My uncle’s hand stopped right before it reached me.
“Ain.”
‘Dad⋯⋯?’
I shook and slowly raised my head. Then, I saw my father entering the room, organizing his messy hair through the crib’s fences.
“What are you doing here without any prior notice?”
“This is disappointing, does an older brother need permission to see his younger brother?
At my uncle’s playful question, Dad’s alertness was noticeably relieved.
At first glance, he looked cold, but compared to his attitude to other people, my father’s attitude toward uncle was clearly soft. Looking at the sly smile around my uncle’s mouth, my uncle seemed to be well aware of the difference.
“You didn’t come to see me⋯⋯.”
My father’s gaze stopped at me as he slowly approached.
Inside his blue-gray eyes, which were getting endlessly grayish, looked me up and down. From my frightened face, stiff shoulders, trembling fingertips, and hips attached to the fence.
Like an illusion, the temperature of the room suddenly dropped.
Soon, the coldest voice I’ve ever heard came out of my dad’s mouth.
“Get out of here right now.”
Everyone in the room was surprised by my father’s cold command.
The person who was most embarrassed was by far my uncle. His smile, which seemed unbreakable, collapsed.
“Are you kidding me?”
Without answering Uncle’s question, Dad walked over to the baby crib. It was his answer, by blocking the way between my uncle and me.
Uncle had no choice but to take a step back.
‘⋯⋯ Phew.’
When my uncle moved away from the crib, I was out of breath.
But my dad wasn’t satisfied.
“A little further back.”
“⋯⋯.”
“More.”
“⋯⋯.”
Uncle stepped back little by little at the criticism of my dad. It was not until my uncle was at the center of the room that approval came from my dad’s mouth.
“Good, there.”
Looking at that, I felt dumbfounded.
I was surprised when my uncle reached out to me, and I thought it would be nice for him to back away, but⋯⋯.
I didn’t know he’d be this far away.
My uncle’s face, which had a bright smile on his face when he first entered the room, was now completely dead. He sighed as if tired.
“Why all of a sudden⋯⋯?”
“What did you do to the child?”
Dad, who cut my uncle’s sentence, questioned him with a cold voice.
I had such a frightened face. It seems that dad read an unusual sign from me.
Dad was standing with his back to the crib, so I couldn’t see his face from my position. All I could see was the pale face of my uncle who was looking at my father.
“⋯⋯ I didn’t do anything.”
My uncle said as if he were making an excuse. It was unfair for him because my uncle really didn’t do anything to me.
Yet.
If dad leaves me again, he’ll point the sword at me again. Feeling a chill at the back of my neck, I hunched my neck.
At that moment, Dad turned and looked at me. He looked at me during the moment when I was frightened and curled up like an ammonite. Dad’s eyes turned cold when he saw me, and then he looked at my uncle again.
“You didn’t do anything, but why is she like this?”
“⋯⋯ No, really.”
Uncle scratched his head as if frustrated.
“What can I do when the baby is scared? When you first saw her she cried. I’ve heard from people that said she cried so hard that they were worried that she would faint.”
I flinched at my uncle’s counterattack.
My anger and longing piled up, over the years I couldn’t meet my father. I should’ve controlled my emotions well. Feeling sorry, I rolled my eyes and looked at my dad.
But Dad answered without blinking an eye.
“Didn’t you hear that she fell asleep in my arms?”
“⋯⋯.”
My uncle seemed speechless. After making an absurd face, he managed to fix his face and spoke sarcastically.
“⋯⋯ Yes, I see. So it’s my fault.”
“Yes.”
But my father’s answer was concise as if he didn’t notice my uncle’s sarcasm.
“I’m really sorry if you really didn’t do anything. The baby seems to be afraid of my brother’s face, so please refrain from sudden visits in the future.”
“⋯⋯.”
Uncle blankly pointed to my face. It was the first time he had ever heard of a baby looking scared.
Judging from today’s events, Uncle must have visited the Sun Palace at will. But it was suddenly hidered, so it must be very frustrating. The strong attitude of his younger brother, who was always weak to him because of the feeling of debt. The maids and knights who opened the door also looked embarrassed.
Actually, I was surprised, too. Why are you defending me this much? Is it because I’m a child of God?
When I raised my head in confusion, my dad looked down at me at the same time.
When our eyes met, his sharp eyes relaxed.
‘Ah.’
At that moment, I realized my father always seemed as strong as steel, but in front of weak things, he was surprisingly weak. Even if I am a child of God, I am just an orphan abandoned in the Imperial Palace. That’s why he treats me so kindly.
Even if I can’t tell you that I’m your daughter. Even if it’s not affection for your daughter, but sympathy. When I received affection from my father, I felt tears.
“⋯⋯ Abba.”
(T/N: She is trying to say ‘Appa’ which means dad in Korean, but since she can’t pronounce that properly she said ‘Abba’)
I forgot that I was in front of my uncle, who will try to kill me one day, and babbled softly. Then, Dad slowly reached out to me.
“Yes, I’m here.”
When Dad pulled me out of the crib and held me, I buried my head in Dad’s arms.
‘Oops, uncle.’
Belatedly, I remembered my uncle’s existence and turned my head. My uncle, who looked at me with blank eyes, flinched.
Dad raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at him. As a reaction to that, Uncle’s expression became darker.
“I think you misunderstood something. You are not her father.”
Uncle pointed out in a slightly unpleasant voice. Dad shrugged lightly.
When his uncle turned his back, the priests, who came with him, followed him.
“Let’s go, Fariel!”
At that, the boy who was near the crib turned his head.
I realized late. The boy I thought was my uncle’s apprentice knight was none other than my youngest uncle, Fariel de Reinhardt.
Blonde hair and green eyes that have never been seen before in the Imperial family. In addition, his clothes were so simple that I never thought he would be a prince. Above all, he looked only about eight years old, so I couldn’t immediately imagine that the child would be my uncle.
Uncle Fariel stared at Uncle Rivel’s back as he left the room, for a moment, then looked back at my father and asked as if courageous.
“May I hug her?”
At those words, Dad’s eyes scanned Uncle Fariel as if searching.
After much deliberation, my father made a decision.
“No.”
Uncle Fariel’s face filled up with disappointment. Dad quickly added.
“I am very scared because my baby is young. I don’t like it because she’s scared right now, so ask again when she grows bigger.”
“You said the baby is scared⋯⋯?”
Uncle Fariel looked a little shaky, but he understood why and nodded. It seemed awkward to hold me in front of him, so Dad laid me back on the crib.
“I’m sorry.”
At that moment, Linda came over and bowed her head in front of my dad.
“This is my fault, Your Highness. I should have been more protective of the baby.”
“This is largely due to my negligence in my actions.”
“But, the baby⋯⋯.”
Linda looked at me with tearful eyes. I can tell her feelings just by looking at them. There was guilt and worry in her twinkling in them.
Only my nanny blocked the First Prince, so she was very courageous. Still, did she feel sorry for me? Did I look so scared? Do nannies take care of babies like that?
I would have had a nanny, but after my father died, I suddenly became invisible. I don’t know if she quit her job or if she was kicked out⋯⋯.
We were not blood related, and she wouldn’t have received anything from me, but the one-sided affection was unfamiliar and strange.
In front of her, dad looked down at his hands with a complicated face.
“It would be good to take this opportunity to clarify your attitude.”
While listening to the conversation between the two, I suddenly noticed a strong gaze pouring into the side of my face.
I turned to see Uncle Fariel staring at me. The child’s clear gaze fluttered across my skin.
‘It bothers me a lot.’
After the time leap, I often drew strength out of my physics. I faced my youngest uncle a little awkwardly.
Looking closely, I could see the resemblance of my father in my uncle’s face. Although hair and eye colors are different, if dad grew up to be delicate and cute, he would’ve looked like my uncle.
I have no memories of Uncle Fariel, but it was nice to meet him like this. In the future, he will be killed in action at such a young age.
I could only meet you through records. As soon as I got to that point, I suddenly became sympathetic, so I took some courage.
“Tta.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Amyuaa.”
How are you, uncle?
When I murmured with that meaning, my uncle slowly put his head against the fence. He muttered softly so that the words could only be heard by me.
“We’re both abandoned the same, why are you a child of God?”
But what came out of his youthful lips was a familiar hostility.
“You’re nothing.”
Cold eyes looked down at me. It was a familiar look to me. The faces of those who mocked me in the future came to mind, and my heart sank.
“Do you still need something?”
My dad suddenly looked at Uncle Fariel and asked.
The moment Uncle Fariel looked back at my dad, the malice on his face disappeared.
“No, I’m going to go now.”
He returns with a childlike expression and smiles brightly. I was speechless and dumbfounded.
‘What was that⋯⋯?
“Excuse me, Goodbye.”
The youngest uncle, who even greeted me politely, was like a different person who had been whispering coldly to me until just now.
As I turned and looked at the back of his vanishing gait, I patted my fluttering chest.
‘⋯⋯ I take back saying that you look like my dad, if he was delicate and cute.’
Now that I I looked closely, he looks just like Uncle Rivel.
The Imperial family from 22 years ago is not the same Imperial family in the future. I received a bunch of favors in the past few days, and it seemed that ice water hit my softened mind just now.
Then, suddenly, a large hand supported me. When I lifted my head, my dad held me in his arms.
“You must be very surprised.”
A gentle hand pats on the back slowly. I tilted my head. With his beautiful eyebrows slightly frowned, dad smiled as if he was sorry.
“The procedure is more complicated than I thought⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯.”
“I didn’t come often because I was busy.”
‘It wasn’t because I cried.’
At that one sentence, all my tension melted away like snow. Even if you don’t know that I’m your daughter, I still want to be loved by my dad. Even if it is the agape love of a loving father.
“As expected, it’s completely different from the imperial family 22 years later.”
Yes, because my dad is here.
Even if I have Uncle Rivel, or even if other people with hostility appear to me. There was no need to despair like before.
“Fariel is not cute. My dad is much cuter.’
No, is it weird that my dad is cute? I mean, anyway, my dad doesn’t look like any other brothers and is the most handsome. Not just among brothers, but the best in the world.
“Oh my.”
When I rubbed my head in my dad’s arms, I heard Linda’s surprised voice.
“The baby is very shy, but she really likes you.”
She said something louder than usual. Even the servants who were still in the room from the commotion could hear it.
“⋯⋯That’s right.”
Dad responded quietly.
It’s my misunderstanding that the voice somehow sounds proud.