The butler served me an already cut roasted chicken and a non spicy soup. I stabbed my fork into the meat and chew the flavourful meat with a foolish grin on my face. Who doesn't smile when we have good food to eat? I barely had any food to eat when I was Ria, the orphanage had a really terrible food.
They only have leftover breads or cold porridge for us to eat there. Since I came from a rural town, the orphanage there also had poor quality.
Maybe, I dislike my previous life so much for me to quickly adapted to this lifestyle.
I was so jealous of those kids in school, they have good clothes and high technology gadgets to use. Even if I don't have any chances of having all those gadgets or wearing all those beautiful clothes, I now became the daughter of a famous grand duke, have a mom and a dad.
I really appreciate for being their daughter already. Even if I didn't become their daughter, just born in a commoner family with a loving parents are more than enough. But, I still need to find that old woman who knew about my reincarnation too.
"What's wrong? Is it not to your liking? The food, I meant." Hearing Ares' worried question brought me back to reality.
I shook my head and smile childishly.
"Nope! This is the best food ever, I'm really lucky to be able to eat this."
"It'll turn 8 soon, you need to hurry up and finish your meal, take a bath, brush your teeth and go to bed. Your mother won't like it if she knows you awake."
Wow...I think I just gained a new mother instead of a father. It's feel so Deja Vu, if Aphrodite was in his stead, she would also said the exact same thing, minus the last sentence.
It did not take long for me to finish everything. I hopped off the chair with Yvonne's help.
"I'll go and take a bath now, daddy! Bye bye~~" I waved my hand at Ares, with the butler behind him clutch where his heart is and murmured something.
"How come our young miss can be so adorable? She must be the reincarnation of a fairy princess from the enchanted forest!"
"Xavier, you are really annoying. Go somewhere else."
With the head of the house shoo him away, the poor butler dragged himself like a puppy who was dismissed by its owner.
Meanwhile, Adelliana was having a great time in the bathroom. She watched the yellow duck, floating on the water and play with the fragrant bubble.
"Did you have a fun time with lord Ares today, my lady?" Margaret who came in with a towel and her pajamas giggles at Adelliana's childish yet cute action.
"Yea! Daddy was much more of a fun person than I thought! Before, I thought daddy was a boring and scary person who only likes to work and work and work until he died."
....
There was no replies from Margaret, but deep down, she was sweating so hard.
[ Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave? ]
Unknowingly to both of them, outside the bathroom, Ares was standing with his back against the door and one hand, covering the upper of his face.
[ Never before have I been so offended by something I one hundred percent agree with...]
....
"Please step out of the bath, my lady. If you take a shower longer than that, you might catch a cold."
Adelliana step out of the bubbly water, and let Margaret rinse her body to get rid of the remaining bubbles.
Margaret softly ruffled her blonde hair with a big tower and wipe her body. She put on her dress and her pumpkin pants on.
With Adelliana in Margaret's arms, they both exited the bathroom with a face of relief as if they have returned from a war.
They both flinched when they saw Ares, sitting on the bed waiting for them with a face of a thinker.
Ares was still pondering on what Adelliana said earlier.
[ Will I work till the day of my death? Will I be able to relax, knowing my daughter will eventually marry a guy some day? What would happen if my wife actually throw a divorce paper right to my face? She did say something about divorce last month- if we divorce, Adelliana will naturally want to go to her mother and I won't be able to see her again!! ]
"I will leave you with his grace, I tell someone to bring you warm milk later."
Margaret puts Adelliana down and close the door softly, trying her best not to make sound. Once Margaret is nowhere to be seen, Adelliana pounced on her bed and grab Ares' white shirt.
"Daddy!!!" She yelled loudly to catch his attention and to her success, Ares did snap out from his worried thoughts and turn his attention to her.
"You're done?"
"Yep, I'm all clean and comfy!"
Adelliana rolled on her bed and cheered happily.
"Daddy, I want to hear a story!"
Adelliana stood on the bed and hugged Ares from behind.
"What kind of story?"
Adelliana was in silence. She didn't expect him to agree that easily. Usually, from a novel/webtoon logic, the protagonist's father would reject the ideas, saying it was childish and does something else.
Heh...did she accidentally gain another powerful supporter of her life?
"Uh...a love story!!! Both mommy and daddy's love story!!!"
It's not like she wanted to bring back their miserable love past, but she just wanted to tease him a little, she knew he won't tell her anyway.
"But it's not interesting, we just happened to marry due to political matter."
Adelliana blinked.
Ares also blinked.
She blinked twice, he blinked thrice.
[ hUH? ]
[ What the heck?!!! Ares must have been possessed by a ghost or else he won't respond so calmly!!! What about the main protagonist?!!! Female main protagonist?!!! Where is she?! Is she dead?!! ]
Many more thoughts ran through Adelliana's little head. She was trapped in the confusing world.
"It's boring, so let hear something else."
Before Ares changed the subject to anything else, Adelliana's gossip radar caught that.
"No! No! Let's hear it! I wanna know it!!!"
"Don't fall asleep because of boredom then."
Adelliana nodded her head in determined. She was so ready to hear the male lead's story by himself, without the author's perspective.
"Your mother and I met each other during a party hosted by the royal. That time, I haven't bestowed with the title of an Archduke yet. She approached me first and I left, uninterested. She tried her very best to approach me but I still ignored her and sometimes later, she stopped sending me letters and handkerchiefs."
[ She made him handkerchiefs-? Ain't that a direct message of telling him that she really in mad love with him...?]
"After that, some times passed and the aristocrats began to push me into a marriage, especially your mother's family and to help support the emperor even more, I decided to marry your mother despite her bad reputation in the society. We got married and you were born after some time..."
Wow...it's like listening to a married woman who stuck in a regretful marriage life.
But what about the female protagonist? Is he purposely avoiding that sensitive part? But from his look, he doesn't seem to have any painful reaction.
"Then what about Bellamira...?"
No...I'm not trying to provoke him, but his reaction when telling his unhappy marriage that was mentioned in the novel is too different.
The novel describes during his marriage, Ares was not happy. He desperately searched for the female protagonist, Bellamira all day and night. Aphrodite did waste alot of money, but she still does her job as Ares' wife.
Aphrodite was really evil to the core and Ares strongly hate her that sometimes, he withdrew his sword and threatened her.
So what's up with the chill expression of his?
"Bellamira...? Who is that? Your friend?"
....
What...?
"B-Bellamira? Don't you know her?"
I tried not to stuttering and smile as much as possible. Ares lifted his eyebrow as if what I said was an absolute bullshit.
"I never know someone with such name before, you must have mistook someone with your friend and why do you talk like you have known this person from inside to outside?"
I-I couldn't believe it...Ares, out of all people in this world forgot about the female protagonist, Bellamira?
H-he was her fated one yet he forgot about her?
No...in the novel, the three of them remembered Bellamira and...and...what am I missing...?!
Come to think of it..I think I read something similar to this novel before and not everyone remembers her.
Wait,no! If I remembered correctly, no one remembered Bellamira...the one that has everyone remembered the female protagonist is the other novel that has similar plot to it!
T-to think I actually forgot about everything and...and...Ares and Aphrodite has no memories of Bellamira.
I thought I twisted the story but it's actually my fault for not remembering anything.
It's been almost 6 years since I came to this world and if you count the last time I read that novel, it's been 8 years now.
What should I do...?
I don't want our perfect family to break apart...
Should I prevent them from meeting?
No, no...I can't with this body. Soon, Ares will leave for the borderline because of the barbarians invade. No one can stop him since he is the first commander of the imperial 1st knight troop and not only him, even the emperor and the Archmage will also leave for it.
What if Ares abandoned me and Aphrodite neglected me?
Uncontrollably, my tears slip out and I cried out loud. Ares was panicking and tried his best to console me and ask me what is happening.
[ I shouldn't have told her about the realistic side of noble marriage! She must be crying because she thought I might marry her off. Adele is too young to know about the cruel side of noble marriage! ]
Poor Ares was thinking she was crying because of the marriage matter.
Aphrodite, who was just returned from the charity event, tiredly pass her head and coat to Yvonne.
"How was Adele doing?"
"Lady Adelliana is fine since his grace has accompanied her the whole day!"
Yvonne smiled cheerfully, waiting for her mistress' reaction but she expectedly received a disgusted reaction from her.
[ I shouldn't have high hopes...]
"That guy actually spent his precious time with his daughter...FOR ONCE? The sun must be rising from the west and the curse of forgotten river must be lifted."
Aphrodite shook her head and head upstairs, with both excitement and uneasiness. She was excited to see Adelliana but her mother intuition was telling her that something was happening.
Aphrodite sped up and open the door of the room. She was greeted with a bewildered scene of the greatest swordsman who has pure divine energy who went into a crazy mad dog during a battlefield, slaughtering humans and toss a head to his daughter (who still remembers it like it's been recorded) was holding his crying daughter with a panic face.
Aphrodite doesn't know, whether she should help him or laugh at him like a crazy person.
"What did you do?!!!" Aphrodite decided to throw the second one regretfully and snatch Adelliana from him.
"I-I think I made her cried because I told her about the political marriage system. Adele must have thought anyone could marry as long as they are in love!"
Again, Aphrodite has no ideas on what kind of reaction should she have. She wants to laugh and repeatedly call him a fool but she will save it when she's in stress.
"Urgh, have you ever used your head to think before speaking for once!? Now she's upset!"
"Then what should we do?!!"
Aphrodite sighed. She pat Adelliana's back and calm her softly. She could feel Adelliana' small fist clenching her clothes.
"P-please don't abandon me...I-I will do anything...s-so please take m-me with you..if you broke up..."
....
"Did you tell her that you will divorce me?"
"No!"
"Then why is she crying, begging not to abandon her?"
"!!!!"
"She must have think about really hard...I shouldn't bring up an adult topic to her next time..."
Aphrodite wanted to smack that smooth raven head of his. She just wanted to smack and whack him!
Aphrodite gave up the ideas and shook her head.
"Silly girl, why would we abandon you? We would never abandon our child, our blood and flesh." Aphrodite calmed her softly and puts on the bed where Ares could also reached her.
"Don't think about the political marriage system too much. If Adele loves anyone, even if he's a commoner, I'll allow it unless he's a leech to our fame and your beauty."
"Seriously...?"
"Y-you won't abandon me...even if you broke up...?" Adelliana sobbed and wipe her tear.
"We won't abandon you and will never break up unless your father became a bastard..." Aphrodite whispered the last part but Ares and Adelliana could still hear her.
"Hey....don't say such mean thing in front of her..."
"Now go to sleep..both of us will hold your hands until you arrive in a sweet dreamland..."
Aphrodite coaxed Adelliana to sleep and just like she said, Ares and Aphrodite hold her hands tightly.
Feeling a bit more secure, Adelliana began to close her eyes and it did not take long for her to sound asleep.
They watched her peacefully sleep, and her soft breathing made them lay there and watch Adelliana.
"You...you should go and shower first..." Ares awkwardly told her off.
"And you?" Aphrodite raised her eyebrow.
"I will watch Adele. You just returned from that...that...whatever event it was, take a shower and rest."
"Fine, and I'm your wife. Call me by my name next time." Aphrodite carefully removed Adelliana's hand from hers and stood up.
"Y-you should call me by my name too..."
The atmosphere got even awkward, but Ares coughed to clear it up. Aphrodite looks behind her one more time to reassure everything before heading to her room.
She didn't want to relaxed in a giant bathtub, thus Aphrodite took a quick warm shower and returned to Adelliana's bedroom.
She softly open the door, scared that it will wake Adelliana up and the scene before her shook her.
Ares lays on Adelliana's bed, eyes closing. Aphrodite carefully approached him and cover his body with the blanket.
It must have been hard for him to fell asleep after years on many restless battlefields.
Aphrodite lays on the other side of the bed, and watch the father-daughter pair, sleeping with no worries. She part Ares' front hair to side, that was bothering him.
Now, he looks comfortable...
Unknowingly, Aphrodite falls asleep beside Adelliana.
In the middle of the night, Ares who has a habit of waking up so suddenly during midnight, found the whole room was still lighting up. He was about to shut the mana crystal down and leave but when he saw the sleeping Aphrodite and Adelliana, hugging each other, he stopped and lay back.
He watched them cuddling close to each others like the whole world was in peace. His mouth unconsciously curved up at the wholesome scene.
[ They really look like each other....]
Ares used his magic and shut off the mana crystal and move closer (so that he won't feel left out) and hugged the warm body of Aphrodite, with Adelliana between them.
Today was the best day he has ever experienced since his parents death.
I apologise, this chapter was the longest chapter I have ever written, so forgive me for many mistakes.
I found some pictures that go well with the characters, and no, I don't own these pictures. If you're owner, then please message me to remove them.
Mama Aphrodite (Credits to the artist)
Daddy- nvm (credits to the artist)
Adele (Credits to O_nl)
I'll remove them if you don't like pictures that don't have the owner's permission.