Chapter 19

Chapter 19

* * *

The days passed by peacefully. Then one morning, I awoke to find something soft rubbing against my cheek.

What could that be? When I opened my eyes, I caught sight of the culprit: the chubby foot of a teddy bear.

“It’s a teddy bear!” I cried, springing out of bed. I winced as my injured shoulder throbbed, but I was too busy examining the doll to care.

It’s adorable! So fluffy! And pretty… The soft, fluffy bear’s brown fur was the same shade as toasted bread. I stared at it, thinking that given its size, it was perfect for hugging. Then I noticed its eyes, which were two different colors: blue and red.

“Why are the eyes different?” I tilted my head in confusion, but then put the thought aside and squished the bear’s soft cotton body. I immediately knew who the gift was from.

It’s the teddy bear Kallen promised to give me! I flipped the bear around. A card with a message was stuck to the back.

Did Kallen write this? I put on my slippers and headed downstairs. Oh, right! Sion warned me not to wander around in my nightgown. Oh, well. One day of breaking the rules won’t hurt.

“I’ll have to ask Sion to read the card for me,” I mumbled.

Since he’s always the first person awake at the manor… I took off running, the card in one hand and the teddy bear in the other.

“Sion!”

Sion, who had been busy preparing breakfast, glanced over and did a double take. He hurried to meet me, bending his knees in order to look me in the eyes.

“You mustn’t run, my lady! What if your shoulder injury flares up again?”

I giggled. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt. But guess what, Sion?” I held out the teddy bear. “This was by my pillow when I woke up this morning!”

“Ah, yes. It’s a gift from His Grace. It took quite some time to craft.”

“This card was stuck to it. Could you please read it aloud for me?” I handed the card to Sion.

A smile spread across his face as he looked over it. “I see. This is His Grace’s real gift to you,” he said.

“His real gift?”

“Yes, my lady. He’s been meaning to give you this gift for quite some time now. I can read it for you, but perhaps you should have His Grace read it instead when he wakes up. I have a feeling he would like that.”

“Why? What’s written on the card?”

“Your new name, my lady. The one His Grace has chosen for you.”

My new name? But I don’t want to get rid of the one my mother gave me. Besides, most aristocrats have names that are three times longer than mine. Will I even be able to memorize it? My heart suddenly started pounding at the thought.

“Why don’t you read it, Sion? I insist.”

I turned to face the unexpected voice. Kallen was standing in his nightwear, a dressing gown casually draped over his shoulders. Sion’s ears went red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Your Grace…”

“Go ahead. Read it.”

Sion took a deep breath, staring blankly at the letter for a beat, and then began reading aloud. “Hello, princess. Right now, I go by Teddy Bear. Please give me a new name.”

In shock, I slapped my hands against my cheeks. Though Sion wore an empty expression, he had pitched his voice high in a childish tone. I had never seen him this way before.

Meanwhile, Kallen was smirking with amusement. “You must read it with sincerity, Sion,” he said.

The butler stared at us for a moment before slumping his shoulders in defeat. He raised his voice even more and began this new performance with more gusto, as if he were narrating a children’s story. “From now on, I’ll be your bestest friend in the whole world. And as a first gift, I present you with your new name. The lovely princess’s new name is… Leticia.”

Leticia.

“The name ‘Leticia’ means ‘A night sky lit with a thousand moons.’ From now on, I’ll protect Lady Leticia from nightmares. My eyes are also jewels that will adorn your moonlight. Please cherish me dearly.”

I felt my breath had been trapped in my chest as if it had been bottled there. I imagined a breathtaking night sky—its beauty powerful enough to send shivers down your spine—filled with a thousand moons.

Oh, I see. My name was Lae, signifying that I was born on a Monday. In the ancient tongue, Monday also referred to the moon. Kallen retained a part of my old name, “Lae,” in my new one. He wanted to reassure me, to signal that there was no shame in remembering my life on the streets. There must have been a thousand children born on a Monday, but it was me he had chosen to give the moon. I felt something tickle in my heart.

“Do you like your name?” Sion asked, leaning over.

I gently nodded. “Thank you for reading it aloud for me,” I said.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his posture. “Yes. It was quite entertaining, Sion,” Kallen chimed in.

“You have a mischievous streak, Your Grace. Did you write the card yourself?”

“That’s a secret.” Kallen bent over and gazed at me. “Leticia.”

“Yes?” I replied, my ears burning and my heart pounding.

Leticia. That’s my name now.

“How do you like your name?”

“Oh, it’s very pretty…”

“I spent a long time trying to think up a name that suited you. Our first meeting was very dreamlike, after all. I’m glad to hear you’re fond of it.”

“Thank you! I’m very happy with it!” I quietly repeated the name to myself.

Leticia, Leticia. I was now Leticia, Kallen’s adopted daughter.

“We’ve also decided that because we don’t know your exact birthdate, today will be considered your birthday from now on,” Kallen said. “Isn’t the day you received your name just as meaningful and worthy of celebration? Not to mention, you survived a near-death experience.”

“But the doctors said my injury wouldn’t have been fatal…”

“But there was a moment you believed you would die, was there not?”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” I nodded, then saw Sion cast a puzzled look at the duke.

Wow, I can’t believe I have a birthday now. This is definitely a morning I’ll never forget.

“Happy birthday, Leticia, my beloved daughter.”

I couldn’t contain my joy and leaped into Kallen’s arms. I hugged him tightly, watching his cheeks flush slightly as he blinked in surprise. When I pulled away, I said, “I’m going to go brag about my gifts to Jade!”

“Indeed. That’s an excellent idea,” Kallen said.

I whipped around and dashed toward Jade’s room, leaving the duke behind in a daze. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding. I ran through the door and hopped into Jade’s bed, all the while still dressed in my nightgown.

“Jade!”

Jade rubbed his eyes, then squinted as he peered at me.

“Jade! I have a new name!”

“A new name?”

“Uh-huh! It’s Leticia. Dad gave it to me.” I showed off the teddy bear with pride and explained the contents of the card Kallen had written. I concluded by telling him that today was now my birthday. Jade grinned.

“It’s a lovely name. It fits you perfectly, Leticia. Father didn’t inform me today is your birthday, so it appears he kept the honor of giving you your first gift. What spectacular jewels that bear has.”

“Jewels?”

Jade explained indifferently that each of the teddy bear’s eyes was a three-carat gemstone: the red was a ruby and the blue was a sapphire.

At breakfast, I sat the teddy bear in my lap. I wished to tell Kallen that no matter how grateful he was that I saved him, buying an entire toy store was too much, as were the gemstones.

“I have something to say, Your Grace. A simple teddy bear is fine, but I don’t need jewels. They’re too expensive. What if I grow up to be a spoiled adult? One who’s obsessed with luxury?”

Kallen simply shrugged and spoke in a flat voice. “I wouldn’t mind if you grew up selfish and spoiled, regardless of if it’s unbearable for others.”

“Pardon?” My mouth flew open at his unexpected response. “But then people will loathe me.”

“I wouldn’t mind that, either. If you become a child that other people loathe, you will have to live in this manor indefinitely. As your parent, I hope you grow into a spoiled child who never leaves this estate. That way, you’ll be my daughter forever.”

I blinked, taken aback by the duke’s astoundingly shameless behavior this morning. “Can’t I be your daughter without the jewels?” I asked warily.

Kallen remained silent, but I noticed Jade’s faint smile.

“Then at least accept the teddy bear,” Kallen muttered. “It will be the last expensive toy I give you.”

I nodded slightly. Shortly after, Sion entered the dining room while carrying a surprise birthday cake.

An enormous cake decorated with strawberries! And it’s frosted with whipped cream! How beautiful! I clapped enthusiastically at the sight.

“His Grace secretly ordered the kitchen staff to make this cake for you, my lady. Your very first birthday cake.”

The door flew open, and the servants who normally attended to our meal walked in with a flurry of applause and bright smiles.

“Happy birthday, Lady Leticia,” Sion said.

“Happy birthday, Leticia,” Jade followed.

“Happy birthday,” Kallen wished me once more.

On this day, I was reborn with a new name and birthdate.

“This means you are now ten years old,” Kallen pointed out.

“Oh… I am?” The duke was right.

I was now a year older.

“Are you certain you were nine?” he asked.

“I believe so. My mother said I was six before she died, and that was three years ago…”

“Then henceforth, you are my ten-year-old daughter, Leticia. Happy birthday.”

“We wish you all the happiness in the world, my lady!”

The servants and maids all began to clap and shout their happy birthday wishes. It was a birthday I’d always remember.