What was that? Alejandro wondered, and touched his own chest area.
He checked to make sure he was not hurt or bleeding, and before he knew it, the girl in front of him returned her gaze from himself back to the kitten.
Alejandro, not liking this in any way, tugged on the child’s hair.
“Ouch…!”
Sure enough, that alone brought tears to the girl’s face, and Alejandro’s mood immediately soared.
It’s much better than my sister’s crying face.
And this girl has a cute smile.
No, I’ve never seen my sister’s laughing face, so I don’t know how to compare.
Satisfied that her attention returned to him, Alejandro quickly released his hand that was gripping her hair.
Then, while pulling himself together, he smiled and asked, “Are you okay?”
The girl nodded in confusion, and Alejandro then offered her a candy ball from his pocket.
“I’m sorry. I’ll give you this.”
What was the point of giving it to her? But there was no way that this girl, who was the same age as Alejandro, would have such wisdom.
And apparently this girl is very straightforward.
Seeing a candy ball in a cute wrapping paper, she immediately regained her good mood and smiled happily.
Alejandro laughed along with her.
Her crying face made Alejandro feel good, just as it did with his sister.
And this girl’s smile made him feel somewhat uplifted just by looking at her.
I found a good one.
So thought Alejandro.
Good. I’m glad I found a replacement.
I’ve been bored ever since you disappeared.
It was lonely as if there was a gaping hole in my chest. I was bored. Everyday without her, it was tinged with gray.
Ah, but here we go.
Now I can enjoy it again.
And this girl was not like her sister. Crying face isn’t the only thing that’s cute about her.
Alejandro stared into her face.
“What’s your name?”
“Natalia.”
“Natalia. Natalia, huh? I’m Alejandro.”
“A-re…?”
“Alejandro. Alejandro.”
“Are… Are… handoro.”
“Yes.”
Later, when Alejandro learned that Natalia was the daughter of a nobleman, he was disappointed that things got a bit messy.
Alejandro was a commoner and Natalia was an aristocrat, albeit a lower class one.
His father, a merchant, had told him that it was the commoner that would be punished even if it was the nobles who were at fault.
But then he could not make Natalia cry easily.
“Haa… bummer.”
But, I was happy to finally have found a treasure to replace her.
“Although I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it. Well, I’ll just do it without them finding out.”
Alejandro, now seven years old, left the house today with great excitement.
He has an appointment to play with Natalia.
From that day on, Alejandro began to take his classes seriously.
As long as Natalia was around, Alejandro could lead a happy, normal life without being frustrated.
Moreover, although poor, Natalia is a daughter of a Viscount. Her company was just what Alejandro’s parents wanted.
Now he can go visit Natalia with a big smile on his face.
“I loved the way you cried when you learned that your cat was gone.”
Alejandro stepped lightly and went to see Natalia.
I love her, I cherish her, I really can’t bear it. My little treasure.
Both her crying and smiling faces are so intriguing that it is hard to choose his favorite one.
And now, Alejandro thought, it was probably a good thing that she had the restraints of being an aristocrat.