* * *
My father and I got into the carriage and went back to the castle.
My father looked at me all the way home.
'It's a bit burdensome to look at it this way.'
Embarrassed, I rubbed my face with my hands. But my father hurriedly grabbed my hand.
My eyes widened in surprise, my father said.
"It fades."
I had medicine applied to the wound.
He tried to touch it with his kinky child's hand, so it seems he was trying to stop him from doing it.
"Yes!"
I quickly put my hands down and nodded vigorously.
"Are the wounds itchy?"
"Nope. (no.)"
"When it hurts."
"Strictly."
"... ... okay."
Father nodded.
And let out a light sigh.
"Don't do that in the future."
"But, Abamihate... ... ."
"Don't do it even if you need me."
"... ... ."
My father's eyes narrowed as I rubbed my fingers as I became pale.
"Why the hell would a child like you do that?"
"Uh... ... ."
I carefully selected my words.
I glanced outside and whispered that I didn't want the sound to leak out.
"Because I'm not an Abami baby."
"... ... what?"
"Erirot, it's not Ingan. It's made. So, if you want to spend time with Abami, you have to be late. (Erilot, I'm not human. It was made. So, I have to work hard when I'm with my father.)"
I'm going to work really hard, so can't you just throw it away?
As he tried to appeal with his eyes twinkling, his father's expression hardened.
"Who said that to you?"
"People... ... ."
My father gritted his teeth.
He looked angry, so I shrugged my shoulders.
Dad sighed and said.
"I'm not mad at you."
"... ... ."
"It's me."
'Why?'
I put on a bewildered expression on my face, and my father slowly opened his mouth.
"You are a person."
"Yes... ... ?"
"She is my daughter."
'what?'
I opened my eyes in surprise.
'uh? Uh-?!'
This body was thought to be almost certainly a homunculus.
My father wasn't very interested in me because of blood and blood—
I am a nobleman, but I have no protection—
Also, if it was a non-human body, it would be easier for a soul to enter this world.
'But if I were a human being, if I were a father's daughter... ... .'
Awesome!
body trembled.
So now you don't have to worry about being thrown away.
Dad got excited and grabbed my arm lightly.
"If you get too excited, you get hurt again."
"Uh, uh, uh... ... !"
But I hardly ever calmed down.
Dad pulled something out of his arms.
It was a small magic tool of the lighting type, and when I turned it on, a good smell wafted into the carriage.
'Wow.'
It smelled like a baby, and it smelled like herbs grown in the fields.
I couldn't clearly say 'what kind of scent', but it was a very nice scent with a warm feeling.
So much so that my eyelids get heavy.
"Sleep now."
I leaned back on the chair and closed my eyes.
My last memory was that my father gently laid me down.
It was the first time I had touched like that, so I felt so good that I felt like I rubbed my cheek with my father's big hand.
* * *
The carriage passed through the main gate of the Duke of Astra.
After the wheels stopped, Enzo opened the door. The other knights stuck their heads out, but Erilot was asleep.
"Gosh."
"You must be tired."
"A little girl is brave."
Ha ha, the sound of laughter resounded.
Daymond looked at them with deep eyes. The soldiers opened their mouths and kept their mouths shut as if they were telling them not to wake the child.
"I will see you."
It was Enzo's words.
"done."
It was Daymond who got off with the child.
After ordering the soldiers to return to the barracks, Enzo followed Daymond's side.
"The lady worked very hard. No child could have done a job like the lady today."
"know."
"Why on earth did you do that?"
"I am not human. It was created, so you have to work hard to be by my side."
"Yes?!"
As Enzo's voice grew louder, Erillord said, "Ugh... ... ." and flipped over.
He sighed and quickly covered his mouth. And after confirming that the child was still asleep, he said cautiously.
"Who the hell is talking to a lady like that?"
"Fucking brothers. You are obsessed with spreading rumors."
Enzo sighed heavily.
I can see why you spread such rumors.
Daymond went out two years before Erilot was born.
Since there was no way a child could have been made on such a rough battlefield, where did they say that it was 'made'?
Daymond's failure to send a letter to his daughter must have boosted the rumors even more.
'You motherfuckers.'
Enzo frowned and looked at Daymond.
"Did you tell me why the general did not send the letter to the young lady?"
"... ... ."
"Weren't you able to contact me to protect you?"
Daymond was far away on the battlefield.
A place where no one can protect a child even if they are aiming for it.
That's why I couldn't send a single letter.
If Daymond had shown concern for Erilot, the brothers would have thought his weakness was a child.
It is then unknown what the brothers might have done with the child to pressure Daymond.
That's why I had to pretend that I'm not interested and show that there's no profit by reaching out with a vicious hand.
"Isn't it because you came back to Astra Castle, which is not under the jurisdiction, to see the young lady?"
"... ... Noisy."
Daymond took the boy to his room.
Lying on the bed, he stared at the child.
"I'm not bored anymore... ... ?"
This guy laughed at the subject of holding the skirt so tightly with his trembling hands.
to avoid being hated.
Daymond reached for the boy's messy head.
However, the scarred hand could not reach the white, beautiful face and was removed.
"Ugh."
Instead, I put a blanket on the child who was tossing and turning.
* * *
I woke up and slowly opened my eyes.
The hazy mind gradually became clearer.
'Huh?'
As I cleared my mind, I saw that this was my room.
I remember falling asleep in the carriage yesterday. I think my father brought me here.
For a moment, I remembered the conversation we had yesterday.
"You are a person."
"Yes... ... ?"
"She is my daughter."
'... ... !'
That's right!
I jumped out of bed.
Even thinking about it again makes my heart ache.
'Fake daughter, no, goodbye to the days I lived in fear of being a fake human!'
My father was not a liar.
If so, then I must be a true Astra bloodline.
Gone are the days when I was worried that I might be thrown away or that I might be subjected to a lot of bullying when this became known.
I quickly got out of bed.
Feeling the presence, the maids entered.
"Good morning, miss. ... ... Oh?"
First, I ran to the door and saw the day I hung on to the skirt, and the maids widened their eyes.
"Get out!"
"Yes, I will braid my hair beautifully."
The maids washed me, changed my clothes, and finally curled my hair.
'I should read the ancient language quickly and go to the barracks.'
I heard it clearly, but it seemed that the spirit of a child was urging me, 'One more time, one more time!'
I quickly headed to my grandfather's study.
As always, Grandpa has been at work since morning. Conrad was also there.
I said, "Don't do it." As soon as I said hello, Konrad smiled.
"Hello, miss. I was worried when I heard that you were injured on the mountain yesterday. Are you okay now?"
"It hurts a bit. Let Avami save you."
"That's fortunate. Do you have to apply the medicine regularly?"
I said, "Yeah." He nodded and sat down in the seat opposite his grandfather.
"I'm going to burn it while I'm still young. (I'm going to read an old book.)"
Conrad looked at his grandfather.
Grandpa nodded and brought me the ancient history book kept in the barrier box.
"From here."
Conrad found the page, so I was able to read it straight through without hesitation.
There was nothing else today.
'I read almost everything.'
It was the result of reading every day without fail.
It was when I read about 3 pages.
A squeak was heard outside the door.
At the same time, the voices of the guards were heard.
"It's Daymond."
Grandpa gave permission to enter.
Father strode inside.
He bowed his head lightly to his grandfather and held out the papers he was holding.
"Seo-gun's paperwork has been completed, and Jeonghwa-seok was handed over to the management last night."
"heard."
"Now we are going to depart for jurisdiction."
already?
I thought you were going to be at the castle until this week, but are you leaving this early?
I had a sullen look.
It wasn't long before it was revealed that I was the real father's child.
I wasn't even very friendly.
Grandpa briefly glanced through the documents his father had handed out, then nodded.
"okay."
Then the father
'uh?!'
- He swung me up and put it on my side.
"then."
me, why
My eyes grew big. Conrad also came out with wide eyes and looked at his father.
It was around the time my father had just approached the door.
"Why are you taking that kid?"
Grandpa shouted.
Dad looked at Grandpa with a look on his face, wondering what was wrong with that.
"You have to start with the jurisdiction."
"what?"
I looked at my father in surprise.
'Will you take me?'
That's right, it's a break now, and during the break, the three-year-olds (the duke's grandchildren) usually live under the jurisdiction of their parents... ... .
I didn't know my father would take me.
It must have been the same with Grandpa and Konrad.
Conrad was bewildered, and Grandpa narrowed his brow.
The grandfather, who had been staring at his father for a long time, said.
"Leave Erillot behind."
"I don't like it."
"Are you leaving it alone?"
"Is your name?"
I glanced at my grandfather.
I can understand why Grandpa wants me here.
As it is said, you will have to read the ancient language and find out about the body regression system.
Plus, if I was my father's real daughter, I'd be a great hostage.
So it would be better to have them stay in the castle than to send them back.
But I can't give you an order.
'I can't declare that I'm going to take you hostage.'
Due to the special circumstances of Astra, taking a child from a parent was like making him a hostage.
If it were known that 'the duke stole his grandson to tame his son', the family would be in turmoil.
Because they are afraid of losing their children.
And fear that goes too far will lead to rifts.
Grandpa knew it too, so I didn't say it with certainty.
Grandpa, who was silent for a moment, shouted.
"Erilot hasn't read the ancient history books yet—"
"It's something you can read after a break."
"Since I've been in the 12th tower all along, I need to teach the discipline of nature—"
"I will teach in the jurisdiction until the rest period is over."
"I have a question for you. This kid got a drug he had never heard of, so I took it—"
"I will find out and mail it to you."
Then Grandpa's face turned red.
Seeing the grandfather's expression turned grim, as if there was nothing more to say, the father took a step back.
Just then, Viscount Debussy entered the study.
"Sir Daymond. Where are you going with your girl... ... ."
Before he could finish speaking, Grandpa said.
"Erilot said that Grandpa was better than his father."
Viscount Debussy slowly turned his head to Grandpa with a look on his face that he had heard something wrong.
Conrad's expression was the same.
Of course me too.
'... ... ?'
Why is that word here?
Would your dad care about that?
As I was thinking about it, I felt a warm gaze from the top of my head.
"Really?"
"... ... Yes?"
"I asked if what the Duke said was true."
I never thought about it.
Before that, I was in front of my grandfather, so I called him grandfather.
Grandpa laughed arrogantly.
"You have to let the child grow up in the environment that he wants."
Viscount Debussy said with a surprised expression, "Since when? ... ." murmured.
The eyes of grandfather and father met sharply in the air.
People focused on my mouth.
Grandpa and Dad said each.
"Erilot, tell me who is the best."
"You don't have to be afraid of being in front of the Duke. My father is behind me."
I felt a cold sweat running down my back.
It was a moment when I felt strongly that I was ruined in the eyes of my social life.
it's like,
'Do you like the manager or the deputy manager?'
Doesn't it seem that the answer to the question of ─ is between the manager and the deputy manager?
I swallowed dry saliva.
And answered.
"... ... stop. (......bowwow)"
"what?"
"what?"
I jumped off my father and raised my arms and said.
"Erilot, your distant mother is the number one!"
In this case, it is better not to choose one person.
Finding the childish answer, I sighed inwardly.
Viscount Debussy is "big." He made a sound like he was going to stop breathing and turned his head. My shoulders were trembling.
Conrad was very upset.
The owner of the vast Astra.
A mighty knight, one of the most powerful knights in the empire.
It seemed absurd that it was only a dog that was chosen among them.
And Grandpa didn't say anything. "puppy... ... ." I just muttered and grinded my teeth.
Father was silent for a moment.
Then he looked at me and slowly opened his mouth.
"By the way, my nickname was Gaesae X."
'... ... ?'
A wind blew through the crowd.