Chapter 146
When Arellin woke up, the first thing she saw was Yuni.
“My Lady!”
“Oh, my dear!”
It was dawn, when everyone else was asleep.
A flurry of commotion swept through Halbern Mansion as she awoke from the silence.
The self-proclaimed experts in child-rearing, who normally jockey for position in her affections, suddenly began to freak out as soon as they saw her.
… They thought she was dead if they saw her.
“Stop crying…”
“But, sweetie-!”
“I’m alive.”
“Huhuhu, you’re sick!”
And that’s just the beginning.
The Nurserymen circled around Arellin, clutching only the hem of her robe, uncharacteristic of their rivalry, as if they would not let her be taken from them, even if it were their employer and lord, the Archduke of Halbern.
“Huhuhu. I’m glad you’re awake.”
Seriously, anyone would think she’d come back from the dead.
Why are they crying like this?
She is puzzled, but she doesn’t mind, so she pat the nurturer on the shoulder.
“Did you beat me four times?”
“Woo. This body is six times.”
She stopped when she realized it was subtly fueling a competitive spirit again.
Anyway, these guys are…
[Cooldown until next question: 30 days, 2 hours]
The beauty of this status bar was that she could tell how down she was without having to ask anyone.
Hmm. It’s been over a week.
Poof.
The button-turned-ether chirped. It was surprised to find its long-lost owner.
You ungrateful inanimate object, is that all you can say to a recovered master?
“I’m so glad to hear that. My Lady.”
The medical staff, who should have been on break, rushed to the scene.
The doctor’s face, which she hadn’t seen in a long time, was halved.
“We survived this time.”
“God, help us.”
the healer, and the priest, whom she’d seen so often, were openly relieved.
… Was Dad doing something else? Or Mehen?
“Are you in any pain?”
“No.”
“Any trouble moving around?”
“No.”
Her mind was elsewhere, even as the doctor checked her physical condition.
Strange. Why did she back home? She is sure she collapsed at Locke Castle.
Was this a dream?
“Ouch.”
She pinched her cheek and it hurt. It wasn’t a dream.
“…?”
Her doctor was surprised by her sudden self-harm, but it wasn’t a big deal.
It was then.
“Ah…”
“Mom!”
Arellin jumped to her feet and ran to Mehen’s arms as soon as she saw Mehen walk through the open door.
‘It’s the real Mehen.’
She closed her eyes, taking in the heavy, comforting scent of wood that always came from Mehen.
She realized that she was really home now.
***
There was a pause, as if Mehen had broken down, and then an emotional release.
He didn’t say anything particularly touching, but the fact that he hugged her tightly and didn’t let go was enough.
Her Mehen is not a big talker.
‘I actually like it when he’s more reserved.’
She can feel how much more he values her.
“I missed you.”
“… Me too.”
Soon Mehen explained what was going on.
‘I see, my dad brought me here.’
She couldn’t believe Duke Regent had let him go so easily.
Him? Eh…
As she was shaking her head in disbelief, his face, still shining brightly today, suddenly appeared in front of her.
“I don’t think you can even see him, daughter.”
“I can see him.”
Dad frowns, obviously unhappy with the sight of her hugging Mehen alone.
“That’s too bad.”
Valar raised an eyebrow, feigning pity.
“Are you discriminating, Dad?”
She blinked, her eyes narrowing.
Maybe it was because she’d read her mom’s memories, but she saw a different side of her dad, a side that used to be slightly annoyed whenever he snapped at her and wanted to know why.
She used to think of him as a selfish, immature, and inscrutable human being, but now it seemed like he was using that lighthearted demeanor to hide his anxiety, to suppress his insecurities.
It’s like a child trying to figure out what to do.
This must mean seriously ill.
Ugh.
She sighed heavily and pulled away from Mehen to hug her dad.
“Come here.”
“Huh?”
She could feel his body, taller and stronger than Mehen’s, stiffen.
“My daughter, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
A chuckle escaped her dad’s bemused voice.
“Did you suddenly miss your dad, huh?”
He asked, his voice sounding a little more sassy today.
“Yeah.”
Her answer was set from the start.
She could feel her dad’s body freeze in his embrace as she answered without delay.
“I missed you.”
“…”
The sharp intake of breath, the tense body, the wandering hands, the gaping mouth that couldn’t say anything but drool.
They all told her how frightened he was.
“…”
“…”
“…”
It was funny to watch her broken dad.
“Uh…”
It was so cute to see him blushing and not knowing what to say.
“Did I, what, do something wrong?”
She couldn’t help but laugh.
Her dad looked at her with a smirk on his face.
“You’ve always taken a backseat, Dad, because you, uh, I mean, you like Mehen better.”
“I like Mehen better.”
Such an obvious thing to say.
“… Yeah, I wasn’t even hoping for that.”
The look of shaky acceptance on her dad’s face was funny.
Somewhere between annoyance and acceptance.
She hugged him tightly.
Like she’d wanted to do after seeing her mom’s memory.
“Dad.”
Just one word.
She looked into her dad’s face, which had grown solemn at the word. A face so delicate and beautiful still marvels at it.
It was a face that one could only recognize as Sione’s sister.
All of Sione.
The intentions of her birth mother in making such a being her father.
‘Mmm.’
She was so loved.
“I had a dream about you.”
“Yeah, that’s what Mehen said.”
“Sione says she loves you.”
“…”
“Dad, she said she wanted you to be happy.”
She made eye contact with her hardened dad and asked cautiously.
“Dad, are you happy?”
“Well…”
A narrowed brow, eyes that looked like they might cry at any moment, and a crooked smile that barely cracked.
Dad chews on his lip, unsure of what to say, and finally answers.
“I look… happy.”
He looked at her, pondering, as if he couldn’t define what he was feeling.
“I just need you to stay by my side, my dear.”
“Then I shouldn’t leave your side, Dad.”
“Never.”
“You won’t leave me either, will you?”
Without much resistance, as if he wanted someone to catch him, he was caught by her.
“… With my daughter here, where would he go?”
A low, muffled voice replied, almost like a sob.
“Yes, Dad.”
Oh, really.
“Let’s be happy together.”
She never thought she’d say this.
“Because we’re family.”
“Yes, we are.”
She is still not comfortable saying I love you, so this is the only way she can express her feelings, but he smiles as if it’s enough.
He was smiling with such childlike happiness in his slanted eyes that it made her feel happy and she smiled back.
Suddenly, Dad’s expression turned stern.
“I wonder where you dared to show up here.”
Her dad, who had been hiding her as if to protect her, stood up and glared at someone.
She peeked her head out of his arms and saw a man who couldn’t believe he was here.
‘No. Why is Duke Regent here?’
Duke Regent spoke up, looking only at her to make sure she didn’t see any open hostility in her dad’s eyes.
“I wish to speak with Arellin alone.”
