When he asked so hatefully that he was worried that anyone else would see him, Caliph, finally laughed again.
"Hmm, do you want to play with my brother?"
It was a hearty laugh, but fortunately, I still had a complete change of heart.
He held me high with his arms.
"Kyaaa. Kya!"
I laughed and tried to get hold of Caliph's heart.
He came into the room, sat down on a chair, and sat me on his lap.
"Liana."
The voice was more serious than usual.
I asked cautiously, hiding my nervousness.
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember the first day you saw your father?"
The first thing that came to my mind was Alsaid, whom I had met in the dungeon of my previous life, but I quickly changed it to a memory of this life.
It's a scary memory.
"Hmph, old time... How scary."
As I spoke frankly, Caliph stroked my hair.
"Before you came to this castle, didn't you see my father in Meridy?"
Meridy, what kind of nonsense is that?
I don't even remember the crying mom I saw in Meridy...
Even if I did, I would never be able to remember it.
"What?"
I tilted my head and opened my eyes.
"Sorry, I don't know."
When I forced him to admit it, he laughed.
"...I suppose so. Oh no, I don't know what I'm talking about with you."
I held Caliph's hand tightly with an unknown sense of anxiety.
I don't have Alseid, so you don't want to kick me out like this?
"Brother, are you okay?"
He replied, not removing the smile from his face.
"Just... I thought for a moment, what if you were really my sister?"
What does that mean?
Are you talking about your own sister?
Caliph looked into my confused eyes and smiled obliquely.
"But it's absolutely not your fault. Do you understand, Liana?"
No. I don't understand...
If it were his own sister, of course, she wouldn't have done anything wrong, what are you talking about...
"Brother... Liana, do you not like me?"
When I asked in an anxious voice, he shook his head firmly
"There is no such thing. I promise."
That's a good thing...
Then what is the problem?
***
Caliphe came the next day as well.
This time, he was holding a thick book about the Meridy family.
'That one was too heavy to move to my room...'
I was suspicious that Caliphe had even brought a book, but Dorian seemed to be happy to see him.
"Did you come to play with baby, Master? I'll prepare some snacks for you."
After saying that, she left the room.
I had no choice but to sit on Caliph's lap and look at my family's book.
Caliph opened the section on pyrotechnics and explained as he read it.
"Meridy's daughters, who are gifted with pyrotechnics, are sure to have red hair and red eyes. Then I guess your father's hair color or eye color can't affect you."
Is that so... But now comes to the point, does it matter?
I was stunned.
"Is it strange?"
Caliph shook his head.
"It's strange. Even our sword masters have silver hair with healing powers."
"Is that so..."
I nodded stupidly, and Caliph muttered.
"If Halias and Meridy get married, what kind of child will be born..? Does your hair color change depending on your natural ability?"
I jumped up with goosebumps at the enormous assumption.
"Thion, are you going to argue with me yet?"
"...What?"
I stamped my feet in frustration.
"Uh, brother! Liana doesn't have to deal with Thion! Thion is my brother!"
Caliph, who had been sitting in a daze for a while, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Puff..."
Laugh?
How serious am I now?
When I dropped my chin in embarrassment, he apologized with a smile.
"I'm sorry, Liana. I was so absurd. Of course, you and Shion can't get married. As long as you're a Halias, it's natural."
So, if I become a Meridy later, is it possible?
So you want to send me back to Meridy?
Shocked by the shocking assumption once again, Caliph couldn't stop laughing and asked again.
"But Shion wants to marry you?"
I wrinkled my face.
'Didn't you know?'
Then why are you talking like this?
In the evening, when Caliph was in turmoil, the horseman's voice was heard along with the loud sound of horses' hooves.
"His Excellency is back!"
We rolled down to greet Alsaid.
Perhaps because of the long journey, he looked a little tired.
"How did you go?"
Caliph stepped up to greet him, and Alsaed nodded.
"It wouldn't have been a big deal. Good work."
"You're later than I thought, Father."
Shion Interrupted, and Alsaid smiled faintly.
"There were a lot of things to solve while I was on the road."
"Is everything well?"
At Shion's Innocent question, Alsaid smiled for a moment.
"It's good."
But it seemed to me that he didn't mean it somehow.
'You have a dark face that says everything went well?'
But Alsaid added.
"Above all, I felt lighter knowing that Liana was allowed to adopt."
I opened my lips and laughed.
I got an official adoption permit!
Then Edipa can't kidnap me at will?
But at that moment, didn't Caliph drop his head in disappointment?
'Disappointed? For what? You really wanted to send me to Meridy...'
It is impossible.
Caliph was already the next lord in the middle of his classes.
'I don't know why, but I must never go out of the eyes of Caliph!'
As I was worried. Alsaid came up to me and hugged me.
"How are you, Liana?"
Perhaps because it had been a long time, I responded politely to a particularly friendly question.
"Yes, Father. Liana is good, thank you."
Behind his brightening face, I could see Caliph's dark face once again.
'How can I win the heart of Caliph again?'
I thought about it while rolling my little brain fiercely.
***
"What did the King call you to do?"
Caliph followed him to the castle's room, and Alsaid replied, looking at the papers piled up on his desk.
"They said that it is expensive to rebuild Meridy."
Caliph made an impression.
"...Isn't it a bit young to be senile?"
The omitted question was more of a royal insult, but Alsaid didn't care and laughed.
"The mines of Thebes are about to be dormant, so I will give them manpower."
This time, Caliph tilted his head.
"Is the mine already in dormant phase?"
Alsaid replied nonchalantly
"Is that possible? I will send down half of it, and fill it with soldiers."
Caliph then cracked down on his mouth.
"You made a good decision."
Alsaid put down the documents he had skimmed through and looked at Caliph.
"Caliph, you have to be very sensitive."
"...Did you have anything else?"
"Hmm."
He thought about it for a while, but decided to put the issue of the Spirit Stone aside for a while.
"There is a rumor that the second son of the Marquis de Haan is an illegitimate child."
"That makes sense. Theg said he had one son."
"Black-haired, and the Sword Master was right."
"...Is that so?"
Caliph, who asks quietly, will feel the same way as Alsaid.
Alsaid asked again.
"The man who wore the crow mask, didn't you see his skin color at all?"
"I rarely saw him, but I think he didn't have fair skin like us. I didn't feel that way."
"...Why don't we hold a Sword Master Meeting? If you see him, will you recognize him?"
"I remember that his eyes were black."
"...I have to think about it. Oh, there must have been a new collection issue when he was away, right? I've tried my best, the manor manager needs to be replaced."
Caliph was much more concerned with personal matters, but it was not easy for him to open his mouth.
However, he wonders if he can endure the emotions that he gets every time he sees the youngest without asking like this.
"...There's one more thing I want to ask you, Father."
"Tell me."
Fortunately, Alsaid 's gaze had returned to the pile of papers.
To be honest, it was easier to ask without making eye contact with my father.
"...The youngest, Father"
"Liana? What happened to her?"
"No, that's not it..."
It was rare for Caliph Halias to blur out the end of his words.
Alsaid looked up again and waited for his son's next words, but what he heard was unexpected.
"It's really her... Is it my sister?"
Alsaid's brow wrinkled.
The full-grown firstborn son, who believed like a stone, was asking a question that his youngest son, who was six years old, would ask.
"We held a welcome banquet and got permission to adopt, but now you want to reverse it?"
Caliph shook his head in confusion.
"That's not what I meant..."
Caliph bowed his head.
"No, father. I have made a mistake, so do not take it to heart."
Alsaid's eyes looked at his son and drew a question mark.
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