Don’t Remember Me

towards Flitta, the child rolled her eyes and glanced back.
Then she immediately opened her mouth in admiration.

“Rosé!”

Haven’s gaze followed the child’s voice and headed behind it.
Rosé approached from behind Flitta and met Haven’s eyes.
He also hesitated and stopped.

In a child-like manner.

Moreover, since both of them made and wore garlands, their hair were disheveled.

‘….
If the nanny saw me now, she’d be freaking out.
I’m glad I left her at the mansion.’

While Haven was thinking that to herself, Rosé and Flitta whispered something to each other, and the child approached him again.
He just stared down at the child who hesitated for a long time even after she came close to him.

“… Um, this.”

And after a while, the child presented him with a crown of flowers.
She put her hands behind her back and seemed to have been trying to hide the crown.

‘… But, a flower crown?’

He narrowed his eyes, suddenly got puzzled.
Then Flitta hesitated, took a deep breath, looked up at him and said clearly.

“Dad, this is a gift.”

“… What?”

“I want Dad to wear this on his head, along with us.”

Pppft.
Pedwin, who had been backing away, seemed to be suppressing his laughter which may burst anytime.
At the same time, Haven’s face twisted.
It happened without a moment to hide his expression.

“Wh, what…”

“Hah! Try it out, Your Highness, Grand Duke.
Your Highness is naturally beautiful, so I think you would look good wearing a garland.”

While Haven couldn’t control his absurd mind and couldn’t speak, Pedwin quickly came to his side and opened his mouth in a deliberately serious tone.
But his face was full of mischievous laughter.

“…”

Haven just stared at his young daughter, unable to refute his escort’s blasphemous jokes.
The child just stared at him with both hands holding the flower crown as if she would wait until he accepts it.

He was speechless at the sight and turned to look behind her back.
Rosé seemed to be laughing with an expression hard to explain, but when she met his eyes, she immediately lowered her head.

She wasn’t the only one.
Even the knights, soldiers, and attendants who were taking a break from a distance were watching this situation with interest.

In all those gazes, Haven felt bleak.
He felt emotions he had never felt in front of anyone else, in front of his young daughter’s clear eyes.

It was unbelievable.

He couldn’t believe wearing this flower crown.

As a grand duke, he wondered if he was near being a clown.

It was something he just had to refuse.
Had the nanny been present, she would hastily scolded the princess and taught her manners.
Rather than behaving like that maid who instigated the child to make a flower crown together and set up this trick.

But …

“… Hooh.”

He let out a deep sigh involuntarily.
Then Flitta flinched and lowered her hand holding while holding the flower crown.
The image of the child who hesitated for a while overlapped with the sight in front o

As a child, she must have had great courage.
She was a child who had never given him such a gift.
He had never seen her with expectant eyes.

So, it was.

“… Of course, thank you.”

He couldn’t get rid of her small hand while holding it.

He replied awkwardly, extending his hand to receive the garland.
Unexpectedly, however, Flitta shook her head and gave strength to the hand holding the crown.

“I will put it on you.”

Again, his brow crumpled.
However, after sighing again, he pretended to be calm and kept his expression on his face, then bowed toward the child.
Then Flitta looked at Haven’s eyes and soon put a crown on him with a bright face.
Even though he bent his back, she was on tiptoe because she was short.

The flower crown was placed on top of his head.
The size doesn’t fit, no, he might have to say it’s fortunate that it doesn’t fit.
Anyway, Haven spoke to Flitta in a calm tone, trying hard not to notice the crown of flowers on his head.

“I have some time before we start again, so let’s go for a walk together.”

“Oh… yes!”

Flitta stared blankly at her father’s flower crown, then she nodded her head in response to his question.
She then reached out her hand toward him.

“…”

Haven’s eyes turned to the small hand that was reaching out to him.
His blue eyes trembled with inexplicable emotion.
However, he soon took the child’s small hand and went for a walk.

Rosé stood behind them, staring from a distance, and smiled happily without even realizing it.

Their relationship isn’t perfect.
Sometimes, they’ll see each other with awkwardness but little by little, a change was taking place.

They’re reaching out to each other, little by little, and that’s why it’s so…

“Rosé, aren’t you coming with us?”