TEWMDD 48

CHAPTER 48………………………

‘But in the end, all of this is to protect Mom.’

Don’t worry too much.

Right now, even if I wanted to cause trouble, I couldn’t anyway.

“Hm, I see.”

Then, Berthold’s voice came again.

“Anyway, since these are the ones you’ve been living with lately, I came to at least say hello.”

“Oh my, shall I tell His Highness that you wish to see him when he returns?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

Soon, Berthold spoke again, his voice carrying a faint smile.

“I had a feeling, from what I heard in the audience chamber before coming here, but it seems you really haven’t changed.”

Sometimes, when you can’t see someone’s face and only hear their voice, the emotion in it feels even clearer.

This was one of those moments.

The instant I heard Berthold’s voice, I could tell what he was feeling.

Contempt.

Whether consciously or not, Berthold was blatantly looking down on Kyle and Derek’s father.

‘Dad can’t be unaware of that.’

I carefully lifted my head and looked at Derek’s father’s expression.

He still showed no change in expression, only looking down at me—
as if he hadn’t been interested in their conversation from the start.

“Come to think of it, I suppose it’s understandable that you’d be anxious.”

Meanwhile, Berthold continued speaking.

“One of them always had vulgar language on his lips, if I recall correctly. And the other was mute for a time… I wonder if that’s gotten any better.”

“……”

“They say parents are mirrors to their children. I do hope it won’t affect the child’s speech development—”

The moment he said that, I felt Derek’s father’s arm tense around me.

I placed my hand on his cheek and shook my head.

Then, looking straight into his golden eyes, I silently mouthed the words:

Don’t listen to bad people.

Whatever he says is nonsense anyway.

Dad doesn’t have to care about that at all.

“Your Highness.”

At that moment, Mom’s voice rang through the hallway once again—
this time, completely different from before.

“I’d appreciate it if you refrained from saying such things.”

Her voice was extremely calm and restrained—
so much so that it only made her anger all the more palpable.

“Derek is fine now. There’s no reason his mutism wouldn’t be. As long as he himself is all right.”

“……”

“And Kyle is also doing his very best in his own way.”

Gone was her usual gentle tone; her voice was cool and sharp, spreading through the corridor like thin ice.

“Both of them are good parents to our child.”

“It seems I’ve misspoken.”

Perhaps startled by this side of Mom he’d never seen before, Berthold took a step back.

“I only said that out of genuine concern. But if you say so, I’m glad to hear it.”

“I appreciate the concern, brother.”

Then Harzen’s father spoke—his voice calm yet subdued.

“But as for my family, we’re managing just fine. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t worry excessively.”

“…Family?”

Berthold repeated the word, disbelief in his voice.

“Don’t tell me you’ve actually accepted them as family?”

Seriously?

Why does he keep belittling my dads like this?

Can’t he see Mom and Dad are angry?

“I heard from your daughter that she was dissatisfied with living together with them…”

Berthold muttered on, as if still unable to believe the situation or Harzen’s words.

I shrugged, pretending not to notice Derek’s father’s gaze.

Sure, I said that once—
but only to avoid upsetting Berthold.

I definitely didn’t say it like that!

“Of course.”

In contrast to Berthold, Harzen’s father replied in his usual composed tone.

“Kyle Blake constantly spouts profanities like he’s breathing—it’s rather uncultured. And when he’s short on patience, he often snaps at Derek Grant for not speaking clearly enough.”

“……”

“Our backgrounds, our values, our beliefs—none of them align, so clashes are inevitable. I can’t say I particularly like any of it.”

As I listened, I recalled his daily life.

Harzen’s dad did seem different from the others.

He even chose the farthest room for himself—just because he wanted to be alone.

“But still—”

Then he spoke again, his voice now carrying a faint warmth.

“Life with them isn’t as suffocating as life in the palace.”

“……”

“No matter what happens—even if we fight—we’re always together. I’ve shared emotions I never knew before.”

“……”

“And at night, we all gather and talk about what we did today, and what we’ll do tomorrow.”

I pictured it again—his quiet, distant-seeming daily life.

When Derek’s dad chopped firewood, he sat behind him reading a book.
When Kyle brought out his new inventions from the lab, he’d sip tea in the kitchen and offer quiet comments.

Always at a slight distance—
yet never truly apart from us.

“They’re the ones who taught me how not to hate the world.”

His voice softened, carrying a faint, tender smile.

“Most of all, they—and she—are the ones who changed my life completely. They are my salvation, and the family my savior wished for me.”

It was a voice overflowing with affection—too full to contain.

“So as long as she wishes it, I’ll remain their family. And for the same reason, they’ll remain mine.”

I hadn’t realized Harzen’s dad felt that way.

I really thought he might not be happy living with us.

But I was wrong.

He loves our family in his own way.

The warmth of it all made me open my mouth slightly in awe—

Ding!