CH 36

“Dad?”

“It’s raining and you don’t have an umbrella.”

With the end of a quiet bruise, my feet on the field were lifted into the air.

He hugged me as usual and covered my whole body with his jacket.

As if I entered a warm cave.

I closed my eyes, leaning my cheek against Dad’s sturdy chest.

“Dad doesn’t even have one.”

“It’s okay if you don’t get soaked.”

“Dad’s soaking wet right now, though?”

“But you’re not.”

Hmm.

It’s kind of a strange answer, but I can’t refute it.

“Where are we going?”

Eventually, I changed the topic and asked again.

Come to think of it, Cassis was walking somewhere while holding me.

Clack, clackㅡ  

As the rain subsided, his wet black hair grew thicker.

Squeakㅡ 

The iron gate surrounded by blue hydrangeas creaked.

“To see Mommy.”

When I turned my gaze back from his chest, the center of the deep garden was revealed.

“…”

This was the first time I’ve seen this place, both in my previous life and present life.

My eyes trembled in the unfamiliar space.

In the middle of the well-manicured garden, a dome-shaped screen made of Magi was blocking the rain.

Perhaps because of Magi, light powder that seemed to be touched by hand was floating in the air.

And in the middle was a bed.

“Da,”

I was going to call ‘Dad’.

I was overwhelmed by the mysterious atmosphere and my whole body stiffened.

A woman was lying in the humid air.

Her neat pink hair cascaded down her shoulders.

Clear skin texture.

It was Vivian.

“It must be your first time seeing her.”

“…Yeah.”

It was a bit of a shock.

‘Come to think of it, he has never had a funeral for Vivian in my previous life. Turns out Mom was here.’

Lying in the purified air, Vivian looked as calm as if she had just fallen asleep.

Cassis put me down.

As soon as I landed on the floor, I ran to the bed.

I couldn’t believe it.

All I could do to tell if she was real was to fiddle with Mom’s cheeks with trembling hands.

Vivian.

So you slept comfortably here.

Looking at the peacefully curled eyelashes, I was enveloped in indescribable emotions.

A shadow fell behind me.

It was Cassis.

“Sorry for bringing you here late.”

I was speechless for a moment.

The two hands that eagerly grasped the end of the transparent coffin were white.

I, who was stuck between them, raised my head to check Cassis.

“I was trying to save her somehow, but now Mommy, no, Mommy is actually already.”

Those words were vague.

“Actually Mommy, she’s lying on the bed.”

…Damn it.

He clearly wanted to say that she was dead.

Yet the fearful eyes widened.

He was holding his breath intermittently, probably frightened by the separation from Mom.

“Dad.”

He cut off the conversation as he seemed greatly agitated once he saw Mom.

The purple eyes that had been staring at the dead Vivian were already red.

“Did Mom kiss you on the forehead every night before you went to bed?”

Is the reason he wants to separate from Mom so urgently because he can’t protect me?

If it’s because of me.

Cassis’ eyes finally focused on the daily topic.

“…Yeah.”

It was only then that he came to his senses.

“She did it to me too! So, did Mom nag you because you didn’t eat broccoli?”

“…Yeah.”

“Daddy hates broccoli too?”

At the mention of broccoli, Cassis’s brow wrinkled lightly.

“For generations, towards broccoli, Vallois…”

Startleㅡ  

Before I knew it, he let out a sigh and put his hand on his forehead.

“That’s not the problem, you’re growing up, so don’t be picky…”

“When did you first meet Mom?”

‘I shouldn’t have brought up broccoli.’’

I hurriedly changed the subject of the picky eater.

Despite my avoidance, his stare at Mom became calm.

Eventually, I heard a thumping noise from the side.

He wrapped his arms around me and locked me in his arms.

“…When I was in danger because of monsters. Mommy, who was a saintess, saved me.”

“When did you get married?”

“It was around this time…”

“Then what about your first kiss?”

“Who taught you the word ‘kiss’?”

After that, we chatted about Mom for a while.

Until dawn.

Until my five-year-old body couldn’t overcome the sleepiness.

“…Yawn. Dad…”

After all, is it unreasonable to endure the night with the body of a five-year-old?

Still, I have to say what I want to say.

“…Don’t send Mom in a hurry, let’s talk for a long time, the three of us. Until Dad can laugh in front of Mom…”

Nod.

In the end, unable to endure sleep, I gently closed my eyes in a wide embrace.

***

Cassis lowered his gaze.

“…”

He desperately hugged the angel in his arms until the rain stopped.

***

The next day, lunch.

“Higgs.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

After finishing his morning duties, the head of Vallois family lifted his heavy eyelids.

“…I want you to cook broccoli.”

“Yes! P-Pardon?!”

There was a hint of solemn in his calm voice.

Silent dining room.

Sitting next to Dad, I helped him, raising my mysterious purple eyes that I inherited from my lineage.

“Yeah, please cook broccoli. Higgs.”

“B-But you both, towards broccoli…”

“Please.”

“Please.”

“!”

The young Vallois and grown up Vallois.

Higgs, stunned by the determined eyes of the two Vallois, disappeared with a puzzled expression.

It was understandable why Higgs was as frightened as a sheet of white paper.

Having served as Vallois’ general chef for 20 years, he knew that Vallois was broccoli phobic in the bloodline.

“Your Grace. Don’t you usually hate broccoli?”

A subtle wind suddenly blew into the dining room.

Agasa watched the change with triangular eyes and asked cautiously.

‘Hmm. Agasa. You really don’t know Dad.’

I shook my head.

Then Dad opened his mouth.

“Agasa.”

“Yes.”

“I want black tea after dinner.”

“P-Pardon me?”

However, the transformation of Cassis didn’t end there.

“…Someone who doesn’t normally touch black tea…”

…Eh?

Agasa, who was really surprised, looked at me with a strange voice.

It was a gaze asking for help, but I turned my head and, bam! pounded the table with my cotton fist.

“Yeah. Black tea would be nice. Agasa, what are you doing? Give me tea too!”

“Yes?”

“It’s too early for you to have black tea with caffeine. My daughter will have strawberry milk.”

“…Pardon meeee?”

“Geez! To think that it’s still strawberry milk for me!”

Cassis, whose eyes glared at my words, pointed out, and in a fit of grief, I banged my head on the desk.

“What is it, am I the only one who doesn’t know? I’m the aide, yet I’m the only one who doesn’t know!”

In the end, Agasa, who had covered his mouth in bewilderment, flinched.

“Your Grace. I apologize for the inconvenience, but may I ask the reason for the sudden change?”

Agasa, barely holding on to his sanity, asked in a nervous voice.

He was stomping on his feet, as if he was worried that the head of the family, who had been crazy for five years, would go mad even more.

“Vivian will like it.”

Of course, Dad wasn’t crazy.

“…Yes?”

“Vivian liked black tea her whole life. And on the days I ate broccoli, she kept a smile on her lips all day. Vivian’s funeral has been postponed. Come to think of it, I’ve never, ever,”

Cassis’ rational eyes turned to Agasa with a low tone.

“I have never missed my wife. I was so desperate to save her life that I was obsessed with it.”

Agasa’s mouth slowly closed at the unexpected confession.

“So I’m thinking of missing her once. In a way that doesn’t kill people, normally.”

Dad, who told us his true feelings until the end, raised his eyes and stared at me.

Our gazes intertwined for a moment.

“Hihi.”

I don’t know why, but after about three seconds, I burst out laughing.

Seeing my expression, he also raised the corner of his lips.

“Prepare the envelopes in advance. We might throw up while eating broccoli.”

“…”

Cassis has changed.

And that too, perfectly.

I wonder if he was momentarily stunned by the change in the head of the family whom he had served for ten years.

There was silence in the dining room because of the aide who didn’t answer.

“…Yes. Your Grace.”

Agasa replied belatedly and stared at me with thrilled eyes.

Looking at the blue eyes that were about to pop out, I felt chilly on my back.

‘When the meal is over, he’s going to run again, saying something about the prophet baby.’

Ignoring his growing religious beliefs, I rolled my legs while waiting for the broccoli to cook.

It was very ironic.

Vallois, who had turned a blind eye to Vivian’s death, officially acknowledged it.

However, the daily life of the castle was rather deeply permeated with Vivian’s nostalgia.

Last night, after talking with me.

Maybe Dad realized something, and since then, he hasn’t turned away from his longing for Mom.

That first journey is right there.

Munch, munchㅡ

Munch, munchㅡ

“…Ew… ugh…”

Cassis and I, who were chewing on the broccoli, shriveled up like rotten bell peppers.

Eating the broccoli that Mom nagged about is number one!

“…Dad, it doesn’t taste good.”

Broccoli was broccoli.

I thought it would be all right after going through Higgs’ gold hands.

Cassis, who naturally agreed to my words, frowned, perhaps because he came to his senses in a hurry.

“From the very beginning, you really have no taste, Billie. No picky eating.”

“…Hmmm.”

That’s right.

Now I mustered up the courage to eat it.

‘But Dad. I don’t know if this behavior, which is unfortunate for both of us, is really for Mom.’

Unable to complain about Dad’s efforts, I forced the broccoli into my mouth.

Chew, chew.

As I chewed the cold green monster with my molars, the hideous juices ran down my tongue through the crumbled vegetables.

Little by littleㅡ

Somehow, I remembered my memory of eating wheat bread with meditation in mind.

It’s terribly tasteless.

“…Munch, munch.”

But it was difficult for Cassis as well.

Blue veins were raging on the back of his large hand, which had been slicing broccoli with a knife.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

And then, as if he thought he should set an example as a father, he put broccoli in one bite.

“Uugh.”

“Cough.”

Ten minutes laterㅡ 

Agasa, who was in charge of serving black tea, was taken aback by the overflowing loyalty.

“…I brought you some black tea.”

But…

Looking at the situation, Agasa murmured in bewilderment.

“As expected, coffee would be nice.”

After the war with broccoli, the Vallois were collapsing on the table.

***

At that time.

The Tundra zone.

“… Maybe the Duke of Vallois didn’t come?”

“He came a week ago, yet he left right away without much activity.”

“…How strange. He should have come to me by now.”

Empress Isilis smiled softly and tilted her head.

“Should I visit?”