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n✿

nErita looked ahead with a puzzled expression.

nTo be exact, I was looking at three carriages standing in front of the mansion.

nClick~

nAmong them, the door to the most colorful carriage opened, and a man with familiar wheat-colored hair got off.

nHe was the younger brother of Serbia and my maternal uncle Seian.

nSeian got out of the carriage and gave his attendant something, and came to my father, Aaron, and me.

n“Your highness.”

nHe bowed his head first towards my father, then greets me and Aaron one after another.

n“…Hello, Aaron, Erita.”

nUnlike the last time, Seian looked like he was well-equipped.

nNevertheless, he still seemed somewhat restless.

nTo be precise, should I say he just looks worried?

n“Hello, Marquis.”

nI greeted him with a slight bewilderment.

nIt was just a greeting, but a smile bloomed on his face.

n“But what’s all that?”

nWhile laughing awkwardly, I looked behind Seian.

nThere, boxes from the carriage that followed him were piled up.

nAt a glance, it seemed that there were more than twenty large boxes. Not to mention even the small boxes.

nThe most important thing was that the servants carrying boxes are still not stopping.

n“By the way, Seian, what are all those boxes?”

nAt the same time, my father asked Seian as if to represent my curiosity.

nSeian’s expression brightened a little at the question. He seemed to like my father’s question.

n“It’s a gift.”

n“Gift?”

n“Yes. Some are imported from abroad, and some are local here.”

nSeian, who was talking, turned around for a while and called the servant who was in charge of carrying gifts from the back.

nAt most Seian’s gestures as the servant approached who looked to be in his late twenties.

nThe man bowed towards my father and us with a polite gesture.

n“Jason, what kind of gifts did you bring?”

n“First of all, there are 12 dresses, two or seven pairs of women’s shoes, and a little over 20 kinds of jewelry.”

n‘Didn’t you bring your whole house?‘

nIt was a fairly reasonable doubt.

nBesides, the gifts he brought are not all for women. Dress, women’s shoes, and jewelry.

nEven if I didn’t listen, I felt like my head was hurting at the unexpected situation.

n“And…”

n“Are there more?!”

nAs if it was not over yet, I had no choice but to cry as I opened my mouth with a dull expression on my face.

nTo my answer, a servant named Jason politely replied, “Yes.”

nThen, he began to move the types of gifts one after another.

n“Handkerchiefs, accessories, fans, and bags…”

nIn the following words, the goal was now starting to pull.

n“…And fur. That’s all.”

nThe servant who caused my headache bowed his head in a respectful manner and then backed away.

nI looked at him in dismay.

nAmong the items he carried to the end, the ones for my father and Aaron were only shameful.

nAt first glance, the gifts that seem to be for women are 90%, and the others are 10%.

nAnd I’m the only woman who lives in this house.

n“What’s all this?”

nWhoever sees it, it’s not my gift.

nEven at this moment, I looked blankly at the boxes that were constantly piling up.

nNext to me, I heard a low laughter as if the wind was falling out.

nOh, it was Aaron…

nWhen I slightly turned my head and glanced at him, Aaron shrugged, acting as if he didn’t know.

n“Terban.”

nThen a low, sweet voice called the butler. I turned my rattling head to my father.

n“Yes, Master.”

nTerban, who was standing behind with a neat sound of shoes, walked in.

nA strange feeling of anxiety crept up.

nSuch anxiety as if these burdensome gifts would go into the mansion one after another.

nI stared intently at my father’s well-formed lips.

n‘Can you please take it as it is?’

nIt’s a gift that is burdensome even if I pretend to be. Father can’t be like that.

n“Call the servants to move the gifts into the mansion. Be careful.”

nFather instructed Terban to carry the boxes.

nI looked at my father with eyes that seemed to have been betrayed.

n‘…Even my father should refuse!‘ I would have said so if it weren’t for Seian with sparkling eyes in front of me.

nWith my father’s permission, Seian walked toward his servant with a bright face.

nIt seems like he was trying to direct something, but I sneaked up to the side and pulled my father’s hem slightly.

n“Father, isn’t this too much?”

n“What do you mean?”

nAt my question, my father tilted his head and asked me back.

nI tried hard to press down on my heart out of frustration and raised my hands to point out the front.

n“I’m talking about the pile of gifts. No matter how much I look at it, it’s too much. I think they’re really expensive. How can you take it all like this?”

nWhere is it too much? It looks like it even pulled out a pillar of their house.

nI thought Seian was close to my father, but it doesn’t have to be like this!

nBut it seemed I was the only one who thought so.

n“Don’t worry. You can take it comfortably. Even if he looks like that, he’s rich.”

n“But still…”

nMy father may be like that, but I’m not.

nBesides, it’s like a mountain of gifts from my maternal uncle, whom I can’t even remember.

nI felt like I was going to get a stomach ache if I took it all for myself.

nWith a gentle smile on, my father spoke looking at Seian.

n“Please cut me some slack. Seian seems to be trying to look good to you.”

nI followed my father’s gaze and moved my head.

n“Jason, move the small boxes carefully, as they are jewelry. Be more careful with those.”

n“How many times are you going to say that?”

n“Did I say that a lot?”

n“My ears are scabbing.”

n“Then listen to it a few more times. Stop whining.”

nThere, Seian, with his neatly tied hair, was picking out a box by himself.

nHe seems to have a pretty comfortable relationship with the servant named Jason, since the conversation seems relaxed.

nSeian’s expression looked like the happiest face I’ve ever seen.

n“It’s because Seian is honest, but he has a lot of clumsy sides. Can you understand a little bit?”

nHearing my father’s words, I had no choice but to nod while sighing.

n“Instead, I’ll just have to tell him to come next time.”

n“Yeah. I’m sure he’ll like it when you say that.”

nMy father’s voice was soft as he answered.

n✿

nI slowly picked up the salad with tongs.

nThere were at least three pairs of eyes following my hand.

nTwo pairs of rubiy like eyes as usual, and a pair of dark amethysts newly added today.

nIt means that there are three pairs of gazes that follow my fingertips.

n‘…It’s embarrassing!’

nI didn’t do anything wrong, but I was bothered for no reason.

nTheir gazes only dispersed after the green salad touched my plate.

n‘I’m used to it because my father and brother are like this every day… ‘

nI rolled my eyes and looked at Seian who was sitting diagonally across from me.

nHe was having a brief conversation with my father.

nAnd yet, if I stretch out my arms…

n“…You’re not a puppy that moves along with its owner’s hand.”

nAs expected, I could feel Seian paying attention to me intently.

nHe seems to be trying not to show as much as possible, but he was a person who was not talented in hiding something from his expressions to gestures.

nIn particular, he seemed to be less talented in managing his facial expressions.

n‘You’re the one who’s really sensitive.’

nLian, whom I met yesterday, passed by in my head.

nWhy did he suddenly come to mind when he said I was more wary?

nHe seemed to have the power to attract people strangely.

nThe only thing I know is his name, but meeting him is so memorable.

n“Erita, did something good happen? You look happy.”

nAaron, who was next to me, asked as I seemed to have been smiling without realizing it.

n“Yes? Oh, I suddenly thought of someone.”

nIt was when I finished speaking with a wide smile on my lips.

nRaising my head, I met the three pairs of blatant gazes. My body trembled.

nThe gazes of father and Aaron’s eyes were brutal.

n“Did I say something wrong?”

nI thought of what I said on my own.

n“…Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

nI asked timidly, glancing at my father with the brightest eyes among them.

n“…It’s nothing.”

nMy father, who answered that way, still looked dissatisfied.

n“By the way, Erita.”

n“Yes?”

n“…Who are you thinking about so that you laugh so much?”

nSure enough, my father, who said it was nothing, quietly asked with an expressionless face.

nOnly then did I realize why the three people’s expressions were like that, and I only laughed awkwardly.

n“It’s nothing special because there’s someone funny.”

n“Really?”

n“Yes. Haha, hurry up and eat. I told you that Evan doesn’t like it when it turns cold.”

nFortunately, my father nodded at my words and took his eyes off me.

nHowever, the gaze that blossomed next to me remained.

nIt belonged to Aaron.

n“It was Aaron who said he felt good.”

nI pretended not to notice his gaze and chewed the meat.

n“Eat well, Erita.”

nAaron, who was watching me like that, eventually felt fever turning his eyes with a smile as if he lost.

n“Hmm…”

nAs I thought about it, I shook my head.

nWhat if my family finds out that the reason I looked happy was because of Lian, who I met at the square where I went out in disguise?

n“…I don’t think anything good will happen.”

nOf course, I didn’t do anything wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel my chest tightened for nothing.

nIt was the day I once again vowed to engrave the true face of my family in my heart.

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