It was afternoon and Hugo was busy working on doc.u.ments in his office when the scent of tea drifted into his nose. He knew someone had come in but he was focusing on something else so he didnât pay much attention.
After a while, he looked up, glancing at the cup of tea that Jerome had placed quietly before leaving then he put his pen down on the table and leaned back in his chair. He picked up the cup of tea and walked into the balcony, deciding to take a short break.
Because of the incoming party, the garden was filled with a lot of people busying around. He looked around the garden, searching for his wife.
He found her soon enough at a corner of the garden but she was not alone. She was with a black-haired child-Damian.
âTheyâre really friendly with each other.â
He muttered to himself, frowning slightly. Looking at it objectively, their relations.h.i.+p was one where they could never get too close to each other.
He was a little worried about her taking Damian to the garden party because a considerable amount of people would be suspicious about her intentions.
He considered telling her about his thoughts but shoved that idea away. She would know at least that much, she wasnât a foolish woman.
Although it was interesting that Damian was getting along
with her quite well. He wasnât a very sociable boy but within a few weeks, he was made into an obedient puppy.
Even his butler Jerome was the same. âMiladyâ, âMiladyâ, was all he could say.
She seemed to have the amazing ability to turn people to her side. Even though many people liking her was definitely much better than their being her enemy, for some reason, he felt displeased inside.
âWhat are they doing?â
For a while now, the both of them had been crouched low and their heads were facing each other. He couldnât see what they were doing and he couldnât see their faces properly because he was too far away.
âWhat the heck are those two doing?â
He grumbled inwardly.
âWithout me.â
The last words were what was truly in his heart but because he was so childish, he couldnât even bear to say it to himself.
Lucia and Damian were so engrossed in watching the amusing baby fox that they werenât paying much attention to anything else. The big-eared yellow fox had awkward steps, toddling as it walked.
Whenever it tried to escape from between the two of them, it was gently blocked with one hand. It didnât take long for it to give up on escaping, sit down and begin chasing its tail.
[Heâs a rare mild and gentle guy for a fox. Heâll be easy to tame]
This was the common
common remark that the experienced breeders, which Kate sent to help, made after looking at the fox.
âDid you decide on a name, Damian?â
âLucia, isâŚis it really okay for me to name it?â
âOf course. Iâll be happy if you name it.â
After Lucia asked him to give the fox a name a few days ago, heâd worried about it for a while and rummaged through all sorts of dictionaries while his studying took a back seat.
âThenâŚAsha.â (Damian)
âAsha? Does it have a meaning?â (Lucia)
âJust like names⌠I want it to have a strong vitality and last long.â (1)
âAsha. Thatâs a good name.â
Lucia lifted the fox and held it out to Damian.
âSince youâve given it a name, hold it. Donât just look at it.â
âLucia, IâŚâ
âHurry up. Iâll drop it.â
As the time it was held up in the air grew longer, the baby fox began to struggle and wriggle around in her hands. Once he heard her say sheâd drop it, Damian quickly reached out and carefully took the fox into his arms.
Asha lifted its long snout, looking at the boy for a moment, then it relaxed in his arms. The body temperature and the sound of fast-paced heartbeat of the small animal in his arms shocked Damian. It was a new sensation to him.
His emotions felt complicated and his body trembled. He felt like he hadnât know what it meant to
meant to be alive till this moment.
âI feelâŚstrange.â
âWhy?â
âJustâŚItâs not like I hate it but I feel weird. My chest feels a bit p.r.i.c.klyâŚâ
Looking at Damian who didnât know how much strength to put into his arms as he held the fox, Lucia smiled.
âDamian, that feeling means you think itâs loveable.â
âLoveâŚable?â
âYes. Itâs the feeling your mother must have felt when she held you after you were born. You feel something is so loveable, your heart hurts.â
Damian stared silently at the fox with for a while, his expression unknown. The fox squirmed in his arms, adjusting itself to a more comfortable position then it placed its chin on the boyâs arms, blinking its eyes.
Damian lifted his head to look at Lucia, smiling brightly. It was the clear smile of a child, no darkness hidden within it.
The first carefree smile of the boy who was always stiff and brusque sent a burst of emotions through Lucia, deeply touching her.
Her gaze met Damianâs and she smiled at him.
A little far away, Hugoâs red eyes gazing at them trembled strongly. Unable to curb his curiosity, he finally left his office.
He walked towards the corner of the garden where they stayed crouched and at some distance, he was able to see why they werenât paying attention to anything else.
âWhat is that?â
The sight of the little beast wriggling around and the two of them concentratingof them concentrating on it like a never-seen-before treasure in the world came into view.
As he drew a little closer, he was able to hear their conversation.
âGiving a beast a name? a useless act.â
The white horse heâd ridden for so many years still had no name.
ââŚLuciaâŚ?â
He furrowed his brow.
When he heard the name the evening when they were taking a walk, heâd thought he heard wrong but he was still somewhat sensitive to the name and this time, he definitely heard it and clearly too.
Why would Damian call her by that name?
It wasnât d.u.c.h.ess, it wasnât Mother and it wasnât even her name. He stopped walking, standing still to think about it but couldnât reach a conclusion so he resumed his journey.
However in a couple of steps, his footsteps paused again.
Looking at the boyâs smile that was as bright as suns.h.i.+ne, his heart clenched, filling his chest with biting pain.
âHahâŚâ
He sighed mournfully.
âItâs you.â
He smiled powerlessly. The childâs smile was very similar to the one his brother had given him on the day theyâd met.
He just hadnât realized it but it seemed the brother that heâd been missing had always been by his side.
Translatorâs Corner
1) Very loose translation here. This was the only way for it to make sense in English.
*Thereâs so much cuteness and fluff that Iâm getting worried.
*Also, is Hugo developing eavesdropping tendencies? hur hur.