Chapter 5
Unexpected Reunion
By now, the man had already reached the display cabinet.
“….”
“….”
After a brief silence, he let out a small sigh.
“…I know you’re in there. So come out on your own.”
I twitched my eyebrows.
‘Who’s going to obey that?’
Fool. Even if he underestimated me for being a child, wasting the opportunity like this…
Of course, it worked in my favor. The longer I stalled, the higher my chances of survival.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I don’t want to startle you, either.”
Bah. I secretly stuck out my tongue. Who’d believe that?
Faced with me, stubbornly hiding behind a thin little door, the man finally sighed a second time.
“There’s no helping it.”
Rustle. He finally knelt down.
‘The door’s opening!’
No time to think. I clenched my fists just as Mother had taught me and thrust them forward with all my strength!
“Wha—ugh!”
Thwack!
A dull, heavy impact rang out. Surprised by the unexpected attack, the man clutched his face, stumbling backward.
“Serves you right!”
I crawled out triumphantly and stood up with a flourish.
“Just because your opponent’s a baby doesn’t mean you can let your guard down! Remember that from now on!”
“…Huh, what did you say?”
He shook his head in disbelief, finally removing the hand from his face. For the first time, I saw him clearly.
Black hair, strong masculine eyebrows, with a scar across one, and under his dark lashes, eyes as deep and blue as a winter sea…
‘Huh?’
A familiar face.
‘No way…?’
And very, very familiar.
“…Brother, what are you doing here?!”
I blurted it out before I could stop myself.
I hurriedly covered my mouth, but it was too late.
‘I’m doomed!’
The Ezekiel Ricard I knew in my past life wouldn’t simply ignore a child’s nonsense.
He wouldn’t.
…My brother from my past life.
His deep blue gaze, impossible to read, stared straight at me. I shivered under the feeling of being analyzed down to every detail.
“N-No… I just thought you were someone I knew from next door, the backyard, the front yard…”
“This is… surprising.”
What?! There’s nothing for you to be surprised about! You just got smacked in the face by a kid and heard hallucinations!
“I didn’t expect Rosalind to teach her daughter about her biological father.”
“Wait, so I’m… what?”
What did he just say? Biological father?
‘Biological father… so, my dad?’
Ezekiel Ricard… my dad?
My eyes widened to the limit. He said calmly:
“As long as I can recognize you, it’ll make things easier.”
“W-What do you mean, recognize…?”
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand—it was a desperate plea for him to deny it.
“…? That I am your biological father….”
“Waaah! No!!”
Startled beyond measure, I could no longer maintain any mature thought. Instinctively, I let out a scream that sounded like a three-year-old, shaking my head violently.
“That can’t be! It’s a dream, a dream!”
My brother, who had despised me so much in my past life, was now my father in this life?! And how could Mother be with him!
“Quiet! Ugh!”
Smack!
A louder, more forceful impact than before echoed. He grimaced, holding his cheek where I had struck.
“Ugh… what the hell…!”
It wasn’t exactly pain—it was sheer disbelief.
I wasn’t much different. Actually, I was even more shocked.
Quickly withdrawing my fist, I tried to offer an explanation.
“I-I wasn’t planning to hit you again!”
“Not very convincing.”
“I did warn you it’d be best not to startle the princess.”
At that familiar voice, I immediately lifted my head.
“Marquis Mafilda!”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ve arrived.”
I ran and hid behind the Marquis’s skirts. He picked me up gently, chastising me with a soft rebuke.
“See? You were quite startled.”
“Do the Caledro Dukes teach you to throw punches whenever surprised?”
“Mostly, yes. It’s good to have a high level of self-defense.”
“Hah.”
Ezekiel Ricard—the brother from my past life, now insisting he’s my father—shook his head in disbelief.
Then, glaring at Marquis Mafilda with his bright blue eyes, he said:
“Not a bit alike.”
“Is that so?”
The almost lethal tone made me flinch, but Marquis Mafilda merely cooed and comforted me gently.
Ezekiel growled again.
“You lied.”
“I did not. Standards of resemblance are subjective, aren’t they?”
“So you admit it’s true?”
“Yes.”
He was the heir to the Ricard Dukedom, after all.
‘Maybe he’s already a duke. Father is old, after all.’
Yet Marquis Mafilda, rather than being intimidated, smiled warmly and countered boldly.
“If I hadn’t told Your Excellency that the princess resembles your late aunt, would you have come here?”
Wait—late aunt?
‘Brother is my father… and I’m his daughter… then the dead aunt…’
There’s only one.
‘…My past-life self?!’
Why is my past-life self even being mentioned here?!
I looked at Ezekiel, startled—his expression was terrifying. His gaze alone could cut a person down.
‘Sc-Scary.’
Perhaps he was reacting to hearing about my past-life self, the one he despised so much. Maybe he intended to kill me if I resembled her. His glare was so fierce I almost forgot what he was thinking just moments ago.
Instinctively, I clutched Marquis Mafilda’s skirts. Sensing my fear, he wrapped me a little tighter in comfort.
Snuggling into his familiar embrace, I peeked at Ezekiel—fortunately, his gaze had softened slightly, though it still seemed complicated.
“…I’ll remember this debt.”
“As you wish.”
I couldn’t tell. At this moment, Marquis Mafilda, smiling calmly in front of him, seemed utterly remarkable.
Marquis Mafilda had always impressed me, but today he proved even more extraordinary.
In front of Ezekiel, who exuded both cold wind and deadly intent, three-year-old me was served a meal simply because it was time to eat.
‘I’m going to choke…’
Even the utensils and food were my portion alone.
Could this be allowed? And he’s supposedly not even the heir anymore, just the duke. It felt like blatant disregard—almost insulting.
“Here, Your Highness.”
Marquis Mafilda gently placed a fork in my hand. I glanced at Ezekiel—his eyes radiated displeasure.
‘Hmm, but…’
I was startled earlier, but in my past life, I’d endured even harsher, contemptuous stares.
And right now, there’s no reason for me to try to impress him.
‘Why bother trying to look good unless there’s something to gain?’
Trying now would only mean being dragged back to that hellish Ricard household.
No. Absolutely not. I shivered my shoulders, looked away firmly, and gripped the fork tightly.
“…I’ll eat well!”
