Chapter 44

Leaving Raven, who was making fun of him, behind, Kizef moved recklessly and sat down at his desk.

He opened the letter again.

[Hi. Thanks to you, I planted the herbs well. Thank you! I’m a little happy that you want to know who I am. But it’s a secret. I’ll let you know later when we get to know each other a little more. By the way, how’s the academy life? Do you have any difficulties? Or is someone bothering you?

I’m learning magic these days, enjoying the festivities, and it seems like exciting days just go on and on. I am happy because there are only good people around me.

Really, everyone is so nice. They’re not my real family, but I think they’re real. No, more than my family. How are you spending your day? I’m curious about your news. Oh by the way, are you feeding Bell well? You must not starve her!”]

It was truly a useless and lively letter. Raven, who was spying on the letter from behind, murmured.

[Is the person who writes letters like this a boy? It’s creepy, I’m getting goosebumps.]

“….”

[Do you want me to find out if he’s really a man?]

“……No.”

Kizef replied with insensitive red eyes that had no curiosity.

[Did you know that sometimes you look like you’re not human.]

The humans Raven knows are people who are curious enough to risk their lives. The boy in front of him was indifferent and carefree about everything.

[Should I have chosen a more fun human being? I’m bored to death.」

Raven whined as he lay upside down on the bed.

“……Please stop paying attention to me.”

[I’m not interested in the contractor, your soul is mine anyway whether I do it or not.]

“Not yet. I have to die to become yours.”

[It is not the only condition. If you don’t want to die, you can kill three people.]

Raven grinned and recited the crazy terms again, and Kizef replied in a soulless tone.

“Get lost.”

[I should have made a contract with your father. Then I must have escaped the shackles of the Ripper early on.]

“……”

Even Kizef knew that the Duke of Bellstein would kill if needed, even if he didn’t really want to know.

Kizef roughly wrote a letter and sent the owl away. Letters came in more than twice a week. Even when he sent a blank sheet of paper because he had nothing to say, an answer came back.

One day, an emotional poem that sings emotions, and another day, beautiful flower language flew in.

When the letters began to pile up in the drawer, Kizef wanted to know who the child named Ted really was.

* * *

-hoot.

In the middle of the night, past twelve o’clock, Bell flew through Luciel’s window.

She seemed to have been nodding for a while after reading a book until late. Luciel, who was using the book as a pillow, got up from her sleep and yawned with a droopy body.

Was it because I wasn’t expecting it?

At Kizef’s reply, which arrived sooner than expected, Luciel laughed lightly. She actually wanted to keep writing to Kizef, but couldn’t because Bell didn’t come back.

Still, she was happy to get any reply that came.

Luciel hurriedly untied the letter tied to Bell’s ankle and allowed the little owl to rest. She was about to read the letter when she heard a whimper. It was at the door.

“……What?”

As Luciel approached, Leoni slightly opened the door and stood awkwardly with half of his face hiding by the door. He was shy and his head was turned downwards.

“Leoni, haven’t you slept?”

“……Sister.”

His hair was messy, and he looked like he had woken up from sleep, seeing that the sleepiness had not gone away in his eyes. In addition, he dragged along a dragon doll the size of his own body.

The chubby figure in loose sky blue pajamas was so cute that I wanted to pat him on the buttocks.

“Did you wake up?”

“……Yes. I had a terrifying dream.”

Leoni didn’t want to even think of his dream, so he dug into Luciel’s arms with a cloudy face. Luciel hugged Leoni and comforted him. The child’s back was trembling, showing that he was still a baby.

“It’s okay. It’s just a dream. Nothing’s going to happen.”

As Luciel comforted him like she was a grown up, Leoni’s tears fell one by one. She doesn’t know what he was dreaming of, but Luciel hugged Leoni for a while without saying a word.

“Leoni, let’s sleep together in sister’s bed tonight. Come here, I’ll put you to sleep.”

“Uh……”

However, Leoni, who was looking at Luciel’s bed, inflated her cheeks.

“I don’t like pink. It’s a woman’s color.”

“……Leoni, there’s no such thing as male or female in color. How pretty is the pink? Leoni will also look better in pink.”

“Do I look handsome in pink?”

“Of course.”

Luciel nodded his head.

“What if I snore when I sleep?”

“You’re going to be absolutely cool and handsome, right?”

As soon as Luciel’s words fell, Leoni climbed onto the bed, covered himself with the blanket, and quietly closed his eyes.

‘Cute.’

Leoni soon fell asleep. With a pink blanket in his hand.

‘He has a great desire to be handsome.’

She wanted to put Leoni to sleep before reading the letter, but luckily he fell asleep sooner than expected. Luciel crept back to the desk like a cat, carefully unfolding the letter. She didn’t forget to set the brightness of the magic lamp to the weakest level because of the sleeping Leoni.

[To Ted.

Your carrier owl  is weird. If I don’t reply, it won’t fly away…… that’s why I’m replying. Don’t get me wrong.

I gave your owl a dozen more bugs, so don’t worry. He won’t ask for food even after going back home.]

Come to think of it, Bell wasn’t really hungry, so as soon as she arrived, she quietly buried her head and fell asleep. Luciel didn’t think he was going to catch bugs to feed Bell himself. She suddenly felt a little sorry, and it was hard to imagine Kizef going to hunt for bugs.

Luciel shifted her gaze to the letter again.

[Academy life is boring. I’m just waiting for graduation as soon as possible. It’s like a prison here. Time flies like crazy.

You planted herbs? That’s pretty good.]

It was the first time Kizef had sent such a long letter.

Maybe his heart has opened a little to me? Luciel smiled slightly.

[Somehow, Bell seems to be plump. It’s thanks to you.

When you look back at it, time will pass quickly. It will be finished in a moment. I will always cheer for your day.

“A happy owl owner” ]

After sending a quick reply, Luciel went to Leoni’s side and quietly fell asleep. Bell flew diligently and knocked on Kizef’s window before dawn.

“What? Today’s letter is short.”

After reading the reply, Kizef suddenly realized that the pleasure of his day had become this letter. Looking at the unusually sloppy writing, it must have been that he was writing in a very sleepy state.

I can’t believe he told me time will pass by quickly when you look back at it. He was speaking like a grown-up who was much older than him.

After re-reading the letter several times, Kizef put it in a drawer. Then he turned to the owl.

“According to your master, are you a little overweight?”

As Bell nodded his head, Kizef laughed softly. It felt like he was laughing after a long time. There are little things to laugh about when he is alone.

Come to think of it, Luciel, the child smiled very well.

Kizef looked out the window. It was already May, when the fresh green was dazzling, and next month was June.

Their wedding and Luciel’s birthday.

‘We’ll met again soon.’

Whether he wants it or not. He made a promise, so he couldn’t do anything about it.

Kizef, who woke up because of the owl, opened a container with all kinds of bugs, fed the little bird, and then lay in bed to go back to sleep.

* * *

“Oh, hey, Luciel. They say there are new books in the library. Go have a look.”

“Oh, really?”

Luciel’s eyes shone brightly.

“Yes, the librarian told me. Or should we go together today?”

“I like it.”

Luciel entered the library with Gillard. The librarian greeted them warmly.

“Welcome, Elder Master Gillard and Little Madam.”

“I told Luciel that a new book was coming, and she came right away like this.”

“It’s good to see that she likes books. If Elder Madam was here, she would have loved it.”

“Hm, she would have…”

Luciel carefully looked at the two of them at the story of the Elder Madam that was brought up by the librarian.

Gillard noticed Luciel’s signs, but he didn’t seem to think that it was the right time, so he said nothing. Luciel quietly scanned the bookshelves without asking first. She quickly grabbed Gillard’s hand and dragged him to the corner of the bookshelf where she had always enjoyed reading. He found the little sofa there and smiled.

Luciel explained.

“This is the sofa that Ellington brought out for me.”

“It used to be Kizef’s sofa, but now it’s Luciel’s. Come to think of it, I heard that you and Kizef are getting married in the coming June.”

“Ah…… yes.”

‘I think father-in-law told Grandpa.’

“Good for you, Luciel. Now, you really became a grandchild and daughter-in-law in the family.”

“Yes…”

Gillard’s warm eyes sank.

“How was the meeting with Kizef?”

“Oh…… They both look alike, so he’s handsome.”

“Fortunately, his face looks like it passed, and what about his personality?”

“……”

Before Luciel opened his lips, Gillard rubbed his chin and spoke before she could.

“He has such a personality, so it will be difficult to get to know him quickly. Don’t get hurt too much. If it were you, Luciel, you would be friends with anyone, but Kizef would be a difficult guy.”

“Gran…Grandpa?”

I didn’t know he would say such things about his grandchildren, but he was smiling.

“Still, I hope you guys become really good friends. Oh, by no means am I forcing it. If he bothers you, please tell me.”

“What? Yes…..”

At Gillard’s words, Luciel was relieved and smiled softly.