CHAPTER 67……………………………………
“Of course, this doesn’t really have much to do with me.”
I quickly regained my composure.
Anyway, both Grand Duke Owen and the Emperor are still my grandparents, right?
I like them both!
“…My daughter.”
Even at Grand Duke Owen—no, Grandma Margo’s—words, Dad Derek didn’t back down and simply replied shortly.
Grandma Margo sighed deeply and shook her head.
“What a frustrating man you are.”
“…”
“Well, if you don’t intend to back off, I might as well just say it. It’s not as if it’s a big secret anyway.”
Then she looked straight at me.
“How fascinating.”
Her violet eyes curved gently as she smiled.
“It’s as if Yuria gave birth to you all by herself. You look exactly like your mother.”
“Hehe.”
That’s way too generous a compliment.
Do you think I’ll grow up to be as beautiful as Mom someday?
“It’s almost impossible to tell who your biological father is just by looking.”
She brushed her chin with a fingertip and muttered thoughtfully.
I stopped laughing and tilted my head.
“Is that important?”
Like Grandpa too—
Why are all the adults so obsessed with figuring out who my real dad is?
It’s not like it matters to our family.
At my question, Grandma Margo raised an eyebrow and replied,
“Well, that’s a difficult question.”
“…”
“To some people, it might be very important. To others, not so much.”
I tilted my head the other way and asked again,
“So is it important to you, Grandma? Is that why you’re trying to find out who my real dad is?”
“Hm?”
For a moment, Grandma Margo’s eyes widened—
Then she burst out laughing.
“Ha! Hahaha!”
I blinked at the deep dimples that appeared on her wrinkled cheeks.
Why is she laughing all of a sudden?
“So that’s how you took what I said. You must’ve been pestered about this before, huh?”
Uhm, yeah.
Not just by Grandpa—there was even that creepy weirdo who harassed me a bit.
“I only said that because I found it interesting. I’ve never seen a child who looks so completely like her mother.”
“Oh.”
So that’s what she meant. I jumped to conclusions for nothing.
Feeling awkward, I scratched the back of my head.
Watching me, Grandma Margo spoke again.
“If you ask me, I’m one of those people who don’t think that sort of thing really matters.”
Her violet eyes shimmered softly with warmth.
“After all, you’re Sion’s daughter.”
“…”
“You know what, dear? I’ve always looked forward to the day I’d finally meet you.”
Her words made my eyes go wide.
She’d been waiting to meet me?
“You already knew about me?”
“Of course.”
She gently patted my head.
“Every time Sion sent me a letter, it was always full of stories about you.”
“Dad’s letters?”
“Yes. From the day you were born, your first steps, even the first time you called him ‘Daddy’—he told me everything.”
“I see…”
I’d never seen Dad writing letters before.
But he’d been sharing all my stories with Grandma Margo all along.
Somehow… that’s really touching.
“Of course, that good-for-nothing son of mine hasn’t shown his face in the Grand Duchy once since he left.”
—Her warmth vanished in an instant.
A blue flame flickered in Grandma Margo’s eyes.
‘S-so scary!’
As expected of Sion Dad’s mother…
I shivered, then clenched my fists in resolve.
When I get married someday, no matter what, I’ll make sure to visit my mom often.
I can’t be an unfilial daughter!
“Well, anyway,”
Grandma Margo smiled kindly again, as if the scary moment had never happened.
“It’s been quite a while since you were separated from Sion, hasn’t it? Don’t you miss your father?”
“I miss him so, so much.”
I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Of course I do.
Especially after getting into a few scrapes with my other dads lately, I’ve missed him even more.
‘When Sion Dad was around, it always felt like everything was steady.’
Kyle Dad destroys order, Derek Dad quietly goes along with it, and even Harzen Dad—who seems strict—can be surprisingly reckless.
If all my dads have a “no take-backs” kind of personality, then Sion Dad was the only one who thought ahead.
You could say he’s the most normal one.
Not that the others are weird or anything!
Anyway, I miss him.
“You’re not angry at him?”
While I was lost in thought, Grandma Margo asked again.
I shook my head immediately.
“No, I’m not.”
“Why not? Unlike your other fathers, he’s been away for a long time.”
“Because he didn’t want to leave.”
I still remember that night before he went away.
He came into my room and said he wanted to sleep together, curling his big body into my small bed.
And until morning, he kept holding me close, gently stroking my hair.
Now that I think about it, he probably didn’t sleep at all that night.
He must’ve just watched me sleep until dawn, unable to take his eyes off me.
When he finally left, he looked back at me again and again, with those dark shadows under his eyes.
“So I can’t hate him.”
How could I hate him when I remember that so vividly?
“Then what about the Emperor, who sent your father away? Don’t you hate him?”
Grandma Margo asked teasingly.
“Well…”
Oh. Right.
When I think about Dad leaving, I guess I do feel a little mad at Grandpa…
“Haha.”
She laughed heartily at my expression.
“I suppose that’s only natural.”
“Well, I’m just a liiittle mad. Maybe a bit more than a little…”
I know Grandpa didn’t send Dad away on purpose.
I understand that grown-ups have their reasons.
But still, I can’t help being a tiny bit mad!
Because—
“I really thought he’d come back for my birthday…”
He said he’d try to make it back before my birthday.
So I waited.
I know he must’ve had reasons, but still.
“Birthday?”
Grandma Margo’s laughter stopped.
“The date Sion mentioned in his letter…”
She frowned thoughtfully—then suddenly exclaimed softly, as if she realized something.
“So it wasn’t that long ago.”
“My birthday?” I blinked.
Yeah, it wasn’t long ago.
Not even a month yet.
It just felt like time had flown because so much happened since then.
“I see.”
After muttering quietly, Grandma Margo suddenly stood up and held out her hand to me.
“Come, let’s go. That wild mutt can tag along too if he wants.”
“Eh?”
I reflexively took her hand, tilting my head.
Where are we going?
Not long after, I got my answer.
Because the place Grandma Margo took me to was very familiar.
“Your Majesty, I’m taking the child out for a while.”
In Grandpa’s office, Grandma Margo boldly declared—without so much as a greeting—
“We have a birthday party to throw.”
…Why though?
