Requiem

past | 23- you should smile like that

"Would it kill you to attend Nao's graduation ceremony for a bit?" Dhalia drawled out. He knew it was bad news when Dhalia visits him. Though she sometimes brings him food. He had every right to doubt Dhalia after she had all but thrown him to the Dragon's open claws once. He thought he was extremely stupid for trying to trust her, when she was in fact King Auguste's daughter. And the saying the apple doesn't fall far from the tree could not be more true for the two of them.

And he wouldn't make the same mistake of trusting her again.

"But my schedule is already se—"

"I don't know. I think the knights are prepared enough for the expedition. And doesn't your son only graduate Pre-School once?" He wanted to counter her, but all his retorts evaporated.

It wasn't just an expedition they were preparing for.

It was a revolution.

And he doesn't give her information about the revolution anymore.

...........
Naoto Arseni, his heir. Soft brown hair crowned his head and big lilac eyes stared up at him. He knows this is his child too, but he looks more like Dhalia to a chilling extent. It's unnerving staring at his eyes, the very same shade of the royal family.

He heard that Dhalia named him after her favorite perfume from Rinada. From the reports he gets, Naoto is a well-behaved child.

To that kid, he was more Duke Arseni than his father. Tristan kept a guarded distance with his child, considering who his mother and grandfather are.

Right now, that child was standing awkwardly on the stage, receiving his certificate with Dhalia, who shook the hand of the professor. Surprisingly, his lilac eyes zeroed in on Tristan, and Naoto gave a brilliant smile, waving happily at him.

Naoto looks a lot like Dhalia when he smiles.

"Congratulations Nao." He offered a bouquet of flowers, that the child happily accepted.

"You should smile like that when we have our portrait made." Dhalia noted, and he didn't even notice he was smiling.

"A portrait?"

"I hired a painter. Nao wants to have a portrait of the three of us." Dhalia said as a matter of fact, while their son Nao looked up with shimmering orbs. Hopefully.

He was getting the feeling that the two would not let it go this time.

Apparently, the painter already outlined the background of the academy graduation, the three of them just needed to be added. When they posed for a portrait, Dhalia placed a hand on Nao's shoulder, who was sitting on a regal chair. He locked eyes with Dhalia, who had a portrait perfect smile on her lips.

You should smile like that, her voice replayed.

Naturally, he didn't smile just to spite her. Years later, her would regret not smiling, as this was the only portrait the three of them in one frame would have.