My father, who didn’t understand my heart, stroked my hair and whispered.

“It won’t happen. Princess Anesa will occasionally visit the family, though.”

“Huh?”

“…They might talk about marriage proposals, but don’t believe it. It’ll be over soon, so don’t think of her as a stepmother. She’ll be a woman with no connection to us.”

This was my father’s way of educating me.

As an adult, sharing information with me.

Father didn’t disregard me just because I was a child.

He would always open up to me about information that I should know.

From the information passed on by father, I could understand one thing. Father had no intention of marrying Princess Anesa.

But that wasn’t such a big issue for me right now.

“Mm. But dad.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t give up your life because of me. I don’t mean you should get married… You’ve already given up a lot because of me.”

Even if not a stepmother, I wish dad would enjoy some hobbies and make friends.

As soon as I said that, father bit his lip tightly.

“My daughter is already saying such things… You’ve grown up.”

Father’s eyes seemed to redden.

This is bad. At this rate, our soft-hearted dad might burst into tears again…? It was at that moment I thought.

“It feels like just yesterday you couldn’t even speak, how did you grow up so fast.”

Father hugged me tightly without any gaps.

“Ugh, uuugh…!”

“You’re daddy’s only pride.”

I struggled hard as he hugged me so tightly I couldn’t even speak.

“Ca- can’t breathe-!”

But that was only for a moment. As father’s scratchy face kept rubbing against my cheek, I ended up giggling softly.

A few peaceful days passed.

Sien was still checking the resumes of magicians coming into the guild and went through several interviews. Perhaps due to the weakness of being a children’s guild, despite its fame, applications from high-level magicians weren’t coming in.

Nevertheless, reviewing resumes was fun.

Just as Sien was starting to enjoy the guild work.

The Imperial Palace officially requested a marriage proposal to Matthias Mirmode.

The proposed match was Princess Serina Anesa, called the Empire’s First Beauty, the daughter of the Empress.

And so… The union of the Imperial Palace and the Mirmode family became such a huge issue that it struck the entire empire.

However, the Mirmode family itself was calm.

When the Princess’s carriage arrived at the Mirmode mansion, the family members weren’t particularly surprised.

Even if the Imperial Palace and the Mirmode family were at odds, there was still some level of exchange. Moreover, as extraordinary things always happened in the Mirmode family, the exchange with the Imperial Palace didn’t feel that special.

Watching that atmosphere quietly, the Princess smiled a faint, inscrutable smile.

Today was her turn to meet with Duchess Lucella to negotiate about the marriage proposal.

And as she entered the Duchess’s mansion, the Princess noticed that this mansion operated quite peculiarly.

For example, the atmosphere among the maids was subtly bustling. As if there was a child in the mansion, that is. Moreover, they were chattering about Sien Mirmode, mentioning things like honey bread.

‘It’s said that Duchess Lucella has a slight interest in Sien Mirmode.’

Usually, stories about the Mirmode mansion aren’t heard much in public. It’s thoroughly controlled. However, with the establishment of Sien Mirmode’s guild, internal affairs of the Mirmode family have also spread as rumors.

It was content like the nominal mistress of the Mirmode family, Duchess Lucella, having a slight interest in Sien Mirmode.

‘Maybe the Duchess’s interest in the child might be true. Judging by the atmosphere…’

The Princess was astute. Of course, she had also investigated the Duchess Lucella’s temperament.

She entered the reception room prepared by Duchess Lucella with a faint smile on her lips.

It was time to start acting for her own goals.

“I greet you, Duchess.”

Though she’s said to be in seclusion now, it’s said her spirit was once like a tiger, and her presence was quite formidable. The Princess quietly lowered her head and then raised it again to look at her.

Then Duchess Lucella spoke softly.

“It’s been a while since we’ve met, Princess.”

“Yes, indeed.”

The Princess smiled so beautifully that dimples formed on her cheeks. Staring at that sight, the Duchess tilted her head slightly and said.

“I’ll be direct. You put in a marriage proposal.”

This is so Mirmode-like.

They weren’t very talented in the art of social conversation. That was true even for Duchess Lucella, who was said to have rolled quite a bit in social circles. It was natural, as people tended to lean towards them without them having to hone their conversational skills.

Hiding her twisted feelings, the Princess still spoke with a graceful face.

“To be direct as well, I want to have a good relationship. With the Mirmode family.”

As if gauging her opponent, the Duchess tightened her lips.

The Princess is not at an age where she doesn’t know what a ‘good relationship’ means. So she must have come here determined to definitely marry Matthias.

For a moment, Duchess Lucella’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you really intending to marry Matthias?”

“Yes.”

“Even though he has a child? You, a princess, don’t need to enter at a disadvantage.”

“Oh my.”

The Princess laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

It was still an angelic voice.

“I think I could raise that child well too, you know?”

For the current Matthias Mirmode, the Princess was the best option.

However, the Duchess was also suspicious of the Princess.

Serina Anesa, this beautiful woman, why did she choose Matthias among countless options?

Duchess Lucella continued calmly.

“Matthias is.”

“I’ve met him once. He may not be affectionate, but I don’t think he’d be a bad husband. I think he’d be a good person.”

Smiling faintly as she said this, Princess Anesa was indeed the image of a kind angel as mentioned in public.

But strangely, seeing that lovely appearance made her tongue bitter.

‘I can’t shake the feeling that there’s some kind of scheme.’

Moreover, there was something else worrying.

A stepmother doesn’t necessarily abuse. However, there are certainly people who differentiate between their own children and those who aren’t.

We don’t know yet what type the Princess in front of us is.

Can a Princess who has only grown up in the Imperial Palace be good to a little honey bread who grew up without a mother?

Others would surely say that Princess Anesa would be good to everyone.

However, Duchess Lucella was the type to test even a stone bridge before crossing.

Especially when it came to honey bread, she didn’t want to take even the slightest risk.

“Matthias Mirmode probably isn’t actively considering the marriage proposal.”

“Probably because of the child, right?”

Duchess Lucella didn’t bother to deny it.

The Princess, who had been staring at her, opened her mouth.

“In that sense… May I meet Sien?”

A lovely smile spread across her lips. However, the Duchess shook her head firmly.

“Honey… I mean, it would be proper to ask for Sien’s opinion on bringing in a new mother.”

Princess Anesa briefly bit her lip.

She thought that if she, who came from the Imperial Palace, said she ‘wanted to meet’, they would naturally let her.

However, the situation was flowing quite differently from her intentions.

‘If even that child’s opinion is included in Matthias’s marriage proposal, this might be a tougher opponent than I thought.’

It seemed that Sien Mirmode was wielding some influence in this household.

But it didn’t matter.

“Then please ask and let me know.”

She smiled as beautifully as her reputation suggested.

She could break it with her own hands anyway.

I was playing captain with Leonhart and Acid. But suddenly, the maid sisters started moving busily.

Apparently, the Princess had come to see me. So if I didn’t want to meet her, I needed to hide quickly.

But I intended to meet that Princess.

Princess Anesa, I was curious about her intentions.

“Hello, Sien Mirmode.”

Finally, the Princess gracefully entered the reception room.

I nodded my head slightly towards the Princess.

“I greet Your Highness the Princess.”

A smile spread across her lips as if painted.

The Princess chose to dismiss all the maids using her authority, leaving just the two of us alone.

I silently watched Princess Anesa’s actions. Neither stopping her nor particularly supporting her.

I was a bit curious about what this angel-like beautiful woman would do to me.

‘Is she a kind person as the public says? Or is she a bad person for the Mirmode family? Somehow, I feel it’s the latter.’

The Princess didn’t disappoint my expectations.

As soon as she realized we were alone, she took off her angel mask.

“You, I heard you used a recording magic tool when you bullied Gabrielle.”

‘I’ve never bullied Gabrielle.’

But it seemed she had already come after hearing everything as Melodia and Gabrielle’s friend. She smiled broadly as she pulled out a ‘recording nullification magic tool’ from her bosom.

“Now you won’t be able to pull any more tricks.”

“I don’t pull any tricks.”

I really wasn’t carrying anything like a ‘recording magic tool’.

As I shrugged my shoulders, she crossed her legs and looked at me arrogantly.

“I heard you’re a fake daughter.”

“No, I’m not. I’m my daddy’s daughter.”

She snorted and retorted sharply.

“There’s no way. I heard you’re a daughter from the slums.”

I didn’t expect this development.

I stared blankly at the Princess, at a loss for words.

I wasn’t a fake daughter, but really daddy’s daughter. But it seemed the other side believed I was a fake.

Moreover, she looked like she really disliked me.

People who have experienced being hated can at least sense whether the person in front of them likes or dislikes them.

And I could tell.

Serina Anesa, this person who came to become daddy’s wife, dislikes me.

“It’s quite reliable information. So, if I come into the Mirmode family…”

She grasped the teacup with her elegant fingertips.

“I think I’ll have to verify you first, Sien Mirmode. Whether you’re real or not.”

I faced the Princess’s transparent true intentions.

For me, it was rather a thankful thing.

Come to think of it, the Princess was close to a degraded version of Melodia. She couldn’t hide her true intentions from even her villainous opponent while pretending to be kind, perfectly and elegantly like Melodia.

Her mask of pretending to be kind shattered in front of me.

‘It’s funny that she doesn’t even wear a mask because I’m a child. She probably thought I’d bow my head right away if she intimidated me because I’m a child.’

But I wasn’t an ordinary ten-year-old kid.

If Princess Anesa throws off her mask, I just needed to counter it fairly.