# Chapter 8
> *“Is it…… not allowed?”*
Tugging lightly at his sleeve, she looked up at him with eyes full of anticipation. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised with excitement.
After punishing a sinner, Kael always shut himself in his room and didn’t come out for a while. He would sit by that window, looking up at the sky, passing the time. Even now, until just a moment ago, that had been his intention.
> *“…….”*
But for some reason.
When Hyazelkispoke, he couldn’t refuse.
> *‘……It’s not like I’m trying to run away from Albert.’*
Feeling a slight prick somewhere in his heart, Kael made excuses to himself and followed as the child led.
About the pretty flowers blooming, about how even though the weather was a bit cold, the sky was beautiful. Listening to her chattering away, his gloomy, clouded mood seemed to clear slightly. Kael thought that perhaps taking walks together often might be nice.
> *‘……Not bad.’*
He had followed her with the intention of escaping Albert, but it was quite nice. It was the first time he felt comforted. Comfort far more effective than returning to his room after a punishment and staring at the sky through the window.
> *‘That child alone may give you what you desire.’*
el now wasn’t even sure what he himself wanted. But he did think that perhaps he needed Hiazelki lift his spirits.
As the two walked through the garden, the maids and servants they passed wore shocked expressions. Kael pretended not to see those faces, but Hiazelki tilted her head as if she didn’t understand why.
> *‘Annoying.’*
Kael was starting to find his tugged sleeve bothersome.
> *“……Good heavens, Master……?”*
Just as he looked down at his sleeve, held by the child, with a dissatisfied expression—
Yuri, passing nearby, stared at the two with a pale, shocked face.
> *“Ah, Yuri!”*
Hiazelki, oblivious, waved her hand happily at Yuri, but—
> *“Y-Y-Y-Young lady, how did you end up with the Master……”*
Unlike others who had passed by pretending not to see with horrified faces, Yuri approached, trembling.
> *“We’re taking a walk together.”*
At Hiazelkinonchalant answer, Yuri cautiously glanced at Kahel’s expression.
> *“U-Um……”*
Yuri couldn’t even easily utter the simple question of whether he was alright. Because when being educated in the family, they were taught never to ask such things of the dragon after a judgment.
> *‘Ah, this is what I should do.’*
But contrary to Yuri’s concerns, Kael was busy thinking about how to free his sleeve from Hiazelki’s grip. He gently took her hand that was holding his sleeve. He felt the small hand in his palm. It was so small it was astonishing.
> *“Let’s go now.”*
> *“Ah, yes!”*
Yuri could only watch blankly as Kael and Hiazelkiwalked away, holding hands.
—
Albert, who had been dazedly watching the two about to go for a walk, closed Kael’s door again. Then he hurried to his own room.
Ever since becoming butler and coming to this palace, Albert had never seen Kael go for a walk after completing a punishment. Not only a walk, but he never did anything other than sit by the window in his room and look outside. It was nowhere to be found in the records passed down through the family for generations. The same would be true for everyone staying at the palace.
Everyone here had served the Dragon of Judgment for generations. They received education from their families on how to serve him and were sent to the palace when ready. So they all knew Kael.
The butler picked up his fountain pen and immediately filled in a letter to send to Ciel, as well as the records of the Humphrey family, his own family that had served Kael for generations.
> 「Lord Ciel.
> As you said, the Master is gradually changing.」
Albert wrote in detail how Kahel had changed. Then, as Ciel had instructed, he tucked the letter into the White Dragon’s scale that had been given to him in advance and threw it out the window. The letter instantly rose into the sky and disappeared from sight.
—
*Thud, thud.* *Pitter-patter.*
Heavy footsteps were followed by small steps.
> *“……Papa.”*
Kael reacted to Hiazelkil’s small voice and turned around.
> *“…….”*
Without any answer, he quietly looked down at the child, then turned back and continued walking. Of course, the only one shocked by this small call was Albert, who was walking with them.
The small feet that had been pattering along stopped again.
> *“Papa.”*
This time, it was a slightly louder voice.
Kael’s shoulders flinched, and when he turned around again, Hiazelki only stared up at him with round eyes. Kael, unable to hide his confusion, reached his hand out to the child. Only then did Hiazelki, beaming brightly, take his hand and walk.
When she called out ‘Papa,’ someone turned around. When she stared up at him, he reached out his hand. Since these were all things she had never experienced before, she grew to like staying in this palace more and more.
Things like holding Kael’s hand and taking walks, or shutting themselves in the study where he read books and she learned letters. And when she woke up in the middle of the night, someone would hold her hand.
Hiazelki was happier than words could say.
Even though, in a corner of her mind, Kael’s words about telling fate to go to hell lingered.
Fate. Curse.
Hiazelki had often been lost in thought since that day. And the conclusion she reached was that the curse was the cause.
> *‘If that’s the case, can’t I just break the curse?’*
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy, but if that happened, Hiazelki felt she could completely shake off the past of never being loved by her parents. Especially since she was now living being cherished like this.
Staring blankly at the large hand holding hers, Hiazelki ‘s lips moved. Suddenly, a small impulse arose.
> *“……Papa.”*
After moving her lips for a long while, Hiazelki finally uttered the same word. What she had wanted to say was ‘Daddy.’ Would he still turn around? If she called him that, would he still look at her? Because she wondered. No, perhaps she just wanted to call him that. But it was scary to put that title in her mouth. Because never once had a warm gaze ever been returned to her.
> *“Why do you keep calling me?”*
> *“…….”*
She felt like she had received a similar answer before. But it was different. The voice, the expression, the gaze.
Before coming to this palace, the parents in this life seemed a little different too. Whether it was genuine or not. They were a little different from the parents in her previous three lives. Just a little. But generally, they were always annoyed, thinking her troublesome. And in the end, the emotion that always settled in those gazes was a kind of hatred that Hiazelki didn’t recognize. Something close to revulsion.
> *“……I like it here.”*
At her small voice, Kael’s eyes, quietly gazing at her, glowed faintly. He didn’t give any particular answer but obediently waited for the child’s next words.
> *“I like everyone in the palace.”*
> *“Is that so.”*
> *“Yes. I like everything……”*
> *“…….”*
> *“Of course, Papa too.”*
> *“I see.”*
She had agonized for a long time over whether to say ‘Dragon’ or ‘Papa’ like she had a moment ago before finally speaking.
Albert’s expression, which had been colored with shock, gradually changed as the child’s words continued. His expression softened into a smile, then became one of pity.
Instead of a dry answer, Kael squeezed the child’s hand more firmly.
> *‘……The god’s will.’*
Even if it weren’t that, he thought he should protect her as long as she was by his side. Since she was a human the god loved dearly, he couldn’t just abandon her—that was the excuse Kael repeated to himself.
—
A palace towering over the barren northern lands.
Where the Dragon of Judgment lived, served by a few humans.
It had already been well over a year since a small child had come to that palace.
> *“Young lady.”*
Hiazelki , on her way to the study, stopped at Yuri’s call.
> *“Yes?”*
She would turn six at the end of this year. At first, her speech had been clumsy, but now that was gone. Though she had been steadily pretty ever since the first time they saw her.
Her coral-colored hair was like cherry blossoms blooming in the palace, as if spring had finally come to the always-chilly northern lands. Her eyes, holding brilliant golden irises, left a gentle impression. Golden apples on cherry blossoms—Hiazelkil’s appearance left that kind of impression.
Yuri, whose expression had softened for a moment at the beauty of the child who turned around, shook her head to collect her thoughts. Then she approached with a quite serious face.
> *“You must answer my question properly.”*
> *“Yes, Yuri.”*
Seeing her nod in a composed manner, Yuri asked with a fairly stern face.
> *“Do you know when your birthday is, young lady?”*
> *“Yes.”*
> *“When is it?”*
> *“Winter. The last day when the year ends.”*
It was now quite hot summer. Of course, summer in the northern lands wasn’t that hot—just warm enough.
Turning her head to check the weather outside the window, Yuri let out a deep sigh. Yuri found it strange.
It had been well over a year since Hiazelki came to the palace, nearly two years. Yet Yuri had never once heard the child mention when her birthday was. Yuri made a sad face as if upset.
If her birthday was in winter, on the last day when the year ends, that meant she had simply let the birthdays she had spent at this palace pass without saying a word.
> *“Why didn’t you tell us it was your birthday? It’s partly my fault for not asking sooner, but……”*
> *“Huh? But……”*
Hiazelki was flustered by Yuri’s sulky attitude.
> *“Isn’t a birthday just the day you were born?”*
> *“That’s right. It’s a day to celebrate your birth together with everyone.”*
> *“Celebrate? Isn’t it just a day to remember?”*
Seeing the child’s eyes widen, Yuri became flustered as well.
> *“You’ve never celebrated a birthday before?”*
> *“Is a birthday something to be celebrated?”*
When Hiazelki tilted her head and asked back, Yuri was certain. And as she suspected, Hiazelki had no memory of ever celebrating a birthday. So she hadn’t known that it was something to be so celebrated, received with joy.
She had ended her life three times, and this was her fourth life, yet no one had ever celebrated her birthday. Of course, Yuri didn’t know about Hiazelki ‘s past lives. Nor where or how she had lived before coming to the palace. But knowing her birthday yet not knowing to celebrate it meant her parents hadn’t taught her.
> *‘When she’s so pretty and bright.’*
What on earth had been so unsatisfying that her parents hadn’t even taught her something like this? Usually, parents are the ones who get more excited, celebrating because their own child is precious.
Feeling upset, Yuri let out another deep sigh and looked out the window. Since it was summer now, she would have to wait several more months until winter.
Seeing Yuri so sulky, Hiazelki grew worried.
> *‘Did I do something wrong?’*
Feeling anxious, she gently tugged at Yuri’s sleeve, when Yuri suddenly clapped her hands together.
> *“Ah! Then let’s do this instead.”*
