His craving grew so intense it froze his thoughts completely. Right at that moment, Hazel knocked and stepped in timidly. "I just wanted to give you a small gift."
As for Luca, a child who had only just turned five, the one thing the boy longed to hold on to more than anything was that faint trace of warmth still carrying his mother's scent. While farming that afternoon, Hazel had noticed that Luca's stuffed rabbit, Lulu, had gotten completely filthy. So she planned to sneak in a quick wash of the little rabbit for him that night while they bathed. So she suggested to Luca that they bring Lulu along to bathe today.
To her surprise, the boy panicked instantly. "No way. Lulu smells like Mom. You can't wash that away."
That innocent remark suddenly brought back memories of Hazel's own childhood. Her mother had passed away for good when she was only in second grade. Before she left, she'd filled an entire refrigerator with food. But the little girl she'd once been had clung to it so tightly that she never dared eat any of it, even after it had all gone bad. That gnawing longing for a mother — Hazel understood it completely.
Luna and Luca right now were only about the same age as kindergarteners. These two children must miss their mother terribly, so she gave up on the idea of washing Lulu. It was Luca's one and only keepsake, after all. But she could still make up for some of the love and warmth missing from their parents. "Whatever you two want, just tell me straight. Deal?"
The moment she finished speaking, Luca immediately came up with an idea, and Hazel promised firmly that she'd make it happen the very next day.
The next day, she brought the two still sleepy children to the breakfast table. The Grand Duke, as always, ate quietly. Hazel's cooking today gave off a warmth like a fireplace glowing in the dead of winter. And yet the atmosphere felt strangely off. The two children weren't just unusually well behaved. They kept staring intently at him. Normally, they'd have been hollering and chattering by now, dropping their forks and spoons with a clatter more than once. It wasn't until he lifted his cup of water again that he finally noticed. Hazel, standing nearby, was also gesturing for them to be quiet.
The Grand Duke had no idea what the two of them were up to, but he deliberately ate some cabbage anyway, just to see if the kids would follow suit. Sure enough, seeing this, the two little ones stared in wide-eyed astonishment. And then, to his surprise, both of them shut their eyes and swallowed a bite of cabbage whole.
Luna immediately shouted out, "I win!"
The reaction left the Grand Duke baffled. "Win? At what, exactly?"
And on top of that, Hazel stood there clapping enthusiastically. "What in the world is going on here?" he finally asked, only then realizing the children had been playing a game of copying their big brother.
Hazel explained with a small smile that children often watch and learn table manners from the adults around them. Most importantly, the Grand Duke's own table manners happened to be flawless. Hearing the flattery, he immediately puffed up with pride. "Well, there really is no finer role model than myself. So then, tonight's reward will be a bedtime fairy tale for you two. How does that sound?"
"Aren't you leaving tomorrow?" Hazel reminded him. "Besides, you really ought to ask the children what they actually want."
Hearing that, the Grand Duke obediently walked over to the table and cleared his throat. "So, are you two nice and full now? Now then, let's figure out today's winner. First, Luna. Today you bravely ate something you don't like. Truly a shining example for every noble in the empire. And Luca, today you didn't drop your fork even once, and you even bravely tried something you hate. It's honestly too close to call. So today you're both winners. So, what reward would you two like? But mind you, asking for chocolate, sleeping in, or skipping lessons is off the table."
What the Grand Duke never expected was just how simple, how heartbreakingly modest the children's request would be. All they wanted was to play with their big brother. They didn't even ask to go to some extravagant amusement park. All they needed was to stay right in the room, throw a blanket over themselves, and start play-acting, laughing their heads off. Even though doing all this in front of others felt a little embarrassing, holding both children in his arms, he genuinely felt happier than he had in a long time.
Worn out from playing, the children were snoring the moment their heads hit the pillow. The Grand Duke had to go back and finish up his paperwork before setting off on campaign. All this time, he'd been convinced the children didn't like spending time with him. Hazel gently explained that the children understood perfectly well how busy he was, but deep down they truly loved every moment they got to spend with him. They noticed that whenever they played together, he kept glancing at the door and checking the clock. Didn't he realize the children were always secretly watching his expression?
It was only then that the Grand Duke suddenly remembered. Every so often, the children would hesitantly ask, "Big brother, are you really busy? Wait until we're asleep before you go back to work, okay?"
It was only now that he finally realized he hadn't been such a good big brother after all.
"So once you make it home safe, no matter how buried you are in work, please set aside a little time to play with the children. In those moments, please set your work aside and just be their big brother."
With that, Hazel placed into his hands a necklace she herself had braided. "May the gods grant their blessing, and may you return home safely."