Chapter 12

– But why me? No! I have to go, I have an appointment!

Darwin turned to Esther, ignoring Judy, who was jumping up and down with indignation:

– Choose a room and come to my office.

– Eh? Yes!

It wasn't the atmosphere to refuse. The stunned girl automatically answered «yes.»

The Duke started down the stairs, and only Judy and Esther remained in the third-floor corridor. The Duke had removed all the servants and guards beforehand, so there was silence in the corridor.

'Oh, no...' – the girl did not dare to turn to Judy and just stared at the wall. Esther was uncomfortable with the boy from the very beginning, because at first glance it was clear that Judy did not like her.

– Hey, I have to leave quickly, – Judy's eyes were filled with discontent when he was forbidden to leave.

'I have to hurry up, meet Sebastian and wipe his nose!' – Judy frowned and, starting to mutter something to himself, began to spin around Esther, and then, with a dissatisfied look, measured the girl's height by standing behind her.

'Are they similar?'

Esther was smaller than her peers, but for Judy she was especially small. Dennis was the only one who was the same height as Judy, and the boy often measured them with his brother.

In fact, the difference between Judy and Esther was not so big, only one inch. Judy didn't like it, so he immediately raised his hand and called the girl:

– Hey.

– What?

– I'm taller.

Esther, who was standing motionless, opened her eyes wide and, without answering, tilted her head to one side, because she wondered why the boy suddenly started talking about height.

When the girl's big eyes got even bigger, Judy walked up to Esther and stared intently into her face.

'Does she look like a dog?'

The boy had a dog, which he raised from the age of 5. No one knew, but Judy, as a rule, liked cute things.

So he couldn't ignore Esther's big eyes. Grumbling with displeasure, Judy headed forward:

– Choose quickly, I need to go somewhere.

Esther quickly followed the boy, who, as it seemed to her, was about to leave, but suddenly told her to follow him.

The sound of Judy and Esther's footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway.

The door to each room was open and Esther, looking inside the rooms, stopped, unable to pass by the third room.

The room turned out to be very large with a window almost half the wall. From the window there was a beautiful view of the garden, flooding the room with a lot of bright sunlight. It seemed that there was so much of it that you could go blind.

Esther, who has always lived in the dark, was fascinated by the picture she saw.

– What a beauty ... – frozen at the window, the girl looked down at the manicured garden as if possessed. There was even a mountain in the distance beyond the castle grounds.

'This is true…' – Esther's hand trembled and unconsciously reached out to the window.

– Hey, definitely not this room. This is my secret base, – Judy grabbed the girl by the hand, saying that she should never come here.

Esther nodded without any resistance.

'I can't be greedy…'

In the temple, the girl's room was a moldy attic located in the farthest corner. Wanting a room like this was too greedy for Esther.

– Yes, I'll choose another room.

When the girl calmly agreed, Judy's eyes widened, and he was embarrassed:

– ...

The boy wasn't evil. It's just that this room was very important to Judy. There was a good pipe here, which was convenient to go down through an open window, so the boy often used it to secretly escape from the mansion when he was forbidden.

'I can't give this room away...' – however, at the sight of Esther looking like a sad puppy, Judy's heart sank.

Taking a deep breath, Judy scratched the back of his head:

– Ha, well, okay. Take her away.

– Can I?.. – Esther's eyes widened as she paused in the doorway of the room. The girl thought that she was not doing something special, but the difference in expression was visible to others.

– Yes. I'm giving you special permission, – Judy shrugged his shoulders strangely as he said this. The boy was proud of doing something good, so he immediately turned up his nose.

– However, I can't give you my secret base just like that, – Judy put his hand on Esther's shoulder. – That's why we're going to Sebastian's together.

– Who is this?

– Just like that. Stupid child, – with these words, the boy reached out and poked Esther's cheek with his index fingers.

– …? – confused by Judy's sudden behavior, Esther raised her hand and touched her cheek. The girl didn't think there was anything on her, but she was interested in the boy. – Young Master, what…

– Hey! – Judy cut the girl off sharply. – What are you saying? Just call me brother.

'A brother?' – Esther's breath caught in her throat. In all her rebirths, the girl did not call anyone that.

'Brother...' – Esther felt strange and nervous just saying it in her mind.

– Come on, try it, – Judy removed his hand covering the girl's mouth, and then looked at her intently, with a look ordering her to do it right away.

When Esther began to hesitate, Judy raised his voice:

– I don't have time.

Esther felt that Judy's stubbornness would not be easily broken.

There is only one way to avert this heavy gaze from yourself…

– ...ther.

– Ther?

– Judy, brother ... – in the end, the girl could barely squeeze out these words, immediately tilting her head. Esther's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the first word she uttered.

The girl shook her head to cool her burning cheeks, but because of this, her hair, gathered in a bun, scattered over her shoulders.

'Sister... and that's good!' – Judy, who has never had a younger sister, smiled broadly. When he heard the word «brother», his shoulders instantly straightened, and he seemed to become taller.

'I think I have to protect her now,' – the protective instinct that he had never experienced before awoke in the boy. 'Now I understand a little why Sebastian loves his sister so much.'

– Let's go faster, – Judy excitedly dragged Esther down the stairs.

However, Ben, who was waiting downstairs, immediately stopped Judy:

– Are you finished? His Highness is waiting for Lady Esther.

Judy, from whom Esther was taken, immediately grumbled:

– There's nothing to be done. Then we'll go there together tomorrow, – the boy said and held out his palm to the girl.

Esther didn't understand what she had to do.

– What are you?

– Eh?

– I held out my palm, you should also hold it out and give five, – Judy pointed to the middle of her palm, feeling disappointed, and then grumbled:

– Haven't you ever done this before? – and again showed his palm.

Esther was embarrassed and did as Judy said:

– Um, like this?

– Yes.

'No one told me what it meant to «high-five»...' – Esther had never done such friendly things, and no one taught her this. 'So amazing…'

It would seem nothing special, but the girl stared intently at her palm, with which she had just touched her brother's palm.

– We made an appointment for tomorrow! Bye! – Judy waved to Esther and ran further down the stairs. The boy disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

And Esther followed Ben, clutching her palm, which was a little warm.

*****

At this time, Duke Dehsin was sitting on the sofa in his office and nervously snapping his fingers.

'Maybe I shouldn't have left the two of them alone?

I hope that Judy and Esther will be able to make friends, but knowing my son, I'm worried that he might play a cruel joke on the girl,' – Darwin knew Judy's character perfectly well. Losing his composure, the man slammed his palm on the table.

– I have to go there, – when Darwin was about to get up, there was a knock on the door.

Quickly straightening up and clearing his throat, the Duke regained his indifferent expression and crossed his legs to hide the remnants of anxiety.

– Come in.

The door opened and Esther came in.

Darwin nodded slowly to the sofa opposite him:

– Come in, have a seat.

Esther went to the sofa, as the Duke had told her. However, when the girl came a little closer, she felt a sweet smell. Esther couldn't see the source of the smell because Darwin was blocking her view of the table.

'What's it?' – sniffing, the girl soon saw the source of this sweet smell.

Various kinds of cookies were beautifully arranged on the table, as if in a shop window. When Esther saw this, her eyes instantly lit up.

Darwin laughed inwardly, noticing the girl's reaction.

'When I heard that Esther liked the cookies in the boutique, immediately upon arrival I ordered to cook several types.'

However, it did not occur to Esther that the cookies were made especially for her.

'The Duke probably loves cookies very much,' – the girl folded her hands in her lap and quickly looked away from the cookies.

'Why isn't she eating?' – when Esther, who, as far as Darwin knew, was delighted with sweets, suddenly turned away from them, the man frowned.

– Esther, have you decided on a room yet?

– Yes, I chose the third room.

– Okay, I'll order new furniture there.

Esther, clasping her hands tightly so as not to succumb to the temptation of cookies, raised her head:

– There's a bed and a closet in that room.

– They're too old. I've already called the person who will pick up the furniture for your room. It will only take a few days.

'The Duke calls those things old, but they are still incomparably better than the ones I had in the temple.

A mattress that sagged with every breath, a closet that was about to fall apart, and a desk in a similar condition…'

However, Esther was not going to argue with the Duke, so she nodded to show that she agreed.

Darwin said for a very long time that the girl involuntarily relaxed. Relaxing, Esther even straightened her shoulders and straightened her back.

On the table between the Duke and Esther, in addition to the cookies, there was also a stack of documents. Darwin carefully took the paper lying on the very first one, and then slowly but surely handed it to the girl:

– This is a document stating that you are adopted.

Esther, speechless for a moment, stared at the important document.

Under several lines containing important text, at the bottom of the sheet, names were written next to which you had to put your signature.

Duke Dehsin's seal was already in front of his name.

– You can just dip your finger in the ink and make a print, – Darwin explained very simply.

'Family is something I've never had, even if I really wanted to.

The label «Orphan» was a shackle that I could not remove…

It is so strange that only one document can create a «family»…

The paper is so thin, it seems that it can tear only with the slightest effort…'

– ... I'll do it, – overcome by a lot of emotions, Esther tried to suppress them and slowly dipped her thumb into the ink.

When the ink enveloped the girl's finger, a feeling of coldness slowly spread through her hand. Feeling a chill, Esther slowly pressed her finger against her name.

A second later, there was a clear red print on the adoption document-a seal.