The Flower Spreading Its Branches (2)
“How about this, then?”
Seeing Isabella’s downcast mood, Eroel offered her the red berry cookie he was holding out of pity.
Isabella responded not with words but by stubbornly shaking her head and clasping her lips. However, her tiny fingers were pointing at the chocolate cookie she had been eagerly devouring moments ago.
Recently smitten with the taste of sweetness, Isabella had developed a particular fixation on chocolate. Then Eroel, who was concerned for his younger sister, offered her a berry cookie instead.
“What will happen if you only eat chocolate? You need to eat a variety of foods.”
“I don’t want it, Brother. Chocolate. Chocolate.”
Dodging the cookie that was larger than her hand that Eroel offered, Isabella eventually slapped her brother’s hand away in refusal. The cookie fell and rolled across the gazebo floor.
“Bella. Apologize to your brother right now.”
Anne’s expression hardened slightly, making Isabella’s gaze drop to the floor.
Anne was a gentle mother to her children, but she had no intention of letting such moments pass without consequence. She didn’t want her children to carry the heavy responsibility of their lineage lightly, nor did she intend to raise them to be spoiled or entitled.
“…”
“Isabella!”
As Anne rebuked her with a sharp tone, tears quickly filled Isabella’s round eyes. With her eyes scrunched up as if about to burst into tears, Isabella soon started to sob.
Emily looked flustered and tried to dab Isabella’s cheeks with a handkerchief, but was briskly brushed off by Isabella in annoyance.
“Bella!”
Anne’s voice rose, pointing out her inappropriate behavior towards an adult.
Emily waved her hands in a ‘it’s okay’ gesture, but Anne was someone who insisted on maintaining proper boundaries between people. Even if it was her beloved children, it was no exception. She would not neglect her role as a mother with ambiguous attitudes.
As the air grew heavier during what was supposed to be a peaceful tea time, Isabella sneakily looked around for someone to take her side.
Just then, the greenhouse door opened, and the sound of footsteps approached. Isabella, with her ears perked up, quickly hopped down with her short legs. She scampered to the other side and was hugged into Daymond’s arms who was walking in from the opposite side.
Daymond lifted Isabella up to his chest in an instant. His lips curled into a warm smile.
“My girl. Have you been waiting for Dad?”
As Daymond affectionately spoke, he soon noticed his daughter’s tear-streaked face and exchanged a look with Eroel, asking what was going on. He understood the situation from the awkward expression on Eroel’s face. He adjusted Isabella in his arms.
He sat down at the end of the gazebo, giving Anne a kiss on the cheek as a greeting.
“Anne, I’m back.”
“Did you come straight here without stopping by the main house?”
His cloak was wet with the snow that had piled up on it, as it now melted and seeped in due to the warmth of the greenhouse. Anne brushed off the snow from his chilled clothes and shook her shoulders as if she herself felt the cold.
“I heard everyone was here and wanted to see you.”
What’s the big deal with changing, he looked around at his family surrounded by blooming flowers.
His beloved wife and their children, who closely resembled her. It was all the joys and happiness that Anne had brought into his life. He had hurried back from his duties early, eager to see this scene. He thought the children might be enough to keep Anne company, but he worried she might feel lonely.
After Isabella’s birth, Anne had not been as immersed in her work as before. She hadn’t completely stepped away but wanted to spend more time with the children. The businesses were stable enough that the deputies could handle them without her need to be constantly busy with work.
“Was there any trouble?”
“I was worried, but it seems fine thanks to the preparations we made in advance.”
Daymond had taken the knights out early in the morning due to the snowstorm that had been raging for nearly a week. He had gone to check on any nearby villages and those that were vulnerable to snow to see if any were isolated.
Although things had been quiet recently, the aftermath of past avalanches was significant. Since then, he made it a point to check on the villages every winter, not leaving it solely to other nobles.
This was possible partly because the threat of monster hunts, which used to be a regular winter occurrence, had significantly decreased. A few years ago, Daymond had led a major campaign to cull the monsters to numbers so low they could no longer breed, eliminating the need for him to personally lead hunts.
“It’s a relief that there were no major issues. But next time, please don’t go out in such weather.”
“Were you worried?”
“Of course, you’re my husband.”
She couldn’t stop him, understanding of his duties as a lord. But Anne couldn’t hide her reluctance for him to personally attend to such matters.
Anne replied with a bashful face and then stretched out her arms.
“Come here, Dad is tired.”
Yet, even at her mother’s call, Isabella turned her head away and clung to Daymond’s collar. Seeing the shirt get crumpled, Anne sighed deeply at her daughter who was throwing a tantrum.
“Bella.”
But Isabella was so upset she pretended not to hear Anne.
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