Elena’s breath, sitting next to Felix, gradually slowed down, and soon there was a wheezing sound.

Felix then turned away from the newspaper and looked at his childhood friend.

Elena was sleeping with her head slightly bent forward.

It seemed like she was very tired.

‘That would hurt your throat,’

Felix clicked his tongue.

Elena thinks she’s smart and good at taking care of herself, but Felix thought the other way.

She was more clumsy and demanding than he thought.

It just doesn’t show because Alice took care of it without knowing it.

‘Look. Do you have to sleep so uncomfortably when you can sleep by leaning back in the chair?’

The train started just in time.

Elena’s body tilted forward a little more, rattling.

Elena continued sleeping without knowing anything.

Felix clicked his tongue once again.

Then he pulled Elena’s head carefully and placed it gently on his shoulder.

He tilted Elena’s left shoulder slightly down as he thought she would be uncomfortable because of the height difference.

Looking at the newspaper again, he sighed.

‘She needs a lot of help.’

The train ran.

Passing through the plains, passing through mountainous areas, and every time the scenery he got used to seeing passed.

Time flew by and the train arrived at Felix’s hometown of Christian.

“Get home safe.”

“Oh, you too.”

I opened the window and waved at Felix.

I thought Felix would just walk away, but unexpectedly he put down his bag and stood there.

He seemed to be waiting for the train to leave.

“Give my regards to Aunt Jane and Count.”

“Un.”

“To Tony and Lindsey.”

“Un.”

That was weird.

I used to spend time at Felix’s mansion every vacation.

It was thanks to the consideration of Aunt Jane, i.e Countess Christian’s consideration for me.

Aunt Jane knew well that my family was not interested in me, and that’s why I find it pretty hard to stay in the mansion every vacation.

That’s why Felix tells me to come to the mansion as a duty every year before parting at the station.

But today there seemed to be no sign of an invitation.

Did he not want to invite or did he forget?

My pride would get hurt if I went out the way and asked, ‘Are you not going to invite me?’

While hesitating, the horn sounded and the train began to move.

I waved harder.

Felix raised his hand lightly with a grudging face.

“See you later!”

Felix and I will probably go back to the academy on the same train.

“Un”

And there’s no invitation from Felix, so it’s going to be a tough vacation.

The hometown that I came to after a long time was the same as when I came half a year ago.

I didn’t have a family to welcome me.

‘Well, I’m used to it.’

I tried to be a little depressed, but I quickly put on a straight face.

Because the nanny came to me in tears.

“Oh, my God, Miss Elly. You’ve grown up again.”

I was in the arms of the nanny who was no different than a family.

“Nanny, I’m 19 years old now. I can’t be old enough.”

“What’s wrong with being 19? You’re still a baby in my eyes. I’ve seen you since you were born.”

Here we go again.

Since my mother died, the nanny has tended to be overprotective of me.

Well, honestly, the overprotection wasn’t bad.

“What about father?”

It was a question I asked to give my greetings, but when I saw the nanny’s face getting worse, I immediately noticed it.

“My father is out.right?”

It happened all the time, so I didn’t think much.

I knew it would happen anyway.

But the nanny looked different.

She looked at me and soothed me like a child.

“The baron has been busy lately. He wanted to see you come, but he couldn’t come so he asked me to tell you he’s sorry.”

Liar.

The nanny must have made it up.

My father wasn’t the one to say that.

Still, I pretended to believe the nanny.

“Yes, I see. It’s okay after all I can see my father’s face in the evening.”

To be honest, I thought it would be okay not to see my father.

The nanny looked at my expression and changed the conversation.

“Oh, you must be tired, do you want to take a rest?”

“Yes, I want to take a nap.”

I took my nanny’s hand and headed to the room.

After taking a nap, I couldn’t see my father until dinner time.

My father, whom I saw for the first time in half a year, hasn’t changed much.

He seemed to have lost a little weight than before, but he still looked tired from busy work.

“You came.”

“Yes, how have you been Father?”

“Fine. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, Father.”

That was all the greetings.

I have a lot to talk about even if I’m away from Alice for a few days, but I don’t have anything to talk about with my father.

‘Oh, it’s awkward.’

we started eating in silence.

“Are you in seventh grade now?”

My father, who had been quiet throughout the meal, asked while waiting for dessert.

I said,

“I’m in eighth grade, to be exact. I’m a senior now.”

My father’s gaze at the newspaper when he asked me questions came back to me only then.

I couldn’t read his thoughts by looking at my father’s face, whose expression was not revealed at all.

I think he was kind when I was young, but the death of my mother changed him a lot.

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“It’s understandable that it’s confusing. Sometimes I’m also confused about what grade I’m in.”

“Elly..”

When my dad was about to answer my joke.

The atmosphere which just happened to be good became awkward when the servant brought dessert.

I ate sherbet in a hurry.

It was also an unspoken rule, not to talk to my father while he was eating.

My father watched me eat without touching the sherbet.

Well, I think he has something to say.. ..

I couldn’t resist the gaze, so I asked.

“Do you have anything to say, father?”

“..no.”

Oh, awkward again.

To go back to the room quickly, I put the sherbet into my mouth somewhat combatively.

When I put the last spoon in my mouth, my father asked.

“Will you go to the Christian county again?”

I took a spoon in my mouth and agonized over it, then quickly put it down when I realized it was not polite.

“I don’t know yet. Felix didn’t say anything.”

Come to think of it, it’s still weird.

Why didn’t Felix say anything? What’s the matter?

“Then I’ll get going, father.”

I greeted my father politely and came up to the room.

Only then did I seem to be able to breathe.

“So, how’s Elly doing? When is she coming to the mansion?”

Countess Christian asked as soon as she saw Felix back in the mansion.

Felix gathered his eyebrows instead of taking off his younger siblings who were attached to each of his legs.

“Is Elly more important to you than me?”

“Of course. You must have been doing well. I’m worried that Elly doesn’t take good care of herself.”

“I don’t know who’s the real kid – me or her.”

Though he spat it out, Felix wasn’t particularly unhappy with his mother’s attitude.

Countess Christian thought of Elena left by her dead friend as a daughter and took care of her more than her own son Felix.

As Felix said, she thought of her as her own child.

It wasn’t just yesterday or today that she asked Felix how Elena was doing first, before asking about him.

It didn’t really matter normally.

But strangely enough, it bothered him today.

It was not because of the mother took care of others first.

Just hearing the name ‘Elena’ made his irritation soar.

He didn’t even know why.

So he didn’t tell her to come over when parting.

This is because he thought his head would get complicated when he saw Elena’s face during the vacation.

He needed to organize my thoughts.

“I didn’t tell her to come this time.”

when Countess Christian heard it, she got angry, unlike her usual self.

“What did you just say? Are you out of your mind?”

‘Is this enough to say out of your mind?’

Felix wondered, but Countess Christian was serious.

“Why didn’t you invite Elly? You know how much I and the twins want to see Elly.”

“I did it because I thought it would be troublesome.”

“It’s troublesome.?”

Countess Christian looked at Felix’s expression.

Felix somehow couldn’t look her in the eye, so he turned his head slightly.

Countess Christian smiled slightly.

“Oh, my.”

Felix didn’t like the fishy smile.

Then the countess said commandingly.

“Anyway, go and send a letter to Elly right now.”

“Mother.”

“If you don’t send it, I’ll send it.”

Felix had no choice but to write the letter as soon as he went to his room.

He wrote a message asking Elena to come and spend time together in simple words.

There was a faint smile hanging around Felix’s mouth sealing the letter.