Childcare Diaries

Chapter 112

Brielle’s Approval (1)

After a fight with an unknown enemy, the County finally found peace.

“Rest for a while.”

This was what Kentrail said to Marie, who came to his office shortly after they returned from the beach. He thought that she needed a break, too, as she had gone through hardships following childcare of Brielle.

She had a much thinner face than when he first met her.

‘I’ll have to talk to the kitchen and ask them to make some healthy food.’

He thought he should fatten her up.

“The Count, too.”

“Again.”

Marie, knowing what Kentrail was saying, frowned and laughed. He was strangely obsessed with this.

“Kentrail, too.”

As his own name came out of Marie’s mouth, the euphoric Kentrail reached out and stroked her hair.

“Have all the children gone to bed?”

He asked, as he had no time to take care of the children because he was dealing with an urgent business that happened during his trip to the beach.

“Yes. They seemed exhausted.”

Seeing that the energetic children went to bed early, it seemed that the trip to the beach was a long one. Even the two adults were physically overpowered.

“Go ahead and get some rest as well.”

It was a pity to leave her, but Kentrail urged her because she might be tired.

“Let’s go together.”

However, Marie wanted him to take a break, too. Even though they had been to a distant place, he had to work as soon as he came back. While she knew how busy he was, she’d rather he just sleep for a night or so.

Knowing that he would continue to work if he stayed like this, she got up first and held out her hand to him.

“Okay.”

Eventually, Kentrail took the small hand in front of him. It seemed that Marie was going to stay here until he stood up, so he left the office while leaving the pile of papers behind. It was late, so the corridor of the mansion was dark.

The two held hands and walked down the empty hallway.

“What if someone sees us? Let go now.”

Marie muttered, glancing around.

“How about seeing us? It’s not like we don’t know each other.”

“Still…”

She heard through Ellie that everyone in the mansion knew about their relationship, except for Brielle, but she was embarrassed.

Kentrail knew she was shy and hesitant, but he wasn’t upset. He just squeezed her hand once more.

Holding her hand, they headed for their room. Even though all the things that threatened the mansion were gone, Kentrail didn’t ask the butler to move Brielle, Marie, and Ellie’s things.

So, the two of them were walking towards the same place.

There was silence for a moment when Kentrail and Marie stood in front of the room where Brielle slept. After going back to their respective rooms, the two of them fell asleep with one wall between them though it was a pity that they were separated, as they wanted to continue to be together.

“I’ll go.”

Marie was the first to let go. However, her hand was quickly caught again as Kentrail could not bear the warmth that was moving away.

As her eyes began to tremble, Marie felt the air surrounding her body change. Her muscles stiffened a little, like a frozen person. Kentrail saw her looking at him with her eyes wide open, sensed the change in her, and carefully released her hand from his hold.

He had no intention of putting a burden on her.

“…I’ll go.”

It seemed that if it took a little longer, the strings of reason would be broken, so he tried to turn around. He couldn’t look at her today and even skipped a goodnight kiss.

It was when he took a quick step back that another warmth gripped his hand.

His heart started beating wildly.

“….”

Surprised, he turned around and saw Marie with her head down, holding his hand.

* * *

Marie was at a loss for fear that he could hear her own heart beating madly. As she lay on the bed in his arms, she was nervous. She watched Kentrail worriedly that he might be able to hear her swallowing a gulp.

‘Why are you shaking so much? Isn’t the Count all right?’

When she lifted her face up to look at him, their eyes met.

“Gasp.”

As Marie covered her mouth with her hands, she unknowingly made the sound of inhaling her breath.

‘What should I do, it’s too close…’

There were times when they were together though there was a sense of tension given by the place. The next moment, Kentrail stroked her cheek once with his index finger, and he pulled her into his arms a little more.

“Let’s go to bed.”

He began to pat her on the back gently.

‘Huh? Just like… this?’

As his patting intensified, Marie’s state of mind became more complicated.

‘It’s good to hug and sleep… but…’

She’d been nervous all this time, was she the only fool here? Wasn’t the atmosphere like that? Was she the only one who felt that way…?

Marie’s head was busy.

“Why can’t you sleep?”

Kentrail gazed at her, who was blinking her eyes, trying to soothe her disturbed mind, before asking cautiously.

“It’s not that…”

She couldn’t ask why they just went to sleep right away.

Marie hesitated. It was fortunate that it was dark. If it weren’t for that, he would have seen all of her expressions, which had a messed up look. However, he smiled as he stared at her vague figure. While he couldn’t see her face properly, Kentrail wasn’t the one who couldn’t understand her heart.

“I can wait as long as you want until you are ready for everything.”

“Yes?”

“You’re so nervous. You can’t easily lie on my arms, and you’re straining your neck.”

Kentrail was also a man. He wanted to spend a long night with the person he loved. Nonetheless, he put his loved one first. He put her heart before his heart. So when he came to the room and held her in his arms, he put an end to the thoughts in his head.

“….”

Marie noticed that she was straining too much, and blood rushed to her face.

“I…I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine. We have a lot of time ahead. Don’t rush. I don’t want you to regret it tomorrow morning. If you’re still afraid, don’t overdo it.”

She couldn’t say anything to him.

He was right. Although she wanted to be with him so much, it wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid. Marie was worried even as she looked forward to the morning with him.

He recognized that feeling.

“….”

Without breaking the silence, he quietly embraced her. It was hard for him to hold her in his arms and be still, but that was his share that he would handle.

* * *

Kentrail and Marie thought that time alone was important, but time spent with their children was also important. So, except for Ellie, who went to play with friends, and Barry, who went to the academy, the three of them—Kentrail, Marie, and Brielle—decided to go on an outing after a long time.

“Where are we going?”

When asked to go play the day before, Brielle, who was unable to sleep from yesterday, asked with eyes full of anticipation. He asked his uncle since yesterday, but he didn’t give a proper answer.

“A place where the air is clear and the mind is at ease.”

“Wow, just thinking about it makes me excited.”

While Brielle couldn’t remember where such a place was, it must have been a good place.

“Really? But the way there may be a bit difficult, is it okay?”

“Yeah. I am good anywhere as long as I’m with uncle and Marie.”

Marie, who was preparing to leave the room, smiled, listening to Brielle’s excited voice. She was wearing exotic pants and comfortable shoes that were recently in fashion in the kingdom.

‘It’s been a while since I wore pants like this.’

Kentrail must have been considerate of her because she said that she would wear pants comfortably wherever she was. As she finished her preparations and went out of the room, two men whom Marie loved so much stared at her intently.

“What’s wrong?”

“Marie…”

The child circled around her in admiration. His eyes were shining.

“Is it okay? It’s a little awkward, right?”

“No, it’s very nice.”

Brielle gave thumbs up in praise. Although Kentrail didn’t say anything, she knew from the look on his face. Seeing as he put his hand up to his mouth and turned his head, it must be nice.

‘Maybe it’s a little cool, as the Young Master said.’

* * *

The rattling sound of the carriage echoed through the hillside.

Brielle had since long lost his gaze to the scenery outside the window. Thanks to this, Kentrail and Marie secretly exchanged signals of love. They even told each other that they loved each other just by the shape of their mouths and held hands without Brielle’s knowledge.

“Uncle! We’re up at a very high place.”

As the child abruptly turned his head and called out to Kentrail, he, who had been giving his gaze to Marie, glanced quickly at his nephew.

Brielle’s curious appearance was cute.

“Yes, we’ll go higher in a little while.”

Listening to the word higher, Brielle opened his mouth slightly. They were getting closer to the clouds, yet they were going higher.

“Are we still riding the carriage?”

“No, on foot.”

“What?”

The child’ startled sound was heard even by the coachman. Brielle, who was born into a noble family, would have never climbed a mountain so he could not believe that he would climb the mountain himself.

“Why, don’t you like it?”

“No… It’s because it’s amazing.”

Having been locked up in the mansion for a long time, Brielle was just bewildered that he had come into the mountains like this and was going to roam the mountains with his uncle.

“Now, it looks like the carriage has gone up as far as it can go. Shall we go down now?”

Hearing Kentrail’s voice, which seemed more excited than Brielle’s, Marie nodded her head.

The reason they started climbing the mountain was because of a conversation the two had had a few days ago.