Matchmaking Baby Sister - Chapter 20

TL: Zimmings

*Notes: Sorry! I’ve just realized that Fenrir and Ricardo are both unmarried, so they’ll be called Madame instead.

It seemed that I fell on Sika’s body when I felt that I was not in pain.

‘Ugh! Is he okay?’

I hurriedly covered Sika’s cheek with both palms, and asked.

“Sikaa, huwt?”

Sika’s gaze turned to my palm and then to me again. Then he put on a smile.

“It doesn’t hurt, kid. Even if I get ten people like you.”

But why is that smiling face so pretty? I gulped and eagerly conveyed my heart.

“Sika is pwetty! Pwetty!”

“… … Huh.”

Sika pursed his lips. I crawled and sat down next to Sika. Pupu, who flew in and out, sat next to me and fluttered its nostrils.

[Who is it?]

‘Sika. Isn’t he cute? Isn’t he pretty?’

[What? Aren’t I better?]

What does this familiar say? It’s so full of self-love.

‘Doesn’t he look pretty to you?’

I glanced at Sika. His soft chocolate brown hair fluttered in the wind.

‘Perhaps in 10 years, won’t the rumor spread throughout the kingdom of him as a handsome man?’

He had a tall nose, a beautiful forehead, and his deep eyes were already attractive.

He still had a wary expression on his face, but he looked much more comfortable than the last time.

‘It must have been because he was sick last time.’

I don’t think I would want to talk to anyone if someone scratched my cheek like that.

When I was still looking into his face. He said in a low voice.

“I haven’t been waiting for you.”

For a moment, I was confused and didn’t know what to say. Pretending to be indifferent, he turned his head, but Sika’s ears were red all the way to the tip.

‘Oh, he’s so cute I’m going to die.’

This child is bluffing!?

How could he be that cute? I smiled and nodded my head.

“I lwike Sika. Lwike.”

“… … Please stop saying that.”

The expression was cute too. Anyway, he didn’t seem like a bad kid.

‘But why is there such a shadow on your face?’

I always wanted to see his brightly smiling face. I took out the chocolate I had hidden from the bib.

“Sika, fow ywo.” (Sika, for you.)

“Huh?”

Sika’s eyes widened at the chocolate I offered.

This time, instead of recklessly feeding him, I put it on Sika’s palm.

[What about me?!]

‘Here, for you.’

Ugh, this cat. Pupu is a familiar, technically speaking, he’s not a cat, so he won’t get sick by something like chocolate.

I gently pushed the other one towards him. Pupu got excited, took it and flew away.

[It’s mine! I can finally eat it, chocolate!]

He must have been craving chocolate so desperately. I thought I would have to rob Alexander from time to time in the future.

“Thank you.”

Sika, who received the chocolate from me, gave a bashful smile.

His slightly red cheeks were like peaches.

In the end, I couldn’t stand the cuteness and cling to Sika.

“Hehehe, Sika lwike.” (I like Sika!)

Where did such a pretty child appear?

I think people said that children of this age are mean and ignorant, but how can he be so gentle and lovely?

‘I hope to see you often and take care of you.’

I was happy with that thought, then he looked me in the face.

I tilted my head and asked.

“Abuu?”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Like….”

The bewildered expression on his face looked very strange.

It felt like my heart was sinking.

‘Oh my gosh. You’ve never heard of such a thing?’

I told Lucinda that every day.

‘How have you been living?’

To be honest, I thought he would have an unusual story.

A young boy wandering around in this spacious palace is no ordinary boy.

Even looking at the clean clothes he was wearing, they were never cheap.

‘He’s pitiful.’

But I don’t think he would like my sympathy either, so I pretended not to notice and smiled softly.

“Sika, lwike!”

“… … .”

At that moment, Sika hugged me tightly. Contrary to his indifferent expression, his hands were warm. He said to me in a weeping voice.

“Stop.”

“Sika…”

It’s just something a one-year-old child would say nonchalantly.

Still, I felt very pitiful for the child who was crying because of those words.

I hugged him with my short arms. And patted him on the back.

“It’s okay. Sika is pwetty.”

It’s only been a while since we’ve met, but I pitied him.

Above all else, I really pity Sika, somehow even though I don’t even know his situation.

‘I like happy stories.’

I hope this little boy will be happy too.

I closed my eyes and prayed earnestly.

Then he opened his lips. A somewhat perplexed voice rang in my ears.

“I… … .”

Sika’s dark brown eyelashes trembled.

Each time the light came in, the mysteriously shining red eyes were seen.

He opened his lips in a trembling voice. I calmly waited for him to continue his words.

The words that came out of his mouth were very simple.

“I’m Sika.”

As if it had been difficult, he opened his mouth several times and then stopped talking, then asked in a low voice.

“Who are you?”

I’m Ariel.

I wanted to say that, but my words didn’t come out clearly.

“El.”

“L?”

“Er.”

“Er?”

Was there ever a time when it was so frustrating not being able to speak?

Tears flowed from my eyes, then Sika hugged me tightly.

“It doesn’t matter what your name is.”

Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes and slowly flowed down like jewels. Without saying a word, I pressed the corners of his eyes with my palms.

* * *

[I’m Sika.]

Will the child know the meaning of those words?

On the way back, Sika smiled.

There was something that people came up with when they heard his name.

‘Ricardo.’

A child born out of wedlock by Madame Ricardo.

For those who knew that Madame Ricardo tried to seduce Emperor Lloyd and build a nest in the concubine’s palace, Sika was a symbol of ridicule.

No one called his name. No one liked him.

But the baby he saw for the first time spoke as if she knew everything.

“Sika!”

It’s weird when it’s only the second time I’ve met him. Every word the child said permeated my heart like medicine that works well for wounds.

‘Mysterious baby.’

The child was nothing out of the ordinary.

Didn’t she suddenly fall from the sky?

Her hair, puffed up like cotton candy, was like brilliant gold, and her green eyes were like freshly sprouted buds.

The words she spit out with a wide smile were so sweet as the chocolate she put in his mouth.

‘Chocolate.’

Sika was fiddling with the chocolate wrapped in the colorful wrapping paper that Ariel had given her earlier.

The first time she gave him that, she shoved it into his mouth, so had no choice but to eat it because it was a waste.

‘Next time we meet, I want to bring something too.’

Madame Ricardo was the Emperor’s etiquette teacher.

The emperor’s etiquette teacher was an honorable position that only those who were recognized afford to do it.

So, even after Emperor Lloyd’s death, Madame Ricardo was leading a fairly luxurious life in the detached palace. He can eat as much chocolate as he likes.

But who would have taken care of Sika?

‘Next time I will… … .’

With that thought in mind, Sika carefully crawled into the opening of the annex where he was staying.

“Where are you going?”

A cold voice greeted him as he was just crawling out of the hole. Sika’s body froze.

Madame Ricardo was looking down at him. Her blood-red lips slowly opened up.

“I told you not to walk around because you’re an embarrassment.”

“I’m sorry.”

Sika hurriedly got up and wiped the dirt off his body.

Because it was obvious that he looked dirty, he would be whipped for that reason.

Since he was holding the chocolate in his hand, it looked unnatural.

It caught the eyes of Madame Ricardo.

Then her eyebrows rose.

“What is that?”

“Oh, this…”

Sika hurriedly tried to hide the chocolate, but it was impossible because there were no pockets in his clothes.

Madame Ricardo’s eyes grew colder and colder.

“Who have you been meeting?”

“… … .”

I couldn’t tell her who it was.

Because it seemed that my mother wouldn’t let the child go.

And Sika’s answer didn’t really matter to Madame Ricardo either.

“You must be punished.”

A hand with long claws grabbed Sika’s neck. It wounded his neck, but Mrs. Ricardo didn’t care.

These and other injuries were nothing compared to the beatings to come.

The door closed behind Sika’s back as he was being dragged.

Despite it, Sika couldn’t call Ariel, whom he had met today.

He doesn’t even know her name.

* * *

After going home with the help of Pupu, I returned to my room as if I had been taking a nap.

[If you have chocolate, call me again!]

I think the chocolate was really good. I was content to learn a new way to control my own puppet.

The sugar-addicted cat gave me one more piece of information I didn’t ask.

[I overheard it, that kid is Sika Riccardo. Son of Madame Ricardo.]

‘Who is she?’

[I don’t know!]

Leaving those words behind, Pupu disappeared. When I pouted my lips to the mean cat…

“Ariel, are you awake?”

“Uh!”

Lucinda opened the door, came over and hugged me tightly.

At the familiar warmth, I smiled and hugged Lucinda.

‘Affection is such a good feeling.’

But Sika, whom I met today, seemed unaware of this warmth. Depressed again, I rubbed my cheek against Lucinda’s shoulder.

“Mama.”

“Why is my Ariel like that? Are you still sleepy after taking a nap?”

“Umm.”

I whined. Being held in Lucinda’s arms like this reminded me of a story I had overheard in the garden one day.

[Madame Fenrir doesn’t want to be pushed by Madame Ricardo, so she sticks with the princess.]

‘That’s right, I think I heard it then.’

Considering that Sika was so sad, it didn’t seem like she was a good person.

Kissing my cheeks, Lucinda asked in a gentle voice.

“Then why? Do you want me to sing a song?

“El, fwiend!”

“Hmm?”

I wanted to tell Lucinda everything, but it was too much. I sighed heavily.

Lucinda saw me and burst into laughter.

“My lovely Ariel.”

As I was held in Lucinda’s arms, the sound of her pounding heart rang in my ears. It was a sound that put my mind at ease.

Lucinda’s lips came down to my forehead and hair. The kiss tickled me, so I laughed softly.

Lucinda gently ruffled my hair and said in a friendly voice.

“My Ariel will be a joy to many. Just as you were a strength to your aunt, be a strength to others. You can do it.”

Lucinda’s voice drenched my heart like the rain that wets the dry cracked ground.

I looked at Lucinda with curious eyes.

‘You don’t know my thoughts, how can you say what I want to hear?’

Actually, after leaving Sika, my heart was heavy. Because of my helplessness, I can only give a hug to a child who cries so sadly.

But Lucinda told me.

‘You can do it.’

‘Yes! Next time I’ll have to bring Sika to the palace. Madame Fenrir or Alexander would be able to deal with the abuse somehow.’

I nodded. I was relieved, so my eyelids became heavy. It was when I closed my eyes…

At Lucinda’s words, I couldn’t help but open my eyes again.

“But where did so much soil come from?”

“Hmp.”

It was a crisis. I turned my eyes away nervously.

Because I was preoccupied with finding an excuse, I again forgot about Sika.

And in spite of my determination, I couldn’t meet Sika for a long time after that.