Chapter 5
“This morning, Sir Walter came by! He said that the master wished to have a meal with you, Milady…”
The “master” she referred to could only be Selenia’s father, Duke Tigerys.
“The Duke… you mean… Father?”
“Yes. It seems he heard about you collapsing yesterday. That must be why he’s concerned. After all… he is your father!”
I looked at Anna, puzzled, as she emphasized “father” with a somewhat awkward smile.
At that moment, a simple thought flashed through my mind and disappeared just as quickly:
Did Selenia normally dislike her father?
Hearing Anna’s next words, I was certain.
“…You’ll go today, right? There’s no particular engagement, and it’s been ages since you last had a meal together.”
Definitely. She must have refused meals with him often.
I nodded in agreement, but my mind was spinning with countless thoughts.
Selenia’s father, Aleon Tigerys, was no ordinary man.
He might even rival Estellin’s father, Calypso Laurent, in terms of influence and strength.
If Calypso Laurent was the steadfast shield of the empire, Aleon Tigerys was the sword that couldn’t be controlled.
He graduated top of his class at the academy, earned glory in every battlefield of conflict, and commanded the empire’s finest military force, all while possessing a fearsome supernatural ability.
In the original story, wasn’t he nearly the strongest in the world aside from the male protagonist?
Though his ending was somewhat lackluster.
Given all this, the fact that Selenia could run amok without worrying about consequences was entirely thanks to her father…
And she didn’t get along with him?
That was something I hadn’t known.
“…She’s late.”
Aleon Tigerys sat at the head of the long dining table, staring at the empty chair opposite him.
“It’s still five minutes before the hour. Didn’t Your Grace come early?”
His aide, Walter, said.
The Duke’s gaze was fixed on the tightly shut door, expressionless.
Tap—tap—
The sound of his fingertips striking the oak table echoed throughout the vast hall.
Walter glanced nervously at his master, then checked his watch again. Only two minutes remained until the appointed meal time.
She won’t show up today either.
Walter rubbed his tense temples. If the young lady failed to appear again, the consequences would inevitably fall on him.
I already have a mountain of tasks…
If a special training order for the upcoming winter monster hunt came down, it would be disastrous. His lord would surely unleash his fearsome sword in all directions, radiating lethal intent.
Walter shivered at the memory of having served as the Duke’s sparring partner once before. He would never do that again.
“Shall we serve the food?”
The head chef approached quietly, glancing at the clock. The hour had struck.
…Today’s over too.
Walter exhaled softly and nodded at the chef. The Duke remained unmoving, eyes fixed on the door.
The young lady would not appear. Experience had taught him that.
Soon, the chef stepped back, and the kitchen staff began to line up and bring the dishes.
Just as the first silver platter was about to be set on the luxurious tablecloth…
Screeeak—
Against everyone’s expectations, the tightly shut door creaked open with a heavy sound.
A familiar crown of hair appeared after a long absence.
“Uh…”
I stared at Duke Tigerys, sitting proudly at the head of the enormous table.
The same platinum hair as mine, eyes as red as wine.
A stubborn-looking forehead, a straight, elegant nose, and slightly parted lips, as if surprised.
“Ex-excuse me…”
I hurried across the dining hall, trying to mind his expression, and passed the awkwardly standing chefs to take my seat.
A suffocating silence fell, leaving me unsure where to look.
I realized I had forgotten to greet him and quickly bowed my head.
“Ah, hello?”
After a pause, I added a single word:
“…Father?”
The rising intonation made it sound awkward, but I had no choice.
I’d never called him “father” even in my previous life.
I noticed him staring at me with a stiff, fixed expression. Next to him stood a dark-haired man, mouth agape.
That must be Walter.
I was certain he was the Duke’s aide who came looking for Anna this morning. But why did he look as though he’d seen a ghost?
I muttered timidly:
“Am I late? I thought I came right on time.”
Even forcing an awkward smile didn’t ease the tension in the room.
Is something on my face? Why is everyone staring at me like that?
The servants’ expressions only added to the confusion, as if they’d seen something they shouldn’t.
Walter cleared his throat.
“…What are you all doing? Hurry and set the food down.”
The chefs and servants, frozen stiff, hurriedly placed the dishes on the table.
The silver covers were lifted, revealing a feast: glistening meats, vegetable and bacon soups, and a variety of desserts on small plates.
Each dish looked so perfect that I almost drooled.
This is incredible.
I swallowed hard, ready to grab my fork and knife—then froze.
The Duke was still sitting there, unmoving, his gaze fixed on me.
“…Aren’t you eating?”
I asked cautiously, my mind racing. Were there etiquette rules I didn’t know? Or small talk I should have started with?
As I anxiously watched him, the Duke finally looked away. His expression was still somewhat stern.
I glanced at him as he slowly picked up his fork, thinking:
Ah… so this is what it feels like when a father and daughter don’t get along.
The room’s atmosphere was so tense it was suffocating.
I shook my head internally and stabbed the steak before me.
Whatever. I’ll think about this later.
Right now, nothing else mattered.
It had been so long since I’d had a proper steak. Memories of scraping by on frozen chicken breasts in my previous life brought tears to my eyes.
My empty stomach churned violently.
I quickly took a bite. The clean, tender flavor spread across my tongue.
But my enjoyment was short-lived. A sharp voice pierced the air.
“You’ve been starving, haven’t you?”
I shot my eyes open and looked at him in surprise.
Duke Tigerys held his fork midair, staring intently at me.
“…Excuse me?”
“I asked if you’ve been starving.”
His tone was unusually sharp. I froze, then stammered:
“Uh… I… I skipped breakfast this morning, so I was a little hungry…”
“……”
A cold silence followed. His piercing gaze stayed fixed on me.
I slowly put down my fork, thinking:
This is… serious.
Their relationship couldn’t be any worse. No father would greet his daughter at the table with “Have you been starving?” as the first sentence otherwise.
“Walter.”
The Duke called his aide quietly.
A chill ran down my spine. I stopped chewing, frozen in place.
“Who is Selenia’s personal maid?”
“Anna Bardi, sir.”
“Lock her in the underground dungeon and don’t open it until she starves.”
My eyes went wide. The meat in my mouth nearly choked me.
“W-wait! You’ve got it wrong!”
Gasping, I yelled. The Duke simply stared at me.
“I wasn’t sleeping in! I just skipped breakfast!”
I grabbed the water glass and gulped it down, panicking as I added:
“Anna didn’t neglect me— I just woke up late, so the meal was already done…!”
Amid the chaos, one thought struck me:
Could he be doing this on purpose? Showing me anger indirectly through Anna because he’s upset with me?
Collective punishment, really!
But Duke Tigerys gave no answer, only examined my face with an icy stare.
“…The servant.”
I shifted nervously. The Duke muttered:
“I had no idea you valued her so much.”
His cold voice echoed through the silent dining hall.
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
He’s nitpicking my words, isn’t he?
And with expert skill at indirect speech. A short sigh rose in my throat.
I just celebrated surviving an attempted poisoning yesterday…
And now I have to survive this social minefield at home too?
Then he spoke again.
“While we’re on the subject, tell me something.”
“Y-yes…?”
“What on earth possessed you to show up?”
The Duke furrowed his brows, voice low and even sharper than before.
I froze, unsure how to respond.
I came because he wanted to have a meal together…
And yet this absurd reaction.
Whatever it is, he’s clearly furious.
I had to choose my words carefully.
“You have not appeared at the dining table even once in the past two years.”
My eyes went wide.
Two years since we last ate together?
