"Where, where?"
"What is it? What’s wrong with Bliss’s eye?"
"Whoa, Bliss’s eye is super red! Look at that, it’s red, right? It’s like a strawberry!"
"Did a bug bite him?"
"Idiot, someone must’ve hit him. Bliss is dumb, after all."
"What did you say? Bliss, who hit you? Who was it? Tell me right now!"
From behind the noisy younger ones, the eldest, who had been silently staring at the youngest, spoke.
"If he was actually hit, that’s a serious problem. It means someone hit a Miller."
At those words, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
He never interfered in childish matters like this. It wasn’t just because he was too old for it, but also because of his cynical personality. Attending this party had been nothing more than an obligation as a member of the Miller family. Minor troubles like this were usually ignored without a second thought.
But if someone had attacked a Miller, that was an entirely different matter.
It meant they had no fear of the name "Miller."
Nasaniel frowned in displeasure, and the rest of the children all turned cold, staring at Bliss in Papa’s arms. In the quiet silence, Papa, Ashley Miller, who had said nothing until now, finally spoke.
"Nasaniel is right. Bliss, who dared to do this to you?"
Someone had to take responsibility for leaving a bruise on a precious Miller’s eye.
As everyone watched with tense expressions, Bliss, who had been looking around in confusion at their reactions, hesitated before speaking.
"I-I did it."
For a brief moment, an awkward silence fell.
It was as if everyone was processing what they had just heard. Then suddenly, as if released from a spell, they all began talking at once.
"What? Bliss, you hit yourself? Why?"
"What the hell did you suddenly do? It’s not that you’re dumb—you just don’t have a brain?"
"No way, Bliss… you weren’t testing how hard your head is, were you?"
"Idiot, if you’re going to hit something, hit your head, not your eye. Wait—don’t tell me you can’t tell the difference between your eye and your head?"
"That actually sounds like something Bliss would do. He is stupid."
"No, Grayson, Stacy! You idiots! That’s not it!"
The more he listened, the more furious he became. Bliss stomped his feet inside Papa’s arms, unable to hold it in any longer.
Soon, everyone fell silent and looked at him.
As if asking what on earth had happened.
"Hoo…."
Letting out a deep breath, Bliss finally spoke.
"Earlier, some kids I didn’t know came up to me in a group—"
"They came up to you?"
"They came up and then?"
"Grayson, Stacy."
Ashley Miller sharply warned the two who couldn’t hold themselves back.
"Didn’t I tell you not to interrupt when someone is speaking? Everyone stay quiet. No one speaks until Bliss finishes."
At the cold, cutting voice, the children stiffened and shut their mouths.
After briefly sweeping his gaze over them, Ashley finally turned back to Bliss.
"So what happened? Go on, Bliss."
At the calm voice directed at him, Bliss fidgeted with his hands and lowered his gaze.
"Um… so… those guys—"
"Bliss, you should say ‘kids,’ not ‘guys.’"
"Koi."
This time, Papa smiled at Daddy, who had interrupted to correct the wording.
"Let’s let Bliss speak however he wants for now, alright?"
It was completely different from the tone he had used with the children.
At the gentle, smiling persuasion, Koi blushed slightly and nodded.
"Okay…."
Only after the surroundings had fully quieted did Ashley nod to Bliss again, as if telling him to continue.
"Hoo…."
Taking a deep breath, Bliss finally blurted out what he had been holding in.
"Those guys—those kids—said I’m not a Miller!"
At that moment, everything fell silent.
This silence was different from before.
Nasaniel raised an eyebrow, the other children exchanged looks, and both Papa and Daddy stared at Bliss with furrowed brows.
After a flood of questions seemed to pass through their minds, someone finally spoke.
"What do you mean Bliss isn’t a Miller?"
Larien, the fifth, asked first, and Chase, the fourth, immediately replied.
"It’s just bullshit. Those idiots were saying stupid things."
"Chase, don’t use bad language."
Koi tried to correct him, but the twins, third and second, spoke over each other without caring.
"It’s bullshit, but the problem is they actually said it."
"Right. The fact they dared to say something like that out loud means something’s wrong with their heads. We should fix their behavior. What would be a good method?"
"Kids…."
Koi hesitated, unsure how to rein in their rough speech, when suddenly the eldest raised a question.
"But what does that have to do with your eye turning purple?"
At Nasaniel’s frown, the others seemed to realize it as well and looked at Bliss.
Papa, who had glanced at the eldest, also asked with suspicion.
"I was wondering the same thing. What happened to your eye?"
At the quiet voice, everyone focused on Bliss’s lips.
Startled by the sudden attention, he hesitated, then took a deep breath and finally revealed the truth.
"Those guys—those kids—said I’m not a Miller because my eyes aren’t purple."
"And then?"
Remembering it again made anger surge up.
Watching his youngest son breathe heavily in anger, Papa asked for the next part, and Bliss puffed out his chest and shouted proudly.
"So I hit my eye and made it purple!"
At once, a collective "Ah…" escaped from everyone.
The children, Papa, and Daddy all fell silent, staring at Bliss, while he alone lifted his chin proudly.
"If I’m not a Miller because my eyes aren’t purple, then I can just make them purple! So I kept hitting my eye, and they ran away. Cowardly idiots! Serves them right! I should’ve punished them more. I chased them, but someone got in my way. If I had caught them, I would’ve—like this, like this—!"
Bliss swung his fists through the air, going "Hah! Hah!" in excitement.
Everyone could only watch him in silence.
Not knowing where to even begin, Koi felt overwhelmed, and the children remained quiet with similar thoughts.
Among them, Ashley finally spoke.
"It’s very good that you fought with pride in being a Miller."
He first praised the spirited child, then continued calmly.
"But harming yourself in the process is not a good method. In situations like that—"
"What’s ‘harming yourself’?"
Bliss tilted his head and asked.
Papa suddenly closed his eyes.
For two or three seconds, he stayed like that, as if thinking, then opened them again and spoke in the same calm voice.
"It means hurting yourself. No matter the situation, you must never hurt yourself, understand?"
"Mm…."
Feeling as if he had done something wrong, Bliss’s lips drooped.
Seeing that, Papa immediately added,
"Next time something like that happens, come find Papa or Daddy right away. We’ll handle it for you."
At the gentle reassurance, Bliss puffed his cheeks and muttered,
"You weren’t there."
"That’s because Bliss is tiny."
Larien seized the chance to jump in, but Ashley cast her a cold glance without a word. She immediately shut her mouth.
Then Papa turned back to Bliss.
"In that case, find your other siblings, or tell any adult nearby. Tell them you’re Bliss Miller, and that kids who don’t even know their place are bothering you."
After explaining calmly, he tilted his lips into a slight smile.
"Anyone will help you and bring you to us."
Koi, who had been listening, gently reached out and stroked the youngest’s head.
As if telling him everything was okay now.
At the warm touch, Bliss’s tense expression softened, and a faint blush crept onto his cheeks.
Not missing the chance, Koi quickly asked,
"Bliss, do you want ice cream?"
"Strawberry."