CH 12

Why, these kids….’

The tip of my nose suddenly tinged because I felt emotional. 

‘They’re good brothers.’

I looked down at my Dad in front of me with a soft feeling. My Dad was smiling, too, as if he had noticed something. 

“Why are the kids like that? Do you want to get scolded?”

While my Aunt was still puzzled. 

Grandfather gave me a strange look and picked up the tableware he had just put away.

“Father, I’m sorry. I told them—” 

“Enough.” 

“Yes?” 

“Let’s eat.” 

I felt at ease as if Grandfather’s cutting with a knife had become a signal. Then I took a piece of meat Theo had cut into bite-size pieces with a fork and put it in my mouth. The meat’s soft texture and the sauce’s sweetness melt as soon as it touches my tongue. 

The first taste of the food I felt at the first uncomfortable meal was—.

‘It’s amazing!’

It’s definitely amazing! 

To the point where my cheeks are shaking! 

“Pft.”

Suddenly, my Dad, who was sitting across from me, was smiling while looking at my face. Then I made eye contact with Grandfather while I was chewing hard and feeling emotional.

“…is it delicious?”

Delicious? 

If to change the nitpick with words—.

I nodded my head first, chewed the meat left in my mouth, and swallowed it. 

“Yes, Grandpa! It’s really really delicious!”

Grandfather said with a very small smile that no one knew.

“…Yeah, eat a lot.”

*****

“Whoa.”

My room was much larger and more luxurious than the cabin I had originally lived in. 

However, it was not awkward as there were children’s books my father used to read and toys I used to play with.

“Do you like it?”

“Yess!”

Dad was delighted that he had decorated my room by himself.

“Whoa, the bed is so fluffy, too.”

I got to the bed quickly, and the cushion made me feel like I was lying on a cloud.

My Dad gave me Tosun, my favorite doll, and then he moved up into the seat next to me with a big smile. 

“Okay, let’s go to bed now.”

“Ung? Are you going to sleep with me?”

My Dad, who was blinking blankly at my question, asked back.

“What do you mean… Then do you want to sleep alone?” 

“We slept together in the old house because there was only one room, but there’s plenty of room here, right? isn’t Dad going to have Dad’s own room?” 

“No, Princess—”

“Why?”

“We didn’t sleep together because there was only one room, but Daddy slept with the princess because I liked to sleep with you. Princess, sometimes when you have nightmares, Daddy has to be by your side, and… because the Princess is scared when it rains and thunders…” 

“I know, I know. But I’m not a kid. I’m all grown up now. What did Grandpa say? How long are you going to sleep with your grown-up daughter?’ 

“Why do you keep looking at your grandfather? And you’re not all grown up yet. Where did you grow up—”

Dad muttered with an upset face. 

He looked sad at his daughter, who was trying to become independent from his arms even though she wasn’t ready. 

I swallowed a sigh and dug into my dad’s arms.

“Phew. Okay.”

“Do you want to sleep alone? Already?”

“No? Of course, I still like sleeping with my Dad. All right, I won’t look at Grandpa.”

My Dad, who felt at ease, hugged me tightly at that moment. 

“You were flustered in the dining room earlier, right?”

“Ung. There were so many spoons and forks that I didn’t know what to pick up. I’d have to study a bit if I wanted to live here….”

Dad laughed and tapped the tip of my nose.

“That’s right. My princess, you’re busy just playing. I’ll teach you from tomorrow—”

“No. You’re going to be busy because we just come at Dad’s house. If you call the teacher, I’ll take care of it and learn well.” 

“…? No, princess…”

Again, I quickly tapped my father’s chest, who opened his mouth blankly. 

“Ey, don’t misunderstand. I’d love to do everything with my dad. But Dad can’t do Dad’s job because you cares about me and will get scolded by Grandpa—I don’t like that.”

“….”

“Also, I have to show people that I’m smart and there’s nothing I can’t do because I resemble Daddy. Won’t everyone praise Daddy for doing a good job of raising me by himself?” 

My Dad, who was still looking into my eyes, smiled and rubbed his forehead. 

“When did my daughter grow up like this?”

“I’ve grown up so much.”

“You don’t have to grow.”

“I don’t want to, I’m going to grow taller!”

“Hmph.”

My Dad, who hugged me and patted me, let out a sigh. 

“You know, Princess.”

“Ung.”

“You know the boy you met in the alley earlier?”

“Ah, ung!”

Cheshire—!

“I’ll find out right away. I’ll probably find it soon. If I do, I’ll ask if he needs help.” 

“Ung, thank you. But you can do it slowly.”

Just at the time, I also thought about it. 

Even though I feel sorry, no matter what Dad does right now, it’ll be hard to find Cheshire.

‘We only met by chance earlier, but it won’t happen twice. According to the original story, Dad and Cheshire will meet again in two years.’

Now, since Cheshire is an illegitimate child, the Marquis of Onyx keeps him hidden and raises him. 

On the other hand, when my dad returned to the Capital after 7 years, he was still sad about the situation here. 

I don’t think he will set up his hands in an illegal guild that looks for people under the water. 

‘Hmm. As expected, I’ll have to help too, well.’

Thinking of Cheshire, I dug into my Dad’s arms, whose eyes deepened.

“Let’s go to bed, Dad. Don’t worry too much.”

Your daughter will take care of everything.

****

Is there any logic in this world that children should be like children?

When I just woke up in the morning.

Also, when I’m hungry, and I don’t have energy.

At that time, it was difficult for me to think like an adult, even if I put force on my head.

So—.

‘Whoa, I’m in trouble.’

An empty stomach in the morning.

I was nervous when I came to the dining room, holding my Dad’s hand with a hazy baby spirit. 

“Lilith, come here.”

“Hello kid.” 

“Lilith! did you sleep well?”

“Hello, Auntie! Hello brothers!” 

Apart from my Aunt and twin Brothers, I feel worried about my Grandfather. 

“H, hello Grandpa….” 

“…Yeah. Come here and sit down.” 

I swallowed my saliva with worry.

“Come here, let’s have breakfast our princess!”

But today, I was fine with my Dad right next to me. I focused on the meal and learned how to use the tableware my Dad took care of. 

“Uhm, why is Lilith so small and skinny?” 

Then Aunt stopped eating and looked at me with sad eyes.

Grandfather clicked his tongue.

“The ugly guy was hiding in the countryside without a penny, where would he have given her a decent meal? I’m glad she wasn’t starving.” 

“Hmm.” 

Dad coughed awkwardly when Grandfather scolded him. 

‘N, no, that’s not true.’

I wanted to correct Grandfather’s misunderstanding.

“No, Grandpa…” 

I looked at him and said it very carefully.

“Dad, he made me delicious meals every day….” 

“….” 

“H, he buy flour and make bread.” 

Carbohydrates—.

“And cook me some eggs.” 

Protein—.

“We also grow carrots and pumpkins in the yard and eat them—” 

Vitamin—.

“Ah! We bought me milk at the market…I drank two milk a day every day!”

Calcium, too. 

James Brown was a single dad and 9-level househusband who was more serious about his daughter’s healthy diet than anyone else!

I opened my eyes to tell Grandfather what my Dad was doing. 

“….” 

Nevertheless, Grandfather looked unhappy.

‘A, as expected, is it because of meat?’

I closed my eyes tightly and said a little bit of a lie. 

“M, meat is a bit expensive…But I always ate it once a week…” 

Actually, I ate it three times a month.

“Pft.” 

My Dad was resting his chin on his hand and smiling at me. 

Phew, Daddy fool. I don’t know what was so good to make him smile like that while Grandfather was looking at him. 

“…Okay, you ate well. I understand.”

Grandfather said this hesitantly, but his face showed a little bit of relief. 

I shouted hooray inwardly.

In the end, James Brown’s hard work was recognized by Grandfather! 

“Oh my. Lilith is so nice and smart. My kids weren’t like that when they were seven.” 

Aunt, who was smiling happily, shook her head as she saw the twins eating next to her.

I slightly raised my shoulders. 

It was nice to hear that I’m smarter than my brothers, who spent their whole lives as young aristocrats. 

“I don’t know how you can speak so beautifully.”

“Yes! My Dad always told me to greet adults politely.”

“Hoho, is that so?” 

Aunt laughed. Grandfather was also staring at me with a proud expression on his face.

My chest raised a little. 

“Remember when the twins were as young as Lilith, Father? They always cry and whines.”

“I don’t cry, aunt! I don’t cry and listen to my dad. I don’t even bother.” 

“You deserve praise.” 

Grandfather praised me. My chest raises even more. The runny nose is also itchy.

“I don’t know how bad a picky eater is. Look at that.”

Aunt pointed to the twins’ plates. There were only beans, carrots, and broccoli left on an empty plate. 

“There’s nothing I can’t eat! Beans and broccoli…” 

I glanced down at the plate while talking. Two big broccoli were placed shyly.

“Oh my, do you eat vegetables well?”

The pride that started with momentum grew like a snowball and even started telling lies. But, I couldn’t disappoint my Aunt and Grandfather, who looked up to me.

Eventually, I nodded.

“Yes, yes!”

I glanced sideways, and my Dad was smiling wickedly.

I picked the broccoli with a fork.

‘Ugh. This is too much.’

It was different, perhaps because it was broccoli served on an aristocratic meal. 

And it was very, very, very big. 

“Oh my, my good daughter who isn’t even picky about what she eats.. You also eat broccoli well, of course.”

“….”

I broke out in a cold sweat.

I thought about it as the hand holding the fork started shaking and then came up with a trick. 

“Y, yeah, and if there’s something delicious, I always share it with my dad!”

I put a fork with broccoli in my dad’s mouth.

“D, Daddy? Ah~” 

“Ah,” Then my Dad laughed as if he was dumbfounded