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We came back to the banquet hall.

Would Cade have come back by now?

I was about to return to my original seat after breaking up with Sage, but I heard a very angry voice right next to me.

“They say that the Clan is doing well. How difficult is it to give out just one road! They told me to pay a toll of fifty gold coins!”

“Calm down, Mr. Retra. Giving access to the border roads is a sensitive matter. There’s nothing good about being emotional.”

“That’s right. Why don’t you talk about it next time?”

Retra was the person who had come to talk to Cade earlier. I glanced at him as I passed by. He was huffing and puffing with a red face.

“Isn’t fifty gold coins okay? I heard the Black Mamba Clan offered to escort you while moving through the road.”

“Isn’t that easy for them? They are trying to make money by using a weak family like us.”

In a serious atmosphere, I walked as carefully as possible.

I don’t like this. I’m scared.

I was about to go back to Cade with a tearful face, but I met Retra’s eyes. He had a surprised expression on his face as he didn’t know I was listening, and then he smiled.

“Well. Black mambas are cruel and greedy by nature, aren’t they? It’s obvious because such a Duke is their leader.”

At those words, my mind went blank.

Retra looked like he was expecting me to run away scared or crying.

The rest of the people who belatedly noticed my existence was astonished at his radical remarks.

“Oh, why is the child here…”

No.

“…-o.” (Irene)

Cade and the people here aren’t bad.

“No!!” (Irene)

I shouted loudly. The banquet hall suddenly became quiet. I could feel the people around me stop what they were doing to look at me.

Retra’s expression turned to embarrassment as if he didn’t know I was going to scream.

“W-why is the little one screaming?”

“Cade is nice! Cade is cool every day! You don’t know anything and are lying!”

Rosaria takes care of me every day, and the other people always smile when they see me! Arban pretends he doesn’t care but always listens to me… I’m not close to Seth yet, but he doesn’t look that bad!

I squeezed all my last strength.

“It’s my Daddy!!! Irene knows him best!”

The noise of people talking grew louder. Retra flinched and reached out his hand to cover my mouth. As his large hand approached, I closed my eyes tightly.

“Enough.”

“……!”

“Don’t touch the Lady recklessly.”

A man with dark blue hair tied up in a long bundle stood in front of him. I looked at the man in surprise. I was staring blankly at the large back that was blocking my front, and I heard a familiar voice from behind.

“Yes, I heard you well. Irene.”

“……Daddy……”

“Come here.”

“Buahh.”

The tears that were welling up were pouring down as if they had been waiting. As I was held in his arms, Cade, who was holding me, gently patted my back.

“My daughter never cried before.”

With a single word from him, the atmosphere subsided.

“Who made the daughter I raised so nicely cry like this?”

Whenever Cade’s gaze touched each person, people avoided his eyes. Soon after, Seth opened his mouth.

“It’s okay Irene. You don’t have to say it. Just wipe them all out. It must be one of them.”

Then Arban calmly replied with a cold face that was not like him.

“No. She has a weak stomach. Better handle it from behind.”

I wiped away my tears with a sniffle.

No. I don’t want things to go that far.

Feeling that something big was going to happen, I quickly decided to tattle who the criminal was.

“That uncle said bad things.”

Three pairs of red eyes turned to Retra.

“Oh, are you talking about that rat?”

Cade twisted his lips and laughed.

“I was getting ready to take care of them one day, but thank you for setting the game up, Retra.”

I thought that the guy named Retra was the main target of, ‘These fools are always asking for help with their bare mouths. I should kick them out.’

Retra jumped as the situation turned serious.

“No. Children usually cry a lot, don’t they? I didn’t make her cry.”

But Cade seemed unwilling to listen.

“You’ve hurt my daughter’s heart, and you will pay the price.”

He looked very angry, making Retra’s complexion turn white.

Could it be that I made this bigger than necessary?

I was worried for a moment, but when I remembered what Retra just said, I was angry again. I whispered in Cade’s ear.

“That Uncle said Daddy was a bad guy. I heard everything.”

“That’s why you felt upset?”

“Yes. That’s why Irene is sad.”

It’s my daddy.

Suddenly, my lips went down and my eyes got wet. Sniff. When I got upset again and buried my face on his shoulder, Cade asked back while comforting me.

“How should I scold that uncle?”

It was a voice with a hint of joy. I was troubled by his sudden question.

How do you scold him?

I’ve never thought about it. I don’t know, so I shook my head.

“Daddy. I don’t know how.”

“Right.”

Cade laughed out loud. Soon, a cold voice reached Retra.

“The promise of alliance with your clan is void, Retra.”

“What is that…! To end the alliance unilaterally like this? It’s not something that can be decided by a child’s words! Won’t you listen to me?”

“I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Children of that age are good at lying. Of course, you should listen to m-!”

“Retra.”

Cade cut off Retra’s excited words. I clenched my fist out of resentment.

I’m not a liar…

“You think I don’t know what’s going on in my realm, do you?”

“Well, that’s…”

“I’ve been turning a blind eye for a while, but you are still doing things like that. Why did you do that?”

The quiet tone as if he were joking around was strange, so I got goosebumps for some reason.

“You should have acted wisely. If you had grasped your place well, this wouldn’t have happened, right?”

“Lord! Even so, this is too much.”

What happens if they break the alliance?

Looking at the facial expressions of the people around him, it seemed like a pretty radical remark. Retra was trying to calm the situation somehow, and the people around were looking around with great interest.

But Cade calmly announced the end of their relationship.

“I don’t want to see anyone from the Retra family in my land in the future.”

“Our family has been in contact with the South for a long time. We have maintained a good relationship with the Astrophel Clan all this time!”

“I’m sorry. I, the current owner, have no intention of doing so.”

It seems that Retra did not know that Cade loved me so much. In fact, I was very surprised by this result. I never dreamed that Cade would come out like this.

I thought he was thinking of me as a little cute child that lives in his house. But it was awkward for me when I felt I was really precious to him. I was feeling itchy.

I wiggled my fingers for no reason.

Cade called for Baon, who was next to him.

“Baon.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“From this day on, let it be known that any Retra spotted in my land can be hunted at will.”

“Yes, sire.”

It was a complete breakdown of the alliance. Gossip around the concerned parties grew again. In the future, the Retra clan would not have any points of contact in the whole South.

Because Cade won’t tolerate it.

Everyone held their breath at his instructions.

“If I could, I’d hang that neck.”

A bright red gaze touched Retra’s neck for a moment and then fell.

“But it’s not good for children’s education, so let’s move on.”

Cade laughed softly.

Retra didn’t say anything, he could only be speechless. It was because, overnight, they were not allowed to enter the southern land.

And that little detail meant a lot.

“Oh, no. Lord, wait a minute…!”

“Hmm-um. Let’s think a little more about our interactions with the Retra Clan.”

“We’ll think about it too.”

Clans that valued relations with the South would turn their backs on Retra.

I looked up at Cade in the serious atmosphere.

It was obvious that he was angry, but he seemed to be excited since a while ago.

“Daddy, are you feeling good?”

“No.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

I saw Seth, Arban, and Baon standing next to each other in order. Likewise, they were expressionless but seemed to be secretly enjoying the situation.

Why?

I’m a little confused.

“Karma.”

“Yes.”

Cade called the dark blue-haired man.

“Write a reflection letter.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The same goes for the other guys.”

“Yes.”

I looked curiously at Karma, who suddenly appeared out of the air.

Since when have you been watching me?

Looking at the ‘other guys’, it seemed like there were probably several other people hiding besides Karma.