Dad is Back From a Deserted Island - Chapter 69

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Father has returned from the Deserted Island
Chapter 69

Why are you nodding along like that? Vivian gasped and waved her hand frantically.
“No! That’s not it! A picnic isn’t supposed to be in a place like this!”
The warm weather had made me momentarily forget that this region occasionally received snow even in summer—a critical oversight.
But everywhere I looked, the plants were withered beyond recognition, their yellowed forms clinging to the earth. Vivian hastily set down the basket, dropped to her knees, and pressed her palms against the ground.
‘If only there were living flowers somewhere—’
Even when plants appeared dead, life often slumbered beneath the soil, waiting to awaken.
As Vivian channeled her power into the earth, verdant shoots emerged between the desiccated grasses.
Tiny leaves unfurled into long stems, and the flower buds at their tips bloomed without a moment’s delay.
The sight of a flower garden spreading across the barren Garden was nothing short of miraculous, yet Dietrich’s reaction was merely a slight widening of his eyes.
“Wow, it seems there was quite a lot dormant beneath the soil. It’s become quite a beautiful flower garden!”
“This is….”
“It’s the power I mentioned. Kiki gave me several abilities as thanks for waking her up.”
This was the first time Vivian had displayed her power before anyone other than Jean de Lamber, Anne, Eduard, and Luca, so she felt somewhat nervous.
She had already discussed the divine beast and spoken about herself for several days, so she had revealed her abilities without reservation. Should she have given him a warning first?
“Oh, did I startle you too much? If your heart is racing or anything like that, please let me know!”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’d heard about it, but seeing it with my own eyes is different. …Don’t worry, I won’t collapse from this.”
“Are you really all right? Then I’ll finish preparing!”
Vivian had carried all the heavy luggage herself. When Dietrich offered to carry some, she had firmly declined, fearing his arm might fall off.
Vivian pulled out a blanket from the bundle of provisions and spread it across the flat ground.
She removed her shoes first, settled onto the blanket, and then patted the spot beside her, urging Dietrich to sit down quickly.
“The thick blanket keeps the cold from seeping up from the ground. Please sit down, Your Highness!”
Dietrich plopped down beside Vivian.
Vivian opened the basket and retrieved sandwiches and milk. As she carefully unscrewed the cap from the bottle of milk and handed it to him, Dietrich’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I can manage this much myself. There’s no need for you to attend to me like this.”
“But—”
Your Highness stands still and then collapses coughing blood, after all. You’re so frail.
Though she refrained from voicing this concern aloud out of consideration for his pride, her true thoughts were plainly written across her face.
“Once you regain your health, Your Highness, I won’t do this anymore. I promise.”
Though the day when the congenitally sickly prince would recover seemed distant, Vivian cherished speaking of a hopeful future.
“…I’ll eat what you made. You eat what I made.”
With a sigh as if surrendering to stubbornness, Dietrich snatched up the sandwich Vivian had made.
It was embarrassing, but Dietrich’s sandwich looked far more appetizing than the one Vivian had prepared.
Vivian laughed sheepishly and picked up the sandwich Dietrich had made.
“Are you sure? Your Highness’s sandwich looks prettier than mine.”
“I prefer eating what you made for me. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Me too. Let’s eat!”
Crunch.
Vivian took a large bite of her sandwich.
Though it contained no special ingredients, the fresh components made it quite delicious. The fillings were cut to a perfect size—neither too large nor too small—giving it an excellent texture.
“It’s delicious.”
With her mouth full, Vivian could only nod. Dietrich, who had been watching her expressionlessly, suddenly reached out his hand.
‘Huh?’
“You have some here.”
His long, delicate fingers brushed away a crumb from the corner of Vivian’s mouth. A cool touch grazed her skin.
“…!!”
His tongue licked the crumb from his finger, appearing even more crimson against his pale complexion.
Vivian’s face flushed as red as a roasted sweet potato.
Even as Vivian stood there with a flushed face, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, Dietrich calmly returned to eating his sandwich.
“Your face is red. Are you running a fever?”
“N-no, I’m fine! I was just… startled.”
And whose fault is that!?
Vivian barely suppressed the urge to shout and stepped back. If she stayed, Dietrich would surely reach out to check her temperature.
The back of her hand was useless against the burning heat of her cheeks. Only with the help of the cold milk bottle did Vivian manage to recover her composure, though she grumbled inwardly.
‘It’s all because the Prince grew up isolated from people! Since no one ever interacted with him, he doesn’t realize how dangerous his own face is(?) That’s why he just reaches out and touches people’s faces so carelessly!’
As if venting her frustration, Vivian devoured her sandwich and washed down the burning sensation with milk.
Dietrich had barely eaten half of his.
“Did I eat too quickly? Or perhaps the taste wasn’t—”
“I’m savoring it. You said it was delicious.”
It was too ordinary a sandwich to savor. As Vivian stared at him, Dietrich swallowed what was in his mouth before speaking again.
“This is my first picnic. And the first time I’ve made food together with someone.”
Vivian’s eyebrows drooped immediately.
What was so special about this? Why did he have to attach such meaning to it?
She felt sorry for the Prince. It wasn’t as if he chose to be born this way.
It was heartbreaking that someone born into the highest station had to marvel at such ordinary things.
‘Father said I shouldn’t grow too attached to His Highness since he’s destined to leave anyway.’
The image of Dietrich hesitating before the last bite was seared into her mind. With reluctant eyes fixed on the sandwich, he finally consumed the last piece.
“…Let’s go on another picnic on a nice day, Your Highness. Next time, I’ll bring a different sandwich.”
Vivian found herself making an indefinite promise, swayed by the yearning in his gaze.
“Next time?”
“Yes. Valfraud’s weather isn’t always harsh, after all.”
“That’s true. I hope there are more warm days like this before your divine beast awakens.”
He spoke as if he already knew that once her divine beast awakened, she would leave.
Since he wasn’t wrong, Vivian couldn’t find words to respond. She sighed with a troubled expression and gazed up at the sky.
White fluffy clouds drifted lazily across a brilliantly azure sky so vivid it made my eyes sting.
The weather was so perfect that I felt a pang of guilt for enjoying such a moment while Kiki slept.
“So what do we do now?”
“…There’s no rule about what you’re supposed to do at a picnic. You just sit here as long as you want to sit, and then you go back inside when you feel like it.”
Dietrich observed Vivian’s posture intently before mimicking it exactly—knees drawn up and clasped, gazing up at the sky. Vivian burst into laughter at the sight of him.
“You don’t have to copy me, you know. …But since this is your first picnic, Your Highness. Just a moment.”
Vivian glanced around before plucking a flower in full, luscious bloom. She wove together a flower of just the right size—neither too large nor too small—creating a flower ring.
“Ta-da! A flower ring. Whenever Anne and I went on picnics, we’d always make things like this. Your Highness, could you give me your hand for a moment?”
Dietrich, who had been watching Vivian work, extended his left hand. His pale, slender fingers came to rest in her palm.
Vivian hesitated for a moment about which finger to place the ring on, then deliberately avoided his ring finger and slipped the flower ring onto his pinky.
“Aha! Your Highness has such beautiful hands that the flower ring suits you perfectly.”
“Teach me how to make one.”
“You want to try making one too, Your Highness? It’s easier than it looks. You just pick a suitable flower and weave it like this, and like this.”
As I could tell from when he made the sandwich, Dietrich possessed remarkable dexterity. He crafted a perfectly circular flower ring.
“Your hand.”
Feeling rather like a puppy, I extended my hand to him.
Dietrich grasped it without hesitation and slipped the flower ring onto my left ring finger without a moment’s doubt.
“Yes. It suits you well too. The flower ring.”
Looking at the delicate flower bloom now resting on my ring finger, Dietrich smiled—a genuine smile for the first time. Not the faint smile he had always worn, but one where his lips curved into a proper arc.
A breeze swept past at that very moment, and the fragile petals scattered and danced away on the wind.
Tickle, tickle.
Those petals mischievously tickled my chest as they passed, and my heart fluttered in response.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————