My father fell silent for a mont before whispering in a slow and calm voice.
“I don’t distrust you.”
“I know.”
“I would let you do anything you want, but there’s no need to do sothing unpleasant if you don’t want to.”
A slight smile spread across my face.
“Shouldn’t you ask
that first, Dad?”
“… do you want to go?”
“Yes, I want to go.”
“…”
“Please make sure to ask Eciel, Dad. The Crown Prince invited her as a playmate, so you should ask if she wants to go too.”
I wanted to go to that place.
Because I was my father’s successor. Eciel would definitely want to go, but I couldn’t send her alone.
Most importantly, because I knew Sisana would be there.
I wanted to see with my own eyes what a child raised as an Astariol and a mber of the great nobility from birth would be like.
My father stared at
with an unreadable expression. A mix of mild surprise and deep curiosity.
But his apology ca without a mont’s hesitation.
“I’m sorry, Claire. I said it was for your sake but didn’t ask you first.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’ll make sure to ask Eciel too. She wanted to receive an invitation, so I’ll start by writing that.”
Only then did I open the gift box still on the table.
Several sheets of ivory-colored stationery and a few simple wooden pens. It looked humble for a gift to Duke Chelsiers.
But Dad didn’t show any sign of disappointnt. Instead, he smiled faintly.
“Is this for writing a letter?”
I nodded once and opened my mouth.
“Eciel wrote letters to the fairy every May.”
Even with the abrupt beginning, Dad’s response was gentle and calm.
“Really? What was Eciel’s wish this year?”
“Dad.”
The long silence piled up.
I quietly watched Dad, who rarely found himself at a loss for words. After waiting a bit, I continued softly, seeing he wasn’t going to speak.
“So, you don’t need to try so hard to grant our wishes. You already granted Eciel’s wish from the mont you first t her.”
“….”
“But please write Eciel a letter. She never received a reply from the fairy before, so she’s really looking forward to it now.”
As I finished speaking, I observed Dad again.
When we first t, Dad seed like the winter sea and the cold season shaped into a human form.
Amid the bright spring of May, a cold and harsh presence trapped in human form.
And over ti, winter lted.
The smile he gave when we made eye contact. The embrace he offered now and then.
Like a long winter night finally eting the first day of spring, the warmth combined with the dignity he had sotis felt rather peculiar.
Just like now, when I realized he could make such expressions.
Dad asked with difficulty.
“What about you, Claire?”
“I’m fine. I never made a wish because I don’t believe in the May Fairy, and you’ve already granted all my wishes, Dad.”
My father remained silent for a long while, then slowly whispered.
“His Highness the Crown Prince officially invited you, so you’ll have to introduce yourself. You can’t do that without a baptismal na, so let’s get one in advance. It won’t take long.”
His voice swelled like a sail embracing the wind.
* * *
As my father assured , my baptismal na arrived shortly after.
The box was plain and simple, made of undecorated wood with just a latch.
Compared to the box containing Dad’s gift from Galamad, it looked humble.
But what was inside was beyond comparison in its value.
“Open it yourself.”
My father gently urged.
As I reached for the box without much thought, Eciel suddenly stopped
with a serious expression.
“Wait!”
“Why?”
“You didn’t choose this na yourself, right? I picked mine with Mom and Dad… what if you don’t like it? You can’t change it once you see it.”
I smiled faintly at her innocent worry.
Eciel had discussed and chosen her middle na with our parents. She must be worried about my lack of choice.
‘But there’s no way the na would be bad.’
Dad soothed Eciel with words that echoed my thoughts.
“You don’t need to worry about that, Eciel.”
I glanced at him.
He looked like an ordinary father, calming and comforting Eciel with a gentle expression and touch, but…
‘… Dad completely overhauled the higher echelons of the temple, so there’s no way….’
He would have made sure it was a good na, not one that would be uncomfortable to hear.
“Claire, go ahead and open it.”
Mom urged
kindly. I reached for the latch, the clicking sound of it opening was refreshing.
My baptismal na was clear on the stiff card, written in elegant script.
Lucy.
My mother whispered instead of .
“… it’s a beautiful na.”
Pure admiration. Even Mom, who usually avoided anything related to the temple, praised it.
‘It’s more than just a good na.’
The na
itself was an ancient word for . Like all baptismal nas, it was taken from the scripture.
Lucy. The sister of Rosanna. The unyielding light in the era of despair.
While Rosanna sought stars in the endless sky, Lucy guarded the path for her sister’s return to the earth.
At first, Lucy stayed in the house where she waited for her sister to co back. When her sister didn’t return for a long ti, Lucy went to the village.
Still unable to find her, she crossed mountains and rivers.
Continuously going to et her sister, she eventually reached the end of humanity.
At the place left with only despair and suffering from the endless flood of evil, she stood on the battlefield for the first ti.
Only to protect the way back for her sister.
While her sister sought stars in the sky, Lucy beca the light of humanity, finally welcoming her sister and the salvation she brought.
This was the story in the scripture, .
As her sister guarded humans on earth and her sister prayed for salvation in the sky… stars accepted Rosanna’s wish into the Milky Way and supported it high.
The highest risen wish of Rosanna shone most brilliantly, awakening the god from the long and deep sleep since creation.
The god, awakened by Rosanna’s wish, shattered himself to save humanity, thus Astariol descended to this world.
And Lucy and Rosanna were enshrined as saints of February.
Right before the dawn of spring, when no one believed salvation would co.
They endured the harsh tis with faith, leading humanity.
‘I thought they would send a good na, but this is… not just a good na.’
They were twin sisters.
would be the most suitable baptismal na for a first-born Astariol of February.
But… was this really my baptismal na? How?
As far as I knew, Astariols of the sa generation took their baptismal nas from the sa scripture.
For my generation of Astariol, it was naturally Lady Sisana.
Lucrezia Yere Sisana.
And
was…
‘… an archangel in
rather than .’
I couldn’t help but glance at Dad.
As our eyes t, his deep gaze held a beautiful smile.
In his purple eyes, there was a deep glow of inevitable affection and soft expectation.
Ah.
I realized in that instant.
This was a na Dad chose.
“… thank you, Dad.”
The realization struck my mind like lightning, but my gratitude was slower and clumsy.
Yet Dad smiled happily.
My mother, who also realized and had been staring at Dad, smiled too.
I was a little surprised.
The trust and affection beyond that smile were laid bare.
‘If it was the first day we t Dad again, Mom would have frowned instead of smiling.’
She would have tried to distance herself by any ans, searching for excuses and picking faults.
I had noticed Dad had noticeably softened since eting us again, but… was Mom also becoming slightly weak toward Dad?
Then, could we still be together even after a year?
As these thoughts rippled through my mind, Eciel asked curiously, unaware.
“Why did you thank Dad?”
“Because Dad chose the na.”
“Dad?”
Eciel blinked and looked at Dad.
The face that seed as cold as the winter north wind and as distant as the far sea smiled again. A smile layered with all the plausibility and persuasiveness in the world.
So Eciel asked no more and turned back to .
“It’s a relief Dad chose it, Claire.”
Her kind congratulations touched my heart. I wanted to say sothing to make her happy.
So, I spoke softly.
“Now our nas are twins too, Eciel.”
“Huh, really? Why?”
“You rember your na, right?”
“Eciel Rivesa Reze Tolona Disandos.”
Unlike Astariols, who only had their baptismal na as a middle na, Eciel’s na followed the usual noble naming convention and was much longer than mine.
She frowned, not knowing which part was the twin na.
I quickly pointed it out.
“Reze.”
“Reze?”
“That’s the nickna for Rosanna, Lucy’s twin.”
“But isn’t it Rose?”
“Rose is pronounced Reze in the old way.”
Eciel’s face lit up as she looked at our parents. They smiled warmly, saying a few affectionate words to Eciel, who finally understood.
In that perfect, comfortable scene, I suddenly regretted one thing.
I should have bought my own stationery in Galamad. Eciel would have been happy if I wrote a letter with our twin nas side by side.
And that opportunity ca sooner than I thought.
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