“No! It’s Nia’s fault… It’s all because of the scoldings from Mom…”

The child’s words meant that there was a separate person she disliked.

At that, a playful smile lingered on Humbert’s lips.

It was evident why the gentle child was so angry that day.

A 5-year-old’s possessiveness toward her mother was beyond imagination.

“Hahaha! If that’s the case, don’t worry. Lucy will probably worry about you instead. Just by eating well and staying healthy for you, she will be happy. Should I show you the evidence?”

“…Evidence?”

The second event specially prepared by Grandpa for his listless granddaughter. In fact, this was the reason he had prepared so much food.
“Lucia told me about a special remedy to use if you’re not feeling well. Now, come in.”

As Humbert gestured toward the butler, the child waiting outside entered.

A beautiful child with crimson red hair.

“Mia, my sister!!!”

It was Mia, who liked her so much that she would run to her even after a month.

A diligent and rare intelligent child.

She was the image that came to the minds of the servants of the Hwangbi Residence when they thought of Mia.

However, the only unfortunate thing was that Mia had never taken a vacation.

That’s why she was allowed a sudden vacation like this.

Mia was quietly pleased to have such a valuable vacation that matched Nia’s.

Certainly, Lucia would allow Mia to stay in the quarters, but Mia was a child who found it very difficult to depend on anyone.

After having a splendid dinner and gathering around the warm fireplace, the two looked at each other’s faces.

Although Nia tried not to show it to her sister whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, she seemed somehow lacking in energy.

And her sister, who would not be unaware of her younger sister’s feelings.

Mia looked into the fireplace, where sparks twinkled like stars, and said slowly.

“Who would have thought we’d end up like this?”

“…Hm?”

“When we were spending winter in that chilly room. When our hands and feet froze so much that we thought we might not wake up tomorrow, like the sparrow that got away from the flock but died the next morning.”

“…Hm… I remember. That’s when you asked me…”

Recalling the sad memory of that time, Nia’s golden eyes welled up.

Seeing the teary-eyed child, Mia playfully laughed and lightly tapped her forehead.

“Ouch…!”

“Don’t cry. So, what should we do now? Back then, it felt like just yesterday, and now we have Mom and Grandpa. So, what should we do?”

In response to Mia’s action of putting her finger to her mouth, the child smiled widely, revealing all her small teeth.

“Yeah, you did well. You should smile like that. If you cry, Mom will be sad.”

“…! Mom will be sad? How? Nia, you should smile today. Smile a lot, and your friends too.”

“So, what I mean is, just cry until today… Huh? What are you talking about? Even your friends are crying?”

Mia burst into laughter at the child’s serious words.

“Haha, you cried at kindergarten because you missed Mom? Even though you’re such a proud aristocrat, kids are still kids, huh.”

Even with Mia’s laughter, Nia, who had a serious face, took out a thick piece of paper from her yellow bag.

“Look, Mia drew it. It’s Mom’s. And Nia has to apologize.”

“Oh, really? It’s Lucia’s? You drew it well.”

With black crayons scattered around, the drawing depicted Lucia holding a pitch-black wand, smiling brightly.

Anyone could tell it was a picture of Lucia, and when Mia praised her, the child shyly revealed her front teeth.

“But is this all?”

“Hm?”
“Shouldn’t you write down what’s in your heart rather than drawing a picture? Your mom might not know, right?”

“……!!”

Swallowing the words, Mia thought, ‘You’re too clueless.’

In response to Mia’s words, the child seemed to think for a moment, then rushed to a small desk that had been prepared and began writing a letter expressing her feelings behind the drawing.

Arkis Ducal Castle, temporary residence of the embassy.

Prince Irene, lying on the bed any which way, was quietly watching Lucia struggling to put on earrings in front of the mirror.

“I want to go too.”

“It’s not allowed. If you go, you’ll attract attention.”

“I want to. I want to! I’m tired of working with these immature swindlers!! What’s the point of the Empire taking over when they’re just eating into their own property? It’s enough to receive offerings until we die.”

Lucia, who had tied her hair up with a small hat for the first time in a while, rejected Irene’s childish grumbling and finally attached the earrings to her ears after a long time.

The reason she covered her hair color and adorned herself like any other wealthy wife was to gather information, as she heard from the former butler, to directly intervene in the Geraachi Orphanage.

It was a pretense of adopting, but it was a plan to gather information.

However, the once grumbling Irene began to pretend to cry with his face covered, in a bid to draw attention.

He was truly immature whenever you saw him.