It was dawn. Outside the window, heavy rain was pouring down, and lightning flashed.
"Leo! Leo!"
Relia jumped up in surprise at the sensation of someone shaking her awake. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Romeo with a flustered face.
"W-what. What's wrong?"
"Oscar is having another episode. We tried to call a priest but...."
At those words, Relia shot up from her bed.
Calling priests every time Oscar had an episode was impractical. If it happened repeatedly, they would suspect Oscar was possessed by a demon.
Relia grabbed an envelope from the table and ran to the next room.
The children, awakened from sleep, had turned on the light and were watching Oscar in panic.
"Oscar!"
Relia approached him—hugging his knees and trembling violently—and quickly checked his pupils.
"Oscar, it's okay. Don't listen to any sounds."
Just like before, Relia held Oscar's cheeks and gently patted them to calm him down.
"Mmh... mmmhhh...."
Whether he was seeing a hallucination, Oscar looked into empty space in fear, and tears fell endlessly from his red eyes.
Relia held Oscar's face and fixed his gaze on her.
"It's okay here. Is it because of the rain? It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Relia continued to whisper. Very slowly, Oscar's pupils began to return to normal.
"It's okay, you did well."
She breathed a sigh of relief, then brought the envelope she had brought to Oscar's nose and had him breathe slowly.
He was calming down much faster than before.
"Huu... r-rain... th-thunder sounds..."
"Are you scared of the thunder?"
At Relia's question, Oscar nodded.
"When, when it rains... father..."
It seemed that on the day that terrified Oscar, it had also rained.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just raining. Nothing will happen."
Saying that, Relia took the doll lying on the bed and gave it to him to hold.
'I didn't think it would work from the start, but....'
Oscar took the doll Relia handed him and hugged it.
"From now on, whenever you're scared and afraid, look at this one and talk to it. Like you're having a conversation with me."
"...Okay."
Relia had Oscar lie down on the bed and covered him with the blanket.
Turning her head, she saw children with pale faces.
Romeo had seen it once before, but the other children seemed to be seeing it for the first time today.
"Isn't that guy possessed by a demon?"
As Calix spoke with a twisted face, Relia whipped her head around.
Oscar seemed familiar with those words, merely blinking his eyes.
Relia went to Calix, grabbed his cheek with her hand, stretched it out, and pinched hard.
"Aaaah!"
"Watch your mouth! What demon?!"
Griffiths grabbed Relia's arm to stop her and asked.
"Then do you know why he's like that?"
"...Hoo."
Relia sighed deeply. Outside the window, the rain was still falling.
That night, Relia ended up bringing her own doll and took one spot on Romeo's bed.
And with eyes wide open, she stayed up all night talking with the four children.
Strictly speaking, Relia was mostly talking to herself. It was advice and counsel as an adult.
"Did you understand what I said? It's just trauma. You guys must have at least one thing you're afraid of too."
Romeo nodded especially vigorously.
Oscar also blinked and listened attentively, and Calix and Griffiths were quiet without much rebuttal.
"What are you most afraid of?"
Griffiths asked Relia.
"I... hmm."
If she said she was afraid of being hungry, they would think it strange. Relia thought for a moment and answered.
"I, I'm afraid of the empire's people going hungry. That's what scares me the most."
"What kind of bullshit... you really want to be a goooood emperor."
Calix frowned and criticized.
"Is that what being a crown prince is like? Definitely different."
However, Griffiths had a rather unexpected reaction.
"Then what are you guys afraid of?"
"I, I'm f-father...."
Oscar answered first to Relia's question. Next was Romeo.
"I'm... demons?"
Relia looked at Griffiths, who was next in turn.
"...I don't have any."
Even if she did, it seemed like she wouldn't say it. Relia looked at Calix next to her.
"Would I have anything to fear? I'm someone who fought off wolves that my uncle sent to kill me."
You... try learning a little fear in life....
Relia looked at him with a sour expression and shook her head.
"I, I know... what C-Calix is afraid of...."
Oscar, who had been quiet, slowly raised one hand and spoke.
"What? What is this bastard saying?"
Calix frowned even as he was flustered. Relia, as if she couldn't miss this moment, asked.
"What is it?"
"He's afraid of t-talking to w-women... L-last time, some g-girl tried to talk to him... a-and he ran away!"
"Hey, that's not true!"
Calix shot up and tried to lunge at Oscar. Romeo and Griffiths quickly grabbed each of his arms to stop him.
Relia laughed holding her belly in that situation.
After that, the five children shared various stories about likes, dislikes, and other things. It was time to get to know each other a little better.
Until morning came, the room was filled with the children's chattering voices.
Outside the window was still dark and raining, but no one paid attention to the sound of rain or thunder.
Relia had simply created this time to comfort the frightened Oscar.
But for the four children, it was a night they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Years later, even before a battle where they might lose their lives, it was a night precious enough that they could recall this time and laugh calmly.
It was an earnest and precious night that would remain in their memories for a long time.
Children grow up quickly day by day.
The five children also grew up surprisingly fast every day, and as they spent that time together, they became more familiar and closer to each other.
Thus, two years passed.