Chapter 36
Sebastian reached out to check the object.
But Erika, despite being asleep, was gripping it tightly.
“What on earth is it?”
Sebastian’s thick eyebrows furrowed deeply.
Honestly, it was no big deal.
If he just applied a little force, he could easily open Erika’s fist and check the contents.
But he hesitated, worried he might hurt the girl if he misjudged the strength.
“Hmm. Can’t be helped.”
Sebastian lowered himself down in front of Erika again and sat.
Then, with a very focused expression, he fixed his gaze on the girl’s clenched hand.
His large hand, used to holding hard things like swords or pens, slowly reached out toward Erika.
Somehow, he couldn’t shake his tension, and his Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably.
Finally, his fingertips touched Erika’s hand.
Soft. Plush.
At that moment, he felt something strange.
“How can a person feel like this?”
His own body, and even the bodies of the knights who trained with him, weren’t like this.
All were muscular, hard, and firm.
He swore that this sensation was usually felt only from a pillow, but even compared to a pillow, this was different, making him very perplexed.
“Are there even bones? Muscles?”
Unconsciously, Sebastian poked Erika’s hand lightly.
For some reason, he felt like sneezing.
Snapping back to reality, he exhaled a hot sigh.
He felt foolish for wasting time like this at this hour.
“This is maddening.”
Sebastian clicked his tongue briefly and then applied a little more pressure with his fingertips.
He began to slowly straighten Erika’s pinky finger.
It was so soft that it really felt weird.
“Isn’t this going to break the finger?”
His eyebrows were now so close that they nearly touched.
After much effort, he finally managed to straighten all five of Erika’s fingers.
“This is…”
He finally confirmed with his own eyes what Erika had been clutching like a lifeline.
It was a very shabby-looking silver ring.
But no matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem to belong to the girl.
It was clearly too big for Erika to wear.
It looked like a man’s ring.
“What is this thing?”
Sebastian carefully took the ring out of Erika’s hand and raised it to his eye level.
Whose was it?
Judging by the circumstances, it was likely Jonathan Blanche’s ring.
But no matter how much he imagined it, it didn’t seem like the man’s belonging.
A man who loved flashy things and could be called a corpse without luxury and showing off—would he wear such a worthless trinket?
It made no sense.
Sebastian’s red eyes shifted from the ring back to Erika’s face.
Her eyes were still unfocused, staring straight ahead.
Then, Erika’s red lips parted slightly, and a faint sound came out.
“Mom…”
Sebastian froze.
“Mom…”
Again, a very small voice flowed out as if to confirm he hadn’t misheard.
Sebastian stared intently into Erika’s golden eyes.
There wasn’t a trace of tears.
She definitely wasn’t crying, so why did her voice sound so broken and sob-like?
His chest tightened painfully, and without realizing it, Sebastian clenched his teeth.
In this state, the only word that came from Erika’s lips was just “Mom.”
“She misses her that much, huh.”
Sebastian didn’t know what to think.
Naturally, his late mother came to mind.
His mother, the Grand Duchess, had passed away when he was four.
It had been more than ten years already.
She had been frail, so in his memories, she was always lying in bed.
There were almost no special memories, but whenever he visited, she would smile brightly and hold him tightly.
With those thin arms left with only bones, she held him with all her might.
That warmth was comforting.
The only memories he had from when he was four were just those.
If he felt this way, then what could Erika, who lost her mother right after birth, be longing for?
Sebastian wished he could look deep inside her little mind.
He dropped his gaze and looked again at Erika’s ring.
Although it was slightly faded, it was obviously well cared for.
A mysterious little wife.
Sebastian let out a light sigh.
“Don’t lose it.”
He thought of keeping the ring himself for now and returning it to Erika’s room later.
But then he gave it back to her small hand immediately.
If she insisted on holding it like this unconsciously, it must be something she treasured deeply.
If it was such an item, she probably wouldn’t want to let it out of her sight for even a moment.
As he gently placed the ring on her palm, her small fingers immediately curled up one by one to trap the ring inside.
“Firm grip, huh.”
Perhaps Erika cared for her belongings much more than he had thought.
“No need to worry about losing it.”
Sebastian chuckled dryly and stood up.
As he cleared the way, Erika, who had stopped walking, began to move again.
“So? Where are we going?”
“……”
No answer came back.
Sebastian walked beside her instead of blocking her way.
He quietly held her empty hand and matched her slow pace.
Thus, the two began their midnight walk.
When they stepped into the garden, a cold breeze blew.
Erika’s curly hair fluttered lightly.
Sebastian’s eyes were momentarily drawn to the red waves of her hair.
Then he realized something strange was happening around him and Erika.
“What on earth…”
He was momentarily speechless.
Flap-flap!
Chirp-chirp!
Meow!
Woof! Woof!
Tweet!
Were there really this many animals living in the garden?
Rabbits, small birds, cats, dogs, even squirrels—
All kinds of wild animals rarely seen were approaching Erika.
Sebastian pictured how Akhrif’s warhorses would have reacted happily if they had been in the stable.
“I knew the animals followed her, but…”
Sebastian laughed in disbelief.
Then he expanded his senses.
Fortunately, there was no danger nearby.
The animals just stared at Erika as if studying her.
After a while, the gathered animals suddenly flinched and quickly dispersed.
Wondering why, Sebastian looked around.
Not far away, he spotted Vincent with a startled expression staring toward them.
“Your Highness, what is this…”
“Shh.”
Sebastian shook his head toward Vincent.
He pressed his index finger upright against his closed lips, giving a warning look not to come any closer.
The sharp-witted steward immediately stopped approaching and sealed his lips.
Sebastian quickly glanced at Erika’s condition.
The girl was still wandering in her dream.
“We just went out for a short walk. Don’t mind us and go back inside.”
“……Understood.”
Vincent bowed and quickly disappeared back into the mansion.
Only then did Sebastian let out a long sigh of relief.
It wouldn’t do for more people to know Erika’s current state.
No matter how much they were people he trusted.
His grip on Erika’s hand tightened.
Felix’s Room
“The young mistress has recovered a lot.”
Felix nodded as he deeply inhaled his cigarette.
The steward continued the report as usual.
“In any case, homesickness seemed to be one of the reasons for her weakened health. She regained her peace of mind as soon as she received the items sent from her family.”
“Tch.”
Felix clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as he listened silently.
He recalled the items Jonathan had sent after hearing that Erika was ill.
Felix had even checked them before handing them to the girl, but he wasn’t impressed.
There was nothing particularly precious or good among them.
So he had thrown away the herbs and medicines as they were.
They were things easily obtainable even in the Grand Duke’s residence.
Something about it didn’t sit right with him.
He didn’t like that Erika had become attached to such shabby things and found comfort in them.
For now, since calming Erika was the priority, he gave her the things she used to have.
But he had no intention of leaving them be.
