“I’m really envious……”

The next morning. After hearing about what happened last night, Rublion muttered with slumped shoulders.

“Mom, is it not moving right now?”

“Seems not. It must be sleeping.”

“Aww, that’s too bad.”

Rublion lowered his head and whispered softly.

“Little sibling, sleep well.”

Then he placed his palm on my belly and patted it. Such a mature child, smiling so kindly and saying goodnight to a sibling not yet born.

It felt like my nose was tingling and bubbles were bursting in my chest.

Having seen such lethal kindness from the morning, I arrived at Black Swan with my lips curled up endlessly, and sat face to face with Murteng who had brought a new work.

He asked if he could talk to me for a moment, saying he heard that Ranson was planning to establish an art academy in Terabita.

“This may be an impolite thing to say to you, madam, but I want to see a wider world with my own eyes.”

For someone who lives every day with alcohol and women, it was a rather future-oriented statement.

“I think experiencing a completely new environment will also provide good inspiration. So……”

Somehow, it seemed like he was about to bring up terminating the contract.

“I plan to stay in Terabita for the time being.”

When he was at the art gallery, Murteng was quite close with Ranson. He even stood up for him against Harvy and Michen’s bullying.

Because of that friendship, he willingly followed when Ranson transferred to Black Swan. And now he’s telling me he wants to leave for Terabita where his friend is.

“I intend to focus on my artwork while staying in Terabita during the contract period.”

I listened to his words without interruption. In my mind, I also recalled how much time was left on Murteng’s exclusive contract.

“Is what you want simply to go to Terabita? Or is there another reason?”

“……There is another reason as well.”

As expected. It seems he has the art academy in mind.

“Murteng. You may leave Black Swan when the Terabita art academy is established.”

“Pardon? But the contract……”

Knowing how difficult the path is for an art academy that cannot retain skilled artists, I couldn’t bring myself to coldly say no.

Artenbach has an art gallery and senior artists, so letting one person go won’t shake our foundations.

“It’s alright. I’ll discuss that part separately with the Duke of Terabita.”

“Thank……you.”

Murteng stood up and bowed deeply. It was a moment when the saying “where there’s a meeting, there’s a parting” felt especially poignant.

In fact, Rublion had been writing a diary in a small notebook since the day he learned of Schmidt’s pregnancy. Most of it was things he wanted to say to his sibling, and there was also a bit of bragging about how great of an older brother he would be.

Today too, after writing down all he wanted to say to his sibling, Rublion headed to the library. Unable to sleep, he had gone to get a scented candle, and upon hearing the doctor’s advice that it would be good to read books for pregnant women, he immediately put it into action.

Rublion went around here and there in the bookshelves, pulling out a pile of books about pregnancy and childbirth. Then he stacked them on a desk near the window where sunlight shone well.

Anyone who saw might think he was writing a thesis, but this admirable boy was studying what precautions to take for his beloved mother and the sibling to be born.

“Young master.”

Rublion, who had been so focused on reading that he didn’t even notice someone approaching right next to him, was startled and lifted his head abruptly.

“What are you doing here?”

Riena, dressed in a blue dress with a white fur-trimmed cape, was standing in front of him. Rublion closed the book he was reading.

“I was looking for what I could do for mom.”

“Hmm.”

Riena’s eyes scanned the titles of the books piled on the desk. The theme pointed in one direction.

“Want me to help? Can you read all of this by yourself?”

At Riena’s words, Rublion tilted his head to the side.

“I can read all of this in half a day.”

Riena’s eyes widened in surprise. It was a speed that she and Rambermon could never achieve.

“R-really?”

A good opportunity had flown away. Riena just plopped down next to him. Then she picked up the book on top of the pile.

“It’ll end faster if we look together. I’ll help you.”

Rublion’s mind spun around trying to interpret the girl’s language. After completing his analysis, the boy answered with a bright smile.

“Okay, thank you.”

Whether it was the right answer or not, Riena smiled broadly. The boy stole glances at the girl sitting next to him in between reading. His heart was pounding.

How much time had passed? As the sun began to set, the library became a little dark. Only then realizing that quite some time had passed, Rublion closed the book he was reading and lifted his head.

Thud.

The sound of a heavy object falling was heard right next to him. Riena’s arm was spread out freely.

‘She fell asleep.’

Riena, who didn’t particularly like books enough to seek them out to read unless necessary, had completely fallen into a deep sleep. Rublion moved to sit close beside Riena, who had her head leaning against the wall.

Then he carefully pulled the girl’s head onto his shoulder with his hand.

Rublion let out a puff of breath through his nose, his heart pounding and fluttering. The thought of Riena sleeping leaning on his shoulder made him feel so good.

The boy looked at the girl’s hand that had fallen down. Then he quietly wriggled, trying not to wake her from sleep, to hold her hand.

“Just hold it comfortably, young master.”

Riena, who he thought was sleeping, suddenly opened her eyes and spoke clearly. Rublion’s shoulders jerked in surprise.

Riena took Rublion’s hand first. Then she closed her eyes again and opened her mouth.

“You know. I have a favor to ask.”

Rublion, grabbing his pounding heart in surprise, answered.

“What is it?”

Riena, still leaning on his shoulder, said.

“Don’t call me young lady, call me by my name.”

“……”

Rublion, who had reached his trembling limit, couldn’t answer. He would surely know that calling each other by name between noble boys and girls symbolizes more than just familiarity.

“And I want to call you by your name too.”

Riena lifted her head from his shoulder. Then she turned her head and looked him straight in the eyes.

“You’ll do that, right?”

Cupid’s arrow flew and struck the young boy’s heart. Rublion, who was originally cute but especially cuter today, nodded his head vigorously towards Riena.

“Thank you, Rublion.”

Riena, smiling brightly, asked if there were any books left to read. Rublion answered that a few were left and he could take them to his room to read.

On the mezzanine railing of the library that the two children had left, there were eyes that had seen this whole situation. It was Askal and Schmidt, who were spending time in the library on their day off.

“Terabita……”

“It’s not bad. There’s no possibility of political entanglement either.”

He tapped his fingers on the railing. Though they seemed to get along well, they were still children, so he thought to watch a bit longer. If they were still close after a few years had passed, then it would be time to reconsider.

The sky clouded over and snow began to fall from early morning. In Artenbach, where more than half the year is winter, this was a normal level.

‘Today I can take a walk in a different atmosphere?’

If a little more snow piled up, we could make snowmen too. Rublion would like that, right? He enjoyed playing in Modesto too.

After finishing lunch, I walked out into the garden, treading on the path where snow had piled up softly since morning. I could hear children’s laughter in the distance.

“Is Rublion perhaps with the twins?”

The maid accompanying me on the walk answered that he was. I headed in the direction the sound was coming from.

An untimely war was taking place in the open space beyond the garden.

The duke’s children were one team, and the opposing team was the knight order’s apprentice knights. I had seen them playing together occasionally as they were of similar age. It seems they’ve been playing more often since the sparring incident.

I sat on a chair a little away from the open space so as not to interfere with the children’s play. They had piled up sandbags from who knows where like ramparts, and were throwing snowballs packed into toy catapults as big as their forearms.

“This won’t do! Charge!”

The child who seemed to be the captain of the apprentice knights shouted with all his might. At that, Riena and Rublion stood up from behind the rampart and dashed out. And they slipped together in harmony.

“They’ve fallen! Attack!”

The knight captain ordered an attack. The children threw snow at Riena and Rublion. What was too cute even in this situation was Rublion crawling over to cover Riena’s body, protecting her from getting hit by the snow.

“Huh? Mom?”

Rublion, lying in the snow field getting pelted with snow, spotted me and raised his head. The apprentice knights all stopped their movements at once and bowed towards me.

“How long have you been here?”

A surprised Rublion jumped up and ran over. I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and dusted off Rublion’s head and hands.

“I heard sounds while taking a walk and came over. Looks like you’re having fun playing?”

“Yes, we were having a snowball fight. No, more importantly, you shouldn’t stay here long!”

Rublion suddenly shouted.

“I heard that pregnant women can’t take medicine even if they catch a cold. What if you catch a cold from staying here?”

The child glared with his hands on his hips.

“There’s a lot of snow today too, so the path will be slippery. What if you fall?”

“It wasn’t that slippery though?”

“No. No way. You need to stay warm.”

Then Rublion dismissed the opposing apprentice knights. I said not to mind me and play comfortably, feeling like I had become a nuisance, but the child flatly refused.

“Madam.”

In the middle of being scolded, even Askal appeared. I couldn’t close my mouth at the sight of five cloaks and outer garments in his hands.