Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

Chapter 50

“Do you have any fairy tale books that are less scary than this? One where everyone is happy and doesn’t get hurt.”

I wasn’t expecting anything instructive.

Regen thought about it for a long time and then pulled out a book from the bookshelf.

It was the book that I’d read the first time I came here.

“This one is the only book I have that doesn’t show blood and murder.”

“Pikaak?”

“……”

Before leaving, ordering new children’s books was a must.

* * *

“This is Esmeralda’s most popular fairy tale book these days.”

I quickly read through the thin children’s book that Sarah handed me.

It was the story of a lonely deer that went around biting here and there and almost became some people’s dinner, but then it met a new family.

However, the vivid illustrations were somewhat familiar. Was this the same artist as the one who drew the illustrations for 〈Northern Fairy Tale Collection〉?

“And the books I talked to you about?”

“I already placed the order, but it will take a few days to arrive.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Wow. I let out a sigh.

The search for bright, cute, and informative children’s books in Esmeralda was like trying to pick stars from the sky.

Eventually, I just gave up and decided to buy some from afar, but now the problem was how much time it would take to get here.

Anyway, that night I went back to Regen’s bedroom.

I was thinking of singing him a lullaby if there was no book to read.

But the color of Regen’s face was strange when he welcomed me.

“Your Grace!”

Regen’s face looked redder than a tomato. He seemed like he was burning up due to a high fever.

“….My lord, will you excuse me for a moment?”

Without waiting for an answer, I placed the back of my hand on Regen’s cheek. His body temperature felt normal.

Mrs.Teresa, whom I met during the day, didn’t say anything.

When he tilted his head, I lowered my hand and saw that Regen’s face was back to its original state.

What? Was it just me again?

It happened yesterday too, and he didn’t feel any pain, so why does he keep looking sick and feverish?

“Your Grace…?”

I gently rubbed my eyes and reassured Regen.

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“It’s nothing. Rather than that, I had wanted to tell you that I bought a lot of new children’s books for you. I chose them myself. I hope you’ll like it, my lord.”

Regen couldn’t hide his feelings.

“I will like it no matter what! There’s no way I wouldn’t like it!”

I smiled and watched Regen carefully.

Regen wriggled his fingers.

“Well, then… what about today? What book are you going to read?”

Yeah…I should talk to Regen’s doctor first.

“Do you already have any books chosen?”

“I want to hear Your Grace’s story!”

……Huh?

“My story?”

“Yes! I want to hear a story that Your Grace has written. Ah…can’t I?”

“There’s nothing I can’t do, I’m very creative…well once upon a time…”

Regen looked at me with such sparkling eyes that I couldn’t help but change my words along the way.

“Wow! ”

Regen held his breath and waited for my words to continue.

Raven, who’d flown in, was sitting on Regen’s head.

What should I tell you?

Several children’s books, which had become sensational in the capital, quickly flickered through my mind.

However, most of them were books I had just ordered.

If I wait a few days, they’ll be in the best condition and in Regen’s hands, so I can’t give spoilers.

Okay, in this case, let’s go beyond the cliche storylines and use a completely worn-out classic.

I started to adapt the cliche story to my liking.

“Once upon a time, there was a warrior named Evee. She was a warrior who was kind, brave, and determined to make a lot of money. She was happy to defeat bad guys, help people in need, and get paid. One day, she heard rumors that a prince living in a castle named after flowers was kidnapped by a dragon.”

“The warrior must go save him, right?!”

“First of all, we have to check the pay…uh I mean of course Evee went to go rescue him. So the warrior, Evee, crossed the thorny mountain and the river of flowing lava to finally arrive at the dragon’s den. Inside the den, a very large and evil dragon was pushing the prince around.”

“Oh, in the past, Sir Procyon told me about dragons. I was told to keep this to myself, but Sir Procyon caught a dragon when he was six years old.”

Regen whispered to me with a serious face.

Regen was very careful as he spoke just in case Sarah, who was waiting outside the door, could hear them.

I decided to have a second interview with Procyon and continued the story.

“But no matter how bad and strong the dragon was, it was no match for Evee the warrior. Warrior Evee defeated the dragon at once and rescued the prince. Just so you know, warrior Evee was a whopping one year younger than the six-year-old who caught the dragon, Sir Procyon.”

“… Five years old?”

“The prince, who fell in love with her wonderful appearance, proposed to the warrior.”

“…To a five-year-old?”

“In a world where the evil dragon was defeated, everyone lived happily ever after.”

The story was slightly twisted because of Procyon, but it had a great ending.

Regen tilted his head.

“Uh…that’s good right?”

“Of course. Now it’s time to sleep, my lord.”

“Yes…”

Regen got underneath the blanket and looked up at me softly.

But soon enough, he couldn’t hold out and ended up yawning loudly, his mouth wide open.

“Your Grace, have a good dream….”

“You too, my lord.”

After a few minutes, I made sure Regen was asleep and stepped out.

Sarah looked at me anxiously, I was exhausted from squeezing out so much creativity.

“Are you okay?”

“For now.”

As we made our way down the hallway, I told Sarah about how I created an improvised fairy tale.

Sarah said she wanted to hear it too.

“But I’m glad that the lord is becoming more and more open to you. Mrs. Teresa said that the lord waits anxiously for breakfast time with you–”

Suddenly, Sarah stopped talking.

A tall man was looking at me from the end of the hall.

He looked thinner than before.

His silvery bangs were long enough to cover his eyes because they had not been trimmed, and his eyes seemed bloodshot.

I continued walking at my own pace, there was neither a reason to avoid him or deal with him.

After walking a little further, the knights watching him also came into view.

They greeted me with courtesy.

It was at the same time I had to pass Gilbert.

Gilbert muttered so quietly that it barely reached my ear.

“…You will surely regret it.”

What are you talking about, Regen? I’m alive.

“Father is not the person you think he is….”

“Yeah, I think it’s you who doesn’t know what type of person he really is.”

I ignored Gilbert’s nonsense and went back to my cozy bedroom, and when I got there Aedis was reading.

But as soon as he saw me, he closed the book.

“Did you wait for me?”

“That’s….”

What, why aren’t you saying anything?.

“I came quickly because I missed you.”

“…..How’s Regen?”

And now you’re changing the subject.

“He’s sleeping well. I was worried because his complexion looked a bit odd, but I guess it was the breeze. Mrs. Teresa didn’t say much.

“…..”

Aedis stared at me. His eyes were indiscernible to me, but they had faint warmth in them.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you seem to have good eyesight.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Is the Lord really sick?”

“It’s like a side effect. It will be cured soon.”

A side effect. What kind of accident did he have?

It was my first time hearing about this and I tried recalling what I knew from reading the original book.

But during this time, Regen had never been seriously injured.

I sat down next to Aedis.

He spread out the blanket. It was warm and felt as if it’d been hanging near the fireplace.

“But Mrs. Theresa didn’t mention anything.”

“It’s something even Regen doesn’t know.”

“Should I not know?”

Aedis turned the question back to me as he laid the blanket over my body.

“Why do you want to know?”

“If it’s because of Gilbert, revive the ginger diet.”

We don’t have to go through the trouble of cooking this time.

Aedis smiled and laughed.

“If Regen finds out, he’ll be unhappy and think a lot about it. This is the same kid who gets sadder about Gilbert eating bad food than getting a bruise on his own arm.”

So in the end, it was because of Gilbert?

“So that’s why you didn’t tell the Lord himself? Would anything be different anyway?”

Instead of answering, Aedis’s hand suddenly touched my shoulder.

He spoke roughly as he covered my shoulders with the blanket that had fallen.

“I am glad that you don’t have any brothers or sisters.”

Uh, why?

The blue eyes that met mine shone brightly.

Aedis looked like a devil that corrupted humans, or like a god of death.

“I would have killed them before they hurt you. I wouldn’t even leave a drop of blood. I’d just throw them in a fire.”

His voice was languid as he spoke, making the words about killing seem colorless.

I don’t know if I feel disturbed or upset at what he just said.

“Well…not all siblings are necessarily the same as Gilbert and Regen you know.”

“No, Eve. Probabilities other than 100% are not reliable. Please do not leave yourself on such uncertainties in the future.”

I covered myself with the blanket properly, but Aedis’s hand had not yet fallen off my shoulder.

But he wasn’t holding it or touching it.

His eyes were dark and his mouth was twisted into a smile.