Even as her status changed, the people she met changed, and all her surroundings changed, Eciel remained Eciel.

So even without any sarcastic remarks like <walk properly> or <behave yourself>, the father who simply held her hand quietly was not Duke Chelsiers, but just our father.

Eciel, who had been walking slightly ahead, turned to look at me holding our father’s left hand.

“Claire, I heard you met His Highness the Crown Prince the other day.”

“Yeah.”

“He wanted to get to know you better, but he couldn’t say it then.”

I supposed so.

I nodded nonchalantly.

At the time, it might have been partly my fault for awkwardly cutting off the conversation, but I had never been good at talking to others in the first place.

‘Maybe this part of me is similar to Dad.’

Eciel spoke without particular criticism.

“So, if we meet again next time, I hope we can talk more together.”

“… why?”

Eciel, who had been holding Dad’s hand, looked around before whispering softly.

“Maybe he’s lonely? We’re two together, but he’s alone.”

I glanced briefly at the Crown Prince’s palace we were coming out from.

An impeccably white and elegant look.

From the perfect figure and refined exterior to even a single flower blooming in the garden. It was a beautiful and harmonious palace aesthetically.

The crown prince had grown up within this palace as the only heir to the throne and the noble son of the emperor.

‘Of course. He’s the kind of person who would be bothered by succession disputes.’

If the prince was not suitable for taking on important responsibilities… it was obvious now that there was no need to increase the flames of conflicts.

The crown prince probably understood this simple reason as well.

It was all for his own sake.

‘… but is he inevitably lonely?’

Evan said he had been raised together with our mother since childhood.

It was just my guess, but he would likely have had no reservations about sharing stories regarding his close relationship with our mother to the crown prince.

To the point where he tried approaching children of the same age whom he had just met as relatives for the first time.

Amidst this vast palace and among countless people.

He sought to see a phoenix and was willing to warmly welcome peers he had never met before.

Would a child with such a personality, raised in such an environment… feel more lonely than proud of this palace?

‘At least Eciel must have thought so.’

Sympathy and understanding permeated Eciel’s green eyes. Since this child’s thoughts and emotions had always been my criteria for judgment, I simply agreed.

“If we have the chance to meet again next time.”

We exchanged those words.

Before we knew it, we were already right in front of the Crown Prince’s Palace, where the carriage had been waiting for us. As always, Dad gently took us by the hand and helped us into the carriage.

Our eyes met mischievously. Like Evan.

“From tomorrow, shall we take it easy and go sightseeing together around the capital together?”

“Sounds good!”

My younger sister answered excitedly, and I nodded in agreement.

The time had finally come for Louis’s guidebook of capital landmarks to shine.

“Well then, let’s go home today.”

A soft and tender voice. A hand that kindly smoothed out our clothes. A smile that curled slightly when our eyes met.

Soon after, he gave us a short goodbye and closed the door.

Holding my hand tightly, my sister blinked and said with sparkling eyes.

“It would be even more fun if we went out with Mom and Dad. Don’t you think?”

“Where would you like to go?”

“It doesn’t matter as long as we’re all together, Claire.”

Eciel meaninglessly readjusted the hand we were holding. As she did so, she looked at me and smiled confidently.

“When we play together, it’s not where we go, but who we’re with that matter.”

“… is that so?”

“Yeah. So as long as we’re all together as a family, whatever we do, wherever we go, it’ll be enjoyable.”

How could she speak so confidently and optimistically about everything?

Locked in quiet amazement, I looked at my sister silently, and Eciel met my gaze with hopeful words.

“I hope we can all play together soon. It seems like it would be really fun.”

 

—

 

Unfortunately, despite Eciel’s innocent anticipation, the day for the whole family to go out on an outing was still a long way off even as July began.

Firstly, Dad’s work had become so urgent that it couldn’t be postponed any longer, and secondly, Mom’s <apology> was still in full swing….

Lastly, there was the matter of painting portraits.

Portraits of the current lord, his wife, the heir, and the family of the current lord.

These four portraits were things that any reputable noble family would paint and hang in their halls, as we had learned in Countess Rocard’s class.

Of course, Dad’s portrait was a given.

Mom’s portrait had been painted a few years ago and still remained.

Both were well-maintained, with not a speck of dust, no fading, and were grand masterpieces that captured the essence of the models perfectly.

However, those were the only portraits that existed.

As for our family portraits or family paintings, it had been postponed because we could not immediately attend banquets and declare our birth upon arriving in the capital.

‘… and probably Dad’s intention to leave this period in a painting also played a role.’

Dad had regretted not being able to see his daughters’ younger days. But now there was nothing he could do about it.

Moreover, Dad was fundamentally Astariol.

He was not so irrational as to let himself be overwhelmed by the time already lost.

Instead, he focused on capturing his daughters’ present.

As close as possible to when he first met his daughters and learned of their existence in May.

In other words… what Dad requested for Eciel’s portrait was not that of a noble, but that of a commoner.

A feeling of holding a bunch of flowers to her chest in simple clothes and looking at someone with a face full of curiosity.

If it were to hang in the corridor like mine, it might not have revealed such an intention, but Eciel was the subject of the portrait.

It would be hung in a private space and only the family would be able to see it.

Dad’s request was so clear that it was almost assertive.

“… are you really going to do this?”

“Yes.”

The artist listening was so bewildered that he asked without thinking. Dad was positive without batting an eyelash, but…

Mom who had been listening burst out laughing.

“It’s terrible, really… it’s terrible…”

I also laughed bitterly.

‘Eciel might not understand well…’

This was a trap.

A girl holding a bunch of flowers in her arms, with eyes full of curiosity.

‘It’s true that it was what Eciel looked like when she and Dad first met…’

At the same time, it was also the first image that popped out when people thought about the May Fairy.

A fairy who chose a nice, sunny day in May to give gifts to young and cute children.

She had a curious and kind personality. Selecting good children to play with her and giving them gifts so they would play again with her next time.

From the perspective of someone who didn’t know the situation… it was as if Dad was asking someone to draw an imaginary picture of the May Fairy using his daughter as a model.

But wasn’t it impossible to chase down and explain to every person who misunderstood?

If it were Dad, he wouldn’t even bother to explain.

‘….. I’m really glad that I’m the heir. I don’t need to pose for that kind of portrait.’

Eciel, who didn’t know the situation well, was answering Dad’s question about what kind of flowers she wanted to hold in her arms.

An answer from a carefree child who talked about spring flowers that were now difficult to find as the season had changed.

‘…. should I stop him?’

When she was young, she wouldn’t feel anything. But for the rest of her life, every time she looked at it she would be left with a shameful image.

‘If anyone but us see it….’

They must think how pretty his daughter would be that he even drew such an imaginative portrait.

While thinking this, I looked up, and Dad was looking at me accurately.

With a very hopeful expression.

“… I won’t do it.”

This might be the first time I have made such a firm refusal when Dad wanted something from me.

When he wanted to comb or braid my hair, I told him to just do it.

‘But I’m never going to do it. I won’t.’

Dad finally sighed and nodded at my desperate expression.

Eciel’s green eyes widened.

“Claire, why?”

“… because I’ll draw a different picture.”

Eciel giggled and obediently agreed. It seemed like she thought my reason was because it was bothersome, as always.

Mom looked at us with an expression that couldn’t express in words and whispered softly to Dad’s ear.

“Are you really going to draw Eciel like that?”

“Yes.”

“I understand your feelings, but… are you really okay with that? I mean, she looks like the May Fairy.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You might not care, but the girls will soon care. Look at Claire’s firm refusal.”

Dad looked puzzled and alternated his gaze between Mom and me.

Not because he didn’t understand the reason, but because… why would he care about that? That kind of look.

‘Surely Dad must have met Tara.’

So, he realized the need for emotional communication and interaction, far beyond my range of emotions and understanding.

Even then, sometimes, Dad seemed extremely distant.

In terms of understanding others’ perspectives, he still regarded them as meaningless.

Was that Astariol’s nature?

‘… maybe that was just how Dad was born?’

To continue to live in this world, I, too, would have to learn to some extent that kind of nature.

As I briefly tangled my thoughts, a low and soft voice cut in sharply.

“Yes, Charlotte.

As you say, I don’t mind. It doesn’t mean anything to me how others evaluate me, as long as it’s not by those meaningful to me.”