This moment was not the only time it happened.
Eyes shining with anticipation, excitedly waiting for the moment when he would be called ‘Dad’ by me.
Eyes filled with desperation when I didn’t speak, as if about to cry.
All those eyes were hoping for one thing from me.
I opened my mouth slightly but closed it again. Each time, Delight’s eyes widened and then narrowed.
“Dadadaa?”
Why are you looking at me like that? I don’t know anything!
But contrary to Delight’s expectations, I could only babble.
However, Delight’s ears perked up.
“Hey. Didn’t it sound a bit like it?”
“Like what?”
“It sounded a bit like ‘Dad.’ Da… Daa… Dad!… Doesn’t it sound similar?”
Like a madman, Delight muttered to himself, drawing the conclusion he wanted.
“No, it doesn’t.”
Zaire stated the plain truth with a face that suggested he had expected this.
No matter how hard you listened, it didn’t sound like ‘Dad.’
“If you listen closely, it does sound a bit like ‘Da… Dada… Dad.'”
But Delight couldn’t let go of his obsession and kept grumbling. Or maybe complaining.
This near-obsessive desire of Delight’s grew stronger with each passing day.
At this rate, even if I just say ‘Da,’ he’ll interpret it as ‘Dad.’
Well, I guess it’s fortunate if he hears it that way without me doing anything.
But still… I couldn’t bring myself to call Delight ‘Dad.’
It’s not my fault! When I see that face, I can’t help but remember the snotty little kid from my past life. How can I call him ‘Dad’?
‘A huge wall stands in the way of just calling him ‘Dad.”
In my second life, this was the first time I faced such despair. No, it was one of the greatest challenges, even including my first life.
…I’m doomed.
My head drooped helplessly.
Unaware of my fierce inner struggle, Delight and Zaire continued their intense debate.
“No, it sounds more like a wolf’s howl.”
Zaire cut in sharply, piercing Delight’s heart.
Delight’s sharp gaze turned toward him. At the end of their confrontation, Delight sighed deeply.
“Everyone should have arrived by now.”
Zaire urged Delight.
Today, we had guests invited to the palace, waiting for Delight and me.
The guests were children around my age from various noble families.
Since that one noblewoman mentioned that the day Delight hears ‘Dad’ is not far off, Delight had a new hope every day for the first year.
But I still couldn’t speak, and Delight spent that year alternating between hope and disappointment, trying to find a solution.
Inviting the children was one of those attempts.
The idea was that interacting with children might help me start speaking naturally.
“Time flies faster. Ollia, we have to pretend to have fun even if it feels so boring.”
As Delight regretfully bid me farewell, Zaire, who had been watching from the side, spoke to him again.
“Your Majesty, you must go now.”
The parents of the invited children had arrived at the banquet hall and were waiting for Delight.
He slightly frowned, clearly showing his irritation and boredom.
In the evening, the parents and children of each family were scheduled to have dinner together.
This meant that Delight could see me again in the evening.
But he seemed to dislike even being apart for a short while.
However, he pressed his lips together and reluctantly stood up, waving to me.
“Ollia, see you in the evening.”
“Baah!”
See you later!
Honestly, I wasn’t keen on playing with children either, but it was better than dealing with Delight’s overwhelming gaze.
I turned without hesitation and walked away quickly.
I headed to the garden that had been prepared for the picnic.
When I arrived at the garden, the children who had already arrived were gathered in clusters.
***
Serdin no longer stared out the window, nor did he fall into a daze, lost in thought.
Instead, he began to focus on himself.
He stared at the mirror, almost as if he might fall into it like one would into a lake.
Serdin was intensely scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror, checking if his appearance was perfect.
He adjusted his posture, checked his clothes for any disarray, and even spun around to make sure everything was in order.
“You’ve been looking in the mirror a lot lately.”
Hugo, who had been observing him, made a gentle joke with a laugh.
From a young age, Serdin had an appearance that could captivate anyone’s attention.
However, despite his striking looks, the prince had never shown much interest in his appearance, even from a very young age.
What he cared about was whether his hair was well-combed, his shirt buttons were in the right order, his shirt wasn’t sticking out, and his pants’ cuffs weren’t oddly folded – all to ensure there were no issues when meeting the Emperor and Empress.
Since he was very young, he instinctively tried to avoid their disapproval.
The efforts of a child trying so hard not to be criticized were almost pitiable.
Therefore, Hugo found watching Serdin now to be delightful.
Serdin, who was now carefully styling his hair, first to the left, then to the right, and finally slicking it back, stood there, checking his reflection from every angle.
Although it was hard to pinpoint, his young master had definitely changed in many ways compared to two years ago.
And it was in a more enthusiastic and positive direction.
While Hugo was happily observing, trying not to be too obvious, Serdin turned to him and asked,
“How do I look?”
“You look very handsome!”
Hugo clapped his hands, responding immediately without hesitation.
In fact, he had been waiting for Serdin to ask, and thus responded a bit too quickly.
“…Are you sure I look okay?”
Serdin’s doubtful expression showed he still felt unnatural.
“You really look great. You look very dashing!”
“Really? Then, can you look at this too?”
Serdin’s eyes rolled, showing a bit of nervousness, and then he gave a subtle, almost shy smile.
“Your Highness, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I can’t help it. If I were a woman, I would have definitely fallen for you by now.”
Serdin’s appearance was enough to make anyone look twice.
“…Thank you, but I must respectfully decline.”
Reacting seriously, as if Hugo’s praise had overwhelmed him, Serdin turned away.
Hugo stifled a chuckle at Serdin’s response.
Serdin went back to checking his reflection in the mirror from head to toe.
“This should be good enough, right?”
Finally satisfied after spending half the day in front of the mirror, Serdin turned around.
“…Will they like it?”
“Of course. Who wouldn’t like you, Serdin?”
“Really? Do I look alright?”
“Yes, absolutely! You look more than just alright!”
Serdin’s face reddened for the first time at Hugo’s enthusiastic praise.
“I hope they are like you, Hugo.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“No one in particular. It’s just that I have to spend a lot of time here, and it would be nice if everyone liked me.”
Serdin grinned.
There was something different about his smile this time—it was naturally pleasant to see.
Seeing that pure smile, Hugo almost felt like crying from the overwhelming joy.
Since he was a child, Serdin had been like a doll.
He was so gentle and kind that anyone who spent even an hour with him couldn’t help but like him.
However, unfortunately, being born in the royal palace meant he was caught up in various entanglements and didn’t receive the love he deserved.
If it weren’t for that, everyone who saw Serdin would have liked and cherished him.
“I’m going for a walk.”
While Hugo was lost in his thoughts, Serdin had already opened the door and stepped out.
Of course, he didn’t just come out to walk idly.
Today, children of Serdin’s age had been invited to the palace for the princess.
They were probably all spending time together in the garden, where the flowers were in full bloom.
Serdin walked in that direction.
