31
“…Your Highness?”
The person standing at the door wasn’t the nanny—it was Haven. Caught off guard by the unexpected visitor, Roze blinked blankly and stood frozen in place. Haven raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth.
“Aren’t you going to let me in?”
“…Pardon?”
“Roze, do I need your permission to enter?”
Only after hearing his words again did Roze understand what he meant. Startled, she quickly stepped aside.
“No! I’m sorry. I was just surprised… I mean, it’s not something to be surprised about.”
Roze stammered, quite unlike her usual self, and then fell silent. It wasn’t really something to be surprised about—a father visiting his daughter’s room wasn’t all that strange. And yet, she hadn’t imagined he would come to see Plita.
“Huh? Ah, Daddy?”
Plita seemed just as surprised. The little girl stammered as she called out to Haven. Roze finally came to her senses and quietly stepped behind Plita inside the room.
“…”
Seeing this, a wrinkle formed between Haven’s brows. Was his visit really that shocking? The thought left him feeling strangely wronged.
“Wronged,” huh?
The word that popped into his head made him scoff in disbelief. He hadn’t even thought like that when he was younger—it felt childish.
“…Your Highness?”
At that moment, a cautious voice called out to him. Haven lifted his gaze to the woman who had spoken.
Roze was looking at him with wide eyes, seemingly puzzled at his awkward smile and the fact that he hadn’t stepped into the room yet. When their eyes met, she flinched.
“What did I even do?”
Suppressing the childish thought again, Haven took a step into the room, pretending to be unfazed. But he didn’t get far before stopping in his tracks.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I haven’t had a chance to clean up yet.”
The room was a mess. Well, not quite a disaster, but there was a half-eaten meal on the table and a few dolls scattered on the floor.
Still, it was a sight rare in the perfectly maintained Grand Duke’s residence.
Haven had no intention of scolding the maid. It wasn’t an unsanitary environment—just…
“I’m sorry! Let’s clean up together—ah!”
“Stay still! What if you step on a shard and get hurt?”
Hallucinations? They had to be. Along with a throbbing headache, Haven pressed his temple unconsciously and grimaced. Roze rushed over in alarm.
“Your Highness? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
He waved her off and walked over to a sofa, sitting down. Then he turned to the two people who were still standing there awkwardly.
“You seemed to be having dinner.”
“No! We’re done eating.”
Roze quickly replied and began clearing the table. But Haven gestured to her and spoke again.
“Not Plita. I meant you.”
“Me? Uh… well…”
Roze’s green eyes trembled. Seeing her flustered response, Haven turned his gaze to the table.
It was obvious that the child had finished eating. The dishes she had used were clean and empty.
But the food across from hers had barely been touched. There was no need to ask whose it was. Before he entered the room, only his daughter and this maid had been here.
“…I’m sorry!”
As his eyes moved toward the table, Roze suddenly knelt with a pale face, as if she had misunderstood something. When Haven looked at her, Plita also turned pale and quickly wedged herself between them with her arms spread wide.
“Roze didn’t do anything wrong! I told her to eat with me!”
“…”
“It’s true! Really… sob.”
The child’s voice rose insistently before breaking off into sobs. Haven watched silently, then narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t say that, Lady Plita. I’m the one at fault. Not you.”
Perhaps unaware of Haven’s gaze, Roze hugged Plita and defended her. Watching the two argue over who was at fault, Haven sighed. The sigh made both Roze and Plita flinch.
“If they’d been holding acorns, they would’ve dropped them.”
He suddenly remembered how he once thought of the child and her maid as squirrels. Now it felt as though he were some villain tormenting a pair of defenseless animals.
“I wasn’t going to scold you for eating together.”
“Then please don’t scold the young lady… Wait, what?”
Roze blinked as she realized what he had actually said. Haven looked between her and Plita and sighed again, then motioned for them to get up.
“Go ahead and stand up now.”
“Yes, Your Highness…”
Roze resisted the urge to flinch again and slowly rose to her feet. Plita followed and moved next to her.
“I only meant that it looked like you hadn’t finished your meal because you were tending to the child. If that’s the case, you may continue eating.”
“I’ve already eaten, Your Highness.”
Growl.
At that moment, a pitiful sound echoed. As Haven’s eyebrow twitched, Plita quickly turned to Roze.
“Roze, are you hungry? Did you not get to eat because of me?”
Plita’s eyes drooped in concern. Roze quickly shook her head.
“No, Lady. That was just, um, the sound of digestion.”
“Digestion?”
“Yes, after you eat, your stomach digests food and… uh…”
Growl.
Roze’s face turned bright red before she could finish her explanation. Haven pointed at her, then at the table.
“Sit down and eat.”
“But I…”
“It’s better to talk over a meal. Better than trying to talk over ‘that sound.’”
This sound? As if on cue, her stomach growled again. Roze, red to the ears, couldn’t hide her face as she moved to the table. Plita looked between them hesitantly, then shuffled toward Roze.
Most fathers would be annoyed to see their daughter side more with a maid, but Haven felt a laugh bubbling up.
It was strange. Even after seeing the messy room and that his daughter had dined with a maid, he felt calm—almost amused.
“Just watching you eat makes me full.”
“What kind of line is that!”
The hallucinations returned—a man and a woman laughing affectionately.
…Voices he didn’t remember, yet felt as though he had longed for them for years.
Haven unknowingly gripped the armrest tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again—only to meet Roze’s gaze.
She had a round piece of bread in her mouth but froze when their eyes met.
“Just watching you eat makes me full.”
The voice whispered again, unfamiliar yet strangely like his own. He knew it couldn’t be.
He had long forgotten how to speak to anyone with such warmth. Even with his own daughter.
“…!”
Haven let go of the armrest and abruptly stood. Roze blinked in surprise and looked up at him. Avoiding her gaze, Haven spoke awkwardly.
“Um… go ahead and finish eating. I’ll be going now.”
“What? No, Your Highness! I’m fine!”
He turned as if to leave. Roze, dazed, then panicked and jumped up. Without thinking, she ran to his side and grabbed his arm.
“…!”
Haven’s blue eyes widened. He looked down at her hand, and Roze suddenly realized what she had done. She let go like she’d been burned.
“I-I’m sorry! I just… I just…”
She stammered. The words tangled in her throat. Then, she felt a tug on her skirt and looked down.
Plita…
The little girl was clinging to her skirt. Those soft green eyes calmed her. Roze took a deep breath and turned back to Haven.
He looked stunned—probably from her grabbing his arm. Roze clenched and opened her hand.
She could still feel the firmness of his arm, the one that once embraced her so kindly. She bit back her tears and opened her mouth.
“You came all this way… Would you care to have a cup of tea with the young lady? It’s a bit late, but I believe it would be a meaningful moment for her.”
“…”
Haven’s gaze slowly moved from Roze to Plita. The child had been clinging to Roze’s skirt, but when their eyes met, she shyly hid behind her. Yet she didn’t seem frightened or unwilling. On the contrary, her soft green eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if she understood what Roze had said.
What could possibly be so exciting about having tea with such a dull father?
“…Very well. Please prepare the tea.”
