Side Story 5

Vivian ran up the stairs, making tapping sounds with her feet, and flung open the first door she saw. Since no one currently lived in the annex, every piece of furniture was covered with white cloths.

“…Eddie?”

Vivian had no idea where Adrian might be hiding, so she thought she’d have to pull back each cloth and check, but the idea made her a little scared. The white cloths covering the furniture looked as if they might suddenly move, so Vivian couldn’t bring herself to step into the room.

“You’re… you’re not here, right? Then I’ll go somewhere else!”

Vivian quietly closed the door and moved to another room. But this room, and the next, and the one after that, all looked the same, and Vivian grew tearful.

At this rate, she might never find Adrian!

Wandering around the second floor searching for Adrian, Vivian suddenly wondered if she was truly alone in the annex. Fear struck her, and she froze in place.

Just a moment ago, sunlight had streamed in and the hallway was bright, but now, for some reason, it had quickly grown dim.

“Eddie… where are you?”

She was sure she’d seen him going upstairs, but where could he be? There were many doors, but she didn’t know which one Adrian was behind.

Standing there, Vivian called for Adrian. But, of course, he didn’t come out just because she called.

Boom, crash!

At that moment, the dim window suddenly flashed, followed by a loud noise. Startled, Vivian couldn’t even scream, crouching down and trembling.

“E-Eddie… sniff, Eddie…”

Vivian bowed her head and kept calling for Adrian. She was too scared to move.

Just earlier, she’d been excited to play hide-and-seek—why had things changed so suddenly? She felt resentful that Adrian was nowhere to be seen.

Flash! Boom! Crash!

“Hng, sniff… hiccup.”

Vivian held back her tears, covered her ears with her hands, and bowed her head. Just then, she heard the sound of someone running toward her, and suddenly Adrian hugged her tight.

“Vivi!”

“…Huaang, Eddie!”

Once Vivian realized Adrian had come to find her, she finally burst into tears she’d been holding back.

“W-where were you… sniff…”

“I’m sorry, sorry, Vivi. You were scared, weren’t you?”

“I-I was trying to find you… sniff, but you weren’t there… sniff!”

Adrian wiped Vivian’s tear-streaked face and kept apologizing.

While Vivian was counting, Adrian had pretended to go upstairs, but actually hid behind the stairs on the first floor. He planned to surprise her when she came back down after failing to find him upstairs, but he never expected something like this to happen.

Sudden thunder and lightning on what had been a clear day—Adrian’s heart sank thinking how scared Vivian must have been alone. He comforted her, patting her back as he held her close.

“It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“Hiccup…”

Once the crying stopped, hiccups began. Adrian continued to hold and soothe her until she calmed down, then carried Vivian downstairs.

The unexpected thunder and lightning seemed to signal a heavy rain, and now it was pouring fiercely.

Standing at the entrance, watching the rain, they saw a servant running from the main building with an umbrella.

“Sir, shall I carry the young lady?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll do it myself.”

Before long, Vivian had fallen asleep on Adrian’s back. Hearing the gentle breathing and feeling the warmth of the child as he walked, Adrian was followed by the servant holding an umbrella for him.

***

“Found you, Chris!”

“How can you find me so fast! Sis, you didn’t close your eyes, did you?”

“Boo! Now you’re it!”

The ducal residence was filled with the laughter of children.

Vivian and Adrian, who once wished for a boy and a girl who resembled each other, had gotten exactly what they wanted. Although it turned out to be a girl who looked like Adrian and a boy who looked like Vivian.

The sound of children searching the annex for hide-and-seek brought a happy smile to Vivian’s lips.

The children were playing upstairs, while Vivian was having tea in the first-floor parlor. Soon, there was the sound of footsteps tumbling down the stairs, and the parlor door burst open as the two children ran in.

“Mom! Sis is so unfair!”

“What did I do? Mom, Chris is even stingier!”

Both children rushed over, clinging to Vivian’s legs and chattering away. With both blaming each other, Vivian was overwhelmed, not knowing whose side to take.

“All right, enough! Eve, don’t call your brother stingy. Chris, don’t say your sister is unfair.”

“But, Mom!”

“But, Mom!”

“Shh. Why don’t you sit here and have tea with me?”

At Vivian’s gentle words, the two children had no choice but to sit quietly. But even with Vivian between them, the tension between sister and brother continued.

The girl, Eve, who had golden hair and green eyes just like her father, was seven years old. Her brother, Chris, who had black hair and violet eyes like his mother, was five.

The children, who looked just like their parents, were so lovable that Vivian and Adrian could hardly imagine life without them. They were learning anew the joy and happiness children brought.

While Vivian soothed the squabbling children and drank tea, the parlor door opened again and Adrian came in.

“Dad!”

“Dad!”

As soon as Adrian appeared, Chris and Eve jumped up and ran to him. Adrian lifted both children at once, hugging them with his arms, and kissed both his daughter and son on the cheeks.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yes!”

The children answered together, laughing brightly. After greeting them, Adrian set them down and went to Vivian, kissing her on the lips.

“I’m home, Vivi.”

“You worked hard, Eddie.”

Now in his thirties, Adrian had the aura of a mature man. Still handsome as a young man, he now carried the scent of an adult, and remained a devoted husband who only had eyes for Vivian.

Vivian, who once seemed forever girlish, had grown into a graceful lady in her mid-twenties. With a beauty so pure that it was hard to believe she’d given birth to two children, Vivian returned Adrian’s kiss with one to his cheek.

The siblings giggled and whispered to each other about their parents’ affectionate display.

The two children, who resembled their parents so much, loved their mother and father dearly. Since they were born, they had never once seen their parents argue. Their father would always act as if he was utterly devoted to their mother’s every word, and their mother, too, would follow whatever their father said without ever raising her voice.

Growing up under such harmonious parents, the children sometimes bickered, but they were growing into siblings who truly loved each other.

Adrian and Vivian, who greeted each other with such tenderness as if they had been apart for days, even though they had only separated in the morning and met again in the afternoon, sat close together and talked.

“All right, this time you’re the seeker!”

Just moments ago, Eve and Chris had been arguing about who was at fault, but now, having reached some sort of agreement, they rushed out to play hide-and-seek again. Left alone in the parlor, Adrian and Vivian smiled at each other.

Soon, the second floor became lively again. Listening to the children’s laughter, Vivian leaned her head on Adrian’s shoulder. Adrian kissed the crown of her head and gently embraced her shoulder.

“Do you remember that, Eddie?”

“What do you mean?”

“When we were young, playing hide-and-seek here.”

“Oh, you mean the day it rained?”

Vivian’s gaze shifted to the window. The sky that day had been just as clear as today. Then, a sudden shower had startled them.

“I was really scared then… but when you came to me, I felt so relieved. You were just like a prince.”

When she was frightened and unsure what to do, Adrian had come running and hugged her, and Vivian had found comfort in his arms. Even the scary thunder and lightning didn’t matter when Adrian was with her.

“Was I only a prince then? What about now?”

Adrian teased, and Vivian smiled with her eyes, whispering in his ear.

“Eddie, you’ll always be my prince.”

Vivian pressed a kiss to his earlobe, and as she tried to pull away, Adrian caught her chin and kissed her deeply.

“I love you, Vivi.”

“Me too. I love you, Eddie.”

Vivian and Adrian, foreheads touching, whispered their feelings to each other. Small faces peeked in, secretly watching their parents’ tender moment. Today, the sound of giggling children running down the hallway echoed through the small annex.

Hearing that sound, Vivian and Adrian laughed happily.

The daily life in the Dukedom was peaceful as ever.