“Elder brother! Where are you going!”

Even as Ayla called out urgently, Jade did not return.

‘What kind of situation is this now.’

I calmed my startled heart.

‘It seems Jade was disappointed that Blanche didn’t want to call him dad. To storm out like that…’

“It looks like the Earl got angry because of Shu Shu…”

I gently stroked the sullen Blanche and asked.

“Blanche. Why don’t you want to call him dad? Didn’t you want to call him that?”

The first day we met Jade.

Even without being told, Blanche recognized at a glance that he was her father.

‘Surely calling him dad was one of the things she wanted to do with Jade, so why suddenly this?’

Was the misunderstanding that Jade disliked her still not fully resolved?

Or was it because Jade didn’t eat the cherry pie earlier?

‘If it’s really because of that, did she feel rejected when he refused what she offered him to eat?’

As various questions piled up, complicating my thoughts.

Blanche fidgeted with her hands and said.

“Shu Shu. Actually, saying I didn’t want to call him that was a lie. I’m too embarrassed to do it.”

“Embarrassed?”

“Yeah. I tried to call him dad, but when I see the Earl, it just won’t come out properly.”

“Then it’s not that something happened with the Earl, or that you dislike him?”

When I asked again, Blanche shook her head vigorously.

“Shu Shu, it’s not that I don’t call him that because I dislike the Earl! It’s really because I’m embarrassed.”

Ayla and I were both relieved at almost the same time by Blanche’s answer.

“I was really shocked thinking you didn’t want to call him that. Anyway, I spoke unnecessarily. I’m sorry, elder sister.”

“No, it’s okay. It was an issue we’d have to resolve someday anyway. You brought it up appropriately, Ayla.”

I smiled and praised Ayla, who was apologetic.

‘Too embarrassed to say it. Does Blanche still have an emotional distance from Jade?’

Ayla looked in the direction Jade had left.

“Elder sister. Did you know elder brother seemed to be secretly expecting it earlier?”

“…Jade did?”

“Yeah. He was tense thinking Blanche might call him dad. From what I saw, he wanted to hear it but got upset because he couldn’t.”

Ayla shrugged and pushed me.

“He probably went to the room that’s visible right when you go up to the second floor, so elder sister should go bring him back. I’ll stay with Blanche.”

“How do you know Jade is there?”

“Maybe it’s because we’re siblings? I often think similarly to elder brother. If it were me, I think I’d have gone to that room.”

Not understanding Ayla’s words, I left the dining room and went up to the second floor.

As I knocked on the door of the room immediately visible and entered, there was a dusty smell.

Jade was standing blankly in front of a large frame hanging on the wall.

‘He really was here.’

A wooden sword for children, a creaky old rocking horse, a small-sized bed.

The furniture scattered about was covered with white cloths.

‘It seems like a room that’s not being used now.’

On the wall hung a portrait of the previous Earl and Lady Rowe, young Jade, and baby Ayla.

‘This must be where Jade used when he was young.’

I carefully approached behind him.

“…When did you come, Larien?”

Jade turned around immediately and looked at me.

His red eyes were steeped in an abyss, dark and cloudy.

“I came looking for you. What if you just left like that?”

“…That’s.”

“Were you upset because Blanche said she didn’t want to call you dad?”

He tilted his head to the side and smirked.

“No.”

The quick denial was as good as an affirmation.

‘He’s denying it when it’s true.’

He was just not being honest. Was he embarrassed to say he was upset? In a way, it was similar to Blanche.

“It’s written all over your face. Why did you come here?”

This time Jade didn’t answer and shifted his gaze back to the portrait.

“This room just happened to be visible. I wanted to organize my thoughts alone. About why that child said such a thing.”

“There’s no need for that. Actually-”

I was about to tell him that Blanche had simply been too embarrassed.

“She might know that I have no affection and doesn’t want to call me that.”

Now.

I couldn’t quite understand what Jade was saying.

“No affection…? You don’t mean, for Blanche?”

Jade answered in a calm, composed voice.

“Yes. She might have sensed that emotion and is not accepting it.”

I was flustered and went forward to face him.

His eyes were still coldly sunken and dark.

‘This isn’t just talk, he’s serious.’

It was very shocking that he had no affection for Blanche.

Even when he thought she wasn’t his real daughter, Jade was affectionate towards Blanche.

Didn’t he give her a ride on the rocking horse at the Ice Festival, and stay with her all day in Lecah?

When Blanche was in a life-threatening crisis because she couldn’t spit out the jewel, he even tried to give his sapphire.

Without any hesitation, even knowing it would be dangerous if he gave it.

‘And yet he says he doesn’t love her?’

It didn’t match up with the behavior he had shown so far.

“That’s nonsense. Didn’t you want to make her your heir because you cherished and loved Blanche?”

He even proposed marriage to make Blanche his heir, yet he says he doesn’t love her.

It really doesn’t make sense.

“Jade, I understand you’re shocked, but there’s no need to force yourself to think that way and draw conclusions. Blanche-”

“I cherish and love her? Me?”

Jade lowered his gaze and pressed his forehead.

“To me, she’s just a child who resembles you.”

“You treated her well because she resembles me…?”

A child who resembles me.

Was it because that one phrase was no different from the word ‘substitute’ I had heard from Princess Cassandra?

The strength drained from my legs.

“Don’t grab me!”

I brushed away Jade’s hand as he tried to catch me as I was about to collapse, and roughly wiped away the tears that were welling up.

‘So it was true that he had no affection whatsoever for Blanche…’

Many emotions rushed in, making me choke up and feel dumbfounded.

“I told you. It’s because she resembles you. Why are you acting like this now all of a sudden? Didn’t you already know?”

At Jade’s words, memories of the Ice Festival flashed by.

‘Larien. She’s your daughter who resembles you. Looking at her makes me feel like I’ve gone back in time. To when I first saw you.’

That’s right. He had already said it.

That looking at her made him feel like he’d gone back in time because she resembled me.

Someone who makes him reminisce about fond memories, with no reason to feel affection or love.

This premise had been the foundation of all his actions towards Blanche until now.

‘Back then, I just thought he meant she resembled me a lot. I didn’t think about anything else.’

He really had been seeing Blanche as my substitute.

That fact made anger rise up to the top of my head, dominating my thoughts.

It bothered me more than when I heard it from Duke Belaste and Princess Cassandra.

Because it was Jade.

Because he was the father who should cherish and love Blanche more than anyone else.

Because Blanche was between us, I didn’t want to convey negative emotions towards Jade unnecessarily.

This is for next time. If I speak honestly now, we’ll fight.

I kept holding it in like that and it festered. Not knowing the pus was seeping out.

‘If Blanche didn’t resemble me, even if he knew she was his daughter, he probably wouldn’t have treated her like this.’

The dam of emotions I had been holding back burst all at once.

The incoming rush of water was so strong, even I couldn’t stop the whirlpool of emotions.

“Just because she resembles me… can’t you love her just as your child, as your own? Is that so difficult?”

Suddenly, heavy rain began to pour down.

It was like that day at the restaurant.

“I’ll try. It might be difficult right away.”

This too was just words to appease me in the end.

The ‘difficult right away’ that followed supported that.

‘I don’t understand what Jade is thinking.’

Right now, trying to have a conversation would only lead to hurtful words because emotions were running high.

‘It would be better to speak again after calming down a bit.’

I grabbed the doorknob intending to leave.

“Elder sister…”

Blanche blinking her eyes and Ayla fidgeting anxiously were standing in front.

“Ayla. Don’t tell me… you heard everything…?”

I was afraid Blanche might have heard Jade’s words about having no affection.

“M-Mommy, did you fight because of Shu Shu?”

At Blanche’s words, I raised my head to see her teary face.

“Blanche, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Crash-!

Lightning flashed with a thunderous boom.

Startled by the huge sound, Blanche stumbled backwards before running away.

“Blanche!”

Bang!

As I hurriedly chased after her to catch Blanche, thunder and lightning roared once again.

“Mommy-!”

“Blanche! It’s dangerous!”

Startled by the sound, Blanche missed her step on the stairs. Reflexively, I wrapped my arms around Blanche’s body.

Holding Blanche tightly, I tumbled down.

“Larien!”

“Elder sister!”

Jade and Ayla were running towards me, calling out.

I checked on Blanche, who was trembling in my arms.

“Blanche, you’re not hurt… anywhere, are you?”

There were no other visible injuries, but Blanche just opened and closed her mouth in shock.

‘Why is everything so dizzy?’

As my swaying vision turned to darkness, I lost consciousness.