Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A cold wind blew. At the end of the year, the city was full of sparkle. Then, the darkness settled down.

In the meantime, one change has come to them. The escort knights appointed to protect Brielle were organized. Marie, who couldn’t tell the truth about everything, just told Kentrail that she saw a suspicious person hovering around just outside the mansion window. Although there was an existing escort, creating a group altogether was a countermeasure.

Leaving them hidden behind, Brielle and Marie were standing affectionately, looking at the shops side by side.

“Isn’t this prettier?”

She was looking around various music boxes to choose a gift for Ellie’s birthday.

“That’s right. Ellie likes yellow, so let’s go with this.”

She had been choosing for a while, so after discussing it with Brielle, Marie finally decided to choose the first one. After that, as it was a present, they asked the owner of the store to wrap it as carefully as possible, then they kept looking at another music box.

Although it was a rather expensive gift, when she thought about how Ellie would enjoy the present, a smile caught on her lips.

And at that moment. Marie caught the figure she accidentally saw out of the window before, she felt as though she was going to faint.

‘How… How he…’

She saw a big wound under the eyes of a stranger, and recognized it at once. Behind Kentrail, he destroyed the kingdom, and he was the one who played the greatest role.

[ The man who uses the longsword in the kingdom became Kentrail’s commander. And without hesitation, he cut off his enemies with his right arm. The reason didn’t matter to him. There was no hesitation if it was the order of his master. Maybe when he was young, he was persecuted because his eyes were different from others, and he got a scar on his face, as well as his distorted personality… ]

He had the same appearance as described in the book, so there was no way she couldn’t recognize him.

“Marie. What is it?”

She hurriedly lowered her head and Brielle’s voice. Marie’s facial expression was weird, and Brielle was trying to turn his head toward where Marie had looked.

“It’s nothing. It looks like the wrapping is done.”

She quickly turned Brielle’s gaze away, but anxiety remained on the side of her chest. ‘Would the original story be completely distorted because Brielle was alive… Why is that person in the capital?’ Perhaps the Count brought him in, her heart tightened and released.

As she held Brielle’s warm hand to suppress her nervousness, the child laughed as it was a good thing for him.

‘Please, don’t let this be a problem.’

She looked back at the place where he stood before, trying to hide her anxiety at the signs of the original storyline that continued to appear, but no one was there anymore.

Marie didn’t realize since she struggled to conceal her feelings., that Brielle’s eyes were turning to a family outside the window.

***

The Count greeted his guest. It was Derek that Marie saw in the shop.

“How long has it been?”

There was a reason Marie was startled to see Derek. It was because he was a mercenary in a foreign country, Alvarito. The original storyline mentioned Derek returning to the country at Kentrail’s call, asking for help so he could avenge Brielle, and by now he has made an oath to his lord.

Even though Brielle is alive, he must be in Alvarito, but the reason he found the Count was surprising because Kentrail asked for him like in the original story.

“You’re still the same.”

Derek’s eyes were warm only to the Count, despite his stern face.

“…The Count looks good, too.”

“Is that so.”

Kentrail, who has a softer impression thanks to Brielle and Marie recently, must have felt incredibly different, as he hadn’t seen Derek for a long time.

“Let’s sit down for now.”

The count said, pointing to the sofa in his office.

The atmosphere that had been bright at the reunion after a long time quickly changed to a heavy one, and the butler standing next to him had noticeably moved away as well.

“The reason I asked you to come is because of the reason in the letter.”

“…”

Those words made Derek’s face stiffer.

“Maybe this might be dangerous. So, I’ll leave it to your choice. Can you do it for me?”

“…”

To a very natural question, Derek offered the sword he was holding instead of answering.

It was the only light in his difficult life. He heard the news that Derek was going to Alvarito as a mercenary, and he ran a long distance on a horse at once to stop him. Kentrail was the person who always stood by when he faced prejudices when he was younger. Count Kentrail was that kind of person to him.

Kentrail got up from his seat and received the sword as a knight’s oath. Even though he was only a mercenary, not an official knight, he was a man who deserved this treatment.

“Thank you.”

This time, Derek would be by the lord’s side and he would be serving him from today. To reveal the deaths of the parents of the young master, the master’s older brother.

***

Kentrail thought his brother’s death was an accident. There were some doubts, but taking care of Brielle, who barely returned alive from death, was more urgent. Thus, that was his priority for the year or two that had passed.

The child grew up.

On Brielle’s third birthday, watching him politely greet the people who were invited to his birthday party, the grieving and sadness subsided.

‘My brother should see this.’

So, after he separated with Marie that day, he headed to the room with his brother’s portrait.

His older brother was in the picture. Kranteil, who was six years older than him, was no different from a father to him after their parents died. He still remembered the occasion when the sun lit his brother’s face, and he smiled at him. When Kentrail looked at his brother who was bright like Brielle, he felt as if the light of the world was gathering with them.

Kentrail slowly raised his hand and stroked his brother’s portrait.

‘Will Brielle look like you when he grows up?’

Sometimes, he would be worried that his nephew would resemble him who didn’t smile much. Unlike his brother, he can’t make such a smile, but looking at Brielle now, it seems like he was too worried about it. Brielle was a child who laughed better than anyone and had a kind heart.

Kentrail knew very well that everyone who worked in the mansion would look at the child’s smile and be at loss.

However, this was a portrait he had never shown to the child because he was worried that the child would lose his smile when he saw this portrait. He should show it when Brielle is a little bigger, and the child can bear this pain. That was how he decided.

“…Brother.”

Kentrail called his brother again this year as well. He was trying to put the portrait down on the seat slowly with emotions swelling in his heart.

Something caught on his fingertips.

He put the portrait frame behind him, which he had never thought of turning, and looked at the area where his fingertips touched.

There was a piece of faded paper protruding.

Kentrail began to open the back of the frame with a careful hand, and he could feel that his brother’s death was not just an accident. He blamed himself for not thinking of opening the frame until now.

From then on, he began preparing secretly without anyone knowing.

***

Unaware of this fact, Marie and Brielle returned to the mansion and headed to the room where Ellie was.

“I guess Ellie would like it?”

Brielle held her hand in a voice full of excitement and shook it.

“Of course.”

If it were Ellie, she would be happy no matter what gift they gave. Although she was sorry she couldn’t do a grand birthday party since this wasn’t their home, Marie thought she’d do the best she could do for Ellie today.

She asked a passing maid to confirm that the child was in the room, then Brielle and Marie knocked, and opened the door.

“Huh? Sister, young master.”

When they, who had disappeared without a word, came to find her, Ellie made a puzzled expression.

“Ellie, what were you doing?”

“I was asleep because I was exhausted while looking for my sister and the young master!”

She was upset that she was left alone, so the cheeks were puffing out with air. After seeing it, Brielle was excited just to imagine that Ellie would soon be surprised.

Ellie expressed her dissatisfaction by raising her arms and placing them on her waist.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps was heard.

“Ta-da~!”

Barry came with a cake made by Marie by borrowing the kitchen in advance.

“…”

Ellie was embarrassed, she was seen frozen as she was. When she saw the cake, her heart moved. Finally, water filled with sparkles began to accumulate in her eyes.

“Come on, blow the candles.”

Barry, who became a little blunt as he got older, spoke to his younger sister in a grunted manner without telling her not to cry, but a little hint in his voice was full of affection.

“Huh… Huh…”

After holding back her cries, Ellie finally blew the candles on her cake.

“Congratulations, Ellie!”

And Brielle handed out the gift that he had prepared with Marie.

“This…”

On behalf of the unaware Ellie, Marie winded up the box. Then, a clear tone filled the room.

“I love it!”

She heard there was something like this before, but Ellie’s eyes were wide open when she saw it for the first time.

Marie felt her heart warming with the reaction. Then she cried and hugged the tiny body that jumped into her arms.

***

Her body was relaxed, but her head felt like it was going to burst. That was Marie’s situation right now. Brielle was busy taking his classes, and she, not a maid, but a nanny, had nothing to do with the work in the mansion, so she just had to watch Brielle from a distance.

There was no one nagging her.

Though in her head, there was a man named Derek, whom she had seen that day. There’s nothing wrong yet, but Marie couldn’t just be comfortable. However, there was nothing she could do about it right now.

How much time has passed. In the distance, she saw a person jumping and waving his hand. It was Brielle.

“You saw?”

It was enough to know how loudly they were talking from far away, and what they were talking about as well.

Instead of an answer, Marie got up from her seat and drew a circle with her arms. It was a victory after competing against his friend Jayden while taking the swordsmanship class.

His white cheeks were full of excitement, as if he wanted to show off to her more.

‘I wonder why he likes it so much?’

And the one who was watching was the knight, Brielle’s sword teacher.

His name is Taylor. Although he was a commoner, his efforts and talents combined, let him reach this position. Fortunately, he looked at Berry without prejudice.

“Can I go in for a while and then come back?”

It seemed that Brielle’s plan was to go directly to his nanny and show off to her.

“Hey. Do you wanna brag to the neighborhood that I lost?”

Jayden was angry. Since both of them had a great desire to win, it was obvious that he would be ready to beat Brielle next time.

“Well, why. You did win last time?” Brielle said.

The two were winning alternately, so no matter who wins this time, the tumult continued.

“Oh, yeah, brag about it.”

Taylor and Jaden shook their heads as they watched Brielle run.

What is the charm of that nanny? The two fell into trouble.