One Step Forward to the Flower Path

Chapter 14

TL-Mechatronic

After the dust and spider webs disappeared, Ivanna’s fully exposed hair was platinum, which was close to white hair. It was rough and stiff because it hadn’t been managed before, but it was a very rare color And just like her hair, Ivanna’s eyes that he finally saw for the first time were vivid purple. His daughter was a beautiful figure with fair platinum hair.

It was all Louise’s color.

“You look a lot like your mother.”

Dante knelt in front of Ivanna. His heart was grim. It was a color he thought he would never see again. His lover’s colors were seen from a beautiful child who had half her face like her, and half like his. It was like a miracle.

“Mom said I looked like Dad.”

“Did Mom say that?”

“Yes.”

What expression did Louise have as he said that to the child? He missed her so much, and it is painful to think he would never see her again. It was up to the child to heal her father’s bruised heart.

“Mom said I was pretty because I looked like my Dad.”

Dante’s eyes trembled greatly.

‘You are so pretty.’

I remembered what Louise said while looking straight at me. My ear, as if it was windy, tickled, so I rubbed my earlobe. It was hot.’

“Ivanna is also lovely because she resembles her mother.”

It was a whisper, like a lover’s joke. If Louise said she was pretty, Dante said she was adorable. Every time that happened, Louise smiled cheerfully and asked if he liked it.

“That’s why I like it!”

Same as Louise, but with a different answer. Dante felt deeply touched, and trembled that this child was his daughter. He smiled and opened his arms. When he moved, the child who had been wary of it at first, accepted his embrace as if it were a very natural action she has always done with him.

Alaine was dazzled to see the father and daughter hugging each other.

“Will the Master dry her hair?”

Alaine, who was watching happily from behind, handed Dante a dry towel. The master, who always had no gaps in his guard, expressed his confusion

“Me?”

“This is how a Father gets used to doing it.”

The nobles, much less the Duke, had no habit of doing such things. But Alaine did not care a bit. The most important thing for the Duchy now is the Young Lady who has opened her heart again, not a grown-up man

As Alain waved the towel one more time, Dante held it awkwardly.

“Come on, Miss. Shall we sit in front of the mirror?”

Alaine smiled and stretched out her hand. Ivanna was startled at the hand toward her.

…I can’t seem to do it yet. I thought it would be okay now, since I helped with washing, but I guess it is still not the time.’

Alaine glanced at Dante, pressing down on her sad heart.

‘What are you doing? The Lady only accepted the Master.’

He couldn’t refuse to see the hesitating child. Dante reached out his left hand, revealing the ring.

“Ivanna.”

A small hand immediately clasped a finger. Dante moved cautiously to meet Ivanna’s steps. Because the child was small, he had to bend down, but it was not uncomfortable at all. Far from that, he felt that it was very lovely to walk along with her steps.

“Can I pick you up?”

As he stood in front of the vanity and asked carefully, Ivanna, who had alternated between Dante and the chair, nodded.

“Ivanna, you can say you don’t like what you don’t like.”

Ivanna opened her eyes wide in surprise. She didn’t tell him anything so she wondered how her Dad knew.

He seemed to know everything, he is amazing.

Ivanna barely spit out a word when Dante said it was okay to say it once more.

“I thought I was going to fall…….”

The bed was so large and wide that it was fine, but this chair was small and it seemed she would fall off of it, in case something went wrong. She was scared because she had fallen down off the altar, after suffering from it. At that time, people gave her a terrifying slap saying that she ran away. And then threw her back on the altar.

It only happened in my first life, but I was still scared.’

“I see.”

I was frightened by my dad’s answer. What if he scolds me for being scared? What if I get hit?’

Ivanna dropped her head in tears. Then suddenly, the floor drifted away. She opened her eyes wide because she was so surprised by the floor that seemed to suddenly fall down. When she came to her senses, she was already sitting in front of the dressing table. Her round-eyed face reflected in the mirror.

“Huh?”

Ivanna, who was blinking, Tooked above her head. Dad’s face was right above.

“If Dad is holding you, you won’t fall off.”

Ivanna opened her mouth. Dante was sitting in a chair with her in his arms. The chair was narrow, so it seemed like it would fall even if she moved a little, but her dad’s legs were so warm and wide that it was comfortable and not scary at all.

Ivanna pricked her dad’s leg with a finger without knowing it. Still, Dante didn’t even move.

“Isn’t it heavy?”

‘What a cute sound.’

Dante, and Alaine next to him, bit their lips so they wouldn’t burst into laughter. “I did this often with Mom, so you don’t have to worry.”

It was something that could not be confirmed whether it was true, but Ivanna was completely attentive to the word mother. Her stiff body was relieved.

“Now, let’s dry your hair. If you don’t dry it carefully, you’ll catch a cold.”

A cold. With Alaine’s guidance, Dante was very careful drying her hair with a towel. It was awkward, because he had never done it before, but his hands moved very delicately and softly so it wouldn’t hurt the child. Rather, the child felt very good with the interaction.

“Yes, please brush her hair gently so that it won’t get twisted like that. Wipe the inside of the scalp thoroughly.”

It was a strange thing to see a maid instructing a Duke on how to dry hair. But neither Dante, who is learning very seriously, nor the maid, who teaches solemnly, felt anything strange.

Dry the hair meticulously so that Ivanna doesn’t catch a cold!

That was the only thing that mattered most to the two now.

Ivanna looked at her dad, who gently dried her hair through the mirror. She has been looking through her hair for a long time, but it is much more comfortable to see now that all of the cumbersome stuff disappeared.

Black hair and cat eyes with torn pupils, no matter how much she thinks of it, how can a person have cat eyes?

“Where are you uncomfortable?”

Perhaps because she kept staring at him plainly, Ivanna met her dad’s eyes over the mirror. Ivanna shook her head.

“Dad’s eyes are amazing.”

The word “dad” that comes out naturally feels very good. A smile came to Dante’s lips.

“Are they strange?”

“It’s not weird at all because it’s like Meow’s.”

The black cat dolls that Ivanna doesn’t let go off. The twins also resembled them, but Meow’s eyes were exactly the same as Dante’s. Dante saw two cat dolls, well placed on the bed while Ivanna was washing up.

‘Did Louise foretell this and make those dolls? For myself who has always hated my eyes.’

“They are pretty.”

It was so that the child could love them.

“….Thank you, Ivanna.”

Ivanna opened her eyes to the short but sincere word. Her beautiful purple eyes sparkled beautifully. Dante was able to laugh even more happily.

“My dear daughter.”

The soft lips pressed down on the hair. Ivanna laughed at the tickling and warm sensation. There was no more beautiful smile, than the one that was finally fully revealed. It was the same with Dante that he was able to regain his laughter when he met his child.

That night, Dante did not leave the sleeping child. He sat next to Ivanna, who laid on the bed, not on the floor, and watched the child fall into a deep sleep.

“I’m surprised she had a similar appearance as Lady Hugor.”

Someone slipped in behind Dante. It was Cain, the knight of the Duke.

“Isn’t it natural since she is Louise’s daughter?”

“But the Young Lady is obviously not like the Duke who has the blood of the Imperial Family. It’s apparent that the royal blood couldn’t be inherited so easily.”

“Like Valerie and Luan?”

The twins did not inherit the torn pupil, but the other features such as the black hair and yellow eyes were inherited from Dante. They have the same facial appearance as him. It was like looking in a mirror. In addition, some of the strong power of the royal family was also inherited. So, whenever he looked at them, the could not find anything related to their biological mother.

“Or are you implying to me that this is not my daughter?”

Cain prostrated right before the Duke.

“I’ve never had such a profane thought before. Please pardon my words. But, if others took a look at the Young Lady, some may think so.”

Ivanna did not inherit the color of the royal family, Not a single one. Unlike the twins who looked so

much like Dante, Ivanna looked much like her mother, Louise. It was a strange thing in the Valdemir Empire.

So, if someone saw Ivanna, they may have doubts. Those who would dishonor Louise and Ivanna will certainly come out.

“It’s funny how many people covet the power of the Holy Spirit and yet don’t want to know about it properly.”

“Since the Young Lady came, we are making an effort…….”

“If everyone tried as hard as you, I wouldn’t have said this. It is for those stupid people who only know one thing and nothing else.”

His voice, which sounded so sweet for the sleeping Ivanna, was now distorted to the fullest. There was also no smile that covered his lips.

“The blood of the Imperial Family is strong. It’s so special that it hasn’t gotten any lighter in the course of generations.”

This is the imperial power associated with the founding myth of the Valdemir Empire. Not only the imperial people but the entire continental people praised and feared the special power of the Imperial Family. Because it is not human power.

“But is it more special than the power of the Holy Spirit?”

Cain’s eyes widened open. Is the power of the Imperial Family more special than the power of the Holy Spirit? Obviously, the Imperial Family’s power is extraordinary compared to normal people. But, it was also the same with the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Why was Ivanna not born with the power of the Imperial family and only the color of Louise? Why do

you look so much like Louise? Of course, even talking about it is painful.”

Dante’s hand held several strands of platinum blonde hair that were all over the bed. Coarse, stiff, broomlike hair. Even now, he wonders when the day will come that it will be smooth.

“It is so great that the Great Holy Spirit can even win over the power of the Imperial Family.”

The power of the Holy Spirit was stronger than the power of the Imperial Family and the blood of the Imperial Family. It was obvious. The Great Spirit is the power of God. A part of God. The mighty power of the Imperial Family was nothing in front of it.

“And everyone will covet that much. They’ll want it more, they’ll be crazy, and if we fail to help Ivanna even once…we can’t go back to the past again.”

The completely twisted daughter he saw during the day is right in front of him. When she pleaded with him to just simply kill her, the reason he was barely holding on to was completely blown away.

He could only get a glimpse of a tiny fraction of the pain the child had suffered for two years. Even though it was only part of it, it was so painful that he was going crazy.

I don’t want you to go through that kind of pain ever again.’

“I will keep the child by my side. Mistakes will never be tolerated.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Dante grabbed her scattered platinum hair. The stiff hair pricked him like the heart of a hurt child.

I will protect you, by any means necessary. My beloved daughter.’

Dante bowed his head and kissed the tips of her hair.

He looked like a devout believer, in prayer.