Chapter 5 – The Sound of a Crow (Part 2)

After sitting and talking for a while, Lucie lay down next to Ellerdin and started whispering.

Ellerdin, feeling tired, also lay down next to the child.

“So I scolded those bullies. My brother told me not to, but I wasn’t scared at all.”

Lucie began to chatter about her experiences.

Just as they were having fun, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Celine entered with sherbet.

“Enjoy while you talk.”

Celine handed sherbet to Ellerdin and Lucie. The colorful ice cream made Lucie’s eyes sparkle.

After Celine left, Ellerdin placed the sherbet on the bedside table.

Seeing her not eating, Lucie hesitated and looked at her.

Noticing her gaze, Ellerdin smiled gently and looked at the child.

“Go ahead and try it.”

At her words, Lucie’s face lit up, and she quickly took a bite. The cool taste spreading in her mouth made the child laugh.

“It tastes like the one I had at the festival!”

“Festival?”

Ellerdin asked with curiosity. As soon as Lucie realized she was interested, she eagerly began to speak.

“I’ve only been once, but there was a festival in the neighboring estate. It was the first time my brother had a day off, so we took a carriage to visit. The journey was tough, but all the fatigue disappeared as soon as we arrived. There was a man selling chicken skewers, a woman selling colorful clouds, and a man performing puppet shows.”

The child’s mouth spilled out stories Ellerdin had never heard or experienced.

Having spent most of her life confined, all she knew about festivals was what she saw through barred windows.

It was natural for her to have fantasies about festivals.

Ellerdin listened with sparkling eyes to the fairy-tale-like stories.

As night deepened, Lucie, still full of energy, continued talking even after dinner until she finally fell asleep in the early morning.

Ellerdin smiled softly at the sight of the sleeping child.

After Liam carried the sleeping Lucie out of the room, Ellerdin leaned back against the bed.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, she thought about the festival stories she had heard.

What would it feel like to see it in person?

People from various places would come, so she could see different faces.

What kind of food would be sold on the streets? What would it taste like? What was the cloud she mentioned, and what was a puppet show?

How did puppets act?

As she pondered over these thoughts, a small knock was followed by the door quietly opening. She turned her head and saw silver hair.

Feeling drained after talking to an energetic child for the first time in a while, Ellerdin gazed at him blankly. Fernan approached her quietly.

The moonlight pierced the darkness and shone on her. Sitting quietly against the bed, she looked like an angel descended from heaven.

“Did you have a fun conversation?”

He sat on the bed and cupped Ellerdin’s cheek with his large hand.

Feeling a sense of stability from his large hand cradling her face, she leaned her head.

With the added weight, her soft skin pressed against his palm.

“It was nice seeing a child after a long time. She seems to have grown up receiving a lot of love.”

Ellerdin answered with a drowsy smile. She liked the calm and quiet atmosphere that could only be felt at this moment.

Feeling peaceful, she closed her eyes.

Ellerdin spoke with a voice full of joy.

“I heard something funny earlier. She asked me if I was really an angel. I didn’t want to break her innocence, so I told her I was. How did I do? Wasn’t I good?”

Ellerdin chuckled quietly.

“In fact, you are an angel.”

Ellerdin took it as a joke, but Fernan was serious.

From his perspective, she was indeed an angel.

Seeing that others viewed her the same way, she was undoubtedly an angel. Unaware of his thoughts, Ellerdin thought Fernan was particularly good at joking today and burst into laughter.

“Ellerdin, I’m serious.”

Then, Fernan spoke in a low voice and slowly approached her as if to kiss her.

The look in his eyes made Ellerdin’s shoulders tremble. Unlike his usual gentle gaze, his eyes were deeply serious.

“Oh, by the way, have you ever been to a festival?”

Startled by his unfamiliar gaze, Ellerdin quickly changed the subject to cool her heated face.

“A festival?”

Fernan recalled old memories.

When his parents were well, he remembered going to festivals in other cities a few times.

Though the memories had faded, those experiences remained as good memories.

As the silence grew longer, Ellerdin looked at Fernan with expectant eyes.

Fortunately, he had many interesting stories to meet her expectations.

With exaggerated movements, he lay down beside her.

Fernan patted the spot next to him and laughed.

“Come lie down. I’ll start telling you about my journey across the sea to a new city.”

It’s going to be a very long story.

Ellerdin smiled brightly and lay down next to him.

As she wriggled into the blanket, Fernan pulled her into his arms with the blanket.

“Ah.”

Ellerdin’s eyes widened in surprise. Looking at his chest and blinking, she felt a joyful laugh erupt from above her head.

“The first time I rode a ship and faced the waves, it felt just like this.”

Fernan said, making eye contact with Ellerdin. He naturally began his story.

***

“Father, isn’t it too hot?”

Young Fernan asked, flapping his collar.

His father, Kaiden, burst into hearty laughter.

“Feeling hot in this weather? We must have kept our son too confined in the north.”

He lifted Fernan and sat him on his arm.

“Isn’t that right?”

Kaiden asked, looking back.

“Indeed. The sunlight is so lovely.”

Silver hair, the same as Fernan’s, fluttered in the wind.

Everyone on the ship was mesmerized, gazing at her.

Taller than most grown men, she looked around with a relaxed smile.

Everyone glanced at her aura but quickly averted their eyes.

“Everyone fears Mother.”

“That’s not fear. It’s reverence. Just like how I look at her.”

Kaiden smiled and looked at Everett.

At that moment, their eyes met, and her red eyes, filled with affection, curved.

“You two look exactly alike when you’re together.”

“Do you think so? I think he looks more like you.”

Kaiden raised his eyebrows, looking back and forth between Fernan and Everett.

“I want to go to Mother.”

Fernan, who was in Kaiden’s arms, reached out to Everett.

With a light touch, she lifted Fernan.

“My son, are you very hot?”

“Hmm… but I can bear it.”

Fernan answered, acting spoiled.

“If you want, just tell me. I can take the heat away in an instant.”

A cold chill emanated from Everett’s hand.

“Mother! You can’t do that!”

Fernan exclaimed in surprise.

If she used her magic here, the vast sea would freeze over.

“Ha ha ha, don’t worry, I won’t do that.”

Everett burst into hearty laughter.

“You still don’t know your mother’s jokes, you have a long way to go.”

Kaiden laughed heartily as he hugged Everett tightly. Though he spoke playfully, his hands were trembling slightly.

In fact, Kaiden was the most surprised in this situation.

Fernan seemed to say it to mean that even as a joke, one shouldn’t say such things, but knowing Everett’s personality, Kaiden knew she was 100% serious.

If his beloved son had jokingly said he liked it, the sea would have frozen over by now.

Thinking it was fortunate that such a thing didn’t happen, he leaned his head on Everett’s shoulder.

Everett gently caressed Kaiden’s hair and ear with her other hand.

“You’re too scared.”

Everett giggled. Kaiden chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“I’m always a coward in front of you.”

No demon could stand proudly in front of a magnificent demon like you.

He mumbled, acting spoiled.

Kaiden always said that Fernan resembled Everett, but in truth, it was only their appearance; their behavior was exactly like father and son.

Just like this spoiled behavior. Though he would never admit it.

Feeling happiness, Everett quietly enjoyed the sea breeze.

***

“Thus, I arrived in another city by ship for the first time. Did you know? In cities where festivals are held, even the harbor is decorated with balloons.”

“Balloons?”

“Yes. When you get off the ship, they give balloons to children. The one I received was a yellow balloon.”

Just like the color of your hair. 

Fernan paused for a moment and gazed at Ellerdin.

When the story suddenly stopped, she looked up, puzzled. Her deep blue eyes stared at him.

‘Like the sea.’

If I tell you this, how will you react? You’ll probably deny it, saying it’s not true at all.

Hoping that one day his words would reach her, Fernan smiled softly.

At his sudden smile, Ellerdin’s shoulders twitched.

When he smiled like that, she didn’t know how to react and often averted her gaze.

This time was no different; Ellerdin buried her face in the blanket.

Hidden under the blanket, Ellerdin poked Fernan’s chest. It was a signal to continue the story, and he burst into laughter.

After that, he talked about the plays he saw at the festival and the food they sold.

As they chatted through the night, colorful breaths could be heard. Warmth could be felt, indicating deep sleep.

Fernan gently tucked Ellerdin’s hair behind her ear.

Starting tomorrow, they would be busy developing the estate.

“Good night.”

Fernan lightly kissed Ellerdin’s forehead.