16. The daughter and the past of Colt Edgeworth (part 1)
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A child, a kid, a daughter, or a son holds a part of their parents.

A part of Colt, no, Leo was in the Orphanage left to believe she had no family.

As Mina held his hand, he took a step out of the carriage, and Colt felt – scared.

Fear.

He was afraid of all this. He and the original were now one. The Original asked him one thing before giving him control, let his daughter know the truth.

Colt raised his head and marched up to the Orphanage uphill.

One step, two steps, three steps up...the fear of having a daughter who knows her Father as someone else hurt even Leo. The innate fear, the deep-seated emotion that appeared in his chest, was burning hotter

He could remember it as clear as day. Every emotion and regret he experienced was present.

And as Leo felt scared, he also felt determined to right the Original's wrongs, answer his prayers, and let him be free of the guilt that plagued him for the longest time.

Four steps, five steps, six steps up, Leo's determination crystallized into courage. He climbed up the hill, not as Leo but as Colt Edgeworth.

Colt was now a man with a child. If he were to fear what's to come, he would be unworthy of fulfilling the Original's wishes, much less facing the one he's supposed to call daughter.

Seven steps, eight steps, nine steps, stop. Colt stopped in his tracks. He raised his head, and two girls were in front of the Orphanage.

A child with golden hair, a petite figure with seemingly frail limbs, her shoulders were drooping. She was downcast, clearly dissatisfied with something.

With her was Hylda, who carried a woven basket half her size used to collect the fruits from the orchard.

As the golden-haired lass' gloom grew heavier, her keen eyes caught sight of a man, a beautiful man with olive skin. Her face suddenly brightened, and her expression blossomed with merriment!

The young lass' energy exploded, and her golden hair fluttered with the wind. Her never tiring energy reserve was directed at Colt.

Colt watched as the golden-haired child took off with light feet. She jumped with perfect accuracy, landing and clutching on Colt's head, almost sending them tumbling down the hill.

"Big bro Sparkly!"

"Filla! What are you doing!? That's too dangerous! Ouch, don't pull my head too much!" Colt complained as he felt his scalp screaming for help.

"You liar! Hylda said you promised to come yesterday. You also didn't appear when Sister Mary cooked the Moriam Stew; you promised to come! Do you not like Filla anymore?" Filla, the golden-haired lass, had a vice-like grip on Colt's dark hair.

She was sobbing and crying while pulling and tugging Colt's hair.

"Filla! You're going to make big bro Colt go bald. Climb down from there...it might be dirty."

Hylda came to rescue Colt from his dilemma, but even her attempts to pull Filla off of him left Colt screaming in pain. She failed.

"I don't know, big bro...you might have to live like this from now on." Hylda had already given up.

The only thing unnatural about all this was Mina's peculiar silence. And when Colt snuck a glance and checked Mina's reaction, he saw her pained smile...she was enduring.

'Good work holding back, Mina.' Colt gave her an honest compliment.

Soon enough, Filla calmed down, her tears stopped flowing after some time, and only her sniffles could be heard. But the vice grip was still active.

"Are you okay now!?"

"..."

Filla didn't answer and kept acting like a koala.

"I won't break my promises anymore; I still like Filla."

"...Really?"

"Yes, yes, really."

Filla heard his reassuring words. Her grip loosened and then slowly got down from Colt's head. She tried grabbing his sleeves. But because she was too small, Filla had to settle with a tiny portion of the hem.

She still wore a very stubborn look, 'I won't let go.'

"That's your fault for breaking your promise, you know."

Hylda spoke without mincing her words.

"I know." Colt couldn't argue.

While Colt answered Hylda, he didn't notice the conflict between his daughter and his future wife. Both ladies directed fierce glares at one another. Nobody let up. Both kept their focus.

Mina held a smile, and Filla's childish face had tear stains and snot all over. Mina crouched down, removed a handkerchief from her sleeves, and carefully cleaned her eyes and nose.

"So you are the young Filla my Darling was talking about. How adorable you are."

When the words Darling was uttered, Filla's eyes turned sharp. Her vulnerable appearance suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a severe expression – as serious as a child could get at least.

Filla nodded her head towards Mina before hiding behind Colt. When she used what she called the "Sparkly Shield," Filla asked Colt a matter of true importance.

"Big bro sparkly, why did she call you Darling just now? What is your relationship?"

Colt's back suddenly straightened as the question didn't feel like it came from a three-year-old but from his mother-in-law.

But still, he answered in a jovial manner.

"She's this big bro's fiancée."

"Huh?"

Filla was shocked down to her core; as her steps staggered, she took a step back and became angry.

"You are a liar! You said you would marry Filla!" Her cheeks puffed as lightning descended on Colt's mind.

But the worst was Mina having a staredown with Filla, who barely fits the age limit for school.

It was the staredown of rivals; sparks flew.

Colt was worried, and Hylda enjoyed it on the side.

She brought out an apple she kept in her dress and handed it over to Colt.

"Big bro Colt, want some food as we watch? You can't intervene in a fight between two women anyway." She said, even though one of these women was nothing but a three-year-old.

"...Yeah, why not." Colt also gave up.

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