"Papa!"

  Viena called out to her father who is walking out of the cathedral. Yet, it seemed that Randia couldn't hear her calling. He is busy talking with his attendants who are seeing him out of the pce. They act very respectful towards him, holding him in high regard, as they repeatedly bowing to him while keeping their gestures in check.

  "Papaa!"

  "Oh, you're here."

  "Hey! Is that all?! Don't you have anything to say on my look?"

  Viena fgrantly funting her new earrings by swiping back the side of her hair. Randia, however, looked unamazed like usual. Instead of giving any comment, he turns his attention to Gwen. The knight dy grins and raises her thumb. It's exactly as he thought. It's Gwen who taught that to the little girl.

  "You look no different. What is there to say about?"

  "No way! Can't you really see them from up there?! Get down and look closer!"

  Viena pulls Randia's robe as hard as she could to make him crouch. The father pys along with her whim and kneeled to see her eye to eye. Strangely, he stares at her eyes much longer than he pays attention to her earrings. The wide smile, rosy cheek, and glittering eyes of his daughter makes something inside him swirls, and it's not an unpleasant feeling. He has an idea about what it might be, but he chooses not to dwell on that unreliable spontaneous thought.

  "See?! I'm so pretty!"

  "Sigh. Sure, your earrings look good."

  "Tsk. Tsk. Let me rephrase it for you; The earrings look good on you, right?! That's what you want to say right?!"

  "My, I had no idea you have a daughter, my lord."

  "Hey cute girl! What's your name?"

  Wilrd and Mil approached Viena from behind Randia. They look so interested in Viena. Especially Mil, who immediately thought of getting closer to Randia by using her.

  "Ah, yes. I forgot that you two never met her before. . . Viena, this is Wilrd, and this is Mil. Now it's your turn, go introduce yourself and greet them," Randia stands up.

  "Hello Wilrd and Mil! Nice to meet you! I'm Viena! Papa's most most beloved daughter!" Viena hugs Randia's leg.

  "Wow! What a coincidence then! I'm his most most beloved attendant!"

  When Mil wanted to hug Randia also, her ears got pulled first by Wilrd.

  "Nice to meet you too, little dy. Please forgive this one. She is not right in the head sometimes."

  "Hehe! Your friends look like fun folks, Papa!"

  Wilrd and Mil ugh and have a small talk with Viena and the others. Until it's starting to get dark, and the mps of the street are being turned on by the patrolling knights. As it's common in the autumn that the length of the day is getting shorter, and the night is longer.

  "It's getting te, my lord. Pardon us for holding you. Please carry on with your day, and thank you for your hard work as usual," Wilrd bowed.

  "Thank you, Wilrd, Mil. Now, if you may excuse us."

  Randia takes Viena's hand and walk away together with An and Gwen. They go to a nearby tavern to have a dinner. Randia was going to pay for their meal, until An and Gwen insisted that he shouldn't. They even bring out Randia's gift to the table and talk about it. It's at this time that Gwen finds out that the cy ointment jar she got from Randia is an exfoliating cream that she supposed to use once a week, twice maximal. One can only imagine how happy she is when she understood how valuable the gift was for her.

  They spend their time together before going back to the Arbona's house. Viena, Gwen, and An just couldn't stop smiling all night. They are in a very good mood, and they have grown even closer with each other. Seeing this, Randia feels quite delighted. He is gd that he has chosen the right things to be stuffed inside the box.

  [8 PM - The Arbona's House]

  *Creak - Click*

  "Well, well, well. It seems someone was so busy having fun all day without me," Lisabelle who has been reading a book on the sofa speaks without moving when she heard small footsteps coming after the door is closed.

  "LILY!"

  Viena, who is eager to show-off her birthday present to Lisabelle, is unable to contain her excitement and yelled to her.

  "Uwah! What the! You startled me . . .! Hey, wait a minute."

  Lisabelle threw her book away and walked towards Viena. Seeing Viena being so giddy with cute sparkling eyes expecting her reaction makes her wants to smooch her right away. Yet, she holds herself back and go for the teasing instead.

  "Hm. You look kind of different. I wonder what it is~"

  Viena shook her head to make her earrings dangling. She is giving a hard hint repeatedly to Lisabelle, and Lisabelle finds it very adorable.

  "Oh, I think I've found it!"

  At first, Lisabelle's hands are moving towards Viena's earrings. However, they suddenly shifted, and Lisabelle ended up tickling Viena's neck. The girls ugh hard until Eleanor came to see what happened in the living room. The two girls keep pying with each other without a single care in the world, while Eleanor welcomes Randia by giving him a gss of water to drink.

  Until finally, both are on the floor, gasping for air after pying. Then, they climb to the sofa and take a rest. At that moment Randia had already entered the bathroom to clean himself.

  "You've got pretty cool earrings," said Lisabelle.

  "Yeah, Papa gave them."

  ". . . You noticed that they were once his rings, right?"

  Viena bashfully nodded and rests her head on Lisabelle's thigh.

  "Make sure you take care of it, okay?"

  "I will."

  That night, Viena can't stop looking at herself in the mirror. She giggles on her own and keep funting her new earrings. She even bath with those earrings and keep pying with them even during dinner. At first, Randia ignored it because he thought it was a normal thing for girls, but instead he felt calm when he found out that Viena really liked her gift. However, it became too much for him that he can't stand it anymore.

  "Are you going to do that all night?"

  "But Papa! Can't you see? I'm so pretty!"

  Then, Randia tapped on his bed, silently calling for Viena. The little girl cheerfully leaps up and sit on his thigh being all pampered. Randia touched her left earring, remembering a certain memory in the past before he drills his finger on Viena's forehead light-heartedly.

  "Why do you insist so much on being pretty?"

  "Huh? But you said the fairness of shape is important!"

  "Perhaps it does for most people, but I'm a little different."

  "Why?"

  "Because anyone can love a flower, but it takes a lot to love a leaf. It's ordinary to love the beautiful, but it's beautiful to love the ordinary. There is perfection in imperfection."

  "So, you mean I should be ordinary?" said Viena, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

  "No. You should always try your best to be beautiful."

  "ISH! YOU ARE CONFUSING ME!"

  Irritated, Viena bites Randia's hand like she always does whenever she is upset with him. Randia pinches her nose and pull it pyfully until she releases her bite. Then, he brushes Viena's hair.

  "You are nine now, you should try thinking for yourself. People might give you their thoughts, but it's up to you to decide what to do."

  "Does that mean I can do whatever I want?"

  "Yes and no."

  "Papa, you are being confusing again . . . ," Viena threatens to bite Randia again.

  "If your decision doesn't involve anyone, then you are free to do whatever you want. But if it's not and you choose to do as you please, can you imagine if every person in the world did the same?"

  Unexpectedly, Viena turns silent. She rests her cheek on Randia's chest, seemingly thinking about something.

  "What if my thinking is not good enough, and I ended up hurting others?"

  This time, it's Randia's turns to go silent. He turns his attention outside and stares at the moon. It's a full moon tonight, and it glows softly since the misty night.

  "We, human, are born to make mistake, Viena. One day, you will have to make decision in the dark, without knowing what had happened, is happening, and will happen. Whether you got a second chance is not guaranteed also."

  ". . . I don't want to. I'd rather have you tell me what to do, Papa."

  Viena's words reminded Randia of his past. He too, once left his destiny in other's hand. He was driven by other's will and ended up toyed worse than a pet. When he imagines that Viena could end up suffering the same misery, he grits his teeth.

  "A man who gave away his free will is worse than an animal. Why would you put your life in other's words when you have everything to be anything you want?"

  "Because you know what's right and what's wrong, Papa!"

  "I'm not always right, and I won't always be here, Viena. You might found me dead of heart attack in the next morning, and what would you do then? Will you burden Lisabelle with your life because you refuse to be hold accountable for the things you do? Will you cry to Lady Eleanor for every problem you face because you are afraid to make your own choice?"

  Viena doesn't reply. She strengthens her hands, hugging Randia harder. She can hear his beating heart gradually becoming slower.

  "Look at me, Viena," Randia slowly lifts Viena's cheek with the web between his index finger and thumb.

  "Will you throw away the potential you have to make people's lives brighter in the name of fear?"

  ". . . No."

  "Will you turn a blind eye to people in need because you are afraid of taking risk?"

  "No."

  "Will you do nothing for the rest of your life because you are scared to see people in their eyes?"

  "No!"

  ". . . Will you make me proud?"

  "No - Wait what? Yes! I mean yes! Of course, yes! You got me there, hehe!"

  "Hm. Good girl."

  Randia returns Viena's hug as he gently taps her back. The daughter, embraced by her father's warmth, is overjoyed and buries her face on his chest that smells like tea.

  "I'll do it," says Viena all of a sudden.

  "Pardon?"

  "I will learn a lot of things and make you proud, Papa. But you must stay with me as long as possible, okay?"

  "Alright."

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  .

  .

  Days gone by, and the little family is living on with their daily life. The young ones are studying, pying, and exploring, and the adults are doing their responsibilities. Boredom doesn't exist in a house where everything turns into ughter and smile. Of course, there are also cries sometimes, since quarrels will always be a part of sibling retionship. Yet even the craggiest stone makes the wall unbroken.

  Sometimes, they go to local festivals together, although Lisabelle couldn't come along most of the time since An and Gwen are posted for another task every once in a while. The truth is that the two guards were ultimately found neglecting their duties, especially after they went to the military academy during Viena's birthday. Luckily, Professor Gaspard pleaded and vouched for them, so they ran away with only minor penalty.

  During the New Year's Eve, everyone in the house gathered together and have a big feast. Liam Arbon and his butler Davon also visited the house. The Bidau family was invited too, but unfortunately, none of them were able to attend to various reason. Thus, they only send gifts of luxurious meat and wine to celebrate with the Arbon.

  [Four months ter - Sabada, 21st of Low Tide, 11th year of the Fourth Age]

  The time for vernal equinox has arrived, and it will be a day without shadows at the equator. Viena who usually wakes up early is still sleeping in Lisabelle's room with her drool all over the pce since she was te for sleep st night. Although the clock still shows 5 AM, the anticipated ceremony has arrived, and they need to get ready for it.

  "Vivi!"

  "Nngh . . ."

  "Vivi wake up! Today is the Prima Risera!"