/
Enzo smiled as if in a tough position.
“Um, Young Miss. A banquet isn’t something that can be held with 1 or 2 gold—”
I took something out of the bag I carried on my side.
And with my hands full, I held my hands forward.
“What jewel is that
!”
Enzo looked at the jewels which filled my hands with a tremendously surprised look.
Each one was unique, and at just one glance it looked incredibly expensive.
This is what Conrad brought me last night.
‘It’s the return for the physical regression pills that I gave to Grandfather!’
Enzo’s eyes widened.
The fact that the 3-year-old me was carrying this many jewels almost made his jaw drop.
It was when he muttered, “If it’s this much, it’s enough for a banquet
,” that he reached out his trembling hand to me.
Tak!
Father hit off Enzo’s hand which almost touched mine.
“Are you going to extort a young kid’s pocket money?”
“Pocket money
 To me, it doesn’t seem to be pocket money though
”
Enzo’s words were right.
This was as much as the privy purse of a noble family.
Me too. When I received it from Conrad, I heard a trumpet sound in my ear.
So, in truth, I greatly cherished this, but

‘I was going to invest and give it to you though?’
In addition, because it was jewels, there was no way for the 3-year-old me to dispose of them and cash it out.
Father frowned at Enzo, who had lingering feelings.
Then, tuk, he threw something. It was a key.
“Get as much as you need from my private wealth storage.”
“I understand.”
“What are you doing?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think we’ll be able to return to my territory within this week with you dilly-dallying around?”
“I will prepare it immediately.”
Enzo greeted me and Father one last time, and hurriedly disappeared.
‘Did he just say that they’re going to the territory within this week?’
There were only six days left this week.
If it was Father who didn’t have a good relationship with Grandfather, then it would be rare to see him in the Main Castle.
In other words, the only time I had to get close to Father was six days.
Since then, my desperation’s ‘Project to Become Close to Father’ began.
***
I went in and out of Father’s office in the barracks all day long.
I ate breakfast and went there, then I ate lunch and went there, then I ate dinner and went there again.
It’s been three days since Father came to the Castle.
As usual, I went back to Father’s office again after lunch.
I knocked on the big door on my tiptoes, and Enzo opened the door.
“Did you come after eating?”
Enzo, who got used to me in only two days, smiled brightly.
Father’s other aides also welcomed me with a smile.
I greeted Enzo and sat down on a rug where Father’s work table was.
Fortunately, Father didn’t say much.
It was because after returning after five years, he had a lot of work to do that he didn’t have time to care about me.
Although sometimes, he did look at me, who was playing, with a face like ‘Well, there are indeed things like that’.
‘Surely if it was to that extent, it’s already very good.’
When it was with Grandfather, I couldn’t even get into his room, but when it was with Father, I could stay inside his office.
‘If I’m by his side, I’ll have the chance to look good.’
Ssk. Ssk.
I played as I wrote in the sketchbook.
Enzo, who saw it, asked.
“Are you already writing?”
I raised my chin with a proud look.
‘I worked so hard on it though.’
It took me a full three years because it was completely different from Korean and English.
‘Although I’m not good at writing sentences yet, I was definitely still much better than my peers.’
“Whoaa, as expected, from the Lady of Astra. Compared to ordinary people—”
Enzo, who said so, flinched.
This was because Father was looking our way with a dull expression.
‘Stupid Enzo.’
Father hated Astra very much.
In particular, he couldn’t hide his laughter at the words ‘As expected of an Astra’.
While Enzo was flustered, I quickly changed the subject.
“I know a wot of wettersh!” [I know a lot of letters!]
“I-is that so? Then can you write your father’s name?”
“Yup!”
I worked hard writing, lying on my stomach.
[Da-y-mon-
.]
—After only writing until then, I glanced at Father.
‘If I’m too good, again, it’s a bit
’
If I was too smart, I would be guarded against, rather than being liked.
‘As expected, what if they think that I’m a human that was produced?’
I erased what I had written with crayons, and wrote new letters.
“Here.”
After I said that, the aides, including Enzo, looked at it with an interested look.
[Mon-duk-y]
“Cough!”
I heard a sound like a breath being cut off from somewhere.
A long-haired aide covered his mouth with a face that looked as if he was about to die.
Enzo was also in a similar state. He pinched his thigh fiercely.
The situations of the other aides were not much different.
Since I wrote it so big, the letters that I wrote could have been seen even from Father’s desk.
“
.”
With his forehead wrinkled, Enzo quickly said.
“E-even so, two letters were right.”
“Yes. The three-year-old Young Miss is very good.”
Then, I turned my sketchbook over to the next page.
I glanced at Father.
‘Was it too much trying to pretend to be a kid?’
I was very nervous because it seemed like he would say something.
But he focused on what he was doing again without saying anything in particular.
‘
.’
I fidgeted with the lace that was attached to my clothes.
‘It looks like Father is a better person than I thought.’
Even though his features looked cold, he had never acted like that to a young child.
Rather, he doesn’t just cut me off even though I bother him from the side.
‘Maybe
 Could it be that he has affection for me even if just a little bit
?’
After thinking, I shook my head.
I think that there is no such thing as affection without a price.
Although others may have it, at least I won’t have it.
‘It was like that even in my original world.’
When I was Yoo Hyemin, I lived alone with my Mom as a child. It was because Dad died early.
It wasn’t until I started taking baby steps that Mom remarried.
Grandmother was very happy.
(t/n: this grandma is the maternal grandma.)
“I thought you would live as a widow with a child for the rest of your life, but what’s with this kind of son-in-law who works for a good company?”
As much as Grandmother was very happy, Stepfather was a good person.
Since he treated the daughter which his wife brought well.
‘
Until my younger sister was born.’
Seven months after Mom and Stepfather married, my younger sister ‘Seeun’ was born.
Younger Sister was a cute and lovely child. To the point where everyone in the family fell in love with her.
Grandmother hugged Seeunie and always said this,
“Since you were born after fixing your mom’s fortune, you have done all of being a good daughter for the rest of your life. You pretty one.”
Whenever I heard such words, the Aunt next door reassured, “It’s because Grandmother is an old person.”
But I didn’t think that Grandmother’s words were totally wrong.
I didn’t know what to do, especially because Mom was also being affectionate to Younger Sister.
After Younger Sister was born, I fell out of my mother’s interest, but it was okay.
Since Mom was happy.
Then one day, around the time I entered elementary school.
Leaving one doll, Younger Sister and I quarreled.
“Give it to me! I’m telling you!”
“No, you can’t. Mom bought this for me as my birthday present.”
I pushed Younger Sister without realizing it because it seemed like the doll’s neck would rip if it continued, however.
“You. What are you doing!!?”
Stepfather charged in and shouted fiercely.
Then he hugged my crying Younger Sister and stroked her affectionately.
“I’ll buy you ten of them. Hm? Stop crying. Hup. Our Seeun’s pretty eyes are going to swell up.”
In her father’s arms, Younger Sister stuck her tongue out.
When Grandmother heard about it, she immediately followed.
“You’ve already become an older sister. Why are you fighting with your younger sister about dolls!? If you’re like this, and then your father says that he can’t live with your mom because of you, will you take the responsibility? Will you?”
“
.”
“Reflect on yourself! Reflect!”
Mom pretended not to know.
She only tapped Younger Sister’s back while sleeping in her arms, and after entering the main room, she did not come out.
A child was more sensitive than one thought.
It was easy to grasp the situation.
I vaguely noticed that in this family, I was a sidekick of Younger Sister.
Younger Sister also realized that she was someone who could treat her Older Sister carelessly.
Until Seeunie graduated, all her homework was up to me.
When she became a college student, I never had the time to take a break, even a day from my part-time job, in order to earn the lesson fee for Younger Sister who started playing the piano.
Since she took expensive lessons, it couldn’t be handled with Father’s salary alone.
Even so Younger Sister,
“Seeun, who cleans up what we ate outside?”
“Our house’s maid.”
She said it was a joke and said these kinds of words easily.
Younger Sister was the princess of the house in return for the marriage of Mom and Stepfather.
And I came into the house with no price, so as a maid

‘Stop. Stop.’
I shook my head quickly.
Let’s stop thinking about it because it only makes me feel bad.
Still, thanks to Younger Sister, there was one good thing.
I got to know [IPTVG].
That novel was something Younger Sister enjoyed reading.
‘What would have happened if I became Erylotte without knowing anything.’
As I organized my thoughts, I glanced at Father.
‘Anyway, I need a price to be loved by Father.’
Well, is there not any good way?
I was groaning and contemplating, but then a knocking sound was heard.
“It is Conrad Martial.”
It’s Conrad!
I jumped up, and Enzo, who had received Father’s permission, opened the door.
Conrad came into the room and greeted Father.
When our eyes met, my nose wrinkled.
Father asked.
“Your business?”
“A searcher found a clue about the purification stone on Hadix Mountain.”
“So.”
“There is an order for the soldiers to search for the purification stones on Hadix Mountain.”
“You’re talking about my soldiers who returned less than three days ago, right?”
“The Duke said that he would reconsider the budget of the territory if you search for the purification stone.”
Conrad, who said so, delivered the documents. It seemed to be a document related to the purification stone.
I looked at Father with a nervous look.
‘You’re going to do it? Right?’
Disobeying orders was punishable by military law.
Moreover, he even said that he was going to reconsider the budget!
If it was this much, it was also what Grandfather yields.
Enzo and Father’s aides also looked at him with desperate expressions.
Tsk. Father clicked his tongue and looked at Enzo.
“Prepare the military. Tomorrow morning, we’re leaving for Hadix Mountain.”
“Yes
!”
Enzo and the aides headed to the outside quickly, as if afraid that Father’s mind would change.
‘If it’s the purification stone, it’s the one that purifies curses, that
 Huh?’
Flinch.
I looked at Father.
The contents of the novel passed through my mind.
[“The purification stone was found on Hadix Mountain, right?”
“Yes, it’s a success after three attempts to search.”
“That’s too bad. If it had been found when Mister Daymond was alive, we wouldn’t have lost that precious talent.”
“Wasn’t it that General Daymond was killed during the war?”
“Didn’t you know? There is a rumor that a curse was discovered during the war and he couldn’t avoid an enemy’s sword.”
“It’s definitely strange that a person who was so amazing died just because of a soldier’s sword.”]
‘Yeah, it’s not that I have prevented it all just by preventing him from dying on the battlefield.’
If someone wanted to instigate his death, they might take another chance and cast a curse again.
‘Father needs the purification stone.’
However, searching for the purification stone was a very difficult matter.
It was not found after three search attempts for no reason.
‘But I know the location because I read the novel.’
But I couldn’t tell them that.
It was very strange for me, who had never even once been to Hadix Mountain, to know the location of the purification stone.
‘He won’t take me even if I ask him to, right?’
Then there was only one way.
What if someone higher gives him the orders?
‘Great. Let’s try it.’
That’s how I decided to visit Grandfather.
***
Returning to the Main Castle before sunset, I went straight to Grandfather.
Viscount Debussy, who was with Grandfather, said to me,
“Somehow, it seems like it has been a while since I saw you.”
It’s only been three days though?
But since I did chase after Grandfather day and night every day, it may feel like a long time ago.
“Hwai.” [Hi.]
“Yes, Young Miss. Did you have fun playing today, too?
“Yesh.” [Yes.]
“What did you do to play?”
“Uhmm
. I drew in Fwathher’s room. I wote in Fwathher’s room. I wooked at the picturesh in Fwathher’s room. And
.” [Uhmm
. I drew in Father’s room. I wrote in Father’s room. I looked at the pictures in Father’s room. And
.]
When I folded my short fingers one by one and spoke, the Viscount nodded his head as he said, “Hoo.”
“Turns out you’re on very good terms with Mister Daymond.”
“I wike Fwathher.” [I like Father.]
The Viscount laughed, “Haha,” perhaps because I, who was talking with my arms raised, was adorable.
“But, why didn’t you continue to stay in the barracks and instead came here? Mister Daymond will return to his territory this week, so it’ll be great if you both can stay a little more comfortable.”
It seemed like even the Viscount thought that Father would never take me to his territory.
‘If I was a homunculus, it would surely be awkward to bring me to the territory.’
I peeked at them with my face on the table and said.
“To see Gwandfwather.” [To see Grandfather.]
“Just live by that bastard’s side, why.”
Eh?
I blinked my eyes.
‘What’s this? He’s saying it as if he’s upset.’
By any chance, was he disappointed?
Viscount Debussy grinned and looked at Grandfather.
“Are you sad that you couldn’t see your granddaughter which you had been seeing every day?”
“I liked it because there was no longer anything annoying!”
Grandfather shut the notion down at once.
‘Yeah, it must be like that.’
Besides me, he was a person who had a lot of grandchildren.
There was no way he’d be upset that I didn’t come for a few days.
‘I definitely did follow him around too much.’
It would have been annoying if a child chased him around like that.
Grandfather looked at me.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Fwathher. He goesh to the mwountain. Ewylotte alsho wantsh to go together.” [Father. He goes to the mountain. Erylotte also wants to go together.]
When I spoke with sparkling eyes, Grandfather’s eyebrows wriggled.
“Trying to go there, what kind of disturbance are you trying to be? Forget it. Just wait calmly in the Castle.”
I couldn’t hide my disappointment at Grandfather’s words.
There were no monsters on Hadix Mountain, and because they were really only going to search, I expected him to give me permission.
My shoulders drooped.
Viscount Debussy grinned, looked at my sad appearance, and said,
“Young Miss.”
“Yesh.” [Yes.]
“Do you like Grandfather even though he refuses your request so straightforwardly?”
“Yweahh.” [Yeahh.]
“If so, then who do you like more, Grandfather or Father?”
I looked into the air with a sideways glance, saying, “Hmm.”
The people in Grandfather’s study looked at me. Even the butler who poured tea into the empty tea cup.
I answered.
“Fwathher.” [Father.]