A Secretly Capable Child Is Seeking For Her Dad - Chapter 365

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

A Powerful Child Searches for Dad Episode 365

* * *

Wheeze- wheeze-

Hot breath brushed past small, white fingers.

Very slowly, rhythmically.

Tie quickly pulled her hand away from under Ardiana’s nose and whispered with sparkling eyes.

“You’re breathing well…!”

Tesetan, who was sitting on the sofa, couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“It would be a big problem if she didn’t breathe well, daughter.”

“Yes! That’s right!”

This time Tie carefully tilted her head toward Ardiana’s chest.

It seemed she wanted to listen to her heartbeat this time.

Tesetan, who was watching this scene, fell into thought.

‘It seems like her resistance toward Ardiana has diminished quite a bit.’

He recalled the contents of the letters that Nordics had been steadily sending.

What remained memorable from those unnecessarily long letters were generally similar words.

[Please don’t pressure Astie too much. The child must be feeling down because her heart doesn’t follow her mind. The Duke probably already knows this. Astie said that in the other world, they call such things ‘trauma.’]

Trauma.

How much he had laughed seeing that.

[I think Astie still has something similar remaining. For that child, the Emperor and the members, and everything that triggers past memories would all be unconscious trauma. When facing them, her chest would feel stuffy, her heart would race, and she’d break out in cold sweat. How much would a young child want to run away in front of that.]

‘We know that too.’

The couple had already given up all the efforts they had been making long ago.

Tesetan no longer pressured Tie to call Ardiana mother.

Instead, in front of the child, he used the title the child had directly chosen: ‘Your Majesty the Emperor.’

Then Tie seemed much more comfortable.

The mercenaries also noticed this and reduced their visits to the Princess’s Palace.

Of course, Ardiana was heartbroken.

Tie must really hate me.

She must dislike me so much she doesn’t even want to see my face.

What if she avoids me forever like this?

What if she never lets me stay by her side until the very end?

She would say such things while wiping away tears.

But.

“Beat, Father! Thump thump! Thump thump! Like this!”

Seeing Tie shouting with an excited face, he suddenly had this thought.

Haven’t we been worrying too much unnecessarily?

Perhaps the child had been gradually opening her heart to Ardiana without knowing it.

“That’s right. But why won’t Your Majesty the Emperor wake up?”

Tie, who had come running over, drooped her eyebrows.

“Right. Sabert Grandfather said she would wake up soon, so we came…”

The sun outside the window was already setting.

“This won’t do. Father will go call the doctor again. Can you stay here alone with Your Majesty the Emperor?”

Tie closed her mouth.

The child seemed to hesitate, but soon looked back at the sleeping Ardiana and nodded her head bravely.

“Yes!”

After Tesetan left, silence settled in the room.

Tie sat on the sofa swinging her legs back and forth, then carefully stood up and approached the bed.

She stared intently at Ardiana lying there.

The blonde hair that was always braided and tied up in a single strand was spread widely across the pillow.

Tie quietly swallowed.

“Mo…”

The wind that began blowing as evening came shook the window frame as it passed.

Through the gaps in the curtains, snow was still falling outside.

“Mo… Mom, whew!”

Tie, who couldn’t manage to say the word in the end, exhaled the breath she had been holding.

Father’s wish.

And Ardiana’s wish.

She thought maybe she could try calling her now when no one was around and Ardiana was in deep sleep.

Her cheeks puffed up naturally from her frustrated feelings.

‘Mom, what’s so difficult about doing this?’

When she lived in Jongno-gu, she had called even the wooden doll mom just fine.

It was when the child was struggling alone that it happened.

“…by.”

A very small sound flowed from Ardiana’s mouth.

“Baby, no. No…”

Her peaceful face was becoming distorted.

Her white brow furrowed, her eyelashes trembled, and tears streamed down her temples.

“My daughter didn’t leave. My baby wouldn’t have done that… No, please…”

Her steady breathing became irregular.

Tie was so startled that she stepped back from the bed.

The next moment, Ardiana let out a sharp scream and bolted upright.

The quiet room was filled only with the sound of Ardiana’s heavy breathing.

Focus gradually returned to her blue eyes that had been staring into space.

“This place is…”

She was muttering when she saw Tie and closed her mouth.

Tie stood with her hands clasped together and swallowed hard.

Neither Tie nor Ardiana readily opened their mouths.

Only the small sound of white snow settling on the window frame filled the silence.

How much time had passed?

“…Tie knows about that too.”

Suddenly Tie raised one hand hesitantly.

“I heard Sabert Grandfather and Sister Cadia talking. That Tie…”

Her bright green eyes, full of curiosity and sparkling, turned toward Ardiana.

“Went to Heaven once.”

* * *

Where should I start?

Looking at Tie who had settled down in front of her, Ardiana moved her lips slightly.

Seeing the child’s innocent face, a sigh naturally escaped her.

“Cadia… I told her so many times to watch her words.”

Then Tie made a “huh” sound and opened her eyes wide.

“Sister Cadia did nothing wrong. Tie secretly went out to the garden and heard it. I was curious about what she was talking about with Shabet Grandfather.”

“…”

“Really!”

Ardiana had no choice but to nod her head.

However, the child still looked somewhat anxious.

“I won’t scold Cadia.”

Ardiana finally said.

“Same goes for Sabert.”

Sure enough, Tie’s expression brightened considerably.

The child was so happy that even the corners of her mouth trembled.

Ardiana watched that scene blankly, then turned her gaze away out of habit.

It was a habit that had formed after realizing that Tie didn’t welcome her gaze.

But then, Tie asked again.

“But Your Majesty. Did Tie really die?”

It was a childlike yet cautious question.

Ardiana let out a sigh.

Then she nodded her head.

“…Yes.”

“And that’s why she lost her memory?”

“Yes.”

Tie’s green eyes widened greatly.

“So it was true that Tie had amnesia…”

The child lowered her head with a dejected expression.

“I thought Father was lying to hide that we secretly moved…”

Her small shoulders seemed to droop a little, then the child raised her head again.

“Then, before losing her memory?”

Sparkling eyes turned toward Ardiana.

“Did Tie and Your Majesty get along well?”

Ardiana couldn’t answer immediately.

“Did you eat together and go on walks? Were you really, really close?”

Close, she said.

Could that heart, that affection and bond be fully expressed with just the word “close”?

Ardiana swallowed her breath.

The child’s voice echoed in her ears, saying Mother was the best in the world, even better than Father.

“Did she call you Mother?”

“Yes.”

The answer burst out instantly.

Nordics had said not to talk about old times in front of Tie if possible, but somehow it felt like this moment was okay.

Tie had a calmer expression than expected.

She didn’t seem surprised or displeased.

Rather, her face looked as if she already knew.

“…It must hurt your heart.”

Tie murmured.

“You must be sad that Tie forgot all the old memories.”

Ardiana didn’t know what to say and quietly looked at Tie.

“Your Majesty.”

At that moment, Tie called out to Ardiana.

Ardiana looked at the child with trembling eyes.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for raising Tie.”

Tie hesitantly approached and took Ardiana’s hand.

She only grasped her right index finger that stuck out from under the blanket, but even that made Ardiana’s heart sink.

“Your Majesty is the head of the family, right? That’s why you got Tie a teacher, and buy delicious snacks and pretty clothes, right?”

“…”

“But you don’t scold Tie even when she doesn’t pay attention in class. Even when she doesn’t call you Mother…”

The child stopped speaking and rolled her eyes, trailing off.

“You’re so considerate of Tie…”

Perhaps embarrassed, the child quickly pulled her hand away and looked down at the floor awkwardly.

Then she slowly raised her gaze to meet Ardiana’s.

“I’ll come to you first later.”

Ardiana’s eyes widened.

“When Tie gets her memory back.”

Ardiana couldn’t take her eyes off Tie’s green eyes as if frozen.

For the first time, Tie was smiling brightly in front of her.

“Not to other people, but I’ll run to Your Majesty first.”

Looking down, she saw a pinky finger thrust forward energetically right in front of her nose.

“Because Your Majesty is the head of our family and the leader. Promise!”

Ardiana hesitated for a long time, then unconsciously let out a laugh.

Then she carefully hooked her finger with that small finger.

* * *

A few weeks later.

Cadia followed behind Ardiana with quick steps and asked.

“You’re going to sleep? Already? Now?”

“Yes. The sun set long ago, so what’s wrong with going to bed.”

“No… what on earth happened that day?”

Cadia recalled a few days ago.

The day when Ardiana, who had looked anxious, collapsed from overwork.

That day, after having some conversation with Tie, Ardiana changed remarkably.

“Your Majesty. I can’t believe my own eyes right now. You told me to postpone some appointments because there are too many, and that you would absolutely sleep before midnight no matter what…”

“Did I?”

“Yes! You’ve been taking the medicine prescribed by your physician diligently, and you even ordered me to prepare supplements to boost your energy!”

“Did I say that.”

Cadia pursed her lips and stopped in place.

Then she hurriedly ran again to close the distance with Ardiana.

“Please tell me. I’m really curious, really curious.”

Ardiana burst into laughter.

Then she said in a somewhat proud voice.

“I can’t collapse again.”

“Pardon?”

“Who knows when her memory will return.”

Cadia frowned.

But Ardiana just chuckled to herself and hummed, regardless.

“I don’t know about other things, but I must keep my sleep schedule. That way I can be the first to hear that joyful news.”

“No, what does that…”

“Ardiana.”

Just then, someone’s voice came from the end of the corridor.

Tesetan was waiting for Ardiana in front of the bedroom.

Ardiana’s eyes widened, then she smiled brightly and waved her hand at Cadia as if telling her to go.

“Go on.”

Cadia hesitated and stopped in place.

Making a “tsk” sound as she turned around, a ticklish conversation came over her shoulder as if they had been waiting.

“How was today? Is it okay for someone who worked all day to have such a pretty face?”

“Don’t wait for me, go to sleep first.”

“This isn’t even waiting. I’m so happy I can fall asleep with you. You know, today our daughter…”

“Sigh.”

Cadia secretly stuck out her tongue and trudged along.

Her sides felt cold, really cold.

“…At this rate, I’ll have to wear extra layers even in summer after spring passes. No, maybe I’ll have to do that for life.”

No matter how much she thought about it, the emptiness she felt didn’t seem to be because of the cold weather.

Side Story 1 <End>

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————