Star Child's Parenting Diary - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 16
Chapter 5. Seedlings, Seeds, and Flowers (2)
Bell woke to the gentle warmth of morning sunlight streaming through the window.
‘Kaleidoscope.’
The first thing to catch her eye was the ornate ceiling.
An antique wave pattern carved into the plaster gleamed with every color of the rainbow.
Thanks to Shusu’s visit, Ethan’s House was spotless now.
“Paaah.”
Blue.
As Bell, playing her little color-matching game and giggling to herself, turned her head, she spotted Ethan.
Even in sleep, his bad-tempered face held a slight furrow between his brows.
The kind-hearted little Bell pressed her palm firmly against Ethan’s creased forehead.
And then, smoothly—
She rubbed away his frown line with the flat of her hand, ironing it out with determined strokes.
“…What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
Ethan’s eyes opened at her persistent touch, his voice still thick with sleep.
Bell withdrew her hand from his forehead and met his gaze, then—
“Oo.”
Scrunch.
She knitted her tiny brows together and pushed out her lips in a pout.
“What. What kind of face is that supposed to be?”
“Your face. Like this.”
“I slept with a face like that?”
“Yes.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
I’m not lying.
Sticking out her lip in protest, Bell dragged herself out of bed with an exaggerated shuffle.
Ethan, now awake as well, slowly pushed himself upright.
Like a lazy lion, he opened his mouth wide and yawned enormously.
Watching him, Bell caught the yawn herself and opened her own tiny mouth.
“Yaawn.”
At the sight of her small yawn, Ethan chuckled and poked his finger into her open mouth.
“Ack!”
“Look at your hair. A sparrow could build a nest in it.”
“Stop it. Mister.”
‘Your hair looks like it could have a sparrow’s nest too!’
Bell refused to back down.
At her impudent retort, Ethan laughed again and ruffled his own hair vigorously.
At the same time, his other hand began patting down Bell’s head, though her wiry hair stubbornly refused to cooperate.
If there were a chick with wild, tangled feathers, it would look exactly like Bell.
“Come on, get up. Let’s go get breakfast.”
“Yes!”
Bell, who somehow understood the word “food” perfectly, immediately clung to Ethan’s chest.
Carrying the small, yellow little glutton, he made his way to the Bathroom, where he awkwardly splashed water on her hair and attempted to wash her face.
After that, he summoned a servant to help.
While Bell was being prepared, Ethan quickly washed himself and emerged shaking the water from his hair.
Bell had been dressed adorably by the servants’ skilled hands.
She wore a practical One-piece Dress with a cute Apron to protect against spills, and for some inexplicable reason, a Small Bag was slung across her body.
“Did they really tie a Red Ribbon in your hair?”
“Yay.”
“‘Yay’ what.”
Ethan paid no attention and playfully tugged at her twin braids, making them jingle.
Her short hair was braided so neatly and finished with the red ribbon that she looked both adorable and absurd.
“Don’t touch!”
Though Bell seemed rather annoyed.
“Stop it!”
“What are you going to do about it?”
Bell endured Ethan’s playful tugging at her braids for as long as she could, then suddenly burst into indignation.
“Mama!”
Give me food!
Bell lodged a forceful protest with Ethan, demanding he provide a meal at once.
Fortunately, Ethan complied readily with the child’s demands.
He merely toweled his damp hair dry in haste, then scooped Bell up into his arms.
On the way to the Dining Hall.
Bell took her revenge by running her fingers through Ethan’s hair in little circles.
The texture of his fine silver hair, so straight and sleek unlike her own, proved oddly addictive.
“Getting revenge?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Good girl. Keep living that way.”
“Mm-hm.”
“If someone hits you once, you kick them five times. Understand?”
“Mm-hm.”
“What excellent parenting you’re demonstrating, sir. I should report this to madam.”
Aspe, who had quietly fallen into step behind them, interjected into the conversation, only to be summarily ignored.
Setia, who had arrived early, was deep in serious conversation with Argares.
“Will this much suffice?”
“Yes. And we’ll need to start weaning her off the Diaper soon as well, so we should prepare for that too.”
“Oh, that’s right!”
It seemed Setia was in the process of receiving instruction in childcare from Argares.
Watching his diligent wife even taking notes, Ethan glanced down at Bell.
Bell, as if they’d made a pact, glanced back up at him in turn.
“When you’re off the Diaper, you’re going to need to wake up at night and pee, yeah?”
“Mmm.”
“Still thinking about it?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Tsk. Then you sleep in your own bed.”
“No.”
“What’s there to dislike? Sleep separately.”
“Scary.”
Can’t sleep alone.
Her grip tightened on Ethan’s collar as she flatly rejected his proposal.
Only Bell had the audacity to grasp his shirt with such certainty.
“Cocoa. Bathing.”
“I’m done. Aspe, order more of my nightclothes. And more bedding too.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ethan’s expression grew resolute as he braced himself for the realities of child-rearing.
Bell, as if to encourage him, patted his shoulder gently.
‘Hang in there, mister.’
“Still a baby star, I am.”
So I can’t help it.
The morning had been so peaceful that yesterday’s commotion felt like a dream.
After each had finished their afternoon tasks, the night of reckoning arrived.
Setia, who had left saying she and Bell needed to prepare, returned.
“Ethan! Look at this.”
“…Well, well. Quite the little farmer now, aren’t we?”
A smile played at the corners of Ethan’s mouth as he beheld Setia and Bell returning with such brightness.
Bell came walking, clutching Setia’s hand tightly, dressed in Brown Shorts that sat just below the knee, adorable Suspenders, and Boots that reached her ankles.
In her other hand, she carried a small Watering Can and a Seedling Shovel.
“Isn’t she cute?”
“Cute?”
Satisfied with her outfit, Bell lifted her chin proudly.
She’d already been showered with so much praise from the servants that her confidence was soaring.
But petulant Ethan had no intention of meeting her expectations.
“Let’s go.”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph. Stingy, aren’t you?”
“Mm-hm. Mean.”
As Ethan turned away coldly, denying her the praise she craved, the murmuring of two women followed behind him.
I couldn’t help but laugh, listening to gossip that wasn’t quite gossip.
The two of them were already a perfect match.
Aspe, watching his expression from beside him, muttered softly.
“My lord. If she’s cute, you should say so.”
“Be quiet.”
“You’ll be disliked if you keep sulking.”
“Every time you tease, your reaction is hilarious.”
“I’ll wager my entire fortune that the lady will tell you she dislikes you within the month.”
“What good is betting a fortune you barely have?”
“Good heavens. I’ve never heard such a thing in my life.”
A wounded Aspe joined the gossip circle.
“Every time he opens his mouth, nothing but cruel words pour out……”
“That’s what I’m saying. Why does someone raised with so much love act like that? Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
Leading the grumbling servants out to the Garden, I found Argares already waiting.
The dragon, who had scouted a spot where the moonlight fell beautifully, smiled warmly the moment he saw Bell striding out confidently.
“You’re absolutely adorable, little one.”
“Woof!”
Bell, who chirped the response cheerfully, then glared at Ethan.
‘See? Isn’t she cute?’
Disappointment welled up at Ethan’s refusal to say she was cute even once.
“What are you looking at?”
“Hmph!”
Bell turned her head sharply away from Ethan and squatted down in a spot she liked.
Ethan approached Bell’s side and bent down.
“You’re planting here?”
“Woof.”
At her still-disgruntled reply, Ethan glanced at Bell’s expression.
Her cheeks puffed out stubbornly, her gaze fixed on him in evident offense.
Bell was broadcasting her displeasure with her entire body.
“Fine, you’re cute, you’re adorable. Satisfied?”
“……Woof.”
Having finally extracted the word “cute,” Bell broke into a bright smile.
Ethan, chuckling in turn, took the Seedling Shovel from Bell’s hand.
Then he carelessly uprooted several ornamental flowers that had been planted there and tossed them aside.
He seemed entirely indifferent to whatever tears the gardener would shed tomorrow.
“That wretched temper. Do you know what a single bulb like that costs……”
Aspe carefully replanted the uprooted flowers in the soil.
Setia patted his shoulder while shining a lamp to light the way.
Regardless of that.
Ethan prepared the spot where Bell pointed to plant the Seeds.
“Right here.”
“In all my days, I never thought I’d be digging earth in the dead of night.”
The small Seedling Shovel, no larger than his palm, churned through the soil in an instant.
“Done!”
Bell, who had been watching Ethan like a supervisor, finally nodded in approval.
Bell emptied every seed from her pocket into the hole.
Ethan naturally covered it with soil, patting it gently, while Bell carefully poured water from the Watering Can over it, soaking the earth.
“Done.”
The work of planting the Seeds was now complete.
All that remained was to infuse the Seeds with Aether.
“Mister, come.”
Bell pulled Ethan’s soil-covered hand over to where the Seeds were planted and placed it there.
Then she laid her own two hands over his and quietly closed her eyes.

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