Nine

Minerva hugged the plushie as she stared at the ceiling in her chambers. Because of what happened last night, she decided to not go outside for today. She did not want Cassie and the others to be worried. Besides, she was also afraid of what transpired.

Although she looked distracted when she heard her father last night, it still wouldn't change the fact that she almost lost her life at the hands of the king’s henchmen. Even Cassie got injured. It was a good thing that Lorenzo appeared and saved them; albeit a bit late.

Right, about Cassie, she heard from Shirley that she and Julia were extremely busy as they did the "clean-up" that her father mentioned.

Seriously, Shirley had the gossip that she needed. If she wanted to know something, it was better to ask Shirley as she knew a lot of things. Unfortunately, she was incapable to utter coherent words as of now as she was in the body of a child. At most, she could only blabber some nonsense and pointed things if she wanted something. Thus, she could not ask her the questions that boggled her.

Minerva stared in oblivion as she hugged the plushie. And thus, five months had passed.

"Peek-a-boo!"

Minerva stared at Lorenzo blankly as he covered his face with her plushie.

She admitted that she appreciated his efforts to make her laugh. But she was a teen trapped inside the body of a child! How could she laugh at these childish things?

"Strange. Why didn't Minnie laugh? Did she not enjoy it?" Lorenzo asked in confusion as he saw that Minnie just stared at him.

"Was she had been like this ever since?" He asked Julia who was in the corner of the room.

"Yes, Your Excellency. The Little Miss had been like this ever since that's why if we wanted to make the Little Miss laugh, it was a bit troublesome."

"Is that so?" He muttered. He then glanced at the child who aimlessly swung the plushie on her tiny hand. 

"Minnie, I knew your father was Santi but don't act like him, okay? Did you want to become as boring as him?"

Minerva was flabbergasted at what Lorenzo said. She just did not laugh at his childish move yet he called her father 'boring'?

"Right, your father was about to return. Were you excited?"

Minerva stiffened when she heard the words that Lorenzo uttered. Her father was about to return?

Suddenly, she was engulfed with different emotions. She felt excited and nervous at the same time. Excited that after months that he was away, he was finally back. But she also felt nervous as she did not know what to act and say in front of her father.

Moreover, she also did not know if her father would like her. What if he became disappointed? What would she do?

Her thoughts went haywire just by the mention of her father's return.

"He did not mention any specific date on when he would return but I knew that he was about to come back soon. Were you excited?" Lorenzo asked as he rubbed her head. He was about to continue what he would say when the door suddenly swung open and Cassie entered the room.

"This servant greeted Your Excellency," Cassie said as she bowed to Lorenzo.

"Was there something wrong? You looked like in a hurry." He asked.

Cassie did not lift her head as she answered, "His Grace has returned and he was already in the Imperial Palace for an audience to His Majesty. It caused a scene since the vicious beast that His Grace captured according to His Majesty's order was not inside the magic cage. Instead, His Grace dragged the vicious beast on its tail while he strutted inside the Imperial Palace."

Minerva was shocked. Her father truly did that? Was he really that brazen to act like that inside the Imperial Palace?

On the other hand, Lorenzo laughed loudly. He laughed too hard that tears formed in his eyes.

"That was something that Santi would certainly do. I was definitely curious if he would shove the beast on the king’s throat just like what he mentioned last time.” Lorenzo said as he laughed. He looked like he was truly entertained.

The corner of Minerva’s mouth twitched as she stared at him. It was just a guess; but she felt that Lorenzo certainly enjoyed the chaos that might ensue once the king pissed her father further.

“I thought he would come back two weeks at least. I did not expect that he would directly teleport from his location to the Imperial Capital.” Lorenzo said as he wiped the tears that formed on the corner of his eyes as he laughed hard.

“What happened next?” He asked Cassie who was still on the position as a while ago.

“The last thing that this servant knew was that His Majesty ‘magnanimously’ let His Grace return to the mansion as he was away from months and hadn’t seen his daughter.” Cassie eloquently replied as she emphasized the word ‘magnanimously’.

Lorenzo once again laughed. Minerva eyed him as he was too happy on what happened. Was he this bored? Instead to took care of his child, here he was as he persistently tried to annoy her with his childish actions. He was even glad about the feud between her father and the king.

“I bet that Santi annoyed that old man that he decided to make him return home. Ah, I badly wanted to know what happened.” He continued as he sighed in regret.

“Did you have nothing better to do?”

Minerva snapped her head on the direction of the familiar voice.

The last time that she heard this voice was when an assassination attempt commenced. But now, she once again heard that voice.

As Minerva gawked on the man that suddenly appeared on her room, her heartbeat became erratic and she felt that her hands became sweaty.

The man in front of her was tall. He has a short silver hair and his blue jeweled eyes was like a royal swiss blue topaz. It reminded her of Zoe’s necklace that was gifted to her by her parents.

When the man stared at her, she noticed that he has a beauty mark under his left eye.

Minerva felt that her heart was about to explode in nervousness and excitement. She did not expect that she would meet her father today. What should she do? Should she greet him?

As she panicked inside on what she should do, the man in front of her arched his left brow.

“Why was she tiny? Did you really feed her properly?” He asked as he observed the child in front of him.

Minerva almost choked on her saliva. What did he say? Tiny? She’s tiny?

Cassie and the others kept on mumbled on how chubby she was! They would always say how she was extremely healthy! Yet on her father’s eyes, she was tiny?

“What nonsense did you spout? Look how healthy your daughter was. Cassie and the others did an excellent job to babysat your child.” Lorenzo rebuked him.

Santi, on the other hand, just pinched his chin as he observed his daughter.

“She was tiny. Look how she could be minced to death if I used a bit of my strength.” Santi argued.

“What the heck? Why would you do that in the first place?” Lorenzo gaped in shock. What’s with this guy?

Santi furrowed his brows and Minerva could not help but to stiffened on her position. If they observed her intently, they would notice on how stiff she was.

“You hadn’t seen your daughter for months. Why don’t you carry her?” Lorenzo suggested when he saw that Santi did not move.

Santi remained silent until he walked towards Minerva’s direction

Minerva, on the other hand, felt that any moment her heart might explode due to the loud palpitation.

When Santi was in front of her, he stared at her for a moment and gathered her on his arms as he carried her.

As soon as she was enveloped in Santi’s embrace, Minerva felt her eyes moistened. Her emotions were in haywire but what stood out the most was happiness.

Back when she was a child on her previous life, she was envious of her neighbor as she would always be carried by her father. And now, her father did the same thing.

Minerva felt a lump on her throat as she stared on her father’s visage closer. She finally had a father and she was this close to him. Was there anything more perfect that this?

“Was there something wrong? Were you uncomfortable somewhere?” He asked when he noticed that his daughter was about to cry. Minerva shook her head.

The corner of Santi’s mouth rose as he pinched the child’s chubby cheek.

“Little crybaby.”

“Woah, a family reunion. How sweet.” Lorenzo teased as he looked at the father and the daughter.

“To be honest, I did not expect that you knew how to hold a child.” He continued as he stared on how Santi skillfully carried Minerva upright.

Santi, on the other hand, gently let the child’s head lay on his shoulder before he answered, “This was too easy. Was I that dumb to you?”

“Nope.” Lorenzo answered as he raised his inclined on the sofa, “It was just unlike of you. It was normal if you were a bit clumsy at first. But earlier, you skillfully did it like it was nothing.”

Cassie glanced at Santi who was busy as he caressed Minerva’s back.

“His Excellency might not know, but before His Majesty sent His Grace for the expedition, His Grace was the one who took care of the Little Miss. His Grace would often carry the Little Miss as they stroll around the mansion.” Cassie said with a smile on her face. But deep down, she felt a slight envy on how Santi took great care on his child.

Alas, not everyone was lucky to have a parent who loved their child dearly.

“Wow Santi was it really you?” Lorenzo teased as he laughed.

“You talk as if you didn’t do the same thing to Marcus.” Santi remarked.

Meanwhile, Minerva was shock when he heard what Cassie said.

When she mysteriously possessed the body of this child, her father was already sent away for the expedition. She didn’t know that before she possessed this body, he was the one who took care of it.

Her heart was filled with warmth as she unconsciously tightened the grip on her father’s clothes.

Was this what it felt to be taken care of their father?