WARDV 37

CHAPTER 37

Leticia returned to the room with Aria in tow.

“It’s time for little ladies to head off to dreamland now. Shall we lie down again?”

“I don’t wanna sleeeep…”

Although she pouted, Aria obediently made her way toward the bed.

Just as Leticia was about to follow, Idris’s outer coat, which had been draped over her shoulders, slipped off.

She instinctively caught it, and only then did she realize anew whose warmth had shielded her from the chilly night breeze.

As well as the faint scent that had lingered at the tip of her nose.

‘It smells really nice.’

It was the scent Idris always carried.

A refreshing scent—like cool water or the breeze itself.

It slipped into her lungs and seemed to tickle all the way to her chest.

“Boss unnie, what are you doing?”

Startled by Aria’s sudden voice, Leticia dropped the jacket she was holding.

She let out a small, awkward laugh, confused by her own reaction.

‘It’s not like I was doing anything wrong…’

Then why was her heart beating so fast?

“Okay, I’m coming.”

Leticia picked up the jacket and neatly folded it nearby before approaching Aria, who was already lying in bed.

Her original plan had been to put the child to sleep as quickly as possible.

‘But since she just woke up from a nap, she’s wide awake…’

Even with the blanket tucked in, Aria’s eyes sparkled brightly.

She must’ve taken a nap while Leticia was bathing, because she didn’t seem sleepy at all.

In the end, Leticia gave up on putting her to sleep and decided to work together instead.

She placed her own notebook and Aria’s sketchbook on the bed table.

“Alright, Aria. I’m going to draw a butterfly now, so you can draw whatever you’d like.”

“Okay! Aria’s really good at drawing—just like Daddy!”

“Really? Then show me how good you are.”

Aria nodded vigorously and immediately focused on drawing.

Her bright eyes, slightly furrowed brows in concentration, and firmly pressed lips—

‘She’s cute all the time, but kids really are the cutest when they’re quietly focused…’

Leticia smiled warmly without realizing it, watching Aria for a moment before turning to her own work.

Her task was to come up with a logo and name to represent her brand.

‘I’ve got a rough idea for the logo, but what should I name it…?’

Just as Leticia was jotting down names inspired by butterflies, Aria burst out excitedly.

“Boss unnie, ta-da!”

She proudly held out her sketchbook.

It showed an animal with big ears, but it looked too chubby to be a rabbit.

After a moment of consideration, Leticia asked,

“Is this a rabbit?”

“Nope. It’s a bear. A really big and strong one—so it can protect Daddy, Unnie, the prince… Oh! And Wig too.”

The same child who had been scared of Wig just earlier that day now seemed to have become fast friends with him, thanks to the snacks and bunny plushie.

“Ooh, that’s a very cool bear. What’s its name?”

“Her name’s Aria too!”

“Looks like you really like the name Aria, huh?”

“Yup.”

“I like that name too. It used to be mine, once.”

“But your name is Boss, isn’t it?”

“Well, I had another name. And it was the same as yours—Aria.”

“So you have two names?”

“Yup. I had a secret name that I only shared with someone very special.”

In truth, she’d made up that name so the other kid wouldn’t realize she was a noble.

Maybe the reason she so easily volunteered to look after Aria… was because that name brought back memories.

“Yawn… I’m sleepy, Boss unnie…”

“Then how about we finish our drawings tomorrow and go to sleep now?”

Leticia tucked Aria into bed and moved to a nearby table to focus on work.

By the time her notebook page was filled with butterfly sketches and a long list of name candidates,

Leticia, exhausted from a day of childcare, slowly drifted off to sleep too.

Not long after their gentle breathing filled the room, a familiar figure stepped inside.

The door, not fully closed by Aria, was quietly pushed open by Idris.

In his hand was the bunny plushie that Wig had given to Aria.

Idris quietly approached the sleeping Leticia and reached toward the nape of her neck.

Brushing aside the strands of hair that covered her ear, he let out a soft, almost sorrowful breath through his teeth.

“…Ha.”

Behind her ear, barely visible, was a small scar.

The same kind of scar Aria had.

The first time Idris met “Aria” had been in the forest near the village.

It was early summer, not long after his mother had departed on a journey from which she would never return.

Idris, who had been gathering berries in the forest, froze when he suddenly sensed someone nearby.

It reminded him of what his mother had always told him before she died.

“Idris, never let anyone see your eyes. Never… ever…”

She had said his eyes were cursed.

That anyone who saw them—and he himself, by meeting their gaze—would also be cursed.

So Idris covered his eyes with cloth and avoided people as much as possible.

Except for Mrs. Sarah, the kind neighbor who used to be close to his mother.

Now it was a reflex, like second nature, to hide. But this time, a thought made him stop.

‘What’s the point of this curse anymore?’

With his mother gone, what meaning was there in this lonely life?

He’d avoided others and hidden his eyes, just as his mother had asked, so he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

But if this miserable life was all that awaited, what good had it done?

Just then, as his defiance flared, the source of the rustling finally appeared.

“Uh… hi?”

A clear, bright voice—of a young girl.

Not the kind of reaction he usually got, when the village kids would call him a beggar and avoid him with disgust.

‘So what?’

There were always two kinds of reactions from people.

Avoidance or pity.

He hated the pity even more—especially from nobles who visited the slums occasionally to hand out alms and soothe their own guilt.

‘She’s probably one of those.’

Ignoring her greeting, Idris walked past with his cane.

Sure enough, a voice called from behind.

“Um, do you want help?”

A voice laced with the pity Idris despised.

Normally, he’d just ignore it and keep walking.

But that day—for some reason—it really got under his skin.

“I don’t need it, so buzz off.”

“Huh…?”

“Are you deaf? Quit blocking the way and go away.”

He half-expected her to react like the other kids—maybe throw a rock or trip him for being blind.

But she didn’t.

All he sensed was her clumsy footsteps trailing a few paces behind.

‘She hasn’t done anything, so I guess she’s not hostile.’

That must mean she was following out of pity.

‘…So annoying.’

When he reached the alley where his home was, Idris suddenly stopped.

The footsteps behind him hesitated before stopping as well.

He didn’t even turn around—it wasn’t like he could see anyway, with the blindfold on.

“Is spying on people fun or something?”

“That’s not it. I was just… worried…”

“Ugh… I hate people like you the most.”

The girl’s footsteps faltered again, startled by his cutting words.

Idris decided to go all in and chase her off completely.

“You act like helping people who didn’t ask makes you some kind of saint when they say thank you, right?”

He had bottled those feelings up for so long—ever since his mom was alive.

The girl hesitated for a moment, clearly shocked, and then murmured in a tiny voice,

“…I’m sorry…”

And just like that, her small, dejected steps slowly retreated.

As Idris turned and headed home, he felt… relieved.

Like he’d finally spat out a fireball that had been burning inside for ages.

But at the same time…

Strangely empty.