Miss Roen! Mister Jeremi!

I looked at the person before me with disbelieving eyes.

“Good heavens! How long has it been?!”

The moment Roen saw me, she tossed her luggage to Jeremi and ran over.

“Oh! Goodness, Duchess! You haven’t changed a bit! I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’ve missed you too!”

I ran toward Roen as she came rushing to me, and we clasped hands.

“Did you come for the King’s wedding?”

“No. Princess Veronia isn’t the soft-hearted type. She endured so much hardship. In the end, she gathered all one hundred drachma of Sacred Grass and is now on her way back after delivering it to the Grand Temple.”

Seeing Roen speak proudly while straightening her shoulders, I thought—she really hasn’t changed at all.

“You must have suffered so much.”

“Ugh. Talking about it would make my mouth sore.”

Hearing just how much she endured—it was beyond words.

The Sacred Grass grows regardless of terrain or climate; they say there’s no place they haven’t been—not treacherous mountains, parched deserts, jungles sweltering with tropical heat, nor vast wastelands.

“By the way, I received your letter. I heard the little lady was born?”

“Yes, that’s right, Miss Roen.”

“I’m so eager to meet her. How beautiful she must be.”

She’s beautiful, but can Roen handle her? No—our Romi would surely adore Roen.

I had Andrea bring Romi over; since it was nap time, Romi was nestled in Sikar’s arms, softly snoring.

I whispered to Roen,

“It’s nap time right now.”

“Come here, Roen. You must be exhausted.”

“Hello, Duke. The little lady’s hair color resembles the Duchess’s perfectly.”

“Her eyes take after me.”

“Oh? Then the little lady must have incredible charisma!”

Sikar looked at the sleeping Romi with a face as if terrified out of his wits.

“If she only has charisma, we’ll be lucky. What will she become when she grows up… No, our Romi is an angel unlike any other in this world.”

He must be careful with his words—Romi would surely read his memories.

What must it feel like, seeing a daughter who shares your exact same ability?

The more I thought about it, the more Sikar’s situation made me want to laugh.

“Oh, I was so distracted I forgot to greet Mister Jeremi. Mister Jeremi, have you been well?”

Jeremi smiled gently toward me.

“I returned alive, Duchess.”

“The Princess must have come too. I should enter the palace to pay my respects to His Highness.”

“Likely. His Highness will find it difficult to receive visitors until His Majesty’s wedding.”

“What? What do you mean? Is His Highness unwell?”

“He suffered greatly, and his body is quite weakened. He ordered no visitors until the wedding, to recover fully.”

Sikar, who had been shaking hands with Jeremi, studied him closely and said,

“You both seem quite worn out—go inside and rest.”

Roen looked at Romi with deep regret.

“Oh dear. It seems I’ll go in without even greeting the little lady.”

“Once she’s asleep, she won’t notice even if someone shouts right beside her. Isn’t she cutest like this?”

“A saying comes to mind—nothing is as foolish as bragging about your own child, Duke?”

“You must be envious of Roen.”

Roen clasped her hands together, clearly filled with envy.

“Yes, I’m terribly envious. That’s why I’m planning to have a child right away.”

“Since you’re young, Miss Roen, you’ll conceive very soon.”

Roen hugged me tightly, as if she could no longer endure.

“I’m always so grateful to your ever-warm kindness, Duchess. Whew. I don’t think I can hold on any longer—I must have exhausted all my holy power. I’ll go rest for a bit.”

“Please do, Miss Roen.”

Roen ascended to her room, leaning on Jeremi’s arm as if all her energy had suddenly drained away.

Only after they had completely disappeared did I turn to Sikar to ask what had happened.

“Duke, what on earth occurred? Why are they so drained?”

“They suffered greatly gathering the Sacred Grass. It seems they even endured vampire attacks, my Lady.”

“Good heavens!”

“They received healing at the Grand Temple, but full recovery will take time. Roen only appeared unaffected because she gathered her remaining holy power to avoid worrying us. It’s best to let her rest now.”

Indeed, merely surviving that perilous journey was miraculous fortune.

“Still, I’m so relieved everyone returned safely.”

“Of course, my Lady.”

“They’ll all recover before the King’s wedding, won’t they?”

“They should. Now that the debt to the Grand Temple is repaid, it’s a great relief.”

Just before the wedding, Kian visited the ducal manor—as though a daughter returning to her parental home before marriage.

Now seventeen, Kian was already considered an adult here—a full-grown man.

To think Kian had grown so tall and suddenly. Yura found his transformation both bittersweet and wonderfully handsome.

Upon hearing Kian had arrived, Romi dashed all the way to the front door.

“Your Highness Oppa!”

Again, calling him that.

Yura hurried after Romi.

“Romi! You mustn’t address His Majesty the King like that!”

In Kian’s eyes, Romi’s warmth glowed bright and red. Knowing how deeply Romi loved him, Kian found everything about her adorable and precious.

So he lifted the running Romi into his arms with a smile.

“How has our Romi been? Did you cry missing this oppa?”

Romi clung fiercely to Kian’s chest, as if she’d never let go.

“I missed you so much, Oppa!”

Since Romi’s manner of address lacked formality, Yura felt embarrassed before Kian.

“Romi, you must say ‘Your Majesty the King’! Didn’t I tell you you’d go to prison if you kept calling him that?!”

Romi whipped her head around and tilted it curiously.

“But I won’t go to prison?”

Other children would be startled and obedient upon hearing that—but Romi, who could see all others’ memories, didn’t believe it.

Instead, she’d stare back as if asking, “Don’t you know better?” leaving Yura speechless once again.

“Mother, Romi will naturally learn proper forms of address as she grows. For now, just let her be. I actually still enjoy hearing her call me ‘oppa.’”

“If the King thinks so, I suppose it’s fortunate…”

“I’m truly fine with it, Mother.”

Romi clung to Kian as if defying Yura, not even glancing her way once.

“Your Highness Oppa.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t get married, Your Highness Oppa.”

Sikar, who had just stepped out upon hearing Kian had arrived, gaped in utter shock. Yura was equally stunned.

“Romi, what are you saying? Don’t get married?”

“Marry me, Your Highness Oppa! Just wait a little until I’m grown up!”

Oh dear.

Sikar wore an expression of near despair, deeply wounded.

“Romi! Won’t you marry Daddy?! You’d rather marry your brother?!”

“But Daddy already has Mommy! Daddy’s greedy!”

Yura shielded the jealous Sikar and soothed Romi.

“You can’t marry the King, Romi. Siblings can’t marry each other.”

At that, tears began welling in Romi’s eyes. But there was no helping it.

She couldn’t be allowed to throw a tantrum demanding marriage to her brother—who was getting married tomorrow. Yet Romi didn’t accept it right away.

“Why?”

“Because you share the same mother and father.”

“But Your Highness Oppa has two mothers and two fathers! So just don’t let them be your mom and dad!”

‘Ugh, what a clever little thing, talking so unnecessarily well.’

Yura thought this and replied,

“That’s not allowed. Even if you have two mothers and fathers, they can’t be changed.”

Romi, as if hearing the most unjust words in the world, choked up—and then burst into tears.

“No! I want to marry Your Highness Oppa!”

Because Romi was crying and fussing, Yura had no choice but to pull her away from Kian.

“Romi, it’s time for your nap. Come here. Your Majesty, please hand Romi to me.”

“I’ll calm her down, Mother.”

Without furrowing his brow even once, Kian gently coaxed Romi.

“How about stopping your tears now, our little crybaby lady?”

His tone was tender and affectionate.

As Kian soothed her, Romi quietly nestled into his arms, blinked her drowsy eyes—and promptly fell asleep.

“I used holy power to make her drowsy—she fell asleep so quickly.”

During that brief moment, Yura felt as if her breath had stopped. Once Romi threw a tantrum, there was no reasoning with her.

“Your Majesty, thank you for your efforts. I’ll take Romi to her room—please hand her over.”

“Mother, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to go fishing with Father—is that alright?”

“Of course. You don’t need my permission for such things. Go ahead.”

For some reason, she didn’t even ask why.

Kian liked his mother’s bold demeanor—she never pried into every little curiosity.

The fishing spot they visited together was the same one Kian had gone to when he first came here.

Though that ice-fishing spot now welcomed spring, the wind blowing in remained chilly.

Father and son, Sikar and Kian, sat at the fishing spot, blankly staring only at their floats.

In the quiet, peaceful silence, there was comfort.

“But why suddenly go fishing?”

When Sikar broke the silence to ask, Kian’s gaze also left the float and turned toward him.

“Remember when we went ice fishing?”

“Of course I remember—we caught a huge one then.”

“Don’t you remember promising to go fishing together again when I grew up?”

Sikar stared at Kian as if baffled how he could twist things that way.

“What nonsense. You said when you grew up, you’d catch fish yourself and cook them for me—you never said you’d come with me. Ahem.”

“That statement ultimately meant I’d come fishing with Father when I grew up.”

“Liar. You hated me back then.”

“You hated me too.”

“Well, that’s because you threatened to throw a fireball at me the moment you saw me.”

“Then let’s call it a draw.”

“Fine.”