As winter passed and the spring days grew warmer, flowers and sprouts began to bud one by one in the castle garden, filling the wide fields. Meanwhile, Guest had grown much, reaching about five years of age.

No matter how many years passed and how much Guest grew, she was still a child to him. It felt like only a few years ago she was babbling and taking her first steps, yet she had already grown this much. All this time, he had stayed by Guest's side, raising her with affection without a single negative thought.

Whenever spring arrived, the season for running and playing in the garden after lunch returned, and she was running around as usual. When Guest tripped over her own feet and fell, he felt a pang of distress in his heart.

'...That dummy. How many times did I tell her not to run?'

Approaching Guest, he knelt on one knee and took her hand, inspecting it from side to side. While he appeared annoyed on the outside, he was worried on the inside.

My Lady. Are you alright? I told you not to run... No. Are you hurt anywhere?*