Standing in front of my father’s office that Mary had taken me to, I checked for any wrinkle on my clothes.

Of course, in Mary’s condition earlier, she would have smoothed every single strand of my hair.

“Mary was also scary…”

In return for igniting Mary’s desire to dress up, I had to try on a total of five dresses and five matching hairstyles.

It was like being her doll moving to and fro in her hands.

Mary’s face showed signs of regret when I told her to stop, but fortunately, I was actually able to escape by saying that I didn’t want to keep my father waiting.

‘I would need to use my father as an excuse sometimes.’

“Ahem…” Clearing my throat, I raised my hand and knocked on the large door twice.

“Father, it’s Erita.”

And as I took a step back and waited, I heard footsteps inside the room.

The door of the office opened, and it was Aaron who appeared and pulled the door.

As I blinked a little in surprise, Aaron stepped aside to let me in, and laughed.

“I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“Oh…”

“Come on in.”

Not knowing what to say, I just smiled for a moment and bowed my head.

I know that Aaron likes me, but apart from that, I wasn’t used to this kind of favor yet.

“…Thank you.”

At the sight of me, Aaron seemed to bite his lips for a moment, and soon smiled softly.

As I carefully entered the open door, I saw my father sitting on the sofa.

The most familiar face seemed to have relieved my tension a little, so I rushed to my father with a bright face.

“Father!”

“Yes, my daughter.”

Then my father got up from where he was sitting and held me up easily.

“Oops!”

I didn’t come running to ask you to hug me.

However, I had no desire to ask him to let go of me, so I quietly smiled and hugged him too.

“Did you take a good look around your room?’

“Yes! It was really pretty.”

“Really? I was worried you wouldn’t like it, but I’m glad.”

My father’s sweet voice made me smile.

Then, thinking that it passed through my mind, I turned my head slightly and looked at Aaron.

Suddenly, I thought that my actions, which came running to my father and smiled, might have been upsetting for Aaron.

I don’t know if there’s a difference in his attitude. Maybe he feels bad.

But contrary to my concerns, when our eyes met, Aaron showed a soft smile.

As I stared blankly at the friendly pretty smile for a moment, Aaron, whose eyes were round and clear, laughed aloud.

Then, I could hear my father’s despondent laughter from above.

“I don’t know how many years it’s been since you laughed like that.”

Unlike the words from his lips, my father’s voice had an indescribable joy.

‘How many years has it been? What does that mean?’

“Do you like your sister so much?”

After thinking about it for a while, I quickly turned to Aaron, who was still smiling at father’s question.

“Didn’t father know it best? wasn’t it good…?”

Unlike me, who’s blushing at the embarrassing response, father nodded.

“Yeah, it couldn’t be bad.”

“…”

“Erita, your brother likes you that much.”

“Oh my…”

By my father’s gentle but mischievous words I couldn’t help but cover my face with my hands in embarrassment.

However, it wasn’t that I hated their affection, but still it’s really embarrassing!

“Father, don’t you have something to tell me?”

Fortunately, Aaron’s words brought me out of this embarrassing situation.

“Erita was shy.”

The words that followed were still full of laughter, but I wondered what it was.

“Yes. I have something to tell you first.”

Father’s voice, who agreed with the statement, subsided a little low.

I sat quietly on the sofa my next to my father and listened to him in a somewhat serious atmosphere.

“…Erita, for the time being, I think we should keep it a secret that you’ve returned home.”

“Secret?”

“Yes. To deal with any possible threat.”

Any possible threat. Was that all?

As if he had accepted my expression as I thought about his words for a moment, my father gently comforted me.

“There’s no need to think too complicatedly. I’m just trying to stop the fact that I got my daughter back for a while from spreading.”

“Ah…”

“But it’s true that your doctor was the most important thing right now. Do you mind?”

“Yes, it’s okay.” Erita nodded with a light smile on her lips.

There was something absurd, but what my father was doing was obviously for me.

“Thank you for understanding.”

My father smiled and gently stroked my hair.

“Now that we’re done talking, would you like to go see the mansion with your father until evening?”

Just as I was about to nod my head at the comforting words of my father, we heard a knock on the door.

“Master, it’s Fern.”

Father’s expression frowned at the sound of Fern’s voice. The ale on the other side seemed to understand him.

Run picked up and laughed.

“Come in…”

Fern, who opened the door with a sigh, approached my father with a refreshing look regardless of the crumpled expression on my father’s face.

“I’m sorry, lady, but would it be okay if I went to see the mansion with the master?”

“Fern.”

Father called him threateningly, as if trying to stop him from talking, but Fern still smiled.

He put a bunch of papers on the table.

“The documents were pushed back while the master was away. We have only selected those that must be completed by the end of the day.”

“Hah…”

Staring at my father anxiously, wondering if he might be angry.

But father only took a deep breath and spoke jn an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry, Erita. I couldn’t be with you today.”

“I’m sorry, miss. If we couldn’t finish it by today, I’d have to stay up all night again.”

Feeling sorry for Fern, who smiled but somehow looked more tired than before I met him.

Perhaps the reason my father was away was because he came to find me.

“Uh, no… No! I’ll go with my brother..!”

When I shook my head and said it, Aaron, who was beside the sofa, looked surprised for a moment, and soon got up from his seat with a big smile.

“Then since father was busy, I’ll go with Erita instead.” (Aaron)

Then I glanced up at my father and Aaron who reached out his hand toward me, and then I got down from my seat and walked over to Aaron’s side.

“You’re not disappointed that you’re not with your father, aren’t you?”

Let’s hold each other’s hands carefully brother!

With my father’s playful remarks I held the laughter that’s about to burst from my lips. I wonder if my brother was upset because I only smiled at father earlier?

“Oh, it’s not like that!”

When I shook my head and shouted in a hurry, Aaron, who seemed more surprised by my response, apologized and stroked my head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s just a little awkward…”

The corners of Aaron’s eyes bent to a crescent shape, and the ends of his words were blurry.

“It’s okay… It’s okay if we get closer in the future… Right?”

As time passed by, this awkwardness would eventually disappear so I nodded.

Aaron, who gently squeezed my hand, turned towards father.

A smile seems to form on his lips and spoke to father,

“Father, then we’ll be leaving first.”

I could hear him muttering, but the words behind them were so small that I couldn’t understand it.

“Yeah, let’s go together next time.”

“Yes! See you later!”

But in the end, I also smiled and waved to my father who was smiling sweetly and waving back at me.

“I’m sorry I took His Highness away, miss.”

“You’re good at saying things that aren’t even inside.”

“Haha, what do you mean, it’s not inside. I am very sorry to hear that.”

“Erita, don’t push yourself too hard and look around slowly. Your brother would take good care of you.”

Ignoring Fern’s words, I nodded awkwardly, smiling at my father talking to us, and waved softly to Fern.

Thinking that Fern, who could respond to my overbearing father, was really great

The door closed behind us. I glanced down at my brother’s hand and mine clasped together.

“Should we talk while we walk?”

Nodding at Aaron’s question, he immediately walked slowly to match my pace.

Actually, I was worried that it would be awkward between us, but I walked slowly in line with my steps.

Aaron wasn’t too uncomfortable with me either.

✿

Thudㅡ

Aaron and Erita left the office.

By the time the distant footsteps became less and less audible.

“I’ve never seen him smile like that since I came here.”

Aslan chuckled at Fern’s words filled with wonder and surprise that he could smile like that.

“It’s been 7 years to be exact… That kid smiled brightly before.”

Perhaps due to the blood flowing through the family, Aaron has also distinguished himself in many ways, including rapid growth since he was young.

However, all of that and an uncharacteristically indifferent personality were not very special in the Krovachatz Family.

Aslan has been doing everything since he was a child.

The only time Aaron laughed like a child was in front of Serbia and Erita.

“Originally, only in front of his mother and his sister.”

The reason why Aaron stopped smiling 7 years ago was because the only person who made him smile has disappeared.

“…I see.”

“Yes, that’s why I could never forgive these bastards.”

Aslan, who was briefly reflecting on the past, slowly leaned back on his seat.

Fern’s expression, who had been smiling at the atmosphere, changed seriously.

Now was the time to return to being a competent aide.

“First of all, I went to the orphanage of the Empress. They also identified the body of the deceased, disguised as his family.”

“It was that way, too.”

Aslan, who tilted crookedly in a situation not different from what he expected, stood up and smiled.

“There would be no traces left.”

“Yes. It was the foreign nobles who took the girl from the orphanage. They left the Empire two days ago.”

“Hmm…”

“Even If the Empress keeps track of it, she won’t find it. On their way back home, the ship would sink and fall into the sea.”

After talking, Fern grinned. There must be a strange corner somewhere, but the Empress would not know it.

No matter how hard they try to dig, she’ll end up to the conclusion that it’s all just a coincidence.

Aslan, who glanced at Fern, and nodded satisfactorily.

A fox that bites the bait it had spread for hunting.

The fox succeeded in surrounding the area unnoticed.

“…”

“Kyle followed. He could captured them any time as long as you give the command.”

“They’ve been hiding well for seven years.”

Now It was time to grab a cause.

“Tell Kyle…”

The beast with its sharp teeth laughed furiously.

“Bring him in front of me without a grain of damage.”

‘You’re gonna feel the price of messing with Krovachatz. You should be.’