117 – Abduction: Overwork
“Whoa⋯.”
He let out a heavy breath and put down the exercise equipment. Exercising right before the day starts properly, just before the sun starts to rise.
After becoming a duke, he was very busy, but he couldn’t stop.
“Dad, I want to go to Azbel Street!”
“Okay, let’s go today.”
Still, if Shael and Ruel wake up at some point and come to me, the fatigue in her whole body disappears cleanly.
“Oh, I want to visit the place where my mom and dad got married!”
“Since you did it in the Holy Land, it seems difficult to go right now?”
The sullen Ruel nodded her head and hugged her. She couldn’t help it. Because I was too busy to go to Seongguk.
Still, I should have been able to go as far as the Azbel family.
“I want to go…”
“Then, I’ll replace it with a story for now.”
“A story?”
There were many stories to satisfy Ruel. She confessed again in front of the statue of the goddess, and made a wish on a large tree.
I passed on those memories to Ruel.
Thanks to Ruel’s lively reply, we were able to have a satisfying conversation with each other.
“What was written on the wish attached to the tree?”
“It was my wish that we could start a happy family together.”
Ruelle let out her admiration with a sparkling gaze. Then something about her came to mind.
I attached a wish with a similar content to Sael, and Sael attached two wishes.
Then what kind of wish was there on the remaining piece of memo?
I was curious about the answer. I looked at Shael with a strong argument, and soon after, Shael noticed it.
That said, I couldn’t get an answer right away.
“I am very curious.”
“No.”
I wanted to find out somehow. Likewise, Ruel also asked Shael with her curiosity full.
“Let me know!”
The answer was Shael’s silent refusal. When it comes to Sael’s work, Ruel, who was quick-witted, said with her eyes bright and teary-eyed.
“Gu, I’m curious…”
The crying performance was excellent. If it were me, I would have given everything to Ruel while being captured. However, Shael’s personality was strong.
Not even Ruel’s cuteness could defeat Shael.
* * *
After finishing the happy conversation with the family, they start preparing to leave the mansion.
Give some dessert to Sael and Ruel and climb the huge Baslet family’s carriage together.
From now on, the day begins in earnest.
The first task of the day is a visit from the Azbel family that Ruel wanted.
The destination was soon in sight. I looked at the Azbel family’s mansion, which was so familiar that I couldn’t see it anymore.
Before we even entered the mansion, Duke Jespen was welcoming us with a wide smile.
Duke Jespen had his eyes fixed on Ruel.
“Installment payment!”
“Ruel, you have grown so much without seeing me.”
“I saw you a week ago?”
“Yeah, that’s right…. But in my world, it feels like years have passed.”
Duke Jespen, who made a sentimental remark, hugged Ruel. The smile did not disappear from his lips.
At the same time, he used most of his magic to cast a protective magic circle on Ruel.
Duke Jespen cared for Ruel so much. Ruelle always reciprocated this with a smile and cuteness.
“Ruel.”
Madame Enella called Ruel quietly. Ruel left Duke Jespen’s hug and gave it to Mrs. Enella.
“Lu, Ruel?”
Even though Duke Jespen called for Ruel with all his might, Ruel was already in Madame Enella’s arms.
“Keuk⋯⋯.”
Looking at what he was holding for a moment, there was a thick parenting book. It was a book unlike anything I had read before.
Despite such efforts, he only offered a small silent prayer for Duke Jespen, who had Ruel’s love taken away by Mrs. Enella.
“Lu, Ruel. Do you know what this is?”
Duke Jespen, who was putting the book in, took out a bribe. In his hand was a barrel full of drawing tools that Ruel would love.
“Wow, I heard crayons!”
“Yes, it is a gift, so accept it.”
Duke Jespen seemed to be expecting Ruel’s happy expression.
Just looking at Ruel gave him a heartwarming smile, but he didn’t quite live up to Duke Jespen’s expectations.
The reason was that Ruel already had crayons. Because Ruel was the forbidden gem of the two dukes.
While Duke Jespen was depressed, Ruelle was just scribbling here and there with a crayon.
“It works!”
The only meaning of Ruel’s cute tone was Ruel’s reminded heart.
Feeling rising anticipation, I also looked at the drawing paper drawn by Ruel.
“Uh, um… that’s really well drawn.”
“Yes, Dad!”
To be honest, I didn’t draw very well. When it came to drawing, he seemed to have inherited Sael’s talent.
I can see some human figures, but I can’t tell who they are.
“You look like Sael and draw very well. Especially, I feel good because this grandfather is well drawn.”
“She’s the mother ⋯⋯.”
Duke Jespen’s eyes widened. Ruel is staring at the painting sullenly. This was a major event for Duke Jespen.
Duke Jespen hurriedly pointed to the other side of the painting.
“You were accidentally led away by your cute daughter. Yes, sure this time…”
But Ruel’s mood didn’t improve. Hing, she spat out her cute words and only hugged Shael.
You misunderstood Ruelle’s pretty picture.
It looked like Sael was trying to scold Duke Jespen.
“That, of course, is a picture of her mother.”
With Ruel more sullen, she left Shael’s arms. The place where such Ruel arrived this time was me.
“I was a father…”
Anyway, it seemed that even Sael couldn’t match Ruel’s picture correctly.
‘My family is a bit unusual…’
After that, I comforted Ruel with my dessert. She goes on a picnic with Shael and teaches Ruel how to make dessert.
Of course, I was very careful when teaching Ruel about dessert.
I couldn’t hand over my secret recipe to Ruel.
That’s right, if Ruel becomes better at making desserts than I am, Sael’s dessert control will become difficult.
If you spend time like that, the sun that seems to be fixed in the sky starts to go down before you know it.
Ruel blinked her eyes and began to doze off, and Shael was stroking and hugging her.
“Then, let’s go check the letter from the family for a while.”
“Please do your best before coming.”
I stretched her stiff body. The office on Baslet Street, a short walk away, had a grand atmosphere.
No, everything in her office was like that. The desk looked precious, the bookcase was huge, and the chair looked lofty.
However, my situation was shabby.
I let out a deep sigh. Letters from the family piled up in front. It was Yeongji’s work that had to be finished within today.
‘Originally, I would have made a dessert to eat with Ruelle in advance at this time of day before going to bed.’
It was like this because of the situation in the Baslett family, which has been very busy lately. These are important things, so I can’t pass them on to anyone.
Still, I couldn’t shorten the time with Ruel. Because I wanted to create happy memories that Ruel, who is still young, will remember even when he grows up.
I started working with Sael and Ruel in my head.
* * *
My eyes opened spontaneously. It was because of the repeated actions that the body was accustomed to.
‘Did he fall asleep while reading the correspondence?’
Of course, it didn’t matter because the work was completed to some extent.
So now you have to start exercising.
‘Shouldn’t I start playing with Ruel right away?’
My body seemed to be screaming from exhaustion.
Thinking about it, the time has come to reach the breaking point. I worked at dawn every day and exercised in the morning.
Even when Ruelle was awake, she spent time with her family.
‘Still….’
I relieved my fatigue by taking a nap. Unlike before Bing, he was able to endure thanks to his superhuman body.
So it should be fine.
I was already used to that routine because it was repeated day after day. It was hard, but I can endure it. Because mental happiness was greater than fatigue.
I made up my mind and started doing familiar things again. I worked out, and then I was ready to see Ruel and Shael.
“Ruelle finally uses healing magic.”
“Dad, look at this!”
Today, my body was particularly tired.
‘But.’
Just looking at Ruel and Sael seemed to dispel the thought that it would be difficult.
It feels like all the hard fire has turned into energy.
The corners of his mouth, which had been pointing downward, gradually turned upward, and he was able to open his shoulders as usual.
Nevertheless, it seems that the gradually accumulating fatigue of the body could not be helped.
“What is ⋯e?”
“Oh, Dad?”
My eyelids were heavy, and my vision was stained with darkness. Heads that were about to turn to Sael and Ruel eventually dropped.
I couldn’t answer the worried voice. Because I couldn’t hear it properly and my mouth didn’t come off.
My eyelids, which I tried so hard not to close, finally completely covered my pupils.
The only thing I could do was surrender myself to the rushing fatigue.