Chapter 70 – Huh…Huh~huh♡
Chapter 69
Estelle looked at Sister Catherine and her eyes twinkled. She was a pretty person Reina, who saved her, was also a pretty person, but she had a charm that drew people’s attention.
“Starting today, Estelle, I will be with you and play with you!”
“…Really?”
“Sure. Shall we play now? What do you want to play?”
“Playing with Grandpa Fabiano’s beard.”
Listening to Estelle’s words, Katarina hesitated, then burst into laughter.
“Ahahahaha! Ahahahaha!”
“Katarina, stop laughing.”
“No, His Holiness. How did you end up like this?”
Estelle tilted her head, not knowing what she said wrong, and Katarina barely suppressed her laughter as she spoke to Estelle.
“Ahahahaha… Estelle, it seems Grandpa Fabiano’s beard is for your use only. Would it be difficult for me to play with you?”
“Don’t teach strange things.”
Fabiano patted Estelle on the head and stood up. Estelle looked at Fabiano and asked.
“Where are you going, Grandpa?”
“I have work for a while. If you want to ask the two teachers, feel free to ask them, and if you ask that tomboy unnie to play with you, she will play with you.”
Fabiano asked with a benevolent smile.
“Can you wait?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t difficult to wait. Even when I lived at home with my family in the past, waiting for my dad and older brothers to come back after working outside was a daily routine.
Fabiano stroked Estelle’s hair once.
“You are nice.”
Fabiano left to do his duties as Pope, and the three remained. Antonio asked Katarina.
“Sister Catherine, His Holiness entrusted childcare to you, so you decide the schedule.”
“Schedule? What?”
“Are you asking because I don’t know what it is…The reason His Holiness assigned me is because of knowledge education. Please set the right time for that.”
“Um… Then thirty minutes a day.”
“What?”
Katarina gave Estelle a hug. And she pointed to Antonio and she said.
“Estel, that man is a bad adult trying to teach you boring things.”
“Isn’t that funny?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Okay, so let’s go over there and play with my sister~.”
“Sleep, Katarina!”
Leaving behind Antonio’s cry, Catarina walked around the Vatican with Estelle in her arms. Estelle took Catarina in her arms and asked where she was going.
“Huh? Ah.”
At Estelle’s question, Katarina smiled and said,
“A pretty place.”
Katarina left the back door of the Vatican and headed for the windswept hills. The grass didn’t grow pretty because of the cold weather in the Apollo kingdom, but it wasn’t bad.
“Are you here?”
“Huh? Is it pretty here too?”
“Yes.”
“Huh, if you go a little further, there is something prettier. Aren’t you cold?”
At Katarina’s question, Estelle nodded her head. It’s been cold since before, but somehow it wasn’t too cold today.
“Okay, we’re all here.”
Katarina pointed in front of her, and Estelle followed her finger to follow her gaze. Estelle opened her mouth at the unfolding scenery.
“Whoaaah…”
“Isn’t it pretty?”
Under the hill was the scenery of Delphi, the capital of the kingdom of Apollo, where the Holy See of Solaria was located. The white snow covered the various buildings, giving the whole world a white feeling.
“This is Delphi, where we live.”
“Delphi…?”
“Yes, Delphi. This is the place that will become your home in the future.”
Home. Estelle still couldn’t understand the depth of those words, but Estelle thought it was a good word from Catarina’s expression and nodded her head.
#
Estel grew up quickly. He was smart, so he quickly absorbed and realized anything he learned, and he was precocious compared to his young age, so he didn’t have many accidents.
In addition, she has a cute and pretty appearance like a doll. It was only natural that Estelle’s popularity would skyrocket within the Holy See.
Even the pope, Fabiano, announced that the child was chosen as her next saint. It means she has that much talent as a priest. Certainly there were those who deliberately approached Estelle to look good in advance.
But those people couldn’t achieve their will. As soon as….
“Can’t you turn it off?”
“No, Sister Catherine. Why do you do that? I just wanted to give Estelle something tasty…”
“You can clearly see the dark inside, so go. What is a guy who doesn’t care about children when he usually goes out for relief work?”
It was Katarina’s existence. Estelle rushed to Katarina, who was chasing away those who approached Estelle with impure intentions today.
“Sister Katarina.”
“Yes, Estelle. Why?”
“Teacher Antonio said everything was right.”
Katarina saw Estelle handing her a 100-point test paper, and she laughed.
“Oops, did you? Our Estelle, you got it all right!”
“Yes.”
Katarina hugged her Estelle and stroked her hair.
“Good job~! Who do you resemble so smart?”
Katarina asked for Estelle, and she waved at the man who was trying to approach Estelle with impure intentions. Perhaps she didn’t want to show herself arguing in front of an innocent child, but she quietly left the man as well.
“Katarina unnie, I got 100 points…Now, are Ludwig and Reina unnie coming?”
“…Well.”
Estel was already six years old. However, Ludwig and Reina, who said they would come once or twice a year, couldn’t stop by the Vatican due to their own circumstances.
Katarina understands. Because the hero and the saint are always busy people. But she couldn’t ask for that kind of understanding from a child.
Katarina said to Estelle.
“Okay! You will come sometime.”
“…Yeah.”
But she was far more precocious than Catarina thought. She noticed right away that she wasn’t sure about Katarina’s reaction.
She heard a voice that convinced Estelle.
【 We’ll see you soon, child. 】
A warm voice she hadn’t heard in a while rang in her head. When Estelle heard that, her expression brightened.
From noble mtl dot com.
Katarina wondered when she saw Estelle’s expression suddenly brighten, but she let Estelle look happy, so she let it go.
And as her voice said, Estelle was able to meet the two before long.
“Estel!”
One day, while Estelle was playing with Katarina, a woman with scarlet hair, Reina, called her name. As soon as Estelle saw her, she threw away the toy she had been playing with and sprinted away.
Caught in her arms, Estelle rubbed her face.
“You’ve grown a lot~! Right, Lou?”
“Yes.”
Reina looked at Estelle as she silently greeted her and put on her expression that she was so cute that she couldn’t help it. Katarina greeted Reina and Ludwig politely.
“My name is Katarina, the nun who has been entrusted with Estelle.”
“Ah, hello. Sister Catherine. It’s called Rayna. This is Hero Ludwig.”
“His Holiness wanted to see you right away, did you meet him?”
“Oh, I have to go. Stop because she misses Estelle.”
Estelle, who rubbed her face, raised her head slightly.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to meet Grandpa Fabiano~.”
“Grandpa… Can I go too?”
“Huh?”
Katarina explained to Reina who expressed her doubts.
“His Holiness has been busy lately, so he couldn’t come to see Estelle.”
“Ah?”
Raina smiled and said to Estelle.
“Okay, let’s go together!”
Estelle nodded her head. And she bowed her hand to Katarina.
“Katarina sister, I’ll be back.”
“Go carefully~.”
Estel visits Fabiano’s office with the two of them, hugged by Reina. Fabiano widened her eyes as if slightly surprised to see Estelle hugged by Reina.
“Why are you coming with me?”
“hahahaha, I met Estelle first.”
“Being a priest does not put the pope first…”
Raina dropped off Estelle. Estelle ran over and clung to Fabiano.
“Grandpa, I missed you.”
“Oh my gosh, Lou! Look at that. So cute!!!”
“I am watching.”
“As expected, I would like a daughter.”
“What are you talking about…”
At Estelle’s cute acting, Fabiano stopped what he was doing and laughed.
“Did you miss this grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been a little busy with work lately, so I haven’t been able to find time.”
Fabiano sat Estelle on his lap. And he asked Rayna.
“Okay, did you organize the situation?”
“Yes. Fortunately, how did it go? But thanks to that, I thought it would be impossible to fight more, so I returned it.”
At the word “Return,” Estelle looked for the sword that had always been carried on Ludwig’s back.
“Brother, I don’t have a sword.”
“…I returned it. It’s where it should be.”
Estelle tilts her head, not knowing what it means. Ludwig just smiled.
Fabiano looked at the two and nodded.
“I had a lot of trouble.”
“Ahahahaha, it’s a little embarrassing to see His Holiness complimenting me like that.”
“Not you. That’s what Ludwig said.”
“Eh, isn’t that too much?”
Fabiano chuckled and looked at the two of them.
A warrior and a saint who were the strongest and most active among the warriors of this era. Having put all their energy into preventing the disaster of Agareth-class monsters, they needed a break now.
“Okay, where are you going to live?”
“I’m thinking about going to the warm kingdom of Vesta.”
“…That would be nice too.”
Fabiano opened the drawer gently. Then he took out a heavy money bag. Reina waved her hand at what seemed like a lot at first glance.
“Wait, His Holiness?”
“This is all I can give you. I’m sorry that I can only give you these things, who dedicated their youth and lives to work. Go and spend the rest of your life without worrying about money.”
“No, but this…”
Hesitantly, Reina stared at the money bag Fabiano handed her to her for a while, then let out a deep sigh and said,
“…Thank you.”
“Yes. What grown-ups give is well received.”
“Ugh, what you just said sounds like an old man.”
“…The old man is right.”
Fabiano stroked Estelle once and put her down on the floor.
“Reina, play with Estelle for a bit and then go. I still have a lot of work.”
“Yes, I understand. Estelle, let’s play with your sister!”
#
Reina and Ludwig took Estelle back to where Catarina was.
Estel spent a good time playing with the two of them after a long time.
Then, when Reina and Ludwig dropped out to talk for a while, I suddenly had a question and asked Katarina.
“Sister Katarina.”
“Huh?”
“What is the relationship between Reina and Ludwig…?”
A child who doesn’t know what love is yet. That’s why I knew the two were close, but I didn’t know more than that.
A smile did not leave Reina’s face as she talked with Ludwig. A very happy expression. Looking at her, Estelle felt her curiosity.
Katarina smiled at Estelle and said,
“They must be in love.”
“Love…?”
Katarina said, placing her hand on Estelle’s tiny chest.
“Yes, love. Love is a natural feeling that everyone experiences. Do people who fall in love get excited here?”
“I’m still excited…”
“My heart beats much more than now.”
I couldn’t imagine Estelle well. Katarina spoke to Estelle.
“My Estelle is shy, so I don’t know if I can express that feeling well.”
“…Not shy.”
Estelle was in denial, but she was in fact far less honest about her feelings than most children her age.
She might be to blame for her prematurity, but… I was worried that maybe that’s why she doesn’t even know how to honestly talk about her feelings later on.
Katharina made a muffled sound. Then, as if she remembered something, she said.
“If I find someone I like later, I’ll tell you how to make sure you appeal!”
“Yes?”
“Even shy people can do it!”
Estelle tilted her head. She did it because her words were not easily understood. Seeing that, Katarina raised her finger and said.
“If you use this method, you can attract the attention of the person you like and appeal to your charms~!”
“…Yeah.”
Estel reacted indifferently, but Katarina laughed as if Estelle was cute.
“But be careful! Should I use this method only for people I like?”
“Yes…”
What the hell are you trying to teach me? Estelle quietly waited for Katarina to speak.
“Now, try it.”
Katarina’s mouth fell open.
“Huh~Huh♡”
“…Yes?”
“I told you to try it, heh heh heh♡”
At the strange words that came out of Katarina’s mouth, Estelle seemed a little displeased.
But Katarina didn’t mind and urged her Estelle to try it, and Estelle, who was kind-hearted, did it countless times.
“Heh… Heh~ ♡”
That was the cause of everything.