8. The Eighth Plan. To greet the new family members warmly. (8)
The Count’s daughters also couldn’t leave the Duchy easily since their future lives were still at stake and I was also anxious to simply throw the young ladies out of the way.
“Then, do take the ladies of Count Decca to the Countess’s castle when you’re on the way.”
“Eh? Me?”
“Yes. If it’s Decca County, it’d be right next to Vienne after all, so you’re going the same way anyway.”
The new land that my parents had received after returning the title as well as the land back to Count Petrika was the land of Baroness Eran, Theodora’s former nanny. Gellerhard bestowed on my father, who had become a vassal of the Dukedom of DeMancier, the new surname of Vienne, the former estates of Barony of Eran as well as the title of a Viscount.
“Ah, so they’re a neighbor then? Okay.”
Patrick, who was unaware of the details, nodded his head politely in return. If nothing happened on the way to Count Decca’s castle, well, I would just have to consider another method then. If my brothers were to have a love affair with another woman after spending such a long time as they had been as of now, it would only embarrass the position of the Countess of Decca.
Just as I was about to organize my tea time with Patrick, the door burst open at once.
“Mandy! Baby! Come with me!”
“Carl!”
After his swordsmanship class—a grandiose name of which was given to his daily swordsmanship training—Carl rushed at me with his already flushed cheeks.
“Uh, who?”
“Patrick, Mandy’s brother. Patrick, this is our Prince, Carlos.”
Patrick instantly stood up.
“I am Patrick Edith de Vienne, the son of Viscount Vienne. Hello, Carlos.”
It was a knight’s greeting—with his left knee on the floor, his right knee bent while his right arm folded and placed right atop of his chest. Carl saw that and looked at me at once. While he was looking at me and Patrick with his lips wide open, he then exclaimed in response.
“Same!”
At Carl’s words, both Patrick and I burst into laughter. I had three older brothers and the older brother whom I resembled the most was this second brother of mine, Patrick.
“Looks like it. Since both of us are a pair of siblings after all. So, come on now, Carl. What should you do when you are greeted?”
“Ah! Hello! Now, up!”
There was no dignity, but it was such a cute and bright greeting. Patrick then rose to his feet and Carl ran up to me before he straight away clung to my lap.
“Mandy, do Vivi and I look alike?”
There was an awkward silence since I became speechless for a moment. Carl continued to hang on my lap while Vivian was seated on my lap. The two children had somehow resembled each other, but Carl’s question wasn’t simply about whether they had actually looked alike.
He was asking if he and Vivian were really alike, just as Patrick and I had been siblings.
“So…”
As I held my breath, I affirmed Carl’s words. I knew that he was mistaking Vivian for Theodora since I hadn’t made him truly understand of Theodora’s death, but I had the confidence to explain to him about Theodora and how that the baby was already too far away to be seen again. However, I couldn’t find the courage yet.
“Baby! Come play with me!”
“Boo—”
Vivi shook her head as she answered Carl’s request. The baby’s drool-soaked lips then bit into the cookie instead.
“Why—is the cookie too small? Are you going to eat cookies and play?”
“Ugh.”
Vivi, who nodded her head this time, gulped down the cookie. Carl was waiting for Vivi with such bright eyes.
“Carl, eat some as well. The cookies are delicious and these muffins here are also tasty.”
“Yes! I want to eat too!”
Carl tugged at the chair where Patrick had been sitting until earlier. Patrick then helped Carl to place the chair next to me and when Carl had finally climbed onto the chair, he held it firmly so that it wouldn’t tip over in return. Carl, who was already sitting next to me, leaned over and picked up one of the muffins.
“Vivi, this is delicious!”
As he put down the half-eaten cookie, Vivi’s hand proceeded to grip the muffin that Carl had given her. I gestured to the maid to give Carl a glass of milk and Patrick left after saying that he would leave soon.
“Wooo.”
“Right…”
Perhaps because she didn’t really like muffins, Vivi simply took a bite of the muffin before spitting it out as the muffin eventually dropped. Carl’s expression as he saw the scene unfolded right in front of his eyes was utterly shocking.
“Ah, ah—”
As she ignored Carl’s reaction, Vivi then gestured and pointed at the cookie once again. Eventually, I placed the cookie into Vivi’s hand and pressed a kiss onto Carl’s head.
“My Carl knows how to yield muffins to his younger sister and is so very kind. Vivi says that she’s not friends with the muffins yet. Later, when she gets all acquainted with the muffins, she and Carl will get along well and eat a lot.”
“Yes!”
As I lightly tickled his side while pressing his head with my lips, Carl twisted his waist and burst into laughter in response. Carl, who immediately felt better about it, opened his mouth wide and bit into the delicious muffin while Vivian also ate the cookie deliciously as she smeared it all over her fingers in her drool. I was afraid that the two children would fall off the chair, so I held Carl with one hand and Vivi with the other. In the end, even though I didn’t eat anything, I was really happy to just look at them.
After the children ate their snacks, I played with them for a short while before going to the office to work… Then, after I took care of the children once again while having dinner with the Duchess Dowager, the day quickly passed. As soon as Vivi had eaten her dinner this time as well, right after she had her stomach all filled up, she began to droop and picked her breath a few times before she eventually dozed off.
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