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nWhen my father returned home, the atmosphere of my house seemed to have changed.

nI felt warm and cozy in my house that seemed so empty and lonely before.

nHe must have been very tired, riding all the day from the faraway borders, but as soon as he changed his clothes, he came to talk with me.

n“You look haggard. Did anything happen to you while I was away? ”

n“Nope, nothing particular.”

nWhen I looked at his anxious expression, I felt like something was coming up from my heart. However, I didn’t say anything about it. While looking at me silently for a long time, he pulled me into his arms. As if he let out a sigh, I felt his warm breathing on top of my head.

n“Are you sure? Anyway, you must have been distressed while I was away.”

n“… ”

n“I’m sorry I came back late without any notice. I should have realized you were worried. It’s my fault, honey.”

n“Dad.”

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n“Hmmm, let me give the butler a piece of my mind. You look so pale even though nothing has happened to you, which means the butler neglected his duty.”

n“No, Daddy…”

nDid I really look so pale? In fact, I could hardly eat food because I was on edge for some time. I hesitated for a moment. What should I do? I couldn’t tell him about my situation in detail, but I couldn’t let the butler be taken to task for something beyond his control.

n“Tia.”

n“Yes, Dad.”

nWhen I was hesitant, my father said, lightly patting my back, “I don’t want to ask. Tell me whenever you feel comfortable enough.”

nI was touched by his warm consideration and trust that I felt after a long time. Suddenly, I had a lump in my throat.

n“Thanks, Daddy.”

n“You’re welcome, honey.”

n“How about you, Daddy? Did everything go well? I think you must have had lots of hardship, travelling all over the empire … ”

n“As the central government was well prepared, I found the situation was under control. On the way back to the capital, I had some problems, which delayed my arrival here.”

n“I see. That’s a relief!”

nThere was silence for a moment. When I was hesitating because I didn’t want to get out of his cozy arms, he whispered, “Don’t worry too much.”

n“… ”

n“I didn’t want to mention it anymore, but you look so nervous. It looks like you are nervous because you didn’t solve the issue in a satisfactory manner. But the emperor must have fully understood my intention. So, he won’t be able to take action recklessly. ”

n‘Really?’ I trust my father, but can I really feel okay? Given His Majesty’s expression, it looked like he wouldn’t agree easily.

n“Tia.”

nWhen I looked up at him, he sighed deeply and hugged me. I felt that my arms were trembling. I was going to ask why, but stopped because it was me, not him.

n“I want to leave…”

nI moved my lips before I knew it and spoke with a sigh.

nHesitant a bit, my father said, “Sure. Why not?”

n“Pardon? Are you serious?”

n“Sure. Why don’t you stop by my estate on this occasion? You never visited there before, right?”

n“I’d love to, but… ”

n“Good. I’m going to ask the emperor for vacation leave tomorrow, so be prepared. Let’s go together.”

nI raised my head when he gave a greenlight so easily.

n‘Is he serious?’ As he came back after several months, he must have gotten behind in his work. As if he noticed that I was surprised, he smiled faintly and said, “It’s alright, honey. Since you want it, I can grant you this kind of request without any problem.”

n“… Thanks, daddy.”

nI felt the tension inside me melting away when he gently swept my soft hair. As I relaxed, I felt more and more drowsy. While I was blinking in my father’s warm arms, I fell asleep before I knew it.

nI thought it would not be so easy for the emperor to approve my father’s request for one-month vacation leave, after not having been around for a long time, but he went the next day and got his approval.

nAccording to imperial law, all the marquis estates were located in the border areas since the founding of the empire.

nHowever, my family alone owned an estate located within two days of horse riding from the capital because of my family’s special relationship with the imperial family. Thanks to that, my father and I could arrive at our estate two days after leaving the capital.

n“Long time, no see, butler. How have you been?”

n“Welcome, my lord. I’m doing well. Is there anything special for an old man like me here? You look better. ”

n“It’s been a long time since I saw you last, butler.”

n“My lady, you have grown up a lot. You look like a mature lady. ”

nI smiled at the old butler who I hadn’t seen in three years. He was formerly the butler of my house in the capital, but after his son took over, he went down to this estate where he had little work to do.

nI felt relaxed at his generous and kind smile. It was my first time coming here, but I felt I could get used to it quickly.

nOne month passed quickly.

nIt had been a long time since I enjoyed a peaceful time like this. On a typical day, I spent my time practicing with the knights of my family, learning from watching my father taking care of his documents and chatting with Lina. It seemed that my nervousness finally began to disappear. Sometimes, I felt terribly anxious or empty, but whenever I felt so, I snuggled into my father’s arms to shake off my anxiety.

nHowever, my calm life at the estate was broken by the two family knights from the capital three days before her father’s vacation ended.

n“Sir Seymour, Sir June?”

n“I haven’t seen you for a long time.”

n“Long time, no see, lady. How have you been?”

nThe two knights in white uniforms bowed their heads. I was happy to see their familiar faces, but I got nervous at their appearance. Why did they come here? Did they bring a message from the emperor that we had to come back to the palace immediately?

nMy heart started beating fast. Shortly afterwards, my father came out to the reception room.

nThe two knights saluted and said, “Glory to the Empire! I, Sir Seymour of the Royal Guards, am honored to see you, the Captain of the 2nd Knights. ”

n“I, Eriton Su June with the Royal Guards, am honored to see you, Marquis Monique. Glory to the Empire! ”

n“Welcome! Nice to meet you, Sir Seymour, and Sir June. Why did the royal guards like you come here?”

n“We have the order from the crown prince.”

n“From the crown prince?”

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n“That’s right. The crown prince said that even after your vacation was over, she could continue to stay here as long as she wanted to, and he ordered us to protect her while she was staying here.”

n“Protect her?”

nMy heart sank. I could understand why the two royal guards were sent to me because there was a precedent. But I couldn’t understand why the order was issued by the crown prince, not the emperor. Why did he give such an order? Is this his reply to his conversation with my father on that day? Did he want to send me a clear warning that I could not get out of the imperial family?

nWhen I recalled his blue eyes shining coldly, I felt goosebumps. Pondering over something with a frown, my father nodded, saying, “Hmm, I got it. First of all, I think I have to think about whether she wants to stay here longer or not. It won’t take several days, so stay here until then. Let me talk about other stuff later. ”

n“Okay, lord.”

nThe two slightly bowed to him and left, following the butler. Staring at their back, my father said with a sigh, “What are you going to do, Tia? Are you going to go with me to the capital?”

n“Well…”

n“It’s okay. Please tell me frankly. ”

nTo be honest, I was not sure if I would feel okay to go back to the capital. I was always afraid to encounter the crown prince. Given that my father, who was always prudent, suggested firmly that I go with him, he must have something in mind for my protection, I was still nervous.

nI still vividly remembered the crown prince talking to me without any empathy. He said he would make sure I would maintain my status as his fiancee. I also recalled him smiling at me as if he was very satisfied with something.

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