45.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Lena finishing my hair until she clapped her hands with a bright, satisfied expression.
“All done! Young Lady, you look absolutely lovely today.”
At her prompting, I glanced in the mirror. A cute child stared back, her hair styled into twin buns atop long, flowing locks. Seeing those soft, pillowy cheeks made me realize once again how young I truly was.
Elision, Lucian, and the rest—the siblings I thought were cute—were all older than me. It was a fact made painfully real by this milk-scented face of mine.
If my life were a novel, the readers who came expecting a parenting story would surely feel cheated. To be a “sunshine child” radiating bright energy on the outside, while being a cynical adult woman on the inside—it was nothing but false advertising.
As I stared into the mirror with a solemn expression, Lena chuckled, snapping me out of my musings.
“It’s almost time for your former guardian to arrive. Would you like to come with me to welcome him?”
“Yes!”
I hurried outside with Lena to greet Aiden. It seemed I wasn’t the only one anticipating this moment, as I spotted a familiar silhouette the second we stepped out. The moment I saw him, my heart lifted.
“Aiden!”
Ignoring Lena’s attempt to hold me back, I scurried over and threw myself into his arms. He scooped me up with one arm, his lips curling into a smirk.
“I missed you, Tania.”
“I missed you too!”
“Have you been doing well and staying brave at the Duke’s estate? I’ve been curious if the Duke is taking proper care of you.”
“Everyone here is kind to me. Including the Duke, of course.”
“That’s a relief.”
As we caught up, Lena—who had followed behind—watched us with a content smile, seeing me tucked safely in Aiden’s arms.
“Hehe, the Young Lady only acts her age when she’s with you, Guardian. It makes my earlier worries seem quite foolish.”
“……Huh? Me?”
“Yes. It seems you are someone the Young Lady relies on very much.”
I looked up at Aiden. His warm, amber eyes, seen from such a close distance, put my heart at ease. He was the only person I could truly relax and laugh with—the person who, more than anyone, wanted me to just be a child.
How could I not let my guard down?
I smiled brightly and admitted, “That’s right. I rely on him a lot.”
Lena smiled faintly, clearly relieved that I had someone to lean on, though she hesitated as if something were still bothering her.
“Young Lady, knowing how special you two are to each other, I’m a bit cautious about saying this, but…”
“You can speak freely. What is it?”
“When you two are alone, it doesn’t matter if you call him by name or use casual language. However, it would be best to be careful when the Duke or others are around.”
Right. I am a Young Lady now. Recognizing this as sound, albeit flexible, advice, I nodded.
“Okay, I’ll be careful.”
“No, you’re fine, Young Lady. It’s your former guardian I’m worried about.”
Aiden nodded readily, as if he understood the underlying concern. “Thank you for the advice. I will make sure not to cause any trouble.”
With some time left before our invited lunch, we spent the morning touring the Duke’s estate. I kept my hand clasped tightly in Aiden’s.
Then, by pure chance, we turned a corner and ran into Grandpa Declan.
The old man skipped all pleasantries, his gaze narrowing as he asked in a stern voice, “Are you the one who was protecting our Tania?”
“Yes. It is an honor to meet you. I acted as the Young Lady’s guardian for a short while.”
Aiden bowed his head politely, entirely unflustered.
“How did you come to meet our granddaughter, Tania?”
“The Young Lady asked me for help first. I could not turn away a child who had no home and seemed to be starving.”
“I see… What is your occupation? Judging by your build and those calloused hands, you’re a warrior.”
I narrowed my eyes at the unfolding situation. *What is this? Why does it feel like a father meeting his daughter’s suitor?*
Neither man seemed to notice the tension as they continued their conversation earnestly.
“Yes. I worked as a mercenary, but I quit a while ago to look after the Young Lady properly.”
“Hmph. That explains your physique. You don’t seem like the type to be lazy and skip training.”
Grandpa scanned Aiden’s body like an inspector. The deep, sun-kissed skin, the broad shoulders, the stature—and above all, the clear, well-balanced muscles beneath his clothes. As he picked apart Aiden’s appearance, a flicker of admiration appeared in his eyes.
Grandpa Declan was clearly pleased.
“Yes, yes. If you care for the child, it’s better to quit being a mercenary, where you might die in some ditch at any moment. You made a good choice.”
He nodded in satisfaction, then his brows furrowed in pity. “But then, you’ve gone and quit your work, only for Tania to become a Papiope Young Lady. I imagine you’re in a difficult spot?”
“It is not difficult. I am happy; it is an opportunity for the child to blossom in a better environment.”
“Hmph. You’re a man of character.”
Feeling the conversation might drag on, I cleared my throat loudly. “Ahem, ahem! Shouldn’t we be heading to the parlor? I’m sure the Duke is waiting.”
Only then did Grandpa stop the interrogation. “It was meant for Vivi, but I ended up rambling. Yes, since we’ve run into each other, let’s go together.”
Grandpa chuckled, his gaze lingering on the hand I was holding with Aiden. Lest he say something, I spoke up first.
“Heh, are you jealous of the relationship between me and Aiden? You know what they say—if you’re jealous, you’ve already lost.”
“……What if I said I was?”
“Pardon?”
I blinked, surprised by his honesty.
“My daughter Vivi hated skinship since she was young, calling it creepy… And Lucian gets nervous just standing in front of me, so I’ve never had the chance.”
As I rolled my eyes, Grandpa fussed with his hands, looking embarrassed. “Ahem! You are my granddaughter now, aren’t you? I heard that at the neighboring Marquis’s house, the grandchildren come to kiss and hold hands first.”
He glanced furtively at my joined hands with Aiden. His reaction was so transparently pathetic that I stayed still to see how far he would go.
Finally, he turned his head away, sulking. “Hmph, never mind! I suppose I’m fated to never hold any hand other than my wife’s for the rest of my life.”
*Excuse me?* He slapped his knee with a mournful expression, acting as if he’d lost the entire world.
“Oh, my! My beloved wife went to heaven due to illness. I’ll just have to live alone forever and die…! I should follow her soon, what’s the point of living long anyway.”
Fearing he might actually stage a funeral right there, I quickly took his hand with my free one.
“From now on, please don’t speak in riddles like that. Just hold my hand whenever you want to.”
“……Is that really okay?”
“Yes. I like you, Grandpa. You can hold my hand whenever you like.”
“……What about a kiss on the cheek?”
“I don’t think we’re quite at that level yet.”
“Hmm, even I think that was pushing it. Fine, I will be satisfied with just holding hands for now.”
Grandpa wore a contented smile, truly satisfied. I had thought his story about the neighbors was just an excuse, but it seemed he had genuinely been envious all along.