I wasn't planning on posting this today, but here it is!
Happy birthday to RemyRemyRem!
I hope it's still your birthday by the time you see this!
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Wriothesely's POV
Neuvillette recovered from that fever incredibly quickly.
Suspiciously quickly even.
As Sigewinne put it:
"Since he can't use his elemental powers, he should recover at the same pace as a human."
When questioned by the suspecting head nurse, he simply blamed it on his physique.
I don't buy it.
Well, at least he talked to Sigewinne.
She's been a whole lot happier since.
Though, I would very much like to know what exactly they talked about.
Sigh...
Never mind. None of my business.
And...
It is quite fun watching Neuvillette's reaction when Sigewinne calls him-
"Dad!"
I watched as the usually stone-faced Chief Justice blushed as he stuttered through his next sentence.
Sigewinne was kind enough not to point out the stuttering when she answered him with the brightest smile on her face I had ever seen.
It does make one wonder what will happen when the rest of the girls come back for dinner.
-
An hour ago
Sigewinne's POV
"How is the tea, Mosieur Neuvillette?"
"It is quite delicious. It doesn't warrant you calling it disgusting with so much spirit earlier." He chuckled.
Liar!
You don't even tolerate tea unless it's absolutely necessary!
You think it's an insult to pure water!
Hmph!
But...
In the end, he drank it all.
Now I feel bad.
I even made it taste extra horrible.
Half the ingredients weren't even necessary. They were purely there to make it more bitter and salty.
...
Hmph!
But the Duke deserves to drink it!
How could he threaten Monsieur Neuvillette?!
But...
"Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"Yes?"
"Could we perhaps... talk about what happened earlier?"
And there it was.
The big question was thrown out in the open.
"I-I'm not sure what I can say would be to your liking, Sigewinne."
My heart tightened at his words, but I still gathered the strength to look him in the eyes.
"Could-could you tell me anyway?"
If it doesn't hurt you too much.
Those words, however, never left my mouth.
He looked deeply into my eyes for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I was lifted off the chair and moved over to sit on his legs.
"Monsieur Neuvillette! You should not-"
I allowed you to sit up, but this-
"I'm quite alright, I can assure you, Sigewinne."
Hmph! Who would believe that?
Still, I said nothing.
I flinched a bit when he held my hands and he immediately drew back.
"Oh... Did that perhaps make you uncomfortable? I apologize. I-"
"It wasn't uncomfortable at all!"
Not in the slightest.
Just a bit...
Unexpected.
He looked a bit surprised by my sudden outburst but eventually returned his hands onto mine.
"Sigewinne, I- I would not be a good father."
I felt my heart ache when I heard his words.
But-
But-
"That's not true!"
"Sigewinne-"
"You've been taking care of me for so long! You've been taking care of all of us!"
For 400 years...
You've been doing this for 400 years!
"I merely brought those who wanted to explore to the Court and gave you something to do. Take yourself for example. If I manage to catch a glimpse of you once a month that is already a miracle. The very few times we've sat down for a short conversation over snack can't possibly count as-"
"Those were the best moments of my life!"
Drinking tea in your office with me, even though you obviously dislike even the smell of it.
Inviting me and the others on a picnic.
You come to pick me up every time I have vacation.
You even came and listened to every single lecture I gave on the surface, albeit secretly.
"Don't you dare look down on those moments!"
"It was not my intention to make it seem as such." He said gently.
And only then did I realize that I had just shouted at him.
"Sorry..."
"There is nothing to be sorry about. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me."
Huh?
"Why?"
He let out a pained chuckle.
"You little ones know quite a lot, but you don't exactly know what it means for a dragon to have a child."
That...
That was true.
What we knew was only from some old faded documents and mere speculation.
"To me, the lot of you are already far more precious than you can imagine. You know, yesterday Wriothesely asked me if I would bend the law for you if need be."
???
Has the Duke gone crazy?
Of course Monsieur Neuvillette would never-
"I didn't answer. I couldn't answer, because if I did, I would have to admit that I would do so without hesitation."
Wha-
"What? Why?"
You never-
"Because that's just how much I care for you girls."
Oh...
I-
I never expected...
"That's how much I can afford to care for you. I cannot cross that line, Sigewinne."
He sounded desperate. As if that very sentence was the end of a very frail rope he was holding on to.
"I cannot... I cannot allow myself to think of you as my children because the second that I do, you will have become the most important existence in my eyes. More important than Fontaine, than the law, than Furina-"
He stopped talking.
"In the end..."
He muttered something to me incomprehensible before he burst out laughing.
"Pfft! Hahahaha!"
This was the first time I had seen him laugh.
He showed a smile, maybe a chuckle, but never a laugh.
Never so free.
"Sigewinne, my dear."
"Yes?"
What happened?
Why the sudden laughter?
"If you knew you could get away with it, would you run around breaking the law?"
"No?"
I'm not crazy.
What kind of idiot would run around breaking the law for no reason?
"Why would I?"
I'm living perfectly fine as is.
A gentle smile spread across his face and before I could process what was happening, I was drawn into an equally gentle hug.
"Sigewinne."
"Yes?"
What-
What's happening?
Why is this-
What is this-
What is this situation?!
And then, I heard the words I would never forget for the rest of my life.
"Would you grant me the honor of calling you my daughter?"
I felt a tear run down my cheek.
And another.
And another.
Until-
"Waah!"
"Sigewinne? Is everything alright?"
His voice was full of panic yet so much gentleness at the same time.
I felt him let go of me and that instant I hugged him as tightly as I could, burying my face in his chest.
"Sigewinne?"
"Yes."
"Huh?"
"Yes, you can call me your daughter." I mumbled through my tears.
His hands briefly halted before embracing me once again.
"I see. Thank you, my sweet daughter." He said softly.
And this time, as if the dams had opened, my tears streamed down freely.
"I will need some time."
That's fine!
It's perfectly fine!
Anything and everything is fine now!
"You will have to deal with my overprotectiveness henceforth."
"Hmm."
That's okay.
"You will have to be patient with me. You should know I'm not good at..."
Expressing yourself?
The important thing is-
"Can I call you father?"
He flinched and just when I thought I spoke too soon I spotted a small blush creeping up his neck.
"As- As long as it is only in a private setting."
Oh...
Oh!
"What about dad?"
Or is that pushing it?
Maybe it was, seeing as that small blush spread like a wildfire, quickly painting his whole face red.
"That- That's- That's alright."
"Really?!"
Really?!
Really, really?!
"Yes."
I almost couldn't contain my excitement.
"Dad!"
His face turned a shade darker.
"Dad!" I repeated.
This time, he buried his face in my shoulder.
"You will be the death of me, Sigewinne." He mumbled.
"Should I stop?" I asked worriedly.
"No, no... Please... Continue. It's nice."
Oh, wow!
"Dad!"
I kept calling him as he wished with no intention of stopping anytime soon.
He didn't move again after this, coming completely still, but his ever-slightly flinching arms around me showed that he was always listening.
"Furina was right in the end." He muttered suddenly.
"Lady Furina?"
What was she right about?
"She must have known already."
Known what?
"She must have known that deep down I always..."
But, he never finished his sentence.
Words left unsaid.
To Sigewinne, they were merely Neuvillette's mumblings, but to Neuvillette...
To him, those unspoken words were the most important.
Deep down I've always considered you little ones the most important existence.
More important than Fontaine.
More important than the law.
More important than Furina.
More important than anything else in this world as well as the next one.
"To me, you were always..."
The most important.
The most precious treasure a dragon can possess.