Several years passed like that.

In the portraits that arrived every year, Erilot was growing rapidly.

At first, she barely had any hair, but now she tied it up in curls, securing it on both sides.

‘...A squirrel?’

Sometimes I checked the calendar to see when the portrait would arrive.

Only occasionally. Very occasionally.

And after some time.

‘They must have painted the portrait last month, so why hasn’t it arrived yet...?’

Had the family fallen so far they couldn’t afford to hire a painter on time?

That old man scraped every last penny, yet he didn’t hire a painter properly.

“Did you call me, General?”

“Yes. This time it’s the portrait—”

“Yes?”

“......”

“General?”

“No.”

Enzo looked puzzled.

‘Portrait? What portrait... Could it be they want me to have my portrait done?!’

Enzo’s face turned pale.

He hadn’t forgotten how last year, because the general didn’t like his appearance, he had to run thirty laps around the camp.

‘Does he really dislike my face that much?’

No, it’s not true.

Our mother said I was handsome.

‘Maybe it’s not the general’s taste?!’

I shaved my head completely.

Since it didn’t seem to change much, I even shaved my eyebrows.

I tried hard to match the general’s taste...

“Are you resisting?”

I had to run forty laps around the camp.

Weeks passed like that.

The portrait still hadn’t arrived, and Daymond’s mood was low.

Then—

“General! We have news from our people at the main estate!”

“What is it?”

“The lady has manifested her Gaho and is moving from the Twelfth Tower to the main estate.”

‘That crazy old man.’

If it was that old man, he must have known how dangerous the main estate was for a child without a strong backing.

Especially a child receiving Duke Astra’s attention; the brothers would light their eyes with jealousy.

For several months, his mood remained low.

Then one day, a recall order came to the old man.

“Do you think the general will obey and return peacefully?”

“Now that we only have to break through the Helium wall, there’s no way he’ll return.”

“True. If he returns now, someone else will take the credit.”

“That may be, but I still wish he’d come home. It’s been five years since he last saw his child.”

Everyone thought Daymond would refuse the recall.

But—

“Pack up. We’re going back to the Astra estate.”

“What?!”

Enzo and the officers looked pale and tried to persuade him, but Daymond was firm.

He had been on the battlefield too long.

It wasn’t because he heard his daughter was at the main estate and couldn’t stand still.

That’s how he returned to the castle.

And...

“Hurry and apologize.”

“......”

“I said, can’t you hear me!”

I saw Deconz shouting in front of him.

The child twitched her hands.

Blonde hair like his, red eyes like his.

But unlike him, a tiny, soft little squirrel.

Until recently, I thought I wouldn’t care much.

She was an accidental child, but I didn’t want to repeat my father’s mistakes. So I’d do my duty as a parent.

I thought that all the way back.

But,

“You still sound like you’re slaughtering a pig, Deconz.”

I couldn’t understand why he was so angry.

Maybe because the hands clutching the skirt were too small.

Or because the huge eyes were filled with fear.

Maybe he was angry that a mere three-year-old had learned fear.

Because it was exactly... like his younger self.

Maybe that was why.

That night, the carriage taking Deconz back to his jurisdiction was ambushed.

The perpetrator was said to be a three-meter giant.

And since that day...

“Mommy!”

The child kept coming.

She never seemed to help much, nor had she approached first, but she stubbornly chased after him.

When she first came to the barracks, she clung to his leg like a cicada.

‘That kid has no fear.’

Passing soldiers still bloodied from battle, Deconz—whom everyone else found creepy—was visited daily by the child.

After breakfast, after lunch, after dinner again...

Every day, alone.

‘From her perspective, I must be a grown man she’s never seen before.’

Still, it was amazing she chased after him so diligently.

She kept drawing his gaze.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm.”

The child lay on the carpet in his office, humming and reading a book.

‘She can read?’

A mere three-year-old, amazing.

‘She even knows how to write?’

[Mondeugi]

‘......’

Still, those two characters were correct.

‘If she’s growing fast, she must’ve inherited it from me...’

I frowned, thinking that.

She was so annoying in front of my eyes that I had all sorts of thoughts.

I even climbed Hardix Mountain with that old man.

I hated seeing her sitting alone in the shade.

It wasn’t cold inside the castle. Why did she have to chase after me here?

When I approached, she jumped up.

“Mommy!”

Was she really that happy?

What was I supposed to say?

Having never been welcomed by anyone, I found that kid endlessly strange.

“...You never get tired of chasing me.”

The child’s eyes widened. Then she hesitated for a long time before cautiously saying,

“Mommy, are you... tired...?”

“......”

“Then, I’ll only follow you for one range a day...”

“......”

“I’ll secretly watch without bothering you, Mommy.”

“......”

“I’ll just watch a little and then go.”

‘How can you like people that much?’

I couldn’t find words to answer, so I swallowed my words again.

Even during monster battles, I was distracted by the child.

When a soldier dropped a purification stone,

the child ran to the cliff with her tiny body and curled up on the stone, ignoring the monsters charging at me.

My eyes turned fierce.

After tearing the monster that attacked the child to shreds, I still couldn’t calm my anger.

“What the hell is this—!”

“I—I caught it.”

“......”

“I caught the monster Mommy needed.”

“......”

“Now I’m not bothering anymore, right...?”

The child was slow-witted. Foolish, stupid.

Why?

Why?

What was it to a father who never once greeted her?

A very strange feeling.

When I held the trembling child, I understood.

‘Ah, right.’

That feeling of affection.

Maybe I endured all that long time just to meet you.

“Mommy...”

Daymond, watching the child’s sleeping hand after she took her medicine, flinched.

“How’s your body?”

“......”

The child wiggled her tiny hand and asked very cautiously,

“You’re my Mommy.”

“......Yeah.”

“So, can I, Erilot, love Mommy?”

“......”

How many times had the child pierced him to the core?

Swallowing his overwhelming feelings, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Yes.”

“......”

“That’s right, Erilot.”

We can love each other freely.

The cheek I stroked was warm. The warmth seeped deep inside.

The crying and smiling child was painfully adorable.

I woke up with a groan.

My body was uncomfortable.

‘It’s not pain... huh?’

When I opened my eyes, what I saw was a firm chest.

I lifted my head quickly and saw a handsome man bathed in sunlight like a painting.

‘Right, I slept next to Father.’

He was in a very uncomfortable position, stuffing his long legs into a child-sized bed.

‘He must have been exhausted nursing me all night.’

Every time I woke up briefly at dawn, Father was by my bedside.

Even during my cancer fight, no one watched me all night.

Mom would occasionally come by and sleep briefly,

‘But I was the one taking care of her.’

I don’t know how many times I went to convenience stores to buy what was needed.

But...

‘I have someone nursing me now!’

I felt like boasting somewhere.

Lying on my belly, I studied Father’s face.

‘That’s my father.’

Not the stepfather who treated my sibling differently, but my real father.

I thought I might laugh quietly and covered my mouth with a tiny hand.

Then,

“How’s your body?”

A slightly hoarse, husky voice.

Father opened his eyes lazily and looked at me.

“I’m okay.”

“Why don’t you sleep more?”

“I just woke up a little while ago. Mommy is sleeping.”

I jumped up and patted Father’s side. He was lying looking my way.

Father chuckled and sat up.

“You look stronger now. Seems you’re all better.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go eat.”

Father lifted me up and went down to the first floor.

The maids cleaning gloomily brightened up when they saw me.

The dining hall servants too.

“Miss.”

“Miss—!”

...Why is everyone like this?

I was puzzled by the change from before I collapsed.

Father told me to wait in the dining hall because he would wash and come, so I jumped out of his arms.

Then Heidi hurried over, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“They sent these from the garden. Wishing for your speedy recovery.”

Betty also spoke excitedly.

“They came yesterday and the day before too. We decorated your room!”

“James from the stable bought a painting. They say it’s a painting that helps sick people recover.”

“And Kali from the kitchen, and Lizzie from the laundry too—”

Now that I think about it, servants were clustered on corner walls and pillars.

Their expressions were all tearful.

“...?”

I tilted my head and asked,

“Do the maids like me?”

“Of course! Miss, you’re cute, lovely, and also—”

“You’re our hero!”

‘Ah.’

They must have been very thankful I drove out Lady Rachel.

Well, she had whipped people around like they were horses.

‘And now they must be afraid of me too.’

Many people mistake awe for affection.

I received flowers from Heidi.

“Thank you.”

“Eek! So cute!”

“Lovely!”

...But it felt a bit overwhelming.

Even walking to the dining hall, I had to endure overly sparkling gazes.

But the castle was chaotic.

Not exactly organized, more like everyone was running around in confusion.

‘Without the chief steward, nothing works properly.’

Half the servants were gone, cut loose.

‘I wonder what happened to Michelan.’

While thinking that and sitting at the table, Father came into the dining hall.

Wet hair, damp face, a few buttons undone revealing his neck.

The maids serving meals moaned “Haaa...” in a dazed manner.

A few male servants held trays, their faces flushed.

Huh? Male servants?

‘...Well, that can happen.’

Then the meal was served.

Father and I sat opposite each other.

The menu was easy-to-eat wheat porridge and grilled vegetables.

Seeing the grilled bell pepper, I felt triumphant.

Bell peppers had been my enemy as a child, but I overcame that at the factory.

While munching on the pepper, I noticed Father’s plate.

His menu was the same. The grilled vegetables were mostly gone except for a lonely broccoli floret.

“Mommy, you don’t eat broccoli?”

Father flinched.

After a brief silence, he said,

“...No.”

“You don’t like it?”

“...I like broccoli very much.”

Then he put the broccoli in his mouth.

For some reason, his jaw moved mechanically.

“...See, I like broccoli.”

“There’s only one left.”

“...”

Father stared at the remaining broccoli. His gaze was piercing.

He mechanically picked {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it up again. Only after a while did he put it in his mouth.

‘He must have been saving it because he liked it.’

I poked three broccoli pieces on my plate like skewers and moved them to Father’s plate.

“Eat a lot.”

“...Okay.”

Seeing Father eat what I gave him made me happy.

‘I’ve never done this before.’

My chest tingled.

At that moment,

Enzo entered the dining hall holding documents.

“Request for weapon replacement... no, the general is requesting broccoli...!”

“Shut up.”

Enzo abruptly shut his mouth.

For some reason, Father looked very displeased.

Enzo put down the documents in front of Father with a pale face.

“Oh, and we investigated what you asked about. The medicine Michelan gave the lady.”

“Yes.”

“It was medicine for manifestation sickness.”

“Manifestation sickness?”

“Yes.”

Manifestation sickness is the fever infants get when their Gaho manifests.

‘Why did he give me that medicine?’

It even worked... huh?

‘If what I had was manifestation sickness...’

I froze holding the spoon as Father and Enzo continued talking.

“Manifestation sickness happens before the fontanelle (soft spot on a baby’s head) closes.”

“Yes, and the lady has already manifested her Gaho.”

No.

Others thought reading ancient language was my Gaho, but it wasn’t.

I don’t have a Gaho.

That means...

‘The fever I had was because my Gaho was about to appear.’

I jumped up suddenly.

“I’m done eating. I want to go to my room.”

“Okay.”

After greeting Father and Enzo, I hurried back to my room.

I checked to make sure no one was inside, then closed the door tightly.

Then I rummaged through the books in my study.

‘I saw this here before... ah, here it is.’

I opened a book titled .

—There are hundreds of types of Gaho.

They range widely from offensive types like to minor abilities like .

Most inherit the same type as their parents, but some manifest rare, unidentified types.

(Omitted)

The activation method involves channeling magical power into the dantian—

‘Found it.’

I never learned the activation method because I don’t have a Gaho.

After it was revealed that ancient language was a Gaho, people assumed I naturally learned the activation method.

I followed the book’s instructions.

‘Channel magical power into the dantian...’

And then, at that moment—