“It was so pitiful to see her looking at Odokan.”

Even though she thought she had prepared enough. Sir Hucksley’s appearance was an unexpected variable.

But.

Despite the loud voices of the young ladies, Esella, with determination at the corners of her lips, said slowly.

“…That’s right. My father loves me very much.”

It was a leisurely affirmation. Esella, who did not lose her laughter even in mockery, gazed at the table when the lively voices subsided. Only when Esella looked at the princess did she speak.

“Surprisingly, as you all grant my wishes, I, too, find it awkward at times. Now I’m curious.”

The princess’s stem was torn. Esella, who was smiling lightly, spoke.

“…Indeed, how far can you grant my wishes?”

The gaze of Madelaine Viscountess, looking at me with a raised corner of her mouth, was just like Olivia, that wretch, when she took over my mining rights.

“Lady, you have arrived.”

The office of the Madelaine Duke within the palace.

Upon Sir Hucksley’s words, the duke hurriedly rose from his seat and went out to the reception room outside the office.

Esella, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, was sitting on the reception room sofa. Seeing the duke, Esella stood up.

While her hair and eye color followed the Madelaine bloodline, Esella closely resembled hazel.

With a lump in his throat, the duke coughed, smiling brightly. Esella’s complexion seemed dark.

“You’re late. I deliberately sent Sir Hucksley to get you out quickly. Is there anything wrong?”
I heard the news that Esella entered the princess’s palace in the middle of the day. At that news, the Duke’s heart sank suddenly.

Since the last visit to the princess’s palace, she had been refraining from eating and drinking for a few days. He wanted to quickly send Sir Hucksley to bring her back, but Sir Hucksley, who went to the princess’s palace, returned alone.

“Yes. The conversation hasn’t concluded yet.”

It was the same as the answer received from Sir Hucksley.

What had happened would be revealed gradually through conversation. Until now, he couldn’t summon her to the palace to keep an eye on the empress and the princess.

“This is my office for the first time. Let’s have a cup of tea first.”

Sir Hucksley understood immediately and went outside. However, Esella didn’t sit down but avoided eye contact.

“…No. I came only because you summoned me briefly.”

For some reason, the cold voice made the Duke’s heart chill. Esella, who used to brightly call me “Father!” without fail, now didn’t even look at me.

“If anything happened recently, Esella, tell your father anything without hesitation.”

At the worried voice, Esella unknowingly raised her head. Her face, genuinely filled with concern, was that of the father I knew.

Father.

The father who cherished and loved me more than anyone else.

“Esella, our princess. The world becomes brighter when you smile. Hazel, too…”

The lullaby I heard in my childhood was still vivid. Every time I casually mentioned Mother’s name, there was also the sadness on Father’s face when he looked down.

So I tried hard not to meet his gaze. I wanted to ask for reasons whenever I saw Father.

Even now, if there were no eyes of the palace, I would have just returned home. Esella tightly bit her lips.

“By any chance, did this father do anything to upset you, Esella? We were planning to prepare for the debutante together.”

However, the moment Esella heard those affectionate voices, she couldn’t bear it.

“Father…”

“Alright, Esella.”

Father smiled brightly. Looking at that face, Esella couldn’t swallow the words that had risen to her tongue.

“Why did you…?”

“What do you mean?”

Father genuinely seemed not to know. So Esella clenched her fists. The high-heeled shoes, which I hadn’t worn for a long time, hurt my feet, but now I couldn’t even feel the pain.

Was it really nothing to Father? When reality came uncomfortably close to what I didn’t want to know, Esella murmured.

Words I couldn’t say even to my oldest brother, Conrad, who treated me the most comfortably. At the same time, words I tried hard not to say to the father I love.

“Why, did you…”

A momentary freezing chill filled the reception room. Father’s face froze coldly.

Only then did Esella realize one unchanging fact.

The moment when Father, who always loved me, got angry. It was always when I mentioned my sister.
Esella let out a bitter laugh. Father’s expression darkened again.

Once again, the place where Father directed his anger was my sister.