Moreover… it was the day that damned Delfia Mirmode had left to take care of her own territory.

Thinking of Delfia, Princess Anessa tilted her chin toward the attendant next to her, indicating to seize the opportunity as planned.

As planned, Viscount Yotter and the attendants who entered with Princess Anessa shouted sharply.

“Here, Matthias, the real daughter, is here!”

“Sienne Mirmode is not the real daughter!”

“Just look. Don’t they look alike? Moreover, we’ve completed the kinship test!”

Finally, the gathered people from various families began to murmur.

“What on earth is happening?”

And the attendants and maids from other families also expressed bewildered voices.

“…She does resemble her?”

“She’s really Her Highness the Princess. She wouldn’t lie about that.”

“What’s going on? So, is the one currently present, that Sienne girl, a fake daughter?”

As planned, rumors were spreading rapidly.

The princess smiled satisfactorily, and finally… toward the square, Matthias Mirmode appeared.

‘…He’s carrying a sword.’

For some reason, even though he carried a sword and emanated an aura, seeing the child who resembled him, Matthias also seemed to feel a strange emotion.

At the same time Matthias Mirmode appeared behind, Sienne Mirmode also emerged.

At that moment, Princess Anessa had a triumphant smile on her lips.

Everything was going according to her plan.

The news that Princess Anessa had arrived quickly spread through the maids. I decided to go meet Princess Anessa faster than anyone else.

The maid sisters
The princess Anessa, with a faint smile on her lips, nodded towards Count Yoter next to me. The expression of the priest who received Count Yoter’s gaze stiffened subtly.

Kneeling on one knee, the priest whispered cautiously, “I inform the heir of the Mirmode family. According to the examination results, the bloodline of the Mirmode family matches.”

“More precisely, it’s Lord Matthias’s child.”

The child approached the stern father hesitantly.

“Um, there. I wanted to see you, Father…”

I took a step toward my father.

Sensitive to gestures, my father looked in my direction. His gaze towards me was clearly warm, but the expression directed at them was cold.

I didn’t think my father would abandon me. But considering my father’s fragile emotions, if a real daughter arrived, he would naturally worry!

However, my father…

“You’re talking nonsense.”

After coldly whispering as if I were not his daughter, he turned his gaze away from the child.

Suddenly, with a frightened expression, the child hesitated a step on the ground.

“Oh, Father…!”

But my father didn’t even look at the child who claimed to be his real daughter. He spoke indifferently.

“Who is your father?”

“…Well, but. I said I’m your daughter [dash].”

“I have no memory of recognizing you as my daughter.”

“…What?”

The child, who entered holding the hand of the princess, looked bewildered. After coldly turning away from the child who looked exactly like him, my father embraced me tightly.

“Sian, our daughter, let’s go.”

Whispering, ‘No need to hear such dirty words,’ he said.

But I glanced at the child claiming to be my father’s daughter.

Certainly, it seemed necessary to confirm.

But my father…

…Even though a child claiming to be his daughter had come. Even if she looked exactly like him, even in eye color and hair color.

“Sian.”

Looking only at me, he said sternly.

“Don’t look. Dad will handle it.”

My father lifted me up and spoke to Princess Anessa.

“Anessa, is this what you wanted to say?”

Princess Anessa bit her lips. I cautiously opened my mouth towards my father.

“Dad…”

Unexpectedly, he abandoned the unexpectedly cold attitude and smiled at me.

“Sian, shall Dad make something delicious for you?”

In the warmth of the embrace, I felt a warm energy.

I lowered my gaze slightly. I saw the figure of the princess and the ‘real daughter.’

Whether my feelings were noticed or not, my father murmured quietly.

“Don’t believe strange things. Dad will…”

I didn’t believe it, but for some reason, it felt like a scolding was about to happen.

Just then, as if regaining consciousness, Princess Anessa shouted loudly.

“No, Your Highness. It’s not allowed. The elders of the Mirmode family have already said that Count Yoter will verify whether it’s a direct descendant or not through a specialized inspection kit.”

The princess took out the emblem of the elders.

The Elders Council currently supported Axel Mirmode, opposing our father. It was a force opposite to our father’s influence.

Somehow, she seemed so confident; it seemed that she had already finished dealing with the Elders Council.

Now that our father, who had just become a duke, could not reject both the aristocracy and the Elders Council alone.

Our father, who had become a duke due to his long-standing contribution near the demon realm, did not have a strong foundation to ignore both the council and the royal palace.
At that moment, my father’s arms, which held me tightly, trembled slightly.

The thought crossed my mind, wondering if my emotionally fragile father had been hurt, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Sian.”

“Yes?”

“…Do you want to go inside? Dad will resolve this as quickly as possible.”