Chapter 64.1

He didn’t move from that spot for a long time. As I organized my presents, I approached him and tapped the Grand Duke’s leg.

“Dad.”

“…Oh? Did you call?”

“Yes, I called. You’re acting weird, Daddy.”

“Am I the weird one?”

He tilted his head as if he didn’t know what expression he was making.

“Yeah. It’s really weird. I’m not a dad, so I don’t know what you’re thinking… but I can feel that you care for Harris a lot.”

As if I was not wrong, he mumbled for a while and smiled awkwardly.

“Did you see that?”

“Yeah, I saw it. Dad, did you do that on purpose even though you knew what Harris was thinking?”

He smiled awkwardly as if he didn’t understand what I was saying.”

“Well.”

“You actually don’t believe it. I’m the real daughter of the Grand Duke. If you really believed it, I wouldn’t say that you would check it when the results were obvious.”

He stroked his chin and looked at me. It was when his big hand stroked my head.

“I see.”

“Yeah. You seemed to be doing that to Harris on purpose. Do you think Harris is fake? Then why do you keep leaving her there?”

At the words, he sat down. At the same time, he spat out a smile that I had never seen before.

“It’s a good lie… that I want to tell myself.”

“It’s a lie, but there’s no good lie.”

“That’s right. There’s no such thing as a good lie. Lies are all lies.”

Why did he have such a sad expression?

It’s like the expression my mother saw every time she looked at me. Somehow, my heart sank, so I held his hand and dragged him.

“Bebe?”

The destination was a chair.

Perhaps because he was surprised by my unexpected behavior, he followed me very timidly.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Sit down.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll listen to your concerns, whether it’s a good lie or anything.”

The Grand Duke, who mumbled at the words, smiled and sat on the chair.

“Are you going to listen to my concerns?”

“Yes. Instead, let’s help me clean up here.”

“Here? You can ask the knights.”

I scratched my head and looked at him awkwardly.

“I know… You’re going to suffer twice as much because of Harris. And… it’s my first time receiving a gift, so help me sort them.”

“Huh?”

“It’s because I don’t know…”

While mumbling, I pouted toward the Grand Duke.

“I received it, but what kind of gift can I accept? But it’s not like I’m asking for this!”

I hurriedly waved my hands in case he misunderstood.

“Okay.”

“Ahem. Then tell me. I’ll listen to Dad’s worries. I’m pretty good at counseling!”

Shrugged his shoulders and pulled his chin out. Sitting on a chair and looking at me as if I was enjoying it, the Grand Duke looked around.

Then Theo and the knights quickly left the room. The Grand Duke sighed.

“You are only helping yourself if I say these things.”

“There’s nothing to laugh about. Everyone has concerns!”

This was because my mom always had a lot of worries. I nodded at him.

“Should I call it a concern?”

“There must be a reason to tell a good lie. And every time I say that, my dad’s face gets stiff. There must be something you want to say, right? Tell me.”

After a long consideration, he nodded.

“Yeah. A good lie… you asked about keeping Harris here.”

“Yes!”

“That’s for the kids.”

“Huh?”

At his unexpected words, I tilted my head.

“For the kids…”

“When it comes to children.”

“For the three children, Astor, Lexit, and Allen.”

“Ah…”

“I’m sure you heard about Grand Duchess Ellinson through Cecilia, right?”

Whether he was willing to talk now, the Grand Duke slowly opened his mouth when I nodded.

“After she passed away so much, all three children began to be hurt, saying they were all to blame. It’s not anyone’s fault, but the children have changed like the people who should think so.”

“…Oh, I see.”

“From a child who said he wanted to go on a picnic to a child who said he was with his mother until the end, everyone endured until Ellison was found dead. But…”

The Grand Duke mumbled towards the end of his speech. His voice was trembling more than usual, and he looked weaker than he had ever been seen before.

“After being discovered… the children’s condition got worse. They thought that the youngest sibling, who had never seen his face, died because of them. I was helpless, too. I was a father who could protect neither his wife nor his children.”

With his head down, his head shook slightly.

He always looked strong, but he thought it was not good because he was kind to his children and did not need useless children.

“I see…”