I can’t be sure exactly, but it was undoubtedly different from what Ariante expected or hoped for. The strength seemed to drain from the small fingers that were tightly holding on.

Cedric carefully pulled Ariante’s hand, and then he remembered what Maiana had said.

[When talking to the Lady, try to make eye contact as much as possible. The Duke is not known for being very talkative, so it’s good if you can convey things through your eyes, even if it’s not with words. The Duke harbors no hatred or dislike towards the Lady.]

Cedric’s body lowered slightly. Startled by the sudden movement, Ariante, without realizing it, tried to step back, but Cedric’s hand gently caught the child’s shoulder.

“Do you dislike calling me Father or Dad, Ariante?”

“No!”

Ariante quickly shook her head. However, when it came to actually calling him that, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Moreover…

“But, Father, before… the teachers said it’s proper to address you as Father. Head Maid Jocelyn said the same.”

“In the future, you don’t need to listen to whatever Jocelyn says, Ariante.”

Cedric looked at the surprised Ariante, who was so stunned that she couldn’t speak, then lowered his gaze a bit. He couldn’t explain everything to Ariante. No, but…

[From now on, focus on properly managing the household employees. Ariante’s education and affairs will be left to the maids on the east side, including Maiana.]

When he said that, Jocelyn trembled with a pale face, as if she had received an eviction notice from her own home. No, it probably felt similar to her.

Cedric drew a line not to get involved in anything related to Ariante in the future, effectively taking away some of Jocelyn’s authority.

If Jocelyn were to speak for herself, she would have been ready to obey any command Cedric gave her. But it wasn’t about losing her authority. The core issue was passing that authority to someone else.

[Duke, Maiana Dawson can never be a good example for the Lady or other employees. In case…] [Don’t make me say it twice. And don’t utter anything derogatory about Maiana in my presence. Never again. Understand?]

That statement was like a massive hammering shock to Jocelyn. She would have been less surprised if Cedric had truly smashed her head. He, embracing a mere servant, walking around like that!

Jocelyn was seized by a strong sense of unease. She was engulfed in thoughts of immediately getting rid of Maiana Dawson from this house before that sly wench caused even bigger trouble.

But how?
“Leave now. And as for my personal matters, Jemello will take care of them for a while, so you don’t need to worry.”

Jocelyn’s lips trembled at Lord Andamun’s command. She bowed, and then turned around as if to create a cold breeze. Cedric watched her retreating figure with cold eyes.

“Father.”

Startled by Ariante’s voice, Cedric, who was smiling again, turned to look at her. “Look at the child a bit more,” Maiana had said. Let go of the guilt. Don’t let your guilt hurt Ariante…

“Try saying Father, Ariante.”

Ariante’s face turned red. After blinking her blue eyes a few times, she finally looked directly at Cedric with averted eyes.

“Ah… Father.”

“Can’t you say Dad?”

Ariante shrugged her shoulders.

“I, I’m not a baby anymore.”

Cedric suddenly burst into laughter, seemingly delighted. He picked up the bewildered Ariante and strolled through the garden illuminated by the lamp lights.

“At seven, you’re not a baby. But even if you’re not a baby, it’s okay to call me Dad.”

“Oh, I like saying Father. Father.”

A relaxed smile appeared on Cedric’s lips. He patted Ariante’s back with his large hand.

“Then, do as you please.”

Ariante, with an excited expression, laughed heartily, embracing Cedric’s neck tightly and swaying her small feet in his arms.

While holding Ariante, Cedric walked through the garden, listening attentively to the continuous chatter of stories. If left alone, Ariante seemed like she could talk all night long!

The stories were mainly about what Maiana did and played, and sometimes whispered as if sharing secrets about the pranks she played on Bainti.

Listening to Ariante’s stories, Cedric naturally thought of Maiana’s face several times. A fiery woman with a lively personality. When she raised the corners of her eyes slightly, drawing a gentle curve when she smiled, Ariante was always in her gaze.

Ariante had never received such a gaze from anyone before. Not even Cedric himself had ever looked at Ariante that way…

“Ariante, do you like Maiana so much?”

Ariante tilted her head with an embarrassed expression. Then, suddenly, she pouted her lower lip as if the grass had withered.

“Actually, I wish Maiana wouldn’t go anywhere.”

Cedric raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean? Where is Maiana going?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected words, Cedric didn’t even realize how urgently his voice had come out. If Ariante were a little older, she might have noticed his momentarily anxious reaction. However, detecting such subtle changes at the age of seven was still quite young.