Navia could no longer hold back her tears and let them flow freely.
Lark had never once comforted a crying child in his life.
Awkwardly, he let Navia lean on him and patted her back with stiff movements.
'It's not like she's crying because she hates it...'
Worriedly, he thought to himself.
"What on earth has happened to our Navia?"
Margaret had never seen Navia cry so bitterly before.
In fact, she had never seen the child cry at all.
Margaret was deeply shocked.
The child's maturity aside, the events that had transpired were too much for an eight-year-old to bear.
A battered body from severe injuries, the appearance of assassins, maids who tormented her, and Theorban's violent behavior.
Navia had not cried through all these events. She had calmly endured them.
Moreover, she should have cried several more times out of hurt from Lark's attitude.
Yet, it was only now that she was crying.
Margaret covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes already moist with tears. Charlotte and Minerva, witnessing this scene, were no different.
As the atmosphere turned heavy and everyone began to cry, Lark stood there, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"…Wait."
Margaret approached Navia but then her expression turned cold.
"Why is Navia's cheek like this?"
She quickly realized the cause.
"It's Theorban's doing."
At the mention of something wrong with Navia's cheek, Charlotte rushed over and gasped at the sight of the swollen redness.
"My goodness! What happened to our young lady's face!"
She was furious and ranted in anger.
"That despicable man…! Just yesterday he locked our young lady in a storage room, and his daughter tore all her clothes!"
"What? A storage room?"
Lark's frown deepened as he asked.
Charlotte, upon noticing the man holding Navia, was visibly shocked and amazed.
'Wow, such a handsome man exists?'
That was the look on her face.
Then Charlotte quickly composed herself and seriously recounted the recent chaos to Navia, putting Lark, who had collapsed, in a favorable light.
Navia, with countless tears falling, curled up tightly.
"Margaret, I'm sorry. The cloak got torn because of me. I'm sorry. It was my fault."
Navia desperately apologized, not wanting to be hated.
The cloak was old. It belonged to her child. Just that fact made Navia feel it was sacrilegious to even guess at the special meaning it might have had for Margaret.
Such a garment was now torn. If only she hadn't been there, it would not have ripped.
Then Margaret shook her head and gently wiped away the tears streaming down and soaking Navia's cheeks.
"Navia, it's true that the cloak had special meaning to me. But I have many other items that hold special memories too."
She stroked the child's cheeks with both hands, feeling how violently Navia was shivering.
"This is not your fault, Navia. You said Masha tore the dress, right? How then is it your fault?"
"If I weren't here, none of this would have happened!"
Yet Navia had always taken responsibility for every problem she was involved in.
"If only I wasn't here…"
As Navia mumbled, Lark, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke.
"That's right."
Everyone's gaze turned to Lark.
"It wouldn't have happened if that bastard Theorban wasn't here. I should have killed him earlier."
His voice was filled with murderous intent.
"I'll wipe out the Alvin Count's family right now."
Navia, initially not understanding what he meant, suddenly sat up from where she was leaning on him.
"You can't do that!"
If Lark genuinely wanted to wage a war over the territory, a formal declaration of war was necessary.
A surprise attack would be seen as the fault of the attacking family, putting the Eseled Duke's family at a severe disadvantage.
"Margaret Romanov, from today, Eseled enters a war state."
Navia thought Margaret would surely object to such a crazy statement.
However, Margaret, as if hearing good news, immediately knelt on one knee.
"I obey your command."
Navia still cried and earnestly tried to dissuade them.
"No, please don't do it. Don't attack the Alvin Count's family!"
It was a move with no benefits and only losses.
But Margaret thought Navia was too young to understand.
"Our Navia is so kind…"
Lark clicked his tongue.
"Being too soft will only make those fools climb higher. You have to crush them decisively at times like this."
"No, that's not it…"
Just then, Suleiman, who had been out, appeared, looking bewildered.
"My lord? When did you wake up? Why is everyone gathered here......"
Lark cut off his words.
"Suleiman, I was about to wipe out the Alvin Count's family. Get ready."
"What? Are you planning a surprise attack on their territory? Against our own kin?"
In short, Suleiman's words meant, "My lord, have you lost your mind?"
"That bastard hit the child."
"What did you say!"
Upon hearing that Navia had been hit, Suleiman also showed immense fury.
Navia, trying somehow to resolve the situation, hiccuped and pointed to the envelope in Suleiman's hand.
"Suleiman, what is that...?"
Only then did Suleiman realize and extended the envelope to Lark.
"I encountered a postal courier at the main gate. It's addressed to you, my lord."
"Open it and check."
Suleiman inspected the envelope.
"...Huh? It says the poppy farm's ownership has been transferred to you, my lord?"
"What? Let me see."
The envelope contained a certificate transferring the ownership of the poppy farm from Theorban Alvin to Lark Eseled.
"Why has the poppy farm suddenly been transferred to me? I haven't done anything."
Lark frowned in confusion as he learned of the unexpected transfer.
That's when Navia, wiping her tears, said,
"I did it."
"...Huh?"
Everyone's gaze shifted to Navia.
"I requested the transfer of the poppy farm from the Alvin Count's family."
Navia said so, tearing up again.
Her desperation not to be discarded at that time resurfaced.
Navia was also puzzled by the situation. She had only requested information about the farm's vulnerabilities.
'Why would the informant go so far as to transfer the farm to me?'
Why is Erkin being so kind? This isn't just because of the information I provided. Otherwise, a similar situation would have occurred in my past life.
Navia's already confused mind became more turbulent.
Still, the silver lining was that she could prove she hadn't stopped the destruction of the Alvin Count's family out of compassion.
"If we annihilate them by force, the empire might label Eseled as evil and raise an army."
The Alvin Count's family was not worth staining hands with blood.
"If we strip them of everything they own, they'll self-destruct soon enough. So, don't attack now."
Everyone thought Navia, still young, was speaking out of a soft heart.
But in reality, the little girl in Lark's arms had the most thorough plan to eliminate the Alvins.
Lark was dumbfounded, his energy drained.
The others looked at Navia with stunned expressions.
As the center of attention, Navia couldn't stop her tears and looked pitifully sobbing.
"Alright. I won't annihilate them as you say. Stop crying."
"Okay..."
She said so, but her pent-up sorrow burst out, and she couldn't stop crying.
However, warmth returned to her cold hands, and her trembling body calmed down.
'She’s tired.'
Lark noticed Navia's exhaustion and started towards the third floor, the servants trailing behind.
Suleiman, not fully grasping the situation, glanced at Lark, who seemed overly familiar with Navia.
Lark paused as he was about to ascend the stairs and turned back.
His gaze met Charlotte, who followed him with an anxious expression.
"Are you Navia's dedicated maid?"
"...Yes! That's correct."
He hesitated for a moment, considering granting Charlotte access to the third floor.
'Do normal people live mingled with others? Should I do the same for this child?'
Lark snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Magic spread from his body, making the surrounding servants' hair and clothes flutter as if in the wind.
Everyone's eyes widened, and Lark casually said,
"I've removed the access restriction magic on the third floor."
"…!"
Margaret covered her mouth in surprise, and Suleiman's shock was clearly visible.
Lark, who disliked being influenced by external matters, making such a decision was unexpected.
Especially a decision made for Navia.
The reason Lark had placed entry restriction magic on the third floor was to hide a woman ten years ago.
He had done so to prevent intruders from discovering her existence, making them die without even a scream.
But now, he had opened it up.
Lark, a man who could indifferently watch someone die in front of him, had made the most humane decision possible.
His idea of 'a normal father' allowed the child freedom.
To invite whoever she wanted.
To not have to watch his mood.
'This child thinks too much.'
Always towards the negative.
"Now anyone can come and go."
Navia felt Lark's care for her.
"...Thank you."
Margaret, witnessing this, was touched.
Clumsy father and daughter, trying to fit into a family, brought tears to her eyes.
'I'm such a fool.'
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