(From Blue's Perspective)
"Has the vibe around that punk changed?" Dem whispered to as we were following Luc.
"He looks like a family guy now," I whispered back.
"I can hear you two, you know?" Luc snapped.
"Yeah, before he looked holess," Dem said, ignoring him.
"I wouldn't say holess...," I mumbled. "But Mom cried two days ago after seeing his appearance in the photos of two years ago. Apparently, he was eating red velvet cookies in them. Mom was saying that they have always bought Luc everything but never thought that he would develop the habit of wearing a shabby robe after being a mage."
'That's right. It did not take long for the adoption process to be complete. Being a Queen has a lot of privileges. Now, I am officially the daughter of Marquis Lorenzo and Marchioness Aisha.'
After I agreed to their proposal, they told to think of their house as my ho and visit them often so we could have fun together. They doted on a lot, kind of like Dem. So, I also visited them at least once a week.
"Well, he is so ugly when his parents are good-looking that his mother's feeble heart could not take it and she broke down in tears," Dem mocked. "I understand it. Her heart's cry is not wrong at all. It is quite sad actually."
"I am tired. I don't have the stamina to fight at all," Luc said tiredly.
"Have you been working like before?" I asked.
"Asking the one who gave those work! Of course, I have been working like before! Don't you think you have been giving too much work, Blue?"
"Don't argue with my wife! She knows what she is doing. And we have also been working like bulls. It's not just you. Besides, Blue has been making sure that you get less work since you also need to take care of a child when you just got married."
"Wow, is that so? Then, thanks, Blue," Luc chuckled.
"Don't smile at her. It pisses off."
"He is quite... crazy, isn't he?" Luc said in a low voice, leaning towards . He quickly moved because Dem tried to hit him.
It was not a long way to reach Athena's room, but Luc and Dem made it feel like it was. I sighed in relief when we finally made it.
"Then, what do you feel about this doll? Or do you want the bear plushie?"
"... The bear one..."
"Here! There you go! Aww, she is so cute...!"
Both Dem and I stood in shock at the doorway. We could not bring ourselves to enter. Luc nodded at us as if saying that he had the sa reaction a while ago.
It was not Ruby, who was playing with Athena, not Iris either. It was the duke. That gloomy duke suddenly was making animal sounds and weird noises while talking to Athena.
Dem glanced at as if saying, "Should we just go back?"
"You look like an idiot! Are you even human?" Iris muttered as she slapped him behind the head. He had not noticed us yet and just slapped Iris's hand away and said, "You are more of an idiot. She is so cute that anyone will try to dote on her."
"Yes, I love Athena too. But you are making her feel uncomfortable," Iris said. "And my hand hurts. Do you have any respect for your wife?"
"Heh, you are not hurt. You are just pretending," the duke smirked.
'Ah, I forgot they were best friends...'
"His and Her Highness are here," Ruby said, noticing us. She had been watching the duke play with Athena.
"Blue!" Iris exclaid, and then did a curtsy since Dem was here as well. "I greet His and Her Majesty."
The duke straightened up and greeted us as well. I still could not get used to the change in his behavior so suddenly. Ruby was not required to greet us if there was no formal occasion.
"The duke was behaving like a raccoon a while ago. Please don't mind him," Iris said, pulling my hand.
"Your Majesty...!" Athena exclaid. She did not get a chance to greet because of them. "Look what the duke and the duchess brought !"
"Wow, you got more toys!" I smiled.
"Now, I have thirty plushies. Your Majesty gave seventeen, Lady Ruby gave four, Lord Luc gave one, His Majesty gave three and the duke and the duchess gave six," she said, grinning.
"That's thirty-one, sweetie," I corrected her.
"Oh, did I make a mistake? I will count them again then."
Athena looked healthier than before. All the bruises on her body had disappeared as well. The scars left on her mory would take ti to go away though.
"Athena is such a pretty and cute child," Iris said. "The duke has bonded with her already. He always had a soft spot for kids. Look at how he is still looking at her."
"Haha, that seems to be true," I chuckled. "That said, have you found any plan yet regarding Athena's future?"
"About that, Your Highness," the duke said with his usual serious face. "I actually want to take this child to the duchy."
"Please elaborate, Duke," I said.
"What I an is, if Your Majesty grants it, I would like to adopt this child and she will grow up as my daughter. I have talked to Iris about it and she doesn't mind," the duke said. "I can guarantee that she will have a good life."
"The duke told even before eting her. I an, it is almost impossible that we will have a kid ourselves. And the duchy needs an heir. So, adopting a kid is sothing we have been considering for a while now. When we heard about this child, we imdiately thought that if we are granted, we will adopt her," Iris said, a bit sadly.
Dem did not usually praise anyone because he thought that they were all trash. Yet, he praised the duke and said that he was truly a loyal person and soone who valued his morals. So, it was clear that the duke was not soone to abuse and take advantage of a child. His previous deeds proved that. And Iris would not do sothing bad to her as well.
If Athena had parents like that, perhaps she would be happy. She would also beco the heir of the duchy which would secure her future.
"Dem and I would like to discuss it with Athena first since it's her life we are talking about it. In the anti, I suggest the duke and the duchess visit her for a couple of days so we can give Athena a chance to see if she will be willing to be with you. Then, if Athena agrees, you two can adopt her," I said and looked at Dem who gave a nod in agreent.
"Thank you so much, Your Majesty. We will try our best to win your trust," the duke said.
"Now, I think we all should go to the dining hall," Ruby said. "It is Athena's ti to sleep."
"I can stay up longer," Athena said.
"No," Ruby and I said at the sa ti. Ruby added, "Kids should go to bed in ti."
"Alright...," she said sulkily. Almost all the kids hated it when it was ti to go to bed. They just wanted to stay up longer. But with Ruby here, it was not possible for Athena.
"You can play tomorrow again with your plushies," I said and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, sweetie. Sweet dreams."
After Ruby closed the door of her room and we got out, she whispered, "She is still scared to get out of that room. She thinks that we are going to send her away to that temple again. Since the day she has co here, she has just stayed in the room and played with her plushies."
"I think you also need to know sothing," Luc said, looking at Dem and . "Athena got scared when she saw the duke. Then she ward up after he talked to her."
"It is understandable if what her father confessed is true," Dem said. "Blue tracked her parents down and kidnapped them."
"Don't use that term, Dem."
"Well, she brought them against their will secretly. We got them to open their mouths using so of our special thods and found out that they actually sold her to the temple. And she was abused at ho. Her bruises say it all. Apparently, her biological father looks a bit like the duke. The similarities are not too much, so she did not react too severely."
I knew what her father looked like since I slapped him twice as well. I thought that the duke looked a bit like that man, but did not think Athena would react to this. It was fine now since the duke managed to get close to her.
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