* * *
‘Household and the Tower, is there any reason why one person must be in charge of these two huge groups...?’
Meanwhile, Duke Seymour, who is immersed in deep thought, smiled lightly as he saw the youngest running towards him.
‘Come to think of it, there was this guy, too.’
He intended to think slowly about the succession issue, leaving all possibilities open.
People change, and circumstances are not always the same, so there is not necessarily to make the same decisions as in the past.
And in the process of contemplation, I planned to have a lot of conversations with the twins and listen to as many opinions and thoughts of my two sons as possible.
“Even at this age, there are so many difficult things.”
Duke Seymour, who grumbled briefly and stroked Enrique’s hair, stopped his hand.
It was because the youngest's head was a little higher than usual.
“Enrique, you've grown taller these days.”
"Yes! I practiced swordsmanship hard to show my master."
After learning the sword, Enrique started calling Isidore a teacher. At first, he was wary with sharp eyes, like a cat seeing a dog.
"You guy, later on you’ll say the sword is better than magic."
“Well, I like both, actually. So much so it's hard to tell between superiority and inferiority.”
“Yeah, if you like it, you should do it all.”
“Yes! I can do both well!”
Enrique replied with twinkling eyes.
In fact, Enrique later peaked in two fields, magic and swordsmanship, with his natural talent and bone-breaking efforts.
"It's a peace that my sister has worked hard to protect, so we have to keep it well. And... I want to create a world that is good for children to live in.”
In addition, Enrique also serves as the leader of the newly established Demon Slayer unit, and receives the respect of the people of the empire and the popularity among the ladies. This is a story from the distant future.
The child who sat on his father's lap and chatted about today’s story, was delighted at the news that his sister Deborah and his teacher had arrived shortly after.
“Sister~!”
“Have you been well, Enrique?”
"Yes!"
“Why did you bring so many things?”
Duke Seymour stuck out his tongue as he looked at the carriage full of presents.
“There are so many new products that go well with my father. You are so handsome.”
“Hmm.”
To hear a guy with a face like that call him handsome. He didn’t feel bad, so Duke Seymour cleared his throat for no reason.
“Nucksal anyway. Come in first, I brought some nice tea leaves a while ago, and you’ll like it too.”
_____Nucksal here means behavior or disposition to behave in a good way without any shame; an act that is not shameful and behaves in a good way or manner.
While drinking tea with Isidore, Duke Seymour secretly pulled out a chessboard.
It was more fun to play chess with Isidore, who was smart enough to let go of moves, than to play chess with the youngest or Deborah, who played fair and square.
While the two of them were drinking tea, Deborah went up to the annex where she had been living. The study room was the same as it had been when she had lived at Seymour.
After fiddling with the pink quill that she always carried with her to the academy, she took out a book of poetry she had read quickly in the past and slowly savored it one by one before falling asleep as if fainting.
* * *
It was a field of pure white flowers.
Where am I?
For a moment of doubt, holding a familiar hand, I was naturally approaching the place where the two children were.
—Mom! Dad!
A blonde girl with a wooden sword at her waist waves her arms wildly. The child, who had been jumping around with red ruby-like eyes shining brightly, smiled pleasantly as if in a good mood when a gentle breeze blew. Her smiling face was a lovely child reminiscent of a baby fox.
And next to her, stood a cold-looking boy with purple hair. Holding the flower shyly.
—I didn’t peel them. It was fall, but it was clean...
—So you’re giving it to mom? Thank you.
—Me too!
As I got closer, the children came into my arms.
It was lovely and warm. It was a feeling that made me smile automatically because I was happy.
* * *
'I think I had a pleasant dream, but I don't remember any of it.'
I rubbed my eyes, feeling some kind of regret.
When I woke up, there was thick darkness everywhere.
I must have been sleeping uncomfortably on the sofa with the book of poetry on my face, but my body lay neatly on the bed, perhaps because Isidore had moved me.
‘I sleep for a really long time.’
I looked at the clock and stuck my tongue, but when I came out hungry. Isidore, who was sitting in the drawing room near her room, got up.
"Did you sleep well?"
"As you can see, I slept without knowing the world."
"Are you hungry? Shall we go eat?"
Lately, my sleep has been irregular and mealtimes have been messed up a lot, but he never left me alone.
"Huh? Has my father not eaten yet, too?”
Isidore was originally unusual, but I felt embarrassed because even my father was waiting for me.
“Wake me up….”
“I ate a lot of desserts in the afternoon, so it’s only now that I have a bit of an appetite. Let's go.”
As the food began to be placed on the long table, I rolled my eyes as I scooped the soup with sweet pumpkin.
‘I have to speak slowly.’
In fact, I came here today to make an important announcement.
A few days ago.
“Congratulations, Duchess.”
Even though I already had a foreboding of the outcome at the doctor's affirmation, I felt my heart sink. I couldn't believe that there was another life breathing inside my stomach.
To think that a child who looks half like me and half like Isidore is born in this world.
I couldn’t believe it, so he carefully hugged me, who was in a daze. His heart was beating wildly enough to make my body thump.
“I will do better and better in the future. I…”
“You’re already doing well.”
“I still want to. It's because I always want to be a better person for you.”
After that day, Isidore began to collect things that were good for mothers, and even stocked up on fruits for the winter.
Watching him pile up the papers of books on prenatal education and studying it, I thought for a moment that he would be very good at educating his children.
“I heard that listening to music is so good in prenatal education, shall I show off my skill after a long time?”
Watching him loosen up his fingers, I said involuntarily.
"If it's a piano... It’s all right."
“…..”
“I'm kidding. You know I love you, right?”
“…..”
"Huh!? Did you just hear that?”
“… What?”
“My baby said he wanted to hear daddy play the piano.”
“Hmm. I was going to sing a song for you, but I guess the piano is better.”
“Singing!? You’ll tell me sooner.”
It was immediately tempting. He is not really tone deaf, right?
“I want to hear it. Sing for me.”
I was secretly expecting a cute appearance, but he sang quite well.
He didn't have a great singing ability, but his voice was so good that applause came out naturally. It should be said that it is the kind of voice that is eaten unconditionally when you go to a karaoke room.
I spent an exciting time listening to the song Isidore sang for the first time and imagining the future I would have with my child.
All that remains is to inform the family of the news… I visited the townhouse because I wanted to tell it in person rather than by letter.
“Deborah, do you happen to be...”
But before I could say anything, my father seemed to have noticed something.
“Yes?”
“… Hmmm. Oh no.”
I don’t think so.
“Yeah, you guess right.”
“Y-yes.”
“Yes. I have good news! I have a baby.”
“As expected!”
My father was very happy and congratulated me.
"But how did you notice?"
"When your mother had twins, she ate a lot of sour salad like you do today. You know, the nobleman who usually only eats meat. You don't usually touch grass, either."
“... It is.”
“And somehow it seemed so. The dream I had before your wedding... I mean, it's like a conception dream.”
_____‘Taemong’ in English is called conception dream. These dreams are believed to foretell the conception of a child and are dreamt by the mother herself or people close to her.
“Did you have a conception dream?”
Instead of answering, my father laughed like a gentle wave. Like a person who recalls fond memories.
---∞oOo∞---