Chapter 75
As Timothy had expected, Celine, Ben, and Neva were gathered in the back garden.
“We all planted them together! Cool, right?”
Although they said they planted them together, all they had really done was transplant the rose saplings into the back garden. The torrential downpour had only just stopped, and now occasional brief showers came and went.
The idea had begun with Celine’s grumbling.
She enjoyed the camp, but said that the constantly gray skies were making her gloomy. She added that her mother, Melanie, usually loved tending to the rose garden, but lately had been so worried and tired that she hadn’t even gone out to see it.
“Mother doesn’t usually have gloomy days.”
“It’s because of Father…”
“No, Ben. They’re both having a hard time.”
In the end, the gloomy weather wasn’t what really upset her—it was worry about her parents.
Agnes suggested they plant some rose saplings once the rain eased up. The flowers wouldn’t bloom right away, but it would be something cheerful to do. They could put their wishes into it: for the saplings to grow well, and for the endless rains to stop.
Of course, it was the Batenberg gardeners who took care of the real work.
“Hey, it’s just going to rain again…”
Timothy scolded as he approached the children. But his eyes first went straight to Neva, and Neva too lifted her head as soon as she heard his voice.
Her flushed cheeks and bright smile showed how happy she was.
“Tim, did you really plant this yourself?”
“…It’s nothing…”
“But it’s a real tree! A tree!”
“No need to fuss. I just did it.”
But contrary to his words, his expression couldn’t hide his pride. Celine looked at Timothy sitting next to Neva with disdain.
“Acting all important just because he’s her fiancé…”
It seemed Timothy wanted to play the dignified fiancé in front of Neva. His mouth habitually grumbled, but his actions, expression, and eyes were full of warmth.
Celine found herself smiling a little despite herself. With Neva there, even this annoying brat looked kind of cute.
“Neva, it’s going to rain again soon. If you’re done looking…”
“No! Celine said after we looked at the roses, we’d go eat cookies she baked, then she’d show me the room where you all stay, and then…”
“I’m going to nap in the hammock our teacher made!”
Listening to them, you’d think the whole purpose of camp was just playing and eating. Timothy muttered a small protest to the wide-eyed Neva: “Mostly we just practiced. It’s true.”
Celine added,
“You practiced hard, that’s why you got an award!”
“Most of it was stuff you wanted to do.”
“If you had a better idea, you should’ve said so. The one who liked my plans most was you, brat.”
“It was you, bro.”
Ben chimed in without fail.
“When did I…!”
“Don’t you know your nose flares when you lie?”
Celine snapped back. Timothy was about to yell but, catching Neva’s gaze fixed on him, he drew in a deep breath instead. Celine teased with a grin.
“He’s just pretending. He’s a big fake. He even acts that way in front of Teacher.”
“You do too…”
Celine snorted.
Both she and Timothy put on a bit of an act around Agnes.
It was another natural side of themselves, but enough to tease each other about. Especially Timothy, whose demeanor was so completely different in front of others.
During camp, Timothy and Celine had grown closer and more honest with each other.
Not that either of them would ever admit it.
“You look like you’re having fun, Tim.”
“…It’s not bad.”
Not bad? Then why did you act like a monkey, swinging around when the hammock was being hung up? Celine started singing a mocking little song, and Ben provided sound effects. Finally Timothy snapped.
“Cut it out already!”
“Alreeaady~!”
“You little—get over here!”
“Wow, Neva! Your fiancé’s about to hit me! He’s violent! Break up with him!”
“Yaaay!”
Ben clapped his hands and cheered, delighted even at the prospect of his sister being hit. Celine stuck her tongue out at Timothy from behind Neva’s back.
“Enough already, please…”
“Depends on what you do.”
Timothy sighed, worn out.
“Ben, lead the way. Let’s go see the hammock.”
“Let’s go! Neva, guide us!”
Ben marched forward energetically.
“Sloth, walk slow so Neva doesn’t trip.”
“Okay, bro!”
He beamed at Neva and kept walking briskly. At five and six years old, their heights were almost the same, so their steps matched naturally. With the two little ones leading, Celine and Timothy followed behind.
Celine spoke quietly.
“Brat, are you close with that uncle of yours?”
“Which uncle?”
Timothy pouted.
“Uncle Jaden. The one who looks just like you. Not the funny-faced uncle.”
“…We’re sort of close, I guess?”
“Hm. I see…”
Celine tapped her lips thoughtfully.
“Strange. They played so happily with him, but why’s he acting like this now?”
Celine and Ben had quickly grown close with Jaden. They laughed at all his jokes, clung to his arms, and played with him easily. Ben especially was completely at ease.
But now, when she mentioned Jaden, Celine’s tone was oddly sour.
“Is something wrong? Why do you ask?”
“He’s just a funny uncle… well, as long as you’re close, that’s fine.”
“Don’t dodge, just say it.”
“…Don’t you know? That uncle’s a little… shady.”
Celine frowned and finally said it.
“He feels dirty somehow.”
“…What’s with your vocabulary…”
“He smiles, but his eyes don’t. He jokes, but doesn’t laugh himself. At first I thought it bugged me just because he looks like you, but that’s not it.”
“…”
“I think the funny-faced uncle’s better than him.”
“…It has nothing to do with you.”
Timothy cut her off coldly. Celine twitched her nose.
“Yeah, it doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
Her voice turned sharp.
“If you go off with that uncle, that’s even better for me. Then I can have Teacher all to myself!”
“…”
“Go on, live happily ever after with your shady uncle and your cute fiancée!”
Celine stomped and kicked Timothy hard in the shin. He let out a grunt, but swallowed down his anger with clenched teeth, his pride stung.
“You—you little—”
“I worry about you and you blow up! I must be an idiot to call you my friend!”
She shouted and ran off. Ben and Neva turned at the noise, startled.
“Neva! Dump him and marry me instead!”
As if I didn’t already know that…
Timothy lay back in the hammock and closed his eyes.
It wasn’t just Celine who found Jaden suspicious. Timothy did too. The things Jaden said didn’t line up, and even a child could tell some things didn’t add up.
Batenberg stopped us from seeing you.
He wants to imprison you.
Don’t trust the Duke of Batenberg.
We love you. You have to come back to us, Timothy.
Even your beloved fiancée is here…
Jaden claimed Timothy had been stolen from them.
That Reynold had always wanted him back, but Batenberg had blocked it.
He was even more blatant in front of the children. If Timothy had been a little more gullible, he might not have noticed anything odd. But just as Celine had picked up on something wrong after a few exchanges, Timothy had too.
Adults often assumed children noticed nothing, but in truth, children were sharper than adults when it came to sensing malice.
Uncle Ethan is stubborn and overbearing, sure—but he’s not unreasonable.
If it had been three months earlier, Timothy might have believed Jaden.
Back then, Ethan had scared him, had seemed impossible to understand. He might have believed that Batenberg had persecuted the Reynold family, separated him from them for some unknown reason.
But Uncle Ethan isn’t the type to act without a reason…
He wouldn’t have blocked contact with the Reynold family without cause.
The idea that Ethan just wanted to monopolize Timothy made no sense either. What could the Reynold family offer Batenberg? Batenberg was in no position to need anything from them.
Nor did Ethan love his nephew Timothy so much he would want to keep him all to himself.
Jaden just seemed intent on painting Ethan as a villain.
Timothy couldn’t accept it.
He didn’t know why Jaden was doing it, but he believed it had to be some misunderstanding.
Calling him shady is too much. Uncle Jaden is just a bit insincere. He puts on an act, that’s all. Mother said the same: Uncle Jaden’s fine, but his obvious acting is his one flaw…
Timothy tossed irritably in the hammock. Below him, Ben shouted, “Bro, look at me! I’m climbing the tree!”
Uncle Jaden’s just desperate to take me away, that’s all.
Timothy hoped the misunderstanding would be cleared up while Jaden stayed at the estate.
He didn’t believe Jaden had bad intentions. It might sound like sowing discord, but it had to be just a misunderstanding. Being left alone for over a year had hurt him, and that must have made him think ill of Ethan without meaning to.
Even Jaden’s constant badmouthing of Ethan—Timothy believed it was only a misunderstanding.
After all, Jaden was his father’s twin brother. How could he possibly be a bad person? Maybe he was easy to misunderstand, but that was all.
Timothy firmly believed it.
