“I, I see.”

Aria’s lips trembled as she realized her gift might suddenly become enshrined in family history.

It wasn’t even a particularly well-drawn picture. Unlike Bonita, Aria had no talent in art, music, or crafts.

‘No, they’re just exaggerating about keeping it forever.’

Surely they wouldn’t actually make it an heirloom to be passed down. The cup could break at any time.

Brushing off those thoughts, Aria looked at Luke and asked:

“…You must have really liked the gift?”

“…”

Luke’s hand stopped at those words. His red eyes calmly gazed at Aria.

“How did you know?”

“Huh? Know what?”

“I never once mentioned that this was a gift from someone.”

It was a gift Elodie had given him privately when they were alone.

It wasn’t even for their wedding. It was exchanged during a private party on their first Christmas after they started dating.

‘Did Elodie tell her?’

Elodie and Aria had a very close relationship. Even if she hadn’t explicitly told her, she might have been there while Elodie was drawing.

So it shouldn’t be that strange.

Yes, it shouldn’t be, but…

“Haha… Well, I saw Elodie drawing on it before. Of course I knew.”

“…I see.”

Luke replied, but he couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.

It was still unpleasant.

He didn’t want to talk about this topic anymore. Luke changed the subject to Bonita.

“Rotaern said Bonita seems like a genius.”

He hadn’t confirmed it himself yet.

But he’d heard about the level of problems Bonita solved, and that she could solve complex calculations faster than the teacher.

There was no reason for him to lie. Any lie would be exposed quickly anyway.

Aria, on the other hand, thought a bit differently.

“Oh, does he draw as well?”

“Draw?”

Luke raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant.

“What drawing are you suddenly talking about?”

“Huh? Weren’t you talking about drawing? You said Bonita was a genius…”

“What I heard was about mathematics, though?”

“What do you mean?”

“What are you talking about?”

They stared at each other blankly.

Luke forgot his previous discomfort and looked at Aria with a bewildered expression.

She also had a look of incomprehension. It didn’t seem like she was lying just to tease him.

“So… The tutor said Bonita is a math genius?”

To be precise, she was incredibly fast at arithmetic related to money, but the basic content was similar.

Luke nodded.

“That’s exactly what he said. He said that at least for simple calculations, she’s faster than professional calculators. He said that if she understands other concepts, she’ll be able to easily grasp mathematics overall.”

Aria’s eyes wavered in confusion.

‘Our child has talent in math too?’

To put it bluntly, neither Luke nor Elodie were particularly gifted in art or mathematics.

It’s true that Luke had attained the secret techniques of swordsmanship, but that was a completely different kind of talent.

“What’s this about drawing?”

“Well… I told you before that Bonita drew very well? At the children’s social gathering?”

Luke nodded.

When he heard that, he thought it would be nice to see Bonita’s drawings sometime.

However, even after hearing she was a genius, he didn’t particularly expect her to be a ‘genius’ in the objective sense. He just thought she drew a little better than other children her age. That was separate from loving his daughter.

“Wait, so that wasn’t an exaggeration either?”

“What do you mean, exaggeration?”

Aria made a face that said ‘don’t be ridiculous’.

“Have you ever seen me say empty words?”

“I don’t know you well enough to say.”

“Anyway! I don’t say empty words. I don’t lie…”

Aria was about to swear she never lied, but remembering the recent lies she’d told about her identity, she changed her words.

“I hardly ever lie!”

“…The more I see, you’re quite ambiguously honest, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It’s not a compliment.”

Luke clicked his tongue and stood up. He carefully placed the empty bear mug on the table.

“Where are you going?”

“Do I have to report every little thing to you?”

“Why are you being so twisted? You’re obviously curious and going to see Bonita.”

Luke didn’t bother to answer.

Aria followed along behind Luke. She was just as eager to confirm if Bonita was really a math genius.

She glared at Luke’s broad back, not unkindly.

‘His personality itself isn’t bad.’

At least, that’s what the Elodie inside Aria thought.

Luke had always been kind to her. He was polite to others and, unlike most high nobles, didn’t mistreat or oppress the servants.

She believed, for now, that the ominous rumors about him were just due to his scary appearance.

Even now, when he was treating her so harshly.

He was simply guarding himself while accepting her because she was related to Bonita. Seen that way, it was quite pitiful and regrettable.

Elodie had no memories of the past 6 years. From her perspective, she had possessed Aria almost immediately after dying.

But Luke was different.

He had felt the passage of time day by day for the past 6 years, longing for Elodie’s empty place and suffering.

The pain, though lessened, hadn’t completely disappeared even now that he had Bonita back.

Because a child is not a substitute for a wife. They are different things.

‘Will I ever be able to reveal it?’

It was a daunting question.

Perhaps Bonita might someday figure out her “mother’s” true identity.

Wasn’t she a smart and perceptive child, enough to realize that she wasn’t the real Aria?

But Luke…

“Ah!”

Lost in thought, Aria hurried her steps as she saw Luke walking far ahead.

“Wait, let’s go together!”

“…You’re noisy.”

“That’s because you went ahead. If we’re going to the same place anyway, isn’t it better to go together?”

“I don’t see why we need to.”

“Not everything in the world revolves around necessity.”

Hearing those words, Luke inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘She won’t back down on anything.’

Even this trait seemed to resemble someone, and Luke tiredly rubbed his face. He must be going crazy.

“Huh?”

Bonita, who had been munching on a cookie, blinked her big eyes at the sudden request from the two adults.

Munch munch, gulp!

Bonita chewed and swallowed all the cookie in her mouth, moving her cheeks diligently.

It was impolite to speak while eating something.

“Will you draw a picture?”

“Yes.”

Luke said with an awkward smile.

“I’m not forcing you, but we were supposed to spend time together today, right? Instead of games, how about we draw pictures together?”

In his hands were a new sketchbook and adult paints. Of course, there were pencils too.

Bonita’s puzzled expression brightened. While games were good, the proposal to draw together wasn’t bad either.

In fact, she liked it even more.

“Okay!”

As Bonita exclaimed excitedly, Aria, who had been watching, made a further suggestion.

“How about drawing each other’s faces?”

“Faces?”

Luke asked in a perplexed tone. Aria whispered in Luke’s ear.

“Don’t you want to have a portrait of yourself drawn by Bonita?”

“…!”

Indeed. He did want that.

“That’s a good suggestion.”

“I like it too.”

Enthusiasm returned to Bonita’s face, as she had started to get bored of playing with blocks alone.

Bonita sat down, taking up a pencil and paper. Her small face was utterly serious as she observed Luke.

The drawing pencil in Bonita’s hand moved without hesitation. There was not a trace of uncertainty in her line drawing.

“…Have you already started?”

Luke, who had been watching quietly, asked, but no answer came. Bonita was completely absorbed in drawing.

Luke quickly picked up a pencil too.

However, it was a struggle from the start.

‘Ugh.’

The curved line he drew to shape the face was crooked. Luke hurriedly erased the drawn part with an eraser.

Aria watched the two with an interested gaze. Both Luke, who was struggling with a blank expression, scribbling lines, and her daughter, who had pursed her lips and fallen into her own world, were cute and lovable.

“Why is this…”

Luke muttered dejectedly as he ruined his work again, rubbing vigorously with the eraser. Each time, eraser shavings fell.

Aria, who had been chuckling at the sight, soon wanted to move to see how Bonita was drawing.

“Wait a moment!”

Until Bonita shouted like that.

Even Luke, who had been drawing, stopped and widened his eyes at the child’s exclamation.

He asked:

“Do you mean me?”

“No, Aria! I’m drawing you too. Stay still.”

“Ah, okay.”

Aria, who had been half-rising, immediately sat back down next to Luke.

Bonita’s hand began to move again. Meanwhile, Luke…

“Pfft.”

“Don’t laugh.”

He warned in a slightly fierce tone. But what he was drawing was such a mess that it wasn’t scary at all.

Some time passed like that.

Luke did his best to draw Bonita’s face.

The lines were crooked, the coloring was awkward, and it was hard to tell if it was a girl or some new kind of monster, but it was a work completed with his own affection.

“I’m done!”

Eventually, Bonita exclaimed with a satisfied look.

“Can Dad see it?”

“Of course.”

Bonita said.

“We’ll show each other on the count of three. Okay?”