Chapter 19

The two looked at him in surprise.

“Did I interrupt your good times?”

Noel asked in confusion, “Rupert? Why are you here?”

Of course, he followed the advice of his subordinates to cherish the time with his family… but Rupert couldn’t tell the truth. His stiff pride would not allow it.

“This is the road that I pass after my business is done.”

“Alone? In the market?”

“……”

It was the right point, and Rupert made excuses.

“My subordinates are busy somewhere near here.”

For that reason, do lords usually go around alone? Noel tilted her head.

But since she had promised not to take any interest in each other’s private lives a while ago, she immediately ended the conversation.

“I see, you worked hard. Be careful on your way home.”

“……”

Rupert was a little embarrassed by Noel’s simple attitude.

Meanwhile, Leah spoke softly, “Goodbye, Father.”

It was an attitude with no regrets.

“……”

Aren, who happened to be caught between the three, quietly rolled his eyes.

Because he realized that he was the only one who noticed his master’s subtly complicated feelings.

‘Something needs to be done.’

He awkwardly opened his mouth.

“Then, it would be good for you to take this opportunity to spend time with your family, Master.”

“Huh? Sir Aren, are you busy?”

“Sorry, Madam. I think I’ll have to help my colleagues somewhere near here…”

Ah. With those words, Noel just remembered Rupert’s words.

He said he left his subordinates near here.

‘His colleagues are working, and he wants to help them.’

It was like a sincere Aren. Noel nodded.

“I see. Now, Leah, says goodbye to Sir Aren, who has worked hard today.”

“……hmm.”

Leah let out a sad voice.

It was the exact opposite of how she had just tried to send her biological father away without any regrets.

“Let’s play again next time, yeah?”

Aren smiled softly as Leah grabbed his hem.

“I promise, Young Lady.”

“Promise!”

It was objectively a warm sight.

A handsome knight, a graceful lady, and a cute appearance of a fairy-like child.

“……”

Of course, Rupert’s feelings became more and more complicated.

What is this dirty feeling?

***

I was a bit stunned. I didn’t know Rupert would even want to be with us outside.

“Is it okay for you, the Marquis, to be in the middle of a busy street like this?”

The rumors about me were very bad. But I don’t go out very often, so hardly anyone actually knows my face.

“People don’t really care anyway.”

‘No, if it’s as beautiful as you, I think people will be very interested.’

I thought about it, but I didn’t dare say it out loud. Instead, I asked for something else.

“Why did you suddenly decide to stay with us?”

“Because this is a promise I made with you.”

Well, I was definitely asking you to spend time with Leah…

‘… is this really okay?’

Rupert has been avoiding the situation with me as much as possible back then. It was surprising seeing his behavior now.

I asked curiously.

“Rupert, your wounds are healed, right?”

I really want to know where he got hurt. He’s always been rude to me, so I suspect if he’s hurt somewhere?

I glanced at him with compassionate eyes. It is said that when people change, it is time to die…

‘Or are you pretending to be nice to me and aiming for my life like the original story?’

He warned with a growl.

“If you treat a healthy person as sick one more time, I’ll take off my clothes so you can check for yourself.”

At that time, Leah asked innocently.

“Take off father’s clothes?”

“……”

I was silent, and Rupert quickly changed the subject.

“Leah, you seem to like Aren.”

Leah looked at Rupert a little awkwardly and then spoke softly to Rupert.

“Sir Aren is a wonderful knight.”

I nodded and agreed.

“That’s right, he’s a really nice guy.”

I praised his cherished subordinate, so I thought he would like it, but his reaction was different from what I expected.

“Noel, you always behaved like an angry elk in front of me, but you acted like a gentle sheep in front of Aren.”

“An angry elk……?”

‘What does this mean? Is it swearing?’

He saw Leah again.

“Leah, why do you like Aren?”

It was a way of speaking that clearly showed displeasure.

“He is kind. And he said he would pick up dolls from the stalls with darts later!”

As she spoke, Leah suddenly realized a new, disappointing fact.

“But now there’s no Sir Aren, that’s impossible……”

“A doll……”

Rupert, who was listening, murmured, and I was troubled.

‘I’m not very confident in my athleticism, but there’s nothing I can’t do for my daughter!’

“Don’t worry, Leah. If it’s a doll, then Mom will-”

“I’ll do it.”

Huh? I looked at Rupert and blinked.

I doubted my ears for a moment.

‘You?’

The one who once said that spending time with his daughter was a waste of time?

“Leah.”

Then he gently held Leah up in one arm.

“I will show you that I am superior to Aren.”

‘Why are you suddenly burning a rivalry with Aren?’

I know that he didn’t want to lose to anyone but I’m really surprised that the opponent is Aren.

‘Maybe……are you jealous?’

No way.

Although his attitude has softened compared to before, I must not let my guard down.

Besides, it was hard for Rupert to like me.

The condition for breaking his curse is that he must fall in love with his soulmate.

Unfortunately, I was not confident that Rupert would fall in love with me.

‘Could it be that my daughter’s cuteness melted Rupert’s cold heart a little?’

Rather it was more realistic.

To be honest, people’s values ​​and personalities are hard to change, so I didn’t expect much.

Still, it is the heart that can change people in a good way.

I raised some hope that Rupert might be a really good father to Leah in the future.

But…… I didn’t know that I would deeply regret falling into such stupid delusions.

***

The stall game was simple.

By throwing 5 darts on the dartboard, the prize given for each score was different. The more centered, the higher the score.

“Leah, what do you want?”

“Umm……”

Leah pondered my question. It seems that she didn’t have anything in particular she wanted.

Was she just interested in this festival and the existence of the game itself?

Looking at the hesitant child, Rupert said abruptly.

“It looks like you can’t choose.”

Hmm, the tone was still lacking in kindness.

Leah, who is still awkward with her father, was a little nervous.

It was the moment when I was about to rebuke about what Rupert had said to Leah.

He said bluntly.

“I’ll take them all.”

Then he lightly threw a dart.

……why did you throw a dart like you’re at war?

Do you hear something crashing?

When I turned my gaze, the center of the dartboard was broken.

How can you throw a toy dart like that?

‘I knew that he had above average physical abilities because of the curse, but when seen in person, it is even more amazing.’

Rupert quickly picked up a cute teddy bear and gave it to Leah.

“Here it is.”

“Wow…….”

Leah hugged the doll and smiled softly.

“Thank you, Father!”

Seeing her happy made me feel better too.

Hearing the thanks, Rupert paused for a moment, then turned his head away without a word. And he got other dolls like he was catching prey.

“The next is, a cat doll?”

At that, the store owner looked at me with tears in his eyes. He seems to have realized that Rupert is no ordinary person.

Feeling a sense of remorse, I pondered for a while whether to stop Rupert. But, Leah grabbed Rupert’s sleeve first.

“Father……this is enough.”

Rupert looked down. Leah made eye contact with her father and smiled awkwardly.

“It was the first thing my father gave me. I like this.”

“……”

I was slightly moved by Leah’s words.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Leah had received a gift directly from Rupert.

Leah must be delighted with the fact itself.

Of course, Rupert, who does not yet know the deepest feelings of his daughter, only muttered like this.

“……had I known that you were so fond of bears, I would have caught them alive from previous hunting competitions.”

‘You do not know the feelings of our daughter at all.’

I stared at Rupert with cold eyes.

The only thing I held back my anger was because he was nice to Leah today. It’s pretty good progress anyway.

“Then, Leah. Shall we take a look elsewhere with Mom and Dad?”

Leah hugged the doll at my question and nodded her head.

“So good.”

Hearing that, I smiled happily.

***

Rupert said that people wouldn’t be interested in him, but he was also wrong.

The more he walked around, the more people glanced at his face.

“That man, doesn’t he look like our lord?”

“There can’t be two people who are so handsome, right?”

I quickly put on the hood of my robe.

Unlike Rupert, I have a bad reputation.

Then, someone suddenly spoke from behind.

“My lord!”

At about the same time, Rupert hid me and Leah behind him.