Chapter 20
Seeing the child crying loudly while completely nestled in Reina’s arms made her feel like crying along with her.
Lily, who was beside her, kept muttering ‘Oh dear’ but couldn’t bring herself to intervene.
When Reina wiped Dalia’s eyes, the child continued with a flushed red face.
“Uung, Dad only pretends to smile in front of Dalia. But actually, I know too, that Dad cries looking at Mom’s picture every night.”
“You like your dad a lot, Dalia.”
“Now Dalia only has Dad. So even if I miss her, I have to endure. Otherwise, Dad will be sad.”
The moment she saw Dalia trying hard to act brave, a past event suddenly came to mind.
“I only had my brother left……. But now there’s no one by my side. Even if I miss him, I have to endure.”
Three years ago, right after her older brother went missing, the capital was buzzing with the founding festival.
A banquet was held at the imperial palace, and Reina was very angry about that.
Her older brother who went on the subjugation was being forgotten by people without knowing if he was alive or dead.
Why did her older brother go missing.
It was all to protect them, yet no one except her prayed for her older brother to return.
That was so disillusioning.
Impulsively, she left the imperial palace but had nowhere to go, so she sat blankly on the palace wall.
She lacked the courage to run away, and didn’t want to return to the noisy banquet hall.
She just stayed still with her hood pulled down deep so no one would recognize her.
It was a coincidence that she encountered Kaiden passing by the wall at that time.
Probably Kaiden was also leaving the imperial palace banquet for another reason.
He tried to pass by pretending not to know her who had her hood pulled down deep, but he turned back and asked.
“Are you perhaps thinking of falling from there?”
“…….”
Reina decided to ignore the sudden question.
She thought he would just pass by.
But Kaiden was a meddlesome man even then.
He seemed to be leaving but let out a low curse and approached.
“Don’t think foolish thoughts and come down.”
It seemed like he was misunderstanding something strange at a glance.
Reina, who suddenly felt tired, murmured softly.
“……It’s not like that.”
But Kaiden didn’t take her words at face value.
Instead, he asked a strange question.
“Then, is it a situation where you need my help?”
It was a question thrown lightly.
Help.
What about that word.
The emotions she had been suppressing started to surge.
At that time, Reina’s world was as good as collapsed.
It was so messed up that she didn’t know where to start asking for help.
Perhaps that’s why. Reina unintentionally let out a sharp word.
“If I ask for help, will you help?”
She had already asked countless times to find her older brother.
But no one listened to her story and found it annoying.
From the beginning, no one would pay attention to her who was far from the succession right.
Kaiden said indifferently without showing displeasure at the sharp words.
“First, it seems I can get you down from that dangerous wall.”
Of course, Kaiden’s reaction wasn’t particularly kind either.
The hand extended without sincerity looked only like he wanted to get Reina down right away and leave.
If that’s the case, he could just go.
Probably in his eyes, she looked very precarious.
Reina stared down at that large hand and said.
“I only had my brother left……. But now there’s no one by my side. Even if I miss him, I have to endure.”
It was an impulsive statement because they were strangers she would see only today anyway.
At that time, she had no idea that the opponent was the famous Duke Crensia.
And he also seemed not to recognize her at all.
Because he attempted awkward consolation thinking she was trying to make a reckless choice after being heartbroken.
“You seem to have been heartbroken, but anyway, it’s better to forget the brother who abandoned you. There are plenty of brothers in the world, so find another one.”
And that consolation instead provoked Reina.
Reina swallowed the surging emotions and protested.
“He didn’t abandon me! He promised he would definitely return. My brother isn’t like that!”
“Yes, yes. Then there’s even less reason to be like this, right?”
“What?”
“If he said he would return, he will somehow. Try believing in your brother.”
Reina couldn’t immediately refute the insincere answer and grumbled.
After a while, Reina murmured with a gloomy face.
“It’s not that easy. I wish for that too.”
“So you’re acting all melancholic like this? The opponent will be so pleased when he returns.”
When Reina was about to get angry at the consecutive rude remarks, he continued.
“If you’re sulking alone, no one will know. Rather than being melancholic here, showing that you’re struggling would be better for mental health.”
“Even if no one is interested in my story?”
“In that case, just talking to the wall is an easy way to relieve. You have to release pent-up emotions first to think about the next.”
Kaiden seemed to reply indifferently, then jumped onto the wall taking advantage of Reina’s unguarded moment.
“!”
“Excuse me.”
He landed lightly beside Reina and said to her.
Then he hugged her and brought her down from the wall.
It happened in an instant, so Reina couldn’t say a word.
He looked down at her surprised expression and said while putting her down.
“Somehow, leaving you up there would make me uneasy, and waiting for you to come down voluntarily makes me frustrated.”
“……I did that because I was frustrated too. I want to go somewhere, but I don’t know where to go.”
“We’re similar. I also wanted to go anywhere except the imperial palace banquet.”
Kaiden said while politely keeping distance.
“If you have nothing to do, how about accompanying me? Being together might be less interrupting than being alone.”
Then, with the attitude of offering escort, Reina stared at his hand.
Normally, she would have refused outright.
But that day, for some reason, she felt an impulse to accept this proposal.
Reina placed her hand and accepted.
The night walk that day, where they just stayed together without talking to each other, was quite impressive.
Reina recalled that time and wore a faint smile.
Remembering how relieved she felt after talking about her brother to someone for the first time, she couldn’t help but meddle with Dalia.
“Then how about this? Whenever Dalia misses Mom, come find me.”
“Can I really do that?”
“Of course. Actually, I don’t know many people here. If Dalia comes often, I’d be very happy.”
“But the nanny will dislike it…….”
When Dalia hesitated, Reina held the child’s hand tightly and said.
“If the nanny says something, tell me. I’ll explain well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Anyway, I don’t know Dalia’s mom well. No matter how much Dalia talks about Mom, I won’t get sad or gloomy. Rather, it’s good to have a conversation partner?”
At Reina’s kind encouragement, Dalia’s cheeks flushed red.
After a while, as if she never hesitated, she smiled brightly and hooked pinkies.
“Ung! I will. Promise.”
Seeing Dalia giggling while hooking pinkies with her small hand made Reina feel good too.
It was when she promised to meet Dalia next time and was returning to the bedroom.
From far away at the end of the corridor, Kaiden was visible.
Reina, who was about to greet him happily, suddenly hesitated.
It was because Rose, who hadn’t been seen all day since morning, was talking with him.
“Kaiden……and Rose?”
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By Anna 💓
