After finishing his meal, Sedilroy sensed the hesitant presence of Ariante following behind him.

“Why, Ariante?”

At Sedilroy’s words, Ariante’s small shoulders shivered ever so slightly. Her tightly clenched hands trembled, and her cheeks flushed red.

“Um, Father, could we… go to my room together? I’d like to… spend time with you.”

“Is this about me?”

It was an unexpected request. Considering Ariante had rarely ever asked him for anything, it was a difficult request to decline.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

At Sedilroy’s response, Ariante’s face brightened like a sky after the rain.

He gently took the child’s small hand and began to walk slowly toward the east wing of the mansion. As the lamp’s light cast round shadows on the corridor, Ariante hopped onto the light shadows as if skipping. However, she only managed a few jumps before walking obediently, sensing Sedilroy’s mood.

Then, a faint trace of mischief rose in Sedilroy’s expression along with compassion. He suddenly lifted Ariante up, took a long stride, and stepped onto the light shadows before him.

Ariante looked at Sedilroy with wide eyes. Sedilroy grinned back at Ariante, then extended his legs again, moving swiftly to the next patch of light.

The corner of the child’s mouth quivered. It was clear she wanted to laugh but was holding it back. Sedilroy playfully swung Ariante’s small body and bounded to the door of her room.

“How was it? Am I good at it?”

“You’re great!”

Ariante scampered into the room after jumping out of his arms. Then she ran and whispered to Meiyana.

“Look, Meiyana. Just like you told me to do, Father really came!”

It was a whisper, but… Meiyana cast a meaningful glance at Sedilroy without Ariante noticing. The moment Sedilroy saw her smile, he realized that Meiyana had orchestrated all this.

Yet he didn’t mind. He thought that if it wasn’t for Meiyana’s hint to Ariante, he would have gone straight to his room right after dinner.

Meiyana cut in with a curt tone.

“So, Your Highness, have fun with the princess. But remember, you must go to bed by 10 o’clock, understood?”

At that, Ariante seized Meiyana’s hand with a flustered look.

“Where are you going? Don’t go! Play with us, Meiyana.”

Meiyana glanced momentarily at Sedilroy. Oddly enough, at that moment, the expressions of the two were strikingly similar.

Really high maintenance, Meiyana thought. An understandable demand from a young child like Ariante, but what about Sedilroy?

Meiyana shook Ariante’s hand softly to calm her down.

“You can play dice games or play with dolls even if I’m not there, you know.”

“No! I mean, something that three of us can play. Oh! I want to play house. Marshall taught me that. It can be fun with two, but it’s even more fun with three, right? Can’t we play house?”

“Play house? No, for that, you need something to…”

“I have it! My tea set! I’ll go get other stuff too!”

“No, wait. Princess!”

Although Meiyana tried to call out anxiously, Ariante ran straight to her playroom without looking back. Shortly after, the sound of her rummaging through items began to fill the room.

Meiyana, hands on her hips, frowned at Sedilroy.

“Your Highness, are you really going to go along with this?”

Sedilroy looked at her as if perplexed.

“What have I done now?”
After finishing his meal, Sedilroy sensed the timid presence of Ariante following behind him.

“Why, Ariante?”

At Sedilroy’s words, Ariante’s small shoulders trembled slightly. Her tightly clasped hands quivered, and her cheeks flushed.

“Um, Father, could you…could you please come to my room for a moment? I want to spend some time with you.”

“With me?”

It was an unexpected request. Considering that Ariante had rarely ever asked him for anything, it was a difficult request to decline.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Upon hearing Sedilroy’s response, Ariante’s expression brightened like a sky after the rain.

He carefully took the child’s small hand and walked slowly toward the eastern part of the mansion. As the lamp’s light cast round shadows on the corridor above, Ariante playfully hopped over them. However, after only a couple of jumps, she resumed walking quietly, taking cues from Sedilroy.

Then, a faint mischief rose in Sedilroy’s eyes, mixed with sympathy. He swiftly picked Ariante up and stretched his long legs to step on the light shadow ahead.

Ariante stared at Sedilroy with wide eyes. Sedilroy grinned back at her and took another step, moving to the next light shadow.

The corners of the child’s mouth quivered. She clearly wanted to laugh but was holding it in. Sedilroy slightly jostled Ariante’s small frame as he took leaps to arrive in front of her room.

“How’s that? Father’s pretty good, isn’t he?”

“You’re amazing!”

Ariante jumped down from his arms, flung open the door, and rushed inside. She then grabbed Meiyana and whispered,

“Meiyana, just like you told me, Father really came!”

Though it was a whisper, Meiyana cast a meaningful glance at Sedilroy. The moment Sedilroy saw her smile, he finally realized that she had been behind all this.