Chapter 68: Festival with Vivienne (VIII).

The three of us were finished talking about the other matters at hand as to Lenard's and Ellis' planned wedding next year in the summer. The two looked really happy with their intertwined hands as we conversed, the ring on their finger was suiting them.

"Well it's already been an hour. I suppose we would need to go and still buy some things for Vivienne to settle in back home." I stood up and held Vivienne with my arms lifting her up.

"Leaving so soon already?" (Lenard) stands up and looks at me with a pouty face. "To the main city right? Only a few minutes away from here if you took a ride with your Pegasus. The people there should be really busy since they're preparing for the Lumineria Festival."

"Aw man- remember that time when we snuck out just to see Lord Vincent-" I laughed remembering how I managed to get this introverted bookworm to rebel by sneaking out of the estate. Speaking of which.. that only happened because I was invited by Rose to go on with her.

"A-Ah.. that was such a long time ago too." (Lenard) scratches the back of his neck in nostalgia, smiling.

"And at that time you had a huge crush for him."

"Ahem! Enough about that- I mean- will you be buying anything or just casual strolling?"

I nod. I want to go to the city of Lindeshire to get some things for Vivienne. Normally maids would be the one doing things like these but I wanted to erm... I wanted to buy them for her myself. It's been a while since I went shopping.

"A little bit of both, I'm not sure if you haven't noticed but- Vivienne is bare footed right and she's wearing my old clothes that the maid fixed up together to make her a little presentable." I told Lenard who just noticed that Vivienne was wiggling her little toes and pointing at them.

"Bean toes." (Vivienne) points at her little toes and I couldn't help but finding that so.. cute.

Pfft, bean toes.

She actually does have little toe beans, a bit dirty but we'll have a manicurist see to it that her nails be cleaned and we're going to find clothes that's her size. I bopped her little wiggling toes and turned to Lenard.

"We're going to find shoes that will protect her little bean toes, yes." I couldn't help myself feeling excited thinking of shopping for the girl's needs. I played around with Vivienne's little toes and she laughed feeling ticklish.

"Hehehe! M-Mama!" Her feet were kicking right up into the air and I thought of visiting the best of the shops in the city later. There could certainly many things to choose from to get, maybe from toys- we can get a couple of them and-

My train of thoughts stopped seeing that Lenard was staring at me giggling softly to his own. It made me wonder what he was laughing about. I looked at Vivienne in confusion and she stared back at me too.

"Is there something funny, Lenard?" I ask my cousin who shakes his head.

"Nothing. It's nice to see you smiling often again, I'm glad things are going well for us that's all." (Lenard) walks over to us and pats Vivienne's blonde hair. "Take care of her." he tells me and I nod.

"Of course I will-" He cuts me off by shaking his head at my answer.

Wait- Does he mean Vivienne will take care of me?

"Kein... my words were for little Vivienne here. Take care of your mom for me, I have never seen her smile often ever since two years ago but... I'm glad you're here now for her." He smiles widely at the blonde girl who gave a determined expression.

"Uncle!" (Viviene) takes Lenard's patting hand from her head and shakes it. "Mama I take care, uncle... smile!"

Her words were a bit broken but I understood all of it. Lenard looked at their hands shaking and he looked like he was about to cry in pure happiness. "I-I... I think I love being called Uncle now..."

historical

"Are you feeling old yet, cousin?" I raise Vivienne up a bit on my waist feeling that she's slipping a bit, Lenard turns to me slowly and nods his head.

"Certainly, you're with a child already and I'm going to get married soon." We think back to all those years before, my first day of being into another world... the times then weren't as easy as the now and some of my decisions are questionable but if I made it to this far.

I say I did good for a person trying to live a normal life as someone else.

I'm just rather glad I wasn't summoned a hero or anything like it.

Avery Williams is having a time of her life just lazing around taking orders from the royal family to take down the demon lord of this world.

Yes, we do have them but my rank is not high enough to get appointed to those kinds of missions nor would I want to. That's their adventure not mine, what I need is a dragon's heart not a demon lord's heart.

"It feels surreal really, if you would ask little Lenard what's in store for him in the future. Getting married to a person with the same gender he liked was not an option." (Lenard)

"If it weren't for you being somehow similar to me, Kein. I think... I would've stopped resisting my father's wishes to let me be engaged with the noble ladies in the circle." He continues to rant to me and I understand. Actually he was supposed to be engaged to some Duchess but he refused or at least bargained to have him finish his scholar duties first before he got engaged.

I am quite thankful that Lenard's father was more fan of knowledge than the idea of political marriage. "Well now you're free. Free to do anything you want and make your own choices, planning the wedding would be the first step and you're already being independent, finding a job as well as adapting into the commoner life."

I pat his shoulders feeling proud of my cousin. "I'm proud of you." I tell him, pulling him in for a tight embrace. "For sticking up to yourself and not giving in to what others expect of you. I know it's not easy but you did it."

We hugged one last time feeling our emotions flowing. I understand the feeling of being disowned just for liking something family doesn't support and I know even if Aunt Haren, Viscount Lenois and Lucas were pieces of shit.

Lenard loved and still saw them as a family.

I really missed Lenard, really it's just been two weeks but so much has happened that its making my head dizzy with all these events.

Lenard and I let go of each other's embrace and he told me that he will see me out of the academy. Ellis, who was silent the whole time just giving us space to talk, excused himself to get Vanilla who was probably bored of waiting as we waited into the Pegasus runway.

"W-Well both of you didn't forget anything in the office right?" (Lenard) was back to his soft self and double checked our things to make sure we didn't leave anything important back there.

"I don't think we left anything in there, we didn't have much anyways besides I stored my items into the [Storage Ring]." I tell him, feeling his caring mode taking over again. Lenard feels like a mom so often that it scares me to think what if I slip out and call him mom, jeez.

"Make sure the both of you eat in the city, don't talk to strangers and-"

"Be safe- I know... you're still doing the same thing even back ten." I recall his numerous reminders and scoldings when we were children. Rose would often be with me and we would both get scolded together.

Thankfully it's not as bad as now. "We'll eat and make sure to not get scammed."

"A-Alright... Ellis should be here soon." (Lenard) looks out to the direction of the academy's stables and after a few minutes we could already see him holding Vanilla's leash who was walking right beside him obediently.

Vanilla snorts a little, walking up to us and smelling our scent.

Sniff... sniff...

"Hey girl, sorry to keep you waiting." I told her while holding her snout and for a moment I could see Vanilla who rolled her eyes at me sassily. I swear this Pegasus is too sassy. I thought of making her into a kebab.

"Sorry- jeez I'll trade you some apples in the market so don't be mad." I told her hoping that this will make her forgive me. Vanilla raises her eyebrows before nodding slightly in satisfaction with my negotiations.

"Pwegasus! Vanilla! Hee hee!" (Vivienne) was already happy making excited sounds seeing her majestic figure and the Pegasus looked the same. She puts her snout to Vanilla's cheeks before sticking out her tongue to lick it.

"Vanilla... no." I moved her head away from Vivienne's chubby plumpy cheeks and sighed, wiping the saliva off with my sleeves.

"Here you are, milady." (Ellis) walks over and hands me over Vanilla's leash. I take it from his hands gratefully. "Thank you, Ellis." I tell him but something has been bugging me for a while.

I just can't get used to him- my future cousin-in-law calling me in such a formal manner.

"Hup!" I put Vivienne first into the leather saddle. She didn't look surprised anymore but instead she looked like she was getting used to it.

"Ellis, since Lenard already sees you as family. I would also like to see you as part of the family so stop with the milady and just call me by my name. " I tell him taking out my old training goggles putting it over Vivienne.

"But erm... is it really alright to call you by your name?" (Ellis) asks me looking nervous. Lenard nudges him a little for support and I nod in answer. There really is nothing wrong with a new added family member calling me by my first name.

"Of course." I told him as I got into the back of the saddle, resting my foot at the stirrup leather.

Ellis looked at Lenard before looking at me, his eyes filled an aura of respect as he told me. "Then... You are very welcome, Kein."

"And make sure to talk with Alfred about the housing." I reminded him of pulling onto the leash. Vanilla's wings opened and we got ready to take off again. "See you another time I visit! Good luck with academy work you two lovebirds!"

I kicked Vanilla by the side and warned Vivienne to hold onto me close. "Yah!"

Next time! To see the festival preparations and buy things for Vivienne!