Chapter 22

The next morning, Esther woke up feeling pressure on her chest.

– Uh... – looking down, the girl saw that Judy was sleeping with his legs and arms outstretched.

– Brother? – Esther looked at the boy with displeasure. She pushed his legs slightly, throwing them off, but Judy suddenly rolled over to the other side.

– The Grand Duke?

Darwin was asleep, sitting in an armchair. Despite the fact that this position was very uncomfortable, he still did not let go of Esther's hand.

Due to the falling rays of the morning sun that filtered through the curtains, Duke Dehsin's face looked like a statue created by a skilled craftsman.

'Wow...' – Esther looked at her foster father in admiration. Darwin's sleeping face looked much softer than usual.

After a while, the girl came to her senses and tried to free her hand.

The girl gently pulled her hand out of Darwin's palm, however, as soon as she did so, the Duke immediately opened his eyes.

– Oh, are you awake?..

Darwin's eyes were clear enough to think he had just woken up.

Remembering last night, Esther immediately bowed to the Duke. She didn't expect things to turn out this way.

– I'm really sorry. Because of me…

– In such situations, you should not say 'I'm sorry', but 'thank you', – Darwin said calmly and, as if nothing had happened, stroked Esther on the head.

Duke Dehsin stretched, and the girl heard the crunch of his bones and joints, due to the fact that he had spent the whole night in an uncomfortable position.

– Judy, wake up and go to your room, – Darwin shook the boy by the shoulders, wanting to wake him up.

However, Judy muttered something and buried his face in the pillow. He didn't seem to have any desire to go back to his room.

– If you don't wake up, I'll lift you upside down…

– Duke, it's all right. I don't want to sleep anymore, but let my brother continue to sleep.

Duke Dehsin was about to wake Judy up by lifting him upside down, however, after looking at Esther's face, he decided to leave it:

– Good. It's still early, so lie still and come down to breakfast.

– Yes, thank you, – the girl nodded and, with sincere gratitude, bowed low.

'It seems the rain has stopped,' – Esther went to the window and pulled the curtains wide open to see the morning light.

– Bright ... – looking at the world outside the window, the girl remembered what Duke Dehsin said last night. The very words that, where the Light is burning, Darkness will never penetrate.

– Is it true?

'So far, I have never managed to escape the Darkness. Even after the Darkness ended, it came again, along with despair…

Therefore, I did not think that after the thunder I would ever see such a clear sky.'

– I wonder if I can do it?

'Will there come a day when I will abandon the past and get used to the present?' – Esther leaned out of the window and closed her eyes. She liked to feel the warm sun rays and the breeze on her.

– Hey, it's cold! Close the window! – however, when the morning breeze swept through the room, Judy frowned and wrapped himself in a blanket.

Esther laughed and closed the window.

The clear sky was beautiful, but Judy, who was next to her, liked the girl much more.

– I think I'll get some more sleep.

Esther was still more comfortable sleeping on the floor rather than on the bed, but she was wondering if she could gradually get rid of this bad habit.

*****

After the rain stopped, everyday life became the same.

Esther acted as if nothing had happened, and Duke Dehsin didn't mention what happened during the thunderstorm.

Today, as soon as Esther finished breakfast, she went back to her room and quietly ate the cake that Dorothy had brought.

– Would you like to take a walk?

– Can I walk?

– Of course! Nearby is the Stuttgart Castle and the lake. There are many gardens you haven't been to yet. If you want, I will take you there at any time.

Hearing the word 'lake', Esther instantly started up. She was bored because she spent every day in her room, so she was glad to see the grounds of the mansion.

However, at the moment when the girl was about to leave, there was a demanding knock.

– Who's there? – Dorothy opened the door and froze in surprise when she saw Dennis. – Young Master?

– Yes. Can I come in?

– Of course.

Dennis, dressed as usual, went straight to Esther:

– What are you doing?

– I'm just resting.

Of all the people in the mansion, Esther felt most embarrassed with Dennis. And all this was due to the fact that the boy looked at everything distantly and was the one who did not openly demonstrate his antipathy. It was unclear from him what he was thinking.

Dennis, who had been looking at Esther for a few moments, smiled and asked:

–Then would you like to come out with me for a few minutes?

The girl's eyes widened at these unexpected words. Even Dorothy, who was watching the two, became nervous.

– Where to?

–I just want to talk to you. Let's go to Havel's Garden together.

Dennis's tone was kind and polite, but his eyes weren't smiling, so Esther thought he was pretending.

'Why?..' – because of this strange suggestion of Dennis, the girl froze tensely.

– What is it? Don't you want to?

– No. I'll go," Esther decided to see what would happen.

– I'll go with you, – Dorothy said with a start, sensing the strangeness in the atmosphere. It was not unusual for the maid to want to go with Esther.

However, Dennis quickly refused:

– I want to talk in private.

– Then I'll stay away. The doctor told me to stay with Miss all the time.

–I'll be right next to Esther. What's bothering you?

– This… – Dorothy looked confusedly at Dennis and Esther.

– I'm going alone. It's all right, – frowning, Esther immediately reassured Dorothy.

The girl did not want to bother Dorothy, who helped her a lot to get used to this place.

– ...Good.

In the end, Esther and Dennis went for a walk alone.

However, Dennis, who was going to Havel's Garden, stepped onto another garden path. It was a road that the girl had never walked.

'Why is he going there?' – Esther thought it was strange, but silently followed Dennis.

The place they were going to was only a few minutes away. It was located near the outer wall, where bushes grew randomly.

Dennis dived into the bushes, there was a small hole through which a maximum of one person could crawl.

– Come on, we're going there.

– Eh?

– We're going to the village, – leaving Esther at a loss, Dennis was the first to crawl through the hole. – Come on quickly.

Esther thought about going back, but decided to try to make friends with Dennis.

When the girl climbed through the hole without hesitation, Dennis looked at her in surprise:

– I thought you weren't going.

– Didn't you say we were going for a walk?

– Yes it is, – Dennis, who was the first to get out of the hole, smiled and grabbed Esther's hand.

In a few moments, the two children crossed the thick wall and found themselves outside.

– How did you meet your father?

– By chance, in the temple.

Duke Dehsin and Esther had discussed this story in advance. Only two people knew the truth and hid it.

– But what did he like about you?

– I don't know, – Esther was also interested in this. She really didn't know, so she couldn't give a reason.

– I want to clarify something, I haven't accepted you as a younger sister yet, – Dennis calmly expressed his thoughts, not because he hated Esther, but simply because he didn't feel anything for her.

He didn't love her and he didn't hate her.

Dennis was polite and kind, however, in fact, he was more decisive and distinct in his words than Judy.

'Instead of being kind to me, he expressed his clear position about who I really am…'

– I will not consider you a younger sister just because you entered our family.

– It's all right, – Esther said softly.

Dennis chose to be honest with the girl. It was natural that he didn't like Esther just because she came to them.

– However, my father and Judy, in a strange way, fell in love with you.

The reason Dennis agreed to adopt his younger sister was because he was bored. He treated it like buying a dog.

Naturally, the boy thought that Judy thought the same way, but he was curious to see if Esther went beyond his expectations.

'What's so special about it?' – Dennis was curious, so he decided to take Esther to the city himself. He decided to take a closer look at her.

Naturally, in fact, in the city where the boy was taking Esther, once a month there was a day when golden books were brought. And that day was today.

– There are a lot of places to go, – Dennis resolutely went into the bookstore.

There were bookstores all over the city selling golden books that the boy needed.

Naturally, he did not take Esther with him, forcing her to wait on the sidelines. The girl just silently followed Dennis.

'She should be tired by now,' – Dennis looked at Esther, who was tired earlier than expected.

The patience and perseverance of the boy was that he did not frown and continued to remain firm.

Dennis, who had been buying gold books for some time, stopped and checked the time.

'I have all the books I was going to buy for this amount, and if I leave home for a long time, it may be noticed. Therefore, I have to be back before 3 hours have passed.

Then, it's time to start right now,' – in the end, Dennis decided to act in order to understand what the real Esther is.

– Oh, my forgetfulness. There is one place I wanted to go and forgot.

– Let's go together.

– No. I'll quickly run away alone, wait for me here.

– ... alone?

– Yes.

Esther looked around.

'We are in the middle of a road where a lot of people walk. A shopping street is a place where anyone can get lost, and no one will know where he disappeared to.

Maybe he's doing this because he doesn't like me?' – Esther was suspicious that Dennis would leave her here and go alone.

'But given the original purpose of coming here, there's nothing wrong with that.

On the contrary, this is a great opportunity, thanks to which I easily got out of the Grand Duke's estate...' – however, when the girl thought about it, a memory flashed in her memory of how Judy and Duke Dehsin protected her from thunder.

'It was very warm then...' – Esther nodded, trying to get rid of her regrets:

– Ok.

– Then I'll go get the book, – Dennis said, and immediately turned around.

'Will he come back?' – Esther stood and watched Dennis leave.

When the boy mingled with the crowd, Esther thought for a moment that he would never come back.