Previously
The maids and Sophia overwhelm a shy Thiel with questions about decorating her new room, eventually deciding to choose for her since she has never had personal preferences. A lavish bedroom is quickly prepared, far surpassing the quality of anything she saw at the Nestian estate.
Inside the room, an intricately embroidered rug lay across the floor, topped with a small sofa and a tea table sized just right for a child.
Rather than heading over to the tea table, Thiel stared at the rug’s pattern for a while.
The embroidery depicted laurel leaves symbolizing victory stitched in gold, centered around the fangs of a black panther.
Thiel crouched down, brushing her fingertips against the rug.
‘I’m certain I’ve seen this pattern somewhere before…’
It was a familiar design. Thiel closed her eyes for a moment as Barden walked up beside her, and she soon recalled where she had seen it.
She had clutched the pendant tightly in her hand all the way to Astrian, which was why the feel of the design was so distinctly familiar.
Noticing how intently Thiel had been studying the embroidery, Barden bent down to meet her eye level and spoke.
Hearing Barden’s explanation, Thiel nodded.
At Nestian, the word “fire” had been strictly taboo. Fire was the power of Astrian, Nestian’s sworn enemy.
Now, however, she could speak of it freely, without restraint.
Moreover, Thiel preferred the power of fire, which could thaw frozen things, over the freezing power that locked everything in ice.
After a moment, Thiel rose to her feet and took another careful look around the room.
She liked everything—the plush blankets, the lovely furniture—yet what captured her heart the most was…
‘It’s truly wondrous.’
A suncatcher hung by the window, scattering sunlight in every direction.
As Thiel stared at the suncatcher in utter fascination, Barden stepped up beside her once more.
Seeing that Thiel was too small to reach the suncatcher, Barden gave it a light tap for her.
The light filtering through the suncatcher cast a warm glow across Thiel’s face as she answered.
Barden watched her with an affectionate look, then spoke.
Thiel was only seven years old, but she was well aware that diamonds were extraordinarily expensive.
And “the finest diamonds” meant this suncatcher was incomparably more precious than any ordinary one.
Barden nodded with visible pride.
Thiel gazed at the suncatcher for a long moment before turning her eyes toward Barden, clenching her small fists.
Thiel was still a bit frightened of Alphonsus, of course, but thanking him for the room felt like something she had to do.
At her words, a pleased smile touched Barden’s lips, and he gave a nod.
With that, Barden held out his hand. Thiel gently grasped his warm fingers.
Barden shortened his stride to match Thiel’s tiny steps, slowing his pace to half its usual speed.
Thanks to him, Thiel was able to walk along while holding his hand without the slightest struggle.
The Astrian manor was so vast that one could easily lose their way inside.
Holding Thiel’s hand as they made their way toward Cassius’s room, Barden gave her a gentle warning.
The lower level in particular was so sprawling and labyrinthine that even servants who had worked there for years frequently lost their bearings.
Deciding she must never wander on her own, Thiel kept a tight hold on Barden’s hand as they walked toward Cassius’s quarters.
‘I don’t want to cause them any worry…’
Not wishing to trouble the kind people of the Astrian estate, Thiel listened closely to Barden’s words.
After walking for quite some time, Barden came to a stop before an enormous door.
An immense door.
It was so colossal that a giant beast could easily have passed through, and Thiel could never have pushed it open on her own.
Awed by the sheer size of the door, Thiel stared at it with her mouth parted in frank astonishment, while Barden merely smiled softly and gave a light knock.
Following Barden’s announcement, the massive door swung slowly open, and…
Cassius appeared. Startled by his sudden presence, Thiel flinched slightly, yet she did not run away or try to hide.
They had already spoken alone once before, which had left a reassuring impression on her.
Cassius said, stepping aside slightly to leave room for her to enter.
Thiel glanced up at his face for a second, then cautiously stepped inside his quarters.
Having made sure Thiel was safely inside, Barden bowed and took his departure.
Cassius looked down at Thiel as she walked in, then glanced at Barden and offered a slight nod.
A moment later, the soft thud of the door closing echoed through the room.
Cassius walked over first and sat down on the sofa, then gestured toward Thiel.
Just listening to his voice brought a quiet sense of comfort.
Just like the day he rescued her from the cellar.
Just like the day he told her she was a special child with a unique power…
Loosening her clenched hands, she stepped closer to where Cassius was seated. She stopped in front of him, clasping her hands together.
As if amused by the formal gesture, Cassius smiled faintly and reached out toward her.
Once he was certain the child no longer shrank from his touch, Cassius scooped Thiel up with hands that were rough yet gentle, settling her onto his lap.
"…!"
Thiel’s eyes widened the instant she landed on his lap.
She instinctively wriggled, trying to climb back down.
At the warning that she might fall, tears welled in Thiel’s eyes.
Freezing in place, Thiel blinked rapidly, resting her hands awkwardly on Cassius’s knees.
She had only come to say thank you for the lovely room.
Back at the Nestian estate, she had never once sat on an adult’s lap. Even having someone hold her hand had been an exceedingly rare thing.
Yet since arriving at the Astrian manor, how many times had she ended up in someone’s lap already?
What was more, Cassius’s knee felt firm and unyielding, completely unlike Leah’s soft and comfortable lap.
It was simply that Cassius was unaccustomed to holding a child, though Thiel had no way of knowing that.
Cassius rang the bell on the table as Thiel tried to shift into a steadier posture.
The door opened, and a servant entered with a low bow. Looking down at Thiel, Cassius spoke.
Cassius looked curiously at Thiel’s tiny hands, then corrected himself.
“No, Thiel is still small. Bring juice or hot cocoa instead of tea. Just like last time.”
The servant bowed out of the room.
Still seated on Cassius’s lap, Thiel squeezed her eyes shut for a heartbeat before snapping her head up, remembering the very reason she had come.