Chapter 15 (1/2)

The words he said with a bright smile made me speechless like yesterday.

Why are these brothers so kind to me?

Barely, to someone like me …

I don’t know how it’ll change in the future, and it’s not even worth it for now.

This kindness was awful.

Because I wanted it so badly; because I didn’t want to lose once I get it. I squeezed the blanket with my hands and calmed my beating heart.

I wasn’t confident enough to face that smile yet.

“In that sense, today is the day you spend with me! Brother took a day off yesterday, so he has to go to work today.”

Ricarda giggled and laughed in a playful voice. His playful voice soothed my heart to a certain extent.

“Brother will work busily, and I get time to spend with Daphne.”

“…is he busy because of me?”

“No.”

Wasn’t he busy because he took care of me?

With a firm, quick answer, Ricarda smiled, saying that wasn’t the case.

“It was his choice, so that can’t be because of you. It’s all because of brother himself.”

He smiled, telling me not to worry about it and disappeared for a while after asking me to wait and appeared in front of me again with a tray.

“So, today, let’s have fun with only Daphne and brother all day long?”

***

The home without Mother and Lennox but only with Ricarda and me… wasn’t quiet at all. Ricarda told me about many things and kept on talking as if he was anxious to help me.

“I heard you and brother were talking about this magic circle yesterday. Now, put your hand here, and you’ll be registered, too.”

And saying it would be useful in the future, Ricarda registered me with a magic circle moving to the capital.

After that, his destination naturally headed to the first floor because yesterday, Lennox let him know that I was guided to the house.

“This is the best place in our house.”

The next destination was the kitchen. Ricarda sat me in one of the chairs and then lifted his arms.

“I’m going to make dinner from now on. Would you like to make it together?”

“But what if I ruin it?”

I’ve never cooked before.

What if while you’re with me, you ruin the dish?

Ricarda grinned at the anxious question.

“You can’t ruin it when you make it with your brother.”

“But…”

I had a gloomy look on my face as I recalled memories from the nursery.

“If you ruin the food because of me, everyone will be angry. I always got scolded for trying to help at the nursery.”

In the first place, everyone said they didn’t need my help. I knew that the nursery and this place were different, but I was still nervous. Ricarda sat face to face in front of me and smiled softly like he had read my anxious mind.

“I am sure there’s no one here who can blame you for ruining the food.”

After that, Ricarda laughed playfully.

“If anyone says anything, I’ll give them a scolding, be it Mother or Brother. Since, Ricarda is the youngest.”

“That’s not true. Our youngest is Daphne, right?”

Faith arose from those kind words. Ricarda realized like a ghost that I was ready to do it. Even though it was a little help, he also told me he was grateful for my help.

After we completed all the preparations for the meal, the time for dinner arrived. Unfortunately, however, we couldn’t eat the food together.

“Oh, my. Mother says she can’t come in today. Lennox is working overtime, too.”

“…What about Ricarda?”

“Of course, I’ll be right next to Daphne! Let’s have a very delicious dinner together!”

‘I can’t tell her my wish tonight either.’

I was going to say that I want to learn how to write.

‘It seems like I’m falling a little bit out of it.’

I thought the beginning was half done, but It feels like I haven’t even started properly.

Most of all, I think it’s because my heart feels uncomfortable.

I glanced slightly at Ricarda. I wonder why he feels good; he just kept on smiling.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Daphne isn’t bored!”

After that, without having time to feel sullen, we had the dinner we made together. And after taking the medicine Lennox made, I lay down on a soft bed.

Being washed cleanly by magic, I wrapped my dry body gently around the soft blanket. The warmth wrapped around my body made me feel drowsy.

Seeing me like that, Ricarda smiled and sat down in a chair next to me, saying he would read me a fairy tale book.

“Once upon a time…”

It’s because he talks too much, Ricarda’s voice too, was pretty relaxing.

As I listened to his story, I began to fall asleep, unlike yesterday. Blinking my eyes and enduring the pouring sleepiness, I remembered that I completely forgot to bring up the words that I had to say because the time we spend together today was so pleasant.

“…Ricarda.”

“Yes, Daphne? I am here.”

At the sound of a bright reply as if to reassure me, I said, holding my heart as firmly as I did yesterday.

“Don’t be too friendly to me.”

“…uh?”

“I’ve never received affection in my life, but I have a lot of greed and… If I had it, I wouldn’t want to lose it.”

That’s why you don’t have to treat me well.

I was going to say so.