Please Save My Child - Chapter 15

“……”

The overly grandiose phrasing made Reina’s complexion turn pale.

“And as such a benefactor, you will become a symbol. If I treat you well, people will see the benefits of standing with House Winternight. On the other hand, if you are retaliated against and left unprotected, that too will serve as a symbol.”

At the duke’s words, Reina’s hands trembled slightly. Noticing this, he continued speaking.

“…That is why this ducal house will protect you and your child even more firmly.”

He was making arrangements to formally grant Reina the position of Estelle’s governess and, in line with that, bestow a title upon her.

However, granting a title to a commoner with no connections—especially a woman—who had achieved no notable merit would undoubtedly stir suspicion about their relationship.

And that wasn’t the only issue. If she were to receive a title, others might take advantage of the situation, feigning attempts to harm Estelle just to create an opportunity to save her and gain rewards.

Everything needed to be done in order, with a more convincing justification.

The duke believed that saving Estelle was reason enough, but the world did not.

‘Now is not the time to mention it.’

Seeing how pale Reina looked, he realized that this was not the right moment to reveal his plan.

Of all things, why had a dish containing blueberries appeared at such a time?

“…Th-thank you?”

Reina, feeling overwhelmed by the excessive treatment she was receiving, gave the Duke of Winternight an uncertain look.

The duke himself could not understand why he was acting this way. However, he felt that if he mentioned the title now, Reina might faint from shock, so he changed the subject.

“…And, I have a request.”

“…Yes.”

But no matter how much he tried to push it out of his mind, he could not forget the desperate expression Reina had worn that winter day—the way she had pleaded for her daughter’s life like a condemned prisoner in his office.

“…Teach me how to get closer to my daughter.”

“…Pardon?”

Had he been bewitched by something?

***

There were people around the duke who had children Estelle’s age.

However, they were either not in a position to remain by his side or were people he had to keep in check. That was why he had never had anyone appropriate to place near Estelle before.

Moreover, Estelle addressed Reina informally, a sign of their closeness—he doubted he could find someone to replace her.

Even as he tried to focus on reading the unreadable documents in his office, he kept glancing out the window.

Peter, seeing his master act like this yet again, let out a quiet sigh.

“Your Grace, if you are so concerned, why not go outside?”

“…Forget it.”

Outside the window, Reina, Estelle, and Bonita were admiring the flowers in the garden.

The duke gazed at them with an expression that was oddly filled with longing.

Peter thought that his master was truly bad at expressing affection.

He cherished Estelle so dearly, yet instead of openly showing his love, he only gathered every item that piqued her interest, watching her from a distance without ever expressing his emotions in words.

Peter soon spoke again, “Reina Boten has recovered.”

“It was only an allergic reaction to the food.”

“At least it wasn’t poison.”

When she had suddenly collapsed with difficulty breathing that day, Peter’s first suspicion had been poisoning.

Reina might not have been aware of her position, but she was the benefactor of House Winternight.

If Estelle, who had yet to fully establish her standing, were kidnapped or harmed, House Winternight would inevitably waver.

Moreover, if someone even slightly ambitious had rescued Estelle, they would have demanded all sorts of outrageous rewards, claiming to be her savior.

Peter was truly relieved that such a situation had not come to pass.

The maid who had cared for Estelle had neither yielded to threats nor betrayed them, instead playing a crucial role in apprehending the criminals.

There was no better story than that.

And to top it off, even the daughter who had been kidnapped in place of Estelle had returned completely unharmed.

‘It’s almost suspicious how unscathed she is.’

Even adults would struggle for days after experiencing something like that.

Yet that tiny child had gone on a cheerful outing with Reina just a few days later.

Thinking that Bonita had nerves of steel, Peter turned his gaze back to the trio enjoying their time in the garden.

***

The ducal estate’s garden had become more vibrant since Estelle’s arrival.

Though the gardeners had always maintained it, there had never been anyone to admire their work before.

But ever since the little lady had arrived, endless praises for the flowers had filled the air, making it an inevitable outcome.

And upon hearing that Estelle loved flowers, every single magic stone in the garden was activated, causing the flowers to bloom more beautifully than ever.

‘That’s why, even though the Star’s Birth Festival is approaching, there are still so many flowers left.’

With such idle thoughts in her mind, Reina strolled leisurely, leading the children through the garden.

The three of them picked pretty flowers and sat together in the gazebo.

Reina was teaching them how to make flower crowns.

“You twist the stems together like this, then add the next flower…”

Estelle and Bonita’s eyes sparkled as they watched Reina’s skilled hands.

The children attempted to follow her instructions, but their tiny hands, unfamiliar with such tasks, only ended up crushing the delicate petals.

“…It looks weird.”

“…It really does…”

Estelle and Bonita pouted as they looked at the flowers they had unintentionally mangled.

“Everyone struggles at first. But this is much prettier than my first attempt.”

“Really?”

“Truly?”

“Of course. The first time I made one, I was twelve years old, and I ended up ripping the whole stem off.”

Twelve was four years older than them.

The children exchanged glances, realizing that their struggles weren’t because they had done something wrong, and they sighed in relief.

This time, Reina demonstrated the process slowly so they could follow along.

When they finally succeeded in weaving the first part, their eyes sparkled as they looked at her.

“You have quite the talent. You could open a flower crown shop one day.”

Of course, they weren’t that skilled yet. Reina could already imagine the slightly crooked crowns they would eventually finish. The children couldn’t yet control their strength properly, and she could see how the pressure they applied caused the petals to curl and quiver.

But Reina had no intention of pointing out their mistakes from the start.

Their hands were now stained with the scent of flowers and fresh grass as they plucked the colorful blooms to weave their crowns. As Reina caught the faint scent of greenery on her fingertips, the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

A few days ago, the duke had declared that he would ensure Reina’s safety from now on. At the same time, he had asked her to teach him how to grow closer to his daughter.

‘Nothing seems to have changed much.’

If anything had changed, it was only their living quarters.

When Bonita was told that she could continue staying in their new room indefinitely, her jaw had dropped in shock. Reina had felt relieved that at least she had managed to hold back a similar reaction.

People’s gazes toward Reina had grown subtly different, but that was all.

She was still Estelle’s maid.

The only difference was that Bonita was now with her.

So… while things around her had shifted, Reina’s daily life remained nearly the same.

“Reina’s flower crown is the prettiest.”

“Yeah, Mom’s is the best.”

The children kept comparing their small, wrinkled flower crowns with Reina’s well-crafted one.

Their mannerisms and thoughts were so similar that they could have been mistaken for fraternal twins.

Reina struggled to suppress the laughter bubbling up from the sheer adorableness of it all.

Both of them clearly wanted the flower crown she had made.

Yet, at the same time, they hesitated, as if each wanted to yield to the other.

They were truly lovable children.

“Should I make another one?”

Reina feigned ignorance and casually suggested it.

“Really?”

Estelle’s eyes lit up as if she had just realized—That’s it!

Then, she glanced at the flowers scattered across the table and, noticing they might not have enough, cheerfully exclaimed, “T-then, Bonita and I will go get more flowers!”

“Make sure to ask the gardener which ones are okay to pick.”

“Okay!”

Of course, Estelle could take whatever she wanted, and no one would stop her.

However, if she simply chose whatever she liked without consideration, she might end up picking roses, only to hurt herself on the thorns.

As Reina watched the two little ones clasp hands and run off, a gentle smile spread across her face.

The kidnapping, the threats—everything felt like a distant dream on such a peaceful day.

“Now then, shall I start making another one with what’s left?”

The flowers that the children hadn’t touched still remained pristine, their petals intact.

Rather than simply waiting, Reina began weaving another crown with the leftover flowers.

Just as she was carefully intertwining the stems, she suddenly sensed someone approaching stealthily.

Are the children trying to surprise me?

Reina smiled knowingly and looked up, expecting to see them.

“You’re back alre—”

“……”

“O-oh, Your Grace…!”

But contrary to her expectation, it wasn’t the children who had approached—it was the duke.

He was standing there, gazing down at her as she sat with the sunlight at her back.

Reina shot up from her seat in a hurry and bowed.

“…Sit.”

“…Y-yes.”

He said nothing further, and Reina, avoiding his gaze, resumed weaving the flower crown.

“What are you making?”

“A—a flower crown…”

The duke’s gaze shifted to the delicate flower crown Reina had already completed, then to the two poorly made ones sitting beside it.

“Those two poorly made ones are…”

“They were made by the young lady and Bonita…”

“Looking closely, they’re quite charming.”

“……”

“……”

This was a disaster.

The duke swallowed his words.

From his vantage point, he hadn’t been able to clearly see what the three had been doing under the gazebo’s roof.

He had been watching the flowers for a long time, and then, upon noticing the children running off hand in hand, he had grown curious about what was happening inside.

He had not been staring at them from his office all day.

It was merely a coincidence that he had witnessed everything.

It was the fault of the gazebo’s roof.

Because of it, he couldn’t tell if they were making flower crowns, playing a simple game, or just talking.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The duke felt embarrassed about how quickly his attitude had changed earlier, while Reina simply couldn’t initiate conversation with someone of such high status.

Eventually, the duke broke the silence.

“…Why are you making another one?”

“Oh, the children both seemed to want one. I couldn’t just give it to only one of them.”

“…I see.”

The duke didn’t seem to understand her reasoning.

Well, that made sense—he was someone who had never needed to share anything in his life.