Lullaby
It’s late at night, the moon has risen directly above.
Entrusting Volsung with the night watch, Meluerina was about to lie down. Dirkhert who should have been sleeping returned to the two.
“Dirk-sama, what’s the matter?”
Because he should be already sleeping for a long time, Meluerina tilts her head and asks her little master who came while hugging Chocola. At times like these, Dirkhert naturally relies on Meluerina. Volsung watches the two silently.
“You see, I can’t fall asleep. Melu, sing me a song.”
Just as one thought, the words leaving Dirkhert’s mouth were dependent on Meluerina.
She got a gist of why he’s awake in the middle of the night. Therefore, Meluerina immediately replies “I understand”, she leaves the watch to Volsung and goes to the carriage with Dirkhert.
And after a while, Meluerina’s singing voice could be heard.
The song familiar to Volsung lasted only for a moment before pausing. Dirkhert probably fell asleep.
Meluerina too will go to sleep, alone until the dawn, huh. Volsung stares at the flame in the fireplace.
While absentminded, he heard a voice. Meluerina who should have been sleeping inside the carriage appeared.
“What’s wrong? Weren’t you going to rest?”
Volsung sleeps in the morning because of the night watch. He expected it to be like that today as well, but she got up and sat next to Brother-in-law.
“After singing that song after a long time, I have recalled the past and became nostalgic……”
“…… I see.”
The past Meluerina is talking about is her childhood.
When the little sister-in-law couldn’t sleep, Volsung would sing lullaby by her side. That song is precisely the one Meluerina sang just now.
She must have remembered her childhood while singing the lullaby to Dirkhert.
“Say, Brother-in-law-sama. Won’t you sing just like in the old days? Just a bit is fine……”
Saying such, Meluerina leaned her head against Volsung’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
While feeling the weight and warmth of her leaning, Volsung started singing just as she requested.
Brother-in-law’s song she hadn’t heard for a long time reached her ears. His voice calmed Meluerina’s heart and wondrously made her feel at ease.
It was just several minutes, but it was enough.
Meluerina who shut her eyes shows no signs of opening them. Only her peacefully sleeping breath is audible.
It’s rare for her to sleep next to someone else. It only means that she trusts Volsung that much.
Volsung quietly lifted Meluerina in his arms and took her inside the carriage.
He lowers her next to Dirkhert who’s hugging Chocola and covers her with a blanket.
“…… Goodnight, Melu.”
So you sleep peacefully.
Making such wish, he presses his lips to her forehead.