Chapter 3

The dining hall fell silent, everyone was focusing on their meal, that's including her. She took a few bites, forcing herself to eat a considerable amount to shield herself later. After a few times, she pushed the plate away and wiped her mouth lady-like. Didn't realize Duke was collecting every piece of information and observing her.

Eating side by side (or rather a bit closer than that), Duke surely saw her daughter trouble. The meal was not even really being touched. Only a tiny bit of it like an ant bite.

Before this, he specifically asked the chef to cook the correct amount for his last-child, even requested to put all her favorite food inside. Yet, the food was barely touched. He was worried about her troublesome insomniac issue and now he needed to deal with the loss of appetite issue too. Oh, my daughter.

She looked around to see any meal that she could steal from her brothers which in many cases, her brothers gave in without blinking an eye. Eye scanning everything before she shook her head.

Nothing looks good.

Guess she's gonna settle down with this tiny amount in her stomach. Her mood was automatically grumpy. Wordlessly, she wanted to go down from his father, but the father seemed didn't let her be. Just closed the gap between his arm so she would not go anyway.

In a masked smile, she cocked up her head, "father I-."

"No!" It was short and sharp. Didn't even bother to let her finish her sentence.

This old dude has been really… "But father. I want to play outside." pouting in max.

The stoic father glanced at her in scowl like it was the most ridiculous request ever before continuing to eat his food. Even adjusting his laps so his daughter would not slip away. What a careful, old fart!

Seeing her father in firm belief, she sat there waiting for the rest of the family to finish their eating session. She just counted his fingers to more than 50 when her brothers paid attention to her with forks in hand attached to the meat.

The rivalry eyes were burning to everyone who sees it to her disliking, not the eyes, but the juicy meat. She could not stomach anything anymore.

In grief, she shook her head and just changed the position, twisted her body so she could hug her father. Face buried to his father's sturdy chest in the sour face. Shook into the clothes again and again.

Everyone was bewildered and flustered when the princess of the house denied their offering. It has never happened before. The child was a gentle child, she would accept all the meats to be fair but now… yes, she was being fair for not taking all the offering meats, even now.

"Elizebeth baby, eat the food a little." Her mother begged her gently. She was also a bit shocked to see her in a negative mood.

However, she just shook her head without even returning the desperate gaze of the whole family. Grambling at the shirt. The whole face is attached to the chest tightly. Only leave a tiny room for her nose to breathe.

Everyone frowned to see her difficult self. It was so rare to see she's being difficult to please or approach entirely. Once she did, no one could find the answer to this overwhelming riddle. The same case as right now. For some reason, she decided to hate her entire family.

"Elizebeth, eat a little bit." Her father's voice vibrated to her ears. An authoritarian voice. Tried to tear her from his body but to no avail when the usually obedient lady shedding heavy tears and loud wailing at the body.

The tiny hands hit his father weakly before she tore herself from the grasp of the father and ran to the worrisome Emily.

"Hate you, father."

KLANG!

The spoon dropped dramatically and the father froze while the daughter's wailing at Emily's stomach out loud. The heavy flow dropped from both of her cheeks, her face was red like a chili. Wailing and stomping the legs like a spoiled child.

"Elizebeth…" The other family choked. What was going on?

But no one could answer the question as the little lady pulled her maid to her room in so much force. Deciding to hate her whole family for today. Their first riddle of the year.

"Eliz only gets cranky in the early winter." Indulf pouted. "But this is early summer!" He thinks after that.

"From the maid just now, Lize woke up early…" Kyle trailed off for a bit, "but the maid said the trace of her fresh smile was there. She indeed has gotten her beauty sleep last night. So we need to rule out the insomniac." He folded her arm while another hand rubbed his chin.

"Insomniac was not even a thing before. She never was this cranky." Demien tried to crack the most difficult riddle.

His dearest baby sister was never this hateful before. She was always full of giggling and smiling. She was his favorite for that, honestly. His sister was so obedient, never objected to his order, and even put him as the best brother in the world. This is not happening.

The mother, however, was already recovered from the shock. Put away the plate, wipe the lips in delight. Didn't even bother to break the code. She used to her tantrum and she's welcoming it.

Truth be told, she hated it when her child made trouble inside the house. She'd rather their child play outside and made troubles to people surrounding, seemed Elizebeth was an exceptional case.

She was a good kid overall. Never trouble her ever since she was born. She was a well-behaved kid, suited to be the princess of the house. It was not a mother's job to control child life but to guide them. In the case of Elizebeth, however, she didn't have to teach anything. The smart kid learned from her action and copied it to be her footprint.

Marliene was more than pleased to see her daughter in a fault mood. It showed that she was indeed a human. Opposite to her brothers, she has less number of troubles… okay scratch that. She has zero-incident outside the house. The little lady knew how to behave herself amid people. Her words were too grown up and careful sometimes.

As if she knew who she should trust, who should be her friend, or who should she put her distance too. It was the most critical education in the woman circle and her daughter has already mastered it as early as five years old.

Her daughter was the perfect creation between her and her husband. The unique face, the obedient attitude, and lady-like personality mixing with a bit wild nature. It was perfect. More than perfect even.

"Brice. I have a tea party in my schedule today." Reported Duchess while standing up from the table. She pulled a pity face to her husband who was too shocked to listen to her.

She brought her fingers to the stiff shoulder and massage it a little bit. "She will come around this afternoon or evening. Just wait for her, Duke." Whispering the comfortable words to the dearest husband.

The husband flinched to the touch at first before leaning to it a second after. His wife knows how to handle his emotion the best when it comes to their daughter. He hovered his hand at her back body and put pressure on it so the wife would be closer to him. He needed that warm body to warm out his hurt heart. His daughter hating him was a new story for him to digest just yet.

"She hates me." Whispered Duke at Duchess's full chest, complaining in a tiny voice. Resting his chin on top of it in a sad face.

"She does not, My Lord. Stop beating yourself. Never show your vulnerable state to the child, please. They will learn." Duchess still nagged to her misbehaving husband in the middle of indulging him. Stroking the back head in full pity.

Being late to a tea party for a few minutes was never a problem. She's usually a woman keeping her promise but today was an exceptional day. Her whole family was in shock due to the last child in the family. She should overlook the attendance of the tea party for once.

"But- but…" Duke whining lowly only meant for his wife.

They had established their relationship at one point where they shouldn't hide their emotions. Their relationship runs too deep, sometimes overlooked each other's flaws, or even patched it with each other's strength. They were a dream team for the whole household in the region. No one could be their level of intimacy.

"I need to go now. Compose yourself and go to Capital and work as a Head of Central you are. She will come to you sooner or later. Trust your wife." She kissed the forehead full of love.