the author's will

Chapter 7: Newborn

As the days went by, much to her dismay, Irene found herself seeing her father much more often than she liked. Frequently, the duke would call for his daughter to be brought to his office, and a maid would take her there to play with him.

Irene assumed her father would continue to pester her, but it appeared that wasn't his intention. Rudien would simply let her crawl around the room and explore her surroundings as he worked. Then at moments where he wanted to take a break, he would sit with her on the sofa and try to relax with her in his arms.

His unreadable actions and awkward touch still felt foreign and uncomfortable for Irene, but she gradually became used to dealing with Rudien's odd interest in her. Each passing moment, he was starting to look more like a father than Irene had expected.

Even though he wasn't someone who struck her as affectionate, the silver-haired duke seemingly enjoyed her presence. It was difficult to tell from that perpetually emotionless and aloof demeanour, but she was sure he was starting to develop a fondness for his daughter - at least a little. Irene couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were, having her brought over only to silently continue working - as if she were some sort of pet.

So, she decided to test him.

On one of the days she was at his office, Irene crawled around, as usual. Ensuring she was within his line of sight, the baby approached one of the bookshelves surrounding the room, a fire lit in her round, doe eyes. Irene picked out the shiniest, most important-looking book from the bottom shelf with all her strength, before it fell in front of her with a light thud.

(As a bookworm, this feels illegal... But it's okay, since it's Rudien's.)

Rudien noticed this, and glanced in Irene's direction. Although she couldn't read and was pretending to be unaware of what books were, she started to pat the cover excitedly, as if she were playing with it.

(Look at me, ruining one of your precious books!) Irene cackled in her head. (You're not just going to sit there and watch me destroy something so valuable, right?)

She side-glanced at her father to see if she had his attention, which she did, before attempting to open the book and rip out its pages. It was then Rudien sighed and stood up from his chair, walking over to his daughter before kneeling on the floor beside her, as she started to get paper in her mouth.

"That's not a toy," he told her, taking the crinkled pages out of her hands and gingerly scooping her up into his embrace. Irene had expected him to at least be annoyed at her for ruining the book, but rather than that, his eyes roved over her little face and hands with concern. "...There's no papercuts, right? Don't tell me she swallowed the paper..."

(Huh?)

(He's actually... Worried about me?)

Irene blinked at him, amazed. (Not so bad! Looks like you're finally getting into shape!)

She giggled, deciding to reward him for finally showing his fatherly side, by tackling him with a hug. "Dada!" She called out, followed by her baby babble, and Rudien exhaled softly.

"Seems you're alright then," he sighed in both relief and slight annoyance, before calling out toward the door of his office. "Eirwen! Can you call some of Irene's maids here?"

"Yes, my lord!" A male voice responded from outside the room, and Irene gazed up at her father as he carried her securely in his arms, and planted his firm body on the sofa nearby.

Irene never imagined this man would actually start to care about her. Rudien showing this protective side was unusual, since he was either ignoring or messing around with her whenever they met. But it seemed with the time they spent together, the duke had developed an attachment toward his daughter.

(If I recall, in my story before, Rudien had ignored Irene since she was born.) She thought, trying to remember how things originally played out. (I'm pretty sure they never had this routine. Rudien never spent time with Irene as a child, so this is definitely an improvement from the original novel.)

With this, Irene was sure she could develop a good relationship with her father. One that could potentially save her mother as well. Because he was the outlier in the family who hardly seemed to be around, it was understandable that the Cherlianns later fell apart over the years. If Rudien started to bond with Sarah and Rayvis again through his closeness with Irene, it was sure to bring them together as a family.

Although she never really decided what drove Sarah to suicide in the original novel she wrote, all Irene knew was that she needed to start off by mending the bond between her parents.

Rudien paid almost no attention to his wife. It seemed that their marriage was loveless, and he had only wedded her because she was the woman his father, the previous duke, had chosen for him. Despite this, Sarah had love for her husband, and wanted to be able to spend time with him.

But as of right now, Rudien didn't even see her as a priority. In a way, it was understandable. Taking care of such a big empire with no ruler, was no easy feat. Even if the work was distributed among the four dukes, managing the entire military on his own was difficult.

It was only while considering this, that Irene gazed up at her father, and noticed the bags forming under his eyes. Although he didn't appear tired at all, and was able to maintain his elegant and calm composure, the little infant in his arms was able to notice the fatigue leaking through.

(When I see him like that, I feel a bit sorry for him…) She thought to herself. (If only I could lift the burden of his work, somehow. I am the one who made him like this, in a way.)

A father who was always too busy and cold-hearted to have time or love for his children. Instead, to avoid his daughter's temper tantrums, he would give her as many luxuries as she liked.

But now, living as Irene, the small fragments of emotion this man showed became pleasant, in a way. It was like he was developing outside of his initial character - just as she had wished.

Just then, a few figures entered the room, breaking Irene out of her thoughts. It was the maids who had been taking care of her as nannies, perhaps here to pick her up from her time with Rudien. Alongside them, was an unfamiliar young man, with neatly-combed brown hair and sharp almond eyes. He's pretty handsome. That must be Eirwen, Rudien's right-hand man.

"Amy, clean the mess over there," Rudien instructed, turning toward the torn book on the floor. "Irene probably thought it was a toy. I don't want my daughter to touch anything that could be dangerous, so Eirwen?"

"Yes, my lord." The brown-haired man nodded.

Irene glanced up at her father, who's deep, scarlet eyes were now fixated on her. "Bring me a catalogue from the best children's toy shop in Laydel, by tonight. And have some men clear a corner in my office, so she can have a place to play while I work."

(Woah — wait wait what?)

(That's a little much! I really don't need all that…)

Irene tried to signal to her father that she didn't need him to go that far, but it seemed like her efforts were ignored. Rudien kept complete composure despite the squirming child in his arms, before handing her over to one of her maids.

"Blaeehh!!" She tried to protest, but unfortunately, no one was going to understand the language of a 7-month old baby.

And just like that, Irene was taken back to her nursery, dumbfounded. (He's going to make me a corner to play in his office…)

(Why?! I don't want to have to play with baby toys!)

Irene wailed, as the maids gazed at her in concern. "What's wrong with the princess? Do you think she's hungry?"

"No — I'm sure she just misses her father! The lord has been taken by her cuteness as well, it seems!"

"Right?! I can't believe he's going to bring gifts home just for her!"

(Buying me toys... It just feels like what he did in the original story!)

(He's just trying to avert my attention so he doesn't have to deal with me, isn't he?)

Just when Irene thought she could change his attitude, Rudien was showing signs of his regular character. If he was going to occupy her with toys, he would just start ignoring her and spoiling her blindly as he did before.

(I won't let that happen.) Irene thought, rolling over in her cot. (Rudien, you'll be unable to escape me!)