Dad eventually chuckled and positioned his arm where Fermata was sitting in view. The golden eyes of the phoenix looked lazily upon us.

“Go ahead, touch it slowly. It’s not hot at all.”

Eciel and I exchanged glances slowly. Gulp, Eciel swallowed nervously.

“You… you try touching it first, Claire.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t wash my hands… what if it gets mad and leave?”

“I didn’t wash mine either. We’ve been holding hands.”

Eciel hesitated, then bravely said.

“Alright. Then let’s touch it together on the count of three.”

Somewhere in between, Mom and Dad watched over us, their faces on the verge of bursting into laughter.

Hearts filled with love and adoration overflowed, blooming like flower buds.

Amidst their quiet support and encouragement, we cautiously reached out to Fermata.

The first sensation as I touched the living flames was a warmth that wasn’t too hot or too cold.

‘… it’s fascinating.’

Even a slight press would make the feathers fall, and if you suddenly withdrew your hand, the undamaged gold, red, and blue feathers swirled together as if never broken into pieces, mocking your caution.

The noble eyes of life that discerned eternal oaths, piercing through human truths and lies, looked at me.

With a nod as if to acknowledge my understanding, it turned toward Eciel.

“It’s really… amazing…”

Hearing Eciel’s awestruck words, Dad chuckled softly, as if smiling.

Then the phoenix lightly and smoothly pushed off Dad’s arm and soared into the air above our heads.

It circled above us, its feathers falling like fine snow, shimmering gold, then vanished.

When we were distracted by this extraordinary sight, Fermata slipped away again, as if sliding to another place.

I mumbled immaturely as if half-awake from a dream.

“… His Royal Highness said he wanted to see.”

A hint of wariness crossed Dad’s smiling face.

A sudden, chilling certainty, sharp and cold.

“His Highness the crown prince?”

Mom asked in confusion.

Still half in Fermata’s fantasy, I answered obediently.

“I saw him when we visited the palace. He wanted to ask Dad to show Fermata to him…”

Mom’s expression stiffened slightly.

Only then did I realize what I had said. Confused, I blinked rapidly as Dad gently pulled me by the shoulder.

“That won’t be possible. Fermata responded when I called for my family, but generally, it doesn’t obey my commands or stay with me.”

“… even though you’re its owner?”

“But Fermata has its own intellect and freedom of action. The status of humans means nothing to Fermata. Even if I tell it to come see His Highness the crown prince, it won’t come.”

Within Dad’s gentle words and affectionate tone laid a cold, stern edge.

An arrogance and absolute certainty that it would be happy to come see his Tara and daughters, but not the Emperor’s son.

The line in Dad’s heart that separated his family from the meaningless, enforcing a strict and sharp division between us and others.

A trace of cold, distant boundaries emitted a hint of warmth from his affectionate words.

Looking into Dad’s purple eyes, I sensed that perhaps, after the day I was taken from him, he no longer fully trusted the emperor.

Even the naive and unknowing prince might be subject to his caution.

‘… does the emperor know this?’

Dad, looking closely at my slightly tense face, smiled faintly.

“But eventually, he’ll come. He wanders near my castle, disappearing and reappearing as he pleases. Now is just its wandering phase.”

Though I understood that his words were meant to comfort my anxiety, I still nodded hesitantly.

As selfish as it was, I found solace in Dad’s stern caution for me.

“Now, let’s go have lunch. Are you hungry? Neither of you ate breakfast.”

Suddenly, Mom brought up mundane topics, surprising everyone.

Eciel eagerly ran to Mom, taking her hand.

Excitedly recounting the sensation of Fermata and its beautiful heart, Eciel drifted away step by step.

Dad also took my hand.

Slightly hesitant, I whispered softly.

“Dad, I really was fine. And I think he meant well.”

Dad looked down at me and smiled. His smile was truly warm and kind, and I felt a sense of relief.

But that relief was short-lived.

“Good intentions are beautiful only when both sides can accept them, Claire.”

Like love.

Dad whispered gently and tenderly. Our eyes met.

The same purple eyes, the same composed gaze, both filled with affection toward each other.

Dad spoke like a wave, like a flame, like a shadow.

“And sometimes, good intentions can lead to something worse than doing nothing at all.”

I froze.

Dad didn’t urge me to walk; he simply hugged me gently and comfortably.

At the door, Mom stopped and called for us.

“What are you doing? Ashel, bring Claire quickly!”

As always, Dad responded to Mom gently and affectionately.

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

His sincere and strangely affectionate response was even more comforting.

 

—

 

Mom’s reinstatement ceremony would take place in the grand hall of the palace.

In addition to formally restoring Mom’s name to the imperial family genealogy, it also required an official renunciation of her succession rights.

Upon hearing this news, Mom’s face reflected a mix of emotions.

“… originally, I wanted to be expelled altogether.”

Sadness, shame, anger, resignation.

Various emotions intertwined and were woven into the complex feelings displayed on Mom’s face.

Behind that fragile facade, I understood the unspoken words that Mom had swallowed.

‘… in the end, it’s not Mom that’s erased, but the story of her father.”

The world was strange.

Those who would never have wanted such an outcome were so thoroughly erased as to be impossible to mention, while those who wished to be expelled returned to their original place.

Mom let out a deep sigh, tilting her head.

That simple, meaningless gesture seemed to release a flood of suppressed thoughts.

“It can’t be helped.”

Even her quiet muttering seemed to be wrapped in Dad’s comforting embrace.

Supporting Mom, providing quiet comfort.

Watching them, I turned away.

The person Mom could rely on was her husband, who had steadfastly stood by her through all hardships, not her nine-year-old daughter.

 

—

 

On the day of the ceremony, the entire mansion buzzed with activity from early morning.

Luckily, Eciel and I were young and didn’t need as much preparation.

Mom seemed to be dragged around as early as dawn, getting ready for the grand affair at the palace.

The elaborate attire provided by the palace was no small feat, from preparation to wearing to aftercare were difficult.

Honestly, I had no thoughts until I actually saw it.

But seeing it up close, I understood.

‘This wasn’t made for humans to wear.’

It was clothing more about majesty, formality, and dignity than actual wearability.

No, more than that… aside from the incredibly heavily adorned dress… the most shocking thing was the tiara and jewelry set.

‘… can people actually wear and carry that?’

Even after renouncing her succession rights, she would have to remove all jewelry as a sign of relinquishing her imperial rights.

So, they were meaningless anyway. But to actually wear it? That?

Eciel, filled with almost the same shock and confusion, whispered softly.

“How does Mom even walk with those shoes? They have such high heels.”

“… if she can’t manage, can I just carry her with the wind? Mom can pretend to walk.”

“Clair, are you a genius? So smart.”

“But what if I accidentally can’t control it and it messes up her hem…”

While imagining the scene of Mom’s hem fluttering fiercely at the imperial banquet where almost all nobles gathered, Eciel and I shook our heads.

… this wouldn’t work.

As Eciel and I exchanged almost comical dialogues, the maids hurried about.

Adjusting our clothes, hair, and the tiny pins that secured our attire, the well-coordinated chaos of people in the dressing room surged like waves.

“Perfume! Bring the perfume!”

“Who dropped this pin? What if the ladies get pricked?”

“Hurry, finish getting the young ladies ready so we can run to the madam!”

Ah, I thought I was going insane right now.

‘Mom has to wear and carry all that now…?’

Moreover, after the renunciation ceremony, she’d have to switch back to a regular party dress.

No, of course, if I were to wear that and go to a party, it wouldn’t be attending a party; it’d be hard labor.

That was what I knew… but wouldn’t it take a year for her to take that off?

We were changing into clothes that wouldn’t look strange even after the party was over.

As we stared with tired eyes at the dressing room, our attendants were almost done.

The maids let out relieved sighs as they brought out the shoes we’d selected beforehand.

Eciel’s were a light cream color, while mine were a deep black. Chelsiers’s insignia was delicately engraved onto the sole.

As the maids bent down to help us into our shoes, a polite knock was heard at the door.

The gaze of everyone in the dressing room, including me, Eciel, and the attendants, turned to the door.

The smooth, dignified, yet ice-cold face suddenly smiled, stealing everyone’s attention.