What just happened?
In the midst of confusion, Grandfather’s subordinate, sir Heins, came out and apologized to my father on behalf of Grandfather.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Benedict. Actually, it’s because a while ago, Duke Gray sent a portrait to our lord, causing…”
“A portrait? What portrait are you talking about?”
“It was a portrait of Enoch Gray, the grandson of Duke Gray, who formed a marriage alliance with Lady Cherrya.”
“Why would he send that to my father?”
“Well…”
Sir Heins sighed deeply and began to explain the situation.
“Lord Jade Gray claimed to have witnessed the first steps of the Gray heir and left the portrait as a memento. He said it was too precious to keep to himself.”
“Ah…”
My father nodded, finally understanding.
“Even knowing that our Cherry walked faster than other children, he deliberately sent it.”
“Exactly. Even in the letter, he mentioned, ‘I believe you wouldn’t miss your granddaughter’s first steps. Oh, excuse me. Since you live separately from your granddaughter, of course, you missed it,’ and…”
“Ah, I see.”
I don’t know what it is, but that’s quite irritating.
Duke Jade Gray knew well how to annoy people.
My father smiled faintly, turned his head toward me, and said,
“By the way, Cherry, have you ever seen your fiancé? It seems it’s time to meet Enoch.”
What? All of a sudden?
At the abrupt suggestion from my father, I blinked silently.
Why Enoch Gray at this point?
Why should I meet my future fiancé now?
Aware that I didn’t understand, my father spoke kindly.
“Sending the portrait means Duke Gray accepted Enoch. Since both families have taken a step back, you can now interact without reservation.”
“Ah…”
Thanks to my father’s explanation, I could finally grasp the slightly improved situation.
It is said that the Duke of Gray was very opposed to the marriage, and deprived his only daughter,
Diana Gray, of her right to succeed.
It meant that, like our grandfather treated me, Enoch Gray was in a position to be mistreated.
However, the acknowledgment of Enoch sounded as if both he and I had resigned ourselves to some extent to our intertwined fate.
“I hope you and Enoch can get along without the influence of the family as well as we did.”
There was a hint of excitement in my father’s voice.
Watching my father’s slightly elated and beautiful face, I silently pondered.
But you know, father.
Do we really need to go through with that?
If it were a completely ignorant baby, maybe, but I was as much an adult in mind.
Wondering if seeing the person who would be my future husband since infancy would really make me see him as a man later on.
I wondered if my father knew I was having such thoughts.
He seemed to be contemplating something deeply.
“Since he haven’t reclaimed Diana’s right of succession, perhaps him considering raising Enoch as the heir to the Gray dukedom. This is… not going to be easy.”
My father stared at me for a moment, then chuckled awkwardly and added,
“You shouldn’t agree, Cherry. I don’t want our daughter to be sent in that direction.”
“……?”
For the first time, my father spoke words I couldn’t understand.
Not knowing what he meant, I blinked at him, and he laughed aloud, seemingly delighted.
“Hoho, you don’t need to know yet, my dear.”
“Hmm.”
I pouted in discontent, but my father, in his kindness, ignored me and moved away.
“By the way, the Duke of Gray went about it the wrong way. He should have been cautious of my side, not to the head of family.”
My father’s murmured self-talk had a subtly tense tone.
The warmth that always shimmered in his pumpkin-colored eyes turned cold.
“Quite an interesting manipulation.”
Was this a voice I could expect from my usually gentle and kind father?
Unconsciously shivering, I looked at my father, who smiled as if the sunshine was breaking, as if to say,
“When did our Cherry become this cold? Let’s go inside.”
“……”
It felt like I had witnessed something, an enigmatic aspect of my father.
***
Why does human development progress so slowly?
Even if I try to use my tongue, which refuses to move, to convey my intentions somehow.
“Ah, um, geumaa! Buruguu, ugh, la!”
Only things that couldn’t be expressed as language came out of my mouth.
So, I could only swallow the words I wanted to say.
For example, like this.
“Ah, Cherry! You’re so cute, charming, and adorable!”
Please shorten all that to one word, Mother.
“That’s right, Mel. I was bathing our Cherry not long ago and couldn’t help but closely examine her back. I wondered if she might have wings.”
It’s not to that extent. Please restrain yourself, Father. This is how you should hold back yourself.
“……..”
I looked at my parents, who went crazy at the slightest gesture of my hands, feet, or eyes, with both cheeks blushing.
‘If I can’t speak, I’d rather hide in a mouse hole.’
The reflection in the mirror was truly pitiful.
The lavender dress with lots of frills had a white ribbon hanging all over.
The hair that had been grown long under Mother’s strong insistence was tied with ribbons after forming bouncy waves.
A ribbon embroidered with a tiger pattern, symbolizing the Emblem, was tied around my wrist.
Although I inherited the genes of a father who seemed out of this world and a mother who was quite beautiful, attempting this flamboyance didn’t look too bad.
But…
“What if Enoch falls head over heels for our Cherry at first sight?”
“It’s a possibility. If he sees our Cherry, he might lose his soul, so I’m worried.”
Losing my soul seems to be more on my side in the conversation between Mother and Father.
It felt cringy, and my hands and feet seemed to curl up, but I decided to endure quietly.
The reason I exerted excessive effort today was different.
“Lord Diana Gray, Sir Edward Gray, and Master Enoch Gray have arrived.”
Today is the result of a grand event decided upon recklessly by the mothers of both families, making him my future husband and the chosen outcome.
It was the occasion of meeting Enoch Gray for the first time.
I was at the Gray dukedom in that fancy neighborhood where prominent nobles gather, the neighborhood my mother had been driven out of.
“Finally!”
Mother, unable to contain her excitement, stood up abruptly.
“Melsia!”
“Diana!”
She, the only daughter of the Gray dukedom and the current Commander of the Gray Dukedom’s knights, with her dazzling silver hair tied high, is both the former and the current heir of the Gray dukedom.
Diana Gray, facing my mother, rushed towards her with a face filled with immense joy, arms wide open.
Just moments ago, she had been holding a child.
“…… Ah!”
It was when I was astonished as she tossed the child.
The man who revealed himself from behind smoothly caught the child and said,
“Oh, Diana. If you throw our precious son like this, he might get hurt, you know?”
“Sorry, Ed. Seeing Mel after such a long time made me too happy.”
Diana Gray apologized without turning back, still hugging my mother.
The man addressed as Ed had dark hair and blue eyes, a handsome figure. He was likely Diana Gray’s husband, Edward Gray, and mentioned as the younger brother of the current Empress.
“Are you okay, son?”
Edward inspected the child’s face in his arms and let out a small sigh.
The child was quietly nestled in his arms, not making a sound.
“It seems I’ve become quite accustomed to this.”
A breath, uncertain if it was relief or resignation, escaped through his lips.
It seemed like this wasn’t the first or second time.
I observed the child, who didn’t cry even after flying through the air.
‘He’s supposed to be my future fiancé… that baby.’
His features weren’t clear from a distance.
However, the shining silver hair was undoubtedly a characteristic feature of the Gray dukedom, even from afar.
It seemed like he directly inherited the blood of the Gray family, often praised as if it had shattered moonlight and scattered it.
“……”
Watching him quietly nestled in his father’s arms, a strange feeling started to overcome me.
Something, a queasy sensation in my stomach.
‘What’s wrong with me? Why is this happening?’
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Exciting, exciting, excitinggggg
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