Try Begging

Episode 253

Leon opened his eyes.The faint blue light of dawn seeped through the gap in the curtains, casting a soft glow on theceiling. As always, it was around the same time. And, as always, Ellie was sleeping horizontally inthe middle of the bed. Her head rested on her mother, while her legs sprawled onto her father.

 A noble's child doesn't sleep with their parents. From birth, they are raised in their own bed underthe care of a nanny. If his daughter had been raised like a typical noble child, Leon would have donethe same. As he gently pulled up the half-slipped sock from her tiny foot, he found himself lost insuch trivial thoughts. 

Leon closed his eyes again, but it wasn't to go back to sleep.Not long after, Ellie stirred, her small body rising slowly. With sleepy eyes, she gazed at him, andLeon, peeking through half-closed lids, watched her silently. 

It had been over a month since the three of them had started sleeping together in one bed. In thattime, Ellie had figured out that her father was a light sleeper and had made it her routine to wake him up first thing every morning. 

"Daddy." 

Soon, Ellie clung to him and kissed him. 

"Daddy, stop sleeping."

 Pretending to have just woken up, Leon opened his eyes groggily and asked in a hoarse voice, 

"Didyou sleep well?" 

Ellie nodded with a big yawn. 

"Are you thirsty?"

When she nodded again, he sat up and pulled a cord hanging from the bedside table. 

Somewhere inthe annex, a bell rang, and soon after, footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Without aword, the maid, who had been bringing the same morning order for a month, brought Ellie herdrink: warm milk, in a baby bottle. 

Since returning after being kidnapped by rebel remnants, Ellie had begun acting like a baby. Leonhad become worried when his usually independent and fast-developing daughter suddenlyregressed. 

He consulted renowned psychologists across the kingdom. 

"It's called regression," they explained.

 It was a temporary response to psychological stress. ThoughEllie had appeared to endure the ordeal bravely, she had clearly been affected. Leon felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.At the same time, the psychologists' explanation that it was a way for her to seek her parents'attention and affection gave him some hope. 

That was something he could give her endlessly.

 "Ugh, Ellie's so frustrated!" 

Ellie, sitting on Leon's lap and drinking from the bottle, grumbled. 

Thetiny hole in the nipple was understandably frustrating for a child who would soon be three years old.

 "Open it."

 As always, Ellie removed the lid from the bottle and drank directly from it. At that point, there was no difference from drinking from a cup.

 "How about using a cup from tomorrow?"

 Leon suggested.

 "No."

 "What do you think your friends would say if they knew you were still drinking from a bottle like ababy?"

 "Benny doesn't need to know." 

Ellie squinted her eyes and looked at him through the tilted bottle,making it clear she didn't want her secret shared. Leon felt as if he were talking to himself whenEllie acted like this.