I sat in the greenhouse garden in a sad mood.

A delegation arrived from the East and after hearing the news, I was not at ease. To be exact, it felt very uncomfortable.

It was because I guessed that the reasons for the Loisar family to want me back would be far from good.

“Sigh.”

I was lying face down on the lawn and sighed loudly when I heard Cade’s voice.

“The ground will go out.”

“Daddy?”

Why is Cade here at this hour?

I thought he would be busy welcoming the delegation. 

When I jumped up in surprise, Cade sat down in a chair and motioned for me to come to him.

“What are you doing here all alone looking this pitifully?”

“Not pitifully.”

“Looks like that to me.”

“Because it’s not like that.”

“Let’s say so.”

If I say it’s not like that just agree to it! I’m not sad! It’s true that I was digging alone, but you don’t have to say that out loud.

I looked at Cade with a sullen face.

He blankly stared at me as to what was on his mind but said nothing. 

What’s going on?

A was a little worried so I relaxed my expression and walked towards him.

“Daddy, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“But why are you looking so dark?”

If you only looked at his face it appeared normal, but I could tell. Cade wasn’t the same as usual. I’ve been watching him for a long time, so I could be sure of this.

I sat next to him.

Come on, tell me. I’ll listen to everything. 

I straightened my posture and looked at Cade as if saying so, and he was dumbfounded.

“I don’t know who’s worried about who.” 

“I’ll listen to Daddy’s worries!”

“I thought you were the one who was sighing.”

“Oh.”

That’s right, it was. I hung my shoulders down again and Cade looked at me with a funny look on his face.

I thought about whether or not to say it several times before deciding to open my mouth.

“I can’t go outside so I’m stuffy.”

“Why don’t you go out?”

“Hate it. I don’t want to run into people.”

“It was because of the Loisar clan.”

“Yes.”

I kept thinking about what Kasana said about never being caught having two pheromones.  It would be a big deal if I bumped into them and got caught by mistake.

Because I can’t handle pheromones easily yet.

“You won’t see anyone in the future unless it’s today. Are you sure you’re not going to see them?” 

“I think I want to look for a little bit, but I’m not sure.”

I don’t know what kind of feeling this is. I want to see it, but I didn’t want to see it at the same. It felt strange. 

Cade shut his mouth at my complicated expression. He seemed to be contemplating what to say.

I think he’s really strange today.

I stared at Cade without avoiding his eyes and after looking at each other for a while, he opened his mouth.

“Irene.”

“Yes.”

“How would you feel if your birth mother were alive?”

“……Why are you asking me that?”

It was such an absurd question.

As if the mother who really gave birth to me is really alive.

Cade gently rubbed my forehead as I frowned at the question he was reluctant to ask until now. 

“I’m just asking, so feel free to tell me.”

Lies.

I noticed right away. He seemed to be different from usual and this must have been the reason. 

I pulled my head back and Cade’s hand, which was rubbing my forehead, stopped in the air.

“Daddy, why are you lying?”

“…….”

“She’s alive, right?”

Cade lowered his hand and calmly acknowledged it.

“Yes. She’s alive.”

“…So? Why are you telling me this?”

You can just skip it without telling me. Why do you bother telling me? What do you want to hear?

I clenched my fist under the table. My eyes grew hot and red with moisture. Biting my lips, I looked at him but Cade didn’t seem to waver at all.

“Because it’s something you need to know.”

“I’m not curious! I don’t need to know!”

“She asked to meet with you this morning.”

“So what did you say?”

Don’t tell me you allowed her to meet me. 

An uneasy heart sprouted as Cade still had an expression on his face I could not read.

“I won’t care what you choose, Irene.”

“…Why?”

“Because everyone decided to abide by your decision.”

I was at a loss for words.

What does that mean? Are you saying you won’t hold me if I say I want to go East?

I jumped up from my seat.

“Daddy doesn’t know my heart, you idiot!”

Tears welled up and dripped down like rain together with erupting emotions.

“Daddy doesn’t care whether I meet or not, or if I leave here or not!”

He was only thinking about me that much. 

I looked up at Cade with resentment and he had a confused look on his face as if he didn’t think I was going to cry.

He hastily approached to comfort me.

“Shh, stop crying.” 

“Uhhhhh….hic, hic, Daddy is an idiot, blockhead!”

“Yes. Yes.”

Cade, who leaned over and held me in his arms, patted my back again and again. Even though it was an awkward pat, I slowly calmed down. He kept repeating his apology to me.

“I’m sorry, Irene.”

“…Uhhh…”

“I was wrong.”

Cade’s apology eased my mind a little, and as I quietly hugged him back still whimpering, he carefully brushed my eyes.

“I shouldn’t have asked this, I made a mistake.” 

“Sniff…don’t say that again.”

“Okay. I didn’t expect you to be this anxious.”

Cade muttered as he patted me hard.

I leaned my cheek on his shoulder and sobbed. The sad feelings that still remain seemed to come up. As I squeezed my lips and hugged him still, Cade’s hand slowed down.

I held him tight by the shoulder and rubbed my eyes. His clothes were messed up, but Cade didn’t say much.

Hunff. Because this time you’re wrong I won’t apologize even if your clothes get messy.

“Daddy.”

“Yes.”

“…Do I have to meet that person?”

“No.”

“I heard that we’re meeting with the delegation in a little while.” 

Everyone was busy hushing in front of me, but that didn’t mean I didn’t hear anything. I knew at least that the South was in a difficult situation, so I didn’t know if my refusal to meet my birth mother might become a problem.

No matter how much they choose to follow my opinion, the other person might suspect that he prevented the meeting with my biological mother.

“Children don’t need to care about that.” 

“But it’s my business.”

“This is what the guardians do for them.”

“……I want to meet.”

Cade’s expression hardened. He seemed to ask if I was serious.

Actually, I wasn’t very curious about the person who gave birth to me. It was already completely forgotten because I also had no parents in my previous life.

Even then, I didn’t wonder who my parents were, would I be curious about them now? 

Rather, my real parent was Cade. Because he called me by name for the first time and made me feel like part of his family.

“You don’t have to push yourself. You don’t have to meet.”

“I just feel like seeing what they look like.”

“They wouldn’t stop at that because they’re the ones who want to take you.”

“Daddy will block it well, right?”

When I answered bluntly, Cade shut his mouth as if he was speechless.

As long as I’m in this house, I’ll be safe. Besides, I had an escort who always followed me around.

Cade looked down at me and smiled.

“I’ve felt it for a long time, but you’ve got a knack for moving people around while lifting them to heaven and dropping them to hell.”

“I don’t know how to do that?” 

“It’s a bigger problem because you don’t know that.”

‘If the little brat knew this he would be even more impatient because he can’t hide it forever.’ Cade muttered with a disapproving face.

I tilted my head at the sudden mention of a little brat. Who are you talking about?

“Who’s the little brat?”

“Well, there is such a guy.”

“Who. Let me know!”

“Avoid those with tails in the future.”

“Tail?”

At the word tail, I put leaned my upper body behind and faced Cade.

Are you talking about Sage?

Sage and I are friends. Why do you think everyone misunderstands relationships? I inflated my cheeks.

“Sage and I are friends.”

“I see, friends.”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to be friends forever?”

“Definitely, we’re friends for life.”

Why are you asking such an obvious thing?

I nodded, saying it was natural. Then, for the first time, Cade’s mouth, which had been closed in a straight line, rose pleasantly.

“I see, friends for life.”

Cade stroked my head as if complimenting me and walked down the hallway.

The hallway was unusually quiet. As I looked around awkwardly, he told me to relax.

“Don’t worry, it will be noisy again after the conversation with the delegation.”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go in now.”

“Yes.”

Cade dropped me off. I held his hand and took a deep breath.

Click.

The doorknob turned and the door opened. As if they had promised, everyone turned their heads this way.

Among them, a woman with white silver hair like me was sitting together with the delegation.