Chapter Thirty-Eight

THE BEST WAY TO GET THIS DONE IS BY MAKING A DEAL WITH STRADIVARIUS K'HIR, so I gain 60% of the money, and they can mine it and gain the credits for the star's tears while keeping a secret that I was behind it. I think he'll get a lot of profit with my help. I can use that to get in touch with him.

Now, I have other mines in my dad's territory because he gave each of his children three mines of different minerals. Val sold me his three, so I have six. Plus, the enormous tungsten mine in the Callum territory that my grandmother left to me before she died. I can also make good use of it once it's the strongest metal on the sphere.

But I have to keep it all a secret for now.

When I got out of my bed chambers, Asher was guarding my doors, "Did you even sleep?" I muttered when his green eyes met mine.

"Yes. I woke up an hour ago, then Sir Daniel went to sleep, and I took his place," that makes sense. The last Knight I saw before entering was indeed Daniel. "You woke up sooner than usual," oh, well...

I didn't even sleep, so yeah. "Is that bad?"

"No. The sooner you wake up, the sooner you can start doing your tasks, and the sooner you will finish them," Ash has a point. "Anyways, are you going to have breakfast now?"

"Mm-hm, why?"

"Uh... His Excellency, the Grand Duke, is there."

"What's with it? He usually wakes up early. He probably has some appointment around this hour," no surprises here.

While I climbed down the staircase, he followed me. "Are you okay?"

"Do I seem unwell?"

"No. It's just that... how do I say this? Since yesterday, you have been acting strange," probably because I'm literally not the same person. At least not from this time.

"And is that bad?"

"Of course not, Nat. What I mean is that it was a sudden change, so I was surprised. But it's a very welcomed change," he's adorable.

"You will get used to it," I didn't see him, but I'm sure he nodded.

I arrived at the private breakfast room and saw my dad in his pajamas, eating a waffle drowned in honey and getting his face dirty. He looked like a kid who ate something hidden from his parents. It was even funnier when he saw me and seemed shocked, then proceeded to try wiping the honey out of his face. That made me laugh.

"Don't mind me, dad. I also eat it like that. I'm not going to condemn you as my siblings and mom do," he looked relieved and comfortable enough to get back to eating like that.

If his enemies were to see him like this, they would pass out. He may seem dangerous to everybody else. But to me, my dad's like a big and cute bear. At least, that is how I see him now, after coming back.

"Are you going horse riding with Moodust?" Moondust is my Astryn horse, from the strongest breed of all, and it can survive through the hardest winter as if it was nothing at all. Most people don't like them, but I love them all. And beside me, the only people who have them are the ones I gifted with one. Valerian, my father, Asher, my Master, and Kate.

I gave one to Dalilah, but she didn't like it, so I gave it to Kate.

"Yes," I took a cream puff from the stray and ate it. "Want to go with me?"

"I would like that," what?

To be honest, I was just being polite by asking that. I didn't think dad would agree with it. So, I was caught off guard. It's been ages since I last spent some time with him alone. "Okay," I managed to say. "I'll wait for you on the stables after we finish it here," he agreed silently.

And when I was about to call for Yoostaf, dad did. A second later, the tall and muscled Yoostaf, with his chocolate skin, snowy white curly hair, and sky-blue eyes, appeared. He's different in contrast to Pierre, and he also looks younger than he actually is. "Your Excellency, Grand Duke," he bowed, then smiled when he turned to me and saw that I was the one accompanying my father. "Your Royal Highness, Princess Natasha," Yoostaf said while bowing.

"I called you for Tasha," dad said and turned to me. "Tell him what you want to eat," oh. I forgot that he never paid attention to those little things when it came to me.

Yoostaf seemed a little confused, "I want the usual, but doubled," he nodded and retreated to the kitchen. Then I looked at my dad and got surprised by his annoyed look. What's up with him now? "I'm often in the kitchen, eating something and learning other things, so he knows what I usually eat as he knows his own name."

"Mm-hm," is he uncomfortable. "Sorry for not knowing that either," oh, is that the problem?

"It's okay, dad. This is just a trivial matter. There was no way for you to know my tastes," but my answer only seemed to piss him more.

"No, Tasha. It's not okay. I know what all of your siblings love and detest eating," of course, you know. You always paid 90% more attention to them than to me. But I'm okay with that now, so why is he mentioning it? "But it seems as the chef of our family knows more about you than I do."

"Because he does, dad!" I'm not going to lie just to make him feel better. He never did that to me. Why would I do it for him? "You never really cared to know about any of it. And there's no need to be sad or feel guilty about something you cannot change anymore. It is what it is. We have good memories together, but that doesn't mean you know the daughter you have. But you know that, don't you?" He got tensed.

I could see that he was clenching his teeth by looking at his jaw. "Tasha..."

"Dad, it's okay. Really! Let it go. Knowing those trivial things about me won't change anything in our lives," I ate another cream puff as if I had said nothing. "Hmmm, this one is delicious," then I took another with peanut butter inside and put it on dad's plate. "You will love it. It's a peanut butter cream puff. Your favorite, right?"

He always loved peanut butter but didn't eat it often because both mom, Val, Dalilah, and Octavian are allergic to it. And by how he is staring at me, he probably thought I was too. "Aren't you... aren't you allergic to peanuts?" I was right, again.

"Nope. I love it. But all my siblings took it after mom," then I smirked at him. "While I also took this after you. Thanks for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to enjoy this Goddess-blessed thing," then I ate another one in one go.

And he was still staring at me with his jaw on the ground when Yoostaf came back with two strays full of food.

Damn, just looking at it made my stomach growl. "Goddess bless you for this, Yoostaf," he laughed and left us alone. "I'm so hungry," I muttered before beginning to have a feast. Oblivious to anything else but the food in front of me.