Childcare Diaries - Chapter 80
Chapter 80
After a long time, a visitor came to the County.
It was Eujes. He had come with a letter from the king.
“Teacher…?”
While visiting Kentrail, the first familiar face Eujes met in the hallway was Marie.
“Nanny.”
The two glanced at each other after a long time and expressed their delight.
“How have you been?”
“Good, how about the teacher?”
“I haven’t been doing well.”
She thought the dark circles on his face were simply due to overwork, but an unexpected answer came back.
“No, why? What happened?”
It quickly turned into a worried expression.
When she asked Eujes, he hardened his smiling face and replied seriously, “I have someone I want to see.”
It was when Marie wanted to hear the story, wondering who it was and why he was so solemn.
“What are you doing here?”
Kentrail’s voice echoed through the hallway.
Marie turned her head to find the owner of the voice she wanted to hear no matter what. Her expression softened, and her cheeks reddened. On the other hand, Eujes’s face turned dark when he saw it.
Kentrail walked up to the two of them at a quick pace. Contrary to Marie’s gathered expression, his expression stiffened.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the teacher.”
Her excited voice complicates Kentrail’s mind. It reminded him of what Taylor had said before.
‘Master. The man the nanny met before, and when I think about it closely, it resembles Teacher Eujes’s back…’
He knew she had gone to see Erin, so he thought she might have stumbled upon Eujes. Nonetheless, he still didn’t like it. Besides, didn’t they enjoy the festival together before…?
At that moment, he was struck by the fact that he and Marie had done many things together.
“I have an urgent matter to tell you about Brielle.”
Kentrail left him behind and started walking ahead, telling Marie to follow him. Seeing that, she told Eujes to see him later, noticing his darkened expression before following him quickly.
“With a letter from the Royal Palace…”
Belatedly, Eujes’ voice, who had been talking to them behind their backs, dwindled. Then, it turned into a look of discouragement.
In the end, he left the letter to the butler and left the mansion.
* * *
“What’s wrong with the Young Master?”
Marie stopped him ahead and asked. It was because Kentrail didn’t say anything about Brielle, even though it seemed like they had been walking for a while.
The next moment, he turned around and hugged Marie.
“I was jealous.”
Then, he confessed his own burning feelings.
“What?”
“You’re smiling brightly. I heard you met outside before that.”
When he heard from Ellie that the day she went to see Erin, Marie laughed in his arms when she heard that he was jealous. He was also cute when he spoke frankly like this now.
“Huh…? Are you laughing? I’m serious.”
She hugged Kentrail back. How could a man with such a broad back be jealous like a child…?
“I’m glad.”
“What?”
“I think I’m not the only one who’s jealous.”
“Jealous? Saying that, it sounds like you’ve been jealous, too.”
“When the Marquis Lady came.”
“…Were you jealous back then?”
Asking that, his voice changed as strangely happy as Marie.
“I thought you knew.”
“At the time, I thought you were simply misunderstood.” His voice was raised as if he was genuinely glad that he had made her jealous.
“Still, don’t be alone with Eujes.”
“We met by chance.”
Marie gave him an excuse.
“I still don’t like it.”
Grumbled like Brielle, Marie was glad it was for her.
“Huh?”
While they were enjoying the feeling for a moment, Kentrail suddenly lifted herself up and placed her feet on his feet, “Why won’t you answer me?”
He then moved his feet one step at a time. At that, her body moved as if dancing on his feet.
“Am I not heavy?”
“Very heavy.”
“…What?”
Kentrail spoke grumpily as she didn’t answer him, but he never let her down. Meanwhile, Ellie watched them and shook her head as she moved away.
* * *
Derek glanced at the reckless hunters.
‘Are they going to catch a bear with those skills now?’
A sigh came out.
It seemed like they were trying to catch a bear by pushing their numbers, though it seemed that one of them would be sacrificed. The target was obvious even without seeing it. It was the powerless man who joined late.
Unable to watch the innocent man die, he drew his short sword. After that, he ran and threw it at the bear that was attacking the small man who fell.
At once, the bear’s breath passed.
Everyone couldn’t figure out what had happened to the suddenly collapsed bear. Eventually, they realized that Derek had caught the bear and cheered.
‘…Should they be cheers like that when you almost killed a person now?’
From a young age, he had a past of being rejected because of his unusual eye color, but Derek was not happy with this situation. If his physique had been born weak, he might have changed his position with the short man now.
He approached the dead bear and turned away from those who were discussing how to divide the meat. He was thinking of going back to the accommodation where he was staying since he didn’t even want to see them.
How long did he walk through the forest…?
Derek, who stopped in place, turned around and asked.
“What?”
When he stopped, there was a man following him, limping as if he was injured.
“I want to say thank you.”
“If someone else had fallen, I would have saved them, too.”
Having said that, as he was about to turn around, the man spoke to him again.
“Thank you, though. I have a sick wife, and she would not have been able to live alone if I had died.”
He bowed his head to say thank you very much.
Derek, who was uncomfortable with this situation, turned around. He strode towards the road he had originally intended to go.
“I live in a house with a red roof here. It’s not enough, but I want to treat you, so please drop by.”
Behind him, the man shouted so.
* * *
Marie had been watching Brielle taking his swordsmanship class after a long time.
The child waved his hand as he looked back at her as he swung his sword. Marie also waved her hand back.
Clasping her chin again, she gazed at the child.
Looking at it like this, she remembered the letter he had delivered with his sincerity on the envelope that he had drawn with his favorite dragon and several unknown plants as a birthday present.
[ Marie, happy birthday.
Of course, you know how much I like and love Marie, right? Don’t you know? Then, I’ll tell you.
First of all, I like Marie more than the dragon. When Marie is sick, I am much more sick, and when Marie is sad, I am very sad. I hope that Marie always smiles, and that she is full of happy things.
I’m still young, and I can’t protect Marie properly. However, when I grow up as big as uncle, I’ll defeat everyone who hurts you.
I’ll never forgive anyone who hurts Marie. It’s the same with uncle.
So, you see how much I love Marie?
Is this the end of your birthday present? Absolutely not! I was thinking about what I could do for Marie other than using the money I got from uncle, and this was the only thing I could do for you. You can use these coupons anytime.
I wanted to fill this letter with prettier and nicer words, but it’s so sad that I can’t remember those words. I’ll study a little harder.
Marie, thank you so much for being by my side.
Never go anywhere! Understand? If Marie tries to leave, I might be a baby again.
So, please stay by my side forever.
—Loving Marie very much
Brielle. ]
There were five coupons in that letter — two massage coupons, two song coupons and one forgiveness coupon.
…How carefully it was made. Each coupon had a picture drawn on it.
Marie held the coupons in her arms. It was meant to be kept until it was worn out.
* * *
Baron Jake found the Count.
“Long time no see.”
“Yes, did your work go well?”
He didn’t hear what was going on, although Baron Jake, who knew what had happened to the point where Kentrail vacated the house, asked him.
“Well… is there anything wrong with the Royal Palace?”
The letter Eujes brought was not a big deal, so Kentrail questioned indifferently. It had been a long time since he, who had resigned as Chancellor, did not go to the palace after Siege’s case was resolved.
“If you’re worried, why don’t you try an audience with His Majesty first?”
At Baron Jake’s suggestion, he shook his head.
“I’m sure I’ll be caught if I go, but why?”
His words made sense, so the Baron agreed.
“His Majesty seems to be in a hard time because of the push from Caveran, and his health seems to be getting worse lately.”
“From uncle…? That’s strange.”
No matter how much Cavera pushed and pushed something, it was often thwarted because of the powerful King, and the King had been ignoring them from time to time. But now, it seemed strange for the King to care so much about them.
“By the way, is the nanny who was hurt okay?
At the Baron’s question, Kentrail’s expression changed slightly. The Baron’s eyes narrowed when he sensed his friend’s appearance.
‘I did not know he could make that kind of expression.’
Come to think of it, he felt like a spring breeze was blowing around his friend. Jake noticed some changes in Kentrail’s office.
“Fortunately, she is recovering completely.”
Recognizing the friend who looked genuinely relieved, Baron Jake asked bluntly.
“Do you like her?”
“What?”
At the question, Kentrail laughed as he thought if that was so obvious.
“Huh? Are you laughing now?”
Seeing his friend’s bright smile like this, the Baron couldn’t believe it. And, he was sure. that his friend had found someone good. Even though there must be a lot of work to do, he still wanted to support Kentrail.
“Congratulations. You’ve got a good person.”
He welcomed such a friend’s congratulations.
“Thank you.”
“If it were you, you would get through it.”
Jake, who overcame extreme opposition because of the Marquisate’s precious child, firmly believed that Kentrail could do the same.
“Please, introduce her formally sometime.”
“Yes. I’ll introduce her in a little while.”
A smile appeared on Kentrail’s face once again as he was thinking of introducing Marie to someone after the current crisis was over.
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