One Day, My Dad Showed Up

Chapter 14

“You won’t do anything wrong on purpose, Claire.”

I barely restrained the urge to respond with a “Me?”

“You hold onto things like ‘making your mom sad often when you were little,’ even though it wasn’t something you did on purpose. I regret not being there to see you when you were young enough to talk about it right away.”

“...because it’s true.”

Dad spoke neither quickly nor slowly.

“You grew up holding onto other people’s sadness all the time. If someone like you were to do something wrong, there must be a reason for it.”

The man gently pulled my head back against his shoulder.

Three months after my ninth birthday, in the sunny and beautiful spring of May. Like a gift from the May fairy, Dad suddenly appeared and took me away into a dream as he strolled slowly down the hallway.

It was like putting a nine-month-old daughter to sleep, not a nine-year-old.

In a daze, I heard Mom’s voice saying, “Oh, hold onto your clothes tightly, dear. Eciel tends to toss and turn a lot in her sleep, and this bed is too small for four people to sleep in...”

I felt like hearing Dad saying he would take me somewhere else to sleep.

* * *

In my dream, I was young again, about five or six years old. Seeing Mom and Dad together, I immediately knew it was a dream.

Despite knowing it was a dream, I hesitated for a long time.

Eventually, just like Eciel often did to Mom when she was younger, I stretched out my arms to Dad and asked to be hugged.

Dad effortlessly embraced me and sat me on his knee, gently combing through my hair with his fingers.

“Dad,” the words came out so naturally that it was an amazing dream. I murmured softly, wanting to remember this feeling.

“Dad.”

“What is it, Claire?”

His reply came. I didn’t feel anything strange and continued murmuring in my sleep.

“You... in the dream... you were combing my hair...”

“Was I?”

“Yeah...”

A laughing voice softly commanded, “Bring the comb.”

The quick footsteps of someone exiting the room echoed faintly. I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up.

No, I couldn’t rub them. A large, warm hand blocked mine and covered my eyes gently.

“You can sleep more, Claire. It’s okay. We still have plenty of time before we leave.”

I curled up my body instinctively, still in a daze. A whimpering voice emerged.

“Dad, I want to sleep more...”

If it was Mom, she would have said, “Get up now!” and pulled the blanket away, making me sit up.

But Dad just looked embarrassed and gently tucked me into the blanket.

How much time had passed? I heard Mom’s clear voice.

“Oh my, she’s still sleeping. Why didn’t you wake her up earlier when it’s already bright outside?”

“Charlotte, be quiet. The child is still sleeping...”

“What are you talking about? I thought you brought the comb to wash and dry her hair. You didn’t even wake her up!”

“We still have plenty of time. It would be cruel to wake her up forcibly when she wants to sleep more.”

“I made Eciel wake up earlier and wash even when she wanted to sleep more.”

Mom’s annoyed voice cut off Dad’s words, and she came closer and sat on the bed with a soft rustle. The soft bedding absorbed the shock, and the vibration was minimal.

“Claire, wake up. If we take the carriage later, you can sleep all the way.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she’s my daughter too.”

Even though this was still somewhat easy to understand...

Mom muttered more grumpily to herself.

But even Mom didn’t seem to think Eciel would understand the basics of magic theory.

Mom quickly gave up and focused on braiding Eciel’s hair.

In the end, Eciel was satisfied because she could braid her platinum hair into two strands, and Mom was satisfied because she could make her daughter look cute.

It was a good outcome for both.

Dad personally put a light and soft hat on my head. While he meticulously tied the string, Mom arrogantly said behind Dad’s back.

“Couldn’t you braid hair this nicely? You’ve never tried it?”

Even though Mom said she wouldn’t do it if she went to the capital.

Why was she so proud of braiding hair? Unexpectedly, Dad flinched and seemed slightly concerned.

He looked a little conflicted while gently smoothing the hair flowing over my shoulder.

My shiny silver hair was in such a smooth, flowing condition thanks to Dad’s careful combing, however...

It was obvious that if it was messed up by braiding, it wouldn’t be able to return to its fine state.

‘...I hope he wouldn’t do that.’

Perhaps because he lacked confidence, Dad sighed lightly and gave up.

But if you asked if he completely gave up, that wasn’t the case. Dad whispered to me quietly.

“I’ll learn and do it next time.”

I politely declined.

But looking at Dad’s face that showed something similar to resolve, it seemed that I might end up with that braided hair sooner or later.

‘...Let’s consider it as catching up on nine years of filial piety.’

Even if it exhausted me just thinking about it... I sat still like a doll, blinking my eyes.

Then my gaze naturally drifted to Eciel.

Unlike me, who had no preference and no idea what to choose, Eciel seemed to have many things she wanted to do. She was enjoying herself, playing with dolls.

That was the most surprising thing in this house.

‘According to Dad, this isn’t such a big city that it couldn’t supply us with what we need.’

Wasn’t this enough?

To a nine-year-old girl dreaming of being a princess in a fairy tale, it was more than enough.

It was a moment to think about the consumption level and income level of the nobility, and the standards of reasonable consumption.

Eciel chose a hat.

“I want this one!”

I suddenly came to my senses at her decisive choice.

Wasn’t she the one who kept laying out two or three of what she thought was the prettiest and kept hesitating?

Why the sudden rush to choose a hat...?

Dad also seemed slightly puzzled and frowned a little. It seemed like he thought she didn’t notice anything else because she was in a hurry to get it.

But Eciel smiled broadly and turned to me.

“Claire, our hats are like twins!”

Only then did I take a closer look at Eciel’s hat.