A grown man standing nearby let out a heavy sigh and then looked at Lia. "I even thought you had been kidnapped by bandits again," he said, reminding everyone there of an incident that made them fall silent for a moment.
Yosan, who heard the word "bandits," immediately wore a confused expression. Had that man just said that his daughter had been kidnapped by bandits? Since when did that happen? Why had his daughter never told him about it? It must have been terrifying! He intended to ask, but before he could open his mouth, the man spoke first.
"Who are you?" the grown man asked, only now realizing the presence of Yosan and Reina. His gaze landed on the black-haired man and the golden-haired woman wearing a hat and elegant attire, resembling a noble.
Yosan was momentarily startled but then responded warmly with a smile, "Ah, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yosan, and I am Lia's father."
That introduction made the grown man fall silent for a moment, as did the three children who had just been bombarding Lia with questions. They all seemed shocked.
"So... you're Lia's new father?" the man asked in a flat tone, trying to process the situation.
Yosan nodded with a small smile. Then he turned to Reina, who was busy adjusting her hat. "And this is Reina, Lia's mother and my wife," Yosan continued, sounding slightly awkward but clear.
Reina, who heard that, flinched slightly. However, she quickly composed herself and gave an elegant smile. She nodded briefly and said, "Nice to meet you," her voice soft and polite.
That introduction felt like a rather straightforward confession, especially for Reina, who was now trying to hide the faint blush on her face.
The grown man finally gave a slight smile and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Alric, Lia's grandfather's neighbor. Thank you for taking care of her."
Yosan accepted the handshake. "Of course. Lia is our daughter, and we love her very much."
The grown man gave a small smile and then let out a relieved sigh. "I was really worried when Lia disappeared so suddenly. I even thought she had gotten into trouble again," he said, his voice filled with relief.
Yosan, who had been holding back his curiosity, finally asked, "Excuse me, but earlier, you mentioned something about bandits. Was Lia really kidnapped by bandits before?"
The grown man looked surprised. "Eh, you didn't know? Lia never told you?" he asked, then continued in a serious tone, "Lia was once kidnapped by a group of bandits. But fortunately, Her Majesty the Queen arrived just in time and saved her, along with other children who had been captured."
That statement shocked Yosan. He glanced briefly at Reina, who appeared calm, though there was a slight change in her expression. With an awkward smile, Yosan scratched the back of his neck. "This is the first time I'm hearing about it. Lia never mentioned anything about that incident. I'm only learning about it from you now," he said, trying to sound casual despite his discomfort.
"I'll ask her about it later, as well as someone else," he added while casting a quick glance at Reina. He realized that both his daughter and the woman beside him were hiding something quite significant from him.
Meanwhile, Lia looked confused and slightly overwhelmed by the barrage of questions from her friends, who were worried about her. Seeing her daughter struggling, Reina cleared her throat softly and lowered herself to be at eye level with the children in front of her.
Reina smiled gently. "When my husband's uncle asked that Lia stay with us, I couldn't refuse just like that. Especially after learning that she was living alone after her grandfather's passing," she said while gently stroking Lia's head with affection.
For the time being, Reina did not want to become the center of attention, especially considering the crowded market situation. Her identity as part of the Lumina royal family had to remain a secret. Although the outside world knew that she had adopted a child from commoners, only a few truly knew who Lia really was. Most had only heard rumors.
She caressed Lia's head softly, making the little girl blush slightly but feel comforted. "So, Lia is now part of our family. Right, Lia?" Reina said, followed by a small kiss on her daughter's forehead.
Lia nodded.
"And it all happened so suddenly, without prior planning. That's why Lia didn't have a chance to say goodbye. I apologize for making you all worry," Reina continued.
The children in front of Reina fell silent for a moment, trying to process her explanation. One of them finally gave a small nod, as if accepting the reason.
"Ah, I see. We understand," said the red-haired boy, nodding in understanding.
Lia lowered her head slightly, her face full of guilt. "I'm sorry too. I should have told you all earlier after I started living with my family. At the very least, I could have sent a letter or informed you in person before now," she said sincerely.
"It's okay, Lia. Everything happened so suddenly. We were just worried, so don't worry about it," responded the light brown-haired girl.
"That's right," the black-haired boy with glasses chimed in while adjusting his glasses.
"We're just happy that Lia has a good new family," added the girl with a sincere smile.
"But Lia must still play with us often," the red-haired boy said with a slightly protesting tone.
"Right! Don't forget about us," the boy with glasses emphasized.
Lia looked at her mother with hopeful eyes. "Mother, can I still play with them?"
Reina was silent for a moment, weighing the situation. As a mother, she understood how important friends were for Lia's growth. However, as a member of the royal family, her concerns remained, especially with enemies still lurking.
Perhaps she could arrange for a guard to accompany Lia while she played? If so…
Reina finally glanced at Yosan, who was speaking with a man nearby. "Dear, what do you think? Lia wants to play with her friends," Reina asked for his opinion.
Yosan, caught off guard by the question in the middle of his conversation, blinked in surprise. Although he hadn't fully heard what Reina said, he replied, "I don't mind if she plays with her friends." Then he resumed his conversation.
After considering Yosan's response and thinking for a moment longer, Reina finally smiled gently and said, "Alright, maybe once a week?"
"Mother, that's too little time to play!" Lia protested, looking at her mother with pleading eyes.
"Right." Lia's friends immediately supported her.
Reina held back a small laugh, amused by Lia and her friends' expressions. She then thought for a moment longer. "Alright then, three times a week. No further negotiations. Yes or nothing at all!" she declared.
The three children exchanged glances before nodding in unison. "Alright, that's better than just once," the red-haired boy said with a shrug.
Lia beamed. "Thank you, Mother!" she said enthusiastically and gave Reina a kiss on the cheek.
In the midst of their excitement, the bespectacled boy seemed to ponder something before saying, "This reminds me of a rumor that Her Majesty the Queen once adopted a child from the commoners."
Hearing that, Lia only smiled faintly without saying a word. The truth was, she was the child in question, but she had no intention of explaining further.
"Wow… you know a lot of things! But is that even possible?" the red-haired boy asked, frowning.
"Right, is that possible? Isn't it impossible for a commoner like us to become part of the royal family?" the brown-haired girl asked curiously.
"Forget being part of the royal family, even becoming a noble sounds like a dream," the red-haired boy added skeptically.
"I don't know. I only heard the rumors. They say that Her Majesty the Queen and Sir Yosan adopted a little girl and raised her," the bespectacled boy continued, pushing up his slipping glasses.
Hearing their conversation, Reina couldn't help but chuckle. In a gentle tone, she responded, "Of course it's possible. Look at Nils, Harzel, and Beile. They were once commoners, but they eventually became part of the royal family."
Just then, a deep voice broke the moment. "What's going on here?"
Elexon appeared, drawing everyone's attention. Behind him stood the head butler, Nils, Harzel, and Beile. Their presence immediately made the children fall silent in awe. However, Reina's expression darkened slightly, something Yosan immediately noticed.
Yosan furrowed his brows, confused. Why did Reina always act like this whenever Elexon appeared?
"Grandpa!" Lia exclaimed excitedly, running toward Elexon and giving him a brief hug.
"Grandpa?" the red-haired boy repeated, tilting his head in confusion as he watched Lia hug a man who, in his eyes, didn't look like a grandfather at all.
Realizing that she also needed to introduce the rest of her family, Lia quickly turned around to face her friends. With enthusiasm, she began the introductions.
"Ah, let me introduce you—this is my grandpa. Handsome, isn't he?" she said with a wide smile.