Chapter 37
The wide, open meadow stretched endlessly before us. The sunlight shimmered, the wind carried the scent of flowers, and the sky was a perfect blue.
And my handsome dad was right there.
Surely this must be heaven.
“Your delicate skin will burn, young lady.”
“The sun is blazing at noon.”
“What’s this? It looks like an umbrella.”
“It’s called a parasol, my lady.”
“Can I hold it?”
The maid hesitated for a moment but nodded when she saw my bright expression. I eagerly took the parasol from her hands.
It wasn’t an umbrella but a parasol—my first time seeing one. It looked luxurious, just like the dress I was wearing.
A few days ago, the designer who had come to take my measurements sent the finished clothes.
My favorite among them was the blue dress I was wearing today. The way it contrasted with black gave me the air of a calm yet dignified noble lady—it made my heart flutter.
‘I really like the ribbon tied under my neck, too.’
The bonnet on my head was lovely as well.
To be honest, I was also happy because Dad had changed into a uniform in the same blue shade.
‘It feels like we’re matching outfits.’
Maybe he’d just thrown on the first thing he found after washing up, but I couldn’t help attaching meaning to every little thing he did.
“Dad, look! I’m holding the parasol.”
He turned around.
Maybe because he was so strong and handsome, it looked like there was a halo around him.
Dad was much taller than me, and I wanted to hold the parasol over him too, but I couldn’t quite reach.
I went on tiptoes, stretching with all my might.
“Your skin will burn too, Dad.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you’re handsome. For everyone’s sake.”
He looked like he wanted to question the logic of that statement.
“I don’t get sunburned. And even if I did, I’d still be handsome.”
Dad looked off into the distance.
He was smart enough to know full well how great he was.
‘Well, a person that amazing should at least know they’re amazing.’
Otherwise, being around them gets exhausting.
Like when Dad assumes everyone’s as strong as he is—it hurts when I just want to lean on him.
Or when my brother assumes everyone’s as talented as he is—it’s frustrating for someone like me, still trying to learn.
‘Though Dad probably still thinks I’m hopelessly weak.’
I accepted it with a small nod and lowered the parasol. His face wasn’t shaded at all, but somehow that made him shine even more.
And his skin—so pale.
Come to think of it, my brother was pale too. Maybe the blood of the House of Archibiades was made up of only the finest traits.
“They say nobles have blue blood.”
“Where did you read that?”
“In Beginner’s Guide to Noble Culture and Etiquette.”
“…That book’s mistaken.”
“Right? I saw your blood before, and it was red.”
I was talking about that day when I’d blown warm air on his palm to help heal a wound on his cheek. His blood had definitely been red. But just to make sure, I asked again.
‘So books don’t always tell the truth.’
Dad smiled, probably remembering that day too.
“Right, wait here a bit. I’ll go get you a present.”
“A present…?”
If only I had already met Kan and obtained some Rasiteni grass through the earth spirits, I could’ve brought that. But since I hadn’t, I wanted to give Dad some other kind of flower instead.
‘A flower crown would be even better.’
I hopped around, holding the parasol, looking for flowers in the soft earth.
Behind me, I heard Dad mutter to himself:
“They said my daughter eats dirt, didn’t they…”
It was true that for the past five days, whenever I went to the rose garden, I scooped up handfuls of soil.
But that rumor was wrong.
I wasn’t eating the dirt—I was begging the earth spirits to help me.
Still, I’d let people misunderstand on purpose, since I wanted to surprise him later.
‘A surprise gift is more touching, after all.’
Butterflies fluttered around me, unafraid. Maybe they liked the flowers painted on the parasol.
I leaned the parasol against a tree and carefully began picking flowers.
<Hello, Adelle.>
It was a water spirit speaking to me—tiny, like a droplet of water. Not like the caged waterbird I’d once met.
For some reason, I’d met every kind of spirit except the earth one.
“Hi! Could you maybe call the earth spirit for me?”
<That’s… difficult.>
“I thought so.”
I pouted but wasn’t surprised.
Spirits liked all the attention on themselves when they appeared.
So, I turned back to my flowers.
Red, yellow, green.
I clumsily wove them into a crown. I’d only ever watched another orphan do it before, back when I lived at the orphanage, so it took me a while.
Anyway—done!
Ah, but… maybe it looked a bit rough.
‘It feels like it’ll fall apart any second.’
I held the crown carefully with both hands and walked toward Dad.
He was sitting on a blanket, staring intently at an ant crawling across it. The servants and knights were all standing at a distance.
We’d come for a picnic, but Dad wasn’t eating anything.
‘Isn’t he hungry?’
The sunlight had dried his hair completely.
The fruits on the platter were shiny and ripe, and the three-tier tray was piled with sandwiches, cakes, and sweets.
I approached him quietly.
He looked up at me with a gaze that could kill an ant on sight. But our eyes were about level.
“That shabby thing’s the gift? That crown?”
“Yes!”
“No.”
A blunt refusal.
What—why?!
I looked down at the flower crown, stunned. It was a bit sloppy.
He had so many attendants and was such a high-ranking noble, maybe something like this wasn’t fitting for him.
But I’d worked hard on it.
Then, Dad suddenly picked up the crown between his thumb and forefinger.
Maybe he didn’t plan to wear it, but at least he accepted it.
I looked up, and he was holding the crown.
“Sit down.”
“Hehe.”
My mood lifted immediately!
I’d given him a gift, he’d taken it—what he did next was up to him.
I decided to think positively.
I sat down quickly and spotted some grapes. I hesitated for a second but decided it was fine—after all, Dad had fed me grapes earlier too.
“Give me your hand.”
<Gladly!>
The little water droplet laughed and slid across my palm.
The dirt on my hands vanished instantly.
Maybe that’s why—Dad’s gaze lingered on me, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
“Here, Dad. Have some grapes.”
“….”
He looked at me like I was a very strange little creature, but he obediently opened his mouth.
He ate the grape I offered him.
“Ah! You look so pretty, Dad.”
“…Who taught you to say things like that?”
He looked truly dumbfounded.
To be fair, calling someone who’d just brutally executed a spy “pretty” didn’t quite fit.
‘Is this what they call a love filter?’
Even if he was scary, I still liked everything about him.
Maybe that’s just what family means—a word that somehow hurts and warms your chest at the same time.
“You wear it.”
He lifted my bonnet and placed the flower crown on my head.
“You look quite cute today.”
I’d wanted to see him wearing it, but hearing that made it just as good.
Then—
“…?”
I felt a presence behind him, up in a tree.
If I hadn’t recognized who it was, I might’ve thought it an assassin.
But it was Kan.
‘Kan?’
What was he doing here?
My heart nearly burst out of my chest. It was Kan—the one I’d been wanting to meet so badly.
Dad noticed the flicker in my expression and raised a brow, amused.
“Dad, I’m just going to the bathroom for a bit.”
“…Alright.”
“It might take a while. Eat some grapes while I’m gone.”
Dad chuckled, clearly entertained.
I had no idea what he found so funny, but right now, Kan was more important.
Finally—I could ask him about Ringspell!
“How’d you manage to get away?”
“I told him I needed to use the bathroom. I said it’d take a while, so it’s fine.”
“The bathroom?”
Kan landed lightly from the tree, looking at me.
“Nobles don’t say they’re going to the bathroom out loud. It’s improper etiquette.”
Ah—that’s why Dad laughed!
That part hadn’t been in the book.
I’d only read the beginner’s guide.
But since it kept me from arousing suspicion, it worked out anyway.
“Why did you come now, Kan?”
“I was planning to come next week, but I heard rumors that you were looking for me.”
…Rumors again?
That was the third time today.
Apparently, people were talking about me when I wasn’t around. Maybe they were all just curious about me.
‘But I only mentioned Kan to my brother…’
Strange. Still, that wasn’t the important thing right now.
“Kan, I have a favor to ask.”
“You really took your time, my daughter.”
Dad’s tone made it sound like I’d gone to handle some huge business.
‘Well, it was important business.’
I proudly held out a bouquet to him, hoping to surprise him.
‘Kan is amazing.’
It hadn’t taken long after I asked—before I knew it, I was holding Rasiteni grass.
The purple flower that grew beneath it, to be exact.
If I crushed its powder and applied it to his wounds, the scars on his chest that he always tried to hide would disappear.
“This is… Rasiteni grass?”
He recognized it immediately.
I looked up at him with expectant eyes, waiting for praise.
“Where did you get this?”
“From the earth spirit.”
“You’ve already advanced enough to cast spells? That book wasn’t supposed to be available to you.”
I said nothing.
Dad didn’t press further.
Maybe, for a moment, he thought of me as someone like himself.
Or maybe he just lost interest quickly.
He accepted the bouquet with a blank face.
“Now, please sleep with me.”
“…How did this conversation turn into that?”
“If you use this, your wounds will heal, and then you can sleep without a shirt on. I’ll close my eyes and won’t look, I promise. Then it won’t be uncomfortable, so you can sleep with me.”
Dad was silent for a long time.
Finally, I heard him mutter under his breath, “I’m losing my mind.”
But then, he burst out laughing.
Really laughing—like he’d just heard the funniest thing in the world.
“Truly… this is too funny.”
