“Are these people?”

Ariante pulled out two small frames from the box. Inside the frames, connected to fold or unfold, were portraits of a man and a woman looking at each other.

Unlike Cedrois, the man had black hair and a bold gaze, while the woman, resembling Ariante herself, had blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Yeah, these two are your birth parents. This man is Verbo… my brother. And this one…”

“My mother? Liria…”

Cedrois nodded slowly. Ariante stared intently at the unfamiliar faces in the frames. Despite looking at them repeatedly, no memories about them came to mind.

Ariante always thought that when she saw her mother’s portrait, she would recognize her at a glance, even if the face was unfamiliar. But in reality, it wasn’t the case. While the woman named Liria shared many similarities with Ariante, her face did not evoke any strong emotions. Instead, at that moment, Ariante wanted to see Mayana more than anyone else.

What would Mayana say if Ariante showed her these frames?

‘These are my parents, Mayana.’

If she said that, what would Mayana do? Would she hug her?

“All these things belong to you, Ariante.”

Ariante folded the frames slightly, put them back into the box, and looked at Cedrois.

“Can I have these?”

“Of course. But let Father keep them for a while. Is that okay with you?”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ariante nodded.

“It’s okay. I can ask Father to show them to me when I want to see them again.”

Lost in thought, Ariante had a mature expression that didn’t match her seven-year-old appearance. Cedrois, exhaling a small sigh imperceptible to the child’s eyes, closed the lid of the box. Then he leaned a little closer to Ariante.

“Now, Ariante. From now on, there’s something Father wants to ask and tell you. Will you listen?”

Ariante nodded her head again. Cedrois’s eyes glinted strangely, and Ariante worried if her father was about to cry, but he didn’t shed tears.

“As you now know, you… yes, you are born to Verbo and Liria. My brother and his wife. But Ariante, can you promise something? Will you promise to keep calling me Father from now on?”

Ariante looked at Cedrois with slightly parted lips. However, it wasn’t because she didn’t understand what he said.

Ariante said, “I can promise. There’s only one person I can call Father.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”
Saying so, Ariante extended her small pinkie. It was a gesture of making a promise.

Instead of placing his finger there, Cedrois pulled the child into his arms. It was like cradling a small bird in the thick branches of a large tree. Ariante, facing Cedrois, embraced him. Though not shedding tears, Ariante was a clever child, sensitive enough to perceive that her father was crying.

“I don’t hate Father. I’ll cancel what I asked about why you lied.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s okay if you hate me, and it’s okay if you call me a liar.”

Cedrois spoke slowly, in a languid voice. He embraced his young daughter a bit tighter. Ariante, comforting Cedrois’ back with her small hand, patted him gently.

“But, Ariante, even if you hate Father, don’t say you’ll leave. Just imagining that you won’t be my daughter anymore is unbearably sad.”

To the point of feeling like his whole body would break apart. While swallowing his last words, Cedrois gave an affectionate kiss to his daughter’s forehead.

Ariante said, “No, Father. I’m Lady Faltermis. I’m Father’s daughter. I’m not going anywhere. Don’t be sad.”

Ariante whispered as if comforting. Strangely, Cedrois found solace in Ariante’s composed attitude.

However, when they returned to the bedroom, Ariante couldn’t hold back the tears she had suppressed, and she cried for a long time while holding Mayana.

“I said I was Father’s daughter. That’s what I said! Mayana, Vaintina said the same. But it wasn’t true.”

“Lady, I…”

“Father, sniff, I told Father that I’m Father’s daughter. I said it… But still, what if there’s a real daughter later? What if Father’s real daughter is somewhere else?”

Mayana embraced Ariante with a pitying expression.

“Lady, it’s not like that. Nothing like that will happen.”

“How do you know? Nobody knows!”

Ariante cried loudly, argued, and later pleaded. If Mayana hadn’t known that it was all a show, she might have found it difficult to endure. The child’s determination was relentless. She cried out for trust, begged for something unshakable, something that wouldn’t falter.

When Ariante fell asleep exhausted, it was close to midnight. Mayana wiped the tear-stained cheeks of the child and sighed deeply several times.

However, when Ariante woke up in the morning, after venting her frustration until she was exhausted, she looked cheerful and had a hearty appetite. As soon as the lesson with Ash ended, she ran to the garden, holding Swan’s hand, as if flying.

Ibi, who had been nodding her head by the window, took a sip of tea.

“Children usually feel better after sleeping and waking up.”