‘Me? A precious person?’

What kind of question is that?

I couldn’t understand why Edgar asked such a question.

“I’m a precious person to my sisters, mom, and dad. Isn’t Edgar the same?”

“I don’t have a mother or father.”

“I also don’t have my mom or dad…”

Oblivious to my background, Edgar’s eyes widened.

“My dad died before I was born, and my mom shortly after.”

At my answer, Edgar stared at me blankly.

I glanced at Edgar, then gently pulled his hand and placed a flower petal on his fingernail.

I wish I could paint it with the flower; then we’d both have red nails.

“My Eldest Sister said that my mom didn’t die because of me. She risked her life to protect me. So, that must mean that I’m a very, very precious child. I heard that Edgar is like that too?”

“I, I…”

Edgar stuttered in confusion at my question.

Not knowing what to do, when he raised his head, tears were rolling down his cheeks.

What should I say?

If I were an adult, I would’ve fully grasped the situation and offered some comforting words.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t an adult.

I should be a little wiser than my age because I knew the original novel.

However, I’d be lying if I said I was much more advanced than other 6-year-olds or the 14-year-olds who were closer to my actual age.

If I were to guess, I think I was somewhere between 6 and 14 years old…

…Either way, I was just a little girl with a lot of thoughts.

I didn’t understand how Edgar was feeling, but judging from his pale complexion, he must be having a hard time.

So, instead of saying nice things like an adult, I decided to comfort him like a child.

“…Uh?”

I got up from my seat and hugged Edgar tightly.

Edgar made a strange noise.

Does Edgar hate hugs?

When I was fighting a fever, or when I was crying after I fought with Antonio, my sisters would hug me like that.

It calmed my troubled heart and gave me the courage to overcome whatever was going on.
“Just because I fought for you doesn’t mean we’re friends, but Edgar is precious to me. You know that, right?”
Edgar relaxed in my arms.
But I felt really strange.
It felt like hugging an angular octopus, so I dropped my arms, and Edgar gasped!
He took a step back, holding his breath.
“Edgar?”
As soon as I called, Edgar lowered his head…
“Huh?”
—He just ran away!
As I watched Edgar run away like a cat, I put my hands on my waist and frowned at him.
Edgar was a liar.
He said he wanted to play kitchen, but we ended up doing nothing!

* * *

Leopold heard about the previous day’s commotion and stopped by the palace where Edgar lived during lunch time.

He was furious that the palace maids dared to look down and ridicule the distinguished guest from Trovanza, so he thought about going over himself, but things had already been sorted out by Marius.

Therefore, instead of punishing the maids twice, he decided to look for Edgar.

He must have been very depressed to hear that.

Even though he and Marius, who were responsible for Edgar, were of high status and powerful, they were only cousins. In addition, Marius wasn’t the type to take good care of Edgar.

In fact, Edgar only stayed at the Duchy of Waltrachen before Leopold went to Trovanza because Marius was reluctant to have Edgar.

How long will Marius keep Edgar at a distance?

Knock—knock—

He knocked, but there was no response. Nevertheless, it didn’t mean that no one was inside.

There’s a presence…

Usually, he would hear a cold voice asking who it was, or the room’s owner would have realized that his cousin was coming just from the sound of footsteps and come out.

However, that day, there was only a presence, without any response.

Was he really hurt by what happened yesterday?

Concerned about Edgar, Leopold knocked on the door again and raised his voice.

“Edgar, it’s me, Leopold. Let me in for a moment.”

Finally, after counting the seconds for a bit, Leopold opened the door and entered the room.

Edgar was covered in blankets.

Those maids went and did it.

Leopold swallowed the lump in his throat that rose at the sight.

“Don’t cry. It’s not a big deal, so there’s no need to cry.”

“Who’s crying?”

Edgar shouted crossly from inside the blanket.

While he sounded grumpy, he didn’t sound like he was crying.

“That’s a relief, then.”

Be gentle with him.

He promised that before he came to visit Edgar, yet his words sounded very blunt.

Leopold bitterly complained that he was wasting his age.

Despite being an adult, he didn’t know what to do at times like this, which frustrated him.

What would Regina say in a situation like this?

Leopold had always believed that older cousins couldn’t replace parents.

That unlike his parents, there was only so much an older cousin could do. They couldn’t possibly bear the responsibility of raising him.

However, he was proven wrong when he saw the Verchio family.

“There are times when it’s difficult. Regardless, I’m happy. That’s what family means.”

Since the three Verchio sisters weren’t her parents, they had no obligation to raise Liliana.

Nevertheless, Alice Verchio signed a life-threatening contract for her youngest sibling, while Regina and her twin took turns taking care of her.

It wasn’t simply a matter of duty or responsibility.

They loved their youngest sister with all their hearts.

Perhaps that was why, unlike Edgar, Liliana grew up with love and was brimming with happiness.

“Usually, a captain will take care of her subordinates even if they are bad. When Liliana couldn’t read, her sisters taught her patiently. So, Liliana will teach Edgar how to be loyal to his captain.”

Liliana, who was obsessed with playing captain, hung out with Edgar every day. Even if Edgar played an excessively mischievous prank, Liliana quickly calmed down. She would lighten up and get along with him.

What kind of gazes and expressions do children who receive a lot of love and attention at home make?

How does a six-year-old child even know how to dress?

Leopold realized it too late as he looked at Liliana.

Liliana showed the same love she received from her sisters to her friends.

How to give love, how to apologize first, how to whisper tenderly…

Every time he saw the two together, Leopold reflected on how indifferent and inadequate he himself was.

“Edgar, I’m sorry.”

Leopold clumsily patted Edgar nestled under the blanket.

Swish—

As the rough hand gesture continued, Edgar slowly lowered the blanket.

“Your brother is so lacking. I’m sorry.”

“Why is my brother apologizing all of a sudden?”

“Yesterday’s incident wouldn’t have happened if I had paid more attention.”

“Even if you did, those who curse will continue to curse. I was just unlucky enough to hear it.”

Edgar spoke in a tongue-in-cheek manner, uncharacteristic of a six-year-old, as he fidgeted with his hands.

Edgar stared at Leopold, who didn’t notice the strange stain on his fingernails. He wasn’t watching his cousin out of fear. Instead, he was waiting for the right moment to bring up the subject.

“If you have something to say, feel free to do so.”

“Do you…”

“What is it?”

“…What do you think, Brother?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t my mother regret giving birth to me?”

As Edgar squeezed out the question, his voice grew quieter. As if unable to bear the current situation, Edgar gripped his blanket tightly.

The weather was warm, so the blanket was damp from his sweat.

At the unexpected question, Leopold’s face hardened in bewilderment, but he replied firmly to Edgar.

“Not once did the princess ever regret giving birth to you. I give you my word.”

“Why? She died because of me.”

“I don’t know who said that, but Princess Elizabeth was happy whenever she was with you. There wasn’t a trace of distress on her face.”

Leopold lifted Edgar and made him sit on his lap. As he tightly held his little brother, he spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

“The princess loved you. Very much.”

“Really? But everyone keeps saying that she died because of me. If I hadn’t been born, my mother wouldn’t have died.”

When Edgar hesitantly retorted, Leopold sighed briefly.

It was apparent that normal order in the palace was thrown into disarray because Marius was preoccupied with consolidating the imperial authority by dealing with his relatives and aristocrats.

No, Edgar may have been neglected because Leopold worked alongside Marius to eliminate the opposing forces.

“After the passing of Duke Runtvolenu, your father and my uncle, the princess fell into great despair and her health deteriorated.”

“Is that because my mother and father got married out of love instead of some political arrangement?”

“Indeed. Usually, the members of the royal family have arranged marriages with royal families from other countries, but since the princess was frail, the previous emperor allowed her to marry a nobleman for love.”

Leopold continued his explanation slowly.

“We all thought that the princess would pass away soon. But then, she got pregnant with you. You were the one who emboldened her. She persisted all the way through because she had you.”

“My mother did?”

Before Leopold knew it, Edgar asked for affirmation. There was anticipation in Edgar’s green eyes. Leopold thought that those eyes were as vibrant as lush greenery.

“Yes, she thought that if she didn’t stay strong, something would go wrong, so she held onto life until the day of your birth.”

Leopold lazily stroked his younger brother’s head, remembering how Regina treated Liliana. He felt very awkward, but not to the point where he couldn’t do it.

“She didn’t die because of you. Because of you, she was able to live another day. Although her body couldn’t recover after giving birth to you, because of her love, a miracle happened.”

Eyes resembling blades of grass glimmered with radiance that Leopold had never seen before.

Edgar’s chubby cheeks were flushed.

“After giving birth to you, she was saddened because she couldn’t be with us much longer. That’s why she desperately asked Marius and I to take care of you before she passed away.”

“My, my mother did that?”

“You were her hope, and a miracle. A child born with so much love.”

As soon as Leopold said that, glittering tears fell from Edgar’s eyes.

Leopold was stunned by the tears that poured like a rainstorm and no longer caressed Edgar’s head.

Edgar quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeves, but it was no use.

The more he wiped, the more his clothes got drenched.

“Huwaaa!”

Leopold’s heart went out to the crying six-year-old, and he hugged Edgar without realizing it.

At the same time, Edgar burst into sobs. He no longer imitated an adult like he did when he confronted those maids.

A sorrowful cry typical of a small child, just like when Liliana was being held in the arms of her older sisters.

Even children’s hair is thinner and smoother than adults…

That’s why they get hurt and sad easily.

Overcome with his own emotions, Leopold swallowed back his tears as he comforted his tiny little brother.

—