Side Story 2

After breakfast, Ellen played with Innis for a while, then began to carefully go through the invitations that the maid had sorted. From lower nobles to high nobles, just reading through all the invitations took quite some time. Ellen set priorities and started sending replies to accept some invitations, when she suddenly looked up.

She had asked the nanny to watch Innis for a while, so she wondered what Innis was doing now. Ellen rang the bell, and Emma came in.

“Did you call, Madam?”

“Could you check what Innis is doing right now?”

“Yes. Understood.”

After Emma left, Ellen stood and walked to the wide window, looking out. The garden Lennox had prepared for Ellen was decorated exactly to her taste. Ellen held the long, thin curtain that reached the floor and gazed out at the colorful, splendid garden.

Unlike when she was just Baroness Dermann in name, Ellen now had many things to protect.

As soon as she regained authority over Leodell, she rehired all the staff who had worked at the old Valère mansion. And once a month, she received a report from Adol, the butler at the Valère mansion, and managed Leodell.

As Countess Lennon, she also had to manage this mansion’s household and many other tasks.

Her days were busy, but Lennox never interfered or tried to stop Ellen. He knew better than anyone how hard Ellen had worked to keep the Valère mansion running in her mother’s stead while in Leodell.

Because of that, Ellen had a little less time with Innis than before, but both she and Lennox tried their best to spend as much time with her as possible.

“Madam.”

Ellen turned at Emma’s voice, still feeling a fresh delight at the garden’s vibrant summer colors. Emma bowed politely and said,

“Lady Innis is not in her room right now.”

“She’s not?”

“According to Nanny Albert, about an hour ago Lady Innis went into the master’s study.”

“Lennox’s study?”

“Yes. She insisted so much that they agreed to go just to the door, but just then the master opened the door, and she went right in…”

Ellen covered her mouth to hide her smile. Innis, who had hardly ever fussed at Baron Dermann’s mansion, now threw little tantrums appropriate for her age since coming here. Ellen was happy and found it so cute that she couldn’t help but smile.

Ellen cleared her throat gently.

“I’ll go to Lennox. No need to come with me, Emma.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Emma smiled and nodded, understanding Ellen’s desire to be alone with her husband and daughter.

Ellen’s steps toward Lennox’s study were light as could be.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lennox sat at his desk, his chin propped on his hand, quietly watching Innis, who was busily playing with her hands on the empty carpet. It was a hard, boring study for a child, but Innis seemed thrilled, sitting on the floor and playing by herself.

“Papa, look at this.”

Innis pointed to the carpet, and Lennox got up. He knelt beside her, placing a hand on the floor, and looked where she pointed. Other than the fluffy carpet, there was nothing there.

“It’s a deer. A deer.”

“A deer, huh…”

No matter how he looked at the pattern Innis pointed to, it didn’t look like a deer. Even so, Lennox gently stroked the carpet with his finger and nodded.

“Yes, it does look like a deer.”

Innis smiled brightly, pleased with his answer. Then she jumped up and toddled around the study. She peered at the stiff clock, looked at books filled with difficult words, and struggled to climb onto the big desk chair.

“I’ll help you. Wait.”

Lennox sat in the chair and lifted Innis onto his knee.

With her viewpoint higher, Innis smiled happily. She played with the piles of difficult paperwork on the desk, enjoying the crinkle of the paper. Even though the documents got crumpled, Lennox let her do as she wished. His gaze at Innis’s round head was endlessly gentle.

After a while, Innis yawned deeply as she played at the desk. Then she grabbed Lennox’s coat and leaned against him, nodding off. Finding her adorable, Lennox just watched her.

Thud.

Her big head drooped sideways as she fell asleep. Lennox tried to gently move her to the sofa, but her small, strong hand clung to his coat and wouldn’t let go. After trying a few times to loosen her grip, Lennox gave up and lay on the sofa with Innis on his stomach, closing his eyes.

The weight and warmth of her small body, the sound of her breathing, were endlessly comforting. Without realizing it, Lennox began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

“Lennox.”

Ellen knocked lightly on the study door and called for Lennox. He had told her she didn’t need to knock, but Ellen always did, not wanting to disturb him. Even after a few seconds, there was no response inside.

“Lennox?”

Ellen gently opened the door and peeked inside. The desk by the big window was empty. Ellen stepped in and closed the door quietly. Leaning against the door, she scanned the study until her gaze landed on one spot. At the end of the long sofa, where even Ellen could stretch out her legs, a shiny shoe poked out. On the other side, the tip of black hair was visible. Ellen tiptoed over to the sofa, placed her hand on the backrest, and peeked in, smiling softly.

On the sofa, Lennox slept with Innis sprawled on his stomach, nuzzling his belly in her sleep. Lennox’s hand gently patted Innis’s back with a steady rhythm.

‘So cute.’

Ellen rested her chin in her hand and gazed at the two of them. She liked the sight of the loving father and daughter and didn’t want to wake them.

Just then, Innis mumbled and rolled over. Instantly, Lennox’s arm caught her before she could fall to the floor. Even though it was dangerous, Innis, sound asleep, didn’t wake as Lennox adjusted her and sat up. His red eyes were clear, as if he hadn’t just been sleeping.

“…Were you awake?”

Ellen, startled and holding her breath, sighed in relief and asked.

“Since you knocked.”

Lennox laid Innis comfortably on the sofa and stood up. He took the Pamphilenet Order Captain’s cloak, neatly hung on the coat rack, and draped it over Innis. The red cloak, embroidered with the Pamphilenet Order’s emblem in silver thread, lay gently over Innis’s belly, sparkling in the sunlight.

“Why didn’t you get up?”

Ellen stroked the Pamphilenet Order emblem with her fingertips as she asked. Even after months of marriage, seeing that emblem always moved her. It was proof that the man she had longed for since childhood now stood proudly beside her.

“You looked happy.”

At Lennox’s simple answer, Ellen’s hand paused. A shy blush spread across her cheeks. Ellen asked, her voice full of joy,

“Is it really okay to cover Innis with the Pamphilenet Order Captain’s cloak like this?”

“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“Well… even if she’s your daughter, isn’t it a bit much to give someone something so grand?”

Lennox, seeing Ellen’s obvious happiness, tucked her stray hair behind her ear and said,

“It’s my private space, so it’s fine. Besides, there’s nothing more precious in the world than you and Innis.”

“Thank you, Lennox. I came looking for Innis because I was curious about what she was doing. I hope we weren’t in the way?”

“Ellen.”

Lennox circled the sofa to stand beside Ellen, leaning against the backrest. Ellen’s gaze followed his movement. When their eyes met, Lennox gently stroked Ellen’s cheek and said,

“Whether it’s my study, the training grounds, anywhere—come in whenever you like. So don’t say silly things like that.”

“Yes, I understand. I won’t say it anymore.”

The immense happiness from those few words squeezed Ellen’s heart. Her lips curled up softly.

As his fingertips brushed her cheek, they moved up to smooth her hair. Soon, his hand stroked her hair slowly. The pin holding her hair in place dropped onto the soft carpet. Ellen rested her arm and cheek on the sofa, enjoying the feel of his touch, and gazed happily at sleeping Innis’s face.

This ordinary, peaceful daily life was endlessly precious to Ellen.

“Ellen.”

“Yes.”

His voice calling her name sounded so sweet. Ellen closed her eyes and answered softly.

“Let’s go on a picnic.”

“A picnic?”

“Since coming to Aryan, you haven’t gone anywhere except nearby. Before the social season gets busy, it’d be good to get some air and go out once.”

“Where?”

“There’s a canyon about half a day’s carriage ride away. It’s not rough terrain, but a strong canyon. I built a villa at a spot with a spectacular view.”

“A villa?”

Ellen opened her eyes and looked up at Lennox. Lennox gently took the end of her hair and kissed it. Then he bent down, picked up the pin from the carpet, pinned it back in her hair, and nodded.

“Yes. As you know, it’s been fashionable in the Aryan Empire for a long time for nobles to build villas at their own special places. And you’ve never really traveled. I built it hoping to go together when you returned.”

“…For me?”

Ellen widened her eyes, and Lennox swept her hair back as he answered.

“If not for you, I wouldn’t have built it.”

To become Pamphilenet Order Captain, Lennox never had a proper day off, risking his life for Richel and handling every task thrown at him.

Rivalry, mockery, scapegoating, ridicule, traps… The only reason Lennox could endure all the cold gazes directed at him was one thing.

Ellen.

If not for her, he’d have had no reason to do any of it.

And as wealth and honor accumulated as a result, the first thing Lennox did was build a villa. It had long been a trend among Aryan Empire nobles to build villas at secret locations only they knew.

Following that trend, Lennox chose the canyon as a place where he and Ellen could spend time together in the hot summer, undisturbed.

“Yes. I want to go. I want to go with you and Innis.”

Ellen nodded eagerly.

“Good. Let’s go soon, just us and our family.”

Our family.

That phrase alone made Ellen smile with happiness. It was a word she once longed for and wanted more than anything. To hear it from her husband, whom she wanted to be with forever, filled her heart.

“Yes. Let’s definitely go as a family.”

Saying that sweet, cotton candy-like word, Ellen looked forward to the day their family would go on a picnic together.