Reborn as the Princess' Knight (GL)

Chapter 68: Festival with Vivienne (XXX-END).

Kein's POV

The announcement of the several events went on until the sun was almost down. After winning third place- my girlfriend looked so out of it after hearing she didn't win tenth place as she intended.

"But the plush..." Her shoulders slumped looking at me apologetically for not winning me the plush.

I laughed a little. I haven't forgotten how competitive she can get when it comes to things like these. "It's alright Rose, you have gold now at least. We can just- buy one?" I suggested it to her and I mean there's always these toy plushies in stores.

Nothing to be worried about now.

"It's different... I wanted to win it for you, not buy it for you..." (Rose) mumbled like a little girl in a small tantrum and I laughed, patting her head.

I suppose with the way she lived, everything she did was bought for her- so it would be rare to get something for me without the use of money.

I continued patting the top of her head and that seemed to have made her feel a bit more at ease. "There, there. We loved your performance nonetheless if you won it or not."

Vivienne feels sympathetic towards her mommy so she tells me to lean in closer just so she can pull onto the sleeves of Rose's dress and tells her, "Mommy very cool! Dance... very pretty!"

Her little hands stopped pulling onto the sleeves and began patting her head too. Immediately when we patted her head both at the same time, her little sad aura went away. "You two know how to make a girl forget about her problems."

"Hehehe!" (Vivienne) and I smiled at each other feeling accomplished in making our girl happy. I whispered to my little peanut well done and Rose rejuvenated her spirits excited to the next part of our festival traveling.

"For anyone who has won a prize please come in front of the desk and claim it!"

We turned to look at an announcer telling everyone who won something to come onto the front desk. Several people had already made their way and were taking the coins, materials or plushies of their choice.

"Can you two accompany me on getting the prizes?"

"Of course."

We went to the front of the desk where the same event organizer from before was smiling widely when he noticed both of us walking in, "That was such a lovely performance-!"

He complimented Rose and while she did feel happy getting the compliment her gaze looks outstretched when she saw a dancer taking in a little frog plush happily in her arms.

The dancer stops her walking noticing Rose and gives a little clap complimenting her performance, "Hey! You're that dancer right? It was amazing! You were amazing!"

"O-Oh! Thank you?" she replies, the dancer leaves us to the event organizer who saw the whole thing.

"You're here to collect the third prize, yes?"

"That we are." I answered for Rose's sake because she's a little preoccupied but still after hearing me answer in her stead she followed next. "Y-Yes! We are."

"If I'm being honest milady- your partner here if she hadn't had made that part on the end of her dance she most likely would have won first place-! A shame that she's only gotten third." He chuckles sympathetically towards my girlfriend and then to me.

I laughed at his words thinking he was right but I assure you sir, it was definitely a shame but not in the way that you think.

Pfft! We were planning to get tenth place, not first!

"Yes- but- she was actually trying to get another prize other than the first place you see." I tell the event organizer who looks at me in a very confused manner, I mean shouldn't everyone at this point be gunning for the gold?

In this case- a princess who's been surrounded by money all her life wouldn't really give much care for it.

"Kein..." she pulls my sleeves a little embarrassed.

Ah- perhaps I overshared a little.

"Sorry about that-" I scratched the back of my head looking over to the event organizer who was about to give the pouch full of money in Rose's hands.

"What prize other than the first place was she getting, daughter of mine? Is it perhaps not enough for the lady?"

I turn to the side to see father who was done judging every other event walking forward to us with a professional smile. He saw Rose and immediately knew what was going on, "It's been a while, Miss Rose."

I could see Rose momentarily gulped seeing my father's smiling figure looking nervous. "Y-Your father... I don't think he's happy to see me." she whispers to me but I don't think father seems mad.

"No... I don't think he's mad. If he's mad he would've had his arms crossed and looked rather huffy. It's the kind of anger you wouldn't want to see." I whispered back to Rose who took another look at my father again but the same worried expression never left her face.

"Or should I say Ms. Rose Rosenguard, quite a mouthful to say but it suits you." He said teasingly at Rose and looked at Vivienne who was in my arms softly.

"Grampa!" (Vivienne) calls out to him asking for an upsie with her hands raised up in the air.

"I think she wants you to hold her, Father." I carefully offered Vivienne to Baron Hills who suddenly had some flowery effect all over his face when he heard the little girl call him grandpa.

"Oh I've missed you so, judging all of these wonderful artists and their work was rather draining." (Baron Hills) takes little Vivienne from me and into his arms, cradling her like a little baby. "Seeing my granddaughter is calming my nerves."

"Milord-! You're here!" The event organizer sees my father looking so-

How can I say this... He saw the one and only Baron Hills being grandfatherly around Vivienne that it surprised him because usually he's a man of elegance and professionalism.

There was never a moment of time where his workers saw him acting all spoiling towards anyone because there wasn't a time where was spoiling towards me... okay maybe not in a sense like Vivienne's but Baron Hills is quite generous.

"Yes, I'm here because I've judged my daughter's partner who was participating in one of the events seeing that she has one third place. I wanted to congratulate her." He tells us looking so relaxed and carefree while holding Vivienne on his arm who was trying to get Father's hat.

"However, hearing that she was not aiming for the top prize, I was intrigued."

"Baron Hills, sir-" (Rose) decided to talk head on with my father even using the word 'sir'. Someone of royalty like her would never normally use it but it gained some respect back from my father because even after knowing that she's a princess.

She knew that she didn't need to keep up using something like that, because if she stopped my father would understand why- but she wanted to.

Her principles were still the same.

"I believe... I'm not one to be used to something of the word 'sir' when it comes to your presence Miss Rose. I am no one but a humble Baron after all." He replies bowing his head a little but she shakes her head and proceeds to tell my father that he was wrong.

"You are... Kein's father and someone worthy of it. The things you've done to help the people of [Puronia] doesn't go unnoticed- sir." (Rose) tells Baron Hills who chuckles a little and looks at the event organizer.

"Tell me, what prize were you hoping to win?" He looks at the long list of gold and the pouch that was offered for the winning of third place consisting of about two hundred gold coins that could last someone about four months for their living expenses. "You weren't here for the gold were you?"

Sharp as always father.

"How did you know- I wasn't-"

"Let's be frank, Miss Rose... I believe you have no use for them but... then were you hoping for something else? Is that why you made a huge blunder at your dance in the very end to lower your score?" (Baron Hills) was hitting every fact that there was on Rose's plan that I was having problems holding my smile because of how right my father was at everything.

"Well then since you've asked- sir. I was hoping to get... one of those frog plushies you were offering for the tenth placer below for..." (Rose) takes a deep breath holding onto her shawl and hides her face- I could feel her getting a little embarrassed knowing what the next words were going to be so I bite my lip unconsciously. "For your daughter, sir."

Father wore the same expression but I could see there was a faint smile on his face.

"For my daughter?"

"Yes... for your daughter."

Vivienne looks at us three before taking in the silence that was lasting for a few seconds before hearing my father chuckle softly at Rose. "Alright, you can  have my daughter and the frog plush for today. We've missed you, Miss Rose."

Rose blinks a few times checking to see if she's heard everything right.

"See? My father doesn't hate you." I tell her reassuringly to which she breathes a big sigh of relief hearing that Father doesn't hate her in any way. "Thank goodness..." (Rose)

"On the contrary I'm being careful since I don't want my daughter's heart to be broken once more. I trust my daughter but don't make me regret trusting you once more, Miss Rose." He leans over to Rose and I trust father to not do anything out of line and his next words really... made my day.

"I don't like seeing her cry." (Baron Hills) warns Rose who nods affirmingly at the words of Baron Hills.

"I don't like it either, sir- I... I won't make the same mistake again." (Rose) nervously replies, my father nodding in satisfaction holding Vivienne in his arms.

"Well then please take the gold back and exchange it for a little frog plushie would you? Give it to the girl who has earned that prize." (Baron Hills) tells the event organizer who smiled, going under the desk and taking a dark green frog plush before presenting it to the table. "Actually how many are in there- I want one for my granddaughter as well."

Rose takes the first plush and hands it to Baron Hills who accepts it gratefully before the event organizer gives the second one to where my girlfriend shyly offers it to me as she holds it in her hand firmly, hiding her face behind it. "For you, Kein. I know you love frogs so-"

"That's why I wanted to win it at all costs."

...

I feel a little shy now.

I remembered the times where she would compete with the frog to gain my affection but now she's using the frog to gain my affection- this should be illegal because my heart is not prepared for such a move.

"A-Aren't you going to take it?"

"Shut up! I'm going to-! Don't rush me!"

I take the frog plush from her arm and wrapped it around mine. I feel like a high school girl getting a teddy bear on valentines- gosh if I would've known that it would be this embarrassing I wouldn't have done this in public.

"Moma and Mommy... flirting? Right grampa?"

Urk! If you don't use your words correctly Vivienne I'm considering making sure you won't have desserts for the whole week. We are flirting but I don't like getting called on it.

"Vivienne, my dear, where did you learn such a thing?" (Baron Hills) asked in worry, turning to me with a glare. "Kein-"

"It's not from me! I swear!" I defended myself because I've known from the fact that Vivienne is already equipped with that knowledge even before we got her!

Father stares at Rose suspiciously but denies the accusation of it as well. "Not from me either!"

"Well then I'll be going with my granddaughter for some bonding time with grandpa. How about you two go on with the rest of the night to continue your date?" (Baron Hills) takes Vivienne placing her above his shoulders. Vivienne giggles slightly looking down on how high she was on that shoulder. "I've always wanted to do this with one of my grandkids one day."

"You're alright taking care of Vivienne for a while, Father?"

I mean I would love to continue the date but I also mind seeing Vivienne have fun at her first experience at a festival. Though it looks like she's still looking for fun, excited to be in father's shoulders. "Of course, and I know the Mistral dance will take place under the moonlight however I know that time will be past this little one's bedtime. Best to get her home and just play some games."

"T-Thank you so much for taking care of her sir." (Rose) says her thanks towards father and I did the same.

Father gave this same look whenever he would stare at his wife's portraits when he had the chance. I could feel he sees something familiar with the way he looked at us-

"You two... take your time, love is nothing to be rushed. How about you take your time to get to know each other once more? And see the Mistral dance performance." (Baron Hills) suggests before patting my head leaving Vivienne who waves her hand while she sat on father's shoulders happily.

"Bye Moma! Mommy! Swee you at home!"

We waved back to our little girl before looking at each other, and the direction of the church.

Mistral dance...

Looks like that's where we'll be heading to go.