The face of that annoying guy, who had a subtle smile, flashed before him.

He couldn’t erase the thought that he might be interested in Lamein.

“Bens. That guy is the most dangerous.”

“…What? What are you saying?”

“Never mind. It’s just talking to myself.”

…Why is he like that, really?

“Ugh, fine. Do as you please.”

Lamein, giving up completely, said with both hands and feet.

Only then did Cédric swallow the hot breath he had been holding in slowly.

“Do not always let your guard down. You never know when something might happen.”

Instead of replying, Lamein chuckled.

Even though she thought his actions were excessive.

‘It seems like he’s really worried about me.’

She didn’t dislike the attention.

‘Has anyone ever worried about me like this?’

No. Rather, she was grateful for the concern.

Looking at Lamein, who was staring at him, Cédric slowly opened his mouth.

To reassure her worrying husband.

“Cédric, I know very well what you’re worried about.”

She spoke slowly, trying to comfort him.
“That doesn’t mean something happens to me every day…! Ahh!!”

Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, and the defenseless body flew towards her husband.

“…!”

In an instant, his outstretched arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in.

Lamein, with her arms tightly wrapped around her husband’s broad chest, blinked her eyes open.

When she subtly raised her head.

“It seems like something happened again.”

Her husband looked at her with an expression as if saying, “If you have something to say, go ahead.”

…I have nothing to say.

At that moment when she raised her eyebrows with a sly gaze.

“Aaah!!”

The sound of a child’s crying came from outside the carriage.

Reflexively, Lamein, who had escaped her husband’s embrace, stuck her head out of the window.

“Hey, is the child okay!?”

Cain, who had jumped off the carriage, ran towards the crying child lying on the ground.

“What?! Looks like the child got hurt!”

Desperately shouting, Lamein, turning her body towards the carriage door, momentarily stopped her movements.

Then, she subtly turned her head to look at her husband.

With a faint smile on his lips, her husband pointed to the carriage door as if to say, “Aren’t you going?”

Without hesitation, Lamein jumped out of the carriage.

And she approached the crying child sitting on the ground.

“Cain, what happened?”

Approaching swiftly and sitting next to her, the mistress’s behavior made Cain startled.

“The child suddenly ran out, so I stopped the carriage. I apologize if you were startled.”

Cain spoke while examining the hem of the mistress’s dress, now stained with dirt.

“The child ran out suddenly. I had to stop. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Lamein, responding nonchalantly, began to inspect the wounds on the child’s knees and elbows.

“Aaah! Hee hee hee!”

Fortunately, it was just a slightly scratched wound with a bit of bleeding.

The 5-year-old child continued crying without stopping.

“Oh my. You must have been very surprised.”

Clear tears fell from his large pupils.

“Cain, bring me my handkerchief and the box inside the carriage.”

“Yes, madam.”

At the mistress’s request, Cain hurriedly headed towards the carriage.

Meanwhile, Cédric, who had gotten off the carriage, silently watched Lamein’s actions.

“Madam, here they are.”

Quickly handing over the handkerchief and the box of candies, Cain stepped back.

Sitting on the ground, Lamein silently observed the child.

“Hee hee hee.”

Although it must hurt, it was clear that the crying was not stopping due to surprise.

“What’s your name?”

Asking in a gentle voice.

“Sorbin… It hurts.”

The child answered with a trembling voice.

“Sorbin. Where’s your mom? Where is she?”

“…Mom went to work right now.”

“Oh, I see. Were you going somewhere alone?”
“…My mom went to work now.”

“Ah, I see. Where were you going alone?”

The child, with teary eyes, hesitated for a moment and slowly opened his mouth.

“I was going to buy bread for my younger sibling… on the way.”

Lamein’s expression, which had just noticed the paper bag and the bread now covered in dirt on the ground, sank.

“A kind older brother, isn’t he? Or is he a kind older sister?”

However, soon after smoothing her expression, she asked.

“Brother. That’s correct.”

Only now did the child, who had stopped crying, speak with a slightly clearer voice.

A warm smile spread across Lamein’s lips as she looked gently at the child.

It was fascinating and admirable.

In front of her eyes, the young child stopped crying as if they were the person who shouldn’t cry when the story of their younger sibling came up.

“Just wait a moment. It won’t hurt.”

Lamein carefully wrapped the child’s knee wound with a handkerchief.

“Go home and wash it with clean water. You’ll get a scab here soon. Even if it itches a bit, don’t touch it until the scab falls off. Understand?”

“…What’s a scab?”

The child asked hesitantly.

‘How cute.’

Suppressing the urge to burst into a wide smile, she slowly opened her mouth.

“You’ll get dark spots on your knees and elbows here. Absolutely do not touch them!”

With a gentle but firm voice, the child widened their eyes, nodding quickly.

“To a good older brother who didn’t cry much, I should give a gift.”

Lamein briefly opened the candy box she had placed on the ground.

And taking out two candies, she held them in her hand and closed the box again.

“There you go. This is a gift.”

Lamein, holding the box in front of the child’s chest, grinned.

The child, with round eyes, just looked at her without moving.

“You can take it. I’m giving it to you because I want to.”

“…Thank you.”

The small hand reached out, taking the box.

“Now let’s get up.”

Lamein put her hand under the child’s armpit and lifted the child up.

Cédric, who was standing in front of the carriage, watching Lamein and the child, had a gentle smile on his lips.

“Your Excellency.”

At that moment, turning his head at Cain’s call.

“Madam is truly beautiful.”

Cain, with a smile not different from mine, said.

“Of course, she’s physically beautiful, but who wouldn’t like a lady with such a beautiful heart? Like a person who has become someone who shouldn’t cry when hearing about a younger sibling, it feels natural.”

The gaze that had momentarily moved away turned back to Lamein.

Her dress hem was a mess, covered in dirt from the ground.

Not even caring about such things, she sat down and smiled at the child, locking eyes with them.

The actions that were unfamiliar and a bit awkward at first.

Now, it felt natural because it was her.

It felt as natural as feeling that my heart was drawn to her.

‘Who wouldn’t like her?’

Someone keeping her in their heart.

Having an interest in her might be a natural thing.

However.

‘Is it because I’m really only interested in work that I started this?’
It didn’t start from mere jealousy or possessiveness.

An unusual intuition that easily doesn’t pass triggers.

“I should keep an eye on Vence for now.”

Swallowing the strange feeling that won’t easily pass, he silently observed his wife’s figure in his pupils.

She was smiling brightly like a flower.

Although a smile involuntarily appeared on his face at that sight, he couldn’t be purely happy.

“I don’t want to see Lamein suffer again.”

The gaze looking at Lamein became more intense.

“When I go back, I should meet Ellina first.”

She, with beautifully closed eyes, turned her head.

Clear pupils sparkling like the sea under the summer sunlight.

Cédric held a subtle smile on his lips.

And once again, he made a resolution.

One by one.

To cut off the breath of those who try to swallow that laughter.