As he opened the door to the hallway, Rieta and Noel rushed into his room.
The children stomped their feet in front of Darrell, holding pillows and dolls with one hand, and each other with the other.
Big thunder!
Really scary!
The two constantly repeated the same words.
Darrel felt a little sorry for the two concerned kids, but he still laughed a little.
How could they be so cute?
Darrell gave the two children a friendly hug with both arms.
He patted them on the back several times, until their breathing became more stable.
Then he took Rieta and Noel to the big bed he was using.
“It won’t be scary if we do this.”
He pulled the blankets all the way over their heads.
That way, they couldn’t hear the sound from outside.
“……it’s dark.”
As Rieta murmured quietly, Darrell held her hand, as if saying ‘It’s okay.’
Of course, he held Noel’s with his other hand too.
“But because we’re together you’re not scared at all, are you?”
As soon as Rieta was about to nod, a scary sound rang out again over the thick blanket.
The hands of the three people, which were connected securely, clenched firmly.
But it wasn’t as scary as it was a while ago.
“I’m not scared anymore.”
When Rieta answered, Noel quickly murmured, “I wasn’t scared from the beginning.”
Of course, their answers made Darrell laugh again.
“I’m glad you’re not scared. So, shall we continue to talk about the story I told before?”
“……?!”
Of course, as the children on both sides tried to act strong, Darrell decided to put off the more terrifying story for the next opportunity.
“Okay, go to bed now. If you don’t fall asleep, I won’t be able to either.”
Rieta asked one more thing while holding his arm tightly.
“Is it okay for us to sleep here?” She asked.
“Of course, I will always welcome you. It’s very sweet that the younger ones came to find me.”
And so, Darrell decided to tell many short and soft stories instead.
Rieta and Noel had fallen asleep under the warm blanket before they knew it.
And they couldn’t hear a single scary sound anymore.
******
The strong rain and wind continued until dawn, followed by surprisingly sunny weather once morning arrived.
The Duke visited Darrell’s room, which had been full of disturbances all night.
At the moment, he could see that a large blanket was on the floor.
It may have been because all three children with bad sleeping habits had fallen asleep in one bed.
The Duke picked up the thick blanket and glanced at the three children.
Was it good to overcome the scary thunder together last night?
Everyone had a good look on their faces.
He carefully covered them with the blanket and left Darrell’s room.
Coincidentally, the artist he sponsored had just arrived to greet him.
“Good morning, Duke.”
Behind the man was the painting that had been damaged in the past glue incident.
He thought it was brought quickly, once the rain had stopped.
“Is the painting okay?”
“Would you like to see it?”
With the help of his servants, he quickly hung the portrait of the great imperial family.
The Duke carefully examined the noses and foreheads of the esteemed people depicted and nodded.
There was no sign of glue.
“Good work.”
“It’s my job.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“If the Duke doesn’t have another order for me.”
“I see. Then, the butler please, pay the expense….”
“No, Duke.” He explained,
“The living expenses you send me every year are quite generous. That much is enough, please.”
He bowed down again, thanking his sponsor for the invitation.
“It was fun, because the Duke has become quite lively now.”
Lively? Had he?
“Maybe it’s because the Young Masters have grown up. And the Princess is here.”
“Well, I see.”
His sons seemed to have grown up enough to control the overall atmosphere of the house.
Well, Darrell was already 16 years old.
“Well, I’ll leave you now.”
“……complete it.”
The painter paused for a moment at the Duke’s casual remark.
That was because the word “complete” brought a specific memory to mind.
Years ago. The stagnant Duke.
‘You don’t have to complete it.’
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