It’s The First Time For Both Of Us

Chapter 3

The word “Dad” felt so unfamiliar, so wrong, as if I had spoken an impolite word in a language I had only just learned.

“…”

I thought I saw distress in his eyes, but anything of the sort quickly faded away.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

Dalia guided me to my father on behalf of my mother.

Behind him, I saw people trying to move my mother’s coffin to the carriage. They looked like my father’s subordinates. A sense of urgency filled me. They looked like men under my father. I felt like I was going to be late, so I immediately spoke to him.

“Uh, please don’t take Mom to the temple!”

His eyes were dry when he looked at me. “Why?”

I gulped, afraid at how coldly he spoke, but I didn’t stop. “My mom said she didn’t want to be blessed by God. Not ever.”

Yes, I rejected it because I knew the original story, but more than that, it was a promise between my mother and me.

Sometimes, when we were tired of running away, my mother helped me calm down.

‘Mariette, we’re not evil. They just became jealous. That’s why we’re here. Don’t ever believe them.’

‘Your power is more beautiful than anything. That’s why I’m even more…’

I closed my mouth, thinking of my mom and staring at my father who was in the doorway. He looked at me, and then at Dalia.

Perhaps he was trying to confirm my statement.

“Lady Mariette is right,” Dalia answered quickly. “She wants to rest in a quiet place where flowers bloom.”

After a long silence, my dad wordlessly turned away from me, approaching the coffin.

Shocked, I looked at Dalia, and then back at him.

‘What kind of an adult is he?’

Fortunately, my mother wasn’t brought to the temple.

He didn’t respond to me directly, but he told the coachmen that he would return to his estate.

Mom’s coffin was moved immediately because too much time had already passed and the temple could find us any moment now.

Finally, when the lid of the coffin was closed, I prayed with my hands tightly at my mother.
Finally, when the coffin was closed, I clasped my hands tightly and vowed to my mother.

The tears I had been holding back escaped.

‘I’ll be a good girl. I’ll keep my promise. And in the next life, I’ll make sure to be born as your daughter so I can protect you. Farewell, my beloved mother in this world.’

Mom was carried away and we were the only ones left.

Now I had to protect another precious person. I silently practiced what I was supposed to say.
In the meantime, I practiced and practiced in my heart.

I wouldn’t stand by as he died, so I had to follow him. That was the first step to surviving and eventually saving my dad.

But if he came along with us, he might end up putting Dalia in danger. The temple’s people were powerful, and if I really did start searching for the witches’ descendants who have awakened their power…

Dalia would be able to live a happier life far away from me.

I bit my lip once and grinned brightly. “Then Dalia can go to Dalia’s mom and dad now.”

“What?”

“Dalia can go to Dalia’s mom and dad now. Now… now that Father is here.”

Dalia stared in surprise. “What do you mean? I’ll keep supporting you. Why would I leave you behind?”

She was evidently determined to keep protecting me like my mother wished, but I didn’t want to put my loved ones in danger.

I shook my head, grabbing my dad. “No, Dalia can go home. I have a father now.”

I waved at her, and I could see in her eyes that she thought I was acting strangely

***

For the next two days, Dalia fasted to the point where I had to force her to eat. But then, she smiled timidly, holding in her tears and biting her lips worryingly. Tears were about to pour out, but she bit her lips and held them in. I was so worried that she might bleed because she applied too much strength.

“…My lady, I’m disappointed. I was always confident that I would stand next to you… Why would you send me away?” Dahlia’s gaze sank.

I hugged her, her knees bent to accommodate my height. “I know, but Dalia misses her parents. I’ll write to you instead, as much as I can!”

“My lady…”

When she finally agreed to let us send her off, saying our farewells took a long time.

“I’ll take the child,” my father interrupted dryly, so I wrapped up my goodbyes.

He didn’t say anything like ‘I will surely protect my child’ or ‘Don’t worry’, but I was strangely at ease.

“My lady, you will have to write to me, okay?” Dalia still looked reluctant to leave.

“Yes, I’ll write to you. Now go back home!”

I nodded my head in reassurance. She was going to use a big carriage from my dad to return home. She stared at it, then at the small house we had lived in. After a pause, she took something out of her pocket and held it out to me. Three small candies were on her palm.

“Are you giving it to me?”

When I reached out, Dalia put them in my hand.

“Yes, this is the last of the candies I have.”

“Once a day only, and drink a glass of water when I’m done, right?”

Dalia burst into laughter. “My lady is so smart. You should stay healthy, okay? Let me know whenever you need me. Make sure you sleep with the blanket on and don’t forget to wash your face in the morning.”

“Yes, yes. Dalia.”

“Don’t take off your jacket just because it’s hot or when it is sunny. You know that you catch colds easily, right? You shouldn’t have to suffer a stuffy nose and a sore throat.”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I won’t take off my jacket. Only if my forehead is sweating, maybe.”

“And also, also, also… what else did I forget to say?”

Dalia listed all the things that I had to do and follow for a long time.

I could tell my dad was trying to eavesdrop, but he didn’t move at all during Dalia’s litany of worries.

“Lady, did you hear me? Promise me you’ll remember.”

“Yes, I swear on the stars in the sky!”

She was really leaving. I didn’t know where her hometown was either. Her only baggage was a small bag with the two dresses she wore alternately, a result of having to move around often. Fortunately, Dalia would be able to return to her parents safely with the carriage given to her.

Now that Dalia was gone safely, I had to follow my dad…

‘What should I do first?’

While I was thinking, I heard my father speak.

“Mariette.”

“…”

Dad was looking at me from above.

‘Oh, could you please crouch?’

I thought I was making eye contact, but maybe he was too tall for that, even if I craned my neck as far as I could.

“Well, I don’t know what to do first. I’ve never taken care of a child before.”

“I’m new to having a dad too,” I responded awkwardly.

I don’t know either.

After a short silence, my dad took his eyes off me. “Control it. Don’t let anything dirty touch you.”

I shrank in surprise at his cool voice. I thought there were only the two of us, two of the horsemen and guards left after Dalia. But suddenly, people appeared one by one with just a word from my father.

Where the hell were they hiding? Soon the big black carriage door opened. A man in black brought a two-step ladder, but even that was too high for me. I didn’t want to hug him and ask him to lift me up, so I just stared at him. If you’re an adult, of course, you have to do it because…

Of course, in my previous life, I hugged my children first and put them on the school bus.

My father, who was stepping on the pedestal, stopped and lowered his foot again. “Too high?”

It was a bit unfair.
It was only two steps, but they were only suitable for an adult and I had just turned six.

Besides, we were on the run, and I wasn’t able to eat enough food to grow taller.

“A little.”
Then my father looked at me briefly with his head tilted as if he were measuring me.

No, if you want to, I’ll hurry up. Or are you asking for something… in exchange for a raise? I didn’t know what I wanted, so I looked at the steps quietly, and it wasn’t long before he spoke to me again.

“Wait a minute.”

After that, my feet were floating in the air though I didn’t have wings.

“Argh!”

My dad had grabbed me by the collar of my neck and lifted me just like that.

Thanks to him, I was properly strangled.

‘Oh, I asked you to raise me not to strangle me.’

I clung to my father’s hand like a kitten held by its mother from the neck. I’m pretty sure that I looked like one that was held with a hand and not the mouth

[Lower your hand. Her face is red.]

I could hear the guardian making a fuss on the tree.

‘I was going to be as calm as I could till we reached my dad’s house.’

I had thrown away my pledge to be calm and shouted at my father while hanging on.

“Oh, you can’t lift a child like that.”

At that moment, all the people who were busy organizing their surroundings turned as stiff as stone statues. The temperature of the surroundings dropped sharply and it became dead quiet.

Kkak, kkak.

[Hey, angry.]

Only the guardian who had been watching me from the branches from earlier made a sound.

“Then…?”

I was speechless because he had to ask me what to do.

‘You really… don’t know a thing?’

“Let me off first.”

I pointed to the ground with my index finger. Then he gently put me down. I looked up at my dad and rubbed my stiff neck. I never thought I’d have to teach my dad this.

I heard in the original story that he became a bloody tyrant after my mother died.

“Daddy’s strong and cool, but he has no common sense.”

‘Oh, mom…’

I recalled the mature spirit of my previous life.

“Well… well… A child should be lifted carefully.”

My father, who thought hard for a long time, opened his mouth slowly. “…Okay.”

And then he put his hands under my armpits and lifted me up again.

“…”

His grip was so strong, and his dead purple eyes were looking at me. I was going to nag him again but when he had that look, I just shut my mouth. My voice was still hoarse, but it was much better than when I was grabbed by the neck earlier.

As I nodded, my father took a step in the carriage and slowly placed me on the wagon chair. “Does this work?”