SUPER SIDE STORY 04……………………………..
Worried that the spark of blame might somehow reach Noah, Ivelina quickly spoke up.
As Ivelina sat down, Arsen personally placed the refreshments on the table.
He sat across from her, and Ivelina lifted the teapot and filled the teacups with black tea.
“I sent a letter to Marquis Veloce. I asked for a quick reply, so we’ll probably hear back tomorrow.”
“It’s not that far from here, so we might even get a response tonight.”
However, the reply arrived far earlier than they expected.
While they were chatting, someone knocked on the door.
The knocks sounded a bit urgent.
Arsen stopped speaking and looked toward the door.
“Come in.”
The person who entered the office was Noah.
“What is it?”
“A reply has arrived for the letter Her Grace sent to the Veloce Marquisate.”
Ivelina’s eyes widened.
“What? Already?”
“Yes. But… it seems that Marquis Veloce is currently absent.”
“What do you mean?”
Noah cleared his throat a few times before speaking again.
“The Marquis has left the estate for a week due to personal matters. Unfortunately, he departed today, and the knight carrying the letter arrived after he had already left.”
“Ah….”
That meant they would have to wait at least a week.
It wasn’t so urgent that someone would die if it wasn’t done immediately, but it was still disappointing.
Still, there was nothing they could do, so Ivelina nodded.
“Alright. Then we’ll have to send another letter later. Thank you for letting me know.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Noah bowed his head and left the office.
The plan had encountered a small delay, but it wasn’t serious.
After thinking for a moment, Ivelina spoke.
“Come to think of it, what happened with the social club the children will attend?”
“Ah, we did receive a reply earlier. I haven’t opened it yet.”
Arsen stood up and walked over to his desk.
He slit the envelope open with a paper knife and returned, handing it to Ivelina.
Ivelina took out the letter and began reading.
“Fortunately, it’s a positive response.”
No one would refuse the children of the Grand Duke’s family attending the social club.
The date was four days later.
After visiting the club, they could probably show Roselia to Leonard.
“I think we should tell the children during dinner.”
“Let’s do that. Where are the children?”
“They went to the back garden to ride the swing with Berry. They love it.”
Roselia and Ruamin loved the swing the most.
The fact that they looked for a swing even in the imperial palace said enough.
Ivelina stood up.
“Then I’ll head out now.”
“Alright. I’ll finish my work quickly and come as well.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Ivelina briefly kissed Arsen on the lips.
Then she stepped outside and headed toward the back garden.
When she reached the swing area, it was empty.
“Where did they go?”
Ivelina tilted her head in confusion and muttered.
After thinking for a moment, she turned and headed elsewhere.
The place she went to was the part of the garden filled with countless flowers.
Sure enough, the children were there.
“Rosel! Ru!”
Ivelina called their names as she approached.
Roselia and Ruamin were sitting on the ground making flower crowns.
Berry was sitting beside them doing the same.
When Berry spotted Ivelina, she quickly stood up.
“Your Grace, you’re here?”
“I didn’t see you at the swings, so I thought you might have come here.”
“The young lady and young master said they wanted to make flower crowns.”
Berry said with an embarrassed smile.
She had planned to finish quickly and leave, but time had slipped by.
Roselia and Ruamin also jumped to their feet.
Their hands were covered in dirt from picking flowers, and their clothes were stained green from sitting on the grass.
But Ivelina didn’t scold them.
Instead, she smiled gently and asked,
“What were you doing?”
“We were making flower crowns for Mom and Dad!”
“Me too….”
Roselia and Ruamin each held a small flower crown made of white and yellow flowers.
Because they had made them clumsily with their tiny hands, the flowers were uneven and the crowns were small.
Ivelina folded her legs and sat down.
“Really? Are you finished?”
“Yes! Ru made Mom’s.”
At Roselia’s words, Ruamin shuffled closer.
With his small hands, he carefully placed the crown on Ivelina’s head.
“Thank you, Ru. It’s really beautiful.”
“Hehe….”
At her words, Ru’s cheeks turned red.
Roselia asked with a proud smile,
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s in his office.”
“I’ll go!”
Before Ivelina could stop her, Roselia dashed off.
Startled, Berry said she would follow her and hurried after Roselia.
Looking around, Ivelina carefully sat down again.
“Ru, shall we make flower rings together?”
“Flower rings?”
“Yes. Flower rings are pretty too.”
Ruamin immediately sat beside her.
Ivelina skillfully picked some flowers.
“A flower ring is something you can wear on your finger like a ring.”
“Wow….”
Ivelina quickly made one.
Then she gently slipped the flower ring onto Ruamin’s finger.
His eyes sparkled.
“It’s pretty!”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! I want to make one too!”
“Alright. Mom will teach you.”
It had been a long time since they had such a peaceful moment just the two of them.
Ruamin made several flower rings.
One was placed on Ivelina’s finger, and the others were meant for different people.
Holding a handful of flower rings in both hands, Ruamin went back into the mansion with Ivelina.
When Ivelina knocked on the office door, it opened.
Arsen stood there with a small flower crown on his head.
Inside, Roselia was looking around the office.
“Rosel.”
“Ru!”
Ruamin called Roselia softly.
Roselia perked up and quickly turned around, then ran toward him.
She was about to pick him up out of habit, but stopped when she saw what he was holding.
“What’s that?”
“I made flower rings with Mom. Come here.”
Ruamin hurried over to the table.
He placed the flower rings down and said,
“Rosel, give me your hand.”
“Here.”
When Roselia held out her hand, Ruamin slipped a flower ring onto her finger.
Her eyes sparkled just like Ruamin’s had earlier.
“This is a flower ring?”
“Yeah. I’ll teach you how to make it later.”
“Okay!”
Roselia nodded enthusiastically with a big grin.
Soon, a ring was also placed on Arsen’s finger.
But two flower rings remained.
Ivelina asked Ruamin,
“Ru, who are these for?”
“For Noah and Berry….”
Ruamin answered shyly.
Warm smiles naturally appeared on Ivelina and Arsen’s faces.
Arsen immediately pulled the bell rope to call Noah.
Within minutes, Noah entered the office.
“You called for me?”
“Not me—Ru did.”
“Pardon?”
Noah tilted his head in confusion.
Ruamin hesitated before walking over to Noah with a flower ring.
“Noah.”
“Yes, young master.”
Ruamin carefully took Noah’s hand.
Noah looked puzzled but let him.
Soon, a small flower ring was slipped onto his finger.
Surprised, Noah blinked, then smiled warmly.
“Is this for me?”
“Yes….”
“Thank you very much, young master.”
When Arsen asked Noah to call Berry as well, Noah nodded.
Soon Berry came in.
She had already changed and cleaned up.
“You called for me?”
“Berry, Berry.”
“Yes, young master!”
Berry smiled brightly at Ruamin.
Just like before, Ruamin took her hand and slipped a flower ring onto her finger.
Berry’s eyes widened before her face filled with emotion.
“Is this… a gift for me?”
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful! Thank you so much, young master.”
Berry loved it so much that it made the giver feel proud.
Smiling, Ivelina said,
“Berry, could you wash Rosel and Ru?”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Berry took the children to wash them.
With the storm gone, Arsen let out a small sigh and sat down.
“Are you tired?” Ivelina asked.
“A little. Unlike Ru, Rosel is always energetic and running around. As soon as she came earlier, she asked for a piggyback ride.”
Ivelina burst into laughter.
Because Arsen was tall, Roselia loved riding on his shoulders.
Ruamin refused because it was too high and scary.
“After riding to her heart’s content, she gave me the flower crown as a gift.”
“She gave me one too. Isn’t it adorable?”
The crown on her head was small and cute.
Perhaps this flower crown and those flower rings would never wither.
Ivelina kept every little thing the children gave her.
Even pretty stones they had given her were carefully stored.
Others might call it excessive, but to her they were priceless.
Ivelina cast a preservation spell on the flower crown and rings.
She did the same for Arsen’s.
“I should wash up too. I was helping make flower rings.”
“Shall we wash together? Roselia made me carry her on my shoulders, so I got a bit dirty as well.”
Ivelina shot him a playful glare.
Without answering, she stood up—and he quickly followed after her.
