Enzo gave an awkward smile.

“Um, Miss, a feast can’t be held for just one or two gold coins—”

I pulled something sparkling out of the bag slung over my shoulder.

Then, cupping my hands full, I held them out in front.

“Why are there so many jewels...!”

Enzo stared at the gems in my hands with a look of utter shock.

Each one was unique and looked incredibly expensive at first glance.

These were the ones Conrad brought last night.

‘They’re the reward for the body rejuvenation potion I gave Grandpa!’

Enzo’s eyes widened.

He was almost jaw-dropped that a three-year-old like me was carrying such jewels.

As he mumbled, “This should be enough for the feast...” and nervously reached out his hand toward me—

Smack!

Dad swatted Enzo’s hand away just as it was about to touch mine.

“Are you trying to pilfer a child’s hard-earned money?”

“Hard-earned money... that’s not quite the right phrase for this...”

Enzo was right.

This would probably amount to the petty cash of a noble family.

When I got these from Conrad, I even heard trumpets ringing in my ears.

So honestly, I was reluctant to give them away...

‘But I thought of it as an investment.’

Besides, since these were jewels, there was no way a three-year-old like me could sell them for cash.

Dad frowned, watching Enzo’s regretful face.

Then he tossed something lightly—it turned out to be a key.

“Take whatever you need from my personal warehouse.”

“Understood.”

“What’s the hold-up?”

“Huh?”

“If you dawdle, how can you return to your territory within this week?”

“I’ll prepare immediately.”

Enzo bowed to Dad and me and hurried off.

‘Return to the territory within this week?’

Six days remained.

If Dad and Grandpa didn’t get along, I probably wouldn’t see Dad much in the main estate.

That meant I had only six days to get close to Dad.

Thus began the desperate “Get Close to Dad Project.”

I spent the whole day coming and going from Dad’s office in the barracks.

I went after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner.

It was Dad’s third day back at the castle.

After lunch, I went to Dad’s office again.

I tiptoed and knocked on the large door, and Enzo opened it.

“Have you eaten?”

Enzo, now familiar with me after two days, smiled warmly.

Other aides also greeted me with smiles.

I greeted Enzo and plopped down on the rug near Dad’s work table.

Fortunately, Dad said nothing.

He was too busy to pay attention after returning from five years of war.

Sometimes, he glanced at me with a look like “What is that?”

‘That’s very tolerable.’

With Grandpa, I never got past the room’s threshold; with Dad, I could stay inside the office.

‘If I stay close, I might get noticed.’

I scribbled letters on a sketchbook.

Enzo asked,

“You’re already writing letters?”

I proudly lifted my chin.

‘I worked so hard at this.’

Since it’s nothing like Korean or English, it took me three years.

‘I can’t write sentences well yet, but I’m much better than kids my age.’

“Wow, as expected of Lady Astra, unlike ordinary people—”

Enzo flinched.

Dad was looking at us with an expressionless face.

‘Enzo, you idiot.’

Dad really dislikes the Astra name.

Especially when Enzo said “as expected of Astra,” Dad couldn’t hide his sneer.

While Enzo was embarrassed, I quickly changed the subject.

“I know lots of letters!”

“Is that so? Then can you write your father’s name?”

“Yes!”

I bent over and carefully wrote letters.

[Daymond...]

I stopped and glanced at Dad.

‘If I do too well, it might be a problem.’

If I’m too smart, they might watch me suspiciously.

‘They might think I’m an artificial human.’

I scribbled out what I wrote with crayons and wrote again.

“Here.”

I said, and Enzo and the aides looked at it with interest.

[Mondeuki]

“Ugh!”

Somewhere, a sound like someone choking was heard.

An aide with long hair covered his mouth with a deathly pale face.

Enzo was similar, furiously pinching his thigh.

Other aides looked the same.

Because my letters were so big, Dad could probably see them on his desk.

“......”

Dad’s brows furrowed, and Enzo quickly said,

“Well, at least two of the letters are correct.”

“Yes. For a three-year-old, that’s excellent.”

He then subtly flipped my sketchbook to the next page.

I stole glances at Dad.

‘Maybe I overdid it trying to act like a lover.’

I was tense, waiting for him to say something.

But he said nothing and went back to work.

“......”

I fiddled with the lace on my clothes.

‘I think Dad is better than I thought.’

Though he looks cold, he doesn’t treat children harshly.

Instead, he doesn’t outright reject me when I’m annoying.

‘Maybe he likes me a little...’

I shook my head.

I think there’s no such thing as unconditional affection.

Maybe others have it, but for poor me, there isn’t.

‘It was the same in my original world.’

When I was Yoo Hyemin, I lived with only Mom because Dad died early.

Mom remarried only after I learned to walk.

Grandma was very happy.

“She thought she’d be a widow with a child all her life, but now look—a son-in-law working at a good company!”

Grandma’s joy meant my stepfather was a good man.

He treated Mom’s daughter well.

‘...Until my sibling was born.’

Seven months after Mom and stepfather married, my sibling Seeun was born.

Seeun was cute and charming; everyone was smitten with her.

Grandma always said while holding Seeun,

“You’ve already fulfilled your filial duties by fixing your mother’s fate. Oh, you’re so pretty.”

When I heard that, the neighbor lady said, “Grandma’s old-fashioned.”

But I thought Grandma wasn’t entirely wrong.

Mom adored Seeun and didn’t know what to do with her.

After Seeun was born, I was out of Mom’s attention, but I was okay.

Mom was happy.

Then one day, when I started elementary school.

My sibling and I fought over a doll.

“Give it! I said!”

“No! Mom bought it for my birthday!”

I pushed my sibling so hard the doll’s neck nearly tore.

“Why would you do that!”

Stepfather barged in and yelled at me fiercely.

Then comforted my crying sibling gently.

“I’ll buy you ten more. Okay? Now stop crying. Your pretty eyes will swell.”

Seeun stuck out her tongue at me in his arms.

Grandma came rushing upon hearing the commotion.

“What’s wrong with you fighting over a doll? What if your father says he can’t live with your mom because of you? Do you understand?”

“......”

“Reflect on that!”

Mom pretended not to notice.

She just patted Seeun sleeping in her arms and went to the master bedroom, never coming out.

Kids are sensitive.

They notice their position quickly.

I vaguely realized I was a pawn beside my sibling in this family.

Seeun also realized her older sister was someone she could treat carelessly.

Until Seeun graduated, all her homework was my responsibility.

When she started college and piano lessons, I never took a day off work to pay for the expensive lessons.

Dad’s salary alone couldn’t cover it.

Still, Seeun joked,

“Seeun, who cleans up after us?”

“Oh, our housemaids.”

She easily joked about this.

Seeun was the princess of the family as a reward for being the reason Mom remarried.

And I entered the house without a reward—as a maid...

‘Enough, enough.’

I quickly shook my head.

Thinking about it only made me feel worse.

But thanks to Seeun, one good thing happened.

I got to know Ice.Black.Hand.

That novel was Seeun’s favorite.

‘What if I had become Erilot without knowing anything?’

I cleared my mind and glanced at Dad.

‘Anyway, if I want to get on Dad’s good side, I need to pay a price.’

Isn’t there a good way?

While pondering, a knock came.

“Conrad Marcial.”

Conrad!

I jumped up, and Enzo opened the door with Dad’s permission.

Conrad entered, greeted Dad, then winked at me.

Dad asked,

“What’s the matter?”

“A scout discovered clues about purified stone in Hadix Mountain.”

“And?”

“I was ordered to have soldiers search Hadix Mountain for purified stone.”

“To soldiers who returned less than three days ago.”

“If we ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) find purified stone, the budget for the territory will be reconsidered.”

Conrad handed over documents—seemed related to purified stone.

I nervously looked at Dad.

‘You’ll do it, right? Hm?’

Disobeying orders leads to military punishment.

Plus, the budget would be reviewed!

This was Grandpa’s concession.

Enzo and Dad’s aides looked at him with hopeful expressions.

Dad clicked his tongue and looked at Enzo.

“Prepare the soldiers. We depart for Hadix Mountain tomorrow morning.”

“Yes...!”

Enzo and the aides hurried outside, fearing Dad might change his mind.

‘Purified stone is said to cleanse curses... huh?’

I blinked and looked at Dad.

The novel’s story flashed through my mind.

“Purified stone was found in Hadix Mountain?”

“Yes, after three search attempts, it was a great success.”

“That’s too bad. If Lord Daymond were alive, his precious talent wouldn’t have been wasted.”

“Didn’t General Daymond die in the war?”

“Did you not know? Rumor has it he died because a curse was activated during battle and he couldn’t dodge the enemy’s sword.”

“It is strange that such a great man died from a mere soldier’s sword.”

‘Yeah, preventing death on the battlefield isn’t everything.’

If someone ordered death, they might try to curse again at the right opportunity.

‘Dad needs purified stone.’

But finding purified stone would be very difficult.

It wasn’t by chance it was found after three search attempts.

‘But I know its location from the novel.’

Still, I couldn’t tell them.

It would be very suspicious if I knew purified stone’s location without ever having been to Hadix Mountain.

‘They wouldn’t take me even if I begged to go.’

Then there was only one way.

Make a higher-up order it.

‘Fine, I’ll try.’

I decided to go see Grandpa.

Before the sun set, I returned to the main estate and went straight to Grandpa.

Marquis Debussy, who was with Grandpa, said to me,

“It seems like a long time since we last saw you.”

It had only been three days.

But since I used to follow Grandpa day and night, it could feel like a long time.

“Hello.”

“Yes, Miss. Did you enjoy yourself today?”

“Yes.”

“What did you do?”

“Umm... I drew in Father’s room, wrote letters in Father’s room, looked at colors in Father’s room, and also...”

As I folded my short fingers one by one, the Marquis nodded, saying “Oh.”

“You’re very close with Lord Daymond.”

“I like Father.”

The Marquis laughed heartily, probably because I raised my arms high and said that cutely.

“But why don’t you stay at the barracks and visit here? Since Lord Daymond will return to his territory this week, you could spend more time together.”

The Marquis clearly didn’t think Dad would take me to the territory.

‘If I were a homunculus, it would be awkward to bring me to the territory.’

I peeked my face over the table.

“To see Grandpa.”

“Why don’t you live with him?”

“Huh?”

I blinked.

‘Why does he say it like I’m upset?’

Maybe he felt a little sorry?

The Marquis smirked and looked at Grandpa.

“Perhaps you miss the granddaughter you saw every day?”

“I liked not having to be bothered!”

Grandpa immediately shot that down.

‘That figures.’

He has plenty of grandchildren besides me.

He wouldn’t feel lonely just because I wasn’t around a few days.

‘I was definitely too clingy.’

If a kid follows someone that much, it would be annoying.

Grandpa quickly glanced at me.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Grandpa, we’re going to the mountain. Erilot wants to go too.”

I said with sparkling eyes; Grandpa’s eyebrows twitched.

“What are you trying to interfere with? Enough. You stay quietly in the castle.”

Grandpa’s words left me visibly disappointed.

I had hoped he’d allow me because the Hadix Mountain search involved no monsters, just a simple search.

I slumped my shoulders.

Marquis Debussy smiled watching me.

“Miss.”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you like Grandpa when you refuse so bluntly?”

“Mm.”

“Then who do you like better, Grandpa or Father?”

I looked sideways at the air and said,

“Father.”