IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 6

"Hic... snf."

Raphel swallowed his tears with his soft cheeks puffed out to the fullest, his chest heaving.

Verasielle had thrown away the burlap-like clothes Raphel had been wearing and changed him into comfortable pants and a t-shirt she'd worn as a child.

When she'd bathed him, he'd cried so loudly she thought her eardrums would burst.

"Raphel. I'm sorry. But you had to be washed."

"No bath! No like!"

Raphel, thoroughly sulking, whipped his small face away and ignored Verasielle.

His black hair swished and moved softly with the motion.

She'd bathed him herself without calling the servants, worried he might feel uncomfortable with strangers, but he'd been so filthy that just rinsing him with water took a full ten minutes.

And untangling his matted hair and washing his dirty body took well over an hour.

Once clean, Raphel's true appearance shone through.

Even at only five years old, his face was already perfection.

His black hair was like unspooled fine silk thread, and his pale skin made his intense red eyes all the more striking.

Though round, his nose was quite high, and combined with his fair skin, his handsome face shone even more brilliantly.

So this is why he's the male lead.

She looked forward to Raphel's future. It was obvious how many women would secretly admire him.

Though for the male lead Raphel, there would only be one woman—the female lead.

"Raphel. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

At Verasielle's plea with her hands clasped together, Raphel, who'd been puffing out his cheeks, slowly turned his head back.

"Bath bad..."

"Yes, yes. Raphel doesn't like baths. I won't do it again, sorry."

At Verasielle's gentle voice, Raphel's mood brightened instantly and he ran over and hugged her.

Verasielle lifted Raphel, who was clinging to her legs.

Freshly bathed Raphel smelled like a soft, powdery baby.

"Bath scary..."

Raphel buried his face in Verasielle's shoulder and mumbled.

'Scary? Does he fear water because he's young...'

Or perhaps he had some bad memory related to water. She gently stroked down Raphel's back and asked:

"Raphel. Can I ask why water is scary?"

"Bubble-bubble, scary..."

"Bubble-bubble?"

"Gurgle-gurgle, gasp gasp, scary."

Raphel made sounds as if vividly describing being submerged in water.

"Raphel. Have you been in water before?"

"No bath! Scary! Scary!"

Raphel squirmed in Verasielle's embrace. A firm refusal to discuss water any further.

"Sorry. I won't ask anymore."

Feeling the small, delicate body trembling, Verasielle couldn't ask any more.

Strange. Was there an incident that would make him fear water?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't remember clearly.

His wariness of water needed to disappear quickly. She was worried.

"..."

At some point, Verasielle, who'd been absorbed in thoughts of the child, bit her lip firmly.

She shouldn't get any more attached. The ducal family would take care of Raphel anyway.

She just needed to bring Raphel to the Duke who was searching for his nephew, receive the reward money, and leave.

That would be the end of her connection with Raphel.

So there was no benefit in getting too close.

"Miss. I've brought the soup."

"Come in."

At the servant's voice from outside the door, Verasielle set down the Raphel she'd been holding onto the bed.

Soon the door opened and a servant entered carrying a small table.

It was a children's table Verasielle had used as a child.

Her caring parents had treasured and preserved the items their daughter had used as precious memories.

At Verasielle's request, the servant who'd retrieved the table from storage placed a bowl of warm soup on the small portable table.

"The temperature is just right, so you can feed him immediately."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Yes. Then please call if you need anything else."

Verasielle placed a spoon in Raphel's hand.

"You can feed yourself, right?"

To replenish his insufficient nutrition and give him the medicine from the physician, she had to feed Raphel something.

The soup contained finely chopped carrots and broccoli.

They were cooked thoroughly so the soft texture wouldn't cause any digestion problems.

"...Carrot."

Raphel swallowed his saliva looking at the soup before him, then spotted something orange floating in it and quietly set down his spoon.

"Don't like carrots?"

"Mm..."

Raphel wrinkled his face and smoothly pushed away the plate in front of him with his small hand. As if he couldn't stand the sight of carrots.

But Raphel's hollow stomach was gurgling loudly.

He'd been practically starving, not eating properly all this time, so he must be hungry, yet even in this situation he was being picky...

Truly impressive mental fortitude. Verasielle applauded internally.

"But you need to eat soup to get healthy, you know?"

Raphel slyly rolled his eyes to glance at Verasielle.

Checking to see if she might be angry at him.

Verasielle was still smiling gently. That face looked so kind that Raphel relaxed.

"If Raphel eats his soup well and gets healthy, he'll be able to go out and play, won't he?"

She didn't scold or lecture Raphel. She didn't nag him to eat the carrots.

Forcing him to eat food he didn't want would only make him refuse, and it would become a bad memory that would make him even pickier in the future.

Verasielle was careful and careful again, worried that her actions and words might leave Raphel with trauma.

"Then shall we eat just three bites?"

"Three times...?"

"Yes. Just three times. Our Raphel can do it, right?"

Raphel clenched both his little fists and moved his small mouth.

"Raphel can do it!"

An answer born from not wanting to disappoint Verasielle.

How could this be so cute—the solemn determination on that young face made her hand reach out to stroke Raphel's cheek.

"Here, ah!"

"Ahhh..."

She took a small first bite and put it in Raphel's mouth.

Raphel squeezed his eyes shut and moved his mouth several times, chewing, then gulp, swallowed.

"How is it? Two more left—Raphel can do it, right?"

The taste was better than expected, so Raphel nodded.

If he finished all three bites, Verasielle would be happy and praise him.

He wanted to see that quickly, so Raphel opened his mouth again.

Like a baby bird opening its mouth for its mother to feed it.

Verasielle seized the moment and scooped up a spoonful of soup and fed it to Raphel.

Raphel was surprised by the larger amount than before, but he only had one bite left after this. He couldn't give up now.

His small mouth chewed busily without rest.

The sight of him eating soup with both cheeks puffed out was so admirable that she couldn't help but smile.

Is this what it would feel like to have a younger sibling?

Her chest felt warm and fuzzy, like drinking freshly made sweet cocoa.

"Here, the last one."

After finishing the last bite, the soup bowl was already more than half empty.

She'd succeeded in feeding him soup according to plan.

"Good job. Really."

Verasielle, who praised Raphel generously, thought she should strike while the iron was hot and immediately give him the final hurdle—the medicine.

"Raphel, you can take this too, right?"

She poured some of the medicine prescribed by the physician onto a spoon and held it out before Raphel.

Raphel stared at the pinkish liquid with curious eyes, but instinctively kept his mouth firmly closed.

"Mm? This is very sweet and delicious."

"..."

Raphel was tempted but didn't open his closed lips.

She had no choice but to pull out her final measure. The method her mother had used when she herself hadn't eaten well as a child.

"It's an airplane. Wheeee."

Verasielle moved the hand holding the spoon in a dazzling display. The airborne spoon flew gracefully through the air, drawing curves.

"What airplane?"

Oops, there are no airplanes in this world. Belatedly realizing her mistake, Verasielle added an excuse.

"It's like magic that flies through the sky."

"Sky? Can fly in sky?"

"Yes. If Raphel eats everything without being picky, someday he'll be able to fly in the sky."

At those words, Raphel's eyes sparkled as he moved his head this way and that, following Verasielle's hand movements.

The sight reminded her of a cat moving its head sharply to catch a fishing rod toy, making Verasielle chuckle internally.

"The airplane is landing. Raphel, ah!"

The spoon that had been moving back and forth dizzyingly stopped in front of Raphel's mouth.

"Ah!"

Raphel, who'd been watching the spoon, opened his mouth without realizing it.

Verasielle didn't miss the moment and quickly put the medicine in Raphel's mouth.

"Well done! Raphel!"

Verasielle smiled with satisfaction and poured out the praise Raphel had been hoping for.

"Hehehe."

Though he'd taken the medicine in a daze, a smile as fresh as summer bloomed on Raphel's face.

Raphel thought he wished this moment could last forever.

Verasielle's smile directed at him, her touch, her praise—he liked it all, all of it.

The faint image of parents existing somewhere in Raphel's lost memories had already been forgotten.