Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Brielle’s birthday passed, and for a few days, there was a warm wind in the mansion. It was the same in the Count’s office.

“Excuse me… Count.”

The butler called him, but he was looking out, and he couldn’t hear him. Eventually, he yelled after waiting.

“Count!”

The butler felt sorry doing so, but the master’s condition was a little strange. Raising the tail of his mouth and showing a smiling appearance. Count couldn’t even hear his calls.

Eventually, the butler came to Kentrail’s side and checked what he was looking at, and his expression became strange. In the last few days, around this time, the scene would be the young master and nanny taking a walk. Every time his Master was standing by the window, he wondered if the reason was to see the two.

Once again, the butler called loudly, and finally, the Count turned back and asked what was going on.

“What you asked for last time is ready.”

“Ah…”

He had instructed the butler to prepare a thick coat for women.

At first, the butler did not know whose clothes it would be for, so he stood there blankly for a while. Then, the Count said that it was for the nanny.

The Count seemed happy inside.

There was one more person who realized this warmth.

[ Ugh… What happened to the men in this house.]

Not long ago, the maid complained to the butler.

[ I didn’t see any scented candles in the living, and all over the mansion, so I thought the Count had taken it all. Looking at it now, it seemed like he was trying to give it to the nanny… ]

But isn’t she different?

‘It’s because Marie took care of the child so well.’

The butler thought lightly and brought the prepared coat into Marie’s room.

***

The king gazed at the Chancellor standing before him.

“Is that how you work?”

Though he was quite nervous about the king’s sudden visit, the Count continued to do his job normally. He had piles of paper in front of him.

“Yes.”

He answered briefly.

Kentrail was in a hurry. Today, no matter what happens, he was determined to return to the mansion before sunset.

[ Uncle, come back early today. ]

As they saw him off, the image of Brielle and the nanny came into his mind.

He was in a hurry to leave, but the king suddenly visited…

“Are you busy?”

The word was spoken from the king, but Kentrail’s eyes turned to the attendant standing behind, indicating them to pick things up so he could leave.

“I finished everything in the morning.”

The unnoticed king eventually dragged the chair in front of him and even took a seat.

“Let’s have a drink today. Sleep here.”

If it had been someone else, they would feel so honored and agree. However, Kentrail hardened his expression and refused.

“No? Why not? You don’t even have a wife who will greet you when you enter the house.”

“So what?”

Even without a wife, he had his nephew and nanny waiting for him. Kentrail looked at the king with hasty eyes and said.

“I’m busy, so stop.”

It was blunt, but the King laughed it away.

“Do you know that you have changed a lot?”

The Count frowned in his brow at the word.

“Before, when I asked if there was anyone who would welcome you, you only replied that you would work all night.”

At that, Kentrail flinched his fingertips as he handed over his papers.

“…”

“One of the officers said that these days, you’ve been laughing by yourself.”

He often thought of Brielle’s cute behavior or Marie’s face and smiled. Kentrail was always the one with an expressionless expression, so people around him were surprised.

“You love your nephew so much, but I can’t wait to see how much it will be when you have your own children.”

“…”

“Well, there are rumors that are circulating in the social world these days. They said your nanny is competent.”

Hearing so, Kentrail now raised his head and looked at the king.

“Where did you hear such rumors?”

He somehow became uncomfortable hearing the story about Marie coming out of another man’s mouth. Kentrail convinced himself that he was afraid that the rumor would grow like a snowball, and the nanny would then get caught in a scandal.

The Count controlled his mind to pay attention as the king looked closely and smiled meaningfully. Looking at him, the king decided to step back and disappeared with the attendant.

***

The Count’s mansion was busy. The gardener picked and gathered pretty flowers while the maids cut off the leaves of the flowers. The chef was also working hard to bring out the most delicious foods.

Because today is Kentrail’s birthday, he seemed to have forgotten about it himself.

Until now, the people in the mansion, who had just quietly brushed off the master’s birthday, became so busy after Brielle’s question.

“Marie, when is your birthday.”

After his own birthday party some time ago, the child asked her.

“It’s still far away.”

Specifically, she didn’t know when her birthday was. There have been times when Ellie and Berry have said it, but she couldn’t remember because she was embarrassed for a moment. Marie hastily turned her back.

“When is uncle’s birthday?”

He asked the chief maid standing next to her. Come to think of it, Marie didn’t remember ever celebrating the Count’s birthday since coming here.

The chief maid’s face suddenly turned pale because she remembered the master’s birthday just only a day ahead.

“Tomorrow…”

The same goes for Marie and Brielle, who were flustered by the maid’s words.

She hurriedly rode a carriage to the store and picked out a present. And starts preparing for the party before the Count returns today.

“Would he come in early today?”

Brielle held his plump cheek with one hand and asked Marie.

“He said he would.”

Although his uncle had never broken his promises, Brielle continued to look out of the window, glancing at the mansion entrance, worried.

Marie’s heart was touched, and she hugged the child tightly.

“Shall we go out to meet him?”

“Okay.”

The two went out to the entrance with excitement, hoping for a startled count.

***

Kentrail succeeded in leaving the palace before sunset.

He stopped in front of a prominent store on the way back to the mansion. Even in the daytime, it was an impressive store with faintly leaking lights from the incense candles.

‘She’ll like it.’

Not long ago, as the nanny was smelling a scented candle in the parlor, he recalled her little smile. Although he told her to take it to her own room, the girl refused.

The owner, who found the Count looking at the place for a long time, ran out of the store.

“You want to buy some scented candles?”

The owner thought, unlike his bulky size, he seemed to like things with such delicacy and recommended various scents.

Kentrail hesitated for a moment with the thought that she might not receive it. However, the hesitation was short. Somehow, the things in the mansion seemed to be rejected because they were expensive, so it appeared that she would somehow accept this scented candle that wasn’t relatively expensive, as the middle class used them.

The thought of wanting to see her smiling from the scented candle he presented her made the cells of his body awaken, though Kentrail tried to rationalize it.

‘Because she’s my nephew’s nanny, I could give her something like this. It’s hard to take care of the child all day, so you need to be relaxed to take care of Brielle better.’

“What fragrance do women like?”

Only then, the owner, who was crazy about the idea of him giving a gift, recommended two to three items, which were the ones that sold best in the store.

After contemplating what to do, Kentrail finally picked up all the things the owner had recommended. The Count got on the horse again with a paper bag that didn’t suit him.

***

“Uncle!”

“Brielle.”

Kentrail was happy and unfamiliar seeing Brielle, who welcomed him kindly after work. He even came out to the main entrance.

But in the past, Brielle has never had such a reaction to him. Brielle was delighted that the event had not failed, but the Count did not know that.

“You are here.”

“How are you?”

“Good.”

Marie looked at the two people happily. They walked side by side and brought up a bunch of stories. She could see the butler from a distance telling her to take her time, so she walked slowly.

“Aren’t you cold on the way back here from horseback?”

His ears running through the wind are going to freeze.

“It’s something I always do, so I’m used to it.”

And at his somewhat insensitive words, Brielle grabbed his uncle’s hand. This is because, at the level of the child’s eyes, his hands, like his ears, were red.

He originally wore his gloves, but since he came out of the scented candle store, his heart was rushing, and he just ran.

“It’s cold.”

Having said so, his nephew began to warm up his uncle’s hand with his warm breath. It was Kentrail’s heart that melted more than his hand.

With a bright smile, he suddenly hugged Brielle and walked.

“Uncle, drop me off!”

Now, Brielle was struggling when treated like a baby, but to no avail. So, he entered the mansion, where the employees were excitedly waiting.

***

It was the first time the butler saw his master’s face like that.

Perhaps astonished, the eyebrows that sometimes frowned like a habit opened up.

“This…”

In front of him, there was a three-tiered cake with white whipped cream and fruits, and various petals were laid in the mansion. It was obviously a party atmosphere.

“Happy birthday, uncle!”

And, for the first time, Brielle, who was in his arms, spontaneously kissed his cheek.

‘Oh, birthday.’

Kentrail had completely forgotten his birthday after his parents and brother passed away. It was in contrast to him remembering Brielle’s birthday and always celebrating it.

“Congratulations.”

Marie laughed at his side and handed the cufflinks that she had chosen for him.

He took it by surprise, and he looked at the two. His look passed by Brielle, who looked at him with his naughty smile, and his gaze finally reached her.

Kentrail kept thinking about this face until he bought the scented candle, but now, Marie, who congratulated him, looked much brighter than he imagined.

“You have to put it on.”

He held Brielle in one of his arms, and he stretched out the other arm that was not holding Brielle toward Marie, asking if she could do it for him.

“Me?”

She glanced at the butler, but when the Count urged her, Marie put the cufflinks on with a careful hand.

“Thank you. I’ll wear it well.” He raised his arm and looked at it.

“I’m glad you like it.”

”Here.”

To Marie, Kentrail handed the paper bag he was holding in his arm before holding Brielle.

“What’s this?”

“I just bought it.”

“What?”

Looking inside, Marie recalled that a few days ago, the Count watched her smelling the scented candle.

‘I never thought you’d remember this.’

“Today is the Count’s birthday… Can I have this?”

“Why does that matter. Just give if you want to give, receive if you want to receive.”

“I’ll use it well.”

Marie said that and quickly embraced it, filled with thoughts of wanting to go to her room and smell it.

‘These scented candles are so pretty.’

Kentrail was happy to see her expression. In contrast, Brielle rolled his feet in his arms and expressed dissatisfaction.

***

As soon as she entered her room, Marie held the box that was handed by Kentrail in her arms and leaned against the door.

‘I thought my heart was going to burst.’

She tried to pretend to be as calm as possible, but her heart, which swelled after imagining how delighted Kentrail would be from the birthday party, began to burst as she saw him handing her a scented candle and smiled.

‘I don’t even know how I felt when I said thank you.

It was so weird. She had never felt like this for the past three years. Is it because she was always watching the master, and the time spent alone with him has increased? Or maybe it’s because time has passed, and it’s hard to conclude that this is the world in a book anymore?

It felt as if she was finally starting to feel alive and actually living in this world.

‘Ah…’

It seemed so. Now, everyone around her was no longer a fictional character. If even one person disappears, she will be in the sense of loss.

But through her feelings, an eerie knock resonated like the sound of tapping on the window.

[ T/N: If they don’t marry soon, I’ll riot. ]