I never imagined my dad would speak so bluntly. The atmosphere around the place became cold, as if it had been poured by cold water.

The Emperor, who had been biting his lip and at loss of words, only uttered a dispirited laugh.

“That’s too much of a joke.”

“I’m not kidding. My daughter is the one who has been locked up and neglected by the Emperor.”

Only then did the Emperor look at me with his eyes wide open.

“Seeing that, I don’t think I’m wrong.”

“I guess you’ve locked someone up and raised her. I checked.”

He was being polite, but my dad was obviously being sarcastic to the Emperor.

“I just looked at her because you said nonsense. I don’t know such a child.”

‘What do you mean you don’t know? You really don’t know her?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t lock anyone up. I’ve never seen a kid like that before!”

My dad kept an eye on me at the Emperor’s stern words.

Dad, who had a happier smile, turned to the Emperor again.

“So you don’t object to having the child officially registered as my daughter.”

“…I’m not sure about that, so later…”

“I’ve already confirmed she’s my biological child. I don’t know why you’re refusing to do it when I’m her father.”

The Emperor, who had been proud all day, waved his hands as if he was stopping my dad.

I was no longer afraid… because I have a dad.

‘I think my dad is stronger!’

I clung more to my dad’s arms, and the Emperor raised his voice again.

“I’m not denying.”

“If you’re not denying it, then what is it?”

“Are you sure that the child is yours? Didn’t you say that there were children who came to the Grand Duchy and claimed that they were real? Maybe that’s the kind of kid she is.”

The words reminded me of something, and my dad took something out of his pockets from while hugging me.

It was the bead that was used several times last time to figure out who Harris was.

“This is…”

“I borrowed it for a while.”

“…Grand Duke.”

“Yes.”

Looking at my dad’s leisurely ending, the Emperor sighed a deep breath, as if he was frustrated.

“Nobody said they borrowed what they took without saying.”

“I see. If I returned it anyway, then I borrowed it.”

“Huh… Taking things from the Imperial family as you like…!”

“There’s nothing to be so tight with the Imperial family.”

The Emperor laughed at my dad being more confident than ever.

“We’ll settle the accounts for what you borrowed later. More than that, Your Majesty, you know what this is.”

“I know.”

“It’s a blood test, and this confirms that Bebe is my daughter.”

“Is that so?”

“So please stop rejecting it and allow me to formally raise my daughter and my wife. If you refuse to let me even show her face like this, you really want to tell my daughter…”

“I see. Can you do it?’

The Emperor waved the bell beside me, thinking that he could not delay any longer. Then the bell rang clearly, and a servant came closer.

After that, it was a breeze.

Even the Emperor’s consent was completed for me, and Adelaide, my mother, was to be officially enlisted in the Grand Duke’s family.

After receiving the documents, Dad turned around his body as if all his work had been done.

“I’ll be on my way now.”

“Are we going to do it like this?”

“Well, it’s all over. Then we will see you again in the near future, so please don’t be sad, Your Majesty.”

“What is that… Grand Duke? Grand Duke!”

The Emperor hurriedly called my dad with an incomprehensible expression and voice, but he left without any hesitation.

It wasn’t enough, so my father ran to the carriage. The palace staff looked at us in surprise, but Dad didn’t even think of stopping… until we got to the carriage.

“Let’s go.”

As if someone were following him, my dad talked in a hurry, and as if they were familiar with this situation, the Grand Duke’s knights quickly climbed into the carriage.

At the same time, the carriage started to move.

“Dad? Who’s following us?”

“Yes, follow me.”

When I looked out the window after the carriage departed, I saw the servant next to the Emperor following us in a hurry.

“Oh… it’s true.”

“Yes, I’m sure he had a lot to ask. He’s not the kind of person who wants to see it, so he must’ve been trying to catch us somehow.”

It was my dad who looked happy to see the servant waving in embarrassment.

The carriage left and headed back to the Grand Duke’s mansion.