CH 38

As a result of drawing lots, Izmel, Adrian, and Sienna were on one side, and Kaidel, Lucas, and Demian were on one side.

“Get hit!”

“No way.”

The game started with Sienna throwing the ball hard at Lucas. When Lucas nimbly dodged the ball, Kaidel ran and picked it up.

Eleanor watched it all and nodded happily.

“Well, this is the sight I wanted. Perfect.”

Eleanor sat down a short distance from them and opened the book she was reading. The corners of her lips formed a smooth arc as she heard a jovial laugh.

“It’s healing…”

A breeze gently tousled her hair, and the endless fields of yellow and white wildflowers smelled of fresh, gentle grass.

Fifteen paces away, handsome men were playing with cute children. As for Eleanor, she just needed to enjoy her free time.

“Coming here really feels nice. It’d be great if everyone can get along better.”

Contrary to Eleanor’s wishes, however, the match began to go in a strange direction. Demian was the first to sense it.

‘There’s something strange about the atmosphere.’

Once Sienna and Lucas got the ball, there was no problem. The problem arose the moment the ball was in the hands of adults.

Thud. The ball flew through the wind and hit something with a roar.

“The ball is strong. Aren’t you giving it too much strength?”

Adrian, who managed to catch the ball thrown by Kaidel, said while shaking his tingling palms. A wrinkle formed between his brows.

“Then why didn’t you just avoid it?”

Kaidel replied, shrugging his shoulders as if it didn’t matter. Adrian said, throwing the ball at him with all his might.

“I don’t want to.”

The ball that came and went began to gain more and more power. After receiving the ball into his chest, Izmel let out a silent scream at her. His ribs tingled.

“Take it easy, Kaidel. This way I’m going to get a bruise.”

“Your Highness seems to be putting too much emotion into the ball.”

Kaidel snarled as Izmel caught the ball he threw with all his might.

“There’s no way. I have no ill feelings toward you. It seems like you do.”

“Neither do I. It’s just a game.”

The two men, who had no ill feelings toward each other, threw the ball at each other with their teeth gritting. It was combative. The exchange between Adrian and Izmel, who were on the same team, wasn’t so good, to say the least.

Something slowly began to boil inside the three men. Sparks flew in their eyes as they looked at each other.

Demian exchanged glances with Sienna beyond the line.

‘You also are looking at something strange now, aren’t you?’

Sienna also sensed something was wrong and began to turn her eyes and catch the mood.

“What’s wrong, Demian?”

After taking the ball leisurely, Kaidel found Demian standing awkwardly and asked. As he pursed his lips, Sienna interrupted.

“Me and Demi will sit down and get some rest.”

“Then me too.”

Lucas, who had been laughing happily the whole time, also raised his hand. Adrian stroked Sienna’s hair and nodded his head.

“Alright. You can go get a rest with Ellen.”

“What about Uncle?”

“I’ll be going soon.”

Adrian said, pushing Sienna lightly on the back. Izmel nodded his head and picked up the ball.

“We have to finish this.”

Izmel said, patting Adrian and Kaidel on the shoulder.

“Let’s just kick a ball and play. Stop throwing.”

***

“So they asked you guys to go to me and went kicking a ball by themselves?”

The children nodded at Eleanor’s question.

“Did the brothers play well?”

Eleanor asked, looking at Lucas.

“We played with the brothers.”

Lucas replied with a serious face.

‘I shouldn’t have believed those three.’

Eleanor touched her forehead. Sienna fidgeted with Eleanor’s hair, asked.

“What was Teacher doing?”

“I was reading a book.”

“Ugh.”

Lucas walked away from Eleanor and approached Demian. Demian was lying on his stomach in the grass, preoccupied with something.

“Whoa, what is this?”

“Flower ring.”

“Teach me how to make it too.”

Demian wiggled his tiny hands, deftly weaving the stems of the flowers. Lucas lay down on his stomach next to Demian and began to imitate him.

“Can I braid your hair?”

Sienna asked as she fingered the tip of Eleanor’s hair.

“Do you know how to braid hair?”

“Yes! I know how to. I’ll braid it prettily.”

Eleanor obediently gave Sienna her hair. She did occasionally pull her scalp, but she was willing to pay for a few strands of her hair in exchange for a moment of calm and peace.

“Teacher.”

At that time, Demian crouched closer to her with his hands behind his back.

“Yes, Demi. What’s the matter?”

After hesitating for a moment, Demian brought out what he had hidden behind his back. It was a beautiful wreath.

“Wow, did you make it yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Are you giving it to me?”

Demian nodded and bit his lower lip. Embarrassed, his face turned red.

‘My goodness, how cute! I don’t need anything else. Cute is the best!’

Eleanor hugged Demian tightly.

“It’s so pretty. Thanks. Can Demi put it on for me?”

Demian nodded his head and carefully placed the wreath on Eleanor’s head.

“Wow!”

Sienna, who tied her carefully braided hair with her own hair tie, exclaimed.

“You’re pretty. Like a princess.”

“Thanks.”

Eleanor held back her shyness and stroked Sienna’s hair. She braided her hair in pigtails and wore a crown of flowers. If it was her usual self, it would be unimaginable.

“I made one too.”

Lucas walked over with something in his hand. Perhaps he was trying to make a wreath like Demian, but it was half rags.

“Well done.”

Eleanor grinned as she slung it around her wrist. Sienna, who watched it with disapproving eyes, said.

“Teacher, you have to be honest with Luke.”

“It looks great to me.”

The children huddled next to Eleanor started bickering. The children, lying with their limbs stretched out like starfish, talked for a long time about whether the cloud resembled a horse, a lion, or a dog.

Eleanor covered the children with overcoats, which the men had left behind, like a blanket. As their bodies warmed up and the warm spring breeze gently blew, the sounds of the children’s words gradually died down, as if they were falling asleep.

“I don’t want to sleep, but I’m sleepy… I want to play more.”

Lucas groaned lightly. Eleanor brushed his hair and said.

“I will wake you up when the brothers come. It’s okay to sleep for a while.”

“Will Teacher still be there?”

“Mm, I will stay here. I’ll read the book for everyone to hear, so don’t worry and get some sleep.”

As Eleanor began to read aloud, the children quickly fell asleep. Regardless of the ages and countries, the sound of reading a book seemed to sound like a lullaby.

After a while, she heard footsteps behind her. Eleanor turned her head away.

‘Everyone…’

She was speechless.

‘I think I’ve seen something like this in a drama before.’

Imagine a service cut in which the male lead flaunts his perfect body and shakes off his wet hair with a towel. A slow-motion is applied, and the water droplets that flow down are zoomed in. Perhaps the next scene is the shy face of the female lead.

Eleanor watched the three of them walk with a half-fazed face. They brushed their wet hair as they forced shirts over their wet bodies. Their cheeks, which were slightly flushed more than usual, were full of life.

‘Take your eyes off, Eleanor. Turn your head quickly.’

Yet Eleanor’s gaze didn’t depart from the three of them, as if drawn by a magnet. There was no halo effect, and there were no highlights from the OST, but it was definitely a scene she saw in a drama.

“Ellen!”

Then, Adrian, who spotted Eleanor, waved his arm. Eleanor then jerked her head away. Heat slowly spread across her face.

“Everyone is asleep.”

Kaidel, who came closer, picked up his water bottle and said. Eleanor nodded her head.

Izmel rubbed his hungry stomach and sat down next to Lucas.

“Did you hide the treasure?”

“I couldn’t hide it. The children came back faster than I thought!”

Eleanor looked at Izmel, her eyes tight.

“You came to play with the children today, right? You’re not here to play silly ball games among yourselves. Please reflect.”

Eleanor said in a stern voice, placing her hands on her hips.

“Sorry.”

“I will reflect.”

“I didn’t intend to do that from the beginning, but somehow…”

The three responded immediately. Eleanor sighed and continued her words.

“Why are you all like rats in the rain? Did you even swim?”

Adrian shook his head.

“We were sweating a lot from running, so we took a shower lightly.”

“You’re not even children…”

Eleanor shook her head pathetically.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I believed you, Kaidel.”

Izmel interrupted Eleanor’s words.

“Kaydel played the hardest.”

“When did I…”

“If only you threw the ball properly, we wouldn’t have been scolded like this.”

Izmel and Kaidel started bickering.

“Stop!”

Eleanor immediately restrained it, raising her eyebrows.

“You’re both the same. Act like an adult.”

Adrian, who was sitting quietly beside Eleanor, smirked. She said, poking his side with her elbow.

“You too. Don’t laugh.”

“I didn’t.”

Yet at this moment, it was hard for him not to laugh at Eleanor.

Eleanor put on a terrifying expression in her own way, but it wasn’t easy to find her dignity with a wreath in her pigtails.

‘How cute.’

Kaidel, Izmel, and Adrian glanced at Eleanor, pursed their lips. When Eleanor’s eyes met theirs, she would gently lower her eyelashes, and when she turned her head, she let out a soundless laugh.

“Anyway, it went well. Let’s hide our treasure before waking the children. Write one here.”

Eleanor handed them pieces of paper the size of her palm.

“Then starting from me…”

Eleanor bent over and began to write. The three of them straightened their backs and stared at it.

‘Eleanor’s Wish Ticket’.

Round, child-like letters filled the paper. Adrian and Izmel were familiar with Eleanor’s handwriting, but Kaidel was new to it.

‘I thought Eleanor would write neatly and well.’

Kaidel laughed. Eleanor jerked her head toward him.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“I didn’t laugh, I just chuckled…”

It was when Kaidel was desperately trying to make his excuses. Izmel, who had carefully folded his note, interrupted him.

“Yes, if you laugh at someone else’s handwriting, write it by yourself.”

Adrian nodded in agreement with Izmel’s words.

“It’s just cute. And readable.”

“Exactly.”

Strangely, it was Kaidel who kept getting cornered.