That was probably not because it was innate, but because she learned it by watching how her father treated me.

Delphine muttered with a moved expression, seeing the little child being considerate of me.

“Is Ari worried about mommy? When did our baby grow up so much……”

The child who was born premature, who was so small and fragile, had somehow grown this much.

“I’m not a baby anymore!”

Delphine smiled affectionately, seeing Arwen shouting firmly.

It had already been three months since they came to this island of Linosa.

Three years ago, at the trial regarding the Holy War, Ioan was eventually acquitted.

It was a conclusion reached after a long meeting that combined Delphine’s tearful appeal and each person’s political purposes.

Of course, they couldn’t leave the Holy Kingdom right away even after that.

Because attached to that generous measure of sparing the life of Ioan, who was a demon contractor, was the condition that he hand over the demonic knowledge he possessed to the Holy Court.

Because of that, it was only three months ago that they settled on this island of Linosa with Arwen.

Ioan and she were revived with each other’s soul fragments. Because of that, their remaining lifespan was limited.

The emperor couldn’t bear to refuse her request to spend the time, however long it may be, cozily together as the three of them with their daughter.

Perhaps that was why.

Each day spent on this peaceful and warm island felt only precious and poignant.

“Mommy! Shall we swim? Do you want to see Ari swim?”

The child clung to Delphine’s arm, acting spoiled since morning.

At that moment, someone who opened the door and entered the cottage lifted Arwen up.

It was her husband, Ioan, who had the same dirty blonde hair as their daughter.

He scolded his daughter with a somewhat strict voice, contrary to his gentle gaze.

“Arwen. I told you to be careful of mommy’s left arm.”

There was one fact that even Delphine hadn’t expected, which was that Ioan was unexpectedly a soft dad.

Ioan could never be resolute or cold to his daughter.

The only moment he became strict with his lovely daughter was when Arwen made things even a little difficult for Delphine.

“Mommy said her arm hurts, didn’t she?”

“Ung…… Ari just wanted to go swimming with mommy……”

The child pouted her small lips, gauging her father’s reaction.

Delphine quickly stopped Ioan, saying it was alright, and smiled awkwardly.

As an aftereffect of using magic beyond her limit, she had gained a slight paralysis in her left arm where she had engraved the magic circle.

Because of that, the grip strength of her left hand was weaker than even their three-year-old daughter’s.

On the other hand, even though he had also gone through a matter of life and death, Ioan was perfectly fine except for a large scar remaining on his abdomen.

Even though he was stabbed in the internal organs with a dagger coated with deadly poison……

Delphine scanned her husband’s robust physique with fresh eyes.

‘Come to think of it, since a very young age at the Pembrook mansion, there was no one who could match him in strength and stamina……’

“Delphine?”

“Ah, I was just thinking about something else for a moment…… Where did you go?”

“To town.”

Ioan answered while lightly tapping the chubby cheek of Arwen, who had become crestfallen.

“I bought the fruits our princess likes.”

“Wow!”

Arwen smiled brightly as if she had never been gloomy, like a child.

“I also bought warm bread from the bakery you like, so hurry and get ready to come out.”

He whispered affectionately, kissing the cheek of Delphine who was still lying in bed.

Ah, there was one more thing Ari was born with.

It was that she didn’t sleep in.

In the end, Delphine gave up on her plan to sleep in and slowly got up.

After washing lightly and getting ready, there was a humble breakfast laid out on the wooden table covered with a white tablecloth.

Like a man who was good at everything he did with his body, Ioan also had a knack for cooking.

Since coming here, Ioan had been almost entirely in charge of child-rearing and housework on behalf of Delphine, whose left hand was inconvenient.

“Ari. Don’t just eat fruits, you need to eat ham too.”

He taught calmly while wiping the child’s messy mouth with his pinky finger.

Delphine narrowed her eyes, feeling a strange sense of freshness while watching that sight.

‘Who would have known Ioan would be such a perfect husband.’

From household chores to child-rearing, and sometimes his role as a gentle and passionate husband.

Except for the point that he was excessively soft on his daughter, he was really a perfect husband.

She had been worried that he, who showed no interest in humans other than herself, might also be cold to their daughter.

‘They were all meaningless worries.’

Ioan asked the child, who was eating fruits while mumbling, in a low voice.

“Ari. What color clothes do you want to wear today?”

“Hmm. Pink!”

Pryde smiled slightly at the child’s bold answer.

He loved having Arwen wear a pink dress and brown shoes the most.

She really resembled Delphine to a startling degree.

Except for her hair color and a slightly obsessive tendency, she had almost no resemblance to him, but he liked that even more.

He also liked how Delphine made a relieved expression every time he showed a gentle side to the child.

Delphine would never know that his feelings toward the child were mixed with a bit of such impure intentions.

At that moment, Arwen, who had been chattering endlessly while eating fruits, suddenly shouted.

“Mommy! Why did we move here?”

“Well. Because mommy and daddy wanted to be with Ari more. And to swim.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

But the child didn’t seem convinced.

The child, who hesitated for a moment without eating the tropical fruits she liked so much, asked again.

“……It’s not because mommy can’t ‘recharge’ like the other aunties?”

At those words, a troubled look passed over Delphine’s face as she leisurely ate breakfast.

To be precise, it wasn’t that she couldn’t, but that she didn’t.

Recharging aurum consumed life force, and her lifespan was not much left.

But she couldn’t honestly explain all of this.

“No. Mommy really came to this island because I wanted to swim with Ari here.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Only after being reassured several times did Ari finally smile with relief.

It seemed she had been worried that mommy and daddy might have been scolded and kicked out by the emperor.

Delphine, who had been looking at such a child with affectionate eyes, erased her smile and earnestly entreated with a serious face.

“Arwen.”

Although she was only three years old, the child knew that when mommy called her Arwen instead of Ari, she had to listen.

She also knew that otherwise, she would be scolded by daddy.

“Yes, mommy.”

“But in return, you must never talk about such things to the villagers, okay?”

The child, who glanced at her father, couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked back.

“Why? Why can’t I tell them?”

“That’s……”

Delphine was a descendant of the saint.

On the continent, they were treated as children of god, living embodiments of mythology.

Moreover, she was also a revolutionary of the Holy War that shook the continent three years ago and the goddess of victory.

How surprised would the simple people of this rural village be if they found out that fact?

They didn’t want to bring such turmoil to this small and peaceful village.

Instead of Delphine, who was hesitating because she didn’t know how to explain all this, Ioan answered.

“Then, people will like mommy and come to see her a lot.”

“Then mommy will have less time to play with Ari.”

“No! I don’t want that!”

Ari, who loved mommy a bit excessively like her dad, shouted resolutely.

“Ari will never tell! In return, mommy plays only with Ari!”

Ioan’s words weren’t entirely wrong, but what should she say about this……

Ioan, who slightly bowed his head toward Delphine who was smiling awkwardly, whispered lowly in her ear.

“And there will be a lack of time to play with daddy too.”

Then, he kissed her neck, hidden from Arwen.

Delphine was startled and pushed him away, whispering in a very small voice so the child couldn’t hear.

“You too.”

“Me what?”

“I said to change your name. What if someone recognizes you?”

After the fall of the Astrax Empire, there were gradually more people from the empire on the continent.

Among them, there might be someone who remembered Viscount Ioan Pryde.

However, no matter how much Delphine persuaded him, it was no use.

“I have no intention of discarding the name you gave me.”

Ioan stubbornly refused to change his name.

“You’re the one who said it would suit well with the surname Pryde.”

“I was only ten years old then…… Really.”

Delphine, who was dumbfounded, burst into laughter upon seeing his playful face.

As always, the argument ended here.

A very short marital fight that ended when one person laughed.

Perhaps it was because of that sun of the tropics. It had the power to melt cold reason.

‘Well, it’ll be fine.’

Delphine just thought so with an optimistic attitude.