C 66
It was her maid, Laurent.
She, who had to become skilled at finding me because I always left, found me again today.
"I'm sorry, Laurent."
"No, it's okay. Maybe it's my fault for not leaving a more lasting impression."
"No, it's not..."
And Laurent hit my sore spot tremendously.
"I need to write a letter, can you give me some paper and a pencil?"
"Yes, I'll prepare it soon. In the meantime, please, miss, don't leave and run away."
"I won't leave..."
It was a long voice.
Actually, it's been three months since they were assigned, as I used to hang out with Lucilion all the time.
But when is Lucilion planning to leave?
I was worried that he might actually decide to settle in at this point.
"Ah, while I write the letter, I should also write to Richard."
Since the person who said he would come back still hasn't returned, I honestly thought he must be very angry.
"Even if there's no response..."
It's inevitable.
As much as I took it lightly, Richard may have already forgotten about me.
It's my fault, so let's not expect it.
"My lady, here it is!"
Laurent, who came running with a bright expression, handed me an object.
I was speechless for a moment as I looked at the crayons and stationery items that Laurent had brought.
"Laurent..., I need a pen..."
"Oh, but this is much cuter..."
"What?"
"Oh, no... How about we practice first with crayons?"
Not even with a pen, but with crayons?
Laurent clasped her hands together and looked at me with bright eyes.
"Certainly, this grip is better..."
For my small hands, it was much more comfortable to hold the crayons in a fist.
I grabbed the black crayons and wrote on the paper.
"First, to Richard...."
Let's write it before we forget again.
<To Ri,chard....>
Twisted and large letters filled three lines of stationery.
"Damn...."
I don't know why it doesn't change size so well. Because crayons are thick, the font size feels larger.
In a dissatisfied mood, the tail moved on its own and hit the floor with a thud.
"Hmm...."
Her emotions are revealed through her tail, no matter how much she thinks about it, it's uncomfortable.
"Ahem..."
Laurent, who had covered her mouth with both hands, took out something round from her sleeve.
It appeared to be a video bead or photographic bead that is often seen in the mansion these days.
"My lady, may I take a picture of you...?"
"Yes...?"
"Please, just one..."
Laurent clasped her hands together and said seriously.
"Where is she going to use my photos...?"
Although I'm quite cute...
"Ah, isn't this the typical behavior of a father in a child-rearing novel...?"
Erno Etham thinks very highly of me.
"That's why Laurent is so desperate."
Erno Etham may have asked her to send a photo every day.
"It's fine."
How scared should she have been of Erno Etham to ask for a favor by joining both hands like that?
"I'm glad my dad is my dad. I wouldn't want him to be my boss."
Haha, I wouldn't have liked it even if he were an advisor. It must be so difficult to please him.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Well, it's just a picture of me lying down.
I grabbed the crayons again and slowly started writing again.
As I pressed the crayons to write, I heard a muffled murmur behind me, full of excitement.
"It's just one, Laurent. It's just one piece... you have to take it right. This angle instead of that angle... No, I have to take it from this side, so the tail part... The tail here... ah..."
The pronunciation was so muffled that I didn't even know what the hell she was saying.
"It's okay, isn't it?"
It must be an illusion that it looks dangerous, right?
Laurent memorized something like a mantra for a long time while I wrote several letters, and then, with a bright smile, took my letters.
"... It's scary."
I sighed deeply as I read the letter.
* * *
Richard Collin was filming the height of melancholy.
For the first time, the family he thought was his had abandoned him and left.
He said he would never give up, but in the end, he gave up.
The fact was so shocking that he couldn't get over it.
No matter what his father, whom he had just found, said, Richard couldn't hear anything.
"Young master, a letter has arrived."
"I don't need it."
They would be annoying letters from socialites or invitations to enter the academy.
"I didn't want that. I didn't want to become an aristocrat. Just, just..."
He just wanted a family.
His family, which he had gathered, had left.
The family that said they would live by his side.
"Should I return it...? It's from the Etham family."
"... What?"
"This is a letter from the Duchy of Etham. Oh, and a gift was also attached."
His head spun a bit.
Among the news about Eirin that his father, Duke Collin, who had suddenly appeared, said, there was definitely something related to Etham.
He said Eirin was there now.
"The sender... ah! It says it's from Eirin."
"Give it to me!"
Richard received the letter as if he had stolen it from the maid.
The maid opened her eyes wide as if embarrassed for a moment, but then bowed and took two steps back.
"I won't forgive you, wicked BamBam..."
Even as he said that, Richard quickly opened the envelope as if in a hurry.
"To Ri, chard...
Hello Richard...? I'm Eirin... How are you? First of all, I'm sorry. Did I contact you too late?"
She had barely written that much, but she had used a whole sheet of paper.
Richard quickly unfolded the next letter to finish reading the large text written in crayon.
"I've had some troubles too. I'm currently living in the Duchy of Etham. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I don't think we can be a family together."
It was a heart-wrenching comment.
Richard crumpled up the emotions he felt with the second sheet and opened the next one.
"How about being friends instead? I don't have many friends, so I want to be your friend. It's hard to meet now, so how about being pen pals? I'm talking about friends who write and receive letters. We can write a letter every day."
"Stupid BamBam... Is it too late to contact me now?"
Richard wrinkled his face and murmured softly. Tears falling from his eyes rolled down his cheeks.
He could only think that he had been abandoned.
Richard clenched his fists and wiped his eyes, then inhaled and read the next sheet.
The writing was large enough for even people with vision problems to see.
"If you want, write a response. If you don't want to... I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm attaching a gift, though! I ordered one because I was at my grandfather's office. It doesn't look like me, but I hope this will comfort you a bit.
Goodbye, I hope to have the chance to write to you again next time.
-From Eirin, your BamBam."
Richard, who had read to the last sheet, sobbed. He had really been abandoned...
He would confine her the next time they meet.
Although he's glad she didn't forget him.
Richard reached out to the maid behind him.
"The gift! Give it to me."
"Oh, yes!"
The maid carefully unwrapped it, opened the box, and handed it to him.
Inside, there was a small piece of wood, and it looked exactly like Eirin's version of BamBam.
"What's this strange resemblance...?"
Richard, who kneaded Eirin's version of BamBam as much as he wanted, knew it the moment he touched the wooden piece.
Obviously, this follows Eirin's model.
"The proportions aren't bad, right?"
The body and tail proportions were also incorrect, and the weight was different. Even the two sprouts (?) on the back were not visible.
"E-Excuse me..."
Richard's eyes widened at the words of the maid who was looking from the side.
"What do you know?"
"Ah... well, that's..."
The maid rolled her eyes as if embarrassed.
Realizing that she was hiding something, Richard raised his eyes fiercely and threatened.
"What? If you don't speak properly, I won't be attended to by you in the future."
"What? Oh, but that's a bit... It's very personal and very private..."
Richard's eyes widened even more as the puzzled maid evaded him with gibberish.
"It's okay, I'll keep it a secret, so tell me."
"Oh, it really can't... Never, ever, ever, is it a secret to the duke. You understand?"
"... Yes, what is it?"
Richard snorted and nodded.
"That is..."
The tearful-faced maid said.
-
