MDIHC 12

〈012〉

“Oh my gosh, Daniel! That dress is so cute! Let’s buy it!”

“Your feet don’t hurt, right? It’s not too small? Not too big? Great! Then let’s buy this too!”

“Oh my! This is crazy! Daniel, you look so pretty! I saw this in blue earlier—should we try the blue one too? No, wait. The blue will look good on you too anyway. Let’s just get both!”

“Eeeek! Look at this lace! It’s so cute! Let’s get this bed! Oh, it looks like it comes with a matching kids’ sofa. We have to buy that too! Don’t they have a matching desk?”

“Gasp! What is this bunny hat?! It’s totally made for our Daniel! Let’s get it!”

“U-Um, excuse me!”

A small voice called out, urgent but quiet, and a little hand tugged at the hem of my skirt.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

I smiled and looked down at Daniel.

“I-I’m scared!”

“What? Why? Of what? Of who?!”

I immediately hugged Daniel tightly and looked around in a panic. Had someone dangerous shown up? Or had a wild boar wandered into the village? Or… was someone glaring at us because I was being too loud?

“Everything feels scary.”

A muffled voice came from the small figure pressed against my chest.

Oh no—if I keep squeezing, the poor kid might suffocate!

I quickly pulled back and looked at Daniel. Just as he said, he was looking at me with a frightened expression.

“You mean… the situation is scary?”

His small head nodded up and down vigorously.

“What about it is scary?”

“My head feels like it’s spinning, and if I try something on, you buy it… And even if I just look at something out of curiosity, you want to buy it. So I’m scared to look at anything.”

As he said this, Daniel squeezed his eyes shut.

It seems I got way too carried away. But what can I do? Everything looks so good on him!

There were still things I wanted to buy, but seeing Daniel like this… it seemed best to call it a day.

“Really? Then should we go back home for now?”

* * *

“Let’s see~”

Back in the countess’s study, I went through my checkbook, organizing what we bought today and how much we spent. Honestly, it wasn’t about the money—I just wanted to make sure we didn’t miss anything.

“Ah! Curtains! We need to change the curtains too. Dark burgundy blackout curtains in a child’s room? That’s ridiculous.”

I quickly added curtains to my shopping list and went back to reviewing everything thoroughly. We’d gotten five dresses, two pairs of pajamas, and two pairs of shoes, but it still wasn’t enough. Daniel had gotten tired today, so we had to cut things short, but we’d need another shopping trip soon.

“Oh right. A nanny! That should be my priority.”

I marked the word nanny with an asterisk. If I told Madam Perede, she might just hire anyone, so it was best that I handle it myself.

“I’ll ask my sister-in-law tomorrow.”

Her daughter Aisha is only a year younger than Daniel, so she’d definitely know more about this. If I’m lucky, she might even recommend someone good.

“No, better to write a letter and have everyone gather at the house the day after tomorrow. I need to formally introduce Daniel. He should wear the blue dress we got today—or wait, was the yellow one cuter? Sigh… What am I saying? Everything looks cute on him. Either way, everyone should come see our adorable Daniel.”

Originally, I’d planned to stop by the house after shopping and introduce Daniel to everyone with Pomotz, but we had to head home early because Daniel got scared from my shopping frenzy.

Actually, maybe that was for the best. What if someone wasn’t home and missed seeing how cute Daniel is? That would be a disaster.

World, listen up! Look at my daughter—she’s this cute!!

* * *

“My lady, dinner is ready.”

I lifted my head at the knock and voice. Between the pile of papers and receipts, I could just make out the clock hands.

7:15. A fairly late dinner time, at least compared to Pomotz.

“Okay.”

My neck and back were sore from hunching over so long. Thinking about Lord Winchester and Daniel waiting for me, I didn’t waste any time stretching and headed straight to the dining room.

“Huh?”

The moment I reached the dining room, I let out a confused sound. While I had eaten lunch with Daniel outside, I had breakfast here, so I already knew the room was excessively large.

But I didn’t expect only the two ends of the long table—enough to seat twenty people—to be set. And not for three, but just two people.

“Is something wrong?”

Lord Winchester asked as I stood there, staring at the setup. Indeed, one of the two seats was clearly his. And the remaining one—was mine. There was no place set for Daniel.

“Where’s Daniel?”

“It’s a child’s bedtime, isn’t it?”

He asked me in return. Even for a child, 7 PM didn’t feel like an appropriate bedtime for a six-year-old. Aisha, who’s one year younger than Daniel, didn’t go to bed until around 9. Or maybe Daniel just needs more sleep?

“Usually, that’s not bedtime for kids his age.”

I tilted my head as I sat down. Now I was facing Lord Winchester—probably.

“If only Lord Winchester’s features were a little less defined, I wouldn’t even know where his eyes, nose, and mouth were.”

He was so far away, I couldn’t tell where he was looking or what expression he had. Fortunately, his sharp features were distinct enough that I could at least tell it was him sitting there.

“Well, they say daughters resemble their fathers. To have a daughter as pretty as Daniel, the father needs to be this handsome too.”

I silently convinced myself as I looked toward him. Though I couldn’t see his expression, I noticed he picked up a utensil once I sat down, seemingly waiting for me. I followed his lead and lifted my spoon to start on the soup.

“……”

“……”

This wasn’t a silent game of freeze tag, yet the room was filled with silence and stillness. At least my tableware clinked slightly, but over there—perhaps thanks to elite noble manners—there wasn’t even a sound.

This dinner was the polar opposite of the ones at Pomotz, where we’d share stories, laugh, and chat. Instead, it reminded me more of meal times at the orphanage where I grew up.

No one was allowed to talk. Even playing around a little could get you dragged out and left to starve. It was that kind of suffocating silence and pressure.

“Dinner is quite late today.”

I couldn’t take it anymore—my past trauma bubbling up—so I broke the silence. I even raised my voice a little since we were so far apart. Judging by how Lord Winchester’s hand paused, he must’ve heard me.

“Is that so?”

His low voice carried surprisingly well, maybe because he had good projection or simply because no one else was around.

“If dinner’s too late, you don’t need to wait for me. Please feel free to eat earlier.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that.”

I quickly responded. Breakfast might be okay alone, but eating dinner by candlelight in a room this big—no matter how fancy the food—just felt pitiful.

“What time do you wake up?”

“I always wake at 5:30.”

“That’s quite early. Is it for morning training?”

“You needn’t feel pressured. Please wake as you like.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

No matter what I said, his responses gave no room for conversation. It was hard to keep talking.

“Does he not want to talk?”

Was I bothering him by trying to start a conversation? I looked over at him again.

“I can’t tell from here!”

No matter how sharp his features were, I still couldn’t make out his expression from this distance. So I didn’t know if he was annoyed, in a bad mood, or just naturally curt.

“Um, Lord Winchester?”

He lifted his head and looked at me. I think. I couldn’t really see, but he moved.

“If it’s not rude… may I come sit closer?”

“……”

The usually quick-to-respond Lord Winchester said nothing.

Did he not hear me?

And… he looked frozen. At least, I think he did. It was hard to tell from this distance.