IRHTS 36

IRHTS | Chapter 36

Posted by Ruby, Released on June 28, 2025

Chapter 36

Gepetto had seen Seraphina clutching Laura’s hem and calling her “Mom” many times, so he never doubted that Seraphina was Laura’s biological daughter.

He thought it entirely possible that Laura had given birth to the child away from prying eyes.

After all, for the past few years, Laura had been living outside the marquis’ estate.

Since then, Gepetto only saw her when she visited the imperial palace—and even then, only from afar.

Whenever he tried to talk to her, that damn Crown Prince would glare daggers at him…

‘Wait… could it be the Crown Prince’s kid?’

Gepetto suddenly voiced the thought that popped into his head.

At first, he said it absentmindedly, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Blond children weren’t common in the Empire. Only the royal family and a handful of noble houses had that trait.

And if he counted the years Asel and Laura had known each other, it roughly matched the child’s age.

‘No way… does that bastard know and just leave her here?’

No proposal to Laura, no public acknowledgment of the child as royal?

Then another possibility crossed Gepetto’s mind.

‘Wait, what if she’s not his kid at all?’

But he quickly dismissed that theory.

Laura and Asel were far too close for that to be true.

Sure, Asel was devoted to Laura, but even he wouldn’t accept a woman who’d betrayed him and had another man’s child.

‘So she is the Crown Prince’s daughter… but why leave her here? Does he not know she exists? No, that can’t be it.’

Laura never took the child outside the mansion, but neither did she hide her existence. Everyone working there knew about Seraphina.

Perhaps it was something “everyone who mattered” already knew.

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Gepetto finally jumped up from his seat.

‘Why the hell am I even thinking about this? She’s not my kid!’

He was irritated at himself for dwelling on such pointless matters.

Yet when he thought of the child, he found himself wanting to see that tiny wriggling figure.

He had no intention of going in—just taking a quick peek.

‘…What the?’

She wasn’t alone.

The room was bustling.

Inside were Laura and Esha.

The two women were draping fabrics over Seraphina, who sat in the middle of the room.

“See? Our little princess looks great in gray too. All those years wearing monotone temple robes weren’t for nothing.”

“Still… wouldn’t brighter colors suit her better now?”

‘Why are they dressing her in temple mourning robes… Wait, no.’

Contrary to his plan of just glancing and leaving, Gepetto’s eyes widened at the sight of the gray fabric being draped over the child.

‘What the hell is wrong with them, putting such dreary gray on her?!’

Almost as if they heard his internal scream, the women put away the gray fabric and pulled out another color.

‘Yes! Yellow, that’s it!’

Gepetto clenched his fist in silent triumph, only to feel immediate self-loathing.

‘…What the hell am I doing here?’

It wasn’t even his clothes they were picking out. Why was he so worked up?

Scratching his head in frustration, Gepetto turned to leave.

At that moment—

Through the slightly open door, his eyes met hers.

“Unc—”

Snap.

‘Shit, why is her eyesight so sharp?!’

He hurriedly ducked away, and the voice calling out to him stopped.

As expected of Laura’s daughter—sharp as a tack.

Thanks to Seraphina keeping quiet, Laura didn’t catch him lurking.

Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, Gepetto walked down the stairs and ran into a servant.

“Oh, sir, what brings you here at this hour?”

Gepetto didn’t like having servants around. He hated being watched now that he was no longer a noble.

But the marquis estate was too vast to maintain alone. At least a few people were necessary.

The servant before him was one of those hired for essential maintenance.

They usually kept their distance from Gepetto, and he didn’t speak to them either.

So when this servant addressed him, Gepetto responded gruffly.

“What, you think I was sneaking around peeking into other people’s rooms?”

“…Pardon?”

The servant, who’d merely seen Gepetto walking by, had no idea what he meant.

Gepetto cleared his throat, looking awkward.

“Ahem. Anyway… you’ve got kids, right?”

An abrupt change of topic.

Thankfully, the servant answered without question.

“Yes, sir. Just turned two. My wife has a hard time since he cries so much at night.”

“Two, huh…”

Gepetto stroked his chin. He didn’t know the difference between a two-year-old and a four-year-old.

‘Kids are kids. What’s the difference.’

Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, Gepetto asked,

“So… what kind of toys do kids that age like to play with?”

Thus, after getting toy recommendations from the servant, Gepetto bought a rattle and headed to Seraphina’s room.

The toy looked like a tiny hammer, jingling with the slightest shake, so Gepetto walked carefully.

He felt utterly humiliated carrying it.

Finally, he arrived at Seraphina’s room.

Peeking through the slightly open door, he scanned the inside.

Still unsatisfied, he stuck his head in completely to look around.

‘Where is she?’

There she was, sitting alone on the plush carpet, stacking blocks.

Then—

“Unc—”

The child spotted him, her eyes widening as she prepared to call out loudly.

“Shh! Shhhh!”

Gepetto quickly pressed a finger to his lips. The child nodded obediently.

She really was a kid after his own heart.

“I… I only came here because…”

His words stumbled out, nerves getting the better of him.

Just as he was struggling to explain himself—

“What are you doing?”

“Shit!”

Laura had walked in. Gepetto cursed reflexively in shock.

The sudden movement made the rattle jingle loudly.

Laura’s eyes dropped to the source of the noise.

“…Is that a rattle?”

“I didn’t buy it on purpose… I just, outside, I…”

Before he could finish his awkward excuse, Laura clicked her tongue.

“But… isn’t that a bit young for her? That’s for infants.”

Her casual tone cut him deeply, and Gepetto snapped.

“Fine, throw it away if you want! Like I care!”

He flung the rattle onto the carpet.

As the door closed behind him, only Laura remained, blinking in confusion.

“…What’s with him?”

Until the day of the tea tasting arrived, the Empire remained surprisingly peaceful.

Aside from Gepetto’s occasional antics, that is.

Gepetto had started leaving dolls or toy kitchen sets in Seraphina’s room.

After she rejected the rattle, he tried changing the type of toys to suit her preferences.

And thinking he wouldn’t get caught, he would sneak near Seraphina’s room and secretly slip the toys through the slightly open door.

“What’s the point? It’s completely obvious.”

His tactics were so laughably transparent that anyone watching couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Still, he doesn’t mean any harm, does he?”

“That’s why I’m letting him be.”

If he had any ill intent, she would have ordered Sirin to hang him upside down by now.

At first, she suspected Gepetto might be trying something shady with Seraphina, so she checked the toys thoroughly. But they were all just normal toys.

For some reason, Gepetto seemed to genuinely like Seraphina.

Meanwhile, I was sitting in front of a mirror.

Today was the day of the tea tasting.

I asked Marsha to put my hair up. I wanted to look neat and elegant rather than flashy.

As someone who had worked as a maid for years, Marsha’s hands were skilled and precise. She brushed and gathered my hair swiftly yet meticulously, leaving no stray strands.

“By the way, what about Seraphina…”

“Don’t worry, miss. The Saintess won’t suffer even a scratch. That is my duty, after all.”

“Good. Also, keep an eye on Gepetto. I think he’s been sneaking her snacks lately. Make sure she doesn’t eat too much—she’s been skipping her meals.”