But things were relatively better for Venti. Pretending to have other errands, she could casually pass by, and if someone noticed her, it would be easy to inquire about the situation.

‘She’s good at meddling in various places. Well, that’s fortunate. Now, it might be helpful.’
Meiana wrapped Ariante’s hair and washed her face and body in turn. As long as there was a snack to offer, Ariante would endure the bath relatively peacefully.

However, it was only when Meiana was around. Venti, even if she brought snacks by the cartload, was destined to be completely helpless against Ariante’s water antics. After finishing the bath, Ariante would grumble from head to toe, wet from head to toe, becoming a daily routine.

Until Ariante’s wet hair became fluffy, Meiana wiped and dried her meticulously. From the ends, Meiana slowly combed through her hair, finally twisting ribbons into the spaces in between.

Although Ariante originally had curly hair that didn’t need any styling, putting ribbons on it could at least prevent the hair from tangling during the night.

“Meiana, do you know how to sing a lullaby?”

Meiana, who was dimming the lamp, looked back at the Ariante lying on the bed.

“A lullaby? Well… I know how to sing one.”

“I’ve never heard a lullaby before.”

Her fingers, which seemed to want to say something as if she was going to show a small finger, wriggled ambiguously. Seeing that, Meiana could quickly understand what Ariante wanted to say. She wanted Meiana to sing a lullaby, but it was evidently too embarrassing for her to say it directly.

‘I can accept this level of response for now.’

Meiana thought.

“My lady, shall I sing a lullaby for you?”

Looking at Meiana as if she really couldn’t believe it, Ariante finally covered her face with the sheet, holding it with her fingers. Then she began to murmur with a half-hidden face. As if Meiana had believed she had momentarily fainted.

Meiana didn’t show any reaction to the young girl’s vague intentions and sat by Ariante’s head. And then she gently patted the little body covered in the sheet.

“To listen to a lullaby, my lady, you need to close your eyes.”

“Can’t I listen with my eyes open?”

“If you have your eyes open, the fairies can’t sprinkle sleeping dust. Your eyes might get irritated.”

“There are no fairies sprinkling sleeping dust in the world. I know that too.”

Meiana replied.

“No, there are fairies. My lady, your teeth shake, right? Later, the fairy will take your baby teeth. And in return, they give you sturdy and beautiful adult teeth. If you keep saying there are no fairies, it might play tricks on you.”

“Then what happens? Will the adult teeth not grow?”

“It might happen. Or maybe crooked and mischievous teeth like the bad fairies in the stories might grow.”

Suddenly, Ariante, who had become quiet as if pondering something, burst into laughter like a naughty troublemaker.

“I hope crooked and mischievous teeth grow. Like a shark. Then, I’ll bite all the people who try to harm me.”

Meiana lightly tapped Ariante’s small nose with her fingertips.

“Now close your eyes. That way, I can sing a lullaby for you.”
Ariante’s eyes closed smoothly. As they extended down and curved, a glimmer of light flickered over her long, curving eyelashes.

At times like this, Meiana always thought that if fairies really existed, they would undoubtedly look exactly like Ariante. Even if they were stern and stubborn fairies…

A light tapping sound was heard. From between Meiana’s lips, which had been quiet like a goldfish, a soft singing voice flowed out.

“Butterfly sugar, rose sugar. The sound of square-shaped snowflake sugar. Gathered and mixed, it became a princess.”

Ariante’s eyelids twitched. Meiana moved only her lips, quietly smiling, and continued to sing.

“Apple sugar, ginger sugar. The sound of crispy dandelion sugar. Gathered and mixed, it became a cuckoo bird.”

With her eyes tightly closed, Ariante hummed softly.

“Why did it become a cuckoo bird when mixed with sugar?”

Meiana couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.

“My lady, you need to sleep.”

“But I’m curious.”

“Let’s think about it together tomorrow, then.”

Ariante seemed reluctant, but while Meiana gently comforted her, she soon fell asleep. After walking around all day, she must have been tired. Was it because the village was a bit noisy?

“Don’t have bad dreams, sleep well, our Lady Ariante.”

Meiana, who lightly kissed her on the round forehead, quietly closed the bedroom door and went outside. Looking out at the darkened window, she clenched her fist a little. She also lowered the light of the lamp in the living room a bit.

At that moment, the door opened, and Venti returned. Seeing Meiana standing in the living room, she sighed as if relieved and then whispered urgently.

“Something big has happened.”

Today seems to be full of significant events, Meiana thought.

But what Venti meant by a significant event wouldn’t be just the paper balloon deflating to some extent… Suddenly, her chest tightened again. Like when it was written on paper, she felt embarrassed as if caught off guard.

“What happened?”

Venti said.

“Greta escaped. Jocelyn, the steward, told the servants to guard the warehouse, but they disappeared too. There’s no doubt they ran away together. And the Duke is supposed to arrive tomorrow.”