“Are you eating well?””

Pollock said Cassion’s condition has improved much.

‘He doesn’t look very good, but Pollock is right. He’s better than before.’

Cassion even went for a walkIt’s worth calling a miracle if you listen to it.

“Yes.”

“Don’t lie. Pollock reports that he doesn’t finish your meal every day.”

“Why do you ask when you know?”

“Doesn’t the food suit your taste?”

Cassion didn’t answer. I guess I got the right answer.

‘Picky eater? He’s a kid.’

“Pollock is not good at cooking. I’ll get you a dedicated chef soon. That’s why I have to see His Majesty.”

Cassion’s expression became serious. I can’t leave Cassion alone forever. He needed someone to take good care of him.

I would pay for it, but basically I have to have the King’s authority to assign people in the palace.

Even if I didn’t get permission to marry, I had to meet Carmine to get a proper chef.

“My father wouldn’t want to meet me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“My father doesn’t like me.”

Were there parents who didn’t like their children?

I didn’t think so. Even hedgehogs would think that their child was cute.

Hedgehogs were actually cute.

Cassion’s father, Carmine, was a cold man.

I, who had stayed in the palace for a long time as Dyson’s fiancee, could count when I saw Carmine’s bright smile with my ten fingers.

He didn’t know how to say a friendly greeting to both Dyson and me.

But I never thought he was a twisted person who hated his children.

He was just a blunt, typical father.

Carmine did not protect Cassion, but he did not abandon him.

Negligence was also violence, but I could tell that Carmine’s feelings toward Cassion were not bad just by looking at it.

However, I asked Cassion because he felt that Carmine hated him.

“Why do you think so?”

“There is no reply to my letter.”

“Did you send a letter?”

“Yes, while you’re away.”

“Do you write letters often?”

Cassion waved his hand to stop the nonsense.

“Why did you write a letter?”

“....our marriage....”

Cassion hesitated for a long time before answering. Did I hear it right?

Cassion sent a letter to Carmine about marrying me?

I couldn’t believe it and looked at him blankly while Cassion was coughing his lungs out.

“Well, I can’t make you do all the work.”

Oh, I’m proud of you.

I reached out without realizing it. Cassion stared at me as I stroked his fine hair.

“Put your hands away.”

I lowered my hand in embarrassment.

“So what happened?”

“There was no answer.”

If it wasn’t because I was considering Carmine’s circumstances, I would have blamed him without realizing it since I was on Cassion’s side.

But I couldn’t not judge the situation because of my emotions.

“There must be a reason.”

I tried to look at the situation objectively.

“What could be the reason you can’t reply to your child’s letter? Moreover, that’s also the first letter I’ve ever sent.”

Cassion’s lips popped out.

At times like this, he was definitely a child.

He must have been disappointed that the letter he sent was ignored.

Still, Cassion should not completely give up to Carmine.

Carmine was a man who would not be turned against, at least until Cassion was allowed to marry and safely survive to become an adult.

‘If there’s anything wrong, I could just ask. After checking if there is a misunderstanding.’

“But he came last time.”

Casion closed his mouth when he remembered when the King came.

“When did he came again? What did you say when he came?”

The King came when Cassion collapsed, causing a commotion. At that time, I was only focused on how to save Cassion, so I didn’t try to find out what happened.

Speaking of which, I should asked about it.

When I straightened my posture and stared at him, Cassion knitted his lips.

“He told me not to live a pathetic life.”

“What?”

“He told me not to show up until I stood upright on both of my legs properly.”

Did he even have something else to say to his dying son?!

Cassion smirked as I clenched my fist.

“How is it any different from getting kicked out?”

Cassion’s resignation fueled my anger further.

Was King Carmine that indifferent?

I scrambled through the memories of the past. He was a cynical man, very busy, but not hard enough to whip his sick son.

At least he knew how to feel sympathy.

Carmine once reduced his sentence because the sinner who committed the crime had a child.

That happened a few times!

Dyson was unhappy with Carmine’s way of ruling, but I liked his human side.

‘I thought he could be some help.’

Frankly, I tried to stimulate Carmine’s sympathy to cheer Cassion up.

At least I wanted Carmine to stay neutral.

But considering what he said to his sick son, it seemed difficult to expect neutrality.

‘Don’t come up until you stand upright’, that wouldn’t mean literally right?

He had never replied to Cassion’s letter, but he suddenly appeared and told him to stand properly first... What?

Suddenly, a light flashed in my head.

Carmine was famous for his reticence. Moreover, it was rather from the fact that he had little personal time due to heavy work.

A busy Carmine came to Cassion out of the blue and verbally abused him?

That didn’t make sense.

I was lost in thought.

Why would Carmine come here? Why did he take his time to come all the way here only to say, “Stand up”– What did he need Cassion stand uo for anyway?

“Ah!”

I found the answer. Cassion tilted his head at my exclamation.

“What?”

I drew close to Cassion. And I said, looking at Cassion, who was pulling his upper body back.

“Your Highness, we misunderstood.”

Cassion looked at me with eyes like he couldn’t understand what I was saying.

“He told you to stand up. His Majesty is not here to kick you out, but to give you strength!”