BSGE 78

Puff! Bang! Bang!

Colorful stars descended upon Beatty’s head as she entered the garden.

“?!”

Beatty’s eyes widened in surprise as the surreal scene unfolded before her.

It was as if the playroom equipment, once sized for Beatty’s squirrel form, had now been expanded to suit a giant lion’s proportions.

Toys larger than Beatty herself were scattered everywhere, while rainbow-colored objects floated through the air, defying gravity. The sight was so disorienting that her mouth fell open in wonder.

“Welcome,” the Duke said.

“Father, what is all this…?”

The Duke, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes at Beatty’s reaction, led the bewildered Beatty to the center of the garden.

As they headed towards the tea table under a massive gazebo, Beatty could look around and see how the once ordinary green indoor garden had been completely transformed.

Whirr.

A gigantic teacup, seemingly embedded with magic stones, moved automatically, swiftly passing by and disappearing between the winding garden trees.

Poof, poof, poof.

Multicolored cotton candy floated around like clouds, suspended by some unknown magic. When Beatty tentatively touched one, her finger sank right in.

Startled, she quickly withdrew her hand. The Duke, having caught one of the passing clouds, placed it in Beatty’s hands.

“Here.”

“…Thank you,” Beatty responded, lowering her head shyly.

‘To think a cloud could be held in one’s hand!’

She remembered how the clouds Atel had worn weren’t tangible. Back when she thought Atel was a cloud beastman, her hand had passed right through when she tried to greet her friend who had come close.

‘So this is what a cloud feels like.’

Beatty marveled, kneading the cloud in her hands.

“Hmm?”

As the cloud gradually shrank and sticky granules clung to her palm, Beatty tilted her head in confusion.

“The cloud is… dissolving?”

Seeing the child’s puzzled expression, the Duke smiled softly and explained as he helped clean her hands.

“It’s cotton candy.”

“Candy? Not a cloud?”

“That’s right. You eat it like this.”

The Duke tore off a piece and brought it to Beatty’s mouth. She cautiously tasted the cotton candy.

“…!”

‘It’s sweet!’

As she licked it, she realized it truly was candy with an unusual texture.

Fascinated by the unique treat, Beatty devoured three cloud-sized portions of cotton candy right there.

Whoosh.

Hearing a sound like wind, she looked up to see a swing chair suspended beneath an enormous balloon.

‘So high up?’

The dizzying height made her wonder how they had managed to hang the swing up there.

Beatty’s head swiveled busily, taking in sights that seemed impossible without magic.

Just then.

“Wait a moment,” said the Duke, who had been holding Beatty’s hand tightly as he led her to the gazebo. He turned, his gaze fixed on something in the distance.

“…”

Missing the warmth that had been transmitted through their joined hands, Beatty fidgeted with her fingers.

Then.

“Neigh!”

The Duke returned, accompanied by a creature Beatty had never seen before.

The beautiful animal, covered in glossy golden fur, was a small foal that seemed perfectly sized for Beatty.

‘A jewel…?’

Uniquely, a small horn that sparkled like a gem was embedded in the center of its elongated forehead.

“Neigh~”

“Ah.”

The foal let out a gentle neigh and, as if recognizing its owner, brought its head to Beatty’s hand and licked her palm.

‘How cute…’

As Beatty held out her hand to the seemingly affectionate foal, it detected the lingering sweetness from the cotton candy and licked off all the remaining sugar.

After making a satisfied purring sound, it started to turn away with confident clip-clopping steps, but the duke caught it and brought it back to stand before Beatty.

“It’s an Alipe horse foal.”

“An Alipe horse?”

“Yes.”

Swoosh.

The Duke reached out and gently lifted Beatty onto the horse’s back.

“It should be suitable for riding around the garden.”

Indeed, the overly large indoor garden would have been tiring for Beatty to explore with her short legs.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Beatty looked down and dangled her short legs from the saddle.

‘My goodness, to gift an Alipe horse breed for riding in the garden!’

‘And one with a white horn, no less!’

Unlike Beatty, who was unaware of the exact value of an Alipe horse, the Duke’s employees, who knew the market price of these famously swift and equally famously expensive horses, quietly clucked their tongues.

Among the incredibly expensive Alipe horses, those with white horns commanded whatever price their sellers named at auction.

And here was such a horse, gifted for the young lady to ride ‘inside the mansion’ because ‘her legs might get tired.’ The Duke’s affection had reached new heights, they whispered among themselves.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

As he personally led the foal by its reins with Beatty mounted, the Duke casually made a statement that left Beatty dumbfounded.

“I considered bringing the griffin from the storehouse, but…”

“What?”

Beatty thought she must have misheard.

What? A griffin?

Surely he couldn’t mean the predator whose powerful talons could grab and carry off cattle…?

‘No way.’

But Beatty’s disbelief was shattered by her father’s next words.

“It might still be dangerous.”

“Dangerous…?”

“Yes. Its claws haven’t been trimmed since it’s used for security.”

“…”

‘Still,’ he had said.

Did that mean there would come a day when a griffin with those deadly talons would become a safe mount?

Roar!

Beatty’s face went pale as she imagined a griffin roaring and brandishing its claws, outraged at the idea of carrying a tiny squirrel on its back.

“…”

Glancing.

The Duke, misinterpreting Beatty’s frozen expression of fear, tried to comfort her with words that only made her shudder more.

“When you’re a bit older, I’ll let you ride the griffin too.”

“No, that’s alright.”

“I see.”

“…Really, it’s fine.”

“Understood.”

Despite speaking to her father in an unusually firm tone, he seemed to have taken her words as mere modesty. Somehow, his agreement didn’t feel quite reassuring.

‘Still…’

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Beatty snuck a glance at her father’s reliable back as he led the horse, and found herself suppressing a smile that threatened to spread across her face.

The child’s cheeks, unable to hide her emotions, quickly turned rosy.

That day, Beatty enjoyed her personal playground created within the mansion while riding the horse led by her father.

Hahaha!

The fairy-like child’s laughter gently echoed through the garden.

True to her squirrel beastly nature, among all the garden’s attractions, Beatty most enjoyed the squirrel wheel that spun round and round even when she sat still, refusing to leave it.

‘She seems to like it.’

The Duke watched Beatty’s laughing figure with a satisfied expression.

Just then, a subordinate approached with quick steps and whispered a report to him.

“…What?”

The Duke’s eyes, which had been radiating warmth that could melt permafrost, suddenly sharpened.

Tap.

After thoroughly enjoying the squirrel wheel, Beatty stepped out and approached him with a puzzled expression.

“Little one.”

The Duke gently stroked the curious child’s head as he spoke.

“I need to go now.”

“Ah…”

Beatty’s lips parted slightly in disappointment. But she quickly masked her regret and bid farewell in a composed manner.

“Yes. Thank you for making time for me.”

The duke’s brow furrowed deeply as he watched Beatty grasp her dress and curtsy in gratitude, following recently learned etiquette.

“You…”

Seeing his frown, Beatty’s heart sank.

‘Did I do it wrong?’

Noticing Beatty’s worried face, the Duke relaxed his unintentionally tense expression and spoke again.

“Little one.”

“Yes…”

Hearing the slight tremor in the child’s voice, the Duke felt both a pang in his heart and a surge of anger as he said:

“You don’t need to show me such formality.”

The Duke knelt on one knee to match Beatty’s eye level and gently cupped her cheek.

“Nor gratitude.”

More than the warmth on her face.

“You don’t need to thank me for such trivial things.”

Beatty felt even more warmth from the tender gaze in her father’s golden eyes.

“These are things you should have had all along.”

Blink, blink.

Perhaps still unaccustomed to the father she hadn’t known for long, the child fluttered her feather-like eyelashes as the duke murmured softly.

“Indeed. You could even be angry.”

“?”

Seeing Beatty’s innocent, confused face, a bitter smile crossed the Duke’s lips.

“Because I… failed to protect you.”

Was that why? instead of showing pure joy at receiving gifts from her father, she acted with the formal courtesy of a vassal receiving a bestowment.

Flinch.

Every time he saw the child’s withdrawn behavior, shoulders hunching as if unable to shake off memories from the capital mansion.

‘Without fail.’

The Duke vowed once more.

He would shower her with gifts until every darkness in his little one’s eyes disappeared.

‘So she never makes such misconceptions again.’

Until he completely shattered the unfortunate misconception his child had held that she was unworthy of love.

The Duke had no intention of ceasing his gift offensive to prove his love.

Having made this internal resolution, the Duke carefully took the tiny child’s hand and spoke.

“So next time, instead of thanks, will you smile for me?”

“!”

Beatty’s eyes widened as the Duke lightly kissed the back of her hand, like a knight.

“That would make me truly grateful.”

The Duke’s tone, almost pleading, was unfamiliar to everyone.

As the bewildered Beatty opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak, the Duke stood up, patted her head gently, and turned to leave.

Click.

As soon as the door closed, the smile vanished from the Duke’s face.

Despite the drastic change in his expression from how he had been with Beatty, his subordinate seemed accustomed to it, bowing his head and presenting what he had brought.

“Here is the list of the royal delegation members.”

“I see.”

The Duke’s golden eyes immediately went to the most prominent name.

As his subordinate had reported, an unusual person was listed there.

“So, The Second Prince Ritter is coming.”