nobles, the annoyingly relaxed atmosphere—it all disgusted him.

If Piani hadn’t been here, he’d have left long ago. No, he wouldn’t have come in the first place.

But Piani was here.

That foolish girl whose thoughts showed right on her face, the sweet girl who smiled at him without calculation—because she existed here, Delis laughed like an idiot and stayed by her side.

Why didn’t he realize it sooner? He may have approached her for her background, but it wasn’t that he didn’t love her.

It was simply impossible not to love Piani.

I miss you so much, even breathing hurts.

With a despairing expression, Delis lowered his head.

[Such a bright and wonderful morning!]

Piani’s eyes flew open as she shouted cheerfully.

[Whoa!]

[She’s speaking perfectly clear sentences the instant she wakes up.]

[Meow.]

In order, Ope, Hesil, and the cat commented.

Piani rolled her eyes around the room.

[Hm? The Grand Duke isn’t here?]

[He just went to wash up.]

Hesil replied, then asked,

[By the way, his expression looked strange. Did something happen yesterday?]

[Huh? Yesterday?]

Piani explained about Jojo’s family attacking them.

[It was strange, but the Grand Duke didn’t even flinch.]

[Then why did he wake up looking so exhausted?]

[Did he have a nightmare?]

Ope wondered. Piani answered weakly.

[I didn’t have a nightmare, but… I did have a sad dream.]

[Nobody asked.]

[It was a really sorrowful dream. My heart still hurts…]

Ignoring Ope, Piani murmured wistfully.

Hesil gave a faint laugh and asked,

[Really? What kind of dream?]

[I saw my mom. She looked worn out from worrying about me.]

Even Ope, who’d been complaining nonstop, fell silent at that unexpected heaviness.

Hesil’s heart sank as well.

Piani… She’s barely an adult, honestly too young to really call grown…

If she’d grown up loved by her parents, how much must she miss them?

[I see…]

Hesil spoke gently.

Drooping, Piani continued.

[I wanted to smile for her. I wanted to tell her not to worry, that I’m okay… but she looked so tired that I just burst into tears too.]

[And the girl who had that kind of dream woke up shouting “bright and wonderful morning”?]

Ope asked seriously, like he’d found a logical error.

Hesil tried to quiet him, but Ope ignored it.

Huh? Now that I think about it…

Piani found it strange herself. After such a sad dream, she should’ve woken feeling weak. So why was she so full of energy?

Then she remembered. Someone had gently stroked her head, comforting her with kindness so warm that all her worries simply vanished.

Who was it who stroked me…?