n

n

nAs he opened the door to the hallway, Rieta and Noel rushed into his room.

nThe children stomped their feet in front of Darrell, holding pillows and dolls with one hand, and each other with the other.

nBig thunder!

nReally scary!

nThe two constantly repeated the same words.

nDarrel felt a little sorry for the two concerned kids, but he still laughed a little.

nHow could they be so cute?

nDarrell gave the two children a friendly hug with both arms.

nHe patted them on the back several times, until their breathing became more stable.

nThen he took Rieta and Noel to the big bed he was using.

n

n

n“It won’t be scary if we do this.”

nHe pulled the blankets all the way over their heads.

nThat way, they couldn’t hear the sound from outside.

n“……it’s dark.”

nAs Rieta murmured quietly, Darrell held her hand, as if saying ‘It’s okay.’

nOf course, he held Noel’s with his other hand too.

n“But because we’re together you’re not scared at all, are you?”

nAs soon as Rieta was about to nod, a scary sound rang out again over the thick blanket.

nThe hands of the three people, which were connected securely, clenched firmly.

nBut it wasn’t as scary as it was a while ago.

n“I’m not scared anymore.”

nWhen Rieta answered, Noel quickly murmured, “I wasn’t scared from the beginning.”

nOf course, their answers made Darrell laugh again.

n“I’m glad you’re not scared. So, shall we continue to talk about the story I told before?”

n“……?!”

nOf course, as the children on both sides tried to act strong, Darrell decided to put off the more terrifying story for the next opportunity.

n“Okay, go to bed now. If you don’t fall asleep, I won’t be able to either.”

nRieta asked one more thing while holding his arm tightly.

n“Is it okay for us to sleep here?” She asked.

n“Of course, I will always welcome you. It’s very sweet that the younger ones came to find me.”

nAnd so, Darrell decided to tell many short and soft stories instead.

nRieta and Noel had fallen asleep under the warm blanket before they knew it.

nAnd they couldn’t hear a single scary sound anymore.

n******

nThe strong rain and wind continued until dawn, followed by surprisingly sunny weather once morning arrived.

nThe Duke visited Darrell’s room, which had been full of disturbances all night.

nAt the moment, he could see that a large blanket was on the floor.

nIt may have been because all three children with bad sleeping habits had fallen asleep in one bed.

nThe Duke picked up the thick blanket and glanced at the three children.

nWas it good to overcome the scary thunder together last night?

nEveryone had a good look on their faces.

nHe carefully covered them with the blanket and left Darrell’s room.

nCoincidentally, the artist he sponsored had just arrived to greet him.

n“Good morning, Duke.”

nBehind the man was the painting that had been damaged in the past glue incident.

nHe thought it was brought quickly, once the rain had stopped.

n“Is the painting okay?”

n“Would you like to see it?”

nWith the help of his servants, he quickly hung the portrait of the great imperial family.

nThe Duke carefully examined the noses and foreheads of the esteemed people depicted and nodded.

nThere was no sign of glue.

n“Good work.”

n“It’s my job.”

n“Are you leaving already?”

n“If the Duke doesn’t have another order for me.”

n“I see. Then, the butler please, pay the expense….”

n“No, Duke.” He explained,

n“The living expenses you send me every year are quite generous. That much is enough, please.”

nHe bowed down again, thanking his sponsor for the invitation.

n“It was fun, because the Duke has become quite lively now.”

nLively? Had he?

n

n

n“Maybe it’s because the Young Masters have grown up. And the Princess is here.”

n“Well, I see.”

nHis sons seemed to have grown up enough to control the overall atmosphere of the house.

nWell, Darrell was already 16 years old.

n“Well, I’ll leave you now.”

n“……complete it.”

nThe painter paused for a moment at the Duke’s casual remark.

nThat was because the word “complete” brought a specific memory to mind.

nYears ago. The stagnant Duke.

n‘You don’t have to complete it.’

n