Chapter 151
“Ouch.”
She strained her legs and pushed herself to her feet.
“Oooh.”
A thunderous applause erupted from the nursery group, who had been watching her walk around nervously.
“Baby girl!”
“Get well!”
“Congratulations!”
Hooray!
It’s been 15 days since she was confined to bed due to her father’s illness.
It was only after three days that she was finally declared well enough to walk around.
“Lady, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m not dizzy.”
She was in good shape for having fainted so suddenly. She’ll have to wait for a health check to find out exactly how she is doing, but she feel better.
Was this the effect of the workout?
She barely made it out of the workout gaslighting and took a good look at her body.
“Well, I guess I can get around.”
It’s been a while, and the walk in the garden, which she hated so much, felt refreshing and good.
Her health is so precious.
***
The Halbern estate is peaceful again today.
Breakfast in the dining room for the first time in a long time.
“Ah, I had forgotten about this old diet.”
Her joyful mood is immediately interrupted by the sight of Pession’s handiwork.
“A no-flavor diet, that’s healthy!”
“Look how much the chef cares!”
Yuni and Emma defended the chef, but she was already losing the fun in life to a high-protein, low-carb diet that looked like it was going to be healthy.
She really didn’t want to think about this, but eating was better than Castle Locke.
After about 10 seconds of longing for the freedom of imperial confinement, she opened her eyes.
There were humans there, the ones who hadn’t been there in a long time, who had heard she was coming out for breakfast.
“You’re not busy,” she thought to herself, “not a single one of them asked me to come. Is it quiet in the Southern Empire?”
Valar, her dad, who is embarrassed to be seen anywhere.
“If it were a country that would fall because you were away for a few days, it would have fallen long ago. Halbern is falling apart without you, isn’t it?”
Ludwig, the Regent, who can’t lose to anyone but her father.
“Are you insulting our Mehen?”
“… Please, leave me out of your conversation. What?”
And poor mom, Mehen, who still wants to retire today.
‘Well, that sucks.’
She didn’t realize it when she bumped into them one by one in the room, but now that she see it like this, it’s like a dysfunctional family.
Her house is made of soybean flour?
It would be delicious to make bean noodle soup.
“Oh, I want bean noodles.”
She said, and three eyes turned to her.
“Arel, what do you want to eat?”
“Do you want Dad to get some?”
“I’ll get it right now.”
She narrowed her eyes in embarrassment at the sudden attention.
No, what’s so…
“Why do you want to get my daughter’s food?”
“Are you the kind of guardian who meddles with your daughter’s food? I pity her.”
“Don’t you dare call my daughter a pet name.”
Valar snarled, his handsome face crumpling.
Judging by the way they snarled at each other again, face to face, she knew they had a long way to go.
She sighed heavily, reigniting the fire between them.
“You’re making her feel uncomfortable planting, so get the hell out of here.”
“Is this because of me, or because of someone less mature who keeps acting childish?”
“Yep. That’s you.”
“Ha, you’re so low I can’t even have a conversation with you.”
“Yeah. That’s you, too.”
The two glared at each other again and growled.
How long does she have to sit through this pathetic, childish conversation?
She was clicking her tongue, when suddenly Mehen and she locked eyes.
‘You don’t have to tell me, I know.’
He smiles, a chloride smile.
They let out a deep sigh in unison.
At the same time, they were standing at opposite angles.
“This is not the time to be lazing around here. Don’t you know what your scarecrow Emperor is up to?”
“Ha. It was you again, Franz, impulsive. Somehow I knew the coward would do something out of the ordinary.”
“Not impulsive, but sound advice. If you know that, will you please get out of my house?”
“Ha. I won’t.”
Regent Ludwig looked at her.
“The only one who can kick me out is Arellin.”
Valar’s smile cracked.
Dad looked back at her and frowned.
“You hear that, daughter? Tell her to get the hell out of here.”
This man has no shame in being a father to his daughter.
For a moment, she felt sorry for him, but that’s just the way he is, so she wasn’t disappointed.
“You two fighting again?”
Regent Ludwig quickly stiffened at my pathetic question.
“We don’t fight.”
“Dad wants to fight.”
A denialist Regent and a pathetic dad who would fight any chance he got.
Before she could say anything, they collided again.
“You’re a pretty good trickster, you should have tried that on your sister.”
“I did.”
“Oh, really?”
“It just didn’t work.”
Ludwig replied with a look of hurt pride. Dad burst out laughing.
“Ah, my sister’s a bit strong in that department.”
And the war of words continued.
Dad was the first to get on his nerves, but this time it was Ludwig who asked what he had eaten.
“I hope you’re dearly loved,” he said, “because she worried about you until the day she died, and how unreliable could she be?”
Dad’s smiling face instantly turned sour.
“Funny. Tell me more.”
“She didn’t leave anything for me.”
The Regent glared at Valar with eyes that glittered with true jealousy, even now, just thinking about it.
Valar returned the stare and gave him an unusually refreshing smile.
“You’ve never gotten any love from your sister because you’ve been such a little bastard.”
“Little?”
“Yep.”
“You want to give it a try?”
“You want to try? I’d love to.”
A close call that looks like a real stabbing.
Bam.
The sound of dropping utensils broke the tension.
The Regent and Dad’s eyes snapped back to her.
“I don’t want to eat anymore.”
The silence was instantaneous.
“…”
“…”
The two men looked as if they’d forgotten she was here.
In the uncomfortable silence, only Mehen silently gave her a thumbs up.
***
After breakfast.
She tilted her head at Dad, who hovered beside her like a puppy that needed to poop.
“Daughter.”
‘If he’s going to look at me like that, why the fuck did he even bother.’
“Are you angry?”
“Why would I be angry with you?”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
‘Is that what I’m supposed to say?’
“Because you’re pathetic?”
“…”
She sighed in frustration as she looked at her dad, speechless.
“How long are you going to be grumpy?”
“I’m not grumpy.”
She cupped her cheeks as she grabbed her dad’s face, trying to take out her anger on his handsome face as usual.
How could he be handsome with his face like this?
Look at his long eyelashes, the bridge of his nose, how straight it is. She loved the shape of his eyes with their long slits. What happened to his skin?
“I can’t forgive you.”
“Then don’t forgive me.”
His long lashes fluttered, and his bewildered eyes looked at her.
Funny. Who told her dad to forgive her?
“You can hate him for the rest of your life.”
She honestly liked the idea of Dad still hating the Regent better.
“Someone has to take Shione’s mom’s side, don’t you think?”
Her father blinked at her, unsure of what to say, and then gave her a smirk.
“I really can’t beat you, daughter.”
“Were you trying to beat me?”
“No.”
Holding her in one arm, her father grabbed her hand with his other and brought it to her cheek.
“It’s warm.”
She couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation as he breathed out evenly, as if this warmth was the only thing keeping him alive.
“Stop bothering mom.”
“Mehen betrayed me first.”
“Don’t you feel sorry for him, and if you stop, I’ll follow him.”
Dad’s handsome brow creased at her tirade.
“Daughter, abandon your father?”
“I’m just saying, be nice.”
He nodded, still frowning at her whiny response.
“If that’s what you mean, daughter, I’ll try.”
***
Mehen’s office.
The seat that was so narrowly won.
A three-way face-off between Valar and Ludwig.
Mehen praised Arellin inwardly for this miraculous moment.
“Come on, let’s get this over with today. Please.”
