FDND 15

Chapter – 15

[Gaspard Bertier, age 8.
Has a simple and sometimes extreme nature, but is highly motivated and exceptionally proactive.
Notable Point: Lacks effort compared to his talent.]

His swordsmanship instructor, who had been teaching him since he was two, recently added one more line to the ‘Notable Point’ section of his report.

[Shows a tendency for single-minded obsession.]

That was right. Gaspard was a child who only gave his all once he became completely obsessed with something.

And now.
He was completely, utterly obsessed!

“Hoo….”

Thwack-!

He threw a ball, hitting the doll.
Inside the simple doll dart-throw booth, where that was all there was to do, a vicious sound echoed.

Was it a person being hit, not a doll? Perhaps an adult was throwing with excessive force?
Whenever the sound echoed, people would search for its source, only to spend a long time looking back and forth between the young boy and the dolls.

Thwack-!

“Huh…….”
“Ooh, aah-. That poor rabbit!”

The rabbit doll that had been hit had a deep dent where the ball struck, and its side was torn open.
But Gaspard heard nothing now.
Only the next doll.
Only the fourth doll he would get for his little sister!

Gaspard’s red eyes flashed. The body of the second son of a ducal house, steadily trained, assumed a perfect posture that was almost too refined to be used in a place like this.
It seemed as if only Gaspard, the dolls, and the ball existed in this world.

“Brother.”

But a faint tug on his sleeve pulled the intensely focused 8-year-old back to reality.
“Yeah, little sister! What? Do you want something?”
“I want that doll.”
“What, which one? Which doll?”

What? Did ‘my little sister’ just say she wanted something? What is it, which one?
Gaspard’s motivation flared up even more. But even so, it was all in these ‘big brother’ hands…!

“That, that one?”
“Yes.”

Really?
Gaspard’s motivation subsided just a little, very briefly, just a tiny bit.
Where Marguerite’s finger pointed was an item Gaspard had absolutely no intention of aiming for.
Namely, the snake doll.
To him, who absolutely detested reptiles, it was a too cruel (?) object.

“You like snakes?”
“Yes! It’s cute.”
“…I see.”

But what could he do if ‘his little sister’ wanted it?
Moreover, as if she truly wanted the snake doll, Marguerite came right next to Gaspard and even cheered him on.
Gaspard bit his lip and threw the ball with even more force.

Thwack!

“Wow, my brother is the best!”
“Ahem.”

Seeing Marguerite excitedly retrieve the snake doll made his shoulders shrug up on their own. Gaspard rubbed his nose for no reason.
“Wow! It’s a snake, a snake!”

A beaming smile was plastered on Marguerite’s face.
How adorable she looked, happily wrapping the snake doll around her neck like a scarf.
Gaspard marveled anew.

‘…Having a little sister is really great.’

Frankly, he had disliked the little sister who suddenly appeared out of nowhere at first. How could he like it?
Although his memories were fuzzy from childhood, Gaspard definitely had one younger sister. So, it would be a lie to say he was pleased with Marguerite’s very existence, who had come in her place.

Furthermore, he resented how easily she took the spot next to his mother, who hadn’t let anyone close for a long time, and also how she couldn’t even use a spoon properly.

“Sniff, Yorr…”
“…It’ll be alright.”

But Marguerite, ‘his little sister’, was a good kid who forgave him, despite him tormenting her, simply because he was her older brother.
“This is my first time having a doll. Thank you, brother!”

‘She likes it this much…’

The more he learned, the more pitiful she seemed.
Even considering she was from an orphanage, to have never owned a single doll until she was six. It made his heart ache on its own.

‘I did well to sneak her out.’

Gaspard made a resolution.
Every year when the festival is held, he must bring his little sister, and make her smile brightly. He must let her do everything she wants and have everything she wants.

Just as Gaspard’s heart felt briefly gloomy.

“This ish delicious!” (*This is delicious!)

Munch munch.

Marguerite’s cheeks were so full of the snack it looked like they might burst.
“And you got it all over yourself again.”

Plus, there was sauce smeared around her mouth.
Gaspard burst out laughing.

Anyway, see? If I take my eyes off her for even a second, she ends up like this…! This ‘big brother’ has to take care of her from A to Z!

Unfortunately for Marguerite, the misconception etched in Gaspard’s mind showed no signs of fading.

Moreover.

“Oh my, goodness! Where does one find such a wonderful older brother?”
“Indeed. He’s so admirable. If only my son were half like that…”

The adorable little sister munching on a snack and the considerate older brother wiping her mouth.
This cute combination naturally stopped the aunties passing by in their tracks, further fueling Gaspard’s misconception.

While walking around holding his little sister’s hand today, he had received tons of such praise.

Mature, admirable, handsome, capable, brilliant, and considerate ‘older brother’!

‘That’s me.’

Gaspard puffed out his already raised chest even further. Then, still holding his sister’s hand tightly, he asked triumphantly.
“Little sister, is there anything else you want? Big brother will buy you anything. Just say the word.”
Gaspard was confident. He had brought his entire month’s allowance, after all.

“Then, I want that!”

[Fireworks – The Night When Stars Fall]

And Marguerite didn’t refuse the role of being the little sister he doted on.
“Stars are falling from the sky!”

Marguerite’s eyes sparkled as she pointed at the poster on the wall, and the moment Gaspard grinned a wide, toothy smile.

A large bear mascot head standing in a corner of the plaza was gazing wistfully at the two of them.
The children’s flushed cheeks and the area around their ears looked remarkably alike, as if they were truly biological siblings.

Dusk.
A long shadow fell behind the bear mascot holding a basket of candy. Its unusually large frame gave off an aura that made one hesitate to approach, despite its cute appearance.
Seeing it, some children passing by pointed bravely and mischievously.

“Whoa, it’s a monster!”

While others burst into tears.

“Waaah, I’m scared!”

At the sight of the little girl crying in her mother’s arms, the bear mascot held out a piece of candy.
“Sniff… is you giving candy?”
“…….”
“Thank you, bear…!”

Exchanging waves with the little girl who smiled sweetly at the taste, the bear mascot scanned for its target.

His gaze was directed precisely at Marguerite and Gaspard.

“Let’s just go get scolded.”
“What?! But we’ll get in so much trouble!”
“It’s fine! I can handle Brother!!”

Marguerite: ‘If we get caught for sneaking out, we’ll be scolded. Let’s just go back before it gets later.’
Gaspard: Who wanted to show his little sister the fireworks no matter what.
Over whether to see the fireworks or not, the two children were arguing.

“I don’t want brother to get scolded.”
“I told you, I can handle Brother! Don’t you believe me?”
“No.”
“You…….”

Gaspard pouted sulkily at Marguerite, who had her arms crossed.

At that moment, the giant bear mascot strode briskly towards the two of them.
“Wh-what is that?!”

At the bear mascot’s imposing size, Gaspard quickly hid Marguerite behind him and spread his arms wide to block its path.
But even so, his opponent was a bear of immense size!
The standoff between the giant wearing the bear mascot head and the young boy was a mismatch.

“You, what do you want with us? Don’t you dare touch my little sister…!”

Gaspard, who had a little sister to protect, didn’t back down, his face resolute.

“Forgive my intrusion.”

The giant bear mascot, who had been staring down at the two of them intently, suddenly held out a piece of candy.

The dinner banquet hall.
Louise was the only one seated at the marble table under the sparkling light of the chandelier.
“Why is no one here?”

“……Actually, we have been searching as the Young Master and the Young Lady have been missing since a while ago.”

The butler’s voice trembled as he reported.
Although the Duke and Duchess were absent, it was hard to remain calm because two more people who were supposed to be at this dining table were missing.

“…I suppose they are playing hide-and-seek.”

But Louise began the meal as usual.
There was no way Gaspard and that child could get lost inside the Ducal residence. It wasn’t a problem. If they got hungry, they would naturally return.

However, when the main course, roasted duck, was served.
Louise, who had been eating unusually slowly, finally put down her cutlery.

“Have you still not found them?”
“My apologies, Young Master.”
“The kids… are they completely out of sight?”
“Yes…….”

At that moment.

With a loud noise, the window lit up brightly and then darkened again.

‘Fireworks…’

Louise’s eyes wavered as she looked up at the bursting lights. She felt something, a foreboding premonition.