Chapter 92

“Hahaha, when did our princess learn to do this…”

[…..This mother and daughter pair never changes, huh.]

“Right? Even when you see us, Selene, you think that we’re….”

[Always saying to enjoy living today and only today, like tomorrow doesn’t exist, that is.]

“………”

Snap.

Just like how I’d immediately stopped crying, I automatically stopped laughing.

Putting down Haniel from my arms, I belatedly sat with my arms around my knees, but I couldn’t deceive Selene’s eyes.

[Don’t act gloomy when you’re not. That would only work on His Majesty the Emperor.]

“But if I smile, you’ll say something about that too.”

[Then should I praise you for being able to smile well in this situation?]

Though Selene was crying out her complaints like this, she wasn’t exactly being unreasonable.

Immediately tomorrow, he’d really said to bring Haniel along, but I was completely lost on just how I’d bring this small child there.

I’d thought maybe I could forcefully have her sleep and bring her in a basket, but if I did that and she woke up in the middle, then she might be even more shocked and be petrified.

[Mommy, what’sh wong?]

“Hmm?”

Sensitive to my emotions, Haniel became greatly anxious again. Actually, Haniel was the one who’d looked down since yesterday, not me.

“Haniel, Teacher Darren taught you ‘forever,’ right?”

[Yeesh, I like Teacher Dawwen! Sho cool!]

“Then what about Lady Melleo?”

[Um, that’sh….]

As I thought, that granny was the problem, huh.

Though I had suspected it, my heart broke when I saw my child’s face falling quickly. To be honest, Lady Melleo was meticulous, but she wasn’t the type of person to intentionally make someone’s life hard. It was just that as a noble, her pride was rather aloof, and so the embarrassment she’d gotten from that day must’ve been a huge wound to her.

‘But she’s being so obvious about it!’

To tender-hearted Haniel, one chilly look, or a sharp word, from anyone was enough to hurt her greatly.

Of course, the man who’d brought all this trauma was far from hurt himself—I’d personally witnessed his high spirits today as well.

[Teacher Merong scawy. As scawy as Empewor bwother.]

“My goodness, that much?”

The maximum value that Haniel could express appeared. If she was mentioning her oldest brother, who was basically the final boss in terms of scariness, then it meant that she was very frightened.

“Then do you want to stop going to school now?”

[But… Then I can’t shee Teacher Dawwen.]

“….Oh, my baby.”

Don’t tell me you resemble your nanny.

With mixed feelings, I brushed Haniel’s head as she revealed her affection for her teacher very early.

Anyway, even I could see that Teacher Darren really had a handsome appearance with a personality that couldn’t be warmer.

‘If only that man took after even just half—no, half of a half of him.’

Picturing the person who naturally sprang up in my thoughts, I patted the crestfallen child.

My most pressing concern was how I would take Haniel in front of that man tomorrow, but my heart kept languishing over Haniel, who was hurting, unable to find my way out.

What could I do to relieve her heart even the tiniest bit?

I tried gently rubbing Haniel’s feeble beak.

“Baby, about your brother in the palace.”

[Bwother scawy, bwother scawy foweva and eva.]

“…..”

Who taught you that word.

Returning back to being a jukebox doll, Haniel began shaking her head even before she’d properly heard the name. It seemed like the word ‘brother’ itself had been enforced as completely negative to Haniel already.

“But…. Haniel. There must be a better brother though, isn’t that right? It’s not like you hate and dislike all your brothers?”

[…..That’sh not it.]

“Right? If it’s our Haniel, then definitely….”

[Yesh. Excshept for Empwer bwother.]

“…….”

And among them, the oldest brother seemed to have especially become the symbol of terror.

Even though she had easily smiled up until then, she now paled and made this difference she felt between her brothers clear two or three more times.

[Excshept for Empwer bwother, little scawy. Empwer bwother ish fowever scawy.]

“…….that much?”

[Empwer bwother hate Haniel. Don’t like Haniel.]

“Why do you think that?”

At the very least, I wanted to tell her that that wasn’t true, but the three-year-old baby’s heart was already turned away. She also wasn’t old enough to understand me if I tried to tell her this and that forcefully.