Chapter 33

The news of the Duchess of Dinever’s passing came suddenly.

Even though Vivian and he occasionally exchanged letters, there was never any mention of the duchess’s health.

On the hurried journey to Raspol with the Empress, he learned that the duchess’s health had rapidly deteriorated as the time for her to give birth to Vivian’s younger sibling approached.

Watching the Empress sobbing throughout the trip to Raspol, Louis felt increasingly uneasy.

Surely, Vivian would be crying. She’s the type to laugh and cry over the smallest things, and Louis worried she might cry herself to collapse.

Due to the sudden news of the passing, their schedule to head to Raspol was slightly delayed, and the Empress and Louis arrived a bit later than planned.

They hurriedly made their way to the Dinever family cemetery. Empress Annette, having cried throughout the journey, eventually stumbled and couldn’t stay until the end.

Louis sent Empress Annette back to the Raspol residence first and stood at the back, watching Vivian for a long time.

Dressed in black, with a black hat, Vivian didn’t seem like the Vivian he knew.

Standing next to Duke Tereon, with hollow eyes fixed on the coffin, Vivian looked so fragile that Louis had to hold himself back from rushing forward.

After the funeral ended, everyone who attended left with red eyes.

However, Vivian and the duke couldn’t leave for a long time. Louis stayed there, watching their backs, feeling that he needed to be there.

It seemed right.

Even after returning to the Dinever residence, he couldn’t approach Vivian. He didn’t know what to say or what expression to make.

Then, hearing that Vivian was ill, he went to her room and regretted it.

He should have said something.

Unable to leave Vivian’s side, he stayed with her as she suffered.

On the third day of Vivian’s illness, after seeing off the Empress who couldn’t stay longer in Raspol, Louis returned to Vivian’s room to find her tossing and turning, struggling in her sleep.

When he held Vivian’s hand, she began to cry.

She cried so sorrowfully.

Unable to cry while awake, Vivian cried in her dreams. She cried for a long time before waking up.

Vivian, who immediately hid her sorrow, was a sight he couldn’t bear. He extended his hand to her.

Staring at his hand for a moment, Vivian took it and began to cry again. Her tears fell from her eyes, ran down her freckled cheeks, pooled at her chin, and then dripped onto his hand.

“I miss her, huff. I miss her.”

At Vivian’s words, which came out amidst her tears, he held her hand tightly.

“I miss my mother, I miss her so much.”

Once her heart opened, it flowed out for a long time.

* * *

“Father, Ian seems to have grown a lot already.”

Vivian was able to get out of bed after five days. After crying while holding his hand, her fever spiked again, and she had to rest for another day. The next day, she recovered completely and was able to get out of bed.

“Babies grow quickly. You were the same, Vivian.”

Ian, having drunk plenty of the nanny’s milk, was fast asleep.

Vivian’s face, watching Ian from beside the crib, looked much clearer than before.

“I hope Ian grows up quickly. I want to talk to him, teach him letters, and read books to him once he learns to read.”

Tereon smiled at his daughter’s ambitious plans and patted her head with pride. Vivian also tried to smile brightly at her father.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is leaving tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Did you properly thank him?”

Vivian shook her head while gently poking Ian’s hand with her finger.

“He stayed by your side the whole time you were ill. I thought he would return to the capital with the Empress, but he stayed here for quite a while.”

Duke Tereon glanced at Vivian.

Losing Daisy left a wound on the entire Dinever family. The grief of losing his wife made it difficult for him to face Vivian’s pain, even though he knew it was there.

Vivian, who hadn’t shed a single tear after Daisy’s death, holding Louis’s hand and crying as if her breath would stop, made Tereon think. He decided to bury his pain for a while, or rather, he had to.

“He must be pushing himself to stay here.”

At Tereon’s words, Vivian looked up.

“Being the Crown Prince isn’t an easy position. He’s been handling a grueling schedule, yet he postponed everything to stay by your side.”

Vivian’s eyebrows drooped. Daisy also made that expression when she felt sorry. Tereon bent down to meet Vivian’s eyes.

“What did your mother teach you?”

“…She told me never to hold back on gratitude and apologies.”

“You remember well.”

Vivian, who admired her mother more than anyone, always carried Daisy’s teachings with her, constantly expressing gratitude.

She always thanked the servants and her parents with a bright smile.

“You don’t resent Ian, do you?”

The duke cautiously asked Vivian.

“No, not at all.”

Vivian answered without a moment’s hesitation. Her gaze towards Ian was endlessly warm.

“He’s my brother. And Mother asked me to take care of him…”

For a moment, sadness flashed in Vivian’s eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

At that moment, someone knocked on Ian’s door.

“Excuse me, Your Grace. You need to come now.”

It was Pedro, Duke Tereon’s secretary.

“I understand.”

Nodding to Pedro, Duke Tereon pinched Vivian’s now-thin cheek and winked playfully.

“Let’s have dinner together.”

“Yes, Father.”

Due to the funeral, Duke Tereon had a backlog of work. As the head of the empire’s greatest family, he didn’t have enough time to grieve.

As Duke Tereon left with Pedro, Vivian leaned over Ian’s crib, watching her brother.

Above Ian, a mobile Daisy had sewn while carrying him a few months ago was slowly spinning.

“Ian, Mother always said to never hold back gratitude and apologies. She always said it wasn’t hard at all…”

Vivian whispered to Ian. Although Ian couldn’t understand, Vivian’s expression was very serious.

“It’s a little hard now. But as your sister, I should set an example, right?”

Vivian gently poked Ian’s chubby cheek. His soft cheek sank in. However, deeply asleep, Ian didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

“Miss, you’re here.”

Ian’s door opened quietly. The nanny, who had come in with a diaper, turned and bowed.

“Miss Vivian, you’re here. Your Highness.”

At the mention of “Your Highness,” Vivian quickly stood up. Louis, who had just entered, looked slightly sweaty as if he had been exercising.

“I met the Duke on my way back from sword practice, and he told me you were here.”

“Oh, I see.”

Lauren, Ian’s nanny who was standing behind, put down the diaper and handed Louis one of the towels stacked next to Ian’s crib.

“It may be spring, but staying in those wet clothes will give you a cold.”

“Thank you.”

Louis took the towel and roughly dried his sweat-soaked hair. Vivian just kept her head down, twirling her fingers.

Watching her quietly, Lauren unfolded a cloth diaper.

“I need to change Master Ian’s diaper. Could you help me a bit, Miss?”

“Huh? Oh! Sure!”

Vivian nodded vigorously and ran to Lauren’s side.

“Could you hold this for a moment?”

Holding the sun-dried diaper, Vivian watched Lauren with sparkling eyes. Louis had also approached Ian’s crib by then.

As soon as Lauren touched the tightly swaddled baby, Ian started to whimper and flailed his arms. When Ian began to cry, both Vivian and Louis became flustered.

“It’s alright.”

Lauren smiled and skillfully undressed Ian.

“You can’t see.”

Louis covered Vivian’s eyes.

“Ian has his dignity too.”

“What?”

“So just stay like this for a moment.”

Lauren’s soft laughter could be heard. When Ian’s whimpering stopped, Louis finally removed his hand. Seeing Ian kicking his legs happily with a fresh diaper, Vivian smiled brightly.

“He looks just like the Duke.”

“Right? He looks exactly like Father.”

Vivian proudly rubbed Ian’s brown hair with her fingers.

“So small.”

“Very small.”

Vivian and Louis watched Ian for a while before leaving as it was soon time for Ian’s feeding.

“How are you feeling?”

On their way back to her room from Ian’s, Louis hesitated for a long time before asking.

“I’m alright. I feel much better.”

But she couldn’t possibly be alright. It had only been five days since the Duchess was buried in the cold ground. Far too short a time for a twelve-year-old Vivian to be okay.

“Do you want to come to the capital with me?”

Louis had to return to the capital the next day. The thought of leaving Vivian behind weighed heavily on his mind.

“No. I have things to do here.”

Vivian firmly shook her head.

“I need to take care of Ian and help Father. I can’t let him fill Mother’s absence alone.”

Vivian stopped in front of the stairs leading to the second floor and looked back. Louis, who had been following, also halted.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming from the capital and staying with me.”

“…It’s only natural as your fiancé.”

Vivian bitterly smiled and nodded at Louis’s words.

“Nothing is natural. I thought it was natural for Mother to stay by my side for a long time. But it wasn’t.”

Vivian leaned against the stair railing and kicked the red carpet with her foot.

“After Mother passed away, I realized that nothing around me is natural. Everything can… disappear at any time.”

In the warm southern Raspol, spring flowers had swollen their buds. The buds, which had seemed so small during the Duchess’s funeral, now looked like they could bloom with just a touch.

Five days.

A short time, but enough for the flowers to prepare to bloom.

“Thank you for being by my side. I really wanted to say that.”

Louis responded with a faint smile. As he passed Vivian and climbed the stairs, he looked back and said,

“If you ever need a hand, just say the word. I’ll lend it to you anytime.”