CHAPTER
Cassel felt a bit uneasy about leaving the kid behind after spending a few days together, but at the same time, he also felt relieved.
“She’s just a kid. She’s probably too busy eating snacks to even notice I’m gone. She’ll forget soon enough.”
“S-Samchon! Ah!”
But then, as he walked toward the carriage, a loud thud made him stop and turn around.
His face stiffened.
Right at the bottom of the stairs, Aika had fallen. But she got up on her own, brushed off her clothes like she was fine, and stood there with her head down.
Cassel expected her to cry and scream like usual, but instead—
“Hic… sniff… huff…”
Cassel quietly took in a breath.
Aika was standing there, not making a sound, just letting tears fall from her eyes.
Her eyes, so much like his own, looked like she was glaring at him.
He needed to get out of here fast, but it felt like his feet were chained to the ground.
“…Why are you crying?”
Why is she crying like that?
Even with one knee scraped, Aika stood tall with her little fists clenched tight, tears pouring down like a faucet.
She cried so much it felt like she’d dry out.
If only she would yell or whine like she usually did.
Cassel’s throat bobbed as he tried to swallow something down.
“I said, why are you crying?”
“Sniff, hic… Samchon… you… left me behind.”
“I didn’t leave you.”
“Sniff… Samch—hic—chon…”
Her face twisted again and more tears fell.
Cassel just stood there, frozen, staring at her.
“….”
“…Sniff.”
They stood apart for a long time, neither one moving.
The sound of water trickling from the garden fountain echoed between them.
“I give up…”
Cassel muttered like he’d lost a fight, then walked over and picked Aika up.
Startled, she squirmed and tried to push him away, but she was way too small to stop him.
“You good-for-nothing brat! How dare you make her cry and try to leave like that?!”
Duke Balliat ran out shouting behind them. He was in such a rush, he didn’t even have his cane.
Cassel, still holding Aika under his arm, headed to the carriage, then turned halfway around.
“I’m going to raise this kid. Take care of yourself, Your Grace.”
Then he climbed into the carriage and slammed the door shut.
“YOU ROTTEN SCOUNDREL! PUT MY BABY DOWN AND COME BACK HERE!!!”
Duke Balliat’s angry shouting followed after the carriage.
Sniff, hic.
The carriage was filled with Aika’s sobbing.
Her face was soaked, her eyes, nose, and lips all red like a little baby rabbit caught in the rain.
Cassel didn’t feel great either, sitting across from her, getting stabbed by her tearful, accusing eyes.
He had picked her back up because he couldn’t bear to leave her—but now he was dreading what came next.
As he tried to turn away and look out the window, the carriage suddenly bumped hard over a rock.
Aika, so light, bounced slightly in her seat.
Cassel, quietly watching her, slid his hands under her arms, lifted her up, and sat her on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her like a seatbelt.
Aika flinched in surprise and wiggled.
“Wait—”
“Sit still.”
At those words, Aika quietly settled down in his arms.
But she kept hiccuping, her little head bobbing from the hiccups.
‘Why does she smell like strawberries?’
Cassel frowned.
She must’ve eaten all the strawberry desserts earlier. The sweet smell was strong.
Outside, the coachman, oblivious to their mood, sang cheerfully loud enough for them to hear in the carriage.
It hadn’t been long since we got back home, and it was already dinnertime.
My eyes were all puffy like a goldfish, but I was back safely at Samchon’s house.
And before getting out of the carriage, Samchon even apologized.
“I messed up. So stop crying.”
It was just one sentence, but still.
Hmph. I’ll forgive him just this once. Grown-ups can make mistakes too.
“How are your eyes? Are they still hurting?”
Zenda lifted the cold towel she had been using to soothe my eyes.
“They’re okay now. They don’t hurt anymore.”
“Young Miss…”
“Yeah?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Zenda bowed her head.
She told me she had known Samchon planned to send me to Grandpa’s house.
She said she was sorry for not telling me earlier or stopping it from happening.
“It’s okay. I beat Samchon anyway!”
I smiled with my puffy eyes.
“Young Miss…”
Zenda looked at me with eyes full of tears.
“Zenda, by the way…”
I looked down and rubbed my belly gently.
“Yes, Young Miss?”
Zenda’s face turned a little serious.
“I’m hungry.”
Even though I ate so many snacks at Grandpa’s, I felt hungry again now that I was home.
Also, I figured if I didn’t say something now, Zenda might just keep being sad.
Zenda’s eyes went wide like a surprised bunny. She quickly put down the towel and stood up.
“Oh no, dinner! I’ll get something ready for you right away!”
“Thanks!”
Zenda told me to wait just a bit and rushed off.
I sat and thought about all the yummy food I wanted while waiting for her.
Click.
“Zenda…!”
I quickly turned around at the sound of the door opening.
But it wasn’t Zenda who brought the food—it was Samchon.
I had just started to smile, thinking it was dinner, but then quickly tensed up again.
Samchon placed a tray full of delicious-looking food on the table and walked over to me.
I tried to scoot away to the center of the bed, but he grabbed my clothes and pulled me right back.
He really is super strong!
“You done crying?”
“….”
I just pouted instead of answering, and he flicked my forehead with his finger.
“If you’re mad, go ahead and hit me.”
“…Hmph.”
He says that, but he doesn’t know how much it hurts when he does it!
I wanted someone just like Samchon to flick his forehead too.
Rubbing my forehead and puffing out my cheeks, I watched him straighten up.
“Eat. Don’t whine later saying you’re hungry.”
Then he turned and left again.
Just as I was about to call after him in disbelief, Zenda walked in.
“Young Miss, just a moment! I’ll set it all up for you.”
With her lightning-fast hands, Zenda turned the table into a lovely meal spot in no time.
After she clipped a big napkin around my neck, I sat in the chair and noticed an envelope next to my plate.
“What’s this?”
“Oh! I think the master left it. It has your name on it. Do you want to read it after dinner?”
I picked it up while listening to her and quickly recognized what it was.
It was the same letter I saw sticking out of Samchon’s desk a few days ago.
The seal from the royal palace was still unbroken.
“Can I read it now?”
“Of course! Should I help you open it?”
“I’ll do it!”
Zenda only helped with the seal that was hard for me to tear.
Inside was a thick card, even thicker than the envelope.
I read it word by word, then stopped near the end, shocked. I looked at Zenda with wide eyes.
“The Emperor…”
“Yes?”
“…invited me to visit!”
“Wh-What?!”
“Here, look!”
I handed the card to Zenda.
Her eyes went wide like a rabbit’s after she read it too.
“Oh my. It’s real! The Emperor invited you to the palace. The master is said to be close friends with His Majesty too…”
“My mom’s his friend too. But Samchon…”
I trailed off and frowned.
If I asked Samchon to come with me, he’d probably say I was being clingy again.
Or he’d say I’m annoying and not even give me a ride.
“Zenda.”
“Yes?”
“Is the palace far from here?”
Zenda rested her chin on her finger, thinking carefully.
“If you take a carriage, it should take about 30 minutes to an hour. I’ve never been there myself, but that’s what I heard.”
“Oh…”
I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
So I do have to get Samchon’s permission after all?
