IWBAACTWITOS Chapter 18

The ducal residence was large enough to have a small lake, but we just spread a picnic blanket under a tree in the central garden.

To enter the mansion, one had to pass through the central garden.

Though I said I was hungry, I couldn't really be hungry when I'd eaten lots of bread not long ago.

Still, instead of the fun of eating, there was considerable entertainment in watching Yan stuff sandwiches and fruit into his mouth until his cheeks were about to burst.

"Is it delicious?"

"Yes!"

"I see. It's delicious."

'The kid's eating like he's possessed. Seems like he hasn't just gone hungry for a day or two.'

"But Mom, why did he come to our house? Don't they usually stay at the imperial palace?"

"That's true, but they were attacked on the way. To prepare for any possible incidents that might occur at the imperial palace, we decided to keep him at our house."

At those words, I let out a sigh.

It was obvious who had attacked, and ultimately taking care of Yan meant shouldering the responsibility for those possible incidents too.

"......Did Dad agree to this?"

"Of course, Dad rolled up his sleeves to help."

I couldn't understand those words. Though Julian usually went around smiling and slacking off, bickering childishly with Emperor Philius daily, he was never careless as a minister.

Why would he agree to something with only losses?

'Originally, Yan was supposed to stay at the imperial palace until the Prophetess's prophecy.'

"If you keep bulging your eyes like that, you'll look scary."

"I'm a Demon Lord, so it's okay if I look a little scary."

"Demon Lord, you even got a subordinate, so why so serious?"

"It's nothing."

Noticing my discomfort, Yan was glancing around cautiously. Yet his hand was still reaching for another sandwich, which was amusing.

'Well, there's nothing I can do about the current situation.'

"Is Yan also staying in the annex?"

"Would you like him to stay in the annex?"

"No."

"The prince will stay in the main building. There are too many people to have everyone stay in the main building, and with baby Royna here too, we gave the prince's attendants separate quarters in the annex."

"That's a relief."

"What's a relief?"

"Going to the annex would be bothersome. Hey, stop eating."

When Yan finally picked up his fifth sandwich, I snatched it from his hand.

"Dad's coming, so we'll have dinner together."

"......Is that okay?"

"This is just a snack. Not dinner. If you eat until you're full now, you won't be able to eat dinner later."

I recited exactly what the nanny would nag about. Having eaten enough to feel somewhat full, Yan obediently gave up the sandwich at the mention of dinner.

"From now on, you'll eat breakfast with me, lunch with me, snacks with me, and dinner with me. Got it?"

"Yes."

I wiped the sauce around Yan's mouth with my sleeve. Once Yan's face was clean, I withdrew my hand with a satisfied expression.

"Tilly, if you wipe with your sleeve, your clothes get dirty. Use a handkerchief."

"I already spilled apple juice so I have to wash it anyway. It's better to wash one piece of clothing than both a handkerchief and clothes."

At my logical response, Roxana looked at me incredulously before chuckling.

I didn't really need to worry about laundry, but she meant it was admirable.

"Right, right. Looking after your friend too, how kind. Ah, Dad's coming."

Whether he'd rushed over immediately upon arriving at the mansion, Julian was walking toward us wearing full white ceremonial attire.

Perhaps because it was sunset time, his silver hair sparkling in the crimson sunlight looked fantastically ethereal.

"Dad."

As soon as I called him, Julian's expression, which had been peacefully calm as he walked quietly, melted into a foolish look again.

The fantastically handsome Julian, when he made that stupid smile, looked just a little bit like my dad.

'Oh no, I'm overlapping them again. I shouldn't do this.'

He spread both arms, and as a reward for showing me a good sight, I ran to him and hugged him. Julian rubbed his cheek against my head and started showering me with kisses.

"My goddess, who do you take after to be this pretty?"

"Stop kissing."

"If Tilly gives Dad a kiss, I'll stop."

I glared at him with annoyed eyes before reluctantly giving him a brief kiss on the cheek.

Then I escaped from his embrace and climbed back onto the picnic blanket. Yan was staring at me blankly.

"Why? Want me to do it for you too?"

"......No."

I had been planning to bite those soft-looking cheeks while I was at it. I promised myself a future opportunity and made room for Julian, who was trying to sit next to me.

"Having a picnic?"

"Yes."

"The weather's nice, why don't you go a bit further? If you go toward the annex, there's a lake too."

"It's noisy there now. Too many people, I don't like it. And I was waiting for Dad to come."

"Really? Our Tilly was waiting for Dad? Oh, how sweet."

"I only waited specially for today."

Julian laughed heartily while messing up my hair. I also messed up his silver hair, turning it disheveled.

Roxana watched us before calling Yan.

"Your Highness."

"......Yes?"

"You'll be staying with our family for a while. If anything happens, let us know through Tilly."

"......What kind of things?"

"Well, just tell Tilly everything even if nothing happens. We'll protect Your Highness while you're here."

Yan looked puzzled, but since Roxana's hand patting his head wasn't unpleasant, he smiled bashfully. Seeing Yan's smile for the first time, I remembered a passage I'd written in this novel.

"In his fading consciousness, Rayan recalled the only happy year of his life and smiled. Though he had been wary when Aegis first acknowledged him, as a child he had been very fond of Aegis. He wanted to apologize for forgetting their promise to be friends forever and not recognizing him."

Like in the original, I hoped he would spend his time here happily, at least while he was here.

"Once upon a time, there lived a lonely wizard in a tall tower."

In a low voice with short platinum hair, I lay holding hands with Yan, listening to the story Roxana told us.

Yan seemed tired from the day, falling asleep before even half the story was over. Roxana finished the fairy tale about the wizard and fairy to the end, then picked up the sleeping Yan.

"Aren't we sleeping together?"

"Your Highness must sleep in his own bedroom."

"Why?"

"......Because of protocol. We could get in trouble unnecessarily."

I watched Yan being carried away in a servant's arms with a disgruntled face. When Roxana tried to blow out the candles in my room, I grabbed her sleeve.

"Where are you going? It's been a while, so you should read one more."

Roxana sat back down helplessly and began patting my stomach.

Since bringing a new fairy tale book seemed bothersome, she appeared to plan on telling a story she remembered.

"Once upon a time, there were Vita, the god of light and life, and Nex, the god of darkness and death. The two were twins born together from chaos and created the world together. Vita breathed light and breath into all life, while Nex breathed darkness and peace into all life. All living beings worshiped and praised both gods."

'Why is this story suddenly coming up?'

"Vita loved the world and living creatures so very much. Vita wanted the world to last forever. But one day, Vita saw a human on earth and fell in love. She came down to earth, pretended to be human, and shared love with that human.

However, Vita's love didn't last long. Because Nex gave that human the peaceful rest of death. Vita was extremely sad and angry at Nex. Shouldn't you have at least told me, she said. You don't know the pain of having your beloved suddenly die in your arms, she said. Hearing Vita's words, Nex said with an incomprehensible expression:

Everything has a predetermined end anyway, Vita. The human you love, and this world too. So don't cling to moments. The soul of the human you loved remains, doesn't it? Just wait for the time of reincarnation."

"......"

"Hearing Nex's words, Vita quietly withdrew. After that, Nex continued to give fair endings to many lives. Then one day, Nex suddenly felt drowsy, fell asleep briefly, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself trapped in a human body on earth. Vita said to Nex:

Even though your words may be right, I cannot do that. Nex, I want you to know love. If you realize love among the humans who are most passionate about love, you'll be able to return."

"If Nex becomes like that, don't people stop dying?"

"Nex's power remained in her sleeping divine body, so the world's balance was maintained. And hoping Nex wouldn't forget to realize love, Vita embedded her own memories of sharing love with a human as the moon and stars above Nex's time. However, Nex still doesn't know love and continues repeating human lives."

"......Vita was bad."

"You think so?"

"She was bad. I mean, honestly, what did Nex do wrong? Nex just worked hard at her assigned job. Vita just couldn't distinguish between public and private matters and took out her anger on someone innocent."

"Do you even know what public and private matters are?"

"Of course I do. Public is Mom and Dad working at the imperial palace, and private is Mom and Dad coming home to play with me."

"How smart, our Tilly."

"If she wanted Nex to know love, she should have used a different method. And Nex......"

'Had a reason for not wanting to know love.'

Nex, who pronounced endings to all living beings, had to be impartial. If she knew love, she wouldn't be able to bring death to what she loved.

"Vita only thought about herself."

"Mom thinks so too. Now, shall we sleep?"

Roxana blew out the candle with her breath.

"Mom."

"Yes?"

"Where did you hear that story?"

"Mom read it in a fairy tale book when she was little."

"......I see."

The story of Vita and Nex was the worldview of another novel I had created by mixing and adapting various mythologies.

'Don't tell me if this story ends here, I'll move to another novel?'

In the current situation, I couldn't confidently say that couldn't happen.

'Oh, then I'm screwed.'

As I rolled my eyes due to various worries, Roxana covered my eyes with her hand.

"Shall I sing you a lullaby?"

"Yes."

"My star, my baby. One day you came to me. You came to me after twinkling brightly in that night sky. My star, my baby. One day you told me. That you wanted to twinkle brightly in that night sky. Actually, your eyes are shining stars. But hide them well at night. Because I'm afraid you'll go back. My star, my baby. My star, my baby."

Listening to the lullaby sung in a low voice, I slowly blinked my eyes. Repeatedly hearing the phrase 'My star, my baby' gradually put my heart at ease. It wasn't the lullaby my mother sang in my past life, but somehow it evoked those memories.

"......Ma."

"......Yes?"

"I miss her."

"You'll be able to see her tomorrow morning."

"......No, hey."

"I'll stay by your side when you wake up tomorrow morning."

"Our mom is......"

Not you. I swallowed my last words and fell fast asleep.