“A house…”

“Yeah. It doesn’t have to be big. A place where the two of us can live… Instead, I hope there are many flowers around the house! And I wish there was a library nearby. My mom and I both like reading books!”

“I’m five years old, but I like reading books.”

He seemed surprised, but he just smiled broadly.

“Anyway, that’s my wish.”

“Okay. I’ve decided to do it for you, so I’ll accept that wish. But don’t you want something bigger than that?”

“No!”

“I thought I was greedy because I wanted you to be my child at first.”

“Dad is someone who will protect me until I grow up safely.”

So please take good care of me…

Dad.

For a moment, he rummaged through several documents around him. Due to the instant change of mood, I just looked at him sitting still. At that moment, as if he had found what he wanted, he held out a piece of paper to me.

“If you read my letter, you can read this, too, right?

“What’s this?”

“Try reading it.”

It was quite different from the letter sent to me.

It was dried parchment as if it were showing luxury.

As I unfolded it, I smiled brighter than ever.

“It’s the Name Entry Document!”

“That’s right. Do you like it?”

“Yes!”

I have to go and wake up my mom today.

Now I could live with my mom. We’ve found a place to stay.

Holding the document with my arms, I got up in my place and went around all of a sudden.

“I love it. I can’t wait to go and show it to my mom.”

“I think you really love your mom.”

“Of course!”

“Don’t you like me?”

“Dad? Dad is…”

With his sudden question, I scratched my head and laughed awkwardly.

“Dad is… Dad.”

“Can’t you like me just like your mom?”

Why was he suddenly saying this?

If a person changed suddenly, there would be only a few days left for him and would eventually die.

I held the hand of the Grand Duke tightly.

“What’s wrong with you…?”

“If a person suddenly changes, he or she is sick. Dad, are you in a lot of pain?”

“Oh, I don’t feel hurt.”

Or has he gone crazy?

I said it out of concern, but he kept his lips pursing towards me, like a person who tried to laugh. My face hardened by itself.

“Strange. Are you trying to laugh all of a sudden?”

“….Does it look weird?”

“Uh. Can’t you like me like your mom? That’s absolutely impossible.”

“…Then, what about Allen?”

“You can’t do that either.”

“Even as much as the penguin doll that Allen gave you as a gift?”

Why did he keep asking me?

I nodded profusely.

My penguin doll was so precious. Even the penguin doll was ranked higher than Allen in the treasure rankings, but the ambiguous Grand Duke quickly looked at me in anticipation and was a bit disappointed.

“…That’s too much.”

“If you don’t want me to be mean, don’t expect too much.”

There was a moment of silence.

I didn’t understand this situation right now and this very conversation with the Grand Duke.

Also, somehow, the more I looked at him, the more I felt like he was talking to me with sincerity.

“Of course, the person I need the most is my dad.”

“Should I say that’s good?”

“But Dad, were you being serious?

It was pure curiosity. Was this person playing a joke on me or really wanting me to like him?

“I don’t know if you really are a Duke or just a child…”

‘There’s no way that four more people would crave affection for me, right?’

Having that concluded, I nodded my head profusely before another word popped out of his mouth.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Huh?”

“You can’t have everything and you want me to like you. What are you talking about? Oh! Does that wine have such bad effects on you?”

I didn’t know what to say.

Was he drunk because he drank and ate a lot?

I was so worried about him, to the point where I was staring at the wine bottle.

“This can’t be happening. Don’t drink wine. Not only this, but also other wines. I’m sure this thing isn’t appropriate for dad’s body.”

And the Grand Duke, who was looking at me, snorted and ruffled my head.

“Are you worrying about me?”

“Yeah. You can’t die early. You have to live a long time.”

“Don’t worry. Because I’m going to live a long time.”

“Yes!”

Today, his blue eyes somehow look like blue flames, and not ice.

It was really strange. I even felt like I was going to be sucked in.

‘I’m not scared.’

I’m sure he’s a bad person, but I felt strange when I even saw him doing something bad in front of my eyes.

I thought about the reason, but I still don’t know.

‘Is it because he’s so handsome?’

Does this mean that people should be handsome and look pleasing? I saw it in a book. Even if it was an enemy, you sometimes feel relieved with your anger if they were handsome and pretty.

Having come to that conclusion, I nodded once again.

‘He really is handsome. But honestly… that’s just the thing I am into.’