episode_0124

The morning at the Count’s residence was noisy.

Agnes, who had walked through the sunset landscape the day before and stretched out, opened her eyes to the loud sound of cheers echoing throughout.

-one!

-two!

-three!

The shouts of big men pierce my ears.

Agnes stood up, wondering what this was all about.

Then Deltan, who opened his eyes, laid her down again and said,

“Don’t worry. Because it’s the sound of drivers cantering in the morning.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a tradition here. They say that when you open your eyes, you have to wake up your mind by walking at a canter or something.”

After saying that, Deltan strengthened his arms.

Agnes snuggled into Deltan’s arms and looked up at him.

Since he tends to sleep a lot in the morning and can’t come to his senses until he takes a cold shower, I didn’t know if he could sleep for hours more if left like this.

‘Are you okay?’

Agnes thought for a moment and then closed her eyes.

‘I’m sure it’ll be okay.’

I heard that the departure is tomorrow and that the Count’s family will be in charge of preparations.

There was no reason to disturb the Deltans’ sleep already.

More than anything, the warmth I felt while Deltan hugged me like this was really warm and nice.

“Shall we sleep a little longer?”

“… Uh.”

Deltan answered in a drowsy voice, but soon fell asleep again.

The cantering sound of “one, two, three” becomes a lullaby.

*

It was almost lunch when Deltan opened his eyes.

Agnes straightened Delta’s hair, which had become a mess, and only after he went in to wash did she head to the restaurant first.

“Ah, princess.”

The Countess greeted Agnes with a smile.

“Did you sleep comfortably?”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Agnes said and looked into her arms.

The baby was hugged and sleeping soundly.

As had happened the day before, the moment Agnes saw the baby, she had to feel a strange emotion that could not be described in words.

How can such a small, fragile-looking creature grow?

That kind of thought comes to mind.

The Countess smiled and asked Agnes.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Ah, yes… .”

“Want to come and touch it?”

It was the same recommendation as the day before.

Agnes pondered for a moment, then walked over to her and stretched out her hand for the baby.

This time, instead of pointing at the cheek, he pointed his index finger at the bracken fist.

The moment the index finger touched the baby’s fist, the baby grabbed Agnes’ index finger tightly.

Suddenly, Agnes’ body shook.

It was strange.

The baby’s strength was so insignificant that she could easily untie it with just a little bit of force, but Agnes thought that no matter what she did, she would never be able to untie the baby’s hand.

The reason could be the worry that the baby’s hand might break if it moves incorrectly.

Whatever it is, it’s frozen and you can’t do this or that.

Fortunately, the Countess helped.

“Now, it’s uncomfortable when you’re stiff like that, right?”

He said and took the baby’s hand away.

Agnes expressed belated gratitude and touched the fingertips that had been held just before.

“… Thank you.”

“Nothing to say. Eat first.”

Agnes sat down at the table.

However, due to the numbness in my fingertips, I could hardly concentrate on eating.

Before I knew it, the Countess was looking at the baby again and smiling.

While watching the scene, Agnes suddenly asked.

“Can I ask you one question?”

“Yes, of course. What are you curious about?”

“The Countess is young. I’m curious about how it feels to become a mother at such a young age.”

Four years older than Count Cargos.

So the Countess is now twenty-three.

Agnes asked, unable to understand how she, who was only three years older than her, could play the role of a mother, and the Countess’s answer was succinct.

“Nothing special. I just have my child. So I’m happy.”

“Is that the end?”

“Do you think there is something else?”

Agnes nodded.

“… It’s not an easy task. Being someone’s mother is.”

“Actually, it is a difficult task. Since I am a countess, there are many people who help me with childcare, so it is like this. When I think about what it is like for people who raise children alone, I often feel respect for them.”

There was no wrinkle in the words he spoke with a grin.

Agnes asked that.

“… How did you decide to become a mother?”

“A decision?”

“I don’t know. I can’t imagine myself becoming a mother. So, when I think about the possibility of having a child someday, I get scared.”

The Countess stared at Agnes.

Immediately afterwards, a wild laugh came out of her mouth.

“I know. What does it feel like?”

“Was the Countess like this too?”

“Everyone in the world will do that. No one can accurately judge what kind of parent they will be. No matter what you imagine, what you will be like when you become a parent will be different from what you imagined.”

The Countess healed the baby and held him.

“The answer is that I did not give birth because I decided to become a mother.”

“Yes?”

“This is a child who grew up unexpectedly. Actually, he was planning to have a child when he turned 20, but then an accident happened.”

Curiosity grew over Agnes’ face.

The Countess continued.

“So I was embarrassed at first. I am not prepared in any way, so will I be able to raise this child well with my husband who is so clueless? Also, will I be able to love this child I didn’t plan on?”

Her words penetrated Agnes’ worries.

Am I capable of loving a child?

That was the question that had not disappeared from my mind ever since I saw Porter, the heir to the earldom.

Agnes began to listen more closely, and the Countess smiled slightly at Agnes’ appearance and added a word.

“It was all a useless worry.”

“It’s useless?”

“Yes, while I was carrying the child, I fell in love with a new child that I didn’t even know.”

The Countess said as Agnes tilted her head.

“When I feel the baby’s heartbeat in my stomach, my heartbeat moves in accordance with it. The weight of the child never leaves me and I am reminded of its presence. Once you get kicked, the excitement won’t subside for hours. Whether I sleep or wake up, I only think about this child. Carrying a child in your stomach means something like that.”

The Countess clutched the symbol of the Order she wore around her neck with one hand.

“So I thought. I think the reason Lastoria created life in this form was because of that process. It’s about giving time to all those who aren’t ready to love. Time to fall in love with a new life.”

Agnes laughed lowly, thinking it was quite a funny statement.

said the countess.

“If you still don’t understand, imagine it. The princess will probably marry the Count of Hebron, right?”

“Yes, unless something goes wrong.”

“What do you think having a child with him will be like? Will it be a boy or a girl, what will the hair be like, what will the eyes be like, and what will the personality be like? I guess I’m lost in that kind of imagination. Then, you will automatically feel anticipation. Expectation will soon become interest, which in turn will become love.”

Deltan and his Ira.

Agnes thought about him for a moment, but nothing seemed to fit together.

That’s because the Delta people and himself were very different people from beginning to end.

Since there are no common characteristics, the imagination eventually picks out each person’s characteristics one by one.

The subsequent thoughts begin to add details to the small child’s appearance and personality.

It was quite a pleasant experience.

Agnes lowered her head, feeling like she couldn’t escape from her imagination, and as she did so, the countess’s laughter became more cheerful.

It was at such a moment that the Deltans entered.

“What is it? Where is Henry?”

As soon as he came in, the Countess responded to the sight of him looking for her, as if she had urgent work to do.

“I went to the damn repair shop.”

“… I’ll have to look for it later.”

The smart Delta man sat down and picked up a fork and knife.

Agnes looked at the scene for a moment and then spoke to the Countess.

“Well, I hope you are quick to notice. If you often face difficult situations, life is sure to be difficult, right?”

At those words, the Countess opened her eyes and then burst into laughter.

Agnes also covered her mouth and laughed.

In the middle of the story, a Deltan who was left out asked bluntly.

“What are you talking about like that?”

“I cursed at you.”

“… What?”

“Prank.”

Deltan’s eyes narrowed.

He looked suspicious.

Instead of answering with a shrug of her shoulders, Agnes went back to focusing on her meal.

The meal ended like that.

*

Agnes is strangely strange.

This was the thought that had been on Deltan’s mind ever since he opened his eyes and entered the restaurant.

It had to be that way.

“… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just looking at your face.”

“Why are you saying that again? .”

“Because I feel like I want to take a closer look today.”

Agnes stares at my face all the time.

They don’t stop at just looking, but they also add actions such as poking the cheek, rubbing the bridge of the nose, or scratching the forehead.

Deltan tried to stop him, expressing his awkwardness at the situation he couldn’t understand, but Agnes remained steadfast.

“Why. Because you’re my lover, you can just touch me.”

How can you refuse when you say that?

She was a woman so good at words that it was impossible to refuse her.

Anyway, this is the result.

When I stopped by the repair shop to see Henry, I was told that he had gone to the Knights’ training ground.

I was walking back to the knights’ training ground, but once every five steps I stopped because of Agnes.

Deltan sighed and decided that he couldn’t go any further than this.

“Hey, come here.”

“Huh?”

“No, I’m going.”

Deltan hugged Agnes.

It was the princess hug she really liked.

Deltan spoke to Agnes, who tilted her head with a red face.

“Whether you look at it, poke it, or touch it, do it like this. Because you stop walking, you keep getting late.”

Agnes laughed and said, ‘Puff!’

“Did that bother you?”

“I’m busy.”

“Still, they take care of me even when I’m busy. If it were like the old days, I would have threatened to throw it away.”

“… When are you talking about enemies?”

To say that, it was actually less than half a year ago.

Once again, Deltan felt his pride hurt.

It’s been half a year since I promised myself that I would never give up my heart to her, but isn’t this a cruel fall?

You feel ashamed of yourself.

Of course, that didn’t change anything.

Deltan’s body is more honest than her mind, so even during this time, she was adjusting her posture in case she felt uncomfortable.

“… I was crazy.”

“To me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wow, that answer is really cute.”

Deltan’s body suddenly stiffened.

“You look like a noble lady who shouts, “I don’t know how good it feels.” Of course, the other person is the old garden of the mansion… .”

Just-

Deltan used silence magic for the first time in a long time.