A month had passed.
"Mama, can I go to Haruwiko-kun's room?" Soffie asked eagerly. "I want to pat his head… and help you feed him too."
Carmela smiled gently. "Of course you can. But you may only pat his head—I'll be the one feeding him. And before that, you need to finish your meal first."
Soffie nodded obediently.
Carmela then turned to her other daughter. "How about you, Sappeh? Do you want to go to Haruwiko-chan's room too—"
"Of course not," Sappeh cut in immediately, crossing her arms. "I'd much rather watch Papa practice his sword than watch that scumbag eat. Hmph."
"If you say so," Carmela replied calmly.
Just then, the door opened.
"Sappeh, you want to watch me practice with the sword, right?" Cecelion asked.
Sappeh nodded, her eyes lighting up.
"Alright, then go sit over there and watch carefully."
The sound of sword swings soon filled the air.
"Wow… you're amazing, Papa," Sappeh murmured in awe as she watched her father swing the sword.
Hours passed.
"Master, here is your drink. Please take a break for a while," Lala said gently.
"I'm coming," Cecelion replied with a small chuckle. His gaze shifted toward Sappeh. "It seems she fell asleep while watching me… Oy, Sappeh, wake up. Lala-san brought us a drink."
Sappeh stirred and slowly nodded.
"Here," Cecelion said, handing her a cup. "Lala-san's drinks are delicious, right, Sappeh-chan?"
She nodded again quietly.
After a moment, Cecelion glanced toward the house. "Lala-san, are those two feeding Haruwiko-chan again?"
"Yes, Master," Lala replied.
Sappeh's expression darkened. "It seems like you're talking about that scumbag again…"
Cecelion sighed lightly. "Hey, Sappeh-chan… why are you so harsh toward your little brother?"
Sappeh clenched her fists. "It's because he—"
"He?" Cecelion prompted.
"…He stole everything from me!" she burst out.
Cecelion frowned slightly. "But Sappeh-chan, Haruwiko-chan didn't steal anything from you."
"Yes, he did!" Tears began to fall from her eyes. "He… he stole all of you from me! All your attention and time are focused on him! And what do I get? Just the leftovers… It's unfair!"
Unable to hold it in any longer, Sappeh ran toward Lala, throwing her arms around her as she cried loudly.
"Ah… it's okay, Sappeh-chan," Lala said softly, gently patting her head.
Sappeh continued crying in her arms.
"Let's go inside," Lala added, guiding her gently.
The door closed behind them.
A few hours later—
"Lala-san, where is Sappeh-chan?" Cecelion asked.
"Young Miss is now sleeping in her room," Lala answered.
"I see…" Cecelion let out a quiet chuckle. "That child…"
Lala smiled faintly. "I think she's jealous of Haruwiko-chan. And honestly… she's not wrong. We barely give her time anymore because we're focused on Haruwiko-chan."
Cecelion nodded. "And you know the reason. Haruwiko-chan still can't stand on his own, so we need to focus on raising him. I've even explained this to her, but it seems my daughter still doesn't understand."
Lala sighed softly. "But she's just a child. How can she fully understand the situation? Even I… if I were in her place, I would feel the same."
Cecelion was silent for a moment before replying, "You're right… but she still needs to understand eventually."