8. The Eighth Plan. To greet the new family members warmly. (5)
War was never easy while trying to take care of a little baby who had fallen alone right amidst the battlefield. He said so with a grim face, but his gaze still couldn’t escape my eyes while I kept holding the baby in my arms. The sound of the baby’s cry must have caught the ear of the man who had lost Theodora months before and the face which resembled both Theodora and I seemed to have caught him as well.
“Otherwise, if the child’s parents never show up then…”
He blurted out that he also wanted to keep this baby. At the same time, I didn’t want to miss this baby who looked so much like Theodora as well.
“When I looked at the ring, it appeared that this baby was from a very precious family. And with the relationship seemingly like this, it would be good for us to protect her until her parents eventually appear.”
At the words of the Duchess Dowager, both Gellerhard and I nodded in response . The baby was meekly left being wide-eyed in my arms.
“What is the baby’s name?”
“Vivian.”
It wasn’t Theodora—of course. As I asked for the baby’s name, I had such a foolish expectation, albeit just a little. Maybe our Theodora had come back here once again.
“Vivian. Vivi, that’s right.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I comforted myself by calling out the name of the baby which Gellerhard had told me just before. This baby was Vivian. A baby who resembled Theodora. Perhaps this baby who would have been a source of comfort for Gellerhard on the battlefield, would eventually become a sense of solace to us and our family.
“Hello, Vivian.”
When her name was called, Vivian slowly parted open her small lips and smiled widely.
*
Carl and I looked after Vivian while Gellerhard attended the banquet. The baby, who had traveled a long way, had been washed with warm water before she was checked to see if there were any injuries, but the baby appeared to be very healthy. I was a little worried that her body, which had been a little cold for a baby, didn’t seem to have warmed up even in the warm water… Vivian’s purple pair of eyes blinked well as her breathing sounded even and her heartbeat was all steady.
“Vivi, let’s play with Carl!”
“Coo.”
And her babbling seemed pretty good too. When we called her by the nickname, Vivi, she immediately turned her head in the direction of the sound and even nodded or swayed her head in response. So, she apparently seemed to have understood that.
“Shall we play some stacking games with Carl and Vivi until dinner soon?”
“Yes!”
“Coo?”
Unlike Carl, who was vigorously nodding his head, Vivi tilted hers in exchange. It was a face that asked what kind of ‘building play’ it had been. It was a game that Carl had been addicted to lately as the game took the place of being careful in building up blocks that looked just like cuboid bricks, but were much softer than that of those. The maid poured Carl’s blocks out onto the carpet and after seeing how Carl had been diligently stacking them, Vivi could be seen to be following after his actions. The gesture of holding the block with both hands and putting it down with those small hands was clumsy, but once I saw it for the first time, it became strange that a baby could be seen to be sitting on her back while exploring with their mouths unconditionally as it seemed. So, it was rather strange for her to follow Carl and play like that.
Dinner was finally set on the table and Vivian had been seated on my lap. Carl, who was sitting next to her, couldn’t take his eyes off Vivian while eating. At first, we started with some warm soup without any chunky ingredients and when I scooped up some baby food with those well-cooked vegetables and finely minced meat, Vivian instantly ate it with a chomp. I wiped off some drool and cut the mushy broccoli into small pieces.
“Etete.”
Some green debris mingled with her saliva before it dripped from the baby’s tongue and lips as it spat out relentlessly.
“Aigoo, you didn’t like it because it didn’t taste that good, right? Um—then, should I give you some carrots that are friends with Carl?”
“Does Vivi like carrots?”
“Let’s give them a chance to get to know each other too.”
I wiped her tongue and lips before cutting the ripe carrot into small pieces in order to feed her. This time, she swallowed it well.
“It seems that Vivi is friendly with carrots. Are you close with them too, Carl?”
“……”
Carl evaded the answer. I kissed Carl’s forehead when I saw that a piece of carrot was being slowly put aside.
“It’s okay since our Carl is friends with the other vegetables instead. If you don’t like carrots, it’s okay not to eat them for now. And at this moment, Mandy will enjoy it instead.”
I ate the carrots that Carl had taken out. It was a way to get Carl to eat carrots soon. And I would look for a way later. Carl’s face immediately brightened.
“Caah—”
Vivian warmed up while extending her hand to the plate. As he was contemplating what to give her right now, Carl began to act quickly.
“Vivi, Carl will give you this. This is delicious!”
When Carl brought the meatball with a fork to Vivian’s lips, the baby quickly accepted it and gulped it down.
“Baboo!”
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