Thought it would be a shame to let this story die off and Circa has been MIA for a few months so hopefully they won’t mind if take a few chapters under my wing and revive it, right? Plus reading some of the latest reviews make me unbearably curious (bitter sweet!? what!???) as I have not sneaked a peek to the end yet so my curiosity is itching. >.
Anyways, enjoy this cute side story about Levin!! My condolences to readers at the end tho lol
※About Levin FitzroyA/N: I fixed the summary.
I thought about the story as I was writing when I first started, and since I went astray…… I might have to change it again.
Levin Fitzroy had somewhat spiky reddish brown hair, scarlet eyes that you involuntarily gazed at, and with a young well featured face that was promised to turn into an ikemen in the future he was a 6 year old boy.
Even if he was born as the eldest son of a fallen n.o.ble family.
Retrospectively the Fitzroy house was endowed with fortune, wealth and authority, but now there was only the vestiges; all that was left was pretty much the big castle that lasted them for generations.
They did not have the wealth to employ a number of people, so the castle could only decline.
Because all it had was size, a heavy gloom floated in the air.
Even though everyone knew of the Fitzroy house"s circ.u.mstances, Levin"s parents, especially his mother was still coated in vanity, lived gloriously buying and gathering dresses and gems until they acc.u.mulated debt.
「The Fitzroy house is auspiciously remembered by the King and possessing great honor. As that house"s current madam, how could I show a crude appearance? Wearing the same dress twice, I am not a person who would do such a humiliating thing.」
That was the madam"s favorite phrase, and everyone knew of the Fitzroy house"s downfall to poverty.
Rather, dressing up in half-baked dresses and jewels, the surrounding impressions were ones of scorn.
But the madam didn"t notice it
「My, madam. That dress is quite something～」
To those ridicule filled words of praise
「Yes. It"s something I had made for tonight with a tailor I am on good terms with. It was custom made.」
Pitifully, she responded with glee.
Even though those wives with good taste knew that the dress was secondhand goods and were only rousing her.
The madam did not notice she was the object of scorn, nor that she was being laughed at with a variety of sneers, but Levin who accompanied her was different.
He recognized his house"s financial state and circ.u.mstances, also the situation that their surroundings were looking down on them.
He had tried various times to remonstrate his mother, but the madam did not hold it in her ears.
Only to her child"s candid advice, the madam commiserated with herself and cried.
To not even be able to satisfy myself with purchasing these dresses and jewels that aren"t even expensive, oh how pitiable an existence I am! she said.
Levin eventually looked at his mother, who although did not have the wealth but racked up debt with her vanity, with eyes of resignation and pity.
Even though she was his blood related mother, he couldn"t understand her mentality at all.
Why couldn"t she satisfy herself with something else?
Why, when she gazed upwards and thought of the old days, would she grieve meaninglessly?
Why was she not putting in any effort?
The ones who were pitiable were the servants whose wages were overdue for payment due to his mother"s extravagance. They also had their own lives and times when they needed to buy dresses.
Why was mother so self centered?
Due to the madam"s repeated waste unsuitable for her position, the ones struggling to make a living were not only their employees, but also Levin.
Although he was young, he was well versed in hardships.
There were times when Levin would be called to attend the birthday parties of children his age, but the necessary present wasn"t prepared by the madam.
Madam must"ve thought that since the other party was a child it was fine to go without a present in hand, but there were times when children were more susceptible and cruel than adults.
Ehー There"s no presentー? Did you plan to just come and eat? Go away.
He was told that by the leading child.
To those words, Levin"s face turned bright red and could only he hang his head in shame.
It was unbearably humiliating.
But no matter how many times he informed the madam, she wasn"t able to comprehend it.
The madam didn"t stop attending birthday gatherings. Once again she half coerced Levin and dragged him along.
Feeling inferior that they were going empty handed, as a last resort Levin entered the dangerous hills and fields alone and picked flowers.
He tied it together with a ribbon he took from his mother"s room and turned it into a bouquet.
But the girl who he gave it to said
「What is this garbage. I don"t want it.」
and refused to take it, slapping away Levin"s hand and dropping the bouquet to the floor.
After grinding the bouquet under her feet, she huffed off to her parents with her heart seething in rage.
Levin received quite a shock from the girl"s behavior, but as he looked at the mountain of expensive sweets, toys and flowers gifted upon her as presents, he resigned himself that it was no use.
What the girl felt was pure rage.
She must have thought he was making a fool out of her giving her those field flowers.
Although they didn"t have money, the madam did not decline any invitations.
He was cursed at if they went empty handed, but even if he prepared a frugal present he would still provoke their anger.
The young Levin"s destination went dark.
And once again, a birthday party invitation was delivered.
Helplessly, Levin went to the mountain to pick flowers once again.
It’s inevitable even if they throw it away again, he thought while giving up, but to his presented flowers, the leading girl of the birthday party, the young daughter of the Norfolk house accepted it delightfully from the bottom of her heart.
Even though she had much more expensive presents that those weeds, the girl carried the tiny bouquet preciously and smiled, thank you! blooming like a flower.
Spinning around, making merry while burying her face in the bouquet, she enjoyed its fragrance.
Levin solidified at the Norfolk house"s daughter who gave an unfathomable reaction, and the adults in the surroundings watched over the two with smiles.
Levin was dumbfounded at the irregular circ.u.mstances different from usual; the girl who rejoiced in his present and the favorable gazes of his surroundings.
In front of the bewildered Levin, as the girl laughed kya kya she gently stroked the ribbon wrapped around the flowers.
「B-Being so pleased over such cheap flowers, you"re a weirdo!」
Wordless feelings piling up within Levin, he sputtered out words to hide his embarra.s.sment and fled.
The girl didn"t seem to mind Levin"s contradicting behavior and manners, and until the party ended she carried Levin"s bouquet, treating it dearly.
Every time he secretly glanced at her, Levin"s heart beat quickly.
Even after returning home, Levin"s heart did not settle down.
He was unable to forget the girl with honey colored hair and eyes who was much cuter than the wild flowers.
Levin crawled into bed while recalling the girl"s smile in his mind, and thought.
When he went to pick flowers, he found a beautiful white flower blooming on a cliff.
Though his hand couldn"t reach he gave up on it, but if he gave it to her then would she be more joyed, he wondered.
Thinking so Levin, unable to dawdle around, left his house as soon as night lifted and entered the mountain.
As expected there was a beautiful flower blooming on the cliff.
White, graceful and charming, just like that girl, so Levin thought, and he wanted it more than ever.
While knowing it was dangerous he set out on the cliff and stretched his hand towards the flower.
Just a little more, just a little more and his hand would reach.
Determining so Levin tread his body further and further along the ledge, slipped on a stone slick with morning dew and tumbled off the cliff.
P.S. RIP readers lol