Up until now, the child, who had been silently watching the stranger, murmured softly.

The doll Nia was holding was a mother rabbit and three baby rabbit dolls.

The child shyly showed the three baby rabbit dolls on her lap.

These small rabbit dolls, which Lucia had bought on her way home from work when the child had received a rabbit lesson at kindergarten, were dolls that the child liked so much that she wanted to take one each to kindergarten.

In response to the child’s timid pride, Irene laughed delightedly, even though anyone could see that it was ostentatious.

“Wow! They’re cute babies! What are their names?”

“…Uh. …Cesha, Boyle, Lily.”

“I see. They’re really cute. Did your mom buy them for you?”

“Y-yes…”
“Wow, Nia’s mom is the best! She even buys things like this!”

“Hehe.”

‘As expected, kids of the same age are all the same.’

Younger sister Sha, who attached names to numerous dolls without exception.

Nia felt awkward because she was a stranger, but she couldn’t resist talking about her mom’s story, and it was a success thanks to her older brother’s sense of having a younger sister.

Thus, a natural conversation continued with the shy child.

It was scratching the nerves of Lion, who was watching.

“Prince, please stop letting the kids play together.”

“Do you want to join? If you can, go ahead. Sir Bodyguard?”

Unable to cope with having a younger sister, Lion reluctantly turned his head and admitted defeat.

The triumphant Irene, who laughed more cheerfully than before, shook the raccoon doll in front of the rabbits held by Nia.

“Baby rabbits, there’s a really nice person as your dad. Let me introduce…”

“Daddy’s nose is pretty.”

Firmer than Cerberus guarding the gates of hell, the child.

The eyes of the child, who had been shy, were now freezing cold, like a tough army commander.

“Huh? There is a nice person. Here, here.”

“…”

When the puzzled Irene pointed to himself with a pretty smile as before, Nia, with a stern gaze, turned her head, and small wrinkles appeared under her tightly closed small mouth.

“Puff…”

Along with the sound of air escaping from Lion’s mouth as he watched, his shoulders trembled.

But soon, that laughter stopped.

‘…Ah, is this foolishness the same as what I did?’

As the frustration of the two men continued, General Nia finally got up and cleared his seat.

“Nia, let’s go out and play…!”

“Oh, where are you going? Nia?”

When the prince followed the child and called out, Nia became quite determined.

“Don’t follow me…!”

‘Golden-eyed Sharamdun all bow before the will of this Shanghae…!’

Is this something like xenophobia?

The child seemed to be troubled by the repeated actions of those who shared the same eye color as hers.

Looking at Nia’s puffed-up cheeks again, Lion, who burst into laughter once more, stopped the prince who was hastily preparing while holding out a coat to Nia.

“Please don’t follow the one escorted. Your Highness.”

“…”

Irene was outraged by Lion’s joke, but he had no choice but to endure it.

Ironically, the name of a shy 5-year-old child became an inviolable command even for the prince of the empire.

Leaving behind the abandoned prince, Lion quietly followed the children.

The temporary residence of the diplomatic mission seemed to be a significant place where important people stayed, as it was quite a large building, especially since the imperial prince was coming.

Traces of burnt areas were left here and there, just like the sad stories heard.

The children began to wander around, as if touring part of the spacious castle.

And watching the backs of such children, something came to Lion’s mind.

‘Mia must be from an orphanage.’

It seemed that an child associated with the incident, who worked in the palace thanks to Lucia’s recommendation and seemed to be close like Nia’s older sister, might be an orphan.

And her daughter, Nia.
Though I haven’t encountered them much, they seem noticeably awkward compared to kids of the same age. If they grew up seeing their mom, they should have some habits without being taught. However, the child, who seemed shy at first, doesn’t hesitate to grab food with hands or wait for someone to lift them onto a chair.

They didn’t seem like ordinary noble kids.

‘It’s as if they were in the same orphanage as that child…’

But soon, Lion shook his head.

‘No, that’s not possible. Those eyes… absolutely not.’

In his mind, on the night of the banquet, her face laughing with the child came to mind.

Precious, so precious—a gaze that showed no hesitation in giving up everything in the world for her daughter.

To doubt that.

‘I must be crazy.’

Lion sighed again, disappointed in himself, and watched as the children happily went towards the tower.

It seemed like the children wanted to see the scenery of the capital from above.

As he followed, he heard small exclamations from the children who had entered the top room first.

“Wow, what’s this? It’s pretty.”

“This is a mobile for babies. I’ve only seen it in the palace, but it’s here too. Why is it so pink?”