WAACD 02

Chapter – 02

Love That’s Too Heavy

Little Hikari—that is, me—is now one and a half years old.

I’ve gradually become able to say words, and before I knew it, I could stand up and walk slowly.

Thanks to that, I’ve gained incomparably more freedom than before.

I’m so happy, yay! —is what a former high school boy is cheering inside his heart.

—

But even with this increased freedom, little Hikari now has one big problem.

And that is—

With a loud *bang*, the door swung open, and a large, handsome man appeared.

“Fah-tah!”

When I desperately called out to Father, his expression shifted, his eyes lit up, and he walked toward me as if ready to break into a run at any moment.

“Ooooh, Hikari! It’s Daddy, you know?”

“Fah-tah! T-tight!”

He rubs his stubbly face against mine.

Yes, this is my current problem.

His love is just too heavy. It’s a luxurious problem, but on a one-year-old’s soft skin, it stings just a little.

And perhaps because he’s my father in this life, I don’t feel any discomfort at all—which is honestly frustrating.

—

No, seriously—being treated like this by some middle-aged man I don’t even know, and not feeling bothered by it, is seriously weird!

—

“Fah-tah, did you work hard?”

“Yeah! Daddy worked really hard, you know?”

This father of mine is completely smitten with his daughter.

When I was zero years old, his excessively intense affection would make him stop work, and there was a risk he might unconsciously hurt me, so Shal limited how often he could see me.

But now that the restrictions are off—

“Master…”

He doesn’t care at all about Shal’s exasperated gaze—as soon as he finishes work, he comes here without a second thought.

Seriously, such a doting parent. Well, he’s a count and apparently good at management, so he’s smart, but seriously, such an idiot.

—

“Honestly, I thought you weren’t in your office, and here you are, fawning over Hikari again?”

“Filia! Listen, Filia—Hikari called me ‘Fah-tah’—”

“I heard that yesterday too, you know?”

“Master—no, Lord Ozwald?”

“Urk, Shal… Why the sour face…?”

Filia—that’s my current mother’s name, and Ozwald is my father’s name.

Just like Mother, Father also has a personal butler, apparently, but I haven’t met him yet.

If he’s as devoted to me as Father is… well, uh… let’s stop thinking about that.

—

“By the way, I received a message from His Majesty the other day.”

Saying that, Ozwald took out an expensive-looking letter from his breast pocket.

“What is it? Has the Queen’s pregnancy been discovered or something?”

*(Ooh…)*

Is it really okay to discuss such a delicate topic in front of a man, even if he is your husband?

“One is exactly that. Whether it’s the Fourth Prince or the Third Princess—I’m looking forward to it, aren’t you?”

*(He was right!?)*

So that means there will be three sons and two daughters now.

The Queen sure works hard…

“The other is an invitation to the Second Princess’s fifth birthday celebration and a party to find suitors.”

“Oh, that’s for our children, isn’t it?”

*(Right, right! An engagement at one and a half years old… wait, can two girls even get married!? No, but I’m a boy… huh!?)*

I feel like I’m standing at a crossroads in my life right now.

*(My gender is… wait, which… which is it!?)*

“Either way, she wouldn’t even be a candidate in the first place. Well, I suppose she could be a candidate for the Third Prince’s engagement… but I’m not giving my daughter away!!”

“Dear…”

Filia watches Ozwald with a slightly exasperated look, but I’m different.

“I’LL PWO-TECT HER!”

With strong determination, I repeat the same words as Father.

“Ooooh, Hikari! So Hikari wants to stay with Daddy too, huh!”

“Yeah!”

Showered with my doting father’s slightly prickly stubble, I brace myself for a future still far, far away.

I mean, I don’t even know how old the Third Prince is—seriously, how many years in the future is this…?