Chapter 58

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Chapter 58

“Family…?”

“Yes. So I have to pay attention to her, too.”

“…I see.”

At that casual answer, her heart tickled for nothing.

Family…

He must have said ‘family’ without much thought, but it was different for her. Whenever Anriche heard the word ‘family,’ it felt warm from the depths of her heart.

Just then, Alexei asked her with a puzzled face.

“By the way, what makes you so happy?”

“Oh, it’s nice to see the Duke taking care of his family.”

“…Well, that’s definitely what we should do, isn’t it?”

In response to the candid answer, Alexei gently turned his head away. The nape of his neck was a little red, so Anriche smiled.

‘Of course, he’s Elliot’s father.’

Because the father and son’s shyness resembled each other.

For a moment. Come to think of it…

…Elliot?

“Oh, I have to go now!”

“Yes? Why suddenly…”

“I need to check if the kids are brushing properly.”

“….”

Alexei then turned to face Anriche with a strangely sullen expression on his face.

‘Hey, what’s wrong with him?’

Because of that, Anriche tilted her head.

“Duke?”

“No, nothing.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll see you then!”

After finishing her business, Anriche the place.

Alexei felt strangely empty, and gazed at her back as she moved away. It was definitely a pleasure to see Anriche taking care of her children. He should be grateful that she was not being hard on the kids liike before.

Yet…

“…I wish she had stayed a little longer.”

The regret he couldn’t hide escaped from his lips.

Alexei wrinkled his brow and moved his steps. In order to erase the useless thoughts, it was also his job to look at the documents that had been pushed back.

Meanwhile.

‘Wait a minute.’

Alexei’s feet stopped.

‘Doesn’t the Madam usually sleep with the children?’

Come to think of it, it’s been quite some time since he had seen the children awake. As he always left the palace late, it was his daily routine to barely see the faces of the sleeping children.

‘And, she said that she reads the children books until they fall asleep.’

If so, wouldn’t it be okay if he read that storybook?

To see the children, and to see Anriche’s face one more time…

As soon as he thought of that, his heart became impatient.

Alexei quickly climbed the stairs.

The children, who had washed clean and dried themselves, lay side by side on the bed and looked up at Anriche.

She questioned the children with a troubled face.

“Guys, are you going to sleep in mom’s room tonight again?”

“Well, can’t we?”

“I like my mother’s room much better than mine.”

Liliana and Elliot, who pulled the duvet up to their neck, gathered their mouths together and spoke like a chick.

Anriche eventually lowered the tip of her lips.

‘Yes, the one who likes more loses.’

Still, her lovely children are gazing up at her with eyes shining like lanterns. How can she refuse?

In the end, she took a seat next to the bed.

“Then, what book do you want to read? Mom will bring it to you…”

“No, I brought it!”

At this point, Elliot, who was thoroughly prepared, took out the children’s book that was hidden under the pillow and held it out. After reading the title of the book, Anriche raised her eyebrows.

“Is this book that good?”

“Yes!”

Elliot nodded his head passionately.

[ “The Adventures of Hans and the Fairy.” ]

It was a fairy tale book that Alexei used to read to children in the garden. At that time, it was quite funny and cute to see Alexei reading a children’s book in a hard voice…

‘…Wait. Cute—?’

At that moment of incompatibility, Anriche narrowed her brow involuntarily. When did I start to feel so friendly with Alexei…?

But, then.

Knock, knock.

A short knock sounded.

Anriche lifted her body up with a bewildered face.

‘Who is it? No one will come at this hour…’

She then opened the door and widened her eyes.

“Oh my, Duke?”

“Ah, Madam.”

Because it was Alexei who was standing there with a rather awkward expression on his face.

“Duke, what are you doing here…”

“That’s because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen children’s faces.”

At his poor excuse, Anriche nodded her head and took a step back. “Come in. The children are still awake.”

The children who found Alexei widened their eyes.

“Huh? Dad!”

“Duke?”

“Hasn’t everyone been sleeping yet?”

Alexei entered the room and stroked the children’s heads.

Elliot smiled and said, “Come to think of it, it seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen dad’s face.”

“I’m sorry. I should have come to see you more often…”

“It’s okay, Dad is busy.”

At Elliot’s mature answer, a soft smile appeared on Alexei’s face.

He then turned to Liliana.

“Liliana is also doing her training hard, right?”

“No, not enough yet.”

“Well, to say that it’s not enough, you’ve already been praised by the knights, don’t you?”

Hearing that answer, Liliana dyed her cheeks red and bowed her head. At that moment, Alexei picked up the children’s book lying on the bed.

“Are you still reading ‘The Adventures of Hans and the Fairy’ today?”

“It is, but…”

Elliot looked up at Alexei with a questionable expression.

“Why is Daddy opening a children’s book?”

“It’s to read a book…”

“…..”

“…..”

For a moment, there was a bitter silence.

Elliot asked Alexei in a serious voice.

“…Not Mom, but Dad… You’re going to read the children’s book?”

“Why, you don’t like it?”

“Yes.” Elliot nodded his head resolutely.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I love dad, but I don’t think so.”

At Elliot’s confirmation shot, Alexei had a wounded expression on his face and bit his lip.

Anriche, bewildered, interrupted the conversation.

“Well, you’ll read it well this time, right, Duke?”

“….”

However, despite Anriche’s efforts, Elliot merely shook his head with a stubborn face.

‘Oh my gosh.’

She looked at Liliana with a look in her eyes, begging for help, though…

“….”

…Even Liliana slowly turned her gaze away.

Alexei said in a sullen voice. “Children want it like that, so I think it would be better for the Madam to just read it.”

“Ah, yes…”

Anriche, who nodded her head with a trembling face, dragged the chair to the side of the bed and sat down. Only then did the children looked comfortable.

She cleared her throat and started reading the children’s book.

“Hans swung his sword wide. Then, from Hans’ sword…”

“Fire came out of Hans’ sword! Right?”

“Elliot, what if your mother is reading a book and you keep interrupting?”

Above her voice, the innocent voices of children mingled like a chorus. However, the most pleasant voice to hear was Anriche’s friendly voice, which still resonated softly.

Alexei thought so without realizing it.

Finally, all the children fell asleep.

Anriche, who covered the children’s book, made the bed for the children. She meticulously covered their neck with a blanket, and her hands were very kind as she brushed the foreheads of the children.

After a while, she turned to Alexei.

“You must have been tired from working late, are you okay?”

“It’s fine. Don’t mind it.”

“Oh, my, how can I not care?”

Anriche narrowed her eyes.

“We are a family.”

“….”

What Alexei had said earlier came back.

But. something felt odd.

“So, it’s only natural that I care about the Duke.”

“Like you care about Elliot and Liliana… you mean?”

“Well, that’s right.”

As she nodded her head, Alexei was seized with a strange feeling.

What is this feeling…?

He slanted his eyebrows involuntarily. Of course, he was glad that Anriche considered him her ‘family.’

But, it’s not just being a ‘family’…

‘I want you to be conscious of me with a slightly different feeling than when you treat children.’

Being approached like this without hesitation made it seemed like she didn’t think of him as a different person at all…

“….”

He’s not even a teenage boy, what the hell kind of pathetic idea this is… Alexei sighed in shock.

But right then.

Anriche walked up to his face with a stride. She seemed to stare at his face, and then narrowed her forehead.

“Look at this, there’s a shade under your eyes.”

She raised her hand unknowingly and wiped the corners of Alexei’s eyes.

He stiffened in surprise.

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