Side Story 4

“Yes, I’ll look after Diana, so Beth, you can take your time….”

“Daddy, mommy!”

Diana’s voice grew louder as she seemed to come closer to this room. Dion, unable to say anything more, hurriedly put his clothes in order and dashed out of the room. Even then, he didn’t forget to close the door firmly behind him.

Mm, our Diana. You woke up. Were you looking for me because I wasn’t there? 

Dion’s voice, soothing the child, could be heard through the door. Lisbeth let out a deep breath, her whole body relaxing. Her shoulders, which had been tensed up, slowly settled down.

Then, before she realized it, she let out a quiet chuckle. In the end, isn’t this not much different from when they used to meet in secret? Back then, they had to avoid people’s eyes, and now, they just had to avoid the gaze of their beloved daughter.

Thinking about how Dion would react if she told him this story later, Lisbeth giggled. Then she put on her underwear and slip. Diana had found her father, but Lisbeth also needed to get ready to go to her daughter.

A smile never left Lisbeth’s face as she fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand.

* * *

A day passed. The sun had set in the west, and deep darkness blanketed the world.

After eating a hearty dinner and taking a bath, Diana, her cheeks rosy, tucked a book under her arm and ran off. When she threw the door open, her parents, who had been talking in low voices, turned to look at her.

“Mommy, daddy! Let’s read a book!”

“Shall we? Are you going to sleep between mommy and daddy again tonight?”

“Yes, I will. Because I love mommy, and I love daddy too!”

A warm smile spread across Lisbeth and Dion’s faces. Dion, who had lifted Diana and sat her down between them, took the book and opened it on Diana’s lap.

“Mm, Daddy will read for you. Is that okay?”

“Yes!”

Giggling, Diana hugged Dion’s arm tightly. Dion, enjoying the feeling of the little one with a slightly higher body temperature clinging to him, chuckled softly. Stroking Diana’s hair with his other hand, Dion turned the page.

“Once upon a time, on a large mountain covered in snow, there was a castle made of ice. In that castle lived a beautiful princess. The princess’s name was….”

As Dion’s gentle voice began to read the storybook, Diana’s eyes sparkled. The child’s gaze was fixed on the pretty picture. Lisbeth, lying on her side, watched the affectionate father and daughter.

It was a sight she could not have imagined just a few years ago. She had been an unhappy widow, believing that all that remained was to wither away alone in a huge mansion. But she met Dion, had a child, and after a long detour, finally reunited with him to enjoy such a happy moment. To Lisbeth, it felt like a miracle.

This can’t be a dream, right? It’s not just a fantasy shown by my mind, sunk in misery and sleep, is it? 

Lisbeth reached out to stroke Diana’s hair and looked at Dion. His eyes briefly met Lisbeth’s. To Dion’s questioning gaze, Lisbeth just shook her head slightly in reply, then folded her hands under her face and relaxed.

“…The princess asked the fairy, ‘How can I go to the land of flowers?’ Then the fairy said….”

After reading Diana’s favorite story about the princess of the ice castle four times, sleep finally began to appear in Diana’s eyes. Rubbing her drowsy eyes against Dion’s arm, Diana let out a long yawn. Lisbeth gently pulled her daughter close and laid her down. Kissing Diana’s forehead, Lisbeth smiled and said,

“Our daughter, you look really sleepy. Shall we sleep together now?”

“Mmm… mommy’s soft skin….”

As usual, Diana reached out her small hand and started playing with Lisbeth’s arm. Even in her drowsiness, Diana smiled and mumbled,

“I like sleeping with mommy and daddy….”

How could there be such a lovely being? Lisbeth kissed Diana’s round, chubby cheek and answered her daughter,

“Mommy likes sleeping with Diana too.”

“What about daddy?”

“Mm, daddy likes sleeping with Diana too.”

“Hehe….”

When Dion blew out the candle, darkness filled the room. Diana’s face, faintly visible in the moonlight, was full of happiness. Diana turned toward Lisbeth and clung to her arm. Dion, from behind, placed a hand on the child’s shoulder and gently patted her.

Though the child seemed about to fall asleep, she tossed and turned for a while, unable to drift off easily. It was only natural, as she was still too young to sleep quietly. Only when Diana’s hand, which had been playing with the soft skin inside Lisbeth’s arm, lost all strength and came to a complete stop did both adults smile. In a lowered voice, Dion spoke first.

“She’s asleep.”

“Mm. But she fell asleep quickly today. It’s because you played with her so much, Dion.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. She’s so full of energy. You drained her strength, so she fell asleep this fast.”

While stroking Diana, who had fallen asleep with beads of sweat on her forehead, Lisbeth asked Dion,

“Are you sleepy?”

“No, not yet.”

“Shall we go talk for a bit in the next room and come back?”

The two carefully got up so as not to wake Diana and left the room. Leaving the door slightly ajar so they could hear, they entered the room across the hall. With a small lamp lit, they sat side by side on the sofa in the room. The sofa faced a large window, offering a full view of the night scenery. Lisbeth pulled her knees up and leaned her head on Dion’s shoulder.

“You did well today too, Dion.”

“I didn’t really do anything.”

“Playing with a child is harder than you think. You really have to give it your all to keep up with her energy.”

“Haha… Diana is just so cute, I don’t even notice the effort.”

“Still, don’t do everything she asks, and if you’re tired, send her to me.”

“How could I, when she comes clinging to me saying she loves me? And I love that Diana wants me so much.”

A gentle smile appeared on Dion’s face.

“She liked me and called me daddy from the very first time she saw me—how could I not like her?”

“Well, just look at her—she looks exactly like you, so she must have accepted you as her daddy right away.”

Eyes, nose, lips. The daughter looked just like Dion. But Dion, as if surprised, protested,

“What do you mean? Diana looks just like you, Beth.”

“Mm? To me, she looks just like you.”

“Huh?”

The two looked at each other in confusion, then burst into laughter. Lisbeth whispered softly,

“I guess we each see the face of the person we love in our child. That’s why I say she looks like you, and you say she looks like me.”

“I guess so.”

The two, gazing at each other, exchanged a light kiss. The breath of the person she loved carried a sweet scent.

At a distance where their noses gently touched, Lisbeth looked into Dion’s sparkling eyes. In his eyes was the universe Lisbeth loved. Seeing the swirling affection in them made her so happy she shivered. Unable to look away from his eyes, Lisbeth whispered.