Every time he was with Tatiana, Lakiusās world expanded a little more.
Like listening toā¦ā¦ apologies.
The emperor and Rudolph always looked at Lakius the way they would look at a squirming worm underfoot.
āā¦ā¦Iām sorry, Lakius.ā
It was the first time they had ever apologized to him.
And the emperor, too, if only for the reason that he didnāt want to be criticized further by the three warriors.
He sided with Lakius, not with the queen and Rudolph.
Perhaps this will make life at the palace a little more difficult. But nevertheless, he had no regrets.
And most of all, heāll be able to seeā¦ā¦.
Lakius clenched his fists over his chest.
The boyās smile deepened a little more. It was the smile of an eight-year-old boy, unshadowed by anything else.
āā¦ā¦I can meet Miss Tatiana.ā
It was the date of the first scheduled visit to the townhouse of Orleans.
He was looking forward to it.
Time flew by like a flash.
I will be ten years old after midnight tonight.
āToday is the day of my birthday.ā
Oh, my gosh, I really canāt believe Iām already turning ten.
I collected the books in my arms and clicked my tongue at the thought. Adults sometimes lament how fast time goes. Maybe I could understand that sentiment a little better now?
āGood morning, Teacher!ā
I gave a quick greeting as I entered the study room.
The poetry and literature teacher, who was preparing for class in the study room, smiled at me.
I pressed down on the tip of my lips, which were threatening to curl upward of their own accord.
Since the day Iād called the three warriors āDadā, I was officially adopted by the Duke of Orleans!
I am now legally Siegfriedās daughter!
āWhat about the First Prince?ā
āHe hasnāt come yet, but thereās still about five minutes before class starts, so you can go toā¦ā¦.ā
And there we were, making conversation, whenā
The door to the study room flew open, and a boy burst in.
āHello! Iām not late by any chance, am I?ā
Well, they say tigers come when they are talked about. I had no idea that he would come as soon as I mentioned him.
āHis Highness the First Prince.ā
āI see His Highness the First Prince.ā
Even though the teacher was there, we were polite to each other.
Lakius gave me a friendly greeting with his eyes.
I returned the favor with a slight nod.
Iāve been studying with Lakius three times a week for six years now. Iāve grown quite a bit in that time, but Lakiusā growth has been remarkable.
For one thing, heās gotten a lot taller.
Heās a foot taller than his peers, and now I have to look up at him when we stand side by sideā¦ā¦.
āMan, this is not cool.ā
I muttered under my breath.
āAnyway, heās all grown up, so it doesnāt matter.ā
I took in Lakiusās beauty with a pleased gaze. Shimmering blonde hair and eyes as bright red as rubies. His features were as gorgeous as a rose made of gold and gemstones.
He was still so young, but he would be even more handsome when he grew up.
But my favorite change isā¦ā¦.
āLakius, you have a pretty good smile now.ā
When I first saw him, he was always expressionless, but now he has quite a variety of expressions.
He laughs, he gets angry, and sometimes even pouts. Sometimes heāll complain to me in a whisper that his fatherās education is too strict.
He even turns his lips up in a pout, which is very cute to see.
Itās like heās finally being a boy his age.
āAnd yet, when heās in front of his father, he just acts the part and completes his training.ā
Dutiful, like a male protagonist.
I shrugged and turned to Lakius with a question.
āWhat makes you so late? Youāre usually about ten minutes early.ā
āOh, well,ā Lakius scratched his cheek slightly, then smiled coyly. āI got caught by Kirios on the way here.ā
I knew all too well that all three of my dads were hard on Lakius. Especially Kirios, the second father, who always tried to devour him.
āAll men are wolves. Got that!?ā
ā¦ā¦ had become his mantra.
Heād say it so many times, never missing an opportunity, that you could literally get scabs on your earsā¦ā¦.
What the hell is he talking about when heās staring at a fourteen-year-old boy?
āEveryone take your seats then.ā
At the teacherās words, Lakius and I took our seats.
āA few days ago, I gave you some homework, didnāt I?ā
āYes, you asked me to memorize the poet Harperās āCome to the Hills of Springā.ā
āI see youāve remembered it well, so why donāt you try to recite it first?ā
Well, that shouldnāt be difficult.
I stood up and began to recite the poem.
āMy hometown is on a hill, where the sun is warm on a spring day, and my heart aches with longingā¦ā¦.ā
The teacher, who was listening carefully to my recitation, smiled and nodded.
āYour pronunciation is clear, and the poem rhymes well. Thatās really good.ā
I sat back in my seat proudly.
Then Lakius murmured, looking strangely regretful, āThough, I must admit, the first time I took the class, I found it quite adorable that you had a few mispronunciations.ā
ā¦ā¦No, seriously, when did he hear that?
I looked back at Lakius with a frown.
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For the record, I was five years old when I perfectly mastered short tongue soundsā¦ā¦.
But what was even more amazing was the teacherās response.
āYes, she did.ā She seemed to agree with Lakius, then murmured in a wistful voice, as if reminiscing, āBut when did the princess grow up to be so brilliant that she could recite poetryā¦ā¦.?ā
āItās because the princessās talent is so great.ā
āI see, His Highness the First Prince thinks so too?ā
āOf course, and Iām very happy to be able to discuss the princessās excellence with you.ā
The two continued to talk in hushed tones.
I was at a loss for words.
āItās the specialty of my dads to start off with compliments.ā
Somehow, everyone around me seemed to be turning into my dadsā¦ā¦.
Lakius, meanwhile, looked at me with envy.
āBy the way, the princess is only ten years old, yet sheās taking classes with me.ā
āā¦ā¦What kind of nonsense are you going to say?ā
I looked at Lakius with that message in my eyes.
āYouāre so smart. Iām fourteen, and I feel like Iām not even close to the level of the princess.ā Lakius looked determined, and then said, āLooking at her makes me realize that I need to work harder.ā
Thatās right, my mental age is that of an adult.
I was a little shaken up.
You are talented while I am oldā¦ā¦.
To receive such bright eyes from a guy who will chew up the world with his talent in the future.
The world is something to live for.
Of course, Iāve only lived 10 years of this life yet.
Just then, the teacher interrupted by saying, āBy the way, itās your birthday today, isnāt it? I have a gift for you, too.ā
What, what kind of a gift?
I stared at the teacher expectantly.
āYes, the gift isā¦ā¦.ā
The teacher, who had been rambling on and on, squinted one eye at me.
āThatās it for the lesson today. Do you like your present?ā
I looked up at her in ecstasy.
The lesson was over half an hour earlier than usual!
āTeacher, youāre the best!ā I shouted my praise from the bottom of my heart, and the teacher chuckled heartily.
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āHave a nice day, Princess.ā
With one last smile, the teacher slipped out of the room.
As soon as we were alone, Lakius turned to me with a voice as sweet as honey.
āHappy birthday, Tati.ā
Yes, we had become close enough to call each other by a nickname! We even let go of formal speech when weāre alone!
Isnāt that a great development?
In fact, at first, I used to call him His Highness the Prince.
One day, out of the blue, Lakius blurted out.
āYouā¦ā¦.. can call me Laki.ā
I pretended not to notice, but how could I not?
The color behind his ears had turned bright red.