As May arrived, the bathtub was filled with colorful flowers.

It was Melly’s job to fill Blair’s bathtub with flower petals.

‘Yesterday it was red roses, today it’s lilacs. I wonder what flowers she’ll use tomorrow.’

Blair smiled at the fragrance of the flowers Melly had filled the tub with and finished her bath in a good mood.

After leaving the bathroom, she headed to Asiel’s room. It was to say goodnight to the child and watch him fall asleep.

This had been her daily routine for the past 8 years since Asiel was born, never skipped except for days when he was sick or there were special circumstances.

“Asiel, are you asleep?”

As she knocked, there was a clattering sound from inside the room, followed by Asiel’s urgent voice.

“J-just a moment!”

Though she couldn’t see inside the room, Blair could tell from the sound alone that the child was trying to hide something.

A bittersweet smile spread across Blair’s face as she waited.

‘He’s reached the age where he’s making secrets now.’

It was somewhat disappointing that he was creating secrets from her, thinking he had grown up, but she had no intention of forcibly uncovering the child’s secret.

After waiting for a moment, the closed door opened and Asiel appeared.

With slightly curly black hair and violet eyes like preserved violets, the child was gradually coming to resemble the portraits of Herdin’s childhood.

“I made a mess with my toys, so I was cleaning up…”

The child fumbled to explain why he was late in opening the door before Blair could even ask. It was clear he was hiding something.

However, Blair didn’t inquire further and changed the subject.

“Are you ready for tomorrow’s banquet?”

“Yes! I’ve prepared a gift for the baby too.”

Tomorrow, all three of them were scheduled to attend a banquet held at the Pellick Marquis’s residence. It was for the first birthday of Johann’s youngest daughter.

Blair stroked the child’s hair.

“Well done. Lucy will be pleased.”

“What about Father?”

“Your father seems to be running late because he went out quite far today. I’ll tuck you in tonight.”

“You don’t have to…”

Asiel spoke without thinking, then realizing his words could be taken differently, he hastily added,

“I-I mean… not that I don’t want you to, but it must be troublesome for you, Mother. You must be busy. And I’m not a baby anymore.”

Blair blinked at Asiel’s statement.

Of course, he had grown a lot compared to when he was a newborn, but he was still smaller than Blair. Small enough to fit snugly in her arms when hugged.

It was cute yet somewhat saddening to hear him say he wasn’t a baby anymore, despite that.

“It’s not troublesome. You’re my top priority, you know.”

Asiel lay down on the bed, and Blair turned off the lamp beside it. Unlike before, she did it naturally. It was a big change that came after becoming a mother.

“Ah, right.”

Asiel, who was about to close his eyes in the darkened room, suddenly seemed to remember something and clasped his hands together. It looked like he was making a wish.

“Asiel?”

As Blair looked at the child with curious eyes, Asiel whispered with his eyes still closed.

“You told me before that if I had a wish, I should pray every day, right? So lately, I’ve been praying every night before bed.”

Blair then recalled telling Asiel about her childhood a few days ago.

‘If you pray earnestly every day, sometimes God will hear your voice and grant it.’

Of course, her childhood wish for Katrina to love her hadn’t come true.

But there was Esmeralda, who loved her like a daughter in Katrina’s place, and she received overflowing love.

And the wish she had made for Herdin, although it took a very long time, eventually came true, so it could be said that wish was granted.

Blair waited until the child opened his eyes and then gently asked.

“What’s your wish?”

“A sib…”

Asiel, who was about to tell his mother as usual, seemed to remember something belatedly and closed his mouth.

“They say you shouldn’t tell your wish. So it’s a secret.”

“That just makes me more curious, you know?”

“Still, I can’t tell you.”

Blair chuckled at the child’s resolute attitude and stroked his soft hair.

“I’m sure God will grant your wish too.”

Then she kissed the child’s round forehead and whispered.

“Sweet dreams, my little one.”

Her voice, as soft and gentle as cotton, settled into the darkness of the night.

Whenever Asiel heard his mother’s voice like that, he felt as if his chest was filled with that cotton. When he felt that way, his true feelings always leaked out before he could think.

“I love you, Mother.”

“I love you too, darling.”

The sound of footsteps, as graceful as his mother always was, faded away, and soon the door closed quietly.

Asiel, who had been looking towards the closed door, quietly got out of bed and took out the book he had hidden in the drawer.

As he brought it to the window, the bright moonlight clearly illuminated the book’s cover.

It was a book tailored for children’s understanding.

Asiel, who had been reading the book with a rather serious expression, reluctantly lay down on the bed only when he heard the grandfather clock chiming 10 o’clock.

No matter what, he couldn’t be late for tomorrow’s banquet.

The child, with his eyes closed, made his earnest wish once more.

‘God, please let me have a sibling!’

* * *

“Happy birthday, Lucy!”

Cheers erupted along with the sound of applause.

The outdoor banquet held in the garden of the Pellick Marquis’s residence was more boisterous than usual.

Usually, at banquets where children participate, separate seating is arranged for them, but today’s banquet had parents and children all gathered in one place.

After all, today’s banquet was for the children, not the adults.

The adults presented their prepared gifts and offered congratulations, while the children darted around various parts of the venue, straying from their parents.

Asiel was no exception.

Seated at a table with his friends, Asiel dipped bread into chocolate fondue while gazing at where today’s guest of honor was.

At the end of that gaze was Johann’s youngest daughter, Lucy.

‘She’s cute.’

As Asiel couldn’t take his eyes off the baby, a girl eating cake beside him chimed in.

“So, Asiel, you want a sibling, right?”

Senica was the daughter of Count Arbon and one of Asiel’s close friends.

Asiel nodded.

“Yeah. I’d prefer a little sister, but a little brother would be fine too.”

Then Jamie, sitting on Asiel’s right side opposite to Senica, shrugged as if he couldn’t understand at all.

“But why? Little sisters are just boring and annoying.”

“That’s right. Big brothers are just boring and stupid.”

“What did you say?”

“You started it first!”

Senica and Jamie immediately started bickering. The two children, with their growling faces looking alike, were twin siblings.

Familiar with this situation, Asiel calmly ate his snacks between them.

Liliana, sitting across from Asiel, asked.

“But, Asiel. Why do you want a sibling? They just follow me around all day. Playing with them is tedious. It’s no fun.”

Liliana had two younger siblings. It seemed that friends who had siblings couldn’t understand Asiel’s feelings.

At that moment, Joshua, who had been quietly eating cookies, spoke up in support of Asiel’s feelings.

“I understand how Asiel feels. I’d like to have a younger sibling too. If I had one, I could make them do the errands my older brother makes me do.”

Asiel could understand why his friend, who always complained about being teased and bullied by his older brother, would say such a thing.

But Asiel knew.

‘They all say that, but they actually get along well with their siblings.’

He envied everything – the bickering like Senica and Jamie, Liliana finding her siblings annoying, and even Joshua going hunting with his brother despite being teased.

Among his friends, only Asiel had no siblings.

Asiel ate his cake with a dejected face.

Perhaps sensing his mood, Pipi, who was wrapped around Asiel’s neck like a scarf, rubbed its head against the child’s cheek.

“Pii.”

After Asiel was born, Pipi became his best friend. It had already been close to humans before, but living with Asiel made it even more sociable, to the point where it could be taken around.

Sensing Asiel’s gloomy expression, Liliana quickly changed her stance.

“W-well, you have Pipi, don’t you?”

“But Pipi is actually older than me.”

Asiel added as he took out a small piece of jerky from his pocket and gave it to Pipi.

“And most importantly, Pipi isn’t human. We can’t play ball together, or practice swordsmanship.”

“Pii?”

As Pipi tilted its head, Asiel hastily corrected himself.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m disappointed in you, Pipi. You’re doing your best as my sibling.”

“Pii!”

Finally noticing Asiel’s gloomy mood, the Arbon siblings quietly sat down. After eating cake for a moment while observing the situation, Senica asked.

“But siblings are something your parents have to make for you, right? Have you talked to your parents about it?”

Asiel sighed. It wasn’t like he hadn’t talked to his father about it.

But the answer he got was…

‘That’s a bit difficult.’

‘Why?’

‘On the day you were born, I made a promise while looking at you.’

‘A promise?’

‘That I would give you all the love I could give.’

It was a decision made out of guilt for not treating him well in the past life, and love for the child who returned to him with painful memories of the past.

However, Asiel, who couldn’t possibly know his father’s feelings, still wanted a sibling.

‘I’m prepared to share Dad’s love with a sibling.’

Though giving up all of it would be a bit much.