While Aline was chattering for a while—the pine cone story had now changed to a pumpkin story after several skips—Eustar and Laila held each other’s hands tightly, trying not to burst into laughter.

Anyway, they did their best not to interrupt the flow until Aline finished telling the story to her younger siblings.

“…So the bad wolf fell into the lake with a splash.”

It was a great adventure where a plump, well-ripened pumpkin rolled through the forest, saw a squirrel frightened by the bad wolf… and rolled with all its might to defeat the wolf.

After finishing the story, Aline sighed, “Whew,” chewed her small lips, and then turned to look at Eustar.

“Do frogs live in lakes?”

“Huh? Yeah… that’s right.”

Eustar suddenly had an ominous feeling. No, rather than ominous… it was more like the sinking feeling when realizing he had completely forgotten something important.

And it was soon revealed by Aline.

“Father promised to show me frogs last time.”

Aline wriggled her tiny fingers and pursed her lips into a pout.

The way she pursed her lips when sulking was exactly like Laila’s, and Eustar once again made a silent flail—something he did whenever Aline was unbearably cute—before his eyes met Laila’s.

‘Did you forget about the promise?’

Her round eyes seemed to be saying that. Eustar cleared his throat and hugged Aline.

“That’s right, Father promised.”

“It’s okay if you forgot. Father is busy.”

Eustar made an ‘oops’ expression and kicked his left foot with his right. To Laila, it seemed like a strange gesture, but…

“No, I’m not busy today. That’s why Mother came to see us, and I was listening to Aline telling stories to her siblings. Hmm? Let’s go outside with Father. There’s a small lake in the castle’s backyard, right? We’ll find frogs there.”

Aline didn’t answer, but her chubby cheeks turned slightly pink, indicating she was pleased. While they were at it, Laila decided to join the walk, so they slowly walked along a shaded, cool path to the lake in the backyard.

Eustar walked one step ahead carrying Aline, while Laila, unable to walk quickly due to her pregnant belly, walked a bit behind with the support of her maids.

Behind them, servants carrying parasols, folding chairs, and tables followed swiftly and silently.

“Frogs are cute.”

Aline chattered in Eustar’s arms. The child gently fiddled with the chain on Eustar’s monocle with her tiny fingers, then gave a very shy smile for a moment.

“Why does our princess find frogs cute? Other children run away saying they’re gross.”

“They’re not gross. But I can’t kiss a frog. If you kiss a frog, it turns into a prince, right? But frogs might be cuter than princes. Right, Father?”

It was a difficult question, but Eustar easily overcame the challenge with experience gained over the past few years.

“Of course, our princess is so smart. Frogs might be cuter indeed.”

Aline seemed satisfied with Eustar’s answer. In the past, he would have had to add, “Not all frogs turn into princes when kissed,” and endure Aline’s endless barrage of questions, but…

Eustar had grown a step. As a guardian of a curious toddler.

“But, Father.”

“Hmm?”

“What do frogs eat?”

Eustar’s already slow pace slowed even further. What do frogs eat…

“…Grass. They eat grass.”

“Don’t they eat meat?”

Of course they do. Eustar thought. He regretted not being able to explain in detail to his daughter, who believed that ants carry cicadas to bury them…

‘And it won’t end there.’

Eustar thought.

‘If I say they eat insects, it’ll lead to questions from “Is insect meat what frogs eat?” to “Then why can’t people eat insects?”… She might even want to try it. That’s not okay.’

While Eustar was pondering how to change the subject, Aline’s story had already jumped elsewhere.

“You know, Father. Frogs might need restaurants too. With small chairs and tables and napkins and such.”

“Shall we have someone make those?”

Aline nodded. Eustar made a mental note to start looking for a skilled craftsman for delicate work starting today.

By then, they had reached the lake. While the servants quickly set up chairs, tables, and parasols, a maid approached Eustar and Aline. She was trying to put a hat on Aline.

“No.”

Aline turned her head abruptly. As the maid didn’t know what to do, Eustar held out his hand with a look that said it was okay. He meant for her to give him the hat.

The maid, forgetting it was impolite, watched them anxiously. Eustar was watching Aline, who kept leaning towards the lake, when he suddenly put the hat on her from below and hugged her.

“I don’t like the hat!”

Aline said. But Eustar quickly tied the lace ribbon under her chin while saying,

“Aline, you almost fell from Father’s arms just now. If you didn’t have the hat, I might not have been able to catch you.”

“That’s a lie. Father is strong.”

“But the hat helped me hold you more safely, didn’t it? Let’s thank the hat and wear it just for today.”

Aline fiddled with the hat on her head with a puzzled expression. Aline, who particularly disliked anything that made her head feel stuffy, hated wearing fur hats even in winter, often causing anxiety for the maids who cared for the princess.

“…Hat, thank you. I’ll wear you today.”

At that moment, Eustar, who had turned his head to one side and covered his mouth, said,

“Thank you, Princess Aline! It’s an honor!”

Aline looked at the hat and Eustar alternately with round eyes, then tilted her head.

“Why is Father answering?”

“…Father received a request from the hat. The hat doesn’t have a mouth, you know.”

“How did you hear the hat’s request?”

“Ah, Aline. Look, there’s a frog over there. Can you see it?”

“Where? Where is it?”

Eustar put Aline down from his arms and held her hand tightly.

The maid who had been watching this scene up close was dying of laughter. Meanwhile, Laila, who was sitting within sight and hearing distance, though a bit far, narrowed her eyes with an incredulous expression.

“Those two get along strangely well.”

“Well, they are father and daughter,” Mel, who had followed them, suddenly replied. Laila pretended to be startled, then blinked her eyes with the same expression as Aline.

“I gave birth to Aline. But Aline and I don’t get along that well.”

“It’s because Your Majesty and the princess look so much alike.”

“Aline looks like me?”

“Not just look alike. I’ve never seen Your Majesty’s childhood, but when I look at Princess Aline, I think, ‘This must be how she was.'”

My childhood, Laila thought. She rather had vague memories of her own childhood.

But it was surprising that someone else could imagine Laila’s childhood by looking at another ‘person’ she had given birth to, not Laila herself.

“You have a vivid imagination, Mel.”

“I’m probably not the only one, Your Majesty. Perhaps His Majesty thinks so too.”

“Well, Eustar often says that Aline is the spitting image of me. I thought he was talking about appearance.”

“You do look alike, but she resembles you in many other ways.”

I thought she took after Eustar more, Laila thought. The occasional thoughtful expression and the way she sometimes made her laugh with quirky stories.

The father and daughter crouching by the lake looked identical even from behind. Laila’s lips drew a fragile line in a smile.

Like someone unaware that water was rising to wet their feet, she was naturally giving in to the satisfaction that was silently surging.

Unaware that Laila was watching them from behind, Eustar and Aline were searching intently for frogs that might be somewhere along the lakeshore.

Aline was staring fixedly at one spot in the water with an unbelievable concentration for a child.

In contrast, Eustar, who knew how to use a slightly more cunning method, was gently lifting leaves of plants or dangling moss with a twig, looking for places where frogs might be hiding during the day.

Sure enough, there was one. He quickly cupped his hand into the water, so fast the frog wouldn’t have known what happened.

“Aline, come here and look.”

Aline, who had been staring intently at the motionless water surface, came trotting over.

When Eustar gently opened his clenched hand, the smooth back of a frog could be seen between his fingers. Its face, if the frog could speak, looked as if it would say, “This is ridiculous. What kind of rudeness is this?”

“It’s a baby tree frog.”

Aline, who was peering at it excitedly, tried to give the frog a blade of grass she had been holding. The moment Eustar slightly opened his hand, the frog, seizing the opportunity, jumped and fled into the grass. When a ‘plop’ sound was heard near the water, Aline dropped the grass blade in her hand and said,

“It must have been a frog that wasn’t hungry.”

“I guess so. Are you not upset that the frog ran away?”

Aline’s gaze turned to Eustar.

“Father promised to show me, and you kept your promise. So I’m not disappointed.”

Then, without giving Eustar time to be moved, Aline immediately said this,

“Father, I’ve seen a toad before. Toads have poison.”