Hayden smiled at the sisters who wouldn’t tell the adults but would tell everything to their older sister. The two kids received a large chocolate cake they had eagerly awaited. Literally, a whole cake each. Such unrestrained extravagance, just like an emperor!

“…Wow…”

The kids opened their mouths wide, and Lou looked at Hayden with an expression that seemed to say, “Is this okay?” He really should stick to the role of a grandfather; he should never try to be a father.

“Well, let’s cut a small piece and try it first, shall we?”
“Alright, shall we cut a small piece and try it first?”

Hayden, smiling brightly, helped the kids who were eagerly cutting the cake with the cake knife.

“This is for Unni.”

“Unni is giving it to me?”

“Yeah. We promised to share. Unni’s piece.”

“I want Unni’s piece too.”

The kids, each cutting one piece for Unni and one for the patriarch, took quite some time. Lou, without much thought, cut the chocolate cake with a fork. Then her eyes widened.

“It’s quite delicious, isn’t it? Want some coffee?”

“Yeah.”

With coffee, it tasted like they could finish a whole cake in one go. There was a reason the kids were so excited. Lou, who was admiring, suddenly thought about how special this ordinary dinner table was to her.

The days of refusing meals because she didn’t want to bother, eating baked potatoes when feeling hungry, and crying about not knowing why she had to live—those lonely days were all in the past.

If there had been someone to share with, even rough food would have been sweet, and a humble table would have been enjoyable. Enduring was painful, so now, the dining table with her family, every moment, was so precious.

Every moment in the townhouse was happy, and it still is. Lou was surrounded by people who loved her.

Her father and mother, who came home early to spend time together, her sisters who wanted to do everything together, and even Hayden, who had become so significant.

“Lou.”

Hayden gestured for her to look over there. Bella, who had somehow gotten chocolate all over her mouth, was again dozing off. What to do? It was a moment when she thought Bella was so lovely that she wanted to draw and keep that appearance.

“Uh, um…”

Hayden, trying to wake her sister, made a shushing gesture to Sia, who was about to say something. Then he quickly took the pencil and paper brought by Sijang-jang and began sketching busily.

Meanwhile, Bella, who had opened her eyes again with a start, was about to eat chocolate cake again, trying to fork it hard, not being able to stab the cake properly, then smacking her lips, and starting to doze off again. She had to eat, but she also felt sleepy. What to do.

Lou, who couldn’t bear to see Bella like that, gently shook her.

“Bella, Bella? Isabella Genesis, wake up.”

“Ung…uh…”

“Stop eating and let’s go to bed now. Okay?”

“Oh, no. I haven’t finished eating yet.”

The child pouted, shaking her head stubbornly. Again, she diligently forked the cake with the fork, then put a quite large piece in her mouth and chewed it. “Both of you, drink milk.”

Doing as her older sister said, with eyes full of sleepiness, Bella was both pitiful and cute. In the meantime, Hayden, who had been sketching Bella while she was drawing, had rapidly completed the sketch.

Bella, who had been dozing off like she wanted to have it, was drawn on paper just as she was.

‘He’s good at everything he does with his hands.’
Despite taking up gemstone crafting as a hobby, he draws pictures like an expert. Did he originally have the talent? Hayden, after putting down the pencil, hugged Bella, who had just swallowed a bite of cake with a sip of milk and was starting to doze off again.

“Uh, yeah?”

“Alright, you’ve finished eating. Let’s go wash up and sleep.”

“Uhhhh! I don’t want to!”

“You can eat the cake later. No one will touch Bella’s cake. I’ll make sure to keep it safe.”

He seemed adept at comforting Bella when she threw a tantrum. What can’t he do, really? Lou thought, wiping Sia’s mouth with a napkin.

“Today was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Unni, are you okay now?”

“Yeah, Unni is fine now. I’ve rested enough.”

“Then, next time, let’s play with Grandpa together when Unni plays.”

“Sure.”

Lou nodded willingly and sent Sia and Bella off to the maids. The kids were extremely excited about staying overnight at the palace.

In fact, Hayden had decided to bring the kids with him because he didn’t want to send Lou back to the townhouse alone. As Lou told Sia, Hayden returned after wiping Bella’s mouth, which was pouting in protest, with a napkin and handing it over to the maids.

“He’s good at everything.”

While silently watching Hayden’s sketch of Bella, Lou was filled with affection for the quickly drawn picture that captured her features well.

“Did you learn separately? Did you have an art teacher when you were young?”

“Not really. I learned later when I grew up. I knew someone who was good at drawing.”

She looked up at Hayden. Many questions still remained unanswered. Although Hayden had shown her memories that seemed to encompass everything, he hadn’t truly revealed everything.

Hayden possessed a powerful light that could overwhelm even other sages alone. It seemed too great to attribute it to the power of the Northern Sage. It didn’t seem like the affectionate Sophia Clarisse had that level of power.

Even the way he casually passed over certain answers, or the countless questions and memories buried in darkness, strangely didn’t feel uncomfortable. If she were to ask, he probably would answer everything.

‘Now is not the time to know.’

Above all, Lou wanted to remember how they had parted ways. She didn’t want to find out through asking him but wanted to recall each memory one by one and tell him. It would be a repayment she could offer to Hayden, who had remembered her on his own, struggled alone, and eventually found her.

“Seems like you have a talent for that. You drew really well.”

“I need to leave a record of this. I can do it magically, but leaving it as a drawing is more permanent.”

Hayden decided to take the sketch with him to color it later.

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Thank you for that too, for showing me the memories today. Seeing those memories again must have been tough.”

“Yeah.”
He did not deny it. Instead, seizing the opportunity when the maids were not around, he gently rested his head on Lou’s narrow shoulders. Pretending to be pitiful, Lou reached out her hand, embracing him, and also stroked his hair.

Kind, affectionate, and warm-hearted Loustika Genesis. However, her tender heart is fair to everyone in its kindness. If there is someone more pitiful than Hayden, these warm hands will surely reach out to them as well. She is even righteous.

“This is something only Lou knows.”

But he only had Lou. Because there was no one else but her, he became a precious presence to those who were precious to her, intricately intertwined. Even if Lou were to abandon him, it was done in such a way that a complete severance was not possible.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“Well, you’re welcome.”

If, in this way, one more reason for him not to be abandoned was created, it was even more appreciated by him.