Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Daddy and a Check-up
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It was around the time dinner was wrapping up.
Rosaria entered the dining hall.
"Rosaria?"
"Lady Aileen, I've come to get you. Did you enjoy your meal?"
"Yup! I met Baon, too!"
I hopped off Kaide’s lap without a second thought and ran to Rosaria.
"You met Lord Baon? Did you greet him properly?"
"Yup. I did this."
When I showed her how I had done a deep bow, Rosaria smiled with satisfaction.
"If you're all done eating, shall we go brush your teeth?"
"Okay."
I nodded and took Rosaria's hand.
Just as I was about to return to my room, I stopped and looked back.
It seemed Arban wasn't coming back, so I decided to say goodbye to the other two.
"It was nice meeting you today. ......Bye-bye, Set."
I wiggled my fingers and waved. I knew he wouldn't wave back, but I tried anyway.
If I kept being friendly like this, maybe he'd accept it one day?
Set frowned at my farewell.
He seemed bewildered that I kept talking to him, even though he was making it obvious he didn't like it.
Next was Kaide.
"......Bye-bye, Daddy."
I mumbled the unfamiliar word, one I'd never said before.
My ears felt hot, so I covered my face with both hands.
So embarrassing! I hope he doesn't hate that I called him Daddy.
Peeking.
I slowly spread my fingers to sneak a look at where Kaide was.
If he seemed to dislike it, I'd just call him by his name from now on.
As I took a deep breath to calm my pounding heart, a pleasant voice reached my ears.
"Alright. See you next time, Aileen."
"......Okay."
What a relief. He doesn't hate it.
A relieved smile spread across my face. It was a strange, ticklish feeling.
* * *
After Aileen left.
The two Black Mamba father and son, who valued their personal space so much they worried they'd sprout thorns if they were alone together, still remained in their seats.
Aileen's surprise use of the new titles left them stunned for a long while.
It was a very small voice, but Kaide, with his monstrous physical abilities, had heard it clearly.
"......Bye-bye, Daddy."
Did Aileen have any idea of the ripple effect that one phrase caused?
It was simply amazing that such a creature could exist.
"You look pleased, Father."
"You, on the other hand, seemed flustered."
"Me?"
Set wiped a hand over his face.
He had been staring at the door Aileen had disappeared through before scowling and turning away.
He had even given her a warning at their first meeting, so he'd assumed she would naturally be scared of him.
But today, she hadn't shown the slightest sign of fear.
On the contrary, she kept fearlessly crossing the line.
And hadn't she even smiled and said goodbye before leaving?
Set didn't like Aileen's apparent lack of caution.
"......Isn't she a little slow? She's a strange kid."
"A harsh assessment. I heard you even received a gift from her."
"How can you even call that a gift? It was just a piece of paper. I couldn't even tell what she'd folded."
Set thought of the yellow piece of paper Aileen had given him.
No one would call such a crumpled piece of paper a gift.
He couldn't even remember where he'd put it.
......Where did I put it?
On my desk? Or maybe...
Did I just throw it on the floor?
That was probably it.
"I don't remember."
"I see."
"......Aren't you angry?"
"About what?"
When Set cautiously asked why he wasn't angry, Kaide simply questioned him back.
"You saw how I treated Aileen earlier."
"I did."
Kaide's reaction was strangely mild.
An unreadable calmness settled in his red eyes, and Set looked at him with a slightly baffled expression.
He had expected Kaide to reprimand him.
But his father's face showed that he saw no problem at all.
"It takes time to adapt to anything."
"......I don't know. I don't think I'll ever get along with her."
Kaide let out a short laugh.
Silence fell. With nothing more to say, Set rose from his seat.
"Since dinner is over, I'll be taking my leave."
"You may go."
The moment permission was granted, Set strode out of the dining hall.
Watching his retreating back, Kaide let out a dry chuckle.
"Doesn't know, my foot."
If he was truly uninterested and displeased, he could have just ignored her from the start.
And yet, he had apparently gone out of his way to give Aileen a warning.
To think he was already so concerned, yet claimed he didn't know.
Aileen's existence was having a much greater impact than he'd thought.
So much so that he worried it might be a little dangerous.
Kaide thought of the upcoming banquet.
A banquet where Su-in from all territories would gather.
He had planned to announce Aileen's existence there, but...
"Should I reveal her, or not?"
Kaide fell into deep thought, torn between two conflicting desires.
The desire to show her off coexisted with the desire to hide her away completely.
He should have just announced he had three children back then.
Thinking of that day left a bitter taste in his mouth. He felt like he'd shot himself in the foot.
In the end, he remained lost in thought until Baon came looking for him in the dining hall.
* * *
I was currently in Hestia's examination room for a simple physical.
It was something every child had to do after successfully humanizing.
*Everyone does it, so I can do it too.*
Rosaria had explained everything to me thoroughly last night before bed, but I couldn't help but feel nervous.
While waiting for Hestia, I looked around the room with curiosity.
She had always come to my room, so I'd never realized, but here, Hestia really seemed like a doctor.
"Lady Aileen, you can walk around and have a look."
"No, I'm okay."
"Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Aileen is comf'table."
I clutched the baby snake doll I'd been sleeping with every night and swallowed hard.
I had many other dolls, but this was the one I'd chosen without hesitation.
As the time for my appointment with Hestia drew closer, I hugged the snake doll tighter.
*I'm definitely not scared.*
I stared intently at the brown door, which seemed unusually large today.
Soon, the door opened, and Hestia entered, wearing a white coat.
"Lady Aileen, have you been waiting long?"
*Too soon!*
I looked crestfallen at Hestia for being so punctual.
"Why the long face?"
"I think the atmosphere of the examination room has scared her."
"There's no need to be scared, Lady Aileen. We won't be doing anything that hurts today."
"Rosaria told me. That nothing will ouchie."
Hestia flinched while taking out a chart. Then she muttered under her breath.
"Ouchies... are the best."
Hearing Hestia mumble to herself, I grew tense, my eyes darting around nervously.
The atmosphere in the examination room was so stark and different from outside that even knowing I wasn't getting a shot, I was still worried.
Noticing my state, Hestia smiled brightly and crouched down.
I stared blankly at her, now at my eye level.
"Today, we're going to do an eye exam, a dental check for cavities, and we'll also check your height and weight."
"And then we're done?"
"Yes! And when we're all finished, I'll give you one of my prized chocolates as a gift."
Chocolate!
Seeing my interest, Hestia pointed behind her.
"Shall we go stand over there?"
"Okay!"
*I'll finish this quick and get my chocolate!*
Following Hestia's guidance, I stepped onto the height measurement machine.
I pressed my heels firmly against the back and held my breath, hearing the sound of the measuring device above me moving.
*How far is it coming down?*
I forced my eyes, which kept trying to look up, to stay fixed forward.
Tap.
The measuring device lightly touched my head and then retracted.
As she wrote down the measurement on the chart, Hestia's expression was strange, and the corner of her lip twitched.
"......*Pfft*, ahem. Shall we head over there and do the eye exam now?"
"Okay!"