<Episode 154: Side Story (18)>
To be honest, the person who was the biggest thorn in Daniel's side these days wasn't his father, but 'John'.
He took after his father with black hair, but John had brown hair like his mother, so when the three of them went out together, people thought of John as more of a family member with his mother.
That made Daniel even more jealous and angry. So, whenever he came home from such misunderstandings, Daniel's resentment turned towards his father.
“Why does Dad have black hair!”
This was quite a grievance for Killian. It wasn't like he wanted his hair to be black.
And what made Daniel even more upset was that even his younger sister Kylie had a crush on John.
“Wake up, there’s an eleven-year age gap between you.”
“What does age have to do with love?”
His sister, now five, was so upset that she couldn't even speak out. It was frustrating not being able to tell his parents about the situation.
“Brother John, do you want to sit next to me?”
When he was with her, his eyes were so blank and soulless, so how could his eyes sparkle like that as soon as John came?
“Kylie, Dorothea will be coming too, so shouldn’t you have the seat next to you empty?”
“Oh, right! Kylie has to sit with Thea.”
Even without that, Killian was wary of him because Kylie seemed to like John too much.
But Daniel wanted to monopolize his mother more than anything, so he tried to ignore his younger sister's behavior.
“Auntie, I brought a napkin in case the oil gets on your clothes.”
“Oh, thank you, John.”
Daniel, who had been quietly watching Emily and John having a friendly conversation, spoke directly to his father.
"Father, there's going to be limited space here, too. I think you should go over there."
“Well? It looks like there’s plenty of room there.”
“Do you want my mother to sit so cramped?”
Emily's expression turned cold as she watched the two people arguing over something trivial.
“Both of you get up.”
The two men flinched at Emily's cold voice and quickly shut their mouths.
“Aren’t you going to wake up?”
“Emily...”
"Mother..."
But even if she kept her mouth shut now, Emily's already very angry mood would not be eased any time soon.
"Go over there and have a heart-to-heart talk. Marlene's family will be here soon, so don't embarrass them."
"...All right."
"...Yes."
John shook his head as he watched the two people bickering every day.
Killian's shoulders slumped as he walked to the bench with Daniel, and his back felt small.
"Hello!"
Dorothea, who resembled Knox, greeted Emily's family cheerfully and sat down in her seat.
“I missed you, Kylie.”
“Me too.”
The two little girls greeted each other with a tight hug. With only a year difference between them, they had quickly become best friends.
"Hello."
“Yes, Hayden. Welcome.”
“I see His Excellency and Daniel over there, so I guess they are being punished.”
“Huh? Yeah...”
Honestly, Emily felt uneasy every time she saw Hayden. She'd expected it since he was a baby, but how could he be so mature, unlike his parents?
“Hello, Emily!”
Following the children, Marlene and Knox also appeared.
“Welcome.”
Emily greeted Marlene with a hug. Her daughters kept asking, "Why doesn't Mommy greet her friends properly?" This change in greeting style led to a change in her greeting style.
“John! You’ve really grown up. How old are you now?”
When Knox tried to stroke his head again out of habit, John skillfully dodged and answered.
“Every time I see you, you ask. I’m sixteen.”
“Hey, you have a girlfriend?”
“There isn’t, and even if there is, I won’t tell you.”
“My father caused trouble. I apologize.”
Hayden apologized on behalf of his father, as if he were used to it.
'Really! How could he be Knox and Marlene's child?'
Emily kept sticking her tongue out into the air.
“Mother, please sit over here.”
This time, Hayden guided Marlene to the seat where Daniel had been sitting.
“Because if Daniel sits next to the Duchess, the Duchess won’t be able to eat well.”
He explained to the people who were looking at him with questions.
“Instead, since John has been taking good care of Daniel since he was little, it would be better for Daniel to sit next to him.”
“I don’t know if he’ll accept that, but yeah.”
John just nodded indifferently, as if he understood what Hayden meant.
“His Excellency has to look after Kylie, and our father has to look after Dorothea, so you can sit next to each other like that.”
Knox immediately reached out to Dorothea with an excited expression on his face.
“Our Dorothea, who loves you so much! Want to sit down with Daddy?”
“Yeah! Kylie should sit on the right, so Dad sits on the left.”
The children seemed quite accustomed to their father's accompaniment, judging by the way they clapped along so naturally.
“So, Hayden, where do you plan to sit?”
“I’ll sit in the middle. I eat well without needing any help.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two men who had just finished their cozy conversation walked towards the table.
Hayden looked at Daniel, his bangs neatly tied back, and shook his head inwardly. He thought, "I'm a mature six-year-old after all."
Emily decided to go on a date with Daniel, who was entering his rebellious phase at the age of six.
“Mom! Are we really going out alone?”
Daniel's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Emily felt heartbroken, thinking he was so happy about such a small thing. Thinking back, it seemed Kylie's birth had prevented her from fully focusing on Daniel.
"Yeah, today's the day Daniel and Mom get to do whatever they want. It's kind of like Only Child Day."
Daniel's eyes drooped at Emily's words.
“But... I can’t do it all in one day.”
Emily gave a small laugh and stroked Daniel's cheek.
"Yes, let's do it again next time. I'll go on a date with Daniel once a week."
“Really?”
Daniel did not seem to believe Emily's words.
“Yes, promise.”
Mom was a person who kept her promises. Only then did Daniel chuckle and link his pinky with Emily's hand.
The first place Daniel wanted to go with Emily was surprisingly an ordinary restaurant.
“Hayden told me the ice cream there is delicious.”
“Really? What’s the name?”
“I don’t remember the name, but I know the way there. It’s near the bookstore where John used to go with me whenever he bought me a book.”
“Really? Then, it's in Andros.”
Emily rode in the carriage with Daniel without thinking much about it.
“Here...”
Emily looked embarrassed when she finally arrived in front of the restaurant.
“Why, Mother?”
Daniel asked, taking her hand.
“Um, wait a minute...”
Emily immediately called Ivan.
“Yes, ma’am. Did you call?”
“Ivan, could you wait in front with Daniel for a moment?”
“Why are you doing that?”
Suddenly, Ivan's eyebrows furrowed as he looked towards the restaurant.
“Yes, I will take care of you, Young Master.”
Ivan answered with a solemn expression.
Emily left a bewildered Daniel in his care and went into the restaurant.
“Oh my, the Duchess is here. It’s been a long time.”
The restaurant owner, who happened to be at the counter, recognized her and greeted her.
“Yes, hello, sir.”
She quickly scanned the interior. Without further ado, an article with her picture was posted on the counter.
“Do you still have this article?”
That's right! This restaurant was the very place where Emily took up arms to protect her husband from Raminis.
“Of course. At that time, the broken chandelier was also repaired and hung like that!”
Many guests visited this restaurant to share the excitement of the event, as it was held in an environment where not everyone could easily use a gun, and even a beautiful lady was active.
“Is this causing you any trouble?”
The boss asked with a worried look in his eyes.
To be honest, the person who was the biggest thorn in Daniel's side these days wasn't his father, but 'John'.
He took after his father with black hair, but John had brown hair like his mother, so when the three of them went out together, people thought of John as more of a family member with his mother.
That made Daniel even more jealous and angry. So, whenever he came home from such misunderstandings, Daniel's resentment turned towards his father.
“Why does Dad have black hair!”
This was quite a grievance for Killian. It wasn't like he wanted his hair to be black.
And what made Daniel even more upset was that even his younger sister Kylie had a crush on John.
“Wake up, there’s an eleven-year age gap between you.”
“What does age have to do with love?”
His sister, now five, was so upset that she couldn't even speak out. It was frustrating not being able to tell his parents about the situation.
“Brother John, do you want to sit next to me?”
When he was with her, his eyes were so blank and soulless, so how could his eyes sparkle like that as soon as John came?
“Kylie, Dorothea will be coming too, so shouldn’t you have the seat next to you empty?”
“Oh, right! Kylie has to sit with Thea.”
Even without that, Killian was wary of him because Kylie seemed to like John too much.
But Daniel wanted to monopolize his mother more than anything, so he tried to ignore his younger sister's behavior.
“Auntie, I brought a napkin in case the oil gets on your clothes.”
“Oh, thank you, John.”
Daniel, who had been quietly watching Emily and John having a friendly conversation, spoke directly to his father.
"Father, there's going to be limited space here, too. I think you should go over there."
“Well? It looks like there’s plenty of room there.”
“Do you want my mother to sit so cramped?”
Emily's expression turned cold as she watched the two people arguing over something trivial.
“Both of you get up.”
The two men flinched at Emily's cold voice and quickly shut their mouths.
“Aren’t you going to wake up?”
“Emily...”
"Mother..."
But even if she kept her mouth shut now, Emily's already very angry mood would not be eased any time soon.
"Go over there and have a heart-to-heart talk. Marlene's family will be here soon, so don't embarrass them."
"...All right."
"...Yes."
John shook his head as he watched the two people bickering every day.
Killian's shoulders slumped as he walked to the bench with Daniel, and his back felt small.
***
"Hello!"
Dorothea, who resembled Knox, greeted Emily's family cheerfully and sat down in her seat.
“I missed you, Kylie.”
“Me too.”
The two little girls greeted each other with a tight hug. With only a year difference between them, they had quickly become best friends.
"Hello."
“Yes, Hayden. Welcome.”
“I see His Excellency and Daniel over there, so I guess they are being punished.”
“Huh? Yeah...”
Honestly, Emily felt uneasy every time she saw Hayden. She'd expected it since he was a baby, but how could he be so mature, unlike his parents?
“Hello, Emily!”
Following the children, Marlene and Knox also appeared.
“Welcome.”
Emily greeted Marlene with a hug. Her daughters kept asking, "Why doesn't Mommy greet her friends properly?" This change in greeting style led to a change in her greeting style.
“John! You’ve really grown up. How old are you now?”
When Knox tried to stroke his head again out of habit, John skillfully dodged and answered.
“Every time I see you, you ask. I’m sixteen.”
“Hey, you have a girlfriend?”
“There isn’t, and even if there is, I won’t tell you.”
“My father caused trouble. I apologize.”
Hayden apologized on behalf of his father, as if he were used to it.
'Really! How could he be Knox and Marlene's child?'
Emily kept sticking her tongue out into the air.
“Mother, please sit over here.”
This time, Hayden guided Marlene to the seat where Daniel had been sitting.
“Because if Daniel sits next to the Duchess, the Duchess won’t be able to eat well.”
He explained to the people who were looking at him with questions.
“Instead, since John has been taking good care of Daniel since he was little, it would be better for Daniel to sit next to him.”
“I don’t know if he’ll accept that, but yeah.”
John just nodded indifferently, as if he understood what Hayden meant.
“His Excellency has to look after Kylie, and our father has to look after Dorothea, so you can sit next to each other like that.”
Knox immediately reached out to Dorothea with an excited expression on his face.
“Our Dorothea, who loves you so much! Want to sit down with Daddy?”
“Yeah! Kylie should sit on the right, so Dad sits on the left.”
The children seemed quite accustomed to their father's accompaniment, judging by the way they clapped along so naturally.
“So, Hayden, where do you plan to sit?”
“I’ll sit in the middle. I eat well without needing any help.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two men who had just finished their cozy conversation walked towards the table.
Hayden looked at Daniel, his bangs neatly tied back, and shook his head inwardly. He thought, "I'm a mature six-year-old after all."
***
Emily decided to go on a date with Daniel, who was entering his rebellious phase at the age of six.
“Mom! Are we really going out alone?”
Daniel's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Emily felt heartbroken, thinking he was so happy about such a small thing. Thinking back, it seemed Kylie's birth had prevented her from fully focusing on Daniel.
"Yeah, today's the day Daniel and Mom get to do whatever they want. It's kind of like Only Child Day."
Daniel's eyes drooped at Emily's words.
“But... I can’t do it all in one day.”
Emily gave a small laugh and stroked Daniel's cheek.
"Yes, let's do it again next time. I'll go on a date with Daniel once a week."
“Really?”
Daniel did not seem to believe Emily's words.
“Yes, promise.”
Mom was a person who kept her promises. Only then did Daniel chuckle and link his pinky with Emily's hand.
The first place Daniel wanted to go with Emily was surprisingly an ordinary restaurant.
“Hayden told me the ice cream there is delicious.”
“Really? What’s the name?”
“I don’t remember the name, but I know the way there. It’s near the bookstore where John used to go with me whenever he bought me a book.”
“Really? Then, it's in Andros.”
Emily rode in the carriage with Daniel without thinking much about it.
***
“Here...”
Emily looked embarrassed when she finally arrived in front of the restaurant.
“Why, Mother?”
Daniel asked, taking her hand.
“Um, wait a minute...”
Emily immediately called Ivan.
“Yes, ma’am. Did you call?”
“Ivan, could you wait in front with Daniel for a moment?”
“Why are you doing that?”
Suddenly, Ivan's eyebrows furrowed as he looked towards the restaurant.
“Yes, I will take care of you, Young Master.”
Ivan answered with a solemn expression.
Emily left a bewildered Daniel in his care and went into the restaurant.
“Oh my, the Duchess is here. It’s been a long time.”
The restaurant owner, who happened to be at the counter, recognized her and greeted her.
“Yes, hello, sir.”
She quickly scanned the interior. Without further ado, an article with her picture was posted on the counter.
“Do you still have this article?”
That's right! This restaurant was the very place where Emily took up arms to protect her husband from Raminis.
“Of course. At that time, the broken chandelier was also repaired and hung like that!”
Many guests visited this restaurant to share the excitement of the event, as it was held in an environment where not everyone could easily use a gun, and even a beautiful lady was active.
“Is this causing you any trouble?”
The boss asked with a worried look in his eyes.
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