Chapter 11
Chapter 11
For me?" Lara stared blankly at the single fairy tale book on the desk before murmuring her question belatedly. Breina nodded. "Of course. Miss, there's something inside. Would you like to take a look?" At Breina's words, Lara examined the book more closely and spotted a postcard tucked inside the red ribbon wrapped around its cover. Hesitating, she carefully pulled it out. Her name was written on the postcard. "Lara." Lara softly read her name aloud from the card. And then, "...
Theodor." She read Theodor's name beside it. In the bottom right corner was his bold signature, starting with a sweeping T. 'Theodor' is written like this. So that's what Theo's handwriting looks like. It's beautiful. Lara unconsciously traced the part with Theo's writing with her fingertip. "What fairy tale could it be?" "......" "Come on, untie the ribbon." Marsha spoke gently, noticing that the young miss—who had seemed oddly listless since Claude's visit yesterday—was clearly delighted now. As Lara untied the red ribbon, the fairy tale book's glossy leather cover came into view. Flipping open the thick cover revealed pages filled with stunning illustrations. The intricate black-and-white drawings featured a massive wolf alongside a fox, bear, cat, mouse, rabbit, and all sorts of forest animals gathered together. "Wow..." Lara gasped without thinking. Lara knew that the younger children at Laden Orphanage could read better than she could. A fairy tale book at her age? It probably wasn't normal. She felt ashamed of her illiteracy relative to her age. But the moment the fairy tale book opened, Lara forgot all such embarrassment, lost in the vivid, delicate world it revealed. "My goodness, Miss. The illustrations are wonderful. I like this white weasel here—what about you?" Marsha beamed, pointing to a small weasel. At the tip of her finger was indeed a pure white weasel. Lara nodded, entranced, and in that instant, she was fully immersed in the book. "Ah, Master Theodor." Marsha looked up as Theodor entered Lara's room. But Lara seemed oblivious even to Marsha's voice. Theodor nodded in greeting and approached Lara without a word, watching her a bit longer as she was captivated by the book's colorful drawings. Exchanging glances with Breina, Marsha tactfully pretended to organize the bookshelves and stepped back. Theodor set down another gift he was holding on Lara's desk. Only then did Lara notice the presence and lift her head. "Theo." Lara glanced between the fairy tale book and Theodor before speaking softly. "Thank you." She likes it, from the look in her eyes. For her to thank him personally over a single fairy tale book... she still had a long way to go. Theodor exhaled lightly and directed her gaze to the gift on the desk. "Open it." Lara hesitated but unwrapped the gift at his words. Inside the pretty paper was not a pencil, but colored pencils. Lara's eyes widened at the dozens—easily fifty—of pencils in every color, and she murmured, "This is..." "Since the illustrations are black-and-white, you can fill in the colors in your spare time." Understanding the intent, Lara said in dismay, "But if I touch such a beautiful book, it'll get ruined. I've never done anything like this before. I don't want to ruin the gift from you, Theo." It was surprising to see her stammer through such a long sentence in her flustered voice. Why did this little human child only become so talkative at times like this? It was the longest thing she'd said to him yet. "If you've never done it before, now's the time." Theodor presented the solution casually, leaving Lara speechless with her mouth closed. Sitting beside her, arms crossed, he said, "Draw something. If drawing's hard, write letters." Is this a command from Theo? With slight hesitation, Lara awkwardly picked up a colored pencil. She didn't even check the color, but knowing he was watching made her heart race. She held the pencil, but her mind kept going blank. Draw something? What? She'd never drawn before. The open illustration was so beautiful in itself that Lara could hardly bring herself to touch it. After leaving her for a moment, Theo counted silently—one, two, three—then let out a short breath. Theodor leaned in slightly and took hold of Lara's hand. 'Ah.' She felt the texture of the black leather gloves he always wore—smooth, soft, and slightly cool. Theodor's hand, gripping hers which held the colored pencil, moved naturally, and Lara had no choice but to follow his lead. Guiding her hand, Theodor wrote something in the blank space of the illustration. [Lara] Lara stared blankly as her name—the same one from the postcard—appeared again in elegant script. Right beside Lara's name was a small rabbit illustration. Behind the rabbit loomed a massive wolf. The enormous wolf, filling two full pages, seemed profoundly mysterious and beautiful in contrast to the tiny rabbit. "Now write my name." Theodor spoke and loosened his grip slightly so she could move on her own. 'Theo's name?' Lara panicked briefly but soon moved her hand slowly. She'd already memorized his name from the postcard the moment she saw it. Feeling the strange sensation of his large hand yielding to her movements, Lara slowly wrote Theo's name. It was crooked, but legible. [Theodor] As Lara slowed to a stop after spelling it correctly, Theodor kept guiding her hand. [Theodor Diarc]'Diarc...''Diarc' is written like this. This is Theo's family name. At Laden Orphanage, Lara had been just 'Lara' without a surname. Only the director, teachers, and kids like Helen had ever called her name. "Now write your surname." In that moment, Theo's voice felt like it had read her innermost thoughts. Lara's eyes trembled slightly. "I don't know it." Saying she didn't know her surname to Theodor was hard for Lara. She felt so foolish just admitting it. Theodor gazed at one of Lara's eyes, so like his own, and said, "Why not?" "...
I'm sorry." Theodor silently watched Lara avert her gaze and apologize, then turned to the fairy tale book. He guided her hand again, writing something beside Lara's name. Lara, unable to pull away, followed the pencil's path in a daze. Something began to be added after her name near the small rabbit. [Lara Diarc] Lara Diarc. Lara read the surname appended to her name over and over. "You're Lara Diarc." "......" "Always remember the surname now attached to your name. It'll protect you. You're a child of the Diarc Family." A child of the Diarc Family. It felt like receiving something too immense to bear. Like her small cup wasn't just overflowing but spilling over. Like swallowing a mouthful of cold snow—an unfamiliar sensation she'd never felt before. Was Lara the kind of child who could accept something like this? Was she truly allowed to enjoy all this? Skinny to the point of ugliness, eyes that brought misfortune and unsettled people, rough hair, and uneducated to boot—Lara saw herself as utterly worthless. "You belong to the Diarc Family, and belonging to the Diarc Family means you're under my protection." Only then did Lara raise her head. Theo's red eyes, steady and unyielding, fixed on her. "Do you understand?" The Diarc surname now behind her name. And belonging to the Diarc Family. 'I might not be worthy now. But if I try hard, maybe someday...' Lara sincerely hoped Theodor wouldn't regret bringing her here or giving her his family name. So, looking at Theodor, Lara spoke. She finally knew what to say. "My name is..." Lara's mismatched eyes held Theo. "Lara Diarc." Theo met the child's gaze head-on and smiled in satisfaction. "Good." Lara Diarc. That day was the first time something appeared after Lara's name.