Eriel, who was lying in bed, came to her senses at the sound of birds chirping.

As she rubbed her eyes and turned her body, she felt a firm body next to her.

Having barely managed to fall asleep last night, she seemed to have slept in uncharacteristically late.

Eriel covered her eyes with her palm against the sunlight streaming through the windows.

“Eriel.”

“…Damian?”

Damian pulled Eriel close.

Just as Eriel, trapped in his arms, was about to close her eyes again while resting her cheek against his firm chest,

“Bruno sent you a letter.”

It felt like having hot tea splashed on her face.

Suddenly wide awake, Eriel stirred in Damian’s arms, her eyes snapping open.

“A letter? What kind of letter?”

“Hmm…”

Damian’s arms tightened around Eriel, firmly holding her in place. Eriel stopped trying to get up and just tilted her head to look at Damian.

In the sunlight, Damian’s golden hair reflected, shining almost like platinum.

The blue eyes within moved slowly from side to side.

It seemed he was reading the letter while keeping Eriel in his arms.

“What does it say?”

Eriel asked curiously. Damian let out a small chuckle and seemed to finish reading the letter as he lowered his head.

As his eyes met Eriel’s, Damian immediately smiled at her.

The sound of paper being torn up could be heard from behind Eriel’s head.

“Bruno says he’s coming to visit the Duke’s mansion. I’ll have to go to the port for a while, so I’ll only have time tomorrow. What’s your schedule like?”

At Damian’s words, Eriel slowly nodded as she recalled yesterday’s memories.

As much as she didn’t want to meet him if possible, it seemed difficult to refuse in a situation Damian had allowed.

Damian was also busy attending events like banquets and award ceremonies, so he probably needed time to enjoy hunting with his brother.

“Tomorrow? That’s fine.”

“That’s good.”

Damian finally released Eriel. As Eriel sat up, she looked over the bed.

A few scraps of paper that had escaped Damian’s hand remained like traces.

“But why did you…”

Tear up the letter?

Eriel turned her head back as she brushed the paper scraps onto the floor.

Damian, who had already gotten out of bed, threw the paper scraps he held in his hand straight into the trash can and was heading to the bathroom.

It was strange, but she figured he just tore it up.

More importantly, I wonder what our daughter is doing after waking up this morning.

Eriel got up from the bed with a cheerful smile.

As she naturally turned her head towards the mirror in front of her after getting out of bed,

Eriel let out a short scream.

“My lady! My lady! Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

On my neck! On my neck!

The maids waiting outside knocked on the door.

Eriel squeezed her eyes shut as she looked at her reddened neck.

“…No. It’s nothing.”

*

“Mom, today… you’re wearing a muffler?”

Lucy tilted her head as she looked at Eriel.

“Ah, the muffler looked pretty today.”

“Then I want to wear a muffler like Mom too.”

“Sure, sure. Should our daughter wear a muffler too?”

Eriel nodded as she combed Lucy’s hair.

“Derek is coming to the Duke’s mansion tomorrow.”

“Brother Derek? Why is Brother Derek coming to the Duke’s mansion? He has no reason to…”

Lucy tilted her head in confusion, and Eriel let out a small laugh.

She could really feel that Lucy’s lines of affection were clear.

As soon as she heard that someone she didn’t like was coming to the Duke’s mansion, she immediately acted as if she couldn’t understand why they were coming when there was no business.

“I think he wants to talk with Lucy.”

Even as she said this, Eriel hesitated a bit.

In fact, it probably wasn’t Derek’s intention. But still, there was no need to speak badly of it.

Looking at her daughter’s face reflected in the mirror, Lucy let out a deep sigh.

“Do you… not like Derek very much?”

“There’s nothing to like about him.”

Lucy shook her head and met Eriel’s eyes in the mirror.

Eriel smiled gently at Lucy.

“Still, when Derek comes, you should welcome him. Okay? He’s a guest coming to the Duke’s mansion. And he’s your only cousin who’s coming to see you, right?”

“…If I must.”

Lucy puffed out her cheeks in a sulky expression.

Eriel burst out laughing as she saw this in the mirror.

Because of this, Lucy’s hair that she was trying to tie into a ponytail slipped out of her grasp.

“Why is Brother Derek coming to our house? I know it’s a lie that he’s coming because he wants to see me. Did Aunt Jessica say something?”

It seemed that detecting subtle energies was the same for adults and children alike.

Eriel shook her head at Lucy, who had specifically mentioned Jessica.

“No. I heard your father and Uncle Bruno might enjoy some light hunting behind the garden?”

As soon as she heard Eriel’s words, Lucy banged on the table and opened her eyes wide as if she had realized something.

“Hunting! That’s right, hunting!”

Eriel tilted her head to the side as she gathered Lucy’s scattered hair again.

“Hm? Hunting?”

“No, I mean… hunting…”

Lucy laughed awkwardly and waved her hands as if to say no, then went back to fiddling with the glass marbles placed on the table.

Eriel smiled gently as she tied Lucy’s hair.

With the ponytail, Lucy’s pretty head shape became even more prominent.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

Eriel made a ta-da gesture with her hands spread wide behind Lucy’s head.

Lucy gave a thumbs up as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“As expected of our mom!”

“Really? I’m glad you like it. Then shall we choose a muffler for our Lucy’s neck?”

Eriel instructed the maid waiting behind to bring mufflers.

While waiting for the maids, Lucy snuggled into Eriel’s arms.

“Mom. But… you know…”

Lucy, who had suddenly hugged her, called out to Eriel hesitantly.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Is it true that Derek often goes hunting with Uncle?”

At Lucy’s question, Eriel briefly searched her memory.

There wasn’t much that came to mind, but thinking about it, Jessica had said something like that at a tea party a few months ago.

That Derek really liked hunting and was good at it, so he often went with Bruno.

“I think so. Why…? Does Lucy want to go hunting too?”

Eriel asked, hoping it wasn’t the case.

As much as she wanted to let Lucy do what she liked as much as possible, she didn’t want dangerous objects like guns or knives near Lucy.

The slingshot that children often used for hunting was the same.

“No. I’m not interested in hunting at all. Rather than that… well…”

Lucy hesitated again. At that moment, the maid came with various types of mufflers on her arms.

Eriel picked out a few mufflers to match Lucy’s bright yellow dress.

Eriel sat Lucy, who was half in her arms, back in the chair and met her eyes.

“Rather than that…?”

Eriel waited for Lucy’s words as she tried a few mufflers around Lucy’s neck.

“When will I play with Dad?”

Eriel’s hand stopped as she was matching the colors with the mufflers.

“Dad… is at home now, right? Like, Dad just received such a big gift from His Majesty the Emperor. So… isn’t he at home now?”

Eriel looked at Lucy’s green eyes and opened her eyes wide as if she had been hit hard on the back of the head.

“Brother Derek always brags that he often goes out to play with Uncle Bruno. He’ll probably brag about it again when he comes tomorrow…”

As Eriel couldn’t answer, the child’s feet that didn’t touch the ground moved in the air.

There was a bit of sullenness in her lowered gaze.

“We’re both from the Genova family, so why… is Dad always busy for me?”

Eriel put down the muffler on the side table for a moment. Then she carefully took Lucy’s hands.

“Dad… will be home now.”

Eriel told Lucy. And she just blurted out the words that had been lingering in her throat.

“Yes, let’s go on a family trip.”

It was a promise that was close to impossible considering Damian’s schedule, but… I don’t know.

As soon as she heard her daughter’s words, she felt something unbearable. It felt like it would be okay to just say it first.

“A family trip? Really? I’m so happy! Can I tell Brother Derek when he comes?”

“…Of course!”

Eriel nodded vigorously.

“Mom, then when are we going? Let’s go soon!”

Lucy got up from her seat and jumped up and down.

To be this happy just for a family trip. One corner of her heart ached.

“I’ll ask Dad first.”

“Can’t you ask him now?”

Lucy tugged at Eriel’s sleeve.

“Okay. I’ll be right back!”

Knock knock.

“Damian?”

Eriel arrived at the study and knocked.

Usually, Damian would do his work in the bedroom, but today the butler said he had gone up to the study.

It seemed he was quite busy, having just returned to the empire.

“Come in, Eriel.”

At Damian’s permission, Eriel opened the door.

Damian, who was sitting at the desk, took his eyes off the book he was reading and raised his head for a moment.

Damian’s blue eyes gazed at Eriel. It meant to tell him right away if she had any business.

“Well…”

However, now that she had come all the way to Damian, Eriel’s lips wouldn’t open easily.

“Well…”

Eriel, who had repeated the same word, turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

Damian, who had been silently staring at Eriel, raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Well…”

Eriel squeezed her eyes shut, recalling Lucy’s green eyes.

“Let’s go on a family trip!”

Eriel, who had shouted it out, slowly opened her eyes.

Damian’s gaze, which had been looking up at her, quickly lowered.

His fingers opening the book he had closed seemed to be drawing an X.