The Count Family's Young Master
Chapter 17 - You... (2)

A/N: insert chapter of fluff

Valias opened his eyes and Alister gave him tea.

"Hm."

This tea is sour and a little bit bitter. "I think too much sugar is not good for your body, young master."

Valias did not answer and did not try to turn to Alister.

"Young lady is waiting for you in front of the room." Alister smiled as usual.

"Dina?"

Valias wonders what's going on but then thinks it's not good to keep a little boy waiting. "Let him in."

"I understand." Valias watched Alister move open the door.

"Young master let you in, miss."

"really?" Valias heard Dina's voice. Alister smiled amiably and nodded. Then the figure of Dina appeared from behind the open door.

"S-Good morning, brother." Dina did not enter and stood still by the door. He looked so stiff as if forcing himself to just look towards Valias.

"Morning. Is there something you want?"

"....I want to spend time with my sister." Dina answered timidly.

Valias's eyebrows lifted. "Me?"

"..Ja. I want to know my sister more. ..I want you to know what I do every day."

Valias didn't expect that. But he had no intention of refusing. "alright. After getting ready I'll accompany you, okay?"

"Ah. O-okay.."

"I'll help you, young master. That arm still can't get water." Alister smiled as Valias lowered his legs to the bathroom.

"Where should I see you?"

"Yes? Uh. I'll wait in front of brother's room."

"Is that so? Just sit in that chair." Valias pointed at the chair near the mattress with his chin. The chair she used when Alister was drying her hair.

"A, I'll just wait outside."

"I forced." Valias shows off a smile before disappearing behind the bathroom door with Alister.

Dina stayed there for a few seconds. She's nervous. But deep in her heart Dina wanted to know everything about her brother. What her sister wrote on the papers in front of her right now, what her sister's favorite food was, what made her brother feel happy, Dina wanted to know everything.

Dina watched the chair her brother had pointed at.

Sister chair.

Dina thought, she was also curious about the items her brother used.

Hesitatingly, he stepped his feet towards the chair. Look at that chair that is as tall as his body. His hand felt the kusion. Kusion is green.

Plain chair. Unlike the chair in his room that has floral carvings.

Dina felt that the chair fit her brother. The cushion of the chair was green and her sister's red hair, Dina so wanted to see her brother sitting on the chair.

Her brother doesn't talk much. But when she spoke, her voice was soft and soothing. Makes Dina feel safe and happy. Dina climbed up the chair and sat on it. The seat is higher than his. Dina thought the chair was like her brother.

Tall, simple, but comfortable.

Dina spent the time waiting for her to observe the bathroom door where Valias and her brother's personal servant were. Shortly after, the door opened. Valias appears in neat clothes.

"Come on." Dina got off the chair and walked with Valias out of the room.

"So, what do you usually do?"

Dina who was surprised by Valias's question immediately gave her answer. "I'll have breakfast with Lika in my room. But this time I'm going to have breakfast with my brother."

Valias chuckles softly "OK." Following Dina's steps to the park that time. There was a table and two chairs. "So, don't sit down." Dina's voice. Make Valias follow the boy's words and sit in one of the chairs.

Waiter Dina, whom Valias thought was named Lika served two bowls of soup and two plates of bread on the table. His eyes met Valias' eyes before he turned them over hurriedly. Valias understands if Lika is nervous. He won't say anything.

"Let's eat sister" asked Dina. Valias followed Dina's will. Take a spoon and put the soup in his mouth.

Dina looked at Valias so seriously. Valias realized that but had already decided to pretend not to know.

"You don't eat?"

"O, oh." With that Dina started to bribe her soup as well.

"Nake?"

"Y-Yes." Actually Dina did not realize whether it was good or not. He was focused only on Valias.

"..I asked Lika what kind of food she would like. Lika says that sick people are better off eating soup like this. So I asked Lika to prepare it." Dina saw Valias again. Valias looked at him too. "Sister likes?"

"Yes. I will definitely like whatever Dina prepared for me. Thank you, Dina." replied Valias gently.

Dina looked so happy and again noticed how Valias ate her food.

Seeing Valias eat makes Dina happy. Her brother is so thin and pale. Dina will make her sister eat more.

They talked. "What food do you like?"

"I like anything."

Abimala could not choose to fill his stomach. But Abimala often eats his own food.

"Don't like tomatoes?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"I don't like tomatoes."

Valias laughs. "Why?"

"It feels weird."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. So, what makes you happy?"

"Seeing Dina happy is enough to make me happy."

The questions were asked and Valias answered them all. Dina seemed to satisfy all the curiosity that she had been craving for a year and a half and finally found the answer to everything.

"Then, what kind of food does Dina like?" Valias asked back.

"I like cake. Cake with a lot of cream."

"You want to try making it yourself?"

"Make it yourself? You mean to make a cake with a lot of cream?"

Valias nodded. Feeling so comforted by Dina's behavior. Dina is still a child and is so expressive and honest. Valias has never faced a child. But he understood that people liked a child like Dina. "Yes. We're gonna try to make a cake with a lot of cream that you like."

"..Brother will make it too?"

Valias nodded. "We'll make it together."

"really?" exclamation Dina. Faced sumringah. "When are we gonna do it?"

"When you want. We can do it when you don't have a study schedule." Valias bribed his food.

"On the weekend! Danial and I can be free to do anything on the weekend. We can make a cake with a lot of cream in the day!"

"All right." Valias smiles.

The sun began to move higher illuminating the mansion building. Valias and Dina started to feel glare. Valias invites Dina to come inside. Dina could see the green and blue protrusions in Valias' hands clasping her hands.

Dina did not understand why her brother's skin color was so different from hers.

Dina doesn't like it.

Valias noticed Dina's gaze on his hand.

This is Valias Bardev's body. Not his. He didn't feel anything wrong with the body. His body was indeed rather thin and pale. He had also fainted twice with Valias Bardev's body. But ignoring that, Valias felt that right now the body he possessed was fine.

It may be that Valias Bardev's skin color is paler than most people.

Valias no longer considered that as something strange. As long as he felt fine, there was nothing to worry about. For Abimala, health is much more important than appearance.

"Is there something in my hand?"

"No.."

Dina shook her head slowly.

"Is your study schedule near?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"Do I have to go?"

Dina's eyes widened. "No!" This time Dina shook her head quickly.

"I'm gonna spend the whole day with brother." Dina looked towards Valias who was taller than her hesitated. "Aren't you going to study with me?"

Valias answered immediately. "of course. Is it okay?"

Valias put on a small smile. "Do what you want. I'll follow whatever you want today."

"really?" dina asked for certainty.

Valias nodded his head at the new Dina as high as his waist.

"OKAY. Come on." Dina pulls Valias in the hand and Valias lets Dina lead him to the front of a door.

Alister who had been following the two of them along with Lika appeared in front of Valias and opened the door.

"Please, young master."

Valias did not respond to the fake smiling Alister and stepped in holding Dina's hand.

"Good morning, miss. Uh.."

That person, Mallory stood holding the book and saw Valias' whereabouts.

"Young master Valias. I'm not expecting your visit here."

Valias saw the man recalling the man who had been with Hadden in the garden last day.

Oh. So he's Mallory's teacher.

"Yes. Dina wanted me to be with her all day. Can I come listen? I won't bother."

"I want my brother to sit with me. Can I?" Dina.

Receiving such pleading gazes of course Mallory could not resist. He chuckles. "Sure, miss Dina. Mr. Count would also be happy to know that your brother accompanied you to study." Mallory gave a warm smile. Dina smiled widely and immediately invited Valias to sit down.

Valias just sat down without making a sound at all. He listened to how Mallory taught him

Dinah about grammar, poetry, and mathematics.

A lesson theme that is perfect for a girl like Dina. In a few minutes Dina would glance at Valias and find Valias looking back. And in every moment that Valias will give her little smile. Making Dina smile cheerfully and refocus with the book on the table.

Mallory silently grasped those moments as well with her two eyes.

This is the first time Mallory has seen Dina so excited about learning.

The Count is like that too.

Mallory thought, perhaps the presence of Valias Bardev in the Count family he served at that time would make the days at the Bardev residence more colorful.

Mallory was curious about what kind of future the Bardev family would show her.

"It's over, lady. You also learned well today."

"That's because my sister accompanied me today. I will learn more." Dina showed a smile at Valias expecting a pat on the head from her brother. And Valias gave it to me.

Mallory watched the scene with a warm heart. The interaction between brother and sister is fun. "That's a good spirit, miss. Your brother as well as the Master and Madam will definitely be pleased as well. In the future I will teach you new things."

"Yes! I will definitely be a great woman like my sister said!"

Ha..

Mallory saw how Dina smiled so widely at him with Valias' hands on her head with a relieved heart.

If the Count had seen this.

Hadden would be happy. And probably will work in his room with a face full of smiles like in that day.

"I'll go first, teacher."

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mallory escorted Valias and Dina out hand in hand. When Mallory opened the door, Danial was already there with a hint of sweat after practicing sword arts.

Dina saw the sweat on Danial's forehead and was increasingly determined to learn the sword as well.

"..Brother?"

"Hi Danial's. You're done with what?"

Danial seemed to be silent for a while before answering. "I've been practicing as usual."

"Practiced?"

"Yes! Danial has someone who taught him sword arts!" Dina replaced the answer.

"Oh is that so?"

"Why are you with Dina?"

Valias who received the question answered softly. "She asked me to spend a day with her. You also studied with Mallory's teacher?"

"Yes, young master. I teach Miss Dina and young master Danial." Mallory answered from behind the door with a gentle smile.

"Oh.. Yasudah. Me and Dina first. Spirit." Valias patted Danial's shoulder.

"Bah brother.." One hand of Dina waved at Danial.

"Please come in, young master. Is there a problem?"

Danial was silent with his head turned towards his sister and brother before shaking briefly with a flat face. Mallory had been Danial's and Dina's teacher since they had reached the age to receive lessons. Mallory was already good at guessing the meaning behind Danial's flat expression. "Young master is envious of Miss Dina? Why not ask young master Valias to spend some time with you?"

"Who is jealous?" Danial grunting. But of course Mallory noticed the red color on the tip of his young master's ear. Mallory pretended to believe.

"Well, if you don't feel that way. We'll start the lesson." Mallory gave a big smile.

...***...

"Is there something you want to do?"

"Is there nothing else you need to do?"

"There's.." Dina replied in a soft voice. "But I also don't want to force my brother with me continue."

Valias observed Dina's sad expression.

I don't have anything to do. Do I need to ask Hadden for something that can be done? "Not at all. I told you I'd be with you one day. Somebody's got to hold onto his word, you know?"

"..Aye." Yeah."

Dina was silent for a while before looking up at Valias with a cheerful face. "That's a new sentence I heard. Brother must be very smart!"

Valias grimaced hearing that. It was just a common saying he heard first. Perhaps Dina saw him as Valias Bardev who spent time with books in the reading room. In fact Valias did not read that many books and was not as smart as Dina thought.

But he wouldn't let Dina see that. Older people should be an example for younger people. Valias hopes he can become what Dina sees as him.

"You'll hear and discover more as you grow up."

"Aren't you going to come with me?"

Dina wants to grow up fast to be a great woman that Valias says she will be someday. Dina wanted Valias to see that. Dina wanted Valias to witness all of her growth.

Even when I get married like mom and dad, I want you to see me.

Dina had that determination inside her.

"certain. Now let's go see your teacher. What else will you learn today?"

The class I was going to do was a dance class. When a noble child reaches the age of 18, they will have their own party, and will dance with their father. Ruri made Dina learn to dance from now on.

"Dina? Who's this brother?"

A woman of Alister's age looked surprised at the presence of Valias whose hand was held by Dina.

Dina's dance teacher will visit Bardev's residence twice every week to become his dance instructor. He knew no one but Dina, Ruri and Lika who always accompanied the young lady who became his disciple. He had only seen Hadden and Danial when they passed each other one day. But he had never seen the red-haired man.

The man whose hand Dina held was so thin and pale. He was surprised and wondered at the identity of the man.

"This is my brother."

"Sister?"

He wonders. I doubt his hearing. His older sister Dina was the young master of Danial. She began to think that maybe the red-haired man was another noble or the person Dinah considered her brother.

"Allow me. This young master is Valias Bardev. The eldest son of the Bardev family." Alister emerged from behind Valias' body.

"Oh god. Im sorry. Good day, young master Valias. I'm sorry I didn't realize your identity." The instructor lowered his body.

"No problem. All this time my existence was kept secret. It's natural you don't know." Valias gave a small smile. " I heard you were Dina's dance teacher?"

"Yes, young master. Mrs Ruri called me to the Bardev residence to be Miss Dina's instructor."

"Alright Dina. I'll watch you here, okay?"

Valias touched the shoulder of Dina who was holding her left hand.

Dina felt that touch and felt hesitant to let go of her grasp. I think he wants to skip the dance class today. He did not want to part from Valias at all.

"Dina?" Valias felt Dina not let go of his hand.

"K.. Brother."

"Yes?"

Dina raised her face quickly.

"Aren't you going to come with me to learn to dance?"