Contrary to what I expected, a day or two after being told that we were about to leave, three days later, we were still staying in this mansion.

In fact, it was a mansion equipped with everything to the extent that if I hadn’t listened to my father that we were going to the Grand Palace, this would be my home.

“What do you want to wear for today, Miss?”

The peculiar thing was that there were very few people working in this mansion.

“Anything’s fine…”

“Come on, don’t be like that. Take a look! This yellow dress was so cute, and that pink dress with frills was so adorable!”

Mary, who was chattering beside me, was a maid my father brought from the Grand Duke’s mansion for me.

“Hmm, my Lady would be pretty no matter what she wears… Then how about this purple dress that matches the color of your eyes?”

Mary, who’s seventeen years older than me, was from Serbia’s family.

She was the daughter of a maid who came with her when Serbia came to the Grand Duke’s mansion.

And when Erita was young, Serbia wanted to put her as an exclusive maid.

Maybe that’s why, when Mary saw me for the first time, she burst into tears.

‘How were you so much alike when you were a kid? If you had seen her, Serbia, and the lady, you would have liked it. Whoops.’

‘Hey, hey…’

‘Lady! Now this Mary, would protect you…’

She sniffed and grabbed my hand, and from that day on, Mary became my exclusive maid.

Mary was such a great maid that even I felt awkward because it was my first time being served.

Of course she stumbled a bit in embarrassment in the part where I said she shouldn’t use polite words.

“Miss?”

“Oh, huh?”

“You didn’t answer my call, so… Was there anything you didn’t like?”

Mary, who was in tears in an instant, shook her head softly.

Not as much as my father did, but Mary treated me like cotton candy that would immediately melt away.

But in fact, I am older than Mary.

“You’re not really sick, are you?”

“Uh, I’m really okay.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Then should we use this for you to wear?”

What Mary brought out was a pale pastel purple dress. The fact that it had frills on it was as cute as a child’s clothes.

Oh, and I asked Mary because I thought I had a lot of clothes for the mansion to stay in for a while, and she said there were more for me.

‘I don’t think I’ll be able to wear it for the rest of my life…’

As soon as Mary nodded, she changed my clothes and brushed my hair.

Still, there was no mess, and on the first day, I thought she had done something magical.

“Thank you, Mary.”

“Hey, what are you saying? It’s my pleasure to serve you!”

Brave and proud Mary, whenever she heard my thanks, she always blushed and was shy.

Seeing her like that, I smiled too. I liked Mary after my father.

“Shall we go now? The master must be waiting.”

“Oh, come on, let’s go.”

I quickly got off my chair and hurried towards the dining room.

Thanks to my father, who spent the last three days with me except for urgent matters, I was able to erase the awkwardness faster than I thought.

“Father, I’m sorry. Did you wait long?”

As I ran down the stairs, I opened the door and entered.

Unsurprisingly, my father was already in the dining room, sitting on a chair by the table.

“I told you not to run because it’s dangerous.”

“But I couldn’t wait to see you!”

“Who’s daughter are you? And why are you so pretty? You wouldn’t even let me scold you.”

“Hehe, good morning.”

When I approached my father at a quick pace and laughed, my father also smiled and stroked my head.

“Yes. Good morning.”

As if it was natural, my father greeted me in the morning as he hugged me, put me on the chair, and kissed my forehead, it made me burst into laughter.

✿

Unlike the first day, I finished the light meal that was easy to digest.

It’s because my body couldn’t stand the meat that suddenly came while I was eating only stew before.

‘Well, I’ve been eating poorly for seven years every day, so I don’t know what’s going on inside my stomach.’

Fortunately, the fever that I had while sleeping subsided after swallowing the potions given by the butler, but it did not stop my shocked father from changing my meal to something that was easy to digest.

Of course, even if it was the same stew, it was different from the white meat stew I used to eat at the orphanage.

Anyway, after eating, I took a short walk with my father. We simply walked around the mansion, but it was fun enough

Although my stamina wasn’t good, I returned to the room after a short walk.

“Dad…”

After being held in his warm arms for a while, I cautiously called my father.

I was embarrassed because I felt like I kept acting like a baby, but I wondered what was going on.

No matter how old I am inside, I look like a child on the outside.

After a while of worrying about being shy, I decided to ask him something I had been curious about since morning.

I set my embarrassment aside for a while.

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“You said we would stay here for a while and go to the Grand Palace.”

“Yes, why? Do you want to stay here longer?”

I shook my head at my father’s question. I love this mansion, but you said it’s a place to stay for a while.

“It’s not that, may I ask when we’re leaving…?”

I calmly looked at my father’s face and waited for an answer.

My father, who looked me in the eyes, smiled and stroked my hair.

“Well, I forgot to tell you. Actually, I don’t know exactly when we’re leaving.”

“Ah…”

“Because the day you want to go would be the day we would return to the Grand Palace.”

Disappointed for a moment, I opened my eyes wide at the words that followed.

‘We’re going on the day I want to go?’

“Really?”

“Yes, I was planning on leaving when you said you were ready because there would be more people there than here.”

I’m sure it would still be awkward.

And I laughed shyly, answering “No.” at my father’s words with a small smile.

Aside from thinking of him as a father, it’s true that it’s still a little awkward and difficult.

“Could we go there today?”

Nevertheless, I couldn’t wait any longer, I wanted to go to the Grand Palace. Not a place to stay for a while, but a real home.

“Erita, if you want to.”

“Then I want to go!”

“Would you be alright?”

There was an affectionate concern in my father’s voice. I stared at my father and smiled brightly.

“I’m sure my father would be by my side.”

My Father let out a small sigh at my words, and then burst into laughter.

“Haha, I see… Your father should be by your side.”

I felt like I was one step closer to my father at the answer that came out after a short delay.

✿

Magically touching my hair that had turned brown with heat, I glanced at my father, who had hair the same color as mine.

It was amazing that it changed so much that my eyes kept turning.

Changing the hair color was my father’s plan. I don’t know why, but there must be a reason.

His cold and indifferent impression when he had dark hair seemed to have gotten a little more harmful now.

“This…”

Then, as I looked around the familiar road, my father’s eyes slightly frowned.

My father, holding me, headed to the store of Uncle Philip and Aunt Meghan.

A man who glanced at me.

I explained about Aunt Meghan and Uncle Philip.

They were the only people who treated me warmly when I was ignored and ridiculed just because I had dark hair.

“So I wanted to say goodbye for the last time before I go.”

A voice as usual came over my head, which was clouded by the expression on my father’s frown earlier.

“Yes. They’re good people. If you like someone, it’s probably right to say goodbye.”

Contrary to what I was worried about, my father’s face had already returned to its usual loose expression.

‘Was it a mistake before?’

I quickly erased my thoughts and looked briefly at the path I had walked for a year.

There were a lot of bad memories, but it was okay to think that it was a place I would never come back to again.

As I was looking around, I carefully stepped down from my father’s arms when I arrived at the familiar alleyway.

‘I wish Uncle Philip and Aunt Meghan were both there.’

When I arrived in front of the store, I could see the two of them whether the wind had passed.

“Uncle! Auntie!”

At first, when I called them, I thought they couldn’t recognize me because of my changed hair color, but when they saw my face, they looked surprised.

“Oh, dear. Was that Rita?”

“It’s not her hair color, but your face looks like Rita.”

“I changed my hair color with magic.”

I told the curious aunt and uncle about what had happened a few days ago.

Of course, I didn’t mention my father’s identity and where I was going, and only said that I was lucky enough to be adopted.

“Oh, that’s great. If you go to the house, you should stay lovely. Okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll cheer for this guy, too.”

“Yes! You two must always be healthy!”

In the middle of the conversation, I said goodbye to them, leaving my disappointment behind.

Maybe we won’t see each other again.

But I wasn’t sad because I had my father waiting for me a few steps back.

“Then I’ll go.”

“Be happy wherever you are.”

“Always healthy.”

“You two, too!”

That’s how my short goodbye ended.

Then the two went back to dealing with customers.

“Have you finished saying goodbye?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, then let’s go.”

The arms of my father who held me once again felt familiar.

A new place was seen as the distance from the street widened.

Feeling excited, I never imagined what would happen after I left.

It’s also the beginning of an event that would take place in the not-too-distant future.