“Rodaria! I’m going out for a bit!”

“Where are you going?”

“To Daddy!”

After class, I went straight to the office with the photo frame I received from Kasana.

I ran into Cade, who was just coming out of there. Durias was also next to him.

Why are you two together?

It felt a little awkward because I only saw him with Baon all the time.

The two of them walked in one direction as if they had business to attend to, but they found me and stopped.

“Daddy!”

“It’s Miss Irene.”

Durias pretended to know and spoke to me.

“You don’t have a tail today.”

“……Hmph.”

“It seems that you are still angry with me. But what brings you to the office today?”

“You don’t need to know!”

Durias grinned as I turned my head around. I forgot, but I was offended again when he brought up the tail story once more. 

However, thanks to the rumors, things have worked out well, so should I stop getting angry at this point?

I relaxed my expression and turned my head to Cade.

“Daddy.”

“Yes. What brings you here?” 

“Well.”

Instead of answering, I pulled out the photo frame that I had hidden behind my back. Cade’s eyebrows raised slightly as he indifferently looked at the frame.

“It’s a frame.”

“I collected all the stickers today and Kasa gave me this as a present.”

“Right.”

“I also want to take a photo.”

Now that I said everything, would he notice that I was talking about family photos?

However, Cade shattered my expectations as if my efforts missed by a long shot.

“Photos? If that’s the case, I think that Rosaria is already doing it for you.”

“Th-That’s a picture of only me. I don’t want to take one alone.”

I want to get together and take a family photo!

As I held the frame tightly and sighed as if I was frustrated, Durias smoothed his chin. 

“I think she’d like to take a photo to frame.” (Durias)

“That’s right.” (Irene)

“Then, isn’t it okay to just put one in?” (Cade)

I think he will not notice it for the rest of my life unless I talk directly. I took a deep breath and shouted.

“I want a family photo!” 

The hallway was quiet.

The two of them didn’t say anything for a while as if they didn’t expect that those words would come out of my mouth.

Cade looked at the photo frame I was holding and slowly opened his mouth.

“……Family photo?”

“Yes.”

“I see. I haven’t taken a family picture yet.”

He muttered in a tone of utter amazement that he had only now realized that fact. I thought it was possible, so I coldly replied affirming it one more time.

“That’s right. Can’t we take one right now? I really want one.”

“It’s good timing. Even if we don’t take one right now, your grandparents are coming over.”

……What? Who is coming now? Did you say, grandparents?

I was stiff. It wasn’t a really surprising fact, but it was still shocking. It was because it was very unfamiliar to me that Cade was someone’s son.

Cade’s parents would not be weak, and unless something special happened, they would have been living somewhere.

“When the two come, you can get together and take a picture. Has Miss Irene ever seen the two?” (Duria)

“…I’ve never seen them.”

“I see.”

“Wh-when is Grandma and Grandpa coming?”

Why did he keep such important facts to himself? I also need to prepare my heart.

“They said they’d stop by soon.” 

As I gripped the frame with tension, Cade chuckled.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes. Do Grandma and Grandpa know about me?”

“I sent word about you this time, so they know.”

Did you say this time? So, you’re saying they weren’t aware of my existence before.

I made a face ready to cry. I was even more nervous. I was also worried about how the two of them would accept me.

What kind of people are Cade’s parents? Since they were the family’s former Head and Hostess, they must have tremendous strength.

“You still have unnecessary worries. It’s not a very good habit.”

As soon as he knew I was worried, Cade flicked my forehead.

Then Durias opened his mouth.

“If you want to talk a little more with the Miss, should I go ahead?”

“No. You don’t have to.”

Cade shook his head and said to me.

“I’ve got something to do, I’ll have to go.”

“Yes, I’ll go back now.”

The two seemed to have the same business. I said I was going to go, but I couldn’t easily move my feet.

Then Cade tilted his head. He seemed to be asking why I didn’t go my way.

“But where are you two going?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that I can’t tell you that, right, my lord?” (Durias)

“There’s nothing good about finding out already.” (Cade)

“Tsk.”

I pouted my lips. That being said, I’m even more curious. It didn’t seem like he was going to tell me even if I asked more.

“Then I’ll see you later, Miss.”

Durias said goodbye. I watched the two of them moving away. 

Why can’t you tell me where you’re going?

My feet, which were attached to the floor, moved on their own and started chasing the backs of the two.

Just once. Really, just this one time. 

I decided to sneak behind them.

I hid through the small gaps in the hallway so as not to be seen as much as possible. The two went down to the first floor and headed towards the dining room.

“Hmph. Are you two going to eat without me?”

“…Miss Irene. What are you doing here?”

“Uh?”

I squatted behind the flowerpot and lifted my head. A passer-by looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“It’s nothing. I was just playing, so I sat around here.”

“…Is that so? The floor is dirty, so you shouldn’t sit there for a long time.”

“Yes.”

“Then… have fun.”

The servant didn’t seem to understand why I was playing like this, but he reluctantly accepted and walked past.

“……Huh?”

And I missed them both.

 * * *

For now, I decided to take a look at the area where I missed the two.

“That’s strange. There’s nothing here but the dining room.” 

Passing through the entrance of the dining room, there was no place for the two to disappear because it was the end of the hallway. 

I mean, it’s really weird.

At first, I didn’t plan on following them this far.

I was planning to go back after seeing where the two of them were going, but now that this happened, I was determined to find where they went. 

“There’s no one here.”

The dining room, the first location of my search, was also empty.

Have they gone outside?

If that was the case, there was no reason to walk all the way here. They should have disappeared from here somewhere.

I left the restaurant and looked around carefully.

And suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.

That’s…….

– Aren’t you Miss Irene?

It reminded me of Durias, who came up from somewhere around here wearing his gloves and calling for me.

My head seemed to clear as soon as the situation came to mind. 

“It’s here.”

It was definitely here.

“Looking again, it’s very strange.”

There was a space in the opposite direction to the dining room, but a wall immediately blocked it.

So where was Durias coming from?

There was only one answer.

It was clear that there were stairs going down beyond this wall.

“How do I open it?”

Toc Toc.

I tapped the wall and touched it here and there. At that moment, the wall was pushed inside creating a space to go down.

“……Stairs?”

It was very dark inside without a single light.

I was startled and stepped back because I felt like I shouldn’t go in there.

Somehow I feel like I just found a dark part of the mansion.

Swallowing dry saliva, I hesitated, then took a step inside.

Gulp.

With only my head sticking out from the gap in the wall, I took the plunge and stepped on the stairs.

It was just one step inside, but it seemed that the air had already changed.

“I can’t see…….”

It was when I was slowly going down one step at a time, leaning against the wall in case I fell.

Someone quickly passed by me and blocked my front. I was so startled that I tightly closed my eyes before I could scream.

“The Miss is still too young to enter in here.”

“…Wh-who are you?”

“Sorry to startle you. This is Bassad.”

“Bassad?”

I opened my tightly closed eyes. The sight that had become accustomed to the darkness allowed me to see Bassad clearly.

He was completely blocking the way so that I couldn’t see behind him. 

“Go back, please.”

“…Why? Daddy says it’s okay to go anywhere in the mansion.”

“Not here.”

“This is our house. So I can go.”

“I’m sorry.”

Bassad was firm in his words. What the hell is behind you to make you this strict?