Chapter 19
“Yeah! Then, Dad, I have to go to bed early now, so bye-bye here.”
“Huh? You’re going to sleep already? It’s not bedtime yet. And Dad can stay a little longer—”
“No. Dad is a busy person. You shouldn’t spend so much time just because of me!”
I firmly shook my head at Dad, who kept wanting to stay with me.
“But to Dad, being a marquis is important, but being Amanet’s dad is important too.”
“Yes. Still, I want Dad to be someone who does his own work.”
Only then did Dad seem to understand, and he led me to the bed and sat me down.
“It can’t be helped.”
“Yeah. Then hurry and go. Ah, I’m tired. I want to sleep quickly.”
“Then go to bed early today and let’s see each other early tomorrow.”
“Okay, Dad, bye!”
Even after my words, Dad couldn’t bring himself to leave, looking regretful to the very end, but I waved my hand more decisively.
In the end, leaving behind a heart full of regret, Dad turned around and went outside.
Of course, he kept looking back the whole way, openly showing how reluctant he was to leave, but whenever I respond to that, Dad never stops.
‘It’s really nice that he loves me so much, though.’
Ha. It’s because I’m just too charming.
Seeing how he’s willing to risk his life over his daughter.
My charm really is no joke. But since I couldn’t let Dad become any more foolish, I used firmness as my weapon and chased him out.
After that, the maids came inside.
Perhaps because they’d been told I would wash right away, they hurriedly busied themselves washing me, and so the day slowly came to an end.
It was a little early to fall asleep, but I welcomed the early night for the sake of tomorrow.
Nothing had changed from the past.
The birthday party. My birthday party, yet the party where I was destined not to be happy at all. Thinking of the misfortunes I had to endure on a birthday when I should have been happier than anyone else sent chills all over my body.
Just the fact that Grandmother’s other grandchildren were coming meant the party was already doomed to be a mess.
‘Hoo. I even woke up ridiculously early.’
In the past, I’d been so excited about my birthday party that I couldn’t sleep properly and ended up sleeping in.
But this time, because I fell asleep early, my eyes snapped open the moment dawn broke. No matter how hard I tried to go back to sleep, it just wouldn’t come. I lay there blinking for several minutes.
‘Haah. Should I just run away?’
Because of all the effort Dad put into preparing this, I couldn’t run away, but I really, really wanted to.
Since Grandmother had always shown that she cherished me in public, quite a lot of people came to the birthday party.
In the past, just that fact alone had made me happy. The bustling party felt like proof that there were many people who cared about me, and I liked that a lot.
Just knowing that so many people had gathered to celebrate my birthday made me think I was a blessed child.
But the despair was as great as that joy. Because I realized my own place.
Through this party, I clearly learned that Grandmother did not love me, and exactly where I stood.
Thanks to that, Grandmother’s grandchildren tormented me even more.
‘Because of that, even my threats stopped working.’
The claim that Grandmother cherished me publicly stopped being effective from my birthday onward.
Grandmother, who had tried not to break the façade of loving us all equally, nearly tore down the tower she herself had built because of what happened at the birthday party.
Of course, she quickly came to her senses and changed her behavior, but the people who were there all secretly realized exactly what kind of existence I was in this family.
Since it was a party full of people close to Grandmother, everyone kept quiet, and afterward she once again showed, publicly, that she cherished me.
But the grandchildren, having realized how I was treated, treated me as something even worse than a stone kicked along the road.
‘Hoo. I really hate this.’
Something that was bound to happen. It was as if it had been done deliberately to let someone grasp my position.
‘The one who caused it was probably Uncle, though.’
That man who sided with me—but not really—yesterday. Honestly, part of me wanted to erase even this from existence now that I knew the future, but this was something I absolutely couldn’t change.
“Ah, miss, are you not asleep?”
That was when it happened. Just as I was deep in thought, my door burst open.
Thinking I would obviously still be asleep, the maid came in without knocking. Seeing me sitting on the bed without even turning on the light, she flinched in surprise as she entered the room.
The eastern sky was just beginning to brighten, and a faint light filtered in through the window. The maid took a step back.
“Ah. I’m going to sleep again.”
“Ah. I, I see. It looked like you were awake, so……”
“I am awake, but I’m also going to sleep more.”
“I’ll go inform them. To think you’d be this excited about the party, miss.”
But whether the communication was one-sided or she misunderstood, the maid looked more excited than ever. She must have mistaken my restless night for excitement about the party.
“Mm…….”
‘Well, it makes sense that the maids would be excited.’
Usually, when a noble household held a party, the servants were given time off as a reward for their hard work.
Like giving a carrot to a horse—meaning they should work even harder next time.
So that kind of reaction was completely understandable. They were probably thinking about finishing quickly and going on break.
“Yes. Then I’ll let them know outside.”
“Okay.”
Watching the maid, who looked more excited than ever, I couldn’t help but sigh.
‘Is it a relief that it’s not exactly the same as the past?’
While I was thinking that, the maids quickly came in from outside.
As if everything had already been prepared, there wasn’t the slightest hesitation in their movements.
Amazingly fast, they got me ready. Since everything was already prepared, the process was quicker than I’d expected.
The party was in the evening, but if this were the past, I would’ve asked whether it was really necessary to make such a fuss starting from lunchtime. Instead, as soon as they were done, I jumped back onto the bed.
“Ah, miss. There’s still more preparation left.”
“If I prepare now, I won’t even be able to lie down. There’s still plenty of time before the party, so I’ll get ready later.”
“Ahh……”
“What? Is that not allowed? I’m the miss!”
“Ah. Th-that’s right.”
I knew it. As if they’d expected me to lose my temper and get angry again this time too, their faces all stiffened at once.
‘Maybe it’s better to live a little meanly in this world.’
“So don’t worry about it and everyone get out.”
“What about your hair and clothes……?”
“I’ll leave that to Melinji later when there’s time.”
Leaving things to Melinji really is the most comfortable.
“Melinji comes in during the afternoon, so she might be a bit late, miss.”
“That’s fine. What, is it not allowed for me to be attended by the person I want?”
Only then did they awkwardly nod.
“Of course not.”
“Then we’ll be leaving now.”
Among them, a few perceptive ones poked the side of the maid who kept trying to add more.
In the end, the maids hesitated and then left the room.
‘No one will come today.’
Dad, whom I thought would be the first to come because it was my birthday, wouldn’t even come to the birthday party that day.
That had hurt me quite a bit in the past. I still don’t know what Dad is doing for me.
“Ah, whatever.”
Today is something I can’t do anything about. I just have to go through it.
Other than worrying about whether Dad will be okay, there’s nothing I can do.
“At times like this, it really feels awful.”
Being an age where I don’t know anything. Where what I say is brushed off as nothing more than childish nonsense.
That’s why it feels bad. If I were just a little older, I might have been able to deal with what was going to happen today.
“Ah, I don’t know.”
As always, I’ll just do my best within what I can do.
In the end, after rolling left and right on the bed, I finally drifted off to sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, it was already evening.
