“Dad, did you meet Alejandro senior?”
“…No? Why would I?”
“Hmm…”
Amor stared intently at Judas.
His golden eyes slowly shifted to the side.
“Why are you avoiding my gaze?”
“If anyone stares like that, they can’t help but avoid it. Even if you look cute like a kitten, that’s just how it is.”
“Then look at me and tell me. Really?”
Judas closed his eyes for a moment and then looked directly at Amor.
As if he wanted to convey his sincerity.
“Really no.”
“Hmm…”
“Why, did something happen?”
“Just…”
In the end, Amor couldn’t grasp the true meaning behind it.
Judas had matured in not showing his emotions compared to before, but Amor was too young.
She lacked the skill to read others’ truths.
In fact, Eliya, who was watching this unfold, could see all the signs that Judas was lying.
“Your reaction when he declined today was a bit strange.”
“Maybe he was surprised? Hurt, perhaps.”
“It’s a bit different from that… I don’t know. It’s like he accepted it as if it were natural.”
“Well, that could be.”
“And then suddenly, he declared he would quit magic studies and switch to swordsmanship and martial arts classes, and ran off.”
At that point, even Judas felt puzzled.
Suddenly, swordsmanship and martial arts?
It would have made sense if he had developed a dislike for it due to meeting her.
But to major in it? That was strange.
“It felt so unnatural that I thought something had to be up, maybe he met Dad.”
“Umm… I don’t really know.”
“Hmm. Well, that’s good then. He didn’t look heartbroken or anything. I guess I worried for nothing.”
“That’s just part of learning and growing.”
He spoke calmly, but inside, Judas was cheering.
What if Amor actually accepted his feelings?
He would respect her, but it would hurt a lot.
He even had a nightmare about it.
Thanks to Eliya hugging and comforting him, he could fall asleep again.
When cradled in her warm, fluffy embrace, his heart felt at ease.
“Anyway, I’m glad. It means I can worry less. Dad must have gotten some relief too, right?”
Just as she said.
Judas softly smiled and nodded.
“Of course. You have no idea how worried I’ve been.”
“If you’re this worried, what will happen when you get married later?”
“I guess I’ll just cry. What else can I do?”
“Why would you cry?”
Amor laughed cheerfully, as if it were a funny joke.
It was a lovely sound.
But for Judas, it wasn’t a joke.
He had said it lightheartedly, but if such a thing were to happen, he’d definitely cry.
That’s just how it goes with tears.
You don’t cry because you want to; tears just come out.
So he couldn’t help it.
“But that means you shouldn’t hide things from Dad. If you like someone, you have to meet them, alright?”
“Yes. If I do, I won’t even tell you.”
“…The number of times to cry just keeps increasing.”
“Then I’ll hug you and comfort you.”
As their conversation seemed to come to a close, Eliya naturally sat down on Judas’s lap.
She kissed him on the cheek and gently ruffled his hair.
In a family that expressed affection at any time, Amor thought nothing of it.
Judas wrapped his arms around Eliya and fondled her waist.
“Crying might not be such a bad thing.”
Even if such a day really comes someday.
Because he trusts Amor, he’s okay.
And with such a lovely wife, he’s really okay.
After all, it was still a distant story.
But there’s no eternal secret.
The next day, Amor discovered Judas’s involvement.
The national envoy and royal guards had separately come to the Academy to meet someone.
That rumor had already spread.
Realizing this, Amor immediately went to find Judas.
“Dad! You said you didn’t meet him!”
“Oh, um, that is… We did meet, but nothing happened. We just had a meal together? Right? Just talked and that was it?”
“I can handle it! What if weird rumors spread in the Academy!”
“Isn’t it just a rumor that you are very much loved by your dad…?”
“I don’t care! I hate you!”
“……”
Amor stormed out of the room.
Judas struggled to find words for a while.
He found himself instinctively clutching his chest.
It hurt as if something had pierced it.
But he was fine.
To be hated…
That was a much deeper wound than being hurt during a fight.
Quietly watching them, Eliya embraced him and patted his back.
“Just breathe, breathe.”
Only then did Judas slowly take breath.
He had momentarily frozen and couldn’t even breathe.
Eliya had anticipated this.
Even though it hadn’t been officially announced, it was impossible for no one to notice if national envoy Judas had moved.
It was even more noisy since he brought the royal guards with him.
But she knew that even if she stopped him, he wouldn’t listen, so she just left it be.
Now that he could realize it, she spoke gently.
“I told you it would be better to just let it be.”
“Yeah…”
Judas slumped his shoulders and leaned his face against Eliya’s chest.
His heart wouldn’t settle easily.
‘I hate Dad!’
That voice wouldn’t leave his head.
Eliya stroked his hair and said, “It was something said in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t sincere. That’s just how emotions change with situations.”
“Yeah… You’re right.”
Judas let out a deep sigh.
In the end, it was his own fault.
If he had just left it to his daughter, it wouldn’t have escalated this much.
“Maybe I should wait a bit, and be the first to apologize.”
Eliya smiled and kissed Judas on the forehead.
“You’ve grown up. You know how to apologize now, you’re becoming an adult.”
“…I was always an adult.”
“Right, right.”
Eliya held Judas like she would with a fifth child.
*
Amor realized there were a few misunderstandings and accepted them.
Dad had indeed just eaten and talked with Alejandro; he hadn’t threatened or pressured him into any decisions.
The fact that he intervened in her matters remained unchanged.
But that intervention was very passive.
It was solely to confirm whether Alejandro was dangerous to his daughter or not.
He confirmed this through Alejandro’s own statements.
“Senior, can I speak honestly? You don’t have to hide anything because of your status. Dad didn’t scold or threaten you, right?”
“I know it was a situation that could lead to misunderstandings. My behavior towards you was a bit uncomfortable. Rude, selfish, self-centered…”
“Was that what Dad pointed out?”
“Not quite. I realized it through him, but he didn’t point it out. He doesn’t teach but rather helps you realize.”
What felt a bit odd was that Alejandro, who should have been most uncomfortable, instead defended and praised Judas.
It felt like witnessing a believer touched by faith.
“He really just wanted to talk. I was the one who couldn’t see the truth and got scared.”
“…Really? But why didn’t you tell me first?”
“Huh? Well, it wasn’t something worth spilling. Nothing really happened. If it had, I would have rather learned lessons and truths from him.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I can confidently say I’m the sharpest I’ve ever been. Amor, I know it feels weird that I’ve suddenly changed, but there’s no lie in my words. He truly wanted to converse. He treated me to delicious food too, that’s all.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved…. Phew. I was worried my dad might have said something weird.”
“He’s not that kind of person. …Ah, it’s not because of your status; I genuinely felt that after talking with him. I’ve never seen anyone as great as him in my life. It’s an honor to meet him in person. I hope to see him again…. So, how would I be able to meet the national envoy again?”
The person who had confessed to her was suddenly praising her dad.
It felt strange.
Amor ignored the fanatic question and organized her thoughts.
‘Well, it seems like it turned out well….’
In the end, Alejandro hadn’t been hurt.
The outcome hadn’t been predetermined or altered due to Dad’s intervention.
Amor had planned to decline anyway.
Alejandro had simply accepted that refusal quietly.
There was no pressure for him to turn her down.
It was simply an attitude of accepting and respecting Amor’s refusal.
Though his suddenly changed demeanor still raised suspicions, his claims and intentions remained the same.
The truth had all been verified.
Dad met Alejandro but hadn’t pressured or threatened him.
While it might have seemed like pressure, if you took away the prejudices, it wasn’t the essence of the situation.
Though Alejandro had matured in just a few days, he had no intention of accepting the confession, so he turned her down.
And fortunately, Alejandro was less hurt than expected.
Suddenly, Amor recalled the impulsive words she had blurted out.
‘I hate Dad!’
That can’t be right.
She could never hate her mom and dad.
It couldn’t be said that Judas had not intervened in Amor’s matters at all.
But that level of intervention wasn’t enough to reach the point of Amor’s worries.
Of course, he had lied that he hadn’t met her.
But Amor felt she understood Dad’s heart.
Having discussed the confession with her classmates, one friend said that after rejecting a confession, she was scolded instead.
As if they claimed she was being too haughty.
Back then, Amor was also a little worried about meeting Alejandro.
Thanks to her stuffed toy she carried everywhere, nothing dangerous would likely happen.
But from the perspective of her overly loving dad, it seemed like a reasonable worry.
Plus, Dad loves and cherishes her so much, maybe too much.
‘But what did I say…. I shouldn’t have said that much. I’m still so young.’
She vowed to apologize.
But when she returned home, Dad was the one looking for her first.
“Amor.”
“Oh, Dad…”
“I’m sorry. I was hasty. I should have trusted you…. I thought I trusted you, but I guess I didn’t.”
Judas candidly admitted his mistake.
Amor felt awkward and embarrassed.
“I-I also… tried to hide it from you at first. And saying I hated you was a lie. It wasn’t sincere. I’m sorry…”
Judas thought Amor was truly angry.
But she turned out to be more considerate and mature than he had thought.
“If I were in your position, I would have been worried too. And I heard from senior that you really just talked and shared a meal.”
Right. That was the truth.
The atmosphere had unintentionally become fierce, but Judas had never intended to pressure him.
“So, I’m sorry too.”
With a sigh of relief, Judas smiled.
“So does that mean you forgive me?”
“Yes. But next time, don’t do that. Promise.”
“Okay, I promise. I won’t lie either.”
Judas and Amor linked pinkies.
“But… can you forgive the royal guard uncles too?”
Amor had found out the truth and was now thoroughly sulking.
The royal guards quickly learned of that fact.
They immediately held an emergency meeting to apologize to Amor.
It was hard for Judas to tell whether they were truly apologizing or just staging a protest, making it a tricky situation for him.
Amor spoke gruffly.
“Hmm… Well, I’ll listen to you this time.”
And she discovered the royal guards were staging a sit-in at the palace entrance.
Oh, not a sit-in; they were there to apologize.
As soon as they spotted Amor, they shouted.
“Amor! I’m sorry, niece!”
“Your dad forced us! We had no choice but to threaten you with power!”
“I promise it won’t happen again…!”
Seeing them in a fluster, Amor couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Beside her, Judas mumbled to himself.
“When did I… threaten anyone with power…?”
“Since they’re apologizing so sincerely, I guess I should forgive them, right?”
“No way. It might not be sincere. Let’s just bully them instead.”
“Should we?”
Amor giggled at Judas’s joke.
“Just kidding. I think I understand the uncles’ hearts, so it’s okay.”
Amor forgave the royal guards, and they expressed their gratitude as if freed from guilt.
Feeling Amor beside him and their dad, she grinned.
It was a noisy scene, but it didn’t feel bad at all.
Judas also let out a sigh of relief.
‘All things considered, it turned out well.’
However, as one problem was resolved, another one arose.
*
Although the incident of Amor being confessed to had come to a close, someone affected by it remained.
That was none other than Fides.
‘Hmm…’
Fides thought the Academy was a good place.
But there was also something disappointing.
It had become difficult to see the person she used to play with often when they were younger.
Fides was a second-year student in elementary school, age 9.
The person she wished to see was 15, a second-year student in middle school.
Wanting to see those fluffy blonde locks frequently,
Fides recalled something from the situation surrounding Amor’s confession.
Originally, she had been indifferent and ignorant of romantic feelings and relationships.
But through Amor’s incident, she awakened to a new fact.
Having come up with a way, she wasted no time.
Fides went straight to execute her plan.
She called out to the target and said,
“I like you. So be my girlfriend.”
“…Huh, what?”
Erin, the daughter of Richard and Beninita, was startled by the blunt confession from someone 6 years younger.
“W-What about me?”
The angry face of Richard flashed through her mind.
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