Chapter 334

Chapter 334

“—Hmm.”
Schlieffen wakes up and raises his upper body.
A large, colorful bedroom came into view.
His eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked around.
A ray of dusky light seeped through the curtains.
“It’s annoying.
It was an absurdly faint light, almost too moody to disturb his sleep, but Schlieffen didn’t hesitate.
He took off his sleeping cap only after he drew the curtains and saw that the room had turned into a complete darkroom.
“That’s better.
I glanced at the clock and it was pointing to 5:30 am.
It was the same old, same old wake-up time.
I’ve been experiencing mild pain in my shoulders and knees.
“Ugh.”
I thought it might be muscle soreness, as I’d gotten a bunch the day before.
It wasn’t annoying enough to disrupt his routine, so he went right back to work.
The first was always to check on the well-being of my family.
Schlieffen looked back at the bed, his hair tousled from the night.
“Ehehe—where are you going, Aria—.”
Iril was sound asleep.
Her silvery-white hair spilled over the pillow.
She was giggling and calling her daughter’s name to see if she was dreaming something pleasant.
“It’s beautiful.
Schlieffen smiled at the sight.
Ronan’s sister and daughter of the stars.
The most beautiful woman in the world had become a mother and still looked as beautiful as the day I first met her.
She was wearing the same dark blue pajamas as Schlieffen.
The pajamas, made of the finest silk, were tailored by the whole family.
He was such an energetic sleeper that his comforter only covered half of his body.
“You have to cover it straight–you don’t catch cold.”
Schlieffen made sure to cover Iril’s limbs that were sticking out.
I stroked her hair gently, and she cooed and snuggled into the blanket.
For some reason, he was still in a dream state.
“Should I just leave today?
Schlieffen clenched his jaw.
For him, starting the day meant seeing the sleeping faces of his wife and daughter.
It’s risky, but once you’ve slept with him, he won’t wake up.
After some more deliberation, Schlieffen finally picked up the quilt.
Delicately and very, very carefully, as if you were handling precious metals.
It took me about a minute to get rid of the comforter.
“——.”
Schlieffen’s face hardened.
A large pillow was placed where my daughter should have been.
The pillow, which is eerily similar in size to my daughter’s, had a note on it that said “Hide and Seek!
He pressed his forefinger to his brow and muttered.
“You’ve been caught.”
I didn’t notice it at all because I was tired from the day before.
My daughter, who is five years old, was at the peak of her energy.
Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Schlieffen placed a hand on her daughter’s seat.
It was still warm, so it looked like it had just rolled out of bed.
He handed Iril a pillow and left the room.
I opened the door and was greeted by a rush of crisp, early morning air.
The mansion was silent as the servants had not yet begun their daily routine.
“If I catch a cold, I’m in trouble.
Schlieffen frowned.
It’s summer.
It wasn’t the kind of weather to catch a cold, even jokingly, but he was seriously hoping that magic would be developed that would allow him to carry his daughter in his pocket.
First, we had to do what we could.
Walking to the center of the mansion, he spoke in a stern voice.
“Aria, it’s time for bed, come back.”
Unsurprisingly, she didn’t respond.
It was really a game of hide and seek.
At this point, I had no choice but to go along with it.
With a faint sigh, Schlieffen stepped forward.
“It’s either a study or a reception room.
The destination was already known.
It turns out this wasn’t just a one-off event.
Up on the second floor, Schlieffen opened the door to the study.
Sure enough, in the distance, I caught sight of a puffy curtain.
“Hmmm. I wonder if it’s not here.”
Schlieffen muttered like he was reading from a language book.
It was a form of hospitality, because if you corrected them, they’d feel a little bad.
It was a clumsy performance, but it worked.
A giggling sound came from under the curtain.
“Yippee.”
It was clear that Aria was there.
Schlieffen’s feet lifted slightly off the ground.
It was an advanced technique that involved precise manipulation of wind magic to mask footsteps.
I wanted to be more social, but I had to make sure that his sleep schedule was respected.
Schlieffen glided across the study and lifted the curtain.
“Did you catch——?”
Schlieffen’s face hardened.
Only one pair of shoes remained where Aria should have been.
It was the slightest breeze from the inside of the shoe that blew the curtain up.
“Magic circle?
The wind was coming from two magic circles carved into the insole.
Something so small and detailed would have been quite a challenge to draw.
What a waste of talent for such a petty prank.
Schlieffen murmured, his voice filled with admiration.
“The eldest daughter of House Caravelle taught you. You’ve learned something new.”
“Take that!”
Just then, a shout rang out from behind me.
Schlieffen twisted his shoulders lightly.
Voila!
The girl leapt from the top of the bookshelf and slammed her wooden sword down where he had been.
“You’ve done a pretty good job of hiding it.”
“That’s a good way to dodge, you scoundrel!”
The girl who sheathed her wooden sword kicked her tongue.
His dark-blue hair was as thick as fire.
For a five-year-old, he was strikingly similar to his mother, with his chiseled features.
Arya Sinivan de Gracia, only child of Iril and Schlieffen and heir to the great house of Gracia, which bisects the Empire.
Straightening her stance, she swung her wooden sword once more.
“But that would be too much, pokeblade!”
“A stormblade, I suppose. When did you bring out my clothes again?”
Schlieffen sighed heavily.
It was like the game had gone from hide and seek to sword fighting.
Aria wrapped her uniform coat around her neck like a cloak.
The treasures, hand-picked by the Emperor himself and painstakingly crafted by the Empire’s finest craftsmen, became a moving broom sweeping the floor.
It didn’t really matter.
I’m just worried about stepping on it and falling.
Tap.
Schlieffen stopped the wooden sword with only his index and middle fingers.
Aria gritted her teeth.
“Profit! Let go!”
“It’s time for the child to go to bed. Don’t worry your mother by dozing off again.”
“Ughhhhh—!”
I tried to pull the wooden sword out with all my might, but it wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t my finger, it was like it was stuck in the crevice of some giant rock.
Schlieffen reached out with his other hand to grab her.
“Phew, I knew I was going to get caught!”
Eventually, Arya lets go of the wooden sword and runs out of the study.
His movements were swift, perhaps because he was using wind magic.
Naturally, the effort was virtual, but Schlieffen soon regretted his mercy.
The lost shoe was left in a circle.
“What if I get pricked by a thorn?
He frowned.
Even though the Gracia mansion was maintained 24/7 and dust-free, there was always a what if.
In the hallway, the panicked voices of the servants were erupting.
“Oh, Miss Aria?!”
“You’re being uncivilized and going barefoot—! You can’t lift your skirt!”
“Mistress and master are worried about you wandering around at this time of night, come here—quickly!”
Other sounds included pounding footsteps, screams, and Aria’s laughter.
It was a no-brainer.
Arya was only five years old, but she was the daughter of a star and the blood of a swordsman.
There was no way a knight could have caught it, much less a mere servant.
Eventually, Schlieffen came out.
“Everybody go to work. I’ll get it.”
“Lord, Lord!”
The servants’ faces turned white.
By the time they realized what they had missed, Aria was already out of their hands.
Schlieffen rolled his eyes, once again telling them not to bother.
I had to hurry because it was time for Iril to wake up.
Schlieffen’s gaze scanned the mansion, then stopped on the ceiling.
“You’re quick.
When did you go there again?”
****
“Yihihi, you won’t find it here, will you?”
Aria giggled.
She was perched on the roof of the Gracias mansion, her legs flapping.
The sun was rising in the east, a golden glow.
At her side lay a wooden sword, different from her own.
I kept it as a backup for times like this.
An exhilarating sense of victory coursed through my body like an electric current.
“I outwitted the bad guy!”
Arya raised her wooden sword and declared victory.
It was my first time on the roof.
He tried, but each time he was caught by a servant, a knight, or his father.
For obvious reasons, but also because it’s dangerous.
Just then, the sun came up over the forest.
The short shadows lengthened.
Facing the sunrise, she murmured, mesmerized.
“It’s pretty—.”
It was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
All it took was a change in eye level and it looked like a whole new place.
A cool breeze ruffling your hair, lush greenery dotting the gardens, and a cluster of summer flowers in full bloom.
Even the voices of servants calling out for him.
“Perfect.”
Aria giggled, her spirits high.
I figured I could hide out here and go back when I got hungry.
I’ll make sure to bring my mom and Sechika later.
She stretched like a cat waking up from a nap.
“I agree. It’s certainly not bad here.”
“Heeeeeeeeee!!!”
Aria’s heart sank.
Suddenly, the voice next to me was heavy and grave, like scraping the cauldron of hell.
Aria turned her head and jumped.
The big, bad tiger.
A creature with a tiger’s head and a human body, to be exact, was lying on the roof.
The tiger only shook his head.
“Judging by the color of your hair, you must be the daughter of the Sword King. I’m glad to see you.”
“Who are you, who are you, who are you, who are you?!”
Instead of answering, Arya sheathed her wooden sword.
A body that sensed a crisis awakened potential.
Saaaaaah—!
A bluish air currents kicked up on the wooden sword shaft.
Zaifa raised an eyebrow at the sight.
“Ho-ho. Already?”
“I asked you who!”
“Jaifa Turgun. I’m just an old swordsman. What’s your name?”
“Now, Jaifa, if you’re Jaifa Turgun—heh!”
Apparently, it was the name of a squadron sword.
Panicked, Aria stumbled backward.
At the same time, his left foot went off the roof and he lost his balance.
She glanced down reflexively and sucked in a breath.
“Oh, no!”
The mansion was so huge that the ground was bare.
Snippets of the unfortunate future flashed through my head.
“I’m listening to my dad!
No matter how much I flailed my arms, I couldn’t get my balance back.
Both of Aria’s feet were off the roof.
Ouch!
A gust of wind from below whipped her back.
“Argh!”
Aria was pushed forward by the wind.
At the same time, Zaifa’s tail wrapped around her.
“Tails, tails?”
“Looking at the floor is the basis of inspection. Apparently your father never taught you that.”
Jaifa growled.
Aria’s fluffy, chunky tail kept her from breaking her nose.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from not too far away.
“He’s not old enough to learn the sword yet.”
Schlieffen, who had come up, was standing next to Jaifa.
Arya’s gaze shifted to the tail, and she gasped.
“Oh, Dad?!”
“Aria, I told you not to come up here because it’s dangerous.”
Schlieffen stalked over and stopped in front of Aria.
He didn’t say anything, just stared at her, eye level.
It’s as if you’re being asked to find fault with your own face in the reflection of your pupils.
Arya mumbled something and then shook her head.
“——wrong.”
“Mom will be worried. Let’s get back before it’s too late.”
The play is over.
Schlieffen picked Aria up in his arms.
Schlieffen looked at her sullenly, then blurted out.
“Maybe next time we can come together. Bring your mom.”
“Uh-huh. I’m sorry.”
Aria nodded.
Suddenly, it dawned on him that he had almost died.
She snorted and buried her face in Schlieffen’s chest.
Schlieffen looked back at Jaifa.
“This is the first time since the wedding, what are you doing here at this time of night?”
“I just came for some air and to see your face.”
“Are you done with the North?”
“Not bad. That Barca shit must be pretty big.”
The two briefly shared their latest news.
Things like family, friends, and changes in circumstances.
Zaifa pacified the chaotic north and emerged as the new leader.
I hadn’t visited the Reich in a long time because I had a lot of work to do, and I hadn’t seen Schlieffen in a decade.
The sun was just about to fully rise.
“This is going to be a long story, so why don’t you come in?”
“Forget it. I’m not that inconsiderate. I’ll catch you later and come back.”
Jaifa pushed herself to her feet.
I don’t know if it’s because he’s getting older or if he’s been through a lot, but his hair is whiter than it used to be.
“Sure.”
“Kkk, you never ask twice. Do you know that your daughter has bloomed an Auror?”
“It must have finally worked, I’ve been noticing the signs.”
Schlieffen patted her on the back.
He knew early on that Aria’s talent matched or exceeded his own.
Suddenly, I felt a surge of frustration.
As a father, I can’t imagine not being able to capture that dramatic moment with my own two eyes.
He pursed his lips, then turned to Jaifa.
“—I assume you didn’t take any pictures or anything?”
“What are you talking about.
There’s no way I’m doing that.”
“That’s too bad—, what kind of family was it?”
“At first glance, he looks like you, but I’ll have to wake him up to find out.”
Schlieffen’s eyebrows rose.
His similarity to an Auror meant that he would inherit the Stormblade.
Nabiroze’s most overwhelming ability, along with Mansa.
Before she knew it, Aria was fast asleep in Schlieffen’s arms.
Jaifa asked with interest.
“Do you ever think about letting me take over? I could train you from now on and make you a–maybe even a better prosecutor than Ronan.”
“If he wants it later, I’ll send it to him, but for now, I’ll decline.”
“As expected. I hear Ronan has a kid, too, and I’m going to try and woo him.”
In any case, he was not a cute pupil.
We had played enough and it was time to leave.
Zaifa crouched down, having decided on her next destination.
A four-meter behemoth was about to shoot into the sky.
“Hey, Gumsung.”
“What?”
“You look happy.”
Jaifa snorted.
It was a look I hadn’t seen on his face before.
The Weartiger’s red eyes reflected a father and daughter, not the Swordsman Schlieffen and his heirs, but a father and daughter.
Yes.
Just like your past self.
“Continue to cherish your family. It’s a treasure worth more than an empire, a family name, or a sword that calls down storms.”
“That’s—.”
Before Schlieffen could say anything back.
Kwaaaaang-!
Jaifa’s body disappeared into the sky.
Squadron swordsman and teacher of the art of the sword.
Watching his trajectory, Schlieffen smiled faintly.
“I’m thinking about it.”
****
“Haaaaam—good morning.”
Iril wakes up and stretches.
The clock was pointing to 7:00, as always.
She shook her head, just about to pull herself up.
“Huh?”
Schlieffen and Aria were fast asleep.
This was unusual for a time of day when both would normally be up.
I couldn’t have asked for anything more adorable than to see him asleep without a hat on, and Aria in his arms.
“Hoo hoo, you must be very tired.”
Iril laughed.
Schlieffen didn’t wake up when I patted him on the head.
For some reason, she looked like she had been playing hard with her daughter the day before.
She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake them both.
You need to make breakfast.
Iriel whispered softly as he pulled a shawl over his pajamas.
“Sweet dreams, you two.”
Irene kissed her husband and daughter, then left the room.
The morning light streaming into the lobby of the mansion was unusually warm.
I felt like something good was going to happen today.