Dad

3

Bearing the title of his highness's Sworn brother came with its own set of complexities for Cale Henituse.

Namely, dealing with multiple suitors who sought to garner favor or gain political influence by being associated with the hero of the continent. This time, it was the daughter of a Count who sought his attention. Cale couldn't fathom who had given her the audacity to approach and engage him in conversation during one of the relatively infrequent noble gatherings he attended.

In typical scenarios where numerous nobles sought his attention, Cale often utilized his dominating aura to intimidate them or would signal his highness to intervene. However, on this particular day, Alberu was occupied with a situation quite similar to Cale's, and his commanding presence failed to deter the persistent woman who seemed overly determined to win his favor.

Cale pondered how to extricate himself from her persistent pursuit without triggering significant political problems for his family. If he refused her advances too assertively, she might interpret it as playing hard to get, prompting her to intensify her pursuit, or worse, label him as rude, compelling a claim that he must marry her for the sake of her honor.

Perhaps Cale considered publicly admitting that he didn't harbor an interest in women, but that decision might introduce an entirely different set of issues and complications in the long run.

Suddenly, a small hand slipped into his own, gripping it tightly with a cool touch that reminded Cale of the sensation of the fog she commanded, a feeling familiar on his skin. Although he recognized the touch, he still glanced toward the child in surprise, taken aback by her unexpected presence.

On appeared like a character from one of the manhwas that Choi Jung Soo used to share with him. She was dressed in a beautifully regal purple and black gown. To his astonishment, he identified the pattern of the bodice she wore—it was the same design as the one on Alberu's current cape. She also adorned a small tiara on her head.

"Dad, who is she?" On inquired, fixing the woman with an intense gaze, reminiscent of the way a cat looks when plotting something mischievous. It was a stare that not every human was equipped to confront—those unwavering, trained eyes capable of making even the most stalwart adult falter and accept defeat against the devilishly cute creature. The lady, unprepared for this scrutiny, took a step back from the commander, pausing her eager attempt to touch his arm while appearing unnerved.

"Dad?" The woman inquired, directing her gaze toward Cale.

What she encountered was Cale's inscrutable countenance, a display of stoicism rarely experienced in her, perhaps, seventeen years of life. Unbeknownst to her, nor to anyone else present, Cale's heartbeat was performing the conga dance in his chest. Despite the symphony of emotions reverberating within, he endeavored to maintain an emotionless facade.

"Yes," Cale replied, his voice unchanging, even though he sensed a pair of yellow eyes fixed on him. "My lady, this is On, my daughter."

Cale remained unaware of the subtle changes—On's cheeks flushing pink, the sparkle in her eyes, or the pure and genuine smile that blossomed across her face.

"I see," the lady responded before bidding her goodbyes and making a hasty retreat. Undoubtedly, she was off to inform the other ladies at the ballroom about the unexpected appearance of Commander Cale's daughter. Cale, unconcerned at the moment, planned to hand over all the subsequent problems that particular revelation might cause to Alberu.

However, at that very moment, his attention was diverted to another matter.

"On?" Cale addressed.

"I wanted to come," she replied to the unspoken question, her gaze fixed on Cale's, engaging in an unofficial feline staring contest. One might argue that only one of them was a genuine cat and the other merely cat-adjacent, but it remained true that they could lock eyes like nobody's business.

"And the dress?" Cale inquired.

"His highness got it for me," On responded.

Cale blinked slowly at On, receiving a slow blink in return. The simple happiness of having the pre-teen holding his hand was now accompanied by a surge of mixed emotions regarding the crown prince selecting his daughter's attire for the party.

He felt stress, as it was evident that this was done to cause trouble. However, he was also thankful that Alberu had assisted her and had dressed her with such care that she looked like the most beautiful person in the room. Additionally, he felt a sense of warmth that Alberu hadn't even mentioned the incident, and On appeared content with their interaction. These conflicting emotions manifested in a slight frown on Cale's face, which On interpreted as his uncertainty about how to express his feelings.

On smiled brightly at him.

"I wanted to come be with you"

She proceeded to tug at his hand, pulling him along toward where the crown prince was engaged in conversation with Choi Han. As he neared, Cale noticed Hong, also clad in a pretty purple and black outfit, holding onto Alberu's hand and beaming at them with his yellow eyes.

Notes:

In cat language, slow blink is consider saying "I love you" or "I trust you"