Heidi and the Duke were sitting on a sofa. The atmosphere felt a little awkward. The Duke calmly sipped tea.
Inside, Arwa—now in Heidi's body—looked at him and thought nervously:
"I didn't even know… that the man I called 'Daddy' a few days ago… is actually Lord Hohenzollern… What have I done…?"
She felt like crying inside.
A Few Minutes Earlier
Heidi bowed politely.
"Greetings, Your Grace."
The Duke nodded gently.
"Come here. Sit."
"Yes, Your Grace," she said with a bright smile and sat down.
Seeing her bright smile, the Duke felt happy inside.
"My dear daughter… she looks so cute," he thought warmly.
Then he said softly,
"You can call me Daddy, like you used to. I would like that."
Heidi froze for a moment. She felt emotional.
Memories of her previous life with her real family came to her mind—how she used to call her father "Daddy" with love.
While she was lost in those thoughts, the Duke noticed her emotional expression. His own face became a little sad.
"It's alright," he said gently. "If you don't want to… you can take your time."
He tried to smile, but his eyes still looked sad.
Heidi looked at him in surprise.
"Is he really sad… but still smiling for me?" she thought.
"Does he really love his daughter this much?"
Then she decided firmly.
"No… I can't make a father like this sad."
She looked at him and said softly,
"No, Daddy… it's not like that. I just became emotional for a moment. I still can't remember much about my memories."
A small tear appeared at the corner of her eye, but she smiled.
"I'm sorry, Daddy."
Then Heidi suddenly asked with a bright expression,
"By the way, Daddy… hasn't Lord Hohenzollern arrived yet? Is he late?"
The Duke paused in the middle of drinking tea.
Slowly, he placed the cup back on the table.
"Where did you hear that name?" he asked calmly.
"Oh!" Heidi said excitedly. "When I was in my room, the maid said 'Young lady, Lord Hohenzollern is calling you.'"
"And I read in books that the House of Hohenzollern is one of the most powerful families in the empire!"
The Duke sighed softly.
"Oh dear… I feel bad that no one explained this to you."
Heidi blinked.
"Why, Daddy? Is he not coming today?"
The Duke answered calmly,
"That's not the case, dear."
Then he looked at her and said,
"I am the head of the House of Hohenzollern."
"And you… are my daughter, Alexzendr of Hohenzollern."
For a moment, Heidi felt like a glass shattering inside her mind.
"W-WHAT?!"
Inside her head she screamed:
"KKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!"
Her mind felt like it split into pieces.
After a moment, she looked at the Duke again.
He looked slightly sad after hearing her reaction.
Heidi's expression softened.
"Daddy…" she said quietly.
"Since I lost my memory… I must have troubled you a lot, haven't I?"
She lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, Daddy."