CWMBR 155

Chapter 155

***

She hoped he wouldn't come, but Ain showed up again today.

Lately, he seemed determined to keep his word about avoiding Bridget's notice, moving through the Grand Theater even more quietly. Though whether he realized it or not, he was a man whose presence simply couldn't be ignored.

Bridget found him far too easily and had to consciously force herself to look away. When her irritation boiled over from trying to ignore him—wondering why she even had to make this effort—she would abruptly demand an apology. Ain readily offered it to her.

Those apologies sometimes touched on the time they'd wandered around Glynford together, or the period she'd stayed alone in Breford. Sometimes it surfaced after they'd returned to Glynford via Pastore Abbey. All those apologies referenced more specific incidents than expected, yet strangely, they always seemed to miss the point.

Bridget didn't bother pointing that out. More accurately, she didn't want to face that point.

Because if he apologized for something like making her pregnant, she wouldn't be able to bear it. She'd rather not hear him talk about the baby at all than listen to something like that.

"Three years isn't a short time, after all."

Bridget gently said to Sanne, pretending not to notice Ain's presence as she looked away. They stood in the lobby, exchanging a few words about their recent lives. The conversation took longer than expected because people who recognized Sanne kept interrupting to greet her.

"The performance will start soon. Let's move inside."

Sanne shrugged her shoulders and turned away. Gilum, who was about to follow her, suddenly spoke to Bridget in a low voice.

"Since I'm here, I plan to enjoy the local festival and stay for a few days. I know you're busy, but could you spare some time for tea?"

"You've come all this way, of course…………….."

Bridget, who had been smiling and about to reply, faltered. She had sensed commotion near the entrance.

"I'm sorry, but let's talk later."

Bridget quickly crossed the lobby. She saw several staff members in uniforms looking around.

"What's going on?"

"Ah, Madam President. We received a report that a child is missing."

"A child?"

Frowning, Bridget scanned the area. Because light refreshments were set out in the lobby and around the building, people were crowded everywhere she looked. Everywhere she turned, there were only adult guests.

"How old? Description? Where did they say they lost them? No, where are the child's parents?"

She didn't have to look far. A woman holding a newborn baby was frantically looking around. Her eyes brimming with tears, she seemed overwhelmed, trying to soothe the crying baby in her arms. Bridget quickly approached her.

"You lost your child? Did you come alone?"

"Oh! Please help me find my baby! He was definitely right beside me just a moment ago......!"

From her frantic words, it seemed she had briefly stepped into the Grand Theater lobby after encountering someone she knew while passing by. But because the crowd was so dense, her three-year-old firstborn had vanished the moment she looked away. It appeared she had sought help because the building was completely open due to the charity performance, leaving too many places for a small child to wander off into.

"He couldn't have gone far. It's just that with all the people, you can't see him. He's probably nearby. The staff are out looking for him."

Such words couldn't reach the ears of the mother who had lost her child. As she wandered the lobby, constantly patting her crying baby, Bridget also hurriedly stepped outside the building. She intended to ask the police officer patrolling the street for help.

The festival crowds meant more patrol officers should have been visible, yet none were immediately in front of the building. Bridget scanned the area, circling the building toward the riverbank. There, hidden from view by the building and trees, she spotted an officer talking to someone.

"A child this small couldn't have come alone."

"If you take him to the nearby patrol station, they can find his parents."

"His parents must be nearby. You want me to take him to the patrol station?"

"Important guests are visiting the Grand Theater right now. It's difficult to cause a major disturbance. Besides, this is standard procedure when we find lost children…”

"I'm not causing a disturbance. I'm going inside to find the child's parents."

"No parents would bring such a young child to see a play. The festival parade just passed by; they were probably mixed in with it."

"Then stop the parade. I'll compensate for any losses caused by halting it."

"Excuse me?"

Before the officer, who frowned as if hearing utter nonsense, stood a tall man holding a small child with confidence. The baby’s face was slightly stiff, but it clung securely to the man’s neck. Bridget locked eyes with the child, who was nestled against the man’s shoulder, chin resting on his arm.

It was a strange sight. Bridget had never even playfully imagined the picture of that man and the baby existing together. She had believed such a scene was forever impossible.

Overcome by a peculiar feeling, Bridget watched the man's form as she slowly took a step forward.

"If you're that child's parent, I think I know you."

"Chief!"

The officer, who had been frowning at Ain, looked up at Bridget with a bright smile. The man standing with his back to her also turned around. Ain, who had been speaking coldly to the officer moments before, stiffened noticeably the instant he saw Bridget.

“Officer Boldwey. Thank you for your efforts in maintaining security at the Grand Theater. But you needn’t stop a child who’s lost their parents.”

“Ah, I received word that the Mayor would be attending the morning performance…”

“The Mayor wouldn’t stop a child searching for their parents either.”

Bridget replied calmly and turned her gaze away. The child blinked, looked at Bridget, then buried his face in his hands as if hiding. Ain, who had reflexively patted the child's back as if trying to calm him, spoke as if making an excuse.

"I caught him because he was running toward the road, but I couldn't see his parents anywhere nearby……………"

"The child's mother is looking for him in the lobby. She didn't seem to know the child had gone outside."

Ain nodded at Bridget's words and gave a subtle nod toward the officer.

"Ah, I see. This officer said I couldn't bring the child into the main theater, so I couldn't take him in."

At that, the officer jumped up and quickly waved his hands.

"No, that's not it! I was saying there probably aren't any guests who brought their kids to watch the play!"

"You stopped me before I could even check. Even with a new police chief, the officers' work ethic is still just as lax."

"Lax? What do you mean……………!"

"We should take the child somewhere safe first."

Bridget cut the officer off rather coldly, reaching out as if to take the child. But seeing the child's look of intense wariness, she quickly gave up and turned away. The officer pressed his hand to his forehead with an embarrassed expression. Ain let out a snort before following after Bridget. Of course, when Bridget heard the sound and glanced back, he immediately averted his gaze.

The child's mother, who had been frantically searching the wrong building, was terrified upon hearing the child had been found outside.

After calming the mother, who was almost half-out of her mind as she thanked them, and calling a carriage to send the exhausted woman off, the bustling lobby grew quiet. The performance had started, and everyone had gone inside to watch.

"Hah……………."

Bridget sighed. Normally, she should have briefly greeted the key figures before the performance, but she had long since missed that timing. She would have to explain the situation after the play ended. It would be better to quickly handle the other matter she had originally intended to do now. As Bridget roughly adjusted today's schedule in her head, she suddenly glanced to the side.

"Please get a refund for your ticket. I'll tell the staff."

"It's fine."

"Thanks to you, we avoided a major problem. This is our way of compensating you."

Ain fell silent for a moment at her firm refusal. Then, cautiously, he spoke.

"If the next performance schedule for the play that went up today is set, I'd like to exchange this ticket for that one."

"The opera is a month from now…………………"

"No, I mean the play currently running at the small theater."

Bridget paused, staring intently at Ain.

"There isn't one."

"………………Then it's fine. I don't need compensation. I just stepped in because I was worried about the child. You don't need to worry about it."

"You were worried about the child? You?"

A faint sneer mingled with the voice that asked the question without thinking. Ain pressed his lips tightly together at Bridget's reaction. It was utterly ridiculous that it seemed like she'd spoken those words with genuine sincerity. So Bridget found herself bringing up a topic she'd thought she'd never want to mention.

"You should have worried about my child like that."

Ain's face turned deathly pale. Seeing that expression, Bridget clenched her teeth and continued.

"Instead of buying useless things and hoarding them...!”

Barely suppressing the rising tone in her voice, she gasped for breath and spun away. She was consciously holding back her emotions, reminding herself that today was an important event day, that this was a grand theater, and that guests and staff were milling about in the lobby. But then, a subdued voice reached her from behind.

"The child………………"

"Stop it."

Bridget cut him off sharply.

"I've had enough apologies for today. I've got plenty to do anyway, so stop fussing and just go."