Chapter 10
Chapter 4: Dad and Daughter's First Meeting* * *
The horn announcing Duke Ortejo's return filled the entire castle.
Iri was forcibly moved to the castle's sole powder room.
Under the pretext of 'You must dress properly to meet Duke Your Highness,' Iri became an even larger white rice cake than usual.
"Ahh, Lady Iri! You're too cute!"
She tried to bow her head in thanks, but failed because her body was wrapped like a silkworm cocoon.
Iri proudly lifted her round chin, then yelped.
"M-My hair...... It's completely stuck in the hat......?"
The maids returned to a world of innocence, clasping hands over their chests and murmuring.
"So cute, roundy-roundy!"
"Duke Your Highness will surely say she's cute the moment he sees her! Argh!"
One maid nearly punched the wall like King Kong but stopped herself.
"D-Don't be startled. I'm a bit aggressive by nature."
"N-Not startled-nimida!"
It was just that meeting Duke Ortejo felt real now.
She had instinctively recalled her past-life dad.
To Iri, 'dad' was someone annoyed by a bothersome child—by herself.
"I, I have field trip on Sunday......"
"Why would I spend my holiday with a useless lump like you."
"......"
"Hey! You take the kid. Don't keep grabbing my ankle when I'm busy!"
Nine-year-old Arin was very strong thanks to taekwondo.
But when her past-life 'dad' raised his hand, she just trembled in fear.
*'No, don't chicken out!'*
Iri widened her eyes fiercely.
There was so much she had to do when meeting him.
Iri unfolded the crumpled goal paper she'd written with Cookie.
One. Use the 'answer sheet' from Head Maid and Head Butler to攻略 and get close!
Two. Immediately reveal she's a hero and declare she'll purify the North!
Plan: Perfectly brilliant!
But the thought of meeting an unfamiliar adult man made her heart feel like it would leap out of her chest.
*'Alright, I need to do Taekwondo Form 1 to steel my mind and body.'*
Before reincarnation, who was she?
The leader of the Kyeonghye Taekwondo Dojo demo team, no less.
Not lose spirit even after meeting Duke Ortejo?
Totally possible—!
* * *
......Cancel the earlier statement of 'Won't lose spirit even meeting Duke Ortejo.'
In Ortejo Castle's outdoor garden.
Iri stared at the man 5 meters away with a face like she'd bitten a bitter persimmon.
*'That's Duke Ortejo?'*
Too far to see his face clearly.
*'Not the Duke, but a cotton swab?'*
Squinting, she saw he was clad head to toe in armor.
Iri lifted the communication magic tool the servant had brought. As a test, she muttered softly.
And 5 meters from Iri.
Iri's mutter came from the magic tool in Declan's hand.
"Gasp, too far......"
To him too, Iri was quite a distance away.
She sat at the west end of the garden, he at the east.
But it couldn't be helped.
After his wife died to a monster at the North's border.
He had lived destroying the monsters' sources and killing them off.
Purifying the magi enveloping the entire North, sealing the monsters.
Magi had accumulated in his body, enough to kill a non-immune on contact.
Gazing at the chubby pink cheeks of Iri, well-wrapped in her blocking suit, he spoke.
"Hello."
He'd practiced dozens of times.
Maybe the greeting came out a bit awkward.
Sensing his feelings perhaps, Iri rolled her eyes and pursed her lips.
Then she hopped off the chair and bowed 90 degrees.
"H-Hello!"
How did such a loud voice come from that tiny body?
He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.
"Your body."
"Yup?"
"Is it okay?"
"Yup. Very healthy-nimida!"
Iri thrust up her fist with a smack.
"Don't I look strong-nimida?"
She looks weak.
Extremely squishy.
Before he could say it, Iri cut straight to the point.
"Because I'm a hero who came to save the North-nimida!"
......What the?
