Dad has returned from the deserted island.
Chapter 16
The ground had collapsed.
The heaven and earth that Ron, Mary, and Peter had torn down, and that Jean had barely managed to rebuild, were shattered once again.
As Vivian, struck by shock and astonishment, stared with eyes full of a sense of loss, Kiki consoled her in a flustered voice.
[I don't know what you're thinking, but it's a misunderstanding. Vivian!]
"You, you abandoned me..."
[Abandoned? That's not it!]
"You be, betrayed me—"
[Ah! I said it's not like that!]
The full story of the incident was as follows.
Yesterday afternoon.
"Young Miss! If you're done with your meal, would you like to play with... oh."
Anne had spoken warmly to try and get closer, but Vivian only shook her head a few times and headed out to the garden.
While she hadn't gone so far as to show hostility, she wouldn't easily let anyone near her, causing Anne to sigh.
Jean watched the scene with concern.
"It seems the Young Miss doesn't care for me..."
To Anne, who said her heart felt like it was tearing apart after being rejected by such a lovely little princess, Jean spoke cautiously.
"As I mentioned in my letter, Vivian... well, she went through many unpleasant things with the previous servants. She wasn't originally a child who was so guarded against people."
"I know that, of course. Honestly! Those wicked people—what part of such a small, precious Young Miss was there to torment? They must be paying the price for their crimes properly by now, right?"
"Yes. Both of them are rotting in prison."
Since Vivian's miserable death had become an event that never happened, further punishment was impossible. The story might have been different if the Lambert family weren't nobles in name only.
Filled with resentment, Jean clenched his fist so hard that the veins popped out.
Anne, who had been stealing glances at Vivian's retreating figure with eyes dripping with lingering affection, suddenly clapped her hands with an "Ah!"
"Say, how about this?"
Children like fun things. They also like doing things behind their parents' backs.
If they get to do something fun behind their parents' backs, they love it even more.
So, her idea was that if she suggested doing something that was usually forbidden, saying it was "behind Dad's back" while Jean was out, Vivian would open her heart to her.
"Hmm. Will it work?"
"I've never met a child who didn't like this!"
It was persuasive.
She still remembered how happy she was as a child when she ate extra snacks behind her parents' backs.
However, to put the plan into action, there was one person—no, one being—whose permission was needed.
"Divine Beast, Divine Beast."
Late at night.
There was a voice waking Kiki, who had fallen fast asleep in the arms of Vivian, who was fast asleep herself.
"Grr?"
Jean couldn't understand Kiki's words without Vivian present, but as long as they could communicate through simple nods or shakes of the head, it was fine.
"I have something to tell you, behind Vivian's back. Could you come out for a moment?"
"Kii-ing."
Rubbing its sleepy eyes and blinking, Kiki quietly slipped out of Vivian's arms.
When Jean offered a snack as a bribe, Kiki's half-open eyes snapped wide.
"Kyang-kyang."
He couldn't tell what it was saying, but since the tone was satisfied, Jean was able to set his mind at ease.
"As you know, Divine Beast, Vivian hasn't been letting the new nanny get close to her. I thought of this because I want the two of them to get a little closer—"
It was a request for Kiki not to be too guarded when Anne approached Vivian, as he would be away for a while due to some business. Jean explained with all his sincerity to Kiki, who wasn't even pretending to listen while eating the snack.
"I think Vivian might let her guard down a little if you, Divine Beast, show that you trust Anne first."
Hearing her father's worried voice, Kiki finally lifted its gaze, which had been fixed on the snack, and glanced at Jean.
It nodded once.
Needless to say, Jean's face bloomed like a flower at that alone.
[It is a task your father begged me to do! He pleaded with me to help you spend time with this woman so you could get closer to her!]
"Ah... Dad did?"
[Yes! Vivian. I don't know about other humans, but I would never betray you! Why would I abandon the one who woke me from my egg and let me see the light of the world?!]
'Is that so?'
[Hey!]
"Kyaaaah!"
When Vivian didn't immediately accept it and tilted her head, Kiki shrieked.
At the same time, Anne screamed as well.
After all, to Anne, who couldn't understand Kiki, it looked like the creature was gripping her shoulder with its toes and shrieking suddenly.
Anne trembled like an aspen tree, on the verge of tears.
"Oh, Young Miss. Kiki is... no, Kiki seems to be, an-angry. I'm, I'm so scared! Please tell me she's never harmed anyone before...!"
"Kiki! I get it, so come here. You're scaring her!"
[Hmph. What a faint-hearted human. What is there to be scared of in this cute form? Though, of course, my majesty wouldn't be hidden by a skin like this!]
"Stop the chatter and come here!"
As Kiki primly moved back onto Vivian's shoulder, Anne slumped to the floor.
"Hoo, huff, huff. That, that was really scary, Young Miss."
Seeing Anne smiling even while dripping with cold sweat, Vivian's guard, which had been infinitely high, crumbled a little.
When Vivian stepped closer and wiped the sweat from Anne's face with her sleeve, Anne stifled a scream that threatened to escape.
'What a kind Young Miss!'
She couldn't let Vivian, who had approached her first, be surprised and run away again.
Anne, who danced for joy only in her head, stood up and straightened her messy skirt.
"...It's a little different from the plan, but! I can't give up here. Young Miss, would you like to go play with me behind Mr. Lambert's back?"
"Behind Dad's back?"
"Yes! You couldn't go outside because it's dangerous alone, right? But with me, an adult, you can go anywhere! I'll braid your hair with flowers and teach you how to play the grass flute! And..."
"And...?"
Even though there was no one around, Anne lowered her voice for no reason.
Vivian whispered back in kind.
"When we get back home, we'll eat lots of candy!"
"Candy...!"
Jean tried to give Vivian everything she wanted, but he forbade her from eating more than three pieces of candy a day, saying it would rot her teeth.
"Then I'll get in trouble with Dad."
Even though she looked clearly tempted, her cheeks, trying hard to resist, trembled slightly.
'I could just eat her up.'
Thinking a thought that would be a disaster if Vivian knew, Anne replied nonchalantly.
"We can just keep it a secret! Of course, I'll watch you, and if it looks like your teeth might rot, I'll tell you. So you can eat without worry!"
This was a matter agreed upon with Jean.
They had decided to brush her teeth very thoroughly after eating the candy.
Vivian's reaction was, needless to say—
Explosive.
"Then shall we go? Young Miss! We'll have to hurry if we want to do all that before Mr. Lambert returns!"
"Yes, yes!"
Vivian's cheeks flushed bright red.
[Hmph. There was no need for me to step in after all.]
Leaving that prim remark behind, Kiki scanned Anne from atop Vivian's shoulder.
As a Divine Beast, Kiki could instinctively sense the evil emotions of humans, and it felt none of those from this human named Anne.
That was the very reason Kiki had readily agreed to Jean's request.
[Serve me and my Vivian well, human.]
"H-huh. Young Miss, Kiki is staring at me so intently."
Although Anne had become a little afraid of Kiki, Kiki, naturally, didn't care in the slightest.
Vivian was able to enjoy everything Anne had mentioned that day, and having played so excitedly, she fell fast asleep before Jean even returned.
Anne had perfectly captured Vivian's heart by showing off her talent for skillfully playing ten famous children's songs on the grass flute.
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