Dad Came Back from a Deserted Island – Chapter 25

Author: isuzuuy

Vivian’s room was the sunniest room in the entire mansion.

Pure-white lace curtains hung over the large, tall windows, swaying gently in the breeze.

More ornate flower vases than the ones in the hallway sat on the windowsills, filling the room with a faint floral fragrance.

At the center of the room, a delicately carved canopy draped airy fabric over the bed.

On the bedside table sat a candleholder decorated with adorable little ornaments and a porcelain doll dressed in a cute little dress.

Vivian had never had a room like this before. In fact, she had never even known that a room like this could exist, complete with an adjoining room for a maid to use. Held in Jean’s arms, she kicked her little feet excitedly, unable to put her happiness into words.

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddyyyy!”

Vivian patted Jean’s shoulder with her tiny hands to express her excitement. The moment he put her down, she ran straight for the bed.

The bed was so soft and high that Vivian couldn’t climb onto it in one go.

Fortunately, there was a small step beside it for her to use. She immediately climbed up and buried her face in the bed.

Even the delicately embroidered blanket smelled wonderful.

“Sniff.”

Vivian made a little crying sound with her face still buried in the bed.

She was so happy.

It felt as though she had become a princess from a fairy tale.

“Am I a princess, Daddy…?”

“Hm? Of course. You’re Daddy’s princess.”

Jean answered as though he had always called her that, and Vivian lifted her face from the blanket.

“No, I mean, am I a real princess? Is it okay for me to have such a nice room even though I’m not a princess?”

Looking at his daughter’s face, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness, Jean felt both pride and a sharp ache in his heart.

‘In just a little while, I’ll be able to give you things far better than this.’

Sitting beside Vivian, who had asked whether she was really allowed to have something so wonderful, Jean gently stroked her hair.

“Of course. From now on, Daddy is going to give Vivi even better things. Much, much better.”

“Better than this?”

How could there possibly be anything better?

Vivian genuinely wondered. Everything around her was already so beautiful, wonderful, and magnificent.

But she didn’t ask any more questions.

For some reason, Daddy’s face as he stroked her hair looked a little sad.

***

Vivian was completely exhausted from exploring the mansion—even though she hadn’t even finished seeing all of it.

After eating the incredible dinner Kallen had prepared, she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

The moment her head touched the unbelievably comfortable bed, Vivi drifted off into dreamland and met the guest who had been waiting for her.

“It’s been a while, Vivi.”

A mysterious garden shrouded in mist.

A boy with obsidian-black hair and beauty that made him seem more like a fairy or an angel than a human.

The moment Vivian saw his face, all her memories came rushing back.

How had she ever forgotten a boy with such a striking appearance?

“Diti!”

A flush of delight bloomed across Vivian’s chubby cheeks.

She had only seen him for the second time, yet she felt as happy to see him as if she had just reunited with a close friend.

Seeing Vivian express her joy without hesitation, a faint smile appeared on Diti’s face as well.

“I missed you. Have you been well?”

“Yeah! You know what? I moved! Do you know what moving is, Diti? Have you ever moved before?”

“No. I’ve never done it.”

“Really? You have to try it! It’s amazing. You move from your old house to another house, and you get to live in a really, really amazing place. Getting up early and riding in a carriage for such a long time was a little tiring, but I wasn’t bored because I got to ride with Daddy and my big sister.”

“Big sister?”

Diti had been quietly listening to Vivian chatter excitedly, but he questioned the unfamiliar person who had appeared in her life.

“Yeah. Daddy brought her to be my nanny. Her name is Anne, and she plays with me all the time! And, and I met lots of other people too, but I haven’t memorized all their names yet.”

“Oh. Your father did.”

For some reason, Diti seemed satisfied upon hearing that the people had been brought by Jean.

Even though he had never met Jean himself.

But Vivian had no time to wonder about that. She was too captivated by the boy’s beauty, staring at him with her mouth slightly open.

It hadn’t been that long since they first met, yet somehow he seemed even more handsome than before.

Was some artist blessed by the gods carefully sculpting him day after day?

Normally, anyone receiving such an unabashedly admiring gaze would become shy or embarrassed, but Diti didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

Instead, with an expression that suggested he was completely accustomed to such reactions, he rested his chin on his hand and gazed back at Vivian.

“I don’t mind that you like my face.”

“Huh?”

“But I’m worried you might look at other people the same way.”

Vivian’s ears grew hot.

‘Geez, why do my ears keep feeling itchy?’

At seven years old, she was still too young to understand the fluttering sensation of her heart. She simply thought something strange was happening to her body.

Vivian scratched her ears for no particular reason.

Of course, no amount of scratching made the ticklish sensation go away.

“You’re strange, Diti.”

“…What is?”

“When you say things like that… It makes me feel so ticklish! It’s like there are bugs crawling all over my body!”

“Bugs.”

A brief laugh escaped the usually expressionless boy.

“I feel the same way.”

“Huh?”

Diti placed his pale hand against his chest. Just like the rest of him, his hand was beautifully sculpted.

“Whenever I see you, I get this ticklish feeling too. Even now.”

“Really? Then maybe there really is a bug in there?”

Butterflies, bees, ants, and ladybugs were easy to find in the garden of House Lambert.

Vivian had been bitten several times before, so she naturally looked around for the culprit—or rather, the bug responsible.

But all she could see was the quiet, beautiful garden.

No butterflies.

No bees.

No ants.

Not even a single ladybug.

It was strange, but Vivian didn’t notice. She simply examined herself carefully, wondering if she had been bitten somewhere.

Diti tapped her forearm lightly, making her look back at him.

“That’s not it. Things like ‘bugs’ can’t come near me. As for what this feeling is… well, I don’t know either. Someone said they would tell me, but then they disappeared.”

“Oh. So even you don’t know, Diti. Then I’ll ask Daddy! I’ll find out and tell you too!”

“Okay. Make sure you tell me.”

The way he looked at her as he said those words was somehow even more ticklish.

Vivian hurriedly changed the subject. Fortunately, she had just the thing to talk about.

“D-Diti! I-I can talk to cats!”

“To cats?”

“Yeah! Maybe because she lives in the same village, but she already knew me. Oh! Now that I’ve left the village, does that mean I can’t see her again? That’s too bad… Oh, right! Daddy told me not to tell anyone!”

Vivian quickly covered her mouth, her round eyes rolling from side to side.

Jean had firmly warned her that if other people found out about her strange ability, they might take her away.

“It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. I won’t do anything you tell me not to.”

There was such certainty in his voice that Vivian could only nod.

The corners of her round lips lifted into an adorable smile.

“Okay! I believe you!”

Diti stared at that lovely smile for a long time, as if it were a flower bud suddenly blooming.

When the boy finally opened his mouth again, it was to say goodbye.

“It’s time for me to go again, Vivi.”

“Huh? Already? I don’t want to go yet!”