《Daughter of the Emperor》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 1</h4>


    01. Hello, I¡¯m Baby


    It was shortly after the birth when I regained my consciousness.


    I knew it sounded a little strange, but it really was a day ago when I was born. Until then, everything I am was sunk deep into the water as if it were a dream.


    Myst memory, vague but barely at the end, was the fact that a strange man stabbed me in my stomach with a sharp knife, and I died after I was rendered unable to resist the ruthless hand of the man I saw for the first time.


    Oh, Seriously! Come on! Even when you die of motiveless crime?


    ¡°Baw-¡±


    I opened my mouth in frustration, but what came out was not a proper word. I just wanted to say, ¡®This is so annoying,¡¯ but instead, I frowned at the feeling of my toothless gums hitting each other.


    What¡¯s up with this weird voice?


    That was when I realized. Oh, that¡¯s right. I was a baby now. I felt somehow miserable. As soon as one died, reincarnation woulde afterward.


    ¡°Oh, when did my princess wake up?¡±


    I know right, but when did hee in?


    I felt a hand hugging my body and I instantly reacted by yawning for no reason. In fact, I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was night or day because my eyesight was so blurry. Of course, I had been getting better after a few days.


    When did I wake up?


    I didn¡¯t even know when I woke up.


    I was already feeling drowsy even after sleeping the entire day. Like, a lot. What was the point of sleeping if one would still feel sleepy after they woke up? Even after a peaceful respite, I was relieved when I slept again.


    Oh no, my sleepiness struck me again.


    Even so, I was d no one said anything to me when I slept all day.


    Speaking of sleeping, should I sleep again?


    I closed my eyes again, which won¡¯t open well, and I smelled something delicious. Ugh, now I felt that a scent was delicious. It¡¯s over. I was really a baby now. When I opened my eyes, it was what I thought.


    The milk.


    The repulsionsted only for a moment. My body reacted even though I knew it¡¯s mother¡¯s milk. I¡¯m hungry. I ate hard because I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes at first, but now I can open them! Still, the situation has not changed much. Yeah, I should eat it. What am I supposed to do?


    At least this tasted good though. I was busy sucking what had been passed on to my mouth and filling my stomach. I didn¡¯t know how I reincarnated, but it¡¯s different to experience a baby¡¯s life in action¡­ No! What the hell am I doing!?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry. Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    I got curious about this sweetnguage filling my ears. I¡¯m sure babied learnednguages as they grew. A newly-born child could not know the humannguage, but somehow their voices were always automatically interpreted to me.


    Was that Korean? That can¡¯t be true though.


    ¡°Princess, my princess.¡±


    Thedy patted me on the back as I finished eating. She was asking me to burp. I would like to do it quickly, but what could I do when I couldn¡¯t even hold my neck? This body is my body, but I couldn¡¯t handle it the way I wanted to.


    ¡°Princess...¡±


    Oh, seriously! Why do you keep calling me that!


    She called me with that pathetic-sounding voice, and when someone heard it, they will think I was dying. I also felt like I was a serious patient who died after hearing that voice.


    Yes, do not worry. I¡¯m fine here, nanny.


    The nanny smiled at my little gesture. I was d to notice it was a smile.


    On a side note though, since they called me a princess, I thought my name was ¡®Princess¡¯ or I was a child of a noble house. However, I was a real princess.


    Oh my, what kind of twist is this?


    Oh, but a bigger twist was lurking elsewhere. I wanted to be born in a really happy royal family, but now that I was born a princess,...


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Oh, he said he¡¯d be here in two days, but he was already here. I grabbed the hem of the nanny¡¯s dress in amazement. The nanny also stood in amazement with a pale face. The burf was back on its way. Oh, my.


    ¡°Y, Your Majesty!¡±


    So I was reincarnated. I didn¡¯t know the name of this body I currently used. Anyway, I was born under a huge responsibility, but I had a problem. My biological father was a bloodthirsty tyrant, Emperor Caitel.


    Caitel Agregiant.


    He was the handsome guy who came in with him.


    ¡°Glory to Evangelium.¡±


    As soon as I saw the Emperor¡¯s heel, my nanny held me as she bent her knees. However, his scarlet red eyes did not even look at her.


    You are him.


    The main character of the story I had been hearing all week. I had never seen him before. However, it didn¡¯t feel like I was seeing it for the first time.


    Is it because I have heard so much about him?


    Suddenly, the air that had cooled down in this room turned into tension. I tried to straighten my back even though it does not make any difference.


    There was only eye contact, but my body was shaking. Those were unbelievably threatening eyes to use while looking at a child; no, his own daughter. The fierce look held me back in tears.


    This madman will kill me if I cry.


    His maddened eyes were as red as blood. Silver hair with a tint of red which looked like tanned oars fell like snow, and its beauty was magnificent enough to be praised as heavenly creatures.


    Yes, this was that man. This felt wrong in my first meeting with my father, but I had no choice but to look up with a face full of discontent.


    So this handsome man in front of me was the Emperor of Agrient Empire and my father. He was a tyrant called the Mad Emperor of the Empire who toppled over ten kingdoms within five years of his reign and built up this United Empire.


    Oh, God.


    ¡°...¡±


    The heavy silence subsided. An expressionless and cool, insensitive eyes gazed at me with arrogance.


    Those eyes looking down at me made me thirsty for no reason. Was this an effect of too much pressure?


    ¡°This is my child?¡±


    At the moment, the tip of his lips twisted and a long stretch of eyshes covered his eyes. Only then did the air weighing on me grew a bit lighter.


    Ha, that God-like beauty doesn¡¯t suit to be ced on the face of such a madman.


    My cheeks swelled by itself. It was easy to tell because my cheek was chubby.


    Heughed at the sight of it.


    ¡°Y, your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!!¡±


    Along with the voice of the bewildered nanny, I could hear the voice of another man. However, I didn¡¯t have the chance to see what the new man looked like.


    It was because on my neck, yes, I had a big hand on my neck.


    I took a short breath.


    I stared at the pupil of the fellow who held my neck. His eyes were looking down at me and it was more threatening to look up at him. However, the fear it induced was not enough to kill me.


    It¡¯s just, it¡¯s just...


    Oh, I could not believe this fellow was my father.


    My new life was already 90% sh*t.


    I sighed withmentation and tears in my heart.


    I could hear a particrly small breath of a child.


    He must have heard it too. The emperor¡¯s eyes were showing a bright brilliance. It seemed strange that I did not react to him even though he held my neck with a hand. That was weird for me too.


    ¡°...Your Majesty.¡±


    I could hear a flustered voice behind him.


    I felt pathetic hearing that flustered voice. Well, that was normal though. Anyway, I could not believe I am this calm even after facing an immediate threat to my life. Was it because of my experience of being dead once already?


    What is the matter with me!?


    I guess it was because I gave up this life as soon as I was born.


    Phew¡­ those terrible rumors about him. Fundamentally, he massacres people on a daily basis, and he is a madman who killed all the women he slept with. There would be no difference even for his child.


    Yeah, if he would kill me, then do it quick. His eyes, that was not a father¡¯s eyes. Oh, my life. What is the point of being reborn when that fellow was my father? I had not sold my country out of my previous life. If it¡¯s not like that then why is my life like this now!?


    ¡°Ariadna.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s lips, which had been holding my neck still for a long time, moved. Suddenly, the cold hand holding my neck disappeared. He grinned as I shook my head against the sudden vacancy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it that.¡±


    This was the first encounter between a mad tyrant and his only daughter.


    . . .


    A baby¡¯s life is monotonous. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, and repeat.


    Yeah, that was really the end of the day. So whether my father came or not was none of my concern, Iid down the cradle because I had to stick to my daily routine. The sweet, fragrant of the fluffy quilt tickled the tip of my nose.


    The nanny who was patting me on the back until the burp came out again, was now smiling at me. Her face was filled with relief.


    ¡°You did great, my princess. If you burst into tears there, your throat would have blown away. Very nice.¡±


    That is true, but I could not help but get angry. Wow, was she talking to the baby about that? It was so unfair, but I could not speak, I did not have teeth, and above all, I was a baby! Boo-Hoo!


    ¡°Come on, you should sleep.¡±


    I hate you! I hate you! I hate it!


    I closed my eyes as I nced at Serira, my nanny who was only twenty-three years old.


    Fine. I am going to bed since that¡¯s what you told me.


    I was twenty-five years old before I died, so no matter how much I tell myself that Serira was my nanny, she still seemed younger than me.


    I am screwed.


    The fact that my father was infantile, clearly implying my life is already half ruined. The fact that Caitel had already returned from sweeping the southern kingdom of Icharta, told me it had been swept away a long time ago. I did not know what blood smells like, but my nanny told me earlier how the Emperor had the scent of blood around him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep? Would you like me to sing you a luby, princess?¡±


    Yeah, sing a song.


    I nod, with my sleepy eyes close. It was just that little movement, but Serira smiled after seeing it. She was so pretty when she smiled. I heard she left her child in a family home when she entered the pce. I guess she managed to do it somehow.


    ¡°Good night, my baby, in the front yard and in the back garden.¡±


    The familiar luby I felt like I heard when I was baby in my previous life blinded my eyes. I did not know if I am sleepy, but, let¡¯s get some sleep. It¡¯s sad to think so.


    Oh, my gosh. I think I¡¯m a real baby.


    I¡¯m about to fall asleep. At the same time, my previous memories and thoughts were intertwined. I¡¯d been hearing things all week. You would die soon, the Emperor would not let you survive, or something like that.


    More specifically, thatdy in the past died like this, and the otherdy died like that, so this was how they would die this time. Well, that was all.


    Besides, my mother was already dead, and when she gave birth to me, my father raised his army to fight the kingdoms of the South. I thought I was the daughter of his first wife since I was called a princess, but my father was extraordinary. He¡¯s twenty-six years old, but he still did not have any concubines.


    Nevertheless, I was called a princess because I was his only child.


    ¡°How surprising for His Majesty to leave the princess alive, and give her a name.¡±


    ¡°Hush, do not say that.¡±


    Oh, she¡¯s here again. I wrinkled my forehead with irritation at the voice I heard in my sleep. The provider of my knowledge, and the woman assigned to me, Elene, was a chatty person. She was so loud. It is not been a day or two that I woke up sleeping with her voice.


    ¡°The princess woke up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she is sleeping well.¡±


    Haha, you are funny¡ªyou woke me up! I wanted to say something to Elene, but as soon as I realized I couldn¡¯t because I was a baby, I felt so sad.


    ¡°Elene!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I got it. I¡¯ll be quiet.¡±


    When Elene got depressed by my nanny¡¯s voice, I finally felt relieved.


    I went back to sleep with a rxed expression. Elene could not stand it and chat about the new news.


    Leaking the story in one ear, I recounted the stories I had heard.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 2</h4>


    I heard Caitel was beautiful and had a high status, many women had been after him. Of course, there were countless powerful men behind them. Even though he was a madman, he was still the emperor. They would do anything if they could sew up that side seat. Many women did not refuse to hide in his room naked or to seduce him for a night like a prostitute. Thanks to it, countless women were impregnated, but none of them birthed their children. They were all trying to pin down Caitel with the baby, but they had a terrible ending.


    That was where I frowned.


    Ah, crazy! Caitel did not have any love for his family. That was why when the women made demands with their children, he would do unspeakable things to them. I could not imagine it when I did not meet him, but after seeing the man I saw earlier, he would. He would.


    ¡°She is sleeping well.¡±


    ¡°Hush, you will wake her up.¡±


    ¡°Phooey.¡±


    Yeah, that was why everyone was so surprised I survived. I would be surprised too.


    I woke up and opened my eyes, and the ceiling was dangling in front of my eyes. The sight of a child looking at the light was generally bad, but it was a little surprising because I did not think it was inconvenient. Howe there was no difference?


    ¡°Are you awake again?¡±


    As soon as I got up, my nanny smiled at me.


    Serira was such a pretty girl. By my standards, of course. Unfortunately, unlike me, the aesthetic standards of people in this country were quite high.


    ¡°I think she is really cute.¡±


    Next to her, Elene interrupts and pulls her face out.


    A round, cute face came into my sight. What a chatterbox with that face. She was someone I literally could recognize through hearing her voice alone, so I was not really weing her.


    I did not like her.


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡±


    Keep your hands off of me. As I frown, the nanny knocked out Elene¡¯s hand. Elene drooped and pulled her hand off me.


    ¡°The princess hates me.¡±


    That¡¯s because you are so loud. I wanted to answer, but I could not talk. Oh, it was very ufortable to be a baby. I wish I could get a tooth already. I prayed eagerly the day woulde that I could say at least a simple word.


    ¡°She is pretty though. I envy her.¡±


    ¡°Because she looks like His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°That is true. Who would have known that silver hair would be hereditary?¡±


    Elene looked at me from the back of the nanny. I would like to put that face away, but I would make her cry so I left her alone. Well, it was all because I was being nice.


    ¡°Oh, dear. You are so cute.¡±


    ¡°How dare you. She¡¯s a princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she is still a baby.¡±


    The nanny frowned as Elene smiled.


    Actually, I liked it when she called me cute¡­ You mean I am cute. I am pretty too. I didn¡¯t like the chatterbox, but I liked the praise. When I smiled, Elene smiled.


    Yeah, well, I figured out that my father was a madman because of you so I would forgive you even if you¡¯re so noisy.


    Still, thinking it was annoying when she touched my cheek, Suddenly, the pce door opened and a few people came in.


    Huh?


    Even I could feel that a lot of people came in the room even though I was lying down, and I could not imagine how those people barging in surprised Elene and the nanny when they saw it with their own eyes.


    They stood in amazement. Of course, the nanny held me in her arms first. Seeing her getting blue was not a good sight.


    What is it?


    Oh, did my crazy father finally order to kill me?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The voice of Serira was harsh. However, it was buried by the sound of nging noises. I wanted to raise my head and see who they were. The nging sounds, were they wearing an armor?


    My head went back to the nanny¡¯s arms and I could not tell with my own eyes who hade.


    ¡°Majesty¡¯smand.¡±


    ¡°Amand?


    Oh, it¡¯s not been long since I was born, and my life would end just like that. While I was saddened with frustration, the knight¡¯s voice was clearly in my ears.


    ¡°The emperor¡¯smanded us to move Princess Ariadna to the Pce of Sy.¡±


    The Pce of Sy was, to put it bluntly, the pce of the Emperor.


    The pce is a collection of all living quarters, including the emperor¡¯s bedroom and office. In addition, it was a pce where all state affairs took ce. People call Sy pce as the imperial pce due to its amazing size and importance, and it seemed quite meaningful for me to move there.


    ¡°I think he will ept princess.¡±


    For some reason, Elene spoke in a serious voice.


    I looked at her with my eyes open, dressed and wrapped in a sack. The face that was always on the bright side was somehow somber. Although she was only an 18-year-old girl who had been talkative the entire time, she seemed to be afraid of the madman. It was a surprise to me. I felt rather sorry for being seriously frightened.


    ¡°Hush, don¡¯t talk like that. This is not Ecelon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am...¡±


    Elene shushed herself. I closed my eyes again.


    Ecelon was the name of the pce where I was previously staying. I didn¡¯t know what the pce was for, but there was one thing I knew about it, it was the scrubby pce in the corner of the imperial pce, the pce where my mother lived.


    ¡°I feel sorry for the Lady Jereina.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say such a thing!¡±


    Elene bites her lips. The nanny¡¯s stern look reached her. I watched her and pulled the nanny¡¯s hair. Serira looked down. Her blue eyes cooled my view.


    ¡°You will be fine. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡±


    When did I say I was nervous? I pursed my lips with a nk face, but the nanny just smiled affectionately. I thought about it earlier, Serira was such a tragic woman. No matter what she did, it was always pitiful and pathetic. That was somewhat a skill too.


    ¡°I am sure His Majesty will never harm you. Yes, of course.¡±


    No, once heid a finger on me, it would not make him a madman. It would just make him a son of a b*tch. Hurting a baby, such a crazy bastard.


    Oh, but there were stories I heard before when he swept up a pce in the north. He drove all the royal family into one pce, both adults and children, and burned them all.


    He is a son of a b*tch. Amon notorious son of a b*tch.


    ...my life was ruined.


    ¡°Not that room.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Not this room?¡±


    The knight, who got orders from the emperor, guided us to another ce. This surprised the nanny and Elene. I don¡¯t know what was going on, but I was guessing this was the room I had to go to, but the Emperor handed it over to another person.


    Oh, anything was fine, just let me go back to the cradle. I want to sleep!


    ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    ¡°(crying).¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? She must be sleepy.¡±


    I could feel the knight panic at my whining. The people who were moving in a hurry wandered through my blurred vision.


    Oh, my eyes hurt.


    Children¡¯s eyes are delicate, and they quickly grew tired. I closed my eyes as I felt my body shake.


    Still, it wasfortable because I was in the arms of my nanny.


    When I grew up, I cannot be held up like this, right? Even when I was a kid in my previous life, my mother would cradle me in her arms like this. It was sad I could not remember it now.


    ¡°My princess, we¡¯re all here.¡±


    When I opened my eyes, Serira was smiling. This seemed to be a new cradle, the unfamiliar touch on my back made it evident. I whined.


    Not this one. Not this one. Old one! Bring back the old one!


    ¡°Princess, this is better. It¡¯s wider.¡±


    However, the old one is morefortable!


    ¡°Peekaboo, no, This is morefortable. Okay, is it better if I do this?¡±


    The nanny¡¯s hand must have been a magic hand. The cradle really gotfortable after she did that thing. Wow, that was amazing. Seriraughed as I opened my mouth. Iughed too, looking at her pale cheek.


    ¡°How cute.¡±


    Her hands on my forehead were warm. This was what warmth was. Iughed once again and closed my eyes.


    I am sleepy. I am falling asleep...


    I could not remember what I had dreamed of as I drift to dreand. It¡¯s just like floating on a cloud. The feeling was vague.


    Yes, if one could walk on the clouds, they would feel like this. It felt like a dream, somehow like feeling cotton candy. It felt like something lumpy was tangled with something plumpy touching me and shaking me.


    It tickled. Iughed.


    However, all of a sudden, the air became heavier. My heart was beating. My heart got stuffy. Somehow it was hard to breathe. I whined and opened my heavy eyes. A hazy view free from darkness. At that moment, I encountered a cold gaze and an eye looking down upon me.


    ¡°...¡±


    What a surprise!!


    I almost cried it out. I could see the rough pounding of my chest. As I struggled to check the surroundings, it seemed it was evening.


    Why are you here?


    I looked up at him discontentedly. We had eye contact. Our eyes intertwined in the air.


    I thought it was over. Was that eye color truly crimson? The colors of the crimson disturbed my view. It interlocked with his fierce eyes and made me feel uneasy. Was it hostility or murderous intent? It was hard to guess. It seemed the same to Caitel, my father. He smiled like a breeze. It was a smile that perhaps looked flustered.


    ¡°I felt it earlier, but...¡±


    A cool cold hand touched my cheek as Iid on the cradle. It was cold. No, it was cool. I felt as if I was submerged in dry water.


    ¡°You are not crying.¡±


    A word of affirmation.


    He seemed surprised I did not cry after seeing him.


    However, that was interesting to me too. I want to cry like normal kids. There was plenty of such desire. The problem was, he would cut my throat without mercy if I did.


    Was it because it was loud? Ha, I would have never thought that he would not kill me. He¡¯s a madman.


    ¡°The princess is very gentle.¡±


    Oh, the nanny was there. I thought she wasn¡¯t there.


    Turning to the ce where the voice was heard, Serira stood, holding her hands together. Her previous pale countenance became even paler as if it was bleached. She was nervous. She was scared if the emperor would kill me by any chance. Also, she felt ufortable dealing with Caitel¡¯s attention to what she said.


    Oh, well, that was too burdensome for me too.


    Even I felt ufortable; in the case of Serira though, it was obvious.


    Fortunately, Caitel seemed to have no more fun thing to ask from Serira. His gaze soon returned to me.


    ¡°Even so.¡±


    His cold hands swept my cheeks. To be honest, I felt goosebumps. With that cheek swept down, his hands traveled towards my short, thin neck.


    Did he have an interest in strangling? Why did he keep touching my neck?


    ¡°She should feel some murderous intent.¡±


    Yeah, I am feeling enough.


    I wanted to nod to reassure him that he¡¯s correct, but I could not because his cold hands were holding my neck. Oh, really, if I died, it would be because he strangled me. He smiled as I moaned and groaned.


    A smile that seemed like a smile but also not. Yes, it was more of a mockery towards my feebleness.


    ¡°This child is too unprotected.¡±


    It¡¯s your daughter, asshole. Stop calling me like I am someone else¡¯s daughter.


    He leaned toward me. That cast a shadow over my head. It wasn¡¯t a bright room, but the world was as dark as it was before he covered up the lights. Nevertheless, his red eyes were quite scary, their sharpness felt like a knife.


    ¡°Unfortunately, she does not look anything like her mother.¡±


    Did you even remember what my mom looked like? I looked up at him in a sulky way, and suddenly heughs. Heughed like a madman.


    Mom, there¡¯s a madman here!


    I looked up at him, I wish to call 211, Caitel just touched my forehead.


    ¡°A curse.¡±


    Curse? I opened my eyes wide.


    ¡°That is good, too.¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with him? Why was he saying such nonsense?


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it. Whatever curse you will bestow upon me.¡±


    Even his lips on my forehead felt cold. At that moment, I saw something twinkling in the scarlet eyes staring down at me.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 3</h4>


    My mother was a princess from a kingdom in the north. She wasmonly called Lady Jereina, but it was not her name. Originally, her name had a more northerly hard tone. However, they reced her name when her father sold her in order to prevent the fall of her kingdom, that was when she was brought to this pce. Here, she had an Agregiant name. The name given to her was Jereina. Thus, the people surrounding her called her Lady Jereina.


    ¡°Ariadna, your name is too long.¡±


    Since the morning, Elene started to agonize over my name. I averted my eyes from her as I suck hard at the bottled milk in my mouth.


    ¡°Would you like me to call you Leah or Anna?¡±


    They¡¯re both weird. I tried to say I do not like both of them, but I was just a baby. Just because I was young, my opinion was ignored. You dirty world!


    ¡°Let¡¯s call you Leah.¡±


    Yeah, I think Leah¡¯s better than Anna, but I do not like both of them either!


    I cried inwardly as I sucked the bottle hard. No, this was delicious, It was over. I am such a baby.


    ¡°Princess Leah~.¡±


    When the nanny lifted me up to finish eating and help me burp, Elene could not stand it for long and she leaned her face towards me. I frowned as soon as I saw her face. I did not like her at all!


    ¡°The princess does not like it.¡±


    As expected, you are my Superman. The nanny was a wizard who recognized my mind. it was like she was my mom.


    Serira, You are the only one for me.


    Showing the cute act of smashing my cheek with a small body, I clinged myself in the arms of the nanny. Meanwhile, Elene seemed shocked. She bulged her cheeks andined like a child.


    ¡°The princess hates me!¡±


    I did not hate you, but you are kind of annoying. I felt jealous for her because she had a much grown up body than I do, and most of all, she could speak. I whined as my jealousy consumed me. Serira made face at Elene. On that face, she shut her mouth and sat beside me with a sullen face. Come to think of it, even though I am a princess, she was the only maid I had got. In a way, I was in a pitiable condition. Well, if one would think of it, if there were more maids in the pce, it would be twice as annoying than my circumstances now. So this is better.


    ¡°But it is a little strange. She doesn¡¯t cry in front of the king. She does not usually cry, but still.¡±


    ¡°She recognizes even when she is young.¡±


    Their gazes touched my soul. I gave them a big burp and a bright smile in return. It was almost like an instinctive behavior for my case.


    ¡°That he is her father.¡±


    Well, about that.


    I know it, but my instinct did not recognize him. I did not feel good because I was under the impression that I was a genius baby who could recognize my own father in an instance. This kind of delusion was not good!


    ¡°What is wrong, Princess?¡±


    My nanny took my whining in a different way and looked at me anxiously.


    Phew, no, no. I will just take care of this.


    Still, the nanny checked my diapers to make sure I was not ufortable. Her delicate and caring hand movements showed me that I was not the first child she raised. it was not the skill of a mother who had her first child.


    ¡°...really.¡±


    I put my pacifier back in my mouth to be cradled in her arms. This pacifier was the symbol of babies. At first, I felt ufortable with this kind of thing in my mouth, but it helped me not to get bored.


    ¡°She does not look like mydy at all.¡±


    When Elene said so, the nanny¡¯s face darkened. I sucked my pacifier while looking at their stern faces. What is wrong, you two?


    ¡°Not her dazzling blonde, not her green eye color. Even the features¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not think it is possible to recognize unless someone says it.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too.¡±


    Oh, my look.


    I did not know what they were talking about, how could I look like anyone when my age did not even cross the threshold of a week. Of course, when I saw a baby, I would probably say the same thing they had said. However, when I saw these things from the baby¡¯s point of view, it made me realize that they looked like a fool.


    ¡°Why did Lady Jereina do that?¡±


    Elene somehow looked conflicted. Did she feel depressed because I kept refusing to cooperate with her? I thought she would not get hurt because she was like a roly-poly. I began considering if I should be kind to her from now even though she¡¯s annoying. I closed my tired eyes, and the nanny¡¯s voice, mixed with a sigh, fell over it.


    ¡°How can we know what she meant?¡±


    It was always the same thing these two were talking about. it was about me, and about my mother and my father. I could quickly catch up to what they were talking about, as I have been listening to it all week.


    Caitel, the mad emperor, killed every woman who had his child. Well, he killed all the women who were trying to get something from him. There were women who tried to hide until they gave birth. However, after finding out about them, Caitel cut their bellies while they were alive. What a crazy bastard.


    I was fed up with the same old story and started wondering how he could throw his own child away so casually. Soon, I had a violent feeling of anguish towards my life. So the conclusion I came to was, ¡®If you will kill me now, kill me with no pain.¡¯


    Yeah, I know, I am very servile.


    ¡°I just wish...¡±


    My nanny stroke my cheek with a serious face. I smiled at her. A soft smile quickly spread over her lips.


    ¡°I just wish he has a bit of warmth to love this little baby.¡±


    Warmth¡­


    I think it would be hard. He did not have that. He killed women who had his own children. Of course, the most direct reason he could do such a thing was because of his ice-like temper. Still, it would be better to ask the skies to pour rain during dry days than expect some warmth from him.


    He was a cold-blooded man who did not take care of his parents and his siblings. Not only did he kill his biological father with his own hands and seized the throne, but he also sold all his sisters abroad. He gathered his brothers in one ce and killed them. However, he felt like his efforts to rid his family were not good enough, so he started a war to kill his sisters. That was the end of what I knew about him.


    He was the main culprit who swept through all the battlefields like the wind and roiled the continent into a frenzy.


    Oh, a simple summary for those busy people. Caitel was a crazy bastard, simr to Hitler.


    There were still some people who said he would feel different towards his children. I heard even a hedgehog feltpassion about their baby. However, those words hadpletely disappeared when the emperor cut off the neck of a woman who had his child. Goodbye.


    ¡°I am sure both Lady Jereina and the emperors are amazing people anyway.¡±


    Perhaps because Caitel was an emperor, my mother, who protected me from such a fellow, seemed to be perceived as a pretty great woman in the pce. Well, my mother, who got pregnant with me in just a night, was being held in Echelon by herself as soon as she found out that she was pregnant. It was almost like she was in solitary confinement.


    At the end of the pce, at the corner of its most secluded area, she raised me with that delicate body. The emperor found it out a month before I was born. Of course, the emperor tried to kill her. No, actually I don¡¯t really know what happened.


    Al I knew was that the princess lived safely and died after giving birth to me. Meanwhile, the emperor went to conquer South Icharta at the time of her birth.


    I looked up at Serira. She smiled softly. I did not know how many months, but most of my memories were about her. I feel strange. Perhaps if I could consider someone as my mother, Serira would be the best candidate, not thedy they were talking about.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, do you know the rumor?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I heard the Emperor is cursed.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Serira¡¯s expression darkened at Elene¡¯s words. I stared straight at Elene. How dare you do that to my nanny! Elene went sullen again.


    Oh, I just decided to be nice to her and then I am staring at her menacingly again. I was a little sorry. She liked me so much.


    At that moment Serira put me down on the cot. I guess it was time for me to sleep.


    ¡°It is not a curse.¡±


    Sherra¡¯s expression was grim. She was recalling.


    ¡°If I can name it...¡±


    Her hand clenched my little hand.


    I rather felt pathetic in the mercy of her bigger hand. I sped her little finger trying to hold my hand.


    ¡°I will call it ¡®Cry¡¯.¡±


    Cry¡­


    When a sh of memory ran under the surface of the seas of my mind like a fish that had been pulled out of a, I remembered a voice that had been apanied by it. Somebody¡¯s sorrowful, mellow voice.


    ¡°I truly hate you, emperor. My body and my blood will not forgive you. If this body of mine withers and rot away, this child with my blood will curse you in my stead.¡±


    I mumbled to myself, closing my eyes.


    What are you asking to do to a little child?


    After our scary first meeting, the emperor unexpectedly came to visit me.


    For me, he was a pain in the neck, but Elene and nanny seemed to be inwardly pleased with him. Well, I know why, it¡¯s because I am a princess, but by all ounts, my position was vague and equivocal because I am not the daughter of an officially married couple. That was why it was such a sad fact that I did not have any legitimacy to shut those annoying mouths of theirs all at once, even if some of the junkies insist, ¡°she is not a princess for this kind of reasons!¡±


    Yeah, that was what it was. I liked the fact that dad came to visit me as his daughter. He was not like a father at all, but his beauty truly was amazing.


    He was my eye candy, and most of all, I am his daughter. He would not kill me. Right?


    ¡°You are not sleeping.¡±


    Oh, yeah, sorry. I misjudged you. You were the one who would kill your daughter.


    I raised my head, and we had eye contact. Shoot. I was not as nervous as I had been since I had seen him for the first time, but it was just a difference on the degree of the fear, and it was natural for my heart to fluctuate in the sight of him, so I could not help it.


    Oh, it was hard for me to breath because he was too handsome and I¡¯m enjoying the sigh of him. My heart beats because I thought I would die. What the hell is going on, God?


    I did not think he was looking down at me because he wanted to kill me, but his eyes were¡­ It was a little scary. Yeah, he was scared!


    ¡°Is it because I am here?¡±


    The illusion was free, sir.


    I turned my head with a rotten look at his smile, and I sucked my pacifier. I had heard a lot about breastfeeding being good for the growth of a baby, but my mother had no way of supplying it since she was already dead.


    Oh, do not tell me that milk I drink was all mother¡¯s milk. No way. It tasted so good though.


    Perhaps, it was only a really good baby milk powder?


    ¡°Oo!¡±


    I almost fell into a world of unconsciousness, but even before I realized, my pacifier was gone in my mouth. I looked up at the sky where my pacifier disappeared. Oh, my God!


    ¡°Do you want this?¡±


    ...God, was this violent temper what I¡¯m feeling right now?


    That bastard, how could you take your daughter¡¯s pacifier! I looked up angrily. Of course, what could you do with that cute baby face? He was grinning furiously with my pacifier on his hand.


    Oh, I hate it!


    Yeah. This was the problem. It was fine that he visits me often, it was good to see that handsome face, it was all good! However, the problem was he thought of me not as a daughter, but as a toy that soothes his boredom.


    You crazy bastard!


    ¡°You have that unpleasantly red eyes.¡±


    I got that eye from you. You red-eyed monster.


    ¡°It is too red.¡±


    Oh, well, I got it from you.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to draw it out.¡±


    What the. I opened my mouth in shock, and heughs coolly. It was his smile with a really glistening beauty that made my eyes cool, but it did not look as beautiful as it was.


    There was a demon in there.


    Heughed like that and ced my pacifier in my mouth. He was so serious I thought he would cut me down with that pacifier.


    ...well I am sorry I doubted.


    ¡°Tiny.¡±


    What an artistic thing for him to say to his 2-month-old baby. I curled my lips and sucked my pacifier. We had another eye contact.


    Yeah, look at me if you wanted to behold my eyes. I already knew what he would say. Valuation, Appraisal, Appreciation. That was what he said when he looked at me.


    Am I some kind of statue?


    I hade to the level that treats all his words as bullshit. God, free me from this madman. However, he said it once every few hours.


    I tried to listen to it so carefully. I was an idiot.


    ¡°This is really small.¡±


    Still, there were a few things I learned from his visits. It was something that I did not know from Elene or Serira¡¯s chatter, so I found the new discoveries as amusing and entertaining.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The first was the fact that this guy was a psycho who was more reasoned than I thought. He even had a sense of morality or ethics.


    However, the problem was his attitude or mindset that did not try to keep that in mind. It was a little different from when people called him mad to mock his name, but it all happened.


    Yeah, so that does not change the fact that he was a lunatic, but it was different from that craziness like Elizabeth Bathory (the Contessa of Transylvania in the 16th century who killed virgins and bathed in their blood) who took bath with blood, or d the 3rd(Romania¡¯s second prince, Dukes of Wchia, the inspiration behind Drac) who impaled his enemies with iron spears.


    It was good to know that he was not such a pervert, but if he was not crazy, then that was no...


    If I had to define him, he¡¯d be a fucking lunatic.


    No, it was not a definition.


    ¡°Hey, cry.¡±

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 4</h4>


    ...You madman. I really didn¡¯t have anything to say. Hey, what were you doing? He was scary. You were asking me nothing else but cry. I had nothing to say to him because I was really dumbfounded.


    ¡°Boo hoo.¡±


    This pathetic bastard. Yeah, I was crying because he told me to cry.


    I really did not think I would be so d I could not speak human words yet. If this thing I said was not an aliennguage but anguage he could understand, I would be dead already, hmm.


    Weren¡¯t you leaving?


    I was nervously sucking my pacifier as he looked down at me with a curious eye. That was my father. That was the fact that appealed to me so much everyday.


    My life was screwed.


    Anyway, the second thing I found out was that.


    He did not do any of his works! Otherwise, why was the Emperor so free? Didn¡¯t he rule over the people who lived on that wide territory?


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    I could not hear anything, but my eyes were wide open in amazement at the fact that there was someone else. Caitel, who was eyeing that change in expression, removed the smile from his face. He was originally donning a calm expression, but with a withering face, he turned around. He was just looking back, and the body of the knight his eyes touched cringed.


    I had to wobble in the cradle and stare at the knight with a curious eye, and then I had to feel strange. Did his eyes frightened the knight? He would shoot me with such a scary look too when I was just a baby? What an ignorant bastard.


    ¡°The captives from Icharta have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Let Ferdel take care of it.¡±


    Turning his head as if he were not interested, he turned back to see if something suddenly urred to him.


    ¡°Oh, wait.¡±


    He smiled. It was a smile, but it felt more like a mockery because he only moved the tip of his lips. It was thrillingly fascinating because of his beauty.


    ¡°For now, put them all in the prison camps. I will take care of them.¡±


    ¡°What about the King of Icharta... ¡±


    The knight asked as if he had not finished speaking, but Caitel seemed to have lost interest. He looked at me again, and he reached out to me smiling.


    Hey, hey, he was scary. He should get away from me.


    ¡°Set a date and execute him.¡±


    His voice was callous more than ever. Even I was scared, but the way he touched my cheek was as gracious as ever. I swallowed the horror I felt as I saw him stroke my cheek affectionately, saying cruel words in a sweet tone.


    Caitel smiled as if he noticed my horror. His crescent-moon-shaped shaped eyes were on me.


    ¡°I feel sorry for you to be born without knowing what kind of man your father is.¡±


    Yeah, that was true. I¡¯m d he knew that.


    ¡°But it would not make any difference.¡±


    Oh, seriously, take me for pity¡¯s sake, please.


    I was scowling at him when suddenly, he patted my head. Stop patting my head, stop treating me like a toy!


    ¡°I remember the woman who was trying to give birth to you.¡±


    Did you really remember her? Yeah, who would have thought you were human?


    I looked up at Caitel. He smirked and then he would look down at me once again with an empty expression. Maybe because I was a little girl, he would often gaze at me with a face like that. An empty, hollow face.


    ¡°You, cry.¡±


    Oh, fuck.


    I didn¡¯t really want to swear, but he was pushing me!!


    ¡°I heard every baby cry nonstop.¡±


    Yeah, that was normal. I nodded and agreed with him. Of course in his eyes, it just seemed like I like it. Boo hoo, why was I just a baby huh?


    I could not stand my grief and turned my head away from him, and at that moment his serious voice fell over me.


    ¡°Does your intelligence run a little low?¡±


    Oh, you son of a bitch!


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Somehow it¡¯s already been three months since I was born. I was not sure how a month and a half passed by¡­ No, more like I didn¡¯t want to remember...How could I forget?


    Bad memories, disappear!


    ¡°Around this time, the weather is always clear and the skies are bright. Even so, when autumnes, the leaves will drop once they turn red. Then it will be cold again.¡±


    Her soft voice talked to me. Serira talked to me a lot these days, because she heard that by this time, babies were sensitive to sound. Of course, the mad emperor talked to me, but it was more of like him talking to himself.


    Shoot, the thought of getting harassed by him for the past month and a half suddenly made me mad. Son of a bitch, I really wanted to send him to the nursery school and tell him to learn how to treat a baby right.


    ¡°Are you feeling ufortable, princess?¡±


    A sweet voice spoke to me. I opened my eyes and looked up at Serira.


    I had learned that Serira wasn¡¯t an ordinary nanny. No, correction. She was an ordinary nanny, but she was not normal. Her official title is countess Peistrille. I was really surprised when I first figured out about her status.


    ¡°Why do you look like that, is it so strange outside?¡±


    No, I was just curious about you.


    The 23-year-old countess was amazing to me. After her count fell in a war, she was called upon by the emperor to protect hernd and title bying to the pce. Eventually, she became my nanny. She had to leave her child because of me. Luckily, she seemed to be satisfied with being my nanny.


    ¡°Our dearest princess is so gentle...¡±


    A pathetic smile hanging on her lips. As I said back then, Serira always somehow looked pathetic, pitiful, and sad. I just wondered why, but now that I know her situation, I felt bad for her. Oh no, I am tearing up.


    ¡°Uwaagh-.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaagh-.¡±


    I wanted to call her mother, but I can¡¯t pronounce it at all because my tongue was not working out well. She might think it was just babble, but Serira sat and looked out and listened carefully to me. She was such a kind person.


    I rather felt sorry to rely on such kindness.


    ¡°Oh, dear, did something got on your eyes?¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes. Serira reminded me of who I was in the previous world even though it¡¯s not rted at all. I had a somber look on my face.


    My mom and dad, they must be so shocked to find out I was murdered.


    It was not an ident. It was murder. Motiveless crime. I still remembered the pain of being mauled by the knife with which the criminal held. Of course, it hurt a lot, but it felt worse how I didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye to my parents. Even if I was destined to die there, they should have at least let me say goodbye, you petty God!


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Serira hugged me. Unlike two months ago, I was quite big. I had more hair, and I could stay awake longer than before. If the nannyid me down, I could lift my head and turn my body upside down, even though it was very hard.


    Oh, there was nothing much that changed though. It¡¯s okay. I would not cry! I¡¯m a good baby!


    ¡°Elene will bring yummy food soon. Once she returns, we¡¯ll eat up on that bench there.¡±


    She was quite excited about my first walk. However, it was really nice to get outside to get some fresh air for the first time. Sometimes, I had a chance toe out for a second or two, but up until now, I¡¯ve only been out on the terrace. It¡¯s my first time to be dragged on a stroller and breathe the fresh air.


    Other ordinary babies would have gone out when they were vinated at a hospital, or when they were leaving to a rtive¡¯s house, or when their mothers have to leave with them. However, the background I grew up in was quite different. In the pce, my own doctor was on standby 24 hours a day in the imperial office, and I couldn¡¯t go to my rtives¡¯ home because I didn¡¯t have any living rtives. Besides, Serira was the one who provided everything for me, she had no qualms even if an urgent event happened, and in an event that she really did need to leave at all cost, someone else was always waiting to take care of me.


    It¡¯s so tight-knit. I think it¡¯s a huge overprotective thing. This was really too much.


    ¡°Oh, I guess she loves being outside.¡±


    I smiled brightly when Serira¡¯s eyes met with mine. Sheughed brightly when Iughed. She looked better now than her usual sad demeanor.


    Yeah, now her age was twenty-three. I think it¡¯s good to have a second marriage if the Imperial Law didn¡¯t ban it...


    I closed my eyes, thinking I¡¯d try to persuade herter when I got older.


    ¡°Serira!¡±


    Oh, Elene.


    I could guess who she was just by listening to her.


    With a sigh, I opened my eyes. When Serira turned around, I could see Elene running.


    Look at her¡ªshe¡¯s going to fall.


    I was about to kick my tongue and suck at the pacifier, and Elene really fell. Ugh, I didn¡¯t mean to curse.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    However, the problem wasn¡¯t that she fell, it was because she didn¡¯t fall after she stepped on a her foot wrong. Elene fell. She fell because she ran into someone.


    ¡°Princess Feylene?!¡±


    Listening to the sharp voice from behind, I instinctively sensed something. That thindy, who fell in the face of Elene, must be the princess of a kingdom forced to bend the knee to Caitel. And...


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    This will be very annoying. I couldn¡¯t even point my forehead, but I wanted to do it. A sigh came out.


    This was Caitel¡¯s bad habit. He would bring princesses and loyaldies from the kingdoms he conquered and y¡­ I mean, abandon them as his concubines.


    However, it was a bit weird to pin it down that it¡¯s insulting. It wasn¡¯t about making them their sex moles or sexually abusing them.


    ¡°Are you all right, Princess?!¡±


    The name Faylene was definitely an Agrient Imperial name. Perhaps that princess¡¯s real name was something different.


    I sucked my pacifier. my pretty pacifier. My pacifier was pinkish, with a soft touch like a real mother¡¯s breast.


    ¡°You! How dare you! Do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡±


    The maids behind her was mad. Serira sighed.


    Yes, I knew. I understood that feeling, nanny.


    That¡¯s an event worth a sigh. Elene stood up stumped.


    By the way, was the princess made of ss? Why wasn¡¯t she up yet? I was wondering because it wasn¡¯t a hard fall.


    I wondered for a moment. She soon raised her head. Her beauty was quite, well, magnificent. Her disheveled blue hair wobbled. She stood up, supported by maids, holding the hem of a blue dress that matched her hair.


    Even though she came all the way to Agregiant and was still called a princess, so at least she seemed to be the princess of the Empire. If the king didn¡¯t want to die to Caitel, they would have sent the direct descendants of the king, or they sent all loyaldies they had. Anyway, her rather mature-looking beauty was beginning to form.


    She was elegant. She looked like a Hollywood star.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Her sharp voice was quite nervous.


    Elene couldn¡¯t answer, but she fell down in tears.


    Oh, dear. Elene, you should be begging on your knees right now. Don¡¯t just stand there!


    I frowned as I observed her pathetess. If only I was here withrger body, I¡¯d just ignore them and leave. Unfortunately, I was naught but an infant, and it was Serira who held me. Serira arrived at the ce with a light walk.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess.¡±


    After greeting the princess with an impable courtesy, Serira raised her head. She must be feeling very ufortable with for bowing down so low because she¡¯s holding me, but her behavior was gentle.


    Oh, my God, did the emperor gave her to me to make me learn that behavior? This must be...


    ¡°She¡¯s a maid under my orders, but she made a grave mistake. Please forgive me.¡±


    Once the princess who was almost about to hit Elene softened the momentum for a moment. Elene exhaled noticeably.


    Were you that scared?


    It was such a small lump of liver for a woman who greeted the emperor every day. What if you get caught by my dad? Well, my dad was not just a normal dad.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Princess Faylene gazed at Serira from top to bottom in an unpleasant manner. Her tant gazed displeased me.


    Who were you to look at my nanny like she was just an object? I felt like I really wanted to die when her arrogant eyes nced over me. I felt like I had be a product that was priced and sold by others, not a human being. Well, it was the same in my previous life.


    ¡°My name is Countess Peistrille from Ivst, South of Agregiant. I was taking care of princess Ariadna under the Emperor¡¯smand.¡±


    ¡°Ariadna?¡±

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 5</h4>


    She wondered out loud. In fact, she seemed quite taken aback by this. Not that I could me her. I could understand how she was feeling right now. She¡¯s absolutely right. Serira¡¯s clothes were way too simple for a royal nurse. Now, when I said simple I was being nice. In fact, if someone called her out for being prude I would have nothing to say to defend her. I mean, I knew she hated unnecessary luxuries, but I felt like she tried too hard at being prudent that she made herself too simple. It actually backfired and diminished her beauty. Tsk.


    The princess Faylene looked surprised for a moment then she started toe up with something to say. Well, all her thoughts were reflected on her face. I meant, it was pretty obvious to everyone that she was judging, no, tasting me. Was I a dish to be tasted? I felt so offended, I turned my head around. So what if she¡¯s pretty? Even if she¡¯s the prettiest woman on earth if she¡¯s annoying then all those magnificence are for naught! I feel super annoyed right now!


    ¡°Is that child her royal highness?¡±


    Yeah! That right I¡¯m the royal princess. What I was saying was this princess she¡¯s seeing was me. The royal highness part made my cheeks burn, but that proved I was on a higher standing than this other princess. However, why then did she had the audacity to gaze at me with such heated eyes? It felt burdensome. Look, was only a three-month-old wah-wah baby. I honestly don¡¯t why you had to gaze at me with such feverish, zed eyes. What¡¯s wrong with this girl?


    ¡°Yes, this is her royal highness¡¯ daughter¡±


    Serira bit down on her lips and just barely replied. Looking at her made me realize how she really regretted revealing my identity to this princess.


    Hmm, perhaos I knew now why. To reveal a defenseless baby to a hostile woman who had a deep grudge against the child¡¯s father was quite the... thing to do. Yeah.


    ¡°Hand her over. I want to try holding her one time.¡±


    What?!


    I was so shocked I forgot to keep sucking on my pacifier. What did this crazy hag just said? Yes? Did you even know me? I think this was the first time we met, yes?


    Hey! Even my own birth father never held me. The only one who could hold me was Serira!


    ¡°That...¡±


    Serira clearly looked ufortable. Turn her down. Turn her down! If you would hand me over I would sulk. Boo hoo.


    Damn it, I felt so bitter, how could I live?


    Even I held babies before and it was an amazing feeling to do so, but now that I¡¯m the one being carried, I felt nothing but hatred towards it. If it was a familiar face I saw at least a couple of times before, I would understand but this woman just saw me for the first time!


    ¡°Why? Do you think I will hurt her?¡±


    The princess pressured my nanny. That damn...!


    No. I didn¡¯t want to go. I hate that woman! I grabbed onto Serira¡¯s clothes. No Mommy. If you send me, I would cry. I would cry! In that woman¡¯s eyes were nothing but animosity! This was not a lie I was making up because I didn¡¯t want to go, but it¡¯s true, in those green eyes of hers existed a different type of enmity. It was so tant it felt burdensome. It was that kind of hostility! Damn it, Why did I have to get this kind of look because I was unlucky to get the wrong father?! My day started out well with my first time being outside, but how did it end up with me rolling down a cliff!?


    Don¡¯t hand me over! No, don¡¯t hand me over!


    ¡°P, princess, stop twisting around.¡±


    ¡°Wahhhinnnn~¡±


    Finally for the first time since I was born, I burst loudly into tears.


    No! I hate this woman!


    I didn¡¯t know why she sprayed herself with this perfume, but I hated this strong rose scent and the thick make up she was wearing along with her long sharp nails she didn¡¯t trim. I really hated everything about her.


    ¡°Shut up! Can¡¯t you keep that mouth shut!?¡±


    Had she ever heard of a baby shutting up because it was told to?! I hate her so much!


    I wanted to cry. No. I was already crying. From my eyes, tears are running down.


    It came to the point where I couldn¡¯t see what¡¯s in front of me anymore. I was just kicking up a fuss with all the energy I had with my open mouth, crying with all my might.


    Ah, now I know why babies cry so vigorously. It was the only way they could disy their displeasure. I was in such a weak existence. I couldn¡¯t even crawl, so I couldn¡¯t even escape her grasp by myself! Also, unlike Serira her body was so thin I couldn¡¯t rub myself against her. Her body was too hard. I hated it here!


    ¡°Wahinnnn~¡±


    ¡°It so noisy! Why is it so loud?¡±


    All infants are like this. Sigh, I was now hoping she wouldn¡¯t raise any.


    Serira fidgeted next to me and ine looked at me with surprised eyes. Yes, I know. You guys never saw me like this right? It¡¯s the first for me too. I was crying like this for the first time. I hated it to the point that I cried!


    ¡°Wah!!!¡±


    You think she was a normal person who would give up now, but, I didn¡¯t know where she learned it, princess Faylene grabbed my body tightly and didn¡¯t let go. In this way, my wrist and hips were in great pain.


    It hurts! You had no clue how to hold a child!


    ¡°Whose attitude do you take after? If someone saw this they would think I was doing something bad to you!¡±


    Your face is a horror, you olddy.


    ¡°Wahinnn!¡±


    Damm, someone help me!


    Seriously it looked like she would drop me soon with the way I was struggling about while giving it my all when I heard a familiar voice drop from above.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    The voice was so familiar. I turned my face wet with tears from the origin of the voice and looked through it with my blurry eyes.


    Ah, It¡¯s da¡­ daddy!


    My eyes grew round like saucers, and at the same time, the body holding me grew stiff.


    With the emperor¡¯s entrance, the whole atmosphere immediately cooled down as if sshed with an ice cold water. Unfortunately, while the chaos was going on, it happened exactly right under the hallway he was passing by. I felt so taken aback that I shut my mouth tight. Of course, the hallway was away from this spot, but it wasn¡¯t far enough for him not to see anything.


    Princess Faylene paled and lifted her face. Caitel met her eyes and sneered. It was his usual grin he gave which suggested how he looked at everyone and considered them all nothing but bugs.


    ¡°I greet the one who has touched Evangelium.¡±


    It meant to express theing of good news, and to the emperor who has heard the voice of God, whether men or women must repeat this saying to the emperor of Agrigiant. It was quite a frightening sight to behold a blue-faced, blue-haired woman shaking with her head bowed down.


    After my dad appeared, I stop crying, but I was still sniffling.


    ¡°May you reach Evangelium.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if it was because Serira was a citizen, but her greeting was quite different. As I grew up, I will slowly learn all the small differences, but I wanted to know them right now. Why?


    Unfortunately, this was not a good situation to satisfy my curiosity. Slowly, the emperor came down the stairs outside and gazed at us with a crooked posture. So far I just thought of my dad as the crazy bastard I had to put up with, so I was mistaken that the animosity he gave off was his normal self. I was wrong, the animosity he gave off now was muchrger than what I felt in the room and weighted down the atmosphere significantly more than our usual chatting sessions.


    ¡°Can someone exin to me why my princess was crying?¡±


    Who¡¯s your princess? Oh yeah, I am.


    I wanted to cry in protest, but I didn¡¯t. He always called me as if he¡¯s talking about someone else¡¯s daughter. Why was he showing me off now? I wished he would please change the way he spoke to me.


    As usual no one knew how I felt, so I just sniffled as I sucked on my thumb. When I was making myself busy crying my lovely pacifier went by itself somewhere. Where did it go, my pacifier?


    Pacifier, big sister was sorry. Where did you go?


    ¡°Well¡­ what happened was...¡±


    The princess put more strength in her grip and my torso started hurting in pain. Ow! Seriously! I really wanted to cry out loud, but that madman was my dad so I couldn¡¯t.


    He would kill me if I cried.


    The survival instinct I didn¡¯t know I had was telling me this. That mean bastard. I had to satisfy myself with just burrowing my forehead and looking longingly at Serira. At that moment I met his eyes.


    Huh? Why are you smiling?


    I didn¡¯t know what this crazy guy would do, so I made a face.


    What? What going on?


    The guy who always sneered at me was giving me a genuine smile. Wow, his beauty was to die for. It tantly told me that God made a mistake when bncing his assets. How else could a person have everything except a good personality. Hey, could you tell me, God?


    ¡°Come here ¡±


    Caitel spread his hands toward me. I was momentarily left at two crossroads.


    This crazy woman or a crazy dad?


    It was just a moment, but my thoughts really did fall into chaos.


    Ah, well, he¡¯s better than this woman gripping my torso so tightly, it felt like she was tearing it off. I quickly let out my hands towards him.


    Since he was a crazy bastard, no, since he was the emperor, princess Faylene gave me up to him easily. What else could she do? Perhaps it was his first time holding me because his posture was awkward, but I was finally able to stop sniffling. Now that my torso was free from pulling, it felt so much better.


    Ah. This was a real problem.


    Just because I had seen you a couple of times I got really used to you. Sniff, sniff, sniff. Your scent seemed familiar. Damn it.


    He watched me getfortable in his arm. I raised my head and looked into his eyes then I smiled cheerfully.


    I was not bribing you okay. I was not!


    ...I just wanted to survive.


    I didn¡¯t know if he understood my struggle to live, but he smiled back at me. It was as gentle as the spring breeze. Well, it instantly turned cold again.


    Was he the man of a thousand mask? Seriously, did he really own a thousand mask? How could a person just suddenly switch emotions in a matter of seconds? We should break up! I can¡¯t continue familial ties with a fickle guy like you!


    However, I guess I couldn¡¯t, right? Damn, I¡¯m screwed.


    Anyways, that fierce expression of his was not directed towards me, but towards the shivering princess Faylene. Ah, I feel like she looked pitiful now. Earlier I hated her to the bone, yet I didn¡¯t want to throw her alive in front of a crazy bastard, so I feltplicated.


    So who told you to hold me?


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It was just one question. He was a man of few words, but he spoke fewer words in front of that princess. I guess it would be so. I mean what could he have to say to her that required longer sentences?


    ¡°I am princess Segista from Praezia, your grace¡±


    ¡°No, not that name.¡±


    He twisted his lips. It was not a genuine smile from pleasure nor his usual sneer. Something twisted one¡¯s insides, one that would make everyone¡¯s skin rise from the bottom of their stomach.


    ¡°I wanted to know the name you received when I shoved you in the harem. I don¡¯t care about the name you used in the past.¡±


    Wow, what a sadist.


    The princess who was gripping her dress paled. Now I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for her. I was thinking I knew how she must be feeling.


    Yeah, it was scary. I was scared too.


    The princess was in that ce now but there were no guarantees I wouldn¡¯t be there in her ce someday. I pulled his clothes back.


    Hey, dad, with this I¡¯m okay now so how about we just let her off now?


    ¡°Faylene¡±


    At that moment the maid behind the princess broke the silence .


    ¡°It¡¯s princess Faylene.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s face froze. His hostility doubled. In this atmosphere, it was hard to breathe, so I wanted to cry but damn!


    Because of this dad in front of me, nothing was going well today. I finally just scrunched up my face and whimpered. Hgh, I hate this! Things like this!


    ¡°Who are you to step in front of me?¡±


    They were unnecessarily aggressive words. I guess he didn¡¯t know what mercy was.


    ¡°Do you think someone like you could interfere in a ce like this?¡±


    The maid immediately bent her knees. Then she screamed with all the voice she could muster. That pitiful sight shocked me.


    ¡°Imitted a crime worthy of death! Please spare my life! I beg of you! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    I had no connection to this incident, but even I felt sorry for the sobbing maid who was screeching. She just wanted to protect her mistress¡­ If it was me I would have forgiven her no matter what, but unfortunately, the one who caught her was this crazy lunatic.


    ¡°Drag her away.¡±


    Everyone held their breath at his cold words. Of course, I held my breath back too.


    He didn¡¯t have an ounce of mercy in him. I heard the only medicine for a crazy guy like him was a beating, but since there were no one around who would beat the emperor up there was no cure for him. There was no cure.


    ¡°This is the first time I saw our princess cry.¡±


    So will you kill me?


    ¡°Where¡¯s her toy ?¡±


    What toy? Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t asking me, so I couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Serira looked surprised as he looked at her, however, he looked pretty calm inparison.


    ¡°Toy. The one she was always chewing.¡±


    That¡¯s not a toy, that was a pacifier, my friend.


    Also known as a binky. It even had a nickname, and it¡¯s a friend to all babies. You¡¯re a dad, and you didn¡¯t know that? Ugh, seriously!


    ¡°Ah it...¡±


    Serira who was baffled looked around and found it near the spot the princess stood. Ah, it¡¯s dirty!


    How could I put it back in my mouth!? The emperor must have agreed with me.


    ¡°Throw it away.¡±


    As soon as she picked it up, he was ordering her to throw it away.


    Serira couldn¡¯t bring herself to throw it away on the floor so she tugged it away in her arms. Since Icked a pacifier, I made do by sucking on my thumb. Suck, suck, suck.


    Ah, it was my finger but it¡¯s salty.


    ¡°She cried so vigorously ¡±


    Yes, thank you for your acknowledgment. So can you let me go to my nanny now?


    My wishes were ignored as usual, the emperor looked down at the princess Feylene while holding me.


    She was quiet and still with her head lowered on the ground.


    Ha, how pitiful!

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 6</h4>


    ¡°Was it you? Were you the one who caused my daughter to cry so ferociously.¡±


    Even though he was my dad, when he came to visit which was quite frequent, I often clicked my tongue thinking how good looking this bastard was. However, that ce was my room and the only one topare him to was Serira, so I was like yeah. That¡¯s why I reacted that way...


    ¡°Why is there no answer?¡±


    However, I never knew his frivolous attitude with that faint smile on the edge of his lips made him shine so much. Ah, so shiny. When he gave me that frivolous face before I had always wanted to hit him. I didn¡¯t know if it was because his arrow was pointed the other way, but today his figure looked appropriately desirable.


    The princess was shivering pitifully. Just ncing at her physical state, one could tell how much she was shaking. She was only in her mid-twenties. Did I just cried for nothing and summoned a demon? I regretted it a bit.


    See, why did he have to hold me! Who told him to hold me!


    It was such an ufortable situation, I felt quite peculiar. At that moment the princess lowered her head.


    ¡°I just held her, that¡¯s all¡±


    Her voice was already breaking due to the fear running down her spine. Usually, when such a delicatedy spoke while shivering, it would cause a person¡¯s heart to be moved, and their sympathy would prevail even if they had none, but my father is an exception, or perhaps, he¡¯s just not a man, he was too spoiled with all the women he has, but his face showed tantly that he didn¡¯t pity her at all.


    ¡°With whose permission?¡±


    Caitel gaze was cold as he cut her off.


    Instead of being dunked in cold water like before, the atmosphere was now in a snowstorm in Siberia. I never knew a person could look at another human being with such cold eyes until now.


    ¡°With what right did you hold my princess?¡±


    Ah, um¡­ you were just calling me your daughter, why was it princess all a sudden?


    No. This isn¡¯t the problem right now.


    Because for a moment, I broke out in cold sweat.


    Ah, goosebumps.


    It was such a strong killing intent that if I had been a normal baby, I would have felt my life in danger and burst out crying. Seriously, this man is a ticking bomb. I think It was a hundred times better when he was just sneering at people with his usual twisted smile.


    His current expression was not the usual one he was showing when it was just the two of us. Both expressions were unreadable, but this was the first time I felt this much horror at not being able to see any expression in a human face. I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. I didn¡¯t know what he was feeling.


    There was a feeling of something crawling slowly on my skin.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I whimpered at the sight of him.


    Serira, save me! Even if this guy¡¯s my father this was not right!


    As soon as I let out a sound, Caitel lowered his sight to look at me. As soon as he did, I tried to straighten out my scrunched up face.


    Would he really kill a three-month-old baby for scrunching her face?


    ...yes he would definitely do so.


    Uncertainty had always taken people. This was not an uncertainty since it seemed like he would definitely kill me! I lowered my eyes without making a fuss.


    Then suddenly heughed.


    ¡°This is the first time I held my own daughter.¡±


    His eyes gently turned into the shape of a crescent moon. His smile was as attractive as a masterpiece painted by an artist. The Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa with a mysterious smile, and through many generations, it had caught the hearts of all people on Earth. Therefore, this man¡¯s smile right in front of me could also mesmerize everyone in this world. I heard too much beauty was poison.


    So this saying was for him. I wailed inwardly.


    The pale princess Faylene apparently had already crossed the river of no return. Her face had always been pale, but now all of the blood had left her face I thought she¡¯s an A4 paper. Her lips that were like red rose petals turned purple.


    ¡°Was it five thousand gold?¡±


    Why are you suddenly asking about gold, father?


    I thought it was so random when I heard a sigh.


    Huh?


    I slowly turn my head and saw Serira standing still sping her hands. Nanny was also pale, but not as much as the princess. She was barely staying in her ce. Of course, the cause of all this, Ellien, was ying dead, standing still with her head bowed down.


    She was a serious troublemaker.


    ¡°For the price of your body?¡±


    With his chin lifted and a with a gaze simr to that of a man looking at bugs, he looked down on her. The look he gave her was full of contempt and disgust. His eyes were cold enough to freeze a heart, and his face was no longer nk, but it held a bright smile. That gentle smile he gave pushed the recipient further into aer.


    Ah, I really hate it.


    I already knew he was the king of the heavens and a lone tyrant, but I have never, until now, met someone who could shamelessly disy this attitude right in front of someone¡¯s face. Of course, I included my past life too. I could not describe it simply with words. He was so arrogant, cocky, and imperious that it was impossible to express properly.


    Was I this inarticte? I need to study more about the use ofnguage and learn to be a lot more articte since I couldn¡¯t even express this feeling with my own words.


    ¡°There¡¯s no answer.¡±


    Caitel saidzily as he caressed my cheek with a hand as if he was stroking a cat.


    That¡¯s called talking to oneself. No, he¡¯s not talking to himself¡­ .but rather, he was urging her to give a reply.


    ¡°It was twenty, twenty-five thousand.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t an idiot who couldn¡¯t understand what he meant, so she fearfully made herself busy by answering him.


    ¡°The dowry payment was twenty-five thousand for my sister and me.¡±


    She had a sister. Oh no. What to do? She was so pitiful.


    Now I wanted to cry for another reason. I couldn¡¯t even cry when I wanted to! Just by crying at the wrong moment, what kind of great case was this that I caused?


    The way this is going, I will set a record for killing a foreign princess in my infancy.


    Ah, father, father, please have mercy.


    Of course, he would probably be like ¡°What is mercy?¡±. He¡¯s that kind of guy. Even though I knew it would happen, I couldn¡¯t help myself from begging. I hated that woman, but I didn¡¯t hate her to the point of wanting to kill her! What kind of person would kill someone he disliked?


    ¡°Ferdel¡±


    A moment of silence passed when a fresh voice responded from behind.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Wait, stop. Ferdel?


    For some reason, his name sounded familiar. His voice seemed really familiar too. I felt like I heard it before. I didn¡¯t know if it was because there were few voices I heard since my birth, but I could immediately recall his voice.


    Ah! He was the man who followed Caitel like a stalker. He seemed like a person of high status. What kind of man was he?


    ¡°Tell the Emperor of Praezia I will send another twenty-five thousand.¡±


    At the word Praezia, everybody held their breath.


    What emperor? I was quite taken back there was another emperor other than Caitel. So this empire was not the only empire, and what were you saying, dear father?


    ¡°Your daughter has broken the Agrigiantws, so she will be executed.¡±


    In the back, I heard the short gasps of people as if they were taking a dump. I guess they were troubled.


    ¡°...on what charge?¡±


    At the lingering question, he looked back, no, actually, he turned his body back.


    ¡°L¨¨se-majest¨¦.¡±


    An execution just for making a baby cry? Wow, just look at this crazy bastard.


    ¡°Majesty! Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Put her in confinement for now.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even spare a nce at the sorrowful criesing from the back. Ah, what a seriously pitiful sight.


    The emperor¡¯s entourage¡¯s only job seemed only to throw people who offended him in jail or to kill them on the spot. So was this what a tyrant looked like? Was this the face of the dignity of a tyrant?


    Steam it and eat it all.


    Could I grow up safely under a guy like this? As if I had been hit by a wave when I was treading water, I was swept up in regret and became lost in thought by myself. I was furrowing my eyebrows, not minding my surroundings, when the emperor entered thergest garden in the royal pce and towards the empire¡¯s symbol, the winter tree.


    What is it, Emperor, do you want to take me for a walk?


    Ah, but the torso she pinched was seriously hurting me. Was this bruised?


    ¡°She grew a lot¡±


    ¡°She is in her growth spurt. She¡¯s at the age where she will have changes by the day.¡±


    That was all he was saying as he lightly carried me.


    Hey! I was a three months old newborn baby. It was natural for me to grow at this pace. Could you seriously take a parenting ss? Was there graduation for a regr ss?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for just a week.¡±


    Has it really been that long? I tilted my head. It had been quite a while since I saw your face, quite a bit of time had passed. No, it was because it actually felt like a month.


    Caitel wasn¡¯t the emperor for nothing, after all. In the first month, I was thinking this bastard didn¡¯t work, and he only insisted to everyone that he was an emperor, butter that month, his visits lessened, and it was harder to see him.


    I felt a bit, and only a bit, sorry for him, so I gave him a big smile.


    Look at this, my million dor smile!


    ¡°Heavy.¡±


    You bastard? You, that¡¯s insulting to ady!


    ¡°How mysterious, a small life form that I could just kill with one hand grew bigger.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t look like the type of person who would talk to himself, but for some reason, only when he was with me, this crazy guy seemed to have a lot to say to himself. I must be mistaken. Yeah. Definitely.


    It had been uncertain to say that he¡¯s talking to me.....


    ¡°Like a bug¡±


    Crazy bastard. For a moment I was so taken aback, my mouth dropped open.


    Wow. Crazy. What did you say? Do I have to live like this while getting insulted? Do I?!


    ...Ah. Of course, I did. I had to live like this. Yes, I had to live like this. What could I do?


    I¡¯m so hurt. I was so frustrated, tears started toe out.


    Yet I couldn¡¯t cry. Ah. I feel even more frustrated. You¡¯re dead to me. You¡¯re not my dad. To tell his own daughter that she¡¯s like a bug was too much.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one hurt by what he said. No, actually I was the only one hurt by this, the others were just simply surprised, especially Serira...


    ¡°Your Majesty, your expression is a bit...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Was your name Ferdel? You are quite an upright kid. That¡¯s right, keep that form! Keep walking!


    Tank! Show off your skills! Ferdel who received a mouthful of my cheers showed a disturbed expression and continued speaking his mind.


    ¡°To say she is like a bug. She is a princess.¡±


    At Ferdel¡¯s words, Caitel looked at me for a moment, then he thought for a bit.


    Huh? Do you want to fight with our eyes? Huh?


    ¡°She a weak life form who can die with the lift of a finger. So how should I describe it?¡±


    ...Does that mean you could kill me off with a finger, dear father? I deeply apologize. This lowly daughter of yours was not well learned and somehow hadmitted a great offense against you for saying all that nonsense.


    Please spare my life.


    ¡°...flower?¡±


    ¡°Relearn poetry.¡±


    In this way, Ferdel waspletely defeated.


    To tell someone to relearn poetry, he¡¯s the one who should take a child development ss! Hurry and apply for sses! Right now! You really needed to learn more about babies.


    Yet like always, I couldn¡¯t talk, and my wishes were ignored.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to kill her? To kill someone just for making a baby cry is a bit harsh. She is a princess sent over as a peace offering from the emperor of Praezia.¡±


    After being picked up and held by him, I had no choice but to be in Caitel¡¯s arms, but for a second, our eyes met. The red eyes glowed from the sunlight and the setting sun right in front of my nose. Normally, I would sit there and ask what he was looking at...


    Ah, I know. I am so cowardly. Iughed cheerfully and gave him a bright smile.


    Papa, I can¡¯t die now.


    Looking at my smile, heughed.


    Dude, you liked it when your daughter smile at you, huh?


    Afterughing, he started to pet my hair and turn to face Ferdel.


    ¡°My princess doesn¡¯t cry easily.¡±


    Yup, that is correct.


    ¡°And...¡±


    Huh? Is there more?


    I perked my ears up. What would you say? I forgot to swallow back my spit and held my face up to Caitel and stared at his red lips while he held me. At exactly that moment, he look down at me.


    ¡°I am the only one allowed to make my daughter cry.¡±


    ...Hey! This perverted bastard!

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 7</h4>


    ¡°Ah, no that is not something to eat, princess!¡± Elene eximed very loudly.


    I widened both my eyes.


    Ah, that surprised me.


    She could just say it normally, why was she yelling? I didn¡¯t take it to eat.


    I wanted to find out what it was by putting it in my mouth!


    She could just say it was ¡°dirty¡±, why did she feel the need to shout? As I froze stiff in one ce like a chick who had eaten honey. Serira¡¯s strict order came from behind.


    ¡°Elene.¡±


    Serira!


    Serira slowly came over and took the hairpin Elene had taken away from me and put it back in my hand.


    Ah? I can y with it?


    Elene, for a moment, got worked up but Serira quietly used her position to silence her.


    ¡°How can you yell at the princess? Look, she was so surprised.¡±


    It was a hairpin, a hairpin!


    What did they call it when one would automatically put an object inside their mouth? A habit?


    No, it was instinct I already knew it was a hairpin using my eyes. However, my brain knew it, not my body. My body didn¡¯t know what it was, so it did its own thing to examine what it was without my brain¡¯s permission.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elene got in trouble. She got into more trouble yesterday too. The day before that too. She got in more and more trouble. Anyways, she lived each day getting in trouble. Last week she caused that big ident. However, even if she¡¯s clumsy to the point that I find her quite hateful, I honestly didn¡¯t really dislike her, and I find this quite odd. Was this what one would call a demonic charm?


    ¡°Always do it gently, no matter how annoyed you are, you have to say it quietly. Did you forget?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elene lowered her head, dispirited. Even though I knew in ten minutes she would be cheerful again, I still felt down seeing how depressed she was. Was it because I saw her face a lot? Seriously, I¡¯m...


    You could do better next time. I wanted to say and raise my hand to pat her on her back...


    Why was I a baby? Why? Why was it the case?!


    My hands didn¡¯t reach her.


    ¡°Where is the pacifier?¡±


    Since I was waving my hand around, nanny turned her head looking for something.


    Nanny, you weren¡¯t looking for the same pacifier I dropped in the garden before, right?


    Even if you disinfected it, I¡¯d still feel kind of grossed-out, a lot actually.


    Mrs. Nanny, I was still a baby. Wah-wah, please treat me well¡­


    ¡°Here, princess.¡±


    Ah, it was a new one!


    The pacifier she gave me was one I had seen for the first one. It¡¯s cute like me. I didn¡¯t know because it was new, but as I sucked it, I found it quite hard to chew on. If I kept sucking on it, would it turn soft?


    ¡°The princess seems to like it.¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ...you guys were watching me. To peek at someone else¡¯s private pacifier moment was rude, people!


    Ho ho, but since both of you are so close to me, I will forgive you.


    What should I do? I think I fell in love with my sucker. I had turned into a body that couldn¡¯t live with a pacifier. Damn!


    ¡°Heh, Heh, pretty.¡±


    Elene who was in love with my beautyplimented my looks again.


    How many times a day did shepliment me?


    Now I was growing tired of hearing the word pretty. I would just keep sucking on my pacifier.


    After that incidentst week, the pce was in an uproar. I was stuck in my room, so I didn¡¯t know the details of how noisy it got, but as usual, with my nanny¡¯s informative conversations with Elene, I found out what happened afterward.


    ¡°The princess is so pitiful.¡±


    With one word it called at the wrong ce, at the wrong time. She got what wasing to her, but she had the worst luck ever because she met me at the worst possible time and she also met the emperor at the worst possible time who was passing by at the worst time possible. I knew the emperor ordered his men to execute her, but a part of me was uncertain if it would go through. I guess somewhere in me didn¡¯t believe it was possible...


    Yesterday, when Elene told me her execution date was set next month, I was betrayed by my uncertainty! To think, my own uncertainty had betrayed me!


    Ah. Not funny.


    ¡°I heard they would check the entrance from now on.¡±


    ¡°It was an incident that left all the princess and crown princess in the royal pce shaking in their shoes.¡±


    Elene, with a sullen face, yed with her hands.


    ¡°I feel sorry for her. After all, it was not like she had a choice or wanted toe here.¡±


    That same goes for me too. Who said I wanted to be born with such a father?!


    Grandma Samsin(Korean goddess of birthe out! I think you need to take this back. It doesn¡¯t have to be an empire, just please let me grow up under normal parents. Can¡¯t you do that? I guess you can¡¯t?


    ¡°The Emperor definitely had a hobby of torturing others!¡±


    You just figured that out now? My father¡¯s a sadist. Can you not proudly announce something I found outst week?


    I wanted to yell back, but I can only make out baby noises. I wondered when would my teeth grow?


    Now I know how a mute feels, I wondered when would I be able to talk?


    I! Want! To! Talk!


    ¡°I am sorry. I said words carelessly.¡±


    ¡°As long as you know.¡±


    Serira let it go without saying much. Perhaps her mouth hurt from correcting every single thing. Huh? For someone who imed to know she was careless, she kept on going anyway.


    ¡°However, our princess is so pretty. She doesn¡¯t seem like the emperor¡¯s daughter at all.¡±


    Didn¡¯t you sayst time I inherited all of my father¡¯s DNA? Were you kidding me?


    I was so tired of it I just turned my head away. Then Elene followed the direction where I turned my head. I don¡¯t like you. You are annoying. I turned my head again.


    ¡°When she grows up, she will be a beauty.¡±


    Stop saying such hopeful words. I didn¡¯t believe in my beauty yet. I hadn¡¯t even seen a mirror, so I didn¡¯t even know how I looked like, but to say I would be a beauty, one needed to wait until I was at least over sixteen to find that out. If it¡¯s not true, I would cry.


    Wait, must I get married at sixteen?


    Ah, what if I didn¡¯t inherit the emperor¡¯s beauty?!


    ¡°She is only three months old.¡±


    ¡°Ha, The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, just look at this beauty!¡±


    I was telling you to wait until I was at least sixteen!


    I didn¡¯t want to fight. I didn¡¯t want to ruin my beauty with my own hands!


    Saw it like this God, I was born under a crazy emperor, so I wanted my looks to be at least pretty, okay!?


    I was not asking for my power to overturn the world, just make my appearance good enough that people can swallow back their rice.


    Namu My¨­h¨­ Renge Ky¨­ (This is a Buddhist mantra)


    ¡°I want to quickly take her for a walky-walky.¡±


    ¡°Please restrain yourself. she can¡¯t even sit upright yet.¡±


    Serira clicked her tongue. I sucked on my pacifier and already eaten my meal so I decided I needed to exercise, so I tried to raise my body up.


    Ugh! Damn, this was my body but it was so heavy! I couldn¡¯t even lie on my side when I want to. As I heaved, I tried toy midways no matter what. Suddenly, my body turned exactly halfway over. It was hard.


    ¡°Oh, oh my!¡±


    I heard Elene voice but that wasn¡¯t important. What was more important was to flip my bodypletely over. Why does this body feel like it wasn¡¯t mine? I wanted to turn my body over!


    ¡°Serira look!¡±


    Both their sights were on me, and at that moment, my body fell over.


    ¡°Oh, my¡±


    I could hear Serira¡¯s surprised footsteps.


    Ah, it¡¯s damn hard.


    As I gasped for breath andy my head in the covers, I could hear several voices drop from above.


    ¡°She turned herself over! She seeded ¡±


    ¡°Now she can turn herself so well. Oh my¡±


    Just by doing this, my body gotpletely dried out of energy, so I didn¡¯t know what to do. However, when I turned over Serira picked me up into her bosom.


    Nanny, it was hard.


    ¡°Anyway did you see the bruise on her side, Serira?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡±


    Serira¡¯s face darkened. It faded now to the point where it was hard to find it right away, but I could still remember the sound of her gasp the night Serira tried to wash me. I guess it was a very bloody bruise because she kept on rubbing all sorts of medicine on it the entire week.


    ¡°Can we hide that the princess did this?¡±


    ¡°For now, keep your silence.¡±


    At her firmmand, Elene shut her mouth tightly. Serira lifted my clothes and checked my torso.


    Ah, I am a pitiful creature who couldn¡¯t even lift my head down to look below me.


    ¡°Thanks to the medicine the doctor gave me, it looked much better now. I was worried it would scar, but thankfully, it healed.¡±


    Elene lifted her face and checked my bruise. It looked like she was still worried.


    ¡°However if we hide this...¡±


    ¡°shh¡±


    In a second, she cut off Elene¡¯s chatter. I had never seen Serira looked this serious before, so I found it all quite mysterious. I couldn¡¯t help myself. Kids would be kids.


    Ah! No, no, I¡¯m a twenty-five-year-old human being.


    ¡°Think of the consequences if everyone knew about this.¡±


    Nanny lowered me back into the bass. My bass, as usual, had fluffy nkets and smelled delightful.


    This felt really good.


    ¡°I guess our necks would be the first to go.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid of that.¡±


    Serira¡¯s voice was low, and it was heavy. I turned my face to look at her. Only when Iughed at her did her serious expression go away. Then her fingers touched my head. Her gentle fingers were stroking my cheeks as I closed my eyes.


    ¡°The people would curse at this precious little princess as the seed of war. That is why I don¡¯t want others to know.¡±


    As she said this, she turned off all the lights. However, there was a light that couldn¡¯t be covered even with thick curtains, but it was peaceful like being in my mother womb.


    ¡°Wah!¡±


    I let out my voice because I didn¡¯t like the silence, yet the silence just grew heavier than before. It was a case of being surround by noises then suddenly silenced. It was heavier than if it was quiet from the beginning. If only I could talk¡­ when would my teeth grow?


    My rtives did have babies, but I only met them once or twice a year on holidays. I never had or took care of a baby before, so I had no clue. I heard once a baby could walk, their teeth would start growing before or after that? I wanted to walk as soon as possible. I wanted to crawl, sit up, stand up, and walk.


    It¡¯s so frustrating.


    Toy around all day looking out a window was really tiresome. Especially at night when there was no one to take care of you, that was when the loneliness would return to me a hundredfold.


    Was this the reason why babies cry to death when they woke up in the middle of the night? However, I didn¡¯t want to cry, my body may be just 3 months old, but my mind is that of a 25-year-olddy.


    Yes, that¡¯s right. I guess it was because I lived as a baby for 3 months already, but I did get a bit used to this frustrations.


    Hmm, well this is better, at least I wasn¡¯t reborn as a boy.


    The son of a crazed tyrant. Just thinking about it gave me the chills. No, that would be the second problem, the first would be to figure out my sexual preference when I got married if my body was that of a boy. Ugh!


    I was about to stop thinking useless thoughts and finally sleep when I heard a small creaking noise.


    Huh? Wait, a creak?


    Just in case, I peeked with silted eyes at my sides, I saw something with my poor vision. It was a figure holding a sword, and there were two silhouettes.


    That thick silhouette couldn¡¯t belong to a woman.


    No, impossible.


    Did someone enter my room through a window? They seemed to be some unwee night visitors. In case they were assassins, I got scared right away. In just three months of being reborn, I would get murdered again?


    It¡¯s scary. I felt something drop in my chest. It was fear.


    What to do? What could I do? Should I scream? What was I supposed to do?!


    Through my bed bars, I can see the dark figurese closer. I got scared and sped my hands tightly. Should I, should I cry for now?!


    ¡°She is sleeping.¡±


    If the voice I heard wasn¡¯t his, I would have cried at the top of my lungs. I sighed as suddenly all tensions left me and unfurrowed my brows.


    What the hell! It was the guy whom I had the misery of calling my dad.


    ¡°Did she wake?¡±


    A huge hand sped my head. It was a bit cold.


    I was so surprised, I almost opened my eyes, but thankfully, I was able to pretend I was sleeping.


    Thank goodness. This was the result of training for twenty-five years. As my parent¡¯s daughter, I would pretend to sleep when they were around then I would go back on to theputer at night. To think it woulde in handy here too.


    All kinds of things could happen if one lived long enough.


    What was the reason for visiting me thiste in the evening anyway?


    He even sneaked in like a pervert through the window.


    If he wanted to, he could visit anytime he wanted so what was the reason he came in like a creep? I kind of wanted to know.


    No, I wanted to know really badly...


    ¡°You have be so sincere.¡±


    Huh? I was taken aback. In fact, I was so taken aback I forgot to breathe. Of course, I would have let out a small breath, but Caitel might have noticed I was awake. Damn.


    Anyway, that voice didn¡¯t belong to Caitel. It was a voice I heard for the first time.


    No, that was not the problem here¡­ Why was that voice so sticky?


    ¡°I thought nothing would change because you had a kid.¡±


    It was a man¡¯s voice. It was low, seductive, and way too stickily sweet. If the words weren¡¯t cold, I would have thought he was hitting on him and whispering love to his ears.


    The hell? A guy could have a voice like that?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem human when you were killing all your other babies.¡±


    He also got the knack for pissing people off down to an art form. Just listening to them made my inwards squirm. If he was going to hang out with someone, he would do so with someone just like him. Birds of the same feather flocks together.


    Today, as I realized the wisdom of our ancestors, I had to endure the goosebumps breaking out of me as he stroked my cheek. Gosh. it¡¯s cold. Then I heard a burst of lowughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    This is Caitel.


    ¡°I also find myself strange.¡±


    What¡¯s strange about it? Was It because I worked to be born this cute so I could make you my ve.


    I nodded my head in agreement as I thought of this unbelievable bullshit.


    I grew sad at the fact that I knew it was all unbelievable bullshit. Damn.


    As I grew sullen, I felt Caitel¡¯s hands that were caressing me slowed down. It seemed he was lost in thought.


    Wait, were you going to choke my neck?

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 8</h4>


    ¡°I thought you would kill her as soon as you saw her.¡±


    His voice went even lower. It was creepy and somewhat heavy. I got quite scared. What were you going to do to a defenseless child?


    ¡°That was what I thought too.¡±


    I forced myself to straighten my crumpled expression. Even without looking, I could draw Caitel¡¯s expression in my mind by now. This was not a good thing.


    ¡°Crazy fucker.¡±


    Oh, our thoughts were the same. I was surprised for a moment, but then I just epted it.


    Now I see the guy who came in with my father was a human being with his head screwed on right. That¡¯s right, you were a normal person. That¡¯s good.


    ¡°As if that was unusual of me...¡±


    Caitel lightly replied back andughed. That horrifyingughter... It was low.


    In fact, too low. I shivered as the chills, beginning from my toes, spread throughout my body.


    ¡°I really was nning of doing that.¡±


    As I quivered, my body shook. Caitel finally stopped stroking my cheek. That was something to be grateful for.


    ¡°Think about it. My kid. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    His voice sounded like he really felt disgusted to death by the thought of it that it made me feel awkward as I eavesdropped; so much so that my mouth just plopped open.


    ¡°It¡¯s your kid.¡±


    That¡¯s right, it¡¯s your kid, you moron. Even hedgehogs find their own babies cute. You couldn¡¯t even do better than a hedgehog? Loser.


    Anyways that guy was a serious case that needs to be studied. If he would be crazy, he needed to be just adequately crazy. I didn¡¯t know how he can get married off at this rate. He¡¯s twenty-six years old. If he wanted me to be frank, there was only one year difference between us.


    Damn, if only I wasn¡¯t reborn as a baby, the situation would have been better than this!


    Finally, I opened my eyes.


    When I did, the first thing I saw was my father¡¯s face with an expression that could freeze hell over.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s loathsome.¡±


    Seriously, how many faces did he have? I honestly wanted to know. What did he fucking do?


    Sometimes, he seemed normal and sometimes he actedpletely nuts. It had been already three months since I thought it over, but there¡¯s not much I know about this guy even though he¡¯s my dad.


    That¡¯s right, even though he is my dad...


    ¡°What glory and splendor could you earn by being the child of a mass murderer? The only thing you can get your hands on is stained dishonor and a throne colored by blood.¡±


    There was darkness swarming in his eyes. His eyes were full of scorn, but they were not meant for me. He was looking far past me. He was looking down at all those numerous women who wanted to have his child. By the way he looked, I could instantly tell how weary he felt while thinking of them. Yes, this was the same way he looked like when he was looking at someone who couldn¡¯t even bepared to a bug.


    ¡°That was enough to satisfy them.¡±


    ¡°How distasteful.¡±


    Yes, just by looking at your eyes I could see you really think that way. I was so scared I didn¡¯t care if my lips were sticking out and just looked up at him. Then I heard a low sigh somewhere.


    Oh, it¡¯s that guy.


    They seemed to be friends. Maybe they both had a master and ve rtionship? Anyways, thanks to that conversation, I knew they were close. However, it was still a voice I didn¡¯t recognize. My point was that it¡¯s not Ferdel who always stuck to him. Then who was that guy?


    ¡°If she had been a son, I would have killed her instantly.¡±


    Caitel whispered as he lowered his head and kissed me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a crown prince to seed me.¡±


    His voice soundedpletely honest.


    In the darkness, I looked into a pair of red eyes and quietly swallowed my breath. Caitel¡¯s eyes held so much thick and heavy malice one couldn¡¯t even breathe.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t towards me.


    It is still very scary thought.


    ¡°Your daughter can¡¯t inherit the throne?¡±


    ¡°She can inherit it.¡±


    Huh? This was the first time I heard such a thing. Did this country not have agnatic primogeniture? However, I have no desire to inherit the throne. I shook my hands for Caitel¡¯s hands were too cold.


    ¡°But...¡±


    Caitel let my hand go and took a step back.


    ¡°Before she can, I will sell her off like my older sisters.¡±


    ...Was I weird for being grateful he wasn¡¯t nning to kill me or was my reaction normal? I did feel a bit hurt, but if I was beingpletely honest, I didn¡¯t particrly care if I was sold off or was simply allowed to live...


    No, he said he would spare my life, so what could I not do in return? It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t know what he was like, so this really wasn¡¯t any different from before. In fact, I had already predicted this and had prepared myself in advance for the inevitable.


    That¡¯s right, if this guy was trying to kill me off, I would just take it lying down.


    To be honest, this decision was a natural result of the circumstance I was in. I was just a baby who literally couldn¡¯t do anything but take it. The person they were talking about didn¡¯t care one way or another, but someone else did. Oh yeah, there was one other guy in the room.


    ¡°I always point this out, but you are not even human.¡±


    The other person¡¯s voice sounded like he was sick and tired of him. I couldn¡¯t deny it because I also agreed with him. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s not a human being. He¡¯s just a crazy monster.


    Having heard that, Caitelughed his head off as a response. I guess he had no reason to hold back as I was already wide awake, so heughed so hard he threw his neck back.


    Hey, from the way you areughing on, Nanny would end uping, so you might as wellugh enough to be satisfied.


    ¡°I am human.¡±


    Yes? What? I was so taken aback by the crazy life form that dared to insist it was a human that I furrowed my eyebrows. Caitel, seeing this, touched my cheek and added.


    ¡°Just with a problem.¡±


    Well, at least you figured that out on your own.


    I let out a sigh. To think my father is that. To think my life is this.


    Dear God, couldn¡¯t we just reset my life? I would like to reset my life.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill her?¡±


    The silhouette that stepped closer was quite big. He must be tall. I didn¡¯t know if it was because it¡¯s from a child¡¯s view, but he seemed like a giant among men.


    What was this guy saying now?


    ¡°I tried to choke her neck, but in this small lump, there was a life force struggling to live.¡±


    Caitel eximed excitedly as if he just made a fascinating discovery.


    ¡°It was so mysterious I gave up.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    Would someone please stop this conversation? It was not fun to hear at all. I¡¯d rather he just let me go. Oh, Daddy, toe into your daughter¡¯s room at this hour of the night isn¡¯t right! Okay?


    ...Ah Damn. why couldn¡¯t I speak? I had a mouth! Why couldn¡¯t I use it?


    ¡°It was overkill to execute that girl.¡±


    The guy said in a serious voice. He had taken the wrong position in the room so he was covered in darkness and I couldn¡¯t see his face even if I wanted to. Ah! I tried to wipe my tears away. I have eyes! Why can¡¯t I see him?


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The girl who made your daughter cry.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s hand stopped petting my head as he heard those words which brought forth a forgotten memory. I also lowered my eyebrows and made a face. At the same time, Caitel¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Ah. That.¡±


    The smile on his face was instantly reced with an unknown expression. He removed his hand from my head and stood there as if he would snap any second with a sword in his hand if touched. I instinctively felt fear and clenched both of my hands, but it didn¡¯t affect the other guy at all.


    ¡°To execute someone just for making your brat cry. Don¡¯t you think your paternal bond is too deep?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because she made my brat cry.¡± Caitel immediately denied it.


    ¡°Then?¡± The guy questioned.


    Caitel¡¯s vision fell on him for a moment. He had simply moved his eyes but the pressure from his eyes was nothing to scoff at or ignore.


    Was he mad?


    I was dismayed as it looked like a sword fight would break out any second when Caitel practically spit out each word one by one as if to enforce them.


    ¡°She touched what was mine.¡±


    I made a face at that. At the same time, I heard Caitel¡¯s voice grew lower and continued.


    ¡°She was the one who kept on begging me to take her in exchange for not destroying her country, so I caught her even though her life was as worthless as a bug¡¯s, but she didn¡¯t know her ce and kept running around. When she finally tried to touch what was mine, I had to kill her.¡±


    No, wait.


    I felt a sense of danger from him. I felt his words were off, but I didn¡¯t know exactly what so I fell into a state of deep confusion. It¡¯s weird, really weird. What¡¯s weird about it though? I know something is off¡­ As my thoughts wandered off about what made his statement bizarre, I heard the other guy speak.


    ¡°ording to your words, are you implying your daughter is not...¡±


    ¡°This is mine.¡±


    Ah! Now I figured it out. This sense of danger...


    So what Caitel was saying right now was that he doesn¡¯t consider me as his daughter. So in other words...


    ¡°If you try to touch my stuff. you have to prepare yourself for the bacsh. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    You crazy f*cker!


    -END. Ariadna

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 9</h4>


    ¡°May you reach Evangelium.¡±


    When he went off to war to conquer Icharta, it was expected to take two years, but it ended rathermely, even so, the entire empire gave everything they got to wee their Emperor.


    At least, in front of his face.


    The nobles looked like they would even lick his shoes to wee their master home. They also held grand parties and readied some lowly women for him.


    However, the first thing the returned ruler did was not to enjoy himself at parties or take those women to a bedroom. Out of all the things he could do, he went to go see his newly born princess. Everyone held back their breath, preparing to see the pce once again be covered in a rain of blood.


    All their spections were wrong.


    As Ferdel looked at the man¡¯s back as he walked, he thought of the small silhouette he just barely made out.


    The Mad Tyrant, Caitel Agrigent, was the ruler and friend he made with his own two hands.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    As soon as they returned to the main pce, Sy Pce, he stopped. Caitel, who was walking a few steps ahead, turned around.


    ¡°What?¡±


    A frosty look. Cold eyes.


    The look that would spare no one who got in his way. The murderous intent he sent towards the losers, no matter who they were, yet Ferdel, who never learned swordsmanship, did not tremble before him. It was not because he had the skills to go against him, but he had the confidence that Caitel would not kill him. No, it was because he couldn¡¯t kill him.


    ¡°If you wanted to spare her you could have spared her life in her pce. Why did you bring her to Sy Pce?¡±


    He also gave her a name. Ferdel was truly curious.


    No, he found the whole situation perplexing. Itpletely baffled him. He had always been crazy, so it was not strange if he had killed her. If he had killed her off himself, Ferdel would have just said ¡®crazy bastard¡¯ and that would have been the end of it.


    However, he spared her and gave her a name on top of that.


    However, what really shocked him was...


    ¡°You brought her to Sy Pce.¡±


    The order after she arrived. There was no way he didn¡¯t know what it meant to bring her to Sy Pce. Despite everything, Caitel was the Emperor after all.


    ¡°When?¡±


    This ruler of his might have done something to topple everything he worked for without any care at all. As soon as he arrived at his room, Caitel turned around to give him a cold re.


    ¡°Do I have to report every single thing to you?¡±


    The look he gave him was so sharp he felt he could be cut down in any second. Ferdel let out a deep sigh. He had a slightly serious look. Well, the current situation was enough to make him truly serious.


    ¡°I just wanted to know your thoughts, that¡¯s all. What are you getting agitated for?¡±


    Caitel turned around without answering. Then he took the annoying decorations of his body.


    ¡°No reason.¡±


    His voice was very dry as he threw off his mantle.


    ¡°It seemed interesting.¡±


    He didn¡¯t sound interested at all. Ferdel lowered his eyebrows, but Caitel didn¡¯t even spare him a nce and started mumbling to himself.


    ¡°Who was the mother?¡±


    Ferdel sighed soundlessly. The mother¡­ He thought of the woman who died frombor two months ago. Lady Jereina. The ice princess who came down from the north.


    She was the sessor of a kingdom with a long history, but currently, their power was greatly weakened, and they couldn¡¯t continue to ignore it. So, she ended up getting thrown into Caitel¡¯s pce as one of his numerous essories.


    Ferdel held his forehead as he knew better than anyone how she was treated and what kind of degradation she had to endure in the twilight of her life. It was not a pleasant feeling at all.


    ¡°Why do you ask when you are not even interested?¡±


    His motions froze as Caitel tried to loosen his tie. Ferdel, who was looking somewhere else, moved his line of sight. The atmosphere was cool between them.


    Ferdel just kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something that should be confirmed,¡±


    He had thought he offended him but it appeared he didn¡¯t. Caitel¡¯s gaze, as he looked at Ferdel while taking off his necktie, was his usual gaze.


    ¡°Then it should be confirmed.¡±


    ¡°So, are you going to just wipe out the kingdom?¡±


    It was an immediate aggressive response. His irritation burst out of him and lifted its ugly rear towards Caitel. They both stared into each other¡¯s eyes and quickly examined each other. Even if Ferdel held some grievances against him, it was only a bit of annoyance. It wasn¡¯t like he was nning to actually do anything.


    Caitel turned his head with a dry expression.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then if it¡¯s not that...¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face was slightly wrinkled. What was he thinking?


    Caitel probably knew who the woman was. He wasn¡¯t really asking who the mother was. After all, he most likely already knew what the answer was. Their hair was blown about by the cool wind from a window; someone had left one opened in the pce room. Caitel stepped in front of the window and pondered deeply.


    ¡°You tried to kill her before.¡±


    He tried to suppress his frustrations, but they kept escaping against his will. Ferdel furrowed his eyebrows at this situation that kept making him want to pull out his own hair. From the beginning, from the moment Caitel didn¡¯t kill her and allowed that woman to live on and have his child, everything was entangled. No... Perhaps even before that time.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Caitelughed as he looked at Ferdel silently reflecting on his thoughts. It was the kind ofugh that instantly cooled one¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Should I go kill her now?¡±


    ¡°I am not joking, Caitel.¡±


    It appeared that Caitel was unwilling to listen to any more of Ferdel¡¯sints since he turned his body away. Ferdel looked at Caitel¡¯s back as he coldly walked away from him. He sighed from within then he began to chase after his back.


    ¡°What is the reason for this change of mind?¡±


    ¡°I am just taking what is rightfully mine. So what is with all theseints?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of problem.¡±


    ¡°It is that kind of problem.¡±


    ¡°Your descendant. Your kid.¡±


    He felt so frustrated that he practically begged him to listen, but Caitel only gave a light response as he changed his shirt.


    ¡°What is the difference then with all those girls you tossed in the pce?¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s mouth mped shut like a m. What was different? Well... Like what he said, it might not be so different. The girls would be sold off to different ces after some time. The future was set in stone for them. If he tried to pinpoint the difference, it was the fact that Ariadna had Caitel¡¯s blood running in her veins, making her his personal property. However, Ferdel felt this fact would not help the princess at all in the future.


    Caitel finished putting on a new shirt and looked back at him. He had a strangely excited face.


    ¡°I am wondering.¡±


    ¡°Wondering what?¡±


    Ferdel answered tly, he secretly wished he could make that face sullen. The maid who was serving disappeared without a word.


    Caitel slowly opened his mouth as he closed the buttons on his wrist. His extremely sharp voice aggressively attacked Ferdel¡¯s ear.


    ¡°How is the child of a mass murderer going to cope with all the finger pointing and looks from the people in her surroundings?¡±


    Thest button was finally sped in ce.


    ¡°How is she going to live in the future?¡±


    At that moment, Caitel¡¯s lingering smile was incredibly seductive. It was only for a second, but Ferdel was instantly drawn to that smile. At this fact, he immediately made a face.


    Caitelughed softly at his crumbling face. Ferdel didn¡¯t try to hide how he felt.


    No, in fact, he bluntly showed how sick and tired he was.


    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±


    ¡°Why call me out now?¡±


    Caitel nodded as if he knew this would happen. He finally put on his jacket and fixed his outfit. Then he replied, in a secretive and dangerous manner.


    ¡°If something happens, I can kill her then. Don¡¯t you agree, my friend?¡±

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 10</h4>


    2. You! My Papa!


    ¡°Why in the world are we here?¡±


    ¡°Shhh, be quiet.¡±


    Elene¡¯s voice was put to rest by Serira. Serira looked down into my eyes. As soon as our eyes met, she gave me a pretty smile. I heard that it was important to make eye contact with your baby as you fed them. Serira was a seriously immacte mother who gave it her all in child rearing.


    I know it¡¯s strange to ask now, but I think I am already developed mentally, so does this really affect my development at this point? It¡¯s true that these small details can help a child¡¯s development but I am a reincarnator. My mind is developed due to the twenty-five years I¡¯ve previously lived, so will these actions really make a difference in my life? I can not say I am not curious.


    Well, it¡¯s not like I hate it.


    ¡°Have you finished feeding her?¡±


    With Caitel¡¯s sudden appearance, I could hear a small gasp in the area. Serira¡¯s body slightly stiffened and, of course, I was surprised too.


    Oh my God. Is his hobby jumping out and scaring people? Seriously.


    ¡°Why is there no answer?¡±


    As Elene eximed earlier, this ce was not my room. It was one of the Emperor¡¯s rooms. The Emperor¡¯s study.


    ¡°Yes, she has finished eating, your majesty.¡±


    Serira put down the bottle I had emptied, and bowed her head. I was lying down so I couldn¡¯t bow my head even if I wanted to. Of course, I am a baby so I didn¡¯t have to.


    However, in the future, after I start talking, crawling and walking, I will have to take etiquette lessons. Then, I would have to bow my head like Serira.


    It felt odd to suddenly not want to grow up when usually children will want to grow up as soon as possible. Damn it!


    ¡°Hand it over.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to go. I grabbed my nanny¡¯s sleeve frantically. Nanny, don¡¯t send me!


    I said don¡¯t send me! Why are you sending me over? Don¡¯t send me! You can¡¯t send me this way! I don¡¯t want us to part this way!


    However, Serira¡¯s hands handed me over to Caitel. And I am already in his embrace! This world is shit!


    ¡°Um, Your majesty.¡±


    Caitel, who kidnapped me, seemed to have no other business as he immediately turned around and tried to leave the room.


    It was at that moment, Serira grabbed him before he could take off.


    At my nurse¡¯s sudden bravery, I felt a sliver of hope. At the sound of Serira¡¯s delicate voice, Caitel turned around.


    He obviously wanted to ask why she called out to him, but this arrogant jerk just looked down at her coolly. Seriraughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Instead of holding a child like that...¡±


    .....You weren¡¯t going to ask for me back? Nanny! How can you do this to me?! How?! I feel as if I was a young girl betrayed by my first love! How could you do this?!


    However, my cold-hearted nanny was teaching that gue of a father how to correctly hold me.


    This world is rotten!


    ¡°You have to make sure her head is not crooked, so hold her like this.¡±


    Well, I guess thanks to you my neck is more rxed today. As I turned three months old I was able to move my neck around a bit, but what is ufortable is ufortable.


    Usually, he would never hold me, but after the princess incident, this damn father of mine must have suddenly discovered the fun in holding me.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like he was holding me at odd hours at any random day.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Caitel who had been calmly listening to Serira¡¯s teaching asked. Serira pondered it over for a while as she stood still and suddenly held out her right hand.


    ¡°Like this, you must support the baby¡¯s neck...¡±


    A professional¡¯s skill is truly different!


    The person holding me has changed so the feeling of skin texture was different, but it wasn¡¯t ufortable to the point I wanted to cry. In fact, I felt incrediblyfortable in his arms.


    Then, I felt depressed as I felt a rush of regret for getting sofortable in his arms when I met Serira¡¯s eyes. Sheughed. At her smile, I cheerfullyughed back. Then I immediately regretted it.


    ¡°Is this correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    As soon as he got what he wanted he immediately turned his body around to leave. Then he looked down at me in his arms. So what? Do I owe you money?


    I just sullenly looked at him when our eyes met. His crimson and bright red eyes looked into mine.


    .....Don¡¯t call me pathetic.


    I tried to stare sullenly, but I was swept away by his overwhelming charisma and looked away first. Then, I tried to change this awkward atmosphere by waving my two arms in the air and giggling cutely.


    Fuck. Even I find myself pathetic. But what can I do? I lost the staring contest in two seconds t.


    Some people use charisma as a sword, but I felt like there was a real sword in those eyes of his. Fierce bastard!


    ¡°She¡¯s gotten heavier.¡±


    That is an insult to ady! I¡¯m only 64 centimeters and 7 kilograms. He weighs about the same as a rice pallet, so how dare he try to pick a fight with someone who¡¯s 7 kilos?!


    If I could talk, I would have told him off with some pointed words, but unfortunately, I am still a mute. There¡¯s no choice. I have to show my will as proof that there is more to human beings than just words.


    ¡°Ummm ahhh~¡±


    Seriously, those are not human words.


    I cried endless tears inwardly. Speaking is just something I couldn¡¯t do.


    Does that sound show how displeased I am? I probably just look like a child confused about her mommy and daddy. Ah. I should wipe my tears away. I feel so sore, how can I live from now on?


    ¡°So ugly.¡±


    ...¡­...Should I just die? To think that my father...I have no hope in my life. That¡¯s right. There are no dreams, hope or great emotions. There¡¯s not even a future for me.


    Hah! If I could, I would like to grab God¡¯s cor and start shaking it furiously.


    You bastard! Do you have a grudge against me?!


    ¡°I won¡¯t order you to cry.¡±


    Father, were you seriously considering on ordering me to cry? This fucker is seriously off. There really is something off about him. It¡¯s terrifying. I mean, it¡¯s not easy to be this off your rocker.


    Are you seriously crazy?


    ¡°You are uglier when you cry.¡±


    Ah Damn! Fuck this. I won¡¯t do it! I won¡¯t! I¡¯m not going to do it! I won¡¯t do it! I seriously don¡¯t want to live anymore. What¡¯s wrong with him?


    Someone, save me. If I stay with him any longer, mymon sense will be destroyed.


    Of course, my mind will be destroyed too. Society will also be destroyed on top of that. Then this country will be destroyed. In this way, the world will end.


    I thought he would go somewhere else with me in his arms but he immediately sat down. It was a closed ce but this ce was fuckingrge for a study.


    There was a separate area to organize paperwork and another area to work. The area I was currently in was the back of the study, which was used as a separate break room.


    I could feel the plush couch¡¯s fluffy texture through Caitel.


    This sofa isvish. Dude, I envy you showing off your money.


    Caitel picked up some paperwork while holding me in one arm. I guess he really was busy. I peeked at his monotonous writing then turned my head away. The thought of having to learn new letters caused my head to hurt.


    When will I find the time to learn all of that? I can use threenguages Korean, English, and Japanese but to be honest, I wasn¡¯t that good at all three. Fuck this.


    ¡°Are you bored?¡±


    He looked at me since the child was whimpering.


    I wanted to shake my head but I was toozy, so I sat still.


    It¡¯s so annoying, from the moment you held me, I felt all the energy inside me wither away. Since there was no response Caitel lowered his papers.


    From the stack of papers, it looked like he already read ten of them.


    You¡¯re a pretty fast bastard. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking, but he put his hands on my sides and made me stand upright. When he made me stand, obviously it required energy to go to my legs. As such, I wasn¡¯t able to stand. He then held me up so it looked like I was standing. As I stood there with both my arms hovering in the air I looked at Caitel¡¯sughing face, it made my stomach squirm.


    ¡®That fucker!


    I already kinda knew you were treating me like a toy, butst night¡¯s conversation was a bit shocking in its own way. To say I am not your daughter but I am yours, am I just a possession?


    What kind of backward thinking is this?! What kind of shitty reasoning is this?!¡¯


    I sighed. Then, I spontaneously grabbed clumps of his hair. His silver hair, that had a reddish light to them, was in my hands.


    I was only able to grab a little with my baby hands but it felt so soft. Are you using some kind of treatment on your hair?


    ¡°AH~¡±


    As soon as I grabbed his hair I tried to bring it to my mouth. I am going to bite it. I didn¡¯t have teeth so I couldn¡¯t bite his arms, instead, I wanted to chew out his hair.


    Despite my ambition filled outburst, when I tried to chew on his hair, I felt Caitel¡¯s eyes on me and it was not his usual look.


    ....Am I doing something crazy right now? I thought that only for a moment when Caitel started chuckling. Ah? Ah, this is a bit scary.


    He startedughing on his own which shocked me so I stopped trying to chew his hair and just sat there. Thank God at that moment my superman rescued me.


    ¡°Princess, you must not do that. That¡¯s not something to eat.¡±


    Serira! My nanny immediately ran over to me and removed the silver hair from my mouth. Then in a stern voice, she said,


    ¡°That dirty. Don¡¯t eat that. It bad.¡±


    There¡¯s only you for me.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 11</h4>


    ¡°Serira, you are amazing! Where did you get the courage to talk to the Emperor like that?¡±


    Elene startedplimenting Serira as soon as we returned to our room. I also joined in praising her. I had given her my apuse along with Elene.


    You were so cool. How could she just state right in front of the Emperor¡¯s face that his hair was dirty?


    Well, she was not wrong. That was dirty to me. Everything except the food was dirty!


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    However, it seems that Serira had no clue why Elene was praising her. As Serira ced me in the crib, she cocked her head questioningly.


    Huh?


    ¡°What you said...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That, that...¡±


    Elene diligently tried to exin herself. Unfortunately, Serira had no idea what she was talking about and frowned.


    Nanny, what she¡¯s trying to say was about that thing earlier! Agh! Why couldn¡¯t you just get it?! Earlier that, that.


    ¡°Dirty. When you said dirty.¡±


    Elene was so frustrated she hit herself on the chest. Only then did Serira seemed to understand what was going on. Her face lit up brightly then it turned sullen.


    ¡°So, what about it? It was dirty.¡±


    Huh? What?¡¯ I gave her a slightly surprised look.


    Serira you¡­


    I knew you were amazing, but do you also have an attitude? The Emperor wasughing, but his face froze when you said his hair was dirty. Did she not see that?!


    I honestly thought her head would fly off at that point. She also pulled me out of his arms without asking and wiped my mouth. After that, she checked inside my mouth in case there was any of his hair still stuck in there¡ªwhile she was right in front of Caitel.


    Ah. Was that why she did not see his expression?


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t eat hair. It¡¯s dirty. Dirty.¡±


    I looked into the green eyes that gazed into mine and cheerfullyughed.


    Nope. I wasn¡¯t trying to eat it, but I was trying to chew it.


    ¡°Serira, you have an unexpectedlyrge liver.¡±


    As I heard Elene mumbling to herself, I also agreed with her. I didn¡¯t know, but my nanny really was Superman. I had always assumed Serira would just shake and cower in front of Caitel, but it turned out I was wrong about her or was her concern for me so great she overcame her fear?


    I felt slightly strange. It¡¯s true she was my nanny, but I was not her real child. How could she pour so much love onto someone else¡¯s child that was not her own? I felt a lump form in my throat.


    ¡°What are you saying? Stop talking nonsense and bring me a warm towel.¡±


    Elene stuck out her bottom lip and left the room. Her expression was full ofints, but I was so used to it by now. It looked cute to me which made me get serious.


    To think someone would look cute to me, I was really out of my mind.


    As soon as Elene left, Serira took a chair and sat near my crib. Then she proceeded to pat my chest as Iid there. When our eyes met, her eyes gently turned into half moons and she gave me a smile that was like a sunny spring day. It was a weing smile, like flowers swaying in the gentle breeze with plenty of dew drops sprinkled on them. Her smile was that peaceful.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that the Emperor cherishes you so much.¡±


    What the¡­


    Actually, Nanny, he¡¯s not really cherishing me. He¡¯s just ying with me. On top of that, the bastard treated me like a thing. He said I was his. He¡¯s a funny Japong! I liked Jajangmyeon way better.


    No, wait a minute that was not the point.


    ¡°Princess, you only have your father on your side.¡±


    Huh? What were you saying?


    I slowly looked up at Serira. She was looking at me with a sorrowful expression, and her eyes were zed with tears.


    Why were you suddenly crying?


    ¡°It¡¯s true the Emperor gets fingers pointed at him for being a tyrant, and other empires and kingdoms condemned him as a mass murderer and an invader, but this is not just his problem.¡±


    I just quietly gazed into Serira¡¯s eyes. This frail and delicatedy was quietly exining herself to me who couldn¡¯t possibly understand what she was saying. It was as if she was confessing her sins to God. To me, it seemed like the act of praying. I held back my breath and watched her.


    Her face grew dark.


    Her expression wasn¡¯t that of anger or fear, but rather, a sorrowful disy.


    ¡°I wish for the Princess to grow up cherished and to be able to show the Emperor what true happiness is through the experience of raising and protecting what is his, rather than through the act of stealing other people¡¯s things and stepping on them. That is what I hope for.¡±


    Everything she said was things I couldn¡¯t possibly aplish. They were all things I didn¡¯t know how to do myself. ¡®What is the feeling of wanting to protect something, raising them, and getting to know them?¡¯ I looked far away as I got lost in my own thoughts.


    For a second, Seriraughed so brightly, like the sun that chased away the darkness. At that warmth, I lost all the words I wanted to say. I was just melting away from all this gentleness.


    ¡°Princess, you can surely do this, right?¡±


    Why did you expect this from me?


    I started to whine at this impossible situation when I couldn¡¯t say yes, but I felt like I shouldn¡¯t say no either. This was more difficult for me than the phenomena of the seven wonders of the world. Couldn¡¯t you ask me a question like, ¡°Who do you love more, mommy or daddy?¡± Ask me that instead!


    ¡°Serira.¡±


    For the first time since I met her, Elene did a good deed. As soon as Elene walked in, Serira stood up and took the towel from her. Then she cleaned my face and cheeks thoroughly. Her movements were gentle and full of consideration.


    ¡°I feel it all the time, but I feel you treat Princess Ariadna as if she were your own daughter.¡±


    I guess Elene felt the same way I did as she observed Serira.


    Seriraughed at Elene¡¯s admiration and took care of me with gentle fingers.


    ¡°She is my daughter.¡± Her voice was firm and strong as she said this.


    Ah, I shouldn¡¯t get emotional over every single thing.


    Even as I said this, I knew it was toote and my heart was greatly moved. I tried to hide my tears by forcing myself tough.


    Serira noticed my tears and assumed I was sleepy. Well, I was pretty sleepy.


    ¡°What about Mr. Graecito who is at your rtive¡¯s ce?¡±


    Elene acted out of character and said something heavy. Perhaps watching Serira take care of me made her heart heavy.


    Anyway, Graecito? Maybe that¡¯s the name of her son whom she left with her family. At the mention of her son¡¯s name that she didn¡¯t hear for a long time, Serira¡¯s face grew heavy.


    Huh?


    Then her cheeks started blushing and her suddenly lively face surprised me.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going to see him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    Oh, really, indeed. I want to ask her too. I tried to attract her interest by shaking my hand and foot at her. I guess Serira was shy because she just lowered her head and nodded a few times.


    ¡°At most, it¡¯s only for six hours¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you!¡±


    Elene sped Serira¡¯s hands. I also wanted to grab her hands.


    It¡¯s great! It¡¯s really great. I was always grateful to Serira for taking such good care of me, but as soon as I heard that she had to leave her own child behind at her home to take care of me I had felt an unknown feeling growrger in the corner of my heart. However, I now felt it suddenly clear up.


    The burden in my heart had lessened. Serira, I hope she would be happy someday. This was a thought that came naturally to me, and one which I carried with me at all times.


    That¡¯s right, this woman must be happy.


    ¡°Oh my, the Princess is happy for you too.¡±


    Thanks to Elene looking at me, Serira turned around to look at me too. Seeing my happiness, Serira looked like she would break out in tears any second.


    ¡°Our kind Princess.¡±


    Serira held me up. As soon as she embraced me I kissed her cheek.


    It was something I shouldn¡¯t be able to do yet due to my age, but I wanted to do it for her. Obviously, it was a big surprise for them.


    ¡°Oh my! The Princess kissed you!¡±


    Serira stared at me with a surprised face. I smiled back brightly.


    Serira!


    Elene was going nuts by her side. She threw a fuss saying ¡°Our Princess is good!¡± and how she loved her ¡°to death¡± and was ¡°an angel¡± but despite all these praises I just looked at Serira.


    My pretty nanny, Serira. I really like you a lot.


    ¡°My princess...¡±


    Her voice shook and there was a great change on her face. She was barely holding her tears in. I grabbed her hair which fell into my hands.


    Don¡¯t feel pain. Don¡¯t cry. Please be happy, okay?


    I guess she must have heard me because she didn¡¯t shed a single tear. She onlyughed.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    I heard Elene¡¯s voicee from my side. Both of us stared at Elene¡¯s face which was filled with jealousy.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Not at all.¡±


    She is¡­ Iughed. Oh, Elene, you are an idiot. Stupid, Elene, but I don¡¯t hate that moron, so I held out my hand.


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh?!¡±


    It was the first time I held out my hand out to her that Elene was caught off guard. She didn¡¯t know what to do and just stuttered with shocked eyes. Yeah, you find this strange right? I find it strange too.


    ¡°Ma-Ma-¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ah- is she calling me mom?¡±


    What in the world? I¡¯m just yelling randomly, but Elene looked greatly moved. Hey! I wasn¡¯t calling you mom!


    ¡°Ummm Ahhh~¡±


    After I screeched out one more time Elene¡¯s expression changed. Good. She understands now.


    ¡°So she wasn¡¯t saying, mom.¡±


    Seriraughed at Elene¡¯s tantrum. She caressed my head one more time and smiled brightly at Elene.


    ¡°She seems happy.¡±


    Elene walked up to us. She grabbed my hands that were hovering in the air. When I saw how small my hands were in her hands, even I thought my own baby hands were just too cute. Eleneughed nonsensically after seeing that I stuck out my bottom lip.


    ¡°Our Princess is just too cute!¡±


    Elene eximed as she rushed toward me. Serira agreed with Elene.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 12</h4>


    Time flew by quickly for children.


    Soon enough, I had be a six-month-old baby.


    There wasn¡¯t anything different about turning six months old, but I did have one good news. I could sit up! Now give me apuse!


    Heh heh, I liked it.


    When I turned around five months old, even I felt the difference in my development. I started to slow down in growth which made me think it was a bad thing, but seeing as how Serira remained calm, I guess it was normal at this stage. I managed to put more strength into my legs and hands, so I thought I could start crawling but damn! My hopes were dashed. I ended up pushing myself on my stomach and failed numerous times. Numerous times I wailed inwardly and looked for Serira, so I could ask her when could I start crawling.


    Serira, I can¡¯t crawl!


    ¡°Oh, my Princess are you sitting up again?¡±


    Yup, I really wished for this to happen.


    I unconsciously answered her and realized suddenly. When did you get here? When I was ying with my toys, Serira appeared out of nowhere and looked down at me.


    Really, sitting up again? Wasn¡¯t it obvious? You shouldn¡¯t say it like that.


    I giggled and Seriraughed with me.


    Serira could now see her child once a month because I yed well with the other servants, so she could rx and visit her child with peace of mind. Maybe that¡¯s why she looked happier these days. It felt like she was growing prettier day by day.


    Ah, to be honest, I didn¡¯t like the other servants, but for Serira¡¯s sake, I tried my best to y along with them.


    ¡°Princess, please eat this.¡±


    I cocked my head as she pushed a bowl in front of me.


    Wasn¡¯t this solids? It¡¯s solids! Yum!


    I would eat it, but wasn¡¯t it too early to eat solids?


    Then I remembered how my nanny would spend a long time checking out my mouth after she bathed me. I think she was checking if I had teeth... I had teeth now!


    Ah, was that why I was starting on solids? Oh, could I start talking now?


    ¡°Ughwahh...¡±


    Even I thought that that wasn¡¯t a sound a human could understand, but these days, I felt so light-hearted I unconsciously let out screeches. Damn. I wasn¡¯t a monster.


    ¡°Here, say ¡®ah~¡¯.¡±


    As soon as a spoon came toward me, I automatically opened my mouth. What nanny usually gave me was fruit. Today, it¡¯s fruits again. The only difference was I had no idea what kind of fruit it was because it¡¯s mashed beyond recognition. Also, my taste buds were dull due to the fact that I only had milk for several months.


    Anyway, this was delicious!


    ¡°Eat slowly. Good girl.¡±


    What kind of fruit was this? I unconsciously asked her, but unfortunately, no human words came out. Serira ended up patting me on the head and that was the end of it.


    Damn, I had to get out of this baby phase, so I can actually do something.


    ¡°Was it that delicious? Good girl. Have some more.¡±


    Yup, that¡¯s right. For now, hand over that bowl. It was pretty good. I felt like Columbus discovering a new continent. Was this a whole new world?


    It was solids, but instead of chewing it, it was more urate to say I was just swallowing the pur¨¦e whole. In other words, it was like drinking fruit juice. At first, I thought solids were too much for me when I didn¡¯t have teeth, but Serira was a master at early childcare development.


    Serira, you¡¯re the boss! I believe in your abilities!


    As I ate up the small snack, Serira smiled and left the room.


    I looked down at the toys in my hands as I savored the lingering taste of the fruit I had earlier. I sighed thereafter. The toys were all the same kind. You either had to match shapes or look at shapes. To be frank, they were all boring.


    Think about it, it would be boring to just y with those all day.


    Let me y games instead! Battle royal! I wanted to y a shooting game.


    As I sat there in my crib with a sullen face matching the shapes, I fell into deep thought. Now I know why babies were so sensitive. This world was too big for me alone, and the things I could do were few. Even if I could move my hands and feet, there was nothing I could actually do. The only emotions I could express was happiness or displeasure. It¡¯s just those two. There were only two ways I could emote those emotions. I could either cry or I couldugh.


    How ufortable was this body?


    Yet mothers could figure out what the baby wanted and needed just by hearing their unpredictable cries. Their skill was mysterious like magic. I felt ufortable just watching them. If I had a baby of my own, could I do the same?


    ¡°PuPuPU!¡±


    If I managed to grow up well and find my other half who¡¯s just right for me, get married, and have a baby, I wanted to be a mother like Serira.


    This was how much affection she gave me. It was simply immeasurable.


    Well, I always heard a parent¡¯s love was like the heavens.


    ¡°Now, princess, let¡¯s go to his majesty.¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t need a Dad.


    Caitel¡¯s day started as early as five in the morning.


    He woke up so early.


    Anyway, the first thing he would do after waking up was sword training, so his body wouldn¡¯t get rusty. He would finish that around seven. Then he would have breakfast and go with Ferdel to attend government meetings. After he finished his business around twelve, he would have lunch with Ferdel. Then he would just shove himself in the study, looking over paperwork until he¡¯s ready to gobble on his dinner.


    ¡°Just leave it around there somewhere.¡±


    Caitel said, not even bothering to lift his head from his papers. Serira entered the room very quietly, like a specter, Caitel always knew what was going on.


    Anyways, he¡¯s a specter. A specter I tell you.


    I shook my head for no reason when Serira looked at me.


    Huh? Oh?


    Seriraid me down in the bass without another word.


    Some time ago, a bass randomly appeared in the study, but it was smaller than the one in my room. However, the important thing was that this new bass moved easier than my other one.


    To think that there¡¯s a moving bass.


    ¡°May you reach Evangelium.¡±


    Serira finished her greeting and left the room.


    It had been just the two of us in this room until I was five months old, but suddenly ever since one fateful day, it was just me alone here with Serira on standby outside the door unless Caitel called for her specifically.


    Now that I thought about it, it¡¯s weird. ¡®Why did we start doing that?¡¯


    I wondered for just a minute.


    I looked dully around the study. Well, to be urate, it was a break room.


    Caitel had already made mountains of papers around him. He was sitting on the sofa with a messy appearance; studying the papers with a dry look.


    Hmmm. I sighed. I leaned my head against the guard for no reason and stared at him through the rails.


    The break room¡¯s lights were always a bit dark. There was bright sunshine pouring out from therge window the size of the wall, but we both avoided going there.


    The window led to the garden in the great outdoors, but that wasn¡¯t any of my business.


    After seeing Caitel always on the attack, I was surprised by how he looked in such a quiet atmosphere. To think his attitude made such a difference. The air around him simply fell to the ground. It all seemed to belong on a different ce, like his own ind.


    When Caitel was alone, it was always like this. No, when it was just him and I, I could see him like this.


    ¡°M-Ma!¡±


    I hated it. I wanted to break the silence.


    At my sudden outburst, Caitel threw his papers sideways and looked at me. Then heughed.


    ¡°Are you bored?¡±


    After tossing his papers, he pulled the bass slightly closer to him and patted my head. As he watched me, he slightlyughed. It was a very slightugh.


    ¡°You grew quite big.¡±


    He saw his baby brat every day, yet he always said the same thing each time. Rotten jerk.


    He had no interest in me. No interest at all.


    It was not like I wanted it, yet at moments like this, I wanted to ask him ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself from feeling this way. Should I say it was pathetic or should I say it was annoying? To be honest, I didn¡¯t know. It just¡ªit made me feel down.


    All right, I would be big-hearted and stop asking you to go study child development. However, Dad, how about tutoring sessions with Serira?


    Three days! Learn everything about kids!


    I heard people do that nowadays¡­


    ¡°Now you are starting to look a bit like a human being.¡±


    This Shi¡­ Siberia.


    Then, father, were you saying I didn¡¯t look like a human before? Was that what he was trying to say? Huh? Did he want to get his ass kicked? No, would he like to get smacked instead then? I honestly wanted to beat him up. Before, I felt hurt by his words but, now, there were none of those feelings.


    I was just speechless. I had no words, just hollowughter.


    How should I describe it... Liberation?


    Yes, I must be feeling liberated from him. Ah, then would I reachplete enlightenment?


    The guy justughed as I made a rotten face and stuck out my bottom lip.


    Then, he grabbed his papers with his left hand and stroked my head with his right. I leaned against the guard while getting stroked by him. Caitel enjoyed petting me a lot more than I thought he would.


    I wonder why? I thought he hated any kind of human contact.


    All gazes were always directed toward one ce, him.


    ¡°April. River overflow causing mass flooding, one-third of the area had eight thousand people washed away. The Utrecht alliance will have poor crops this year too.¡±


    How would you know?


    Since I lifted my head, Caitel removed his sights from the papers and just looked at me.


    His face was a bit like a scourge, but besides that, it was a wless beauty¡­


    However, it still looked like the face of a jackass to me.


    ¡°Coventry next to it, if we y our cards right, we can eat it quite easily. It¡¯ll be okay, right?¡±


    Look at the words you¡¯re saying to a baby who didn¡¯t even know the meaning of the word ¡®coventry¡¯.


    I didn¡¯t agree with him or denied him. I just simply stared at him.


    One day, we randomly caught each other looking into each other¡¯s eyes a lot so I stopped smiling each time he looked at me. At first, I thought my life was over, but Caitel didn¡¯t go around jumping about to kill me. When I realized it didn¡¯t affect my life right away, my liver grew big and now it came to this. I just sat there with a shitty face.


    That¡¯s right, you could just bark by yourself. I would just y by myself.


    ¡°The Emperor of Praezia is surprisingly quiet¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if he was bored, but he listlessly flipped over a paper and dragged my bass toward him. Then, while looking straight into my eyeballs, he lowered his arms on a cushion and lifted his chin.


    ¡°He won¡¯t forgive me for killing his daughter.¡±


    The moment we looked into each other¡¯s eyes, Ipulsively called out to him.


    ¡°B! M!¡±


    Caitel didn¡¯tugh. He just stared at me.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 13</h4>


    At first, his stare used to frighten me, but perhaps humans were truly adaptable creatures because I was no longer afraid of the hidden sharpness hiding behind his eyes, nor was I scared of his empty expression.


    Yet¡­


    I was still taken aback by the face he would make. He was such a mysterious bastard. Are you an onion? Do you haveyers? Behind eachyer, he had a different side.


    Every day, I was growing differently and he was too. Every day, I was catching different sides of him. Yes, maybe that was something obvious.


    We were always stuck with each other¡¯s side now.


    I thought he was a crazy asshole. Well, he was called a tyrant, so I just assumed he was equal or even worse than Prince Yeonsan-gun. The kind that couldpete with Qin Shi Huang or even more ruthless.


    The kind of tyrant who would be written down in history and deserved to get criticized through generations, but he was actually not that far gone yet.


    Officially, Ferdel was in charge of all government matters, but all major decisions were made by Caitel, and he was in charge of Ferdel¡¯s choices.


    From what I heard, the former Emperor was even more f*cked up than Caitel. He literally had the famous ¡°Alcohol Pool¡± and ¡°Meat Forest¡± (¾Æ³ØÈâÁÖ), he also created the ¡°Cannon Burning Punishment¡± on top of that. He was a son of a bitch, a human garbage. He was the kind of worthless trash who people couldn¡¯t even recycle, so when Caitel killed his own father,mitting the sin of patricide, many people praised him. Of course, the nobles were an exception as they were appalled by his brutality.


    Unexpectedly, he was exemry at paperwork which he consistently did and took good care of all government matters. Well, it wasn¡¯t like he was without fault either. Caitel was really into wars. It was quite a serious problem, and he had a terrible character, there were multiple defects to his humanism.


    However, it was said that he didn¡¯t touch his own people without a reason and didn¡¯t kill people unless they really went against him. Even when he dered war, he made sure not to push his soldiers too far. He watched the timing and circumstances of the war before waging them. In fact, he might actually be a good Emperor to his people.


    To top it all off, he never lost a battle in his life. Hundreds of years ago, the legendary Darha, who never lost a battle, was the pride of his people.


    That¡¯s right. Like I said before, this guy actually did have a plethora of amazing quality than I gave him credit for. He was a reasonable psycho.


    ¡°Laugh, now.¡±


    ...But I couldn¡¯t deny his craziness.


    Hey! You crazy bastard.


    Before he told me to cry, now he wanted me tough. Ah, I really! I have something called pride you know! Did this man think wouldugh just because he told me to do so?


    How could I possiblyugh just because you ordered me?!


    I did my best to maintain a neutral expression. I wouldn¡¯tugh. I would notugh no matter what. I must notugh. I wouldn¡¯tugh. I wouldn¡¯tugh because I am strong!¡¯


    ¡°¡®Giggle~giggle~''¡±


    ¡­I¡¯m done.


    That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have anything like pride. F*ck.


    As I giggled loudly, deep inside me, Imented my own destiny.


    I was a ruin. I was done. My life was shit. I was an idiot for thinking for a moment that I found gold. I was stupid.


    ¡°Youugh well.¡±


    Not all peopleugh this well, your royal highness father.


    Caitel¡¯s left hand gently touched my cheek and he smirked.


    ¡®Ah, damn. Am I your toy?¡¯


    I was so irritated I turned my whole body away. I should seriously stop associating with him. I looked at my matching toys around me.


    Rectangle. Triangle. This was a circle.


    Where was the box with the matching holes?


    I turned my head around, but I couldn¡¯t see the matching box for the toys.


    This was creepy, like a ghost joke.


    ¡°Looking for this?¡±


    Huh?


    I turned my head towards Caitel¡¯s voice, then I saw the missing box I was looking for in his hand.


    Huh? What are you trying to do, Father?


    ¡°Want it?¡±


    Give it here. I tly gave my hand out. Then I shook it to urge him faster.


    Heughed as he looked at my hand hovering in the air. He didn¡¯t chuckle nonstop like a crazy person this time. It was just a normalugh.


    Ah, crazy asshole. I didn¡¯t want to deal with him. To think that¡¯s my dad. F*ck.


    It had been a while since I felt a murderous intent towards God as I chewed my lips and I shook out my hands. Give it here! Why were you getting in the way when I finally decided to y this boring game?


    His big hand grabbed my small hand. Then he took the remaining toy shapes I was holding on to.


    Wow, this crazy-! What is this?!


    ¡°Take it if you can.¡±


    What was he trying to do to me?!


    What the- Was I the baby or were you the baby?! What did he just said? Take it if I could? Could I take your life? Could I? Did I need to learn how to handle a knife? Was there any way I could take his life?!¡¯


    ¡°Ah-MBa!¡±


    I had no idea what I just said. I wanted to say hand it over.


    Caitel acted like he was going to give it to me as he held out his hand. As soon as I tried to grab it, he pulled his hand back. Wow, damn. I was not a rough person who would just confront people head on, why was I cussing so much?


    Ah. I didn¡¯t want to live anymore. Seriously.


    Was I ying with him or was he ying with me?


    I was pissed off to the max, so I red at him.


    I knew my liver must be swollen big, but as I said before, I knew now that he wouldn¡¯t kill me for now. That mean I could act out as long as I didn¡¯t cross his final line.


    Ah, so annoying.


    I just plopped my body down. I¡¯m going to sleep now!


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Caitel looked like a crestfallen kid who had been busy having fun with his toy, but somebody took it away.


    He looked disappointed as he let go of the toy shapes.


    Then he quickly lifted my whole body. I found myself in the mercy of his embrace.


    I blinked several times as I looked up at him. A slight smile appeared on his face.


    Why are you holding me all of a sudden?


    When I stayed still with a sh*tty-looking expression, he suddenly stood up.


    He moved to the area with the window that almost covered the whole wall and went out on the connecting terrace.


    The strong sunlight hurt my eyes. As I squinted under the strong sun, Caitel stepped back. Even with one step, there was a big difference in the amount of light.


    It¡¯s a garden... A real garden.


    I had practically lived in this room for almost two months, but I had never seen this area despite the fact that it was connected to the break room.


    The window and terrace I saw for the first time in my life showed me a breathtaking scenery. To think that the white garden was this beautiful.


    The holy tree called Winter Tree, with white leaves, shook gently. It was a wonderful sight.


    To think he wanted to show me this sight! Was my father actually gentle? I turned my head to look at him, but even when we were looking at the same garden, Caitel¡¯s expression felt off for some reason. Even on average, he wasn¡¯t normal, but right now, it seemed even more stagnant than usual.


    Not only did his face fall, but there was a sliver of animosity in his eyes.


    He seemed to have a different perception of the beautiful sceneryying bare in front of us.


    ¡°This ce is disgusting to the point that-¡±


    His voice came out through clenched teeth.


    ¡°...sick and tired.¡±


    His sight was on me, but his eyes were not the same eyes belonging to the Caitel I knew.


    Who are you?


    I was very curious about this unknown face that popped up randomly from time to time. Who are you, you crazy bastard? I knew he didn¡¯t have multiple personality disorder. Yet sometimes he acted like apletely different person making me wonder if he did.


    Then at that moment, he kissed my forehead.


    His voice was so soft as he whispered in my ear.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 14</h4>


    ¡°This is where you must survive. So how about it? You like it?¡±


    Ah, this crazy fucker.


    There¡¯s no answer (cure) for him. I internally sighed. Even if there was no answer (cure) for him, how could it be to the point where there really was no answer at all? I was at a loss for words. I felt as if someone simply handed me a pen and asked me to solve the seven greatest unsolved mathematical problems.


    As we looked into each other¡¯s eyes, Caitel smiled wordlessly.


    Looking at his smile made me want to say something to him, and I automatically opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, I was interrupted by a knock on the door.


    The knocking sound echoed in the room.


    ¡°Your majesty, Earl Cesklov is requesting an audience with you.¡±


    The servant said. That seemed to serve as some kind of excuse.


    Caitel looked at me for a moment, and he put on his ¡®mask¡¯. His face changed instantly. It was as if he didn¡¯t put on his ¡®mask¡¯ properly for a moment as one could see an icy expression spread across his real face. Perhaps, it¡¯s the kind of ¡®mask¡¯ that could envelop one¡¯s whole face.


    I had no idea who Earl Cesklov was, but I did recognize the face of the servant who came to open the door of the study as he politely lowered his head.


    Caitel let out a low breath. It was more like a quick breath than a sigh to me though. He walked to my bass and lowered me down. He also didn¡¯t forget to pat my head for no reason before leaving.


    Was I a dog?


    I wanted to stick it to him for some reason. The way he patted me made me wonder whether he was petting an animal or if he was he caressing his child. I honestly didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Just y here by yourself for a moment. I will be back soon.¡±


    I nodded my head. Then I plopped my whole body down to tell him a message: ¡°Fuck off.¡± I wanted to y with my toys, but Caitel had taken all of it away, and they were no longer in the bass. Instead, they were all sprawled around the floor out of my reach.


    Caitelughed at me one more time and left the room. No, to be more urate, he went back into his study. The creak the door made as it shut echoed throughout the room.


    ¡°Um.¡±


    Wriggle, wriggle. I yed around with my fingers.


    When I was big, I used to look at babies¡¯ hands and wonder, ¡°How could that be a hand? They are just insisting it is a hand when it¡¯s so tiny.¡± However, now that I was a baby, it was different. I felt like this hand was just right and didn¡¯t feel small at all. Perhaps, this was what one would call a matter of perspective.


    In fact, I felt Nanny or Caitel had unnecessarilyrge hands for some reason.


    ¡°Buuu-pa!¡±


    Grow up!


    I wouldn¡¯t bother wondering why those words came out that way.


    Ah, when could I speak human words that could actually be understood?


    Why was it that I could understand words, but I couldn¡¯t actually say any? Was I a mute? I heard kids learn fast, so I should be able to speak soon right? Right?


    ¡°Yee, Icadowit¡±


    As I waited for the day I could speak, Iughed cheekily. Heh, heh. That¡¯s right, just as nanny said, I need to talk a lot to widen my vocabry. My nanny¡¯s skills in childcare knowledge were always right! Yup, that¡¯s right!


    I felt like I was exaggerating my reasoning a bit, but I didn¡¯t care. I would talk a lot, listen a lot, and talk some more. Then one day, I would like it if I could tell my crazy dad, ¡°You are a seriously crazy bastard.¡± Ah, why was it so hard to pronounce ¡°Crazy bastard¡±?


    Then should I put this word forter use and simply use the word idiot instead? Idiot.


    I was ying by myself by lifting both my feet with my hands when I heard a crunching sound as the door opened. It was because of my baby supplies that were near the door.


    What is it? Was a maiding in?


    I quickly lost interest and naturally turned my head back to my original spot. After all, a maid¡¯s job was usually the same as the others, there was not a big difference. She would probably clean the room or throw out the trash. In this particr case, she would have to clean the messy room the damn Emperor made, but that was about it. It was all that kind of work after all.


    Instead of something like that, I was more invested in my feet. Could I raise them?!


    That was something one couldn¡¯t do when one grew up since their body grew bigger. Their arms and legs were too long for it. If one were inflexible one couldn¡¯t do it too.


    It was... biting one¡¯s own feet!


    When one was a baby, everyone had the famous picture of biting their own foot. I, too, had a picture of myself as a baby biting my own feet, but when I grew bigger, my flexibility went to shit, so I other babies fascinated me when they could move their bodies do flexibly wondering how could they do it. That position required one¡¯s arms and legs to be short and one had to be flexible or they couldn¡¯t even attempt. After a short time thinking about it, I decided to try.


    This position actually worked, I was stretching my arms, but it didn¡¯t pull at my hips.


    A young child¡¯s flexibility was really something else!


    I was moved and getting excited by myself when, at that moment, I saw a dark shadow on top of me. I instinctively looked up at the sudden darkness, and I froze in that exact position.


    I thought it was a maid, but he was not a maid.


    The guy who walked closer to me was wearing a servant¡¯s nd uniform that didn¡¯t stand out in the royal pce, and in that man¡¯s hand was a knife.


    ¡°...!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even breath, my face instantly paled, and I froze. As soon as the cutlery, with its shiny white light, entered my sight, my heart fell into my stomach, and my whole body shook with fear.


    I had forgotten. No, I thought I had forgotten it. Even when I was in another body, my body reacted automatically to fear. My hands were shaking like a quaking aspen tree, and my mouth ended up letting go of the feet I was biting on.


    The man was not a servant, and he definitely wasn¡¯t a maid either.


    He was a guest who came to kill me.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    My past memories resurfaced. A white knife. A red hood. The hand that stabbed her continuously without any care or mercy.


    Was it repeating, was this how I die again?


    I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to cry. I waspletely white with fear, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to make any noise. I heard that one was paralyzed with fear one really can¡¯t move or take any actions because they were, well, ¡°paralyzed¡±... Perhaps, that turned out to be true. If I cried, Caitel woulde. If only I could cry for my daddy next door to save me, yet I could not bring myself to cry. I could only tremble and wait for my death to approach me soon.


    ¡°I am sorry to say this, but you need to die.¡±


    The man raised his hand, and that was all I couldn¡¯t bear to see what happens next, and I flinched, closing my eyes.


    Save me!


    Somebody, please! I couldn¡¯t die like this again! Was this how I die? I had now finally mastered the art of sitting up, and after all that, I had to die here meaninglessly? In this way?


    I grabbed the tips of my fingers that had gone cold and called earnestly for someone inside my mind. I then prepared myself for the inevitable pain by biting down on my lips. Though my lips started hurting, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Yet, no matter how long I waited, the knife didn¡¯t fall on my body.


    I opened my eyes unconsciously.


    ¡°Hu!¡±


    Ok...ay?


    The assassin tried to quickly lower the knife into me. However, something flew by even faster than him. The guy let out a scream of pain as he grabbed onto his arm. What flew by was a short knife.


    Swish!


    As I heard something being opened, I struggled around to get up on my feet. Then I sat down, leaning against the safety guard and raised my head to see what was going on with my own two eyes.


    Caitel, who had taken out his sword somehow, wasing towards me.


    How in the world did he enter the room?


    I couldn¡¯t figure it out. In a sh, he quickly shed the guy¡¯s back and his head off. Blood sttered everywhere in the room.


    Red and warm liquid sshed onto my cheek.


    Huh?


    ¡°A guy like this.¡±


    Caitel raised his head.


    In his eyes was the bloodthirstiness I always saw hidden in the corner of his eyes.


    It was now tantly there on his face for all to see, and it was even more terrifying than I thought possible.


    ¡°How did he enter the royal pce?¡±


    Somehow, a servant I had never seen before opened the door that connected to the study. Caitel shook his sword clean and ordered in a cold voice as the blood drops sttered everywhere


    ¡°Call the Royal guards (Household troops).¡±


    Then Caitel let go of his sword. At that moment, I suspected that there was something wrong with my eyes.


    Huh?


    As soon as Caitel let go of his sword, the sword melted like snow in the air and disappeared. There wasn¡¯t even any sound of it falling or disappearing. There was nothing left behind.


    That was...


    ¡°Clean the corpse.¡±


    After Caitel coldly gave his orders, he walked straight towards me. On his way, he stepped on an arm, but he didn¡¯t seem to care.


    The metallic smell of blood was in the air. I scrunched my face as the smell covered my entire nostrils. It was strong enough to make me gag.


    Caitel lightly lifted me andughed as I made all kind of faces.


    ¡°I told you.¡±


    It was a bright smile with a hint of contempt.


    ¡°This ce is disgusting to the point that it is tiresome.¡±


    I froze once again. This time it wasn¡¯t due to fear but from the coldness this man seemed to emanate.


    How deep was this disgust? How thick was his contempt?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t know where to start, or how to navigate through all this darkness.


    I swallowed back my dry mouth.


    ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t be too surprised by this.¡±


    He stroked my cheek. The blood sttered on my cheek was now on his hand


    ¡°It would be troublesome if you got surprised just by this.¡±

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 15</h4>


    Serira was holding my shivering body. My body was shaking all over to the point that it was pitiful. Serira¡¯s worry and shock was contagious and made me scared all over again.


    I was too shocked to realize the reality of what happened around me, but now I felt something.


    My cheek could feel Serira¡¯s soft skin and it was hot. The trembling that remained in my body and the trembling I could feel from Serira¡¯s body became one, driving me into an unspeakable feeling.


    ¡°What should I do? Her body is ice cold.¡±


    I honestly didn¡¯t know why Serira was shivering so much when it all happened to me.


    If I said the memories of the white knife that were engraved into my brain were scarier then the sight of all that blood would be a lie. If I said I didn¡¯t find it all horrifying, that would also be a lie.


    If I had been a real baby that didn¡¯t understand what was going on, it would have been better, but my previous death ovepped with this current incident and had shaken me to my very core, leaving me in a very bad state.


    It had been terrifying.


    I realized how bad it was as I stared at my pale fingertips. It was white and ice cold. A child¡¯s body temperature was normally higher than an adult, so I often sweat a lot. This was the first time my body had be this cold. Serira who was holding me also realized this fact.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    A loving voice called out to me. When I heard that voice, only then did Ie to the realization I was still alive.


    Only then I felt relief.


    As if I had finally let go of a burden I was struggling to carry on my own, I tried not to cry. However, at that moment, my tear ducts decided to let it go. The tears blurring my sight was hot. My throat hurt too. The muscles that were aching by themselves without my knowledge were crying out of pain to me.


    It was possible for mental anguish to show its effects upon the body...


    Somehow, Serira¡¯s face became blurry. When it became blurry to the point that I could no longer make out her green eyes, I burst out crying.


    ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    It was so scary, really scary!


    I had wished to be saved with the heart of a drowning man grabbing onto to a nk.


    I had wished to be saved at that moment, and in the past, I also had wished in the same way.


    I wanted someone to save me. I didn¡¯t want to die, I called out earnestly to be saved.


    However, not a single person tried toe over and help even as they all stood there listening to my cries for help and my pleas to be spared.


    The cries of a baby were sorrowful, the sounds of my cries were heartbreaking even to me. I cried with that sorrow in mind


    Serira hugged me tightly and shared the warmth of her body as she tried to appease me. She patted my back as she whispered to me not to cry. Then she wiped my tears away and gave me small kisses all over my cheeks.


    The kisses were calming me down, and I gave a sigh of relief.


    This was proof I was still alive. That was proof I had survived. This very air I was breathing was all proof I was still alive.


    I had thought I would turn into a cold carcass. The death I had wished for was not that kind of death. It felt so wrong to die that way because I had died like that already.


    When I opened my eyes, I was in this body.


    If I said I hadn¡¯t felt absurd that would be a lie, and to top it all off, I was born of all things as the daughter of a tyrant! If I looked back on it, it was just six months full of dissatisfaction ever since then.


    ¡°She is crying to death.¡±


    A pair of red eyes looked down on me. He came in after I could somewhat see in front of me since I cried all my tears away.


    My daddy, my father, Caitel Agregiant.


    The volume of the sound of my crying lessened. I let out tear-filled coughs since my throat was sore from crying so much, but Serira wiped my tears gently with a cloth each time to make sure no marks remained. I could feel her consideration as she tried not to wipe too hard.


    Thank you, mother. As usual, my mom was the best! If mom wasn¡¯t here who could I stick myself to?


    Only after I sobbed out my heart could I finally stop crying.


    ¡°How much can a baby remember ?¡¯


    For some reason, Caitel¡¯s hand movements were soft.


    That¡¯s right, did he feel sorry for me too? Thank you for your pity.


    I didn¡¯t dislike the cold hand that touched my forehead.


    I did feel a bit awkward. I mean, I know what this hand did earlier in front of my eyes. He ended life without an ounce of mercy with that hand.


    Without a moment of hesitation.


    Was it because it came down to that man¡¯s life or my life? I didn¡¯t feel like Caitel did anything wrong.


    I didn¡¯t care if that makes me a bad person.


    I was just so grateful to him foring at the right time as if he was answering my silent cries for help. Even if he was a crazy bastard, he really was still my father.


    Alright, I acknowledged him as my dad! Since he saved my life I would coolly ept him as such. I looked up at him as his hand fell from my hair to my cheek. He wiped the tears from my eyes away.


    Even I could see a clear teardrop at the edge of his finger.


    My damp eyshes felt ufortable. I didn¡¯t know why I felt so wronged.


    Why did I feel so dissatisfied? I couldn¡¯t even remember now. I remembered only the fact I felt that way, and...


    Ah, I had no more energy. Did I cry too much?


    At that moment, Caitel took the finger with my teardrop and ced it near his mouth. I could see his red tongue lick the end of his finger.


    Afterward, he gave me a small smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s salty.¡±


    Did he honestly think it would be anything other than that?


    He always had to add unnecessary words and get cursed for his trouble.


    Honestly... I would let it go this one time since he saved my life.


    ¡°It is different for each individual baby, but I heard babies usually forget their infancy stage memories as they grow up. However, the influence from these memories may remain in their subconsciousness¡­¡±


    Caitel was quiet after hearing Serira¡¯s answer.


    He said nothing and just looked into my eyes with a peculiar expression.


    I also stared back into his eyes and quietly held my breath.


    I think I figured it out. I think I knew why there¡¯s always hostility and enmity in his eyes.


    It was the culmination of the kind of life he had lived until now.


    It had been only a short moment, but I remembered what kind of eyes he had when he pulled out his sword and lowered it without an ounce of hesitation.


    It was...


    How should I describe it? The look in his eyes was iprehensible.


    At the very least, his eyes looked nothing like the current look in his eyes.


    ¡°Influence...¡±


    Influence? What about it?


    I had waited with bated breath to hear the end of that sentence, but that was the end of it.


    It went nowhere.


    Ugh, that bastard.


    If he would be like that, then he shouldn¡¯t start saying any sentences that make me start anticipating anything. My heart raced for no reason! I got all excited for nothing and wasted unnecessary energy.


    I pouted and stuck my lips out.


    As I tried to lift my finger, exactly at that moment, the Royal Guards entered the room.


    Wow, it¡¯s a knight!


    It¡¯s my first time looking at the Royal Guards. Obviously, it was also my first time seeing the Captain of the Royal Guard.


    It must be that knight walking in the front of the center of the knights in silver armor.


    Ah, it¡¯s an old man. This old man must be the leader of the Royal Knights. The atmosphereing off his body was on a whole different level than the other knights.


    Good. Let¡¯s see, my ratings for him would be¡­


    ¡°Your majesty.¡±


    The Captain was trying his best to maintain a nk expression, but he looked like he would drop dead any moment. He went on his knee and did his best to show courtly manners befitting a knight as he waited for Caitel to speak.


    I looked up at Caitel.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 16</h4>


    He had simply watched with a deadpan expression as the knight came in and bent down on one knee, then his eyes looked as if he was looking at something very funny and he gave a closed-lipped smile.


    Now, what¡¯s wrong with the guy?


    I started to get scared for no reason.


    ¡°My room...¡±


    Caitel lifted a ss and the sound of ice clinking could be heard.


    Clink Clink, only the soft refreshing echo of ice hitting ss could be heard in the room. It sounded quite cool to the ears.


    ¡°...had a guest.¡±


    Ah, I felt thirsty because of that noise. Of course, it could also be because I cried too much. I started to gently whine at my nanny.


    Water! Water!


    I definitely felt even more parched when I heard that cool clinking sound.


    ¡°It was a guest I never invited.¡±


    As soon as Caitel finished speaking, his sightnded on the Captain. The Captain¡¯s body trembled. Caitel¡¯s eyes grew even darker as he watched his response. The thin, close-lipped smile on his face made it difficult for the receiver to even breath.


    His appearance seemed to glow with beauty, but at that moment, no one wanted to even touch the guy.


    If he weren¡¯t a moth, who would want to throw themselves into that burning ck fire? His eyes, which always glowed red to the point it made his eye hurt, was now dark to the point that it almost looked pitch ck. It made oneself hold their breath.


    That¡¯s right, this was my first time seeing him truly angry.


    ¡°Imitted a crime deserving of death. This was all due to my own carelessness.¡±


    It¡¯s scary. When I said it¡¯s scary, I meant it¡¯s scary in a different way than earlier. Before, it was scary because of the possibility that I would get killed, but now, the atmosphere felt like ¡®getting in trouble in front of the principal¡¯ kind of scary.


    I know I didn¡¯t do anything bad, so why am I getting scared too?


    After crying my heart out, I was much calmer, and I no longer sniffled. I did keep trying to rub my eyes because they were itchy, but each attempt was foiled by Serira. I started whining in dissatisfaction


    My eyes were itchy!


    For a moment, Caitel¡¯s face rxed as he heard my whining, but it went by so fast no one else noticed. He ked his thirst with a sip of wine and put the ss on the table.


    Then he walked up slowly, so slowly it gave off a terrifying vibe that made everyone hold their breath as he stood in front of the knight. Only when he was practically in front of the knight¡¯s nose did he stop.


    ¡°Four days.¡±


    An arrogant voice dropped from above.


    The Royal Guard¡¯s Captain lowered his head even lower.


    ¡°Find out who sent the assassin within those four days.¡±


    The terrifying sound of cold steel rang throughout the room. Caitel had pulled out the Captain¡¯s sword by his side and lifted it up. The sword¡¯s de gleamed in the light, it was so dazzling it almost blinded would blind me if I directly stared at it. He lifted it up as if it was just a toy, then looked down at the Captain.


    The soft sound of slender cold metal being swung around reverberated in the room. It made me frown just listening to it because it sounded so sharp and thin.


    No. I hated that sound.


    The good news... Only the sleeve of the guard was cut.


    The bad news... The slender and gleaming white steel was now ced at the guard¡¯s neck.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t find out who is behind this then consider yourself dead.¡±


    The thin cut on his pale neck started to turn into a blood-red line on the Captain¡¯s neck. The red line had a metallic smell, making one think of the thick and rusty smell of the blood rain earlier. The Captain lowered his head one more time.


    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    Then he stood up and humbly received his sword back with both hands. Then, Caitel seemed to have lost interest in the Captain and turned his whole body away, as if he no longer cared about whether he stayed in the room or leave. Instead, he looked in my direction and started toe closer to Serira who was holding me in her arms. Then he spread out his two arms without any hesitation.


    His movements were confident and clear. He wasmanding her to ce me into his waiting embrace.


    Dad, we had never been close, so why was he acting all friendly now? I wanted to protest, but my throat was so sore I couldn¡¯t make a sound. Serira looked like she didn¡¯t want to hand me over, but she did not want to be his opponent. After all, it wasn¡¯t like he was just any opponent, so she had to reluctantly hand me over without a fight.


    Poor pitiful Serira! It¡¯s too much!


    As soon as he received me in his arms, his face changed once again.


    I gazed at him with swollen eyes. His darkened eyes had already turned into his regr red gaze. I could once again see my reflection clearly in those everyday reds.


    At that moment, heughed at me.


    Huh? Why was heughing?


    ¡°I will sleep with Ariadna for a while.¡±


    Oh... Excuse me?


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing, so I just stared at him in a daze until I had to blink several times.


    Huh? What did he just said?


    ¡°Be prepared.¡±


    Did he just said we would sleep together!?


    While I was at aplete loss of words due to abination of shock and fear, Serira simply bowed her head.


    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s bedroom was much more simple than I had thought.


    Oh, okay. I had thought this was a chance for me to see some results of him showing off his treasures but, unexpectedly, it was quite in. I was surprised by all the in space spread out in front of my eyes.


    What in the world? Weren¡¯t tyrants supposed to be the King of all wastrels? Showing off their gold and using it like water? Even though he¡¯s the Emperor, he seemed to have no interest in showing off his fortune at all. My Dad was... Hmm.


    Well, this still didn¡¯t change anything. Just because he didn¡¯t go around wasting money didn¡¯t mean the way I looked at him would drastically change or anything.


    Reality was cruel and this world was rotten.


    ¡°You may ce the Princess here and leave.¡±


    The voice of the servant in charge of Soleil pce could be heard.


    Now that I thought about it, she had much more experience than Serira in the pce, but due to the difference in status, she seemed to respectfully serve her.


    Serira held me close and carefully walked into the room.


    We were only walking into an unfamiliar room, why were they so tense? It¡¯s not like we were a pair of cat burrs. Oh yeah, this unfamiliar room belonged to that stranger, the Emperor.


    Instead of feeling contempt, all I felt was a surge of annoyance. How did this even happen to me?! Just how?! What did I do to end up like this?! Was it not enough that he would harass me all day? Was he not satisfied enough with messing me during the day, he wanted to mess with me at night too? Who would even guarantee that I would get some peaceful sleep? I too had a right to sleep peacefully!


    This world was rotten I tell you! This world was damned! My Dad just handed me poop!


    ¡°Here, princess.¡±


    I started to struggle as a form of protest. As I tussled in her arms, Serira patted me on my back, but I refused to be pacified.


    I hated it! I hated this world that flows only ording to the will of the adults!


    I looked around the spacious room. The room had some expensive decorations scattered around to fill up the empty space. It seemed randomly ced, so it didn¡¯t look too empty. The bed stood out the most. It was five times the size of my room and looked like at least four fully grown man could sleep on it with plenty of space.


    My spot seemed to be that crib next to his bed. I had assumed they would bring the crib from my own room but this was a crib I had never met before.


    ¡®Hello, my name is Ariadna. Who are you?¡¯


    ¡°Here, Princess. Today you will sleep here.¡±


    Could I not sleep here?¡¯


    My lips started to quiver as I raised my face to look at her with teary eyes. I was almost ready to burst out in tears at any moment.


    Serira¡¯s face showed that she didn¡¯t know what to do and simply let out a sigh.


    I know, Mom... Mom had no power. That was why you must send me off.


    Why did it seem like we were a mother-daughter pair being sold off for money?


    Suddenly, the legend of Chunhyang popped up into my head.


    ¡®Hmph,e serve me at night!¡¯


    ¡®I refuse!¡¯


    ¡®Hmph.e!¡¯


    Shut up, she hates it! Chunhyang tried to resist.


    Then the world ended.


    ¡°...¡±


    I should not be an author.


    Why were my endings all fucked up? I felt a bit disturbed at myself and frowned. Serira, who wasying me down, saw it andid a kiss on my forehead. She whispered something softly to me. It seemed to be a type of prayer.


    ¡°Ma-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since our princess is calm, so she will definitely sleep well.¡±


    How did she know if I had a sensitive or mild personality?! This wasn¡¯t just about changing the location of where I slept! This was an important and precious problem! Where did I get my rights to sleep?! I was positive that damned father of mine would harass me all night! He definitely would!


    ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I will go.¡±


    Then Serira followed the scary maid¡¯smand and left the room after pushing a small doll in my hand. How rotten! This was messed up!


    To leave a delicate and lovable young baby alone.


    Humans had no consideration anymore. Seriously, consideration was dead.


    ¡°Howohhehhooh¡­!¡±


    The room I could see from my crib was five times bigger than usual. It was toorge to the point I felt scared. Not only was this the first time I was in this room, but I could only just sit here. That was the source of my horror.


    If only I could walk, run or sleep, then I could somewhat manage by myself...


    Ah, even if I did, I would probably just get caught right away anyway.


    ¡®Eyeam skuwuwed¡­¡¯ (Baby talk for ¡°I am screwed.¡±)


    I leaned my cheek against the safety guard and looked around the roomfortably.


    Well, a mountain was a mountain and water was water.


    It¡¯s true that unlike my first impression of him, the guy wasn¡¯t showing his fortunes off, so the room wasn¡¯t covered in gold leaf, but it¡¯s not exactly a in room that diminished the dignity of an Emperor.


    How should I describe it? Should I just say it was adequately fancy, adequately expensive, and adequately dignified? Especially that single sofa and tea table with delicate carvings that looked simple at first nce, but had an aura oozing out from it. Also, the look of that heater that took one side of the wall by itself and the tapestry hanging on the top, there was no ce to criticize in this perfect arrangement. Damn.


    ¡°Are you not sleeping?¡±


    I hate the fact that I am so used to his voice. I leaned against the safety rail and raised my head.


    ¡°You are not sleeping.¡±


    Caitel, who came closer, put his face right in front of my nose.


    For a moment I couldn¡¯t breathe.

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 17</h4>


    He scared me!


    No, this wasn¡¯t the problem. What was up with this guy today?


    I tried to slowly sneak away from my Dad. I know my one and only father in the world was a man of incredible beauty. If he went out on a beauty contest, he would win first ce by unanimous agreement.


    But, but!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    That low and husky voice was seductive, and it sent goosebumps all over my skin.


    Oh my God! What was this? Father, don¡¯t do this to me!


    Dad we were not supposed to be ¡°together¡±!¡¯


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t block his handsing for me.


    Oh no.


    I closed my mouth firmly and forced myself to turn my head away from Caitel¡¯s eyes which I didn¡¯t want to see anymore. All my movements were autonomous to the point that it was robotic, I was almost afraid that nging sounds woulde from my neck.


    His silver hair looked like he had just taken a shower and still had drops of water on his hair ends. The wet, silky hair and the scent of his freshly washed body tickled the end of my nose and made me wish I was dead.


    Ugh!


    It was a romantic fantasy of mine. Yup, it¡¯s a fantasy for both women and men! However, not like this! This is not right! This is seriously not right!


    This man was my dad! Damn! Why?! There¡¯s a beauty in front of my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t even attempt to flirt with him!


    ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    How could I be sick? Actually, I was just sick in my mind.


    Dear God, why was that guy born with that kind of beauty?


    My child, I did not know either.


    Just hand over a piece of his beauty, okay!?


    ¡°She looks like a monster.¡±


    ¡­ So it was possible to get used to this to the point I no longer get mad.


    As he stroked my swollen eyes, I wanted to tell him that the words he spoke were an art form, but perhaps I finally got tired of it. Wow, I didn¡¯t even feel hurt anymore.


    ¡°To think that you are getting assassinated already. Should I say it was slower than expected or faster?¡±


    Huh? Then dad, were you saying you already knew an assassin was heading my way and yet you still left me alone?


    ...Sir, do you want to die?


    ¡°Well, whatever, it looks like my princess is in trouble.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why he simply ended it with the word ¡°trouble¡±. This was my life... My life was on the line! Stop saying it so easily! Damn, I felt stupid for getting depressed.


    However, when I lowered my head, I could feel his eyes following me that I couldn¡¯t even turn my head away.


    Ah, I couldn¡¯t even turn my head away when I wanted to?


    Then at the moment, our eyes met. Two pairs of red eyes met midway in the air. The sight of their gazes and their emotions were entangling together.


    Then nothing was left behind. Nothing left.


    This kind of empty silence was incredibly ufortable.


    It was also a bit, just a little bit, heavy to face Caitel with that kind of face. That¡¯s right... To be honest, it was quite burdensome for me.


    So heavy it actually weighed me down. I thought we had gotten used to each other by now, but we were still far apart as usual.


    The pressure and sense of dangering from the distance separating us was cutting off my air. I already knew he only showed this kind of face to me, but it wasn¡¯t because of the fact I was his daughter. I was pretty sure it had more to do with the fact he was absolutely positive I would never be able to remember any of this.


    It was a wall. That was what he put up as a rule and it was blocking others froming close.


    It was very hard. It was also very thick.


    I reached out to him with my hand. Since my arms were so short, it didn¡¯t take long for them to reach their detestation.


    My hand caressed his cheek Caitel didn¡¯t reject nor did he ept it. All he did was watch as he left me alone. He was somewhat like a voyeuristic tourist, only watching me to see what I would do next.


    It felt very soft.


    I could feel his short breaths and the sensation of his skin at the end of my fingertips. Only at times like this, I felt he was an actual living being.


    Normally, he felt more like a masterpiece than an actual human being. It might be because he was much closer to a masterpiece than a regr human.


    Why was everything about him so twisted? He couldn¡¯t be like this from the start, right? He must not have always have been like this...


    Sometimes, I wondered about his past, his life, and what he was thinking in his head. That was it though. I didn¡¯t think more than that.


    That was my limit, anything more than that felt like I had no right or ce in his life.


    ¡°Stupish.¡±


    What broke the silence was, as usual, my voice. Caitel looked into my eyes and furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°What is she saying?¡±


    I am saying you are stupid. That¡¯s right, you.


    ¡°Dada.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to call him papa yet. I knew I acknowledged him as my father since he saved my life, but at the moment, I felt it was despicable for him to decide on his own to sleep with me, so I refuse to call him that. He didn¡¯t deserve to be called daddy yet.


    As I waved both my arms up in the air at him, I gave him a bright smile. A small smile spread across Caitel¡¯s lips as he saw my beaming face.


    ¡°Her vocabry has gotten better.¡±


    A maid had entered when I wasn¡¯t paying attention, and now, she was preparing for the night. The small table by the bed carried ice and red wine. It was the maid from earlier who must have brought them.


    ¡°Does a baby have to sleep in the crib?¡±


    Even through Caitel didn¡¯t bother to turn his head, the maid somehow figured out he was talking to her.


    The maid demurely gathered her hands and bowed her head.


    ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t fall from the bed, it is fine if she sleeps on the bed, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°It is just that you have to be careful not to press the baby¡¯s body down with your own body.¡±


    He wordlessly looked at me with a smile big enough to rip and spread over his face. No, it was simr to a smile but was really more of a look of ridicule.


    ¡°I want to y with her and put her to sleep.¡±


    He just wanted to use me to y around and then fall asleep.


    I felt very anxious for some reason. Perhaps, could it be?! Would I die from suffocation? Not only would I suffocated, but would it be because of my own father?


    No, impossible... Getting rolled on and crushed to death of all things!


    Instead of getting rolled to death it was better to just get assassinated!¡¯


    ¡°Have a good dream.¡±


    I looked at Caitel as heid me by his side and pursed my lips.


    Hey, dad. Treat me preciously. I am still a baby.


    Cold lips touched my forehead, but I still felt dread.


    Ah, that good dream he suggested was really a nightmare, right?

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: The Emperor''s Daughter Chapter. 18</h4>


    After five months had passed I found myself waking up in the middle of the night for no reason. I found it strange as it happened more frequently as ofte and my irritation grew as dawn became my hour of awakening.


    Ah, I woke up again.


    Normally, if you wake up in the middle of the night sleep should immediately ovee you but for some reason, it didn''te.


    Ah, shoot.


    My opened eyes just stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. As my eyes got used to the darkness I could make out words carved in the ceiling. It seemed to say ''Royal 12th Pce''. If I am wrong then whatever.


    Ah, my body is feverish. Am I getting the flu?


    Even I could feel my own body temperature was going up. I wanted to cry, but I had no energy to spare to even cry. As I nibbled on my finger and tried to turn my body, something hard got in my way.


    What is this?


    When I raised my head, it was Keitel of all people who was at the very front of my nose.


    "Hguh!''


    What is this? Why is he here...


    Then I realized.


    Oh yeah, this is Keitel''s bedroom.


    I cursed at my own stupidity and slowly edged away from him.


    I don''t want to get assassinated (rolled over) by him.


    Anyway, whoever''s father this is he is very handsome.


    For a moment, I forgot about my fever and I raised my empty hand (which I wasn''t sucking on) to lift the scattered hair on his forehead. I smirked as I lightly touched his long eyshes. I guess even with the fever I still had energy left over to enjoy staring at his face.


    Keitel''s sleeping face was different. I heard everyone''s sleeping face looked meek.


    His face while sleeping really was meek. A sleeping Keitel was a small shock in its own way. It was my first time seeing him like this yet it didn''t feel like the first time. He still looked like a young boy. Looking at his boyish face made my heart ache.


    Yup. He''s only twenty-six by Korean standards. He''s at the age where he would have finished the army, graduated from college and would have been ready to look for work. If he was the fast type, he could be a father but it was more likely he was still a kid just bing independent.


    When I thought this way I was able to let go. I still couldn''t adjust perfectly to this world but I realized Keitel was a man of that age.


    "Forgibe yoush."


    That''s right, I will forgive you.


    All those times you talked so insensitively and all your clumsy actions, I will forgive it all at once with arge heart. I am twenty-five but I also don''t know much about babies, and if I was forced to take care of one I would have definitely been as clumsy as Keitel. That''s right. When I think of it this way I can understand your awkward actions until now.


    I was a newbie at being a baby but he was also a newbie at being a dad. He had just met a life form called a baby how could he possibly know how to treat it? Just by looking at his attitude until now I know that he never once had an interest in babies before, not even asrge as a fingernail.


    To think that that kind of human has a baby...


    "Stoopish."


    I recalled what Cerera had told me before - that I only had this man. At first, I didn''t understand what she meant. ''I think I get it now. I really only have this man.


    "Papa."


    I found Keitel''s sleeping hand and held it tightly. My hand was so small and whitepared to his rough skin full of calluses. It looked pitiful so I didn''t dislike the rough texture of his hand.


    He really was my dad.


    I let out a small sigh. Even if I didn''t add on anything special this one fact it was enough for me.


    The fact that he was my dad.


    I once again realized that this was the parent-child bond. Even if you disliked their personality, the way they talked, the way they looked and hated the way they thought... A father is a father. It''s not something that can change just because I don''t like it. It''s that kind of thing. It was the same for him too. The child is the same. You can''t sell or change it because you don''t want it.


    I am the one that needs to adjust. What else can I do? I need to deal with it.


    However, now that I decided... Keitel, you need to be prepared. I am not your average innocent daughter at all. If you look down on me, the one who will end up hurt is you!


    Okay, dad?


    "Sleeping like the dead, as always."


    Huh?


    "Is he not sleeping, but dead instead?"


    The voice I just heard now made me lose my breath for a moment.


    This voice...


    I quietly calmed my racing heart and looked over at the ceiling. The only thing I could see was the darkness in the room. In that dark room, an especially dark shape was there. No, it was a person.


    Could-could it be? Another guest of the night?!


    "Huh?"


    The other side must have discovered me too. I tried to kill my breathing.


    Can a person''s eyes glow in the dark? No, that was not the eyes of a human, but it doesn''t seem to be the vertical slit of a cat''s eyes either.


    It was quite mysterious.No, it was frightening to the point that it overcame any curiosity.


    "Oh?"


    As I tried to kill the sound of my breathing, the ck shape came towards me. I tightened my grip on dad''s hand.


    Dad wake up, dad! This is an emergency! Your daughter looks like she is going to die soon! dad! Dad!


    "Can you see me?''


    ''Namu My¨­h¨­ Renge Ky¨­'' (This is a Buddhist mantra)...


    It felt like the time mom caught me ying on theputer in the middle of the night or the time I sneaked into the kitchen to steal food at night and got caught red handed.


    How can I describe this shivering thrilling feeling? I just cried inwardly.


    Am I dead now? To think another night guest came to visit me. dad''s here but I am still going to die again. That''s right, my life is damned. That''s right, it''s damned! Even if you don''t force me to face it I already knew my life was damned from the start!


    "No?"


    What the hell, is it a ghost?


    "Huh?"


    Huh, what the fuck is huh. What the hell is wrong with this guy?


    The night guest, whose face I couldn''t even see, simply crossed his arms. Then he let out a surprised voice as he wondered.


    "...Can even talk."


    Who in the world was he talking to? Was he simply mad?


    The shadow didn''t seem to be a night guest, then logically speaking, it only leaves the option of he either a ghost or a lunatic. What were the chances of a lunatic breaking into the Emperor''s bedroom? So I guess he can only be a ghost. Is that right?


    Seriously, am I not looking at a night guest who came to kill me, but a ghost instead?!


    It was only a moment, but his eyes darkened.


    "You can really see me."


    The eyes suddenly zoomed in closer almost shocking me to death.


    Agh! dad save me! Your daughter is going to be shocked to death!


    "....Are those words?"


    Who the hell are you talking to?


    "Huh? I am talking to you."


    So who are you... Huh? Me?


    I was so shocked I lost my breath for a second. I looked at him with a stupidly shocked expression. That guy, whose face I couldn''t make out wordlessly smiled and came closer.


    Who, who, who... Who are you?!


    "Huh? Me?"


    We seriously understood each other. I wasn''t sure if I should''ve been more surprised at the fact he could understand my words or that he wasn''t a ghost.


    "What are you going to do after you find out? Are you going to steam it and eat?"


    What is he saying? His nonsense is an art.


    As my face stiffened the approaching figure grabbed his belly and startedughing. I was shocked that the crazyughter didn''t wake Keitel up.


    Dad, your ears are useless.


    "Ah, what the hell. It''s Keitel''s daughter. What are you doing here?"


    I felt taken back at the fact he knew me. ''Who was he?''


    For some reason, it made me more nervous that he knew me. I made a face.


    What are you going to do after you find out?


    "Oh dear, you are already mad."


    The guy came closer, sat near the bed and reached out to stroke my cheek. Unlike his big awkward hand, his hand felt soft and gentle, but I felt my skin crawl. ''Hurry up and move your hand.''


    "Quite cute."


    Who? Me? Well. Yes, I am quite cute. My cuteness is to the point I can conquer this. My ambition is to conquer the world with my cuteness... Not!


    I clicked my tongue at my silliness when the softughter stopped. Then the eyes that shone blue in the darkness coolly let out a chill gleam.


    "However, human child. How can you see me?"

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 19</h4>


    The weather changed already.


    I looked out the window with an awe-filled expression. The trees had already changed to their multi-colored clothes and leaves were falling down.


    Ugh, it looked hard to clean up. No, this was not important...


    Fall wasing. Damn, even if I tried to get into the mood, my personality got in the way.


    ¡°Here, Princess. This-¡±


    The baby food Serira was giving me changed for I became eight months old. Of course, I was still drinking milk, but I was given both milk and baby food as if I was eating rice and soup.


    Today was smashed kabocha.


    ¡°Ma ma. Ma ma.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Good. Is it delicious?¡±


    ¡°Delishouis.¡±


    As I copied her with an awkward ent, Seriraughed brightly.


    That¡¯s right I can now say words simr to human speech. Well, my ent was strong, so I still couldn¡¯t speak properly, which was a bit disheartening. ¡®Why can¡¯t I speak when I have a mouth? This must be the will of the heavens who are jealous of my intelligence!¡¯ Yeah, right. It¡¯s supposed to be like this...


    ¡®¡±Peek-a-boo.¡±


    As I chewed on the sweetness of the kabocha in my mouth, Elene popped up from the bottom. What I really wanted to do was to give her a pathetic look full of contempt, but since she did it for me, I gave her a bone.


    Here Kid, I will give you a smile.


    ¡°Oh my, the Princess likes it.¡±


    Elene sat near my crib, lowered her chin on the rails and smiled brightly.


    ¡®Hey, I don¡¯t like it at all, but I amughing for your sake, okay?¡¯


    I seriously couldn¡¯t tell if I was the baby or her.


    Whatever, I just want to eat. Yum, yum. Sweet Pumpkin was delicious.


    ording to the whispering maids, I was a baby that was really fun to raise. When I thought about it, maybe the reason behind it was rather obvious. I mean, even I too, would want to raise a baby like me.


    If I could find a baby like me who would not only listen well but also never cry or whine, then I, too, would want to raise that baby.


    Not only was I all that, but weren¡¯t I pretty to boot?


    Hah, this devastating loveliness of mine!


    ¡°You grew a lot taller and your body weight is good. Our princess, you are working hard to grow up so well.¡±


    Serira wiped my mouth with a handkerchief and smiled brightly.


    Her face brightened up so much one could no longer find a trace of the shadow that used to hang over her face when we first met. It was still an uncertain period for me, so she could only meet her child once a month, but when the timees that I am more stable and I no longer need her as much as before, she could meet her son more often.


    When I heard what she said, it made me want to work harder to grow up quickly, but it¡¯s not something I could just do if I worked hard at aplishing it.


    This was not something I could control on my own! Hmph. Ah, I felt down.


    ¡°Even within a short moment, her face changed numerous times.¡±


    Ah, its him. Did he came again?


    I turned my head, expressing my annoyance.


    Serira and Elene were busy clearing my meal away, so they weren¡¯t paying attention to where I was. Thanks to that, I could re at the invisible guy as much as my heart desired.


    ¡°I feel a bit hurt. You¡¯re still happy to see me right?¡±


    You¡¯re kidding me, right? Who are you trying to sell medicine to?


    I put all my disbelief and contempt in my eyes as I red at him, which made himugh so hard his neck bent over.


    Ah, crazy f*cker.


    As if he wasn¡¯t hanging out with another crazy guy, he¡¯s off his rocker too. Of course, he still insisted he¡¯s normal...


    Usually, as a rule, crazy people didn¡¯t know that they were crazy.


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt. Your love for me must have cooled off!¡±


    Fuck off. Stop shoving your weird face in front of my eyes.


    As I freaked out and tried to pull away, the guy came closer. He came to the crib and started to beam a smile right in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who said I was the only one you could talk to. Who was the one who said that was a good thing?¡±


    It¡¯s over. I don¡¯t want to talk with a crazy guy like you! Go away!


    I was about to die of anger. How did I get entangled with a crazy guy like him?


    I resent myself for waking up in the middle of the night two months ago. Yeah, that¡¯s right it¡¯s all because of these teeth! I scrunched up my face as I resented the pointy teeth that appeared at the bottom. It turned out I woke up a lot during the night because I was teething. Even If I would wake up I woke up in front of a guy like that.


    I shouldn¡¯t have cheered with joy at that time. I really shouldn¡¯t have.


    He didn¡¯t seem to get hurt by my exaggerated dislike of him. Instead, with the mentality of a crazy person, he would turn my insides out. That was the same as what he was doing now.


    ¡°Being gruff is cute too, my princess.¡±


    ¡®Agh, fuck off! You!!! Yes you, I am talking to you!¡¯


    He chewed my animosity filled words as lightly as if they were gum. That son of a bitch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Go f*ck yourself. Just go, and make sure you fall over too. He didn¡¯t even blink at my outpour of curses. He simply stared at me in front of my face and patted my head.


    It felt a bit different from the way Caitel patted my head. How could I exin it? I guess Caitel always gave me the feeling that he was petting a pet, but this f*cker gave me the feeling like he was pacifying a pet instead?


    ¡®Ah, me. What was the difference? Tell me what¡¯s the difference!¡¯


    ¡°I find this fascinating. Even Caitel can¡¯t see me when I¡¯m like this.¡±


    As Dranste said this, he looked unusually honest. I looked up at him with a ¡®whatever¡¯ expression. Even in the daylight, the dimly glowing blue lightsing from his cold eyes looked strange. He was definitely not human.


    ¡°You said it too, it was fascinating to be able to talk with me.¡±


    Ah, that really was true. However, it was not fascinating enough for it to be worthwhile for me to endure his harassment! I put my foot down, but he just let my words flow in one ear and out the other ear.


    Agh! That son of a bitch.


    What did he said it was? It was supposedly some kind of telepathy.


    That¡¯s right, he seemed to find it too troublesome to exin, so he gave me such a half-hearted exnation. It made me want to punch him, but from what I heard, it really seemed to be that type of power.


    Perhaps, in a few words, I was the one dropping my thoughts around anywhere, and he just happened to pick them up. My dad and Serira couldn¡¯t hear it because they were perfectly human and their code didn¡¯t match. Something about no permission to approach?


    Ah, whatever. I no longer needed you, so can you go. Huh?


    Read my mind!¡¯


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have that kind of ability.¡±


    Dranste hatefully talked back to me with a bright smile. I wanted to pinch that face at least once with a lot of hate and force behind it!


    ¡°Even a guy like me has limits.¡±


    Ugh, this nasty fellow.


    His overconfident smile was so nasty, I really wanted to ask my dad to go beat him up.


    ¡®Dad, your daughter is being bullied!¡¯


    Now that I thought about it, I heard this voice somewhere. Yes, that¡¯s right. I did hear this voice before. Was it when I was around 3 months? Yeah, in the middle of the night, he came with my dad and they equally broke into my room together.


    Ah, I would like to send my past self who thought this guy was a normal person the middle finger through UPS. What kind of fucking normal person was this?!


    ¡°Cute. How many years old are you?¡±


    I was not your pet okay, why were you asking how many years I lived?


    Ugh, my insides were about to explode. He kept poking me in a sore spot! That¡¯s right, I only lived 8 months so what would do about it?!


    ¡°Are you saying you were only born eight months ago?¡±


    Stop asking when you already know the answer! Don¡¯t confirm what you already know!


    ¡°Cute. So lovely.¡±


    Yeah, thanks for thepliments.


    However, he shouldn¡¯t think he could win me over with this. That¡¯s a mistake. (In Korean mistake end with the same word for mountain.) Mountains of Gyeonggi Province mistake. (Korean y on words)


    ¡­ Ah sorry. That wasme. The one who should go fuck off was me.


    I feel really sore.


    I felt so sore I just sat there with puffed up cheeks. The guy startedughing again.


    What the- Not only Caitel but that guy too? Why do they allugh at me?


    Was I funny? Perhaps, I looked funny?


    I hadn¡¯t seen a mirror yet, so I had no idea how I looked like. Someone needed to hand me the thing called a mirror, so I could see myself.


    sighed. Then, my bottom lips started to stick out for some reason.


    Anyway, why did I have this ability?


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    The ability to see you, you piece of gum wad.


    ¡°I told youst time. It¡¯s because of your bloodline.¡±


    He gave a half-assed answer as he stroked my cheek. I started to get miffed.


    What do you mean by my bloodline?


    ¡°How the hell would I know?¡±


    What the hell do you know?


    My look of contempt shot right through him.


    If it had been someone else they would not be able to decipher such an odd look from me, but this guy instantly knew what I meant. To think this guy could understand even things like this with his 100 percent telepathy toward me.


    Tsk, I used my small arm to p his arm annoyingly which made him pull his hand back. I should have done this from the start.


    He used the hand he pulled away to support his chin instead.


    ¡°You have better sight than normal babies. From what I can see, that¡¯s all thanks to your good bloodline. Of course, your current development is also thanks to that too. Your Cognitive and Intellectual development is already over. And your mental development at this point is, well, good enough. Isn¡¯t your mental growth practically over at this point and just your body is still a baby?¡±


    Can you not proudly show off something that I already know. So If I follow his logic, the fact that I have the whole previous life memories might be thanks to the influence of my bloodline. Or maybe not.


    ¡°If the blood mixed in your gics ran a bit thicker, your physical development wouldn¡¯t havegged behind your mental growth and would have been as fast...with the exception of the eyes- Well. Tsk. Unfortunately, it looks like it isn¡¯t so.¡±


    Are you saying I am not human?¡¯


    The question I threw out made himugh.


    That night, I couldn¡¯t see him well but Dranste under the sun was a beauty that didn¡¯t lose to Caitel. If you had topare them, technically it was a victory for my daddy. If you think about it, no one could beat Caitel¡¯s beauty. If you only analyze that human(Caitel), his beauty was not even human at all.


    ¡°Perhaps, in this world, there are all kinds of people. If I had to specify, you¡¯re about 98.2 percent human?¡±


    Then that¡¯s just human. Do you want to fucking die?


    ¡°Uh huh! But ady must not be so foul-mouthed.¡±


    He¡¯s the one who started it with his teasing and now he¡¯s acting like this again. I feel as if my insides will explode from all this inner fire. Hwa-byeong(anger disorder). Ah, Hwa-byeong. If I faint due to Hwa-byeong at this tender age it¡¯s all thanks to that guy.


    Dad, please beat that guy up. (Sob Sob).

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 20</h4>


    As my insides were exploding, Dranste looked down above me with a big cheerful grin.


    That damned guy, that rotten f*cker, that f*cker that deserved to die!


    In the end, I red at him with a death re and picked a fight with him.


    I hate the sight of himughing to death! I peered at him with my slitted eyes and threw a question at him.


    ¡®What the hell are you?¡¯


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Drantse, who shortlyughed, cocked his head. Thanks to that, Drantse¡¯s seductive smile disappeared from his mouth.


    Ah, now my inwards feel better.


    His short ck hair with blue lights shook. The blue eyes that couldn¡¯t be hidden in the dark looked at me.


    ¡°To say ¡®What¡¯, you¡¯re pretty good. Really good, actually.¡±


    What the hell are you saying? Caitel wasn¡¯t a person who made sense, but this guy took the cake foring out of the left field. Ah, even just talking was tiring. This damn guy.


    ¡°What do you think am I?¡±


    ¡®Pig.¡¯


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    Don¡¯t threaten me as youugh. Even if you do that, it wouldn¡¯t work.


    Dranste must have felt wrong because he made a crying face.


    It wouldn¡¯t work though.


    From above me, I could hear him go, ¡°Chi!¡± Ugh! Why was everyone who tried to y with me a bratty kid? Was I not supposed to be the bratty baby, or were they the bratty baby? Ah, Serira was the exception.


    Anyway, that¡¯s that...


    Ah, there was no answering to mind. I couldn¡¯t even grasp an idea or feeling. He said he wasn¡¯t a ghost.


    He¡¯s too wretched to be a god so exclude that. Dragon? There couldn¡¯t be a creature like that...


    Of course, celestial beings were also excluded. Then the only thing left was...


    Demon?


    ¡°Caitel does call me that.¡±


    ¡®Then are you saying you¡¯re not?;


    Heughed at my reply. Hisughing form as he went ¡°kh kh kh¡± looked like a crazy person, so I didn¡¯t even want to be close to him. The problem was I couldn¡¯t crawl away! Yet that person could walk!


    ¡°We will see each other often until the day Caitel dies, so you don¡¯t have to abuse your head anymore. Someday, you may figure it out.¡±


    ¡®Are you trying tofort me? Wanna die? No, I¡¯m curious now. Tell me. Now.¡¯


    ¡°Uh huh, you have an impatient personality,dy.¡±


    Ah...


    God, If you can make my hand and body grow up right now, so I could just hit that knucklehead once, I will sell my soul. Yes?


    Were you saying you won¡¯t receive my soul?


    Ugh, fuck.


    I felt dispirited and leaned against the safety rail of the crib. As I let out several deep sighs, Dranste reached his hand out for me. Then he held my hand up andid a kiss on it.


    It was something he did so often I just left him alone when suddenly, his eyes that were on me sparkled.


    What wrong with this thing?


    At that moment heughed.


    ¡°When you grow up, will you like to be my bride?¡±


    Get out and die.


    ¡°Here. Ah, so pretty.¡±


    Serira was randomly giving it her all at ying dressing up doll with me. The custom fitted white dress was put on me.


    The clothes were pretty, but being dressed up so suddenly was also quite burdensome.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on, everyone?¡¯


    ¡°This outfit seems to be the best one.¡±


    Elene, who was at the side, took out something from the mountain of clothes piled up. Serira reached out with just one hand and took the outfit. Then she handed me over to Elene to hold instead.


    I noticed that Elene¡¯s embrace was softer then Serira¡¯s.


    If one would ask me if I like it more then the answer was no. I was afraid her strength would overflow in her grip in her attempt to hold me and fall over. Ugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, hold her for a bit.¡±


    Then she started to go through the clothes with more decisiveness.


    Ah, I¡¯m dizzy. This was good and all, but could I go sit down somewhere? I knew it¡¯sfortable since everyone was holding me, but I felt the most rxed when I was sitting by myself.


    ¡°Oohah ooh ahh.¡±


    ¡°Princess, you like it too right?¡±


    ¡­ I think I did have amunication disability. Look at whates out of my mouth!


    Serira couldn¡¯t understand what I was saying and neither could Elene.


    Hah! Such a cruel world! I gave up. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s easier if one would just give up


    ¡°This outfit or this outfit?¡±


    She measured a red dress then a blue dress on my body. Elene seriously pondered.


    ¡°I think a red dress is better than blue. A dress with a reddish hue is prettier.¡±


    ¡°If you think about it, the hair is..¡±


    Both people were dead silent as they looked at the two dresses in front of them.


    ¡®What does it matter what I wear? I can wear whatever.¡¯


    I started to get a headache just watching them waste so much energy thinking over a dress.


    ¡°Thish one! Thish one!¡±


    I ended up having to get involved. Serira smiled as I pointed to the red dress.


    ¡°This one, does Princess like this one?¡±


    She asked while smiling. No, but I didn¡¯t want to get worried about it any longer.


    I busied myself by nodding andughing. Elene and Serira didn¡¯t look satisfied with the dress I picked, but they felt they had no choice since that was the one I liked.


    Now it turns out the purpose of this dress was...for a party being held tomorrow.


    Telling an eight-month-old baby to go attend a party was a pretty funny thing to do, but since it¡¯s my own father¡¯s birthday party there was no other choice.


    ¡®If it¡¯s Dad¡¯s birthday then I have to go. Yup. Who knows what will happen to me if I don¡¯t go?


    Even if I was a Wah-Wah crying baby, this was an unavoidable reality. Ugh!¡¯


    ¡°Then we will use this outfit, so what should we do about the hairpiece?¡±


    Not only was it a party for Caitel¡¯s birthday, but envoys all over the continent wereing to celebrate too.


    ording to ine¡¯s gossip, all the countries Caitel conquered, including the ones he never even touched wereing. All kinds of people with different styles of clothes and culture, almost literally all of them wereing together just to give a long-drawn-out speech that¡¯s mostly them just talking at length about literally nothing on this asion.


    It was two empires, six kingdoms, two coalitions (United Kingdoms), and one republic. They were alling together with bribes to offer as a tribute and a woman to seduce Caitel with... Anyway, they were really wrapping all kinds of things whileing here.


    It looked like Dad was gonna be busy thanks to all those people with all kinds of goals.


    Of course, when I grew up, I would be busy too. However, for now, thanks to my youth, I just had to attend the party, and it¡¯s the end for me.


    I didn¡¯t even have to stay for a long time which was good news.


    Now that I thought about it, I was the only princess of the Agrigent Empire. It was a problem that I only remembered at times like this, but I was Caitel¡¯s only daughter.


    Not only that, but I have five names.


    It is Ariadna Lereg Ilestri Pre Agregiant.


    Wow, it¡¯s so long it¡¯s scary. Just memorizing it made my brain go numb.


    As I marvel at the length of my own name I felt someonee from behind me. As I turned my head, Ellene, who was holding me, turned around too.


    It was a maid.


    When our gazes met, she bowed politely.


    ¡°His Majesty calls for the princess.¡±


    ¡°Ah-ta.¡± (Appa for dad)


    As soon as I saw Caitel, I was in his embrace in no time. I guess he finished his work for the day because there was not a single piece of paper in his study.


    Ferdel must have swiped all of it.


    I saw him a couple of times but he¡¯s not a normal guy. However, I was not saying he¡¯s a crazy guy either.


    ¡°Is that suppose to be ¡®dad¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡±


    Couldn¡¯t you just tell by listening? I was calling you Dad.


    Now that I thought about my ent... It¡¯s sad, so don¡¯t say anything. Shh.


    As I felt his eyes focus on me, by instinct, I reached out to pull his hair whileughing. Caitel was not so petty he¡¯d get angry at me for ying with his hair which was a good thing.


    ¡®Hey, Papa aren¡¯t I loveable by now?¡¯


    ¡°She¡¯s prettier now.¡±


    It was as if he read my mind because he gave me an answer. My face lit up as I pulled Caitel¡¯s neck towards me.


    Really? For real?


    ¡°She was so ugly before.¡±


    ....Ah. I tried to look upon you with affection. Ugh!


    ¡°Yew-ah-uhgwy.¡± (Baby talk: You are ugly)


    You were ugly too! I¡¯m not the only ugly one!


    I babbled away but, as I said before, I must have some kind ofmunication disability.


    Caitel just looked at Serira with a nk expression.


    ¡°What is she saying?¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know...¡±


    I hate both of you.


    ¡®I want to be alone. All of you leave.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t do anything about the rush of sadness I felt surging inwards.


    I was a ruin.


    As Imented by myself, I felt the fervent desire to one day be able to pronounce human words. I heard loudughtering from the side. Just as I thought, when I turned around, there was Dranste cackling next to Caitel.


    ¡®Don¡¯tugh, you jerk.¡¯


    ¡°If only Caitel understood... It would have been a masterpiece. How regrettable.¡±


    ¡®If you feel that way then just let him know.¡¯


    At my remark, Dranste just shrugged his shoulders. Then the words that came out of his mouth was...


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more fun if he doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    Oh, you jerk.

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 21</h4>


    The room Caitel took me in was the bedroom. Then he ced me on the crib.


    It has been two months since I slept next to him. One might say it was only for a while. A while my ass! It looks like that guy would put me to sleep next to him for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Just wait a bit.¡±


    It seemed like he¡¯s going to wash up because he put me down in the crib and ced a toy in my hand. Then he disappeared.


    ¡®If you¡¯re going to be like that then call me after you finish washing up.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s because he finds it fun to watch you these days. He says you are mysterious.¡±


    What was there to be mystified about? If one looked at it from an angle, it¡¯s a form of interest, but I felt like it¡¯s tantly obvious he¡¯s giving me the same amount of interest he would throw to a toy, so I felt his fascination with me was unwee. If there ever came a day when he approached me as a human, I will then consider whether I wee it or not. ¡®Anyway, Dad still can¡¯t see you?¡¯


    ¡°He can¡¯t even hear my voice.¡±


    ¡®Yup, it really seems like that.¡¯


    We were chattering away in one room, but there was no response at all. Especially from that ghost-like dad. Now that I thought about it, I remembered that captain of the guards.


    ¡®I had forgotten about it, but I wonder if he found the people who tried to assassinate me? Did he figure out who they were?¡¯ I guess ine and Serira wanted to forget that incident because they didn¡¯t have much to say on the subject. Even Caitel had nothing to say on the subject, so there was nowhere I could go to satisfy my curiosity.


    ¡®Ah, I feel curious again today.¡¯


    As I wondered, I covered my head with both my hands then I felt a big hand pat me. Without looking up, I knew it was Dranste who somehow got closer and was now petting my head.


    ¡®Can¡¯t you just disappear from my sight?¡¯


    ¡°Nope, I told you that you were interestingly mysterious.¡±


    ¡®Who said anything? Ah, I really wonder about that bloodline of mine. Now that I think about it, there are a lot of things I am curious about.¡¯


    I plopped down and start rolling around forcing Dranste to let go without a choice.


    ¡®When is my daddying back? Daddy,e back.¡¯


    Ah. Now that I thought about it, this was the mostfortable time for me. Everything about dad was good, but he¡¯s someone I didn¡¯t feelfortable with. I missed those days when I slept alone.¡¯


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid Caitel will kill you?¡±


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it even more strange if I don¡¯t feel afraid?¡¯


    I asked while burying my face in the nkets of my the crib. Dranste just looked at me with an unfathomable expression while holding his chin. His blue eyes gleamed today too.


    ¡®Chi! I have to admit that part of him is as pretty as a jewel.¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that .¡±


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    I asked lowering my nket. Dranste was looking at me with a nk expression I rarely saw on him. Of course, everything that guy said was 90% jokes, but he didn¡¯t lie. That¡¯s why I was so caught off guard.


    ¡®Why? Why do you say I don¡¯t have to worry?¡¯


    ¡°He¡¯s big-hearted when ites to what is his.¡±


    Dranste smirked as he answered. Then suddenly his eyes gleamed with a cold look.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a hundred times more merciless to others.¡±


    Ah... Um.


    Dranste nodded his head as if it was natural and thenughed. Why did I find his smile so cruel today? Perhaps it¡¯s true that birds of a feather flocked together. It was one crazy guy after another.


    As I shook my head back and forth, Dranste¡¯s smile deepened. Once again, he reached his hand out to me.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get in his way he won¡¯t kill you. As long as you keep in line, most things will be probably allowed?¡±


    I hit his hand away and asked.


    ¡®What if I curse at his face?¡¯


    ¡°You will be killed.¡±


    ¡®Damn it, I guess I shouldn¡¯t do that. Chi!¡¯


    Then I must curse at him as much as I wanted for now. Idiot. Later, when my pronunciation improved, I would pretend I couldn¡¯t speak well and do it too. If I survive then I will stop. Now that I thought about it from this angle, mymunication disability was quite good.


    ¡®Um. Yup. This is a good n.¡¯


    In my fluffy, fluffy nket, I could smell the scent of babies. A baby smell. ¡®That¡¯s right, I am a baby.¡¯ As I let out a sigh and turned my head, I could see Dransteughing.


    ¡®Now that I think about it... Do you always do that?¡¯


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®Do you normally wander around invisible?¡¯


    ¡°Ah, sometimes.¡±


    He replied so nonchntly I was surprised.


    ¡®What? So you normally wander around invisible? So Dad can¡¯t see you?¡¯


    As my stare became cold, Dransteughed and tried to give an excuse.


    ¡°Since Caitel dislikes me so much...¡±


    Now that I think about it Dranste breaks into the bedroom when we are sleeping. ¡®Seriously do you...¡¯


    In the end, my stare grew even colder.


    ¡®Oh dear. Mom, there¡¯s a pervert here!¡¯


    I woke up. It¡¯s been a while since I slept so well and it¡¯s morning already.


    As soon as I opened my eyes, the white sunlight pierced my eyes. It was only for a moment that it was so bright since a ck shadow covered most of my sight.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯


    I just woke up and my mind was too groggy to figure out what it was at a nce. It was hard to adjust my eyes to the light...


    Soon enough, I was rewarded for my patience as my eyes quickly adjusted to the light and the figure behind the mysterious silhouette was revealed to be my Daddy, Caitel.


    ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right. This bed is my dad¡¯s. I forgot.¡¯


    For a moment, our eyes met. The warm sunlighting from the window brightly revealed the bed.


    As soon as our eyes met, he twisted his lips. It was difficult to describe it as a smile.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    A low voice. I didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because it¡¯s morning, but it seemed even lower than usual. If I said I felt like I could melt, it must be because that guy¡¯s voice was too good.


    Hah. I recalled the words someone said where they can get pregnant just by hearing a man¡¯s voice alone.


    At that moment, I immediately gave a smile. It looked a bit stupid since I just got up but this was the greatest expression I could make to wee him.


    At that moment, he touched my cheek.


    ¡°Ah-da.¡± (Dad)


    I should have gotten used to this but the person was Caitel so I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡®This feeling is quite...¡¯


    I had to say, Caitel was sexier in the morning than at night or dawn.


    That¡¯s right, with the exception of when he woke up at dawn sometimes drenched in sweat, he looked his sexiest when he just woke up in the morning all messed up.


    Hah... To think that a daughter was enjoying the view of her own dad¡¯s sensual appearance, this was a problem. A big problem.


    However, what was seriously strange, even though we didn¡¯t sleep or do anything provocative together when morninges and he just wakes up...


    ¡°...¡±


    Caitel became so sexy in such a state he became a danger to himself.


    ¡®Daddy, don¡¯t meet girls in the morning. It¡¯s not good for you, and I think it¡¯s a bit dangerous for men too. Ah, I am serious! Seriously! Why! Really, why are you so sensual!? You are a Dad with a kid! This seems unfair. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s unfair.¡¯


    Not only was his beauty out of this world, but every morning or dawn without exception to time or ce, he allured and captivated people. It was a big problem.


    ¡®If only he shared his beauty with other men, how beautiful and bountiful the world would be, don¡¯t you agree? Since he keeps it all to himself how can the world be bountiful? Shit! Hah! I feel sad you are my dad. At least if you share your beauty with other men I will stopining. How about it? Good?¡¯


    ¡°Ah-da.¡± (Dad)


    ¡®Good? What am I saying? I should just be grateful I get to see Caitel just wake up in the morning. I feel like my eyes are getting cleaned and, of course, my heart too.


    Ah, I can¡¯t get married. Every day, looking at this face... How can I adjust to someone else whose face doesn¡¯t reach this level? This bastard dad is blocking his own daughter¡¯s marriage with his face.¡¯


    ¡°Pathuh.¡± (Father)


    Caitel lifted me up.


    I am about 7 kilograms, yet he picked me up as if I were a bird. I got used to being embraced by my dad after waking up in the morning, yet I couldn¡¯t get used to his beauty...


    ¡®Ah. What am I supposed to do with this effulgent guy? How does this look like a dad with a kid? The world is seriously unfair!¡¯


    ¡°You really grow up fast.¡±


    ¡®...Eight months have passed. Is this much growth fast after eight months?¡¯


    For a moment, I felt as if I was a test pig and was hit with some kind of growth shot and showed an unnatural growth spurt.


    Pig. Oink, oink.


    Ah, this was not a problem, for some reason, Caitel was always on the edge in the morning. If Iughed, heughed too butpared to daytime or night, he was quiet. It was always up to me to break the silence.


    ¡®You seriously order a kid to do all kinds of things. Hah~ I seriously end up doing all kinds of things to live.¡¯


    ¡°Ah-da!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah-da!¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡®Send me to Serira now. Wasn¡¯t this enough at this point? Are you still not satisfied with my entertainment?¡¯


    I wasughing brightly now, but my face muscles are stiff and about to copse from exhaustion. If my face got old and wrinkled in my young age, it¡¯s because of you. Okay?


    As if he understood my fervent heart, Caitel cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Why does she keep calling me?¡±


    ¡°Ahda...¡±


    ¡®... Please let me go. Father, manner please...¡¯

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 22</h4>


    However, Caitel still didn¡¯t understand me. I was sure. He must have amunication problem, too. If not, he couldn¡¯t be bothered by the level Serira understands!


    At that moment, Caitelughs. That was a slightly different smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite an improvement¡ªI still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡®So you like it? Dad.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, I like it, too. Now I can talk shit about you. Of course, you will not understand.¡¯


    ¡®But I¡¯m not cursing you to understand, so I¡¯m fine. You¡¯re gonna get my neck blown off when you understand me.¡¯


    I smiled. Should I start with idiot?


    ¡®Hey, you idiot.¡¯ Should I say it?


    I was hesitating whether to try it or not, but Caitel smiled again. He patted me on the head.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit like a dog now.¡±


    ¡­ huh? What did you just say?


    I lost my word, and I¡¯ve lost myugh. I literally lost all my words.


    What did this bastard just say? Dog? Huh?


    Ha, a deep sigh. I looked him up with a serious face. I seriously thought about it.


    ¡®Hey, you. I¡¯m asking you because I¡¯m really, really serious¡­ When the hell am I gonna be human to you?¡¯


    There¡¯s one change that¡¯s been blowing into the pce for thest eight months, and that¡¯s where I¡¯m going, there¡¯s always a baby¡¯s toy and baby¡¯s supplies.


    It didn¡¯t seem like much, but it was more surprising than I thought. That¡¯s because there were always things I used in Caitel¡¯s office and also in his bedroom!


    Considering the notoriety of Caitel, it was easy to understand.


    Well, yeah.


    I didn¡¯t really know how scary and cruel Caitel was, because I didn¡¯t have a chance to experience it myself, but all the maids including Elene, praised the new atmosphere of the Sy pce. They said that now, Emperor was bing like a ¡®human¡¯, of course, man changes after a baby¡¯s birth, or something like that.


    ¡­ How ridiculous.


    ¡°Uba-¡±


    In my cradle, my toys were always close to me because I could not walk but crawl with my belly.


    I would try to match the animal picture today. Oh, I think I¡¯m having fun even if I¡¯m left alone. I was such a good baby, weren¡¯t it?


    Caitel was such a blessed man. He got blessed on his child too.


    He would be perfect if he got a better personality and a better behavior.


    I put the toy out of my hand and raised my head for a moment. My dad was still sitting sulky and turning over the papers, umm.


    Tomorrow was his birthday, and my dad was not like everyone else. He¡¯s still spending the day looking at files and reports.


    Someone said so many people came, fill the whole pce, but that all the people from different countries came to celebrate his birth, but Caitel, the main event of the celebration, was not interested. Rather than him, Ferdel seemed more excited than Caitel.


    Again today, the envoys are Ferdel¡¯s, and Caitel was stuck in his office looking at documents.


    ¡°A taunt from Langres.¡±


    People did say men are more charming when they¡¯re focused. Looking at my dad, I had to agree with that. Roll up your sleeves and focus on paperwork...


    He¡¯s like some corporate CEO. If he wore sses, it would be perfect. The title would be, ¡®The concentrated Emperor, Caitel¡¯. Uh, that sounded great!


    Well, the main character was agonizing over his brow, but I was too busy looking at him.


    If he sold his beauty for money, he¡¯d be very rich. Of course, he didn¡¯t have to do that since he¡¯s an emperor. Still, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s right to let that beauty rot away. He had to spread his splendid genes as much as possible for humanity.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    Eh.


    I was surprised because I heard that while I was imagining stupid things.


    I thought he caught thinking nonsense.


    I thought he could now read other¡¯s mind or something, but I guess not.


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    With a big smile, Dranste leans over my cradle. Then he reached out and tried to stroke my head.


    ¡®You don¡¯t treat me like a dog, do you?!¡¯


    I ran away from his hand with a sulky face. When did hee? He¡¯s like a ghost. He;s a ghost.


    It was then. Suddenly, Caitel raised his head.


    ¡°Get your hands off my daughter.¡±


    Dranste shruged at Caitel¡¯s warning. He reached out even more and eventually stroked my head. The look on his face, looking back on Caitel, was nasty.


    ¡°Oh, my. You¡¯re not some animal that marks your territory...Why do you keep emphasizing she¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡®Oh, by the way, hmm?¡¯


    Now that I look at him, his eyes were a different color. I always thought his eyes were his only pride, so it was a little bit more heartbreaking than I thought.


    He lost his only pride.


    However, it¡¯s a bit weird. What he looked like was not that different from what I used to see. However, judging from the reaction of Caitel, he certainly appeared.


    Oh, wait! Did that mean his eyes didn¡¯t shine when he revealed himself? How fascinating!


    I looked him up with what I had figured out. That made Caitel¡¯s face more distorted. Caitel warned Dranste.


    ¡°I said, hands off.¡±


    Dranste just patted my cheek with a smile on his face.


    Oh, pervert.


    Eventually, the cap of Caitel¡¯s anger seemed to have been opened. He stood up and held a sword to Dranste¡¯s neck, which I didn¡¯t know when Caitel had held.


    ¡°Three, two.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    Dranste released his hand at Caitel¡¯s relentless warnings.


    He smacked his lips, and Caitel stared at him with sharp eyes. With a smile, Dranste touches Caitel¡¯s sword.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine. You know it can¡¯t hurt me because it¡¯s mine. Remember?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Well well, like father like daughter.¡±


    ¡®You look at me as if you are sad, but what can I do?


    Fuck off. We¡¯re not friends yet.¡¯


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    As Dranste took a step back with a disgruntled look, Caitel, who put his sword back, immediately took me out of the cradle and hugged me. I hugged Caitel back and watched his sword disappear into the air. It¡¯s not my first time seeing it, but it¡¯s amazing every time I saw it.


    Was that sword summoned whenever Caitel called it? Amazing.


    Caitel, who carried me back to the sofa, picked up the documents he had seen earlier. I lifted my head in his arms. Dranste still followed Caitel¡¯s footsteps with a smile.


    ¡°How¡¯s your work going?¡±


    With Caitel¡¯s attitude, he certainly didn¡¯t like Dranste that much. However, I couldn¡¯t feel the wall between them. He was closer than I was. For Caitel, Dranste was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to wipe out Langres soon.¡±


    It¡¯s only been seven months since I came back from the battlefield, and it¡¯s another war. He¡¯s a real war buff.


    Was it true there were two or three wars a year?


    I thought it was just an exaggeration. Now, judging from the attitude of Caitel, these were credible words from the health service. However, my dad was crazy. He wasn¡¯t normal.


    So was Dranste, who ys with him. He was more of an artist to answering Caitel¡¯s.


    ¡°Why? Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°They annoy me.¡±


    ¡®Daddy, do you kill people because they annoy you?¡¯


    When I grew up, I would send all of them somewhere because it would be annoying if I fought with my peers.


    Yeah, I was d you didn¡¯t kill me, that ignorant bastard.


    Turning behind the sofa where Caitel was sitting, Dranste leaned over the sofa and peeped at the documents he was reading. My dad seemed to know that, but he didn¡¯t mind.


    Was it irrelevant?


    ¡°Will you go there yourself? Just like Icharta?¡±


    ¡°I wonder.¡±


    ¡®Huh? You¡¯re not going yourself?¡¯


    When I looked up at my father, he looked back at me. I was a bit curious.


    ¡®Why are you looking at me, daddy? Do you have something to say? I didn¡¯t borrow any money from you. I¡¯m still a baby!¡¯


    ¡°Oh, this is interesting.¡±


    What does that mean? He frowned over Dranste¡¯sugh behind him, and he got back to his paper works again. That was kind of a relief. Even though he was my father, he was not a person who one would want to have long eye-contact with.


    ¡°I¡¯m contemting about whether to go myself or send Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your ck Knight in the north right now? Isn¡¯t he kind of far from Langres? That¡¯s all the way in the south.¡±


    ¡°He can take care of himself.¡±


    Assisi? Who¡¯s that?


    I had never heard of that name before. I was wondering if I¡¯d heard it before, and from behind Dranste yelled out with an exaggerated face.


    ¡°Wow, that was really cold just now.¡±


    ¡°Why should I care?¡±


    However, Caitel ignored Dranste anyway.


    Oh, Dranste, you were...


    I thought I¡¯d know a little now. That word he said before. He hated him. No, rather hate, he seemed to annoy Caitel very much. No, he was annoyed.


    ¡°It¡¯s boring.¡±


    Dranste moved forward, perhaps feeling slighted because he was behind him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been always like that.¡±


    However, what he gets was...


    ¡°Move your face.¡±


    ¡­ what a pitiful guy.


    Even worse than me! What should I do with that poor guy? I was tearing up seeing him gritted and boar it when he got scolded all the time. He was happy even though he was being ignored.


    Here you go, an ounce of my attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like Ie here often, but you always seem to hate me.¡±


    Now he was sad to be ignored, but Caitel just ignored Dranste¡¯s grumbling. I was a little sad because of the eyes of Caitel who came back to me for no reason.


    ¡°Adda, Adda-¡±


    Yes, acting cute was the best at this time. I called Caitel and hit my head in his arms, and my dad reached out and patted my head. He was obviously treating me like a dog, but I didn¡¯t cry!


    I was not sad, okay?

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 23</h4>


    ¡°Your daughter is cute. Let me marry her when she grows up.¡±


    What the hell was he talking about? I was clicking my tongue because of Dranste, talking nonsense every day, and hear his scary voice over my head.


    ¡°I will kill you.¡±


    ¡­ Caitel was serious. Even as I looked up at him, his face was firm. Dranste seemed surprised to see he would act out like this, but then he smiled again.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s one life at one joke. Go easy.¡±


    Yeah, as he said, he¡¯s gonna die one day, in the hands of Caitel. For that joke.


    I went further into Caitel¡¯s arms by giving a glimpse of Dranste¡¯s future. I¡¯d rather be with my father than let that pervert touch my hair. Even though dad treated me like a dog. Yeah, because he¡¯s my dad, and this one smells more familiar.


    Two men watch me wiggle in the arms of Caitel.


    Didn¡¯t these two have nothing to look at?


    I¡¯d really like to get people to pay me for looking at me, but I couldn¡¯t speak. They probably would not understand.


    ¡°Cute. Like a rabbit.¡±


    Dransteughed and said, then Caitel said.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a dog.¡±


    ¡®Oh, look! When the hell am I gonna be human to you, man?¡¯


    I was so sad I wanted to shed tears, but Dranste looked at Caitel like he heard something ridiculous.


    ¡°A dog? A dog?¡±


    ¡®Yeah, that dog.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s a curse, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ... does that sound like a curse?


    I gave him a truly pathetic look, but now Dranste didn¡¯t care a bit about me.


    That bastard. He thought he¡¯ll eat well and live well without me?!


    ¡®Huh? You live well? Yes, you eat well and live well. Shit, fine.¡¯


    ¡°No matter what, she relies on me, wags her tail, and smiles just like a dog. You have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have problem¡­¡±


    Dranste looks at me with a slightly dazed look.


    ¡®Huh? Why?¡¯


    ¡°But she¡¯s your daughter.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Hmm, well, could anyone exin to me why Dranste was looking at me like he couldn¡¯t handle pettiness? Anyone?


    ¡°How can you be such a heartless human being?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Calling your daughter a dog. She gets hurt!¡±


    ...Oh, why did that lunatic feel normal? What the hell¡¯s going on? Why was Dranste suddenly feeling normal?


    Why!?


    I didn¡¯t know if I should like it or not. Then Caitel looked down at me in his arms. He then asked again.


    ¡°Hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hurt!¡±


    Dranste argued furiously.


    ¡°You must have been hurting her tender heart. Treating her like a dog! Right, Leah?¡±


    He put his hand on my head. It was natural, so I didn¡¯t feel odd to the action, but Caitel did. From the very moment Dranste¡¯s hand touched my head, he warned, with a stiff expression.


    ¡°Take that hand off.¡±


    Hw then removed his hand without mercy. Not only Dranest, but I was a little surprised.


    Oh, my. Daddy, what¡¯s wrong with you today?


    ¡°I said I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re col...¡±


    However, Dranste was unable to finish his word. With the sword Caitel had summoned in his hand, he pointed at Dranste¡¯s neck, who was trying to reach out to me again.


    ¡°Get your hands off my daughter.¡±


    Ah, now I knew when he called me my princess, and when he called me my daughter. I sighed secretly.


    Dranste, on the contrary, muttered in an absurd voice.


    ¡°... Is that your father or your master?¡±


    Well, I thought about it and answered quietly.


    ¡®Maybe a madman?¡¯


    The Great Agregiant Empire.


    When I heard it, I thought it was just so, but after seeing the lights lit up for the night of the pce and the sweet melody of the band that captivated my ears and the people in various forms of robes wandering around, I felt a little strange. Yeah, it¡¯s a lot weirder than I thought.


    ¡°My Princess, all done.¡±


    Serira grasps my eye. She¡¯s been debating passionately with Elene for about three hours about how to make my hairstyle, but they had finallye to a conclusion.


    They ced the mirror ced in front of me.


    I stood in front of it, pressing my little hand against a slight throbbing breast.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    P, pretty!


    That was the first impression I saw myself in the mirror. Well, of course, I said I was lovely and pretty, but this was more than I imagined.


    Caitel, that crazy bastard, he said I looked like a dog when he saw this face. Did he want to know what a real dog looked like?


    Oh my, so pretty. Oh my gosh.


    ¡°Uh, petty!¡±


    When I looked up and saw Serira, sheughed. She brought the hand that held the mirror closer. I reached out and held the frame of the mirror.


    The silver hair, with a pale reddish color, was a silver hair from Caitel. It glows with silver, but it had a delicate red. I couldn¡¯t believe it was actually human hair. Crimson eyes resembled him, too, as it reminded me of Caitel saying it was so red it made him feel ufortable.


    His remark was true when he said I didn¡¯t look like my mother to the point of unpleasantness. I was the daughter of Caitel, by all ounts.


    Look at this chubby cheeks.


    gazed into the mirror with a moisturizing look as if they would shed tears soon. Her cheeks and petal lips were cute and dainty.


    Wow, so pretty.


    ¡°The princess must have fallen for herself in the mirror.¡±


    ¡°I know. I would have shown her the mirror earlier if I knew she would like it so much.¡±


    Yeah, you should have. I was so pretty.


    God seemed to have granted my wish to be born again as Kim Tae-Hee (Korean Actress). Wait, no Kim Tae-Hee. I think I was beautiful as much as her.


    Oh, of course, that 16th year was waiting for me, but I wouldn¡¯t be daunted! I would be fine. Right?


    I was a little nervous about this.


    ¡°Princess, look at this. Wasn¡¯t this pretty?¡±


    ¡°Petty, pretty!¡±


    What Elene said was a small crown on my head.


    A very small crown, the size of my hand. The golden crown on the baby pink veil was truly adorable.


    It¡¯s been a once-in-a-lifetime wish for me to wear a tiara since I died without marrying, but I was making this wishe true as a baby.


    Yes, I decided to appreciate this life of being born as a princess in this empire with only twenty percent. Thank you, God. I love you! It¡¯s not because this crown was so pretty.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go to the Emperor. He must be waiting.¡±


    Elene waved her hand to me. I waved her hand back. Then she had a big smile. Her appearance must have annoyed me if it was the usual.


    However, I am in a good mood right now.


    Serira was wearing a good outfit for the first time. Her pale blond hair rolled down, and her ever-pale face looked alive with little makeup. She looked so different than usual, dressed up in a moderately simple dress instead of her usual modest outfit.


    If she looked like this, she looked beautiful.


    The birthday celebration will be held in Lunare Pce, which was built for events. However, fortunately, it wasn¡¯t that far from the Sy pce. In addition, Sy Pce and Lunare Pce also had separate connecting bridges.


    Being an emperor was convenient, what with all the pces.


    ¡°May you reach Evangelium.¡±


    Near the bridge, Serira had to bow first. It was quite a long way off, but the speed at which Caitel walked waspletely different from mine.


    Ugh, that monster.


    I had to get out of thefort of Serira again because of Caitel, who really stood in front of me in a sh.


    Oh, I hated it.


    Now, I should get used to him, but he was really someone I couldn¡¯t get used to. Damn it.


    I guessed I was Hong Gil-Dong in my previous life. No, not a previous life. Maybe one of my previous lives, it was Hong Gil-Dong.


    I looked at Caitel with a sullen look on his face.


    Caitel¡¯s red eyes were colder than ever.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 24</h4>


    ¡°Ata-a-¡±


    Just as I was dressed up for the party, Caitel was dressed up for his birthday too. A coat he usually never wore, a badge, and a uniform were simply perfect and wless. Well, he¡¯d always been perfect for his looks.


    ¡®Why are you staring at me like that?¡¯


    I guess he felt strange looking at me dressed up.


    ¡®However, Dad, your eyes are making me a little ufortable. Will you be considerate me and stop staring?¡¯


    However, the reaction from Caitel must have excited Serira. Serira did what she would never do.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the princess so pretty today?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s eyes go straight to Serira. I was a little nervous. There were some unwritten rules in this pce, although it wasn¡¯t necessarily aw-set issue, one of them was one should never ask Caitel first.


    ¡®Ugh, Mom, why did you do that!¡¯


    Daddy, killing my nanny on his birthday wouldn¡¯t happen, did it? Right? Could I trust you?


    Maybe my faith worked, Caitel turned to me again without saying anything. I grabbed him by the cor and smiled.


    ¡®Oh, nice daddy. How nice.¡¯


    ¡°She is pretty.¡±


    Oh, really?


    I was a little dazed by his praise because I didn¡¯t expect to hear it.


    Really? Not like I looked like a monster or something, but I looked pretty? Really?!


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    What¡¯s going on with him?


    I was a little thrilled. It was my father¡¯s birthday, so I guess he was normal after a while.


    Here¡¯s your toast! Sob, sob. I was so happy. I had lived to see this day.


    Caitel entered the connecting bridge, which led directly to the pce of Lunare. At the same time, Dranste, who popped out of nowhere, pretended to know me.


    ¡°Hello, my princess.¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s he saying? Get out of here.¡¯


    ¡°Oh, you are so mean.¡±


    The attendants in the back were briefly agitated, but that was all. As if it was familiar, they avoided my gaze and kept on their job.


    Why! Look at that! Why was nobody asking questions! It¡¯s weird. He¡¯s weird!


    In the meantime, I held my hand on Caitel¡¯s shoulder. I red at Dranste, and at the same time, the eyes of Caitel directed our way.


    ¡°Take your hand...¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! I will not get close to her!¡±


    Perhaps because he had suffered before, Dranste¡¯s actions were swift and quick.


    Why did he touch me when he would run away like this?


    I didn¡¯t understand him at all. I clicked my tongue. He smiled a little when he saw me. It was a very dry smile, a sort of habit.


    ¡°It¡¯s already your birthday. Time flies.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t evenest year and you talk a lot.¡±


    Still, it was fun to listen to the conversations between the two. It seemed like Dranste was getting scolded by Caitel, but it was a little different when I was listening to their conversation. Caitel¡¯s tone was different than usual. There¡¯s something looser, something more...¡­.


    Yes, something felt sharper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel happy? Why is your face so-¡±


    Dranste was Dransthe, but my dad¡¯s my dad, too. I still didn¡¯t understand my dad, Caitel. Dransteughed. His smile seemed cooler than usual.


    ¡°But it¡¯s your birthday. Be a little more pleased.¡±


    Kaitel nced at Dranste, of course, his steps were not at all slowed down. However, the look was a little different. I could see the face of Caitel, which somehow seemed to have been torn down.


    ¡°Birthday...¡±


    The tone of the word birthday was bitter, and it felt a little strange.


    I looked up at him. The hard-to-speak feeling weighed down on my chest. I wasn¡¯t the type to wait so long for my birthday. However, I was happy enough when it was my birthday. Of course, it¡¯s the day I was born. Everyone blessed me. So...


    Now Caitel was different. Having had his birthday, he was neither happy nor having fun. That was what it revealed


    ¡°Well.¡±


    ...Lonesome.


    At the moment something was emotional inside me. Something got stuck in my throat.


    What¡¯s this feeling?


    It was a bit embarrassingly intense, it was.


    I¡¯m used to that empty look. Smiling but also not smiling, the empty smile was now somewhat used to it.


    However, I don¡¯t know what this feeling was. What was it called?


    ¡°Would I ever be blessed to be born?¡±


    Under the still-sinking voice, I quietly sped his cor in my hand and looked up carefully. His eyes were still cool. It¡¯s sad.


    ¡°If you consider the life I¡¯ve killed with this hands and the weight of the country and blood I¡¯ve shed, no one in this pce will be able to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk.¡±


    I could hear a ¡®tsk¡¯ sound behind me, but I could not reproach my father with any words. He was saying the right thing.


    Right, who could celebrate his birthday among all the people who were here? Some of them must have trampled on their country, others who had lost their parents.


    Caitel was never a beloved Emperor. Who would celebrate the birth of a tyrant? He was right. Therefore, I felt even sadder.


    ¡°Even I am cursing today, who are truly celebrating? Isn¡¯t that right, my daughter?¡±


    Kaitelughed. The sour smile was a little pitiful today.


    I pouted my mouth.


    I couldn¡¯t hate this bad guy, the bastard, even if I tried to hate him.


    Even though I hated him like this, he made me fold my mind up. It¡¯s been setup since I recognized him as my father. What could I do? He¡¯s my dad.


    However, I can celebrate my own birthday.


    I¡¯m sorry for him who couldn¡¯t and felt pity for him. At the same time, I felt sad. I left this guy as my dad.


    At that moment, the gate of Lunare Pce opened.


    The gate was directly connected to the imperial pce, so it was a hall where it arrived as soon as it was opened. It seemed like the party had just begun, and the faces I had never seen before looked up in surprise.


    Caitel broke into the position without any agitation, as always, expressionless. That¡¯s when the real party begins.


    ¡°Wee to all of you who have gathered together for my birthday. Let¡¯s all drink and enjoy today¡¯s party.¡±


    I could see a lot of people bowing their heads at that word.


    I frowned my face.


    I had a headache.


    There was a sudden sense of rejection of the unfamiliar ce. I¡¯d rather be stuck somewhere. Maybe he felt me struggling in his arms, Caitel looked down at me with an expressionless look.


    ¡®Daddy, I¡¯m afraid your daughter is going to die. Let go of me.¡¯


    Whether the prayer worked or not, Caitel puts me on the throne.


    Oh, I felt good sitting on the king¡¯s chair, but could I sit here? Is that right?


    ¡°Sit quietly.¡±


    Smiling little, he walked away. Fortunately, the throne was inside, so I could breathe.


    Oh, I hated the party.


    I didn¡¯t know, but there were a lot of people. Like, a lot.


    It was more than what I had I thought, and in the number of people, I realized how big my father¡¯s empire was. Caitel seemed to be greeted only by those who had quite a bit of power, but that number was still quiterge. In the meantime, Ferdel was busy enjoying socializing.


    The more I saw him, the more amazing he was.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    I wanted to go home now, really. However, I remembered Serira¡¯s words that I have to stay for at least an hour.


    It¡¯s screwed. The world was rotten. Why was this chair so hard?


    I was notfortable in a dress, and I was ufortable in a chair too. Was Caitel always sitting on a chair like this?


    ¡®My father, is your butt okay?¡¯


    I¡¯d die of hip pain.


    The seat was so ufortable, I wiggled my body and my clothes slipped. The body flowed under the chair.


    Oh, I¡¯m not in a chair, but under it.


    Huh? No! My chair!


    What¡¯s wrong with this filthy chair that¡¯s slipping because there¡¯s no cushion?


    My dad told me to sit quietly. When I looked up, the chair was too high.


    I was so screwed.


    I reached out and grab the chair and gave strength to the leg.


    I had to go up! I had to go up!


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    All of a sudden, there was a small burst of exmations everywhere. Did they get something to see?


    I tried to get up to the chair somehow. I would go up to the chair and see what they were watching. However, why couldn¡¯t I even stand up?


    No, we had to go up. I had to go up!


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°You stopped!¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with them?


    Holding the chair, I was about to lean up, and people¡¯s eyes quickly turned on me.


    Huh? What did I do?


    I think I did something, but I didn¡¯t know. What¡¯s this reaction? I was just gathering my lips in embarrassment, but I was a little scared because of my familiar sharp gaze.


    I turned head, and there was Caitel. He had a somewhat unusual look on his face. A little surprised?


    However, what surprised you? What, daddy.


    Did I borrow money from you without my knowledge? I didn¡¯t borrow anything.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know.


    I was his lovely daughter, and I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but he was not going to kill me. Would he? I called him with my arms wide open.


    Come on,e and hug me. Turn that eyes around.


    However, I was a fool. Normally, I sat down and opened my arms, but now I was standing. Holding the chair.


    When I let go of the chair I was leaning on, my body tilts back.


    Oh, my God!


    My body¡¯s going over! Dad,e and do something!

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 25</h4>


    The moment I fell back and cringed my face at the pain that¡¯s pushing my head into the chair, I could feel the touch that holds my back. I opened my eyes right away. Of course, it was Caitel who was holding me.


    However, Caitel¡¯s face was different than usual. Somehow he looked urgent.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    I had a headache because I hit the chair.


    My head sounded like it was ringing. I was sick and I teared up in my eyes. However, I didn¡¯t want to cry because it¡¯s Papa¡¯s birthday. I sobbed desperately.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t cry, but I¡¯m crying. Now he wasn¡¯t the one who would kill me for crying, but I still didn¡¯t want to cry in front of him.


    Yes, today was my dad¡¯s birthday.


    Although he disliked it, the fact that today was his birthday had not changed. I sniffed a little and then smiled brightly.


    Oh, you didn¡¯t have to look at me. I knew I looked like a fool now. I didn¡¯t think I would be feeling sad right now whatever Caitel said to me. I knew. I knew I¡¯m stupid.


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    However, I didn¡¯t stop opening my arms, pulling the Caitel¡¯s neck, and gave him a big hug. Because I was his daughter.


    ¡°Appy bus-day!¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t a human word, I¡¯d like to congratte him. He asked who would want to celebrate his birthday. However, I still wanted to congratte him. He was my father, my only family in the world.


    That fact was enough reason to celebrate you.


    ¡°...Happy birthday?¡±


    It would have been difficult to understand because it¡¯s not humannguage, but Caitel quickly understood. His surprised eyes were on me. I was embarrassed. I didn¡¯t do anything.


    Yeah, that¡¯s my present.


    I gave strength to my arms, holding Caitel¡¯s neck. I kissed him on the cheek for the first time.


    Pops!


    A small sound filled the surroundings. I smiled after a surprise kiss on his cheek.


    Hehe, how was it? Dad, didn¡¯t I seems more human now? Wouldn¡¯t he call me something like a human being now?


    When I pushed him to say something, Caitel woke up from his stupid look.


    His face was, like, a face I couldn¡¯t even decipher.


    What, was he angry?


    However, his hand holding my arm was shaking a little. I didn¡¯t know what was happening to him, but I knew it wasn¡¯t anger. At that moment, I could hear a small voice in my ear.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    You could skip that between us.


    I smiled at the sight of another encounter.


    Happy birthday, Dad.


    End. Caitel


    ¡°I truly hate you, emperor. My body and my blood will not forgive you. If this body of mine withers and rot away, this child with my blood will curse you in my stead.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes were quite intense when she uttered curses. It had been a long time dealing with that kind of burning hatred, I just epted it like a traveler near the bonfire.


    Only one night. That¡¯s all I remembered with her.


    I didn¡¯t care where she came from or what she had to say. Such women were scattered all over the stream when I went to the Harem.


    However, the feeling was interesting. That was all Caitel felt.


    He remembered the smell of the woman shaking in his arms. It was soon dispersed, but he still remembered. She and seduced him first, and when he responded, it was funny to see her run away first.


    Of course, it was the only sentiment left, but it¡¯s amazing how much of such appreciation remains. Normally, he would forget it all.


    ¡°A child.¡±


    Maybe that¡¯s why he reacted like that.


    He still remembered the woman¡¯s eyes, trembling but not a step back. The blue-green eyes looked like a dark deep forest unlike the princess from the North, who called for winter.


    However, what the deep forest contained was hatred, the most intense hatred. It does not go along with her. He thought shortly.


    If the child looked like her, it seemed interesting to see, but the child looked more like him than her.


    Caitel, himself.


    It was unpleasant. A child who looked exactly like him elicited his disgust. Therefore, when he checked the fact with his eyes, he naturally reached out his hands to her.


    He tried to kill her. It was obviously a touch to kill.


    It was a distant, natural obligation; there was no other malice in reaching out for it, for some reason. It was a duty. Killed for dry reasons. There was no room for any other reason.


    However, Caitel did not give a boost to his grip.


    He had never thought about having his own child. He was a man who had killed all the royal families except himself because they were tied to his blood. His intimacy for his family was not enough to keep them alive.


    The short gaze he faced when he held the baby¡¯s pulsating neck stopped his ungrateful touch.


    It was neither blood nor anything that stopped his hand. Just a short nce. It was such a short time it almost felt like a snap.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    It was then that he heard a voice calling him.


    The child looked up at a strange man without knowing if her father would kill her. The child probably didn¡¯t even know he¡¯s her father.


    ¡®What is that feeling? What should I exin?


    It was an unknowable excitement, so, perhaps, I let go of my hands like that.


    I couldn¡¯t give power to my hand. No, I didn¡¯t want to give it power.¡¯


    Yes, saving the child was his whim. A moment¡¯s short whimper. It was the kind of whimper one wouldn¡¯t know when one would change.


    However, would he have killed the child on the spot if he knew the repercussions the whims would bringter?


    He agonizedter, but even he, himself, couldn¡¯t figure out the answer.


    ¡°Da-da!¡±


    The baby was weak. It was soft and weak. It was the kind of weak life that would soon lose its breath with little effort.


    I doubt she was alive. I doubted how she was alive in such a small body.


    It¡¯s so weak, but the woman who took care of the weak life was also amazing. Even the series of processes of raising the child was quite bizarre. To see the little body grow and to protect that body was interesting. Yes, it was one of those tireless fun things, something interesting to watch.


    Therefore, I kept watching her because I thought it¡¯s a girl. If she got on my nervester I could always sell her away.


    There was some sympathy I harbor for my child who was treated like that. When the innocent child¡¯s eyes stared silently at him, an emotion that could not be seen crossed his chest. One wouldn¡¯t have been born because they wanted to.


    ¡°Even if you were born, you¡¯ve only had a series of lives like this, and your mother, who would give birth to you at all costs, is ridiculous.¡±


    However, it was more intense than that.


    The fact that one could hear the pulsating sound of their heart without cutting it off, and the moment they realize once again that little body was a living creature, he finally admitted.


    He saved the child not because she looked like her mother, but because she didn¡¯t. Yeah, that¡¯s why.


    The child looked like himself to the point of hell; his red-silver hair, his scarlet eye, all like him. The moment I realized them, Caitel couldn¡¯t help but admit it. The child was my child.


    ¡°You¡¯re my child.¡±


    The temperature at hand was higher than the average human being. Every time our eyes met, he thought the habitually smiling face was stupid, but he found himself reaching out to the smile. He thought it was offensive to have other people¡¯s warmth or trace, but the child didn¡¯t seem to fall into that category.


    When he realized the child he met after a long time was crying, the anger he felt represented the whole change of his heart. Who would dare touch his child who could not cry even at her own father¡¯s murderous intent? Of course, he knew he couldn¡¯t define her as his child because of those feelings, but since he had already ssified her as his property, more standards were meaningless.


    ¡°Your Majesty will love the princess someday, too.¡±


    The babysitter¡¯s interjection was funny. It was also true that I didn¡¯t pay much attention to her as she was living in peace.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a human beingtely, but I can¡¯t say it¡¯s just after the time you were an infant Anyway, can I see your daughter too?¡±


    I also did not pay attention to Ferdel¡¯s assessment.


    I was interested in watching my child grow, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to anything else. I thought I could get that kind of assessment, but...


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Everything turned upside down the moment Dranste appeared.


    I realized, the moment he smiled. I¡¯m being sucked into a swamp.


    Was it toote?


    He found the wrong way out, as he was always in a hurry to find the exit. An unknown beginning, when it was the enemy, it was confusing. Before I knew it, he was used to the child. No, he was soaked in his life with the child.


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    The childughed. That smile was so lovely. A smile really made everyone smile to let everyone knew they were born to be loved. Yeah, I had made myself so dry.


    You would regret it.


    A voice in my head warns me I would regret it. No more, no more.


    However, what I really regretted was...


    ¡°Papa?¡±


    I held my child in my arms. Her body was too warm.


    Because of my lower body temperature, my child with a higher body temperature sometimes felt like a firece, but now I¡¯m used to it, to the point where I needed this temperature.


    Yeah, I see.


    The low-sunk gaze at the child gloomily. The child smiled innocently.


    Yes, what I really regretted was...


    A low voice recited in small tones.


    It was the fact I couldn¡¯t even imagine killing this child anymore.

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 26</h4>


    3. The world is mine!


    It¡¯s already been two months since Caitel¡¯s birthday party.


    Well, if one would ask me if there had been a big change in thest two months, all I could do was crawl on my knees instead of crawling on a boat, and the fact that I could stand there holding something. It was a very small change, but because of it, the servants of the Sy Pce had to make every corner of the object that matched my vision blunt.


    I thought I was a genius, that¡¯s why I crawled faster than the other kids, but I heard Serira said I was growing up at a normal speed.


    Tsk, yeah. I was not a genius.


    Winter wasing already. I felt pressured every day because my dad won¡¯t let me go to his side.


    Dad was so annoying. I¡¯d like to tell him to let go of me, but I just stayed in his arms because my life was precious.


    Oh, I was getting sleepy.


    ¡°So, Your Majesty, first of all, I think it¡¯s the first priority to solve the problem with the south Praezia rather than the Langre.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why winter wasing or Caitel¡¯s birthday party was over, but one small change had been made in thispact office, so it was Ferdel¡¯s frequent visits.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    My time living in the pce was almost 10 months now. However, I feel like it was my first time to see his face, and it was strange.


    Yeah, it¡¯s weird.


    His name was familiar, but his face was unfamiliar.


    He was blue too. I didn¡¯t have a chance to see him up close, so I knew he had blue hair, but I didn¡¯t know he had blue eyes.


    By the way, the blue color of Ferdel was more like a pale sky blue than just blue. Overall, his impression was that he smiled beautifully rather than just a handsome man. However, still, he was very charming.


    I thought he was some kind of a nerd, but actually, look a little bit sharp. The most important thing was he never looked like he was going to y with Caitel.


    Why did he y with Caitel, why?


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned about the quietness of the emperor of Praezia, most of all, we¡¯re investigating the recent discovery of arge number of weapons in the neighboring country of Praezia. It¡¯s not a good time, at least look at what¡¯s left of it and make a decision.¡±


    Stuck in the arms of Caitel, I was holding a cup without a handle in my hands and drinking. It wasn¡¯t water, it was fruit juice, but it was a drink I often drank because it was delicious.


    It¡¯s good, nom nom.


    I¡¯m peeking at Ferdel and smacking my lips, and for a moment, Ferdel gave me a look.


    Huh?


    ¡°Praezia is annoying, too.¡±


    Was it just my misunderstanding?


    Caitel cleared the cup I had had. I had already finished it, so I had handed it over to Papa without regret.


    Oh, it was delicious.


    ¡°Is there any particr movement of Emperor Pellephon?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, not yet.¡±


    Clearing my cup, Caitel turned to the cradle.


    Did he want to put me down?


    When I looked at him, our eyes met in the middle. If it was before, he would just look down without any facial expression, but he had be a human being now. These days, Caitel smiled when I looked at him.


    Even if it¡¯s a dry, pale smile.


    I wanted to go to study my steps with Serira. I could walk a little withholding the handrail, but the best thing was to do it with Serira¡¯s hands. Most of all, it¡¯s soforting to have someone close enough to hold me when I fall. Walking with Serira rather than holding something by myself, I could stretch my feet at ease.


    My dad must have been jealous of us, watching me y well with Serira. My dad¡¯s trying to get me to practice my steps, but... This novice father thought I could walk so fast he took his course first.


    I was the one who suffered after all.


    No! I didn¡¯t want to do this anymore! Because of me, who took a few steps and sits right down, Caitel had to give up his grand ambition to get me to practice.


    Yeah, dad¡¯s too early to be a master of parenting yet, so I wouldn¡¯t walk with this bastard!


    ¡°Where is Assisi?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is on his way back to the pce after finishing processing the remnants of the party. Well, he¡¯ll be back in two months.¡±


    I felt sorry for the man named Assisi.


    They¡¯re fighting hard at themand of his master, and theirmanders were sitting in the pce, warm and full.


    I heard there¡¯s nothing to believe in the world, so it¡¯s just like that way.


    However, why does Ferdel kept looking at me?


    Because Caitel put me down in the cradle, I stood up holding the handrail. Then Ferdel¡¯s face was really weird.


    What was it? Were you in love with me? My age was 10 months now. Don¡¯t look over me, you thief!


    ¡°So it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen the princess so close.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te near her.¡±


    My father must have felt his irreverent gaze. He wrapped around me as Ferdel stepped closer. Ferdel was being treated as a bad party for no reason.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All three of us were silent.


    As Ferdel took a step closer and took his foot off, Caitel took his hand to his sword. In a blistering spirit formed in a sh, I quietly held on to the railing and held out my mouth.


    What was he doing?


    The two of them looked like best friends, and it was all a scam. I looked over two people, rolling my eyes.


    At that moment, Ferdel opened his mouth with a dazed face.


    ¡°Well, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Caitel turned his back on Ferdel. No, it wasn¡¯t that he turned his back, it was that he covered me by turning his back.


    ¡®Uh? What¡¯s going on here? Come on, Papa!¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who was embarrassed; the voice of Ferdel over Caitel was equally disconcerting.


    ¡°Hey, Caitel!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±


    He held me again and turn slightly. Caitel then warned him once again. Ferdel, who extended his head to see me, was opening his mouth with an absurd face.


    ¡°Am I the bud of future crime? Wow, who doesn¡¯t have a daughter? What a shame!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t.¡±


    Caitel grew serious. The words made Ferdel¡¯s face crumpled. He shouted with all his heart.


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯ll have one soon! I¡¯ll be having one in about a year!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not here now anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them when I get married! I¡¯ll have more than you!¡±


    ¡°Then tell me when you¡¯ll have a baby.¡±


    How could he lose the entirety of the argument? It was sad to watch.


    Without celebrating my father¡¯s perfect victory, I covered my mouth with my small hand.


    That poor fellow.


    I felt sorry for all the guys who hung out with my dad. Was that a trend, too?


    ¡°... Wow, that bastard.¡±


    His voice of injustice made me nod.


    Yeah, he¡¯s a bad guy. My dad was bad.


    Oh, I shouldn¡¯t be proud of this, but why did I feel this way when I thought nobody couldn¡¯t beat him when ites to evilness? What an absurd reality, a dirty world.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d show me your daughter on your birthday!¡±


    They must have had a contract I didn¡¯t know.


    Caitel also frowned for a moment when he remembered making such a promise. His serious look told me he really didn¡¯t want to show him to me.


    However, a promise is a promise. Caitel turned around, and he showed Ferdel what he was holding in his arms.


    ¡°Yes, look.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Look.¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face glowed instantly. I was a bit scared when I saw his face, smiling like a fool.


    What¡¯s wrong with him?


    As soon as Ferdel tried to reach out to me, Caitel pped his hand and warned him with a snap.


    ¡°Just look.¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face was crumpled, not knowing what his intentions were. I wondered too.


    Huh? Dad, what are you doing?


    Caitel, with the eyes sharper than a sword, looked at Ferdel with no expression. Ferdel¡¯s eyes crumpled at the sight of Caiteling to him. What my dad said afterward was great.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d show her you, but I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d let you touch her.¡±


    ¡­ Are you a five-year-old boy?


    My impressions were not a problem. Ferdel cried out in front of me. Ferdel even pointed his finger to Caitel.


    He was really mad at him, wasn¡¯t he?


    Ferdel shouted before my sympathy reached him.


    ¡°This is a fraud!¡±

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 27</h4>


    No matter what Ferdel cried out to him or how he did so, Caitel turned around heartily. I felt terribly sorry for Ferdel since he looked like a deserted woman. The image of the clean-cut premier of the first meeting had long fallen to the ground. I looked at Ferdel with a sullen gaze different from my imaginary self.


    We had to see the true face of people.


    I was filled with shock and fear.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been swindled!¡±


    Even in front of Caitel, the prime minister, who had been confident in his own opinions, was already out of sight. I heard he¡¯s called the Iron Blood Reaper.


    Where¡¯s the iron blood? I couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Is that the end of the report?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, no, yes. Your Majesty.¡±


    Ferdel answered and tilted his head for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty, yes, no. Oh, that¡¯s right.¡±


    He seemed to be confused about whether to speak up or as usual.


    What¡¯s wrong?


    Privately, they were friends, but publicly, they worked as the emperor and his prime minister.


    Couldn¡¯t he speak up to the Lord?


    I was thinking he had a concept about the order of rank in a weird way, Caitel picked up a toy lying on the floor.


    Uh, my toy!


    As I stretched out my hand with a smile, Caitel grinned. The look seemed as if he was considering if he wanted to give it to me or no, so I reached out for dear life. My father, who was full of sadists, threw toys only when his daughter desperately wanted them. You son of a bitch.


    ¡®Papa, give it to me! Give it to me! Hey! Give it to me, you son of a bitch!¡¯


    ¡°Just rx. There¡¯s only two of us here.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your daughter human? It¡¯s three.¡±


    Ferdelshed out to Caitel while watching me pluck a toy.


    He got a nerve.


    My feelings were not wrong. How Ferdel speaks made father¡¯s face cold. Due to that sharp look, even I used to grin because I was scared, but I guessed the way a person treated his best friend was different.


    Ferdel didn¡¯t care at all about that prickly look at him. My dad seemed to be pissed off by that smile.


    What was the deal with their rtionship?


    It¡¯s as if they¡¯re choking at each other. What the hell were these guys doing?


    ¡°You¡¯re not going?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I got no work.¡±


    With a sly smile, Ferdel suddenly raised his hands. What another crazy thing was this? I stared at him with a toy in my mouth, and he gave a shout of joy.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a break! Yay! It¡¯s a break!¡±


    What? Was he such a frivolous guy?


    I was a little embarrassed. No matter how much I fumbled into the memories I had encountered over the past 10 months, this wasn¡¯t the image I had of him. He¡¯s such a light and frivolous man!


    No! This wasn¡¯t the image I had!


    A power broker who was pleasant on the outside, but had about 10 dark snakes in his mind and treated everyone with a smile, but behind him, he made a cynical expression, and said, ¡®Huh, this world is mine,¡¯ and could control even my father, who was notorious for being a tyrant!


    Where the hell was that power broker!?


    Hello, Mr. power broker? When I first met him, he seemed like a dark one who would someday betray my father and when that happened, I should save my dad. However, where did the evil spirit went and why was he still flying like a feather?


    Damn, I felt like I had been lied to. This wasn¡¯t it!


    ¡°When you¡¯re done with it, get out of here.¡±


    Ferdel, who sat on the sofa, leaning backfortably, was fresh. I had been watching people running away because Caitel broke their spirit down, but this Ferdel even ate cookies brought for Caitel.


    Oh, but he¡¯s so frivolous!


    ¡°No. You definitely said at the birthday party. If I deal with those people instead of you, you¡¯ll give me the authority toe into this office whenever I want.¡±


    ¡°When did I?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I guessed he got fooled by my father again. Ferdel stood up with a frown on his face.


    Was he stupid? Anyway, if he really got fooled by my dad again, then he¡¯ll be deported from this office soon.


    ¡°I knew you would, scammer, so I took this!¡±


    Ferdel took a small piece of paper out of his pocket. I couldn¡¯t see it because it¡¯s too far away. Of course, I also couldn¡¯t read it.


    In the middle of this, I sucked the toy so hard Caitel took it away from me.


    ¡®That¡¯s mine! Why are you taking it away from me, man?¡¯


    I wanted to bite something because my teeth were itchy all the time, but he took it.


    I couldn¡¯t get enough with scratching it.


    I felt miserable.


    ¡°See! Contract! Look at this!¡±


    Caitel, who had taken my toys and abandoned them, held me back in his arms.


    Damn it, was I his toy.


    I didn¡¯t understand why he kept hugging me, but Caitel, who stared at Ferdel with an uncanny look, was truly fierce.


    ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ll shut up, Dad. Papa, I love you the best in the world.¡¯


    ¡°When the hell are you getting married?¡±


    Uh, was he getting married?


    I looked at Ferdel with his eyes wide open. At that moment, Ferdel smiled beautifully.


    Uh, uh¡­ he¡¯s so handsome.


    ¡°Ahem, next month.¡±


    So he would be married soon. Well, no, wait, more than that...


    Something¡¯s mixed up. I looked at Papa. Caitel looked down at me in my eyes. He smiled when our eyes met. Maybe because I had done a lot of cute things, I thought Caitel didn¡¯t love me but liked me enough.


    I touched Caitel¡¯s cheek. He hugged me a little higher, so he looked me in the eye.


    Badly red eyes. No, now warm red eyes. The threat in his eyes was almost gone now. It might be my own delusion, but I wanted to believe it was.


    My dad should have been married like Ferdel and then had me, but he couldn¡¯t. Why did it feel like every normal life was getting out of this guy¡¯s reach?


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to kidnap Silvia and live in my house. I want to have a baby, baby!!¡±


    Ferdel, seeing me and Caitel, yelled and screamed. Caitel¡¯s eyes turned towards him. That was rather fortunate.


    I almost cried.


    Ferdel walked in between us and smiled.


    ¡°You envy me, right? I¡¯m a married man now! I¡¯m married, a married man!¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s happy to be a married man, probably.¡¯


    I had already given up matching Ferdel with the image I had imagined. He¡¯s not the guy I knew. He¡¯s the new guy.


    Damn it, my imaginary Chancellor surrounded by darkness! It¡¯s all because of the media. I had seen too many movies.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m getting married before you! Jealous? My wife is so pretty and lovely! You envy me more now?¡±


    I think this was a serious show.


    Caitel wasn¡¯t generous enough to listen to this boast for a long time. Yeah, soon he held a sword and threatened him in a dismal voice.


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s mouth closed like a m.


    However, Ferdel was not demoralized. He just flinched for a moment.


    ¡°Pfft, you won¡¯t even let me brag.¡±


    Still, he listened to him this much. I guessed the two of them really were friends.


    I realized, well, that Caitel who did not even listen to Dranste even for a little bit, was listening to Ferdel for quite a long time. Was it a cold city emperor who only cared about his friends?


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell Assisi and I can¡¯t tell Dranste. You¡¯re the only one who I can speak about it, and you can¡¯t even take that little pride, you bastard!¡±


    At the moment, Caitel¡¯s eyes shed.


    ¡°Shall I kill you? Just say it.¡±


    ¡°... I want to live, please.¡±


    Caitel was still Caitel. I took my father¡¯s cor in my hand, kicking my tongue a little.


    Oh, it¡¯s a little sad that I was used to these arms now.


    ¡®Dad, why don¡¯t you give me over to Serira? I¡¯m so annoyed at you right now, I feel like I¡¯m dying.¡¯


    Caitel held me and sat at the opposite side of the sofa where Ferdel was sitting. Heid me in hisp. The big hand holding my shoulder was quite friendly.


    ¡°The honeymoon is three days.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s too short! You said you¡¯d let me go at least a week, you crook!¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t because it¡¯s too busy now.¡±


    As soon as he said it, Ferdel sobbed with the cushion next to him.


    ¡°I told Silvia we could stay close together for at least a week. You¡¯re so bad! Hey, you bastard!¡±


    ¡®Are you the baby?¡¯


    The real baby was I, but the guy in front of us was more like a baby.


    ¡°If you don¡¯te back on time, I¡¯ll have all your brothers put in for it. Be prepared.¡±


    In a meek reply, Caitel handed me the cookie. I stared at my dad with a dirty look because of the cookie in my hands at the moment.


    ¡®Dad, my teeth had not fully grown yet. I only had two front teeth. What¡¯s your intention in handing this cookie to me? Do you want me to eat like a hamster? Do you want to die?¡¯


    ¡°You said I¡¯m the only one in my family worth using. Now you¡¯re gonna use my brothers? Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have the efficiency, but instead, I can create the resentment your brothers have towards you.¡±


    ¡°...that devil.¡±


    As I had heard, unlike the House of Lord Agregiant, and unlike other aristocratic families, the house of Marquis Vietervo of Ferdel was a well-rounded family that led to a kind of close bond between families. The weakness of the House of Marquis Vietervo was family, so the family was what they cherished the most.


    Holding the cushion tighter, he spoke with a grim look.


    ¡°You¡¯d be the best monster in the world. I admit it.¡±


    He rose from his seat like a zombie. His form of walking to the sobriety door with cushions in his hands looked unrefined What¡¯s wrong with him all of a sudden? I wasn¡¯t the only one to wonder.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Caitel usually did not care about others at all, but unusually, he asked Ferdel where he was going. However, to Ferdel, that sort of attention was unweed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to work because I hate you. Why?¡±


    ¡°Good-bye.¡±


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    I heard the breath of Ferdel swallowing his swear.

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 28</h4>


    That poor thing, yes, I sympathize with him. Fighting! Life wasn¡¯t so grim! Look at me, my daddy had fallen for my charm, and now he couldn¡¯t live without me! Of course, I knew that¡¯s my dream, but.... well, someday I would!


    After a moment of staring, Ferdel left the room. At the same time, the office was opened, and a servant entered the lounge.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Count of Sesskullo asked to have a meeting with you.¡±


    My dad was always busy. I waved.


    Bye bye, Papa.


    Caitel chuckled when he heard it. Still, he ced me down in the cradle and patted me on the head for a while. It was a very different touchpared to a few months ago.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, so don¡¯te out.¡±


    Now that the assassination attempt had been made, even a handmaiden could not enter the lounge without Caitel¡¯s permission. In addition, it also opened the door connected to the lounge. The angle had been adjusted, so I could be seen ying just by turning my head. I heard that people rearranged office just for that.


    Anyway, my dad was crazy.


    I crawled in the cradle, turned around, and knelt as soon as I fell on my stomach. I couldn¡¯t do this wellst month, but it suddenly turned out well now. That¡¯s the mystery of the human body.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to walk. I had to work out a lot.


    Exercise, exercise.


    As I was crawling in the cradle, the closed door to the lounge opened.


    What?


    I red at the door with a nervous look, but it wasn¡¯t the assassin who came in.


    It was Ferdel.


    Ferdel walked carefully and clung to the cradle railings. He peeped at the office across the door and hid in a blind spot, suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Ehehe.¡±


    Wait. I thought he was returning to his work?


    I pulled myself back a little, he snapped at my hand and stared at me with shining eyes.


    Uh, uh?


    ¡°So cute!¡±


    Then heughed again. I couldn¡¯t help but panic.


    ¡­ Was he this stupid?


    The weather was very nice. I was feeling up to my ears in the sight of a rare temple after a long time.


    Outside! It¡¯s a walk! It¡¯s a pic!


    ¡°Bebebe!¡±


    I was in a good mood, so there was a lot of crap going on. I didn¡¯t know, but it was just a meaningless sound for my tongue movement.


    However, who liked this nonsense more were these two people who were looking at me. When I tried to say something they thought it was b*llshit and now when I said something meaningless, they liked it?


    ¡®I don¡¯t like you two! Do you know?!¡¯


    ¡°Yes, yes. Peek a Boo!¡±


    ¡°Babba!¡±


    ¡°Oh, how cute.¡±


    ¡®Do you like it?¡¯


    it was annoying, and I wanted to stop now, but this was the happiest time of Elene¡¯s day, so I couldn¡¯t. Serira looked at us both with a warm face.


    ¡°Come on, Princess, Gonzi Gonzi.¡± (Korean style of ying with baby)


    When I repeated the simple act of stabbing the palm of my hand with an index finger, Elene smiled and screamed. Serira made a small beside him.


    Mom, did I do well?


    ¡°Jamjamjam¡±


    ¡°Jamjamjam!¡±


    My little palms pinched and unfolded. It was a small act, but it was a little difficult to repeat it. I hadn¡¯t moved much, but my arms felt tired already.


    ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m still young, so it¡¯s great to do this.¡¯


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s good. Oh, that¡¯s...!¡±


    Smiling brightly at the sound of praise, Serira patted my head. It was a cat-like act, but thepliment was so good I hit Serira in the arms without realizing it.


    ¡®Ugh, Mom, a little more! A little more! Give me a little more praise.¡¯


    Praises were great. I¡¯m pretty and lovely, huh? Didn¡¯t they think I¡¯m worth praising?


    ¡°You¡¯ve got even more charming, my princess.¡±


    Really? Really?


    My nanny smiled as soon as Inded my gaze on her. That smile made me feel better.


    ¡°Terra!¡±


    My pronunciation was unclear because my teeth hadn¡¯t fully grown yet, but Serira recognized I called her name. Her eyes were wide open and she was really pretty today.


    Oh, it¡¯s not that she was pretty because she was my nanny! With a big smile, I crawled up and knocked on Serira¡¯s legs, sitting on her knees. Serira hugged me with a face wet with emotion. The moist tears settled in her eyes.


    ¡°Elene!¡±


    Elene, who was sitting next to me feeling happy, when I called her name, her eyes also opened wide.


    I grinned at the two of them. Maybe I would have more maids when I¡¯m older. However, no matter how many maids I would have, these two would still remain special to me. As much as these two people treated me well.


    The little Elene turned her head. I tilted my head. Then Elene began to cry, wiping away her tears with her apron. I was frightened.


    ¡®Elene, why are you crying all of a sudden?¡¯


    ¡°I think our princess is all grown up now. What if she says she is going to get married?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is. Time flies.¡±


    ¡®Excuse me, you two. I¡¯m still 10 months old. It¡¯s a long way from getting married.¡¯


    I was already tired to think of growing, and they were already drinking Kimchi soup (Korean way to say ¡®Don¡¯t count your chickens before they are hatched¡¯). Ha, we were doing the same thing but had a different purpose.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to grow up. Until I was about 4 years old.


    Even then, I could walk around, speak humannguage, and above all, I didn¡¯t have to study! Yeah, I wanted to be 4 years old for the rest of my life.


    ¡°Princess-¡±


    Elene, who was cleaning up her eyes, called me. I was in Serira¡¯s arms and looked back at Elene. Elene¡¯s eyes were still reddening. It made me cringe again.


    ¡®Yeah, you used to like me when I hated you, but I must have gotten caught up in it too.¡¯


    I don¡¯t like it when I see Elene crying.


    I reached out to her and hugged her. Elene was looking at me and didn¡¯t know what to do. Her face was full of anxiety.


    ¡°What should I do? She is so cute I can¡¯t hand her to anyone. I want to keep her in my arms for the rest of my life.¡±


    Hey, that¡¯s a crime.


    ¡°I will watch over the princess, so go wash your face. Your face is terrible.¡±


    ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    ¡®Yes. It¡¯s a bit harsh.¡¯


    Elene smiled as I nodded. When one cried and smiled, they get horns on their butt. Oh, I hated myself for worrying about it. Oh, but I¡¯m seriously worried.


    ¡°Then, Princess, I¡¯ll be back then.¡±


    I nodded and crawled out of Elene¡¯s arms. Both of them looked at me with many emotions.


    ¡®Hehe, I¡¯m good at it by myself now!¡¯


    Watching Elene running to get back soon, I crawled to the ce where my toy was. Serira ensured not to let my knee slip for a moment.


    When I went to the end of the mat on thewn of the temple and sat down, my nanny smiled at me. Seven months ago, she was a woman with a lot of shade on her face, but now she looked like a totally different person. It was a little strange.


    ¡°Eita-¡±


    She turned her eyes to my voice. Her eyes curved as she smiled. I smiled back at her.


    Serira confirmed I was ying well and sat close to me and gave a look at the book she had brought.


    A cool breeze was blowing. Not cold, but cool, serene as if submerged in water. Seriraughed when our eyes met again for a while. Of course, Iughed, too.


    I liked her doing her job while taking care of me like a normal mother. From one point, perhaps after I managed to y by myself, Serira began knitting, cross-stitching and reading. It was just a small work after she started taking care of me, but it was nice to say she was not living her life entirely for me now. Of course, if I were a real baby, I¡¯d yell for attention.


    ¡°Uh, huh?¡±


    ¡®Wait, toy, where are you going?¡¯


    The round-looking toy I identally dropped rolled around. I was so embarrassed I put my mouth together. What should I do? I think I could catch it if I crawl a little. Hmm¡­


    I looked back at Serira for a moment, but I didn¡¯t want to disturb her when I saw her so absorbed in the book. Yeah, well, I was not an ordinary baby, and I was just crawling for a while, right? I fell on my stomach right away and began to crawl.


    ¡®Pretty yellow ball, where are you going! y with me!¡¯


    The ball rolled quickly and soon the eleration of its rolling slowed and stopped eventually. I crawled to where the ball was. The feeling of touching the grass with my hands was itchy.


    I sat down and smoothed the ball into my arms, and I looked around. I didn¡¯t know because I only cared about the ball, but the scenery had changed.


    Was it too far? Where was I?


    ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is, he¡¯s performing a really strong wave.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t feel that.¡±


    Uh, it¡¯s a human voice.


    That¡¯s two men. Huh? One voice sounded familiar.


    Who was it?


    As I stretched out my head, I noticed two people walking along the walking path of the Temple.


    Uh, it¡¯s Ferdel!


    He sounded familiar, and it was actually someone I knew. I didn¡¯t know if it was Ferdel.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never forgotten who the Northern nobles pledged their allegiance to out there. No matter how much you proim to me that you are the head of the Southern aristocracy, there is a limit to the amount of public bacsh we can contain. Like this, someday...¡±


    ¡°One day the regime falls. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡±


    His answer was as sly as his smile. This made me confused again after remembering what I saw of himst week. I wondered if he was really the same person who sneaked behind my father¡¯s back to hold my hand and smiled like a fool.


    ¡°It was the imperial sphere who drew the first blood anyway.¡±


    The person he¡¯s talking with was a man I had never seen before. The man with pale blond hair was talking with dark clouds over his head as he continued on with the conversation.


    ¡°No.¡±


    On the other hand, Ferdel¡¯s face was full ofughter. Of course, his smiles were the same when he looked at me, but now, hisughter was something different.


    I meant, yeah, he had something sharp.


    ¡°It was a bloodstained throne, to begin with. There was not a single honor in it.¡±


    What was on Ferdel¡¯s face was contempt. It was the same feeling I had once seen in my father¡¯s.


    Maybe it¡¯s called disgust, that¡¯s it.


    The other side could not add anything. I was suffocated by his cold expression, and how stifled the opponent who faced it himself must have been. I was sorry to peek, but I guessed it was unnecessary.


    I came out looking for a ball. What¡¯s with this situation?

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 29</h4>


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with him with everything he has done to take the throne. It was a tant offense that killed his father, and that¡¯s a lot of moral turpitude. Besides, he sold off all his sisters, and he pushed all his brothers into the Rumie pce and burned them down.¡±


    ¡°... It was like a demon.¡±


    Unlike the other guy biting his lips, Ferdel was smiling and protracted.


    ¡°Well, it was.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t just a regr guy either.


    I frowned. Well, that didn¡¯t mean he was as crazy as Papa. I was sure Dranste was a madman, but Ferdel was just an idiot, but that fool was not just a mere fool. Well, I didn¡¯t think so.


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know what this subtle feeling meant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand that either. It¡¯s just...¡±


    It was the first time Ferdel looked so serious. It¡¯s a sneaking look, but it¡¯s still amazing. I decided to rx and just be surprised.


    You acted stupid, but you weren¡¯t stupid.


    For the first time, the word ¡®iron blood¡¯ seemed to suit him.


    ¡°I just think the right anger has been released so cruelly.¡±


    However, what the hell was he talking about?


    Hey, so were you saying my dad was bad or not?


    ¡°But that¡¯s why your Majesty is who he was now. You¡¯d better leave what has already happened.¡±


    A grin does not contain any special feelings.


    I finally got a clue as to what he was doing, why I want to swear at him for no reason. He was born to be a politician.


    How could he speak so cleverly?


    So, Ferdel, if he looked at his logic right now, that¡¯s what it was.


    He¡¯s a bad guy, but he¡¯s got a reason


    Of course, that¡¯s not right, but I didn¡¯t get anything from touching it.


    I wouldn¡¯t bother him about it, I should stop here.


    ¡­ Look at this guy.


    It was aplete one step in-one step out speech. It¡¯s not on anyone¡¯s side, it¡¯s neutral, but it¡¯s a magic trick that made the audience feel friendly by taking sides with each other a little while listening to it.


    He was a scary guy, too, that one.


    ¡°But the six princes, who deserved to be killed most, escaped from the pce and had been dying for a chance somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there was that, too.¡±


    I heard that worm has a knack of rolling, he had good ability to roll because he was stupid. Oh, yeah, he was the one who yed with my father. Yeah, I thought I knew now. That¡¯s why they were friends. That¡¯s why he could make fun of my dad and live.


    He said he was in full control of the situation from behind, and now that remark never sounded ridiculous.


    ¡°He cruelly killed the rest of his brothers because 6th one escaped..¡±


    Oh, there was a prince who ran away.


    It was also the first time I had heard it.


    Then the prince was now preparing for a rebellion and attacking my father?


    I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a hell of a blood blow.


    I wish it could just go quietly without it.


    Oh, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I wanted to be born in a normal family, but how did I get born in a fucking screw-up family? My fate was also very ironic.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t good in many ways.¡±


    Ferdel said and patted his chin.


    ¡°This is the murder hemitted at neen. Your Majesty¡¯s age is twenty-six years old, and that¡¯s already seven years ago. Time flies.¡±


    It was even more surprising that he was neen, but the people of this country seemed to have very different standards.


    By the way, it¡¯s only been a while since he was crowned?


    Oh, that¡¯s right. It took three years to rise to the throne and end the civil war, and then another four years to wipe out the neighboring country attacking Agregiant.


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s a history of blood.


    This whole thing was new.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget that the remnants were still in the pce, did you? In times like this, it¡¯s better to show mercy to them...¡±


    Then why was he ying with Ferdel? He had been saying the same thing over and over again like a broken radio. I didn¡¯t think he is the type of person who would catch a sword. Then was it a civil servant?


    ¡°That¡¯s good too.¡±


    Ferdel smiled. The other nobleman¡¯s expression lit up for a moment, thinking Ferdel was responding to his words, but before he could even express his excitement, Ferdel spoke.


    ¡°But it¡¯s only good to hear.¡±


    That was it.


    Somehow I felt like he was no match for Ferdel.


    Oh, yawning.


    I didn¡¯t know the time was passing because it was fun to hear that. Besides, I could understand that while I was crawling because they were slowly walking. Of course, it was suitable to hide in the grass.


    However, where is my toy? My toy!


    ¡°They still talk a lot because of the princess these days. Your Majesty seems changed, and now he seems like a human. It¡¯s not bad to try to reform his image at a time like this.¡±


    I scoured the grass looking for toys, but it¡¯s invisible.


    ¡®Ugh, did anyone see my red, round-shaped toy? It¡¯s yellow and red. There are three swords and lions like this. It¡¯s engraved with an arm of the house of Agegiant, and all the arms of the country¡¯s major families are there. Oh, that¡¯s what I liked the most!¡¯


    ¡°There are many people who said he adores the princess so much.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard that, too.¡±


    ¡°Even foreign media are saying Your Majesty has changed. It doesn¡¯t look bad to save this opportunity.¡±


    Fuck. My toy disappeared from my arms. Oh, I couldn¡¯t take my toys right because it was so much fun to hear them. I had liked it in my own way. I didn¡¯t y with it every day, but I still liked it. Tearse out.


    Sob sob, this sucked. Sob, my life was over. My Toy!


    ¡°Not yet at that stage.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the stage.¡±


    Stretching my lips, I looked back. Still, Ferdel and the man were talking.


    Should I go to Ferdel and ask to take me to Serira?


    Oh, but I was still not good at human speech, but I¡¯m not confident to go home alone. This temple was a garden that¡¯s so muchrger than I thought.


    ¡°Torino, I know what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    I was thinking about going out, and at the moment, Ferdelughed.


    It was a faint smile, but I could recognize it. That smile at the moment was sincere.


    ¡°Whatever you are thinking is too early.¡±


    Yeah, I think it¡¯s too early to trust you too.


    Suddenly, thest week came to mind. Ferdel was kicked out of the office for one month because he held my hand behind my father¡¯s back. He tried to escape to the terrace so he wouldn¡¯t be caught holding my hand, but my ghostly daddy caught him right away.


    I couldn¡¯t stop him anyway.


    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t the princess pretty?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes.¡±


    Oh, yeah? Then why were you making headlines with me?


    When Ferdel asked with a smiling face, even the nobleman Torino nodded his head with a blush.


    What, what?!


    ¡°I wanted to have a daughter.¡±


    ¡°Right? I wanted to have a daughter, too.¡±


    Suddenly I remembered that famous line. That daughters were good to raise, and sons were crazy to raise. Ferdel put on a look of regret.


    You¡¯re so into my charm, this guy. You are so weird, man!


    ¡°My wife saw the princess at her birthday party, and suddenly she wants to have a daughter. Of course, I want to. How can I have a daughter?¡±


    ¡°How can I know that? Ah, I¡¯ve never envied Caitel in my life for anything, but I¡¯ve just got one.¡±


    Ferdel touched his head with a sad face. The look on the face really looked sad, and I felt weird.


    Wait, that one thing you envied was me? No way.


    ¡°Is that daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but when I saw the princess close up, she was so cute.¡±


    ... ¡®no way¡¯ betrays people. It could kill people! It¡¯s a bad kid who gave fake hope! I shouldn¡¯t have believed you!


    Ferdel was stupid. When my story came out, he smiled with an unraveling face and told the story ofst week.


    Oh, that idiot.


    ¡°Her cheeks are so soft. Ha, she is a real living doll. Doll!¡±


    Oh, really? Was I that pretty?


    I grabbed my cheek. You have good taste. Yeah, I was a bit of a doll. Hehe, got praised. They said I was pretty!


    ¡°But she just looks like Caitel. Yeah, he¡¯s gorgeous, he¡¯s better than most girls. It¡¯s fucked.¡±


    Why did that sound like a curse?


    Ferdel was tearing his hair and turning casually with a sigh, but the problem was that I was where he looked. I was sticking my head out before I got caught literally.


    My goodness!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The nobleman in front of me didn¡¯t seem to have noticed me yet.


    Ferdel blinked his eyes at high speedily then he rubbed his eyes.


    You didn¡¯t have to. You were right in front of what you were looking at.


    Iughed first to break this awkward mood in the end.


    Happy, energetic, beautiful!


    ¡°Perde?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Princess...¡±


    I guess he knew I was a human, not a doll. I¡¯m afraid Ferdel¡¯s eyes had gotten so big they might pop out like that.


    What¡¯s wrong with him?


    ¡°The princess remembers me!¡±


    I felt like a church-master who met some fan. What¡¯s with this furious reaction. It made me feel weird to see a man screaming with joy.


    Eh? Eh?


    ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s not it. I just regretted pretending to know you.


    Ferdel came right up and sat down in front of me. He looked at me, his face dripping withughter.


    ¡°What¡¯s the princess doing here?¡±


    Stop asking. I didn¡¯t know either.


    Stop asking ady about that, you.


    His eyes lifted and he smiled as soon as I tried to fumble with a look on my face, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    He was being seduced, but wasn¡¯t he dangerous? Should I have not called his name?


    Now I was afraid. I started a deep internal conflict inside me, and at that moment, Ferdel¡¯s eyes glistened.


    ¡°Wow, princess.¡±


    He held me as I am.


    Huh? Huh?


    The posture was quite good.


    Had he held a lot of children before? Was he experienced in taking care of children?


    No, this wasn¡¯t the problem. He looked at me and smiled. I felt a chill in that smile.


    ¡°Would you like to hang out with a humble postman for a moment?¡±


    ¡­ Could I go home safely?

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 30</h4>


    The ce where Ferdel took me was outside the pce.


    It was a mansion located inside the castle.


    It gave me a good view of the pce for the first time in my life. Not only that, but it was also where civilians lived inside the castle. It was the first time I¡¯d seen all of it, so I couldn¡¯t even recognize the fact that Ferdel had kidnapped me while watching the new world.


    At first, I was embarrassed. I should have cried when I was leaving the pce, but I was fascinated by the new thingsing into my eyes.


    Oh, I¡¯m so screwd.


    However, it was amazing.


    I vaguely imagined the hard-to-live and ruined city of war, but what I saw was the richness and abundance of the Agregiant Empire that I faced in front of me.


    Of course, I knew I was rich, but I thought it was only possible because I was a princess. What is this though? The kingdom I saw was beyond my imagination.


    Was this the picture of a wealthy empire armed with imperialism?


    The richness from more than a dozen colonies overflowed this empire. I realized why the soldiers of Agregiant, armed with a spear knife, were trying to invade other countries.


    It¡¯s hard to stop after they had tasted this sweet fruit. It¡¯s scary in many ways.


    ¡°What about Silvia?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the Garden.¡±


    It was a huge mansion where Ferdel arrived. It was impossible to know where it was since I could not read, but it was never a ce where authority was weak.


    However, was I kind of used to it? It¡¯s like an arm drawn in my ball. Hmm. What¡¯s the name?


    ¡°Silvia!¡±


    In a mansionrge enough to be a castle, Ferdel found his way to the garden.


    Garden?


    It was more urate to say that it was a greenhouse rather than a garden. A space filled with lively nts surrounded by ss walls on all sides. It¡¯s the size I had seen from a lot of movies.


    Wow, that¡¯s amazing.


    ¡°Silvia, say hello. It¡¯s Princess Ariadna.¡±


    Was that Silvia, the woman who¡¯s getting married with Ferdel?


    I was struck by the pink eyes that ran into me, dimly retracing the memory ofst week. How could someone be pink like that? The finely twisted pink hair shook like a petal.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    The woman, who was spending a sweet tea time alone, stood up in surprise of her sudden appearance and spilled the teacup. The blue tea spilled down and left a deep stain on the white dress.


    That looked expensive. What should I do?


    I raised my brows.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    The little smiling woman was beautiful, almost too much for this fool.


    Wow, she¡¯s so pretty. What kind of beauty is this?


    It was as if pink flowers were crushed and sprinkled. Because of her pale white skin, it felt like the petals on a flowerpot were melting away and spreading. What was sweet, delicate, and neat was my taste.


    ¡®I got a crush on you. Please hold my hand.¡¯


    She was so beautiful that I wanted to ask if I could hold her.


    Some said Serira was an ordinary beauty, I¡¯ll admit. The woman in front of me, no matter how beautiful my mother was, she was so pretty no one could easily top her


    ¡®You¡¯re marrying this angel! Ferdel, you criminal thief!¡¯


    ¡°Princess, she¡¯s going to be my wife. Pretty, right? Yeah?¡±


    Yeah, she¡¯s so pretty. I looked at Ferdel with a nasty gaze. At that moment, Silvia smiled shyly in front of me.


    ¡®Oh, my, you are so pretty. Her face is glowing¡­¡¯


    ¡°Hello, Princess. This is Lady Aquileia.¡±


    ¡°Preetee!¡±


    ¡®Even your voice is pretty!¡¯


    I pped my hands and admired her. Why was she so pretty?!


    ¡°My, she spoke so well too!¡±


    Oh, even your smile was beautiful. Silvia looked at me and gave a shy smile. She almost couldn¡¯t help herself.


    Oh, my, I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. Why was she so pretty? This was cheating! How could she be so pretty!?


    ¡°You told me before, Silvia, that you wanted to see the princess. That¡¯s why I brought her here. Good job?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you this close before.¡±


    Silvia stood in front of me with an emotional face, her hands folded. Ferdel smiled with a proud look.


    You, you.


    I remembered a lot of words at the moment, but I just decided to admit it. Yeah, I thought I could understand him being a durd. Of course, he would have to be durd when he was marrying with such an angel!


    Sob sob, it¡¯s so pretty.


    She stretched her hands towards me and opened them up. She looked at me and held my hands carefully. She was so careful with that touch that I was also shy.


    ¡°She¡¯s so very pretty!¡±


    She seeded in holding my hand, and Silvia smiled brightly. The smile made meugh too. Why was she so pretty? Could a person be this pretty? This was a fraud.


    Her eyes were pink. I thought it would be strange to have a pink personal color, but now that someone like her was standing in front of me, I didn¡¯t think there was any color that suited people as much as pink. What a shy and lovely color this was.


    ¡°But have you brought her with his highness¡¯ permission?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Huh? What?


    I turned to Ferdel since he said something ridiculous. Ferdel noded his head without changing his expression.


    Wow, look at this guy. He was such a good liar. How could he lie like that?


    ¡°I heard they¡¯ve doubled the guards at Sy Pce afterst year¡¯s assassination attempt, yet he¡¯s allowed you to bring her, then.¡±


    Seeing Silvia smiling brightly hurt my heart.


    ¡®Silvia, you¡¯re being fooled. I¡¯m being kidnapped!¡¯


    However, I could not exin well because of my pronunciation when I mumbled. ¡®Oh, sh*t, this world is rotten!¡¯


    ¡°Yes, he is indeed a true man, as you know. He allowed me wholeheartedly.¡±


    He sure was a man, but he didn¡¯t allow this!


    Of course, Ferdel didn¡¯t just drag me in. before he kidnaped me, it did seem like he wrote something on a scrap of paper and sent it to the pce...


    However, I highly doubted my crazy daddy would sit still because of some scrap note.


    ¡°But why would he send her alone? Shouldn¡¯t she be apanied by her nanny or someone like that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, indeed. I wonder?¡±


    At Silvia¡¯s words, Ferdel¡¯s smile broke slightly. He lied calmly, and then, in that little crack, Silvia opened her eyes and stared him for a moment. Even that was unbelievably cute.


    ¡®Why are you marrying that guy? Marry a better man¡­¡¯


    ¡°Ferdel.¡±


    Silvia smiled quietly and smiled with her eyes, but why was it that her smiling gaze send shiver down my spine? I shuddered at the time when I couldn¡¯t even tell.


    ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no? P, probably?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It¡¯s stuck, man.


    Silvia¡¯s face stiffened. Ferdel flustered in a sudden panic.


    Tsk tsk. Caught just like that!


    When I clicked my tongue, Silvia scolded Ferdel in silence. Ferdel bowed his head with a flustered face like a broken cracker


    ¡°It was nothing big. I will take care of this afterwards.¡±


    It looked like a real dark one outside, but I didn¡¯t think much about it. Come to think of it, was the first principle of the Marquis of Vietervo ¡®everything for the family¡¯? Some of the stories I overheard were like that.


    Silvia stared for a long time and finally sighed. When she closed her lips with a face that said she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡®Wow, would you look at himughing right away.¡¯


    It was a sillyugh, but there was something strange about Ferdel¡¯sugh that melted people¡¯s hearts. Even I felt annoyed about him, but I felt like I was the bad one for getting mad at this idiot. Of course for Silvia¡¯s sake.


    She sighed and shook her head, then finally condoned Ferdel¡¯s madness.


    ¡°But the princess really is so cute. I want to have a child like her too.¡±


    ¡°You can!¡±


    Ferdel smiled and held Silvia¡¯s hand. Then he cleared his throat for a while.


    ¡®What, are you picking a song for her?¡¯


    ¡°So, please have mine.¡±


    ¡®Look at him blush! Oh, my God! Mommy, Here¡¯s a couple about to get dirty over here! I¡¯m getting goosebumps! It¡¯s going crazy, Ugh! And she likes it! Why do I have to be stuck between this dirty couple!? Go to your room and make out! Sob sob, how dirty this world is.¡¯


    ¡°She is so well-behaved. I hear most kids cry a lot when theye to a new ce.¡±


    ¡°My princess is fine because she¡¯s a princess. She¡¯s the daughter of that Emperor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t make sense, but it makes sense, too, at the same time.¡±


    With me in the middle, these two looked at me with good intentions.


    I was a little weirded out by it.


    It¡¯s ticklish but sad. Yes, the ideal parents I imagined looked alike. If I was born under these parents, I would be better off.


    I thought about it. Stupid and idiot, but had a lot of money, got someone on their back, and an incredibly smart dad. Meanwhile, here was a warm, kind-hearted mother who looked somehow like Serira. I envied the child who would be born between the two.


    Still...


    I could never deny I had already opened my heart to my father, given that I didn¡¯t want to leave him and be adopted to this house.


    It¡¯s a f*cking annoying father, but I am his only child. Hold on, if I woulde to think of it, was my dad okay right now? He wouldn¡¯t kill Serira for this... right?


    I had got a bad feeling about this...


    It was then. Suddenly, amotion rang by the entryway.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    As soon as Ferdel heard the sound, he turned me over to Silvia. Then suddenly, he ran towards the window.


    ¡®What, hey! You¡¯re gonna kill yourself?¡¯


    ¡°Ferdel!¡±


    His Majesty the Emperor!


    Ferdel¡¯s suicide attempt ended in failure today. Caitel caught Ferdel¡¯s neck trying to escape through the window as soon as he came into the garden. How scary he was, Silvia and I had to hold our hands together and looked at them.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    Before running away, the just-caught Ferdel was thrown to the floor while his shoulder was stuck on a tree branch.


    Oh, it must have hurt.


    Holding a sword, Ferdel did not know when Caitel pointed the de into his throat. The sharp white light made my heart cool.


    ¡®You¡¯re not really going to kill him, are you papa?¡¯

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 31</h4>


    I was getting serious, too. My father¡¯s spirit was not funny-looking at all.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s hear your excuse, then.¡±


    Ferdel raised his head with dad¡¯s sarcastic voice. However, he could not move easily because of the de stuck in his neck. As he turned around from the sword, the de followed the action and stabbed the floor just below their chin. Ferdel frowned with an ufortable face.


    Tsk, tsk.


    ¡®Why have you kidnapped me? You know my father¡¯s a madman.¡¯


    I had never seen a madman go on a rampage before, but I thought I¡¯d be able to watch it this time. The pressure of the angry Caitel was as great as when I cried in the past in the hands of Princess Faylin.


    ¡°Shoot, you can¡¯t throw people on the ground!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t figured out the situation yet?


    I was beyond curiosity. How big was his liver? I thought his intellect got paralyzed because of fear. It seemed he couldn¡¯t see Caitel looking at him with a scary look.


    I was seriously worried.


    ¡®Did you hurt your head badly?¡¯


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s voice was fierce. It was like the roar of a beast. To me, Caitel seemed to be trying to eat Ferdel.


    It¡¯s an ability to treat people so relentlessly. Ability. Was he saying it¡¯s none of his business, huh?


    I was rxed. Oh, would dad kill me because I was kidnapped too? At that moment Ferdel poked his lips. What nerve he had, Ferdel casually pushed the back of the sword on his neck.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see my note?¡±


    ¡°I did read it.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you doing this to me?!¡±


    An expression of iprehension. I remembered at that moment Ferdel had a note and had a great deal of it.


    What the hell did that note say then?


    Caitel took a crumpled piece of paper out of his arms. Ferdel picked up that paper looked little confused.


    ¡°Here, read.¡±


    There was no particrment. Ferdel just crumpled his face. Then unfolded the crumpled paper and shouted in a resonant voice.


    ¡°I will be taking your daughter. Thief ¡®P¡¯!¡±


    ¡®Dear heaven...please save that imbecile.¡¯


    Why did I feel embarrassed? I sighed and turned my head. Even Silvia turned her head.


    Just what did she see in a guy like him?


    You didn¡¯t understand me? Huh? You didn¡¯t know what I was talking about? Oh, I see.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry I have amunication problem, shoot.¡¯


    ¡°So what?! I clearly and kindly noted at the bottom. ¡®I will return the princess within five hours''¡±


    Did he have no liver, no sense,and no fear?


    It was a question that could be considered one of the world¡¯s top seven challenges. I was deeply distressed.


    Liver? Sense? Fear?


    At that moment, Caitel steped on Ferdel¡¯s stomach without hesitation.


    ¡°Just die.¡±


    He raises the sword while he stepped on Ferdel.


    Was he really going to kill him?!


    I clenched Silvia¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Uh, Caitel!¡±


    However, the de, which seemed to fall without mercy, stopped in midair. I opened my eyes wide. As I wriggled my eyebrows, Caitel threw the sword in his hand.


    Lord, was he not going to kill him?


    I really thought the murder would happen, but I was d it didn¡¯t. Caitel gave his feet a boost. Ferdel shouted. At the same time, he dragged Ferdel by grabbing his cor.


    ¡°Last time, you snuck in to hold my daughter¡¯s hand. Now you dare to kidnap her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. The princess was just crawling in the pathway, so I simply picked her up in order to protect her!¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you the truth, I was really only protecting her-¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s excuse was over. I turned my head to the horrible sight. I couldn¡¯t bear to see. That¡¯s not good for my eyes.


    ¡°Aaaaugghh!¡±


    The reverberating cry of Ferdel heated my eardrums.


    ¡®By the way, father. You¡¯re beating him like a professional. You must have a lot of experience with this stuff.¡¯


    ¡°Die.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s touch was notpassionate. He threw Ferdel on the tree. Before he could run away, he grabbed him and twist his arms. He then strangled him. It seemed terrible just looking at it.


    Oh, my arm hurts!


    ¡°Save me. I¡¯m sorry. Save me!¡±


    ¡°Die.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t pick up the princess even if I see herter! I won¡¯t try to protect her! Just have mercy!¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s words agitated Caitel even more. Caitel, who crumpled his face at once, strengthened his grip. It was such a relentless touch.


    ¡°You should just die.¡±


    Rejected at once.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Caitel kicked Ferdel¡¯s back. Ferdel raised himself after he got kicked. I watched the scene with some curiosity.


    ¡®Hmm, but why does something feel off?¡¯


    ¡°Hey, wait. You don¡¯t have to do this, you can let me go. You¡¯re obligated to let me go! You need m...¡±


    It¡¯s not just Ferdel¡¯s bullshit.


    I was lost in thought, leaning my cheek against Silvia¡¯s shoulder, and I am lost in thought.


    What was it, what was it?


    Then suddenly I figured out the true nature of this sense of prestige.


    ¡®Oh, I see.¡¯


    ¡°I never needed you. Get the fuck out of here.¡±


    He¡¯s chocking Ferdel by his cor and growling at him with a killing re...but, his eyes didn¡¯t have murderous intent.


    ¡°Huh, can I get out of here?¡±


    When Ferdel asked in a roundabout way, Caitel, who grabbed him by the cor, grinned.


    ¡°Yes, to the underworld.¡±


    A killing aura without a murderous intent...that¡¯s like a burger without a patty.


    Obviously, the situation was serious. My dad was angry at the end of his head, and Ferdel was in a situation where it would not be strange if he died soon. Although Ferdel¡¯s expression and actions were ridiculous, that didn¡¯t change the tense and urgent situation. However, those who saw it were just trying to do so. That was the very cause of the sense of prestige I felt.


    Ferdel was thrown out head first.


    ¡®My dad, his arms were strong. How can you throw him like that?¡¯


    ¡°Hut, ah, it hurts! Ugh!¡±


    I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t kill Ferdel. If Caitel killed him in the first ce, instead of beating him to death, he¡¯d just cut him with a sword and be done with it. I sighed quietly and turned my head.


    Oh, Ferdel, you had to cheer up.


    Ferdel got beaten up so bad even after that. Yes, he got beaten hard. He got beaten like crazy.


    I didn¡¯t even feel sorry for him even though he¡¯s getting beaten. More like, he¡¯s getting what he deserved. When the hours passed and Caitel stopped beating him, I suddenly smiled at the looking back at me.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    As I greeted him with a bright smile, Caitel¡¯s expression of contortion abates. Fortunately, my cuteness worked out.


    I didn¡¯t know anything, Papa!


    Caitel loved it when I called him papa. Yes, I didn¡¯t see it at first but calling him papa would soon soften his gaze. Of course, that didn¡¯t change anything big, but I had mobilized all my hard-working cute actions because I though a smothering of his eyes would help me realize my dream of extending my life.


    As I opened my hand in Silvia¡¯s arms and called on to him, Caitel gave Ferdel his gaze momentarily. He was considering whether he wanted to beat him more or no.


    ¡°Papa-¡±


    You should stop now. He¡¯s looking pitiful.


    When I called him, the eyes of Caitel returned to me. With a short breath, Caitel fell beside Ferdel. Two guys worked out together, but my monstrous dad never took a breath.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t you tired, man?¡¯


    ¡°Your clothes are dirty.¡±


    Huh? My clothes?


    Oh,e to think of it, my clothes were dirtied while I was crawling the temple. Since I hadn¡¯t changed, the traces remained intact. I just grinned.


    ¡®Dad, so you¡¯re going to hit me? Are you really going to?¡¯


    ¡°Give her to me.¡±


    He hugged me in his arms without saying anything. She handed me over gently, but she still looked surprised. A pinkish pale woman smiled softly.


    ¡°How have you been, Your Majesty. May you reach Evangelium.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Huh? Did they know each other?


    Well, she was Ferdel¡¯s fiance... Of course, he would know the future wife of his best friend. While watching the two in the arms of Caitel, Ferdel stepped in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to seduce my wife! She¡¯s mine! Silvia, close your eyes! They¡¯ll rot if you keep looking at a guy like him!¡±


    However, even before he could protect his future wife, Ferdel had to avoid the teacup Caitel threw at him, tsk tsk.


    ¡°You are so cold! I thought we were friends! You bastard!¡±


    He avoided the teacup andined.


    ¡°Shall I just kill you?¡±


    This was the only reaction he got.


    I thought I should never defy my father. I¡¯m scared.


    I was bobbing around in his arms, so Caitel looked down. I looked up at my father with a bright look on her eyes.


    ¡®I¡¯m just so irresistibly cute, aren¡¯t I? I know!¡¯


    ¡°Hehe, she is so cute.¡±


    I acted cute for my dad, but the wrong guy¡¯s eyes are wide open. I grabbed dad¡¯s cor.


    ¡®Ferdel, you are kind of creeping me out now!¡¯


    Next to him, Silvia was smiling, covering her mouth.


    I didn¡¯t think this was the time to beughing.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Caitel held the sword in his hand. The sword that had been summoned was on his right hand. This apalled Ferdel.


    ¡°Come on! I can¡¯t even look when I want to?¡±


    Caitel smiled. Of course, it was a pretty but gruesome smile.


    ¡°Will you shut up once I gouge out those eyes of yours?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ferdel poked his lips up this way. Silvia went beside him and took care of him. His face didn¡¯t hurt at all, but he looked painless.


    I wonder how much he was beaten up.


    I clicked my tongue quietly.


    With the help of Silvia, Ferdel was crying. At that moment, Caitel, who was looking at me, stared at Ferdel.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you thank the heavens since I¡¯m ending this here?¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    Huh? He¡¯s being unusually timid.


    Yeah, my dad¡¯s a madman, huh? I leaned his cheek against Caitel¡¯s chest and nuzzled my lips. At that moment, I had to exhale my breath back into the prayer that followed.


    ¡°Thank you for sending that mad dog as my friend.¡±


    Again with a ghastly air, Caitel nced at Ferdel. It was the cup holder that flew this time. Ugh. I sighed quietly at the small scream that followed.


    ¡®Oh, that idiot.¡¯


    ¡°I give you exactly two days for your honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I thought that was three days.


    Maybe the original period was a week. It got shorter and shorter, poor pal.


    The fact that I knew immediately means Ferdel was filled with resentment.


    ¡°Wow, look at this bastard!¡±


    Then Caitel, who was heading outside the garden with me, stopped on his way. Then he slowly turned behind and gave Ferdel his gaze. That look made his spine shiver.


    ¡°A day.¡±


    Ferdel shut his mouth like a m.


    Oh, that poor thing.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 32</h4>


    I was afraid my sneak away would harm Serira, but she seemed fine. Maybe Caitel¡¯s anger spilled out on Ferdel that day.


    It was Serira herself who was the problem.


    Serira, who greeted me at Sy Pce, had red and swollen eyes. I was sorry to see that, but the greater problem was that she stuck by my side ever since. That was all the time except when Caitel had me.


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you do that ever again, okay?¡±


    Washing me and wiping the water out of my body, Serira spoke with a stiff look. Her questioning voice was rather stern. I nodded, holding the toy she had returned to me in my arms again.


    Serira had found this pretty ball.


    A ball ted with gold and emzoned with all kinds of arms in the red seal. When she saw this, she was so surprised I was gone and she almost passed out.


    ¡°No matter how precious the ball is, you shouldn¡¯t just go out like that. This world is scarier than you think.¡±


    I knew that.


    I was not proud of it, but I got killedst time at that scary world. I thought I¡¯d log in to heaven, and I was a little surprised when I logged in to another world. It was also amazing how my memories remained intact. Of course, that did not excuse my past indulgence.


    Yeah, that was my fault.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Mom, so don¡¯t be angry. Please?¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do that next time, are you?¡±


    Serira smiled softly at me. I felt so sorry, but I could not see her eyes at all. She set my eyes on her. At her bright smile, I nodded really hard.


    ¡®No, never. I will never do it. It won¡¯t happen again.¡¯


    Seriraughed at my reaction. The smile was a fondness I had seen in quite a long time.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all right.¡±


    Perhaps because he lost her husband, Serira seemed to feel fear of losing anyone else. That was a fact that could easily be known if it wasn¡¯t this time. I didn¡¯t think deep enough about it, but now it¡¯s so pitiful.


    Even though she was wise, she was still just a human. If the pain of losing the person she loved most wouldn¡¯t budge her, then that love was a lie.


    ¡°My princess, don¡¯t you dare leave before me. Don¡¯t. Okay?¡±


    It was a voice that seemed calm, but I couldn¡¯t hide the small tremors hidden in it. It was the kind of question that could not be easily answered, but I nodded as if I were a marite driven by a clear thread because Serira wanted it.


    Something murmurs from the heart. The tip of my nose was burning hot, but I didn¡¯t care. It¡¯s natural to look back on one¡¯s parents and feel sad.


    It¡¯s just a little sad.


    They raised me up to twenty-five years old, fed me and put me to sleep. Then I died without anything to reward them. Even if it¡¯s not my will, it¡¯s true I did the wrong thing of leaving before my parents. Of course, I still had siblings left, but that wouldn¡¯t make up for my loss.


    A man who had left always had no words.


    Even though I left, it would have been floating around and soon be gone, but I had deep resentment that I didn¡¯t leave anyst words before I died. It would be nice if God felt sorry for me and let me see that faces only once.


    That would be great. I wanted to say I how much I loved them once again.


    ¡°Are you crying, Princess?¡±


    Tears were streaming down my cheeks before I knew it. I was embarrassed and leaned over the warmth of Serira¡¯s arms. I inhaled her scent as she hugged me.


    I love you, I love you, I love you. I wanted to tell them that for just a second. I wanted to tell that in my parents¡¯ arms too.


    What a heartless daughter I was. I didn¡¯t go to see them because ¡®I was too busy¡¯. Sometimes all I did when I went there was to give irritation and resentment. I didn¡¯t even say thatmon loving words because I was too shy. I told them, ¡°I will do my filial duty,¡± and, ¡°I will do well,¡± but all my promises had been buried in my death.


    I felt choked at the thought of my parents who would still miss such a poor daughter.


    I wished they could endure like Serira. I hoped they didn¡¯t suffer too much. I didn¡¯t want my death to be a big shock to my parents. I really hoped it wouldn¡¯t be. I hadn¡¯t done anything for them but left a wound. What a poignant tragedy it was.


    I couldn¡¯t heal that wound again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my princess all of a sudden?¡±


    I could see now why I hade to love Serira so much.


    Yeah, that was it. That was it.


    Unspoken enlightenment and unspoken attraction.


    Yes, Serira looked like my parents. It¡¯s not her looks, her personality or her habits; its not these things. It was how she was left behind. Sending someone she loved away and remaining alone.


    I had no choice but to love her, me who left first.


    ¡°Therira.¡±


    When I called her, she pulled me out of her arms and saw my eyes.


    Green eyes. Pretty eyes resembling a deep forest.


    My eyes were swollen before I knew it. My head hurts, too. The feeling of tears drying up was also quite refreshing.


    ¡°Yes, princess, say it. Huh?¡±


    Instead of talking, I grabbed her hair. I leaned my cheek against Serira¡¯s pale cheeks. It¡¯s warm. It wasn¡¯t as cold as it looked. I closed my eyes feeling her warmth.


    Regret was toote. I must be so stupid to feel that painful feeling so suddenly, but no more.


    No more... No more.


    I didn¡¯t want to regret this anymore. I should be really good this time. I didn¡¯t want to regret it. I would not regret after I lose everything I was holding in my hand.


    ¡°Why is my princess whining so much today?¡±


    Serira smiled. The smile she gave me while taking me off her arms felt so beautiful.


    Something poured up to my throat.


    That was the perfect moment.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Serira¡¯s body stiffened at my voice. Her expression hardened. I opened my mouth again, facing her eyes.


    ¡°Mom, Mom!¡±


    How much did I want to call her mother?


    Someday, I would call her mom. I would call her that, promising myself every day. However, the words stuck in my mouth, and I could not say it. Finally, the words came out.


    The reason, that had been blocking my throat, preventing me from doing, so but it was after the word had alreadye out of my mouth.


    I felt that I couldn¡¯t even call her as my mom now or never. Such desperation drove me away.


    ¡°Mommy...¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t regret it again. I wouldn¡¯t let go of what I had in my hands. Yes, this life had not yet been a stage to regret. Let¡¯sugh more, and be happier.


    More¡­ I want to say how much I loved her more.


    I mumbled a little, cuddling in the arms of surprise Serira.


    ¡°I yuv u.¡±


    My poor pronunciation did not convey my will properly, but a smile on the little word was enough. Seriraughed, and before long, her eyes were dripping with tears.


    ¡®Don¡¯t cry. Huh?¡¯


    ¡°Oh no, is this tears?¡±


    However, she couldn¡¯t stop the tears from flowing. I raised my hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks.


    Seriraughed as my tiny hand wiped away her tears. It was augh of trying to hold back tears, so it was a very funny look. Still, noughter came out.


    ¡®Oh, It¡¯s a problem.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t believe she still looked so pretty to me.


    Holding my mom¡¯s hand, which was weaker than I was, I made a small resolution by myself. I would never let her cry because of me...

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 33</h4>


    It was difficult to catch the bell on foot in winter. Watching the snowing outside the terrace, I quietly touched the window.


    Now my age was turning 1 year old.


    When I finally asked how old I was, I could answer. Apparently, there would be a feast to celebrate my first birthday. Well, it sounded more like a party than a feast.


    It was just a party to celebrate my birthday and wished for future growth. Well, I guessed they were the same thing.


    ¡°You are a little slow, Your Majesty. Speed up a bit.¡±


    Looking back, Ferdel was smiling and trying to be yful in front of Caitel again.


    He would get beaten again. Anyway, he¡¯s earning his own punishment.


    At first, I thought he was stupid with a swollen liver, but now I¡¯m used to it. That¡¯s why humans were animals of adaptability. Ha, that¡¯s sad. I was getting used to that scene now.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a serious drought in Icharta. They probably won¡¯t be able to meet your expected food quota.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s face stiffened a little. What Caitel wanted was probably rations to prepare for an army, right? There¡¯s been a lot of talkstely about another war, and it looked like he¡¯s about to get into an ident. I was just sitting quietly.


    ¡°Useless.¡±


    Cool words uttered coldly. His words were sincere.


    Ferdel shrugged silently; there was no reply.


    After that one word, Caitel shut his mouth. Two people sat side by side and processed a huge amount of papers. Straightening my legs and stretching, I looked at the two people.


    Ever since they lifted the one-month long ban in my dad¡¯s office, Ferdel came to Caitel¡¯s office every day and chatted.


    Oh, correction. Worked.


    There was a big, good office at the chancellor¡¯s residence, but I didn¡¯t know why he preferred to work here. However, ording to himself, it¡¯s more fun to work here.


    ¡°When are you going get lost?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re done with these papers.¡±


    He had a thick face.


    Ferdel was so gross I wanted to try punching his annoying smiling face a few times. Well, Dranste was the top of grossness, so he was not that bad. Ferdel, who created a miracle that reduced his honeymoon to a day for his previous abduction, unfortunately, had a tragedy of not getting married in time. It was supposed to be done in December, but it was said to be in January because of a setback.


    However, I was a little scared that the wedding was the day after my birthday.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t mean to.¡¯


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Dranstetely?¡±


    While ying with a pen, Ferdel spoke to Caitel. He answered without looking back.


    ¡°Why should I care?¡±


    ¡°You cold one, but he¡¯s your teacher.¡±


    Stupid bastard, he should thank him just for not ignoring you. It was quite surprising to see Ferdel and Caitel as if they were friends like this way.


    ¡®Why aren¡¯t we breaking up?¡¯


    They must have cut off a hundred times, but even if they fought like that, they would return to being friends. It was really amazing.


    I sighed and looked around. There was Dranste leaning against the window and looking at the same scene.


    ¡°Uh? Why? Do you want me to y with you?¡±


    ¡®No, just, you¡¯re pathetic.¡¯


    Dransteughed in my reply. His hand patted my head.


    ¡®Don¡¯t touch my head, bastard!¡¯


    My hair, which was now a little longer and helped me look more like a person, was precious in many ways. I found out that my hair was a really interesting and beautiful red-silver color. I got this from my dad, so it¡¯s a little awkward.


    ¡°But if I show up, he won¡¯t let me touch you.¡±


    ¡®So it¡¯s good to touch me secretly?¡¯


    I looked at him with a pathetic look, and Dranste leaned over my cradle and smiled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡®Oh, you pervert.¡¯


    I shook my head once and looked out of the window again. The sight of fluffy snowkes flying in the sky kept me fed up.


    That seemed to have aroused quite the interest of Dranste.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen snow before?¡±


    ¡®No, I have.¡¯


    ¡°Then why are you watching the snowkes so interestingly? Do you like snow?¡±


    ¡®Oh, seriously.¡¯


    Looking at him without a word, Dranste smiled.


    What, this deja vu. It felt like something was happening to me.


    It¡¯s probably just my feelings. It¡¯s just my feeling¡­ Let¡¯s ignore it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer?¡±


    ¡®Really, that¡¯s it!¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t until I gave him a nce that Dranste stopped bothering me. He smiled and took his hands off.


    Anyway, he¡¯s a problem, too.


    With a small grumble, I looked out the window again.


    Snowy sky. Originally, I was born in a summer. Yes, in my previous life, I had 25 years of memories, so suddenly, I felt strange to hear that winter was my birthday.


    I was born in winter.


    Somehow it reminded me of my mother who was a royal princess in the north. I had never seen her or met her, but I still had a strange feeling. The feeling of wanting to see her, or, in fact, the most curious thing was what kind of person she was. It¡¯s hard to describe this as missing, but it was that kind of feeling.


    When I came back to reality, Dranste was gone.


    At first, I couldn¡¯t get used to his sudden absence...


    I felt a little subtle as if it were bing proof I had gotten used to this life. Looking back again, Papa and Ferdel were working hard on the papers.


    I got up. I held onto the railing of my crib and leaned back.


    ¡°Kyter!¡±


    It was a pronunciation exercise, not a call.


    Yeah, it¡¯s just pronunciation practice.


    It was natural that my pronunciation broke because I didn¡¯t have many teeth. Uh-huh, so I¡¯d like to loosen my tongue as gently as I could before I spoke properly, but¡­ f*ck it!


    Yeah, I just wanted to be petty to my dad, sh*t.


    ¡°Perder!¡±


    At my sudden call, Ferdel raised his head. His gaze at me was still on the edge.


    I didn¡¯t want to call him. I was embarrassed to call just my dad.


    I felt a slight regret.


    Caitel gave me a look. I was so used to his gaze I was surprised by my own adaptability.


    If one would go into a tiger¡¯s den, one could be a tiger if they stay alert.


    Huh? Wait. I didn¡¯t think it was this.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ferdel! How cute! Angel, angel!¡±


    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m a little angel, but can you stop now, my fanatic? I know you¡¯ve already be a ve to me, but I¡¯m a little scared, okay?¡¯


    After all, all Ferdel did was the same as before.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s your daughter. Where did you get that angel? Tell me right now!¡±


    Now, with the unfavorable quarrels he got ten times a day, Caitel had gone on to ignore him all the time. There might be some annoying things to deal with, but above all, it¡¯s not worth it.


    ¡®Sob sob, poor Ferdel, talking openly about how your friend doesn¡¯t feel worth dealing with you. Of course, he wasn¡¯t hurt by that.¡¯


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    The eyes of Caitel slowly turn to me in my call. I gave a big smile to his crimson gaze that touched me.


    ¡®Look at my million-dor smile.¡¯


    Caitel looked at me once, then lowered his gaze again.


    ¡®Oh, that arrogant father, just one smile at your daughter, it won¡¯t hurt you!¡¯


    ¡°So as a conclusion, we send Assisi?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    When they brought up the name Assisi, the topic was usually about one thing. There¡¯s a f*cking war.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for Assisi, but...¡±


    Ferdelughed as he scratched his cheek. Of course, it was a genuine smile, but why were his eyes on me. He should turn his head to my dad right now!


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t going, so...¡±


    That was a bit of a reproach.


    Well, maybe I took it too sensitively. Anyway, Caitel ignored Ferdel and was still busy organizing the documents. He had to look at the reports of the major aristocrats¡¯ behavior. He was also looking at the situation reportsing up from the colonies.


    I watched the two men working hard as I was chewing on my bib.


    ¡°But why aren¡¯t you going? You¡¯ve got a lot of stress. Isn¡¯t it time to break it down? Did I miscalcte?¡±


    ¡®Do you think he is some kind of mad dog? Let him go.¡¯


    Oh, wait. He was a mad dog. Ferdel. Sorry.


    At Ferdel¡¯s words, Caitel ced a pen in his hand. His eyes were rathernguid, raising their heads and staring coolly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ferdel asked. At that question, Caitel turned to me without a word.


    ¡®Huh? Huh? Huh? Why do you look at me all of a sudden?¡¯


    For a moment, the eyes of Ferdel were getting thinner. He asked conclusively.


    ¡°Because of the princess?¡±


    Caitel stuck his nose in the papers again without a word. I was embarrassed.


    Huh? What did I do?


    ¡°Really? ¡±


    Perhaps surprised, Ferdel¡¯s voice grew slightly louder. Ferdel was really rarely, truly, genuinely surprised. It must have been a surprise to see that even his hands couldn¡¯t wriggle. Of course, I soon learned he was out of his mind when I heard his murmur.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s Caitel. Oh, my God. That must be Caitel¡¯s masked monster. Is he an agent of the anti-Agregiant government? Aliens, by any chance?¡±


    ¡­ Why don¡¯t you get your senses before you think about my father?

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 34</h4>


    I was shaking my head, and Caitel looked up his eyes. In his sharp gaze, Ferdel raised his hands right away. It meant surrender.


    ¡°I heard that.. babies forget people once they don¡¯t see that person for a long time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re not going to war?!¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me that was your reason all along!¡¯


    Caitel¡¯s answer was a little unexpected to me too. Who¡¯s that? That¡¯s not my dad. My dad was not that kind man!


    ¡°You?!¡±


    Ferdel asked him, but Caitel ended up just ncing at him. He then ced the finished papers on the table and came straight to me.


    ¡®Thank you for not forgetting me, but I feel a little subtle. You¡¯re not even going to the battlefield that you love because you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll forget you?!¡¯


    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe this. You are really grown up now.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s what I wanted to say.


    Caitel, who hugged me in his arms, grimaced his face.


    ¡°Do you have a deathwish?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s gaze was quite fierce, bur Ferdel just smiled.


    Oh, it¡¯s his talent.


    A talent of earning a punishment.


    ¡°Well, anyway. Just sign this for me.¡±


    ¡°Permission to use the Verita Pce?¡±


    He held me in one hand and signed the document he got in the other. Ferdel took the document as soon as he got the signature.


    ¡°Who needs to use the pce for a week?¡±


    Caitel asked handing him a pen, but Ferdel just smileed. No matter how much I pondered on it, I thought he¡¯s the first one tough so annoyingly.


    Oh, so irritating!


    ¡°That¡¯s a Secret.¡±


    Caitel didn¡¯t hold on to him this time. He picked up my toy right next to him and threw it at Ferdel.


    Ugh.


    I had to see my toy hit Ferdel on the shoulder and fell to the floor and broke out loud just in front of me.


    My toys! My toys were broken!


    ¡°But howe now you¡¯re acting quite like a father?¡±


    When Ferdel smiled, Caitel frowned.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    I cried alone when I saw Ferdel, who was like a woundedmb, bowing his head after Caitel¡¯s stern reply.


    ¡®Oh, my toys. Why are you throwing your daughter¡¯s toys like that?! Frankly, I¡¯m afraid that growing up under you will ruin my personality. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡¯


    ¡°I thought your wedding was in December. Why are you suddenly getting married in January?¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s all because of you, you bastard!¡±


    Caitel put me on the floor as it was.


    Hmm? You want me to practice walking with you?


    He took my hands, and he watched me stand with his hands. Oh, my leg was still weak.


    ¡°Silvia is mad at me, and she won¡¯t talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She wanted to break off the engagement, so I begged for a week. Then she told me she would marry me if I find a honeymoon spot that nobody else has ever been to.¡±


    I prefer walking with Serira¡­


    I didn¡¯t really feel like it, but since daddy wanted to, I would y along. Oh, Dad,st time you were too fast, now it¡¯s too slow.


    Did he thought I was a turtle?!


    ¡°So, did you find it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s why we¡¯re getting married!¡±


    Ferdelughed so happily.


    That dirty, dirty couple! Did they feel the fury of the two singles here!


    ¡°I really love Silvia so much!¡±


    When he saw Ferdel fall into the sofa with a cushion in his arms, Caitel picked up my rattle and threw it at him.


    Oh, seriously! Stop throwing my toys!


    ¡°Hey, why did you hit me!¡±


    This time, Ferdel got angry as if he was really hurt, Caitel answered. The answer was better than I thought.


    ¡°You just annoyed me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone felt that, including me. Dad¡­you shared the same fury as me. I knew it, my daddy was single even though he had so many women. Dad, I didn¡¯t think I had ever loved you as much as I did now.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to look at me so coldly!¡±


    Hey, back off, couple.


    Obviously, I wanted to leave the couple out, but Ferdel was sneaking up to me.


    ¡®Hey, fanatic, why don¡¯t you stop loving me now? Your love is just too much for me.¡¯


    ¡°Looks like our daughter is still as cute as ever. Come here~¡±


    ¡°Heer!¡±


    I wanted to speak, so I was saying something that sounded like words I remembered when I learned English. Whenever that happened, Ferdel just loved it so much he would almost die.


    ¡®Just die. Do you like me that much?¡¯


    ¡°Who are you calling your daughter?¡±


    As soon as Ferdel approached me, Caitel hid me behind him. The act of covering me, made Ferdel¡¯s mouth pout.


    ¡°Who cares! I¡¯ll have a daughter soon too!¡±


    That¡¯s what he thought.


    My father thought the same. He didn¡¯t let Ferdel see me. I snuck in his arms. My dad still treated me like he owns me, sob sob.


    ¡®Dad, I¡¯m a baby. You have to treat me carefully!¡¯


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s so cute. She¡¯s just like a rabbit!¡±


    ¡°A Rabbit!¡±


    ¡®Do I look like a grumbling rabbit to you? Do you want a taste of a rabbit¡¯s kick?¡¯


    Dad! Why wouldn¡¯t he just tell Ferdel himself?


    ¡°No, she¡¯s like a dog.¡±


    ... am I alive to him now?


    Did he think it would be better if I died as soon as I was born? I could talk now, and I could even walk and eat like a proper person. So! Why! Was! I! Still! Being! Treated! Like! A! Dog! Would he shut that mouth once I bit him like a dog? Huh?!


    ¡°Is that an insult?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s expression was subtly distorted.


    ¡®I know, I know. I¡¯m thinking what you are thinking.¡¯


    What the hell should I do with this father? Ha.


    ¡°Caitel.¡±


    For some reason, Ferdel seriously called Caitel. He crosses his arms in a serious look and spoke.


    ¡°I think you need to learn how to speak more gently.¡±


    ¡°For what? There¡¯s no reason for it.¡±


    No, there was a lot of reasons, Papa. First, conversations with me, then you can have a conversation with me, after that you need to have a conversation with me, then another reason is for having a conversation with me, and finally, conversation with me. There¡¯s a lot of reasons, right?


    ¡°She¡¯s a baby. Babies are fragile, and they can be hurt even by small remarks like that.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t understand anyway.¡±


    Oh,e on! I was listening. He should at least try to be nicer!

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 35</h4>


    Look at this dog not listening to others. I sighed with frustration, and Ferdel sighed beside me.


    Yeah, this was the situation which happened all the time. Oh, this bastard.


    ¡°Why did you choose a dog though? You could have said a rabbit, pig, horse, or a fox even.¡±


    Why was he curious about that?


    As usual, it was a useless question, I thought Caitel would ignore it, so I picked up the toy next to me. Round,rge, and hanging on a stick like meat.


    Meat, meat!


    I was biting it, and Caitel took the toy out of my hand.


    Oh, but my gums itch, Dad!


    ¡°Her eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I tried hard not to be taken away by him, but in the end, my toy disappeared into his hands.


    It was a good toy, sob sob.


    ¡°Her eyes only look up to me and reflect myself, just like a dog.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know. It sounds like an insult even though it¡¯s not.¡±


    I knew. Did my eyes really resemble a dog that much?


    No matter how I thought about it, it sounded like an insult. Was it simply because I was not innocent?


    ¡°A dog will wag its tail even if its master tries to beat it or kill it.¡±


    What was he suddenly talking about?


    He¡¯s always a serious man without humor in his life, but now Caitel was somehow different than usual. Something like he¡¯s depressed? I took a deep breath. It sounded like a small sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s what her eyes reminded me of.¡±


    Caitel closed his mouth.


    Papa, I reach out to his cheek with a small whisper.


    Dad, I really liked you, but at times like this, I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Oh, it was good until then...


    Why was he the one looking like an abandoned dog¡­?


    I touched Caitel¡¯s cheek. I wanted to tell him that he didn¡¯t have to make a face like that. I guessed it was still impossible for me with these little hands of mine right now.


    When would these hands start to grow?


    I didn¡¯t even know how much time it took to grow enough to cover his cheekspletely.


    ¡°It¡¯s irritating.¡±


    Ferdel also stiffened his face.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Caitel held my waist on that question. The same crimson eye as mine. Red and vivid, representing both Birth and Death.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what kind of person I am, yet she relies on me because I am her father. Even though I might try to kill her.¡±


    ¡°So are you going to kill her?¡±


    Ferde asked Caitel with his chin oh his hand. Caitel¡¯s eyes turned to Ferdel. It must be a serious situation, but Ferdel¡¯s face was dry, like an audience watching a movie.


    ¡°No.¡±


    If he confirmed, I would have run away from him, but fortunately, Caitel denied. His gaze returned to me. His confused eyes strangely seemed pretty to me.


    Oh, wait. Was I crazy too?


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to kill her, why are you so worried? You¡¯re really weird sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s not only sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, always.¡±


    He talked back to Caitel, and got beaten up again.


    Anyway, he really earned punishment with his words.


    Not forgetting to look pathetically at Ferdel, I turned my head back to the gaze holding me.


    ¡°Do you know what kind of man I am?¡±


    You might be the crazy one?


    ¡°What if I try to kill you?¡±


    Caitel was asking me very seriously. I couldn¡¯t understand and agreed to those questions, but I guessed he didn¡¯t really care. Holding me in his arms, he muttered.


    ¡°She¡¯s too naive and defenseless.¡±


    That¡¯s because I¡¯m still a baby...


    Well, I could say I was defenseless because he was my father. It was actually a difficult question for both of us.


    Ferdel sighed. He seemed to not know what to say to these difficult questions.


    ¡°You¡¯re father and daughter. Isn¡¯t it okay to put down your guard a bit in front of family?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never learned of anything like that.¡±


    I realized what kind of life this man had been living through. There was a darkness in his cold smile. I wiggled in his arms.


    ¡°Are you afraid that eyes will betray you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡®Then what¡¯s wrong with you, huh?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t want to be ignorant of this chaos. I wanted to know him, answer his questions, and solve it for him.


    However, I could do that only when I know the answer. I didn¡¯t know what he¡¯s asking, what he¡¯s afraid of, or what¡¯s he likes. The more I knew, the more difficult he was.


    ¡°I remember Assisi.¡±


    Somehow I felt his arms shaking.


    It was subtle. Something like a tremble.


    Yeah, I thought he and I still had a little distance. Not as far as the sun and the earth, but the distance between Seoul to Busan?


    Of course, that was a long way off, butpared to the sun and the earth, it was much shorter. I wonder. When the day came that I knew about all of Caitel¡¯s past, his thoughts, and what he¡¯s thinking of, what would I think of him then? WouldI like him? Perhaps, I would hate him?


    However, the important fact still remained, Caitel was still my father no matter what.


    ¡°You know, you can have some more trust in people.¡±


    The voice of Ferdel awakened me from my own appreciation. Caitel¡¯s gaze was breathtaking.


    ¡°She¡¯s your daughter, after all.¡±


    Yeah, there¡¯s nothing more obvious than that. I epted it right away, but Caitel frowned at first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to give me advice¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help you!¡±


    Ferdel pulled back as if he was sad. I was a little d that now, Caitel seemed to return being my father. I opened my arms right away and embraced his neck.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    However, dad, he should stop worrying about such useless things. If he tried to kill me, I would run away without looking back. I could crawl now! Stop looking down on me!


    ¡°By the way. If I have a son, why don¡¯t you give your daughter to me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even dream of it.¡±


    It was also my toy that flew to the smiling Ferdel.


    My toys again! This asshole, my toys weren¡¯t his tool for hitting! He didn¡¯t have to throw it like that!


    ¡°Why!? Am I not good enough to be your inw?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by a lot.¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face crumpled at the unreserved answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    With that word left, Caitel went out with me. Fertel, who was left alone, shouted from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯re stingy!¡±

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 36</h4>


    Today was the day I finally grew a year older.


    To be exact, I was now two years old here.


    I was two years old. Me, being two years old!


    I bit my lips in a strange mood by counting my age with my fingers.


    ¡®Mommy, I¡¯m two years old now!¡¯


    I was old enough in my past life. I had already forgotten the excitement of my own birthday. My busy life often made me forget about it. I felt happy when someone was celebrating my birthday. I really appreciated the gift I was given.


    The fact that day was the day I was born was meaningless, and the fact that I was born was more important than the day of my birth. It wasn¡¯t a problem for me to celebrate the wrong day as my birthday.


    Why did I live so insensitively? Well, I was old enough, and I didn¡¯t want to feel that I was getting older. Anyway, I wasn¡¯t so excited or happy because my birthday wasing...


    ¡°My princess, are you that happy? You woke up earlier than usual, and you seem to be in a good mood.¡±


    Serira smiled softly. To that smile, Iughed and pped. I pped when I was really happy.


    Serira lightly kissed me on the forehead.


    I thought my innocence was gone, but I guessed it was still there. A low beating thrill spread through my blood. I felt a little sweet.


    ¡°Now, you have to get ready for the party. His Highness is holding this birthday party just for you, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Serira chuckled as I nod my head. I loved her smile too.


    I couldn¡¯t walk properly yet, but it was possible to stand. Every time I did something like that, I felt so aplished.


    This was how it feels to grow, huh? It was strange. The days when I was lying on my belly and unable to do anything felt like it was yesterday. However, look at me, I could walk now!


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown bigger.¡±


    Uh, this voice?


    Looking up, I saw Dranste smiling at me. I usually didn¡¯t like his smug smirking, but for some reason, today¡­ he looked quite handsome.


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡®I thought you didn¡¯t know, but thanks for remembering my birthday.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t expect anything, but I was more than happy to know someone would remember my birthday.


    Tsk, I would forgive him for all the flirtings he did for now.


    I nodded with a serious face, and heughed.


    ¡®Why are youughing? Stopughing at me!¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re really funny.¡±


    Oh, really!?


    Heughed louder when he looked at my face.


    Hey, stop making me mad.


    I was staring at him with a discontented look, but it didn¡¯t work on him. In the end, Dransteughed as much as he wanted.


    He¡¯s being really cheeky! Here I thought he was being quiet today.


    Our eyes met for a moment. I really wanted to pinch that smiling mouth.


    Hey, why wasn¡¯t he visiting these days? He used to visit me often when I was younger. Did he get mad because I always scolded him?


    ¡°Were you sad that I wasn¡¯t around to hang out with you?¡±


    Not at all.


    I pulled his hand out of my head, and I stepped back.


    I think it would be better for him to disappear in front of me right now. Why did he keep touching me?


    I was wary enough of him, but Dranste lowered his body and had eye contact with me. He then patted me on the head.


    Stop touching me, you pervert.


    ¡°I had some business to take care of, so I¡¯d like to spend my days with you here if I can.¡±


    You¡¯d like to spend your days¡­?


    I looked at him with a sullen look, and he smiled.


    ¡°...But I¡¯m a busy man.¡±


    Oh, was he now?


    My face stiffened. Oh, really? Then he could get lost now. I was a busy woman, too. This jerk. How could I be known for mistreating him so well?


    What a difficult question.


    I shook my head and reached out to Serira next to me, but Dranste held my hand before Serira noticed.


    What, why!?


    As soon as I looked at him, I caught something hard in my little hand. Huh?


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    What was this?


    Looking at it out of curiosity, it was a moon-shaped gem.


    It¡¯s pretty. Was this obsidian?


    I sat straight and looked at the gem closer. Dranste sat in front of me. I looked up at him primly, and he rolled the jewel in my hand.


    Huh?


    It turned into different colors when rolling it. Wow, it¡¯s pretty.


    ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    ¡°Purdy!¡±


    Pretty!


    Serira turned her head this way because of the loud noise I unconsciously made.


    Uh, uh, what should I do? Ha, haha.


    I smiled awkwardly, and Serira smiled back. Serira looked my way for a while. When she found out that nothing was wrong with, she turned her head back.


    Phew, that was close. It could have been a disaster.


    Was this a brooch?


    ¡°No.¡±


    Dranste, who was watching me ying it answered. I was a little annoyed by his dry reply.


    What¡¯s this then?


    ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Did he want me to beat him up? I stared at him, annoyed. He smiled in return.


    Oh, it¡¯s so annoying. I wanted to be nice to him, but he always made me mad.


    Let¡¯s talk about this when I grew older. I would punch you in the face.


    Even though I was seriously threatening him, Dranste justughed. It was annoying because it seemed like he was holding hisugh.


    ¡°Wait, wait! This is it, this.¡±


    What¡¯s that?


    With my angry stare, Dranste¡¯s hand turned to my ear with his own gift.


    Huh? It¡¯s an earring, but I didn¡¯t have my ears pierced.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    You still gave me an earring knowing that? Did he really want a beating from me?


    I was really thinking about having a deep external conflict with him, but he smiled. It was his usual terrible smile.


    ¡°Here, this is how you put it on.¡±


    What are you doing? Ouch!


    At that moment, I felt a prick in my ear. I made a sound and frowned, but I was more surprised because I wasn¡¯t ready for it.


    Oh, really, you should have warned me!


    ¡°Here.¡±


    However, the moment I raised my head tosh at him, I forgot what I had to do. Because...


    ¡°Purity!¡±


    He pushed a mirror in front of me.


    Oh, he¡¯s smart.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 37</h4>


    Oh my, this cute, lovely, adorable, and pretty face was mine? I hadn¡¯t looked in a mirror in a while...


    I was bound to be a beauty when I grew older. I just had to grow past my 16th year.


    However, now that I took another look, this earring didn¡¯t look like a simple jewel. It¡¯s somehow mesmerizing the longer I look at it...


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    ¡°If something happened, call me through this. I¡¯ll be there for you right away.¡±


    Touching on the earrings he had given me, Dranste whispered to me. Well, this was a little embarrassing.


    Was this earring a way to connect him and I together?


    ¡°Huh? No.¡±


    Then how do I call you? Do you want to die?


    ¡°You have to break it in order to summon me.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    What did he just say?


    I have to break this earring. Oh, I could break them by myself! That¡¯s how I could call him! Oh, I see.


    ¡°Uhhh.¡±


    This idiot, was he joking with me? How would I break this?! Was he telling me to just die?


    I pinched his cheeks as hard as I could. I was the only one here who could hear him. He wanted to get beaten that badly, huh?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will break on its own if your will is strong enough to summon me.¡±


    After I pinched his cheek, he smiled. It¡¯s strange. I was the one who hit him, but it felt like he got me.


    Oh, he was so annoying. I hated him so much!


    I squinted my eyes, he smiled brightly.


    ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    His lips on my forehead are quite...


    Wow, he¡¯s buttering me up.


    However, he¡¯s kind of embarrassing me now.


    Dranste gave me a present and disappeared. He¡¯s always like that, but it¡¯s also his mystery that he didn¡¯t make me feel sad about it.


    Well, he woulde back any time.


    It was his hobby to show up out of nowhere, so I didn¡¯t feel anything even though he disappeared. It¡¯s rather strange for him to stay long. Yeah.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Princess.¡±


    Some friendly voices greet me. They were the maids staying at the Sy Pce. Including Serira and Elene, everyone I saw congratted me.


    Even if it was a birthday without any excitement, I was still grateful and happy that I was celebrated like this. Even I was excited.


    This was the first time so many people congratted me.


    I really felt loved.


    ¡°Happy birthday, my princess.¡±


    ¡°He he¡±


    The birthday present Elene gave me was a small handmade scarf. I had seen her learning how to knit from Serira and making something. I never thought she made them for me.


    Serra gave me a big rabbit doll, a cute and lovely rabbit with a hood on it. The doll¡¯s ears were drooping which made it cuter. This was also a gift handmade by Serira. Maybe that¡¯s why the scarf and the doll smelled good. I love them.


    ¡°Now, shall we go?¡±


    The party started at sunset.


    Come to think of it, I hadn¡¯t even seen Caitel today because of his work.


    I was busy with gifts and celebrations today, so I didn¡¯t even know it was sunset already. Of course, I knew days were short in winter, but...


    Well, I could see him at the party.


    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty, my princess.¡±


    I wore a blue dress and a flower-shaped hairpin on my head. I looked pretty today.


    Oh, I¡¯m so pretty. Who was I supposed to look like now? Hehe.


    Unlikest time, I entered the party in Serira¡¯s arms. I guessed it was because I was still a baby. As soon as I entered, I sat in the prepared cradle and looked at people.


    Wow, there were so many people.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Princess.¡±


    There was an overwhelming number of people I saw for the first time. Still, I felt good. I was so happy with the greetings from strangers.


    The magic of birthday, hehe.


    ording to what I heard, only about 50 nobles and representatives were invited. Still, this looked like an enormous crowd to me. Was it because I¡¯m small?


    However, if this was small, how many people would be there in big parties?


    ¡°Our princess is so pretty.¡±


    ¡°I heard that she grew up so well that she can walk already.¡±


    Of course, because this was my birthday, everyone was busy talking about me.


    ¡°She might start talking soon.¡±


    ¡°She must be clever, like her father, the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°She will be all grown up soon. Oh, my.¡±


    I already know how to talk. The problem was that my pronunciation was terrible. Sob Sob.


    Why didn¡¯t these guys stop talking about sad things because they think I couldn¡¯t hear them at all? I understood what they all said, so they should stop talking!


    ¡°I heard his Majesty adores princess Ariadna so much.¡±


    However, they just wouldn¡¯t stop talking.


    Dirty world, screw you!


    ¡°Oh, who says such things?¡±


    ¡°But everyone who enters the pce already knows that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I heard his Majesty is showing an unusual affection for her. Maybe he is truly turning over a new leaf for his child¡±


    Everyone talked too much. Both men and women. Those who was risen by gossip shall fall through gossip. I was looking around irritably when I saw Serira far away.


    Huh?


    I realized that Serira wasn¡¯t next to me.


    Huh? Why was it only Elene here?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Herira!¡±


    Not Herira. I was talking about Serira. Oh, my pronunciation.


    Well, Elene still got what I said. Elene turned her head for a moment as if she was worried.


    It was actually the real Serira I was looking for now. Oh, so the woman from far away was really Serira.


    ¡°Should I call Serira for you?¡±


    No. No.


    Elene seemed embarrassed when I shook my head. She looked like she was going to cry. I reached out to Serira without a word.


    ¡°Oh, would you like me to take you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Elene seemed like she was in trouble.


    What¡¯s wrong with you?


    I tilted my head and Elene bit her lips.


    What¡¯s wrong with her?


    She acted like she wouldn¡¯t take me, but she grabed me in her arms. She still looked somehow nervous.


    What, was there some kind of bomb over there? Why was she looking so nervous?


    ¡°Mama!¡±


    I smiled brightly as soon as I got near Serra. But Serira seemed troubled for some reason.


    Huh? What¡¯s wrong, both of you?

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 38</h4>


    Even my moods were bing strange in that air. At that moment, I found a boy hiding behind some olddy.


    Wow, how many months was he?


    He¡¯s much bigger than me. He must know how to walk already!


    ¡°Come here, princess.¡±


    Serira held me and took me to the boy.


    ¡°She is our princess. Say hello.¡±


    Huh? Say hello to me?


    When I looked back at Serra, she smiled at me.


    ¡°This is my son, Graecito. He¡¯s quite small, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡®This is your son?¡¯


    My curiosity grew bigger.


    Oh, right, Serira had a son. He must be him.


    I realized why Serira and Elene were embarrassed.


    Really, how many months was he?


    I was sure we¡¯re not that far apart in age, but he looked a lot taller than me. It¡¯s strange. I reached out to him. I was trying to measure how much bigger he was than I was, and at the moment, something shed before my eyes.


    G, Graecito!


    Hey, did you just p away my hand?


    I couldn¡¯t believe what just happened to me, so I just blinked my eyes. The old woman grabbed the child¡¯s arm and pulled it into her arms.


    Ugh, I was hurt.


    This was the first time I had been refused ever since I was born here. Serira was more surprised than I was. She hugged me and patted me with her hand, kissing me on the cheek and forehead.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, he must be overwhelmed by this ce. It¡¯s not because of you, so please don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    You didn¡¯t need tofort me. I could tell he doesn¡¯t like me. I could tell by his re.


    He cringed if he knew he was wrong, but somehow his green eyes were firm. I heard children were really sensitive to emotions, and I guessed that¡¯s true. I could clearly feel someone¡¯s emotions so well like this.


    However, since when did he knew me enough to re at me like that?


    Today was my birthday. I felt sad.


    ¡°Cito.¡±


    In a stern voice, Serra called the child, but Graecito buried his face in the dress of the old woman he was holding on to.


    Serra sighed low. Somehow I felt she was in trouble, so I pulled her pale blonde hair. Serira, let¡¯s go back.


    She stared at me for a moment, and Serra lightly kissed on my forehead. We came back to our seats.


    ¡°Do you like Gaecito?¡±


    ¡°Cito!¡±


    His name and appearance were like rabbits. I remembered the rabbit I got from Serira earlier. A big rabbit doll.


    He looked just like that rabbit. So I would call it Cito.


    ¡°You¡¯re already using a nickname for him.¡±


    Serra seemed relieved I wasn¡¯t as shocked as she thought. Her smiling face was a bit pitiful.


    Before I appeared earlier, I didn¡¯t think they were in a good mood. Well, hmm? Oh, I didn¡¯t know. I shouldn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Cito, Cito!¡±


    Yeah, Graecito somehow felt hard, but when I called him Cito, it reminded me of the image of a chubby rabbit.


    Yes, Rabbit, your name was Cito! I would hate you as much as I could from now on. This was punishment for pping my hand on my birthday!


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Uh, this voice was...


    My geniuses hadn¡¯t lost its light. I turned my head, and Caitel came into my eyes. He had his usual aura around him, but he looked at me with a sharper gaze than usual.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t want to.


    You sucked, taking me from Serira¡¯s arms as soon as you see me. Sob Sob.


    When I was in his arms, I wondered what to say to him. Should Iugh? By the way, why did he looked grumpier than usual? Was his day longer?


    Do I have to lighten the mood for you? Am I your personal clown?


    ¡°Cito!¡±


    ¡°Cito?¡±


    No, why did I say that? Why did that name just popped out?


    Serira suddenly looked flustered after hearing my words. It was the first time even for me to see her so flustered.


    Huh?


    ¡°Oh, well...¡±


    Serira bit her lips. At that moment I saw Graecito and the olddy passing through.


    He¡¯s over there, the one who refused my hand!


    ¡°Cito, there!¡±


    As I said so, Caitel turned his eyes. He looked at Cito once with dry eyes. He seemed to know who he was with a simple gesture.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that boy your son?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, It¡¯s my honor you remember him.¡±


    Serra was bowing her head as if she were guilty.


    I was a little worried. Why was Serira acting like she did something wrong? Then I soon realized her position.


    Oh, right. She was my nanny.


    Maybe Serira was afraid to be mistaken as taking care of her son more than me. If it¡¯s not, then whatever.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    This bastard, what did he mean by that?


    I looked at him, and he chuckled.


    Why was heughing, was my face funny, huh?


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve taken a liking to him?¡±


    ¡­ If he asked me like that, I was not sure how to answer. No, I didn¡¯t really care about him actually.


    It¡¯s a difficult question. I had decided to use my technique.


    My smile!


    Here, daddy. I was smiling, so stop asking me something like that.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Fortunately, a savior appeared just in time before Caitel said something. I turned my head to a familiar voice. I admired myself for my own brilliance.


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you recognize me.¡±


    Silvia greets me with a bright smile just like before.


    She¡¯s beautiful. I heard she¡¯s 22. What did I do when I was 22?


    Damn, why was she so pretty! Her cherry-blossom hair was waving. It was so pretty.


    ¡°Sil, Sil!¡±


    ¡°Happy birthday, Princess.¡±


    Her gentle congrattion immediately made me felt so much better.


    Wow! Silvia, I loved her Sob Sob.


    Next to her, Ferdel also greeted me, but I didn¡¯t hear his greeting. She¡¯s my angel!


    ¡°This isn¡¯t much, but I wanted to show my appreciation.¡±


    Huh?


    It was definitely my present, but the one who got it was Caitel. As I felt embarrassed with my empty hand, I turned around and stare at my dad.


    Hey, it¡¯s mine! I would rip it off!


    However, my f*cking father was taking a look at his daughter¡¯s birthday present.


    ¡®Oh, father, please have some manners.¡¯

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 39</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s shiny.¡±


    It was jewelry that was in the box Caitel unwrapped without my permission. Lightly shinning sky blue jewel.


    Was that a jade? It¡¯s definitely a jewel...but it¡¯s so mesmerizing. It was my first time seeing jewelry.


    What was that?


    At that moment, Silvia bravely took the ne from Caitel¡¯s hand. Then she hung it right around my neck. Wow.


    ¡°This is a rare jewel found only in Aquileya.¡±


    Silvia smiled at me, holding my little hand and taking the jewel.


    I though she¡¯s prettier than this jewel.


    However, I like the smooth texture of this jewel. It was the size of my thumb.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Larimar. It¡¯s said to bring peace, love, and rejuvenation. I especially asked for it while wishing you only the best of luck, princess.¡±


    ¡°Purtty!¡±


    It¡¯s so pretty! Even the meaning was so pretty! It was just like Silvia.


    How could she be so kind and pretty? Ha, she¡¯s a real angel, an angel. At that moment, Silvia smiled brightly. It was a bright smile that purified my heart.


    Oh, that halo behind you...


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    ¡°Silvia!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. She¡¯s such a bright child.¡±


    I loved Silvia! Sil, why didn¡¯t she be my mom instead? Wait, be the Empress. My daddy might be a jerk, but he could be alright if she took a good¡­


    Wait. He didn¡¯t have anything like that. sorry.


    I was selling medicine. Sorry. I couldn¡¯t do this. I couldn¡¯t do this for you. Sorry.


    ¡°See, my wife is so talented.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ferdel, who tried to boast us how great Silvia was, waspletely ignored by Caitel.


    Tsk, tsk.


    Even Silvia ignored him, so Ferdel stiffened his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll shut up.¡±


    Yeah, well thought.


    He gave me a little box sadly. I saw the box Ferdel handed me with curiosity.


    ¡°Now, princess this is my gift for you..¡±


    However, even before I got it, the gift disappeared.


    Huh? Huh? What is it? What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for a gift from you.¡±


    Daddy, I needed it.


    When Ferdel beckoned, a servant came to us with a tossed gift. Ferdel swept up his hair in indignation.


    ¡°Hey! If you keep that up, I¡¯ll really be upset!¡±


    Yeah, Dad, no matter what, you couldn¡¯t just throw away gifts. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my birthday gift, oh wait¡­ it is!


    ¡°Then get lost.¡±


    In the fury of Ferdel, Caitel left one word and turned away. His apparent disregard angered Ferdel again. Oh, that poor bastard.


    ¡°Wow! Look at him!¡±


    He startedining to Silvia who¡¯s next to him.


    ¡°Silvia, look. He¡¯s harassing me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you did something to deserve it.¡±


    However, Silvia was cold. Wow, she said that with a sweet smile. I was so surprised I swallowed my breath, and Ferdel opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Oh, Silvia, how can you be so cold to me!¡±


    Then he suddenly plunked down.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t trust anyone! This world is rotten.¡±


    I felt bad on this naive guy.


    Hey, did he realized that just now?


    Since this was a birthday party for a baby, it ended sooner than usual. Well, at least for me and Caitel. Though, some people stayed behind to enjoy the rest of the night.


    Normal parties usually ended the next morning. Wow, how young they all are.


    ¡°Now princess, it¡¯s time for you to bathe and go to sleep.¡±


    It was time for me to wash and sleep.


    Serira called me, who¡¯s in the arms of Caitel. Without thinking, I opened my arms to move to Serira, but Caitel did not hand me over to Serira.


    Huh? What was he doing, Dad? No matter how much he liked me, he shouldn¡¯t do that. I should wash too!


    ¡°I¡¯ll wash her today.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Huh? What did I just hear him say?


    Serira made a stupid-looking face. I have the same stupid face simr to hers. He just...


    ¡°Do I have to repeat myself?¡±


    The voice of Caitel got slightly scarier. Serira felt frightened and stepped back. With her head down, she left the room as soon as she could.


    ¡°I beg your pardon. I shall get the bath ready.¡±


    I had to get into trouble once because of the Caitel looking down at me with a satisfied look.


    Dad shouldn¡¯t do this. We¡¯re not close enough to do this! We¡¯re not friendly enough to wash each other like this! Did he have a death wish? How dare he try to wash me! Maybe he¡¯s trying to wash away my life instead of my body?!


    Wow, what a bolt out of the blue!


    I was so happy because I died today. My dad finally wanted to kill me!


    I couldn¡¯t even make a fuss over my dad, so I had to shiver and went in into my own bathtub. No matter how generous Caitel was to me, he wouldn¡¯t be generous to his daughter who refused him. I was right. Sob.


    A small tub that could fit my body was filled with water that wasn¡¯t too hot, not too cold.


    Oh, it¡¯s warm.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll use this to wash her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡±


    What. Was he surprised to see me wash for the first time?


    Even if I was in a toddler¡¯s body, how could I do this with a man? I mean, he was my dad, but still...


    This was too embarrassing!


    ¡°No! Your Majesty!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ouch! I thought he was trying to kill me!


    Serira bit her lips as if she were crying because of my reddned arm. I was d I was not an ordinary baby, but if I were a real normal baby, I would cry and go crazy. Why was he rubbing me so hard?!


    ¡®Oh, my arm hurts. It hurts.¡¯


    ¡°Your Majesty, you mustn¡¯t rub that hard. Please try it on my arm first...¡±


    Caitel looked at her as if he was oblivious of what the problem was, but when he saw my red arm, he realized his mistake. He followed Serira without saying a word.


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Little bit more gentle.¡±


    Even though he did it weaker, he¡¯s still strong. Serira seemed ufortable.


    By the way, my arm! What would he do to my arm?


    ¡°This much?¡±


    ¡°Little weaker.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s frustration strated growing.


    ¡°Will this actually wash her?¡±


    Yes, it will, you bastard!

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 40</h4>


    I wasn¡¯t the only one frustrated. Serira answered him in a slightly sharp voice. Somehow she sounded angry.


    ¡°Babies are more delicate than you¡¯d expect. If you kept scrubbing her that hard, her skin would have been scraped off¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yeah, look at my arm!


    I was angry at him, but as soon as Caitel saw me, I grinned. Damn it! Yeah, I still wanted to live.


    ¡°How troublesome.¡±


    Somehow he seemed to be having difficulties.


    What¡¯s so difficult for you? This was so obvious.


    However, this obvious things seemed extremely difficult for Caitel. Suddenly, when I thought his scarlet eyes had subsided darkly, Caitel closed his eyes.


    His deep sigh reached my ears.


    Since then, Caitel learned to bathe fairly quickly. Of course, Serra taught him, but it was still quite fast. Of course, there was my sacrifice.


    My arm was still sore. I saluted myself. Good job, me.


    ¡°Did you enjoy your bath?¡±


    Caitel, who left it up to Serra to finish washing and drying me, looked tired somehow.


    However, when did he get a bath?


    He finished washing up while I was drying my hair and getting changed, and he came to me brushing off his wet hair.


    By the way, would he please put some clothes on? He should put his own gown on.


    ¡°I see youugh quite often.¡±


    It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t want to die yet...


    Let¡¯s stop because I felt like tearing up thinking about my unfortunate destiny.


    He swept my cheek with his hand and smiled. His hands felt pretty cool because he just finished bathing.


    Oh, it¡¯s cool.


    I felt refreshed because I just came out of the water.


    I thought the bath was good. I felt like I was limp, like melted chocte but I liked it.


    Oh, I wanted to eat chocte all of a sudden.


    ¡°You seem to like it.¡±


    He smiled. It was rare. His smile was sofortable, and It was a little surprising.


    He knew how to make a face like this, huh?


    I was just blinking my eyes on his bed, and suddenly Caitel sat on the bed with his gown on. His hand was holding a small box I had never seen.


    ¡°Here. This is for you.¡±


    What was that?


    I took the box from him and looked at him. We then had eye contact. Caitelughed. He soon opened the box in my hand. I opened my eyes wide on the red jewel.


    It was a very small ring.


    With very red ruby on top. Red and somehow purple ruby caught my eyes. It was a beautiful ring that would take my heart away in a moment.


    I raised my head in amazement as Caitel was smiling at me. It was not a big smile as usual, but I didn¡¯t even think of criticizing it.


    Was this gist gift for me?


    I was a bit confused. I did not know how to react to him. My mouth was open, but no words hade out.


    What should I say? Ah... You cheater. This was foul y.


    I didn¡¯t expect Caitel to give me a gift. For some reason, I never imagined this would happen. Actually, it¡¯s little obvious to think of it, but I didn¡¯t know until he gave me the box. Suddenly, his hand patted my head lightly.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    A low, somewhat attentive voice.


    ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    He looked embarrassed to say that.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Caitel frowned when the curtain suddenly opened wide. He was still sleeping and he lifted his arm up to cover his eyes.


    ¡°What is this all about?¡±


    His mood was very low because it was morning, but Caitel got used to him since this was not his first time.


    The man who stood against the window and looking at him was, of course, Dranste. Caitel¡¯s face was crumpled when he saw who it was. Seeing that face, Dranste smiled.


    The morning sun was shining white in his back window.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    ¡°What regret?¡±


    What he was saying at early in the morning was great. That was not a big deal because Caitel heard it before. Caitel closed his eyes again.


    A significant voice whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see what happens.¡±


    Dranste looked quite happy. Although one whos dealing him was not.


    Caitel crumpled his face irritably and then opened his eyes again. He opened his mouth, ncing at the ceiling.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you when you say you won¡¯te for a while?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s voice was quite scary. Dranste wasn¡¯t always in the position of being weed, but look at how much he hated him. Dranste felt a bit upset.


    ¡®Did I live my life wrong?


    Suddenly, he felt a sense of skepticism about his life.


    As he stood for a moment frowning, the irritating voice of Caitel came out.


    ¡°Are you mute?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time, but the way he talks¡­ I think he¡¯d get stabbed anywhere because he talks that way.


    He was polite when he was young.¡¯


    Dranste felt the futility of life. In the past, they fought many times because of his way of speaking, but now, they wouldn¡¯t anymore because he is the emperor. However, one day, Dranste predicted, something big would happen because of how he talked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not mute yet.¡±


    ¡°Close the curtain. Not yet in the morning.¡±


    As soon as he answered, Caitel criticized him. Dranste looked at the watch and shrugged his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right time for you to get up.¡±


    He heared the irritating voice of Caitel. He really didn¡¯t want to get up. Not knowing how Caitel felt because he didn¡¯t sleep, Dranste just looked at him.


    Finally, Caitel woke up with his hand on his head with a tired face. He looked dizzy.


    ¡°While watching you sleep, I started to believe humans truly forget about their past easily.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s eyes turned to Dranste. Dranste faced his eyes with his arms crossed, leaning against the window.


    ¡°You used to have trouble sleeping even for an hour a day, and now look at you. No matter how deeply asleep you are, you used to wake up right away when you sensed me looking at you.¡±


    After hearing the old memories that came out of Dranste¡¯s mouth, Caitel turned his eyes away. With his face chilly eyes, he presses on his forehead.


    ¡°Are you a pervert? Quit watching someone sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Your dream is quite fun to look at.¡±


    Caitel red at him. Dranste shrugged his shoulder at his sharp gaze.


    Frankly, the days when the two of them were together was fresh and fun for Dranste, but painful days for Caitel. He hated to talk about that story. It was noticeable when Dranste watched his dreams. Of course, Caitel hated when Dranste appeared in his dreams so much, but it was a problem that Dranste never considered his feelings.


    Caitel knew that very well.

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41: The Emperor''s Daughter Chapter. 41</h4>


    "Now, answer my question, you said you''d be gone for a while."


    Skipping the inevitable problem, Dranste shrugged at what Caitel had pointed out.


    "I was gone."


    "Only for two days?"


    His snorting seemed absurd, but Dranste had nothing to say. It''s true there''s something he had to do, so he couldn''t be around every day.


    That''s why he would deliver that to Ariadna today.


    It was not a good idea to tell that to Caitel, so Dranste just shushed his mouth. When he thought more of it...


    Oh, yeah. That''s right.


    Suddenly, Dransteughed low.


    When he smiled, Caitel''s face crumpled to see if he had foreseen something ominous.


    "Oh, what about that?"


    "That?"


    "I''m interested in your daughter."


    As expected, Caitel''s face crumpled with no remorse. Seeing him defending right next to his side, Dranste showed a rare bright smile.


    After the assassination attempt, that little baby, who could not leave the side of Caitel, was still asleep next to him. It''s already been a year since that baby was born. It was a little fresh feeling.


    ''I''ve never been conscious of the passage of time.''


    When he was looking at that baby, he could definitely feel that time was passing.


    Although he was thinking about something else for a while, he felt the harsh eyes of Caitel, who looked at him rarely seriously. Dranste shrugged at his behavior.


    "Well I want her, but I''m not asking you to give her to me right now. Not yet."


    "Not yet?"


    His mischievous voice replied.


    Dranste gave an endless sweet smile. If he was a woman, he would have melted away.


    "Yes, not yet."


    "Then get lost."


    However, the problem was that his charm did not work on his opponent because it was Caitel.


    A maid walked in through an open door and she was surprised to see Dranste. Then she went inside and put a ss of water near Caitel. Then another maid brought a big basin. It was water for him to wash his face. The other woman brought in his clothes, but Caitel looked at them all without emotion and ordered.


    "Get out."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The maids left his clothes behind and left the room.


    However, soon, Serira came through the door and looked at Dranste with a surprised expression. She also held the sleeping princess in her arms and left the room. It often happened because Caitel started his day earlier than others.


    Watching the door closepletely, Dranste turned to Caitel. He still looked drowsy. Also, he was not in the mood at all. He was always in a terrible mood in the morning, but when his daughter left the room, he felt that morning hadepletely.


    ''You''ve been domesticated, tsk tsk.


    "But you still won''t let anyone touch your body except her."


    The woman whom Dranste referred to was the warden of this Sy pce.


    Even his chosen maids were forbidden to touch his body. The only person who could do so was the warden of this pce.


    Even if he knew the story, Dranste still thought it was a little funny for the emperor to change his clothes himself. Caitel''s eyes were sore.


    "Are you here to pick a fight?"


    "Yup."


    Caitel frowned. Watching him frown, Dranste smiled brightly.


    "I like it best when you''re angry."


    "Go die."


    "Aha-ha."


    His lowugh reverberated.


    Caitel''s expression was even more distorted. He knew the more he hated it, the more Dranste liked it, but he always couldn''t control his facial expression. Of course, Dranste was irritatingly aware of that fact. That''s why he was doing it more this way.


    "She''s cute."


    Caitel''s keen eyes were on him.


    Dranste smiled deliberately more sweetly.


    "She reminds me of you when we first met."


    Caitel snorted as if he was talking some kind of bullshit, but Dranste didn''t care.


    "I mean you when I first met you."


    It''s not a story to be brought up on purpose, but Caitel still hated that story. His face stiffened. His expression, which turned sour every minute, was so interesting that Dranste wanted to take a picture and keep it separate.


    "She''s small and delicate, to the point where I want to break it. Oh, of course, I don''t mean to break her. I liked her."


    Caitel''s eyes were thinning. It was an act of trying to gauge whether his words were sincere or not. Before Caitel found out about it, Dranste hit the yer first.


    "To be honest, I wanted her, so how about this? Why don''t you give me your daughter as for your debt?"


    "I promised to give you this empire."


    Caitel answered that grinning face. Dransteughed.


    "What can I do with an empire of humans? I''m not interested."


    "I refuse."


    Somehow his answer sounded exceptionally firm, so Dranste was a little curious.


    "Why? You''re gonna sell her anyway."


    His low voice harassed Caitel.


    "Or did you fall for your daughter now?"


    "Better shut up or I''ll cut your throat."


    His threatening voice had lost its power. Caitel didn''t know it and still denied it, but already everything about him seemed obvious to Dranste.


    "Oh, you''re in love!"


    Caitel was caught in his childish provocation. The sword he summoned flew at Dranste''s throat.


    However, that sword was a gift from Dranste. It wouldn''t have any effect on his body. Caitel, who failed again, frowned his face.


    Dransteughed so hard at his expression. Biting his lips, the sword flew again.


    Dranste took the sword this time. A white, shining de shined in his hand. At the sight, Caitel gave his hand more strength, but the eyes of Dranste, who was smiling, were sunk to a great depth.


    "I''m warning you."


    His voice was as subdued as his eyes speak.


    "You''ll regret it, really."


    Why do you keep discussing regret? Caitel clenched his teeth and replied.


    "I don''t regret it."


    "Really?"


    "I won''t


    However, with his eyes squinted, Dransteughed.


    "It seems to me that you''re already starting to regret"


    Caitel clenched his teeth and growled small.


    Ariadna''s situation to tame this fellow was a little bit sad, but Dranste quickly moved on to another issue. He gave the de he held in his hand and nods his head.


    "Well, fine."


    Caitel stepped back with a stiff look. His sword had already disappeared. Dranste whispered to him.


    "I hope you haven''t forgotten our promise."


    Their eyes met. The scarlet eyes burning furiously with hatred. Dransteughed.


    "You have to pay me back someday."


    Inbetween grinding its teeth profusely, Caitel''s voice came out.


    "...you demon."


    Caitel''s demon smiled brightly.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 42</h4>


    The day after my birthday was Ferdel and Silvia¡¯s wedding. Fortunately, I was able to attend and watch the wedding in another castle nearby. Other than Ferdel, Silvia was truly beautiful in her pure white wedding dress. I wished to be like her when I grew up. I was under the illusion that a white wing would pop out from her back. Ha, she¡¯s so pretty.


    Even her pink party dress looked amazing on her. It went well with the hair color of Silvia. However, that wasn¡¯t a problem. I got shocked at Ferdel¡¯s bravery.


    ¡°Do you wish to end your life right now?¡±


    Caitel red at him with a fierce look. Ferdel was just grinning.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulder, Ferdelughed. Wow, he was so impudent. Caitel was really about to summon his sword and thrust it into Ferdel¡¯s neck.


    However, things were a little different than before. Ferdel, who looked him up with ease, seemed to have gotten a good scolding this time.


    ¡°Oh, was this because I used Verita Pce for my honeymoon?¡±


    He shouldn¡¯t have done that even though he already knew it. I sighed quietly. He acted like he has 10 lives to spare. Already, Caitel¡¯s veins were sticking out on his forehead.


    Ugh, I felt scared.


    Silvia shook her head while holding me in her arms.


    Yes, the term of Silvia was ¡®the honeymoon ce that no one had ever been to¡¯ was the Imperial Pce. The Verita Pce, which was known to have the most beautiful scenery in this imperial pce. It was usually a pce for the asional state guests.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re the one who signed the permit for us to stay at Verita Pce without reading it properly.¡±


    I guessed this was why he had to read the use before giving consent. Just signed the contract very carefully. I was nodding my head at the unexpected lesson as Caitel¡¯s hand trembled. It was a desperate gesture to kill him.


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. How cute you are.¡±


    Of course, I was cute. No, wait this was not what I meant. Stop your husband, Silvia. My dad would kill him soon. However, Silvia was inplete peace. She was only hugging me tightly and praising my cuteness. Was she my fanatic too? She was also scaring me a little.


    Was my cuteness enough to paralyze her intellect?


    Oh, what was I saying?


    ¡°Shut up and get out of my pce.¡±


    His low voice was quite insidious. I felt goosebumps on my back. Oh my, I felt like I was walking on thin ice. However, Ferdel smiled and lolled on the sofa where he was sitting. With his chin resting on his hand, he looked even more drowsy.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a long time since your permission was processed, what¡¯s wrong with this? I¡¯m a guest who justly binds this pce for ten days.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You are not a state guest.¡±


    ¡°I am a state guest. I¡¯m the chancellor of this empire.¡±


    I looked at him shrugging his shoulders. I wanted to smack him. My dad was thinking about the same thing too.


    ¡°Then quit being the chancellor.¡±


    I opened my eyes wide when he spoke in a harsh tone. Uh, wait, Caitel, so that meant he¡¯s firing Ferdel? Could he fire him like that? He was a chancellor!


    However, even when his boss said he would fire him, he was too rxed. What? Why was he so rxed? I rolled my eyes with ominous gaze, and at that moment, Ferdel smiled and mocked Caitel in front of him.


    ¡°I wonder, would you be able to survive even an hour without me?¡±


    That was a trigger. In a sh, Caitel summoned his sword summoned in a quick swing. Oh no! Another murder in front of my eyes! I closed my eyes. Then I buried my nose on Silvia¡¯s arm, but her reaction was strangely unusual.


    Wait, was she all right?


    Stupidly opening my eyes right away! Now, I could watch the situation again! Fluttering white feathers. It wasn¡¯t Ferdel¡¯s neck Caitel cut off. It was a sofa.


    ¡°Why does it have to be this pce?¡±


    His voice was still dismal. I WAS dying of real anxiety, but this Marquis of Vitervo made me so anxious because they were so peaceful. No, was I the only one scared here?


    ¡°Because Silvia told me to find a honeymoon location where nobody else has been to yet. Who in the world would spend their honeymoon in the Emperor¡¯s pce?¡±


    Oh, great. Great! Tsk tsk.


    ¡°Thanks, Caitel, for letting us use the Verita Pce for ten days.¡±


    When a big smile... it was so impudent I wanted to smack him with my fist. Well, even I was this angry, imagine how much Caitel would want to murder him? He was already holding the sword in his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end your life right now.¡±


    ¡°Huh, Your Majesty, I beg your pardon.¡±


    What a masochist he was! How could he feel nothing when he saw him like that? No, Ferdel seemed to enjoy Caitel¡¯s swagger. Oh, that pervert.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys continue with your business after a tea break.¡±


    Hey, perfect timing Silvia!


    Caitel¡¯s scary face loosened. At the moment, our eyes contacted and I smiled for him. Hehe, hi daddy?


    Huh? Oh, it¡¯s a habit now. This was not good. It¡¯s so sad! A baby who smiled to survive! It¡¯s so sad! He does not reply to my smile with his. Why should I smile for him? Oh, my poor life.


    ¡°Look! Our princess is so cute as usual!¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Anyways, he really dug his own grave.


    ¡°Your Majesty, may I ask you something?¡±


    Silvia spoke to Caitel. His eyes soon reached hers. Although I felt it before, Caitel¡¯s attitude toward Silvia was somehow stiff.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    His voice was so dry, especially when I knew the fury of his whenever he spoke with Ferdel. Was there something between them? I looked at Caitel and Silvia alternately, but I didn¡¯t really feel anything from Silvia.


    He just didn¡¯t like women, was that it, Dad? What¡¯s the problem? Talk to me.


    ¡°Would it be possible for me to be Princess Ariadna¡¯s godmother?¡±


    Huh? What was this, godmother?


    ¡°Will it be possible?¡±


    It was a friendly smile.


    Wow, I casually admired her. Serira too, but she¡¯s a real angel. Howe she was so soft, gentle, kind, friendly, and sprouting! I wanted to be Silvia¡¯s daughter. Her children would be so happy she was their mother.


    I rubbed my cheek on her arm, and Silvia looked at me. When I realized that the eyes I saw were colored with amicable pale pink, Iughed without realizing it. It¡¯s a problem for me like her so, but I didn¡¯t think I would refuse her of this favor.


    There¡¯s no reason for me to refuse. I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Me too! I want to be her Godfather!¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    That was a quick and definite refusal. Poor Ferdel. Caitel stared at Silvia with irritation, and his eyes soon turned to me. It was a slight difference, but I felt like he looked at me with a little love¡­ that would be my delusion. Right?

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 43</h4>


    Yeah, that was my delusion.


    ¡°I give you my permission to do so.¡±


    Huh? Really? I opened my eyes wide and look at Caitel. He twisted his lips in my gaze. I heard the sound of the t balloon.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for a child to have a mother.¡±


    Why did he sound like he was mocking someone? It sounded like it¡¯s rather good for me to not have a mother. You bastard.


    ¡°Good for you.¡±


    Whether Caitel¡¯s sarcastic or not, Silvia was happy to have his permission. The act of Silvia rubbing my cheek was full of joy.


    ¡°Princess, It¡¯s so wonderful.¡±


    Well, I didn¡¯t hate it either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, too, her godfather! I want to do it too!¡±


    In the meantime, Ferdel got in. Oh, seriously. He should stop acting up.


    Next to him, Caitel seemed annoyed. He looked at Ferdel with a sword that had not been removed yet.


    ¡°If I¡¯ll be her godfather, and Silvia will be her godmother, doesn¡¯t that make the princess our daughter?!¡±


    Silvia smiled awkwardly.


    Please read the mood¡­ did he really have to say that right in front of my dad?


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    I was thinking it¡¯s strange he was still alive even though he dug his graves by himself. Ferdel avoided the sword flying in his head and looked up at Caitel with a grudging gaze. Caitel let go of the sword in his hand without a word. A long sword melted into space.


    That scene was amazing every time I saw it.


    ¡°You shall attend today¡¯s meeting with me.¡±


    ¡°What? Hey, I¡¯m on vacation! This is my honeymoon!¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Nobody told you to take a honeymoon trip to the royal pce.


    ¡°How could you be so mean! You crazy bastard.¡±


    He looked pretty unfair, but I didn¡¯t feel like I would feel pity him. A crazy bastard summoned his sword on Ferdel and called him a crazy bastard. Oh, no, so scary! Silvia stepped back for my safety.


    It¡¯s a wise choice.


    ¡°Surrender! Surrender!¡±


    He cried out for surrender, but it didn¡¯t work.


    After all, Caitel stopped after he had cut off a few strands of Ferdel¡¯s hair. He crumpled his face looking down at his hair on the floor. He wouldn¡¯t have to work out, he was always like that.


    ¡°Wow, seriously.¡±


    Ferdelined in a low voice. At the slightest sound, Caitel turned his head. Ferdel was smiling like he was okay, but... As soon as Caitel¡¯s eyes turned, the look immediately fell.


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Should I live like this?!


    That¡¯s what he¡¯s saying now? I know what he¡¯s thinking. This big sister knew, but I couldn¡¯t help it. That¡¯s our life. It¡¯s fucked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s thest meeting before the war ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Is Assisiing, then?¡±


    Oh, was that famous Assisi here in the city now? That was more interesting to me. I always heard his name. I also had strange fantasies about him too. I mean, he¡¯s called the ck knight. It¡¯s like Caitel being called a king of blood or a bloody emperor and Ferdel being called an iron chancellor.


    However, why the ck knight? It¡¯s still a bit of a question.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Look at Ferdel. He¡¯s excited for Assisi even though he hated attending the meetings. I had heard they were good friends, but it seemed like they were way closer than I imagined.


    Huh? However, he was a close friend with Caitel too. What?


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in the garden while you two are in a meeting.¡±


    The snow piled up on theke from outside Verita pce cooled my eyes. The white snow reminded me of the leaves of the winter tree. There was no answer from Caitel. Only Ferdel smiled brightly and nodded.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    I smiled and called him because I saw his eyes. He used to ignore me, but now he ignored me asionally.


    Caitel smiled little and reached out to me. The back of his hand swept my cheek. His touch made me feel weird. I think it¡¯s cold, somehow cool and dry. I felt like I was in the dry water. Somehow, it beautifully hurt...


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    My thoughts were soon cut off. Someone¡¯s voice rushed in and called the Caitel. Huh? What¡¯s happening? My eyes were turned with Caitel¡¯s. The servant, who came into the drawing room in a hurry, knelt on the floor.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Caitel took his hand off of me, and I pouted my lips. When Caitel¡¯s gaze turned to him, that man flinched.


    ¡°Well, that, the...¡±


    The more he hesitated, the worse it would be. My thoughts were correct. At the moment Caitel was about to get annoyed, his head was drooping.


    ¡°The Kaldoras prison, it was ambushed by a group of unknown assants!¡±


    Ferdel stood up from his seat.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s reaction was also serious. Wait, so the prison was attacked? Prison. What was the prison for? For eating? To party? To lock up people? What the hell¡¯s happening?


    ¡°The Kaldoras prison is about to, uh, those assassins....¡±


    When Ferdel shook his servant by the shoulder, he felt embarrassed and stammered. I sped Silvia¡¯s cloth tight, and she looked at the situation with a startled face.


    ¡°Tell me again.¡±


    Resummoned sword got close to the servant¡¯s neck with a dark spirit. It¡¯s not cutpletely, but it was really close. However, if it prated his neck a little more, it would likely cause a scar on his skin. His rugged features and exhaling bloody spirit made him look like someone else.


    ¡°Y, your Majesty.¡±


    The servant¡¯s body trembled like a tree. I couldn¡¯t see the way it looked. That¡¯s what most of the guys in front of my dad were like. Being away from him, of course, did not mean I could avoid that spirit, either.


    I was scared. Silvia was shivering a bit too.


    ¡°Caitel.¡±


    Ferdel, the only one who didn¡¯t tremble, stoped Caitel. It worked because he was Caitel¡¯s friend. He put his sword away.


    The sword was not removed, but the servant was relieved to breathe. Well now, it seemed like Caitel was controlling himself¡­ but his spirit was strong. I didn¡¯t know if it was because I was a baby, but it was really hard to breathe. I was scared.


    Suddenly, Caitel snatched his servant by the neck. He made him stood up with one hand by grabbing his servant¡¯s throat and told him.


    ¡°If any of that was a lie, I will have your tongue plucked out.¡±


    At Caitel¡¯s threat, the servant grabbed his neck and barely nodded. That would have been his best because Caitel lifted his throat to the point of strangling him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Caitel left the pce.

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 44</h4>


    I looked at him in the back with anxiety. Ferdel tried to follow him and looked back at us for a moment.


    ¡°Silvia.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face crumpled at the reply of Silvia. He looked as if he was sorry and pitiable.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please take good care of the princess.¡±


    Silvia nodded silently. Ferdel smiled. He soon left the pce.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here all of a sudden...¡±


    Her voice mixed with sighs. Yeah, what the hell was going on here? By the way, poor Silvia. Today should be their first day as a married couple. I grabbed hold of Silvia¡¯s clothes and rubbed my cheek. She hugged me and touched my back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry princess. Everything will settle down in a bit.¡±


    I was not worried about that, I was worried about her.


    Still, the warmth on my cheek was indeed hot. I rubbed her cheek against mine with a worried face. Silvia made moaning sound. Was she all right, huh?


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Huh? Why? When I looked up at her, Silvia took my finger out of my mouth and smiled small.


    ¡°Princess, how about we visit the garden?¡±


    The garden? Wait, suddenly?


    I was not pleased, but Silvia got excited like a child and wiped my wet hands with my bib. I wanted something in my mouth to keep me from biting my fingers.


    ¡°You love the garden as well, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s call Serira to join as well.¡±


    ¡°Gaden!¡±


    The garden was not the matter. If Serra came, she would bring my toys, too, right? I had been crazy about balls these days. I wish she could bring my rabbit too! Cito! I wanted to y with my chubby Cito! As Iughed and pped, Silviaughed.


    ¡°Princess, jamjam.¡±


    ¡°Jamjam!¡±


    I liked jamjam. I was good at it.


    Silvia kissed me on the forehead for doing a good job. Silvia came out with me in her outer clothes. After her, the maids of Verita pce followed her as attendants.


    Wow, it was winter. The winter in the imperial pce was not so cold. No, it may be because winter was not over yet, but it wasn¡¯t very cold. At least it was warmer than the winter in Incheon where I lived. I had to wear thick clothes from the moment the fall came. I didn¡¯t want topare, but I wasparing them because that knowledge I knew was all I had ever had. There was a time when reincarnation in another world was something I could never have dreamed of...


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What? Silvia, why?


    A sudden stop. Silvia stared at something.


    Why? I turned my head towards Silvia¡¯s gaze and there was a man standing there. A man standing not so close but not so far.


    He¡¯s like winter. It was a strange idea, but I thought of it at the moment. I could not see his face because it was covered in a ck mask, but his hair caught my eye. Silver hair? No, I think it¡¯s a bit bluish.


    ¡°...we should go.¡±


    Huh? Weren¡¯t we just leaving? Didn¡¯t she have to say hello, at least? Wasn¡¯t he someone she knew?


    Why was he turned away with such a cold expression? Was he her ex-boyfriend or something? Was that what it was? I was embarrassed, but I was only a baby so no one noticed my embarrassment.


    I turned my head in the arms of Silvia to see that man again while she was walking to the garden. However, the man was gone the moment I looked again.


    I felt like I was dreaming. Was I dreaming?


    However, if there was an impression of him left in me, it was only that he looked ¡®cold¡¯.


    The season had already jumped beyond spring and was heading for summer. The scenery of the garden was as beautiful as it always was. It might be because of the winter tree that made the Spirit of Winter asleep. Strangely, the garden maintained the same temperature all the time even though it was an outdoor garden. Whether if it was winter or summer.


    Serira said the tree was warm in the winter because it absorbs cold air, and cool in the summer. Moreover, it was colder in summer near the trees than in winter. Maybe it¡¯s because this tree spouts cold air. In winter, it¡¯s warmer near the trees. The white leaves that didn¡¯t lose all year were exceptionally pretty.


    ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t run!¡±


    Did she think I would stop!


    Yeah, I would stop because I was a nice, cute little girl.


    ¡°Serira!¡±


    It¡¯s been 18 months since I was born, which was only one and a half year, but I could do a lot of things in that long and short time period. Now, I could walk on my own, and I could run by myself. I could also stand alone for a long time! Most of all!


    ¡°Serira!¡±


    Now, I could pronounce everything properly!


    Hahaha! This was glorious! Even if we started talking around the same time, my pronunciation was much better than my peers! Oh, I guessed I was a genius. What should I do to hide my genius? My talent shined like a jewel, even though it was mixed in a great deal of sand. Of course, it was all my bullshit.


    ¡°Come on, ah.¡±


    These days Serira checked my teeth whenever she had a chance. I opened my mouth again, and Serira, who had been looking at my mouth seriously, smiled brightly.


    ¡°All of your mrs should grow out soon. Does it tickle at all?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    It hurt rather than tickled, but it was okay. I nodded and Seriraughed again.


    Ha, Mom, did she knew she had beenughing a lottely? I really liked it when Seriraughed. I opened my arms and buried my face in Serira¡¯s leg. Soon, a familiar touch fell over my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty, princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m pretty.¡±


    I nodded my head. Seriraughed again as I nodded my head seriously. What was that? Was sheughing at me? I really was pretty. What was I supposed to do? They¡¯reughing at me because I said I was pretty. How dare they. Could I still call her my mother!?


    ¡°My princess, you can talk so well now!¡±


    Elene sat beside me and talked to me. I looked back at her. Last year, when I was a baby she was just a little girl. Now she was a pretty gooddy. I felt weird. I meant, should I say I felt the futility of time? Oh, what was I saying? I was just 2 years old now.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m better than you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Elene lowered her head without a word. Her dark expression was quite serious. Then she told me seriously.


    ¡°Princess, you are so mean.¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t be so serious to a 2-year-old! I just wanted to ignore her, but I had seen her since I was a kid, so I couldn¡¯t turn around easily. Oh, seriously. I grabbed Elene¡¯s cloth and stared up at her. Elene, I didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°Really? You don¡¯t like me?¡±


    You didn¡¯t like me? Really? Could she still stop liking me when she saw my face?


    ¡°Oh, my God, princess, you¡¯re too cute!¡±


    Elene was crushed at once. Ha, this cuteness. With my cuteness, conquering the Earth didn¡¯t seem impossible. It¡¯s possible!


    Oh, but Elene, please, could she just stop hugging me so hard? I felt squeezed! I was going to die!

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 45</h4>


    ¡°Who does my princess look alike? Why are you so pretty?!¡±


    I looked like me. Wasn¡¯t that obvious? Who did I look like? There¡¯s no one.


    I had been thinking if I looked like my dad for a moment, but...


    It would have been a mess. The baby¡¯s already throwing her toys, crying all the times. I must have been a total wreck if that was my personality, of course. I didn¡¯t know my mother and her personality, so I couldn¡¯t tell.


    I wasn¡¯t the type of person who epted touch, but after spending a year and a half like this, I was so used to Elene hugging me, smacking her cheek, kissing me, and touching me. I didn¡¯t like anyone touching me, but somehow, I ended up like this. Damn, humans were adaptable animals.


    ¡°Get away from me.¡±


    I grumbled since I didn¡¯t like myself getting used to this but...


    ¡°My God, why is my princess so cute? Cute, cute!¡±


    It didn¡¯t work a bit. Oh, shit.


    Why! I was able to speak properly! Why couldn¡¯t Imunicate?


    I realized mymunication problems didn¡¯t seem to be a matter of my pronunciation. I thought I found the light since I had no problem but only a tiny leak in my pronunciation but...


    It was not a problem. Shoot.


    ¡°Graecito, you should greet the princess.¡±


    Serira¡¯s words made Graecito angry and hid behind his grandmother¡¯s skirt. I watched the scene in Elene¡¯s arms. Serira bites her lips.


    Oh, I was getting angry. Stop bothering Serira, you fucking rabbit.


    ¡°Idiot.¡±


    It was a small voice, a very small one. It was a small voice I could only understand, but he frowned at my lips. Wow, he could understand that. The only thing he could do was to hold his grandmother¡¯s skirt and stared at me, but he got what¡¯s bad for him. Oh, how did I end up like this?


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Serira looked at me. Her expression was filled with apology and guilt. I didn¡¯t mean to make her look like that. Well. Iughed like I didn¡¯t know anything. That was the wisest thing I could do.


    ¡°I want ice cream! Ice!¡±


    Elene, who was holding me, stood up. She tried to bring some ice cream, but Serira stopped her. She meant she would bring it. She must have been very sorry for me.


    I watched Serira disappear and turned my head again to see Graecito.


    Ever since my birthday, my good-for-nothing dad kept inviting Graecito to the pce. Yes, this situation was just Caitel¡¯s joke.


    I knew this was a time to be interested in some other kids of my age, but I didn¡¯t like being with someone who hated me. In particr, Graecito looked at me like an enemy somehow. I was still a baby, so there¡¯s no reason for anyone to have a grudge against me. What the hell was wrong with him when he was also a baby? I would be generous for a couple of days. However, It¡¯s already been six months and I couldn¡¯t help it. Whenever he saw me twice a week, he just stuck close to his grandmother and stared at me in a sulky way.


    What the hell was hisint? What the hell was it?


    ¡°Stupid.¡±


    Even though I said it with a smile, he looked at me quickly. He knew it¡¯s a bad word even when he¡¯s a kid. Huh, yeah, this was marvelous. Since everyone thought I liked him even he didn¡¯t like me, I should act like I adored him. I got close and held his hand.


    Graecito hit my hand in a single stroke. I was d Serira wasn¡¯t here now.


    ¡°Gree!¡±


    His grandma freaks out and caught Graecito. I took a breath because it happened every time. That brat.


    ¡°P, Princess.¡±


    Stop being so embarrassed. I approached him knowing this would happen. Still, I didn¡¯t avoid it when Elene called me. What the hell was I going through? I didn¡¯t have any good feelings for him. Still, I had to keep pretending I was close to Graecito so he could continueing. Of course, it was all for Serira. She used to see her son about once in a month but now eight times a month, and how could I keep him away?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did Gree do something again?¡±


    Nice timing. Serira just came back and asked Elene, but she just smiled and shook her head. I ran to Serira.


    ¡°Ice Cream!¡±


    Scooping! Well, this ice cream was more like bingsu(Korean ice ke dessert) than ice cream, but it was good. I was a kid who loved cold things!


    ¡°Here, Gree, you should have one too.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Serira held out ice cream to him, but Graecito knocked it out of her hand. If he didn¡¯t want to eat, he should just say no. How dare he! A wave of deep anger shook my head for a moment, but soon I held back.


    Hold still. Hold still. Phew.


    ¡°Graecito!¡±


    Serira, who almost spilled the ice cream, spoke out to him in rare cases. Gracito was troublesome. It¡¯s not easy to get scolded every time by a friendly Serira. I finished my shaved ice and went to clung to the angry Serira.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t want to eat then don¡¯t eat! I would eat everything! This was so delicious. The imperial chef was the best. It¡¯s so good. I was on the verge of gaining weight


    ¡°No, princess, you can¡¯t. If you eat a lot of cold stuff, you¡¯ll get sick.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to eat it!¡±


    ¡°Princess-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna eat it. I want it!¡±


    Serira seemed stressed. I knew she was in trouble, but still, it¡¯s so good. It was a very ungainly act, but I wanted it. I was still a baby on the outside!


    ¡°Then take half this. I¡¯ll eat the rest.¡±


    ¡°Then Elene eat too!¡±


    ¡°Oh, can I?¡±


    I turned my head and called Elene, and she emotionally held her hand. I nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    ¡®Let¡¯s make fun of that idiot who won¡¯t eat this delicious food.¡¯


    ¡°Granny eat too!¡±


    The olddy smiled when I brought her a spoon of ice cream. She¡¯s Serira¡¯s mother, and she looked just like Serira. I wondered if Serira would be like her when she got older.


    ¡°My princess, eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°But just eat this.¡±


    Here, I gave her my spoon and the hesitating olddy ended up eating some ice cream.


    ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    This was the skill of our Sy Pce chef. I was full of pride. I heard he¡¯s chosen out of 1500 people. I guessed they were not lying. All the food he made was a treasure. You had to designate it as a cultural asset in the country. Since delicious food was the treasure of the country!


    ¡°Would you like to eat it, too, Gree?¡±


    When Iughed my head off and ate the ice cream again, Grandma turned and asked her grandson. I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯s such a stubborn boy. He shook his head with a cold shake.


    Whoa, yeah, look at you.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really delicious.¡±


    If someone refused to eat something I could eat then there¡¯s nothing sad about that. Haha.

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 46</h4>


    <b>Trantor:</b>?None?<b>Editor:</b>?YUNSUL


    After the ambush at Kaldoras prison, people started gossiping about Caitel again. Bloody tyrant, Sy¡¯s insane king¡­ people talked about him so much that those rumors even got to my ears. Well, all the maids talked about it, so there¡¯s no way I couldn¡¯t hear it.


    The incident died out a bit when Caitel killed or executed all the supervisors at the prison. Government officials rted to this incident were all expelled. Anyone responsible in any way was sentenced to death regardless of the reason. Thanks to that bloody and merciless execution, Caitel¡¯s dignity got ruined once again. People no longer viewed Caitel as a generous father, raising his baby princess.


    What inevitable viiny. No, a tyranny.


    ¡°They are all useless. How did they keep their useless life until now with that ipetence?¡±


    Did I get in at the wrong time? I heard his scary voice as soon as I entered the room.


    Apparently, the situation was quite serious. The criminals imprisoned there were mostly political prisoners whomitted first-degree crimes.


    Most of Caitel¡¯s enemies were killed when he was enthroned, but some who couldn¡¯t be executed were kept in prison. This was only a rumor but Caitel would kill them all eventually, but Ferdel stopped him from doing so.


    ¡°That¡¯s how they¡¯ve been all this time.¡±


    ¡°It makes me want to kill all of them.¡±


    I could feel his deep bloodthirstiness. He was serious. Even his detestable gaze was terrible. Ferdel sighed.


    ¡°Keep it. You¡¯ll end up dying instead.¡±


    ¡°How about I kill you first?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t do that. Your threat doesn¡¯t work on me.¡±


    They still got along pretty well even though they seemed like they¡¯re on bad terms. I supposed that¡¯s their fate.


    ¡°Anyway, you should take a look at these. It¡¯s from Assisi. He managed to take down North Praezia. It seems south Praezia¡¯s still holding onto their ground. Both sides have been counterposing for a month already.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I suggest you should go on a rampage there and vent your stress.¡±


    Ferdel suggested, but Caitel¡¯s face stiffened. Perhaps Ferdel thought this bloody storm was due to his stress. Well, maybe.


    However, he decided to stay here because of me. Still, he¡¯s a father. I felt a little strange. When he heard my breath, Caitel turned his head my way. His heavy gaze reached me.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    It was a simr look to the one time he once tried to kill me, but when I ran to him with a bright smile, Caitel¡¯s eyes change. He straightened his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run. You¡¯ll get hurt.¡±


    No, I wouldn¡¯t get hurt. You had no idea how long I had been running like this. I was running, thinking it was nothing to worry about. However, at that moment, my toes were stuck on the edge of the door. No! I was going to fall over!


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to run.¡±


    Before my body touched the floor, strong arms snatched me up. Hehe, it¡¯s Daddy. Well, It¡¯s okay. Even if I did fall over, he would be there to catch me.


    ¡°Papa-¡±


    He¡¯s such a dry man to me. I didn¡¯t know why I was always smiling at him.


    Oh, well, I knew the answer best, so I should move on.


    Shit, I just wanted to survive. Sob sob. I didn¡¯t care if I get more love from him now. At least I wanted to stay at this level! I felt mostfortable now!


    ¡°Princess, show him your little charm!¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m cute!¡±


    In response to Serira¡¯s voice, I brought my index finger to my cheek and smiled at him. That was all and Ferdel was making big noises next to me. Hey, I didn¡¯t do this for you.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so cute. Too cute¡­ she¡¯s absolutely adorable! So lovely! Such a pretty child!¡±


    He¡¯s still a fanatic for me.


    I turned my head and looked up at my dad again. Dad, what was with your expression though? I was acting all cute just for you. Did he want to die? I gave him something, then he should give me something too! That¡¯s just it? You bastard.


    ¡°Princess, look over here! Right this way! Peek-a-boo! I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡®Hey, I already stopped ying peek-a-boo, okay? You should try something new!¡¯


    ¡°Princess, Princess Ariadna! A-r-i-a-d-n-a~!¡±


    Oh, really. Dad, he¡¯s so annoying. He should do something about him.


    Caitel sighed and lifted me up when I pulled his cloth. I wondered why¡­ even though he didn¡¯t really show his affection unlike Ferdel, I still liked Caitel more. I guessed he really was my dad after all. Caitel somehow attracted attention, so my eyes gravitated towards him. Well, it¡¯s a totally different story when he went crazy.


    Ferdel was trying to get my attention, but soon he seated down on the sofa. He looked quite depressed.


    Yeah, what a fanatic. I thought he should love me less than now.


    He loved me too much.


    ¡°Caitel, why does the little princess hates me so much?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re ugly.¡±


    Huh? My face got stiff. Huh? What did I just hear?


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s because I¡¯m ugly. That¡¯s what it is. That¡¯s what¡­ it¡¯s not! Give me a serious answer!¡±


    Ferdelughed and threw the cushion beside him. Of course, Caitel dodged it well.


    ¡°Then, maybe because you are unattractive?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Um¡­ maybe the number of letters?

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 47</h4>


    <b>Trantor:</b>?None?<b>Editor:</b>?YUNSUL


    Ferdel was depressingly holding his own forehead, and his eyes glistened again as I raised my hand and yawned.


    ¡°That arrogant gesture caught me!¡±


    I guessed he thought of me as Venus de Milo or something. He liked everything about me so much. I wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t like his attention. Caitel suddenly turned around.


    ¡°Hey, why are you turning around?¡±


    I heard Ferdel¡¯s bewildered voice, but Caitel was steady. Yeah, he¡¯s the only one who could protect me from that pervert, Dad. I ambled slowly towards his arms and shook my legs. Then I grabbed Caitel¡¯s shoulder and lifted my head. When our eyes meet, Ferdel¡¯s face turned bright.


    ¡°Sil! Silvia!¡±


    ¡®Silvia, I miss you!¡¯


    She¡¯s been staying at the pce for at least three days a week as the special privelege of being my Godmother. However, these days, the number of times he¡¯s been absent continued to increase.


    ¡°You want to go and see my wife?¡±


    Oh, he loved her so much. However, the real problem was his love wasn¡¯t annoying at all. I nodded. Caitel turned back. I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯s letting me go, but it was good to be on the ground.


    ¡°Yes, Sil!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe and see me then?¡±


    Ferdel grabbed my small hand. Uh, now? Could I go? I really wanted to, but shouldn¡¯t I get permission from my dad first? Wasn¡¯t that the case? Turning and looking at my dad, Caitel grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me towards him. Huh? Besides, Ferdel got cut off all sudden. Hmm?


    ¡°What, why, for what!¡±


    Although Ferdelined bitterly, Caitel warned him in a serious voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±


    Fertel shouted as if it was unfair. However, Caitel was serious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even hold her hand.¡±


    Oh, was all thismotion because he held my hand.


    Caitel had summoned his sword, guarding me. I was a bit dumbfounded, the same as Ferdel. He couldn¡¯t shut his mouth open and couldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Wow, crazy! What kind of persecution is this? It¡¯s so disgusting.¡±


    Yeah, this was a little too much. I thought this was a little bit tacky. However, Caitel was also ambitious.


    ¡°Get your own daughter then.¡±


    What a sick voice. That voice even made me wanted to have a daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to even if you didn¡¯t remind me!¡±


    Fertel insisted, but Caitel only sniffed. However, unlike in the past, Ferdel¡¯s argument was somewhat credible. Since Silvia was already six months pregnant. I was a little depressed because her pregnancy kept her from visiting me. Silvia, I missed her.


    ¡°My Princess will be born soon. My wife has been pregnant for 6 months now!¡±


    ¡°How would you know if the baby is a girl or a boy?¡±


    Yeah, how did he know if it¡¯s a daughter or a son!


    He could define the baby¡¯s sex with magic, but Ferdel had refused and decided to wait until the baby was born. Perhaps, he said no and snuck a peek at it?


    ¡°Of course the baby will be a daughter! I want a daughter so bad, so it¡¯s obvious! The first child has to be a daughter, no matter what!¡±


    What¡¯s he saying? It¡¯s not up to him.


    Caitel turned to me as if he didn¡¯t want to deal with Ferdel anymore. Huh? What? Oh, I thought I spilled some ice cream earlier. Touching the stains on my white dress, Caitel asked me with his eyes.


    I spilled it while I was eating. So what?


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me. Please pay attention here. Give the socially weak person warm attention!¡±


    Who¡¯s the socially weak?


    We both turned our heads and gave him a pathetic look. How could both the father and his daughter look exactly the same? Oh, I was doomed. When we looked so simr and started acting the same way, then it was game over. I was afraid I would have a blood wind just like my father. Damn it.


    ¡°Fine! Darn it. I should just die somewhere if I will be treated like this!¡±


    Ferdel seemed hurt after seeing the two identical faces of contempt a father and his daughter was showing him. I felt sorry for his unusually depressed appearance. However, what could I do? I shook my head and came out of Caitel¡¯s arms and ced my hand on Ferdel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°... Are you trying to console me?¡±


    Yes. What I meant to say was if he died, who else would tease Caitel? My pronunciation got better, so I couldn¡¯t just talk bad about him in front of him anymore.


    He was my only hope in some ways!


    Although meaning was unsatisfactory, the result was fine. Ferdel¡¯s eyes turn sparkly. Oh, I thought he was deeply moved.


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t die.¡±


    Ferdel started to cry while cuddling me.


    ¡°Hah, what an angel!¡±


    Without another word, Caitel pped his hands off once again.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t hit me! That hurts!¡±


    ¡­ Stop being fools.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 48</h4>


    <b>Trantor:</b>?None?<b>Editor:</b>?YUNSUL


    The next day, I came to Vittevo Mansion with Serira. To see Silvia because she can¡¯t move due to her pregnancy!


    I was scared, but I told my dad I¡¯d like to visit her. However, Caitel let me visit her easier than I thought. Well, his actions towards Silvia was always a little dubious. I¡¯ had been watching him for quite a while, but he didn¡¯t seem to dislike her. There were certain signs of him staying away from Silvia, but it¡¯s simr to the atmosphere in which he gives Serira...


    Does he just doesn¡¯t like women?


    But ording to those rumors, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a eunuch. Is it misogyny? I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s a strange man. Is he just misanthrope? Yeah, I think that¡¯s right. His misanthrope embedded in his bone. My dad is like an onion. More and more thingse off when I get to know him deeply.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for you toe in person.¡±


    Silvia loved the garden. She loved the garden, the patronage, the greenhouse. I could tell by the fact that all the ces I¡¯ve been ying with her for thest six months were like that. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it, it¡¯s just a little strange that a pink person likes green so much.


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    People told me to call her ¡®Godmother,¡¯ but I feltfortable calling her Sil. Of course, Silvia also seemed to prefer me to call her Sil. Actually, she seems to want to hear me say ¡°mom¡± the most, but my face is not thick enough to call you ¡°mom.¡± Besides, I haven¡¯t even called Serira a mother yet. I call her a mother inside, but...


    Maybe it¡¯s because I met Graecito, and when her real son in front of me, I didn¡¯t want to call her a mother. Let¡¯s stop here...


    ¡°Oh my, hello princess!¡±


    ¡°Baby!¡±


    I heard she started eating a lot after getting pregnant, but she¡¯s still so thin all over except for her belly! Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The world was always unfair, darn it.


    ¡°Yes, princess. There¡¯s a baby.¡±


    ¡°I like baby!¡±


    Silvia smiles softly at my words. Her smile was so warm that my heart also felt warm. But what is this feeling? I feel like I have a younger sibling. Yeah, that¡¯s how it felt. It¡¯s nice but also a little bit sad.


    When this baby is born, I will be pushed to second ce for Silvia and Ferdel. No matter how cute and pretty I am, I¡¯m someone else¡¯s child. Surely your child is prettier. Yeah, that¡¯s the principle. It¡¯s a little bit disappointing, but I can¡¯t help it. I already envy the baby a little.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    But Silvia likes it so much. Also, Ferdel loves it. I hope the baby is born safe and well. Then I will treat you like my sibling.


    I looked at Silvia¡¯s belly really amazing look, and she smiles. Serira brought me a little cold tea. My own cup with a handle on it. How cute.


    ¡°I hear you had a pain in your stomach? It must be hard for you to even sit down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. I used to be so surprised that I thought I was going to miscarry, but fortunately, it wasn¡¯t like that way.¡±


    ¡°I know there¡¯s less chance of miscarriage after six months. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re going to give birth to a healthy baby.¡±


    Taking a sip of tea, I looked at them alternately, rolling them in the eye. Serira and Silvia, whose names were simr and simr in disposition and character.


    So they became very close while taking care of me. They have so many simrities, of course, it was natural for them to get close. And Serira is originally Count Pastryl¡¯s wife, so there¡¯s nothing Serira is below the level of Silvia.


    I handed her the cup I had finished, and Silvia smiles and grabs my hand.


    ¡°Now, hold your ear close.¡±


    Huh? What are you asking me to do, to this belly? But I put my ears on her belly as Silvia told me. Well, um, what am I doing?


    What, Huh?


    ¡°The baby¡¯s kicking!¡±


    That¡¯s amazing! There¡¯s a real baby in here. It felt a bit strange.


    ¡°The baby must like you, princess.¡±


    ¡°I like the baby, too!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    It was good for no reason. Could the baby be defenseless by the baby? Oh, is it different because it¡¯s a fetus?.... Something was amazing. A strange sensation winds around my body. I also felt a little excited.


    ¡°Yes! Good.¡±


    I felt like I was losing my ce before, but where¡¯s that person? Sometimes I could feel something touching my hand when I put my hand on Silvia¡¯s belly.


    Wow, that¡¯s amazing! Did I feel this when my mom had my siblings when I was a kid? The memory before the six is so hazy that I don¡¯t remember it clearly. But it was really amazing. I wish the baby is a girl. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a boy, but Ferdel wants a daughter. I hope it¡¯s a daughter.


    ¡°Baby, hurry up ande out. Let¡¯s y.¡±


    Suddenly two women chuckled at my whispering. Why are youughing? I look at Silvia and Serira in a sulky way and they hold back theirughter. Still, the small burst ofughter seemed toe out.


    ¡°Are you happy to have a younger sibling?¡±


    ¡°Sibling?¡±


    Well, this baby is my sibling, yeah. I nodded.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Two peopleugh at my answer again. What, am I funny? I was a little offended. Am I a funny little clown? Why are you twought whenever I say something.


    ¡°My princess gets prettier every day.¡±


    Uh, really? Am I pretty? I turned to Silvia and she smiled brightly and swept my head. I hastened her.


    ¡°Am I pretty?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Really? You¡¯re not lying, right? Well, I know I¡¯m pretty. I look like my dad. Hmm? Wait. That¡¯s kind of sad.


    ¡°The princess has been pretty since she was born.¡±


    Serira adds a word.


    You are telling me ridiculous lies because I¡¯m young. That¡¯s ridiculous. No matter how much I like my praise, I know that¡¯s a lie. I was pretty since I was born? All babies are pretty and cute! Even the beast is cute when it is young!

 Chapter 49 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 49

    <h4>Chapter 49: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 49</h4>


    ¡°Was I like this, too?¡±


    When I pointed the belly of Silvia, both Serira and Silvia froze. Huh? Did I say something wrong? What¡¯s with that response?


    ¡°That¡¯s....¡±


    Serira hesitated to talk. I tilted my head. What¡¯s wrong with both of them? Why did they suddenly be a honeyed mute?


    ¡°Yes, your mother did carry you in her belly, just like this.¡±


    ¡°Carry?¡±


    Oh, she¡¯s hesitating about how to exin why I didn¡¯t have a mother. She¡¯s thinking I might ask her why I didn¡¯t have a mother. I already knew what happened to her since I was born, but I guessed to them, it¡¯s not something nice to tell a child. I meant, how could anyone tell a child some thing like that? ¡®Yes, your father left your mother to die.¡¯ Then who could guarantee the purity of the said child? Sob Sob. However, I guessed in this case I already lost my purity. Damn it.


    ¡°Princess, look at this.¡±


    I was still lost in thought, Silvia pointed to a nt in the garden to get my attention. It was a nt that looked just like a Drosera rotundifolia.


    Ugh! Why was she keeping that kind of nt in a greenhouse? Silvia¡­ She¡¯s scarier than I thought! Besides, there was a flytrap next to it.


    ¡°This is ugly!¡±


    Silviaughed since I stuck to Serira because of how scared I was of the nt.


    ¡°It is ugly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±


    No, It was scarier because I knew what the nt was doing. Why do they have them? I looked at Silvia with a strange look, but she didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s a carnivorous nt. It eats worms. It¡¯s quite effective against pests.¡±


    So, what did she want to tell me? What does that even mean? Why was she showing that to a 1-year and 18-month-old baby? Was she saying this was good? Maybe she wanted me to raise it? It was fortunate that there was no such thing in the pce garden. Of course, the existence of winter trees did not allow insects to easily ess the garden, although it was a special case in many ways.


    ¡°Ew!¡±


    ¡®Ugh. Ugh, don¡¯t pull it out and give it on me!¡¯


    ¡°Eww! stop!¡±


    A gentleugh reverberated. It was theughter of Silvia. Even Serira seemed horrified, Silvia, oh, this scarywoman. I liked her, but I didn¡¯t like that carnivorous nt. They looked horrifying!


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like this one.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t trust her! I don¡¯t want to look!¡¯


    I sped next to Serira and shook my head. Silvia got up and soon came with a flower. Uh, huh? This looked normal! It¡¯s also pretty!


    ¡°It¡¯s fluffy!¡±


    A pale blue light caught my eye. The soft petals were thick and round like cotton. It¡¯s amazing. I had never seen a flower like this. There really were so many wonderful things in the world.


    Silvia smiled brightly.


    ¡°This one is called ¡®Prina¡¯, the ¡®Cloud Flower¡¯.¡±


    Prina? The name was pretty, too. Cloud flower. The words were just right. The color was so pale that it looked cool, and it was a flower reminiscent of a cloud.


    ¡°A long, long time ago, there was azy angel that kept sleeping on clouds, so God decided to punish the angel by taking chunks off the cloud which the angel was sleeping on, and threw them to the earth. This flower is what became of those cloud pieces.¡±


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe in making up stories with angel or Gods, but this flower was so mystical I actually wanted to believe it. She was simply thrown on the ground, but it turned into a beautiful flower, huh? How lucky.


    ¡°What happened to the angel?¡±


    When I looked at Silvia with curious eyes, she bent down. It was as if she was telling me a secret story. Serira smiled at the two of us.


    ¡°Apparently, the angel also fell down to the ground and became the king of the Schertogenbosch Empire in the north.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    What? That¡¯s ridiculous. Silvia shruged as I hardened my face. No way. By the way, Scherto¡­ what? Why was the name soplicated and long? Shoot, It must be hard to remember.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s time to go back.¡±


    At Serira¡¯s words, I turned my head with a frown


    ¡°Already?¡±


    ¡°You should join his Majesty for dinner.¡±


    Serira noded like it¡¯s obvious, but¡­ I wanted to y a bit more. Time had passed this much already. Time flew. I didn¡¯t want to leave, so I just touched the cloud flower Silvia gave me. She smiled and patted my head.


    ¡°You can visit me again next time, Princess. I¡¯ll show you other prettier flowers next time.¡±


    ¡°Other flowers?¡±


    Rose, or something like that? Silviaughed as I glistened my eyes. Her smile really made people feelfortable. That¡¯s why Ferdel fell in love with Silvia. He always called her my angel, my sunshine, my sun. I thought I could understand how he felt.


    ¡°This flower is gift for you.¡±


    Oh, really?


    ¡°Can I have it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    I liked it so much because it¡¯s a flower I had never seen before in the pce garden. Hehe, it¡¯s like a real cloud. It woulde up soon and float in the sky. I touched the petals and sniffed its scent. The scent of the flower was hazy but somehow fresh.


    ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    I was looking at the flowers, and Silvia took Prina from my hand. Huh? What was she doing? I opened my eyes wide in embarrassment, and Silvia¡¯s hands touched my head.


    ¡°Here, you should wear it like this.¡±


    Silvia put flowers on my head, though the flower was beautiful everywhere. Wait a minute, this was her saying I was insane? Prina was so pretty, but putting flowers on my hair, it¡¯s kind of... Of course, I didn¡¯t refuse Silvia¡¯s favor, but even if I¡¯m pretty, I thought having a flower on my hair was a bit too much. What if people thought I was insane!?


    ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re so pretty.¡±


    However, my reluctant mind was blown away by one of Serira¡¯s words. Y, yeah, it might look like I was insane. However, it¡¯s okay because I was still a baby!


    Well, this should be okay, right? Right, this was okay. It should be.

 Chapter 50 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 50

    <h4>Chapter 50: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 50</h4>


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t all right.


    Caitel saw me, and his reaction was not good at all. He looked absolutely disgusted. He squinted his eyes. Gosh, he didn¡¯t have to do that to look at me better! Putting flowers on my head was too much! Even though I was beautiful, putting a flower on my head was too much.


    ¡®Oh, Silvia! I hate you! Sob Sob.¡¯


    ¡°Flower!¡±


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s a flower.¡±


    What, this bastard! So what!? He didn¡¯t like the flower on my head!


    However, I had no courage to spit it out, and my heart had already broken. I got wounded badly. I would love to take the flowers off my head right now.


    ¡°Silvia gave it to me!¡±


    All I did was smile and grab Caitel¡¯s hand. His lukewarm warmth reached my fingertips. His temperature was so low I never thought it was warm, but I was surprised that I liked it every time I touched it. No, maybe it¡¯s just because I was his daughter, hmm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cloud flower.¡±


    What? Did he know about this flower? I never knew my daddy was such a gentleman who knew about flowers. I looked at him, touching the flowers in my right ear.


    ¡°I heard bugs like that flower.¡±


    ¡­ huh? What!? Bugs? His quiet voice stiffened my face. I shoved my hand down, touching the flowers right away. The damn world wouldn¡¯t let me go for a second. A bug! I hated almost all creatures who stood more than 4 feet. Insects, bugs! Oh, I didn¡¯t like it just by imagining.


    When my face crumpled, Caitelughed.


    ¡®Do you like to watch me suffer, Daddy?¡¯


    Caitel lifted me up and sat me down to my own dedicated infant bouncer seat and sat next to me. It was a small restaurant, but it¡¯s still quite big. It also felt strange to have this big table for only me and him.


    Come to think of it, someday, Caitel and I started to eat dinner face to face. It had been natural since I ran around and Silvia took care of me and realizing I had be used to it had really given me indescribable excitement.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    ¡®Here, your present.¡¯


    I¡¯m definitely not giving this to you because you said bugs like it.


    Caitel got Prina from me and stiffened his face. Then he smiled a little. The same ridicule he always had on his face. Ever since I started talking, Caitel didn¡¯t show me his natural emotions anymore. Even if it¡¯s aplete coincidental bare face.


    Well, it worried me a bit, but it¡¯s not like I could just ask him in person. I lowered my head and looked at the bowl of food Serira brought me. The appetizing spaghetti came into my eye. Farfalle! I liked butterflies. Butterfly! In Agregiant, people mainly consumed wheat instead of rice. Therefore, there was a lot of bread or pasta. I usually ate a lot of farfalle and macaroni.


    Even though I was a natural born Korean, I was perfectly fine with the food here. I guessed being reborn didn¡¯t mean I would have the same taste as before.


    Yeah, I thought I was amazing. Oh, I was a Korean who couldn¡¯t live without rice. However, I didn¡¯t desperately want rice. Of course, it was hard to get those here anyway. Shoot.


    ¡°Food!¡±


    I could eat alone, but I sometimes spilled rice because I was not used to controlling my hand. Whenever that happened, Serira would assist me and helped me eat. She didn¡¯t feed me though. I would do it! I wanted to do this alone, so I could be good at it.


    ¡°Princess, why don¡¯t you tell his majesty about your day today?¡±


    ¡®Huh? Do I have to talk about that? I don¡¯t know what to say. However, I didn¡¯t want to ignore Serra¡¯s words.¡¯


    Besides¡­ That look. Caitel, that¡¯s scary. He shouldn¡¯t look at me like that.


    ¡°I saw baby there.¡±


    ¡°Baby?¡±


    He questioned me dubiously, but I just nodded.


    ¡°Baby!¡±


    I raised my hands and made an image of a big belly. Oh, honestly, it wasn¡¯t that big. Well, you get it.


    ¡°Silvia¡¯s belly is like this!¡±


    Yeah, there was a baby on this big belly. I reminded the memory of feeling the baby move. It was amazing. I thought this was life. Did I move like that in my mom¡¯s belly? Hmm, I didn¡¯t know.


    Strangely, I didn¡¯t remember being in my mother¡¯s stomach. Also, a certain period of memory when I was born. I still remember the moment I opened my eyes and came to my senses.


    ¡°It moves!¡±


    I raised my hand and shoutd. Caitel puts down his spoon thereafter. Was that all right with him to eat that much? He didn¡¯t eat any dessert after that, so all he had left was a sd. Curiously, Caitel always ate the same amount of food. He only ate the rmended daily intake. He had never eaten more than that or less than that. That was a bit of a mystery to me since he¡¯s in this pce where he could eat whatever foods as much as he wanted. However, he ate only the set amount without saying anything. Next to him, I was eating only what I wanted to eat!


    ¡°Was it 6 months now?¡±


    What were they talking about all now of a sudden?


    ¡°She should be giving birth in about 4 months, then.¡±


    Oh, they were calcting her pregnancy. Wait, let¡¯s see, that should be around...


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s birthday!¡±


    I raise the fork and Caitel looked at me. I smiled at him since it¡¯s an old habit when our eyes met.


    ¡°It would be over by then.¡±


    ¡°Ohh.¡±


    However, when exactly was his birthday? With a fork in my mouth, I tilted my head with curiosity. Caitel reached out to my head. His touch on my head was quite soft. I liked how he patted me. Pat me more! I put my head on his hand, but he took his hand off. He was such a big meany!


    ¡°I see you can speak very well now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at talking!¡±


    Yeah, weren¡¯t I more like a human now? I could talk well, walk around, and even run well! Most of all, I was eating food made for regr people. Didn¡¯t I look like a human being? Huh? I felt something terrible, but... let¡¯s move on.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re more like a human now.¡±


    Huh, really? In a second, my eyes opened wide. Dad, was that true? Did I really look human? Huh? Really? Seriously? Truthfully? No lie?


    ¡°Human?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    When I got a definite answer from him, something rushed up in my heart. Oh, god, I was finally human to him. Now I could call myself truly human! Oh, why did my eyes felt moist all of a sudden? The sad memories of the past were passing by like a phantasmagoria. After being treated like a dog, bug, and other things, I finally redeemed myself!


    Sob sob, I¡¯m human! I¡¯m human!


    ¡°Me, human!¡±


    Was this what true victory must feel like?


    I was treated like a human after he called a dog and bug before. Something¡¯s wrong with the process, but it¡¯s okay. Yeah, well, now that I was human, haha!

 Chapter 51 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 51

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 51</h4>


    I suddenly subsided before a wave of emotion could pass. I was still feeling depressed. Did it matter if I was human? My dad was already inhuman.


    ¡°You¡¯re not human!¡±


    I said very confidently and Serira gasped behind. However, I didn¡¯t waste myst 18 months. I grinned as if I knew nothing. Papa, I was just a little child who knew nothing. Still, he¡¯s not human. Only I was. I couldn¡¯t give up on that.


    ¡°P, princess, you have to go take bath if you are done with your dinner.¡±


    As soon as I finished my meal, Serira hastened. She was worried I might get some kind of punishment. Serira held me, but I pulled her cor.


    Put me down! I wanted to walk! I wanted to walk!


    Serira sighed and put me down. I looked back as I was leaving the restaurant. Caitel was eating a sd with his chin tucked up.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    When I got close to him, Caitel looked at me. I waved my hand to asked him to lower his head a little. He looked at me for a moment beforeplying to my request. I beckoned him to bend his head more. That¡¯s still too tall for me!


    Caitel¡¯s face was slightly wrinkled. As soon as I felt his irritation at me, I tip-toed up at him and kissed his cheek. Chu! Hehe, I did it. I suddenly felt embarrassed and ran back to Serira. Two stiffened figures look at me. I smiled and waved my hand at Caitel.


    ¡°See youter, daddy!¡±


    ¡ª¨C


    It¡¯s already passed for two weeks. Time flies so fast.


    Well, It¡¯s been a year and a half since I was born. when I thought about it, time really shot past me. Oh, but wasn¡¯t this a little too much!? I felt like I was wasting my life for nothing. I almost felt like I was unemployed. Well, these were what¡¯smon at this time. Still, no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that I was useless in many ways.


    There¡¯s nothing I did in particr, nothing to I was preparing for other than just eating, ying, sleeping and growing all day long. This boring life even made me want to study something, sob sob. However, I heard that children here started studying when they were five or six years old. Oh, it was so boring.


    ¡°Princess, please stop rolling over there. That¡¯s the bare grass.¡±


    Oh he should have left me alone. It¡¯s the same garden, there would be no problem for not having a nket under. I rolled around and ignored Serira¡¯s voice. I had been living my life too rough. I was sick of this peaceful sorry excuse of a life, it was bullsh*t.


    I was suddenly scared my life would remain this way even if I was twenty-five years old again. I didn¡¯t want to live a life without any purpose, no emotion, no fun, no interest. The biggest joy was watching television. My fucking past life. How the hell did I live my life like that anyway?


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I rolled and rolled and ended up right in front of the winter tree. Oh my, as my body touched the tree, suddenly great cold spread out. Oh my! Were they surprised at my high body temperature? However, I was surprised too. I thought I would die frozen.


    ¡°Oh my, are you all right?¡±


    Serira ran to me frighten, as she had seen the chill from the trees. I shook my hand saying it was okay.


    ¡°All right!¡±


    ¡°Princess, your hands are cold!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine!¡±


    I was really feeling fine. Serira was so devoted to me she couldn¡¯t get away with it. I looked down at her hand and turned my eye to the winter tree. Over the years, I could feel that my standards had set for this world. Also how human got judged greatly on their appearance.


    I started to act out what I was thinking, and now everybody told me I finally acted like the right age. I didn¡¯t really mean that. I gotpliments when I ate my meal without being picky or stayed quiet when I change my clothes. Living as a baby was quite difficult. Well, what could I do when my mind was not a baby. Ah, so boring.


    ¡°Do you like the winter tree, princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The tree that came into my eyes was white even to the stem. Like snow. I felt like it would get steamed when I blow it.


    ¡°Why do you like this tree?¡±


    Why? Well.


    Suddenly, I remembered the old story Serira told me when I was six months old. The story of this winter tree.


    The first king of Agregiant was half spirit and half human. He was extraordinary since his childhood, and people hated him. When he was dying, it was the spirit of Elverone who saved him. He was friends with a winter spirit from the Elverone mountain. The spirit helped him meet a great teacher. Later, he built the Agregiant Kingdom. On the day when he built the kingdom, he finally met the winter spirit of Elverone mountain.


    Nobody knew if they fell in love, butter when the king passed away, the winter spirit was said to have taken root in this tree. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the winter tree.


    ¡°Pretty.¡±


    Maybe that¡¯s why I felt like I could hear something from this giant white tree. Something rich and delicate like a melody. Of course, it¡¯s just my delusion.


    ¡°It is pretty though. Still, please stay away from it. You might get sick.¡±


    However, even the dog didn¡¯t get summer cold!


    My protest didn¡¯t work though. I came back to the original ce we put a nket down. Ohh, I hated when nobody listened to my opinion because I was a baby! Well, I didn¡¯t think nobody would still listen to me even when I got older. Come to think of it, no matter how good the ending would be, political marriage would be my ending. Oh, it¡¯s screwd


    I refused to talk about marriage like it¡¯s all about women¡¯s happiness. However, that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t matter in my life. It¡¯s important. Under the name of my husband, I would decide the face I would see every day. It would be a political marriage anyway, so I never dreamed of love in my marriage. I just didn¡¯t want my husband to be an asshole. Was that too much to wish for? At least I hoped he¡¯s a sincere man to me. Oh, I couldn¡¯t believe I have to worry about these things at my age. This world is rotten. Sob sob.


    ¡°Elene will bring pudding soon.¡±


    ¡°Pudding!¡±


    My eyes shed suddenly while discussing the absurdity of life. I liked pudding! Seriraughed as I turned around with a big smile. She picked up the knitting she had left behind and measured it on my body. What, you wanted to make me a sweater?


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot, my princess. You were used to be this small.¡±


    Did I? Actually, I felt that my height had changed, but I didn¡¯t care if I was growing or not. To be honest, I didn¡¯t really feel like I grew up, except when I walked or run. Why?


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen his Majesty oftentely. Aren¡¯t you sad?¡±


    Huh? No, I was enjoying it since it¡¯s morefortable. I didn¡¯t have to force myself tough. However, it¡¯s a little bit too much to say that to her. Well, in this case, just Smile!


    ¡°Serira!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know anything! When I smiled and avoided answering, Serira looked down at me like I was a silly child. I didn¡¯t know if she knew that I did that on purpose or not, but I still could read the emotion in her eyes.


    A warm loving eye looking at me.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 52</h4>


    Lately, Caitel suddenly got quite busy. Seems like the war with Prawzia wasn¡¯t going as smoothly as they nned. Normally things should be over by now. Instead, they were simply on hold at the frontline at the moment.


    Ferdel was stuck in the chancellor¡¯s residence too. I hadn¡¯t seen that sneaky Dranste these days either.


    No wonder I was bored these days.


    ¡°Princess, please have some of this!¡±


    Huh? I heard Elene¡¯s voice. However, as soon as I turned my head to her, I saw her running to me quickly. Oh, no she would...


    ¡°Fall down!¡±


    Even before I finished my sentence, Elene tripped and fell. Ouch, I turned my head and looked at her again. Ugh, that must have been really painful. Even I felt that pain. I sighted touching my forehead.


    How could she fall so well?


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I ran and looked at Elene groaning as she stood up. Serira was alreadying this way with a cold towel she cooled on the winter tree. Oh, she got a bump in her head. Did she fall off head first? What if she got a serious injury?


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Yeah, I was here. It¡¯s not like I would bite her. However, not as I expected, the first thing she did was handing me the pudding te she brought.


    ¡°The pudding is still fine! Hehe, here!¡±


    It¡¯s not the time to talk about pudding. Oh, this idiot.


    I thought she was pathetic tough like a fool after tripping, but I still epted her pudding. It was my favorite custard pudding after all. It was a little crumpled, but it¡¯s good enough. It was even more amazing that she didn¡¯t spill it when she fell.


    I stared at the te and took a bite with a spoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Elene smiled brightly as the same smile spread all over my face. Before I noticed it, Serira put a cold towel on her head.


    ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Do you want it, too?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Eat a lot, princess!¡±


    Hmm. I turned my head to Serira to see if she would like to have some, but Serra smiled and turned her head. She didn¡¯t want it too? Then I would eat it all by myself. Why didn¡¯t they wanted to eat this delicious food? I knew they¡¯re all giving it away for me but...Oh, it¡¯s so delicious.


    ¡°Go see the doctor.¡±


    ¡°I am okay. It¡¯s just a small bump.¡±


    ¡°Still, just in case.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to take care of the princess alone. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    I was a good kid, so it¡¯s okay for Serira to take care of me alone. I knew it¡¯s because she¡¯s embarrassed to see the doctor. She had been visiting there for at least once a week because of her carelessness.


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    It¡¯s bad to hold back the pain you got from swiping the floor with her knees. Even I smiled and helped Serira. Elene couldn¡¯t say a word but bite her lip. She¡¯s such a real troublemaker. She told you to go already.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Oh, she ran again. Her constant need to run was the reason why she¡¯s tripping a lot. I was sucking my spoon while eating pudding when Serira reached my head. As I turned my head up, she smiled.


    ¡°Princess, his Majesty will bete again today. Should we return to the pce first?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Even if I get back to the pce, there was nothing to do but wait. Then wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay here in the garden? I held my pudding and sat under the winter tree. The cold energy from the tree was so cool. Oh, it¡¯s really hot elsewhere.


    ¡°I want to y more. I like the tree.¡±


    As I begged, she seemed to have no other choice. She shrugged her shoulder and sat next to me. I sat down and put the pudding bowl on myp. I heaved a sigh.


    Daddy, he must be really busy. When I stayed together with him all day long, I seriously wanted him away from me, but now, I felt strange. I thought this was all because of the war with South Praezia. It really didn¡¯t seem to work out the way he thought. Well, that¡¯s life. It should have been over by now, but I heard it¡¯s a really slow progress.


    The situation was better because Knight Assisi was there. I heard my dad might have to go and join the war too.


    Anyway, Praezia.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    My mind suddenly grew heavy. That princess... I didn¡¯t even remember her name now. She was the princess of Praezia. Was her name Faylin?


    Oh, I couldn¡¯t remember. I didn¡¯t know about it anymore. I felt depressed. The fact that the princess was really dead... she didn¡¯tmit a crime worthy of the fate she got. Come to think of it, she¡¯s dead because of me, shit. Oh, that person died because of me. It wasn¡¯t as if I got hit in the back of my head, but at least it made me control my minor actions. Well, even though it¡¯s the princess¡¯ fault, if I hadn¡¯t cried like that, she wouldn¡¯t have died.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Serira looked back at me. Iughed as if it was nothing. I heard that North Praezia had already yielded to my father¡¯s forces, but the South Prestia was a problem.


    Oddly enough, the empire of Praezia was virtually divided into Northerners and Southerners. Simr to how the old Rome had been divided into West Rome and East Roman. If it was the same as Rome, it was bound together by a country called Praezia. They then served the same emperor, but the system and culture are slightly different due to the said division. Even the emperor was almost like a scarecrow.


    If they united, they would be stronger than Agregiant. However, it would not happen since the chancellor of the North and the prime minister of the South are busy bickering among one another. The im had now been confirmed as a war.


    There were manyplicated stories, but I wanted my country to win since I am now a citizen of Agregiant. I was relieved. That¡¯s such a baby thing to do. There¡¯s no winners or losers in a war after all.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    As I finish all the pudding and idled around, I suddenly noticed a road I had never seen before. Where did that road lead? I forgot about it since I was always going to Sy Pce. However, this garden where I was ying at the moment was a huge garden in the heart of the pce. It was connected directly to any part of the pce. Well, that¡¯s what everyone said anyway. Of course, Sy Pce was nearest to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way for Seraglio.¡±


    ¡°Seraglio?¡±


    What was Seraglio? It was the first time I had heard of it. Seraglio?


    ¡°It¡¯s a ce where all the princesses anddies from other countries lived together.¡±


    Ah, the harem. When I hade to think of it, the ce where I met the princess of Praezia was somewhere around there. Serira added ament.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t try to go there.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Huh? Oh, I didn¡¯t need to ask. I just asked a question, and it was really thoughtless of me. Why? It¡¯s obvious. By the way, I asked her a difficult question. However, I couldn¡¯t take it back anymore. Well, I couldn¡¯t help it. I would just stare at her while waiting for her answer.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you couldn¡¯t do, princess.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Yeah, well, Serira wasn¡¯t saying anything wrong. Surely there was no guarantee that the concubines would be kind to me. All of them tried not to enter in the garden because of me. Perhaps to Caitel, the women in that harem were not recognized as his own. Well, the reason why he put all of them in the ce call Harem was...

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 53</h4>


    ¡°So cool.¡±


    It¡¯s a heater in the winter and an air conditioner in the summer. Ah, winter tree, it really is so useful. If there were about a hundred of this tree, I would nt one wherever I went. Should I try cutting and nting another one?


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re tired from the heat.¡±


    The low voice startled me. I turned my head to check who the voice was. As expected. The man standing in front of me was my father who was so used to me now. However, how did he know I was getting hot? I wasn¡¯t breathing like a dog, right? That would be embarrassing. Well, I guessed it was obvious that I was walking around so energetically, but now, I¡¯m leaning against Serira and just looking at the tree. Damn it.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    Standing up grinning, Caitel¡¯s face loosened slightly. He wasn¡¯t as loud as Ferdel, or smiling kindly as Serira, but his tiny reaction was strangely more pleasing. Was it because he usually didn¡¯t care?


    ¡°Wee back.¡±


    As I once did, I took the lower part of my dress and bowed before him once. This was a part of the etiquette a Lady in this country must abide. It¡¯s the etiquette I was learning these days. Thedy who sometimes took care of me instead of Serira taught me this, and it¡¯s quiteplicated. Ugh, I couldn¡¯t believe I still had to learn etiquette when I was already 25 years old.


    ¡°Oh, my.¡±


    Serra was covering her mouth due to how much she¡¯s proud of me. I looked at Serira, who¡¯s smiling at me with gleeful gaze, then I turned my eyes to my daddy again.


    I wonder what my daddy thought about it? Did he felt somewhat proud of me?


    Caitel¡¯s hands touched my head as if to answer me. He was used to patting my head now. Ugh, I used to hate someone touching me. There were a lot of unexpected changes after I was reborn. I shook my head to the touch of Caitel and ran into his arm. I was still short, so all I could do was grab his leg, but that was enough. Rub Rub.


    ¡°What did you do today?¡±


    While stroking my head, Caitel¡¯s eyes suddenly turned to Serira. She still looked ufortable around Caitel. It¡¯s scary. I opened my mouth instead of my mom who couldn¡¯t give an answer easily.


    ¡°I ate pudding, rolled around, counted leaves, and watched the tree!¡±


    I was basically just bumming around. However, I shouldn¡¯t say that, right?


    ¡°I yed like that today.¡±


    In my reply, Caitel just patted me on the head without a word.


    However, why was he standing there with no expression on his face? He¡¯s not even replying. Well, I was starting to feel a little awkward now, so I should probably say something.


    ¡°Daddy,e over here. It¡¯s cool.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why I said that. If I could get out of this awkwardness, I would sell my soul for it. What? They wouldn¡¯t buy mine? Damn it, now even the devil refused me.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s cool.¡±


    Now say something. When I went near the winter tree with Caitel, I felt cold. Oh, but it¡¯s really cool. It was colder than cool.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Seriously? That¡¯s all he had to say?


    As I looked up at him, Caitel looked down at me with no expression. Are we even father and daughter right now? At this point, he¡¯s just confusing me. What did he want me to do?


    Oh, my head hurt. My eyes were in pain too.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s time to go back now.¡±


    Since I didn¡¯t blink, my eyes were burning, and I was wiping my tears with the back of my hand. Serira called me.


    Ugh, already? The sun hadn¡¯t even descended yet. What made her want to take me back as soon as Caitel came to visit! Did I really have to go back already? I didn¡¯t want to go. I still wanted to y outside more. If I went back inside, I would just be an even worse bum. Did she knew how it felt like to be a pooping machine the entire day?


    ¡°Shall we go for a walk?¡±


    Uh, really?


    Why was Caitel being so nice right now? I nodded with a big smile. I then took his hand.


    ¡°Walk!¡±


    Oh, but his hands were up too high, damn it. It¡¯s just that I was too short, but I wouldn¡¯t admit it. His hand was too high! After all, the inconsiderate Caitel didn¡¯t even give me his hand, so I held his cape and dragged him down.


    ¡°Papa, walk!¡±


    Let¡¯s hurry before Serira said anything. I really wanted to go for a walk.


    ¡°But your Majesty, she¡¯s been staying outside for too long.¡±


    I really couldn¡¯t say no to Serira when she sounded so concerned. Oh, this was why I tried to hasten him while she¡¯s not saying anything. How could I not listen to her when she looked so worried? She¡¯s right, I should just go wash up and head to bed.


    Yeah, let¡¯s go.


    I turned to the Sy pce with a depressed look. Oh, now I gotta wash and go to bed. I didn¡¯t do anything today. The greatest thing I did today was eating pudding, right?


    I was about to enter the pce as Serira wished, but suddenly a big hand lifted me. Huh? I was lifted in the air like a sh, and the voice of the Caitel fell over my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 54</h4>


    There was no moon gazing upon the world. The sky was clearer than the one I had always seen. The numerous stars were sewn into the clear, cloudless sky, all shining in their own way. It was so pretty.


    Looking at those lights, I was relieved since I felt like my knowledge from my previous life about space and the universe could still be applied here. Relieved that even though this was a different world, it¡¯s notpletely different from the world I knew.


    Oh, when I hade to think of it, it wasn¡¯t exactly that there was no moon.


    ¡°When will lise rise?¡±


    I stopped walking and looked back at Caitel. I was looking at the sky, then I was looking at a person. However, my neck was hurt since the distance of the skies and his head was not much different in my perspective. Maybe I had to wear a cast around my neck.


    I walked ahead, and Caitel followed me. That¡¯s how the two of us took a walk. Well, what I wanted to do was to walk with Caitel while holding his hands, but there was a sad fact lurking behind it. It¡¯s that he was way taller than me.


    Damn, the walk I wanted was probably possible after I was a little taller. Sob sob, I wanted to be taller.


    ¡°Thest one went down around May. That was two years ago. It should rise around June next year.¡±


    ¡°Aww...¡±


    Therefore, I had to wait for quite a long time. It¡¯s like waiting for the Olympics.


    lise. It¡¯s a moon that stays in the sky for three months every three years. Then, the sky would turn dark for another three months.


    However, it was a little different from the moon I thought. lise was huge enough to cover the whole sky, and the nights were bright just like a white night phenomenon. A festival would be held during the three months when lise was in the sky. During the rest of the three months when even the stars hid away, people prayed for peace. Well, it was the same as waiting for the Olympics. When the lise came up, all kinds of international academic conferences andpetitions would be held all over the country.


    ¡°Do you want to see it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Of course, who wouldn¡¯t want to see a moon that huge? I¡¯d like to see it even if it meant I would forget my previous life. I heard it¡¯s such a big moon. How big was it to look like that? I was curious. I just couldn¡¯t imagine it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I was holding my hand on my lips in agony. Caitel¡¯s big hands dug in. Oh, it¡¯s cold. The temperature below my body made my forehead frown.


    What the hell was he doing?


    Despite my scary face, the hand nced over my lips and touched my forehead. Then he patted my hair. A hair a little over the shoulder caught the tip of Caitel¡¯s finger.


    I raised my head so I could see Caitel¡¯s eyes, who lowered his body in front of me. Bloody red. Crimson¡¯s red eyes. It was as if someone had carved a ruby into pieces.


    You hadn¡¯t done it for a while, and now he was doing it again.


    What¡¯s the matter with him this time? Well, dad?


    ¡°Ariadna.¡±


    Huh? Why was he calling me all of a sudden? Caitel stared silently at me, and my head started tilting. Maybe he wanted to do that ¡®talk with eyes¡¯ thing¡­ but hey, dad, I couldn¡¯t read people¡¯s minds. Why don¡¯t we have a good conversation then? I could talk to people now, couldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Your name is too long.¡±


    ¡®You named me, you punk!¡¯


    I wouldn¡¯t be angry with him if this was the only name I had. What was it again? Damn, what was my full name again? Oh, shit, I totally forgot!


    ¡°Ariadna Lereg Ilestri Pre Agregiant.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s the name. I was nodding my head, and suddenly I felt a sense of hypocrisy. Oh, my God. Wait, Caitel! This guy, he memorized my full name? Really?!


    Oh, it just happened in front of my eyes, but this was a little surprising. I thought he didn¡¯t know my name because he didn¡¯t love me enough to remember that since it was so long. I couldn¡¯t even memorize it either.


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    I shouted. That¡¯s what everyone called me. It sounded like amon name, so I didn¡¯t really like it though. However, everyone called me that. Elene, Serira, and even Ferdel.


    ¡°Ria?¡±


    Yeah, Ria!


    I nodded as Caitel¡¯s hand touched my head. Wait, it¡¯s too damn heavy.


    I was not just saying that to mock him either. It really was that heavy. Oh, even hands are heavy to me. Children, tsk tsk. Iined in the inside but didn¡¯t express it. That was because of Caitel¡¯s depressed eyes made me mute.


    When I saw someone who looked like that, I really didn¡¯t know what to do. I felt like crying. I really, really didn¡¯t know anything. What did he wish to do? What did he want from me? What was it that he wanted to do? Life was better when he¡¯s fighting with Ferdel, or going on a rampage with his sword. When he signed like he already lived his life and gave an empty look, then I didn¡¯t know what to do. What should I do for you, you damn father of mine? Huh?


    ¡°Tel!¡±


    I thought he¡¯d never show me this face again. I wonder if I felt this way because I couldn¡¯t see him often now? I felt pity for something. As I pointed at him and smiled, Caitel lowered his gaze to my finger. I turned my finger and now pointed at me.


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    I then gave him a big smile.


    It¡¯s not easy to pretend like I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s wearing a mask to cover his expression, but I smiled at him. Just like a baby who really didn¡¯t know anything. Therefore, Caitel could rx in front of me. He smiled. He barely made his lips move, but it seemed like a smile to me.


    ¡°You mean I¡¯m Tel?¡±


    Yes, I was d he understood me.


    Since my father¡¯s name was Caitel, if I wanted to call him by his nickname, it should be either Cai or Tel. Cai sounded too sharp, and Tel was simpler and shorter. Caitel Reshu Bivizel Rouan Agregiant. This long name wasn¡¯t even my name. Why did I memorize it so well?


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He patted my head gently though his hands were heavy. I smiled brightly, bringing my head to his touch. Caitel smiled quietly as usual.


    ¡°You were like a dog before, but now you¡¯re more like a cat.¡±


    ¡°A cat?¡±


    A dog sounded like an insult, but why did a cat sound like praise? I was a little embarrassed. What was the difference between a dog and a cat? I just knew they were different species.


    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m pretty?¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡®Hey, you punk!¡¯


    Then what did he mean? This guy! Tell me the truth!


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I asked him again, but Caitel clenched his mouth tight. Really, he closed his mouth like he wanted to be mute forever.


    Huh, look at this guy?


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    I asked with a frown, but Caitel just shut up. Hey, why wasn¡¯t he answering? He said I was like a cat! What the hell did that mean? Why wasn¡¯t he answering? Oh, he shouldn¡¯t tell me it was swearing again. This punk! A sudden surge of sorrow came to me. I loved this guy because he¡¯s my father, how miserable life was.


    However, Caitel stood up since he couldn¡¯t ignore my gaze. Hey, hey, did he just ignored me? I grabbed Caitel¡¯s clothes as he looked back.


    Then he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡­ hey.

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 55</h4>


    At the age of two, I finally realized the truth of life.


    Caitel called me like a dog, but in fact, I was actually worse than a dog. Because even dogs didn¡¯t get a cold in the summer! How did this happen!? A dog wouldn¡¯t get cold. I said that I wouldn¡¯t catch one either. Oh, my head was in a daze.


    ¡°Serira-¡±


    I was sure I came out of the bathroom myself and couldn¡¯t stand on my own feet. When I came into the room and finished showering, my body suddenly got hot. I felt as if I was getting steamed by the heat of my own body. I held Serira and breath.


    Oh, it¡¯s so hard to breathe. I felt like something was holding my neck. I opened my mouth wide to catch my breath. However, I still couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I guessed it seemed pretty serious. Serira held me and her face turned pale. Serira¡¯s skin was cool, and I felt good for some reason. Oh, but I seriously thought I would die. My head was burning with fever. My throat was burning too. I didn¡¯t think this was just regr fever. Was a fever always this bad?


    ¡°She¡¯s burning up. What should I do?¡±


    My breath sounded rough even on my ear. Oh, I didn¡¯t know what to do either. I wanted to lie down first. My head hurts. Why did I get a headache suddenly!?


    ¡°What is this about?¡±


    Caitel stepped into the room after taking a bath. Serira bowed her head in surprise. She was so surprised I thought my father was naked, but when I opened my eyes I figured out he wasn¡¯t. He was wearing his nightwear, and what¡¯s wrong? Oh, was the nightwear the problem?


    ¡°Y, your Majesty...¡±


    With a pale expression, Serira showed me to him in her arms. At that moment, I could certainly see the change in Caitel¡¯s expression.


    ¡®Dad, I¡¯m sick!¡¯


    He must have been surprised. He dropped his towel right away. He came toward me and touched my forehead. His big hand¡¯s coolness made me feel cold. Oh, it¡¯s cool. I thought I was getting a little better. However, I felt heavy. It was as heavy as a thousand pounds.


    ¡°Why is she suddenly like this?¡±


    His voice was fierce as if he would gobble Serira up in one bite. I¡¯d like to open my mouth so he wouldn¡¯t be too hard on Serira. However, I could only muster to release a soft gasp. I was in such a painful situation that even breathing felt like torture now. My head was hot and my body was suddenly heavy. The world felt like it was burning me. Oh, would I die like this?


    ¡°Bring the royal doctor!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The servant ran out and the maids scattered in haste. Serira had to go out as usual, but she stopped and looked at me in the arms of Caitel.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? She was fine just a moment ago!¡±


    I thought he was angry. His voice was disconcerted, and the situation seemed like it confused him even more. Yeah, that¡¯s the same for me.


    ¡°It seems like she stayed outside for too long...¡±


    Oh, stupid. I was still thinking like I was 25 years old. That¡¯s because I had never been sick with this body. I had been drinking and walking around all night, but it was fine. I thought this body was the same.


    However, I was only two years old, and I had forgotten that this new body was as fragile as a sand castle. If I had known this would happen, I would have listened to Serira. I hadn¡¯t been sick in a while. Not because I was good, but because Serira took care of me so well. Oh, my head hurts.


    ¡°Why is she burning up like this? Damn it, why so suddenly...¡±


    Caitel was so flustered more than what he needed to do. I didn¡¯t know why he was so embarrassed. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s the first time I had ever been sick. Even so, that¡¯s just overreacting. Oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore. I should just stop thinking about it altogether.


    ¡°She must have caught a cold, your Majesty. You must stay calm first...¡±


    ¡°What should I do? Tell me what I have to do now!¡±


    I grabbed his cloth because he was about to grab Serira by her throat. Caitel looked straight at me.


    ¡°Pa...Pa.¡±


    Stop yelling. My head was ringing because of his voice. Nothing¡¯s gonna change even if he was mad.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fortunately, it seemed like he calmed down a little after I grabbed him. Well, he had to stop when his sick daughter asked him to stop! If he didn¡¯t stop, then he¡¯s just a son of a bitch. Well, he was already a son of a bitch anyway. He¡¯s a bastard and a punk. Nothing would change about that. Ah.


    Suddenly, I felt the strength in his hand as he held me. Holding my little hand, Caitel turned around and yelled. Ugh, I asked him to shut up, yet he¡¯s still yelling again. My head was ringing!


    ¡°Where in the world is the doctor!?¡±


    ¡°The doctor will be here soon. Please do not worry.¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m worried? Why is the doctor sote!?¡±


    This guy. He got a really bad temper. He¡¯s barking like a crazy dog. Oh, my God. I thought my fever had gone up too fast. I was going crazy. It hurt so much I even shed tears. I was losing my mind. I didn¡¯t think I would be this miserable...


    ¡°Your Majesty, you shouldy the princess down first...¡±


    ¡°What about the doctor?¡±


    However, as I listened to Caitel getting angry, my eyes finally closed.


    Oh, God.


    After that, everything was an endless void. I felt like something cool touched my head, and maybe someone patted me. Soon, darkness took over me.

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 56</h4>


    I was dying.


    Someone forced me to open my mouth and feed me something. It was so bitter, my nose was burning. That was the kind of level of bitterness it had. If I wasn¡¯t sick, I would never eat it.


    Ah, this was so not appetizing. I wanted some pudding, okay? A pudding.


    I really liked that wiggly, bouncy texture. The jelly was good, too. However, right now, I myself felt like a pudding, melting away. No, my whole body felt stuffy. I was so hot. Someone took the nket away from me...


    ¡°That won¡¯t do, Your Majesty.¡±


    That¡¯s Serira¡¯s voice. However, your Majesty¡­? Ah, was she with Caitel? Somewhere next to me, I heard water. My eyelids were too heavy for me to open them. I wanted to open my eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine to walk a little bit?¡±


    ¡°We must keep her body warm.¡±


    Why was this two arguing in front of a sick patient again? Serira would lose if he fought anyway, but I never wanted Caitel to hit Serira. Of course, I didn¡¯t believe Caitel was a madman who would beat or rape a woman.


    ¡°Give that to me.¡±


    My throat was burning. I wanted water. I was thirsty. Why was my body so hot? Every muscle in my body ached and my nose was stuffy. Everything was driving me crazy. Look at how bad I was suffering from not listening once. I should do as Serira said from now on...


    As I swiveled around, my forehead suddenly felt cooler. I thought it¡¯s the wet towel. Someone¡¯s wiping my head. It was much better when a towel washed my face. I feltfortable breathing. Next was the neck, then the arm, then the forehead.


    ¡°How unsightly.¡±


    Well sorry about that. However, his voice...sounded a bit hoarse. I wonder if he knew. I tried my best to open my eyes. Oh, no. I couldn¡¯t open them.


    My eyelids really were really heavy.


    ¡°How can such a small child be so sick?¡±


    His frown glided before his eyes. It was the face of Caitel who came into my eyes. Besides, I was the one who¡¯s sick. Why was he making a face as if he¡¯s the one suffering?


    Still, the towel on my forehead was really cool.


    ¡°She¡¯s small, but she is still a human being. She can get sick and even cry.¡±


    ¡°Do not lecture me.¡±


    He replied to her in a very sharp voice. This punk, even if he was my father, he shouldn¡¯t dare talk to Serira like that! He shouldn¡¯t say anything to my Serira! I wanted to stand up and give him a kick in the leg, but, oh, my f*cking body hurts so much. Anyway, he¡¯s the enemy. I hated cold. Sob sob.


    ¡°You¡¯re really just like your husband.¡±


    Huh? Serira¡¯s husband, meaning that dead count? It seemed like they knew each other. It was a bit of a surprise to hear that Caitel knew the Count very well. Come to think of it, it was Caitel who rmended Serira to be my nanny. It¡¯s natural for them to know each other well.


    ¡°Thank you for thatpliment.¡±


    ¡°Even that just now, you¡¯re alike.¡±


    Why did he sounded ufortable when he wasplimenting her? How dishonest of him. Somehow, Serira seemed to be smiling, and she felt strange. I didn¡¯t know if she¡¯s really smiling because I couldn¡¯t see it. Oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore. I was going to sleep anyway. My mind was slipping down there again.


    ¡°You may leave. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    What would he do to me in his lonesome? I wanted to tackle Caitel, but Serira unexpectedly stepped down.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    A deep silence floated in the room. At the moment, I shook myself with a cough that burst out of my neck. Oh, my throat hurts. I felt like my throat was about to rip apart just from coughing.


    I could feel someone was moving next to me. However, something in my throat disappeared behind the neck and what came out was a cough.


    Sob Sob.


    ¡°There is simply nothing...¡±


    His sad voice was running in my ears.


    ¡°That I can do.¡±


    He¡¯s ming himself.


    ¡°Even though I said I would take care of you.¡±


    A little whispering voice. I felt sorry for him. It¡¯s my fault that I¡¯m sick right now, it¡¯s not right for him to me himself like that. I was hanging around that cold winter tree all day long, so it¡¯s not a surprise I was sick right now. This happened all because I was being stubborn. I was so stupid.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    That little curse was thest thing I heard... I was sucked back into the realm of dreams.

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter </h4>


    I used to sleep deeply, but I could sleep like a corpse this time. Probably because I was sick. I almost woke up several times in the middle of sleep, but something helped me sleepfortably each time so I could sleep some more.


    When my body got too hot, something cold took away the heat and cooled it down quickly. It really made me sleep infort.


    Since it was such a deep sleep, when I woke up again, it was so easy to blink my eyes. My body felt much lighter too. I opened my eyes by moving only my eyelids. Ugh, huh? Huh? It¡¯s down. My fever went down. I didn¡¯t have a fever anymore. I realized that it¡¯s morning.


    It¡¯s morning already. I thought It¡¯s only been a few hours. Anyway, I was d my fever was down. I thought I would die.


    Anyway, I was so thirsty. I want some water? Water!


    I turned my head to look around for water. At that moment, I shrank back in surprise because I touched something. Oh, my god. I was surprised to find something strange, but it¡¯s not something weird...


    Why was he sleeping like this?


    It was Caitel.


    Why was he sleeping here like this? I was used to seeing that pose, lying on the bed in a chair. When I was workingte in my previous life, I often fell asleep like that. Of course, it didn¡¯t make sense for Caitel to work overtime and fall asleep in here. What the hell?


    I wanted to lift up my body, but I wasn¡¯t in perfect condition. Besides, being strangely tired meant I still had to sleep some more. However, even if I went back to sleep, I should at least know why he was sleeping here like this.


    I twisted my body somehow, and I could find something Caitel was holding.


    A white towel. My eyes opened wide.


    Was it Caitel who took care of me up all night? I thought it would be Serira or Elene. It¡¯s not easy to take care of others, and it¡¯s harder to take care of a patient. Of course, I heard him telling Serira to leave. However, wasn¡¯t that all a dream?


    I felt a little strange. It was really strange. Something churned inside me. I didn¡¯t know what the name of this emotion was. Why was I tearing up?


    I guessed he really was my father.


    I felt pity for how he was sleeping in such an ufortable way. I stretched out my hand without even realizing it. Caitel¡¯s cheeks were warm. It¡¯s also soft. What kind of man had skin as good as this? Looking closer, I didn¡¯t even think he had pores. Although I firmly believed this was all in the power of skin care and not something engraved in his DNA. However, after a closer look, I thought it really was in his DNA. Oh, why was I crying all of a sudden?


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    No matter how much I tried to deny him and ignore him, we¡¯re still a family. I really couldn¡¯t help it anymore. Besides, this distance that used to keep us apart was slowly deteriorating, so what was I supposed to do?


    It was so far from perfect.


    In the past, he wouldn¡¯t care if I was sick or not. Ha.


    Somehow the small steps we took every day piled up to create this very moment. Though I was scared... I kept expecting. What would be at the end of this rtionship? Would a daye when I could finally say words of affection to this man? I didn¡¯t know the answer to anything right now... Would there be a day when he would really think I was his daughter?


    I didn¡¯t know.


    I really didn¡¯t know.


    It was just soplicated. It would have been better if I had forgotten all about my past life.


    ¡°Ha...¡±


    I breathe low and closed my eyes. Still, it was totally iprehensible for me to be unable to take my hand off as I stroked him. He must have been very tired. He had a lot of worktely. However, he had still taken care of me all night. No other man but the Caitel did it. I felt somewhat grateful and apologetic to him at the same time. I stroked his cheek again and his red silver eyshes trembled. Huh?


    His eyelids soon rose. What was revealed was the same color as mine. Blurred vision focuses on me. As soon as our eyes met, Iughed again today, brighter than any other sunshine.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    My voice was cracked. Still, Iughed, thinking that today really was a good day. Laugh andugh. Like I was the one who had all the joys of this world.


    Caitel gazed at me with sudden bafflement in his expression. Somehow, his face seemed pallid. The mask that never fell off his face fell a little bit off today. A low voice spoke to me as heughed with me.


    That was Caitel¡¯s answer.


    ¡°...Good morning.¡±


    It¡¯s another good morning, Dad.

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 58</h4>


    The feeling of being in someone else¡¯s arms was strange.


    When I was lonely, wanted to cry, and wanted some emotional affirmation, only then would it feel sofortable and cozy. However, just like in the case now, when I was so bored to the point where I wanted to go outside and have some fun then it¡¯s not so ufortable. In fact, it was all too annoying. Not to mention, the warmth could feel a bit consoling, but it could be quite unpleasant too.


    Oh, so what I was trying to say is...


    I want to sit alone!!!


    ¡°I, I am so jealous.¡±


    Ferdel shook his hands and looked at me. What¡¯s wrong with him this time? As I tried to wriggle in Caitel¡¯s arms with my face as if I had lived for thest two years of my life, Ferdel wiped away some tears in his eyes. Oh, by the way, Dad, could I sit alone? Your arms were very annoying. I was not a toddler anymore. Did he really have to be so overprotective of me like this?


    Oh, wait. I was just two years old. Shit, that might exin it.


    ¡°Ah, Ria.¡±


    Oh, no. It started again. As I thought, Ferdel wiped his tears as he held his hands. Ugh.


    ¡°How could she be so lovely? She¡¯s like an angel in disguise!¡±


    Why was my instinct always ended up to be true? This time, I was very lucky to be in the arms of Caitel, so I turned my back on Ferdel. Sigh.


    Hey, that level of endearment is considered criminal. Of course, I knew I was irresistibly cute and pretty, but he shouldn¡¯t love me that much. He should wake up! I was already with my dad...


    I couldn¡¯t make you my father!


    Oh, I suddenly wanted to see Silvia. Obviously, I met Ferdel earlier than her, but I loved Silvia more. Hah, this was the difference in favor among races. Silvia and Serrira were species called mothers. One couldn¡¯t beat mothers.


    When I hade to think of it, it truly was strange. After all, Silvia was 22, so she was younger than I before I died. Strangely, she was like a mother to me nevertheless. A very nice mom. Was it simply because of her aura? Of course, the different level of vision by height had affected this conclusion I made. Well, now I was really treating Serira as my own mother. Oh, anyway it¡¯s so boring. I wanted to sit alone!!


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    I clung to Caitel.


    ¡®Let me go now. Please? Let me go, you punk.¡¯


    I even punched him in the chest, but Caitel just looked down at me casually and turned his gaze right back to his paperwork.


    ¡®Hey, don¡¯t ignore me!¡¯


    I was in his arms but I just kept getting ignored...


    How did I end up like this?


    I looked at Cito Caitel gave me earlier. How could I y with this? I was not even a real baby! Ha, I shouldn¡¯t have been running around like a crazydy. Sob Sob.


    ¡°Boo hoo!¡±


    A few moments ago, it¡¯s been a while since Ist visited Caitel¡¯s lounge, so I started to run around but fell over. Of course, I fell and got my knee ripped off. Looking at that, I just thought I got hurt or sick often these days. However, all children got hurt at least once when they grew up. Right? I was the only one who didn¡¯t think it was a big deal.


    It hurt, but I thought it would be okay because I didn¡¯t cry, but I was the only one thinking that way. Ever since then, Caitel trapped me in his arms to stop me from running away.


    God damn it, at least let me sit alone! I had tried to argue, but it didn¡¯t work. In the end, I gave up and sighed, leaning against papa¡¯s chest with the face of an old man who almost finished their life. Ah, I was so bored.


    ¡°Caitel.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ferdel then came in, saying he had an issue to report. For some reason, Caitel was very grumpy about his appearance, but Ferdel didn¡¯t mind. Thus, this is the situation. Oh, it¡¯s boring. It was a real pain to be stuck in my father¡¯s arms. In the past, there used to be a thrill of whether dad would kill me or not. However, not anymore! No!


    Now I felt like he would never let me go unless I stabbed him in his waist. Oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore. I should have just gone to the garden. Why did I decide toe to the office? Sob, sob.


    At that moment, Ferdel opened his mouth with a serious face.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I have a princess sit on myp, too?¡±


    ¡­ that was the question he asked so seriously?


    ¡°No.¡±


    Caitel immediately refused as if it was not even worth thinking about. He¡¯s in the same boat as I was. Sob, sob.


    ¡®Hey, cheer up, dude! And I¡¯ll cheer up too.¡¯


    Ferdel, who asked with little to no expectations, stood firm in his position.


    ¡°Papa-¡±


    I said with a sweet voice. The same voice I used in my previous life to get something I wanted. However, Caitel looked down at me once and refused with a cold heart.


    ¡°You too, no.¡±


    Ah, he didn¡¯t even know what I was going to ask for!


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Hey, this crazy bastard, I hadn¡¯t said anything yet! What¡¯s wrong with him? Stop stopping me!


    ¡°I want to sit by my¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Did I just felt a murderous intent? I thought I knew why people killed people.


    This bastard.


    I just crossed my arms and sighed. Hey, I was a lot bigger now, so I should be heavier, right? I was really heavy! Very heavy! Were you not heavy when you were the same age as I? Oh, how did I end up like this? My heart bled.


    Ever since I got really sick from a coldst time, a lot had changed. After that day, Caitel would never let me do what I wanted if Seria said no. That¡¯s too much! Secondly, he wouldn¡¯t let me stay outside for too long. Most of all, if I got hurt for even a little bit, he would get overprotective of me like this.


    I was 25 years old! I didn¡¯t deserve to be trapped like this! What was happening! Huh?!


    Since all I could do was to look at Caitel¡¯s face and wiggle around his arm, I caught his hair instead to have a bit of fun. I wonder if dad found it annoying when I pulled his hair like this? However, the only feedback he¡¯s giving me was no feedback at all. I would show him what it¡¯s like to y alone. His red silver hair shone beautifully in my hands.


    Since I was bored, I would start braiding his hair. I would braid it in a star shape!


    ¡°So, what are you reporting about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know everything about it if you read my report. What else do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°Then get out.¡±


    Heartless Caitel. He was his only friend. He shouldn¡¯t be too harsh to him! I tugged his hair and told him to use better words. However, it didn¡¯t work even for a bit to Caitel. Just turning it over like I was messing around with my hair... Oh, being ignored by him was such a sad thing.

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 59</h4>


    ¡°Caitel.¡±


    Ferdel called my father again in a serious voice. Why? Was he trying to ask him again if he could hold me?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    However, this time my prophecy was wrong. What, was it because it wasn¡¯t an ominous premonition? For some reason, I felt abandoned by my hunch, but I was fine. It¡¯s all right. Really!


    Ferdel spoke in a serious voice with an expression as stern as his tone. A new face I had seen him make for the first time.


    ¡°Surely, you must be stressed by now. The war needs you, so why...¡±


    Oh, was it because of the war in the south? The date was heading toward the end of the month already, but it looked like Ferdel was still trying to persuade Caitel. Strangely, Caitel was a lot passive in war-rted skirmishes this time. I heard Caitel was the first one who acted out with his sword.


    Why was he doing this? Oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore.


    I just bit my dad¡¯s hair for no reason, just wanna. Nom nom. First, I thought the war was happening, but as the war got serious, I also treated the threat seriously. When I hade to think of it, my dad seemed to be getting worse these days. Was this the stress Ferdel was talking about?


    There was no reply from him for quite some time, so I thought he was ignoring Ferdel again. However, after a long time, the answer came out unexpectedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be furious if she doesn¡¯t remember me when I¡¯m back from the war.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Huh? What did he mean by that? Oh, but why did he look at me?


    Ferdel¡¯s eyes were directed at me too. For some reason, he embarrassingly answered.


    ¡°Uhm, like, really furious? Now that won¡¯t do...¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    Caitel cut off Ferdel¡¯s words and handed him over the files he read.


    ¡°Tell me about the situation.¡±


    Ferdel grimaced. He rummaged through the papers he had in his hands and sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re still standing our grounds. If this continueed, we would end up being the ones suffering. Things will get troublesome if we don¡¯t vanquish the Jultos Dynasty of Ptaezia within a year.¡±


    A year. It¡¯s very short. It was too shortpared to the wars from where I lived. However, if he¡¯s saying it¡¯s a year-long war then...


    I guessed they¡¯re that confident about winning this war. Suddenly, I remembered that war urred better when one side was weaker than the other, not when each other¡¯s power was simr and prevalent. It¡¯s a little strange. Hmm.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll have to go eventually.¡±


    ¡°How long can a child at her age remember someone?¡±


    I was smacking my lips in a subtle mood. Ferdel looked at me again after hearing Caitel. Why did he keep staring at me!? Did he borrow any money from me? I didn¡¯t say anything because his eyes were so serious, but I was also tired of being noticed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Caitel frowned.


    ¡°Then what do you know?¡±


    ¡°My irresistible charm?¡±


    Was he crazy?


    As soon as I was in a fit of rage, Caitel threw his pen at him. Ferdel grabbed his forehead in pain.


    Yes! It served him right!


    ¡°Hey, that really hurt!¡±


    ¡°A pen shouldn¡¯t hurt that much.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious! Especially when you throw things at me! It hurts a lot! Are you sure you don¡¯t have a murderous intent behind this?!¡±


    Yeah, there were murderous intent behind that. Ignoring Ferdel who was making such a fuss, Caitel turned his head and looked at the maid.


    ¡°Where is her nanny?¡±


    ¡°I shall call for her now.¡±


    The maid brought Serira right away. I knew she was waiting in the next room, but it was pretty fast. It¡¯s weird to see hering in with a serious face, thinking something¡¯s gone wrong with me. Mom, I was okay.


    ¡°I heard you called me.¡±


    When she came in, Caitel asked her right away the same question he asked Ferdel.


    ¡°For how long can a child remember someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Oh, even the brightest child would only remember up to a month at most¡­¡±


    Negative answer. She mumbled her words saying that I might forget about him even before he finished with the way. Caitel stiffened his face at Serira¡¯s answer.


    Well, it looked like he couldn¡¯t go to war after all, haha. At that moment, Ferdel made a silent roar. He gave Serra a hint. An unspoken request to do something. However, his desperate look was so serious it easily worked out for Serira.


    ¡°I mean, I think a child can remember up to three months at most¡­ I think.¡±


    Serira, why did you add ¡®I think¡¯? Was that your final bit of conscience fighting inside you? Ferdel asked Caitel with an excited look in his voice.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Will you go?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    In a low voice, Caitel rammed him. Oh, what sad guy.


    Ferdel was such a talkative, sad beast. Ferdel, who remained adamant, opened his mouth like a carp, but even that was soon condemned.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking. You are disturbing me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ferdel fell quietly.


    Tsk tsk, I knew that. I¡¯d love to go and pat his shoulder, but I was in his arms as you can see, so¡­ Yeah. Dad didn¡¯t let me go in the middle of all this. He¡¯s treating me I was his doll.


    ¡°Hey,¡±


    A very quiet voice called Caitel amid the downer mood. When Ferdel started to talk again, even though he was told to be quiet, my daddy stared at him, annoyed. However, Ferdel replied very upset voice.


    ¡°I still have more things to report.¡±


    Silence. Serira stood there awkwardly, staring at the situation. Well, it¡¯s rude to leave even though she wasn¡¯t told to leave. Why were we doing this here when we¡¯re not guilty?


    ¡°Do so.¡±


    As soon as his permission was given, Ferdel asked Serira to leave. She bowed and quietly left the room. Immediately, Ferdel resumed his report.


    ¡°I found a strange incident in Langres. As you know, Langres is an alliance of tribes that gathered for their survival in the desert. But they are connected by blood, so their union among the tribes are tighter than other allied countries. Recently one tribe has been ughtering or extorting other tribes.¡±


    I was done!


    A braid in the shape of a star was too much for me, so I just braid my dad¡¯s hair normally. Oh, it¡¯s pretty. It¡¯s so pretty I wonder who did it. I thought it was prettier because it was Caitel¡¯s hair.


    When I finished braiding his hair, I pped my hands in my lonesome. Caitel gave me a look strange look after doing sp. He then destroyed the art I made using his hair¡­ Hey!


    ¡°So what?¡±


    He was beautiful, but I hated it. Hey, I had made my own masterpiece with this little hand, and how dare he get rid of it all at once!


    Damn, I was done. I didn¡¯t have a dream or hope anymore!

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 60</h4>


    ¡°But nobody is fighting them back.¡±


    Ferdel spoke seriously, but Caitel¡¯s response was unusual.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    Uh, um...


    Hey, daddy? So there¡¯s a massacre happening east of our country. Was that all he had to say? I meant, I wouldn¡¯t expect him to say anything like ¡®Oh Gosh, what should I do?¡¯ Still, is it weird if I expected at least some kind of concern?


    ¡°I thought it¡¯s a bit suspicious.¡±


    Oh, was the weird one here. Sorry.


    My father was a man with a history of genocide, though I forgot about it after a while. Suddenly, when I realized this fact, it made me feel weird. I used to feel that a lot.


    I thought I was the only normal person here.


    Before that, one premise was that my standards for the summit were different from those in here.


    While Caitel moving his fingers one by one, taping his desk with his fingertips, Ferdel smiled. His smile was truly more wicked than any I had ever seen.


    ¡°Should we help?¡±


    Why was he smiling like that?


    Oh, I guessed he¡¯s a real evil boss too. Oh no. I was scared. I thought about it while braiding my dad¡¯s hair, but one couldn¡¯t trust Ferdel easily. How could anyone emit evil energy flow like that? However, Caitel didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    Caitel seemed like he was not interested in this problem. Ferdel whispered to Caitel, who was looking into other documents. He was like whispering a secret.


    ¡°But you are aware that this might leave a big hole in our finances for a while, right?¡±


    ¡®A big one,¡¯ he added that quietly and wickedly. Was I the only one who felt a growing sense of evil in this ce? Caitel took his eyes off the papers and answered him with a thin stare.


    ¡°You could use your specialty.¡±


    Huh? Specialty?


    Caitel sighed and put the document down from his hand. Leaning back, he fixed his posture once.


    ¡°Where is the chancellor who said ¡®I would use you as a front and call you a tyrant while I do all the bad things pretending that you ordered them?''¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡±


    Ferdel smiled proudly and nodded. His pompous gesture made me shake my head. Oh, was he proud of that?


    ¡°But you are a tyrant.¡±


    At the moment, his gaze struck Ferdel like an arrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Why does he keep picking fights even though he knew he would lose? I admire that, but sometimes, I had been curious about what was really on his mind.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    While scratching his cheek as if he had realized something, Ferdel smiled. It was as sinister as the smile he had earlier.


    ¡°Let me collect more taxes from nobles.¡±


    ¡°You are also a noble too.¡±


    Caitel spoke with a pitiful tone, but Ferdel¡¯s answer was amazing.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    He then raised his head proudly.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not a Marquis yet.¡±


    I missed Caitel¡¯s hair in my hands.


    Wow, that guy...


    ***


    My ball bounces out of my hand.


    Oh, really. That¡¯s been happening for a while!


    Was I a fool who couldn¡¯t even bounce a ball properly? I sighed as I looked at the ball away from me. I would catch you soon! In my previous life, I sucked at anything rted to physical sports, but somehow, it didn¡¯t change much when I got reincarnated. I wanted to dribble too, dribble!


    However, that¡¯s just my dream. The reality was that whenever I managed to catch the ball, it always ran away from me. I had to fail at doing it repeatedly.


    Catching the running ball was enough exercise for me. The ball was rolling freely. Once I caught it, I was so focused on it I didn¡¯t even know that the scenery had changed.


    Where was this ce?


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I caught the ball, but when I looked around, I found it somewhere I had never been to. Where the hell was I? Of course, since the pce of Agregiant was so huge, there were ces I had never been to. However, I knew I was near the winter tree in the garden. How did I end up here?


    ¡°Oh, my.¡±


    Huh? I heard an unfamiliar voice.


    When I turned my head, a woman from a distance was looking at me, surprised. Huh? Why was she so surprised? Was I a monster?


    Oh, by the way, she¡¯s dressed a little differently? I tilted my head. The Sy pce¡¯s maids always wore a uniform, but this ce looked a little different. No, wait a second. The style was totally different. I didn¡¯t think I flew into a foreign pce all of a sudden, so what the hell was going on?


    ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s a baby!¡±


    Suddenly, so many women appeared one after another. I was rather curious to hear what they would say. It was because there were somenguages I didn¡¯t understand. No, it felt more like a name than anguage. Suddenly, I was surrounded by many women and I didn¡¯t know where they all came from.


    Huh? Huh?


    ¡°Why is there a baby here at the harem?¡±


    I finally realized where I was. Harem. Oh, no. it¡¯s the Harem. It was natural that my facial expression stiffened. What the hell? I must havee all this way without realizing it.


    ¡°She¡¯s so cute!¡±


    ¡°Wait, this child¡¯s hair color is red-silver...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    After someone spoke those words, the heated atmosphere suddenly turned into a chilling one. This hair. I wanted to cut off this hair right now. I supposed everyone could guess who I was based on my appearance.


    ¡°How did youe all the way here?¡±


    Another woman came up and talked to me, but I looked around and held the ball more tightly in my arms. I came into the tiger¡¯s den with my own feet! W, what should I do?


    ¡°What a cute baby.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that you¡¯re holding?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you show it to me?¡±


    Everyone was talking to me in a friendly voice, but I felt somehow ufortable. What the hell was this? Of course, I knew I was cute, but my thoughts were all left unsaid. Oh, it¡¯s ufortable. Where the hell should I go? I was ying with Elene, and she didn¡¯t even know I was gone? She didn¡¯t follow me?


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? How old are you now?¡±


    These girls shouldn¡¯t act like that when you all knew it.


    No matter how much I thought about this, it didn¡¯t seem like they approached me with pure goodwill. I was not sure whether they approach to give favor or to be an enemy. Oh, whatever.


    ¡°Where are you going!¡±


    I chose the direction where it seemed empty. I ran even faster because I was worried that I might be caught anyway. However, I was so busy that my head got washed out nk.


    Oh, I was so tired. Did I run away well? As soon as I arrived in an empty space, I put the ball down and fell to the ground.


    I was dying.


    What was all this? It¡¯s been a long time since I had had doubts about my situation.


    God damn it, how did I manage to live with this body!?

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 61</h4>


    ¡°Oh,¡±


    Huh?


    I lifted my head, and I saw a blue eye looking at me. There¡¯s another one here! I got up right away. Without thinking, I grabbed the ball and stepped back. She covered her mouth with surprise. Oh, what should I do now? I didn¡¯t have any strength left to run away anymore!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My lips were tight with a frown, and there was a subtle silence.


    I didn¡¯t like this. Where should I go to find the garden again? I was thirsty. My lips felt as if they were drying up. At that moment, the woman pointed to something. Huh? I took a step backward despite her little action. What did she do to me?


    ¡°Go that way.¡±


    Ah?


    The pale blue-haired woman said that and just walked away.


    Huh? I was left there in my lonesome, so I felt a little dazed and hugged the ball in my arms.


    What was it? There was some tension between us; was it just my own illusion? Anyway, I went in the direction she told me. What if she told me the wrong way?


    Well, I¡¯m d there¡¯s no dangerous ce in this pce.


    All the worries I had were really useless worries. It¡¯s right there, the garden. Looking up at the tree right in front of my eyes, I felt a sense of skepticism about myself. Oh, I couldn¡¯t believe I doubted someone I just met. I was rotten, too.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I guess Elene was looking for me everywhere. When she saw me, she ran up to me.


    ¡°Where have you been!¡±


    I pointed out where I just came out.


    ¡°Harem.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt? Did anything happen to you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Calming her down, I handed my ball over to Elene. I think I would miss it if I held it. Elene got the ball from me, and she hastened me.


    ¡°Now, hurry on. Let¡¯s go find Lady Serira.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I don¡¯t want to go back, but Serira was looking for me.


    Entering the Pce of Sy and heading straight to my room, I could hear the voice of the mastermind who kicked out me from my room.


    ¡°No! Go away!¡±


    He¡¯s still being like that.


    ¡°Graecito!¡±


    Serira tried to soothe Graecito, but somehow, Graecito was more defiant as Serira tried to calm him down. What did he have to hate so much?


    Still, she looked more like a mother when she tried to soothe her child. I remembered when my mom scolded me when I was young. However, was Serira so sweet to me because I was a princess? No, it¡¯s because I was such a good child, right? Right?


    ¡°Serira-¡±


    When I called her, Serira turned her head. I smiled back at her when she smiled brightly at me.


    ¡°Oh, princess, you¡¯re back! Come, have a seat. It¡¯s time for your snack.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Sitting safely on my chair with the help of Elene, I looked at the delicious snack today. Oh, dessert was the best. Maybe my taste changed because of my body, but still, all the food here was so delicious. While I ate my cookies, themotion in front of me had subsided. Did they stop fighting because I was here? He had a keen eye for me. Yeah, well, I wasn¡¯t too happy either way.


    ¡°You should try this too, Cito.¡±


    Still, I wasn¡¯t young enough to deal with a kid like this. The little boy, who had been silent after my suggestion, turned his head. He didn¡¯t like what I did. Still, I was satisfied that scuffle had stopped. Serira sighed in relief as she looked at Graecito, who sat quietly in front of me.


    ¡°How¡¯s Baron Brave?¡±


    ¡°The doctor said it was okay.¡±


    ¡°You must be very worried.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I looked at Graecito while biting a cookie in my mouth. When our eyes met, Graecito turned his head. He¡¯s being so restless... I understand he felt ufortable staying with his mother after his grandmother suddenly fell sick.


    However, it was the same for Serira too. She was holding back her desire to run to her mother, and even Graecito was adding to her frustration. At least I should be the good kid. Solidifying the idea, I ate up a piece of apple pie in front of me.


    ¡°You should eat this, too¡±


    Gracito gazed at me eating the apple pie.


    Huh? Why did he look at me? Was I so pretty? I knew I was pretty, though. However, I was not pretty enough for him to lose his temper when he was about to eat something.


    Uh, uh...This was a little too much, damn it.


    ¡°No! I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Graecito!¡±


    He hit Serira¡¯s hand and the apple pie almost flew away at the moment. Hey!


    I loved Serira¡¯s education policy, wherein she would never punish anyone, but sometimes, I thought it was necessary. I frowned on their scuffle that had started again. The two of them would have another war, right? My head started to hurt again. Well, I should help her.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t eat it, then I will.¡±


    ¡°P, Princess.¡±


    I picked up a bowl of apple pie Graecito said he wouldn¡¯t eat and brought it right to me. The tter tugged loudly into the room. However, the moment I put the te in front of me and held the fork, Graecito took it again.


    ¡°Give it to me!¡±


    He picked up the fork right away and started eating the apple pie. I put down the fork with a sigh.


    Tsk. I knew you would eat it in the end.

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 62</h4>


    It¡¯s time for me to go to bed.


    I was waiting in Caitel¡¯s bedroom after taking a bath, and when I saw him enter the room, his expression scared me. Huh? Why are you ring at me like that? I ran to him as usual, but I had to stop for a moment.


    It¡¯s my first time, wait, not my first time seeing that face. Anyway, I¡¯m a little nervous about his expression. Did I do something wrong? No matter how much I think about it, I never did anything wrong. Then what¡¯s the problem? Was it because we didn¡¯t have dinner together today? But that was because Caitel was too busy. What¡¯s going on?


    There was an awkward silence between us. Oh, well. I decided to act as usual. Just as usual...


    ¡°Papa¡ª¡±


    Smile and give him a hug with my charming voice!


    I smiled with a brighter face than usual. I don¡¯t know what it is, but if I had done something wrong, just forgive me, daddy. Whatever that was, did he thought I meant to do that? I just didn¡¯t know. Please understand me. Be generous. Like a real father!


    A child makes mistakes, right?


    Caitel¡¯s expression slowly unravels with all my charm. I was a little tired of doing all the cute things in his arms. This dad now made 2 years old do so many things. However, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t like the naturalness of him holding me with his head down.


    ¡°The Harem.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I heard you went there.¡±


    That happened earlier today. My body stiffened. Did he hear about it already? Gosh, Elene, that girl. I knew what the harem was like, so suddenly I understand why he was acting so scary. Ugh, don¡¯t tell me he will cut my throat because I went there once...


    Oh, I didn¡¯t like it. I didn¡¯t like thinking it was possible.


    Dad, so was he saying he would kill me? He couldn¡¯t do that. I didn¡¯t want to die yet! Well, it¡¯s time to use my specialty here.


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s a Harem?¡±


    I don¡¯t know anything!


    The best part was to innocently repeat the question right back at him.


    Caitel¡¯s face stiffened. I have to be extremely cute and adorable! I finally became 2 and I couldn¡¯t die like this. Did he thought he coud kill me when I¡¯m this cute and lovely!?


    ¡°The ce you entered today was the Harem.¡±


    ¡°Where did I go?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Was it just me who felt like a blood vessel stuck out of Caitel¡¯s forehead? I didn¡¯t like his subtly crumpled expression, so I pressed his forehead with my index finger.


    Stop frowning, father.


    ¡°The buildings behind Sienna Pce.¡±


    ¡°Heh?¡±


    ¡°The building close to the Garden¡¯s western entrance.¡±


    ¡°Huuh?¡±


    Caitel bit his lips. It was so scary to watch him biting his lips with a tantalizing look, but at the same time, I thought something just woke inside of me.


    What should I do? This is kind of fun.


    Holding back myughter inside, I pretended to be calm on the outside. Oh, I thought I could understand why Ferdel always teased him even though he got beaten up.


    This was fun.


    ¡°Anyway, you cannot go there. You understand?¡±


    Caitel asked me as if he gave up on exining it at the end. He looked quite serious.


    Oh, I shouldn¡¯t do this. I really shouldn¡¯t do this.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I ended up asking him back. Caitel shut his mouth at my innocent voice.


    ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I go there?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s expression was such an art. Oh, my God. He seemed like he wanted to hit me, but he didn¡¯t beat me like Ferdel because I was still a baby or for any other reason. What should I do? This was quite addictive.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for you if you go there, so don¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°Why is it not good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not good?¡±


    Caitel took a big breath. I smiled inwardly because Caitel seemed like he was holding his temper. Oh my god!


    Oh, this was so fun! So addictive. I felt like I was in a situation where I started ying games with boredom and then lost all my time. This was way too fun.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go!¡±


    Caitel frowned his face on the answer I gave just before his anger exploded. I said I won¡¯t go, why was he ring at me like that again?! However, since there was an unexpected harvest, I will ignore it instead. I pointed to the bed.


    ¡°Sleep! Dreand!¡±


    He puts me down. That was when I ran to the bed and stuck my head in the nket.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    I turned my head on the voice outside of the door.


    Huh? What¡¯s going on? What was it at this hour? In contrast to my suspicious look, Caitel¡¯s face was visibly fierce.


    The door opened and the servant immediately bowed his head. I felt pitiful for him trembling like that. What the hell was going on anyway?


    ¡°There is an urgent message from the expeditionary force!¡±


    Caitel¡¯s face crumpled as he snatched and scanned the paper. I struggled to get up to the bed, and I sat down and looked at Caitel, who scattered murderous intent.


    ¡°Who sent this?¡±


    ¡°M, Master Tuyolle.¡±


    I always thought all the maids and servants working at the Sy Pce were pitiful. Caitel treated them so harshly sometimes. That¡¯s why they get paid extra for risk benefits.


    Well, by the way, what¡¯s written on that piece of paper that¡¯s causing Caitel to shake like that?


    ¡°Call Ferdel right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    At the end of the order, Caitel immediately stormed out of the bedroom.


    What the hell was going on with you leaving me behind? Left alone on the bed, I tilted my head and thought he would be back soon, but it was my illusion.


    Caitel did not return to the room until the next day when the sun was bright. I fell asleep and woke up the next day with a slight cold.


    Today felt gloomy.

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 63</h4>


    ¡°Who would¡¯ve expected Prazia would suddenly attack us?¡±


    ¡°I mean, of course, they would fight back after such attacks.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the case for our country! We¡¯re Agrigent!¡±


    ¡°Everybody, you are being too loud. What is going on since this morning?¡±


    The sound of thedies¡¯ voices from the morning made my ears noisy. Everyone in the imperial pce seemed exited ever since this morning. It¡¯s not something happy; it was a depressing atmosphere so I felt ufortable. Serira was quiet, but Elene was different. When I put down my toothbrush after brushing my teeth, Elene suddenly came in and began talking.


    ¡°Lady Serira, have you heard the news?!¡±


    Oh, dear. There she goes again with her gossip. Although I did get to learn about recent news thanks to her. I got a water cup from Serira and washed my mouth.


    ¡°What are you being so loud about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal! A big deal!¡±


    Everything was a big deal for you. Serira seemed to think of a simr thing.


    ¡°So what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Lord Zavaikal has been greatly wounded!¡±


    Elene, who broke off Serra¡¯s words, spoke in a serious tone.


    Zavaikal? Who was that? Though the ck Knight sounded familiar... Unlike me, Serira opened her mouth in surprise. It was a shock to me when I saw her looking like her soul had escaped her body. What, even Serira knew, and I was the only one who didn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening? After spitting water out of my mouth, Serira wiped around my mouth with a towel. She lifted the towel, and I turned to Elene right away.


    ¡°The ck Knight of his Majesty! The first knight of the Empire is wounded!¡±


    Wait. I had heard a lot about the ck Knight. I narrowed my brow. Who was that? I¡¯m sure I know...


    ¡°So, how is the knight Asissi?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but he must be in a serious condition. His Majesty called for an urgent meetingst night. Even the chancellor was called in...¡±


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s not hurt too much.¡±


    I looked back at Serira for fear of her voice, but there was nothing I could tell by looking at her face.


    What the hell was going on?


    So the wounded knight was Assisi?


    I sighed at the friendly name, even though I had never seen him. Then Caitel¡¯s reactionst night was understandable. Assisi seemed like a very unusual knight. He and Caitel seemed to be bound by something special.


    Although it¡¯s not like we lost the war yet, everyone seemed so shocked about the news that the knight was hurt.


    Was he that strong of a knight? It¡¯s hard to grasp the mood because I didn¡¯t know him.


    ¡°Our ck Knight has never been hurt before. Even if he was ambushed¡­ the morale of our soldiers has fallen a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can tell by looking at you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What about me, Lady Serira?!¡±


    While drying my wet hair, Serira closed her mouth.


    Listening to their story, I breathed a mncholic sigh, so is this world. People always said that humankind always behaved the same way, but I wished it to be different.


    People do say that the history of humankind was the history of war. War was inseparable to humanity, and there were only 14 days that there was no war on the for 100 years in modern times. My shock when I first heard that was astounding. Even for me, who lived peacefully in Korean in the midst of a truce, war was very unfamiliar. However, at the same time, I¡¯m used to it.


    It¡¯s like while I¡¯m watching TV, the news about war is on it. I¡¯m rotten.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Princess?¡±


    When I pull her robe, Serira wondered. I didn¡¯t feel like answering her, so I just hug her. My wet hair made my shoulders wet, but more important than that was that I felt like I wanted her tofort me now.


    I didn¡¯t care who. I just wanted someone to tell me that this peace will never be broken.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you princess?¡±


    ¡°Princess, princess, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to bring pudding for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good time to eat pudding. It¡¯s morning.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t eating sweets make her feel better?¡±


    I could hear the voices of the two people who were talking about me. Listening to their worried voices didn¡¯t make me feel better.


    Let¡¯s just go back to sleep. However, my n broke with a small knock. Thedy who came in with the knock said hello to me with a smile.


    ¡°Your Majesty requests your presence.¡±

 Chapter 64

    <h4>Chapter 64: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 64</h4>


    It wasn¡¯t the office or the garden where she led me. This must be where the meeting hall was. I had always heard of this ce, but I had never been here before.


    I could hear people¡¯s voice beyond the thick, giant door. Standing in front of the door, I felt like I shrank even more. Why was this building so big? I was so overwhelmed by the scale of the pce. That delicate ornament, and this uselessly gigantic size. I guessed this must be it. The pce all the power of this empire was focused; the ce where the political institutions including the chancellor residence were. I had only heard about it. This was the first time I had evere to this Podere Pce.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we must hold another ceremony...¡±


    ¡°We are grateful that His Majesty will lead the battle himself but¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s too rash to head there immediately like this...¡±


    I sneaked my head out of the door the maid opened. As the door opened, my ears were filled with voices of embarrassment.


    What¡¯s all this?


    Turning my head around, I found Ferdel. He was touching his head with an embarrassed expression. What¡¯s wrong with him? The next moment when I saw Caitel, I could understand Ferdel¡¯s behavior.


    ¡­ Can I go back to my room¡­?


    ¡°But, themander of the Winter Moon Knights is in grave danger. You should all know that nobody among the reinforcements is capable enough to rece his position...¡±


    Ferdel continued his word with a smile on his face. He tried to mediate the situation,


    ¡°Even if we were nning to send reinforcement since three weeks ago...¡±


    ¡°We still need to prepare...¡±


    It didn¡¯t work for them at all.


    This was what the ¡®Armchair Argument¡¯ looked like, huh? I got scared at a quite serious atmosphere, but what was even more frightening was that the situation itself felt somehow past its limits.


    I rolled my shaky eyes and looked back at Caitel.


    It¡¯s scary, so scary. He looked at men like he was gonna kill someone. Ugh, how terrifying his eyes were. Of course, the others were used to this expression, but in my eyes, Caitel seemed like a nuclear bomb that would explode even if it was touched a little bit.


    ¡°We are d that your Majesty is leading this but¡­¡±


    ¡°The meaning of this war changes when your Majesty is going in person...¡±


    That¡¯s enough, these crazy bastards had gone too far. Didn¡¯t they see he¡¯s angry?


    I could hear Caitel¡¯s temper losing. Oh, no. He was really mad. I suddenly felt the urge to shut the door and run away.


    Should I just run away? What kind of emergency was this? I was rolling my head, and at that moment Caitel¡¯s fists squeezed tight.


    ¡°If I need more preparation, then when am I supposed to join them? I¡¯m pretty sure the report said every passing moment matters right now.¡±


    His low-pitched voice was unexpectedly calm. I was more afraid of that calmness. It¡¯s like peace before the storm.


    ¡°Will, someone care to exin?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s head was slightly lifted. His eyes were shining fiercely.


    Those are not the eyes of humans.


    At that moment, Caitel smiled. Wait, he¡¯s smiling? Oh¡­ my lips shut without saying a word. Dad, he really was mad. Was he smiling to hold his temper? However, it¡¯s scarier.


    He uttered the words in a low voice, but everyone was silent. The conference room became quiet, but all the nobles of this country seemed to be brave enough.


    ¡°But we think you should prepare more...¡±


    ¡°We should do a ceremony again¡­¡±


    ¡°Most of all, we must think of the dignity of this empire and your...¡±


    I closed my ears right after hearing that. It¡¯s exploding!


    Bam, the sound of his hands hitting the desk was ring, even though I was blocking my ears. I frowned. That desk was smashed. I pledged to never ever go against my daddy. Yup. Never. My life was very precious.


    In an instant, the blood dripping from Caitel¡¯s right-hand drops on the floor. Regardless of the roar that nearly shattered everyone¡¯s eardrums, the noise that broke the desk, or whatever it was, everyone was terrified at the murderous intent Caitel spewed out.


    ¡°Then all of you should go to the battlefront and fight in ce of my ck Knight.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s eyes sh in the silence, where there was not even a breath. He twisted his lips. That smile was more like ridicule and just a smile. I swallowed my saliva quietly. I stepped back slowly.


    No. Getting in there was suicide.


    ¡°I will tie up your worthless bodies that know nothing but greed...¡±


    There was not even a murmur. Only Ferdel shook his head. He seemed like he had already given up. Hey, who told him to give up! Stop him right now!


    ¡°To use as a shield from the arrows that fly my way.¡±


    Ugh, that temper!


    Before I knew it, his sword shined in Caitel¡¯s hand. My neck felt cold. The eyes of Caitel glows coolly.


    ¡°Shut up, or I¡¯ll cut off all of your tongues.¡±


    Mommy, I wanted to go back now!


    This was how I looked from afar, and those people should be more appalled. However, the conference room must be a weapons-free area. Oh, but it couldn¡¯t be banned because it¡¯s a sword summoned as soon as he called it.


    Enough escapism, I seriously considered whether I should really escape. Going in there right now would bemitting suicide. What should I do? Should I just run away? Should I go back like this? Should Ie inter when it gets quiet?


    However, there was no choice for me from the start.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    That moron! Ferdel, who was ying during the meeting, shook his hand at me.


    Hey, it¡¯s polite not to pretend to know each other at this time, manners, don¡¯t you know that?!


    In spite of my silent roar, all of their eyes turned to me. Ugh, don¡¯t look at me! Stop paying attention to me! Regardless of my mood, everyone¡¯s eyes were already locked in my direction. Of course, Caitel was no exception as he exudes too much murderous intent.


    His crimson eyes look down at me. Stuck in the door, I couldn¡¯t help it. I thought he got softened a lot these days. Looking at those eyes, I remembered a memory. The attempted murder of our first meeting.


    It¡¯s not a memory of the first kiss, it¡¯s a memory of the first attempted murder. Everything¡¯s screwed up. I couldn¡¯t see the answer.


    Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll hit me too. Will you?!


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    There¡¯s only one thing for me to do at a moment like this. At my smile, Caitel hardened his face. Huh? Did I do something wrong? Somehow I thought his bloodied eyes had softened but were it just my illusion?


    He looked at me and then turned his eyes. I felt like he had ignored me. Something felt strange.


    ¡°I will leave tomorrow at noon, just as nned.¡±


    With his sword unsheated, Caitel rose from his chair. He looked calm and seemed like he didn¡¯t care about his bloodied fists and his destroyed desk.


    ¡°If you have any objection, then follow me.¡±


    There could be no objection. Not while he¡¯s holding a sword like that.


    Of course, his sword was gone now. It was right under my nose where Caitel walked straight up to. Of course, I thought he¡¯de to me, but I was still a little embarrassed when he did came to me.

 Chapter 65

    <h4>Chapter 65: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 65</h4>


    I felt nervous without realizing it. I stood back and looked up at Caitel, but I couldn¡¯tugh easily as usual. It felt like the air had changed. Yeah, that¡¯s how it felt like. The air I breathed now felt different. He seemed different from all the other days. Caitel¡¯s eyes looking at me were much colder than usual.


    Was it just my feeling? No, I didn¡¯t think so. He was so unfamiliar, more than ever.


    I felt weird. It felt like we had never met before. After all, we weren¡¯t very close, but it was weird. It was so much weirder than ever. We were kind of close, weren¡¯t we? I thought the distance between the two of us had narrowed, but¡­


    Now, I¡¯m not sure anymore.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I can¡¯t stand the silence. He looked carefully up at the gaze that stared down at me, swallowing his dry saliva. I grabbed him by the hem of his dress. Normally, he would already be holding me in his arms. However, right now, Caitel looked so cold.


    He usually didn¡¯t treat me like that, as if he¡¯s facing a stranger. What was this feeling? I feel weird. My chest hurts.


    ¡°Who brought her here?¡±


    I should have run away. I should have just run when I had a chance.


    I regretted right away when I heard his low voice. There was no ce for me here. I bit my lips carefully. I couldn¡¯t help my face stiffening as if I had suddenly be homeless. Did I really do something wrong? I didn¡¯t think I did anything wrong, but I guessed I was wrong.


    ¡°I was told that your Majesty called for...¡±


    The little voice of the maid barely answered. Caitel turned to her without an answer. He wasn¡¯t looking at her with aggression, but the maid who led me shook her whole body as soon as she was caught in the eyes of the Caitel. Well, he looked scary. Oh no, she would faint for sure.


    What was I supposed to do? Should I just say I was here because I wanted to? I think I was interfering too much, but I should help her. If I acted as cute as possible...


    ¡°I did!¡±


    When I was about to open my mouth, Ferdel came up this way. Had he cleaned up the conference room already? I closed my mouth in surprise, Ferdel winked at me. What the hell?


    ¡°I called her.¡±


    His simple word made me speechless.


    What? So it was him!


    Although Ferdel said like it wasn¡¯t a big deal at all, it was a big deal for me. I didn¡¯t like his behavior because a woman almost lost her life because of him. He should have told me that he called me. Why did he say he called me?


    ¡°Under whosemand?¡±


    A low voice was flowing out of Caitel¡¯s teeth. Yeah, under whosemand!? Caitel¡¯s intent was threatening, but Ferdel smiled grabbing me. Why, why was he grabbing me! He wanted me to die with him!? Ferdel looked in my eyes. He brightly smiled. Although his smile were cute.


    ¡°Dear, princess Ria, you missed your daddy a lot, right?¡±


    No.


    Why did he keep asking me obvious things? Of course, I couldn¡¯t speak that out loud, I just took off Ferdel¡¯s hand grabbing me without my permission. No one allowed him to touch me. When I pushed his hand, Ferdel lowered his head in a gloomy face.


    ¡°My princess is ignoring me!¡±


    It¡¯s not my first time ignoring him. It¡¯s rather surprising that he continued to stick to me even though I ignored him. I pulled my hand and turned my head, and how unlucky I was. I met his crimson eyes right away, but that¡¯s for a moment. When the color of the eyes seemed to fade, Caitel turned his head first.


    ¡­ I felt like I got ignored. I frowned.


    ¡°Take her back.¡±


    Low-sinking voice. After thatmand, he left without saying goodbye. His followers passed me by after him. My eyes frowned.


    Oh, shit. I didn¡¯t know if my frowning face could grin again.


    Hmmm, what the hell was this nasty feeling? I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I felt really dirty.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face also slightly stiffened. Since he was always smiling, I thought I¡¯d feel better if his face crumpled, but I didn¡¯t feel any better when I saw his troubled face. What¡¯s this feeling? Suddenly, I feel irritated.


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d like it...¡±


    Who the hell would like this? When I looked at Ferdel nervously, he tried to make me smile.


    ¡°I apologize, my Princess. Perhaps his Majesty is not in the mood to see you.¡±


    ¡°Not in the mood?¡±


    What mood? Who would make up for my ruined mood? Regardless of my mood, Ferdel seemed already having a hard time just dealing with Caitel. He touched his head and sighed.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s been doing that shit all night.¡±


    He sounded sick and tired, but I didn¡¯t feel so good to care about it. Go y by yourself. I turned back irritably, and Ferdel was baffled by my reaction.


    ¡°Princess, are you angry?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh right, Princess! Shall we go see Silvia?¡±


    No, I don¡¯t want to. I know he¡¯s trying to make me feel better, but my body wouldn¡¯t listen to my head. What the hell was this feeling? Suddenly, I missed Serira so much.


    Serira, my nanny, my mom.


    Mom, I wanted to be in her arms right now!


    My desire soon spread beyond my control. I suddenly started to run. A maid shouted at me. I heard a voice calling me. Also, I heard Elene, who came with me cheers Ferdel, who was devastated by my ignorance.


    ¡°Cheer up, Chancellor!¡±

 Chapter 66

    <h4>Chapter 66: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 66</h4>


    ¡°Oh, my. Princess?¡±


    When I returned to the room, Serira was inside as I left. Serira!


    As soon as she came into my sight, something melted inside me. I scowled and got into Serira¡¯s arms with a tearful look. Serira, who was knitting, hugged me with embarrassment. Her body was very warm, with my wide-opened arms tightly holding her. It was enough to melt my dirty feelings.


    It was warm. To feel the warmth a little better, I closed my eyes tightly. My rough breathing after running earlier had slowly subsided in her arms. I opened my eyes again after a long time.


    Serira hugged me with a smile, even though what I did might be a bit embarrassing because I ran into her all of a sudden. Her lips that touched my cheek made me tear up. She wasn¡¯t as meek as my mother in my previous life. She wasn¡¯t an olddy either, not even older than my age in my previous life, and yet she was already my mother. Yes, she was still my mother, even though she was younger than my mental age.


    ¡°Princess, you¡¯re acting strange today.¡±


    Her voice whispering to me was somehow yful. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s mocking me, so I frowned to show my frustration. Serira smiled little.


    ¡°Should we do nothing today but just cuddling?¡±


    Being in her arms again, I nodded my head at her question.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    This relieved me a little. Now I didn¡¯t know why I was so angry. When I breathed the smell of her body, which I had been smelling since when I was baby, I could finally forget about everything.


    Was this what mother¡¯s dignity was? Until now, I felt so shitty that I wanted to destroy everything.


    ¡°I thought my princess was good and caring for others, not stubborn and not jealous, so I thought you were mature but-¡±


    What? When I raised my head, Serira looked at me. Her green eyes were like grasses from the deep forest.


    ¡°But a baby is still a baby after all. You¡¯re so cute, my princess.¡±


    She thought I was cute when I felt shitty? Did she want to die?


    Seriraughed as I made a sour expression. Serira¡¯s hand patted my head. I gently thrust my nose into her arms as her hand led me.


    ¡°But I like it. I love you when you grizzle while being stubborn. I also love it when you are jealous or when you are inconsiderate of others. But I know that my princess still cares for others. My princess is not a stubborn and not a jealous person, right?¡±


    What was I supposed to do then?


    It was a very obvious statement, and it was an obviouspliment¡­


    However, I like it. I closed my mouth and buried myself again in her warmth that just epted for who I was. She just made me feel better just for being there. It¡¯s weird.


    I heard the door open and I heared someone, probably Elene,ing in, but I didn¡¯t raise my head in Serira¡¯s arms. Should I just fall in sleep like this? I felt depressed. I was acting like a newborn baby. I knew I was being childish, and I knew it¡¯s immature, and I knew it¡¯s stupid, but... But I couldn¡¯t help it. Because I wanted to do this. Just because she¡¯s an adult didn¡¯t mean she had to hold on to everything.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself from feeling hurt for not knowing the reason. Even as an adult, it felt the same; pain did note exclusively from a young age. Although the wound might not be severe, it¡¯s still a wound.


    ¡°Princess¡ª¡±


    I could hear Elene calling me, but I didn¡¯t move my head from Serira¡¯s arms. After that, Elene called a couple more times, but soon, she gave up. Serira asked her in a small voice.


    ¡°Do you know what has happened to her all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Her voice moaned. I just closed my eyes.


    ¡°Well,¡±


    Actually, I wanted to forget all about it and just quietly stay like this, but Elene¡¯s voice lit up my anger. Elene shut her mouth as I raised my head with a scowl.


    ¡°I have a guess.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get a cup of warm tea. Also, get some sweet cakes. I think chocte cake with chocte syrup would be good. Or a brownie.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t Serira, I would have taken it out on Elene.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    She coulde slowly. I saw Elene run, then I fell back onto Serira¡¯s arms again. Her touch on my back was softer than usual.


    Yeah, maybe it¡¯s just my misunderstanding that we¡¯re getting closer to each other. He could have just yed with me like a toy. All his concern could be his bait to y me. Everything he did that made me think we were close was probably nothing but an illusion. Yes, it could be. I knew this, I knew.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but have this feeling surging from my heart even though I knew all about it.


    Oh, this was so annoying.


    ¡°Princess, eating sweets will make you feel better.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think so at all. Even if I kept trying to forget, I couldn¡¯t help but remember the cruelty of it all. Why did he look at me like that? Why? He was a totally different person than usual. It wasn¡¯t the Caitel I knew. Oh, well, that¡¯s all my bullshit. If it¡¯s not who I knew, then who was he. Ha, I didn¡¯t know anything after all. My head waspletely twisted.


    ¡°If you eat something warm, you¡¯ll calm down. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all going to be okay.¡±


    Serira patted me on my head. Her gentle touch calmed me.


    The irritation rising from within me disappeared at some point. Maybe Serira was a magician. Otherwise, how could she ease my pain so easily?


    I thought I just had a bad dream. Serira smiled. The smile instantly washed away all the anxiety in me.


    ¡°Princess, here¡¯s a delicious cake for you!¡±

 Chapter 67

    <h4>Chapter 67: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 67</h4>


    There was something in my heart I didn¡¯t know. It could be my mistake, though. Maybe it¡¯s just a moment of disagreement. There must be some reason why Caitel did that to me.


    One could describe this feeling as hope.


    However, it broke apart as I greeted the morning.


    He didn¡¯te to bed. I thought I¡¯d see him when he came to bed.


    When I checked the empty seat where his presence had disappeared, I feel ufortable. Even though I felt awkward thinking about him, I thought something would happen when I see him in person.


    There¡¯s no such thing though. My mood was falling apart once again. A short groan came out of my mouth. This felt a little different from the dirty mood I had yesterday. I felt really pathetic.


    ¡°Princess, you¡¯re already awake!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t happy at all when Serira opened the door and appeared. I spent the day whining on Serira¡¯s arm yesterday, but I couldn¡¯t do that today too. No, my situation was something she couldn¡¯t solve in the first ce.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s take a bath. You have to look especially pretty today!¡±


    Huh? Why?


    As I leaned my head, Serira held my cheek with her hands.


    ¡°His Majesty will be going away for war. You have to see him off, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to. Did I have to go?


    I curled my lips to tell her I didn¡¯t want to, but I couldn¡¯t make a proper sound because my cheek was caught up on her hand. What¡¯s this?


    Serira smiled. It seemedas if she was doing that on purpose.


    What was she doing!?


    ¡°You have to go no matter what. Let¡¯s go wash up. Shall we?¡±


    I really didn¡¯t want to!


    However, my opinion was always ignored! Always and as always! Damn, everything would change if I could speak properly. What¡¯s good about learning how to talk? Oh, there¡¯s one. Only then would I be human. Yeah, well, that¡¯s good for me, too. However, as it stands now, everything else was still the same!


    ¡°Now, Princess, brush your teeth, wash your face, too!¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    If I did this, then I have to go see Caitel. I didn¡¯t want to see him!


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    I had no choice. Serira smiled and began to wash my face with her hands. Plus, she even brushed my teeth too. Oh, this made it hard for me to resist.


    While I was frowning with embarrassment, I had already finished washing my face and brushing my teeth. Now, I had to go and see Caitel like this. Oh, no. I doidn¡¯t like that thought. I really hated it.


    Then should I run away like this? If I ran away and hide somewhere...


    ¡°Come on, Princess, it¡¯s over. You¡¯re clean.¡±


    At that moment, my heart melted away because Serira smiled brightly at me. Oh, no. I was screwed. Frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t care what happened to anyone else, but Serira was different. If I ran away, she would definitely get in trouble, and maybe she¡¯ll get punished.


    Sure, Serira was my nanny and the one who oversaw everything about me...


    Ugh, but I really hate it!


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time for a delicious meal. You like this princess, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I had been making an ugly impression since a while ago, but Serira still touched my cheek and smiled.


    What the hell¡¯s so good, Mom?


    Of course, the food was delivered to my room. I knew I would not have breakfast with Caitel, but I thought maybe I could see him during breakfast.


    ¡­ Unfair. It¡¯s so unfair.


    He shouldn¡¯t be nice to me in the first ce if he would be like this! I felt terrible if he suddenly ignored me. Wait, since when was I so docile?


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your favorite meal. Do you really not want to eat it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat... Ugh!¡±


    When I opened my mouth, Elene threw a spoon into my mouth. I grabbed the spoon and red at her. What was she doing to a princess?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t refuse food like that. Do you know how many people waste away if the princess goes hungry?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know anything about that! Still, it was a sess to tie my feet.


    Elene smiled and brought another spoonful of food into my mouth. I didn¡¯t want to eat it. Oh, really. Why was I born as a princess!? It was such a dumb thing to whine about; I bet someone would flip if they heard it. Well, yeah. I knew it¡¯s annoying. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sitting here like a good girl and eating my meal.


    ¡°She ate well. How pretty you are.¡±


    ¡°Now let¡¯s go pick out your dress. A pretty one!¡±


    What dress!? I just want to go back to sleep! However, as always, regardless of my opinion, I was already going to the dressing room in Elene¡¯s arms.


    ¡®I¡¯m not your toy!¡¯


    ¡°I think the blue dress would be good since it symbolizes peace.¡±


    ¡°The decorations are too colorful. How about this white dress?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too dull?¡±


    ¡°Then what about this one?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too colorless? How about this?¡±


    Pick anything. Why did they have to take so much time and energy to choose a dress? Of course, I knew they were trying to make me look prettier than anyone, but now everything just felt awry to me. Oh, am I even a real kid?


    I felt pathetic about myself. I was sorry for being so uncool.


    ¡°Oh my princess, you are so pretty¡ª¡±


    I was not that pretty.


    The clothes I had on were neatly designed and a little frill on the sleeve was pretty cute. Yeah, well, this was pretty. However, I was scared now that I was all dressed up.


    Did I really have to see him? His face?

 Chapter 68

    <h4>Chapter 68: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 68</h4>


    I was not confident enough. I didn¡¯t know if I could stay calm if he ignored me again. Should I just pretend to be sick? Maybe I could injure myself... I lifted my head to look at their eyes as they both gawked at each other. Huh? What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Surprised by the sudden call, I took a step back. This wasn¡¯t good. An ominous hunch came upon the tip of my toes. Elene smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Princess, give this to His Majesty.¡±


    What Elene gave me was a white handkerchief. The letter ¡°A¡± was inscribed on the end.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your handkerchief.¡±


    My handkerchief? Since when did I have one? They bothughed, not caring about my puzzled look. What¡¯s with the energy around them right now? I feel like they¡¯re plotting some sort of evil conspiracy.


    ¡°Why a handkerchief?¡±


    I asked her back with a puzzled look. Serira smiled brightly as she took a handkerchief from Elene¡¯s hand and gave it to me.


    ¡°You have to give it to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I was so surprised that my voice grew louder. No, but all of a sudden, what was she talking about? Why should I give my handkerchief to him? It was true that I was surprised at the unexpected news, but I was so surprised by the loudness of my voice that I closed my mouth shut. My head suddenly feltplicated. Serira replied quietly, touching my hair like in a gentle way with a tender, gentle voice. Perhaps that¡¯s why my heart, which was suddenly pounding, had gradually found its own pulse.


    ¡°It¡¯s to bid farewell and pray for his well-being.¡±


    ¡°Well-being?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bidding to his Majesty to e back safely¡¯.¡±


    No, I knew that, but why do I have to do that?


    ¡°It¡¯s a tradition for ady to give a present to her knight.¡±


    Serira smiled and said, but I let go of the handkerchief immediately.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t do it!¡±


    Who cared if he came back or not!? I didn¡¯t want to see his face today. No, it¡¯s more of horror to me that I should face him than that. I just wanted to get away with it. It¡¯s awkward to go out to see him, but he wanted me to hand him this? Did he think he¡¯s gonna get it if I gave it to him? Perhaps I should now leave this princess¡¯ seat to live like the emperor¡¯s bastard and an illegitimate child. I had been here all these years with the favor I had been getting from him. No, other than that...


    What if he rejected me in front of the crowd? It was a very different kind of fear.


    ¡°Go ahead. This is something only you can do, princess.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Princess¡ª¡±


    They didn¡¯t even understand how I felt! This was a serious problem. If I was disgraced there, all of them done, too! Still, Elene and Serira were forcing me through.


    ¡°Normally, the Empress should be doing this, but since there is no empress at the moment, you must do it. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Princess, are you will send your father without a token of goodwill? He¡¯s going to a ruthless battlefield.¡±


    ¡°If he leaves, you won¡¯t see him for at least 6 months!¡±


    Two women are tightening from the sides. Even if I struggled to avoid going, it was me who was exhausted after hours of a scuffle. Why was my opinion always ignored!? I wanted to be respected, sob.


    It was in Est Pce, whose name was not familiar to me, where I went with much impatience.


    A loud roar rumbled my eardrum. From the nobles I saw for the first time to the nobles I often encountered, the court members were all present. They wanted me to give him a gift in front of all these people? Were they crazy!?


    Looking back, Serira smiled and held me.


    ¡®Let go of me! Let me go!¡¯


    By the time I arrived in the middle of a scuffle, the ceremony was alreadying to an end. However, where the hell was my mom taking me? This entire ceremony was crazy! It¡¯s as crazy as a marriage!


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Oh, shit. Tens of thousands of troops, who had broken ranks below the podium, were at a crossroads. The nobles gathered, in addition, Caitel was wearing his uniform. It was my first time seeing it. The midsummer sun shone intensely. I gulped down my saliva.


    ¡°Quickly now, princess.¡±


    Serira¡¯s urging was already out of my hearing.


    What was I supposed to do? Run? Fortunately, Caitel was standing against the sun. I couldn¡¯t see his face. That was rather fortunate, indeed.


    Maybe I would hand it to him and run before he could reject me. Right, that seemed like the best option. For some reason, my hands were sweating, but I couldn¡¯t even think of cleaning it. I went to stand in front of Caitel. Someone, please save me.


    ¡°This is a gift...¡±


    I tried to run away, but I froze up; I couldn¡¯t move. Why wouldn¡¯t they just turn my head? The eyes of all the people here felt like they were poking me like an awl. I felt like I was standing naked. What was I supposed to do?


    Meanwhile, that darn father of mine wasn¡¯t responding. Would I be ignored again just like yesterday?

 Chapter 69

    <h4>Chapter 69: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 69</h4>


    Suddenly there was something pressing on me, but I struggled to put up with it. Should I just throw the handkerchief at him and run?


    It was a gift from me, but I hated my dad, who stood there without another word or reply. Bastard. I would have you payback for this humiliation one day.


    At that moment the shadow in front of me had suddenly turned smaller. Huh? No, the shadow wasn¡¯t getting smaller. It was Caitel who¡¯s getting close to me.


    ¡°You have to tie it on me yourself.¡±


    Huh...? Huh?


    It¡¯s Dad. My eyes widened. My dad was back!


    ¡°Are you not going to tie it for me?¡±


    Where was he all this time!? He was so in trouble now! Just where was this nice Caitel all this time? He¡¯s not the same person from yesterday. His face and body, the way he looked at me were different. The man I was gazing at the moment was really my dad.


    I was very emotional for a moment, but I forced myself to hold back my tears and move my small hands. I tied the handkerchief Serira gave me to his arm. Even though my hands were small and clumsy and slow, Caitel waited patiently.


    I tied it all up and when I lifted my eyes, I faced his crimson eyes again. It wasn¡¯t that cold look yesterday, but it seemed a little empty. I liked it anyway. It¡¯s his eyes; the eyes that I know. When I stretched out my arms, Caitel held me like he used to. I felt like I was about to cry.


    Yeah, he¡¯s already ustomed to me. It¡¯s not just me! He¡¯s already my ve! It¡¯s clear because it¡¯s already so natural for him. Didn¡¯t he think so? I was proud and sad. Frankly speaking, it was an unknown feeling and a strange emotion.


    ¡°Was it 3 months?¡±


    Huh? What three months?


    I opened my eyes wide and Caitel smiled.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll end it.¡±


    Caitel put his hand on my head. The warmth of hisrge hand was most pleasing.


    ¡°Just wait 3 months. You hear me?¡±


    What about waiting¡­?


    Oh, was he talking about how children could only remember for three months? However, three months? Serira said I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him for at least six months.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    When I called Caitel as he rode his horse, he looked back at me, following my voice.


    That bastard, if he would be like this I could forget about how cold he was to me yesterday. Now I couldn¡¯t hate him even if I wanted to. I must have grown to like him already.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    I was not the one who causes trouble, he did. I shouted as hard as I could, at Caitel as he rode on his horse.


    ¡°Take care!¡±


    At the same time, the sound of a horn filled the area. Seeing thedies crying from one side, I looked back at Caitel. Suddenly, I felt the pressure. I see I wouldn¡¯t see him for at least 6 months. With the voices of the people who sent their children and husbands to war, I shouted hard even if he probably couldn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°Promise!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d hear it, but Caitel suddenly looked back at me. I wanted to show him a smile, but I couldn¡¯t; I wanted to send him off with a smile, but I just couldn¡¯t. As I frowned, Caitel smiled at me.


    His smile at that moment was so dazzling to my eyes.


    ¡°Ferdel!¡±


    There were only four people in this pce who called him that way. The first was his close friend and superior Caitel, the second is his close friend Assisi, and the third was Dranste, the teacher of Caitel, whom he saw from time to time. Thest one was a new blessing born in this imperial pce.


    Princess Ariadna.


    He didn¡¯t get used to her at the beginning, but now he smiled brightly and turned his back to that little child¡¯s voice. As he expected, It was Ariadna, the only princess of Arigent.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    She¡¯s so cute while she¡¯s running from a distance.


    Ferdel swallowed his breath. The child was so cute that everyone would give her a big smile. She¡¯s just so adorable that everyone was almost tired of saying how cute she was. Obviously, Ferdel was one of those people drenched in that cuteness.


    ¡°My princess, now you¡¯re running so well!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a little good at running.¡±


    Even that pretentious look was cute. Ferdel wanted to cuddle her and smile at her delightedly. The child was tired of lifting her head, so he lowers his body. Their eyes were now facing at the same level.


    ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°I was about to go back now.¡±


    The child nodded at Ferdel¡¯s smile. He then suffered an impulse to pat her head. ¡®I want to pat her so bad.¡¯ He stared at the child¡¯s small head.


    ¡®I want to pat her, too!¡¯


    ¡°Where¡¯s daddy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty?¡±


    Ferdel thought for a moment, calming his hands from shaking to bear the urge to pat her.


    ¡®I sent him documents for payment after lunch with him, but I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s in the office. The radius of Caitel¡¯s actions is obvious, so it¡¯s probably either his office or drill hall, but he¡¯s probably now in the office since the princess was here.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s in the drill hall?¡±


    Ria looks back to ask about the word she didn¡¯t know about. Serira, standing behind her, smiled and patted the princess on the head.


    ¡®That¡¯s what I wanted to do!¡¯


    His eyes glisten with envy.


    ¡®I¡¯m holding back even though I want to do it!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t hate Serira, but he hated her for doing what he couldn¡¯t do right in front of him.


    ¡®I can¡¯t do it even if I want to¡­¡¯


    No, in fact, he could have done it if he wanted to. He could just close her eyes and pat her head. Pat her hair and run away!


    However, the real problem happened next.

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 70</h4>


    ¡°Daddy, Ferdel patted my head!¡±


    ¡®I was so afraid of that sight that I fell back into silence. It was a crazy thing that couldn¡¯t be easily done considering what will happen afterward.


    Ferdel had to suffer for a week after patting her head once. Memories of the document that had been constantly on the rise. Ferdel couldn¡¯t return to his home and had to read the documents for several days. He did it on purpose to fuck me; he¡¯s such a bastard.


    He¡¯s not helpful at all in my life.¡¯


    Caitel has been like that since they were children. He had been a bastard since they first met. Ferdel had hated Caitel ever since then. He could confidently give several reasons for it.


    Because of AssisiBecause of AssisiBecause of Assisi


    Yes, for all these various reasons, Ferdel hated Caitel. He hated him with a burning passion. Sure, he admitted that Caitel was truly his friend, but still. He hates it!


    ¡®My enemy and a constant hindrance to my life.¡¯


    Caitel made fun of him, abused him, and ignored him all the time.


    ¡®Sadly I can¡¯t kill that guy. Besides, who is Caitel? Isn¡¯t he the emperor of this country? Also, it was me who helped him get on that throne. After all, everything is my karma.¡¯


    ¡°I should have just raised the hand of the 6th prince.¡±


    As he muttered with a dejected expression, Ria¡¯s head tilted. Even that look was so cute that Ferdel sobbed inside.


    ¡®Please me too! I want a Daughter too!¡¯


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Uh, huh?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you give me a kiss?¡±


    He yearned hard with his eyes bright, but her reply was cold. Ria grimaced right away.


    ¡°No.¡±


    On top of that, Ferdel was slightly more hurt since she looked as if she had seen a pervert.


    ¡®Why am I in such a poor position?


    ¡®At the age of 20, I became the country¡¯s prime minister andpletely changed the system that I didn¡¯t like, and implemented new and efficient policies like this to make this country strong and solidify its inner world! A nation¡¯s Chancellor, a political genius! Since I don¡¯t have a daughter, this is what happened to me! What the hell is this? How sad to live without a daughter.¡¯


    ¡°P, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s in the drill hall, then?¡±


    Ria said, waving something in her hand. Ferdel realized that there was something in the princess¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Gift for Daddy!¡±


    What gift? A gift for that kind of man?


    His growing envy was likely to paralyze his reasonings. Oh, I couldn¡¯t believe I would ever envy someone in my life. It was unexpected. I always thought people would envy me!


    ¡°What¡¯s that gift?¡±


    ¡°I found it in the garden. Do you want to see?¡±


    It was a pretty pebble that Ria took out of her little red pocket.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s a stone that¡¯s been sprinkled on a garden for physiognomy. How much was this? Oh, hold on.¡¯


    Ferdel felt the ridiculousness of what he was doing. After all, why was he was trying to figure out how much a pebble was when he saw something like this for a moment? With that in mind, Ferdel soon smiled broadly.


    ¡°How pretty!¡±


    Ria smiled broadly.


    ¡°Right? That¡¯s why I picked it up as a present.¡±


    However, Caitel didn¡¯t like that kind of stuff.., Maybe his aesthetic appreciation was already paralyzed, Caitel was extremely cold in his assessment of pretty things such as pretty women, pretty jewelry, and so on.


    He didn¡¯t feel like a human being, anyway.


    Ferdel disliked Caitel, but that was the part that he hated the most. He didn¡¯t hesitate to kill innocent children, andmands to not give mercy to the elderly. He also hated the way he would torture a woman or a man to get the information he wanted.


    In the first ce, there was a reason why Ferdel kept scratching Caitel¡¯d temper. How funny it was that such a guy like him would scowl because of him. Of course, such fun came with the threat of death, but wonderfully, Ferdel always survived. Everyone thought Caitel wouldn¡¯t hurt his friends, but that was not it.


    ¡®It¡¯s just that when I disappear, he can¡¯t take care of everything by himself!¡¯


    In fact, it was amazing that Ferdel was still alive.


    ¡®But if I pat the princess on the head here, there¡¯s no tomorrow for me, right? Sob sob, that bastard.¡¯


    ¡°What are you two doing there?¡±


    He heard a familiar voice. Ria looked right behind her.


    Ferdel also looked where he heard the voice. As expected, Caitel stood with a simple cloth and a sword. Ferdel got up from where he was sitting.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    As soon as she found Caitel, Ria smiled brightly and runs away. In that natural look of holding that child, Ferdel swallowed a groan.


    ¡®I wanted to do that too. I wanted to hold her in my arms If I wouldn¡¯t get a daughter who looked just like Silvia, I would die soon.¡¯ Ferdel thought.

 Chapter 71

    <h4>Chapter 71: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 71</h4>


    ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    When Caitel asked her, Ria handed over the pebbles in her hands.


    ¡°This!¡±


    Caitel looked back at his daughter with a smooth pebble in his hand. Ria smiled broadly at his confused expression.


    ¡°Gift for you!¡±


    Ferdel, who was watching it to quench his envy, smiled despondently.


    ¡®I don¡¯t need anything. Having a daughter is the best.¡¯


    Even corners of Caitel¡¯s lips rose at how cute she looked.


    ¡°Is it a bribe?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In the conversation between two father and daughter, Ferdel was momentarily dumbfounded. What bribe was he talking about to a pure child like her!? That man! Both father and daughter weren¡¯t interested whether Ferdel got angry or not. Ferdel fell alone and cooled down.


    ¡®This is all because I don¡¯t have a daughter!¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty.¡±


    With an emotionless voice, Ria opens her eyes wide.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her grinning face made Ferdel speechless. My princess was an angel.


    Still, it was refreshing to see him. When she was a little younger, he always thought Caitel might kill her soon. However, now they just looked like a perfect family. He who¡¯s holding her and she who¡¯s being held by him looked magnificent. Caitel really did be a father.


    Ferdel realized this casually.


    ¡®Now I couldugh at him even if he insisted he¡¯s not a father. The problem was that it was not something tough at, but something to envy. I want a daughter too! A cute and pretty daughter like that! A cute and pretty and lovely daughter like that! No, it¡¯s good to have something envious in your life. It¡¯s really desirable to develop yourself and try to have it.¡¯


    In fact, Ferdel also agonized over whether he¡¯s too perfect. After all, he has a good family, harmonious family members, an outstanding political ability, a brilliant brain, and a beautiful wife. There wasn¡¯t anything that¡¯scking.


    ¡®Of course, this is proof that God loves me too much. He loves me so much that I was tired of it. I wish I could have a child soon.¡¯


    However, if the one had a daughter, it¡¯s a different story.


    It¡¯s very different. Even if he tried, it would have been in a muddle if his luck didn¡¯t. Where should I put with my efforts in the first ce?


    The problem was with Ferdel, who wanted to be the father of the child right away. ¡®Daughter! I want to have a daughter! Oh, shall we just adopt one?¡¯


    At that moment, Caitel twisted his lip. A charming smile caught his lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty, unlike the person who brought it.¡±


    A pretty yful voice made Ria¡¯s face crumpled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ugly!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡±


    Ria was impressed at how Caitel feigned his innocence.


    ¡°You just said I¡¯m ugly!¡±


    Caitel responded with no expression at herints.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡®Are you a baby?¡¯ Ferdel¡¯s face is frowning with shame. ¡®No matter how much fun you¡¯re having, you can¡¯t just make fun of your daughter, it¡¯s a shame, tsk tsk.¡¯


    However, since he¡¯s envious of him, Ferdel silently swallowed his tears, sob sob.


    ¡°No. Daddy you just said I¡¯m ugly!¡±


    Even though Ria tried hard her best to argue, Caitel¡¯s indifferent response remained. Caitel answered quietly.


    ¡°I said it was different from the person who brought, but I didn¡¯t say you are ugly.¡±


    Ria shut her mouth as if she was speechless. Ferdel wanted to help, but he couldn¡¯t help her since Ria¡¯s facial expression as she bit her lips was just too cute and pretty, so it was impossible for him to think straight.


    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s how you raise your daughter. Damn it, I¡¯m so jealous!¡¯


    ¡°No, you said I was definitely ugly.¡±


    Caitel smiled at her murmur.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re ugly.¡±


    The remark crumpled the princess¡¯ face. Ferdel, who had been watching them from the side finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡®Who dares to say she¡¯s ugly?¡¯


    ¡°Are you a child? What are you doing to a princess?¡±


    Caitel turned his eyes on Ferdel¡¯s break-in.


    ¡°Why are you here when you said you were going back?¡±


    ¡°The princess found me and we were chatting.¡±


    Then, when he looked at Ria, she smiled. Caitel¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    ¡®How dare you doubt me?¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t touch her.¡±


    ¡®Do you know how much I wanted to touch, pet, and kiss her!? I can¡¯t praise myself enough for enduring all those impulses, but having such a treat made me feel a little sad. Maybe it¡¯s just wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯


    Caitel sees the princess in his arms.


    ¡°Did Ferdel really not touch you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡®Hey, you bastard!¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to double-check, you prick!¡±


    The Caitel caustic eyes returned to Fertel¡¯s as he cried. Ria tilted her head in his arms, but at that moment, Ferfel could only see Caitel¡¯s smile.


    ¡°If you¡¯re jealous, get one.¡±


    He was poking at where it hurts the most. Ferdel renewed his determination he struggled to renew tens of thousands of times everyday.


    ¡®I will have a daughter.¡¯


    ¡°I will have daughter! I will definitely have both sons and daughters, so I¡¯ll bite them and lick them and love them! I will love them!!¡±


    Caitelughed at his terrible reply. It was a real sneer.


    ¡°Do that. Who said you couldn¡¯t?¡±


    That son of a bitch!

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 72</h4>


    2. I¡¯ll hold on


    It¡¯s been 2 months since Caitel left.


    Time flies.


    It felt so strange. At this rate, I¡¯ll suddenly grow up, get married, and be a grandmother soon. How terrible.


    ¡°What are you doing, princess?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    A friendly voice spoke, as I was about to tremble at the terrible thing I was imagining. I looked up, and it was Silvia who spoke to me. I smiled at her.


    Silvia smiled brightly at my smile. I like getting my head patted. More, do it more!


    Oh, how could she be so pretty even when she¡¯s already married? Was she an angel or a human? I bet she¡¯s an angel without wings!


    ¡°You know how to act cute now. Our princess is all grown up.¡±


    All grown up? Nah. It was absurd enough, but it was good to hear. Yeah, well, I would be generous to her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m grown up. I¡¯ll get married soon!¡±


    Oh, Elene breathed in next to my voice. However, Silvia and Serira answered with a big smile. It was a bit of a surprise that Serira, who was doing other things in the distance, smiled too. No, mom, did I say something funny?! Why!? Did this country not approve of premature marriage?! I was old enough to get married at my mental age!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you minding to Bolcena sometimes? Of course, I¡¯m happy to see you, but¡­¡±


    Bolcena was the name of the mansion of the Duchess of Vittervo in Girgento, the capital of Agrigent. Well, I was wondering why people would want to name their mansions, but Serira told me it¡¯s their address. After all, all the pces in Agrigentom had their own names. In fact, it was only recently that I knew there was a name for the pces. Look at my ignorance.


    ¡°But the pce is boring.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really do anything here too.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m ying with Sil!¡±


    I raised my hands and held Sil¡¯s hand, stroking my head. At the end of sight, Sil smiled.


    Yes, for the past 2 months, I pretty much moved into Bolcena mansion here with Ferdel and Silvia instead of living in my home at the royal pce.


    Originally, since there were previous assassination attempts and since it was absolutely impossible for me to leave the pce for a variety of reasons, I was free to do what I wanted thanks to the fact that Silvia was my godmother and that Ferdel was the Chancellor. Well, it¡¯s fun to go back and forth and look around the capital. If one¡¯s in the pce, they would have to spend a boring, dull, fruitless, dreamless, and hopeless day doing nothing. What, well, that¡¯s what one would call child abuse!


    Well, it¡¯s boring to stay in the royal pce all day. Caitel was the only one who left, yet the pce felt so empty without him.


    ¡°Thanks to the princess, the pce doesn¡¯t feel so lonely anymore even without the emperor. I was worried since something always happens when the emperor is away from the pce.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    I knew I was not lonely, but why did this conversation escted into something terrible all of a sudden? Huh? What¡¯s going on?


    I tilted my head, but Silvia just patted my cheek without saying a word. I was offended. What, why wouldn¡¯t you talk? I was just curious.


    ¡°You mean the rebels, am I right?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Serira, I would be clueless for all eternity The rebels? I looked back with my eyes wide open at the first word I heared. Serira had a rather serious face.


    ¡°His highness has been capturing and killing them all this time, but I heard they¡¯re still on the loose.¡±


    ¡°It will never end as long as the 6th prince is alive.¡±


    Silvia shook her head with an awkward smile. By the way, who was the 6th prince? Oh, why did I have so many things in this world I didn¡¯t know? Damn it! Just tell me all about it, you two! I didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t need it all, sob sob. You guys could talk, I would just listen to it. Yes, life was a sign. I had to be smart!


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that now the royal blood stays in the pce, but before that, I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was nervous when his majesty left the pce for months after a chastisement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was so bad I thought he was doing it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ferdel always said we shouldn¡¯t worry, but how can I not worry? If something goes wrong, the whole empire will be overturned.¡±


    Damn, I didn¡¯t really understood. I guess I should just stay quiet.


    It seemed that they both spoke a foreignnguage. What were they saying? What¡¯s going on with Caitel? I felt like they were exchanging codes that only they knew. Excuse me, here¡¯s an alienated neighbor. Please show me some warm affection and love.


    Perhaps, like she could hear what I was thinking, Silvia suddenly turned to me. Huh? I naturally looked at her when our eyes meet.


    It was then when Silvia smiled and grabbed my hand.


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you miss your father?¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    Ha, not at all.


    Why would I miss him? I could breathe for two months because he¡¯s not here. However, I wanted to see him a little¡­no! Why would I want to see him? I was fine even without him. I twisted my lips.


    ¡°Who¡¯s father?¡±


    In a sh, their faces be firm. Silvia, who was unable to clear her to look of embarrassment, asked me back.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t remember his highness?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The two people¡¯s faces were changed as I replied. Something big dropped, and then it was all silent once again. At that moment, I just twisted my hair with my finger. I didn¡¯t care about that man.


    Suddenly embarrassed, Serira grabbed me by the shoulder. They both shouted urgently.


    ¡°You know, the man you always used to see.¡±


    ¡°Man?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and he called you a bug before!¡±


    Hey, seriously? You had to remind me of that out of everything else? I was only going to pretend for a little while, but this won¡¯t do. A bug? I want to forget about that time!


    Yeah, I had been treated like a bug. Was it working?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the handsome man you always ate with and talked about? You also went to bed together every night. Right? ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Your father, the princess¡¯ father.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    The two of them tried hard to exin, but my mind was already closed. I didn¡¯t know. If I said I didn¡¯t know, then I didn¡¯t know. Did they think I was gonna say I remembered him?

 Chapter 73

    <h4>Chapter 73: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 73</h4>


    I took my cup from Elene, leaving the two panicking people alone. Lemonade was better when you drink it in winter.


    ¡°Oh dear, what should we do? It¡¯s only been two months. At this rate when the emperor returns¡­¡±


    ¡°S, stay calm, Serira. We can¡¯t panic like this now.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ but¡­¡±


    I kind of felt guilty¡­ but that¡¯s because they¡¯re asking me to remember when he treated me like a bug! I wanted to forget about that time!


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t get embarrassed. You have to think about the princess.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have to think about me, man.


    I was surprised that Elene was the calmest in this situation, but I soon found out why by looking at her. Ah-ha, I had been ying with Silviately, and she felt sad that I didn¡¯t y with her.


    Oh, did you feel sad? Why on earth did she loved me so much?


    I reached out and grabbed her finger, and Elene smiled brightly. Ugh, there¡¯s one more fanatic here than Ferdel.


    ¡°Ah, right!¡±


    Silvia stood up as if she got a good idea. I was frightened. Huh? Why was she standing up?


    ¡°ine!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Please bring the telestone linked to the royal pce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your grace.¡±


    When the maid went out with her head down once, Silvia sighed and sat down again. Even though it was a simple move to stand up and sit down, Silvia seemed very tired. However, now that it¡¯s almost over, Silvia¡¯s belly was so big. What kind of kid was sitting in here like this? I patted her belly like nothing. Her belly was so big, but I was a little scared since she was so skinny on my arms or face.


    ¡°Her belly is like a mountain!¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is that big?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    How could anyone live like this? Some of my friends got married at an early age and became mothers, but it¡¯s still amazing to see them. When the child grew up, they got constipation, slept poorly, and had many inconveniences. As expected, a mother was always great. I was a woman, but not a mother, so it seemed amazing.


    ¡°Princess, godmother is tired. Now,e here.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t that close. I poked my lips with a discontented look as if I had bothered Silvia. She was treating me with a smile, but¡­ Yeah, I was sorry. It¡¯s my fault for not having enough consideration in the first ce.


    I sat on a chair as Serira directed me to, and finished the lemonade Elene gave me. Just in time, the maid who had gone out came back soon.


    What the maid brought was something small that was the size of my palm. It was a pinkish stone. The three-cornered thing looked like a pyramid, and Silvia fiddled with something I had never seen before.


    ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡±


    Wait, that voice is¡­?


    Surprised by the sudden sound of his voice, I dropped the cup I was holding. Serira was surprised and took the cup. I almost ruined my dress. No, but more than that!


    ¡°Ferdel!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Where is that thing?¡±


    That¡¯s Ferdel¡¯s voice!


    If my ears weren¡¯t broken, that must be his voice, indeed!


    I opened my mouth wide. What was this? Could I talk to you on the phone? Of course, I didn¡¯t have a phone, and I didn¡¯t think I had a number, but I was surprised to hear it was a basicmunication such as a paper cup phone. What would they do with this sound quality? It¡¯s so high-quality!


    ¡°Did you suddenly just call me about a thing? What thing? Oh, do you mean, me? Did you miss me that much?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. That one. That.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that? You have to tell me little more specifically. Sil, I¡¯m in the middle of the business, so I can¡¯t talk long.¡±


    She shouted as if she was frustrated, but Ferdel seemed upset when she said she wasn¡¯t interested in him. ¡®I¡¯m in the middle of my work, so I can¡¯t talk long.¡¯ To say so in a sulky voice, it was no credence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of talking too long. That thing you¡¯ve been carrying around all the timetely.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? It should be somewhere, but I don¡¯t carry it with me all the time. Am I some pervert?¡±


    ¡°But you are a pervert.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Every time I saw this couple, I always found it amazing. Most amazing of all was that the fiery Ferdel of the Darkness was totally powerless against Silvia. Was this the true power of love? However, I thought I could only see it in ssical literature because it¡¯s always the opposite.


    ¡°Oh, anyway!¡±


    The voice-only Ferdel replied in a disheveled manner.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What is my dear Sil nning to use it for?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, just tell me where it is.¡±


    ¡°Gasp, you¡¯re so cold! My angelic Sil would never treat me like this!¡±


    Silvia now seemed to be getting irritated. I didn¡¯t think I had ever seen that expression from her before. No matter how nice she was, Ferdel was a Ferdel. What sort of man would he have to be in order to piss off an angel from heaven?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time to talk to you right now.¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Even this seems to be a dirty couple¡¯s spleen. Sob sob. I would grow up fast and make a boyfriend.


    With firm determination, I took a bite out of the cookies Serira gave me. Nom nom, It¡¯s delicious. Only a few months ago, I couldn¡¯t even bite anything! I felt the preciousness of my teeth once again. Yeah, even when I was old, I wouldn¡¯t do the imnt. I should take good care of myself, so I wouldn¡¯t get cavities.

 Chapter 74

    <h4>Chapter 74: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 74</h4>


    ¡°¡­ if you ask Owen, he¡¯ll probably bring it over.¡±


    ¡°All right. That¡¯s all I need.¡±


    Huh? Was she sure she would hang up? I wasn¡¯t the only one embarrassed by this. Beyond the phone call, Ferdel also seemed flustered.


    ¡°S, Sil? Hey, honey? Hold on! Are you just¡­¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Sil, Sil!¡±


    Silvia, I didn¡¯t know she¡¯s like that¡­


    As soon as her business was over, Silvia just hung up. Wow, she¡¯s cold.


    ¡°Tell Owen to bring it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At Silvia¡¯smand, the maid bowed her head and disappeared. I looked at her as I called her name.


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    What I pointed to was that pyramid-shaped thing Silvia was still holding. She smiled at my question and gave it to me.


    ¡°Oh, Princess, have you never seen one before? This is a telestone. It¡¯s made by cutting two spirit stones with the same energy wave, but there¡¯s only a few of them because it¡¯s too expensive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°The more transparent it is, the more expensive it could get. Its transparency also dictates the distance it could be used.¡±


    The telestone sat on my little hands; it was smaller than I thought. This made the call possible? I had no idea how it worked, but it was just amazing. I meant, they just made the call to each other¡­ With this!


    ¡°It¡¯s a very rare spirit stone only Agrigent make.¡±


    ¡°So a spirit is sending voices inside it?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡±


    Really? I was speechless of Silvia¡¯s eptance. I was just saying what I wanted to say, but was it really true? No, no way.


    At a time like this, I realize that ¡®I am really living in a different world¡¯ and that I was really reincarnated to a whole new world. Just looking at the summoning sword of Caitel, the winter tree, and this¡­ This world was filled with strange things foreign to me.


    ¡°I heard you called.¡±


    It¡¯s the butler! Owen, Bolcena¡¯s butler, was a curious man to see from time to time. I didn¡¯t know there was such a young butler like him. When I heard of the name Owen, I thought he would be an old white-haired gentleman, but Owen was a 20-year-old young man.


    ¡°Oh, Owen,e on in. Did you bring that?


    ¡°Yes, here.¡±


    However, what¡¯s that? What Owen handed over to Silvia was arge frame. What about the frame? My head tilted in wonder. At that moment the door opened and a totally unexpected man came into the greenhouse.


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    The person who burst into tears was¡­


    ¡°Ferdel?¡±


    Yeah, it was Ferdel. What??


    I was surprised by his sudden appearance and pulled my upper body back, but Silvia frowned with a disapproving face. As soon as Ferdel came, he sat down in front of Silvia and wept.


    ¡°Silvia, how could you cut me off like that!? You¡¯re so cold! We weren¡¯t like this before!¡±


    ¡°Did you abandon your duties toe here at this time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here! Sil, how could you treat me like that!?¡±


    ¡°Do you need to be scolded again?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silvia¡¯s victory!


    Ferdel shut his mouth like a m and puffed up his cheek. Was he a baby or an adult? It was a little pathetic, but at the same time, I envied Silvia a little. Why did I envy this couple every time I saw them? Even though Ferdel had so much power outside, he¡¯s useless at home. Besides, he treated her as if she would blow up when the wind blows, or if he squeezes her she¡¯ll pop¡­


    Women need to marry men like that. Our Sil was a very happy woman.


    ¡°I postponed all government meetings. I¡¯ll go backter in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear.¡±


    Shaking her head, Silughed. Ferdel smiled brightly as she smileed. Oh my gosh, I couldn¡¯t stop looking at this. As expected, a quarrel between a couple was like cutting water with a knife. Oh, this filthy couple.


    ¡°Huh? So you found it?¡±


    Persistent in their own world, Ferdel approached me with a bright face. No, please don¡¯t mind me so much.


    However, my wish was shattered. Ha, this rotten world.


    ¡°Princess, this is your father. He¡¯s crazy.¡±


    I knew. Did he think I was that stupid?


    It was a portrait of Caitel that Silvia was looking for. Honestly, the painting doesn¡¯t seem to be able to keep up with the real thing, but it¡¯s great if it¡¯s this much reproduction. Still, I couldn¡¯t deny that a real Caitel was way better.


    ¡°Princess, do you remember him now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the emperor. Your father!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    If I said I didn¡¯t know him another time, they would probably take me to the war. I should give up here.

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 75</h4>


    When I said I¡¯d recognize it, two women sighed in relief, sweeping down their chests. Ignorant of the situation, Ferdel looked at both of them and smiled at me.


    ¡°Our princess is looking pretty today as well!¡±


    No thanks, you fanatic. He said I was pretty even when I just woke up. He said I was pretty even when I didn¡¯t take a bath. His eyes were unreliable. He was the one who would say I was pretty even if I were a monster.


    ¡°But¡­ is it alright to have this here?¡±


    ¡°I wonder. I thought it was forbidden to take portraits of royalty outside the royal pce.¡±


    Huh? Forbidden? Surprised by the fact that I knew of this information for the first time, I looked back at Ferdel. What¡¯s going on here? The mysterious eyes of the two women were also caught together, but Ferdel nodded with a look ofplete indifference.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the chancellor.¡±


    ¡­ Is it okay to allow him to live just like that?


    I stared at Ferdel with cold eyes, but he shrugged as if there was nothing wrong with that. I was facing corruption right in front of my eyes. I wanted to be a member of the police force right now. How was he a chancellor and that¡¯s it? Tsk tsk.


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why did you marry Ferdel?¡±


    Yeah, why did you marry that guy? There would have been so many cute, lovely, and obedient men for Silvia. I really felt bad for Silvia. Ferdel couldn¡¯t repress his astonishment.


    ¡°W, what¡¯s so bad about me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡±


    Yeah, you¡¯re really weird.


    ¡°Sil is like an angel, but Ferdel is ugly.¡±


    ¡°That hurt me real deep¡­¡±


    Hurt? Yeah sure. You already lost enough credibility with me. I turned away from Ferdel coldly.


    Now, I wanted to know¡­ How did she end up marrying someone like him?


    ¡°I wonder.¡±


    Silvia nodded in a curious tone.


    ¡°I always wonder about how I ended up in this marriage as well.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I was expecting some big answer, and I was even willing to have the patience to put up with any kind of love story they were hiding from me! It was an unexpected answer. What¡¯s the reason for their marriage? Did Ferdel threaten her? No. Then she would have told me that she got threatened. What¡¯s the reason then? Was it because Ferdel got that mojo¡­?


    No, not at all. Then what the hell was it?


    ¡°S, Sil!¡±


    It was a trivial answer for me, but it didn¡¯t seem like it for Ferdel. He was crying with a stern expression. His pained expression surprised me so. He looked like a puppy. What was he, a dog dedicated to Silvia?


    Silvia smiled and held Ferdel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡±


    ¡°T, there are things you shouldn¡¯t joke about. That really scared me!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, gonna cry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying! Who says I¡¯m crying!¡±


    Was he seriously not crying? I saw his teary eyes.


    I was a little surprised. I thought he would be cool with love because of his image of iron blood, but that was not the case. That was more unexpected. I heard he knew what¡¯s in the water, but he didn¡¯t know what¡¯s in people¡¯s mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little surprised.¡±


    However, he¡¯s sniffling so much.


    Well, I was nice and generous, so I would pretend I didn¡¯t see that for both their sakes.


    This cookie was delicious though.


    ¡°Now, you should go back. Did you think I¡¯d be d if you came home to me after postponing your work?¡±


    ¡°N, no.¡±


    ¡°If you do this again, I¡¯ll get mad.¡±


    ¡°A, alright.¡±


    People said a wife should be wise. Men could live with a fox, but not with a bear. Ferdel couldn¡¯t even argue properly.


    ¡°I will see youter.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After they bid farewell, Ferdel stood up and left a short kiss on Silvia¡¯s forehead. Silvia smiled brightly and kissed Ferdel on both cheeks. They never forget to publicly disy their love. They¡¯re an overly sweet couple.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, princess!¡±


    Yet still, I couldn¡¯t deny they were lovely together. I couldn¡¯t help but be jealous. I turned my head from Ferdel.


    Please, hurry up and leave.

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 76</h4>


    I would love to stay at Bolcena every day, but I shouldn¡¯t bother Silvia, who¡¯s pregnant, too much. Therefore, I had to stay at the royal pce once or twice a week.


    It¡¯s not easy to take care of a baby while pregnant. It was the same even though I was a cute and a good baby.


    ¡°So, Princess, what should we y today?¡±


    ¡°Game!¡±


    ¡°Then what kind of game should we y?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know. Honestly, shouldn¡¯t she be the oneing up with ideas? Did I have to invent new games at this age? Well, we did have to y every single day, so Serira must be out of ideas¡­ I understood that much.


    ¡°Since Graecito is here, how about we y hide and seek?¡±


    Hide and seek? He was startled after hearing what Serira said. He seemed to hate it so much. Ugh, it wasn¡¯t enough to hate me for two days? Well, it¡¯s not like I could ignore him now.


    I didn¡¯t want to hang out with him too!


    I got tired of this fight we had been having over and over. Sinc he¡¯s so young, he showed his hate in such a straightforward manner.


    It¡¯s all Serira¡¯s fault!


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be it. Elene, Rabbit, and Serira can hide.¡±


    Serira turned her head in my answer. She was looking at Graecito. It made me felt sad to see that again.


    Oh, yeah, what could I do? I was born as someone weak to Serira. I would have to sacrifice myself for her. They suddenly became a loving mother and son, hiding in the same ce, but it¡¯s better than being apart.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go y in the garden!¡±


    Elene seemed excited about the hide and seek. When would she grow up? However, I liked how innocent she was, so I wished she could keep that. Well, I would be a little annoyed if she actually did that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the garden!¡±


    As I came out dressed warmly so as not to catch a cold, I immediately felt that winter was approaching. Of course, the winter tree¡¯s protection did not make it so cold, but should I say that the scenery was different? Dry branches were all rancid except for winter trees and a few coniferous trees. Among them was a hot-tree that was the best firewood in the winter. When I brought my hand to the tree I could feel warmth in my hand, and looking at it, I shouted at the top of my voice.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to begin!¡±


    I heard the sound of movement behind me, so I put my hand on the tree and counted the numbers. Did I have to count from 10?


    ¡°Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!¡±


    I was such a genius for memorizing numbers already. Although nobody noticed. Anyway, to think that I¡¯d have fun ying old games like this. At this rate, my mind would slowly degrade, and I might really be a child.


    ¡°Six! Five! Four!¡±


    However, the big problem was something else, and it was the fact that this old game was as much fun than when I initially remembered it.


    ¡°Three! Two! One! Done!¡±


    When I was young, I used to y with my friends like this. When I was a high school student, I spent the rest of my lunchtime ying like this. One Card, statues, and so on. The nostalgia I felt after ying this game just got me really excited.


    I turned away from the tree.


    ¡°Ready or not, here Ie!¡±


    Due to the rule that no one should go outside the garden, there was a limited number of ces to hide anyway. Where should I go first? I was about to go to the river, but I just moved my foot.


    I would go where I had never been to before!

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 77</h4>


    ¡°Come out,e out, wherever you are!¡±


    Where the hell did they all go? I thought I¡¯d find them as soon as I moved, but it was just my illusion. Graecito was just a child, but Serira and Elene were just too serious about this.


    ¡°Be sure to hide, I see your hair. Where did you hide? Did you hide here?¡±


    The scenery was unfamiliar since I came to a new area. I should have just went where I used to go. However, I crawled all the way here with a pioneering spirit that couldn¡¯t be used for anything. I didn¡¯t see any people, and neither did I find Serira or Elene. Graecito, too; I didn¡¯t see this rabbit. This garden was a really big garden, indeed.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    At that moment something was caught in my peripheral vision. Was it a person?! It seemed like Elene or Serira from their height or silhouette.


    I got you!


    As soon as I ran to her, a figure of a woman really came into my eyes. Yay!


    ¡°I found you! You¡¯re it!¡±


    Now they¡¯re it! I ran with confidence and shouted, and at the moment I was embarrassed by the eyes that came into mine. Ugh, huh?


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t Elene or Serira.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding.¡±


    She smiled softly as she swept her long hair behind her ears.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She was a stranger. She had a pretty smile and a pleasant eye, but definitely stranger. No, I had seen her before, but being a stranger to me didn¡¯t change anything much.


    ¡°I see, we¡¯ve met for the first time.¡±


    The blue hair was giddy among the tree roots. Her eyes were blue, too. Except for holding a book in her hand, her appearance wasn¡¯t particrly attention-grabbing. Was she taking a walk?


    However, she was definitely a beauty. She was a neat and innocent beauty rather than something splendid. Oh, wait, I thought I had seen this person somewhere. Wasn¡¯t she the one who showed me the way before? I thought that¡¯s right.


    What the hell was she doing? Suddenly, I wondered who she was.


    Now that I thought about it. If she¡¯s staying here, she must be a princess from some country. Was she also one of Caitel¡¯s essories?


    Caitel¡¯s essories¡­ It was a joke people used to refer to princesses and royaldies living in the harem. essories disyed in the king¡¯s harem. It was also a derogatory remark to refer to Caitel¡¯s cruel hobby of collecting princesses, but it was also derision of those princesses who had been captured. Well, it wasn¡¯t totally wrong.

 Chapter 78

    <h4>Chapter 78: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 78</h4>


    The role of princesses and royaldies in the Harem was simple: just to be disyed. Caitel took them away from their countries but never touched them, and they had no significant restrictions. Of course, there were restrictions as to where they could move, but I heard there were no restrictions imposed on their lives. However, they could be executed at any minute. Just like that princess from Praezia who was executed for making me cry. I still weighed that incident heavily on my mind.


    Still, the princesses were treated well in their countries, but now they had to stay in the harem, and they were treated as essories.


    ¡°I was here first.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Did I say something? I knew she was here first.


    Of course, it was because I was staring at her, but it was true that she said something out of the blue.


    ¡°By the way, did you see anyone elseing this way?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Then I would go to the other side. I was most concerned as to how I would deal with adults who yed too seriously. Well, this was the princess.


    Still, I didn¡¯t want to leave her behind just like that, so I stared at the woman in front of me. She¡¯s a real beauty. All the royal family members I saw while studying history as a personal hobby in college were not so pretty, but the world was filled with handsome men and beautiful women. Of course, Silvia was the prettiest.


    Was it just because I had a bad taste?


    ¡°Have we seen each other before?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡±


    What did she mean by that? Answer me straight!


    Still, I got the answer from her little smile. She really was the woman I saw at the Harem that day. It was a few months ago, and I was proud I still remembered all this. Oh, I was so proud of my memory. My intelligence really shone as the days went by.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Reading.¡±


    The woman answered by showing me the book in her hand. I wondered.


    ¡°Here?¡±


    Why did she read here out of all the ces? Although the garden wasrge, people were still walking around here from all over the ce. Oh, people wouldn¡¯te because it¡¯s not their usual path?


    At that moment, she smiled. That smile caught my eyes. It felt strange because the blue person smiled pale.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet and secluded here. As you get older, you¡¯ll miss a quiet ce.¡±


    What did she say? How old did you think I was? Well, I did look like a 2-year-old. Still, I would be 3 years old in three months.


    ¡­ I was only 3 years old. I felt like I had lived for a few decades. Time passed quickly, but it was really slow when I thought about it. I was only three years old now!


    I got over my frustration and stared at the woman in front of me. Her eyes focused on the book were quite deep. I suddenly felt that her calmness resembled this space. I could feel that she didn¡¯t really pay attention to me, so I thought I could just ignore it and go back. Strangely enough, I kept standing there.


    What was it? I just wanted to keep talking to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°La.¡±


    Was this her Agrigent name? It seemed like it. She was a princess or a royaldy sold to this Harem. I thought she might be a maid, but she certainly wasn¡¯t. Well, she was too beautiful.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want to know?¡±


    She kindly took his concentration off his book to look at me, but I lost my interest in her. The blue eyes I encountered were the color I had never seen before, but it was still strange.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m it, so I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    La just smiled and looked back into the book as she did before. I turned around when I saw that.


    Where was everybody? I had no idea where to start with this.

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 79</h4>


    If I knew it would be this difficult, I should have limited the areas where they could hide. Shoot, I felt like I was looking for socks in the drawer before I leaving. I still sucked at searching for something. I remembered my past life when I couldn¡¯t find my pair of socks. No matter the day or the asion, my mom would find my socks for me.


    ¡°Where should I go? Should I go to the winter tree?¡±


    However, there aren¡¯t many trees there, so there¡¯s no ce for them to hide. If they¡¯re hiding there, that¡¯s just foolish.


    Still, I turned to the ce where the winter tree was, thinking that maybe there was such a fool who would hide there. If I couldn¡¯t find them, I would do it again next time.


    I was rxing and walking to the winter garden, and surprisingly, I found Elene walking towards me. Uh, it¡¯s Elene!


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    To the delight of my heart, I ran to her and grabbed Elene¡¯s clothes. Hey, now she¡¯s it! I thought I wouldn¡¯t catch anyone, but I was d I caught her. However, I soon had to harden my face to a serious voice.


    ¡°Princess, something happened!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Why was I suddenly in trouble? It was questionable, but seeing Elene¡¯s urgent look, it didn¡¯t seem to be a lie. I waited for Elene¡¯s next words with a stiff face.


    ¡°Graecito, he...!¡±


    As soon as I ran towards them after hearing what Elene said, there was a scuffle between Graecito and Serira. Once I was running, I picked out the short breath and figured out the situation.


    ording to Elene, Cito climbed up a tree by himself, and Serira got hurt while trying to catch him. Yet he¡¯s still just as stubborn!


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Elene was restless, unable to tell Serira to go to the nurse. While looking at Graecito, who was twisting his whole body to take Serira off him, I turned to Serira. I could see Serira¡¯s clothes ripped off on the arm. The branch must have broken and fallen off.


    There¡¯s a scratch on her cheek, too, on that pretty face!


    ¡°Graecito!¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    It was the first time for both of them to shout together. Even if this happened every time, Serira tried to calm herself down and soothed him.


    Yeah, she had had enough. Although Serira was like a saint, Grecito¡¯s actions had been very serious. However, they shouldn¡¯t be so upset.


    ¡°You should listen to me! Didn¡¯t Grandma tell you not to do things like this?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m going to Grandma!¡±


    ¡°Graecito!¡±


    ¡°Let go! You are not my mother!¡±


    Just for a moment, Serira stopped and stood still with a panicked expression. Serira¡¯s face hardened. Uh, huh?


    ¡°Get away, you monster. Bring grandma here!¡±


    That must have been the decisive one, Serira let go of Grecito¡¯s arm. She couldn¡¯t speak any words. Seeing the hurtful look in her eyes, something suddenly snapped inside me.


    ¡°Hey, you idiot!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the first time they were fighting, but it was the first time Serira had heard such harsh words. Seeing a facepletely hardened and turned into a paleplexion, I got so mad. There¡¯s something one could say and couldn¡¯t say. His mother always missed his so much, and what did he give him in return?


    ¡°Serira is mine! Don¡¯t touch her!¡±


    When I suddenly rushed in, Graecito opened his eyes wide. That expression was so innocent that it made me angrier. How dare he persecute her in front of me?!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want her as your mother, then let her go! She will be my mom from now on! Don¡¯t you dare talk to my nanny like that! You Idiot, dumb, stupid, idiotic, blockheaded, fool!¡±


    Graecito¡¯s eyes opened wide, surprised by the words. When I saw him hup, I felt pity for him, so I shut my mouth. Reason warned me that I should not be emotional this way, but I couldn¡¯t stop my mouth from moving freely.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°Sniff, since I don¡¯t have a mother...¡±


    Something popped inside of me. I was a little flustered when tears came out of my eyes. I didn¡¯t mean to cry. What¡¯s wrong with me?


    Graecito was still looking at me surprised. His gaze shook for a moment, and he lowered his head. The unbearable silence subsided within this space.


    ¡°Graecito!¡±


    Where was he going all of a sudden?


    There was a voice from behind me as Serira anxiously called his name, but Graecito ran out nheless. What¡¯s wrong with him!?


    When Graecito disappeared, I suddenly became embarrassed for being so furious. I didn¡¯t know why, but I also cried.


    Oh, I had no idea anymore what to do.

 Chapter 80

    <h4>Chapter 80: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 80</h4>


    ¡°P, Princess!¡±


    Running away from the voices calling me from behind, I just ran without thinking. Drank some cold air and cooled my head. My cheeks were so hot that I didn¡¯t know if the weather got hotter or if it was just me.


    ¡°Why did he have to make me so mad?¡±


    This was so annoying.


    As soon as I thought I ran enough, I just sat down on the ground. My hands were already covering my face.


    Why did I do that? Why did I say something about not having a mother? Ah, damn it. Shit! I just said whatever that came out of my mouth, but it wasn¡¯t good.


    Darn, how would I face Serira from now on?


    Oh, I was going crazy.


    I suddenly wanted to see my mother. Now she was quite old, so she was not the same as before, but I still wanted to see my Korean mom. I felt so upset. I knew their position, but was it okay to use such a phrase already? It looked like I had really turned into a child after being coddled all this time. My mind must be regressing in age to suit my body...Oh, stupid, why did I say that all sudden? Serira¡¯s face stiffened when I said that. How could I go back?


    ¡°Should I just die?¡±


    If I die, then I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about all this. Should I really die? Today I first realized that embarrassment drove a suicidal impulse. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to die.


    After a bit of self-ming, I stood up. Anyway, where was this ce? I didn¡¯t know where it was, but since I didn¡¯t go outside the garden, I was definitely somewhere around the garden. This garden truly was bigger than I know.


    ¡°They must be worried by now..¡±


    That¡¯s the only thing I could think of at the moment. No matter how much security they raised inside the pce, I was obviously still the only princess in this country; thus, the threat of having assassins after me were rtively high. Of course, nothing else was directly targeting me except the first assassination attempt I had received.


    I was not the kind of person who could walk around like this...


    Still, I didn¡¯t have the courage to go back by myself now. I would rather die than go back now. How could I get back to them when I made that mess? After all, all I could do was to walk around.


    Should I go back towards where that blue-haireddy was?


    Or maybe towards the winter tree. At that moment, I could see a little boy from a distance.


    ¡°What are you doing over there, you idiot?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulder over my voice. I could have just ignored it, but he was so close to me; it was as if he was seeking my attention, so I just went closer to him. Graecito crouched for a moment and soon looked up as if he had made a big decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot!¡±


    ¡°Then what are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Graecito!¡±


    Did I ever say I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s Graecito?


    Shrugging his shoulders, I went to the side where Graecito was sitting and sat on a space with a little distance from hi,. It¡¯s embarrassing to sit too close.


    ¡°Fine, bunny.¡±


    ¡°I said Graecito!¡±


    ¡°Alright, rabbit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Graecito¡¯s efforts to imprint his name were in vain, for I had no intention of calling him with his real name. Why would I call you something so pretty when he¡¯s not even cute? Well, I guessed he was a bit cute since he acted like a child. He couldn¡¯t even answer my questions straight when he was even bigger than me. How could this be Serira¡¯s son? Tsk tsk. He didn¡¯t look like Serira for sure.


    I felt pity for him rather than hating him because he¡¯s just a child, but Grecito suddenly looked at me with little an apologetic eyes.


    He knew he did wrong, didn¡¯t he? However, I didn¡¯t intend to forgive him immediately, so I pretended not to know him and turned my head away. I knew it¡¯s harder for him to talk to me if I did this, but I didn¡¯t want to forgive him easily! If he couldn¡¯t stand this much coldness, how could he live in this harsh world?

 Chapter 81

    <h4>Chapter 81: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 81</h4>


    Sitting there peacefully, something suddenly popped out in front of me.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    It was a flower. A white rose. When did he picked this up? I didn¡¯t like flowers that much, but since I was a woman, I still enjoyed it.


    Geez, this boy knew how to rattle a girl¡¯s heart. He¡¯s so young, yet he already knew how to appeal to women. When I epted the flower, his face slightly brightened.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t look at my eyes directly, and he kept squinting at me. He must be very sorry, huh? I didn¡¯t answer him, so he kept biting his lips and tearing up. A drooping puppy¡¯s ears would be perfect for him.


    He¡¯s kind of cute when he¡¯s all upset like that.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    Yeah, since I was generous I could forgive him this time. Actually, he should ask for Serira¡¯s forgiveness, not mine. Graecito¡¯s expression brightened up whether he understood my gesture of reconciliation. However, he shouldn¡¯t be too excited, because I didn¡¯t want him to be happy yet.


    ¡°Because¡­ Grandma is sick.¡±


    Oh, was she still sick? I knew she wasn¡¯t born healthy, but it made sense considering how old she was. Of course, I didn¡¯t know what made her so sick. That¡¯s because either Serira or Elene didn¡¯t tell me.


    However, what¡¯s everything got to do with his grandma being sick?


    ¡°If I get close to mother, grandma might leave me.¡±


    My throat choked up for a moment. I meant, he really was a kid. How could hee to that conclusion? It¡¯s ridiculous. At the same time, I envied his naivety and his purity.


    ¡°Why would your Grandma leave you?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m annoying.¡±


    Graecito spoke seriously. At the same time, I sighed because of his sullen look.


    ¡°Why are you annoying? You¡¯re her only grandson.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    His eyes glowed with a small constion. For Graecito, his grandmother seemed like Serira to me. She¡¯s not his mother, but she more important to her than a mom. However, I heard it was his grandmother who raised Graecito instead of Serira, who became my nanny. I felt even more strange because I knew how he felt.


    ¡°Do you think your grandma is annoying?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then your grandma wouldn¡¯t think that you¡¯re annoying either.¡±


    No wonder to me, but not to Grecito, a real child. He responded to me as if he heard it for the first time.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Of course.¡±


    How many times did he intend to ask that? Graecito frowned his forehead as if he was unsure even after receiving affirmation from me again.


    I just stared at him. Being young was really good. Even this idiot looks so cute. I wanted to pinch his cheek. His chubby cheeks look like it came from a real rabbit.


    ¡°I see...I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    Somehow his voice as he said those words sounded like they were drooping. Hey, man, at this age, it¡¯s natural for him not to know this. It should be impossible to understand the behavior of adults when one was so young. Except for me.


    ¡°Mother keeps me from visiting grandma, so I thought grandma was leaving me.¡±


    Grecito¡¯s eyes are filled with tears. Was he crying about this? Maybe that¡¯s not because adults didn¡¯t like Graecito or because they hated him, but because they didn¡¯t want him to see her sick.


    ¡°It¡¯s because grandma only wants you to see her when she¡¯s healthy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if she¡¯s not healthy.¡±


    It¡¯s just him.


    ¡°Your Grandmother doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Graecito flinched at my firm words. I put my hand on his head. Pat pat. Now, he looked like a good boy, right?

 Chapter 82

    <h4>Chapter 82: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 82</h4>


    ¡°Let¡¯s understand her feelings too. Grandma wants to see you in good health. She doesn¡¯t want to show you how sick she is.¡±


    ¡°But why? When I¡¯m sick I don¡¯t hide anything.¡±


    Should I hit him or not? Look at him talking back to me. I wanted to ask him to listen to me instead of talking back at me, but I held my frustrations back because I learned that I shouldn¡¯t get mad at children when it¡¯s a time like this.


    I thought raising a child is so difficult. How did mothers endure this while raising a child?


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re being taken care of.¡±


    ¡°I want to take care of grandma too!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too small and young. You¡¯d only be a nuisance.¡±


    I guessed he didn¡¯t like being a nuisance. His face got gloomy. Since I saw his bright smile, I didn¡¯t want to see that depressed expression. Children looked best when they smiled brightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like grandma being sick.¡±


    ¡°Grandma won¡¯t like you being so naughty and disobedient.¡±


    Graecito¡¯s face stiffened. He seemed worried. He had a variety of expressions, huh?


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°T, that¡¯s a lie! How would you know!¡±


    He believed me until now, so why was he suddenly suspicious?


    What he said with a suspicious face was ridiculous. I just wanted to say something, but then I thought I¡¯d fight him again, so I held it. Well, I guessed this was the only way.


    ¡°I¡¯m a princess. The princess knows everything.¡±


    What a load of crap. I didn¡¯t know if there¡¯s any more of this bullshit, but Graecito must have been getting into this bullshit. Oh, this poor boy.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Graecito¡¯s face changed again as I nodded with a serious face. Oh, Jesus, I was like a fisherman who caught people. It¡¯s also a person in another world, and I was having fun fishing.


    ¡°W, what should I do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t listen to her.¡±


    Graecito whined with a face that looked like it was about to crumple into a million pieces. I ignored that face altogether.


    ¡°You just have to apologize.¡±


    After all, no matter how hard Graecito said what he said, Serira would only suffer alone and wouldn¡¯t punish her child. No, would she punish him when she¡¯s really hurt? I was not sure because I was not Serira. Still, I knew that she would ept his apology if Graecito would apologize first.


    I looked around and approached the most beautiful rose around me. Oh, I saw one, but it had thorns. I was more worried about the mites than that, but I carefully selected the roses that looked as clean as possible.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Graecito was tilting his head as I gave him the rose. Oh, this idiot, he should have known by now how to handle his own mother.


    ¡°Take this and give this to your mom.¡±


    ¡°D, do you think she will ept this?¡±


    Of course she would take it. When I was frowning my forehead, it suddenly urred to me what happened a few months ago.


    Oh, I thought I could understand why. That¡¯s how it felt. I finally understood Serira when I didn¡¯t want to hand my handkerchief. I was really scared that I would almost die, but I guessed Serira was feeling the same thing. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be rejected.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s from you.¡±


    Graecito, holding the rose I gave him, looked at me with a very frightened look on his face.


    ¡°C,e with me.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, are you baby?!¡±


    He was a baby.


    He was an actual kid when I thought about it. Graecito was like an abandoned puppy, but I didn¡¯t mean to go with him. The first time was important. Adapting a habit would make three years old turn to eighty. I couldn¡¯t go with him whenever something like this happened.


    ¡°Go on your own. I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    ¡°R, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So go ahead.¡±


    After looking down at the roses in his hand for a moment, Graecito gulped. He must be nervous. Yes, it was nerve-wracking for him for sure.


    Graecito nodded loudly as if he just made up his mind.


    ¡°See youter!¡±


    He has a loud voice.


    I sighed as I saw him running. Still, it¡¯s disturbing to send him alone. However, It¡¯s embarrassing to see Serira. Since I had to see her again anyway, I thought it would be better to just go and see her with Graecito for now. Before I left, I would take a rose with me too.


    I felt sorry for the roses, which bloomed beautifully in the garden, but I was a little reluctant to go back empty-handed. Serira and Elene were nearby. It was a pavilion built not far from the winter tree, and Serira was resting there.

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 83</h4>


    When I tried finding them, it¡¯s easy to look for Graecito.


    Graecito, who was standing nearby, held the rose in his hand and looked around. It looked like they were looking for me.


    I tried to reveal myself, but when I saw that, I found myself hiding even more. I would stay here for a little bit more. Fortunately, he couldn¡¯t find me. Graecito was bowing his head with a serious look. I guessed he was really feeling sorry. I thought he¡¯d just go and force his gift to her.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try this!¡±


    Huh? Suddenly, Graecito shouted loudly and strode into the pavilion like a man. However, his brisk walk fell just as Serira looked at him. There¡¯s a stray puppy right there. Oh, what was I supposed to do with this kid?


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He stood there, and with a saddened tone, he held out the rose, and Graecito closed his eyes tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll behave from now on.¡±


    Serira stared at Graecito in surprise, but Graecito was restless to see if he thought it was a rejection. Looking at his face with a grimace, I suddenly ovep my past self. However, it was kind of serious back then. Tears welled up in Serira¡¯s eyes. The wound was still untreated.


    Idiot, she should have healed that first.


    The scene was stuck in my eyes when I saw Serira controlling her emotions with her eyes closed for a while, whether she was going to cry or not. Soon, she epted the rose from Graecito¡¯s hand. After spending a long time in front of her, Graecito looked up at Serira¡¯s face with courage and soon opened his mouth nkly with Serira¡¯s bright smile.


    ¡°Now you have to be a good boy. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what came between the two of them in that short moment, but I thought that it¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s so much better. Now that Serira didn¡¯t have to worry too much about Graecito anymore. That¡¯s a relief, really.


    ¡°Now, shall we go and take a bath, young master?¡±


    ¡°What, but mom...¡±


    She only said a word with a stern look to Graecito.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to listen to me?¡±


    Just like that, mom won. I felt pity for him.


    Graecito, he had already lost. Serrira would use this to tease him for the rest of his life. It¡¯s usually what all mothers did. Unaware that his unhappy future was waiting with a wink in front of him, Graecito took Elene¡¯s hand and stepped out into the pavilion.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    For now though, the misfortune of others was other¡¯s, and I held my breath. Oh, that¡¯s killing me. Should I just go and die? When Graecito disappeared, a suicidal impulse inside me suddenly started raging.


    How could I see her!?


    Still, I crawled into the pavilion. Ugh, I usually saw her without thinking about it, but now, I felt like I was dying. It¡¯s better to be the one who got the punished first. I should¡¯ve juste in before Graecito? Oh, whatever, I was already here.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Serira¡¯s face suddenly darkened when I gave her the rose I brought.


    What¡¯s this reaction? Was he upset that we used the same way to make her happy? Was that it? Fortunately, that was not the case. What Serira did before she even got the rose was to open my hand.


    ¡°Your hand...¡±


    ¡°Here. Take it.¡±


    What¡¯s that face?


    She looked so mysterious. Should I have brought something other than flowers? I couldn¡¯t read Serira¡¯s face. I wanted to know what she¡¯s thinking! Did she not like it? Was he very angry? However, from the sound of her voice, she didn¡¯t seem so mad.


    ¡°Thank you. Did you cheer up Graecito?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Seriraughed at my curt reply. I felt a little relieved by her smile I had always seen. It was her ordinary sweet voice.


    He¡¯s not mad. Just one minor problem was her deep-sunken eyes.

 Chapter 84

    <h4>Chapter 84: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 84</h4>


    I thought it was pathetic to see Graecito hesitating earlier, but this was a natural physiological phenomenon. I kept getting sore without even realizing it. Oh, it¡¯s ruined.


    ¡°Princess, why do you think you don¡¯t have a mother? I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    It was an abrupt remark, but I was not such a fool to the point that I didn¡¯t know what she meant. I looked straight at Serira. I knew that she was here for me. Still...


    ¡°But you are not my real mother.¡±


    No matter how close I was to Serira, this was true. A nanny was a nanny, not my own mother. I was not in a position to call her a mother officially in front of others. Well, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her, but sometimes it was not a good idea to spout the truth, just like now.


    I should have not said that. For a moment, Serira was speechless.


    I looked at her in the eyes. Was she angry?


    I should sew my mouth or something. I kept saying things I didn¡¯t mean. Oh, I was thinking about what to do with this troublemaker¡¯s mouth, and suddenly, her soft hand clenched my hand. It was Serira¡¯s hand.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t like me?¡±


    ¡°... no.¡±


    How could I dislike her? She¡¯s Serira!


    Serira pulled my hand and held me in her arms. Then, she patted my head. It was the hair she touched in the morning. Well, it¡¯s a mess right now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re a lot more grown-up than now, princess. I¡¯ll tell you everything about the beautiful and lovelydy who was your mother.¡±


    The whispering voice was friendly. I was just surprised. Serira was paying attention to it too. Well, thedy was my mother. I already knew who that royaldy was, but in fact, all of that all came from what I heard in different ways, so I was excited that I would get to hear about my mother.


    ¡°Yes. Please tell meter!¡±


    I wanted to emphasize one more time, but I couldn¡¯t because Serira suddenly hugged me so hard. No matter how much you love me, I was surprised! I know how you feel about me, but it was true that it was embarrassing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where these balls came from.¡±


    A whisper in my ear is ever so soft. I felt tingly for nothing.


    ¡°I came from another world.¡±


    ¡°Then are you an angel?¡±


    ¡°Probably not.¡±


    What angel. I was an office worker in my past life. All I learned at mypany was how to tell if my superior was having a bad day. Of course I didn¡¯t think it was pointless. Everything I learned at that time is good for me. I¡¯ll use it someday if I remember it.


    ¡°Serira¡­¡±


    Her warmth warms my body. No matter how much winter trees heat me up, as the weather got cold, my body was colder than I thought.


    ¡°You know...I want Serira to be happy.¡±


    Serira is too hot. I think it¡¯s going to burn.


    It was nonsense, but at the moment I felt like it was really true.


    ¡°I hope Serira is the happiest person in the world. Then I¡¯ll be happy too. That¡¯s what I want.¡±


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    I raise my head on her sobbing voice. I frown my face.


    Oh, my dear mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mom. why do you cry whenever I say something? I feel like I¡¯m the one who made you cry...¡±


    I want Serira to be happy. Really, that¡¯s what I want.

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 85</h4>


    It¡¯s already in November. Just two more months and I would be three years old. However, my dad who imed to return in three months still hadn¡¯t shown up. We had a birthday party in September without him, and it made me depressed. He had been gone for a quite long time, but I still haven¡¯t heard from him. Judging from Ferdel¡¯s calmness, he seemed to be ying well in Praetzia too.


    ¡°Your snowman looks weird!¡±


    ¡°Your snowman looks weirder!¡±


    In my reply, Graecito swelled his cheek. We were both making snowmen with all the snow piled up in the garden.


    When I first asked to make this, Graecito asked me what it was. I looked back at Serira because I was annoyed to exin it, but judging by her ignorance, there seemed to be no snowmen in this world. Of course, I couldn¡¯t give up. It¡¯s like every kid¡¯s fantasy! Now that I was one again, I would love to be the founder of the first snowman in this world.


    ¡°Roll!¡±


    He rolls a little snowke at mymand. On one side, Serira and Elene were making warm tea and waiting for us toe back.? ? (  )


    ¡°This is fun!¡±


    ¡°See? I told you this would be fun. If you listen to me, you¡¯ll be rich even in your sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Ria is a genius!¡±


    No, I was not a genius. Still, Graecito, who touched his reddened cheeks with his gloves on, was cute. He¡¯s really like a bunny. He didn¡¯t like it when I called him a rabbit, but I was not the type of person who would quit easily.


    After that awkward incident, Graecito and I got friendly really quickly. Well, yeah, in fact, the real problem was in Graecito¡¯s attitude, so there was no reason for me to let my guard down and abandon the child who wanted to be a friend. More than anything, Graecito was a real kid. Since he was a boy, he was rather simple-minded. I¡¯ had already forgotten what caused our fight. I felt that kids should y with other kids.


    ¡°So were you jealous? You were jealous of me hanging out with your mom, right?¡±


    When I yed with Serira, the time went so slowly, but when I yed with Graecito, time flew in a heartbeat. Plus, I was happy because I thought I had lost some weight because I had been running around a lottely.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother!¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not!¡±


    The only problem was that we asionally fought over who Serira favored; fighting over my nanny and iming that she¡¯s my mom. Strangely, everything else was easy to yield, but I couldn¡¯t give this up so easily. My mom¡¯s mine!


    ¡°Fine, she¡¯s your mom; she¡¯s not my mom!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? She¡¯s not my real mom!¡±


    ¡°She gets mad at me often, but she¡¯s always sweet to you. She¡¯s your mom.¡±


    ¡°You say that again.¡±? ? (  )


    I racked Graecito¡¯s head. He let go of the snow he was ying with and grabbed his head. Stop acting like it really hurt. My fist was not that strong.


    ¡°Fine, she can be your mother. Because I have Caitel, and he¡¯s the best in the universe.¡±


    Though he¡¯s not here right now. If this world was a pyramid, he¡¯s probably at the top, preying on everyone below him.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 86</h4>


    I often wondered what he¡¯s doing now. Anyway, I heard that Praezia was in the south, so there were dry and rainy seasons, and there was no winter. Was he conquering South Praezia well? I hope he came back without getting hurt.


    It reminded me of my childhood. I used to wait like this when my dad went on a business trip.


    When I became silent, Graecito looked at me. I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯s so scared of me. Sometimes he seemed to notice my feelings better than Serira. He might be a womanizer when he grew up. Thinking that I should educate him in advance, I caught Graecito¡¯s eye.


    ¡°But sometimes I¡¯ll let you borrow my mom.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you use your heart and mind?¡±


    What the heck was he saying?


    This was the leisure of one¡¯s who had a mother. I wanted to hit him. Should I hit him or not? Why would he say he¡¯ll let me borrow his mom? Graecito inted his cheek when I rejected his ¡®favor¡¯.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Serira calling me, we¡¯d already been beating each other and fighting. Serira came up urgently.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to go to Bolcena.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Bolcena was the mansion of Silvia and Ferdel.


    Why were we going there right now? It was more doubtful since the sun was about to set. Serira exined in a serious voice under my sharp gaze.


    ¡°Herbor began in the morning, and she¡¯s just about to give birth now.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not her due date yet!¡±


    Her due date was supposed to be next week! By the way, I was worried about her since I heard that having the first child was so difficult. However, if one¡¯sbor started this morning, and they¡¯re having a baby, how long must one endure the pain ofbor? I was so worried about Silvia.


    Oh, damn it, I should hurry.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I put on another coat Elene brought, and I looked back at Graecito, who was still standing there.


    ¡°See youter!¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    As soon as I arrived at Bolcena, Ferdel hugged me in his arms even before I unclothed my coat. I couldn¡¯t tell him to let go of me while he¡¯s weing me as if I was a lifeguard.


    Hey, let me take my clothes off!


    ¡°What should I do, Princess? My Sil is in so much pain! I want to go in there and hold her hand, but they won¡¯t let anyone inside. What if she dies duringbor? My wife is about to die while giving birth. I feel like she really might die. Princess, what if something happens to your younger sister or brother?¡±

 Chapter 87

    <h4>Chapter 87: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 87</h4>


    How was his child gonna be my younger sibling? My ears start to hurt because he talked like rapid fire. Why was he doing what he shouldn¡¯t do? I guessed he¡¯s not exaggerating. I¡¯d like to take off my clothes, but the first thing I needed to do was calm down Ferdel. I patted Ferdel¡¯s back with my little hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll have a pretty baby and be healthy!¡±


    ¡°Well, do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Believe me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll trust anything you say.¡±


    He looked like a fanatic listening to the gospel of God. he¡¯s kind of scary today. Even though I was cute and lovely, he was too much. What¡¯s wrong with him today? He was originally a weird guy, but he was even more strange today. No, I meant, he seemed like he has lost his mind.


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    Ferdel was startled when someone called him. I got off his arms and made a puzzled expression.


    ¡°You must hurry!¡±


    An urgent voice called Ferdel. He then ran straight ahead.


    What the hell was going on? I took off my coat and handed it over to Serira, and we slowly went in, following Owen¡¯s directions.


    I heard a baby crying in the distance. The child was born! Oh, so that¡¯s why they took Ferdel. However, something was a little weird. Why did I hear more than one cry?


    ¡°Congrattions! They¡¯re twins! Two healthy young masters were born.¡±


    She had twins?


    As soon as I entered the room, I ran straight to Silvia who was lying on the bed. Silvia was smiling dimly, looking exhausted. All her hair and face, as well as her clothes, were soaked in sweat. Her face, which had always been filled with life was very thin as a sign of her hours of struggle. With chapped lips and swollen eyes, she somehow looked even more beautiful than before.


    ¡°Oh, can I hug them?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. Now, hold him like this.¡±


    Silvia held one child in her arms while Ferdel held the other with the help of a maid. Ferdel was dumbfounded when he saw the tiny creatureing into his arms. His eyes red at the child. I knew since his eyes got teary, when he saw a baby in his arms, he couldn¡¯t hold it. He bit his lips and bent his head.


    What I heard was a little sobbing.

 Chapter 88

    <h4>Chapter 88: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 88</h4>


    I looked at Ferdel in amazement, but Silvia just smiled.


    ¡°Silvia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ferdel.¡±


    I had never seen a man cry before. That was the first time I had ever seen a man cry like a child. I thought he was just a weird guy, but when I saw him so moved that he cried, I felt pity for him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sob tears away as he alternately looked at the child in his arms and Silvia who gave birth to babies. His feelings of gratitude, apology, and love seemed to have overwhelmed his senses. They got married because they really loved each other. I did know it, but somehow, I was touched all over again.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Silviaughed at his crying voice. She had just finished giving birth, so she looked worse than usual, but she was just as beautiful as she had always been. I was so touched at that moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t stop the tears.¡±


    ¡°Dear, you¡¯re not a child¡­¡±


    Ferdel grumbled at Silvia¡¯s mistreatment, but soon forgot all about it andughed as she smiled. Gosh, what a doting husband. I forgot about their public disy of affection for a second. I wanted to get married too! I would grow up and meet a man like that! A man who was devoted to me!


    ¡°Silvia, congrattions!¡±


    Two people looked back at me in my voice. I smiled using my most confident pretty smile. Ferdel grabbed his child and wiped his tears away with his sleeve. Still, he couldn¡¯t hide his reddened teary eyes.


    I wanted to see the babies, too. She showed me her baby when I tried to sneak out my head and saw the baby in her arms. Maybe because he was just born, the baby was redder and dingier than I thought.


    ¡°So red.¡±


    Come to think of it, it was the first time for me to see a baby who was just born because no one close to me had ever given birth, so I went to see them a long time after their birth. This was how newborn babies looked like. I thought I knew why Caitel looked at me and said I was ugly. I didn¡¯t mean to forgive him for calling me ugly.


    The child who couldn¡¯t even open his eyes was really small. What a life this was.


    ¡°Hey baby, it¡¯s me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect any reaction, but the baby wriggled in my voice. Could it perhaps hear me? No way. I didn¡¯t even think that¡¯s possible, but it was still surprising.


    ¡°Grow fast! Let¡¯s y together!¡±


    Adults in the roomughed at my words at the same time.


    Why? What¡¯s the matter with these people?

 Chapter 89

    <h4>Chapter 89: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 89</h4>


    I felt somehow offended when they suddenlyughed at me, but none among Silvia, Ferdel, or Serira was making fun of me. If they were not making fun of me, then why were they allughing?


    ¡°He must like you, princess.¡±


    How would a baby that was just born know anything? I hope that¡¯s true though. They were so cute. I was still a baby too, but they were just so cute. These guys were just adorable.


    ¡°Princess, we should go back now. Your godmother needs to rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I was here to congrats her than to see babies.


    I got off on the bed after without forgetting to kiss Silvia¡¯s cheek. Silvia opened her eyes wide after my surprise kiss. Hehe.


    ¡°See you again!¡±


    ¡°Princess, me too!¡±


    Ferdel shouted, but I didn¡¯t want to give him a kiss. As I left the room before Serira, I heared Ferdel¡¯s voice panting at me from behind.


    ¡°He¡¯ll get upset.¡±


    ¡°But he got a hug earlier.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get any. Since he might die from a heart attack due to so much joy.


    When she heard my thoughts, Serira burst outughing. Why was sheughing? I was serious. If I did too many things at the same time, he might get a heart attack. I should give him goods slowly one after another.


    I took Serira¡¯s hand and climbed into the carriage. The soft, soft sofa greeted me.


    Bolcena was not far from the pce, but from a child¡¯s perspective, it was as far as Busan. The sun was gone from a long time ago, and only the view of the cold winter night was spread out of the window. Snowkes piled up on the city, not knowing when they started to fall. It was a magnificent view.


    ¡°Serira.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    I felt as if time has stopped. That¡¯s probably an illusion.


    ¡°I wonder¡­was my mother that happy when I was born?¡±


    It struck me that way. Even though I never met her, I couldn¡¯t help but feel instinctive feelings toward her.


    I knew that I was born from a marriage without love. I never mentioned it, but I wanted to ask it because I saw Silvia giving birth to a child. I wanted to know more about the woman who was my mother. Was my mother in this world ever loved me?


    ¡°Thedy fell in love every single day during the nine months she carried you in her womb.¡±


    Serira¡¯s voice spreading quietly inside the carriage was like the sound of a bell in the winter mountain. It¡¯s cool but calm.


    ¡°And she probably fell in love at first sight all over again when you were finally born and heard your first cry.¡±


    I asked back without realizing it because she wasn¡¯t guessing but concluding with such a strong voice. Why did she think so?


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Serira smiled quietly. It was her usual smile, Serira¡¯s smile at the moment resembled the of Silvia¡¯s.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s how I was.¡±


    Was that how my friends felt when they had children? I didn¡¯t know. I had never asked them. All I could think of was that my friends who had already had children at that age were amazing. I was still so young. I heard that a woman became a mother while raising her children.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Princess. You are born from love.¡±


    Serira seemed to know me and my fear better than I did. Something in my heart just melted away at the touch of her hand. Serira smiled as I jumped into her arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you are loved even now, or is it that my love for you is not enough?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    I shook my head.


    Of course not.

 Chapter 90

    <h4>Chapter 90: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 90</h4>


    The garden looked quite different now that it¡¯s the middle of winter. Maybe it¡¯s because the maids and servants weren¡¯t outside? I liked being outside, but everyone wanted to stay inside since it¡¯s cold. If I stayed close to the winter tree, I would feel rather hot.


    ¡°You said you would be back in three months¡­ liar.¡±


    Well, it wasn¡¯t a war that would end in three months, to begin with. I heard Caitel was on a rampage like a mad dog there. Due to that, it¡¯s pretty much guaranteed that he would conquer Praezia this year or early next year.


    That¡¯s why Ferdel got so much work than ever; all the nobles were afraid of Caitel with his action. They said that uniting the whole continent wasn¡¯t particrly impossible. The problem was that Caitel didn¡¯t have any ambition as honorable as that. I couldn¡¯t seem to find any of Genghis Khan¡¯s ambitions in his eyes. This was not all about uniting the continent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ruined before that. Because excessivend picking leads to division.¡±


    It had historically been seen in Rome or Mongolia. It sparkled only in its heyday, and it¡¯s a different story to make thend entirely of itself. If Caiatel died anyway, Pretzia would be independent. Of course, it¡¯s only possible when more independent fighters bled before that day.


    ¡°Well, that would fail. Too much conquering makes too much trouble.¡±


    Rome or Mongolia were great examples. It¡¯s good for only a short time, and it¡¯s harder to unite its citizens as one. Well, after Caitel¡¯s death, Praezia would be its own country again. Of course, before independence, many people would bleed to attaint that freedom.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s lucky to be born here or not.¡±


    I realized how great things were in my previous life before I was born here. Democracy, the right to vote for the nation¡¯s president. Small but important things.


    Suddenly, that word came to mind. The freedom we enjoyed today bathed in the blood our ancestors shed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my country anymore, but I still thinks of Korea as ¡®my country¡¯. Tsk tsk, I¡¯m still a long way off.¡±


    Still, if I thought of my mother, I thought of Serira more than my previous life¡¯s mother. It¡¯s a natural step, but it¡¯s a little bittersweet. To forget the past and let it go. Of course, I had to make up my mind, but I didn¡¯t want to leave it out yet.


    ¡°Probably because it¡¯s where I came from.¡±


    My thoughts, my beliefs, my values, my country that molded me into who I was. Because it¡¯s the foundation of my feet, the root of all my thoughts; it was natural in a way that I could not let go of such a ce. I thought I would probably carry it for the rest of my life. Now that the times were different, the world was different, and the values were different, how could I integrate the thing I knew with the new things I learned?


    ¡°I think having a memory of my past life is more damaging than good.¡±


    What kind of two-year-old child considered these things? Well, of course, even though I was going to be three soon, it¡¯s still the same thing.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 91</h4>


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so warm.¡±


    I wanted to head back to Sy Pce and to drink a cup of hot tea and a cookie. I wanted something sweet. Maybe it¡¯s because I was thinking about something that didn¡¯t suit me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t visit Bolcena because of the babies, and Graecito is busy today. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s bored.¡±


    However, I could y in the garden like this because I was free. There was an unfinished snowman near the winter tree Graecito and I failed to makest time. Should I finish it by myself?


    ¡°Is it possible to finish it alone?¡±


    However, Graecito and I started it together. I should finish it with him when he came back tomorrow.


    When I hade to think of it, my previous life wasn¡¯t that bad, and I was happy with how contended I was. It would not be enough for me to rip the guy who killed me apart, but I couldn¡¯t take my revenge on him in my lonesome. I was not even sure that the god damnw would punish him properly. That¡¯s also a concern of mine. They didn¡¯t make properws; instead, they kept making some unnecessary uselessws.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go back to the pce after going for a walk.¡±


    I adjusted my clothes that Serira had dressed me up as I fell off the winter tree. By the time I did so, I stepped into a walkway that was now all too familiar to me. Now that I had grown up a little bit and loved walking around by myself, Serira wouldn¡¯t fuss about me needing toe back to the castle on time. Of course, Elene was always with me.


    However, today, Elene went to the doctor because she fell over the icy road. Even though she got older, she was still so clumsy. Tsk tsk.


    All the trees were covered with white snow except for the fire tree, towering over the snow like an outcast. Look at these frozen trees. There were so many trees that I felt as if I was walking through a forest in the mountains. I heard there was a ce called the Forest of Nightmare east of Agrigent, where once one entered within, they would end upmitting suicide after their own nightmares gued their minds. Ugh.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t let my guard down in this world.¡±


    This world was so simr to my previous world, but somethings were just so different that it would always catch me off guard. I heard there¡¯s no such thing as a dragon here. I asked if there were any other species that were simr to humans, but Serira told me that they all disappeared thousands of years ago due to human oppression. If there were any left on this earth, they¡¯d be in the Forest of Nightmares.


    However, why were they in Forest of Nightmare? Nah, I would probably not live to see the day where I¡¯d go to cuh a ce.


    I wanted to see other species.

 Chapter 92 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 92

    <h4>Chapter 92: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 92</h4>


    I was walking with snow in my hand when suddenly, I saw a familiar face.


    ¡°We meet again.¡±


    It was La. She didn¡¯t look surprised, but I looked like I saw a dead man walking. Why was she here?


    ¡°Because you¡¯re in my path.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Still, I had encountered her in this garden from time to time since I met her the day I forgave Graecito. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough to say that I had seen her often.


    ¡°What are you doing? Reading again?¡±


    Every time I had seen her, we would have a brief conversation, and afterward, I would go back to the pce. Was she reading outside in such a cold day? She¡¯s such a bookworm. Laughed when I raised my head in amazement.


    ¡°Just watching the snow.¡±


    It was really weird when a blue woman smiled, beaming pale like snow. Should I say it seemed mysterious? I would believe if someone said she¡¯s the snow queen instead of a normal human being. La stared nkly at the scenery filled with longing.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t snow where I used to live, so I keep looking at it¡±


    ¡°Where did you live before?¡±


    I asked without any thought, but she didn¡¯t reply. I looked up at La since there was no reaction, and I saw her face stiffened slightly. Oh, I was sure La wasn¡¯t here because she wanted to be here.


    Ah, that wasn¡¯t polite, but the moment I realized my own wrongdoing, it was already toote. Oh, I felt so regretful for what I had done. I didn¡¯t know. I should just go back to the pce.


    ¡°Are you just leaving?¡±


    I didn¡¯t look at her face since I felt apologetic and tried to head back to the pce, but La stopped me for a moment. I looked back in wonder. I saw her usual expression. She wasn¡¯t always friendly, but that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯s being cold to me. I was a bit curious.


    ¡°Why? Do you have something to say?¡±


    Why was she stopping me? It was the first time La had done so. Since it was our routine to always say a few words between one another and return. She didn¡¯t start the conversation, and I was always the one who greeted her first. La smiled when our eyes met.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It was a smile that was particrly filled with mncholy


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little bored.¡±

 Chapter 93

    <h4>Chapter 93: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 93</h4>


    Her unusual smile just made me feel weird. Well, I couldn¡¯t help it. It wasn¡¯t polite of me to leave her like this when she¡¯s holding me for longer than usual. Of course, I felt a little sorry about the mistake I made earlier too.


    ¡°How old are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m three years old.¡±


    La looked at me a little surprised as if my looks and my age didn¡¯t fit well. What? Well, I knew that there was no three-year-old who could speak as well and as good and as cute as I.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re already three years old. It feels like just yesterday when I heard the news of your birth.¡±


    I didn¡¯t notice it when she said it like an old man wet with remorse, but La seemed to know who I was for a long time. Oh, of course, she could tell just by looking at me. Still, I felt that the tone of her voice gave me a nuance that she knew my mother too. Who was this woman exactly?


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about how you were born, do you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She was smiling with interest. What the hell was she smiling for? I felt frustrated. Besides, La looked indescribably excited.


    ¡°Do you know about your mother?¡±


    ¡°You know my mother?¡±


    I had already thought of the possibility that she knew her, but did she really?


    La lowered her body in my voice. She sat down and held her head on her hand; this woman was pretty. She¡¯s so pretty. If this was Earth, she would have been scouted for a Hollywood movie right away.


    ¡°No one told you? I thought so. People tend to think keeping things from children is the safest way to raise them.¡±


    I knew what she¡¯s trying to say. However, she¡¯s clearly being sarcastic even though she¡¯s smiling so beautifully. Well, she had a point. I could guess why they were not telling me anything about my mother so I couldn¡¯t make any halfassed conclusions. In fact, even I wouldn¡¯t want to tell a child the cruel truth behind their parents. If one crushed children¡¯s dreams and fantasies, then they deserve to go to hell.


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you?¡±


    ¡°Will you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    A sweet, whispering voice. The sweetness seemed simr to Dranste¡¯s voice. It sounded like the lure of the devil.

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 94</h4>


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t do this, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling curious. It¡¯s like even though I was going to work tomorrow, I wanted to start another game. I knew I shouldn¡¯t ask, but I had a sudden urge to dig into it.


    ¡°I can tell you if you want to know, but once you know the truth, I won¡¯t take responsibility for what happens afterward.¡±


    Look at her. She seduced me first, but she said she wouldn¡¯t take responsibility. That¡¯s funny. Why wouldn¡¯t she carry the same burden she had ced on my shoulder? However, if I thought about it here, I wouldn¡¯t get to hear what she wouldn¡¯t tell. I certainly didn¡¯t want that. Oh, life was truly a series of hardships.


    Yeah, even if all the terms and conditions on the sites were fraudulent, people would still press the ¡°agree¡± button. After all, they hadn¡¯t read it in the first ce.


    ¡°I want to know.¡±


    La smiled after hearing my reply. Her smile felt a little strange as if she wereughing contently knowing that her trap had caught me. Was this a trap?


    ¡°Lady Jereina, the daughter of ice from the North.¡±


    Huh? I automatically tilted my head after hearing what she had said before I even thought of anything else. What did she just say?


    ¡°That¡¯s how everyone called her.¡±


    ¡°Why ice?¡±


    La nodded. I couldn¡¯t push her hastily because she seemed to be struggling to dig through her memories.


    ¡°She was a cold woman. She didn¡¯t get along with anyone.¡±


    If I understood this correctly, she was telling me that they treated my mother like an outcast.


    When I heard that she didn¡¯t get along with anyone, it suddenly urred to me that she stayed at Ecelone alone to give birth. After all, she didn¡¯t have anyone she could rely on around her.


    ¡°Nobody knew that she would die after giving birth to you.¡±


    However, that was something my father didn¡¯t know. That¡¯s why he only realized she was pregnant right before she gave birth to me. I was curious about needless things. Why did she give birth to me? Did my father rape her? It¡¯s kind of weird to try so desperately to protect a child created from a rape incident. Was my mom a weird person? Oh, that couldn¡¯t be true.


    La smiles and continues her word to solve my question.


    ¡°The Emperor never sleeps woman unless that woman asks him first.¡±


    Huh? What are you talking about? I was surprised. He never sleeps women until they ask him to do so? Which means, my mother asked the Emperor to sleep with her first.


    What is going on?

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 95</h4>


    ¡°Is this too hard for you to understand? It means that your mother wanted to have you. Not your father.¡±


    It¡¯s rather confusing to me because she talked so casually. I felt like my mind would copse. It was a story I had never thought of. My mom wanted me so badly that she seduced my dad and slept with him; then afterward, she hid? Why though?


    It didn¡¯t make any sense. What was going on?


    ¡°Why? Were you surprised?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. I was just wondering. With the fact that I knew something I didn¡¯t know and the fact that my mom really wanted to have me.


    Wait, first of all, I frowned on something I couldn¡¯t easily ignore. What the f*ck was on with that crazy guy? He didn¡¯t sleep with women until they asked him to do so? With women? Wow, what was I supposed to feel about this?


    Well, of course, sleeping with someone they hated was the most miserable thing for women. Still, wasn¡¯t that what Caitel meant by staying as a virgin for life and rot in the harem? No, first of all, women seduced men first. No matter how high women¡¯s rights might be in Agrigent, it was clearly a disgrace to women. No, It¡¯s an embarrassment before disgrace.


    I began to understand why there were so many women who seduced Caitel to be an empress. It was widely believed that Caitel¡¯s princesses were not official but were treated as his concubines. Even if they went back to their own country, they would not be treated as virgins. Instead, their people would only curse them. It¡¯s as if the princesses were sold and returned to the Yuan Dynasty during the Goryeo Dynasty.


    Oh, why did he do that to make my head hurt? Just please stop bringing other country¡¯s princesses here only to put them in that damn harem, madman!


    La was smiling and appreciating my expression. I didn¡¯t know her, but she had a bad taste. Was it so good to see me in pain, huh?!


    ¡°Should I tell you a secret?¡±


    ¡°Secret?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but get interested as to what sort of secret she had in mind. Shoot, why was I so easily influenced by others?


    ¡°About how the Emperor Caitel rose to his throne.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that obvious? What I heard was that hemitted a treacherous behavior. Maybe that¡¯s why they called Caitel the bloody Emperor. Still, I decided to ask her just in case.


    ¡°How did he rose his throne?¡±


    ¡°He killed his father with his own hands by working with a traitor.¡±


    That¡¯s obvious. That¡¯s what I had heard before. Well, I didn¡¯t hear he killed his own father. I heard the previous Emperor was a rotten bastard. Wasn¡¯t it a little bit odd to kill his father with his own hands? Of course, Caitel had his reasons, but it was still strange. Why did he kill him?


    ¡°Then, he gathered his seventeen brothers into one pce and burned them all. Their screams covered the royal pce like a deep, thick mist.¡±


    This was also a story I heard before. It¡¯s repugnant to hear it again.


    If they were all alive, they were the ones I¡¯d call Uncles. That made me it even creepier. I couldn¡¯t be sure if my life wouldn¡¯t end up like that way as well. I heard Caitel had absolutely no love for his family members.

 Chapter 96: The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 96

    <h4>Chapter 96: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 96</h4>


    "He executed all the nobles whomitted treason and disyed their heads outside the pce. Then he confined his mother to Silentia Pce. As for his sisters... he sold them for a cheap price to greedy people in other countries."


    It reminded me of why people called Caitel a tyrant. He had been more generous recently. That didn''t erase his past actions though. What''s the point of saying he''s not a tyrant when he had been acting like this way? This was something that should be criticized.


    "He rose to the bloody throne after stepping on many bodies. That''s why your father is called the blood-crazed Emperor, dear lovely princess."


    Her soft-spoken voice was as sweet as a winter melon; sweet, but cold. Although she showed in her smile how she adored my cuteness, I couldn''t deny the fact that her eyes were as cold as jewels.


    "Bulchi, Celinunte, Susa, Qusi, Tivoli, Parma, Ferrara, Kapua, and Mantova." It''s the names of the dead kingdoms your father exterminated and incorporated into Agrigent in five years."


    La smiled and added the names that were now used as Agrigent''s territorial names. Her smile was so bright and that made me feel terrible. I didn''t know why she was saying this to me. No, I knew, but...


    "Now, do you realize what kind of person your father is?"


    I already knew all of that, so it''s nothing new. Anyways, Caitel''s impression was the worst for me from the start too. The best one was when he tried to choke me to death when we first met. Well, I didn''t die by choking, but still, he was such a man in the first ce. I had nothing to be disappointed about. Here I thought he had turned for the better these days, but... Well, yeah. People wouldn''t change that easily.


    "Even your mother didn''te here because she wanted to be here. I don''t know if you know, but most of the princesses in the Harem were most loved in their country; the princesses whom kings love the most. Do you know why they''ve been dragged into a ce like this; stuck in one ce together and treated like that? It''s all because your father officially ordered it. He never took princesses who were being treated poorly."


    La''s cold voice was filled with deep hatred. It was a deep, sticky feeling that resembled darkness.


    "I hate him."


    She added a few more words after that with a smile on her face.


    "Though that doesn''t mean I hate you as well."


    That''s a lie. Normally, the enemy of a parent would hate the child as well. Of course, she would hate me. I would too. However, whether La hated me or not wasn''t important. What''s important was that I felt sorry. One way or another, I was also at fault.


    I didn''t do anything, but I was also sinner since my father was a sinner.


    It seemed unfair that I had to deal with his mistakes simply because I was his child, but on the other hand, I gave it some thoughts. If descendants did not take care for them, then who''s gonna have to take care of it? The reason why the descendants of pro-Japanese groups were frowned upon in society was because of this. Yes, if it felt dirty and mean, one would have to be reborn. What could I say? This was a fate I could never take away from myself the moment I was born as the daughter of Caitel. The fact that I was not free from his sins.


    I was sure I would see more of these people in the future. I might be hated like this every time I met someone. Suddenly, I was getting a headache about my dark future.

 Chapter 97 - The Emperor’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 97: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter</h4>


    At that moment La¡¯s hand patted my head, a white and small hand. However, it was cold because she was out for too long.


    ¡°You must be very happy. Since it would be another tragedy for you, who was born from thousands of tragedies, to be unhappy.¡±


    Was this a blessing or a curse? La smiled, leaving a vague remark about how I should be happy or unhappy. She gave me a white, winter-like smile.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing. I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    I sighed heavily when I looked at La¡¯s back gently walking away. Soon, as La said, Elene appeared from where I had walked.


    How could she know when someone was getting closer? She¡¯s a scary woman.


    ¡°Why are you here, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Even though I already knew that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t feel shocked. A part of me was saying that what happened was already in the past, but I could not deny that my mind had been heavier than before. Because my reason, my values, and my belief, said that what Caitel did was not eptable.


    Still, I guessed I had some expectations in my mind that he was not the mad monster he¡¯s always known for since we kept seeing each other constantly.


    ¡°Pleasee, princess. I made some scones for you.¡±


    ¡°What about pudding?¡±


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    I felt a little better now. It really was a tough time for me.


    I was lost in thought while I was eating pudding. Well, maybe Caitel wasn¡¯t that crazy from the beginning, or was he? Usually, a viin was not a viin from the beginning. It¡¯s true that he¡¯s insane, but maybe there¡¯s a reason why he¡¯s like that. Whatever the reason might be, it wouldn¡¯t justify his actions...


    However, I wanted to take his side.


    I wanted to tell him to ask for forgiveness, apologize, repent, and stop doing those things again. Was I wrong for thinking this way?


    ¡°Is everything all right, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah.¡±


    Serira looked at me with a serious expression as if she realized how unusually low I was feeling at the moment. She was surely a mother, a mother indeed!


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Still, I couldn¡¯t say what I was thinking out loud, so I muttered grimly. Elene and Serira were also feeling a little depressed because I was depressed.


    ¡°When will be my fathere back?¡±


    ¡°Well, we cannot guarantee.¡±


    How could they answer so insincerely?


    I was not sure. Maybe I would know the answer when I saw him in person. Oh, I didn¡¯t know. My head hurts. It was a story with an answer I couldn¡¯te up with anyway. In the first ce, only in fictional cartoon movies would viins actually pay for what they had done. The reality was really rather dirty. It¡¯s always filled with strokes of bad luck, but I hoped Caitel would start to be a better man.


    ¡°Do you miss him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I replied in my ¡°What are you asking?¡± face, but Serira just smiled. Why was she smiling? Oh, so was Elene. I was at a loss as to why they wereughing.


    Did I make a funny face?

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 98</h4>


    ¡°Oh, princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Graecito says he really likes you, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Why was I not surprised? He was being so obvious. Of course, I don¡¯t like it, but oh well.


    ¡°Yes, he said it¡¯s a secret which he¡¯s only telling me.¡±


    Serira whispered while winking an eye; something was a little suspicious to her behavior so I couldn¡¯t believe her right away


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! Tell him to say things like that to me directly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, princess. That would be too embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m so pretty!¡±


    Two peopleughed in my reply. What, why were they twoughing at me? I frowned and looked at them alternately.


    ¡°Why are youughing? Am I funny?¡±


    I feel offended when they started tough at my serious answer. Why the hell were theyughing? Did they think I was aedian? You shouldn¡¯tugh at a princess like that! However, no matter how I frowned, they would not stopughing.


    ¡­ Yes, they should just do as they pleased. I guessed I was the punching bag!


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I was skeptical about my life, wondering if I could continue to trust these people, but the door suddenly burst open and the maid ran into the room. What¡¯s wrong with her? Just rx a little. I wasn¡¯t running away anyway.


    ¡°The Emperor has returned!¡±


    However, it was me who became impatient at the next moment when the maid shouted. I left the room in a sh and started running; I couldn¡¯t pay any attention to Serira and Elene¡¯s voices as they called me.


    Where was he? Where was heing from?


    I just ran without thinking. He left from Este pce, so he should be returning to Este pce. Right? The maids and the servants who found me followed me by calling my name, but now I didn¡¯t have any time to think. My brain was nk.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    It was really in Este pce. It was the same ce where he left before. The aristocrats there were surprised to see me. I knew how rude I was, but I couldn¡¯t afford to think about it.


    Now I could see him from afar. The face I had seen every day since I was born came into my sight. I felt something spreading inside me. Was this what they called relief? All my fear melted away instantly.


    I had been denying it all this time. I could never ept it. However, I couldn¡¯t deny it now, not anymore. I knew once I saw his face just how much I¡¯d been waiting for him.


    As soon as he saw me, Caitel smiled. That smile was familiar to me as it always had been. I moved my body without realizing it when I saw his gesture telling me toe down. I realized when his two strong arms held me so tightly...


    Only then had I realized...


    How much I missed him.


    ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Caitel stiffened his face at my small voice. Looking at his expression, I could feel tears in my eyes for some reason. He said he would be back in three months. This was pretty early too, but still...oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore.


    Caitelughed as I burst into his arms with an embarrassment. He reached out to me and lifted my face. His long fingers swept away the tears around my eyes. Finally, I could hear Caitel¡¯s voice that I missed so much.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

 Chapter 99

    <h4>Chapter 99: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 99</h4>


    -End. Serira


    The sound of wintering was quite warm.


    Firewood burned and warmed up the room. Serira left the knitting in her hands for a moment and stood from her seat.


    The child who fell asleep after lunch was sleeping well. Her hand touching Princess Ariadna as shey on the cradle seemed very friendly.


    ¡°Our lovely princess.¡±


    Serira Ivst Peistrille. Now the princess¡¯ nanny, but before that, she was the wife of a man and a count.


    Count Peistrille was an honest and good man. She fell in love with his great personality and married him. She was happy for the rest of the six years she lived together with him when she was sixteen. She still missed her husband because he loved her so much, and she loved him just as much. If there was no child between them, she would have followed him right after his death.


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid, but....¡±


    It was still a bit difficult for her to live without him. There was a gloomy smile at her lips.


    Originally, her husband was a baron in the vige of the downtown area around the south. Since thend was so small and most of them were almost desert, her husband had no choice but to work to make thend prosperous. It was the biggest luck of their life that he saved a man vomiting blood on the street.


    ¡°Sorry. He was copsed on the road, I couldn¡¯t just leave him there.¡±


    It was a rainy day when her husband brought a young man who copsed on the street to the castle.


    ¡°No, you did the right thing.¡±


    Serira was surprised when she saw her husband was not wearing his shirt and got surprised again when she heard that the young man was almost dead.


    ¡°He seems to be heavily injured, but we already saw a doctor. He should be all right if we look after him.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    Her husband smiled lukewarmly at Serira¡¯s praise, but she didn¡¯t criticize him. He spent all of his money to help a stranger, but that money he used for that young stranger wouldn¡¯t return.


    He brought the young man to the castle and left again to earn the money he spent. Back then, they just thought that they spent some money on a poor neighbor.


    ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    ¡°Because you were lying there.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°What other reason could I have?¡±


    It was onlyter when they realized that the young man was actually the missing 14th prince, Caitel. The future Emperor. They just thought the man was a very strange person.


    ¡°Since you saved me, I shall repay you. Is there anything you need?¡±

 Chapter 100 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 100

    <h4>Chapter 100: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 100</h4>


    She still remembered her husband asking that young man to plow the field. At that time, Caitel said, ¡°This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve ever asked for such a request¡± He seemed to think that working was absolutely ridiculous.


    Yes, it was an outrageous demand for him. The two men and women were forced to do so without thinking about anything. Serra showed a subtle smile for the moment. It was a happy time even if I thought about it now.


    ¡°Everyone said he was a cruel, merciless emperor, but¡­¡±


    But two this couple, he was a savior.


    They were about to starve when the capital took theirnd from them, but when Caitel returned as the Emperor, he granted her husband the title of a count and offered him a job in the royal pce. Serira¡¯s heart still ached when she thought of her husband who fell in the battle. However, she never once hated the Emperor over that. She just thought that it was her husband¡¯s fate.


    He achieved his throne through rebellion and cruelty. People called him a tyrant, but Caitel was an Emperor who brought prosperity to Agrigent by building stability through war. Some nobles still criticized him, but that was because Caitel could persecute them any time. Except for his bloodline and childhood, he was worthy enough to be called a perfect Emperor.


    ¡°How can you be so pretty?¡±


    She patted the sleeping little princess on the cheek and smiled little. Suddenly, she remembered the day when she entered the pce as a nanny and met the princess for the first time. She couldn¡¯t open her eyes and couldn¡¯t imagine her speaking, but Serira was fascinated by that red, wiggly creature. It wasn¡¯t just because she saw her mother once before.


    ¡°She was a beautifuldy.¡±


    There was no trace of the mother in the child, but she was still a beautiful woman. The Lady Jereina, who was so impressive that she could hardly forget her, though she only encountered her once, was truly a sight to behold.


    Recalling that she had to tell princess about her mother¡¯s story one day, Serira wiped the princess¡¯ hair with a firm expression.


    ¡°Mama...¡±


    It was cute how the princess talked a bit while she slept. Serira smiled without realizing it. She would grow up and be even more beautiful. Drawing on a future that had note yet, Serira slowly breathed out her breath, not knowing what to do with her overwhelming heart.

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 101</h4>


    Serira was so confident that it was almost like she got a lot of gall. Caitel was dumbfounded after hearing her attitude.


    What did she just say?


    ¡°You are quite daring, saying something so bold like that.¡±


    At that point, he doubted if she really intended to end her life at this very moment. Did she go crazy when he was at war? Without knowing that Caitel¡¯s eyes were turning into doubt, Serira spoke as hard as she could.


    ¡°But your Majesty, didn¡¯t you want to see her even though you were far away or wanted to know what she was doing? Perhaps you were worried whether or not she might be crying over something.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of that at all.¡±


    Serira burst intoughter after hearing his sullen reply. She was trying to control her unbearableughter, but Caitel had already watched it all. ¡®How dare you make fun of me when I¡¯m in front of you.¡¯


    Caitel frowned, concluding that this nanny really went crazy.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    Serira replied with a smile, which she couldn¡¯t possibly erase from her face.


    ¡°Your expression is giving your true feelings away; it¡¯s amusing to see how you keep denying it.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve grown fearless.¡±


    An effort was made to threaten her; still, an indelible smile lingered on her face. Caitel felt annoyed after seeing this, but he didn¡¯t think of banishing her or executing her. At that moment Ariadna moved her body while sleep.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Looking at himself immediately responding to a small sound, Caitel groaned at the feeling that he had never felt before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never...¡±


    His hand moved toward his small, feeble daughter. The cheek he touched with the back of his hand was warm and smooth.


    ¡°I have never felt the need to see someone like this. Is this what yearning feels like?¡±


    It was a feeling he never felt before. It was something he never had within him from the past. It¡¯s hard to figure out how many ¡®firsts¡¯ he¡¯d felt in thest few months after getting separated from his daughter. When Caitel asked Serira while sighing, she nodded.


    ¡°Yes, that is called yearning.¡±


    Yearning. So this was how it felt.


    ¡°But she¡¯s just a small thing.¡±


    Listening to a small grumbling voice, Serira said with a stiff expression.


    ¡°You will feel it even more from now on.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s hand, which was stroking her cheek, stopped. Serira¡¯s high, clear voice filled the room.


    ¡°As the princess grows older, that feeling of yearning will grow as well. You won¡¯t want to leave her side even for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Just the thought of that sounds horrible.¡±


    However, the look on the face of the person who found the thought as something horrifying was the opposite. ¡®But if I say that, I¡¯ll really get killed this time¡¯. Serira whispered brightly.


    ¡°I want you to be happy now, your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 102</h4>


    Caitel¡¯s face seemed to have crushed after hearing her sincere wish.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time you tire yourself after saying that so many times?¡±


    ¡°And you should get married too.¡±


    Serira nodded as to indicate the obviousness of what she had just said. Apparently, Serira was the sort of woman who would persuade him to marry someone whenever she had free time. It was the same case for her husband. He remembered how often she would introduce some random women to her and how she would describe them by saying, ¡®she is a very nicedy¡¯.


    ¡°No one would want to marry someone with a daughter.¡±


    ¡°Come now, there are plenty of women who are aiming for you.¡±


    ¡°They are aiming to be the empress, not me.¡±


    Serira frowned her after hearing his cynical reply. Caitel looked down at his sleeping daughter and whispered quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that before too; you told me how you don¡¯t need a daughter of your own.¡±


    Serira refuted eagerly. However, what she received in return was reply with a greater amount of cynicism.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t need one. Even now, I could kill her if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say things like that if you don¡¯t mean to say them!¡±


    In the end, she wasn¡¯t able to stand his cynical attitude and brandished her anger at him. How dare she yell at the Emperor. She could have been taken away to be thrown to an execution chamber right away.


    However, Serira couldn¡¯t just sit still. Even if he had yet to admit it, everyone around him was already aware that Princess Ariadna was someone special to Caitel.


    ¡°Just hearing something like that...makes my heart ache so much.¡±


    Caitel just shut his mouth when he saw Serira¡¯s tear. She sniffed for a moment, trying to conceal her tears.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s far too wishful for me to hope that you would marry a finedy.¡±


    After all, Serira also knew that is was too much to ask for something like that. Him taking good care of the princess was a miracle already; she just hoped he would marry someone too.


    ¡°I hope you will learn what happiness is while watching the princess grow older.¡±


    She truly wished for him to be happy. She knew it¡¯s a futile wish, but she still strongly wished for it. Her greatest wish now was for him to attain happiness because it was he who brought happiness back to her life.


    ¡°That is what I hope for the most these days.¡±


    Of course, as usual, Caitel mocked that wish without hesitation.


    ¡°You are hoping for something impossible.¡±


    Serira, however, did not refute this time. She just stared at him. Without realizing it, he was already holding the princess¡¯ hand. Serira smiled subtly as she watched him talk while his hand refused to let go of the princess¡¯ arm.


    ¡®No. It¡¯s definitely possible, Your Majesty.¡¯

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 103</h4>


    3. Take me into your world


    Many things changed when Caitel returned.


    To me, it was simply just my father returning home, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case for others. The nobles were more nervous than they had ever been before; they were busy breathing down their throats. Ferdel got so much busier than before that now, he couldn¡¯t even return to his mansion.


    He had tripled the size of his territory and conquered the Southern Empire. He made an achievementparable to unifying the central continent; thus, many were restlessly praising Caitel from all corners of the pce. Well, even I can tell how amazing his achievements were even though I didn¡¯t have much knowledge about what was actually happening. As the war came to an end, Caitel was no longer just an emperor. Since he¡¯s now the emperor who conquered southern Praezia, it felt as if, with this achievement, he had unified the central continent.


    That fact had been fully demonstrated by various envoys from the North, the West, and the East over the past six months.


    ¡°You pig! You need to move now.¡±


    The whole garden near the winter tree was green with buds that had just grown from the soil. I stopped running over it and looked back at myself with a discontented look. There was a rabbit that stopped hopping about and suddenly looked at me.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t really tell if I was looking at a rabbit or a pig for the animal was just too fatpared to a normal hare. This rabbit was a pet Caitel gave to me as a birthday gift on myst birthday.


    ¡°Hey, I said you have to move!¡±


    Couldn¡¯t it hear me?


    No matter how hard I tried to pull the leash, the rabbit still remained lying on the ground.


    Oh, really, this pig rabbit.


    ¡°Pibbit, how can you be so tired after only going this far?¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re going to eat so muchter when it¡¯s your lunchtime anyway!¡¯


    I tried to pull it up, but now Pibbit was too big, and I couldn¡¯t pull it by myself. That¡¯s a big fat rabbit right there. Oh, this was why I couldn¡¯t say anything when Caitel asked me in a sarcastic tone if I was feeding it on purpose to eat it up. I didn¡¯t know the right word to say. It¡¯s only been five months since Caitel gave it to me and look at how fat it had already be.


    ¡°Now I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re a rabbit or a pig.¡±


    ¡®I even named you Pibbit because you look like a pig.¡¯


    When I continued looking at this fat rabbit as it breathed slowly on the ground, Pibbit couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and begun eating the grass on the ground. Wow, he was really gobbling on that grass really fast!


    ¡°Hey, Pibbit. I can guarantee that you¡¯ll be a big shining star in the future. You will be remembered as the first living being to inspire a hybrid species between rabbit and pigs.¡±


    Whetheror not I was sarcastic, Pibbit remained uninterested. It was just busy eating all the grass in front of him. A sigh came out of my lips. Didn¡¯t it think it¡¯s a little too much even though there was no harmful grass here? He¡¯s going to eat all the grass in this garden; it really is a pig, isn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 104</h4>


    I¡¯m just watching over the Pibbit with a leash on my hands, and suddenly I hear Elene¡¯s voice from far away.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Her voice sounds rather urgent. When I stood up and waved my hand to mean I was here, Elene, who found me, runs so fast to me with bright smile. I looked up at Elene with annoyed face.


    ¡°Why do you call me? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m taking a walk?¡±


    ¡°The Emperor is calling for you.¡±


    My brow is frowning. So what? Why is he calling me?


    ¡°I thought he was eating with the envoys from Annsip. Why would he need me?¡±


    Elene shrugs her shoulder at my grumble voice.


    ¡°Maybe he just wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to see him.¡±


    Do I have to go here and there whenever I¡¯m called? He shoulde to me if he wants to see me!


    I have no intention of going to him at all. I turned my head and looked down again at the Pibbit, and Pibbit was rolling on the ground if he was happy with all the grass. Is this a pig or a rabbit?


    ¡°Oh,e on. Princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Can¡¯t you see? I have to get this fat rabbit on a diet.¡±


    I waved my hand on the leash, and Elene smiled and took that from my hand. Hey, you! When I was startled by my leash being robbed, I blinked my eyes and Elene smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk tthe rabbit instead, so please go ahead.¡±


    Then she pushed my back, which became a tramp. Wow, look at you. How dare you take away the princess¡¯s leash! It was absurd and annoying, but when I tried to argue, Elene smiled and acted cute, so I couldn¡¯t get angry. Oh, this is so annoying.


    ¡°Now, go ahead. Please?¡±


    ¡°Oh, fine.¡±


    I¡¯ll go. I will go! Oh, but I really don¡¯t want to go, shoot.


    But my feet were already on their way to Sy, no matter how much I stuck my mouth out and grumbled. Ah, my life. How did my life be like this. What can I do if I can walk by myself? I¡¯m like a dog who has toe and go whenever I¡¯m called. Sob sob.


    I¡¯m only three years old, and I¡¯m already sick of life.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Where is dad?¡±


    Entering the pce, Serira found me and silently looks back at the door behind her. There he is. Since it¡¯s dining hall, It seems that they are still having a meal. Why did he call me? I was grumbling if front of the door. Before that, Serira professionally cleaned up my messed cloth.


    ¡°Over here, princess.¡±


    I nod my head once and stand at the door. One of Caitel¡¯s secretary opened the door for me. I was so short I passed through the tall, tall door and went inside, and there was Ferdel and Caitel. Also, a man that I¡¯ve never seen before. Who¡¯s that?

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 105</h4>


    ¡°I hope you will consider continuing this amicable rtionship with Annsip...¡±


    An unfamiliar dress and formal speech. Did I feel that wrong? That person must be an emissary from Annsip.


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    Perhaps because I was a child, there were times when no one knew my existence even if I broke in. And even now. Caitel realized that I¡¯m there when I went to Caitel¡¯s chair and pull his pants. Why did you call me?


    I¡¯d like to argue with you, but the reality is.......


    Aah... I want to p myself for this reflexing smiling. But I heard he immediately yed the royal family after he conquered Praezia. He¡¯s been a bit of a rxtely, but he¡¯s still insane. So scary.


    ¡°Why are you sote? I called you a long time ago.¡±


    What the heck? And I came here reluctantly. What he said was not even funny.


    ¡°You should¡¯vee to me if you¡¯re not satisfied.¡±


    ¡°....¡±


    I didn¡¯t want toe but I did because you wanted me to be here. Why you get angry for your own mistake? Someone giggles at my clever answer. It must be Ferdel. It was so obvious, almost like TV Live show.


    ¡°Oh, thisdy must be the famed Princess Ariadna.¡±


    Whether Ferdelughed or not, when that man called my name, I went closer to Caitel. Caitel grabbed me with his right hand hold me closer to him. When I saw the envoy who looked at me, he smiled mutely. Am I funny?


    ¡°The rumors about the princess¡¯s beauty are true.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what the rumor was, but I know I am pretty. That¡¯s true. Even I fall in love this beautiful face! Still, one of the good things about Caitel¡¯s daughter was that he gave me his good gene. Other than that, nothing really. Hey, don¡¯t just grab my hand without asking, old man.


    ¡°I wish you glory in your future.¡±


    That old man left a brief kiss on the back of my small hand, his eyes closed. Is he praying? I was surprised to see him because he seems to do something simr to the lord¡¯s prayer, but the face of Caitel holding me was badly distorted. But the envoy didn¡¯t care that much. Wow, this man has guts.


    ¡°Then I shall take my leave. This was a very pleasant visit, your Majesty.¡±


    Is he leaving because I came? I felt sorry to see the gentleman who stood up and greeted in a gesture that I¡¯ve never seen. Well, I guess he¡¯s leaving now because he¡¯s done with his job.


    ¡°What were you doing beforeing here?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter to you?¡±


    In the back, Ferdel giggles again. You are totally enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?

 Chapter 106 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 106

    <h4>Chapter 106: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 106</h4>


    Whether Ferdelughed or not, I looked up at my long-lost father. He wouldn¡¯t even show up for meals because he¡¯s busy dealing with emissaries. He only showed himself when he¡¯s about to sleep. What¡¯s with that dissatisfied expression?


    ¡°Seems like my daughter has a bit of a temper these days.¡±


    It¡¯s true. I knew he wouldn¡¯t kill me even if I didn¡¯t behave, so I was just testing the waters. It¡¯s my first time doing this much. It¡¯s all because I was good at taming him. However, this behavior was still passable as cute.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s upset since you don¡¯t spend time with her these days.¡±


    It¡¯s not like that. Was I a child? I wouldn¡¯t get mad over something like that.


    Although, I was currently a child. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t because of that.


    When I was in my father¡¯s arms, Caitel picked up the chocte served as a dessert. What¡¯s going on with this guy who hated chocte? I looked at him sulking and he soon ced the chocte before my lips.


    ¡°Do you want some?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you.


    ¡­ this bastard.


    Caitelughed low, knowing that my reaction was cold. Why was he being so childish¡­ was this funny? Did he think this was funny?!


    I felt so sorry for the future life that I had to lead with this man as my father. Well, I had been pitiful since I was born. I thought I could be in the first ce for living such a pitiful life.


    He said he¡¯s not giving any to me, but he gave me the chocte right into my mouth, anyway. Was he just ying games with me? I would really like to bite off his finger, but I held it back this time. He would really kill me if I did that.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Caitelughed at my answer. It¡¯s a sneaky smile that he always made. A long-time had passed before Ferdel had gone into a ruckus beside us.


    ¡°I want to feed her too, I want to feed her too, I want to feed her too!¡±


    ¡®You should be feeding your own son.¡¯


    When I turned away from him, Ferdel cried out. I could feel his strong desire to have a daughter with that cry. Oh, but this chocte is fantastic. I ate it every day, but I didn¡¯t tire of it. Our chef should be designated as a real intangible cultural asset.


    ¡°Smile.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I was no longer the one-year-old who would smile on yourmand anymore. Now things were very different! I would uphold my pride and self-worth! I would never smile on hismand! I would never smile on hismand like I used to do! Even when the sky was falling apart!


    ¡°Smile.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a cookie if you smile.¡±


    Y, you think I would fall for something like that? This man was underestimating me!


    ¡­ or not.


    ¡°Hehehehe, cookie!¡±


    ¡­ darn it¡­ I hated him¡­ he knew me too well. Aah, there¡¯s no hope left in my life¡­ I guessed today was when the sky would fall apart¡­

 Chapter 107 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 107

    <h4>Chapter 107: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 107</h4>


    With a smile on his face, Caitel puts the cookies in my mouth as he promised. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt sad eating it. I can¡¯t believe I gave up my identity and self-esteem just because I wanted to eat this. It¡¯s all screwed. I¡¯m done! I don¡¯t see hope.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good at smiling.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry. I know I smile often.


    I wanted to be a goofy baby, but I guess I¡¯m too nice to be like that. The next minute, Caitel gives me a little star-shaped cookie. Naturally, I opened my mouth, and at that moment, he took the cookie away. Huh?


    ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    ¡­Oh, my god!


    Why can¡¯t you act like other normal fathers, you! When I look at him with a really serious crumpled face, he felt awkward and gives me that cookie. Because the cookie is little too big, I took a bite and grabbed the cookies with my hand, and I stared at him. Are you my father or my enemy?


    ¡°You¡¯re so ugly.¡±


    What¡¯s he saying about my brilliant looks? You¡¯re ugly, too. I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s ugly. First of all, I¡¯m your daughter. I don¡¯t even feel it¡¯s unfair now because I hear that too often now. Well, he surely said that I look like a bug, and look like a dog before. Oh you bastard.


    ¡°How can you be this ugly?¡±


    I said you are ugly too. I breathed a low sigh. And taught the truth of life to the ignorant Caitel.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I took after you.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s face is slightly stiff in my reply. In the back, Ferdel was alreadyughing so hard.


    ¡°You¡¯re unsightly.¡±


    ¡°I said I got it from you.¡±


    ¡°You are ugly.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because I look like you?¡±


    I¡¯m ugly because I look like you. Isn¡¯t that so? I nod my head as if it were an immutable truth made Caitel¡¯s face seriously crumpled. When I saw it, I giggled inside. Tel, you¡¯re still a long way to catch me. Haha.


    ¡°You were like a bug when you were little.¡±


    ¡°Yes, because I resemble you.¡±


    ¡°You also look like a dog, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also because of you.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that I look like a cat, too, but that¡¯s silent. So what? What¡¯s going to happen if you re at me like that? Are you gonna hit me? Can you really hit someone as cute and lovable as me? Right, of course. He¡¯d do much worse than that¡­I¡¯ll just stay quiet and smile. People say you can¡¯t hate a smiling face.


    ¡°¡­now that I look again, you¡¯re quite pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know how pretty I am.¡±


    Kitell¡¯s face crumpled without mercy. I giggled inside. Do you think I¡¯d say I got that from you again? I¡¯m not that simple.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 108</h4>


    Suddenly a loudugh erupted from the side. Ferdel wasughing and cracking his head against the table while grabbing his stomach.


    ¡°Pffft, oh my god, I can¡¯t believe this is really the one and only Caitel¡­! Aah, geez, she¡¯s driving me crazy!¡±


    Don¡¯t get insane. Well, it seemed like he was already insane anyway.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I saw Ferdel, who couldn¡¯t take control of his behavior because he wasughing so hard. Even if he enjoyed seeing Caitel getting mocked, did he have to enjoy it that much?


    ¡°Stopughing, you fool.¡±


    ¡°Gasp, Princess?¡±


    Would he take responsibility if my dad¡¯s wounded up getting mad because of him? Huh? Caitel nodded at my words.


    ¡°Fool, she wants you to stopughing.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°My daughter said so.¡±


    What should I do with these childish adults? I just shook my head. My dad and Ferdel, they were both the same.


    Once I finished eating the cookie, I started looking for a drink. Caitel gave me a cup of tea in front of him. Wasn¡¯t this still hot? It was not hot because it had cooled down, but it tasted terrible since my tongue was that of a child How could they drink this?


    When I frowned my due to the taste of the tea, Caitel smiled slightly. I felt like maybe he fed this to me on purpose. I couldn¡¯t refuse because I already lost my trust in my father.


    ¡°What about Sil?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s busy raising the twins. She seems quite sad that the princess isn¡¯t visiting often. The children want to see you too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? But they can¡¯t talk yet.¡±


    The twins should only be six months old now. Whey could not be normal human beings if they already could speak fluently. Ferdel turned his eyes after hearing my answer as if it frustrates him.


    ¡°W, well¡­ their inner voices?¡±


    What?


    Ferdelughed awkwardly, feeling like I was looking at him with cold eyes. Like me, Caitel gave him a pathetic look. Tsk tsk. How could he live like that?


    ¡°Your Majesty, the emissaries from Esnia are requesting an audience.¡±


    The servant, who came out of nowhere, spoke while bowing his head. At the same time, Caitel¡¯s sigh touched my cheek. He quietly narrowed his brows. Again? He¡¯d be speaking with some people again for another treaty. Was it because of an agreement or something? It¡¯s already been over half a year since the war ended, but he still had to deal with the repercussions. I felt bad for him. He couldn¡¯t even y with me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch over the princess, so you go ahead.¡±


    Ferdel pointed the door as if he wanted Caitel to leave now.


    At the moment, daddy looked at me.


    Huh? Huh? Why? Did he want me to smile at him again?


    ¡°If that pervert touches you, execute him¡±


    ¡°Hey, Caitel!¡±


    Caitel smiled. Still, he was mocking him, but now, I could tell if he¡¯s smiling because he¡¯s feeling good or if he¡¯s having a hard time. This particr smile of his was the one he used when he¡¯s in a good mood.


    ¡°All right!¡±


    I didn¡¯t want toe when Caitel called me over before, but now, I didn¡¯t want to send him away. I hugged Caitel and held his cheek tightly and kissed daddy with a ¡°pip¡± sound. Now he would work, so I should at least do this for him. Caitel smiled after receiving my kiss. He also left a little kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡±


    Caitel got up, and I stood on a chair in my lonesome. I then leaned over and waved at his disappearing figure. On the way out, Caitel looked back. I showed a pretty smile, as beautiful as I could. There was no response, but I felt like Caitel¡¯s face had softened. Once he left, a shallow void permeated within the area. It¡¯s just one person who left the room, but why did I feel so empty?


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    ¡°P, Princess! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    I shook myself to sit down, but the chair rocked back in response. Uh, uh! I almost fell, but fortunately, Ferdel grabbed me. I was d I didn¡¯t fall, but¡­


    ¡°Oh, you touched me!¡±


    At that moment, a heavy silence subsided between us.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Caitel said I should execute him if he touched me. Ferdel looked like he also couldn¡¯t ignore that since was the one who ordered it Caitel a few minutes ago. It must be difficult for him too. Ferdel¡¯s face turned pale.


    Now, what should I do? Huh?


    Ferdel trembled as I smiled.


    ¡°P, please have mercy on me this time.¡±

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 109</h4>


    Having the ability to walk is such a great blessing. Before, when I couldn¡¯t walk, my world was limited and fixed. Walking made me take a wider step each time. Of course, walking too much would have been painful, but who would have thought I would enjoy taking walks so much? It wasmon for me to sleepte and stay in bed for the whole day every weekend.


    While walking Pibbit in the garden and holding hands with Graecito, I suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never gone across theke, right? Why don¡¯t we go there today?¡±


    Should we go there today though? Graecito tilted his head.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that where the knights are? What if the knights catch us and scold us?¡±


    ¡°Scold? I¡¯m the princess.¡±


    I had got the power. In any case, I could just say we knew nothing. Being a child was very convenient. In my answer, Graecito looked at me with dismay, but I ignored him. I didn¡¯t lie though.


    Even with winter trees, the garden was definitely alive and warm in spring than in winter. We were on our way back to our mother, stopping for a moment to smell the scent of the just-painted flowers. All we had to do thereafter was to return and leave Pibbit with mom and go to the Knight¡¯s castle. I didn¡¯t care about Graecito¡¯s opinion on my n, which I constructed in a sh. However, suddenly, the Pibbit stopped moving and sat on the ground. Thus, we also had to stop.


    ¡°Oh my, Pibbit must be exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been less than 20 minutes since we started walking!¡±


    Hey, if he ran for two hours, I wouldn¡¯t stop him. However, this pig rabbit stopped and had a meltdown all the time after a short walk! Was he a bar of chocte or something?


    ¡°Ria, are you actually raising him, so you can eat himter?¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna die?¡±


    How dare he ask such things to a princess. It¡¯s so annoying since everyone kept asking me that, and now he did too?! Goddamn it, if there¡¯s nothing good to eat! Rabbit meat wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea!


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m older than you. You shouldn¡¯t talk to me like that!¡±


    ¡°As if.¡±


    I grabbed the melted Pibbit. Wow, it¡¯s so heavy. I couldn¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a pig, a rabbit, or a piggy bank. Graecito frowned after seeing my sneer.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you should talk to someone older than you!¡±


    Someone older?


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so cheeky, you¡¯re only three months older than me.¡±


    Graecito, who frowned after hearing my reply stared at me. Why was he staring at me like that? What¡¯s he gonna do to me? Huh!?

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 110</h4>


    Strangely, these days Graecito had been wanting to hear ¡®oppa¡¯ (TL note: how to call older brother in Korean) from me so bad. Well, I wouldn¡¯t easily say it just because he wanted me to say it. It all began when Serira told him, ¡®you were born three months earlier, so you have to take good care of the princess.¡¯ That was when this problem began. In the beginning, he was just enjoying the fact that he¡¯s older than me, but now, he would force me to call him oppa. Did he really want to be my oppa that badly?


    ¡®Do you really think I would treat you as my oppa?¡¯


    Well, Graecito was an only child, and I was an only child in my family too, that¡¯s why me, generous and pretty as always, could call him oppa if he really wanted.


    However, strangely, it¡¯s really hard for me to call him oppa. Yeah, I would never let that word escape my mouth. I would rather call Caitel as my oppa than this little boy.


    ¡°Hey, I was already walking by the time you started crawling!¡±


    ¡°Well, but I¡¯m mentally older than you.¡±


    At the moment, I was a year older than him, so my mental age was now technically twenty-six! He shouldn¡¯t try arguing with me. When he saw my gesture, Graecito turned to Serira. Hey! Serira, standing far away, looked back at us after Elene gestured towards our direction.


    ¡°Mom, Ria is being rude to me again!¡±


    ¡°Mom, Cito yelled at me!¡±


    Serira looked surprised. We ran to Serira as if we werepeting. Serira smiled a little awkwardly at us. He¡¯s making me look bad in front of Serira!


    ¡°Hey, how dare you tell that to mama! You tell tale!¡±


    ¡°What? Ria, you did it first!¡±


    That¡¯s because he did it! I didn¡¯t know why, but when Graecito did something, I wanted to do it too. Sometimes I felt so pathetic arguing with this kid. It¡¯s fun though. Especially, since it¡¯s so funny to see Graecito when he¡¯s about to cry. Graecito was about to cry again with this unfairness.


    Oh, he looked so adorable. I really wanted to touch that melting cheek.


    Before we knew it, Serira talked to us in a friendly voice.


    ¡°Graecito. How could you be so rude to the princess when you¡¯re the older one?¡±


    ¡°B, but, mom.¡±


    ¡°Are you not going to listen to your mother?¡±


    With her stern voice, Graecito shut his mouth. It seemed like he thought it¡¯s so unfair that his mother was punishing him first, but he should think of the repercussions of his actions. It would be Serira who would be in trouble if we fought. Therefore, Serira punished her own child first. ¡®You should take care of Princess because you¡¯re older! Why can¡¯t you stop fighting?¡¯ It¡¯s the same pattern every single day, but he always would always find himself getting trapped in it.

 Chapter 111 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 111!

    <h4>Chapter 111: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 111!</h4>


    Graecito nced at me with a fierce look, when I smiled at him I did so because I was showing off.


    Huh? What if he would stare at me like that? I had stuck out my tongue andughed graciously at him, and it made Graecito bit his lips. Sorry, but the tide had already turned on my side, baby.


    ¡°I hate you, Ria!¡±


    Graecito ran outside after yelling out loud at me. Oh, my. He would make me deaf someday, I swear.


    ¡°He always says that.¡±


    I thought he¡¯s thinking of me as his sandbag, really, haa¡­ If he would run away like that, I would have to find him again, asshole. Geez, sometimes I couldn¡¯t tell if I was the boss or if he¡¯s the boss here. I put the Pibbit down on the floor discontentedly and twisted my lips. Afterward, Serira patted my head.


    ¡°Princess, you too. Don¡¯t fight with Graecito and be nice to him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    I cringed at the Serira¡¯s stern voice that followed. Graecito just didn¡¯t know that I also get scolded sometimes. Of course, I get the bad end of the stick too. It just seemed like nothing since I understood it right away, so it didn¡¯tst long. Anyway, he only knew one thing and don¡¯t know another.


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go find him.¡±


    ¡°All right. Would you like some snacks when you get back?¡±


    Serira replied in a sweet andughable voice. Every time Graecito ran away like this, I would always be the one who would find him and bring him back while holding his hand tight. After that, we always have a little tea time with me. Well, he would always yell out cookie this and cookie that. Sure, cookies were great, but I wanted something else now.


    ¡°No, I want scones for today!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Princess, I¡¯ll have them ready.¡±


    Both of usughed at Serira¡¯s chatty joke. Elene looked at us discontentedly because she didn¡¯t know what was going on since she was cleaning things up behind, but I just gave her a big pretty smile and pulled Pibbit¡¯s leash.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Pibbit,e on. Let¡¯s go find your plump older brother Cito. Chubby, chubby Cito!¡±


    I shoulde back as soon as possible for my scones. I pulled the leash hard, but somehow this rabbit didn¡¯t even think of moving. Oh, seriously. I said let¡¯s go, you pig. The Pibbit just sniffed on the floor as if my strength was all for naught. Oh, this little pig.


    ¡°Hey, Pibbit. You can have a scone when wee back.¡±


    I whispered at him, and he suddenly jumped out.

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 112</h4>


    Ahhhh! What?! Run a little slower! I didn¡¯t know how he understood humannguage but look at how fast he reacted to the word ¡®scones¡¯. Did he really like scones that much? This pig, that¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t lose weight!


    ¡°You are a rabbit! How can you love sweets this much?¡±


    Even though I gave him clean vegetables and hay every day, he would always take some of my snacks, and he would also eat the grass on the ground when we would leave for a walk. What people ate was harmful to animals. He didn¡¯t even know my concerns, and the Pibbit was in unleavened criticism. Hey, I was not saying anything to it because the chef and Serira said it¡¯s safe. Let¡¯s be real here, originally, I wouldn¡¯t even think of giving this rabbit anything!


    Grumble, grumble. Pibbit moved so fast unusually like he was not listening to me. Yeah, I meant, when it could move like that, why was it always crawling around slowly when we¡¯re having a walk?


    Oh, I wouldn¡¯t even tease him as a pig if he moves like this all the time. I sighed for nothing and shook my head. Where did he go though?


    ¡°Did he go that way?¡±


    I was picking my direction for a moment when the Pibbit suddenly ran so fast. He was so fast that I dropped the leash I had in my hand.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Where are you going all of a sudden!?¡±


    It frustrated me for a moment, but soon, I chased after him. What¡¯s going on all so suddenly? Where was it going?!


    Now I had to do something like this? Even though he was a pig rabbit, he was still a rabbit. I soon lost the view of my Pibbit¡¯s back. Oh, he¡¯s so fast.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t care anymore! I give up!¡±


    Now I didn¡¯t even know where he went. With a short breath, I sat on the floor. That damn pig, why didn¡¯t it run like that every day? Oh, my breath. Oh, it¡¯s killing me.


    ¡°Where am I anyway?¡±


    I ran after the Pibbit, so I wasn¡¯t quite sure where I was. I had no idea what this ce was. It was a familiar scene. Well, it should be near the garden anyway, I shouldn¡¯t worry too much.


    I moved my step without thinking about it, and my foot stopped.


    I thought it looked familiar. It was the road that connected the winter tree, to the winter tree I would go every day. However, I stood in that spot and looked at the same winter tree. No, let me be more specific. I was looking at below the winter tree.


    There was someone there.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Just like white scattering snow, the white branches of the winter trees scattered. Under the tree, there was a man on his knees. A man covered in ck irond all over which was a stark contrast to the white winter tree. The long sword beside him indicated that his knighthood, but the other thing about him was what caught my eyes.


    His blue-silver hair was like the ripples of ake. He let his blue-silver hair down onto his shoulder; the man was on his knees quietly.


    No.


    ... He was crying.

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 113</h4>


    As if summer had alreadye, the sound of the heavy rustling of green leaves made my ears deafened. I felt as if time had stopped. I felt the warm sunshine while looking at a huge white tree, and under it was a man d with ck armor.


    I stood at a distance while holding my breath and just stared at him furtively. I didn¡¯t know if he¡¯s crying or not. No, I didn¡¯t know anything at all. Was he crying? Was he not crying? He wasn¡¯t that far, but whatever he was doing confused me even though it was pretty close.


    In a ce where the sound of leaves rustling shed like pictures scattering when a scandal broke, he was kneeling with an imperceptible look. However, one thing I could recognize was something that glows white. Drops of water were falling without a sound.


    I held my breath in surprise.


    What could I say? It was hard to tell, but the feeling of being eroded was strangely painful. Something cold and something unknown to me prated my heart. It¡¯s the most beautiful sensation I¡¯ve ever felt.


    At that moment the man raised his head.


    Our eyes contacted as I gazed at his long, glossy eyshes. His eyes were so clear that I found it hard to look at him. His golden dark green eyes met mine. At that moment, I suddenly came to my senses.


    What was I doing here?


    ¡°Ah, ah!¡±


    What was I doing? A princess of an empire, peeking at a crying man! My cheeks were burning. I was in a hurry and just ran in any direction. Darn it. I didn¡¯t know!


    However, I did nothing shameful. Why was I so ashamed? I was so madly distraught that I wanted to die. I ran in any direction to get as far as I could, but I quickly bumped into something I didn¡¯t see ahead. I hit my head on it and fell, rolling over the floor.


    I grabbed my head in pain. Oh, it hurt.


    ¡°It hurts!¡±


    Huh? This voice? When I opened my eyes in a familiar voice, I saw was Graecito rolling on the ground. What, this idiot, why was he here? Anyway, it¡¯s good that I didn¡¯t have to put too much effort into finding him. Oh, my head. I was dying of pain.


    ¡°R, Ria, even if you hate me...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because I hate you!¡±


    ¡°Ah, my head hurts!¡±


    ¡°It hurts for me, too!¡±


    I also skinned my knee when I fell. It¡¯s killing me. Both of us had been in pain on the floor for a long time, and as time went by, we sat up. Tears came out of my eyes due to the pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Huh? What did he mean by what¡¯s wrong? I was crying because it hurts. He¡¯s crying too.


    Still, this crash certainly brought my senses back to reality. Before that, it was like... Dreams. Yeah, I felt like I was dreaming. There was still a haze looming in my head and something ambiguous feeling left at the fingertips, but I couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was like. What the hell was this?


    ¡°You look confused. Did you see something weird?¡±


    Wow, he¡¯s sharp. Well, he knew my reactions better than I did. Well, there¡¯s nothing to hide.


    ¡°I saw something weird.¡±


    Graecito tilted his head at my sighing.

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 114</h4>


    I breathed heavily to calm myself down from that strange thrill. I wondered who he was. He seemed familiar somehow. I thought I had seen it before, that coolness. The more I thought about it, the more my heart would oddly beat. W-was I in love? No, I didn¡¯t think that¡¯s what it felt like¡­


    ¡°Those eyes, they were so pretty.¡±


    Graecito tilted his head a little as if he was trying to decipher the meaning behind my words. However, Iughed brightly, shaking my head to indicate that he should mind it no more. I was smiling, but I could hardly forget the scene left in my mind. I didn¡¯t know who he was, and I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯s crying¡­


    However, he was so pitiful that even I felt sad.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Pibbit?¡±


    ¡°Pibbit?¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s right! Pibbit! Where did he go? He just left like that and abandoned me. That bastard.


    Graecito looked around me, but I shook my head. He¡¯s not with me, that stupid Pibbit.


    ¡°Huh? Over there!¡±


    Huh? Where? Where?


    What Graecito pointed to was ake not far away. A white furry creature was grazing near theke. As soon as I saw him, I got mad.


    ¡°You pig, are you still eating more?!¡±


    ***


    I put down the pudding I was holding and sighed. Serira raised her head as she was picking up my summer clothes. I grew up so fast, but my clothes would always fit me perfectly, so Serira had to order new dresses every three months. She was looking at the catalog thinking about what she should order, and now she was looking at me with a worried look as I sighed.


    ¡°Princess, are you feeling sick?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so down?¡±


    A gentle hand touched my forehead. Her worried voice made me feel guilty, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I didn¡¯t know why I was doing this.


    Something had changed. It¡¯s definitely just like any other day. I woke up and had a good breakfast and even ate snacks. Now I just needed to think of what game to y. What was this feeling then? I just sighed without thinking.


    I really couldn¡¯t forget it.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Serira¡¯s head tilted as if she¡¯s wondering. The look on her face made me want to behave as usual, but I couldn¡¯t help exining my condition, so I just took a deep sigh. I felt like I was in a bad trap. I normally forget things like that, but why did I keep remembering that scene? It had nothing to do with me whether or not he cried.


    ¡°I want to see daddy.¡±


    As I stepped down from the chair, Serira looked at me with a surprised gaze. I was even more surprised when I saw her face like she heard something she shouldn¡¯t hear. Well, I rarely did the initiative of seeing Caitel. Just yesterday, I didn¡¯t expect that I would want to see Caitel first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Yes. I reached out and took Elene¡¯s hand. Serira gave a worried look. Don¡¯t worry, Mom. It¡¯s not that serious.

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 115</h4>


    Time told me that it¡¯s time for Caitel to be in his office, so I guessed this would be the first time I would enter that office after a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    When I was a toddler, I thought my room and Caitel¡¯s office were so far away, so it surprised me when I realized that it was closer than I thought when I could walk. Well, my room was close to my dad¡¯s bedroom and audience chamber. I heard that my pce was originally where the heir stayed. As I approached the office, the guards who guarded the door looked down at me.


    ¡°Papa, is he in there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess. Would you like to see him?¡±


    Yes. As I nodded, they opened the door before me. I entered the room before the servant let Caitel knew I was here.


    I called this entire area as the office, but what was behind the office was exactly where I would go. The familiar scenery greeted me. I smiled with delight. Long-time no see! Now that I hade to think of it, I naturally stopped going here because I had a lot of time ying in the garden.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Caitel sat in his usual position on the couch. Caitel¡¯s head tilted towards the direction of my voice while he was scouring the papers while wearing his sses.


    I was here now. I darted into his arms.


    He dropped the papers on his table, and he held me in his arms. I smiled and quickly sat on his thigh. Daddy held me reallyfortably now.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Perhaps my sudden appearance surprised him. Caitel¡¯s voice was not the same as usual. I didn¡¯t know how it¡¯s different, but I just knew it was the same voice he would often use.


    Why? Did he not expect my visit? Well, I didn¡¯t expect it too.


    ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±


    ¡°How unusual.¡±


    I replied carelessly, but Caitel seemed quite happy with my answer. The way he touched and patted me was gentler than usual. The big hand was so friendly that I shook my head without realizing it.


    ¡°I think this is the first time my dear daughter came to look for me.¡±


    Oh, I didn¡¯t expect him to know that. I was a little surprised. I thought he wouldn¡¯t care about this at all, so I thought he wouldn¡¯t know of it. He still had a twisted smile on his smile, but I grew to like that smile of his.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Not bad? He should be saying ¡®good¡¯ instead! This man was really not honest, wasn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Are you three now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, three!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re three years old already.¡±


    Already? Hey, it¡¯s only been three years now. I still had more growth to do. When had I even began growing? Without knowing what I was thinking Caitel touched my hair and then back to my ears. Now that time had passed for quite a while, my hair grew longer, and before I knew, it had already reached my waist.


    ¡°You¡¯re more like a human now.¡±


    ¡°I was human, to begin with.¡±


    Yes, I was human. Why did he always attribute my appearance to a monster? I was human since I was born, and I would stay like a human forever! He shouldn¡¯t just try to judge my appearance like that!


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Caitelughed as if he couldn¡¯t hear the silence of my aura.

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 116</h4>


    What was heughing about? I felt a little angry.


    I wanted to bite his forearm, but I had to put up with it. I didn¡¯t have the courage to survive after doing that yet. No matter how generous Caitel was to me, I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to abuse his generosity and hurt him. Oh, my cowardice saddened me so much.


    ¡°You¡¯re still so small.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re small.¡±


    It¡¯s not even a day or two since hest called me small.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a baby!¡±


    Caitel chuckled to my reply. It was just a small smile, but I was even more surprised to see that rare, true, and pleasant smile of his. It¡¯s not that usual sneer he had. He¡¯s donning a real smile. Wow.


    I wondered how my dad became such a handsome man. My dad¡¯s appearance was a treasure to mankind. It¡¯s a curse on this that I¡¯m his only child.


    ¡°You¡¯re a baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who says so?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡±


    I said so proudly, but Caitel lightly denied it.


    ¡°No. you¡¯re not a baby.¡±


    I frowned at his answer. What did he mean by no?


    ¡°I¡¯m not a baby?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    What¡¯s he saying? If I was not a baby then what was I! A baby¡¯s a baby. Huh? Hold on. Did he perhaps refer to babies only as those who required breastfeeding? Caitel wasn¡¯t technically wrong then. I suddenly felt desperate to own a Korean dictionary. I looked up at Caitel with a half-believing face.


    ¡°Then what am I?¡±


    ¡°Kid.¡±


    ... Did this bastard really have a death wish?


    Caitelughed like he didn¡¯t give a hoot at my cold expression. Hisugh worsened my mood. Wow, was it funny that he¡¯s purifying me? I couldn¡¯t tell if he¡¯s my father or my enemy. I wanted to hit him in the back of his head and tell him to stopughing, but then he would probably kill me. I reced that reaction of mine with a re instead.


    My fists desperately wanted to hit his face.


    As I watched Caitelughed, the door to the lounge opens, and a servant entered. Our eyes turned to him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the knight captain of the Winter Knights is requesting an audience.¡±


    The Caitel looked at me as he heard the report. Huh? Why did he suddenly look so gloomy? I felt a little strange as I felt the worry beneath his eyes. Was he upset to leave for work after seeing his daughter put the effort to visit him? I decided to understand my daddy generously.


    ¡°Can you wait?¡±


    A little subdued gaze darkened my daddy¡¯s crimson eyes. Iughed as wide as I could.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m not a baby anymore.¡±


    ¡°Right. A kid.¡±


    ¡°Uuugh!¡±

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 117</h4>


    I tried to create a warm atmosphere, but it would dissipate in a matter of seconds. As I frowned, I heard a smallugh on top of my head. Was that funny to him? Was it funny? Every time when we would share a good father and daughter mood, he would ruin it!


    Stop it. I wouldn¡¯t do it anymore! Stop all this!


    ¡°You better behave.¡±


    Dad ced his hand on my head with a little smile. That touch of his did not differ from the way one would touch their pets, but would someone make fun of me if I said it felt like his love more than ever when he did that? I didn¡¯t like this madman, but I liked the way he patted me. Though I was pretty angry at that moment, his touch melted my anger.


    Did he really think I would forgive him just because of this? Did he really think I¡¯m the forgiving kind of person?


    ¡°All right,e back soon.¡±


    Ha, sometimes I felt like I was being too nice. Where in the world could one find such a daughter as great as I? Caitel was a real lucky guy.


    I followed him to the door, and Caitel turned around to look at me Why was he looking at me like that? I was not a dog. He should really stop looking at me like I should guard his house or something.


    He looked at me with a worried expression as he patted my head one more time before leaving the room. I stuck out my head and looked at Caitel¡¯s back. It looked like he¡¯s meeting some really important person since he¡¯s going to the royal audience hall.


    What should I do by myself? I was standing beside the door while pouting when I suddenly had a craving for pudding. Pudding! Pudding! The same pudding I ate earlier! I should ask a maid to bring me some.


    ¡°How may I help you, Princess?¡±


    ¡°I want some pudding!¡±


    As I entered the hallway and stuck out my head, a maid spoke to me. The maid smiled and nodded at my answer. She then answered, ¡°I¡¯ll bring it to you in a minute¡±. Whenever I saw maids, I would always wonder if beauty was a qualification to be a pce maid.


    Well, they were all so pretty. Of course, I was the prettiest, but still.


    The maid disappeared, and I tried to return into the lounge to wait for Caitel. No, I tried. If it wasn¡¯t for the person whom I saw that moment I turned my head.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    That¡¯s the man... that¡¯s the man I saw before, wasn¡¯t he?


    Holding the pir of the pce, I wrinkled my forehead to have a better look at him.


    The man¡¯s blue-silver hair shook brightly under the sun. It was just a subtle wave-like flowing beneath his ear, butbined with the neat hue of his hair, it made a pretty neat impression. He looked like the man who was crying under the winter tree before, but he seemed to have changed because he¡¯s wearing different clothes now.


    Although he was wearing ck armor, he wasn¡¯t doing so now. A light blue shirt, a white tie, and a crescent-shaped silver ornament decorated the sleeves of his shirt. The white coat and cape on top of it symbolized the perfection of a knight¡¯s conquest. Of course, I had never seen him dressed like that before, but I noticed his countenance sometimes for I would see him every now and then around the pce.

 Chapter 118

    <h4>Chapter 118: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 118</h4>


    The Four Knights of the Agrigent.


    Winter moon, Summer sun, Autumn star, Spring sun.


    They were the Knights Temr modeled after four spirits under the protection of the Great Spirit. Just by looking at the ornaments of his clothes, I could quickly tell where that man belonged.


    ¡­ Winter Moon.


    Wait, I thought it was the Winter Moon who wanted to seek an audience with Caitel?


    ¡°Is he going to see Caitel?¡±


    Who was that man? I was curious about why he was crying so sadly back then, but more than that, I wanted to know him first. My mind was suddenly in a hurry. Hmm. Caitel told me to wait here. A deep internal conflict arrived within me in a sh.


    Should I sneak a peek? If I knew who he was and returned¡­ Although getting caught worried me. I bit my lips and said to hell with it. I didn¡¯t have much time. I would go crazy if I missed him right in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Aah, whatever.¡±


    A maid with a pudding would return soon, but after a while, my interest in the pudding had disappeared. I rushed to the royal audience hall where Caitel should be. I saw the Knights of Sy with a surprised look on their faces, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Their princess was a little busy now! They should all get out of my way!


    Ah, there it is.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Caitel¡¯s servants who were all standing near the audience hall looked at me with their eyes wide open. I put my finger on my lips to tell them to remain silent. Then everyone in that hall shut their mouth.


    That¡¯s right. Good job. Right away, I shook off the people and opened the door to the royal audience hall.


    ¡°P, Princess!¡±


    Since that gate was only exclusive for the emperor¡¯s uses, the throne was connected to the gate. I snuck into the door before the servants could stop me. I could hear their voices behind me, but soon, the door closed.


    I was a bit apologetic for everyone. I felt a little guilty, but I couldn¡¯t help it. He made me feel really shitty yesterday and today.


    I couldn¡¯t see him very often, nor could I guarantee that I would see him again next time. It made me more desperate that I might never have another chance to meet him. Oh, I swore to God I never knew I was such a curious person.


    Entering the door, a huge red veil over each side of the throne covered my body. As I took the veil lightly aside with my hand, I stuck my head out so the people within would notice me. Fortunately, no one in the hall noticed me. I was really fortunate. There were only two people in the royal audience hall except me anyway.


    ¡°My apologies, your Majesty. I should havee to see you sooner.¡±


    So he really was here to see Caitel.

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 119</h4>


    It¡¯s strange to see a man kneeling before Caitel from under the tform. I should be d that I had guessed correctly, but there¡¯s this odd sensation within me for some reason. Oh, my.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    A dry voice rang in the royal audience hall. It differed greatly from the voice I heard earlier, so I turned my head to him. Caitel somehow had a strange facial expression. It¡¯s kind of like his face had melted a little more than usual. What¡¯s this? Did I see it wrong? I rubbed my eyes and looked at him again, but Caitel was the same.


    What was that? I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s the same Caitel I knew.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I am doing well and much better now. Thanks for your concern.¡±


    The mood in this hall was heavy.


    A dry and cold atmosphere. There was an atmosphere that one could not easily intervene. I was holding my breath, and now I feel like I was about to choke from this cold tension. I could tell that these two had a master and servant dynamic, but I felt like they were not just any ordinary lord and knight. Caitel was acting differently from when he¡¯s with me. His behavior was far different from when he was with Ferdel or Dranste.


    Who was he? What was going on between the two of them?


    I rolled my eyes; it was so difficult to tell.


    ¡°What about the task I sent you to do?¡±


    It¡¯s not the same Caitel when he was with me. This facade of his differed from the one he showed Ferdel too.


    Somehow I remembered the first day I met Caitel. That day he grabbed my neck, he had the same expression. He was so dry, and cold.


    ¡°I have beheaded all of them and sent the remains to the king of Langres.¡±


    What was with this heavy silence? I¡¯ was only watching them, yet I felt like I would suffocate.


    ¡°Is that so? Good.¡±


    It was so quiet, almost felt that their conversation could hinder my breath. I thought my soft breaths could reach their ears due to the stillness of the surroundings. A deep silence subsided again. A deep and heavy atmosphere resembling that of the abyss.


    It was Caitel who broke the silence. The Emperor opened his mouth.


    ¡°What? Do you have something more to say?¡±


    Now that the report was over, Caitel seemed to be wondering why his knight was still kneeling on his position without a word. No, it seemed like he was rushing him to finish his report more than questioning him. At Caitel¡¯s voice, the kneeling knight rose from his seat.


    At that moment, I had my second opportunity of gazing at his eyes.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 120</h4>


    At that moment, I could take a second chance to look closer at his eyes.


    His eyes were dark-green mixed with bright gold. It was an exquisite and odd color I had never seen before. How could a human¡¯s eyes be that beautiful? Two colors blended to each other and magnificently coborated and shone brightly. It¡¯s so pretty. The line of his face was so thin and pretty that it made my heart pit a pat. His face was far more beautiful than when I first saw him. However, he¡¯s expressionless, and that gave him a cold impression. He seemed like a difficult person to speak with.


    ¡°You seem tired.¡±


    Caitel smiled a little.


    ¡°I am tired.¡±


    The voice who said that sounded as tired as he proimed to be. His voice was so heavy that I didn¡¯t realize it was Caitel¡¯s voice. Even his face seemed so tired. I bit my lip quietly.


    ¡°Always, constantly. All the time.¡±


    An overly calm voice.


    ¡°I had never been as tired as this before. What of it?¡±


    A tired smile appeared on Caitel¡¯s lips. The Knight faltered as he gazed at it. Caitel¡¯s eyes as he looked at his knight faltering was iparably magnanimous than when he was seeing anyone else.


    ¡°When will you,¡± The voice of the knight shattered quietly. ¡°When will you allow me to die?¡±


    I held my breath after hearing that teary voice. What did I hear just now? Caitel closed his eyes before I even realized what I heard.


    ¡°Someday, when the time is right.¡±


    A silent voice descended throughout the room.


    ¡°But not now.¡±


    Did that mean he would kill him someday, eventually?


    My thoughts had turned sour at that point. What I was hearing confused me so. What was this conversation about? The mysterious tension between them and their iprehensible dialogue sounded more like riddles. However, I know one thing for sure¡­


    That man was Assisi, Caitel¡¯s ck knight.


    That¡¯s why he was wearing ck armor. I never imagined that he would really be wearing a ck armor since I thought the ¡®ck knight¡¯ was simply a symbolic title. I groaned slightly at thatte realization.


    At Caitel¡¯s refusal, Assisi dropped his head. His shaking hands were visible from here. That meant it looked the same to Caitel too.


    Assisi bit his red lips. The shaking ck knight looked miserable from far away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even hesitate to kill an infant when youmanded me, and now I am¡­ exhausted.¡±


    Assisi raised his head. Their eyes were tangled in the air.

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 121</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. How much longer must I live like this? Is it really alright for me to continue living this way? I am a monster and I deserve to die. Just being alive¡­ is a punishment for me, your Majesty.¡±


    His beautiful golden forest-colored eyes descended. A drop of clear tears on his eyshes flowed down on Assisi¡¯s cheeks. His crying voice was pitiful enough even to my ears. I felt incredibly sorry to be listening to his terrible anguish. A guilty conscience sank in my heart.


    ¡°With such a tainted soul¡­ even remaining alive is a sin for me, yet my hideous instinct screams to live on¡­ just how miserable and disgusting that is.¡±


    Finally, Assisi¡¯s body copsed. The marble floor reflected his appearance clearly. He suppressed his cry as he touched the floor. His chin trembled. I wanted to go to him and help him rise right away, but my presence in this room was of great secrecy, so I could not help him. I could only watch him fall. All I could do was to stomp repeatedly at the sight of him.


    Oh, my Lord. Was he actually crying?


    ¡°How much longer¡­ must I suffer?¡±


    A deep, deep voice asked. I couldn¡¯t tell how deep his pain was based on his voice alone. It¡¯s so incredibly deep that I couldn¡¯t even hear it. It made me want to do whatever he wanted me to do. However, unlike me, who could just bite my nails as I felt my uselessness, Caitel looked cold.


    ¡°For as long as you live.¡±


    The emperor who rose from the throne walked to his knight. One step at a time. He walked so slowly that I started to feel impatient.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t be forever.¡±


    Standing right in front of Assisi, Caitel lowered his body. Assisi looked up at the emperor who gazed at his teary wet eyes right before him.


    ¡°You are me, and I am you.¡±


    Caitel ced his hand on Assisi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°My knight, you are my mirror.¡±


    Assisi lowered his eyes with a somber look. Usually, it would be a great honor to hear such a thing from the emperor, but he didn¡¯t show such a sign. Caitel grabbed him gently and made him stand.


    Assisi, who rose, still shook his head with eyes filled with deep sadness. Caitel sighed.


    ¡°I promise. When I leave this world someday, I will kill you before I go.¡±

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 122</h4>


    As if he had been waiting for that word, Assisi raises his head. This time, Caitel avoided his gaze. Assisi drops his heads down, staring at the back of Caitel returns to his throne.


    ¡°I will be waiting for that day toe, My Lord.¡±


    after that greet, he left the royal audience hall. Only the noise of the thick door closing fills the royal audience hall. Caitel¡¯s expression of looking at the throne was as cool as the winter.


    ¡°so he¡¯s still like that, is he?¡±


    What? This familiar voice is¡­! It was Ferdel who was standing next to me. Why is he standing here? And since when? I was so surprised and hold my breath grabbing my chest. I almost had a heart attack. Looking down at me, Ferdel just smiled brightly and winked.


    ¡°That¡¯s his nature.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s eyes are looking at this side. I was surprised when he found me. Oh, no!


    ¡°He¡¯s kind. And foolish. And an idiot.¡±


    His eyes sink deep.


    ¡°¡­Unlike me.¡±


    ¡°You just realized that now?¡±


    Ferdel just shrugged. And pass me by and approach Caitel.


    I was embarrassed. Uh, what should I do? It¡¯s useless to run since I¡¯ve been spotted. Besides, I¡¯m sure Ferdel knows that I was secretly listening. Of course, he won¡¯t do me any harm.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    Oh, whatever. I had to be cute at a time like this.


    Come on, hurry up and hug me, Dad! I was nervous, but his eyes looking at me down were the same as usual. The same red eyes as usual.


    ¡°I thought I told you to wait.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see papa so much.¡±


    Even I don¡¯t believe the wordsing out of my mouth. Caitel looked at me like he couldn¡¯t believe what he heard. His gaze is the same as usual. It¡¯s hard to believe they¡¯re the same eyes that were looking at Assis earlier.


    ¡°Shall we go for a walk?¡±


    His question stops my hand from touching his eyes. A fairly sweet voice. Of course, his voice was still dry and cold to others, but it sounded strangely gentle to my ears. Did I get brainwashed? Maybe I¡¯m delusional?


    ¡°Yes! I like going on walks!¡±


    It was bittersweet, but I try to hide that bitter feeling andugh. As I nodded, Caitel smiled small. I look at the Caitel smiling.


    ¡°I want to go to wa¡­ugh!¡±


    Ferdel, who tried to step in, was stopped right away by one hand of Caitel. Holding his own shoulder to the sudden attack, Ferdel runs on the spot.


    Tsk, that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t try to butt in on a family walk.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a pile of papers you need to go through!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it afterward.¡±

 Chapter 123

    <h4>Chapter 123: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 123</h4>


    ¡°Have you had supper yet, Princess?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, shall we dine together?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ferdel silenced himself after hearing my refusal. I felt sorry, but his face was too funny. Oh, this was why I couldn¡¯t stop making fun of Ferdel. Even if I tried to hold myughter, I would burst outughing anyway. I finally nodded, giggling lightly.


    ¡°Actually, let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    As I stretched out my hand and smiled brightly, Ferdel, who was devastated by a depressing feeling I gave him, was revived with vigor. I was just on my way out for ate lunch after getting the Pibbit to work out. It was literally a coincidence that I met Ferdel on my way.


    I think he had handled all the documents that had been piled up, and he saw me when he came out of the office stretching. I giggle at Ferdel, and suddenly I felt a nce and looked back.


    Huh? There¡¯s no one here.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Oh, no.¡±


    I said that, but I felt something strange. I thought someone was watching me. I looked around again, and poked my lips. I¡¯ve had a strange feelingtely. I feel someone¡¯s watching me. Of course, I¡¯m so pretty and cute that everyone wants to look at me, but it was a little different. It¡¯s more like, observe.


    It feels ufortable because it feels like someone¡¯s stalking me.


    I went to the restaurant holding hands with Ferdel, and Ferdel picks me up.


    ¡°Now, my princess, sit here!¡±


    Because I am still so small, Ferdel had to pick me up to sit on the chair. No, I could sit in the chair, but then I had to crawl like a frog, unlike a Princess.


    Yay, I finally have lunch! I pped my hands and looked at the dishes brought by the maids, an uninvited guest came into the restaurant.


    ¡°Are you having your meal now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you here?¡±


    A neat ck hair and blue eyes. He was Ferdel¡¯s top assistant.


    ¡°Jeno!¡±


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s been a while, Princess.¡±


    Jeno smiles brightly as I say hi. Oh, it¡¯s rare to see a smile on that sullen face of his. My cuteness is lovely enough to melt the stone Buddha. Just as I thought, I¡¯m too cute.


    Unlike Ferdel, who is sly, naughty and unbearably light, Jeno was serious, calm, and heavy. And most of all, he is edgy. It was surprising to see how he can work under Ferdel, because they werepletely different in their tendencies. I¡¯d rather believe if he is a secretary of Caitel.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, you should join us.¡±


    At Ferdel¡¯s rmendation, Jeno shakes his head.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I already had my lunch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    I know. Our chef is a real God¡¯s hand.


    There are numerous chefs in the Imperial Pce kitchen, but it was only me and Caitel who can eat our head chief¡¯s food. That¡¯s why Ferdel wants to have a meal with Caitel. It¡¯s not easy to eat this kind of food anywhere. Jeno smiles when I give him a look.


    Well, it¡¯s his luck.

 Chapter 124

    <h4>Chapter 124: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 124</h4>


    My lunch was pasta. And also meatballs, sds, and many other foods. There was also a pizza that came with it. It was also simr to Ferdel too. Wow, look so delicious!


    ¡°Is the Emperor with the ambassadors?¡±


    ¡°Probably. He¡¯s always busy these days.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose nobody thought his Majesty would really conquer Praezia.¡±


    ¡°But I knew he would.¡±


    I rolled the pasta with a fork, and Serira sits next to me with the juice. Serira wouldn¡¯t have eaten yet too, did she? But mom just smiles when I stare.


    ¡°People willugh if they hear this, but the reason he conquered the kingdoms in the central region and even reached Praezia in the South was because of the insult during the Belver Conference.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not aughing matter, sir. It gives me chills to think of such things.¡±


    What are these guys talking about?


    As I tilt my head in wonder, Ferdel speaks in a cold voice. It was an obvious sneer.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Emperor Pelephon is a fool for calling someone a bastard at such a public asion.¡±


    Jeno groans on that biting tongue. I tilt my head.


    ¡­Emperor Pelephon, as in the Emperor of Praezia? I heard he was humiliated and met a dreadful end by Caitel. When I heard the story, I frowned that Caitel was a madman.


    The Sires army, led by the prime minister of the south was defeated and Caitel offered Praezia¡¯s Highness. ¡°Bark, I¡¯ll let you live if you bark like a dog.¡± He said.


    Well, Caitel was a madman for sure offering that to Emperor of Legion(Thousands of private army of Emperor) but the Emperor who actually barked for surviving was more shocking to me. I mean, in front of his family and retainers!


    I guess it was because it¡¯s rted to his survival. I felt sorry anyway. I heard that he was a twice older man than Caitel.


    Of course, it was a sight that he killed him anyway, even though he gave him such an insult. Caitel ughtered all the royal family right after killing the Emperor and burned down the glorious pce. But even more so, the word Caitel said was the mostpelling. ¡®He didn¡¯t bark like a dog¡¯.


    That crazy guy doesn¡¯t have an answer.


    ¡°He never would¡¯ve known that his attempt to belittle a new and young emperor woulde back to hang him to death.¡±


    ¡°And none of the kings who agreed andughed along with him at the time survived.¡±


    Really? So the war began because that Emperor insulted Caitel? It wasn¡¯t because my dad simply obsessed with the war? And I thought there was another reason for the war.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the war started because of my aunt?¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s what I heard. He sold his sisters to almost every country and began the war to kill all those sisters. Two men in front of me shut their mouth on my question.


    Hey, answer me.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 125


    ¡°No. it¡¯s a lie that Caitel began the war because of his sister, so don¡¯t pay any attention to that.¡±


    Ferdel showed me his usual smile after quite a long time passed. Jeno looks back at him terrified.


    ¡°Is it alright to tell a child about that?¡±


    ¡°So what? She was bound to find out about it eventually.¡±


    Right, I like how careless you are, Ferdel. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re generous or stupid. Anyway, you are a good source of information.


    ¡°Then why did people say that?¡±


    ¡°Well, it must be because he didn¡¯t let any of his sisters alive even though they were sent to those countries that were already conquered. Because of that, false gossip spread all over the country. That Caitel is having wars to kill his sisters. Well, it wasn¡¯t true.¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s fork pokes a piece of steak.


    So I¡¯ve known the wrong rumors for all this time?


    Oh, but start a war to kill sisters, or fighting a war to pay back for being insulted are both insane. As I shake my head over my father¡¯s madness, Jeno speaks.


    ¡°Still, many of the princesses who were sent off for marriage were killed because of that silly gossip.¡±


    ¡°Oh, were they executed without trial to prevent any excuses? It was quite shocking, and everyone cursed Caitel at the time.¡±


    ¡°People still speak of him that way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure our Emperor will live long and prosper.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something to be proud of, sir.¡±


    Jeno looks down on him as if he is pathetic. I joined that sight. Yeah, it¡¯s not something to be proud of, silly.


    I¡¯m dying of embarrassed to be his daughter here. Oh, really, if I wasn¡¯t his daughter, I would never see him.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been busy saying something else with the princess. Princess, how is Pibbit doing?¡±


    Of all the things he could ask, he¡¯s going to ask about Pibbit?


    ¡°He¡¯s gotten fatter.¡±


    Why does dieting make you a pig-er rather than lose weight? Maybe my Pibbit was supposed to be born as a pig rather than a rabbit.


    Ferdelughs. What are youughing at? I am serious. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Caitel wanted to butcher him right now.


    ¡°Hmm, princess? This is a serious question, and I¡¯m not trying to tease you.¡±


    What are you going to ask? As I nodded my head, poking a meatball with a fork, Ferdel smiles.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you raising him so you can eat himter?¡±


    Gosh, this guy! You are talking about that again! And I ran out of my seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ying with you!¡±


    I¡¯m already annoyed that Caitel always asks me when I¡¯m going to eat him up, and how dare you ask me that! I don¡¯t want to see you!


    ¡°Aah, Princess!¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have teased a child.¡±

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 126</h4>


    The weather was very clear. On a day like this, it¡¯s good to walk!


    After all the busy meals and meetings, Caitel sometimes took me for a walk once in a few days to tell me that he is my father.


    It was subtle whether I should say that he is a loving father who takes care of my daughter even when he is so busy or an evil lunatic who never stops ying with me when he is so busy. Well, it wasn¡¯t that bad. If it were bad, I wouldn¡¯t be smiling like this.


    ¡°You¡¯ll fall down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡±


    As soon as I speak, I lose my footing. I didn¡¯t fall, but it was dangerous. Caitel is impressed by that. I ran first before my dad hugged me. We walk on foot!


    Then you feel new, but Sy is a huge pce. Big garden, big pce. It¡¯s like the capital of a small city called Hwanggung.


    The sun is still warm in the sky. Oh, it¡¯s dazzling. My eyes frown by themselves. Still, the warmth of the sun as if my body were melting.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I ran first, stopped for a moment, and was still breathing when a strange object came into my sight on the crosswalk not too far away. No, it was a man. That¡¯s a man standing tall.


    Uh, uh? Sadly, the man was a man I knew.


    Assisi.


    The Caitel who wasing from behind stops. As soon as I saw Caitel, I ran back to him. At the sound of my footsteps, Assisi turns her head. The eyes of the two met at that moment.


    Assisies this way slowly.


    ¡°May Evangelium be with you.¡±


    Assisi bows his head. I stood behind the Caitel and stuck out my head. He looks like the doll, that I saw before. He is so beautiful as much as a doll.


    ¡°Are you on your way to the residence?¡±


    He raises his head at the voice of Caitel. Our eyes met for a moment. I hid behind the Caitel when my eyes met with Assisi¡¯s eyes. I don¡¯t know why, but I wanted to hide. I hide behind Caitel grabbing his cloth, my father looked down at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen him before, have you?¡±


    Their eyes were looking at me. As I sneak my head out from behind the Caitel, Assisi¡¯s expression looking at me shakes. His confused eyes confused me, too. Do I look weird? What¡¯s wrong with his face? Unknowingly, my grip on the hem of Caitel¡¯s clothes got stronger. Caitel¡¯s hand pushed me forward.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see him a lot from now on. Say hello.¡±

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 127</h4>


    Caitel¡¯s words baffled me. What should I say? ¡®Hello. Nice to meet you, my name is Ariadna! Today is a very fine day, isn¡¯t it? Hahaha¡­ piece of shit!¡¯ Oh, what should I say? ¡®You are very handsome. Ha ha!¡¯


    ¡­ Let¡¯s just knock it off.


    I hid behind Caitel again since by Assisi¡¯s gaze towards me embarrassed me so. It was such a slight nce, but I was so embarrassed that my cheeks started burning. I was so sorry. This must be my karma because I snuck in their conversation and heard his story. Oh, I was freaking out.


    ¡°He is my ck knight.¡±


    Caitel pushed me forward again. I looked at my father to ask why he¡¯s pushing me, but Caitel just smiled a little. A sneering smile still lingered on his face, but Assisi in front of us didn¡¯t care at all about that. Yeah, I thought I was the only one who cared.


    ¡°This is Assisi Zavaikal, the captain of the winter moon knights, and the first knight of this empire.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s subdued gaze swept over me. The instantaneous eye contact sent a bottomless pit down my brain. Now that I could see him closely, I could finally manage to see his beautiful eyes up close. It¡¯s like jewelry. It was so transparent that I felt like I was being sucked in.


    ¡°And this here is Ariadna. She¡¯s the daughter I had while you were away.¡±


    This idiot, he¡¯s talking about me as if I was a stranger and not his daughter.


    I frowned while sping on the hem of his cloth, but Caitel didn¡¯t mind me at all. It seemed better now, but still, his habit of calling me his daughter showed no sign that he would soon fix that terrible habit of his.


    I didn¡¯t know. She should just do as he pleased. Was he ashamed of his ignorance? Because I sure was.


    ¡°So she is¡­¡±


    His unfinished word remained in his lips. I should introduce myself, but I feel embarrassed for some reason. I already knew who he was, but it felt different for them to introduce me like this.


    Caitel¡¯s ck knight, Assisi. I heard about him all the time, even before I was two years old. Since he had the nickname ¡®the ck knight,¡¯ I imagined he¡¯d be more sinister and ominous. However, the Assisi who was in front of me now¡­ his eyes shone brightly like a transparent jewel, and his white and blue winter moon uniform suits him well. So this was the man who stood at the front line in the war for Caitel¡¯s conquest. He¡¯s a good friend of Ferdel and Caitel, and the strongest knight in this empire.


    I heard he¡¯s even stronger than Caitel at sword fighting.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    Wait! Already? This is my first time to meet him officially though! I was too embarrassed to introduce myself properly¡­! Now he¡¯s already so far away.

 Chapter 128

    <h4>Chapter 128: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 128</h4>


    ¡°What are you thinking about with such a nk expression?¡±


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m thinking that you¡¯re ugly. Why?¡¯


    If I actually said those words out loud, he would probably execute me, so I just shook my head.


    ¡°That knight just now.¡±


    Caitel directed his eyes at me. Walking along with the red eyes, I grabbed his pants again.


    ¡°He looks like you.¡±


    My answer stopped Caitel¡¯s foot. After I stayed along with him, Caitel opened his mouth, but no voice escaped his mouth.


    What was it? I looked up at him and tilted my head.


    ¡®Why, daddy, couldn¡¯t you speak anything?¡¯ What, did he lost his voice suddenly?


    ¡°No, we¡¯re different.¡±


    Finally, his voice came out of his lips. I tilted my head again.


    However, he didn¡¯t even know why I said they both looked simr. Why was he rejecting my opinion so coldly?


    They werepletely different people, yet they resembled each other somehow. I couldn¡¯t quite ce my finger on what it was, but I felt like there¡¯s something untouchable between them. However, I didn¡¯t have the courage to uncover what it was, so I should just stay quiet.


    ¡°Oh, Eloth roses!¡±


    The Eloth rose was a white rose that¡¯s reflected in rainbow colors. They said it was a symbol of a certain god, usually blooming in the south, but it was hard to see it since it was a flower that bloomed briefly in the spring. I took one and held it in my hand.


    ¡°Look, dad. It¡¯s Eloth rose.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    The roses turn red, blue, and white as they shook around my hands. It was as if they had grounded the spectrum to shreds. As I smiled quietly, Caitel, who was watching from the side, nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ at least it¡¯s prettier than the one holding it.¡±


    Seriously!? Why did he keep picking a fight with me?!


    Suddenly, Caitelughed when I stared at him with a frown. He burst intoughter like a madman.


    Mom, what the hell, he was so scary.


    What is wrong with him? Suddenly, he¡¯sughing all by himself like he had gone bonkers. It¡¯s best not to talk to crazy people or perverts.


    I slowly moved my step and moved away from him. Caitelughed for a long time and then suddenly erased all the emotions from his face. I flinched after seeing that sudden transition.


    What, how!?

 Chapter 129

    <h4>Chapter 129: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 129</h4>


    I didn¡¯t know what was happening, so I should probably justugh it off. He reached out to my head as I burst intoughter as well. However, even before his hand reached me, something flying before me had already distracted my senses.


    Oh, it¡¯s a butterfly! It was also a Spirit butterfly. Its translucent wing that was out of my reach fluttered through the wind. I followed the butterfly in its sudden appearance. Butterfly, where was it going, I wonder?


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    I turned around when I heard a sudden, strange voice. It was a very touching, pleasant voice. Who was it? Before I could even confirm who it was, my body bumped into someone. Nooo!


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, Your Majesty.¡±


    Didn¡¯t she see that she¡¯s hitting people?


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t fall, but I almost fell, so I quickly felt irritated.


    ¡®Hey, that¡¯s hit-and-run, you know?¡¯


    However, she didn¡¯t even seem to realize that I was there. They could not spare a thought to children who were the future of the country, and they all thought of us as nothing but despicable little things. Where was this country headed to?


    ¡°You¡¯re just as majestic as I¡¯vest seen you. Did you get hurt on the battlefield? Your Majesty, I really wanted to see you again.¡±


    The voice that was speaking was just like an oriole. When I saw her, the first thing that caught my attention was her golden hair, which was shiny and silky like honey. It¡¯s such a stark golden color. I felt like melting her hair would make one feel like they could make pure gold out of it.


    However, who the hell was this woman that suddenly showed up, acting as if she¡¯s someone close to my father? This was the first time I saw her face, but when she saw him, she looked as if she knew him for years and decades. Meanwhile, Caitel just looked at her coldly.


    She is¡­ pretty, not gonna lie. She certainly had this exotic charm in her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, my name is Tylenia. Have you already forgotten me? I have been waiting for you to visit me all this time¡­¡±


    Oh my, that must have hurt him. He¡¯s rejecting her without even batting an eysh¡­


    ¡°Or are you doing this because I refused you back then? I didn¡¯t mean it. Your Majesty, please.¡±


    Her dress and her jewelry showed that she was not just an ordinary princess. Those who seemed to have been after her hand must have known how outstanding she was.


    Oh, by the way, I knew she couldn¡¯t see me well since I was short, but would she please stop hitting me like this? I was still a part of the royal family! It¡¯s really depressing. Would people start treating me like a human being once I grew up? Sob sob.


    At that moment, I ended up mming onto the ground.


    Ouch, it hurt.

 Chapter 130 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 130

    <h4>Chapter 130: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 130</h4>


    ¡°Move aside.¡±


    A hard voice resounded all around us. While whining in pain, I turned my head to that harsh voice and looked back at Caitel. His face was not much different from the way it was earlier. However, somehow he felt colder. Caitel red at her furiously.


    ¡°I told you to move aside.¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ Your Majesty.¡±


    The pretty woman backed away with a surprised look on her face. Caitel immediately shook her hands off his shoulder as if she was nothing but a bug. Wow, that¡¯s such a mean thing to do. Then he walked straight to me, so I decided to let him go.


    In a sh, the attendants who must havee with her towards us dispersed. I gazed up at Caitel. Huh? Was he trying to help me get up? I could stand up by myself, but I was not a colddy who would refuse someone¡¯s help, so I grabbed his hand instead. My little hand touched Caitel¡¯s hand gently. I could feel how small I was. Less than half the size of my dad¡¯s hand.


    Instead of holding my hand and raising it, Caitel reached into my waist and hugged me as if I was a delicate ss treasure. Suddenly, our views had reversed.


    Wow, the air above sure was fresherpared to the one I had down there.


    ¡°Who told you to stand there like an idiot?¡±


    Did you have to put it that way?!


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re an idiot, too!¡±


    Yeah, I was not the only one who¡¯s an idiot!


    I didn¡¯t mean to say that, but somehow Caitel didn¡¯t get angry. Huh? At this point, there should be a great deal of ferocious energy spurting out of his eyes. When he got angry at me for doing something like this, it¡¯s natural that I had to act cute.


    I wondered. What¡¯s wrong with this man all of all sudden?


    ¡®Dad, why the hell are you being quiet?¡¯


    Was he about to detonate a nuclear bomb? I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I felt sorry.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ that child is?¡±


    I turned my head towards her trembling voice, filled with shock. I forgot for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t just me and my dad here. What did she say her name was again? Tylenia? Yes, Tylenia. She looked at me with an expression filled with shock. Her eyes were shaking violently when I saw them my own.


    ¡°You should already know who she is.¡±


    A sarcastic voiceughed at her. Tylenia stiffened her face. In the meantime, I had to wait and see what sort of fate would befall upon her.


    <h4>Comments (2)</h4>


    <h4>Chapter 131: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 131</h4>


    ¡°¡­ I am delighted to make your acquaintance. I am Tylenia of Andurs.¡±


    However, the woman wasn¡¯t stupid. She quickly greeted me with a big smile.


    Well, I was only guessing, but she was probably a real princess living in Caitel¡¯s harem. I felt a little strange while looking at her. I thought all the princesses in the harem were like Le.


    ¡°What a lovely princess.¡±


    She was smiling outside, but something¡¯s bothering me. I could feel the loathing in her re. Did this princess really like my dad? I couldn¡¯t believe it, but¡­ I could feel it from the way she red at me. A veiled hostility. It¡¯s like I was facing my stepmother. Am I feeling an indirect hostility from the way her eyes growled at me? So this was the first obstacle every princess faced. The mean stepmother.


    ¡°She looks just like you, your Majesty. If it¡¯s all right, may I hold her for a moment, Your Majesty?¡±


    It¡¯s not me who couldn¡¯t recognize that fake sweet smile. Although she did not openly show hostility like another princess, she did not feel right either. I didn¡¯t feel good about this. Oh, daddy, I hope this man wouldn¡¯t dare hand me over to her. I feel like once she held me in her arms, she would drop me and I would die.


    My dadughed when I shrunk back to his chest.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do.¡±


    I was afraid that he would throw me into her arms, but fortunately, Caitel held me even tighter. Caitel¡¯s cheek touched my forehead.


    ¡°As you can see, my daughter is pretty shy.¡±


    Dad, that¡¯s not true. I liked people very much. I was a very friendlydy.


    Her golden eyes, which might have felt hurt after hearing his cruel treatment, were wet with tears as she stared at Caitel. However, my father¡¯s eyes, facing that teary eyes of hers, were as quiet and calm as it usually were.


    What¡¯s the rtionship between these two, anyway?


    ¡°Th, then, I look forward to seeing you some other time.¡±


    Like the heroine of an abandoned ruin, she suddenly disappeared. I bent my head. Was she Caitel¡¯s ex-lover or something? His first love, perhaps? Were they childhood lovers who broke up after a while?


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°A woman.¡±


    Did he think that I didn¡¯t know that?


    He smiled as I stared up at him while his hand was still on my head.


    ¡°You need not mind her¡±


    He then gave me a little kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°She¡¯s a flower that will wither someday.¡±

 Chapter 131 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 131

    <h4>Chapter 131: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 131</h4>


    ¡°¡­ I am delighted to make your acquaintance. I am Tylenia of Andurs.¡±


    However, the woman wasn¡¯t stupid. She quickly greeted me with a big smile.


    Well, I was only guessing, but she was probably a real princess living in Caitel¡¯s harem. I felt a little strange while looking at her. I thought all the princesses in the harem were like Le.


    ¡°What a lovely princess.¡±


    She was smiling outside, but something¡¯s bothering me. I could feel the loathing in her re. Did this princess really like my dad? I couldn¡¯t believe it, but¡­ I could feel it from the way she red at me. A veiled hostility. It¡¯s like I was facing my stepmother. Am I feeling an indirect hostility from the way her eyes growled at me? So this was the first obstacle every princess faced. The mean stepmother.


    ¡°She looks just like you, your Majesty. If it¡¯s all right, may I hold her for a moment, Your Majesty?¡±


    It¡¯s not me who couldn¡¯t recognize that fake sweet smile. Although she did not openly show hostility like another princess, she did not feel right either. I didn¡¯t feel good about this. Oh, daddy, I hope this man wouldn¡¯t dare hand me over to her. I feel like once she held me in her arms, she would drop me and I would die.


    My dadughed when I shrunk back to his chest.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do.¡±


    I was afraid that he would throw me into her arms, but fortunately, Caitel held me even tighter. Caitel¡¯s cheek touched my forehead.


    ¡°As you can see, my daughter is pretty shy.¡±


    Dad, that¡¯s not true. I liked people very much. I was a very friendlydy.


    Her golden eyes, which might have felt hurt after hearing his cruel treatment, were wet with tears as she stared at Caitel. However, my father¡¯s eyes, facing that teary eyes of hers, were as quiet and calm as it usually were.


    What¡¯s the rtionship between these two, anyway?


    ¡°Th, then, I look forward to seeing you some other time.¡±


    Like the heroine of an abandoned ruin, she suddenly disappeared. I bent my head. Was she Caitel¡¯s ex-lover or something? His first love, perhaps? Were they childhood lovers who broke up after a while?


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°A woman.¡±


    Did he think that I didn¡¯t know that?


    He smiled as I stared up at him while his hand was still on my head.


    ¡°You need not mind her¡±


    He then gave me a little kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°She¡¯s a flower that will wither someday.¡±

 Chapter 132

    <h4>Chapter 132: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 132</h4>


    Then, just a few days after they introduced me to Assisi, other things happened.


    That day, I was ying with Graecito as usual. Then I met Assisi in the hallway of Sy Pce. Since it was such an unexpected reunion, I raised my hand in joy to wave and say hi at him but Assisi, who saw me, just ran away.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well, yeah, he must be busy. I could understand that because I was a considerate princess.


    However, the problem here was that it¡¯s not the only issue. He kept doing that whenever he saw me. Just three days ago, I lost the ball I was holding while walking without thinking. Why was the ball round-shape? It¡¯s round because it rolls. The ball rolled so hard that it fell into theke nearby. I didn¡¯t want to get wet, but I wanted to take the ball back. I was about to get into theke to get it when suddenly¡­ Assisi appeared in front of me; I didn¡¯t know where he came from, but he dove into theke in my stead and took the ball. It was nice of Assisi to get the ball for me even though he showed up out of nowhere. However, the moment I tried to say something to him, he ran away.


    ¡°Is this kind of game popr these days?¡±


    Like, running away whenever I tried to say hello?


    However, he did it too much for me to realize that it¡¯s not a game. Even when I went for a walk, or when I was having a meal with Caitel, or when we ran into each other while speaking with Ferdel; whenever I saw him, I¡¯d smile brightly and tried to talk to him, but strangely, Assisi would run away from me as soon as our eyes meet. He is sopletely different from Ferdel, who would always try to talk to me every chance he got. Just what was his problem?!


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    It¡¯s not like I knew him well enough to do him wrong. It¡¯s fine if I just ignored it, but it didn¡¯t feel good to know that Assisi was avoiding me since he¡¯s such a beautiful person. Not to mention, he¡¯s totally avoiding me! It made me sad! Seriously, why was he doing that!


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have a weird face.¡±


    ¡°My face?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s because you¡¯re ugly.¡±


    Oh, so that¡¯s why!


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why he runs when he sees you.¡±


    That¡¯s what it was!


    ¡­ as if I¡¯d believe that, jerk! I threw my hair essory beside me, but Dranste avoided my attack by moving his body a few inches away. Oh, he¡¯s such a jerk!


    ¡°Get lost now!¡±

 Chapter 133

    <h4>Chapter 133: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 133</h4>


    Dranste sits on a chair whileughing maniacally at my shout.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s been such a long time, yet you¡¯re being so cold.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been away. Just where did you pop out from? What exactly have you been up to?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I had a lot of things to take care of.¡±


    So that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t meet me for over a year? No, it¡¯s been over a year. In my discontented gaze, Dranste moved his shoulder. I hadn¡¯t seen him in a year, and he had changed little ever since. It seemed like I was the only who felt that time had passed.


    ¡°By the way, did you get cuter?¡±


    ¡°I was cute, to begin with!¡±


    Dranste giggled when he heard my answer.


    ¡°Where does that confidence of yourse from?¡±


    Hey! Did he need me to teach him a lesson? I raised my hand to give him a punch out of anger, and he grabbed it nonchntly. No matter how hard I shook my hand to get it out of Dranste¡¯s hand, it won¡¯t fall out.


    Oh, this was so annoying. When I gave up pulling my hand out, Dranste smilef and left a short kiss on the back of my hand. I was certain that he was the first person who liked the back of my hand that much.


    ¡°So have you finished your work?¡±


    ¡°Most of it, probably?¡±


    ¡°Then what have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°Sorting out the past?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really curious, but I asked this because I had nothing else to say. I looked at him with a disinterested gaze, and he just smiled.


    ¡°Sorting out the past?¡±


    Sorting out the past, huh? What, did he get stic surgery or something? Was he a part of a gang before? That¡¯s all I could think of. Why was he sorting out the past? That¡¯s such a weird thing to say.


    ¡°What, have you been breaking up with women?¡±


    ¡°Yes, quite a few.¡±


    He spoke something so arrogantly as if it was a normal thing to say. I frowned at his response.


    ¡°You¡¯re revolting.¡±


    It¡¯s annoying because he might be telling the truth. Oh, why must he look that good? It¡¯s so unfair. People would avoid him only when he looked weird which mirrored his personality. Both Caitel and Dranste, they both have excessively beautiful faces even though they both had such sour personalities.


    Draneste whined to myint.


    ¡°My princess is still as cold to me as ever.¡±


    You made me cold. I was such a generousdy!


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    I turned my head since I didn¡¯t want to deal with him, but Dranste followed me regardless of what I had said. Why was he following me? If everyone could see him, then I would have kicked him out somehow. However, only I could see him, so he could follow me anywhere I go. Even if I went to the bathroom.


    Of course, if he follows me to the bathroom, I¡¯ll kill him.


    ¡°Please love me, Princess.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Uh, what a pain.


    Though he was kind of cute when he¡¯s chasing after me like a puppy. However, I quickly changed my mind after hearing what he said while he was patting my head.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we get married after 20 years?¡±


    Haha. That¡¯s funny. I answered with sincerity while looking at him sharply with a crumpled face.


    ¡°Get out and die.¡±

 Chapter 134

    <h4>Chapter 134: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 134</h4>


    Although the war seemed like a popr topic these days, Ferdel¡¯s twins were also a piece of big and major news people wrote the announcement of their birth on the front page of Agrigent Today.


    The whole family gathered to celebrate; even the Marquis and Marchioness Vitervo returned from their vacation.


    Marquis and Marchioness Vitervo were very kind and generous people, and I could not believe that they were Ferdel¡¯s parents. Should I say that they were¡­ too normal? The little problem was that even though they were not my real grandfather and grandmother, I felt like they were my real grandparents. However, I was merely thinking that way because they are so nice to me.


    ¡°Look at me! Do I look cute?¡±


    ¡°What is that? Stop it right now.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m not cute?¡±


    ¡°Stop it before I get angry.¡±


    ¡°Sil, you are so cold!¡±


    No, I thought that her being cold was not the problem. ¡®It¡¯s you, you¡¯re the problem.¡¯


    He finally put children¡¯s pacifiers that he was putting in his mouth after hearing Sivia¡¯s words. That¡¯s the chancellor of this country¡­ I shook my head while drinking orange juice.


    Just looking at him made it hard to believe that people used to call him a genius since he was young. The Vitervo family was a traditional warrior family, and many of their generalsmanded the royal soldiers for generations. Then came the mutiny, and with it¡­ the rising intellectual star of Agrigent and first chancellor from the Vitervo family, Ferdel, rose into power.


    It¡¯s just as Ferdel said. He literally had everything. He was born as the youngest son to a family with many daughters; he¡¯s so smart that he¡¯s called the genius of the century; he even had great looks, and his family had power. Then there¡¯s his wife Silvia.


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you think Vall takes after me more?¡±


    ¡°Our Sanse looks more like me!¡±


    Valltorte and San Sebastian.


    That was the name of Silvia and Ferdel¡¯s twins. It was difficult to tell them apart when they were first born, but it¡¯s easier now that they had grown more. I guessed Valltorte and San Sebastian were not identical twins. Their hair color was also different. Still, it surprised me that neither of them had Silvia¡¯s pink hair. Sanse had her pink eyes though.


    ¡°Princess, who do you think the twins take after more? Me or Ferdel?¡±


    These two¡­ should quit asking me these kinds of questions.

 Chapter 135 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 135

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 135</h4>


    For as long as eight months after the children were born, the two always asked that question once a day. These two...should quit asking me that. Why couldn¡¯t they treat the children as independent beings? Were babies made just by adding a mom and dad then pressing a mix button? Wasn¡¯t it possible that they didn¡¯t take after either of you?


    ¡°I think I answered that before.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear your answer again.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh, looking at the eyes of Silvia. Seriously, who¡¯s the grown-up, and who¡¯s the child here?


    ¡°Valtorte looks like Ferdel, and Sansevastian looks like Silvia.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to say that Sanse is prettier?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re twins, though.¡±


    As I answered, Silvia smiled brightly. Hey, godmother shouldn¡¯t be smiling like that.


    ¡°Sil! Sanse is crying suddenly!¡±


    ¡°Then you shouldy him down.¡±


    When Ferdel put down Sanse, the nanny changed his diapers. Ferdel and I looked at it in the same pose. Oh, wow. What an expert. Was that what a professional touch was?


    ¡°So when is Assisiing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he will nevere.¡±


    At Ferdel¡¯s unpleasant answer, Silvia frowned and fumed at Assisi.


    ¡°His cousin gave birth, and he won¡¯te to visit! How cold!¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, Caitel is your cousin too. And he¡¯s cold.¡±


    Huh? What did he say?


    ¡°Assisi is your cousin?¡±


    Their eyes turned to me on my innocent question. I tilted my head little.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Yeah. I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know anything. So I exined it quickly. I could see Ferdel¡¯s funny face in my eyes.


    ¡°Princess, do you know this? Princess and Silvia were also rted.¡±


    ¡°Heh?¡±


    What? Silvia and I were also rted? Grabbing my shoulder while pointing to Silvia, Ferdel exined kindly.


    ¡°Silvia is the daughter of your grand-aunt.¡±


    A grand aunt. That did not sound close to me at all, but it was quite surprising. Really? A rtive? Oh, my! I never thought I¡¯d get to meet a rtive in my whole life.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m shy to say so, but his highness and I are rtives.¡±


    Howe she never mentioned it? Well, I didn¡¯t want to pretend like I was close to Caitel too. Even so, if I were rted to the Emperor, I¡¯d sell his name and con everyone. That would probably get me killed though.


    Leaving me in my thought, Ferdel and Silvia continued their conversation about Assisi.


    ¡°Assisi will probably visit the children when they¡¯re about 15 years old, maybe?¡±


    ¡°His problem is that he thinks children cry because of him, that idiot!¡±


    ¡°Dear, that¡¯s not how you should talk about an older cousin. My angel wouldn¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    Assisi is her cousin, and so is Caitel. Thus, the bloody Emperor and the ck knight were her cousins, and the iron chancellor was her husband. Her mother was a princess, and her father a count. She¡¯s from a noble family, and she was a beauty! Wow, I¡¯d have to say thisdy had selfish tendencies.

 Chapter 136 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 136

    <h4>Chapter 136: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 136</h4>


    ¡°Children cry when he approaches them, so he stays far away even though he wants to see them up close. He hides or runs away when they notice him. What else should I call him besides an idiot?¡±


    I was lost in thought for a while and then suddenly came to my senses.


    Huh? Wait, Sil, what did you say?


    ¡°He runs and hides?¡±


    That¡¯s what he had been doing to me! As I asked her, Sil looked down at me. Still, her voice was soft and kind.


    ¡°Does Assisi not do that in front of you?¡±


    ¡°No, he runs away whenever he sees me.¡±


    Right, that foolish man ran away all the time.


    I was not a bug or some kind of disease! He always ran away whenever I tried to go near him. That¡¯s my biggest concern these days.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because I¡¯m ugly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain that¡¯s not it. You¡¯re beautiful, my Princess.¡±


    Oh, of course, Draneste¡¯s words were just like a dog¡¯s bark. Bowwow.


    Yeah, how dare he say I was ugly when I was so pretty! No way, of course.


    ¡°Ferdel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Assisi doesn¡¯t hate me, does he?¡±


    Ferrellughed at my question.


    ¡°Of course not. His wish is probably to see you up-close.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    So, that¡¯s how he was...okay, good.


    Thanks to Silvia and Ferdel, after learning why Assisi had been avoiding me, I came up with a master n.


    I called it...


    Project befriend Assisi!


    The n was to stick with Assisi whether he liked it or not, but to my surprise, an opportunity soon came to me. WAs it that God pushed me to connect with you?


    ¡°Princess, what is it?¡±


    As I looked at my backside, Serira asked. I brought an index finger to my mouth to tell her to keep it down.


    Be quiet, mom. I shouldn¡¯t let Assisi notice me.


    Serira tilted her head a little at my serious expression.


    Now! At that moment, I turned my head.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    Our eyes met. I felt a little proud when I saw his golden-green eyes filled with shock. I was not afraid of him! He cane closer to me then. However, contrary to my wishes, he ran away from me right away.


    Oh no!


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    Oh my God. if he would run, I would chase him until he stopped! I heard Serira calling me since I started to run fast suddenly, but I could not stop running because I decided to catch him today for sure. I am going to get you!


    ¡°Hey! Pardon me! Sir!¡±


    I thought he might stop if I chased after him, but he¡¯s running away with all his might.


    Not only was he running, but he also hadn¡¯t even looked back once! This cold-hearted man! Didn¡¯t he feel bad for me for chasing after him?!


    ¡°I said, wait!¡±

 Chapter 137

    <h4>Chapter 137: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 137</h4>


    What kind of chase was this that we would do it on broad daylight? I could feel that the people passing by were looking at me in bewilderment.


    Oh, I knew I was not acting like a princess. No, it¡¯s okay, I was still only three years old! This was normal at this age! Again, Assisi didn¡¯t stop. This rotten man! My fury was giving me strength. I needed to run faster. However, at that moment when I stepped out, something caught me on the tip of my foot. I knew that¡­


    Uh! I will fall over!


    ¡°¡­ huh? ¡±


    I didn¡¯t fall over. I could feel someone¡¯s hands grabbing me before I felt the floor. U, uwah, I almost fell. When I opened my eyes, there was a big shadow in front of me.


    ¡°Are you¡­alright?¡±


    That golden green eyes.


    That surprised me. He was so far ahead, so how did hee back so fast? I was thanking him, but I was quite surprised. No, but that¡¯s not important right now! With a deep breath, I grabbed Assisi¡¯s tie.


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    I captured him!


    Assisi¡¯s facial expression changed as Iugh.


    ¡°Were you following me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was! ¡±


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    What do you mean by why?


    ¡°To see you, of course.¡±


    Just who else would I be running after?


    (nod, nod). As I nodded, Assisi¡¯s facial expression changed. Even his slightly frowning face was beautiful. It¡¯s strange seeing him this close. How could this guy be so pretty? His beauty was on par with mine. Well, he seemed a little cold, but that was not a problem at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re Assisi, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes.¡±


    Yeah, I already knew it. I smiled as brightly as possible.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ariadna!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    Assisi nodded while his tie was still in my hand. Iughed again while looking at that. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. I should have done this from the start. I wondered why I hesitated so much.


    I reached to him closer, smiling. I could feel Assisi trying to pull his body back. However, it wasn¡¯t easy because of the tie in my hand.


    ¡°Did you do something bad to me?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Why do you always run away?¡±


    ¡°Well, the thing is¡­¡±


    Even his flustered face was lovely. It was better being pretty, whether he¡¯s a man or a woman.


    ¡°Is it¡­¡±


    In my voice, which called his attention, Assisi silently faced my eyes. His pupils were so breathtaking that I took a quiet gulp.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t like me?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not. Princess, how could I?¡±


    I was somewhat surprised by his denial that came right out. Assisi shook his head in dismay.


    ¡°Princess, how could I?¡±

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 138</h4>


    Then, Ferdel was right. He really was avoiding me because he thought I¡¯d cry, not because he didn¡¯t like me. I let go of his necktie and grabbed his hands. He flinched. Assisi¡¯s face got so pitifully stiff.


    ¡°Then, why do you avoid me?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you avoid me if you don¡¯t hate me.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Assisi frowned with difficulty. Even if he made an anxious expression like that, I was not letting him go that easily. If I didn¡¯t settle things now, he would just run away again.


    ¡°Then why are you avoiding me?¡±


    Assisi shut his mouth to my question. I could feel the confusion in his eyes. I just stayed calm and waited for Assisi to answer. It didn¡¯t take long for him to open his mouth.


    ¡°Princess, you¡¯re not scared or afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s expression shook at my immediate answer. His voice trembled a little too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t frighten you?¡±


    ¡°Should I be scared?¡±


    I understood why he¡¯s asking that. There was a shadow of death that loomed around him. There¡¯s an even stronger stench of blood surrounding him than that of Caitel¡¯s. I almost felt like I could hear screams hidden beneath his beautiful face. I could see why children were afraid of him. However, there¡¯s no reason to run away, was there? After all, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s trying to kill me.


    ¡°Princess¡­¡±


    After being unable to speak for a long time, Assisi suddenly dropped his eyes.


    I was embarrassed. Both of his soon opened eyes were filled with tears. I lost my words at that teary, golden-green eyes.


    ¡°A, are you crying?¡±


    Hey, what¡¯s wrong with this guy?


    ¡°Hey, did I do something wrong?¡±


    Assisi shook his head without an answer. However, I couldn¡¯t find the reason for his tears. Why was he crying? Assisi¡¯s head was down. Assisi, who had no choice but to kneel to make eye contact because of the tie I pulled, suddenly began to cry out in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Assisi? Assisi!¡±


    No answer returned after I called him several times. What kind of man would cry so easily?


    Oh, no. I had no idea what to do. What was happening, did I make him cry? Why was he crying? However, Assisi, who was crying, did not answer. Come on, tell me. Why was he crying? Oh, I had no idea anymore.


    A grown man shouldn¡¯t cry.


    I sighed, hugging Assisi, who was crying in front of me.


    I was indeed a woman of many sins.

 Chapter 139

    <h4>Chapter 139: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 139</h4>


    A month had passed before I even realized it. It was already June.


    For some reason, I was more excited than usual about that fact. If one would ask me why then I¡¯ll give them an answer! It was because of the lis. Now, after 15 days, I¡¯ll be able to see the giant moon lise with my own eyes half a month from now.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t think much about it, but Elene kept making a big deal about it, so I¡¯m excited about it, too. I was looking outside of the window today with some excitement, Serira, who was cleaning up the room, came and sat beside me.


    ¡°Princess, how about we go for a walk since the weather is so nice?¡±


    ¡°Really? I like walking!¡±


    Yes, I did want to walk! Seriraughed as I got so happy about her suggestion. The sun had not set yet, and the weather was superb. It¡¯s a perfect time to take a walk. However, Elene stopped us.


    ¡°But your Majesty will be here soon.¡±


    Both of us couldn¡¯t say anything to her. It¡¯s definitely time to go to bed after dinner. Still, I couldn¡¯t give up my lingering feelings for a walk. I looked out the window and saw Serira.


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t go for a walk?¡±


    Serra frowned after seeing my teary eyes. Elene gave me a stern look to show her refusal regarding what I had just said, but that was when I clung to Serira. I really wanted to go for a walk. I always went out for a walk for Pibbit, but it¡¯s rare for me to take my time and enjoy my walk. Would Serira, refuse when I looked this cute and pretty? Huh? Huh?


    Serra sighed in the end, as I kept begging her with my cute face.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly.¡±


    Yes! A walk!


    Elene protested with a dissatisfied look, but I was excited about it and came out with my coat. A thin coat swayed upon the evening breeze that brought the night away. Oh, it¡¯s cool.


    The night before summer arrived, and it was always refreshing.


    It¡¯s nice to go on a quiet walk like this with my mother. Come to think of it, I was always with Serira, but it had been a long time since I was alone with her like this. As I began to walk, speak, and learn about others, I realized that I did not have enough have time to chat with Serira. Of course, I liked those changes, but¡­ I had missed this a bit, the time when there were only two of us.

 Chapter 140

    <h4>Chapter 140: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 140</h4>


    Holding hands with Serira, I choose any walking road along the trail from the Garden, where the winter tree is. Elene was following us behind with a discontented look. Oh,e to think of it, Elene is always with me too. I¡¯m so used to her being next to me.


    When I turn around, I see eye to eye with Elene. My smile at the moment brightened Elene¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we took a walk together, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it often from now on.¡±


    Yeah, we should do that.


    ¡°Wait, Princess!¡±


    Huh? I stopped by Elene¡¯s voice and almost tripped over a stone. Serira quickly grabs my body and sighs of relief. I had tough because I was sorry.


    I heard that childrearing is a series of wars, and I guess that is true. She¡¯s still at war today. After looking for anything else on the floor, Serira puts me back on the floor. And as soon as I tried to walk the road again, I see strange crowd far after us.


    My father carries a lot of entourages, but there are many people too. It was a stark contrast to me, who had only two members as my entourages. It seems like it¡¯s some kind of envoy since there are so many entourages. However, almost all of the envoys staying in Agrigent have now returned to their home countries and only a few of them left. I heard they will meet again in Phantom and the moon¡¯s city of Tiepolo anyway.


    Well, is that a real envoy?


    At that moment my eyes met someone in the group. Uh, huh?


    ¡°We metst time, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it an envoy? It makes me even scarier to see her smiling face as soon as she sees me.


    Yes, we did meetst time. Unfortunately, the owner of the leading pack was Princess Tylenia of Andourse, whom I had seen before. The glossy golden hair flows down to the feet. I hated this woman for some reason, though she was as beautiful as Silvia.


    ¡°Oh, what is the matter with our princess?¡±


    Shrugging off the hand holding my shoulder and hiding behind Serira, Serira makes an embarrassing face. But I can¡¯t help it. I don¡¯t like her. For some reason, I remembered the princess of Pretzia, who held me when I was younger. I feel simr when I¡¯m around her.

 Chapter 141

    <h4>Chapter 141: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 141</h4>


    ¡°Are you her nanny?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°May I take her to my chambers for a short while? She¡¯s so pretty, I simply must give her some cookies.¡±


    What did she say? I eat plenty of cookies all the time! I looked at Serira in tears. Mom, you¡¯re not gonna hand me over to her, are you? Don¡¯t hand me to her! But my mom doesn¡¯t have any power. Damn, I can¡¯t help it. Now I have feet! I should just run for my life when I see the chance.


    Things went like this, I looked back to find Elene and run. But Elene was not there. Oh, what the hell!


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you answer? You dare deny my request?¡±


    Can¡¯t you tell? My mom doesn¡¯t want to let you take me! She¡¯s just conflicted since she can¡¯t be rude to a princess. It¡¯s a shame I¡¯m still only a child. If I was just a bit older, I¡¯d tell her to leave right away.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take her. Come along, Princess.¡±


    What is going on?! My mom never said okay, you know?! And I don¡¯t want to go!


    ¡°Why are you making this so difficult? Come, pretty princess.¡±


    It¡¯s unnecessary to buttering up. I don¡¯t like you anyway!


    ¡°Tulee, you hold her too.¡±


    This princess is now just trying to kidnap me! I had no choice but to run away, so I got out of Serira¡¯s arms, but Tylenia¡¯s entourage seized me as soon as I try to escape. Just when will my rights and freedom get any respect here?! Oh, really, help anyone!


    ¡°How despicable, Princess Tylenia.¡±


    I can hear someone else¡¯s voice as if someone heard the voice of my heart. I turned my head to that familiar voice. The person who¡¯s in my sight, standing alone with a book in one hand, without any entourage was¡­


    ¡°La.¡±


    It was La.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was passing by and came over since it was so loud.¡±


    A tense air is rapidly flowing between the two women.


    I looked at La like a savior after a long time.


    Aah, I never thought I¡¯d be so happy to see La! If it wasn¡¯t for Tylenia, I¡¯d run right into her arms¡­But soon she stared Tylenia with a scary face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your jealousy is aimed at the wrong person?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s not the case then are you so blind by your own jealousy you can¡¯t even treat an innocent child with decency?¡±


    As if it was some kind of trigger, Tylenia¡¯s face got stiff at that moment. The furious look appears on her face.

 Chapter 142

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 142</h4>


    ¡°Are you saying that I should be jealous of a woman who risked her life for a mere child? That foolish woman who died right after giving birth?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I said anything like that.¡±


    ¡°This is none of your business. Shouldn¡¯t you be holed up in some tower, weeping over your country¡¯s ruin?¡±


    ¡°My, you¡¯re quite rude.¡±


    Things were getting a bit out of hand. What should I do? Should I stop them? I stomped my feet amid this sharp atmosphere. It would have been over if I had just endured and dealt with Tyrenia, but I was worried that La might be taking a toll on me.


    ¡°Perhaps you are under the impression that we are equals since we live in the same harem, but let me make this clear to you, our positions differedpletely. Do you understand?¡±


    How dare she! In the end, she¡¯s just another essory to Caitel!


    It was La who was insulted, but I also felt so angry. How dare she try to ridicule La?! I thought that I should just run and strike her with headbutt right now.


    ¡°What is¡­¡±


    At that moment, a cold voice sank around the cold space.


    ¡°¡­ Going on here?¡±


    Elene stood beside me while gasping for her breath. It seemed like she ran so fast just to bring him here as soon as possible. The garden grew silent on his arrival. As I turned my head to that familiar voice, I saw the obvious outline of Caitel, who was my only father in this continent.


    Tears filled my eyes as I felt a twinge of delight within me. Why did my dad arrive just now!


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing someone who reached Evangelium.¡±


    ¡°May you reach Evangelium.¡±


    The two princesses bowed their heads and lowered themselves to meet the emperor. Their entourage behind them did the same. I stood alone in the space where even Elene and Serira bent over. When he saw me, I ran into his arms.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    When Caitel found me, he rxed his stiffened expression. When I opened my arm, he held me naturally. I hugged my father¡¯s neck and breathed a sigh of relief for a moment. I was sort of worried that something might happen!


    With me in his arms, Caitel shot his re to those two princesses. I felt that the violence within him was stronger than usual. I was d he¡¯s here, but Caitel seemed furious upon seeing this situation. What if something like what happened the other time urred again?


    It¡¯s not that I liked princess Tyrenia. If anything, I hated her. Still, I didn¡¯t want to see her die. More importantly, I couldn¡¯t let La meet such a fate when she tried to help me. Well, there¡¯s no choice but to sacrifice myself to save thesedies here.

 Chapter 143

    <h4>Chapter 143: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 143</h4>


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m cold! And I¡¯m hungry, too.¡±


    I sounded like I didn¡¯t have money¡­ was I a beggar?


    I might end up crying because of my pitiful position, but¡­ my daddy should just look at me. ¡®Weren¡¯t I cute? Huh? Huh? Let¡¯s go, okay?¡¯ I was looking at him with such pleading eyes, see? Did he see this?! I looked cute, right? No? That¡¯s weird. My cuteness was the cuteness that pierces the sky.


    ¡°We should head back.¡±


    Great, my charms worked.


    Caitel turned around with me in his arms. I hugged Caitel¡¯s neck again as my face brightened in an instant. My dad was the best! I was just a bit worried that he might give a sign to his entourage when he turned around.


    Still, he would not kill them, right?


    As soon as I returned to the pce, I had dinner that they prepared beforehand. ording to my schedule, I had to wash first before having dinner, but Caitel said he would have dinner first before taking a bathter. Nom, nom. Yummy, yummy. While eating my precious meal, Caitel, who was sitting in front of me, gazed at me with the fury of a thunderstorm.


    ¡°Why were you there like that earlier?¡±


    He looked at me while resting his chin on his hand. I gulped down the food in my mouth and agonized what I should reply to him. Even though he looked indifferent, my father was still a madman. This was a prelude to a catastrophic disaster. If I told him the truth here, Tylenia would die. I didn¡¯t want that to happen!


    ¡°I met thedy while going for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The blondedy.¡±


    Well, so far, I had told the truth. How should I exin the rest? To start off, that blondedy really loved this man! Thus, she must have loved me too! Then La protected me¡­ ah, if I recalled that event this way, then he would definitely execute her. It¡¯s this man¡¯s obsession with the death penalty. Ah, my brain hurts; I need to give it some boost!


    ¡°Why were they arguing?¡±


    ¡°Umm, because I¡¯m so cute and lovely?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Okay, my bad. I felt sorry.


    I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I felt like I had to apologize to him. Daddy¡¯s silence was oppressive. It was too heavy.


    ¡°They fought about who should y with me!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know anymore. I should just make something up impromptu.


    With the sternest expression on his face, I talked as much as I could.


    ¡°The blondedy said she likes me. Then La said she likes me more. They started arguing because both of them wanted to y with me.¡±


    It really sounded like incoherent nonsense even if I heard it, but Caitel asked nothing further. He thenughed with a subdued stare.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t kill either La or blondedy, then Okay, daddy?¡¯

 Chapter 144

    <h4>Chapter 144: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 144</h4>


    I quickly emptied the bowl and put the fork down. Beside me, Serira reached out to take me to the bathroom. I, who came down to the chair with the help of Serira, looked back at Caitel for a moment.


    ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m going to go wash now!¡±


    Caitel nodded after hearing my voice. It¡¯s the same reaction he would usually have, but something¡¯s disturbing about it this time. On top of that, his response felt like it had a twinge of bitterness into it. I was standing still looking at my dad, not knowing why he felt so down when suddenly, Caitel gave a faint smile.


    ¡°Come back soon.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡±


    I nodded as if I was waiting and came out of the dining area while holding Serira¡¯s hand. I wasn¡¯t waiting for him to say something. Still, I felt a little less anxious when he said something to me. What if he is nning to execute them while I was gone, though?


    ¡°You should go to the bathroom first.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I went to the bathroom, alright? As I strode along, a ck suddenly shadow appeared beside me. I was surprised, but when I realized that It was Dranste, my shock lessened. I was startled, but I was already used to it. Oh, whatever was happening to me?


    ¡°I realize something yet again.¡±


    Out of the blue, Dranste opened his mouth. What was he talking about now? I looked up at him calmly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only one.¡±


    What did he mean by the only one? I tilted my head.


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably be the only one who could do that here.¡±


    Did he take his medication? What a load of crap was he spouting suddenly? His quiet voice felt as if it was hypnotizing me.


    What was the one? What did he mean when he said that I¡¯m the only one?


    However, before I could even find an answer to those questions of mine, Dranste finished his words.


    ¡°The only one who can approach Caitel.¡±


    His voice was so firm that it¡¯s hard for me to refute it. As if it was not something that I should take for granted, Dranste shrugged his shoulders. I felt kind of dumbfounded. Howe this conversation just popped out of nowhere all of a sudden? It used to be a little abrupt, but now it seemed that he had upped his game. What made him think this way?


    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m the only one who could approach Caitel?¡±


    What kind of new bullshit did he just reveal to me?


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m his daughter? You think he¡¯d show favor to me just because of that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    If not, then what was his intention when he said those words earlier? I frowned, and Dranste lifted me. I had to go to the bathroom. Serira came to mind, but somehow, I couldn¡¯t tell him to let me go. I stared at Dranste¡¯s eyes. That solemn gaze of his glowed blue.

 Chapter 145 - The Emperor’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 145: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 145</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s not just because you¡¯re his daughter. Think about the reason why Caitel first decided to let you live.¡±


    ¡°What? Was it not because I¡¯m like a bug to him?¡±


    Even though I said it, it still felt gave me a pang of sadness. He giggled upon hearing my answer, but Dranste shook his head right away.


    ¡°Really think about it. Do you honestly believe Caitel spared you over something like that?¡±


    Of course not. I knew that¡¯s not the reason. Though I had never thought about it before. His unusual seriousness made me sigh. His quiet low voice exhorted me to think. I just wanted to ignore him, but I was the one who¡¯s curious about the answer. I was lost in thought. It was Dranste¡¯s ck and blue eyes that reached the end of my subdued gaze.


    ¡°...because I can¡¯t fight back at all.¡±


    I still thought about these sometimes. What would have happened if I had cried and struggled when Caitel grabbed my throat. I didn¡¯t ask anyone for it or ask for an answer, but I knew instinctively. I¡¯d be dead if I had done it. Dranste nodded at my answer. I added another one to it.


    ¡°Was I a creature he can kill at any time if he wants to?¡±


    ¡°And didn¡¯t do it because he doesn¡¯t feel the need to take such a weak life.¡±


    With his mouth wagging, Dranste added a word. I then wrinkled my forehead at that sight.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep me alive.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s also no need to kill you.¡±


    It was iprehensible, but Draneste¡¯s reply was not unconvincing. Yeah, well, he could kill me any time, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to kill me. Why is that though? He whispers quietly as if to answer my question.


    ¡°And you¡¯re so loyal to Caitel that on one would ever imagine that you could betray him.¡±


    Oh...


    I bite my lips without realizing it. I had such a vague realization.


    I see. I was just desperate to survive, and I guessed that was what might have looked like to the eyes of others. Even now, I was the most gentle in Caitel¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Yes, no matter how much you wander around Caitel, he didn¡¯t find the need to dispose of you. That¡¯s who you are. You¡¯re the only one who can approach Caitel¡¯s heart right now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯s telling me this.


    However, his eyes told me that this was the truth.

 Chapter 146 - The Emperor’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 146: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 146</h4>


    I flew into a rage.


    ¡°But you¡¯re here, and Ferdel and Assisi are out there too.¡±


    ¡°We are different.¡±


    My voice grew smaller, and my mouth closed when I heard that. My voice, which was desperately replying to him, died down in a sh.


    ¡°We¡¯re simply hanging onto a strand of who he was before he became this way. It¡¯s a miracle that we could still see each other. Things are different when ites to you.¡±


    Still¡­


    I wanted to run away. That thought suddenly appeared. At that moment, I realized something. I would like to deny it, but I already agreed with what Dranste was saying. As much as I didn¡¯t want to listen to him right now, it is true that Caitel had a soft spot for me now...


    ¡°Perhaps there really is a God. Maybe you¡¯re Caitel¡¯s absolutest chance for salvation. That¡¯s what I think you are.¡±


    Dranste¡¯s voice, as he continued with his words, was of such a low volume that it was almost falling apart, like my heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can love Caitel and teach Caitel how to love in return.¡±


    Was that for real? I, I was not so sure...


    For starters, I didn¡¯t know how to love and be loved. I grew up showered in love, but would I be able to give love to someone else? Suddenly, my head whitened. Really, I knew nothing. I was not confident at all.


    Even if I had lived for over twenty years, I was still unsure of myself. Icked the confidence to face such adversity.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    When I raised my head, I saw Dranste. I asked him without a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°Do you want Caitel to be happy?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The answer came out immediately, but from the way Dranste looked, I could easily see that the answer he had given me was a lie. I didn¡¯t think Dranste loved Caitel or anything like that. He wouldn¡¯t know about such emotions in the first ce. This guy didn¡¯t know what he¡¯s feeling. Hecked the understanding of what it meant to be honest. However, I knew one thing. He wanted Caitel to find happiness. At the very least, he didn¡¯t wish to Caitel to be unhappy.


    ¡°I have never wished for such a thing.¡±


    As if I was talking total nonsense, Dranesteughed at my question. Iughed at this dishonest guy at the same time.


    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡±

 Chapter 147 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 147

    <h4>Chapter 147: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 147</h4>


    Since that day, I had been trying to listen for any rumors from maids, but thankfully, there was no word of a ughter. It looked like daddy just let them go. It was a real relief.


    ¡°I have to leave early today.¡±


    ¡°To see your grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Graecito nodded as he handed me the Pibbit in his arms. Luckily, Graecito¡¯s grandmother was getting better these days. Serira had been quite worried and paid a lot of attention to her, so it¡¯s great to hear that. I nodded, and Graecito grinned.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you soon!¡±


    ¡°Okay, see you!¡±


    Elene took Graecito¡¯s hand and went out of the pce. I waved at Graecito until he was out of my sight.


    ¡°Shall we go back inside too?¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Because of what Serira said, I realized that it was time to return to the pce. It would be dinnertime soon. However, when I saw Pibbit wriggling in my arms, I thought that I should stay outside a bit longer. Oh, I still couldn¡¯t tell if this was a pig or a rabbit?


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk Pibbit a little. He should lose some weight. I mean, look at him!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be here. Get ready to return.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    While Serira cleaned up the messes that Graecito and I made, I moved my feet to walk around for a bit. The Pibbit was fluttering and sniffing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move a little more, Pibbit. You need to lose weight. Understand?¡±


    Pibbit moved in my voice. Yes, seed in diet and be a slim bunny. We have to show Caitel that we could do it! It thrilled me to see that Pibbit moved faster than usual and seemed like he was willing to join my ambitious n. Following him while humming along, I suddenly found a maning into my sight.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s Assisi!¡±


    I called Assisi¡¯s name, and he looked back at me in the far distance. However, as soon as he saw me, he stiffened and tried to run away. No, this man, I swear,e back!


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    Was this jerk really running away from me again?


    However, this time, it was a little different from before. He stopped when I called him again. Thanks to this, I could catch him even though I was with Pibbit.


    ¡°Assisi, why are you here? Are you avoiding me again when you saw me?¡±


    ¡°N, no. it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Then why won¡¯t youe near me?¡±


    He did not give a word of reply. I looked up at him in wonder.

 Chapter 148 - The Emperor’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 148: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 148</h4>


    He did not give a word of reply. I looked up at him in wonder.


    ¡°Princess, you really¡­ are you really not afraid of me?¡±


    ¡®Are we going over this again? I think you are the one who¡¯s scared, not me¡­¡¯


    A silent sigh escaped out of my mouth.


    Sheesh, just talking to him won¡¯t work. I suppose I¡¯ll have to show him.


    I pulled Assisi¡¯s arm, making him wince. I was holding a hand that seems to be over twice my size. I then put his arms on my cheek.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°I like Assisi. Do you not like me?¡±


    I could see Assisi¡¯s face as I looked at him.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡±


    His slightly puzzled expression made him seem like a frightened child.


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    Hearing that someone liked me was so delightful. I smiled. Assisi sent a somehow distressed look onto my bright smile. Why was he hesitating so much?


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ concerned.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Trying to speak, Assisi bit his lips. I felt a little pity for his red lips. I waited Calmly until Assisi opened his mouth. Pibbit was sniffing and trying to rush me, but I did not care.


    ¡®Pibbit, you are not the problem now.¡¯


    ¡°Is it really okay for someone like me to stay by your side, Princess?¡±


    I frowned upon hearing that question.


    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about Assisi?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand his behavior, so I¡¯d need to be more persistent. I then stepped closer to him. As soon as I went near him, Assisi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Of course, you can stay with me. You¡¯re the most amazing knight in the world to me!¡±


    Was he touched? It seemed like he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Somehow, I felt sorry because he seemed so touched. Why was he so innocent? Now I appeared terrible for not being as pure as him. I looked at Assisi, and he blinked as if he didn¡¯t know where to look. Assisi suddenly bowed.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Princess.¡±


    Then he pulled out his captured hand and ran away. This bastard! Nevertheless, I don¡¯t really feel like chasing after him today. I felt like he would cry if I caught him. What was he so sorry for anyway?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he an odd one, Pibbit?¡±


    As if he agreed with me, Pibbit sniffed. I squatted down for a moment and patted Pibbit. I stroked the soft fur in my hands.

 Chapter 149 - The Emperor’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 149: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 149</h4>


    After that light walk, I returned to where Serira was. I then saw that Caitel was waiting for me. It seemed like he finished his work early today.


    ¡°Did you have a good time?¡±


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    I was so happy to see him, so I ran to his arms, and Caitel held me in his arms. Serira took the leash on my hands, but both of our eyes were on Pibbit.


    ¡°So when do you n to cook that thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat him!¡±


    He¡¯s the one who said that it¡¯s not for cooking!


    Caitelughed when I get mad. I was disgusted with the way he looked, but as usual, I just flung it over. After he finishedughing, Caitel patted my head.


    ¡°I have business with you today.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    What¡¯s the matter with him? Caitel headed to Sy with me in his arms. I kept tilting my head with a puzzled look on my face. However, as if he didn¡¯t want to tell me, he was only patting my head without giving me a reply. What was it?


    We headed to the Sy Pce, not a restaurant, not an audience room, but a reception room. I was wondering why I was going to that ce, but those familiar faces made me curious. Why was Ferdel here? Assisi, who ran away from me earlier, was there too.


    What¡¯s this about?


    As I looked around the room, not knowing what was going on, suddenly, Ferrell smiled and came up to me.


    ¡°He will be your knight and will escort you from now on.¡±


    ¡°What escort?¡±


    Ciatel ced me down onto the ground. Standing on my own, I frowned.


    ¡°Are you telling me that would be with me all the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    What? What¡¯s happening?


    I looked around Caitel, but Caitel hadn¡¯t said much. Ferdel did the same. Heughed but said nothing. Eventually, I turned to Assisi. Hr stood, somehow tense.


    ¡°From now on, Assisi will be your personal knight.¡±


    What? Did I just hear that correctly?


    ¡°But¡­ Assisi is dad¡¯s knight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. His Majesty already agreed to it.¡±


    Caitel, what did you do?


    Looking back, Caitel just shrugged silently. Really? Was that true? I asked my questions with a nce, but they just beckoned me to look forward. Nevertheless, they gave no answer. Thus, I looked forward. Assisi was before me. I was always the one who approached him first. However, now that I saw himing towards me like this¡­ Ironically, I felt like running away. I gulped.


    Assisi knelt before me.


    ¡°Please allow me to reintroduce myself.¡±


    I held my breath upon hearing his low but stern voice.


    ¡°I am Assisi Zavaikal, the first sword of the Winter Moon Knights.¡±


    Our eyes meet. It¡¯s strange to see him looking into my face this way. Mainly since he used to avoid me so much. However, it¡¯s not like I hated it. I was just a bit surprised. I nodded my head with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ariadna, please take good care of me!¡±


    I reached for a handshake, but Assisi took my hand and kissed the back of my hand. I wasn¡¯t asking for this, but at the next moment, I lost the words I wanted to say upon seeing Assisi¡¯s face with a slight smile.


    ¡°You can rest assured from now on, My Lady.¡±

 Chapter 150 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 150

    <h4>Chapter 150: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 150</h4>


    ¨C End. Assisi


    The night of the stars was cold.


    It had been a long time since I stepped into this garden, but the garden consoled the traveler who returned from time to time in his memory with the same look. Assisi had to stand on top of it and endured the overflowing emotion with his teeth clenched.


    Sss- I heard the sound of the wind blowing.


    The sway of the winter trees in the wind makes it hard for him to hear things. He fell on his knees under it and suddenly looked up at the shining winter tree. The constion of the silent tree resolved the soul of a knight in despair.


    I didn¡¯t remember when it happened. I couldn¡¯t remember when I started sitting on my knees in front of this tree during this time of absence. I couldn¡¯t remember at all when I began to do this. I knew that it had been a long time, but I didn¡¯t know exactly how long it had been. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t matter. Assisi truly enjoyed this time.


    Without thinking, just looking at the Winter tree always calmed his boiling thoughts like a lie. The endless questions and anguish also disappeared. Thus, he had always been near this tree.


    Was this what death looked like?


    ¡°Are you still confessing to the winter tree?¡±


    With a strange voice, Assisi raised his head. He looked surprised, but soon, that expression disappeared. It came from Caitel, who somehow didn¡¯t fall asleep. The knight smiled a little at the familiar look of his lord. However, he was in too much despair to smile.


    ¡°My sins can¡¯t be cleansed, no matter how many times I confess.¡±


    My sins would not be forgiven even if I repented a thousand times.


    I would only feel guilty for the things that I had done. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop confessing because I couldn¡¯t let go of this futile hope that someday, this might all end.


    A deep silence subsided between the two. The silence that no one would break and no one was thinking of breaking. He knew that the reason was all because of him, but Assisi knew that his lord did not like it when he opened his mouth.


    Nevertheless, he felt strangely moved today.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your daughter.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s low voice echoed in the silence. Caitel turned his head indifferently.


    Their eyes met in the air.

 Chapter 151 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 151

    <h4>Chapter 151: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 151</h4>


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve seen your daughter.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m the one who introduced her to you.¡±


    ¡°Not then.¡±


    His outright denial impressed Caitel. Assisi added, regardless.


    ¡°I saw her even before you introduced her to me.¡±


    ¡®I saw her after that as well.¡¯


    It was something that happened for a short while, but it still remained strong in my mind. She was no different than the ones I had to in and killed.


    It was amazing.


    It was so terrific that I couldn¡¯t understand how small creatures could always be so magnificent. It felt like just a little hard squeeze would destroy it. However, I couldn¡¯t believe how that little body, with that little hand, was breathing and living on this earth as I did.


    ¡°The princess has such a beautiful smile.¡±


    I could hear the news of the Imperial Pce from far away.


    I heard that the Lord¡¯s daughter was born in thend where hundreds die, and hundreds were killed every day. The news that the Lord did not kill his daughter was an instant hit to everyone who knew him. She was epted as a princess, but back then, I didn¡¯t think much of it.


    As usual, I was so tired of the sins that were oppressing me, and I was just falling into a downward spiral. I thought that it wouldn¡¯t matter even if I saw her.


    However, when I saw her face, everything changed.


    I swore an oath that I would do anything to pay for my sins, but I knew what I was doing to repent would result in more sins. Someone like me, whose existence alone was a sin, would be better off dead.


    Even while dwelling in that hell of despair, I clung to one fleeting hope. Maybe someone would need me. Perhaps someone could love me. I knew that it would never happen, but then¡­


    I met her.


    This kind of life lived in this world.


    What kind of blessing was that? That fresh, innocent eyes of hers that had seen no evil in this world and the warmth of that hand in my arms was something I could never forget. That warmth almost burned my hand. That small body that was trying to hug me. That warmth was real.


    ¡°Speak up.¡±


    I raised my head on that loud, deep voice. Our eyes met.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something you wish to tell me?¡±


    No matter how hard I tried to hide behind a nk expression, my Lord could always tell and would pry the truth from me.

 Chapter 152 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 152

    <h4>Chapter 152: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 152</h4>


    In response to the shaking expression of Assisi, Caitel was confident that he knew what he was feeling.


    ¡°You have it.¡±


    The knight bent his head. His brow frowned as if his patient was running dry with as he continued biting his lips. His hands were shaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to die. Although I knew my soul could only rest in hell, I still clung to the hope that I would cease to breathe. Please don¡¯t let me open my eyes tomorrow, please let this be myst day. I begged endlessly, waiting for the eternal rest that you would someday bestow upon me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d reflect on those days. I just wished for this pain and this life to end someday, so I could escape. I simply continued breathing and lived like a broken doll.


    ¡°I know you were concerned that I might try to kill myself if I was left alone.¡±


    Assisi took a deep breath. Even that was painful.


    ¡°I know the reason why you did these after I became your knight. You sent me to fight in all those battles for that very reason. However, there was no ce for me in this world. Hope was merely an illusion. I knew that very well, and yet¡­¡±


    But¡­ that word was strongly interwoven. Caitel had quietly waited for the next word. Assisi breathed heavily, and his hands clenched tightly. Before he knew it, his hand that was grabbing the grass on the floor trembled.


    ¡°For the first time.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to even spit out this word.


    ¡°For the first time in my life¡­¡±


    His eyes close. With a puff of breath, Assisi puffed a few breaths.


    ¡°The thought came to me that I want to protect someone. ¡±


    She was brilliant. When I saw her smile and felt her breath, I was speechless, as though it was the first time I had seen the light. I felt like I could finally breathe freely. This was what it felt like to be alive¡­ That¡¯s how it felt to me.


    ¡°I wanted to protect someone¡¯s smile, someone¡¯s happiness, someone¡¯s future with my own hands. I dared to wish and hope to protect her with my worthless life. I, this stupid and foolish man, thought that I want to protect her.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really know what to call this feeling.


    It was so strange and unfamiliar that I felt as if I had been thrown into another world. I couldn¡¯t even put it on a scale from one to ten. Nheless, I still blindly aspired.


    I wanted to protect her.

 Chapter 153 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 153

    <h4>Chapter 153: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 153</h4>


    I did not know what to call this feeling. It¡¯s strange and new¡­ yet, I found myself yearning for it. I wanted to protect her. She¡¯s such a small and delicate child, I thought she might disappear if left alone. I wanted to protect her, even if it would cost my life.


    I had a wish for the first time in my life. For the first time, I had a reason to live this pointless life. I would dly sacrifice my life if I could protect her.


    I had never felt this way before.


    ¡°Of course, I know it must seem out of line for me to step forward, saying I wish to protect her with my tainted hands. Hands that have stolen from so many others in the past, but even so, I truly¡­¡±


    I was suffocating. I tasted the bitterness from my throat. I felt so terrible about the fact that I even wished for this. It was so gross and disgusting that I felt like I would throw up.


    However, I couldn¡¯t surrender.


    All that self-sacrifice copsed in one thought.


    What if it broke? What if it crumbled? Suddenly, I was scared. What if I never saw her bright smile again? What was I supposed to do if it broke? The blockage in my chest tightened my breathing.


    It was okay to not be on her side. I would be happy to see her from afar, and I would do anything to protect her. It¡¯s okay if I would just watch over her. No, in fact, there was nothing more I¡¯d wish for other than the opportunity of looking over her.


    There was no purpose, no conviction, no reason to live. It was a life wherein I only waited for my own death. I continued to live in vain in memory of the Sabbath that my Lord gave me.


    That¡¯s how I let go of everything, but I thought I was d that I was still alive. Never once did I imagine that I would want something.


    ¡°¡­I wish to watch over someone, which reminds me so much of you, grow up safely. Even if my soul isn¡¯t granted salvation, I do not wish to resist my urge to continue living beside her.¡±


    A wish that came with a risk to my own life.


    It was okay not to allow it. Even if I were rejected and abandoned, I would find a way to protect her in my own way. What I had hoped for now was something other than the end of my life. That made me happy. I could now see what a burst of joy felt.


    ¡°I wish to see the future she will see. I want to be with her as she saw her bright life.¡±

 Chapter 154 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 154

    <h4>Chapter 154: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 154</h4>


    Caitel gave no answer. Assisi swallowed a bitter smile.


    ¡°I know that my request¡­ betrays the oath I took when I vowed to be your knight. I know that very well. If you ask for my life instead, I will dly give it. If you ask me to head into endless battles again, I will follow your orders. However, I will not be able to hold back my wish to stay by her side until myst breath.¡±


    Suddenly, thoughts of the past came to mind. I thought I was dirty and detestable. He was the first person who¡­ offered me, someone who was wallowing in despair without a reason to live, a hand.


    ¡°Do you remember the day we first met?¡±


    An emotionless voice spoke, and his tone was very casual. Assisi thought that Caitel didn¡¯t change. His master had been a secluded man since he was a child.


    ¡°You were kneeling just like this on that day as well, and I looked down at you with no concern.¡±


    The ce was also the same. When I visited the pce, I always came here. Assisi bowed his head. The children had already grown up like this.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    Assisi rose his head upon hearing the voice calling him.


    ¡°You were never stained.¡±


    Assisi was firm as he clenched his lips. He did not know what to say to those reddened eyes. At that moment, Caitel smiled. It was a weak smile that he¡¯d never seen before, but it soon disappeared.


    ¡°I shall grant your request.¡±


    A stern voice ordered him.


    ¡°You shall be appointed as Princess Ariadna¡¯s royal knight.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even thank him. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d really ept my request.


    Assisi bit his lips with overwhelming emotion.


    ¡°But you are still my lord.¡±


    Caitelughed with a broad smile that was different from the one before. It was a refreshing, bright smile.


    ¡°What an honor.¡±


    ArcaI


    The weather was clear on July 1, Hardeiun 511.


    Serira was too soft on the princess! She should be stricter.


    Today, the princess ate pudding and chocte cake as a snack. It¡¯s a special snack that the chef made, but I still worry about her calorie intake.


    What if she gained weight?


    ¡­ but even if she did gain some weight, my princess would still be pretty.


    Somehow, the princess seemed like she loved ying tricks these days, but I guess I was just seeing things. Actually, there¡¯s a reason why I wrote this down¡­


    Today was the first time the princess went into my arms. Oh my, how small and warm a child was. Oh, I felt like I wanted to show her off somewhere.


    Oh, my princess was so cute.


    -Excerpts from a royal court maid¡¯s diary.-

 Chapter 155 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 155

    <strong>Chapter 155: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 155</strong>


    Hey, follow me!


    It¡¯s been four years since Assisi became my guardian knight.


    My age at the moment was seven years old. Oh, I was getting old too.


    My body was seven years old, but my mind was already thirty. I¡¯m 30! It was such a shock.


    Graecito was already nine years old when his birthday hit, and the twins, who were once babies, were now old enough to talk and run. I felt like my life was being threatened, haha.


    Seven. Yeah, I was seven, but just because I was seven didn¡¯t mean anything changed. Still, my life was in the dark, lost in the darkness.


    Well, there were a few differences and developments in my life¡­


    Now I could swear well, and I could swear in the Agrigentnguage, and I could learn how to scold and sneer?


    ¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but cry after listing all these things I could supposedly do.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any hope.¡±


    My poor life¡­


    It¡¯s okay, though. There¡¯s still hope! Yeah, I couldn¡¯t see it, but it must be somewhere!


    ¡­ Right?


    I felt that my hopes were gone. I was screwed.


    I sat still while eating chocte as tears suddenly burst into my eyes, and Assisi, who was standing beside me, looked back at me with wonder.


    He looked at me to inquire if there are any issues with me, but I just smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Nevertheless, he still looked worried.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine, Assisi. This kind of ordeal is nothing.¡¯


    I at least felt like my life was not threatened to end anytime soon anymore. It was a miracle that I was still alive!


    ¡°No, let¡¯s think about it. There must be something better. Yes, there should be!¡±


    There couldn¡¯t be any! I¡¯d cry out of self-pity if I couldn¡¯t do anything for myself!


    I had been thinking about it for dear life, but¡­ There was only one thing that had gotten better, no matter how much I thought about it. I had be a master when it came to charming people in thest six years that I had been alive.


    ¡­ Should I just die again?


    Oh, no, there¡¯s another one.


    ¡°Betty, get me some more chocte.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    I had more maids now.


    Yeah, I had gotten a lot of people following me now! Every time I went anywhere, at least ten servants would follow me. Of course,pared to the people following Caitel, my followers were nothing.


    Above all, when Caitel moved, it almost felt like the entire pce would move along with him.


    However, I heard that there was an estimate which said that there were at least 40 people following him. I mean, what kind of life did previous emperors lived? Anyway, this was how the imperial family surprised people with the scale of how things were around them.


    Oh, the depth of the royal family suddenly gave me a headache.

 Chapter 156 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 156

    <strong>Chapter 156: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 156</strong>


    Now that I had thought about it, I suddenly felt a headache and grabbed my head. Assisi looked down at me with a worried look. However, without worrying about it, I hade up with a list of birthday gifts I had ever received from Caitel.


    The birthday gift I received when I was four was another garden that¡¯s almost as beautiful as the winter garden. The gift he gave me on my fifth birthday was a separate pce in Logrot, south of Agrigent. Last year, he gifted mend that nobleman had confiscated, and this year¡¯s birthday gift was¡­


    ¡°Are you okay, Princess?¡±


    No. It¡¯s just that I had be speechless of what my dad gifted me for my seventh birthday. It was still shocking and scary to think about now.


    Yeah, well, the birthday present I got when I was seven was¡­


    It was the knightage.


    I was about to flip.


    Well, yeah, knights, good. Yeah, it¡¯s not like I hated it.


    However, the problem was the fact that he had given me one of the four great Knights of Agrigent, that followed only the Emperor. What the hell!


    I would not have been so shocked and frightened if he had created a new Knights for me or took a regr private Knight from one of the nobles. If that were the case, then I wouldn¡¯t be so surprised. I had grown ustomed to that! However, what was I supposed to do if he handed a Knights of the Imperial Household to me! They had never served anyone else other than the Emperor throughout history, and they told me that it was okay for me to do whatever I wanted with them? I didn¡¯t know if he knew what it felt like to have the appalling grandfather bureaucrats ring at me whenever I went.


    He just gave full authority to a seven-year-old to use a knight unconditionally. For some reason, I could understand why other knights wanted to cry upon hearing this news.


    I wanted to cry, too.


    No, well, the gifts he had given me before had never been normal. They made that garden by destroying an entire pce just because I was always ying around the winter tree garden. The castle in Logrot was the Emperor¡¯s summer house, which was one of the most splendid pces in the continent. Thend that I receivedst year was and of milk and honey, coveted by all nobles.


    Still, knights¡­ This wasn¡¯t good!


    I thought I¡¯d get jewelry or dresses at best for my birthday. Wasn¡¯t that the usual things rich parents give to their children? I had to guess what I¡¯d get if I¡¯d had a lot of money. Other gifts were never subtle ones. Still, the ridiculousness of each gift was overshadowed by what he would give next year since Caitel¡¯s gifts were beyond the four dimensions.


    Nevertheless, this isn¡¯t a good thing!

 Chapter 157 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 157

    <strong>Chapter 157: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 157</strong>


    Every year, such an indescribable birthday gift would destroy my mind. At this point, there were rumors among the nobles that the king might someday give Agrigent to me as a birthday present.


    By this time, I was scared whenever my birthday drew near. I didn¡¯t even know what I would get any more! I¡¯d rather have the jewels I got on my second birthday or the rabbit he gave me when I was three years old.


    ¡°Oh,e to think of it, where¡¯s this pig? I brought him out for a walk, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    I looked around in a hurry to find Pibbit, but I couldn¡¯t see the big guy who loved to show off his strong presence.


    Where the hell did that pig go?


    Then Elene, who was brushing my hair beside me, replied.


    ¡°Oh, he looked at Tosil and followed her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that rabbit!¡±


    The nerve of it to leave its master alone and go after its wife?!


    Tosil was Pibbit¡¯s wife, and unlike our Pibbit, she was a typical rabbit with big ears and cute ears. When Pibbit was old enough to marry, Ferdel brought a rabbit. Once they saw each other, they fell in love and became parents to four sons and three daughters.


    I suppose so, but¡­ Someone should exin why their children all resembled Pibbit. Exin why they did not look anything like Tosil, but only like Pibbit! Was it a gic mystery? Huh? What kind of hereditary disaster happened here?


    ¡°Lia, stop frowning. Your knight is nervous!¡±


    However, my future was too dark!


    I had shown my protestations, but Elene shook her head firmly.


    However, she¡¯s unusually cold these days. When I was young, she said that I was one of a kind. She said that I was the cutest! I was not cute anymore because I was not a baby anymore, though! Since I¡¯m all grown up, she didn¡¯t need me anymore!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Since it¡¯s awkward for him to be the cause of our fight, he tried to dissuade us. I turned to Elene as soon as I heard him.


    ¡°Look, he says he¡¯s fine!¡±


    She was scolding me because she got nothing to say!


    However, Elene didn¡¯t back off even though Assisi said he was fine. She shook her head and ced her hands on her waist.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the knight every day? He always says it¡¯s okay even though it¡¯s not okay!¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s really okay!?¡±


    ¡°No! It can¡¯t really be okay!¡±


    The arrow shot Assisi.


    ¡°You¡¯re the same! You overindulge her too much, and because of that, she thinks everything¡¯s okay! Doing that ruins a child!


    A man was getting scolded at the age of 30.


    I wanted to give him the title of ¡°The dignified ck knight¡± as an epithet, but it would inevitably result in crushing the dreams and hopes of all the knights, right?

 Chapter 158 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 158

    <strong>Chapter 158: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 158</strong>


    Assisi just smiled in disarray, directing his gaze away from Elene¡¯s nagging. Elene didn¡¯t stop bbing about me, although Assisi was already looking elsewhere.


    She really thought that I was a sitting duck. A duck!


    ¡°You can¡¯t just treat children so tough like the Emperor does, but you, sir, spoil her too much! That¡¯s why the princess is so maniptive. Why do you let her hold your leash? You¡¯re Ria¡¯s guardian for crying out loud!¡±


    The mountains were steep, and the water was tranquil.


    Was this the same Elene who was afraid of Assisi and couldn¡¯t even speak, let alone stand beside him, and avoided him every day three years ago? Really?


    I felt a little strange. Oh, humans were such adaptable creatures, after all.


    Suddenly, I recalled Assisi¡¯s first day as my guardian knight.


    ¡­ The adaptability of human beings far exceeded that of cockroaches.


    People used to avoid and called him a dark knight. They saw him as a grim ripper from hell. They were all worried about me. However, now, it felt like they were entirely different people. Now, they would flip their me and say that I was the one who yed around with Assisi. They would advise him that he shouldn¡¯t let me hold his leash.


    ¡°You¡¯re to me too, princess! Do you think Assisi is your pet? Although he always chased you like a lost child and although he thinks that you¡¯re a spineless person and although he listens to every word you say, he is still your guardian knight!¡±


    Oh, now she¡¯s saying that he¡¯s my pet!?


    Although Assisi timidly rebutted her by saying, ¡°I don¡¯t follow all hermands,¡± his ant-like voice died down quickly after seeing Elene¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®Assisi, if you would back down, then what¡¯s the point of doing it?


    At that moment, I heard the voice of an angel. Was this a sign of God?


    ¡°Elene, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Elene, who was about to start her second verse with a high-stakes attitude, immediately softened her expression. Both Assisi and I brightened at that moment.


    Serira! That¡¯s my mom.


    Serira smiled brightly and put my snack on the table that she brought from the kitchen. I got up at once and ran to Serira and gave her a big hug. Mom!


    ¡°Serira, you are too soft to the princess too!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re soft to her, too, Elene.¡±


    That gospel defeated Elene on the spot.


    Oh, was she really human? Perhaps she¡¯s an angel? Was she an angel?


    Elene still looked unhappy, but I was even happier.

 Chapter 159 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 159

    <h4>Chapter 159: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 159</h4>


    ¡°Oh, where are the twin lords?¡±


    The twin lords were Ferdel¡¯s sons who were visiting the pce every day. Once I was away from Serira, I looked around myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They must have gone out to explore the garden again.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s already snack time.¡±


    Serira showed a worried look. I pulled Assisi¡¯s sleeve without uttering a word. Then I spoke to Serira.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and find them!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait until you return, then.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Assisi!¡±


    Somehow, behind me, I thought I heard, ¡°Lady Serira is so awesome! It seemed to me that you treated the princess so well!¡± I was not sure, though. I guess it was just because of my gloomy mood.


    The warm sunshine weed me as soon as I got out of the pavilion of the garden that¡¯s luxuriously built to make it seem like it would go on endlessly. I stopped walking because the sunlight settled for a moment, and I was briefly fascinated by the scenery that came into my eyes.


    The white trees, colorful flowers, flying butterflies, and birds all looked like images straight out of a picture book. It was not as beautiful as the winter tree garden, but what I was seeing was just as impressive.


    This is Illestri garden.


    It¡¯s a ce I called a shared garden, and it was a birthday gift I got from Caitel when I was four years old. For this garden to b made possible, the king removed a portion of the area where the harem stood along with the Winter tree garden, so he was criticized for damaging national cultural assets. Moreover, it was named after me as a special garden made especially for my own, exclusive use. Thus, whenever I remembered the name of the garden, I would get very embarrassed.


    Well, in fact, I used to chill at the winter tree garden because of the winter tree, but my father seemed to think that I liked the garden itself. In fact, when I tried to make a joke out of it, he tried to dig the winter tree and move its roots. Thus, his insanity frightened me and prompted him to stop. Ha, anyway, I couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    Anyway, this garden was more extensive than I thought since it was not based on my scale, but it was arranged on the level of the royal family. It¡¯s hard to look around even if I¡¯d run all day. If one yed hide-and-seek here, it would take about four hours for them to find the tagger. Still, I liked the fact that no one coulde inside since it was my personal garden. It saddened me a bit that I couldn¡¯t see La anymore while I took a walk.


    Anyway, where did the twins go?


    ¡°Assisi, where shall we go first?¡±


    Assisi looked back at me upon hearing my question. Why? Was there something on my face?


    ¡°If it¡¯s too much for you, then I¡¯ll find them myself.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine!¡±


    I said I¡¯de out to look for them in the first ce.


    Standing beside Assisi with a grin, he stared down at me.

 Chapter 160

    <h4>Chapter 160: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 160</h4>


    Now, I was pretty tall, but I didn¡¯t feel like I was growing up at all because there were only very tall men around me. I think I would be a tramp like this forever.


    ¡°They are probably on the hill.¡±


    ¡°You think so too?¡±


    Well, it was apparent where those little troublemakers would go.


    I nodded in agreement, and Assisi looked down at me again. I grinned and grabbed his sleeve.


    Let¡¯s go to the hills, the hills!


    ¡°Assisi, you¡¯re not guarding my door up all night these days, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I had thrown anything at the top of the agenda to change the topic, but Assisi¡¯s response was not what I expected. I nced back at Assisi.


    Assisi avoided my eyes.


    What was he doing?


    It was as if I unexpectedly caught a gigantic fish. ¡®Oh, don¡¯t tell me you are doing it.¡¯ However, my suspicions grew deeper since Assisi kept avoiding my gaze.


    ¡®Well, you know, this is ridiculous, but...¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still guarding my door.¡±


    For real!?


    Seriously, really? Up until now? I guessed my gaze, along with the silent words I utter, was unbearable. Assisi kept avoiding my gaze. Look at him. That was when a little voice slipped in.


    ¡°Only sometimes.¡±


    Sometimes what?


    ¡°Only sometimes, when I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop doing that!¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t do that even if you can sleep or not! You¡¯re not my puppy! Stop guarding the door like a puppy and stop staying up all night before my door!¡¯


    My voice made Assisi shy as he avoided my gaze. ¡®Hey, you bastard!¡¯


    I heaved a sigh. I was so embarrassed. Seriously. However, this had humored me. I had been telling this guy to stop his antics. I had been scolding him. I even intimidated and threatened him, so I thought he¡¯s doing better now. I guessed we were back on square one.


    ¡®You¡¯re the shape memory alloy! Are you some kind of new material?¡¯


    ¡°But Princess, It¡¯s okay. I like it, and I want to do it.¡±


    ¡®... Don¡¯t say that with such a proud look, will you? It¡¯s crazy when you do things that someone like you wouldn¡¯t do. Don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s right or wrong. Oh, my head.¡¯


    ¡°Really! Stop doing that! You are not even listening to me, are you?¡±


    ¡°I always listen to what the princess says.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you listen, but you never act upon them! Are you sure you are my guardian knight?¡±


    ¡°I will disobey you to protect you.¡±


    ¡®Oh, wow. Look at this dude.¡¯

 Chapter 161

    <h4>Chapter 161: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 161</h4>


    ¡°Oh, so you are saying that mymands are meaningless?¡±


    ¡°I always listen to yourmands.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I felt like I was talking to a wall.


    This man was basically saying that he would not obey mymands!


    My guardian knight actively ignored me!


    My chief maid actively ignored me too!


    What the hell even was my life!?


    ¡°Princess has nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°But, I do worry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°What if I¡¯m not okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    No, I was not okay! I was not! It¡¯s not just him!


    So this was how it felt like to fume from feeling such profound frustrations. I really liked Assisi, but sometimes, I really wanted to wallop him. I would rather y with Dranste. He just didn¡¯t listen to me.


    Well, I was in a position wherein so many people around me had a reason to be overprotective of me. Still, Assisi was the best out of all those people in this regard. Of course, both my father or Serria protected me even if I was in a bit of a precarious situation. Still, they didn¡¯t do as much as Assisi. He truly believed that if I fell out of my bed while sleeping, I could die.


    However, who¡¯s going to die because they fell out of their bed anyway?


    I didn¡¯t understand how the hell he managed to live through that bloody battlefield.


    Well, he was doing better now, though. I just remembered when Assisi first became my guardian knight. Back then, it was really...


    It was hard to describe. This man was so worried that I might die while eating my meal and worried that I might die from ying around with Graecito in the Garden. When I tried to sleep in bed with Caitel, he stood beside the bed with his eyes wide open the whole night. When I tried to read a book, he was worried that I might get a paper cut and die out of it. What on earth had he been doing to be this much of a paranoid? I seriously wanted to ask him. I felt like he would worry that I might die because the sky might fall.


    ¡­ Oh, geez. I actually thought he would worry about it.


    No! I should stop thinking about that!


    ¡°Okay, the mountain is a mountain, and the water is water. This is our life and how life flows to death.¡±


    We came into this world empty-handed, and we would leave it empty-handed...


    It seemed that I had be a believer in religion more than ever before in spite of my unintentional rebirth. Still, I guess this was just my mncholic feeling.

 Chapter 162

    <h4>Chapter 162: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 162</h4>


    Now that I was old enough and could do my own thing, Serira did not have to stay by my side all the time to take care of me. Thus, I now had more time with Assisi than with Serira. First of all, Assisi followed me wherever I went. Serira¡¯s job these days was to pack my clothes, tell me about my duties, or help me with my responsibilities.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Entering the restaurant with Assisi, Caitel already started eating his meal.


    Look at this father of mine? I didn¡¯t eat my meal when I was starving just so we could eat together! However, he could not wait for me just because he was hungry? This bastard.


    I sat beside Caitel with a gaze filled with anger, and Assisi sat in front of me. Then, as if waiting for us toe, the maids brought our dinner on our table.


    Wow, that looked delicious! Was today¡¯s dinner menu meat? Meat, meat!


    ¡°What¡¯s that dirt on your clothes?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s on it?¡±


    I looked down at my clothes when Caitel pointed at them, but there was nothing on it.


    What the hell was he looking at anyway? The clothes I was wearing were an ivory-colored dress. It only had a in pattern with some jewels for emphasis embroidered on the sleeve... wait... don¡¯t tell me?


    ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s just a decoration.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My father became speechless. Caitel turned his head and continued eating his meal. Hmm?


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    While I ate meat with a fork, I kept calling daddy, who stayed silent. He didn¡¯t turn his head at me or answered my call.


    ¡°Dad, are you embarrassed?¡±


    Right? Was that the case?


    I smiled and asked Caitel, and he turned his head, looking at me slightly. I smiled brightly.


    ¡°Come on, I know it all. Please be honest with me. Are you embarrassed? Is that it?¡±


    Dad turned his head the opposite way. It¡¯s really pitiful to see him eat in silence.


    ¡®You know what, daddy? Even though you do this, I¡¯m not gonna let this go easy.¡¯ As my he felt my strong will, Caitel, who was silently chewing meat, opened his mouth.


    ¡°The food is too salty. Has the head chef gone crazy?¡±


    ¡°Dad, are you embarrassed?¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s all right. I get it.¡¯


    Caitel red at me. It was a re filled with a murderous spirit. I was so surprised that I couldn¡¯t¡­ just kidding! I saw that expression of his all the time. I just smiled at him.


    Old people say that one couldn¡¯t spit on a smiling face. Dad knew that I didn¡¯t mean to do it, right? It was all because I liked him. This was something called a public disy of affection.


    Yes, it¡¯s an expression of love. Maybe.

 Chapter 163

    <h4>Chapter 163: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 163</h4>


    ¡°What did you do today?¡±


    Well, good question. What did I do today, anyway?


    ¡°I lived.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yes, I lived my life. I tried so hard.


    I had nothing else to say. Somehow, when I answered, I felt like both men looked at me with saddened eyes, but... I was sure. Maybe I was just mistaken. It must have been an illusion.


    ¡°I heard the twins came and went back home today.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    They did. I wanted to forget it, so I erased it out of my memory without even knowing it. I didn¡¯t think I would ever see anything nice with those twins.


    ¡°What did you do today, daddy? Did something interesting happen?¡±


    I guessed that I was a genius. I couldn¡¯t believe I knew how to switch topic this naturally. Ha, even I was surprised at my talent.


    Somehow, however, Caitel¡¯s response to my question was unusual. He dropped the spoon that he was using gently and turned his eyes to another direction. That was when I realized that my question must have touched the wrong spot.


    ¡°Just¡­ I almost executed the envoy of Ansif and burned the documents from Pretzia?¡±


    ¡°... what happened today?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think this day was just a typical ¡®bad day.¡¯


    When my face distorted, Caitel, who was staring me down, smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. At least it¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Did that mean I shouldn¡¯t care, or did he wanted me to care about it? Even if I looked at him, he gave no further exnation.


    Well, I see.


    When I stared at him with a spoon in my mouth, he looked back at me as if he was imploring me upon the purpose of my gaze towards him. Both of us had been facing each other for a long time.


    Suddenly, my dad smiled and reached out to me. He then stroked my hair just like that. ¡®Hey, dad, everything¡¯s alright, but could you please give pat me gently? You¡¯re making my hair look like dog fur.


    However, no one ever listened to me. This man just ignored my voicepletely. I thought that my words were really appetizing, though, damn it.


    ¡°I want this!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡±


    Yes. I knew that it¡¯s yours. I was trying to eat it because it¡¯s yours.


    I grinned as I grabbed the te in front of Caitel.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t give it to me?¡±


    ¡®When I¡¯m this cute?¡¯


    As I stared at him while smiling, he looked at me and handed me his te.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    That¡¯s right. You should just give up like this, Your Majesty. Yay!

 Chapter 164

    <h4>Chapter 164: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter</h4>


    I ate the seafood on his bowl as Caitel looked at me. What was he looking at?


    "Does it taste good?"


    "Yes!"


    They were delicious. Why would I take it from this man if it wasn''t good?


    However, it tasted better than anything else because it was Caitel''s food. Oh, I didn''t expect this day toe to me. Thinking of how I got treated as a child, I felt like I would cry all of a sudden, but I was okay.


    Yes, I had be strong!


    Caitel seemed like he finished his meal. He stared at me, leaning his chin on his hand. When I finished my meal with a pleased expression, I felt like his pathetic nce was flying to me, but... they were so delicious!


    "You''ll be a pig one day."


    How could he say that!?


    Anyway, Caitel was the kind of person who would get in trouble with that mouth one day. How could God make a person so annoying, so crazy, and so absurd? I felt sad that such a man was my father.


    However, I didn''t feel distressed since I kept getting delicious food. I was sad that I was now used to this.


    "It''s all right!"


    "Why do you mean ''all right''? You can''t marry if you''re a pig."


    "That''s fine, though!"


    "But why?"


    This was not the first or second day that I heard these such things from him. "You look like a pig" is a basic, "you are ugly" is the daily bread. To be honest, I didn''t really care anymore. I was not even worried about my personality. It''s already bad enough, sob sob. Still, I would have to answer because he kept asking questions.


    Here, take it, my charm!


    "Because I''m going to marry daddy when I grow up!"


    "That''s illegal."


    Bastard! Did he think that I didn''t know that? Did he believe that his daughter was such a fool? Come to think of it, dad would assume that I was a fool. Oh, me, foolish Ria.


    "Illegal?"


    "Yes, it''s prohibited byw. You can''t be my daughter if you want to marry me."


    I blinked for a moment after hearing Caitel''s words. Then, I shed a big smile.


    "Well, then I''m not going to marry daddy."


    Then, I finished eating the dishes in front of me. Somehow Caitel made an impression on his face. His confusion was obviously covering his face as if he was thinking, "Huh? That''s not what I meant!" Kekeke.


    I guessed it was good to know, though. Caitel pushed his food in front of me for some reason.


    "Yes, there''s nothing good about marrying a man like me. Just go ahead, eat this."


    I would eat it since he gave it to me, but somehow, dad''s voice was a bit, just a tiny a bit...


    Oh, if he acted like that, then I didn''t even want to curse him. I thought that I said something wrong, so when I held a spoon in my mouth and stared at him, heughed before stroking my hair. No, I didn''t want that.


    "Why is there nothing good about marrying dad?"


    "Because there is none."


    "No, there''s one thing!"


    Whoever was the woman fortunate enough to marry my dad would get a beautiful daughter like me for free!


    ... It was just a joke. Of course, the best side of marrying him was that they''d have a good-looking man as a husband. Now that I had thought of it, he''s over 30. However, my father did not seem to age at all like Assisi.


    ''Dad, are you not getting old? People say wealthy people would crave more riches. You are beautiful already, and you also want to look perpetually young? Ha, this murky world.''

 Chapter 165 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 165

    <h4>Chapter 165: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 165</h4>


    Well, it might be because I saw him every day, but he certainly hadn¡¯t changed at allpared to when I was just born. Still, would it really be possible to conquer the world with beauty alone? It was just that the dark, oppressive atmosphere, which felt like it would pressurize my stomach or an atmosphere that could set my tummy ame, was slightly more moderate. Was he saying that he was mature? Was he really not getting old? Howe he didn¡¯t have any creases on his face?


    ¡°Are you done watching?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I wasn¡¯t doing that.¡±


    ¡®Come on, stop bullying me just because I was looking for wrinkles on your face, Dad.¡¯


    I grabbed a spoon to eat before Caitel asked.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Tell what?¡±


    ¡°What was that one good reason to marry me?¡±


    Oh, that.


    It wasn¡¯t really a big deal, to be honest. I answered right away.


    ¡°She will be Empress!¡±


    It was also the Empress of the Grand Agrient Empire. To conquer Prezia and be the hostess of a vast empire that devoured a third of the central continent. What other better benefit was there other than her being an Empress?


    However, dad¡¯s expression got darker upon hearing my answer. Did I say something wrong?


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    Caitel then twisted his mouth.


    ¡°There were quite a few butterflies who threw themselves at me for it.¡±


    I had a bitter taste in my mouth. Of course, some women loved Caitel, but some women tried to seduce him to be Empress. I should have not answered that question.


    The restaurant¡¯s mood died down in an instant. Even Assisi continued his meal with a glum expression¡­ Yes. I was a criminal. I was a bad girl.


    ¡°Dad, can I tell you something funny?¡±


    I want to get rid of this oppressive atmosphere. Fortunately, Caitel nodded. Perhaps he was thinking of how he could mend this vibe too.


    ¡°Try it.¡±


    ¡°Some boy told his dad that he¡¯s hungry. Guess what the boy¡¯s dad said?¡±


    No one in this world knew the answer, so it seemed like they were all equally clueless. Even Assisi was wondering about it. I then spoke ahead of them.


    ¡°Hello, Hungry. I¡¯m Dad.¡±


    In an instant, Caitel¡¯s expression hardened. It was the same for Assisi too. I wasughing so hard that both of them stared at me. Oh, my God!


    I was excited to tell them all the dad jokes I knew, but at that moment, Caitel took a deep breath and spoke just a word at me.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­ but it¡¯s funny, though¡­

 Chapter 166

    <h4>Chapter 166: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 166</h4>


    It happened the year when I was three years old, nearing four.


    When the conquest of Pretzia ended, Caitel did not start other wars. When the warmongering emperor ceased his campaign, all neighboring countries which were shivering in fear happily shouted, ¡°hooray!¡±


    Well, that¡¯s what I would have done, too. Maybe I¡¯d add something to it and made it an annual holiday. Saying, ¡°this is a day to celebrate.¡±


    Anyway, unlike neighboring countries that were formerly a tragic sight to behold, the responses of our country¡¯s nobility had been consistent. Six months was the limit, and once the king felt even a twinge of boredom, then he would seek the stench of death again. Tsk tsk tsk, did they really believe that?


    ¡­ it¡¯s not apletely false statement, but you know¡­


    That was already four years ago. Unlike the beginning of our peaceful years, all kinds of spections were on everyone¡¯s lips that the emperor might have finallye to his senses. They were talking about how, perhaps, having a daughter had finally awakened the essence of humanity within him. It¡¯s all bullshit, of course.


    Oh, who said my dad was human? My father was a madman!


    ¡°Assisi, do you know the reason why he quit the war?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because the princess was born?¡±


    ¡­ No, I couldn¡¯t believe that at all.


    How could that lunatic quit his thirst for war just because of me? It was absolutely ridiculous.


    As I drew my face quiveringly, Assisi questioned my reaction. I didn¡¯t think that it was right, but I couldn¡¯t say this to the naive Assisi. Somehow from the moment I first met Assisi, he had viewed me as his very beloved and innocent daughter. How did hee to such an enormous illusion?


    Everything¡­


    ¡­ That I had done to live¡­


    ¡­ Was because of my¡­


    ¡­My tearful efforts!


    Assisi should get that on his head!


    Well, Assisi didn¡¯t know that my father choked my neck the moment he saw me. This was a very thoughtful way of saying that he was trying to kill me. I remembered that my childhood was like walking on thin ice. If it wasn¡¯t me, then anyone would have died. Go, me!


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Oh, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are your legs not hurting?¡±


    I looked back at Assisi.


    ¡°Assisi, are you aware that you¡¯re asking that every five seconds?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Assisi became silent. He looked embarrassed. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the way he looked away from my eyes.


    It was effortless to know Assisi well. How could I be so clear-cut? Unlike anyone else, I could see through him so clearly, and ironically, that was the problem. What should I do with such a pure man?

 Chapter 167

    <h4>Chapter 167: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 167</h4>


    Oh, fine, I¡¯ll be generous. Hey,


    ¡°Hold me, Assisi!¡±


    I looked up at him with my arms wide open, and Assisi held me in his arms as if he was waiting for this moment.


    Oh, I felt sofortable. I remembered that I was always in someone¡¯s arms when I was younger, so this was the mostfortable pose for me. Yeah, I was still young, so I could do this. I could only do this while I was still young and small, though, right?


    ¡°But Assisi, am I not heavy?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    He looked sofortable that I doubted it more.


    ¡®Look, Assisi, it was not like I don¡¯t trust you, but you always say it¡¯s all good.¡¯


    Besides, Caitel said that I was heavy whenever he held me. He said, ¡°If you¡¯re this heavy already, then how else could I hold you tomorrow?¡± I don¡¯t know!


    ¡°But seriously, you¡¯re as light as a feather, princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is there a 20-kilogram feather?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was kidding. He didn¡¯t have to take it that seriously. It made me feel sorry to see him be upset without saying anything.


    Ugh, I was getting a little guilty, but Assisi¡¯s reaction was so funny. The more he reacted, the more I wanted to be silly. It¡¯s an inevitable instinct!


    ¡°But is it okay to go to Pother Pce like this? Dad doesn¡¯t really like meing to the pce when there¡¯s a meeting.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty has ordered you toe, so It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    This was not the first time Ferdel lied to me.


    I had a look of doubt on my face. Assisi stared at me with a puzzled expression, but I just shrugged. It¡¯s nothing, for I can¡¯t let you know about this dirty world. Your purity must be preserved!


    ¡°The grand meeting is underway, so it would be appreciated if his highness could wait a moment.¡±


    The soldier stood in the way for a moment in front of the conference hall. I didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d stop me although I decided to walk in. I just smiled at him for letting me know what is happening inside. The soldier loved my smile.


    I really was a sinful woman, indeed.


    ¡°Y, your Majesty!¡±


    Someone¡¯s cry came over the thick door.


    Oh no, was my father going berserk again?


    I got a little nervous. Well, in fact, in thest few years, Agrigent was simply at peace since Caitel no longer had his interest in warfare. It was peace devoid of the crimes of war.


    ¡­ Except for one ce.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me once! If you give me one more chance, then I¡¯ll solve this problem, Your Majesty!¡±

 Chapter 168 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 168

    <h4>Chapter 168: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 168</h4>


    Oh, someone was being dragged out again without mercy.


    Yes, the whole area of Agrigent was peaceful, but there was one ce where screams never stopped, so it¡¯s the political center of Agrigent! It was the Pce of Pother in Sy.


    Also known as the ce where my dad works.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Assisi, someone else must have been fired again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it looks like.¡±


    Even Assisi sighed deeply. Yeah, well, even if one would think about it, that crazy guy wouldn¡¯t really have an answer, didn¡¯t he? I agree.


    Over the past few years, the band had earned its newfound notoriety. No one was safe from the servant to the first lord. Anyway, look at who the tyrant might be. No matter how powerful the emperor is, I learned that the emperor cannot fire his vassals who are both nobles and wealthy, but the appointments of key government officials changed every day. The government of Agrigent was suffering from an untimely shortage of talent because Caitel was just letting them all go.


    In the old days, it was shocking for well-dressed, fat lieutenants to be dragged out, but now it¡¯s not surprising to see these ur. Ha, where was my life heading? I was reincarnated, faced with new experiences.


    ¡°Assisi, let¡¯s just go in.¡±


    ¡°¡­ are you all right?¡±


    Assisi looked down on me with a worried look.


    What¡¯s all right? Of course, it can¡¯t be all right.


    This was why Assisi felt the need to be worried. The way Caitel treated his vassals was not very enriching. Still, it¡¯s not like my father would do this on a daily basis.


    Sure enough, it was really amazing inside. I was d that my dad was not wearing his sword. Instead, I was looking at the way his legs crossed as he sat on his throne. Meanwhile, the lieutenant was kneeling under his feet, begging for his life. Ferdel was ignoring everything while drinking his tea. I want to drink tea, too.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if you give me one more chance, I will do everything I do with sincerity. Your Majesty, please!¡±


    That guy wasn¡¯t fired yet, but he was on the verge of copse. I stopped at the entrance quietly and examined the situation. Dad looks down at him with a cool look, and there was a deep sneer on his lips.


    That man was mistaken.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    If it were me, then I would have given him one more chance, but dad, unlike me, was extraordinary.


    ¡°Then kneel and crawl.¡±


    What¡¯s this all of a sudden? As I opened my eyes wide, Caitel smiled amiably.


    ¡°I said crawl in front of me. Why should I give you a chance if you have no sincerity?¡±


    Ah¡­ t, that¡¯s the deep and profound meaning behind it, I suppose.

 Chapter 169

    <h4>Chapter 169: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 169</h4>


    The atmosphere in the conference room became chilly, and instead of asking for another chance, he just stiffened his mouth.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you, mister.¡¯


    ¡°Drag him.¡±


    The guards, who had been waiting for an order, hauled him out.


    I bet all my birthday gifts that he was never treated like this since he was born a nobleman!


    ¡°Assisi, I don¡¯t think my dad¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I think so too.¡±


    Oh, that crazy guy.


    I shouldn¡¯t go crazy like that. I will get mad in a beautiful way.


    When I was about to make a new resolution, Ferdel, who was drinking tea alone, got up from his seat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish the meeting. Please send the rest of the payment to the Chancellor¡¯s residence.¡±


    He then immediately looked back at me with a smile. The shaking of his hands suddenly aroused a great deal of skepticism.


    ¡­ Who the hell was my father now?


    ¡°Who told you toe in before the meeting was over?¡±


    ¡°Should I leave then?¡±


    Should I leave? Leave?


    I meant, I¡¯d love to get out.


    Caitel stretched his hands to me without a word. What?


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Did I refuse too much? It was time for the blood vessels to pop out of Caitel¡¯s forehead, so I immediately changed my expression andughed brightly.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Oh, my liver had swollentely. I was in trouble because I was having too much fun making fun of Caitel. However, given the way he cared about his daughter, he seemed to have be human, as Ferdel said.


    At that moment, Caitel hugged me and suddenlyined.


    ¡°You¡¯re heavy.¡±


    ¡­ Did he really have to say that?


    This bastard! I still don¡¯t weigh more than 20 kilograms. He couldn¡¯t say that I was heavy when he¡¯s three times heavier than me! I¡¯d kill him!


    However, if I get mad here, then I¡¯d lose.


    I smiled as bright as I could.


    ¡°Yes, Dad is ugly too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ferdel, who was approaching us from behind, burst outughing. Iughed brightly as I saw the expression on Caitel¡¯s face.


    He wouldn¡¯t hit me, right? However, if I kept talking like this, then I think he would hit me. I quickly fell out of my father¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    I would use Assisi as a shield. Assisi,e here!


    In my voice, Assisi ran towards me. When I opened my hands, Assisi naturally held me in his arms.


    Hehe, it¡¯s a safe zone!


    I then looked back at my dad, relieved that I was safe, and I saw him with a frown on his face. What was he so unhappy about now?


    Ferdel put his hand on Caitel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°She said you¡¯re ugly.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    Next, Assisi covered my eyes, so I couldn¡¯t know what happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for you.¡±


    ¡­ I had been looking at it all my life, though.

 Chapter 170

    <h4>Chapter 170: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 170</h4>


    The lunch the four of us ate was unusually generouspared to the one at breakfast or at dinner.


    Was it because four people ate it, or was there any other reason? I didn¡¯t know, but I was happiest when I ate lunch during the day. I mean, how was it possible that Sy¡¯s chef¡¯s cooking skills improved in every passing hour? The more I ate, the more I could taste my mother¡¯s cooking.


    Maybe I should ask him to marry meter. I thought that if my husband could cook like this, then I could marry him without looking at his face. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity of eating such delicious food each day.


    Nom nom, I was enjoying my meal, and Ferdel was staring at me. He even forgot to eat his own meal. What, did I look good while I was eating all these? However, I often heard that I gave off a certain positive feeling whenever I ate. I understood his feelings.


    ¡°My Princess Ria, what did you do this morning?¡±


    Well, indeed, what a good question. What did I do?


    ¡°I studied!¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so reliable.¡±


    Yes, I was reliable. I poked my sd with a fork before nodding, and Ferdelughed once more. What? What¡¯s up with that happy smile. Beside him, my father was eating silently, not interested in what we were doing at all. Meanwhile, Ferdel¡¯s eyes were twinkling as he asked me about how my day went. Why did it feel like he was more of a father than my dad, man?


    ¡°Now, what are you going to do in the afternoon?¡±


    What would I do?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to y with Assisi!¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m so jealous of you.¡±


    Ferdel looked genuinely envious. What was he so jealous of, anyway?


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t understand. When I was a baby, we used to look at each other¡¯s faces from time to time, but now, I¡¯m out of touch with the office, so we can only see each other in person at lunchtime. Besides, the fact that Ferdel¡¯s work had increased enormously contributed to the scarcity of our time together.


    Sob sob, what a poor bastard.


    ¡°Assisi, eat a lot! We are going to run around a lotter!¡±


    However, all of my attention had gone to Assisi. Thus, Assisi had to eat more since he had to y around with me a lot. Assisi smiled upon hearing my words. When he first became my guardian, smiling for him was just as awkward as everything else he could do with me. However, now it¡¯s so natural for him to smile, and that seriously troubled me. His smile was just so pretty. What an angel! Sob sob.


    ¡°Princess, you should eat a lot too.¡±


    ¡°You are calling me a princess again.¡±


    I just told him to call me Ria. What¡¯s wrong with this guy?

 Chapter 171

    <h4>Chapter 171: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 171</h4>


    I didn¡¯t call Assisi as ¡®sir.¡¯ Instead, I was used to calling him using his name because I wanted to achieve a closer bond with him. However, I guessed Assisi still found it challenging to get chummy with me, although we were always together. It¡¯s not ufortable, but if he¡¯s awkward and clumsy, then it meant he felt troubled, right? Uh, no?


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Assisi?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    How could I help make this man more at ease with me? It was a question that lingered in my mind for a moment by the time I was four years old.


    I stopped eating and looked at Assisi instead as I rested my chin on his hand. Meanwhile, another hand protruding from aside disordered my hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother Assisi and finish your meal, daughter.¡±


    Hey, what was this guy talking about?


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m bothering him!?¡±


    This father of mine was turning his daughter into a nuisance!


    I looked at him in a fit of anger as my dad continued to mock me. Oh, this man really was the worst!


    ¡°Assisi, am I bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°See, he said no!¡±


    Although Assisi said that I was not bothering him, Caitel looked at him for a while before showing a mischievous-looking sneer.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s bothered, though.¡±


    ¡­ Excuse me?


    This was not the first time that I had the urge to punch my dad. I was holding my savagery deep within me because it would be too undutiful to my father. Maybe if I hit Caitel here, then I would suddenly see it on the front page of the monthly Agrigent. It¡¯ll be under a big headline that would say, ¡®Princess Liamitted mutiny!?¡¯


    ¡°I¡­ I envy you. How can the princess act so cute to you? Assisi, I envy you, I envy you. Princess, do it to me too!¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¡°Whyyyyy.¡±


    Ferdel interrupted us and got scolded for no reason. I felt like Caitel was especially hard on this guy, but it¡¯s probably just me. When Ferdel, whom I had dumped, showed a frustrated look on his face, Caitel smiled beside him. Assisi then breathed a deep sigh as he watched both of them.


    ¡­ What are these three doing now?


    ¡°You bastard, what poison have you given our princess? Our sweet princess is getting cold to me!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! It¡¯s all because of you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re loud. Get lost. Now!¡±


    Even if I was unsure if Ferdel and dad actually had a fight or not, I stillughed at both of them and had a leisurely lunch with Assisi, who was sitting beside me. As Ferdell watched us, he copsed with a sudden look of mncholy on his face.

 Chapter 172

    <h4>Chapter 172: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 172</h4>


    ¡°Assisi, would you like to change seats with me? I always have a paper fight with stupid people. Sob sob, I want to be also a princess knight. Sob sob, princess, I want to be your knight too!¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to use a sword, Ferdel?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    What was this guy doing? He couldn¡¯t even use a sword, and he wanted to be a knight? Was he kidding me? Ferdel asked me if he couldn¡¯t see my hardened face with his spoon in his mouth.


    ¡°Princess Ria, do you like Assisi better? Or do you like me better?¡±


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    You don¡¯t have to ask those obvious questions.


    Even if Ferdel was against Assisi.


    However, he was visibly disappointed in my answer as if he had some kind of expectations. And then he says, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I like Assisi too.¡± ¡­Hey, you are a bit scary.


    ¡°Then, do you like Caitel, or do you like me better?¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    If Caitel had not been here, then I might have had a different answer. However, since he was here, then my response was, of course, my father.


    When would I get my score for that one?


    When he heard my answer, he had grown even more frustrated. It was a totally different reaction from the one he had before. It¡¯s like, ¡°I¡¯m behind him, that¡¯s ridiculous!¡± I think it¡¯s wrong, but I guess it¡¯s just my feeling.


    On the other hand, Caitel seemed to be taking it for granted. Come on.


    ¡°Well, what about Caitel, and Assisi? Which one do you like more?¡±


    ¡­ Is this some kind of test? Like one of those ¡°Which one do you like more, your mom or your dad?¡±


    If one said that they liked their mom more, then it would make one of them sad. If one said that they liked their dad more, then it would also make the other one unhappy. If one said that they like both, then it would create a warm atmosphere, but it¡¯s still one of the four significant challenges that exist in any world. I would have hesitated to answer it if they asked this question to me before, but now there was not an ounce of regret in what I was about to say.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    By the time I said those words, joy had spread on Ferdel¡¯s face.


    He wanted this so much, didn¡¯t he?


    At a time when Caitel alone turned into something crushed, I was in a dilemma, for I could not describe if what happened was ¡°good¡± but ¡°genuine.¡± It¡¯s okay. I guessed that I could understand his feelings.


    ¡°Cheer up, daddy.¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna die?¡±


    Anyways, he always gets punched while making fun of him.

 Chapter 173

    <h4>Chapter 173: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 173</h4>


    Other than Ferdel, who was hit with no reason, my attention was focused on the dessert that the maids served at the end of the meal. Caitel¡¯s mealtime was incredibly short. Unsweet fruits and bitter taste tea. but I was not quite sure about the name of the meal we ate earlier. On the other hand, the dessert that came for me was splendor itself. A chocte sponge with sweet apricot jam coated with chocte with a sugar decoration on top! My drink was also raw fruit juice made out of apricot.


    It looked delicious!


    ¡°Wow, the princess¡¯ dessert looks really fancy.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    I thought that I was lucky to be born as a princess in this situation. I wasn¡¯t really sure what I felt as I ate it, but¡­


    Just move on.


    Ferdel¡¯s dessert, which looked like a small castle, looked like a real dessert. As expected, desserts were best when they served fancily!


    ¡°Assisi, do you want some?¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Ria. You can have it.¡±


    ¡°But, I am eating it.¡±


    Like Caitel, Assisi didn¡¯t really like sweets very much. However, unlike Caitel, I had this feeling I wanted to feed my cake to him, and it continued to rouse within me. I don¡¯t know why, but I wanted to make him taste it! What could I do to with my heart? Howe he wouldn¡¯t want a delicacy like this? It¡¯s so delicious! Poor Assisi, who doesn¡¯t know the excellence of chocte!


    ¡°Assisi, try this. This is really good.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Come on, try it. Huh?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t like it because it¡¯s sweet, but I still gave it to them. He looked so cute. While I was looking at Assisi with a smile filled with satisfaction after feeding him, Ferdel sobbed with wistfulness face.


    ¡°I can eat well too¡­¡±


    You should just eat your own dessert. And stop coveting mine.


    Meanwhile, Assisi kept coughing in vain. Do you have something ufortable?


    What was it? What does he want?


    Well, I didn¡¯t really care. Regardless, Assisi opened his mouth with a distressed look on his face as if he was being fed like a baby bird.


    ¡°Princess Ria.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Why, what¡¯s the problem?


    Assisi looked aside instead of speaking, but I tilted my head as if I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Um, I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Assisi was dying because I pretended not knowing. When I saw Assisi, I enjoy his gloomy face inside. However, the sound of Caitel putting down the teacup on the table rang out loud.


    What a surprise! What¡¯s wrong with my dad all of a sudden?

 Chapter 174

    <h4>Chapter 174: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 174</h4>


    Come to think of it, Caitel seemed somehow incredibly ufortable.


    Is it jealousy? Oh,e on. How could my father do such a thing? Right?


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    While I was thinking about how upset he was, Caitel¡¯s voice rang low.


    What is it, dad?


    Initially, the tone of his voice was rather low, but now, his voice sounded really eerie low. I thought I did something wrong. Like me, Assisi shuddered and shook.


    I red at my father upon observing it. Hey, why was he persecuting my Assisi!?


    ¡°Ask the secretary-general about the schedule for this visit. I heard about it, but I think I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Maje¡­¡±


    Huh? Why did that sound a bit strange?


    I interrupted them before Assisi disappeared by saying, ¡°yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Papa, that¡¯s a job you should give to your maids. Not Assisi. Am I right, chancellor?¡±


    Upon seeing my eyes, Ferdel opened into a broad circr shape as if he was surprised while drinking tea. Come on. You should just agree with me. Quickly!


    As I opened my eyes sharply, Ferdel nodded with a puzzled look.


    ¡°Oh, huh? Oh, yes, it is. Of course, you have a maid to do it instead.¡±


    Look, what I did was a justified thing, right? With a smile of triumph, I directed my eyes to the maid who was standing beside me.


    ¡°Come on, you heard us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s gaze now looked like a prickling thorn. With a frown, he didn¡¯t even touch the fruit and directly looking at me with a murderous aura. I smiled as if I didn¡¯t know anything.


    Hehe, I didn¡¯t know anything at all!


    What¡¯s the matter? This was the conventional way things happened in human civilization.


    Ferdel then giggling beside him. The sound of him dying from holding hisughter back too much was heartening. Of course, soon, my father would end up hitting him.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    It must have hurt.


    The sound of a fist hitting Ferdel¡¯s head was so prominent that I could even sense the pain he must have felt in my head. Ferdel must have felt pained, too, since he had those tears in his eyes. I know. Who would dare do that in front of the king, anyway?


    ¡°Hey, that hurts!¡±


    Although Ferdel was very eager to protest, Caitell remained silent.


    He just ignored them as hitting him make him feel better, and is absorbed in drinking tea and just focused his attention on the tea he was drinking. Ferdel fumed as if there was a wildfire on his head upon seeing this.


    Oh, this poor bastard, I truly sympathize with him. I know he could do it!


    ¡°My life is so miserable.¡±


    Yeah, not gonna lie, his life really sucks.


    I patted his shoulder with a knowing look, and Ferdel looked up at the stars, which were sparkling within my eyes. Oh, my mistake. ¡®Hey, I don¡¯t really mind this entire charade, but can you get rid of the sparkling eyes?¡¯ Although I stepped back and stood beside Assisi, Ferdel¡¯s eyes still glistened with madness. It was very scary.

 Chapter 175

    <h4>Chapter 175: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 175</h4>


    ¡°By the way, my princess is about to have a private tutor.¡±


    ¡°A private tutor?¡±


    I thought it was some kind of joke, but Caitel reacted.


    ¡°Surely. Has it alreadye to that time?¡±


    Did that mean I have to start my studies soon? Was that the case?


    Suddenly, I had a nightmare about the Hangul, English, Maths, Science, and History, but as far as I know, the royal family did not go to school. Did I have to? However, if I had a personal tutor, then would I be taking sses in the pce? It might be natural for high-ranking nobles and royal family members, but it was a bit of a novelty for me, who was not a born royal family. Wow, a governess! Not just a tutor, but a governess!


    ¡°In that way, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Who should I pick?¡±


    Hey, I think Ferdel just said something¡­ However, what my dad said immediately buried Ferdel¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Assisi, would you like to try?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t be able to teach the princess properly.¡±


    We¡¯ll y all the time, so that¡¯s alright.


    Anyway, neither of them seemed to hear Ferdel¡¯s voice. How many times had they ignored him? He waved his hands together and popped his head out, but both of them remained calm, treating him like an invisible man.


    ¡­ P-poor dude¡­


    ¡°Hey, guys, can¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    They were just ignoring him¡­ there was no way they could not hear him when he was talking right beside them.


    Ferdel seemed like he wanted to cry.


    ¡°No, I heard you.¡±


    I felt sorry that he kept getting ignored for no reason, so I told him that I heard him, but maybe I shouldn¡¯t have done it. Ferdel looked up at me with tearful eyes. Somehow, his eyes seemed like it was saying, ¡°My angel, oh, my Sunshine,¡± but I was probably seeing things.


    However, was I the only one who thought that I could read his mind? Was I mind-reader now?


    ¡°But Ferdel is busy with his chancellor works.¡±


    ¡°Then, I can retire from being a Chancellor!¡±


    I could not believe what the Chancellor of a Country was saying.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    At that moment, the screams of Ferdel reverberated.


    I thought that he deserved this. Caitel beat him one more time. Yeah, who else would sit still when their employees announced that they would not do their task even if they were not a tyrant like Caitel. Anyway, Ferdel sat while grabbing his head.


    Tsk tsk, stupid.

 Chapter 176

    <h4>Chapter 176: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 176</h4>


    Unlike the time I spent in childhood when the only thing I had to do was to grow up, I was now subjected to more work.


    What this meant was... I was studying now.


    Ha, well, it¡¯s something I had to do someday anyway, but it indeed bothered me! I wanted to be four years old forever. As I wrote andmented, Ilyn looked at me. I then focused on studying the letters that I must learn. I was d I didn¡¯t take any more etiquette lessons.


    ¡°Princess, haven¡¯t you unpacked what you got for your birthday yet?¡±


    What were they talking about? I looked back, and I saw Ilyn shaking something.


    ... Was that all my birthday presents from myst birthday that was over half a year?


    I didn¡¯t know if she found them while cleaning or just carried them out, but I was sure they were my birthday presents. That was only a part of it, and the rest were stuck somewhere, rotting away. I then shrugged.


    ¡°I won¡¯t open them. Leave it.¡±


    ¡°Why? You have to check what you got.¡±


    Ilyn said, but I didn¡¯t feel like opening the present. I opened the gifts from people who were close to me or from the people I know. Therefore, the gifts that were stuck in a corner were ones from people who were not close to me. Most of them were given to me by high-ranking nobles, so I just put them in a corner and ignore them.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the same, anyway. I¡¯m toozy to open them.¡±


    One could open their presents if they wanted. I bet that most of the gifts would be dresses and jewelry. There was a small tiara in the box that Ilyn opened. Ilyn liked it, saying it was cute, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. I thought that it was because I saw those kinds of things every day.


    All other gifts would be the same anyway.


    What¡¯s happening in this country? Gifts that were sent for trickery couldn¡¯t be eradicated wherever one might go. I remembered Kim, who was the department head of the other world. Oh, no. I shook my head. Anyway, it¡¯s all the same no matter where they might havee from.


    I breathed a sigh for nothing, then suddenly, I frowned.


    However, when did I be such a person who looked down on dresses and jewelry? It was probably because I was so used to the scale of the imperial family. I once hesitated to use 10 dors, but now, a 5-carat diamond wouldn¡¯t impress me.


    I had loads of money!


    It was an unbelievable fact, but it was a reality.


    Well, I had a lot of money. I wasn¡¯t only wealthy, but I was already bombarded with jewels and dresses.


    I had be more than just prosperous!


    This was a reversal of life! No, it¡¯s the work of reincarnation!

 Chapter 177

    <h4>Chapter 177: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 177</h4>


    Now that I hade to think about it, this was the life I had always dreamed of, but when it became a reality, it was just... so mundane. I wanted to be Cindere because I was a girl, and it happened through reincarnation. Well, since I was a child, I had be crazier about chocte than diamonds, but bing a princess was a considerable difference. Thank you, God!


    It¡¯s all good, but it would have been better if my dad was out of the picture. Well, that¡¯s too bad.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    I frowned while drawing lines on a sheet of paper, and Assisi called me from the front.


    As our eyes met, Assisi quietly pointed to my letter that looked like it was a crawling earthworm.


    Oh, no! I got the wrong letter again.


    It was really a problem. No, why! I was studying with a good fountain pen and good paper, and I couldn¡¯t practice my handwriting like this!


    Above all, the letters in this country were harder than Hangul. It was even harder than English. That¡¯s why I thought that I would die. Couldn¡¯t we just write it in Korean? Hangul was so precious. Suddenly, I wanted to return to Korea. Should I invent the Hangeul? If I took a pan-dimensional scam with the Hangeul and said that this was thenguage I had created... King Sejong would use me of fraud in heaven, damn it.


    ¡°You spelled it wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡±


    What should I do with such ack of linguistic talent?


    The only good thing was that I had mastered was listening and speaking. All I have to do now is write and read, but the problem was that they¡¯re both hard. I couldn¡¯t believe that I was doing all this again when I was old enough. Ha, I wished that I could have some more cakes.


    ¡°This is a dress. It would be pretty if Princess wore it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Oh, these are cute earrings. Would you like to try it now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never seen this before. Oh, it¡¯s a dress decoration. It¡¯s cute.¡±


    ... Hey, I couldn¡¯t concentrate!


    Why couldn¡¯t she just open those things in her room? What¡¯s the big deal? Elene¡¯s chattering was disrupting me, but I thought I would go crazy because she kept talking to me!


    Elene was twenty-two now, but her personality was the same as when she was a teenager. Her carelessness was a bit better, but it was an improvement from Elene¡¯s standards that had always been one of a kind. Now, no one in Sy was surprised upon seeing her injuries. Anyway, there were six maids under her, and the dignity of her seniority was not visible at all. Well, if that¡¯s talent, then it was one hell of a skill.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 178


    ¡°Elene, if you want to check those gifts so much, why don¡¯t you do it somewhere else. You¡¯re loud.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all theseints about me!?¡±


    Elene was outraged, but I didn¡¯t agree at all. She was loud, and she was noisy from head to foot. Her future marriage was pitifully noisy. Of course, loud was Elene¡¯s charm. However, there¡¯s no reason to radiate that charm now! I was studying that, too!


    ¡°Oh, shut up. If I say you¡¯re loud, I mean it!¡±


    ¡°Princess, that¡¯s too much!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worse!¡±


    ¡°You almost memorized it anyway!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t memorized all of them yet!¡±


    Elene clenched her lips upon hearing my answer. She looked angry at me, and she had a fierce look in her eyes.


    What¡­ what did I do? Did she want me to go andfort her?


    Who told her to be loud beside me?


    I kept my mouth shut and stared at her, and Elene suddenly turned away.


    ¡°Yes, I should just go and die here.¡±


    And left the room as it was. Oh, this woman!


    ¡°She always says that she should die. You¡¯re not even going to die!¡±


    I thought I¡¯d go out and y once more, and I quit because I was sure that Serira would scold both of us. Tsk, I was a good girl, and I was letting her go this time.


    Assisi and I had eye contact when I fixed the grab of the fountain pen again.


    Assisi smiles. What was it?


    I didn¡¯t know what he was smiling about, but it was just a light smile with a slight smudge around his mouth, which made me a bit embarrassed because he was so pretty. What kind of man was he to be so beautiful? I wished that he could share that beauty with me. However, that would be hard, tsk.


    ¡°Assisi, don¡¯t you think that Elene is too sensitive these days? Is she pregnant or something?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t she a virgin?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m joking. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Assisi stooped quietly. He looked ashamed.


    Oh, I was going crazy.


    I shut my mouth to hold back augh that would soon explode, but it didn¡¯t help much. Just now, I was fighting with Elene, and my feelings were crawling at the bottom of the floor, but with Assisi¡¯s reaction, I quickly jumped into the stratosphere. Yes, I lived for this.


    How on earth could he take it seriously? As soon as I grinned, Assisi coughed in vain. Now I smiled openly.


    It was definitely embarrassing for Assisi, eh?


    I would not let this one slide, though.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 179


    Assisi¡¯s face turned red. He looked like a tomato, ready to explode. Oh, he was so cute.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    He might be flustered, but he quickly regained hisposure.


    Well, that¡¯s too bad. I thought that I could make fun of him some more. Still, he was really embarrassed at first even though he was flustered for hours earlier, but he became quite calm these days. I liked the days when he was innocent. Our Assisi had changed. I didn¡¯t raise him like this!


    Well, of course, I never actually raised him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I would just curl my lips without saying anything, and Assisi looked at me because I was going to keep my mouth closed. He seemed worried about me. At first, he ran away when he saw me and didn¡¯t even look at me properly, but Assisi was used to me now, so he wouldn¡¯t mind staring at me in the eye, which made me feel strange for nothing.


    Why, why! Why did I feel like I was ying around with a younger boy when I was younger than him? I felt like I did something wrong! What was this guilt within me? It was really a mystery. Why was I feeling like I was corrupting Assisi?


    No! I was not wrong. Yes! I was innocent!


    It¡¯s all because of those eyes of his. Yeah, it¡¯s all because of those eyes! That pure eyes that looked like it knew nothing excited the guilt within me!


    It was especially goldish green, and the Assisi¡¯s seemed to have stars within them. It always looked so moisturized with nothing but sorrows, which were secretly shaking people¡¯s minds.


    Oh, I was d Assisi was a pure kid who knew nothing. Otherwise, he would have been a really sinful man.


    ¡°Princess, do you have something to say to me?¡±


    He turned his eyes to see as if he was embarrassed and asked me stealthily. Did he felt ufortable because I kept staring at him?


    However, his troubled expression was just so cute¡­


    Oh, no. I was doomed, too. I was just thinking that this guy was cute. He was much older than me! That man was now thirty! Well, we were the same age mentally, but I didn¡¯t even know how old I was anymore.


    ¡°No. Nothing.¡±


    It was such a big deal. Although I had been reborn, I couldn¡¯t live as a child anymore because of the memories I had in my previous life. However, for some reason, being a child was perfect for my character, and I felt like my mental age had never grown since I was reincarnated¡­ Was it really such a great idea to be rejuvenated?


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Your pen has stopped.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s because I was worried about my future and my situation.


    And your future too.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 180


    ¡°By the way, Assisi,¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Assisi raised his head upon hearing my voice. I grinned at his pretty eyes as it met mine. Soon, I red fiercely at him.


    ¡°Why do you call me princess again? Do you want to die?¡±


    It had been a long time since I allowed him to use my name whenever he would call me, and he was still calling me princess!


    Assisi closed his mouth. He shut his mouth every time he was at a disadvantage. Observe how he would shut himself up whenever he was in an upromising situation. On top of that, I gave him a lot of threats.


    ¡°Next time, call my name! If you don¡¯t call my name, I won¡¯t answer!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡­ It had been less than ten seconds since I told him to call me by my name.


    At the sound of him calling me princess, I opened my mouth and stared at him. He also seemed embarrassed and couldn¡¯t stay calm. He didn¡¯t mean to fool me, did he?


    Asish coughed in vain as he stared at me.


    ¡°Ria.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s how one should address me! It was so lovely to hear that!


    Assisi smiled in my praise. Oh, did he like that?


    ¡°Good job, my knight.¡±


    I wanted to pat his head too, but I gave it up since I couldn¡¯t reach him. While Assisi was at a moment of embarrassment, I smiled at him once more, and I held the pen in my hand again.


    I should study, yeah, study, hehe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just finish this and y. How about kicking a ball?¡±


    Assisi calmed himself down and nodded. I smiled brightly, hehe.


    ¡°I agree to y, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to y ball¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, then, tag?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think ying tag is also safe¡­¡±


    What other games were as safe as tagging? Still, I would think about it. Oh, well, it could instantly turn into a scary game if one went on a fight while ying tag. Why didn¡¯t they just made a game where no one had to touch anyone?


    ¡°Well, how about a race?¡±


    ¡°There should be something safer than racing¡­¡±


    This bastard! No, how much safer did he need to concede?


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    As soon as I shouted, Assisi shut his mouth seriously. Then, the next thing he said¡­


    ¡°But safety is important¡­¡±


    Did this guy really wanted to die?!

 Chapter 181 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 181

    <h4>Chapter 181: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 181</h4>


    It wasst year when we decided to cut the days I spent ying with Graecito. It was because he had to start learning how to use a sword since he was a boy. Thus, these days, it was Grecito¡¯s daily routine to go to bed right away or practice swordsmanship without ying with me. He said that all parts of his body screamed after his practice.


    A cheap fellow¡­


    However, when I saw Graecito, who said that his father was a great swordmaster and wanted to be like his father, I thought that he¡¯s already a great kid. Well, that¡¯s why I was supporting and cheering him.


    ¡°No training today?¡±


    He seemed to be taking the first break he had since he started his education, so I couldn¡¯t even ask him to y with me. I just called the chef in to feed him a lot of delicious food, and Graecito smiled brightly with a sunburned face.


    ¡°Yes! So I came to y with Ria!¡±


    ¡°You said it was hard.¡±


    I was a girl, so I didn¡¯t know much about swordsmanship, but I had heard that usually, the tutors didn¡¯t treat them like a child. After all, on the battlefield, an easy lesson meant death. Thus, they deliberately made them move without rest, put on heavy armor, and lifted heavy swords. Perhaps, because of that, at the age of nine, Graecito¡¯s body was much stronger than the Viterbo twins.


    He already had visible six-pack abs.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right! Ria, you missed your older brother, too, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No? Not at all.¡±


    Who told him that? Graecito smiled brightly without knowing that my face was rotting.


    It made me feel weak again¡­ Hah, I couldn¡¯t help it. He liked me this much, and if I resisted him, then I would be on the wrong. Yeah, I couldn¡¯t help it. I would hang out with him today.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat delicious food first and then y. Sounds good, right?¡±


    I told Elene to serve me a simple meal, and I left the room with Assisi, to allow the mother and son reunite in the room. He looked at me like he was pleading, but¡­ Didn¡¯t he think that a mother and her son needed their own time?


    However, it was hard to exin, so I just shrugged and took Assisi to the garden. I should go there first. Then Serira would bring Cito with herter.


    Oh, I thought that I was a really lovely person.

 Chapter 182 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 182

    <h4>Chapter 182: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 182</h4>


    ¡°Hmm? Assisi, why are youughing?¡±


    Suddenly, Assisi smiled. He wasn¡¯tughing out loud, but I started wondering about it more since he was showing a pleasant smile. What¡¯s wrong with him? Did he take snorted some kind of drug?


    ¡°Because you look happy.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    I was not happy, though.


    However, since I saw Assisi¡¯s smile, I would just let it slide. It was so rare for Assisi to show a smile. Of course, he would sometimes smile these days, but when he first became my knight, It was such a bizarre and ridiculous sight whenever I caught a glimpse of his smile. Ha¡­


    When I thought of that timepared to Assisi now, he lost all his sharp ws and teeth. Now he was somewhat like a puppy. Back then, not only the children but even the maids in the pce were reluctant to get close to him since he was in such a dark and gloomy atmosphere.


    That atmosphere was hard to find anymore now. Of course, sometimes I would feel it, but¡­


    ¡°Ria,¡±


    Huh? Who was it all of a sudden?


    I frowned in spite of the voice that I heard while looking at Assisi in a leisurely. There were not many people in the pce who could call me in this way. No, wait, this voice was¡­


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    ¡°Ria, we¡¯re here!¡±


    The Devil¡¯s Twins!


    I was getting cold feet. It was clearly the voice of Valtorta.


    Now, wait. I didn¡¯t know that they wereing today!


    I was not ready yet! Being prepared was necessary whenever I met the twins!


    Valtorta, Sansebastian.


    They were Viterbo¡¯s viins who resembled Ferdel and Silvia.


    I think it was cute since they were called viins, but after meeting them, one would realize that they were not cute at all. I had seen them since they were babies, and now, they¡¯re like my own brothers, but sometimes, I would really analyze them seriously. Sometimes I would wonder what I should do with them.


    People would say that they were ¡®hateful six-years-olds¡¯ and ¡®driving-others-mad seven-year-olds.¡¯ but why would anyone say that? Good seven years old me, and that devil Viterbo twins.


    The twins really loved trouble, and every time they came to y, all the maids and servants in the pce get nervous. It was a relief that their pranks ended up like that, but these lunatics even yed dangerous pranks with the pce¡¯s high-ranking officials, so I couldn¡¯t lift my face around.


    Well, I was d that they were kind of good for me, but¡­ Fortunately, they didn¡¯t even dare to touch my father. I thought that it was their natural will to survive. Regardless, they would only do what they were not allowed to do.

 Chapter 183

    <h4>Chapter 183: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 183</h4>


    I didn¡¯t have enough time to escape them. They both ran towards me like running beagles and forced me to dedicate my day with them. I now lost my peace. No, it wasn¡¯t there anyway.


    ¡°Ria, I missed you!¡±


    ¡°Ria, did you miss us?¡±


    Valtorta kept telling me that they both missed me, hanging my arms, and Sansebastian asked me if I missed them. Those twins sounded like they like reminding me that this was not a dream, it¡¯s reality.


    Oh, I disliked this kind of kindness.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised because of the twin¡¯s sudden arrival. Assisi was perplexed, and the court maids who were passing by breathed a sigh out of anxiety for the pce, which was already dizzying everyone. These guys were so outspoken about how troubled they were.


    ¡°W, what about Sil?¡±


    Once I surrendered to the twins while they were holding me on both sides and quickly looked for my only ally to control these two beagles.


    However, the sight of Silvia was nowhere to be seen. No way! No, she must havee with them. Valtorta tilted his head upon hearing my question.


    ¡®¡­ You can¡¯t do that. She¡¯s your mother.¡¯


    ¡°Mom? Well, I don¡¯t know. Sanse, do you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Did they leave their mom?


    Suddenly, I felt sorry for Silvia, who had the two devils as her sons. Oh, Sil. None of them looked like her; they both looked like Ferdel, the beagle.


    Of course, they said one couldn¡¯t decide who their children would be, but it was severe at this point.


    ¡°Ria! Let¡¯s do that today, that!¡±


    Valer chirped with excitement. Sanse closed his mouth and stared at me.


    Since twins were twins, they looked exactly the same, but both of them were so different that one could quickly pinpoint who¡¯s Valer and who¡¯s Sanse. Above all, Valer was the viin of this country, and Sanse was the henchman of that viin. What that meant was that Valer was in the middle of every trouble in the pce. Sanse was dragged around by Valer just because they were twins. However, they always get punished together.


    Oh, poor child.


    ¡°What are you going to do as soon as you get here? Stand still for now! Say hello to your uncle, you guys!¡±


    Assisi was already giving up everything and turning a blind eye to us.


    ¡®Assisi, no. You have to save me from these rascals!¡¯

 Chapter 184

    <h4>Chapter 184: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 184</h4>


    Assisi, who had an irrational fear of children, would never be able to get along well with the twins. When Graecito came to visit, he stuck to me and was wary of him, but he was just busy avoiding the twins because they were his nephews. Of course, he was busy avoiding Silvia even when she came alone.


    ¡­ What was wrong with this guy?


    ¡°Oh, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Hello, uncle!¡±


    Unlike Valtorta, who said hello without qualms, Sanse, who seemed scared and can¡¯t even look straight at Assisi, held my sleeve.


    Whatever they said, Assisi would still look like he wanted to run away. If it wasn¡¯t for me, he would have run away. Ha, the weakness of the darkest knight in the world was not a woman, not wealth, but children running after him. What an end of this world.


    ¡°Then Ria, we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    However, this was really a big deal. Looking at the two beagles who were staring at me, I fell into a deep ambivalence. How the hell was I supposed to send them back? Graecito came here first, and above all, I had a previous engagement to y with Graecito first. I didn¡¯t hate twins, but it had been a while since I saw Cito.


    I wish we could all just y together, but there was one problem. Graecito and the twins really didn¡¯t get along. What should I do?


    ¡°Ria¡ªRia!¡±


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    If the three of us met like this, I would probably unlock the Achievement called <Congrattions, it is War>. How could I solve this problem without conflict? The two were shaking my arms like crazy, but this kind of obstruction had distracted my mind now.


    Ha, I was training my mind because of these two.


    ¡°Let go of me, both of you! I told you to call me a Nuna (older sister), didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°No! Ria is mine!¡±


    Valer hugged me and shouted. Because of that, Sanse, who was left out, fluffed out his cheeks and tore off Valer. He then hugged me.


    ¡°Valer, go away! Ria is Sanse¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°I am your older brother! Ria is mine!¡±


    ¡°You both let go of me. I am mine.¡±


    These were some kind of tug-of-war happening because of me.


    Oh, I knew how much they loved me, but this was why a celebrity would always feel tired just by existing. Whatever I did, they would love me so much. Oh no, this fatal poprity.


    ¡°Ria is Sanse¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°I said go away, Sanse! Ria is Valer¡¯s!¡±


    ¡®No one owns me, you bastards!¡¯

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 185


    However, it couldn¡¯t stop the feverish twins from fighting. What was I supposed to do about this? You damn little bastards. I was agonizing over how to defeat these satanic beagles when suddenly, Valer¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Oh, Ria! What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡­ I was a little nervous about this. I watched Valer¡¯s behavior with an edgy look. Valer soon approached something decorated in the corridor of the Sy Pce. It was a silver statue, but that was not the problem.


    I hid something in that very corner, behind that statue! That something was what I was worried about! Why doesn¡¯t a bad foreboding always go wrong?


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s a crystal sculpture!¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen this before!¡±


    That was a replica of the winter tree that an Andrus ss craftsman carved carefully. For your information, it was a tribute to Caitel, but when Iplimented how pretty it was, he decided to give that said statue to me. It¡¯s something I really cared about. I had hidden it when they came before because I was sure that something terrible would happen because of the twins. Oh, I thought that they would never find it if I put it there. How could these bastards be so observant?


    I tried to be as calm as possible. No, nothing would happen just because they looked at it. Yes, It would be fine!


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch-¡±


    ng!


    A loud bang resounded throughout the ce before I could finish talking.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­ Oh, such a good statue wasted.


    ¡°R, Ria¡­¡±


    What should I do? Maybe I should die. Yeah, I just wanna die. If I died, then I¡¯d feelfortable.


    I felt like quietly booking a ticket for the Underworld express. Maybe I should ask the Grim Reaper how much it would cost for a one way trip to the ghastly realms of the Inferno. I wanted to leave this cruel world first.


    ¡°Ria, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sanse is sorry, too!¡±


    They were probably sincere as they begged for my forgiveness. Both of them suddenly started crying. Hey, I was the one who wanted to cry! Why were these two the ones crying now? However, Assisi, who couldn¡¯t soothe the crying child, would probably just run away, so I didn¡¯t cry.


    What the hell was happening here? Why couldn¡¯t I experience a day filled with nothing butfort? God, I wanted to live my life high flown and contented.


    Was I not allowed such bliss? What? No? Okay¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, you fools!¡±


    Oh, I give up.


    I just got over it all. First of all, we needed to clean that mess. I looked back and saw that the maids were already preparing to clean it. There was nothing I could do.


    ¡°Just clean them for now, but don¡¯t throw it away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    It was clear that if Caitel heard about this, then the twins would never see another day. It couldn¡¯t be helped even if these guys were Caitel¡¯s nephews. That¡¯s just who Caitel was!

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 186


    ¡°Stop crying, you guys!¡±


    I beguiled them, and they stop crying, although their tears still flowed. Their eyes were adorable, and it¡¯s cute to see them grinning and trying to hold back their tears¡­


    No! I must not be fooled! There¡¯s a demon in there!


    ¡­ Well, it was true that they were cute, though. Yeah, I would sacrifice myself for these guys tomorrow.


    ¡°For now, this is a secret, okay? You can¡¯t tell Ferdel or Silvia!¡±


    ¡°E, even my mom?¡±


    Sanse asked back with tears in his eyes. I grinned as I stared at his cute face.


    ¡°You have to tell me first if you wish to do it, but you¡¯ll need to have a one-on-one meeting with my dad, would you like that?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to cheat on Silvia, but this was a matter of her children¡¯s lives. At the moment, I seemed to have been setting Ferdel aside as if he had nothing to do with this whole cheating situation, but it was probably because of my feelings. We should all just get over it.


    Mentioning Caitel was pretty useful for these two guys. They made long faces and grew pale. Yes, these guys knew it too. Caitel wouldn¡¯t let them escape. Although Valer and Sanse were like this pce¡¯s mad dogs, they would still act like well-behaved children in front of Caitel.


    ¡°Ria¡­¡±


    Then I heard another voice calling me from behind.


    My body instinctively hardened. I felt like I was truly doomed.


    Another ident happened, and I forgot about it. In fact, I was anticipating another ordeal bigger than that. Was that incident a small prelude to this event?


    I hadn¡¯t even shooed the twins away! Why must Graecitoe so fast? I looked back just in case, but it seemed that I was not allowed to dream or hope anymore. I was doomed.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Three little boys in the hallway instantly disyed their hatred for one another.


    The twins looked at Graecito with a bright face and frowned as if they hadn¡¯t cried. Graecito looked at the twins who clung to me with a grimace.


    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±


    ¡°And what about you!¡±


    ¡­ Why do these two camps hate each other so much, anyway?


    I knew how Graecito felt since I had been ying with him for all this time. Now that I was ying with the twins, I knew that he felt like they took me away from him. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t like either of them. However, I was confounded as to why the twins felt the same for Graecito. Was it just separation anxiety? Either way, I was still in trouble.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 187


    I heaved a deep sigh. My head was already throbbing. Oh, I should have just sent the twins back when they came. Why did I let them see each other and intensified the already troublesome scenario? Sob sob, I was so stupid. Stupid me.


    ¡°Ria, why is he here?¡±


    ¡°Ria, you were supposed to y with me today!¡±


    Their triangtion looked so terrible. I made up my mind that I should never fall into the trap of a love triangle. I can¡¯t imagine how stressing a love square then?


    Before that could ever happen, I still had a great challenge of ending this love triangle, ha.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to y with Ria!¡±


    ¡°No! Ria¡¯s going to y with me!¡±


    ¡°Ria is closer to me!¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m closer! Right?!¡±


    I suddenly felt a headache.


    The three of them were now leaving me in my lonesome and gathering among themselves while shouting out loud. It was so unlike South Korea, where people with a more prominent voice won. What the hell had I subjected myself into?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been close to Ria since I was three!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been close since we were three years old!¡±


    The twins had been close to me since they were a year old, though.


    I had been ying with them since they first saw the light of day. We had not been close to each other since they were three years old! Thus, when these guys were still infants, was their warm smiled just their simplest way of greeting me? These little ones already knew how to handle a woman.


    ¡°Go away! I¡¯m not ying with you!¡±


    ¡°You guys go away! Ria will y with me!¡±


    Please help me, Assisi!


    It seemed that this hellhole that I had subjected myself into would never end! Serira even looked at us with a perplexed expression while Elene seemed so thrilled as he anticipated to see another fun sight. Thisdy, I swear!


    Well yeah. The only person who could save me now was my knight.


    Now, Assisi, save me! Now!


    However, as soon as he realized what I was getting into, he hesitated before running away.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Assisi was gone, and along with his departure, my world had ended as well, oh god!


    That was too much, even for Assisi! He abandoned me! He was supposed to be my guardian knight who swore to protect me from all the dangers of the world! This was clearly a sign of danger!


    However, even the ck Knight of the Empire couldn¡¯t protect me from children. Still, How could he do this to me! Oh, my God!


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll y with me first today. Isn¡¯t that right, Ria?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t I just y by myself?¡±


    I was really great at doing things in my lonesome.


    However, myst wish shattered before my eyes.


    ¡°Lia belongs to us! We reserved her first!¡±


    ¡°Lia is my sister! She prefers to y with me!¡±


    Hey, guys? Hello? Everyone?


    Somehow, I saw Ferdel in my mind just for a brief amount of time. Oh, let¡¯s wipe the tears for a second.

 Chapter 188 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 188

    Chapter 188: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 188


    Yeah, I would just let these guys fight. I was ready to y alone. I gave up and turned to the garden. Assisi was not around me anymore, and the world is so lovely! Shoot!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll tell my dad about you!¡±


    The funny thing was that I would leave the three on their own and go to the garden on my own, and they would follow me while fighting. I wish they would forget about me, but that dream was of no use.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell this to my mom! My mom is strong!¡±


    Cito shouted upon hearing the twins¡¯ words. Listening quietly, I immediately agreed. Serira was an influentialdy.


    There¡¯s nothing in the world that could beat mom!


    ¡°My dad is stronger! My father is Count Viterbo!¡±


    ¡°My father is an Earl, too! Count Pastryl!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a father! Stop fooling around! My dad is alive!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not here right now!¡±


    ¡°You are right!¡±


    What were they even fighting about now?


    They fought over who¡¯s going to y with me, but the conversation suddenly turned into a sour direction.


    ¡°B, but my family is a marquis house!¡±


    ¡°So what? My house is also ruled by a countess!¡±


    ¡°My father is a Chancellor! Don¡¯t be mean to us! If he says the word, then your house is over!¡±


    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s funny. If my mom says a word, then you can¡¯te to this pce anymore!¡±


    What¡¯s up with their fight? I didn¡¯t get it.


    The children¡¯s thoughts and ideas were too dangerous for me. Oh, as expected, I was an adult. I was so d. It was sad not to understand such a pure heart, but it was okay. I didn¡¯t need to know.


    Even if I was walking away from them or not, the three of them were still fighting over who held greater power.


    ¡°My dad is stronger!¡±


    ¡°My mother is stronger!¡±


    ¡°My dad is stronger! Do you want a taste of a document bomb!¡±


    ¡°My mother is stronger! You don¡¯t know about the nagging bomb, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I just want to be inanimate. This was the first time I wished to be something lifeless. Ha, I should just return into the garden and restore my peace of mind. The boys¡¯ strange battle continued behind me, but I just ignored it. I felt like my suicidal thoughts would heighten if I learned what they were saying.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    Wait, that voice sounded familiar.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    My dad was here!


    I ran towards Caitel, who was in front of me right away to wee him.


    It was Dad! Come on! Wee him, too! Caitel had a suspicious look on his face as soon as I saw him. That was when I ran to him, but I didn¡¯t care. I was a big girl!


    More than anything, I wished that my Dad would save me! I thought that I would die surely. It¡¯s the first time in my life that I had been so pleased about seeing Caitel. Ha, I couldn¡¯t believe that I would ever feel such happiness to see his arrival.


    I caught Caitel right away in a hopeful voice.


    ¡°Dad, they¡¯re fighting. They¡¯re fighting over their house rank! They¡¯re saying that their father is the best!¡±


    So top it then, please! Okay?


    However, Caitel, who was listening to me, suddenlyughs, and then he¡­


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Was he a baby?

 Chapter 189 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 189

    Chapter 189: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 189


    Assisi, who had disappeared after leaving me during the day, returned to the pce that evening and then shushed himself up before crawling like a sinner who hadmitted a grave sin. Of course, he¡¯s not really crawling, it¡¯s a figure of speech, oh, whatever, you get what I mean!


    Anyway, I stared at Assisi with my arms folded, full of anger.


    ¡°Assisi, how could you do that? You left me behind! That¡¯s uneptable!¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re sorry! Is that it?!¡±


    Assisi winced upon hearing my cry. He had a heartfelt look of remorse, but even after seeing his gaunt face, I still didn¡¯t want to forgive him. He would reflect upon his action, but he would do it again next time! It wasn¡¯t the first time Assisi left me, and I was already so used to it now, but I just could not understand it.


    Why was he so afraid of children to the point of fleeing upon contacting them? That was not even mentioning how he left me alone!


    I was better off sustaining some injury from an assassin¡¯s attack or something. I really couldn¡¯t understand. Maybe that¡¯s why I felt even more fixated by what he had done to me. Needless to say, I would never let him suffer the same vexation I had to endure whenever I saw the twins, never!


    ¡°You promised to protect me. You¡¯re a liar!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­.¡±


    ¡°Are you making excuses? Assisi! How could you after what you had done to me?!¡±


    Assisi, who had been under fire because of me, bowed his head with a perplexed look. Then, he raised his head with his fists clenched as if he had made a big decision.


    ¡°Yes, I am a sinner, and I deserve to die. Should I die? How would you like me to carry out my own execution? Perhaps you already have a punishment in mind?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t possibly think of such a thing.


    Assisi then pulled out his sword. His behavior was so unusual that I was seized with fear. Oh, my God. He would really kill himself. He was more than capable of doing so.


    I grabbed Assisi¡¯s arm in a hurry. I couldn¡¯t even get mad at this guy!


    ¡°No, stop it. You¡¯re human! You¡¯re allowed to make mistakes!¡±


    Yeah, well, maybe I should just ask Assisi to kill me instead? I was sure that the twins wouldn¡¯t really be the reason for my death¡­ right? Oh, I was not sure anymore.


    ¡°But I just don¡¯t know what to deal with little children.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just do what you normally do?¡±


    What¡¯s so hard about that? However, Assisi¡¯s answer differed a little.


    ¡°I see. You have enlightened me, my princess! From now on, I, Assis, do solemnly swear to cut down all children who would daree to you!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, just run away.¡±


    I felt so tired¡­

 Chapter 190 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 190

    Chapter 190: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 190


    What the hell did I expect from this guy? Now I felt like I was the one at fault. Ha, life remained wasted. Yeah, what did I want from him? Just my karma.


    Scolding Assisi seemed to be over, for now, so Elene asked me as she pouted


    ¡°But what about this, Princess?¡±


    What Elene meant was a statue of my crystal that was utterly crushed. Oh, I forgot about this problem. I guessed that my face must have looked terrible. Assisi¡¯s face also showed his depressed state.


    I wanted to ask Assisi as to why do humans live, anyway?


    Oh, I didn¡¯t have the answer. After thinking about it hard, I felt that it would be a bad idea to throw it away, so I wrapped it in clean silk and hid it under the bottom of my drawer.


    If I did this, then my dad wouldn¡¯t catch me.


    However, now I was worried about the future. I treated that statue as if it was gold and silver, so my father would probably ask me as to where it went once I stopped carrying it around me. He didn¡¯t say anything, but I noticed how Caitel would watch me cherish that statue with a warm smile on his face. Well, I didn¡¯t know why he was doing that. What the hell was I supposed to do about this? What was I supposed to tell him? Should I say that I lent it to my friend?


    ¡­ Oh, right. I didn¡¯t have any friends. Tsk, my life indeed was just a progression of contemptible stories.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. He won¡¯t ask you.¡±


    Seriraforted me as I suffered from worry. I clung to Serira at this time. Mom, sob sob.


    ¡°Now, princess, why don¡¯t you go and get a bath?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Okay.¡±


    I must go get a bath now.


    I didn¡¯t know why they had to prepare so much water for a seven-year-old girl to wash, but I was obliged to soak in a bathtub filled with different beautiful flowers that I had never seen before.


    Once I moved in preparation for the bath, Assisi followed me in silence. I guessed that he wanted to stay in front of the bathroom while I took a bath¡­ Oh, I was not so sure anymore.


    I seemed to have given up on Assisi. The knight protecting the whole empire was now only guarding the entrance of my bathroom. It was a severe waste. Waste!


    Still, it felt good to soak in hot water.


    Besides, howfortable it was to let my maids wash me as I stayed motionless. This was why all the princesses here looked so undecayed.


    Yes, I liked being a princess, but I did have oneint¡­


    I wanted to pull off the dead skin on my body personally!

 Chapter 191

    <h4>Chapter 191: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 191</h4>


    Sob sob, I wanted to remove all the dead skin on my body, but that sort of culture didn¡¯t exist in this world. Thus, I couldn¡¯t do that. Sob sob, they didn¡¯t know how great it was.


    I wanted to pull off all these dead skin!


    However, if I asked someone to pull off those dead skin on my body, then they would think that I was a poor girl who had gone mad with a flower on her head. Ha.


    ¡°Do you think the Emperor would let the princess walk off on her own independently?¡±


    Elyne was washing my hair, and she blurted something strange.


    What was she talking about all of a sudden? Was I going to be independent?


    Serira just sighed.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s long past the time to release her. I¡¯m surprised that he was still living with her. I mean, It¡¯s good to hear that the princess is more favored because of it, but¡­¡±


    My eyes were closed in fear that the bubble in my hair would get in my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I turned my head.


    ¡°Am I going away from my father?¡±


    Both of them just smiled upon hearing my question. However, It was not a pleasant smile. They showed a vague smile that they would make when they couldn¡¯t exin something properly. I felt a little strange.


    What were they hiding from me?


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°But are they going to take me away from my father?¡±


    Elyne sighed without giving me an answer. Serira¡¯s expression did not differ much, so I guessed that it wasn¡¯t excellent news to know. What!? It made me even more curious!


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. Now, can you lift your head?¡±


    Look at how they casually changed the topic! Their reaction was ufortable, so I didn¡¯t push them any harder, but they kept their mouths shut after hearing my questions, fearing that I might call them out right away once they added more.


    There must be something going on here!


    The bathroom fell into silence in an instant. I groaned because of those useless questions.


    What!? What was it? What were they hiding?


    They didn¡¯t say a word, so I had to end up feeling ufortable, although my bath time had always been refreshing.


    After bathing, I poured some precious oil perfume on my body and even got a massage, but I didn¡¯t feel any better. I just wanted to know more! Anyway, Elyne really just couldn¡¯t control herself from opening that darn mouth of hers, oh.


    Still, it was time to go to bed soon.


    The star-studded skies seemed like it was forcing me to sleep. Yeah, fine, I would go to bed.


    I changed my clothes into myfortable pajamas and started getting ready for bed. However, I realized that my hair was still wet, so I had to dry my hair for a while. I didn¡¯t care if I slept with wet hair, but my father would get annoyed. There was nothing I could do. I had to dry my hair.

 Chapter 192

    <h4>Chapter 192: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 192</h4>


    After drying my wet hair, Serira brushed it until it gleamed as beautifully as her skills. My hair looked gorgeous for a good reason. As I sat and felt a bigb brushing my hair, I suddenly saw an awkward scene.


    ¡°Elyne, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I am writing a diary.¡±


    ¡°A diary?¡±


    ¡®You do?¡¯


    I had never seen anyone writing a diary since I was reincarnated, but I was surprised that the first person I would see writing a diary would be Elyne. Was she seriously writing one? I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I dashed towards her, but Elyne hid her diary as she saw me approaching. Oh, that¡¯s too much.


    ¡°Oh, no princess. You can¡¯t look at it.¡±


    The way she hid her diary in a fright irritated me.


    ¡°What, oh,e on! That¡¯s so unfair.¡±


    ¡°But I cannot allow the princess to read this.¡±


    I was wondering what she wrote, though!


    When I looked at Elyne with a gaze filled with anger, she shook her head as if she could never go on living once I saw the contents of her diary. What a mean girl!


    Then Serira patted my shoulder and pulled me towards her.


    ¡°It is because she¡¯s writing about you, princess.¡±


    ¡°Lady Serira!¡±


    Huh? What?


    Elyne quickly turned red and called Serira¡¯s name out of embarrassment. I felt relieved and looked back at Serira.


    ¡°About me?¡±


    Elyne opened her mouth with a reddish face as if she were asking why she would say that. Was she a carp? Serira smiled at Elyne as if she was telling the blushing woman how cute she was before patting my hair again. Oh, my hair.


    ¡°She¡¯s so determined that when the princess grows up, she¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Was it some kind of child-care diary?


    It¡¯s even more amazing because I never thought about it that way. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t allow me to see it contained. However, that made me even more curious. Oh, I was just wondering what she wrote about me. Could I not steal it and have a bit of a peak?


    As I looked at Elyne with such thoughts, I noticed how ashamed she was for having her secret revealed and could not even raise her head. It¡¯s not something that she should be ashamed of, though. Elyne, who was biting her lips with teary face, suddenly shouted.


    ¡°I hate you, Lady Serira!¡±


    Then she ran out suddenly. She often said that she hated my mom and me. Of course, another maid followed her, but by that time, she was already gone. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to have her return to us. Serira, however, seemed nonchnt about the entire thing.


    ¡®I was a little worried, too, Mom, but aren¡¯t you worried?¡¯


    As I watched her brushing and tying my hair beautifully, I sighed for nothing. It would be messy once I awakened in the morning anyway.

 Chapter 193

    <h4>Chapter 193: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 193</h4>


    When she saw me pouting, Seriraughed. Did my frown looked funny to her!? Was there anything remotely amusing about it!? I forgave her though cuz she was my mother. However, if it was Elyne, then I wouldn¡¯t have any stew. (TL note: this is Korean idiom simr to that of ¡°I would pull no punches.¡±)


    Oh, now I wanted some Kimchi stew because of that idiom.


    I was worried because I haven¡¯t eaten spicy foodtely. My taste had gone ustomed to the sweet stuff I consume. Suddenly, I had a craving for something spicy with a ss of soju too.


    Why was I suddenly thinking about soju? I¡¯m such an alcoholic.


    ¡°Now, you should go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I already had my own room, but they also gave me another separate room used solely for me to sleep in. With that in mind, I kissed Serira on her cheek and looked at Assisi. I then smiled at him.


    ¡°Good night, Assisi.¡±


    ¡°You too, Princess.¡±


    I walked out of the room after kissing Assisi¡¯s cheek and arrived at the bedroom where I slept and woke up every day!


    Caitel had already finished preparing the bed. Had he been waiting long? Seeing dad sitting at the table while reading a book made me sigh for nothing.


    He¡¯s over 30, and he¡¯s¡­how could he look like that? Howe he still looked so handsome? This world is just so unfair.


    When I sighed, dad raised his face.


    At that moment, our eyes met.


    ¡°All done with your bath?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m all clean. See?¡±


    I extended my hands towards him as if to allow his scrutinizing gaze all over me, Caitel smiled and closed his book. I looked at my father¡¯s smile closely while holding his arms.


    Seriously¡­ This man was just so handsome. Looking at him alone was enough to fill me with joy. He¡¯d be perfect if he could always keep his mouth shut like a statue.


    Now that I hade to think about it¡­ Maybe Caitel knew about what they were saying earlier.


    Hmm¡­ the trick here is how I should ask him about it, though.


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know. I should just do it. Well,


    ¡°Dad, am I going to go live alone?¡±


    ¡°Where did you get an idea like that?¡±


    It was, indeed, an idea that I had never heard before. Still, I answered with all my heart.


    ¡°Elyne and Serira were wondering when I¡¯d be sent to live on my own.¡±


    ¡°¡­ they went and said something unnecessary.¡±


    I had no idea if he was joking or something. I got even more confused.

 Chapter 194

    <h4>Chapter 194: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 194</h4>


    I knew it. He knew what they were talking about.


    Nevertheless, it piqued my curiosity more. After all, Caitel was talking about it like it was not a big deal! Well, I was only a seven-year-old kid. Why was this topic even up for discussion already anyway? Were royalties a kind of species that were already living on their own at the age of seven? Seriously!? Was that what they were trying to say?


    Even while working full-time in my past life, I had never lived alone. Now, I have to do it while I was still seven years old¡­ One really never knew what would happen in their life.


    ¡°Do I have to live by myself now?¡±


    Why was my dad insistent on keeping it to himself instead of telling it about me too?


    When I looked up at him with a cute and pretty face, my father looked down upon me with pity. Judging by the way he looked at me¡­ It seemed that that was a fair assumption. Why must my father pity me so? Actually, I felt the same for myself. What a bloody struggle it was to be loved! Oh, let me wipe my tears for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for royalty to have their own pce and live independently away from the imperial pce once they were born. However, it wasn¡¯t necessarily something we had to worry about.¡±


    I thought he wouldn¡¯t exin it to me, but my dad was a bit of a nice guy, which was a high contrast from how I would usually view him as.


    By the way, what exactly did he meant with those words? It¡¯smon to have a separate pce and separate themselves away from the imperial pce? It looked like being independent wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was. Still, what? Having a pce for myself was a standard custom in this ce? I had never heard of such a thing¡­


    ¡°Why is it normal? If it is, then why am I living with you here?¡±


    ¡°Because I want it that way.¡±


    ¡­ Was he certain that that was his only reason?


    Caitel smiled if he wasn¡¯t aware that my smile was slowly turning into something cold.


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good because it¡¯s a sign that I favor you.¡±


    It¡¯s not good then.


    Why was it a good thing to be the favorite of a man like him?


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t see that I was getting special treatment. Besides, I had no mother either¡­and I was a princess who depended on everything Caitel told me. However, that didn¡¯t mean I needed it! To be the favorite of a man like him was not a fact that I relish!


    ¡°I, I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    Yeah, I just¡­ just needed to go sleep for now. Oh, what a dirty world!

 Chapter 195

    <h4>Chapter 195: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 195</h4>


    At this rate, I felt like hitting my dad, so I hurried on to the bed. Oh, freedom. That couldn¡¯t be on me. It¡¯s easy to forget.


    The bed that was made of blue silk was thin and soft, from the pillows to the nkets. The finest silk embroidered by Artisano craftsmen! Sincest year, the bed had changed, and it had grown a bitrger. It was said to be a super-premium bedding set that Caitel got after nagging craftsmen in Artisano.


    In any case, he added everything.


    However, I would ignore everything about it because I liked it. I enjoyed thisfort of rolling around on the bed. That was when my lying father looked at me. Why, what¡¯s the matter with ya?


    ¡°Are you noting?¡±


    Coming where? I was already here.


    He wanted me toe closer to him¡­ right? If that was what he wanted, then why did he ordered such a massive bed in the first ce? I was not kidding. The bed that Caitel and I used whenever we sleep was big enough to fit six adult men. In fact, no matter how I rolled around on the bed while I slept, I would never fall because the bed was just so damn huge!


    Why! Do! I! Have to sleep next to you!? In this gigantic bed!?


    ¡°Hub!¡±


    ¡®Fine, I¡¯m going. I¡¯m going!¡¯


    Geez, he was such a selfish bastard. I couldn¡¯t stand my father¡¯s eyes while he was staring at me like that, so I rolled and settled down beside Caitel, and he naturally pulled me into his arms.


    Oh, it wasfortable.


    I was afraid that I was done. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had settled for thisfort; I was screwed, and I was seriously done for.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Nevertheless, afortable spot would remain afortable spot no matter whom I share it with. Oh, it¡¯s so warm.


    ¡°Does that feel nice?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh! You are so warm!¡±


    This arm used to make me feel so nervous, but this just proved that humans indeed are adaptable creatures. Now, whenever I would sleep alone, I would feel so empty that I couldn¡¯t sleep. Of course, whenever Caitel wasn¡¯t around, I would sleep with my doll in my arms, but a soft toy couldn¡¯t possibly mimic this warmth.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s lips touched my forehead. That smooch made meugh. It¡¯s the greeting I received every day, but I didn¡¯t know why it would always tickle me. It felt good, though, so I couldn¡¯t help myself from liking it. I kissed Caitel¡¯s cheek in return and smiled.


    ¡°Have a sweet dream too, daddy!¡±


    After that final kiss for the day, I closed my eyes as Caitel wrapped his arms around me.


    Oh, today was another tough day. I couldn¡¯t believe that I was working this hard at a young age. When I grew up, I thought that there would be more hard mental work waiting for me, but it didn¡¯t matter. Let me just sleep for now. Let¡¯s sleep.

 Chapter 196

    <h4>Chapter 196: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 196</h4>


    As I closed my eyes, a sense offort surrounded me. What I felt in my breath was Caitel¡¯s presence as he held me. I would usually sleep just because of that, but today felt different. I couldn¡¯t sleepfortably for some reason, as if I took the wrong medication or something.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t sleep right now, but suddenly, I had an urge creeping within me to open the door. I felt like I might see Assisi once I opened the door, and my sudden arrival might surprise him a lot. However, when I opened my eyes, I met with a pair of red eyes right before me.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    What a surprise! I should ask him the same question, why wasn¡¯t he sleeping yet?


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Upon hearing my answer, Caitel stroked my hair in silence. Of course, my hair got tangled in his hands while he was stroking it since my hair was so long. Then Caitel held my hair in his hand.


    What was my dad doing? Does he also think that my hair was too long? I felt the same way. Since I always had short hair in my previous life, having long hair was so troublesome. However, it was what the nobles wanted, so I could never cut it. Everyone always ignored what I had in mind. Ha, what a dirty world.


    Why wasn¡¯t he sleeping, though? When I looked up at my father, I saw him looking down at me with a subtle smile. What was he smiling for? Was there something funny about me?


    ¡°Oh, I just remembered! Next month is your birthday. What would you like for a present?¡±


    Caitel smiled again upon hearing my words.


    ¡°Can you give me anything I want?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ maybe I got carried away.¡±


    I¡¯ll just shut up and stay quiet¡­


    As I shut my mouth, Caitel chuckled. What¡¯s so funny? I wanted to punch him, but that would only mean I might never see the morning sun. Thus, I just pulled Caitel¡¯s hair a little. That should hurt.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you making use of those knights? I went to all the trouble of preparing them as your gift.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    ¡°Did you really think I would use those knights?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What in the world would I use them for?¡±


    I was asking him this very seriously. Caitel shut his mouth as if he was thinking deeply about my question. Was he seriously gonna ponder about it?


    However, it seemed that he really treated that question seriously. After a while, he smiled and gave me his answer.


    ¡°y hide-and-seek?¡±


    Did he seriously give me an entire band of knights just for that?


    It¡¯s so pathetic¡­ I sighed.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How did you manage to still have people serving you?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    He was aware that no one wanted to serve him just to y games, right? Who would stick around after such harsh treatment?

 Chapter 197 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 197

    <h4>Chapter 197: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 197</h4>


    As I closed my eyes, a sense offort surrounded me. What I felt in my breath was Caitel¡¯s presence as he held me. I would usually sleep just because of that, but today felt different. I couldn¡¯t sleepfortably for some reason, as if I took the wrong medication or something.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t sleep right now, but suddenly, I had an urge creeping within me to open the door. I felt like I might see Assisi once I opened the door, and my sudden arrival might surprise him a lot. However, when I opened my eyes, I met with a pair of red eyes right before me.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    What a surprise! I should ask him the same question, why wasn¡¯t he sleeping yet?


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Upon hearing my answer, Caitel stroked my hair in silence. Of course, my hair got tangled in his hands while he was stroking it since my hair was so long. Then Caitel held my hair in his hand.


    What was my dad doing? Does he also think that my hair was too long? I felt the same way. Since I always had short hair in my previous life, having long hair was so troublesome. However, it was what the nobles wanted, so I could never cut it. Everyone always ignored what I had in mind. Ha, what a dirty world.


    Why wasn¡¯t he sleeping, though? When I looked up at my father, I saw him looking down at me with a subtle smile. What was he smiling for? Was there something funny about me?


    ¡°Oh, I just remembered! Next month is your birthday. What would you like for a present?¡±


    Caitel smiled again upon hearing my words.


    ¡°Can you give me anything I want?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ maybe I got carried away.¡±


    I¡¯ll just shut up and stay quiet¡­


    As I shut my mouth, Caitel chuckled. What¡¯s so funny? I wanted to punch him, but that would only mean I might never see the morning sun. Thus, I just pulled Caitel¡¯s hair a little. That should hurt.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you making use of those knights? I went to all the trouble of preparing them as your gift.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    ¡°Did you really think I would use those knights?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What in the world would I use them for?¡±


    I was asking him this very seriously. Caitel shut his mouth as if he was thinking deeply about my question. Was he seriously gonna ponder about it?


    However, it seemed that he really treated that question seriously. After a while, he smiled and gave me his answer.


    ¡°y hide-and-seek?¡±


    Did he seriously give me an entire band of knights just for that?


    It¡¯s so pathetic¡­ I sighed.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How did you manage to still have people serving you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was aware that no one wanted to serve him just to y games, right? Who would stick around after such harsh treatment?

 Chapter 198

    <h4>Chapter 198: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 198</h4>


    Unlike the Winter Tree garden, the beauty of my garden was seen through itspactness and simplicity. Of course, it¡¯s a bit scary to see that my small andpact standard was the scale of the royal family, but my personal garden was nothingpared to the Winter tree garden. Well, it was still big enough for small children to y around.


    Besides, the atmosphere of this ce changed little by little every passing season, so there were more attractions here than in the Winter Tree garden. It indeed looked like paradise to me, who was once a city girl. Come to think of it, winter wasing soon. The wind blowing from the pavilion was quite chilly.


    Agrigent was the only country in the central continent that had four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. I heard it was because of the winter spirit. For example, in neighboring countries, such as Langre, it was always summer throughout the year while Ancief enjoyed a perpetual spring; meanwhile, Parten-Kihern¡¯s seasons were spring, summer, and fall. Thus, when they looked at the snow of Agrigent, it¡¯s intrigued them even if they were from the same Central Continent. Anyways, there were many exciting things here.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I was reading a book call <Short-termplete! Season of Central Continent!>, and Elyne suddenly ran into the pavilion. I tilted my head to see what themotion was all about. What was going on? Elyne¡¯s looked like a dog that needed to go to the bathroom because of her expression.


    ¡°Princess, something terrible has happened!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?!¡±


    Even Serira was curious. Assisi looked nervous too. This looked terrible.


    ¡°His Majesty¡­ His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°His Majesty, what?¡±


    ¡®Stop stuttering. You¡¯re making me even more nervous.¡¯


    ¡°His Majesty found your broken sculpture!¡±


    A massive rm rang in my head.


    Um¡­ Did I hear that correctly? I blinked my eyes, but Elyne was still there. I moved my head and looked at Serira; I then looked at Assisi. Oh, no!


    ¡°What!? How?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I mean, how did he find it?¡±


    ¡°He must have said something to the maids. The emperor always seems angry, so they just ended up telling him everything¡­¡±


    Were their lives the only ones on the line? What about me? What about my right to live?


    My vision started to get hazy. I couldn¡¯t see the light, and I couldn¡¯t think of what words to say. I was so screwed.


    I knew that he would find it out someday, but this was too soon.


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    When I looked at Elyne, she shook her head as if to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I then looked at Assisi.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably in a meeting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing him at dinner then?¡±


    The troubling part was the fact that the sun had already set, and we would be dining soon¡­ the garden after sunset was beautiful, but I couldn¡¯t seem to marvel at its beauty.


    Ah, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do. I wished that everyone would disappear. I wanted to be alone¡­


    ¡°But it¡¯s not like you¡¯re the one who broke it, Princess¡­¡±


    Silly Elyne, did she really thought that Caitel would care?

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 199


    Serira patted my shoulder as I grabbed my head with a grave expression. Was my mom trying to cheer me up, or is it just me feeling like she was bidding farewell to me? Sob, sob.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sure His Majesty will understand.¡±


    Assisi spoke with a proud look. I was more frustrated by theforting words that he had just thrown. He could only say that because it¡¯s not his problem.


    I was now feeling an indescribable feeling after these series of unfortunate events. It was not a life crisis where God threw me out to a den filled with sin! I felt like I met the boss as soon as I started ying the game!!! Game of Life Over!


    ¡°What should I do? What should I do? How could I get out of this dilemma?¡±


    I walked around while grabbing my head, but I had no idea what else to do after that. Ah, I should just shut up and get down on my knees. If I begged like my hands turned into my third and fourth feet, then I would do it without reservation. No! I couldn¡¯t do it, I just couldn¡¯t! I still wanted to live! I couldn¡¯t die like this!


    How on earth should we deal with this hardship, crisis, and misfortune? I tried to think of a good n, but time passed, and I could not think of anything, and before I noticed it, the time of my judgment had finallye!


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    An innocent maid who knew nothing told me when to die. I really didn¡¯t want to die.


    ¡°Can I just skip my dinner tonight? I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling sick? Would you like me to send the doctor here?¡±


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t feel like eating.¡±


    If I ate now, then I was afraid of going sickter. No, I would definitely feel sick if I sat beside my father right now. I would be the first princess who would die after feeling ill because of her father in this world! However, when she saw my stern look, Serira ced her hand on my shoulder before speaking.


    ¡°¡­ wouldn¡¯t that make the emperor even more upset?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Why were moms always right? She would always nail the point right on the head; it made me feel guilty all the time¡­ sob, sob.


    Eventually, her words made me concede. As I clenched my teeth and left for the restaurant, Assisi, who took my hand, showed a sad look at me. ¡®Don¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t you ever do that, too! You¡¯re really making me feel like my life is over!¡¯


    I felt like I was a swine being dragged into a ughterhouse. I thought I could finally understand what livestock would feel moments before their death.


    Oh, those pigs, so this was how they felt¡­ They felt this sad and hopeless.


    Sob sob, they were so delicious, though. They were the best. Every part of them was pleasant! However, for my Dad, the pork belly was the best. I¡¯d argue, though, that lettuce, pork belly, and soju was still perfection!


    ¡­but Dad doesn¡¯t know what soju was. Tsk tsk, poor soul.


    I red ufortably at the door of the restaurant; I was now on the verge of a breakaway. Yeah, I died once in my life, but I didn¡¯t want to do it all over again. Let¡¯s go as far as I could go today.

 Chapter 200 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 200

    <h4>Chapter 200: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 200</h4>


    It had been ten seconds since I opened the door abruptly, but I had to suffer a sharp regret already. Why did Ie to enter so confidently? Why did I do that? More importantly, why would I do that when I knew that I was screwed?


    ¡°D, dad!¡±


    I called my father with a bright expression, but he did not return anything. Once I sat beside him, I looked into his eyes. ¡®Caitel, are you feeling ufortable? Do you want me to kneel?¡¯


    However, I was a little rxed because he seemed indifferent. Wasn¡¯t he angry? Was he all right?


    ¡°Daddy, you know, today I¡­¡±


    ¡­ and that was when I knew that I was done for.


    He wasn¡¯t okay. He could¡­ kill someone with this silence alone. I just wished that the world would explode. As soon as I spoke to him with a smile as radiantly as I could, I felt the rising tension surrounding us and med my mouth for it. Oh, I should have just shut up and ate¡­ That reaction, that look, that mood, I couldn¡¯t say that he would understand me¡­ I hated my eyes for fooling me into believing that he was okay for a second. Was my eyesight finally failing? I even saw a violent spirit within Caitel¡¯s eyes.


    That¡¯s odd. He didn¡¯t hit me, but why did I feel as if I had just been beaten up?


    Was this his power? The power of his killing intent?


    ¡°Haha, hahaha.¡±


    Acting cute would not solve something like that. I was just dead. Still, just in case, I turned my head and pushed my face in front of the Caitel, and at the same time, Caitel turned his head away from me. I was slightly despairing at his expression, which showed that he didn¡¯t want to speak to me. I didn¡¯t see any answer.


    He was so mean¡­ No matter how mad he was with me, how could he turn away from his cute, lovely daughter when she tried to coax him?


    ¡°Daddy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Daddy?¡±


    It would be better if he were just angry with me, but this atmosphere was just so cold. I should just eat first. I could ept dying once my belly was full!


    My father remained silent; it made me question if he was angry or sulky. Meanwhile, Assisi was still as quiet as always. Even I was shutting my mouth, so the dining hall was utterly silent today. I felt a heavy silence permeating the atmosphere, but even if the air around us was oppressing or not, the royal chef was still as great as ever. I would dare say that he might be a God of cooking. How could broli taste like this? All the vegetables and meat were just so delicious. I wouldn¡¯t be constipated, but I had been eating this nutritious meal every day. How could I get constipated because of it? The meal was so delicious that I ate it deliciously, even if I was not in the mood for it. However, while I was chowing my meal, suddenly, I heard a loud bang beside me.

 Chapter 201

    <h4>Chapter 201: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 201</h4>


    My goodness!


    When I heard a loud noise, Caitel stood up after finishing his meal. He then left the dining hall without saying, ¡°I enjoyed my meal.¡± And I have been left alone all of a sudden. No, I¡¯m not alone because Assisi was with me, but. ..


    Well, my dad really was narrow-minded. Oh my, my, my. My life was also in trouble. Oh!


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that dad is having a tantrum?¡±


    Assisi, who was quietly eating, seriously thought about my question. He then nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Yes, I think he is angry.¡±


    Assisi said that he was angry, but I could only see him as being sulky. If he was angry, then he would not stay calm with that temper of his. It would only turn into a mess, and the world would see it¡¯s doom.


    Oh, I was just scared of him if I wasn¡¯t facing him, but now that I was actually before him, I could only have a headache. What the hell was I supposed to do with this? Acting cute wouldn¡¯t work, and he wouldn¡¯t want to talk to me either. I was sure that there was something about me that made him so upset.


    I finished my dinner safely, but the real problem would start from here on out. This was the real crisis!


    How would we be able to sleep tonight? It¡¯s really shocking and scary.


    ¡°Princess, you can do it!¡±


    Elyne and Serira cheered me up, but it only hurt my feelings. What was that supposed to be? Did they want my dad to crush me to death? There were times when they could cheer, and sometimes, they just didn¡¯t know how to do it. Oh, I wanted to run away from home.


    It¡¯s the only country in the world wherein a father¡¯s tantrum would cause a daughter to run away from home. Oh, I was ashamed.


    Nevertheless, I gotta sleep tonight.


    Unsurprisingly, Caitel was in the room when I opened the door along with my muddled mind. I would have been a little disappointed if he wasn¡¯t there, but it¡¯s also disturbing in its own way. What the hell was I supposed to do?


    When I walked into the room, I could say anything, but nothing came out of my mouth. I breathed a quiet sigh.


    ¡®You bastard, this isn¡¯t working. I should¡­¡¯


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    A small voice called Caitel. I pulled his sleeves on purpose, but Caitel, who was reading, didn¡¯t even move.


    Come on. I was going this far, and he would still refuse to notice me? I would love to smack his head, but I shouldn¡¯t¡­ he¡¯d just have me executed.


    Fine. I would just make the first move since I was an adult.

 Chapter 202

    <h4>Chapter 202: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 202</h4>


    He should look carefully, this was theposure of someone who achieved spiritual enlightenment. If acting cute wouldn¡¯t work and my changing phrase wouldn¡¯t work either, then he was just picking a fight, right? I closed the book that dad was reading. I then raised my hands, grabbed Caitel¡¯s cheek, and turned it toward me.


    ¡°Father, have I done something wrong?¡±


    The same red eyes as mine looked back on me. If there was warmth existing in my father¡¯s eyes, then this look would always be warm to me, but today, it was cold and sharp enough to sting. Still, I didn¡¯t want to avoid facing it, so I looked at his eyes without avoiding it, and something appear on his expressionless face. I didn¡¯t miss the timing and smiled brightly.


    ¡°I have done something wrong, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Of course, my father wouldn¡¯t answer. It¡¯s okay. I was not the kind of person who would surrender easily!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did wrong, but I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be mad anymore, okay?¡±


    If he still ignored me after this, then he¡¯s not my father!


    How could he refuse me when I was this cute and this lovely! As expected, Caitel fell for me thereafter. He indeed was my ve!


    ¡°Then you¡¯re aware that you¡¯ve done something wrong?¡±


    No!


    However, if I say no here, then he would probably get even grumpier if I said something like that. I just smiled.


    ¡°Yes, but what did I do wrong? Why don¡¯t you tell me? Please?¡±


    When I spoke with an innocent smile, Caitel frowned. Why was my dad frowning so when his daughter was acting so cute. No, no. He couldn¡¯t do that to me.


    ¡°You know what, Dad? If you don¡¯t tell me, then I wouldn¡¯t know what I did wrong, and I would never know why you¡¯re mad at me¡­¡±


    As I wriggled my hand and hesitated, Caitel sighed. Did this mean that he¡¯s gonna surrender to me? Was that it?


    However, it was only for a second. The bundle of cloth in front of me immediately took me aback. This was the piece of fabric I used to hide the sculpture; how the hell did he find it? No, he didn¡¯t carry it for the rest of the day by the time he saw it, did he?


    Caitel kindly opened the contents of the pocket, lest I remembered it. ¡®Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much. Oh, thank you. Dad, you¡¯re so kind.¡¯


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡±


    What should I do? If I told him that the twins did it, then they wouldn¡¯t live to see another day. They would be beaten for disobedience, and they would get banned and never allowed to set foot in the pce again.


    This was so obvious.

 Chapter 203

    <h4>Chapter 203: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 203</h4>


    I guessed that I had no choice. Fine, for the sake of their futures, I would have to sacrifice myself.


    ¡°I identally broke the present you gave me¡­¡±


    I confessed to dad, and his face turned into something sinister. I had never been scolded until today. Because of that, I thought that he was even scarier. Dad looked so intimidating.


    ¡°Then you could have just told me, couldn¡¯t you? Why in the world did you try to hide it?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Was it because I saw my most cherished sculpture in ruins, or was it because of that scary look on Caitel¡¯s face right now? Suddenly, I felt like I was gonna cry. No, it was all because everything happening to me right now was so unfair. This was not my fault.


    ¡°But you gave it to me¡­¡±


    I could hear my watery voice, and Caitel¡¯s expression shook too. I tried so hard to hold back my tears.


    ¡°You liked it too, but I just hide it away because I wanted it. Daddy would be sad because I broke it too¡­¡±


    Sob sob, oh, I didn¡¯t know now. I wanted to just cry instead.


    How could I hold my tears when it would juste out without memanding them? I wiped the tears on my face, but it wouldn¡¯t stop. This was all because Caitel looked sad. Yeah, it¡¯s all because he seemed so, so worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, daddy. It¡¯s all my fault. It was so pretty¡­ but I broke it.¡±


    Oh, Caitel looked a bit panicked. Was he panicking now that I was crying?


    However, even that face of his looks so sad. This was all so sad. Sob sob.


    Since I was crying so hard, Caitel seemed to have no idea what to do with me. However, whatever he would do, I just cried. He¡¯s not getting angry. Was it because I was crying? Sob sob.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    I could hear Caitel¡¯s sigh right beside my ear, the warmth that held me in the arm. I guessed that he was my dad, after all. At least he knew how tofort his daughter.


    ¡°Stop crying. That ugly face of yours will only get even uglier.¡±


    What was he saying with that sad face?


    I was crying right now because your face looked so sad. I couldn¡¯t speak because I was crying, so I just red at him, and Caitelughed a bit.


    What? Did he think that my face was funny?


    ¡°And it¡¯s not something to cry over.¡±


    I guessed he was not mad anymore.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been crying, but I cried for a long time. I couldn¡¯t even remember what made me so sad. Once my tears started to subside, Caitel wiped the tears on my face.


    I was sobbing in dad¡¯s arm as I looked at him.


    ¡°Dad, are you not mad anymore?¡±


    ¡°No. not anymore.¡±


    Phew, now I didn¡¯t have to be scolded. Not that I did it on purpose¡­ but it seemed like the tears of women and children indeed were deadly weapons¡­


    ¡°Next time, just tell me what happened instead of hiding it, understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, daddy.¡±


    Caitel smiled after hearing my answer. I smiled too. As I did so, suddenly, Caitel¡¯s face became serious. Huh?


    ¡°Even your smiling face is ugly.¡±


    Bastard!

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 204


    Did I cry too much yesterday? I felt like my head was pounding since I woke up in the morning. Oh, my head¡­ I was d that I avoided my dad¡¯s anger, but I had made a new pledge through this. Next time, I intended to tell the truth about those twins!


    ¡°Princess, your eyes are so swollen.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


    I must have cried a lot yesterday. Thanks to that, I could tell that I was the type who would have a smudge on my face the next day when I cried. I looked into the mirror and sighed for nothing.


    My pretty face became a real carp.


    Serira was removing the swelling from my eyes with the cold towel she brought when, suddenly, the door burst open, and Elyne ran into the room.


    ¡°Princess, princess!¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with her? It was like this yesterday too, but the storm had already passed, so I had no qualms about it. What was it this time?


    ¡°Hmm? Why?¡±


    Elyne did not answer my question. She just looked at the servants who wereing in behind her.


    I just turned my head to check what she was so surprised about¡­and I opened my mouth with a shock as soon as I turned my head.


    What the hell were those?


    What I saw there were more than ten ss statues carved as the winter tree. Weren¡¯t they the same ones that the twins broke? What was going on here?


    I lost my words and looked at those ss winter trees. Soon thereafter, my father walked in. I looked straight at my dad. ¡®Dad, what are you doing?¡¯


    ¡°You can break as many as you like. I can get you another one anytime.¡±


    Caitel spoke with a proud face. I was struck dumb for a moment. No, of course, it¡¯s good, it¡¯s all good, but¡­ yes, it¡¯s beautiful, but I just had to say this¡­


    ¡°I thought it was priceless. You said it was one of a kind¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    What did he mean by that? Well, my father was getting the same sculpture like the one his daughter broke¡­ It¡¯s okay if that was all there was to it. However, I thought that it was a masterpiece that would only get sculpted once a year¡­ The artisan had to make each cut precisely. How¡¯d he get all these here in just a day?


    Since I could not understand what had just happened, I was moaning with a confused look, and my dad looked proud; he probably thought that it as my emotion being deeply moved. He then told me proudly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to get so worked up because I have power and a lot of money.¡±


    Oh, this weirdo¡­

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 205


    What the hell?


    Time flew like an arrow, and I finally turned eight years old.


    Oh, I was a year older. I didn¡¯t know why I would get frustrated with my age, but I didn¡¯t feel good about it anyway. No, I was still eight! I was a young and fresh eight-year-old!


    ¡°Our princess is already eight years old.¡±


    ¡°How amazing!¡±


    Serira and Elyne were particrly fond of it. The girl who would actually celebrate her birthday was sullen, but the two adults around her were just so excited. What¡¯s going on here?


    By the way, I thought that it was only yesterday when I was a baby, but in this world, a 17-year-old person was already considered an adult, so in 9 years, I would be an adult too¡­


    ¡°But what does my birthday have to do with this dress?¡±


    My hair was all curled, and the tiara on my head was especially sparkling, while this ne on my neck and the bracelet hanging from my arm were especially gorgeous. Why?


    Elyne answered my question in a determined voice.


    ¡°Of course, it is because¡­¡±


    Because?


    ¡°It is because it¡¯s your birthday party!¡±


    However, the answer came from behind me instead. I was slightly frustrated by my mother¡¯s voice, who shouted as if she had waited for this very moment.


    Serira¡­ No, Mom. Was my mom this fond of parties? My mom, in my memory, was a simple and understandable person who didn¡¯t like parties at all. Nevertheless, despite my nervous reaction, Serira still looked excited.


    ¡°What would be the birthday present for this year? Princess, you are wondering too, right?¡±


    I was not curious at all.


    Serira was talking all over the ce with a smile, but I was worried about what else he would give me this time and gave me nothing but shock and fear. I¡¯m not too fond of the royal scale of things here.


    Please, I wanted something normal as a gift this time!


    I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how this country would react if they saw me get a small, reasonable birthday present! I was afraid that the history books would read, ¡°Emperor Caitel depleted the national treasury to buy presents for his daughter¡± One day! Also, I would be recorded as ¡°Princess extravagance, Ariadna¡± without my own knowledge about it. Then, I thought that I had to say a line like this.


    ¡®If they don¡¯t have bread, let them eat cake, hmph!¡¯


    ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t have a jewel, you can decorate it with the Spirit Stone.¡±


    Irrespective of my dismal murmur, Elyne and Serira who were busy decorating me were excited. I breathed a quiet sigh as I heard their conversation while finally saying that they could beautify me so well because I grew up, and they started worrying that I might get even more beautiful once I grew up.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 206


    ¡®Please, heavenly father, allow me to be a righteous princess. I don¡¯t want to hear about the news saying that my father¡¯s luxury has destroyed the country.¡¯


    ¡°I wonder what His Majesty prepared as a gift for this year.¡±


    ¡°More than that, Lady Serira, I wonder how many birthday presents there will be this year. I¡¯m sure there must be at least five thousand, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Last year there were about two thousand. I think that is a fair guess.¡±


    ¡°This year, even the royal families from other continents came to celebrate the princess¡¯ birthday! There will definitely be more gifts this year!¡±


    I didn¡¯t care how many there are, but I could swear one thing right now. I was sure that none of those presents would beat Caitel¡¯s gift! I didn¡¯t even know what kind of gift I would get yet, but I could guess. ¡®Please give me something normal as a present.¡¯ Oh, but my dad¡¯s already abnormal himself. It¡¯s my fault that I wanted someone to be normal when it was clearly impossible.


    ¡°But why won¡¯t you give me my birthday present already, mom?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Serira, who wasbing my hair, took a small gift out of her pocket. When I opened it, I saw that there was a shawl in it. It was a shawl that Serira had carefully made for me. It was a sweaterst year, and since nobody would make something with an intention to give it to me, mom¡¯s gift every year only made me feel so precious.


    ¡°What about Elyne?¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    As if she had been waiting, Elyne handed me a small box. I opened it as soon as I received it, although she never told me to open the box.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I brought it because I thought you liked it before, hehe.¡±


    The gift in the box was a small instrument. It wasn¡¯t a delicate, finely cut item, but I once liked it because it was small and cute, and I didn¡¯t know Elyne would remember it. Elyne smiled with pride when she saw that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off from this small violin model.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°How could you!?¡±


    At the same time, I ced it in a box carefully and put it on the dressing table. I should put it somewhere safe, so those twins wouldn¡¯t find it and destroy it again. When I acted unlike my word, Serira smiled.

 Chapter 207

    <h4>Chapter 207: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 207</h4>


    When I rolled up my well-dried hair, my preparations wereplete. It¡¯s a birthday party, but I felt like my preparation time was getting longer every year. Why the hell?


    ¡°Oh, my. Princess, you look so beautiful today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Yeah, I knew that I was pretty.


    I nodded and ept thatpliment; Serira and Elyneughed thereafter.


    What¡¯s wrong with these two? Why were theyughing at me? I frowned, slightly irritated by their unusual reaction, and Serira pattered me on the shoulder. I became a bit ufortable after then. What was the meaning of this? Was she cheering me up? Without time to ask a question, Assisi led me outside.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Of course, since I was all set up, I should go to my dad, who would go to the party with me, first. I knew that mom had been freed from the job of guarding me since Assisi became my guardian knight¡­


    Something was like¡­ It made me feel like something was ufortable somehow. I felt like my mom had been neglecting me. Standing there with a slight frown, I approached Assisi, who had been waiting in the drawing-room all this time. He then looked at me and asked.


    ¡°Pardon me. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Your master.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    As if convinced, Assisi opened his mouth. Did I transform or something? I was still the same except for my hair, dress, and all these essories! They were all the same as usual. What¡¯s the point of asking? Did he have a problem with his facial recognition? Of course, the same questions and answers camest year and the year before that too.


    ¡­ It was really such a depressing consistency.


    Then again¡­ he¡¯s the sort of man who would ask if I had a twin once I changed my hairstyle. Thus, Assisi thought that Elyne was triplets. This fool.


    Anyway, I still needed to get what I needed to get, right?


    ¡°What did you get me for my birthday, Assisi?¡±


    ¡°What would you like?¡±


    I calmly asked him, and Assisi asked me earnestly. I answered back without dy.


    ¡°A House.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Or thend is fine too.¡±


    Owning property was the way to go these days!


    ¡­ of course, that was a list I wanted in my past life, but they were all useless gifts to me now. What would the princess do withnd and the houses? The only problem was that I already had too much of both. However, Assisi, who never took my jokes as well, jokes, nodded his head with a stern look.


    ¡°I shall give you all of my fortunes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need that!


    Assisi tilted his head when I reject it in fright. It was scary because he would always say the most absurd things with the most severe expressions I had ever seen!

 Chapter 208

    <strong>Chapter 208: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 208</strong>


    I¡¯d be d if someone else would have given it to me, but I could never have done so because Assisi was the one saying it. First of all, that¡¯s not a joke. That¡¯s real!


    There¡¯s a level of evil master, and if I took all the money that you own, then what kind of scale was that? Lucifer? However, Assisi, although he had given up all his fortune, he would probably eat well and live well. Why was that?


    Oh, right. I would take care of everything.


    I was looking back at Assisi because I thought that that was what he was aiming at, but I arrived at my father¡¯s office before I spoke to him.


    The splendid office!


    By the way, the party was just around the corner, and he was still at work. He had a dark future too. When I entered the room without dy, I saw that Caitel was buried in the papers.


    He looked like he¡¯s in his usual self. It was a bit strange to see my dad just doing paperwork with all his party tailors on. Maybe it¡¯s because of his clothes, or perhaps I just felt a little sad that he was still workingte till this day.


    ¡°You are here.¡±


    I was standing there without interrupting because I thought that he was too focused. Fortunately, Caitel reached out to me first. I walked straight to my father without hesitation. When I approached him, my dad naturally picked me up. I nced at the desk, and it seemed like work was almost over.


    That¡¯s a relief. I was looking down at the little piece of paper, and suddenly, I could feel his re from the side. I then turned my head.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Because you look pretty today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    Really? Caitelughed as I smiled. What? What was up with my dad?


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    Was it funny that I looked so pretty? Did he want to die?


    However, hisughter differed a little from usual. He smiled crackly at me all the time, but now, what he gave me was truly a happy smile. Yeah, damn it, I would let you go this time.


    I felt like I lost, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I breathed a quiet sigh. If I would be his daughter, then I should have a big heart, right? However, my dad¡¯s mood was different today. Was this about work? Was it because you had seen too many documents? I didn¡¯t know if I was feeling like it, but he looked a little tired.


    Suddenly, Caitel swept my hair.


    ¡°Have you been properly congratted today?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°For your birthday.


    It¡¯s weird for the person who threw such a huge celebration for my birthday every year to ask that. However, I was sure that my dad knew how the entire country would always congratte me every year. Not only from our country but worldwide too. How much more should I be congratted here?


    I wondered, but his I could see from his stark expression that he wasn¡¯t pranking me. I dangled my fingers andughed for no reason.


    ¡°Everyone likes me. Of course, they¡¯ve congratted me.¡±


    ¡°Of course?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

 Chapter 209

    <strong>Chapter 209: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 209</strong>


    What¡¯s wrong with him? Someone said that if someone did something that they wouldn¡¯t usually do, it meant that they would die soon.


    I looked at dad with a somewhat grim expression, and dad smiled bitterly. It was a little bit of a bitter smile, but somehow it burst into my heart.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m old now.¡±


    A slightment. It was nothing but a familiar sigh, and I couldn¡¯t answer back at it. I was just so scared that my father might be really sick.


    Thus, I held my dad¡¯s clothes for no reason, and he patted me on the head for a moment. It¡¯s a routine act, but it strangely more affectionate. Was it just my impression? Somehow, I thought that my father¡¯s eyes would get a little sweeter.


    ¡°It seems that my daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Truly is loved by everyone.¡±


    ¡®Unlike me.¡¯


    I felt like I could hear that at the end of his sentence, so I just shut my mouth. Somehow, I felt like Caitel¡¯s heart was so close to me that I could catch it.


    He threw an even more extravagant birthday party every year, but he¡¯s the most depressed person there. No one celebrated his birthday. That¡¯s the kind of person my father was. Still, I thought that it was getting better every year after I was born. It looked like it was just my imagination.


    I got solemn for nothing. Dadughed as I kept my mouth shut, and his lips touched my forehead as he fell carefully.


    ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    He said with a low, deep, somehow dry voice. Still, I could feel his heart in every word.


    ¡°Thank you for making me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who gave birth to you, so your mother should be thanked for that.¡±


    Caitelughed the way he usually did, but I didn¡¯t feel likeughing. He looked like he wasmenting at how unfit he was to be a parent. Nheless, this bastard was still my father.


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t a bad feeling.¡±


    That slight smile made my heart a little lighter. I smiled brightly. This was all I could give him. With a bright smile, Caitel stared at me without blinking. I was a little scared because I felt like he was trying to engrave my smile in every crevice of his memory. It¡¯s getting hard to keep myself from smiling because of my dad.


    ¡°Since I congratted you, I should give you your present now.¡±


    ¡®Here ites!¡¯


    I was nervous. What would he do this time? My anxious gaze was momentary, dad suddenly pulled something out of a bundle of paper. It was a map of this continent, one that I had never seen before.


    Wow, that¡¯s amazing.


    As I stared at it, Caitel spoke.


    ¡°Come on, pick one.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Pick what?¡±


    When I turned my head, my father answered back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you any country you want for your birthday.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t need something like that, daddy!¡¯

 Chapter 210

    <strong>Chapter 210: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 210</strong>


    Of course, parties were held quite often in the royal family. This was all due to the habits of aristocrats, who held parties at any moment to celebrate. However, they did not necessarily mind international events, for they were more interested in domestic affairs that were quite diverse and happens often. Thus, almost every week, parties that were presided by the royal family were held.


    Did I spend every day partying and reveling then? Of course not. Would one really associate me with such a deviant attitude?


    They said that it was a party, but not all of them were the same. There was also a kind of ss. Depending on the importance of the work, the kind of party or venue that was held would change. Usually, for international asions or important asions, we would use Brillo Hall of Lunare Pce, while other small parties were held in other halls of Lunare Pce. This was all possible because Lunare Pce was a massive pce with 12 chambers. Sometimes, there were many different parties on the same day.


    My dad and I didn¡¯t like parties, so the ones that we both participate in was just the parties held at Brillo Hall. My birthday party was also held at Brillo Hall. Oh, I was already so tired.


    ¡°Will there be another pile of presents today?¡±


    Those were just unnecessary trash. Trash. The party only started 40 minutes ago, and I was already tired. Not to mention, I only got here when everyone had already arrived since the birthday girl was supposed to be fashionablyte. Ugh¡­ what would I do when I grew up? I could leave early now since I was still young, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to use that excuse when I was older. Ah, yet another dark cloud in my future¡­


    ¡°Princess!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ferdel.¡±


    Ferdel came close to me in a rush. Why was he so excited when he got herete? There were already so many nobles around me, but then again, no one could say anything since he¡¯s the almighty chancellor.


    Well, that¡¯s the dignity of a chancellor. Usually, a member of the royal circle could never enter a party without an invitation sent by the imperial family. It¡¯s an ancient principle that even the influential nobles could not ignore. However, there were a few who were exceptional in this principle. Those were what we called ¡®Powerful, High-Level¡¯ nobles.


    Such as¡­ the Chancellor, and the Chancellor, or the Chancellor¡­


    Yeah, I envied him. He had the free pass for all the parties in this country. Oh, well, I also had it too.


    ¡°Happy Birthday! This is my gift for you!¡±


    Well, thanks.


    However, when I reached my hand, I could not see any birthday gift on Ferdel¡¯s side. Huh?

 Chapter 211

    <strong>Chapter 211: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 211</strong>


    As I wondered, Ferdel pulled out his hand. What I saw there was a portrait of his twins as big as the palm of his hand, which he carried every day to show off how cute his kids were.


    Why was he suddenly pulling them out?


    ¡°Okay, you can pick one. Because it¡¯s you, princess, then I¡¯ll let you have either one you want.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Or should I just give you both?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need either of them! I just didn¡¯t want it at all!!!


    Why were there so many people giving things that I didn¡¯t need today? I almost achieved the feat of receiving a country as a birthday present a little while ago, and now, I was looking to gain a chancellor¡¯s son as a birthday present. Oh, my, why was this crazy thing happening only to me?


    Fortunately, Assisi quietly grabbed Ferdel soon and disappeared from my sight. Oh, my head.


    ¡°Congrattions on another year, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Iliyad.¡±


    She was already 40 years old, but Lady Iliyad still smiled beautifully and softly. I didn¡¯t memorize all the country¡¯s noble¡¯s faces, but I now have a grasp of all their faces, for they had had somece in the Pce. Well, of course, I was not stupid enough not to remember their faces when I saw them this often.


    When Lady Iliyad stepped aside, another noble came in front of me. I was annoyed, but I still had to smile brightly. They were congratting me on my birthday, and I couldn¡¯t possibly refuse it. It¡¯s still annoying to meet all the nobles, but it¡¯s okay since it only happened once in a year.


    Be patient. Be patient. Blessed were those who endure.


    ¡°Oh, look at the princess is thanking everyone. She¡¯s so kind.¡±


    ¡°My, my. Our princess is so clever and pretty.¡±


    ¡°I know, who would think that she is only eight years old by now?¡±


    I know, right? Who would think that I was only eight years old by now? Me?


    I didn¡¯t know if they wanted me to hear everything or not, but I could listen to them gathered around whileughing and talking.


    ¡°I know. She¡¯s so good at studying, and apparently, she¡¯s fast at learning music and art too. There¡¯s nothing she doesn¡¯t excel in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible. I¡¯m so proud of her.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing. If the princess was my daughter, I would carry her on my back all day.¡±


    ¡­ Where did those rumorse from?


    I wanted to ask them. When did I learn music or art? Aside from the things I memorized, what else did I know? I had be a genius without notice.


    Yes. The world was vast, and rumors varied.

 Chapter 212

    <strong>Chapter 212: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 212</strong>


    ¡°Oh my, and the Emperor is here!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true.¡±


    Huh? I turned my head suddenly. My father, who had been away for a while, was back. Judging by the look on his face, his expression clearly showed that he wanted to kick the chairs and leave the party, which no one didn¡¯t seem to realize.


    That¡¯s so scary. He was my dad, but I really didn¡¯t want to mess around with him.


    Unlike me, who wanted to avoid him, all the women at the party were in a frenzy.


    ¡°Normally, he would only stay for a moment, even on his own birthday, but he¡¯s been here for quite a while since it¡¯s his beloved daughter¡¯s birthday party.¡±


    ¡°He loves his daughter so dearly. The rumors weren¡¯t exaggerated at all.¡±


    ¡°Who could ever call him a notorious tyrant now? Well, it¡¯s understandable with a daughter like her.¡±


    ¡°Of course. With such a lovely daughter, who wouldn¡¯t be a saint?¡±


    ¡­ bullshit.


    I just wanted to die after listening to all thesediesughing and talking loudly. This daughter only wanted to be loved one day. How could anyone think that? He was just guarding his spot because he knew that Ferdel would try to hug me once he was gone! I knew what he¡¯s thinking more than anyone else here.


    Last time, Caitel was only gone for a little while. That was when Ferdel acted like he was my father, and they ended up fighting over it. Well, everyone forgot about it, but Ferdel was my Godfather. Anyway, he was so childish.


    ¡°But His Majesty is still the same as ever.¡±


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t you think he doesn¡¯t age? Actually, it appears as if he¡¯s getting younger every year¡­¡±


    ¡°Those eyes, and his aura¡­ Haa¡­ as expected of the man most wanted in all the top social circles.¡±


    ¡°Though the problem is that no one can approach him.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty ofdies who would line up in front of the emperor¡¯s chamber at just a flick of his wrist.¡±


    That description was a bit annoying, but I agreed with them. Even I was amazed at how handsome he was all the time. Well, he was a looker.


    I nced at him, and of course, he was the most radiant person in this party hall. He wasn¡¯t even wearing his crown, but he still attracted the attention of people by just sitting in his chair. Well, that exined why he was the Emperor.


    ¡­ However, everyone knew how bad his temper was, yet they still liked him?

 Chapter 213

    <strong>Chapter 213: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 213</strong>


    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s the ck Knight!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Sir Zavaikal in such a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. It¡¯s been a while since hest came to any public events¡­¡±


    ¡°Therees another sinful soul. Although so manydies were aiming for him, he always turned them all down.¡±


    A sad sigh was piling up.


    I was a little embarrassed. My dear Assisi was so popr. I didn¡¯t know that he was so popr since all the maids in the pce said that he seemed scary. I thought that you weren¡¯t popr with girls, but I guessed he was. I felt sorry for misunderstanding him.


    ¡°But he¡¯s also the one best suited to stand next to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°The bloody tyrant and the ck knight¡­ they¡¯re the midsummer night¡¯s dream of every woman.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, his serious attitude and charisma are so charming. He always covered his face, but now, he¡¯s wearing a simple uniform as a guardian knight of the princess.¡±


    ¡°What wouldn¡¯t make him shine!? As expected, that silent atmosphere and heavy charisma were not something I could feel from other knights.¡±


    Huh? Huh??? Serious attitude and charisma? What did I hear now? He, yeah, well, he was silent. Well¡­


    ¡°I wonder what they are talking about right now.¡±


    ¡°I think they are talking about the envoys fromst time? I think they are discussing something serious.¡±


    ¡°I see. They are taking care of political affairs in a ce like this.¡±


    ¡­ I had a lot to say, but I wouldn¡¯t.


    I could even swear that they were not talking about anything serious, but that would destroy the pink fantasy of thesedies. I couldn¡¯t do such a cruel thing! How severe of me to break an illusion! In my eyes, that serious-sounding conversation of theirs was certainly a discussion about my birthday present. Oh yeah, I was sure.


    ¡°Oh, my. The chancellor¡¯s here as well.¡±


    ¡°Finally, all three of them are here!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I saw the three of them together!¡±


    The fuss of thedies was unusually loud. I just sighed.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seendy Silvia for a long time too.¡±


    ¡°She still looks amazing.¡±


    ¡°She looks just like Princess Tynia.¡±


    ¡°For sure.¡±


    Princess Tynia¡­ I was sure that she was the younger sister of the former emperor. Surely, she was the princess, my aunt-grandmother, and the mother of Silvia. I had never seen her since I was born, but she¡¯s such a famous person that I had heard a lot of things about her. I heard that she cared a lot about Assisi. On the other hand, she hated Caitel so much that she had been stuck in the Aquyia since he became emperor and had not taken a step forward.

 Chapter 214

    <h4>Chapter 214: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 214</h4>


    ¡°Huh? Why aren¡¯t you with the emperor?¡±


    It was Silvia who came to me.


    I had to greet the nobles for a while. Otherwise, no one woulde near me because of daddy. However, before I could answer, Silvia grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Come to think of it, they are debating about such a ridiculous topic at the moment.¡±


    It was Ferdel, Assisi, and my father that Silvia wanted to see.


    ¡°I was going to give one of my sons to the princess, but she refused! I even offered her both of them, and still, she shot me down! How could either of you be more upset than me?¡±


    Caitel, who remained silent after hearing Ferdel grumbling, frowned.


    ¡°What did you just say? How dare you try to burden my daughter with those rascals?¡±


    ¡°I offered her my children! What is it to you?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve clearly lost your mind.¡±


    Today, my dad beat the ever-living crap out of Ferdinand.


    Tsk tsk. Did he felt uneasy unless he got hit every day or something? Assisi, who was beside them, opened his mouth as Ferdel shut his.


    ¡°The princess wantednd and a house, so I offered her my whole fortune¡­ but she refused.¡±


    Then, Caitel turned his head in wonder.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already give her a house andnd?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand why she wouldn¡¯t want it.¡±


    I was sorry for asking Assisi something weird, but they were all weirder than me for taking a joke so seriously!


    I wanted to break into that conversation and argue that I was not weird, but I didn¡¯t get any chance. Dirty world!


    ¡°I offered her a country, and she refused. I can¡¯t understand my own daughter.¡±


    Honestly, this man¡­


    I could overlook the others, but he really overdid it! I was really not the weird one here!


    No one was normal in this pce. It¡¯s rather sad that the nobles thought those three were over there discussing politics.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I honestly worry about the future of this empire.¡±


    ¡®You and me both, Sil.¡¯


    I nodded in sincere sympathy with the sigh of Silvia, and suddenly, she took a small box out of her arms and gave it to me.


    ¡°Oh, right, princess. This is my gift for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    I took off the lightly packed box and found a key in it. What was it for? I looked carefully in wonder, and Silvia replied with a smile.


    ¡°This is the key to the treasury of Aquileya.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What? Why was Sylvia giving this to me all of a sudden?


    Silvia smiled brightly if she couldn¡¯t see my stiff face. Then¡­


    ¡°You cane to take anything you like!¡±


    She¡¯s just as bad as them!

 Chapter 215

    <h4>Chapter 215: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 215</h4>


    Birds nest in the trees sing from the morning. Listening to the new chirping that seemed to have entered the mountain, I was rxing with a cup of tea and a hot scone.


    This was what one calledposure! This! This was theposure of the Royal Family!


    My birthday, which was the biggest worry of my life, had passed, and I had opened all the gifts that I was worried about. Now, I got nothing to worry about. My peaceful days had returned. Wow. I felt so blessed.


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    ¡°Ria, we¡¯re here!¡±


    Huh??? What?! I spouted the tea that I had been drinking. Serira brought me a handkerchief right away. I wiped my mouth and desperately stabilized my mind. I¡­ I¡¯m sure that I heard hallucinations. Yes, I was convinced that it¡¯s just hallucination.


    ¡°Ria!!!¡±


    Damn it, it wasn¡¯t hallucination! Those twins, who sounded so familiar, were pulling their heads out in front of me. I was immediately frustrated. What¡¯s all this sudden development? These guys yed with me yesterday! Why were they here again, though? Since these guys came here yesterday, I thought that it would be peaceful today. I guess it was my own misunderstanding. I guess.


    Now, even Serira slowly stepped back, looking a littleplicated.


    ¡°¡­ You guys came yesterday. Why are you two here today again?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Here were people who were trying to exhort without persuasiveness.


    I asked them with little hesitation, but the twin¡¯s answer was just so firm. Their smiley faces were cute enough, but I wouldn¡¯t get tricked again. There¡¯s a devil inside them¡­ Oh, well, I could just say that that¡¯s how it was, but well, just saying¡­


    ¡°Cito, don¡¯t you have the training to go?¡±


    Why was Cito here today?


    He knew that I hardly dealt with these twins, and what was wrong with him? I just sighed since I could already see the future of these three and how they would over each other. As Cito saw my facial expression, he clenched his fist and shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s so unfair that only the twins get to y with you!¡±


    What was he talking about?


    When did I only y with twins? I did hang out with him too!


    Why did he have toe with Viterbo twins, though? Oh, I had a headache already. I got a gloomy, foreboding feeling that I would get sick from now. I will get sick for sure!

 Chapter 216

    <h4>Chapter 216: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 216</h4>


    Why did these guysck consideration for me? Why couldn¡¯t I just see these guys separately? Oh, I wanted to damn it all. I just shook my head. Now, if the three of them fought, then we would just sit by and watch. These guys could fight however they want, I didn¡¯t care.


    However, Valler was standing in front of me with a solemn look.


    ¡°Ria, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve decided on a ceasefire.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like it, but we decided to y together!¡±


    The two looked at Cito together.


    What the hell was that, a ceasefire? Graecito, too, looked back at them with a patient look, though he didn¡¯t like them. What were they talking about?


    ¡°We always fight each other every day, but because of that, we can¡¯t y with you ¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like it either, but yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you two, either.¡±


    They were going to growl to each other again¡­


    Was it going to be fine? They said that they would be having this ceasefire, so maybe there would be no more fighting. I just breathed a sigh because it was evident that they would fight again if they yed anyway.


    Yeah, I could care less.


    Assisi looked down at the three of them as I grab my head. Why were they looking at them with such a serious face? Looking at his face, I affirmed myself that he was a knight who was sent to the front line alone, but this was the front line for him, isn¡¯t it, Assisi?


    ¡°Ria, what shall we do now?¡±


    ¡°Sanse wants to y tag! It¡¯s fun to do that with Ria!¡±


    Graecito snorted at the twins¡¯ words.


    ¡°You guys are so childish. Hopscotch is the best game to y in.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you want to fight?¡±


    I knew that this was gonna happen.


    That¡¯s right, what kind of truce was that? Looking at the three of them pathetically, the boys who tried to fight suddenly stopped. Huh? These guys were not fighting?


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what hopscotch is, but tagging is the best. You hear me, bunny?¡±


    ¡°Sure, titch.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Why, do you want to fight?¡±


    They fought a little bit before ultimately shutting their mouths. Oh, wow. What a surprise.


    ¡°You guys really don¡¯t want to fight?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t fight anymore!¡±


    The twins bragged about it, but I justughed.


    We would have to wait and see.

 Chapter 217

    <h4>Chapter 217: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 217</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk.¡±


    I stood up, and Assisi came closer to me. I took Assisi¡¯s hand and left the garden.


    ¡°R¡­ Ria!¡±


    As I walked out calmly, the twins and Cito followed me in a daze.


    I was just taking a walk because it was time to take one, but I guessed that they thought I was walking out because they had done something wrong. The three of them were aware of what they had done wrong.


    Ah, they were cute anyway.


    Assisi seemed ufortable; it seemed that something was bothering him, but I thought that it¡¯s cute how those three boys were following me. Haa, this was why I still yed with them even though they made me so tired. I was walking, and Valer came next to me.


    ¡°Ria¡­ does Ria always walk like this?¡±


    Sanse was glued beside Valer while Cito came next to Assisi. Since they came right beside me, Assisi took a step back, and three of them could possess me exclusively. I just breathed because I knew that it would happen.


    ¡°Yes. I do it at lunch and in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Wow, who would you be with when you walk in the evening?¡±


    ¡°My dad.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My father was great. That¡¯s right.


    Children¡¯s faces froze after suddenly hearing Caitel. I burst outughing. These guys were terrified of Caitel, weren¡¯t they? It was a typical kid¡¯s reaction. I would have done this if I had been born without a memory of my previous life. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be alive until now. I¡¯d already be dead because I would cry in front of him. Hmm.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be afraid of him?¡±


    ¡°But he is too scary. Sanse is afraid of the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    All three made the same facial expressions. It was a bit of a surprise that Graecito did the same.


    Hey, you had seen him longer than the twins. Why was he being timid and joining them while saying ¡°me, too¡±? Of course, I was also scared when my dad went crazy, but¡­ maybe it¡¯s because the liver was swollen now, but he wasn¡¯t that scary. Ha, was it time for me to die, too?


    ¡°What, are you scared too? You are bigger than us.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? How is being big rted to this?¡±


    What? Why were these guys fighting all sudden?

 Chapter 218

    <h4>Chapter 218: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 218</h4>


    Cito answers Valer¡¯s words with a sulky look. Valerughed openly at what Cito said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be afraid of the Emperor when I¡¯m as big as you!¡±


    Do you really think so? I guess I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way.


    ¡°Valer, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true at all.¡±


    Sanse speaks seriously. I nodded assent to Sanse. Even I¡¯m scared of my dad. Valer couldn¡¯t control his temper at our replies.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not afraid of the Emperor because when I grow up, I¡¯ll be a better man than the Emperor!¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s funny! Even when you are grown up, you¡¯ll still be shorter than the emperor!¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know that!¡±


    ¡°I can tell at a nce! What!¡±


    Oh, they¡¯re fighting. I guess they don¡¯t remember that they promised not to fight. Valer and Cito have already grabbed each other by the cor and tried to grab each other¡¯s faces. You bastards!


    I knew it. I thought it was rare. Anyway, I have to stop this, but it was not enough for me to stop this fight if it bes hand to hand fight.


    There is nothing I can do. Summon the Guardian!


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    ¡­ had already run away. Damn it!


    You were here just now! When did you run away again?


    Looking back on the empty Assisi¡¯s vacancy, I clicked my tongue. Just help me like this, and like that! Is that hard?! I guess it¡¯s difficult for him. What a dirty world. What am I supposed to do with these two guys? I couldn¡¯t even think of stopping them but just watching these two fight, but I got something that was familiar with my eyes.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What is that?


    When I turn around, Sanse grabs me by the arm.


    ¡°Huh? Ria, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Elyne.¡±


    Isn¡¯t it time for her to be in the pce? I think Serira ordered something on an errand earlier. Even so, it doesn¡¯t make any sense for her to be here right now. More than anything else, this is an area where I don¡¯t usuallye for a walk. Something is strange.


    As I look at her again, I see Elyne¡¯s hair is unusually shiny than before. Besides, she looks like she¡¯s wearing makeup.


    Oh, wait. This is weird?!


    As I frown my face, Valer and Cito, who have stopped fighting,e closer.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Ria¡¯s handmaid!¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    ¡°But why is she here?¡±


    Yeah, I¡¯m curious about that, too.

 Chapter 219

    <h4>Chapter 219: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 219</h4>


    Besides, she¡¯s holding so many things unlike her. Where did that baskete from? Is that a lunchbox bomb? She looks excited and looking at her smiling alone and being happy made me feel strange.


    There must be something going on right now.


    ¡°Shh, everyone quiet!¡±


    I must follow her!


    Leaving behind the roaring children, I immediately followed Elyne. Where are you going? What the hell is going on behind my back? I mean, Elyne has been so in a dazetely, and I guess I¡¯ll finally know why. Yeah, I¡¯ll figure out everything!


    My heart is beating fast.


    Where Eylne headed was the doctor, which was built on one side of the pce. It was a government office in charge of all the duties and duties of the royal family, such as an office on medical care or as a doctor¡¯s department pce, which had nothing to do with those who were not ill or those who did not intend to be a doctor.


    I don¡¯t think she¡¯s suddenly trying to be a doctor. What¡¯s going on? My doubts deepened.


    It¡¯s obvious that If I got too close, I¡¯d be caught, so I followed her to the doctor¡¯s pce in a distance. The sudden visit of the children seem surprised doctors, but I was serious. My face is famous anyway, so they¡¯ll find out who I am. So don¡¯t bother me, you guys!


    It was then that Elyne stopped walking.


    ¡°H, hello.¡±


    ¡­Who is that woman who gave a shy greeting right now?


    I feel like I¡¯m getting goose bumps all over.


    Ahhh! I barely managed to resist shouting without knowing. What, who¡¯s that woman! Who the hell is that sneaky girl? Is she the one that I know?!


    Behind my back, children look at her with curious eyes. I made a gesture to be quiet, and I turned my head again.


    It was a doctor who Elyne said hello. He is not dressed as an archiater, so he must be a assistance of archiaters in the pce. The doctor smiled brightly at Elyne¡¯s greeting.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the Lady of Sy Pce. Hello. Are you not feeling well again?¡±


    You guys know each other.


    But the next thing was that surprised me. Elyne¡¯s face flushed at the doctor¡¯s words. Who the hell is that?


    ¡°Oh, no. I didn¡¯te here today because I¡¯m ill¡­¡±


    What is this? What the hell is this?


    Elyne smiles shyly. I got goose bumps. Oh, no. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Elyne always either whining or gossiping and now she acts like ady. I can¡¯t see that.


    Ha, I think I saw something bad just now.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 220


    I tried to take a little break, and at that moment, Elyne carefully stuck out the basket she had brought to the doctor.


    ¡°Umm¡­ these are for you.¡±


    While epting it, the doctor did not seem to know why he was receiving it. Nevertheless, Elyne looked pleased after seeing that he took it.


    ¡°You must be tired after working all day¡­¡±


    Huh? What did she just say?


    After handing over the gift shyly, she turned red again; Elyne was in a hurry for nothing.


    ¡°Well, I should be going now!¡±


    Before I could grasp the situation, Elyne suddenly disappeared from my sight. I opened my mouth wide. The little boys behind me tilted their heads.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Why did she do that?¡±


    ¡­ what was this pinkish atmosphere!?


    By this time, the twins must have noticed. Valer grinned.


    ¡°I think Ria¡¯s maid likes that man.¡±


    The other children must have thought so too. Sanse and Cito agreed with Valer¡¯s words.


    ¡°But he looks ugly.¡±


    ¡°Why does she like him?¡±


    The children tilted their heads, saying they didn¡¯t get it, but I was so embarrassed that the situation was not appropriately recognized.


    Wait, what was that? I couldn¡¯t believe what I just saw.


    I turned my head and looked at the doctor, and fortunately, he was still there. He looked at the basket with a wondrous look and smiled. It seemed that he liked it judging by the smile on his face. The man had dark gray hair and pretty ck eyes, and through his clothes, he seemed like he was the doctor of the pce. If he was a doctor at the Royal pce hospital, then he might not be a high-ss noble family, but he must still be a nobleman who was treated fairly. He was tall, had a good voice, and, most of all, quite handsome.


    My, my. Elyne got a good eye for men.


    There was still a mountain of things to consider, but he seemed fine for now. First of all, he was not that handsomepared to my father or Assisi, but he was still good looking.


    ¡°Well, he is a good looking guy.¡±


    ¡°What, Ria, are your eyes okay?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    These bastards!


    I hit the twins with my knuckles and looked at the doctor again. Elyne went to the hospital every day, and eventually, she fell in love with the doctor.


    Now, I had some relief after seeing such a surprise.


    Anyway, to think that Elyne would fall for someone.


    Then again, she¡¯s well past that age¡­ I guessed it was unexpected since she had always been my maid since I was born. It¡¯s like finding out that a childhood friend was getting married. With Elyne, it felt more like we grew up together rather than her looking after me. Oh, this didn¡¯t feel very easy.


    ¡°He is a handsome guy, but I don¡¯t think he can fight well.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an imperial doctor. Of course, he can¡¯t.¡±


    What did Graecito even want from the doctor?


    He didn¡¯t have to use a sword, but¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ria?¡±


    Heehee. Upon hearing myughter, Sanse ambled backward and frowned. I smiled and shook my head.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that such an interesting sight to behold?


    Chapter 221: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 221


    Ever since that day, when I went to the Imperial Pce Hospital, my interests had been pointed at Elyne and the man.


    Luckily, Elyne didn¡¯t realize that I was following her the other day. Somehow, everyone in the hospital knew about it. Of course, I warned them to keep it a secret, but I had to be careful with people. They could spread some nasty rumors.


    Still, the reason why she had been particrly absent-minded these days was because of him, eh?


    It made sense now that I was thinking about every single one of Elyne¡¯s actions. Somehow she had been interested in my snackstely. She was trying to give them to him, wasn¡¯t she?! My choctier said that Elyne was ordering more snacks these days. Thus, he thought that I would gain a lot of weight, but he was surprised that I looked the way I would usually look like.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    I was agonizing over what to do when suddenly, Assisi asked. I broke out in a cold sweat. Oh, he had quick wits.


    ¡°Hmm? No, nothing.¡±


    I smiled at him while trying to look innocent, and Assisi tilted his head.


    Elyne went out on an errand for Serira. When I asked mom where she was going, mom gave me a hint that Elyne was going to the Pce Hospital. As expected, Serira already knew.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who was paying attention to this love affair. I called my personal grandpa doctor yesterday. I told him that my maid fell in love with this man, who was an assistant doctor under him. Then, grandpa promised me that he would roll up his sleeve and support them. He was interested in what was going on between them, so I did some fishing. Ahem.


    Yeah, it¡¯s fun to butt in on other people¡¯s love affairs! Especially when it¡¯s not mine!


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Though I forgot about it because of my father, Assisi was well past the age of when people would marry too. However, he didn¡¯t look like he was interested in dating or marrying. Assisi would make the perfect husband. Of course, this was not just my idea.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get married?¡±


    Assisi shook his head after hearing my question.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any ns to do so.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why not?¡±


    I was surprised after hearing his firm reply and asked why, but as soon as I asked, he shut his mouth. Huh? What¡¯s wrong? Besides, his expression was dark. It was not at an awkward level. It was above that. Did I do something wrong? I thought that he was better now. It had been a while since I saw his face that stiff.

 Chapter 221

    <h4>Chapter 221: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 221</h4>


    Ever since that day, when I went to the Imperial Pce Hospital, my interests had been pointed at Elyne and the man.


    Luckily, Elyne didn¡¯t realize that I was following her the other day. Somehow, everyone in the hospital knew about it. Of course, I warned them to keep it a secret, but I had to be careful with people. They could spread some nasty rumors.


    Still, the reason why she had been particrly absent-minded these days was because of him, eh?


    It made sense now that I was thinking about every single one of Elyne¡¯s actions. Somehow she had been interested in my snackstely. She was trying to give them to him, wasn¡¯t she?! My choctier said that Elyne was ordering more snacks these days. Thus, he thought that I would gain a lot of weight, but he was surprised that I looked the way I would usually look like.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    I was agonizing over what to do when suddenly, Assisi asked. I broke out in a cold sweat. Oh, he had quick wits.


    ¡°Hmm? No, nothing.¡±


    I smiled at him while trying to look innocent, and Assisi tilted his head.


    Elyne went out on an errand for Serira. When I asked mom where she was going, mom gave me a hint that Elyne was going to the Pce Hospital. As expected, Serira already knew.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who was paying attention to this love affair. I called my personal grandpa doctor yesterday. I told him that my maid fell in love with this man, who was an assistant doctor under him. Then, grandpa promised me that he would roll up his sleeve and support them. He was interested in what was going on between them, so I did some fishing. Ahem.


    Yeah, it¡¯s fun to butt in on other people¡¯s love affairs! Especially when it¡¯s not mine!


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Though I forgot about it because of my father, Assisi was well past the age of when people would marry too. However, he didn¡¯t look like he was interested in dating or marrying. Assisi would make the perfect husband. Of course, this was not just my idea.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get married?¡±


    Assisi shook his head after hearing my question.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any ns to do so.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why not?¡±


    I was surprised after hearing his firm reply and asked why, but as soon as I asked, he shut his mouth. Huh? What¡¯s wrong? Besides, his expression was dark. It was not at an awkward level. It was above that. Did I do something wrong? I thought that he was better now. It had been a while since I saw his face that stiff.

 Chapter 222

    <h4>Chapter 222: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 222</h4>


    ¡°Princess, Sir Zavaikal might feel ufortable.¡±


    I took a step back because of Serira¡¯s words, but I just got more curious. Why didn¡¯t he wish to be married? My dad was the most selfish and scary man that I had ever seen, and out of all, he already got a grown daughter like me, so generally,dies would think twice about marrying him.


    However, Assisi was single, and he was also a handsome man, not to mention a famous knight. Why, oh, why?


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Oh, damn it. My mom had quick wits.


    I was going to ask Assisi once Serira turns her eyes around, but I guessed I couldn¡¯t. I would still ask Assisi about thister, though.


    I grabbed my teacup and looked at Assisi. Now that I had thought about it, he seemed quite gloomy when I first saw him. The ck Knight, who was kneeling and crying in front of the winter tree.


    Until then, I had no idea that this man would be my guardian knight.


    It was quite a curious little thing. Why was he crying like that at that time? I knew that Assisi was a bit of a dismal person, but I had never wondered why he was so depressed. Also, I couldn¡¯t ask him because we weren¡¯t that close back then.


    Hmm. I was in deep thought, pondering about something I had never thought before. That was when I saw Assisi¡¯s eyes.


    His greenish golden eyes¡­


    I always had my eyes on it, but every time I saw it, I would think that the color of his eyes was so mystical and beautiful. Besides, it was exceptionally transparent.


    ¡°Assisi, hands!¡±


    Since Assisi was staring at me with those ssy eyes, I suddenly wanted to tease him and stick my hand on him. I didn¡¯t expect much, but he really put his hands neatly on my hand. Such behavior was so natural that I burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hehe, you really gave me your hands. Just like a puppy.¡±


    Only then did he seem to have realized that I had treated him as such. Assisi¡¯s face turns red, and I felt like I would die. This was just so funny.


    ¡°Do you know how to give me your hand? Good boy, Assisi. Good boy.¡±


    I reached out to pat his head, but I couldn¡¯t since Assisi pulled his hand out with a flushed face.


    Geez, how could he be so cute? He was really the best knight, except for the fact that he could be kind of stubborn sometimes.


    It¡¯s so much fun teasing him.

 Chapter 223

    <h4>Chapter 223</h4>


    <h4>: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 223</h4>


    However, this reaction was fun. I poked Assisi, who looked stiff.


    ¡°Assisi? Assisi? Are you upset? Are you upset?¡±


    ¡°No. I am not upset.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t say no. You are obviously upset.¡¯ His stiff tone was saying that he was upset, but he persisted stubbornly that he was fine. I smiled a little.


    ¡°I think you are.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Really not?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Aha, so that¡¯s the game he wanted to y


    Assisi gave me an ufortable look when I smiled. Well, then¡­


    ¡°Assisi, foot!¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I thought he might give me a real foot, but I guessed I was too outspoken this time. Ah, that was close!


    Iughed so hard after hearing Assisi¡¯s response, and Serira shook her head like she felt like she couldn¡¯t stop me. ¡®Mom, what¡¯s wrong? You have no idea how fun this is. It¡¯s so much fun that I might die ofughing.¡¯


    Assisi huffed. I was choking withughter.


    ¡°Assisi, I don¡¯t feel well¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Where does it¡­¡±


    ¡°My heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh no, I couldn¡¯t breathe because I wasughing so hard!


    Assisi¡¯s dumbfounded expression was really overwhelming. Oh, I felt like I was dying. It was fun to make fun of him, but it¡¯s really addictive. How could I stop this when I was having so much fun?


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    ¡®Are you angry? Are you angry?¡¯


    With a look of discontent, Assisi red at me. He closed his mouth and stared at me. Now, that¡¯s a little scary¡­ not! Nevermind! Iughed harder. Oh, my. Every response he made was so precious.


    ¡°Are you going to keep this up?¡±


    ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What did I do?


    Assisi frowns lightly. Iughed more for nothing. Heehee. Oh, it¡¯s me, but I was really mean.


    Assisi just gave up everything and sighed. Uh, what should I try this time? What else should I use this time? I looked around with a determination to make fun of Assisi.


    That was when I found exactly what I was looking for.


    ¡°Assisi, look at this!¡±


    Assisi turned his head to see what I had in mind now. Then his face got stiff.


    ¡°Princess, blood!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying of pain!¡±


    A red thing flowed through my arm. Assisi ran to me and looked at my bleeding arm.


    ¡°When did you get hurt like this¡­?!¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s strawberry jam.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®You were fooled, weren¡¯t you?¡¯


    How could he be tricked when it¡¯s obviously a strawberry jam? When I giggled right away, Assisi¡¯s face really hardened. Somehow he looked really, really angry. I had never seen Assisi¡¯sbative look before. The soft-hearted guy was giving me a fierce look, and now I felt a little guilty¡­


    Uh, was I a little harsh this time?

 Chapter 224

    <h4>Chapter 224: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 224</h4>


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Mom came to me with an angry look. Did Serira look at it too? Then she brought the handkerchief and wiped out all the strawberry jam I had put on my arm.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make jokes about this. It was cute before, but now you went too far.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°If the princess keeps lies like this, no one wille when you¡¯re really sick, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    My mother scolded me for being naughty. I just stuttered. ¡®Uh, you know what? Well, I mean¡­¡¯


    ¡°Please answer me. If you continue ying around like this, then will Assisie to you when you need help?¡±


    ¡°He has toe to me.¡±


    I¡¯m the owner of him, and he shoulde to me. Serira was embarrassed by my answer for a moment.


    ¡°I mean, of course, he shoulde, but..still!¡±


    Still, what. Serira couldn¡¯t find the right word and groans.


    Yeah, I¡¯m sure that Assisi woulde.


    Serira looked back at Assisi with an apologetic look. Well, I was aware of it, but he already seemed quite offended. Yeah, that was what life was all about. You are not free from me! It had been like that in the past, and it would always remain the same!


    ¡°T, this shouldn¡¯t be it.¡±


    Leaving confused Serira, I ran to Assisi. Holding Assisi¡¯s legs with my small hands like the maple leaf, he looked down with an awkward look.


    ¡°Assisi, are you angry? I¡¯m sorry. Stop being mad. Please?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it again. Okay?¡±


    Okay, this was my fault. Alright?


    Assisi¡¯s expression slowly softened as he saw my charm. Then, Assisi sighed. Was my prank that serious for him to sigh that deeply?


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe it.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡±


    Assisi tilted his head. I smiled with a puzzled look.


    ¡°Please call the doctor¡¯s assistant.¡±


    Assisi frowned at the unexpected request.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yeah, there was really something wrong with my mouth.


    I corrected my words at once with a hint.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Only then did Assisi loosened his firm expression. Oh, I couldn¡¯t even tease him now since I was scared of his look. Of course, I would still make fun of him. I couldn¡¯t possibly let go of such entertainment!


    ¡°But why¡­?


    Assisi nted his head as if he didn¡¯t understand. Well, I didn¡¯t have a reason to tell him, but I just smiled in secrecy while thinking of Elyne, who, by now, would be happy doing the chores with Serrira in the kitchen.


    ¡°I need to ask something from him.¡±

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 225


    It seemed like a wise choice to leave the job to Assisi. How could he listen to my orders so well? I was such a lucky princess. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had this kind of guardian. Of course, I was wrong to tease him too much earlier.


    The man that I saw the other day was standing in front of me now. Thus, this guy was the one that Elyne loved? It was a bit pitiful to look at him, who seems to have no idea why we called him here. He didn¡¯t have a choice, though.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    I put down my teacup quietly and greeted him; that was when the doctor responded. Somehow, with a stiff look, he lowered his head.


    ¡°I heard you called for me, Princess.¡±


    ¡®Yes, I did. It¡¯s me, me. I called you.¡¯


    Actually, the doctor who woulde to see me from the hospital was an old man, not this man in front of me. However, grandpa doctor and I made some kind of agreement yesterday, haha! The reason why this man in front of me was here was because of that grandpa doctor¡¯s help. Kekeke.


    ording to the old doctor, with a little more experience, this man would be a great doctor who could tend the Emperor. This was such a greatpliment. The supernova of the medical profession. The morning star of doctors. In short, he was an adult who had a bright future.


    Well, that¡¯s the perfect condition for Elyne¡¯s mate. However, if she thought that he would pass my evaluations, then he was still a hundred yearste!


    ¡°Oh, I have a question!¡±


    He looked at me with a look of nervousness on his face.


    ¡°So these days, I feel empty, somehow my future is bleak, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll cry. I don¡¯t know what kind of illness I¡¯m getting.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t a disease, but it didn¡¯t matter. Nevertheless, it was true.


    He frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand what I just said. I didn¡¯t know if it was because I looked at him closely, but his ck eyes were pretty. His gray hair was attractive, too. However, if he hardened his face like that, wouldn¡¯t I feel ufortable? The doctor would change his expression if he noticed my saddened eyes.


    ¡®Oh, look at this. You have a good sense, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s just sit down and talk. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    I told him to take a seat, so Serira pulled out the chair for him. Not forgetting to say thank you, the doctor sat in the chair. He also had some manners.


    ¡°My name is Hasin¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not amon name here in Agrigent. Are you a foreigner?¡±


    ¡°My mother was from Ancief.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ancief.¡±


    That¡¯s a neighboring country. I was unsure, though. Anyway, it was a country on the central continent.

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 226


    If his mother lived from another country, then if he married Elyne, would it mean that there was no reason for her to go to another country? I showed a friendly smile while thinking if I should examine this part.


    ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t be surprised. You¡¯re between all the people who know what¡¯s going on. Haha.¡¯


    ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°What is your hobby?¡±


    Serira sighed from the side. Mom already knew what I was doing, although I didn¡¯t tell her. Ss soon as I asked her to call the doctor, she ordered Elyne to run a few more errands to distract her. She indeed was my mother.


    ¡°Do you like mountain climbing? What about gambling? Oh, do you have any drinking habits?¡±


    What else should I ask?


    Before I asked him questions as if I was taking the census, I looked at him while wondering if I could leave our Elyne with him, but Hasin suddenly changed his expression and responded to my gushing questions calmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have drinking habits. I also don¡¯t do gambling or climbing. My hobby is gardening. Do you have any more questions?¡±


    Uh oh, this man was pretty good.


    ¡°P, Princess.¡±


    Instead, it was Assisi who was standing beside me, who felt embarrassed. He grabbed me with a confused look.


    ¡®It¡¯s okay, Assisi. Everyone has to go through this once in their lifetime.¡¯


    Anyway, I assumed he would be more embarrassed and thought, ¡®why is this little child doing this to me?¡¯ and suffered in confusion and fear, but it was a bit of a surprise that he came to his senses soon. Okay, so he was smarter than I thought, huh?


    ¡°What are you looking for in a girl?¡±


    As expected, this question must have been too straightforward for him.


    Serira, Assisi, and even Hasin, who was in front of him, all looked surprised. I smiled with remorse. That¡¯s right.


    ¡°You like a pretty girl, too, right? Men are all the same. Am I right?¡±


    Yeah, men would only have a crush with a girl based on two Principles: 1, she is pretty, and 2, there¡¯s no other principle. After all, if she¡¯s beautiful, then they¡¯re. I guessed that even Hasin could not answer this question quickly. I felt a sense of victory as I kept asking him.


    ¡°Do you like a woman who talks a lot? How about a cute girl? Do you prefer a daughter or a son if you have children?¡±


    ¡°I would like to have a daughter. I¡¯d rather have a daughter who looks like a princess.¡±


    He would avoid awkward questions, but he would bite easy ones like this in a sh. He didn¡¯t have such a sour first impression on me.

 Chapter 227

    <h4>Chapter 227: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 227</h4>


    ¡°It must be tough since I¡¯m too cute and lovely.¡±


    However, our Elyne would have a hard time with this man. After a while of talking, I knew that he was not a fool. I didn¡¯t understand why she fell for this kind of sneaky person. Oh, my.


    I wanted to hold on to him longer and ask him more questions, but it was already toote, and if I hold on to him for too long, then Elyne would return before he could leave. Thus, I allowed him to go. Even if he was already leaving the pce, it still seemed like he had no idea why I had called him. Yeah, it would be better for him not toprehend. It was part of my n to keep a lot of things from him, so he wouldn¡¯t know much about this.


    I was now thinking about the many reasons I coulde up with, so I could be able to call him here again.


    If I was a little older, then I could have done so many other things. I was so sad that I was still a little kid.


    I was in agony for a moment when suddenly Assisi, stood in the way.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Somehow his expression differed from his usual appearance. He looked like he had decided to do something drastic. What, was he going to a war or something?


    ¡°I will¡­ support you¡­ no matter what you do¡­ no matter who you like¡­¡±


    What was wrong with him? He looked away after seeing my nce, but Assisi continued his words.


    ¡°I will always be by your side, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡±


    What did he just say? I think I heard something weird right now.


    Despite my reaction, however, Assisi held his hands tightly and shouted with a mncholy-filled expression.


    ¡°But this¡­ this is too early!¡±


    What was this crap that he¡¯s suddenly spouting? I was genuinely worried about Assisi.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Assisi, are you sick?¡±


    ¡°You like him, don¡¯t you?


    I liked who?


    ¡°Hmm? Who?¡±


    ¡°You know, that doctor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean Hasin?¡±


    Why was Hasin suddenlying out of this conversation?


    Assisi was now on the verge of tears. I thought that he would cry if I touched him just a bit. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time that I had looked at Assisi¡¯s crying face, but it was bizarre for me nheless.


    What was wrong with him


    Oh, wait¡­ hold on!


    ¡°Assisi¡­¡±


    This was a really crazy idea, but¡­


    ¡°Do you think I am doing all these because I love Hasin?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that your reason?¡±


    Oh, my goodness¡­

 Chapter 228

    <h4>Chapter 228: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 228</h4>


    I rolled over the groundughing after hearing this sudden misunderstanding. How could Assisi make me want to make fun of him more even when I wasn¡¯t thinking of making fun of him? Assisi looked devastated after seeing my reaction. Somehow he looked embarrassed too.


    ¡°Oh, actually, about that¡­¡±


    I mean, that was¡­ Oh, it was driving me crazy.


    ¡°Yes, I like Hasin!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Assisi was astonished after hearing my dignified answer with his mouth wide. I was dying ofughter because of his shocked look. That¡¯s why I was bing such a mean person. Seeing Assisi, who could not speak, I seriously thought that a person should not be as pure as this.


    Oh, I couldn¡¯t just let him be alone. Assisi, I really needed to protect him.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s a good friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Excuse me?¡±


    Assisi tilted his head a little with a questioning expression after hearing my reaction.


    Now, as if he understood, his face turned red. Iughed again at him as he struggled to hide his shame. Oh, this was way too funny.


    Once I startedughing and dying ofughter, Assisi tried to run away. Oh, no, no, he couldn¡¯t just run away from this! I stoppedughing and barely grabbed Assisi. Oh, I was almost choking withughter that I thought I would surely die.


    ¡°This is a secret. Assisi, you can¡¯t tell anyone about this, okay?¡±


    Assisi nodded solemnly upon my request.


    Yeah, that¡¯s right.


    I looked around and pulled Assisi¡¯s arm to see if anyone could eavesdrop. Assisi stooped.


    ¡°Eylne likes Hasin. That¡¯s why I wanted to see him in person to figure out if he is a good man. If he is a weirdo, then I have to get rid of him quickly.¡±


    ¡°W-was that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    As if he was relieved now, Assisi looked visibly relieved. The expression on his face made me realize once again just how cute this man was. How could an adult be cuter than me? This was a scam.


    ¡°Were you afraid I¡¯d marry him, Assisi?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    I asked jokingly, but he seemed to be serious. He nodded his head with a grim expression on his face.


    ¡°Yes, I was worried.¡±


    ¡­ He was so serious that I couldn¡¯t y any tricks on him.


    Still, it was fortunate that the misunderstanding was resolved.


    ¡°Now that you know why I¡¯m doing this, will you help me?¡±


    Once I reached out my hand, Assisi softly held it. He then kissed the back of my hand.


    ¡°I will do my best to help you.¡±

 Chapter 229 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 229

    <h4>Chapter 229: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 229</h4>


    ¡°So, how was that guy when you actually met him?¡±


    Sanse¡¯s eyes sparkled as if he was excited. I ate a spoonful of yogurt ice cream in front of me.


    ¡°He was pretty good. Most of all, he¡¯s not a weird guy.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    I was talking about Hasin. I thought they wouldn¡¯t be interested in it, but the kids were already so involved in other¡¯s love stories and enthusiastic about it. Once they came to me, they were already asking about what happened to my handmaiden. Thus, I told them the things that urred yesterday and the day before that. While listening to me, Sanse¡¯s eyes were especially more enthusiastic.


    I was putting my spoon in my mouth when Valer went a little wild with a look of excitement. Most of all, the twins seemed to be most surprised that my score was generous.


    ¡°Ria said he was fine!¡±


    ¡°He must be a really nice guy!¡±


    ¡­ What kind of image did I usually give?


    Even Cito, who was sitting beside them, nodded his head in agreement. Oh, these little bastards! I frowned faintly, but the children didn¡¯t care. Damn it. These bastards should mind their own businesses!


    ¡°So uncle, you decided to help her, too?¡±


    Valer looked at Assisi and asked.


    Assisi flinched a bit after seeing my gaze, but I relinquished it peacefully. The story of him crying out of fear that I would get married was also a secret to my father too. I was the only one who knew about it and teased him for the rest of my life!


    ¡°Yes, Assisi said they look good together.¡±


    ¡°Sanse thinks they look good together too!¡±


    ¡°Valer also thinks that too!¡±


    The twins raised their hands and shouted. Beside them, Cito nodded slightly.


    ¡°I think the same too.¡±


    How cute these guys were.


    I wanted to pinch their cheeks, but I put up with it. Oh, I was a kid too, but I didn¡¯t know why these kids looked so lovely.


    Before I knew it, Valer already eximed with a solemn look.


    ¡°Okay! Then we¡¯re going to support Ria¡¯s handmaiden!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will!¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    How did we end up forming Elyne¡¯s love-supporting society?


    It was also a secret supporting society, even she didn¡¯t know about it. No, I didn¡¯t remember saying that I epted Hasin as Elyne¡¯s partner. However, it was also troublesome to stop these children who were already nning to do such things.


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore. I just took my hands off from them and finished eating my ice cream, yum yum.

 Chapter 230

    <h4>Chapter 230: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 230</h4>


    ¡°What kind of man do you like, Ria?¡±


    Instead of discussing it, Sanse suddenly asked that to me. Why did he want to know that all of a sudden? I was wondering, but I couldn¡¯t just move on because even Valer and Cito were looking at me with curiosity. They used to fight like hell, and now they¡¯re sticking together like a gumball.


    ¡°A handsome man?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well, I should just hang on. Just being handsome wasn¡¯t enough, after all.


    ¡°I like a man who is handsome, wealthy, came from a good and noble family, has a lot of abilities, only looks at me and loves me, thinks I¡¯m the best, and agree to whatever I say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for a man who doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    This bastard!


    They asked me a question, but then they soon lost their interest and moved on. Yeah, I know! If I wandered around to look for my ideal type, I would end up as an old catdy. However, I never wanted to get married if it wasn¡¯t with the right person. Why would I do that? Why would I let go of this freedom and get married!?


    Of course, if my dad wanted me to do it, then I had no choice.


    The reality was a mess.


    ¡°But where is Silvia? Is she doing something else?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my mom is busy.¡±


    Valer answered as he yawned. Was Sil busy? I wondered why Sil was working and not Ferdel.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There will be guests soon.¡±


    ¡°Guests?¡±


    What kind of guests wasing that even a Countess of the Empire was busy? Sanse retorted as if it were nothing.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a family gathering soon. Theye from all over the Empire, even other countries too. That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t care about us as much as she used to.¡±


    ¡°The nagging also doubled. Don¡¯t get into trouble, don¡¯t fool around, stay calm, study harder¡­¡±


    Valer pouted. Sanseined with a sulky expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like my mom.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    Ah-ha, that¡¯s why the twins were in a bad mood today. Somehow, they were always messing around like a beagle, but today, they sat on a chair quietly and just ate their meals and snacks.


    You guys looked cuter now that I knew their reasonings. They were sad because their mom wasn¡¯t ying with them anymore?


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Jero.¡±


    ¡°Jero!¡±


    I was sitting in the pavilion, and I looked at someone who was passing by, and I realized that it¡¯s someone I knew. The twins look up straight for Jero. Jero turned back after hearing our voice. Here, over here.

 Chapter 231

    <strong>Chapter 231: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 231</strong>


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Jero, what are you doing?¡±


    Jero beamed as he saw me smile. Anyway, I was the princess of this Empire who made even stone Buddha smile. Hold on, now that I hade to think of it, Jero was still not married either. Yeah, he¡¯s a really good man too. Surprisingly, there were many first-ss bridegrooms around me.


    ¡°I¡¯m delivering the documents to the chancellor.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Well, what he¡¯s doing was obvious. He spoke the same answer he usually gave, but suddenly, the twins showed up. Valer shouted.


    ¡°Are you going to see Dad?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Of course, Jero was Ferdel¡¯s aide. He was also Ferdel¡¯s chief aide. Considering that the chief aide could have such a position only after being the first secretary, Jero was considered a high elite. Besides, he was still young, wasn¡¯t he? The future of our Empire was still bright. Oh, I was so proud of him.


    Sanse, who was sitting still, raised his hand after hearing Jero¡¯s answer.


    ¡°I wanna go too! I want to see my daddy!¡±


    ¡°Me too! Me too!¡±


    These guys should have stayed quiet this whole time. What was wrong with them!


    ¡°Hold! Stop doing that! You guys are putting Jero in trouble!¡±


    I tried to calm them down, but the twins were obstinate. Oh, these little bastards! Did they want me to beat them up? Surprisingly, Jero looked calm.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You cane to the chancellor¡¯s office.¡±


    Heh? Really? He must be kidding.


    The twins cheered, which started my day of horror. Graecito adhered to Serira¡¯s style and said no, but at the end of the day, the twins still dragged me along with them.


    This was a dream, right? Please tell me this was a dream.


    However, my body was already at Podere Pce. The flower of the Pce Podere bloomed. It was, after all, the official residence of the Chancellor, where all political and economic matters in this Empire happened.


    We¡¯re really here.


    ¡°Oh, my! My sons!¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Passing through the secretary¡¯s office and entering the office of the Chancellor, I could see that Ferdel was working. This was the first time in my life I had seen him sitting at his desk and properly working.


    Oh, that¡¯s quite normal. Well, although Ferdel looked like that, he was still the iron chancellor of Agrigent.


    Jero put the documents that he was holding on the desk. I thought he¡¯d scold Jero for bringing the kids, but as soon as he saw the twins, Ferdel smiled brightly and weed them with open arms.

 Chapter 232

    <strong>Chapter 232: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 232</strong>


    ¡°Come on, boys, get in your father¡¯s arms!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Sob sob, sons, daddy is working really hard again today! Since I¡¯m making a lot of money, let¡¯s eat something delicious when we get home!¡±


    ¡°There are more delicious things in the pce!¡±


    These guys¡­


    It¡¯s true, though. The Imperial Pce¡¯s food was so delicious.


    As I nodded my head in agreement, Ferdel, who ended the reunion of tears with his sons, finally noticed me.


    ¡°Oh my, our princess is here too. How beautiful you are. How can our princess get so cute and lovely every day?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your eyes are lost. You are scaring me.¡±


    You didn¡¯t have to notice me.


    Ferdel tried to hold me in his arms like his sons.


    All right, get away! I reached out and pushed his chin out, and Ferdel sobbed and sniffed. Pretending to be pitiful wouldn¡¯t work!


    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s y!¡±


    ¡°We want to y with you!¡±


    No matter how young they were, I thought this was still a bit too much. Hey, didn¡¯t the twins see their dad working? I clicked my tongue, calling it useless, but heughed out loud, wiping his tears.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s y!¡±


    Huh? What did I hear? ¡®Hey, Chancellor, is it really okay for you to do this!?¡¯ Surprise preceded bewilderment. Was he really sane? No, before that¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys say you want to y with me?¡±


    ¡°Ria, do you want to join us?¡±


    Sitting in Ferdel¡¯s arms, Sanse asked me coyly. I couldn¡¯t control my temper because his nuance felt like he was permitting me to join them.


    ¡°Ha, no, thank you! Stop thinking like you guys were the only ones who have a dad! I also have daddy too!¡±


    Yeah, I had a dad too! My father was even an emperor!


    Valer reached out to me, but I swatted away his hand, and I left the Chancellor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Assisi!¡±


    ¡°Princess!!!¡±


    I heard Ferdel crying out behind me, but that was not the point!


    ¡®Yeah, don¡¯t you dare think you guys are the only people who have a father. I have my daddy, too!¡¯ I was walking along the hall with my cheeks bulging, and all my servants and maids looked at me. What!? Did they have any problems!?


    My father¡¯s office was in Sy, not in Podere. Finding a familiar path, we arrived quickly. Upon arrival, I opened the door of the office widely and entered before the butler could tell him that I was here. Caitel, who was reading the papers, raised his head on my unexpected visit.

 Chapter 233

    <strong>Chapter 233: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 233</strong>


    ¡°Dad! I¡¯m here!¡±


    Caitel frowned after hearing my voice.


    ¡°¡­ What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Dad, y with me.¡±


    I ran into his arms, and Caitel gave me a tant look of wonder. Assisi was trying so hard to hold hisugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±


    I shouted at Assisi, but he onlyughed more. When I yelled once more, he finally stoppedughing. It seemed that this unexpected situation still baffled Caitel.


    ¡°Why is she doing this?¡±


    ¡°The princess is angry because of the twins.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get angry!¡±


    Leaning on the Caitel¡¯sp, I yelled at him, but it didn¡¯t work out. Assisi smiled and patted my head. While looking at that, Caitell put down the papers he had in his hand, grabbed me by the waist, and held me in his arms.


    ¡°Anyway, you are here now. Come here.¡±


    It was refreshing to sit on hisp with my back leaning on his arm. Oh, this reminded me of my childhood.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve sat on yourp like this.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    What I was interested in was the scrap of paper that Caitel had put down. The article was littered with strange characters. Was this thenguage that I had to learn how to read?


    ¡°There are signs of rioting in Northern Pretzia. The Prime Minister of South Pretzia is in secret contact with Torre. The Hidden Trail of the Yultos Dynasty appeared. We¡¯re still trying to figure out who¡¯s protecting them. We¡¯re assuming that the former prime minister or the former Chancellor is protecting it.¡±


    As I read all of it clearly, Caitel smiled proudly.


    ¡°Now, you can read it well.¡±


    Yeah, well, of course, I can, but was I even allowed to read this? When I finished reading it, I felt ufortable because I felt like I learned the information that I wasn¡¯t allowed to learn. As if to represent my feelings, Assisi asked in a discreet voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ssified document of Pretzia.¡±


    ¡­ What I just read was ssified? Really?


    ¡°It just came up. The former emperor left a blood-rted family member.¡±


    This? I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I looked back at the paper in my hand. Dad thenughed cynically.


    ¡°I thought I wiped them all away.¡±


    The paper passed through dad¡¯s hand and into Assisi. The knight read the lower part of the text that I hadn¡¯t managed to read. His expression was quite grim. I¡­ I wanted to see it too.

 Chapter 234

    <strong>Chapter 234: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 234</strong>


    ¡°It was all exposed because the high-ranking nobles were too excited that the Yultos dynasty could carry their family line. I guess they didn¡¯t think any of them were traitors. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll find out who¡¯s protecting him. Well, they must have been great since the Royal family is the one who can use their sacred treasure.¡±


    A sacred treasure? What was that?


    Assisi asks my dad, taking his eyes off the papers.


    ¡°I remember that all the Imperial family was executed¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s a bastard. The maid was its mother.¡±


    ¡°A bastard¡­¡±


    Somehow, this made Assisi frown, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Was it just a gut feeling? Dad smiled. It was colder than his usual jeers.


    ¡°I pity him for being honored after growing up without knowing anything about how and when the country fell. He¡¯s the prince of a fallen country no matter what.¡±


    He then stroked my hair. Was my hair your toy? Assisi looked down at the document again with a profound expression. It didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s reading it. It just looked like he was looking at it.


    ¡°But Agrigent can¡¯t perfectly conquer Pretzia.¡±


    ¡°I know, so isn¡¯t that the reason why Ferdel is using that kind of policy?¡±


    Oh, it hurt. Caitel was no longer stroking my hair anymore, he¡¯s just pulling it out! I frowned; Caitel then smiled and twisted my hair more. That made my hair more disheveled. ¡®Hey!¡¯


    ¡°Different cultures mean different races.¡±


    Oh, I asked dad to y with me, not to talk about something so serious. Besides, he¡¯s ruining my hair for no reason! Thus, I just got off my dad¡¯sp because I felt so disgusted.


    ¡°I want to leave.¡±


    Assisi could y with dad. Trying to walk to the door, Caitel grabbed my hair.


    Ouch! Hey, jeez, I would really kill this guy!


    ¡°Do you just intend toe and go at your own volition?¡±


    ¡°You do that all the time too!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    So? What did he mean by so?! ¡®Let go of my hair!¡¯ I tried to pull it out of his hands, but he didn¡¯t even budge even if I used most of my strength. Oh, he¡¯s acting a whole lot like an elementary school student!


    ¡°I can do it, but you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    I protested, but my father was reckless.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the emperor.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh¡­ was that so?


    ¡®Yes, you must be happy to be an emperor.¡¯


    However, I guessed he saw my face that was obviously dumbfounded. After showing off with a brazen look, he turned his eyes and cough in vain. I was genuinely ashamed that this man was my father at that moment. Dad should probably stop going around, telling people that he was my father!


    At that moment, Assisiughed. Why the hell was heughing?


    ¡°Your Majesty is saying he is bored.¡±


    After hearing Assisi¡¯s words, Caitel and I showed a look of shock at the same time.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    I turned right around to look at Caitel. Caitel denied everything through his eyes.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not bored.¡±


    However, I wanted to make fun of my dad when he acted out like this. I smiled brightly.


    ¡°Oh, dad, so you¡¯re just bored!¡±


    ¡°No. I am not.¡±


    ¡°Dad, do you want me to y with you? Come on, just say it. What do you want to y?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Go away.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll y with you. Now, what shall we do?¡±


    When I sat on hisp again, Caitel rejected me. Hey, hey, why was he doing this although I said I¡¯d y with him? What did he want to y? Huh? I giggled as he tried not to die fromughter after seeing the look on his face that says ¡®damn it,¡¯ and Assisi, who was watching us for a moment, smiled with a proud look.


    ¡°You two have a good rtionship.¡±


    What did he just say?


    I made a cold face after hearing this, although I was usually a woman who wouldn¡¯t show a sour expression. This was really not it.


    ¡°Dad, something¡¯s off about Assisi.¡±


    Caitel answered seriously.


    ¡°I agree.¡±

 Chapter 235

    <h4>Chapter 235: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 235</h4>


    Now that spring hade, I felt warm and cozy. Strangely, I felt good these days. I heard that girls get sentimental and restless during spring. Oh, I guessed that I was not a girl.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Serira poured tea into my teacup and spoke anxiously.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like you¡¯re holding onto the doctor too long?¡±


    I tilted my head as I rolled my hair with my index finger.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Was I inconsiderate?¡±


    ¡°No, it is fine. The main function of the Royal Pce Hospital was to care for the health of the royal family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    The bright green tea leaves that I am having right now were so much better than other green tea. It was a tea leaf from my dominion, Salerno, and it was in the southern part of the country, so their drinks were really fragrant and delicious. It had a gold mine, a spirit stone mining ce, a good crop production, and specializedmodities such as grapes and tea leaves; they were all excellent. Mynd really was and of milk and honey. Oh, it¡¯s delicious.


    ¡°So, Hasin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any diet pills or anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Excuse me?¡±


    My abrupt question seemed to have shocked him. From the look on his face, I didn¡¯t think he didn¡¯t have any, but I couldn¡¯t let go of the anticipation in me¡­


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m gaining weight these days.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll gain weight for eating like that.¡±


    ¡°Elyne!¡±


    ¡®How dare you!¡¯


    Elyne pouted after hearing mymand. Anyway, that didn¡¯t help me at all in life.


    However, Hasin smiled a little as if he found her to be cute. Wow, look at them. Elyne¡¯s face turned red. Someone called the person in her dreams and showed her around to help her out. Why was she so uncooperative with me?


    Elyneughed shyly when Hasinughed. Oh, I despised this pink mood. I could feel the dirty-couple energy.


    ¡°I will look for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Be sure to find it!¡±


    I was not just saying for a show, but he really had to find one. My serious look made Hasin smile again. Uh, I was not kidding. I meant it. I was worried that Hasin might think it was a joke, but it was almost dinnertime, and I had to let him go. Of course, I sent Elyne to send him off.

 Chapter 236

    <h4>Chapter 236: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 236</h4>


    My stomach was twisted after seeing her go with excitement, but I couldn¡¯t help it because I was supporting her. Ha, I hoped that Elyne would do well, but I didn¡¯t know if she was doing well.


    ¡°I think Hasin has such a good personality. Don¡¯t you think so?


    ¡°I agree with you that his personality is good, but¡­¡±


    I jumped out of the chair and asked him. Assisi then seized me and answered my question.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s a good guy.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    Well, There was a massive difference between having a pleasant personality and being a moral person, wasn¡¯t it?


    Assisi smiled as I nodded after hearing his answer. The smile made me feel better for no reason.


    I should go have dinner now. I didn¡¯t know why, but this evening, dinner started a little earlier than usual. I heard that something was happening tonight, but I didn¡¯t know what was going on for sure.


    When I entered the restaurant, my dad was already here today, as usual. I ran to my dad with a bright smile. Dad, I was here!


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    However, the response that returned to me was rming. Did I do something wrong? Nevertheless, no matter how hard I thought about it, I was still confident that there was nothing wrong.


    What was it?


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad, are you upset?¡±


    What the hell made this pouty head sulk again?


    Caitel flinched as I sat on the chair and stared at him. I reached for his cheeks. His cheeks were resilient. Caitel took off my hands and put his hands on his waist. What was it today,e on!?


    ¡°My daughter, I¡¯ve heard strange rumorstely.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What rumors? No, before that, was there anything that would cause stories about me?


    As I tilted my head, Caitel opened his mouth with a stern look.


    ¡°I heard you were chasing some weirdo. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s false rumors, right?


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh, so it was about that. What else could it be?


    My unreserved answer subtly crumpled Caitel¡¯s face. His face showed something terribly unsatisfactory. What made this sulky guy unhappy again?


    There shouldn¡¯t be any problem.


    However, as soon as I started thinking about it, Caitel gave an order.


    ¡°Find out who he is right now and fire him off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°H, hold on, wait a minute!¡±


    Did he take some kind of weird pill? What¡¯s wrong with him?

 Chapter 237

    <h4>Chapter 237: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 237</h4>


    I was embarrassed, so I grabbed my father¡¯s arm to stop him. Still, Caitel¡¯s reaction was so cold. Wow, you are so cold. Uh, um¡­.


    ¡°Well, you know, Dad, I will be in a bit of trouble if you do this.¡±


    ¡°And why would you be in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I like him.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    His reaction to my answer was just so cold. No, it was freezing. It was so freezing that I felt like I was peeling a tangerine in a Siberian ne.


    I tilted my head. Huh? Did I say something wrong?


    My father¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but it felt weird. Well, it looked like the temperature had dropped around here. I felt something cold on my back as if my answer had hit a really bad spot. It¡¯s just my feeling, right?


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Oh, wait. It¡¯s getting colder.


    For some reason, Caitel smiled really sweetly. Huh? What the hell? What the hell did I do wrong? Caitel, who pretended to be gentle, was scarier than his usual frightening version. No, it¡¯s more like getting goosebumps than scary. I had no idea what the hell I did wrong, but dad, everything was my fault. I¡¯m sorry. Please?


    ¡°Then bring him in at once.¡±


    ¡°Oh, can I?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    ¡®Hey, you can¡¯t do that.¡¯


    He must be kidding, right? He¡¯s just joking, right¡­? However, his face was quite severe at my stare, saying, ¡®you must be joking.¡¯ I could feel a violent temper in his eyes¡­ he really meant it. Yeah, he was dead serious.


    Oh, he was so pathetic. I couldn¡¯t even describe this feeling. It was more than dumbfounding. He actually surprised me.


    ¡°No, dad. I don¡¯t like him as a man, I just like him as a person. Just like I like Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t kill him. Send him in exile instead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him as a man! Just like how I like Serira and Elyne! I have a good feeling about him! Good feeling!¡±


    Seriously, why should I be exining this to him! How could he take it so seriously when an eight-year-old kid said she liked a man who was over 25 years old? Was he out of his damn mind? I seriously wanted to say, ¡®I quit,¡¯ but I decided to keep it in my head.


    However, I was a benevolent person¡­ well, only to my dad.

 Chapter 238

    <h4>Chapter 238: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 238</h4>


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡­ Are you confirm that again? Was that what my dad wanted to say? Must I keep up with that beat that he yed? Was that what he wanted? However, I was a woman who did what I was told to do. I was that kind of sensible woman!


    ¡°Of course, after all, I love daddy the most in the world!¡±


    ¡°Why did you change your mind when you said you like Assisi better before?¡±


    Did my father still care about that?


    That happened for such a long time ago; what a loser. I would say a word in a fit of rage, but I held it in. However, I guessed that he would like to hear that, wouldn¡¯t he? Yeah, he liked to hear his daughter saying how much she liked him the best in the world. Good daddy, good daddy.


    Anyway, I was d he was feeling better, but I would have to nail this in case this happened again.


    ¡°And there¡¯s another reason why I¡¯m chasing Hasin!¡±


    ¡°What reason?¡±


    I thought he wouldn¡¯t be interested, but for some reason, he still asked. Thus, I answered him sincerely.


    ¡°My maid of honor is in love with Hasin.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then we should have them marry immediately.¡±


    Oh, he didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°Oh,e on!¡±


    When I got annoyed, Caitel looked at me as if he was assessing what was wrong with me. I thought I had amunication problem, but it turned out that my dad was just terrible at speaking with others. Otherwise, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t understand me! I was using humannguage now!


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything, Dad! I¡¯ll take care of it! Got it?¡±


    Upon hearing my request, Caitel frowned.


    ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±


    This bastard! Why couldn¡¯t he just listen to me for once! What an obnoxious attitude! He should stop acting like this. Fine, I guess there was no other way. I didn¡¯t want to use this method, but I couldn¡¯t help it because he wouldn¡¯t cooperate.


    Look, this was my most reliable trump card!


    ¡°If Dad won¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯m going to do high-gag again!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After hearing a word of my repentance, Caitel closed his mouth. Then, suddenly, he put his hand on my shoulder. What was it? Dad smiled and patted my shoulder before I even knew what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°Cheer up, my daughter. I trust you more than anyone.¡±


    What a bastard!

 Chapter 239

    <h4>Chapter 239: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 239</h4>


    I began my day by thinking about how I should put Hasin and Elyne together, so they could be a couple. However, the world wouldn¡¯t allow me to do what I wanted.


    ¡°Envoy visiting?¡±


    This was a schedule I had never heard or seen before.


    They were so excited because this was the official schedule, which I had never heard of ever. By the way, why did I have to go out when the envoy wasing? When I frowned openly, Serira grabbed my shoulder with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a goodwill visit from the Andurus. Their royal family wasing in person, so you have to go see them too.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go out¡ª¡±


    I really didn¡¯t want to go out, but if I didn¡¯t do my work just because I didn¡¯t want to, then I really wouldn¡¯t deserve to be a princess.


    Both Serira and Elyne did not worry about me whining because they knew that I would do it eventually. Sure, yeah, I was a bit of an easy woman to deal with, but these guys were too much. Sob sob.


    Enough with the whining. Eventually, I acknowledged the reality with some sigh. All I ever did was eat, sleep, and y since I was born, and now, it¡¯s my time to pay it all back. Still, it¡¯s a bit burdensome. I was always scared of going out to a crowded ce. I wasn¡¯t like a singer on stage, but I thought I¡¯d never get used to it.


    ¡°You have to grow up now, too, Princess! You have to get used to this!¡±


    Elyne kibitzed me while standing by my side. Yeah, she was right, but¡­


    Hey, did he want to try it?


    Elyne stepped back as I frown without any word. I just grabbed Assisi, who was beside me. Ugh, sob sob. Assisi, I just wished to live in afortable, unnoticed way, but why wouldn¡¯t the world leave me alone? I wonder if Assisi knew the reason why the world wouldn¡¯t leave me alone? Huh. Was it because I was so pretty? Was I really that pretty!?


    ¡­ I was sorry. I thought I said something that I shouldn¡¯t have said.


    ¡°Yes, well, my body is mine, but I don¡¯t own it, so I have to go out.¡±


    If the world wanted me, how could I not answer that call?


    Perhaps that¡¯s why the clothes that Serira brought for me were more colorful than usual. A round, dug neckline, elbow-length sleeve, and a chain of beads wrapped around a fluffy sleeve. Bell-lined skirts rose round like bells and fell plump just below my knees. Of course, there was no big decoration on the dress, but the delicate patterns were embroidered, making it so spectacr that no more decorations were needed. Of course, I usually wore fancy clothes, but this was a bit too much. Was there something else to help discourage foreigners?

 Chapter 240

    <h4>Chapter 240: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 240</h4>


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you orderedst season.¡±


    ¡°You guessed it. Isn¡¯t it pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It does look great on the princess!¡±


    Serira shrugged at Elyne¡¯s praise. Of course, all the clothes I wore were chosen and picked by Serira. Whether it¡¯s everyday clothes or dresses for a party. Perhaps that¡¯s why my clothes were full of Serira¡¯s taste, and every time I saw something so colorful and shiny, it felt even more strange.


    ¡®Look, Serira, all the clothes you wear are the pinnacle of simplicity, right? But what¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯


    Whether I was clumsy or not, they had already dressed me up and said I look good in this dress. Well, it was a characteristic of women that felt good when they wore pretty clothes, so of course, I felt good. I didn¡¯t think I would look good in this kind of super fancy dress because my hair color was unique. However, Mom picked the right dress!


    ¡°Here, with your hair like this¡­ Elyne, pass me the tiara.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Serira.¡±


    I had my hair tied in half, and I put a tinum tiara on my head, and my figure in the mirror really exemplified the fact that I was a princess. Oh, of course, it was me, after all. It was quite pretty. I always thought I was lovely, but now that I had done this, the gift that was my beauty radiated more.


    I was such a blessed creature. Well, look at me, I looked fabulous.


    ¡°Assisi, do I look pretty today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you look beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I really think so.¡±


    With a confident answer, I wrapped my cheeks in my hands because of my sheer happiness.


    Of course, he should be confident. There¡¯s no other princess more adorable than I was. I was cute and lovely, so this kind of reaction was natural. Oh, how could it be possible for me to be so pretty?


    ¡°Princess, you must have liked your outfit today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s pretty!¡±


    When I smiled brightly and told everyone how much I liked it, the two women smiled happily.


    Yeah, this was why they were decorating me. In my previous life, it was hard to look pretty even if I painted myself hard, but it was rewarding to have a good look for even a little decoration would make me shine.


    As I looked at myself in front of the mirror, Serira touched my shoulder.


    ¡°Come on now, you have to show this to the Emperor, too, right?¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t want to do that. I didn¡¯t think I needed to show that man anything.


    However, they still ignored my will today. What a dirty world. I could speak the humannguage now! I grew up a lot, too, but my opinion would still be ignored. I really should leave this ce as soon as possible, ha.

 Chapter 241

    <strong>Chapter 241: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 241</strong>


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Thus, when I arrived at Este Pce alone, since I heard that Caitel had already left, it was Ferdel who greeted me first.


    Why was my fanatic here?


    A peal of the most enthusiastic cheers greeted me. Ugh, his greeting was not that great. Still, Ferdel looked happy when I said hello to him. Ha, this guy was already going bonkers.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    In contrast to Ferdel, who weed me with open arms, Caitel just stood there. Well, I had no idea who¡¯s father this man was. I felt sorry for his daughter, seriously.


    I didn¡¯t really know who his daughter was, but she¡¯s so pitiful that I was sincerely sympathizing with her, and for some reason, Caitel¡¯s never stopped aiming at me. Huh? What¡¯s wrong with him? He usually never cared about how I dressed up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m so pretty today?¡±


    ¡°Are your eyes all right?¡±


    Bastard.


    I wanted to hit him from the bottom of my heart, but I decided to let it go this time with my generosity. Could he still say that he was my dad!? Of course, he¡¯s right, but how could he do that to me? I was pretty in every way! I was beyond pretty!


    Yeah, damn it, I had a low standard. So what?


    It¡¯s all right. Sob sob. I just needed to be pretty in my eyes.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get in.¡±


    It was an unusual little scene as I followed behind Caitel into the hall.


    A neat and orderly panorama with the masters dressed in robes. The red drapery stretched out on both sides, and the tree that was holding a diamond was embroidered with gold and silver thread, which was the symbol of the Agrigent. The pirs lined with the spirits of the snow with golden trumpets were carved on it. Although it was considered the winter¡¯s empire, a dark red hue was moremonly seen as a decoration for the interior rather than fresh blue. Nevertheless, I felt a little strange because everything seemed like it was praising its magnificence while the solemn little interior was describing the Agrigent Empire.


    ¡°Come on, the princess is this way.¡±


    The top of the throne was for Caitel while at a step below of him in his left. At the right was where Ferdel and I should sit, and the ground was dedicated to the lieges. Assisi was behind him because he was my guardian knight, but I wanted to be in his arms. I didn¡¯t think this was the ce that I used to know, although I had been here quite often.

 Chapter 242

    <strong>Chapter 242: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 242</strong>


    ¡°Andurus¡¯s envoys have arrived.¡±


    I was so nervous that I grabbed Caitel¡¯s cor, and, as if he noticed it, Caitel suddenly looked at me.


    Huh? What¡¯s up with my dad?


    I tilted my head as Caitel¡¯s hand stroked my head once. What was it?


    Meanwhile, all the envoys of Andurus entered. What was unusual was the person standing in front of everyone, it was a woman. Also, she was a beautiful woman with vibrant blonde hair and a surprisingly splendid appearance.


    I heard the royal family was here, and the princess was here too?


    However, she looked familiar. Hey, have I met this person before


    I thought I just said a nonsensical line that flirts would often utter, but that princess smiled at the moment when our eyes met. Huh, what?


    ¡°It¡¯s been far too long, Your Majesty. I am Alsmer, the first princess of Andurus.¡±


    I felt like I had seen her face before, but I had never heard of that name.


    Her eyes looked at me while I was in a strange mood. Huh? Did she see me? With a bit of shock, I stepped back. Looking precisely at me, the princess opened her mouth.


    ¡°I was called Tylenia while living here in Agrigent.¡±


    Tylenia.


    It was not a memorable name.


    However, I had seen that look in my eyes before. I finally remembered this princess, who was looking up at Caitel with an envious look.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re the same as before. I really wanted to see you again.¡±


    That¡¯s the princess who fought with La!


    I never saw her again after that incident. Did she go home? Wait, so she could have just left whenever she wanted? Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t exin why she came here as a messenger, but the princesses could return home whenever they pleased? However, I didn¡¯t think I had heard of the news that Caitel freed the princess out of the Harem. The evidence was that La, which I often meet, still lived in the Harem.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t see any more princesses because I only yed in my garden once my father gifted the entire garden to me, but I thought it¡¯s natural since the garden was made for that. What the hell was going on here?


    Whether I was embarrassed or not, Caitel was just as calm as usual. Of course, Ferdel was just as rxed.


    When I looked back, I was disappointed. What? Was I the only one surprised?


    I wondered if she still liked Caitel. His face was all he had going for him. Just what¡¯s so great about him? Then again, maybe it¡¯s fine as long as the man was handsome¡­?


    ¡°Indeed, it has, so what brings you here?¡±


    ¡­ Can he actually be an Emperor when he has this kind of behavior¡­?

 Chapter 243

    <strong>Chapter 243: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 243</strong>


    Dad, is that really how you should talk to someone who¡¯s traveled from so far away? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve seen my dad a day or twice. But isn¡¯t it a little too much just ask her what brought her here today without greeting her?


    I guess I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt what I felt, but Ferdel smiles with a look of despondency.


    Yeah, I¡¯m normal. That¡¯s a relief. I wasn¡¯t being weird.


    ¡°My, my. You haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡±


    I thought the Andurus envoys might be mad, but unexpectedly the princess smiled softly and moved on. Oh well¡­fangirls adore their idols no matter what they do. Yeah, that¡¯s one thing I can definitely understand.


    ¡°It is great to see you. Wee to Agrigent. Well then, I think we¡¯ve exchanged enough pleasantries¡­allow me to show you to your chamber so you can rest. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve traveled a long way to get here.¡±


    In the end, Ferdeles forward. I sighed for no reason when I heard Ferdel¡¯s impable greeting. My dad would have been screwed up if there was Ferdel wasn¡¯t here. Definitely. I am so sure.


    Somehow, however, even at Ferdel¡¯s words, Princess Tylenia did not budge from the spot. She did not reply to Ferdel but just stared at Caitel, who¡¯s looking at them indifferently. And in the meantime, we had to feel somewhat ufortable with the subtle mood between them.


    ¡°What brings you back to here, who returned to your country at the request of King?¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell his Majesty.¡±


    ¡°To tell me?¡±


    Caitel frowns. It¡¯s a sign that something isn¡¯t right, and when he frowns so openly, something bad always happens. Something like someone being dragged out, or something like that.


    Either way, Princess Tylenia looks back and calls someone. I thought she was out of the ordinary, but she has really a bold personality. Well, you gotta be brave to love a guy like that.


    When my father sat still and nodded, Tylenia reached out and sent a very small child out.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce you to someone.¡±


    He seems about 4 years old? He was a very small boy.


    I¡¯m looking down in amazement, and suddenly he saw me. The child kept clinging to Tylenia and didn¡¯t want to get off of her. But the mere appearance of him alone had already stirred the whole room.


    Come to think of it, his hair is red-ish¡­? I¡¯ve seen that color somewhere.


    ¡°This is your son, who I gave birth to, Zand.¡±


    What?


    Caitel¡¯s son¡­?

 Chapter 244

    <strong>Chapter 244: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 244</strong>


    ¡°A son, a son! A royal heir of Agrigent!¡±


    This is the office of Caitel.


    Ferdel, who did not return to his chancellor¡¯s official residence, is frustrated with various poses as he moves quickly from side to side without being able to sit still. I¡¯ve seen his dumb face a couple of times, but Ferdel lookedpletely out of his mind today.


    ¡°Oh good heavens, oh my holy spirit! What sort of surprise is this?!¡±


    Normally, Ferdel would just click his tongue andin about how Caitel must¡¯ve gone mad¡­but I¡¯ve never seen him like this before. Of course, I was shocked, but I didn¡¯t expect Ferdel to react this way too¡­ I suppose this is a serious matter. That¡¯s how shocking this issue is. but¡­Assisi doesn¡¯t seem shocked at all. More like he doesn¡¯t even care. Did he already knew about this¡­nevermind.


    Anyway, I thought she was bold even back then. But I still would¡¯ve never expected something this daring. To think Caitel would have another child¡­


    Oh, hang on. Would that make him my half brother?


    A sibling¡­I never imagined I¡¯d ever had one. That¡¯s¡­ really surprising.


    ¡°Hey, you could¡¯ve warned me that something like this was going to happen!¡±


    Somehow, I frown because I feel nervous, but then Ferdel mes my father. However, whether the dog barked in front of him or not, Caitel did not budge with his chin on his hand. Perhaps because he sat there without a word, with a nk face, Ferdel just grabbed his head again after a little fuss.


    ¡°Oh, my. I thought it was a rare return request. What shall we do with Andrurus¡¯s second and youngest princess who was dragged in for her sister? Oh, my head.¡±


    Now it must be hard for him to get around, so Ferdel finally sits on the sofa. Sitting on Assisi¡¯sp, I looked back at him for no reason. Between the two men who are so serious, only Assisi was normal as usual.


    ¡°Is something on my face?¡±


    Oh, dear Assisi. Nothing, nothing at all.


    Surprisingly, Assisi doesn¡¯t seem this situation is shocking. He¡¯s really bold in strange situations.


    I looked around at the Caitel for no reason, but my dad still sat with his chin on his hand and refused to say anything. What¡¯s more, his eyes were deeper and darker, perhaps thinking about some serious concern.

 Chapter 245

    <strong>Chapter 245: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 245</strong>


    ¡°That child¡­looked to be about four or five. Since that¡¯s around the time she returned to Andurus, she must have gone home as soon as she learned she was pregnant. Not to mention, that was right around the time their envoys came to discuss the war. The timing couldn¡¯t be worse. ¡±


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s bothering Ferdel, but I just felt sorry for that mother and the child.


    That child, he looks so cute. I¡¯m sure he looks like his mother.


    Of course, he has to be simr to his mother. He must be like his mom. Right?


    If he looks like my dad¡­then I¡¯m sure that he is screwed. There are plenty of things that he can be simr to but not Caitel. If he is simr to Caitel, then¡­um, uh, he is the sprout of the tyrant. What is that? It¡¯s scary.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like this is the first time something like this has happened. Why are you overreacting?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that was then! You know very well that we had them all rounded up and kille¡­¡±


    Ferdel got mad at Caitel¡¯s nonchnt response, and then suddenly turns back and looked at me. Huh? Why? I tilted my head at his sudden nce, and Ferdel smiled. You like my reaction, huh.


    ¡°You did. Anyway.¡±


    Smiling at my gaze, Ferdel equivocate. Why do you stop talking, you¡¯re making me feel awkward.


    I frowned while holding a cup in my hands and drinking fruit juice. Are you looking at face? Besides, somehow Dad¡¯s eyes on Ferdel seem to have gotten a little sharper.


    What¡¯s wrong? Did I do something wrong?


    As I smacked my lips, I inadvertently noticed why they were doing this.


    Oh, well, it is weird to say that my father killed children in front of me. Well, I already knew that. There¡¯s no need to look so murderous. I already knew what happened to Caitel juniors. But they don¡¯t know if I know that.


    Well, for some reason I suddenly feel sorry for myself, but let¡¯s just move on.


    ¡°Princess, have one of these.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    When I handed my finished cup, Assisi hands me the candy right away.


    Oh, it¡¯s pink!


    It was a strawberry vor. Oh, strawberry is the best vor.


    I am happy eating strawberry candy and Assisi smiles at me. Ferdel, who was looking at him seriously, said a word.


    ¡°Assisi, I envy how rxed you can be.¡±


    Assisi tilted his head as what it meant, but soon at Ferdel¡¯s sigh, we both just shut up.


    Hey, cheer up!

 Chapter 246

    <strong>Chapter 246: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 246</strong>


    ¡°Anyway, things have changed since back then, this is exactly the age for you to be announcing a royal heir, and now a son with royal blood just happens to show up.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so different now? I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s my son or not. I don¡¯t need a son.¡±


    ¡°Then you just n to kill everyone like before, Your Majesty?¡±


    Dad shuts his mouth to Ferdel¡¯s words.


    Hey, I thought you two were going to watch you say now.


    The two confront each other. Caitel still looked fierce, but on the other hand, Ferdel seemed to have cooled down.


    Ferdel is suddenly being so serious. It doesn¡¯t suit him. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen him like this. Well, I guess that¡¯s how serious it is.


    ¡°It might have worked back then, but that¡¯s not the case now. We haven¡¯t finished stabilizing the territories we¡¯ve expanded into from thest war. More importantly, we sacrificed too much in order to defeat Pretzia. In other words, we¡¯re not in a state to start another war without proper preparation. Besides, have you forgotten that we¡¯ve signed a peace treaty with Andurus?¡±


    Now he¡¯s a little scary. Caitel didn¡¯t say anything, but he seemed to feel simr to me. He doesn¡¯t respond to that but making an impression. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t have anything to say.


    ¡°If we disregard that for no clear reason, we¡¯ll most likely have to deal with the empire from the North. Their princess is no longer our hostage. That child is both a royal heir to Agrigent as well as to Andurus. How did things get soplicated?! What should I do? Good grief! st it all!¡±


    And, there¡¯s our Ferdel. I was a fool for thinking you were cool even for a second.


    Not knowing that I am frustrated with myself, who is possessed by a moment of fantasy, Ferdel rips his hair. I wanted to rip it with him.


    ¡°Ugh, whatever. Just do whatever you want. I give up, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Ferdel gets up from his seat. He looked angry or gave up, but my father¡¯s face was not as peaceful as he was.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°I was nning to go anyway!¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Anyway, they have to fight once a day.


    I don¡¯t know. I just stood up to go back to my room, but somehow my dad grabs me. You know, Assisi went out with Ferdel. I was wondering why Assisi also went out too, but I felt a little bit weird to leave behind with dad¡­


    Have I done something wrong before I knew it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I¡¯m nervous about getting in trouble, but I¡¯m relieved by the sudden voice. What is it? I looked at him in a daze and he looked at me. Caitel¡¯s eyes on me were quite soft.


    Why are you doing this?


    For a moment, my father¡¯s hand pat my head with a short sigh. And the low voice that sits in my ear.


    ¡°You are my only child.¡±

 Chapter 247

    <h4>Chapter 247: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 247</h4>


    It had already been a week since the envoy from Andurus arrived.


    I thought the news would cause more shock, but the nobles were calmer than I expected, probably since it happened so often in the past.


    Although some of the nobles had already started trying to gain favor.


    What had been odder was Caitel¡¯s reaction¡­ I didn¡¯t know what he was up to, but he kept inviting them to have meals and tea together. He had been acting more gentle than I expected. Thanks to all these dinners and meetings for tea, I became so exhausted. Well, it was nice that he hadn¡¯t drawn his sword to kill them¡­ but I couldn¡¯t help feeling down after seeing him being so kind¡­


    Hmph, and he said I was his only child!


    One couldn¡¯t trust anyone in this world. Life was a lonely battle, and I would have to take care of myself!


    ¡°While I was away for a while, something funny happened.¡±


    Huh? This voice was¡­


    ¡°A new member of this royal family. This is really interesting.¡±


    When I turned my head behind the sofa while reading a book, I saw a man who should not have been there pushing his head inside.


    Dranste.


    I immediately grimaced. Where¡¯d this guye from?


    ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you miss me?¡±


    What was he saying? Couldn¡¯t he even see my cold stare? Dranste smiled coquettishly. Oh, why were there so many people I wanted to punch?


    He used to stay in the pce longer and even had his own room, but it has be rare to see him these days. He disappeared along with the wind so often that I didn¡¯t care anymore.


    Anyway, this guy¡¯s a mystery. It had been more than seven years since I had seen him, and I knew nothing about him but his name. I expected to see him from time to time, but the more I knew about him, the more I felt like I was falling into the mystery. What I found out was that he was Caitel¡¯s teacher in the pce and was a very suspicious person.


    Well, I was not saying I had to find out about this, but looking at this face made me so¡­ annoyed. Dranste knew a lot about me, but I didn¡¯t know anything about him. This was unfair.


    ¡°Go away. I¡¯m not going to y with you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand the heat in my stomach while I looked at that face.

 Chapter 248

    <h4>Chapter 248: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 248</h4>


    Turning back to the book I was reading, Dranste snuck up to my side. It was fortunate that Assisi went to the knightage now. If he was here, they¡¯d be in a big war of nerves.


    Sigh, oh, my life¡­


    ¡°Have you been to Caitel yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then you came to me first?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a little touching, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yeah, I would have been a little touched without thatst question. Dransteughed loudly, whether my expression was recing the answer.


    Did he like my face? He liked strange things.


    Dranste, who was not ashamed of staring, touched my book.


    ¡°You can read letters now, huh? You¡¯ve grown a lot.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to get punched that badly?¡±


    I was willing to hit him twice if he wanted. He shook his head and backed away from me and my stubborn face.


    ¡°You are just so cold to me. You¡¯re so mean.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do the cold part. You do the mean part.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was just saying whatever was in my mind, but that was enough to make Dranste silent. I quietly turned my back on him. There was something I felt ashamed of.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    I felt like I was guilty of death somehow. Haha, I felt like I killed someone when I hadn¡¯t even touched a weapon yet.


    Dranste smiled at my apology. It was quite a friendly smile, but in my eyes, it was scarier than cursing.


    ¡°As long as you know that that wasn¡¯t funny.¡±


    I knew nothing.


    I felt sorry for him for a moment, but when I stared at him again, he touched my cheek. Oh,e on! I knew I was chubby because of my baby fat, but why did he and the rest of his pce friends like my cheek so much? Was there irresistible magic hidden in my cheeks?


    ¡°But why are you so angry today?¡±


    It was because I was looking at him.


    I didn¡¯t know if he heard me, but Dransteughed again. Oh, I hated looking at his smile. Still, Dranste was sometimes cute when he smiled, ha¡­


    ¡°I heard that our princess is in a bad mood these days.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°Your maids.¡±


    Yes. Actually, it¡¯s not wrong, so I had nothing to say.


    I just sighed.


    ¡°The atmosphere in the pce is a little weird these days. Maids gossip quietly about me when they see me.¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the Sy pce maids. If they were the ones doing it, my father would have cut their throat right away. The problem was the other pce maids. Every time I passed, they talked about me. Even when I tried to get off my nerves, they stood out so much that it was quite stressful.


    Dranste smiled after hearing my words as if he knew what it meant.

 Chapter 249

    <h4>Chapter 249: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 249</h4>


    ¡°Well, if the boy is officially a prince, you¡¯re really in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What¡¯s all this nonsense all of a sudden?


    Upon seeing my face, Dranste shook his head as if I didn¡¯t understand him.


    ¡°He¡¯s also a member of the Imperial family, and he is a male. He might be the first in line to seed the throne right now, beating you.¡±


    Oh, was that so? I just thought I¡¯d have a younger brother, but I see. Although it was not highlighted because I was the only daughter, there was definitely a line of session for the royal family.


    ¡°But you won¡¯t have to worry now. I don¡¯t think the princess brought him here to do something right now. She brought it up before he finds out about it first and gets killed before anyone knows about it.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much about other people?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡±


    ¡°Screw you.¡±


    Dranste smiled. His fingers touched my head.


    ¡°You are also obvious, mydy.¡±


    ¡°Ha, no, I¡¯m not.¡±


    He was so annoying. How dare this man treat me as an obvious person?


    That smile at my re¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why I was even angrier. Oh, this bastard was so sneaky.


    I took off Dranste¡¯s hands that were stroking my head. This bastard should stop touching me!


    ¡°Are you worried that it¡¯s gonna be taken away?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s taken away?¡±


    ¡°Catel¡¯s favor.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    What was he saying?


    ¡°If I was nervous about that, then I would have died.¡±


    No, if I had lived for it in the first ce, I¡¯d be dead. My light sigh changed Dranste¡¯s expression slightly. Somewhat serious. Well, he was still so sly that I¡¯d like to hit him.


    ¡°Then why do you look so down?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just?¡±


    ¡°It just feels a little weird.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s weird. I sighed lightly.


    Elyne and Serira were worried that I read books in my room instead of going to the garden that I used to visit often these days. However, I didn¡¯t feel like going out at all. What should I say? It was not a sense of crisis that I was likely to lose my position, nor of nervousness that I was inclined to lose my father¡¯s affection, just a feeling of unknown cause.


    ¡®What? Is it springtime now?¡¯


    ¡°In fact, just in a simple way, I now have a brother, but I don¡¯t feel that way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s going to kill you.¡±


    Dranste answered lightly. I frowned at once. What a load of crap this was.


    ¡°Why would he kill me?¡±


    ¡°Because you might take it away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This country.¡±


    What did I just hear?

 Chapter 250

    <h4>Chapter 250: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 250</h4>


    ¡°But I¡¯m a woman, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is how much you inherited his blood.¡±


    Blood? I tilted my head, and Dranste grabbed my hair.


    ¡°Agrigent is just like any other country. The bloodline is whates first. And the standard measure for that is the blood of a fairy, which is proven by the silver-red hair. More silver means you have more fairy¡¯s blood in you, so your inheritance woulde first.¡±


    ¡°Then, aren¡¯t we the same?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. That¡¯s because fairy¡¯s blood isn¡¯t that easy to inherit.¡±


    He kissed the end of my hair, and then Dranste bounced his finger on my forehead.


    Ouch, it hurts!


    ¡°Among the twenty-eight children of Caitel¡¯s father, Emperor Ivan, only three had silver-red hair.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Twenty-eight?¡±


    I was shocked and frightened at the fact that just heard. What a surprise.


    What did I just hear? Twenty-eight?


    I looked up as if what I heard was true, and Dranste replied with a yful look.


    ¡°There were sixteen princes and twelve princesses. Caitel was the 14th prince among all of them.¡±


    Fourteen princes, I didn¡¯t know that! What¡¯s up with that number?


    I opened my mouth wide.


    ¡°Is, is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°Well, the formal Emperor really got around. It was normal for him to go to bed with at least five women at a time. He had over forty mistresses in the pce alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­so dad¡¯s been modest.¡±


    So this was him being modest¡­


    I always thought dad was just a vulgar lowlife, but it turns out he¡¯s been rather decent¡­Dranste smiled as I shook my head at a bted realization.


    Why is he smiling when I¡¯m serious?


    ¡°Anyway, you have Caitel¡¯s blood in you and it¡¯s very strong.¡±


    That should be a good thing, but why does it sound more like a prophecy that I¡¯ll grow up to be madter on?! Aah, no! I¡¯m a kind person. I won¡¯t be a lunatic like a dad. I don¡¯t want to be an evil lunatic!


    Oh, no! No, my personality was gentle. I would never be like Abby, a crazy bitch in this area. I didn¡¯t want to be that kind of thing.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Who said you¡¯re going to be the Emperor?¡±


    Oh, he has a talent making people feel mad even when he says the same thing. I stared straight at Dranste. I would bite him off if given a chance.


    I would rush to him, but more than I thought, Dranste knew me too well.


    ¡°Would you like some? It¡¯s quite tasty.¡±


    ¡°Are you giving me leftovers? are you treating me like a beggar?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m giving you something you haven¡¯t tried.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    The sound of food softened further, and Dranste smiled.


    What I received was dried food that looked a little like dried fish jerky.


    Beef jerky? It was simr to the dried squid. It felt like I was chewing squid¡¯s hind legs.


    ¡°Delicious?¡±


    Seeing his smile of satisfaction as if he knew that I enjoyed it, I wanted to say no, but¡­ Let¡¯s put up with it. Bless is fore those who bore it.

 Chapter 251

    <h4>Chapter 251: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 251</h4>


    ¡°What is this jerky? It¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Farmers in the North eat that instead of eating a proper meal when they¡¯re busy. I¡¯ve forgotten what it¡¯s called though.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    This was the precious food of farmers. No wonder it was delicious.


    Serira would be shocked to know this, but it was delicious to my taste that was already subdued by luxurious food. But it¡¯s too chewy. I have to move my chin too many times. If I eat this a lot, my jaw would turn into a square.


    I guess I was enjoying this too much. Dranste suddenly asked.


    ¡°Would you like me to bring more next time?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°That was easy.¡±


    ¡°You got a death wish?¡±


    How should I kill him?!


    He smiled again while patting my head.


    You jerk! You¡¯re probably the only man in the entire world with such a despicable smile!


    Assisi came back just in time while we were squabbling.


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯m returned¡­¡±


    ¡°Hi, Assisi?¡±


    Dranste said hi to Assisi. It was a casual greeting, but Assisi¡¯s face stiffened visibly.


    Oh, scary.


    The air flowing between the two is quite lively and ambiguous. Assisi frowned, although he usually wouldn¡¯t frown. Of course, he didn¡¯t like Dranste because he is always rude to me. I heard there was nothing wrong going on between the two of them, but I can¡¯t believe it at all when I see this scene.


    ¡°Even someone like you, Sir Dranste, should refrain from entering the princess¡¯s chamber so carelessly.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®If you know, then do it, you bastard.¡¯


    However, I knew better than anyone that he would not do it. Oh, how sad. Nheless, this food given to me every day was delicious, yum yum.


    ¡°My, my. The dear guardian knight is still as cold as ever I see. I¡¯m feeling a chill just from the icy mood on here¡­¡±


    ¡°Your cold words are what¡¯s making the mood icy in here.¡±


    I tried to lighten up the mood with a joke that did not sound like one, but to be honest, his face was still stubborn. It feels like they are going to fight soon.


    ¡°Sir Dranste.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Please leave.¡±


    So interesting. Why does Assisi being so harsh on Dranste? Of course, it was not that I didn¡¯t see the reason, but what¡¯s interesting is interesting.


    Dransteughed after hearing Assisi¡¯s words. But his expression was cheeky.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I really wanted to beat him up if he seriously wouldn¡¯t leave me alone right now. Assisi frowned as if he was holding back his anger after hearing Dranste¡¯s reply.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Caitel didn¡¯t say anything to me.¡±


    ¡°It will be different this time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    Dranste smiled as if he was trying to tease or deliberately get killed. To top it all off, he was pulling me in¡­ Assisi, could I wallop this guy instead?


    Dranste winked as if to tell me that I should stay still. Ugh, I really wanted to hit his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell your Majesty that Sir Dranste fed the princess something strange.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Assisi¡¯s prepared counterattack made Dranste silent. Even for him, this would be embarrassing. But still, it was me who asked him for jerky so I hide my hand behind and smiled, and Dranste suddenly disappeared.


    You bastard!

 Chapter 252

    <h4>Chapter 252: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 252</h4>


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to go to the garden?¡±


    I tilted my head as I held my chin after hearing Elyne¡¯s bted suggestion.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    All Elyne did was smile back at my answer.


    Oh, well, yeah.


    Actually, I had been cooped up in my room more than necessary these days. When I went outside, the nobles and maids I encountered would talk about me, and some of the bastards were already talking behind my back, saying, ¡°The princess¡¯ time is over.¡± That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to go out. It was the biggest concern of Sy¡¯s pce these days because I didn¡¯t even go to the garden.


    When I looked back at Serira, I realized that she had a simr expression as Elyne¡­ oh, mom made her do this.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t help it. I got up from my seat.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to get some fresh air for the first time in a while.¡±


    My answer brightened Elyne¡¯s face. I didn¡¯t want to go out again because she seemed to like it so much.


    However, when I went to the garden, I decided to stop being grumpy. Now that I hade to think of it, it had been a long time since I had seen a garden. Iughed like an old man because it felt fresh somehow, but Assisi saw my strange eyes. Hmm. Serira said she would bring snacks.


    When we arrived at the garden, Elyne suddenly looked around us.


    Was there someone elseing? Elyne¡¯s behavior was very suspicious. Then, Elyne¡¯s expression suddenly brightened.


    ¡°Oh, my, Hasin!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Elyne.¡±


    Were they already on a first-name basis?


    I had never allowed him toe near me, but as if I called him, Hasin came close to us naturally. Elyne¡¯s cheeks were already blushing profusely.


    Oh, mom set this up!


    By the way, they seemed to have gotten quite close without me knowing. They had been slipping away before I knew it. What a dirty couple! They were doing well on their own without help. Hmph! I would not help them anymore!


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Our eyes met, and he greeted me with a smile. Why was he smiling?


    ¡°Hello, Princess. Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing well.¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Hey, why was she yelling at me?


    I was the one frowning, but Elyne went to Hasin to apologize. Hey, hey, I was her master. I appealed for attention, but Elyne started telling him stories that I didn¡¯t know, and such things as ¡°Princess is acting up because she¡¯s been stressed, please don¡¯t mind about it.¡±


    ¡°Did you get home alright that day?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Did you like my present?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes! Of course!¡±


    Oh, these guys are mistreating me!

 Chapter 253

    <h4>Chapter 253: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 253</h4>


    I was here being a poor, alienated neighbor, but this couple was stuck in their own world and didn¡¯t look around. Yes, if they kept bullying me like that, I would have an idea!


    ¡°I want to walk.¡±


    As I grabbed Assisi¡¯s arm, Elyne looked back as if she felt troubled. What was she nning to do by frowning that way? It seemed like Elyne wouldn¡¯t have to follow me anyway since Assisi was with me. Yeah, these two should just two y along. Hmph!


    Usually, I wouldin a few times, but I didn¡¯t feel like it. Oh, I didn¡¯t know. This was how human affairs work.


    Perhaps because my tension was so noticeably low, even Assisi, who usually didn¡¯t care about others, read my bitter countenance. He kept ring at me and seemed to be thinking deeply about how to make me feel better. How could a person look so transparent? This was also my concern.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what happens when Almond dies?¡±


    ¡°Diamond.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Was that a joke?


    He didn¡¯t think I didn¡¯t know that, did he? As if that was it, Assisi closed his mouth upon hearing my answer. He looked perplexed.


    Oh, this was fun.


    I didn¡¯t know why his expression made me feel better. Suddenly, Iughed, and Assisi tilted his head. ¡®I wasughing at you, dummy, you.¡¯


    ¡°Zand!¡±


    That¡¯s when I heard a thin voice.


    When I looked back casually after hearing a name I had heard a lot about, I saw two people who have been disturbing me a lot these days.


    ¡°You can¡¯t run around like that.¡±


    Tylenia¡­ was it?


    A child with more red-ish silver hair than mine was happily hugged by his mother. The expression of a mother embracing her child was warm and emotional. The friendly goodwill was so tant that I could tell at once how much the princess loved her son.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    I was always seeing mothers and sons together, like Silvia and the twins. However, I guessed I felt different since they were different people.


    A child with his mother¡­ what should I say? I was a bit jealous.


    Yes. I was jealous.


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    Would my mother do that to me if she were alive? Would she hold me and look at me sweetly like that? Thought that had never even crossed my mind suddenly spreads within me.


    I never even saw my mother before, so why did I miss her so much?

 Chapter 254

    <h4>Chapter 254: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 254</h4>


    Oh, I see.


    I was jealous of that child even though I was not a little baby who never got a mother¡¯s love. I finally saw what had been ambiguously appealed to me since Silvia¡¯s gave birth to the twins.


    Mother¡­


    Of course, I was notining about my situation right now. However, I finally realized what I had been missing from Serira after seeing those two. I did think Serira tried her best to be a mother figure to me, but I already knew what it felt like to be loved by my own mother because of my former life¡­ I wanted to see my mother, although she¡¯s not here.


    It was not like I had never experienced a mother¡¯s love before¡­ Perhaps, I was selfish.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Assisi called me. I calmly organized the ripples of my mind and turned my head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see Dad.¡±


    Assisi couldn¡¯t even ask me back out of the blue. I wanted to smooth out the middle of his forehead with my index finger, but I couldn¡¯t because I was short. Damn it, a chicken instead of pheasants, I held Assisi¡¯s legs and smiled.


    ¡°I feel like I haven¡¯t seen daddy in a while.¡±


    Since dad and I were close, we ran into each other from time to time besides eating and sleeping, but these days, I didn¡¯t feelfortable enough to ambte, so I intentionally avoided him. Something was bothering me, indeed.


    Assisi was amazed because he knew me so well.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    What was he asking? My feelings? What was in my mind? I couldn¡¯t tell anymore.


    However, the important thing was¡­


    I would only be more desperate if I continued to desire something I couldn¡¯t possibly have. Whether or not I missed my mother, there were plenty of people who loved me as much as any mother would. People who cared about me for who I was. People who loved me. So then, I shouldn¡¯t ask for more.


    ¡°Assisi, you¡¯ll make an excellent father someday.¡±


    Assisi nodded upon hearing my words.


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    I was being sincere, but Assisi¡¯s expression has subtly changed. Then he held me in his arms and smiled. It was a smile that looked empty somewhere.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll ever be a father.¡±


    Huh? Why not? I stared at him as if asking him what that meant, and Assisi smiled again.


    ¡°Shall we go inside now?¡±

 Chapter 255

    <h4>Chapter 255: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 255</h4>


    What on earth was soplicated about the people around me?


    Caitel, Ferdel, Assisi. Oh, maybe except Ferdel. Anyway, I was so simple, but the people around me were all so suspicious. Everyone¡¯s got a lot of things behind their backs. A woman was beautiful when she had secrets, but what about a man!?


    It¡¯s so hard to pretend like I didn¡¯t know that so many times, but I was also uncertain whether I should search it deeply or not. I would like to know, but there¡¯s no one to tell me! I was curious because I was human too!


    On my way to Dad¡¯s office with Assisi.


    No wonder I had been feeling so ufortable¡­ Assisi was reading my countenance earlier, but now, I was trying to understand Assisi¡¯s expression.


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know anymore. I should just keep walking.


    ¡°Is dad inside?¡±


    When I arrived at the office, the servant greeted me politely.


    Oh, well. I would check on Caitel then return to my room to read a book.


    I was supposed to wait until the servant opened the door, but I opened it without waiting for a servant to open the door as always. I was surprised to hear the voice as soon as I opened the door.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Huh? Was anyone there?


    ¡°So, you are saying he isn¡¯t your son?¡±


    I tried to close the door quietly and go back, but I stopped at that moment. This was Ferdel¡¯s voice. What were two of them talking about?


    ¡°What are you saying? Then how do you exin his hair? You think silver-red hair is somon that you can find just anyone in the street with it? I understand how you must feel, but as a man, you shouldn¡¯t lie about this sort of thing. Your daughter is alive, and she looks exactly like you.¡±


    It looked like my dad was just talking nonsense again.


    Regardless of how they felt, my dad shouldn¡¯t deny his own son like that. No matter how I looked at him, he was definitely his son. I was noticing that everyone had been talking about this wherever I went. It¡¯s borderline traumatizing.


    ¡°Nevertheless, he isn¡¯t my son.¡±


    A low voice tly denied.


    ¡°Even if I seem to be saying this out of desperation, a lie is still a lie. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Hmm, his smirk looked even more obnoxious today. Maybe I was not his daughter either. Well, he had always been this way, telling lies and talking nonsense.


    ¡°Really? Do you mean it?¡±


    What was the purpose of asking him? It was probably just crazy talk.


    I was about to close the door to get back in my room, but the door creaked.


    Oh, my. I closed it just a bit more.


    It sounded so loud that I was surprised. Why was there such a noisy door in the imperial pce!? Didn¡¯t the servants oil the doors?


    I was standing still in a panic, and I felt their stares. The two men¡¯s eager eyes made me shy.

 Chapter 256

    <h4>Chapter 256: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 256</h4>


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ please carry on with your discussion.¡±


    ¡°Ria.¡±


    What a surprise! I flinched for no reason.


    Why is he calling my name like that when he never usually called me by my name? I looked at him anxiously, and Caitel reached his hands at me.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡®Yes, I should go when someone calls me!¡¯


    However, was it really alright for me to intrude? I thought they were having a serious discussion.


    ¡°¡­ is it okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell you sooner orter anyway..¡±


    ¡®Well, since he called here, I hade.¡¯


    Ugh. I ran right away and got in my dad¡¯s arms. Caitel held me up and stared me in the eye.


    ¡°Did you hear all of that?¡±


    Should I lie? I seriously thought about it, but I decided to be honest because if I lied, he would just get upset with me like he didst time¡­


    All right, watch just how honest I could be!


    ¡°A, a little?¡±


    ¡°How much did you hear?¡±


    ¡°F, from the part where you lied about not having a son.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t much, right? I tried to smile, but there was no mercy from Ferdel in front of me.


    ¡°So, she heard everything.¡±


    That bastard. Yeah, I heard it all. What would they do about it?


    Caitel sighed at my reaction. I looked up at my dad for no reason.


    ¡°Is he¡­ really not your son?¡±


    Dad mustn¡¯t lie, not with a child present.


    I thought he would make a facial impression on what I said, but my father¡¯s reaction was rather peaceful. What¡¯s wrong with him? Had they taken their medicine? However, he smiled slightly and touched my cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with me all this time, so I don¡¯t see how you can suspect me. Even my own daughter doesn¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Well¡­ it¡¯s not so much that I couldn¡¯t believe him.


    I just wanted to make sure. There were always exceptions in this world.


    Caitel smiled at my profound expression. Then he stroked my head. Ferdel, who was looking at us with jealousy, frowned with unease.


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you say so from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t sure at the time.¡±


    ¡°Then now you are?¡±


    My dad looked at me after hearing Ferdel¡¯s question.


    ¡®What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?¡¯


    Why did he alwaysugh when he looked at me? Was my face really that funny to him?


    ¡°I¡¯ve indeed slept with many women before¡­ but I haven¡¯t done so since my daughter was born. Isn¡¯t that right, dear daughter?¡±


    Why was he asking me that? This bastard should watch hisnguage in front of a child!

 Chapter 257

    <h4>Chapter 257: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 257</h4>


    I wanted to bite this finger that kept touching my cheek. However, if I did so, my future would disappear. I ended up just staring at his finger. Oh, but why did he keep touching my cheek? My father was a man who didn¡¯t have a booger with respect to me. He¡¯s a booger.


    ¡°Hmm¡­e to think of it, you¡¯re right. You haven¡¯t gone to her pce ever since you came back from Izarta.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a perfectly entertaining person right here in front of me, so why would I go see a woman who would only give me a headache?¡±


    ¡­ so what he¡¯s saying was that I was just his entertainer? Seriously, should I just punch him?


    I was seriously considering it, and my dad saw me andughed again.


    ¡°My daughter is simply just too charming.¡±


    Oh, yeah, I was just full of charm.


    Okay, I had to calm down, meditate, and see the world through clear eyes. Yes, clear. Clear my mind¡­ as if! Ugh, he was so annoying!


    ¡°This is all getting quite suspicious. Perhaps we need to look into this much more thoroughly.¡±


    Ferdel tilted his head. Dad answered without a disturbance.


    ¡°Just keep quiet for now. We still don¡¯t know her motive.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she aiming to be the Empress?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that woman is foolish enough to want that?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Just look at him gloat. I thought my dad had the most annoying smile ever, but Ferdel couldpete for it easily. No, the winner would definitely be Dranste. After all, when he smiled, he would wake up something furious inside me that I didn¡¯t even know about.


    ¡°It¡¯s true she¡¯s a fool¡­¡±


    Daddyughed.


    ¡°But she can be quite witty at times.¡±


    What? How could a person be a fool and witty? I wondered how a person¡¯s evaluation fell into such a category.


    However, Ferdel didn¡¯t look curious, so he just moved on.


    What? Was I the only one curious?


    ¡°This may just be nonsense, but¡­ the sixth prince did have silver-red hair as well, but that can¡¯t be it, right?¡±


    For a moment, my father¡¯s hand, which was patting my head, stopped. I tilted my head.


    ¡°Oh, but then again, his hair was more red than silver-red.¡±


    Ferdel tilted his head. I felt ufortable while my father continued gazing at me. Why was he looking at me like that? What did he want me to do?


    ¡°So, please don¡¯t cause any trouble now, dear daughter. Understand?¡±


    Father, what else would this little girl do besides keeping quiet? I didn¡¯t have the means to spread this sort of gossip even if I wanted to.


    ¡°And do your best not to see that woman and her child.¡±


    I actually already saw them today¡­ oops.


    However, it¡¯s umon to bump into each other like that, so I nodded.


    ¡°Yes, sure!¡±

 Chapter 258

    <h4>Chapter 258: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 258</h4>


    ... I think I just said that yesterday.


    I was embarrassed by the creature that I ran into right after I went out for a walk after lunch. I came here to see the winter tree... but why did he have to be here right at this moment?!


    Was his name Zand? The boy I saw yesterday was standing right in front of me.


    I was in agony. Daddy said I shouldn¡¯t see them if possible... but what he actually meant was I should avoid them at all costs. If he felt the need to say it, then he really didn¡¯t want it to happen. I had spent enough time with Caitel to at least know that... and it¡¯s not like I wanted to see them, so I said I¡¯d do it with confidence. However, this felt like the heavens were trying to dim my future.


    Sure, I could ignore him and turn around, but that would be so awkward since we were still facing each other. Dad could get upset so quickly. If he found out that I disobeyed him, I was confident that I would regret itter...


    ¡°Pretty!¡±


    Huh? What?


    At the moment the baby smiled brightly.


    ¡°You are pretty!¡±


    ... well, yes. I know I was pretty.


    Wait, why was he ttering me all of a sudden? Of course, it felt good. Oh, this was a dilemma.


    The baby smiled brightly. Then he grabbed my hand.


    Well, I knew that I shouldn¡¯t do this. However, it¡¯s too mean to throw his hands away. What should I do?


    ¡°Pretty!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think he spoke well yet, but he had got a good eye. He would definitely grow up to be someone influential one day. Ahem, and I was not just saying that because heplimented me...


    ¡°Do you live here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I live here.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Looking at him like this reminded me of the twins when they were babies. Of course, we were both young back then, but they were so cute, but now, they were little demons... Would this boy grow up to be like that too?


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Assisi, where have you been?¡±


    Where had he been, indeed?


    Assisi frightened himself while he wasing closer to me, and so was Zand in front of my eyes. When he saw Assisi, his face hardened as if he felt shy. Then he ran away suddenly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I felt empty because he just ran away without catching a breath. I thought I was the one who had to run. Was he afraid of Assisi? However, even so, he shouldn¡¯t run away like that. It wasn¡¯t very nice.


    ¡°Are you all right, princess?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°... Nothing. Never mind.¡±


    What did he mean, indeed? Come on, he should tell me. However, Assisi kept his mouth shut.


    Aww, he¡¯s not fun at all.

 Chapter 259

    <h4>Chapter 259: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 259</h4>


    We were just having a leisurely walk, but the moment I saw that little boy, my vibe got ruined. I couldn¡¯t kick that thing out. Of course, Caitel said he was not his son, but I felt ufortable since he also said they wouldn¡¯t need a paternity test.


    ¡°So... what will happen to him?¡±


    ¡°Well, he probably won¡¯t be part of the royal family.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because that is not what the Emperor desires.¡±


    That¡¯s it? Well... it sort of sounded like a joke, but it was a fair excuse. Ugh, whatever. I shouldn¡¯t worry about this anymore. I had been too sensitivetely.


    I turned around to go back, but the boy ran towards me.


    ¡°Here!¡±


    Zand, who came running at me with something in his hands, smiled brightly.


    ¡°You can have these!¡±


    He gave me a pretty pebble. The garden had a lot of stones, but each one of them was all too beautiful, so I used to collect a lot when I was young.


    Zand smiled shyly as I looked down at the stone. His smile was so fresh that it made me casuallyment over it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The boy smiled at my greeting. Then he ran away quickly.


    Was he leaving me just like that? How dull.


    That boy and I were quite pitiable. We were both born into such a troublesome family. Well... at least it seemed like his mother loved him a lot.


    Right, a child should receive plenty of love from their parents. Meanwhile, here I was... I should stop. It was only making me sad.


    Now that I hade to think of it, it had been a while since Ist saw the twins. Perhaps Ferdel¡¯s giving me a break after all this other trouble. Maybe they were just busy with their own family affairs... Their family was so big and chaotic all the time that it¡¯s fascinating. At least their family wasn¡¯t as troublesome as ours...


    I came into the pce to take the pebbles that Zand gave me to my room, and I met dad as soon as I stepped inside. I was in a panic for a second.


    ¡°Hi, Dad?¡±


    Nheless, I should say hello to him. Why was he here, though?


    I tilted my head in wonder, but I didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but my father¡¯s expression was fierce. I was terrified to see the attendants fidgeting behind him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What would I have to tell you? As I tilted my head again, Caitel asked me the same thing again.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have anything to say to me?¡±


    What was going on right now?


    He seemed grumpy... but I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. I proudly nodded my head, but I guessed that I shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°I thought I specifically told you not to see those two.¡±

 Chapter 260

    <h4>Chapter 260: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 260</h4>


    What? Was he watching me from somewhere?


    I suppose that was possible since Sy was the closest to the garden. What should I do? I had to find a way out of this mess!


    Should I try acting cute?


    No... I was a goner. His eyes are already mad with rage.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I saw him because I wanted to¡­¡±


    Wow... Even I think that sounded like an excuse to justify this moment. I smiled to move on from this situation smoothly, but dad¡¯s face stiffened even further when he saw my smile. Oh, this wasn¡¯t going as well as I had expected.


    Something that seemed more severe than other times. Oh, This was not good at all.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hire you to have a nanny to allow things like this to happen, or did I hire the wrong person?¡±


    Oh, wait. Why was this suddenly Serira¡¯s fault!?


    His words shocked me. Serira came all the way down here because she was worried about me, and now she¡¯s just biting her lip. Dad wouldn¡¯t hit a woman, but I didn¡¯t know what this mess would do to Serira, so I quickly stepped in between the two. I was the one who messed up, so I should be the one being scolded.


    ¡°Serira didn¡¯t do anything wrong, dad. I just ran into him by ident on my way to the garden.¡±


    ¡°I made you another garden in the opposite direction, so I don¡¯t see why you would need to go to that garden anymore.¡±


    Why was he speaking to me like that? Wouldn¡¯t see what? I felt hurt by how he talked to me. However, I couldn¡¯t help it. It was all my fault that I was powerless.


    ¡°It was because I wanted to see the Winter Tree.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d fall for that?¡±


    Bastard!


    I knew my father was this kind of man, but I still felt a lump in my throat after hearing that. I just really wanted to punch him. I bit my lip to find my peace.


    However, the situation had only escted further.


    Oh, why were things getting so severe? I felt like there was no way for me to win.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Majesty. This was all my fault. I¡¯ll take extra care from now on.¡±


    Serira fell on the ground and knelt. I was surprised, but I just stayed still because she always had a reason when she did this.


    Oh, no... mom knelt down because of what I did! However, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong!

 Chapter 261

    <h4>Chapter 261: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 261</h4>


    ¡°What exactly are you apologizing for? If you know that you¡¯ve done something wrong, does that mean you ept the punishment for your mistakes?¡±


    ¡°I will ept any punishment you deem fitting.¡±


    Serira answered with an expression, which showed that she epted her responsibility for this, but I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°No, I did something wrong, so why is Serira the one getting punished?¡±


    ¡°A child has no ce to interfere here.¡±


    His voice was sharp.


    I was choked up for a moment. Why was he always scolding me?


    Still, I better keep my mouth shut if I didn¡¯t want a one-way ticket out of this world. Quiet. Quiet! Just keep quiet! The heavens would reward those who are quiet¡­


    ¡°Looks like I haven¡¯t paid enough attention to my daughter¡¯s education. The head maid shall serve the princess for now, and her nanny shall remain in her home to reflect upon her mistakes until I say otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    What was he saying right now?!


    I think my ears were being weird right now. I heard something strange.


    ¡°Furthermore, Princess Ariadna is henceforth forbidden from going anywhere other than Sy Pce and the garden at the opposite end of it.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Majesty!¡±


    This time, Serira was surprised and called out to my father. I was shocked. Who cared whether heavens would reward quietness or not, why was my father going crazy? What¡¯s wrong with him today? I frowned, forgetting that I shouldn¡¯t go against him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to lock me up?¡±


    ¡°Is that how you understood what I said?¡±


    Well, what else could it mean? Why was Serira getting banished to her house, and the strict head maid being put in charge of taking care of me? Was he trying to slowly kill me?


    I really thought this bastard was crazy. He couldn¡¯t do this to me without going crazy. Oh, yeah, I knew he was initially a lunatic, but this was too much.


    ¡°Dad, have you lost your mind?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Was he deaf?


    ¡°I said, are you finally going crazy, dad?¡±


    Caitel visibly frowned after hearing the things that I had only managed to say for the first time. I was scared of his expressionless face and his slight frown, but it was more threatening than I thought. I felt some furious tension in him, and my body was already shaking slightly, but my mouth didn¡¯t stop.


    Yeah, I should finish what I had started with this bastard.


    ¡°Why are you deciding everything by yourself without even listening to what I have to say?! Doesn¡¯t my opinion matter to you at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Wow, look at him.


    He was t out telling me that my opinion didn¡¯t matter. How could he do this to me? Ipletely forgot what I was about to say. Dad smiled coldly.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve been too lenient on you. You dare raise your voice in front of me?¡±


    Since when had he ever gone easy on me? This wouldn¡¯t feel so unfair if he actually valued me! I could feel my deep resentment towards him. I clenched my teeth as I felt a fit of anger rising from deep inside of me.

 Chapter 262

    <h4>Chapter 262: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 262</h4>


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I do that? You yell at people all the time!¡±


    I really was insane. I had clearly gone nuts.


    Assisi and Serira looked so shocked. I had always been such a good girl, so it must be a surprise to see me like this.


    Well, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I was furious right now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Dad was quiet. I wanted to be more sarcastic, but if I did that, it would feel like I was losing, so I just frowned and stared at Caitel. When both of us faced each other with our eyes red at each other, the people around us got restless.


    Caitel then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Head Maid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Why was he calling the head maid?


    I frowned and stared at what he was doing, but dad sneered at me while looking away.


    ¡°Return with the princess to Sy Pce. She seems to be very tired. Make sure she does not set a single foot outside of the pce until further notice.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    How could he do this to me?


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    I would say one more thing, but Caitel turned around and looked at me again. I stopped quietly when his cold eyes met with mine.


    ¡°Ariadna.¡±


    Why did he call me like that? What a jerk!


    Usually, I would have looked down, but not today. I red straight at my father.


    ¡°This is where I draw the line.¡±


    For a moment, a horrible feeling crept to my heart. Fuck, I didn¡¯t want to do this anymore.


    Caitel tried to turn around and leave when the head maid approached to take me. I shook off the hand that held me.


    ¡°I hate you, dad! I won¡¯t ever see your face again!¡±


    They said running away meant admitting to a losing battle, but I didn¡¯t care! I might have said something childish, but I didn¡¯t care! All the things I had been holding back until now finally exploded, everything just spilled out of me.


    Still, I wouldn¡¯t stay trapped in my room! I was not a helpless princess in a fairytale! Whether Assisi was following me or not, I ran out of the spot, and I heard Caitel spoke behind me.


    ¡°After her!¡±


    Who did he think he was chasing!? I wouldn¡¯t be caught easily!


    ¡°Catch her and drag her right back here!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    At his order, all the entourages who looked puzzled moved right away. Among them, Serira¡¯s voice reverberated softly.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you mustn¡¯t do this. Your Majesty!¡±

 Chapter 263

    <h4>Chapter 263: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 263</h4>


    No matter how much I thought about it, I really must have lost my mind back there¡­ Otherwise, how could I have spoken to my dad like that?


    Still, even thinking about it now was making me angry! Does he just think of me as some toy instead of his daughter? A child wouldn¡¯t just follow their parent¡¯s orders. I was not a wind-up doll!


    ¡­ This was so upsetting. I was so sad.


    This hill in the garden was a hideout ce where my twins and I often yed. The imperial pce was spacious, and there were so many ces to hide. I didn¡¯t know about the adults, but there were so many ces for children like me to hide. Which means I wouldn¡¯t get caught. In fact, this hill¡¯s hideout ce was used when the twins were scolded and fled, so its credibility was assured.


    ¡°I wondered what sort of secret ce you¡¯d run off to, and this is it?¡±


    I raised my head in surprise, it is the pale blue eyes that I see.


    Oh, it¡¯s Dranste.


    I threw my head back into myp. Did he juste here to tease me again? So annoying.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard?¡±


    ¡°Heard what?¡±


    Dranste answered in a light voice.


    ¡°Your nanny¡¯s going to be executed tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I raised my head unconsciously.


    What was he talking about? Who would be executed? Serira?


    I was speechless for a moment. Dad had really gone insane. He really went that far? He said he wouldn¡¯t touch his own people, so what the hell was going on now?


    When Dranste saw my face, he smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Oh, I thought you might not have heard the news and figured it might not be so good if you got therete, right?¡±


    This guy was a handful, but for now, Caitel was the problem.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Caitel now?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Oh, I¡¯d love to kick him, but I didn¡¯t have enough energy right now. First of all, I just wanted to ignore Dranste because I had to squabble with Caitel againter.


    ¡°She tried to stop that man¡¯s crazy n to catch you, and now, she¡¯s in danger of being executed tomorrow. Your nanny has really got nerves of steel. How could she try to lecture him while he was on a rampage like that?¡±


    I guessed that I was not the only one with a lot of guts. That¡¯s just the sort of thing Serira would do¡­ but still, what could I do about this?

 Chapter 264

    <h4>Chapter 264: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 264</h4>


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    There¡¯s no doubt that he was my knight. He always knew where I went to hide. Assisi came to me in a hurry.


    ¡°Princess! Terrible news¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Dranste already told me, but he was not supposed to be here right now, so I just shut my mouth. Looking back at him quietly, Dranste smiled as if he was telling me to ignore him.


    I grabbed Assisi¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Take me to my dad.¡±


    After a moment of thought, Assisi unavoidably led me to my father.


    I thought he¡¯d be stuck somewhere like a drill hall, but unexpectedly, Caitel was in his bedroom. Was he going to his bed early? I thought these words as soon as I stepped out of my hiding spot, Caitel¡¯s knights would grab me and put me in my room, but I was able to get to his bedroom safely, perhaps because Assisi was beside me. However, even before I went in, I was held back by the servant at the door.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to go in, Princess. The Emperor has forbidden anyone from entering his room.¡±


    Wow, so I was getting this sort of treatment already?


    If I was as mad as before, I would have been angry with the servant, but fortunately, my head had cooled off on the hill, so it was okay.


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll disobey me even if you have to die?¡±


    The servants stepped back upon hearing my word. These guys listened to me when I threatened them with their life. I did feel sorry for the people who would suffer no matter whose side they¡¯d take¡­ but I had to get in there. Otherwise, Serira might die.


    Seriously, how could he even consider threatening Serira¡¯s life to get me here? My dad was definitely a terrible person who should be avoided at all costs.


    As I entered, I saw arge room, and there I saw Caitel reading a book. By the way, what kind of book was he reading that made his face look so fierce? Now that I hade to my senses, I found it scary to call out his name, although I was already here. How did I do that earlier?


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    I was choked up.


    Something came up in my voice that was usually filled with sarcasticints.


    I had to hold back. I must not get worked up over his words. If I got emotional now, all of this would be for nothing just like before. When I tried to keep my mouth shut to calm down, Caitel looked at my face and sneered.


    ¡°Did youe here to beg me to spare the life of that woman you think of like your mother? You ran away refusing to listen to me earlier, yet you¡¯re back as soon as you want something.¡±


    ¡°Please let Serira go!¡±

 Chapter 265

    <h4>Chapter 265: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 265</h4>


    Paradise is where I am


    It had already been a month since I had that fight with dad.


    Thankfully, the next day, Caitel canceled Serira¡¯s execution¡­ I begged him to cancel it, and he took credit to himself, saying he never once reversed his orders before. I got sick of it, and now, I wanted to be Emperor too, so I could stop it.


    Anyway, it was kind of funny to watch him cancel the execution and pardon Serira. My dad was always full of surprises, but he still ced her on probation for disobeying royalty, though. He should just forgive her and move on right away. In the end, it took about a month before Serira could return as my caretaker.


    I didn¡¯t know whose dad it was, but he¡¯s a problem.


    However, Serira had a problem too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again! All right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡±


    I meant, what kind of guts did she have?


    Caitel had only been upset because of me, so I was utterly shocked to hear that Serira had lectured him about the proper way to treat a child¡­


    I was sighing, but the person in front of me just smiled.


    I was sighing because of mom, and now she¡¯s¡­


    I stared at her, puffing out my cheeks, but it wouldn¡¯t erase the smile on her face.


    Well, anyway, I wanted to live peacefully without any problems, but the world wouldn¡¯t let me. I didn¡¯t have a single day moving on quietly. I would die of stress at an early age.


    ¡°I was so surprised that day. I¡¯ve never seen the Emperor get so mad before. I thought there would be a bloody massacre right here in the pce.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t be so dramatic.¡¯


    I made the impression that it was nonsense, but besides me, Serira nodded with a serious look. Assisi¡¯s reaction was not much different. What? Was that big of a deal?


    I made an impression on my face. Was that such a huge ruckus?


    However, if I didn¡¯t run away, I would have been caught and locked me into my room. I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time since he¡¯s been that upset, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it definitely happened a lot more often before the princess was born.¡±


    The two women seriously recalled my father¡¯s past that I didn¡¯t know. Then, suddenly, Elyne smiled.


    ¡°Lady Serira, the Emperor must really love the princess.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Of course, he loves her.¡±


    Hey, these two should stop this embarrassing chat already!

 Chapter 266

    <h4>Chapter 266: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 266</h4>


    Love or whatever, I still got angry whenever I thought about that day! He basically got mad at me because I didn¡¯t listen to him! How could he get that upset over something like that? He was even willing to have me confined¡­ Haa¡­ Who would do that just because a child wouldn¡¯t listen to them!?


    ¡°Such as Caitel?¡±


    A sly voice answered my question.


    Oh, my gosh!


    I couldn¡¯t even scream upon hearing his voice, which I didn¡¯t even recognize being in here. Pressing my surprised heart lightly with my hand, I turned around, and I saw a smiling Dranste. I was instantly enraged.


    Did he want me to die with fright!?


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Shhh.¡±


    What kind of madness was this? I stared at him quietly, and soon, the two women in front of me tilted their heads. That reminded me of one thing I had forgotten.


    Oh, only I could see Dranste right now.


    When I realized my mistake, Dransteughed beside me. What a jerk!


    When I was a baby and couldn¡¯t speak yet, it was convenient to talk to him, but now that I can utter some words, it had be a real inconvenience. Well, it¡¯s not like I could just stand here in silence. I could talk now, so why weren¡¯t I allowed to do so!?


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you still be thanking your father? If he was the same man he used to be, you would have been killed on the spot.¡±


    He had a point.


    Honestly, I thought that was the end of my world. I argued with him after losing my temper; it was sort of scary. Well, I could do that because I couldn¡¯t think of anything else but go against him. Phew. I used to think I would never drive myself in a dangerous position, although I was super mad, I did. I learned a lesson. What a valuable experience.


    Now that I thought about it¡­ it was strange. He was so mad at Serira, so why didn¡¯t he punish me? Was it because I cried? Did Caitel usually forgive people for that?


    ¡­ This was a bit scary.


    I was not sure how this would return to me.


    ¡°¡­ I feel bad for Caitel.¡±


    What? Why?!


    I was the one who should be pitied here! Hello?!


    ¡°How can a daughter not understand her father to this degree¡­? He¡¯s truly pitiable.¡±

 Chapter 267

    <h4>Chapter 267: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 267</h4>


    ¡°How can a daughter not understand her father to this degree¡­? He¡¯s truly pitiable.¡±


    Who was he calling pitiable?! I was the most pitiful person here!!!


    Dransteughed at me at that moment. My argument got utterly ignored at the same moment.


    ¡°But, just think about it. Caitel is doing everything he can for his lovely daughter, yet she only regards her own father as a nuisance.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Caitel gives in to me on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    It sounded ridiculous, but when I clicked my tongue in triumph¡­ Huh? Dranstead giggled at me while hesitating.


    Dastard!


    Still, it was odd to think that Caitel would ever let me have my way.


    ¡°Why would he?¡±


    Dranste also answered my question as if it were natural.


    ¡°Why else? Because he¡¯s your father.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Just because he was my father?


    It was a story that I had never considered before. I was dumbfounded as if I had never encountered difficulty in my life. Caitel gave in to me because he¡¯s my father? Would Caitel really do that for a reason like that?


    After a moment¡¯s thought, whether he was crazy or I was going mad, my heart pounded a beatte.


    That Caitel? He would lose to me? To me? Not a chance!


    It was nonsense, a loss of words, and a chilling sound, but as I began to ponder it more, I became silent without realizing it.


    However, the more I think about it, the more it kind of felt true¡­ not to mention, although he could be childish, he was rather considerate to me¡­


    No, he couldn¡¯t be persuaded! That couldn¡¯t be true!


    I shook my head in agony, but Dranste was just grinning as if my suffering was pleasant.


    Oh, I hated him. I wanted to hit him in a face.


    It¡¯s appalling to think of Caitel being considerate of me. I was not used to it since I had always had to deal with his bullying until now. However, based on what Dranste just said¡­


    That meant my dad loved me.


    But¡­ but there was no way he could possibly love me, not a chance!


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I got goosebumps just by thinking about it. Why was I reacting this way after hearing about the fact that my father loved me? Wait, was I? This was just so confusing.

 Chapter 268

    <h4>Chapter 268: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 268</h4>


    My dad bends his head at my request.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    I tried to hold it in, but I ended up getting choked up.


    ¡°Serira didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Are you three years old? Don¡¯t take your anger out on someone just because you¡¯re angry about something else!¡±


    Caitel sneered upon hearing what I said. I red with sincerity at Caitel. If my dad kept doing this, I wouldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    Had he ever risked his life? I was risking my life now.


    So far, I had endured all these hardships, but not anymore. If I got out of here, then I was a pushover. I was not Caitel property, and even though he¡¯s my father, this was way too much.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I¡¯m simply discing my anger? Then you¡¯re saying refusing to follow my orders and interfering with my ns isn¡¯t a crime?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you did something wrong! Serira wouldn¡¯t have done that unless you did something wrong first!¡±


    His expression stiffened frighteningly. I was a little worried that I was too hard on him¡­ I didn¡¯t know anymore! I should just go on with it till the very end. Yeah, well, the worst thing that could happen was death. Hmph!


    ¡°Since when were you so loyal to her? You won¡¯t even listen to your own father.¡±


    His voice pierced my ears. He couldn¡¯t even think of the reason why I didn¡¯t listen to him? I really wanted to say something back at him, but my chest hurt¡­ I just stared at him with all my strength¡­


    Man, I was suddenly losing my sight. I tried to swallow the lumping out of my throat. Why was I feeling so sad suddenly?


    ¡°Let Serira go, you viin! Why are you doing this to me? You are so mean! There¡¯s a limit to how much I can forgive you even if you are my father! If Serira dies, I really won¡¯t ever see you again. Never! Never ever.¡±


    I knew that I would lose if I cried, but I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling.


    This bastard should know that my tears weren¡¯t cheap.


    He was embarrassed for a moment but then smiled coldly as he saw me crying.


    ¡°So, you hold that woman in higher esteem than your own father?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re the one who appointed Serira to be my nanny!¡±


    Did he already forget that? He really was heartless.


    Caitel closed his mouth upon hearing my answer. I just cried because this was really upsetting. I bet other children were loved by their fathers¡­ yet I got treated like this. Who cared if I was born a princess? My own father wouldn¡¯t even treat me with respect!

 Chapter 269

    <h4>Chapter 269: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 269</h4>


    Now that I thought about it, we were somewhat close. Although I tried to act more funny or cute to make him happy to save my ass, most of the time, I was sincere. Caitel was always honest with me as well. He could be annoying at times, but I suppose we were pretty close.


    However, since when were we like this?


    Our rtionship changed without me noticing it¡­ as I thought about it now, it was weird. This was a significant development as I thought about our first rtionship.


    ¡°¡­This is somewhat shocking.¡±


    Elyne turned around and checked on me as I murmured, but it was so quiet that she didn¡¯t seem to understand. Either way, I felt like I was struck with a hammer throughout my body because of this truth I didn¡¯t know. I had never thought about it this way.


    I couldn¡¯t believe Caitel was kind to me! That was outrageous! I always thought I was abused.


    ¡°So this year, I¡¯m seeing Acris.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a festival.¡±


    Elyne and Serira were excited to hear that people from other countries woulde from abroad and that there would be another big party, but now, they were not trying to pry their ears at me. Something felt a little strange. My heart was pounding so hard that I could hardly breathe.


    Yeah, dad was kind towards me, but I always thought of it as the sort of kindness he¡¯d have for a pet.


    Like petting a dog when it licked its master and forgiving it when it sometimes nipped back. I was frustrated while thinking about myself, but I indeed felt that way.


    However, all of a sudden, he was treating me like his daughter?


    ¡°Well, you can think it over more on your own. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Dranste disappeared with a sneaky smile. I didn¡¯t have anything left to argue, but if Dranste was right¡­


    No, wait. Hadn¡¯t I already heard something like this? He said he felt bored when I was not with him. He basically confessed his feeling of loneliness when I wasn¡¯t around him¡­


    I had never heard about my significance from another person like that before. In other words, Caitel really needed me right now. To think that dad would need me¡­ maybe I was more precious to Caitel than I imagined?


    The Father of this world needed me.


    I felt so conflicted that I finally gave up thinking about it.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s getting so confusing.¡±


    Ugh, whatever. I just had to do something.

 Chapter 270

    <h4>Chapter 270: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 270</h4>


    ¡°All right! Starting today I shall be in charge of your education. And my title is simply amazing! I¡¯ll be your tutor! Tutor Ferdel!¡±


    Where on earth did it go wrong? I stared at the man sitting in front of me. I also knew that I had to study at a higher level, not at the same time as my teacher, and not at the same time as writing or writing.


    But wait, this isn¡¯t right.


    ¡°...you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ferrell nods, shining brightly in my eyes at my ridiculous response.


    The twinkling eyes were unusually burdensome. I thought Abby would never take Ferdelman as my teacher, no matter how What kind of deal did the two of them make?


    ¡°Ferdel, isn¡¯t the Chancellor busy over there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    Ferdel looks very fine and nods his head exaggeratedly.


    ¡± Raising the talent of the country is one of my financial jobs.¡±


    Well, you can say it¡¯s an open mouth anyway. You may be okay, but I¡¯m not!


    But Ferdel did not seem to be interested in my mental health. He looks like he¡¯s going to die, and he¡¯s humming with excitement.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start with the basics today.¡±


    Can you really teach me right? Of course I wasn¡¯t questioning Ferdel¡¯s own ability, but doesn¡¯t that usually exist? Genius cannot teach others. Of course it is possible for a genius to teach a genius. In fact, I¡¯m not a real genius, as maids and daughters-inw make a noise.


    Do you think I can keep up with this ss? But if you say that to that face, it will be meaningless to say that it¡¯s okay toe back. I just sighed.


    ¡°What are you going to study?¡±


    ¡°How to be proper Princess?¡±


    Huh? Ferdel smiles before I even ask what the hell that means.


    I was frustrated by the fact that Ferdel was a teacher for another reason because his hands were so light that he came to teach his students. There is no book, and he brought something with him, which now unfolds before me. I was a little surprised to see it.


    Is this map?


    ¡°This is Agrigent.¡±


    What Ferdel pointed out was a huge piece ofnd in the middle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a map before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary for real life. It¡¯s not distributed well.¡±


    Ferdelughed that it was natural not to see, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the real map I had never seen before.

 Chapter 271

    <h4>Chapter 271: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 271</h4>


    Agrigent.


    In my previous life, I was living in a littlend on the map, so it was somewhat strange that this vastnd was our country. It¡¯s extensive. It was the size of the continent.


    ¡°From here to over here used to be our territory. Well, to be precise, this was the former Emperor¡¯s territory.¡±


    I frowned upon hearing Ferdel¡¯s additional exnation. It was only one-third of the territory that Ferdel pointed to now.


    ¡°That was all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ferdel nodded lightly upon seeing my expression of doubt and pointed out the other part.


    ¡°And now from here to here is the Agrigent territory that His Majesty has conquered since taking the throne.¡±


    Crazy bastard. I couldn¡¯t help but swear. How the hell did he conquer all thisnd? It was impossible without proper avarice for conquest. He conquered more than double of the original territory. Also, Pretzia and Izarta are now almost our territories.


    He was so damn wealthy. I was the daughter of such a rich family.


    ¡°Amazing, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a real achievement. Your Majesty did it on his own.¡±


    I knew that man was scary...


    I was also afraid of Ferdel, who exined it casually, but whether I was scared or not, Ferdel wouldn¡¯t stop saying what he was saying.


    ¡°And you are the only daughter of that Emperor.¡±


    I looked down on the map for no reason. I was speechless about the area ofnd that came into my eyes. I mean, the country next door was so small, but why was our country so big?


    ¡°The only princess in such a wide empire.¡±


    Something was calming about the ripples. I felt emotional, but I answered by just frowning. Ferdel smiled. His smile was very meaningful.


    ¡°The poption of the Central Continent is 16 billion, and the total number of people living in this empire is 9 billion. There are so many people living on this small-lookingnd.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s too much or too little. I just admired how many people lived on thisnd. Ferdelughed.


    ¡°And 0.03 percent of them, only 27,000 are called noble ss.¡±


    ¡°There are that many nobles in this Empire?¡±


    27,000 nobles? I couldn¡¯t believe that. I thought there would be only a few hundred, but were there that many? When I asked again with my eyes wide open, Ferdel asked back leisurely.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be less than this vastnd?¡±


    I, is that so?

 Chapter 272

    <h4>Chapter 272: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 272</h4>


    I just looked down at the map again. It¡¯s still small in the picture. Certainly, Agrigent was vastpared to the Central Continent. It¡¯s wide.


    ¡°This is the total number of nobles, including fallen nobles or nobles withoutnd. Among them, the number of prestigious nobles who have inherited titles from generation to generation will be reduced to about four thousand, and there are only seven hundred nobles above the count.¡±


    There¡¯s still a lot. Of course, it was a tiny numberpared to the total poption, but there were 4,000 influential nobles. Frankly speaking, it was terrific.


    Ferdel¡¯s eyes were on me.


    ¡°And you are the only princess of this Empire.¡±


    Only one princess.


    I felt something different when he assured me about it.


    What should I say? I wanted to refute when there was nothing to refute? It was also a bit strange.


    So basically, he wanted to say that, since I was the only princess of this Empire, I was precious and essential, or something like that. I was able to quickly notice what Ferdel meant by saying that because although I didn¡¯t know how to read most of the letters in the alphabet yet. However, I have good sense. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t know how to get rid of this ufortable feeling.


    ¡°All nobles kneel under your feet because you¡¯re a princess, and everything in thisnd, if you want to, can move on the palm of your hands.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a princess?¡±


    Ferdelughed upon hearing my answer. I was not happy at all, although I got the right answer.


    ¡°I heard you are kind to your maids. I heard that, although they make mistakes, you would just forgive them and move on?¡±


    Uh, oh, how did he know about this?


    Iughed vaguely because I knew that it wasn¡¯t something that I should have done. Upon hearing my awkwardughter, Ferdel looked at me and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a good thing. After all, you¡¯re considerate of the young maids.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°However, that kind of favor can be perceived as you being a lenient owner if you don¡¯t y your cards well.¡±


    Oh, I was surprised that you areplimenting me. I was making a tearful face because Ferdel was scolding me. Afterward, Ferdel pointed back to the map. What Ferdel was pointing his finger to was the territory that epasses the broad Agrigent.

 Chapter 273

    <h4>Chapter 273: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 273</h4>


    ¡°Staying by your side is what these nine billion people and 27,000 nobles want. I don¡¯t think you know, but the princess¡¯ maid is different from other maids. We select and pick the daughters of the ancient noble family to serve the princess. It¡¯s not a ce for everyone. You need to be more strict because it¡¯s not an easy job to get.¡±


    After frowning at the feeling of being scolded, I started to wonder about something concerning the continuous exnation. Wait, so did that mean...


    ¡°So Elyne¡¯s from a noble family, too?¡±


    ¡°She is the second daughter of the Reteroston family, a historic Southern family.¡±


    Oh my, no way...


    Somehow I thought she was just showing off her exceptional upbringing, but I couldn¡¯t believe there was such a secret to her birth. Wait, so it was actually natural for my Serira, a count¡¯s wife, to be serving me. Was it not because the count¡¯s wife became my nanny for some other reason? My brain suddenly started to get twisted.


    ¡°Then, the reason Serira is my nanny is...¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Once I got off the hook, Ferdel agreed.


    ¡°Originally, the nannies of the royal family were carefully chosen by the royal family. The practice of nanny is a kind of culture for nobles. We have a nanny on our twins, right? Necessity and use aside, it¡¯s a kind of show of power and tradition. Of course, this job is not for everyone, but they get treated fairly.¡±


    Ferdel added that the nannies of the imperial children provided convenience to the imperial family until they died. I finally understood it all now. Therefore, the position of being a royal nanny is an outstanding deal. That¡¯s why Serira had to ept it. It was fortunate that the treatment was fair.


    ¡°You are surrounded by such powerful people, Princess.¡±


    However, what¡¯s the point of telling me about this story? I looked at Ferdel quietly. Ferdelughed upon seeing my curious eyes. It wasn¡¯t his usual kind of smile that seemed stupid, nor was it like the screwed smile I usually saw.


    What a cold smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been taught manners by the nanny, haven¡¯t you? What did you learn?¡±


    Even if he asked me what I learned...


    ¡°Always use informalnguage to people who are lower ss than me. Use simple and clearmands when I ammanding people.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t bow to anyone easily, and when I say hello, I end up with a slight bow. When I show respect, I lift my skirt a bit, but under any circumstances, I would not kneel to anyone other than the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, great job.¡±


    Ferdel smiled broadly as if my answer was satisfactory.

 Chapter 274 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 274

    <h4>Chapter 274: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 274</h4>


    ¡°The princess does not kneel to anyone but the emperor. It is the same for the kings of other countries. That¡¯s why we call the princess a member of the royal family. You¡¯re kind of... You¡¯re a different race from us.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean to, but I frowned when I heard the matter about me being a different race from everyone else. If I were a child who didn¡¯t know anything, I would have epted it, but I couldn¡¯t take Ferdel¡¯s words thatfortably because I had already lived my past life, and I learned what it meant to be an adult during those times.


    Humans were all the same. What did he mean when he said that I had a different race?


    ¡°That¡¯s what they call social status.¡±


    An egalitarian society was a good thing. I realized that I was once born in a perfect ce, but not anymore.


    ¡°So no matter what you do or what you say, you will be overlooked unless what you did is a threat to the country¡¯s survival. It¡¯s worth it in a certain aspect. Also, if a noble person harms you, then that person will get executed unconditionally if it is intentional or punished if it is not intentional. You can choose what kind of punishment it will be.¡±


    In a word, I realized that there were noblemen under my foot who reigned over 900 million people. It wasn¡¯t as exciting as I thought.


    ¡°Everyone who lives in thisnd is under you, except His Majesty. That¡¯s why you¡¯re important. The reason why you are so protected and supported is that you have a lot of lives hanging on your shoulder, and you are responsible for them. With you, princess, we can even aim for the survival of a country.¡±


    Only then had I realized why Ferdel exined this to me ever so thoroughly.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the princess is so precious.¡±


    What¡¯s the point of smiling like that and looking down at me when he would call me precious anyway? What a jerk!


    It¡¯s confusing whether he¡¯s sarcastic or not. Ferdel seemed happy when I would show my difort.


    Well, people said that birds of the same feather flock together. I could see why dad was a friend of Ferdel. These guys were perverts who derived pleasure from bullying others.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you get such privileges and such love.¡±


    However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel worse now that I knew something else was hidden behind such privileges and love. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about, wasn¡¯t it? Save it forter use. Was I some kind of livestock?

 Chapter 275

    <h4>Chapter 275: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 275</h4>


    Ferdelughs as if he notices myint.


    ¡°There is nothing fair in the world. It¡¯s natural to be tied up as much as you enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Natural?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky, though. At least you won¡¯t get married to the enemy or get tied up here for the national good.¡±


    Ferdel was talking about the princesses of the Harem.


    Well, yeah, those princesses grew up loved by their people in their own country. There have been asional cases of returning home like Tylenia, but things hadn¡¯t improved since other princesses came for her.


    Come to think of it, why did Tylenia go back? Ever since I had a big fight with my dad a month ago, that mother and son had disappeared from my eyes without me noticing it. I thought I just couldn¡¯t see them, but when I asked, the people said that they went back. This was a bit ufortable.


    Did dad send them away?


    However, the boy was adorable.


    Something was missing, so I just shook my head. It would be tiring if I get involved with them anyway, so let¡¯s just quit.


    ¡°Is it a good thing?¡±


    ¡°It is a good thing.¡±


    Well, I knew it was a good thing, but I didn¡¯t know how excellent it was. It¡¯s apparent that I would be in the same position if my father or this country copses, as all of this is not what I had achieved. And that would be what Ferdel wanted to say.


    Ferdel smiled beautifully as I sighed.


    ¡°Well, life is about luck and timing.¡±


    Hey, where the hell did he learn that? It was such an unfortunate truth for a chancellor of an Empire to say.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be born with both luck and timing.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not happy about it.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s why you have to be more careful. Respect, love, admiration, and everything dedicated to the princess can be false.¡±


    If I were a real child, it would have been a sound that would bring a shock like a world was copsing, but I was just bored maybe because I had already experienced a lot of things.


    Of course, it¡¯s not easy to experience being a victim of murder.


    Did he know what it felt like to be alive until thest minute of my death? It felt bizarre to reincarnate after death.


    That¡¯s something I could go through even if I was not a princess, Ferdel.

 Chapter 276

    <h4>Chapter 276: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 276</h4>


    That¡¯s something I could go through even if I was not a princess, Ferdel.


    ¡°There will be several people who will want to use you. Therefore, you must be kind to everyone yet never forget to also be firm.¡±


    ¡°Be kind yet firm with everyone?¡±


    Perhaps, I guessed Ferdel¡¯s ¡°everyone¡± meant people who are lower than me in the social ss. Ferdel nodded upon hearing my answer.


    ¡°Yes, princess, but if that proves too difficult, you could also find someone who will always be on your side, no matter what. Someone who does not see you like a princess, but who only thinks of you and you alone.¡±


    It¡¯s easy to say those words, but is it easy to find someone like that?


    I had a question about what he told me, but what Ferdel said wasn¡¯t wrong either, so I just sighed. As expected, living was hard everywhere.


    ¡°Then... are you on my side, Ferdel?¡±


    Ferdel opened his eyes wide upon hearing my question. He didn¡¯t expect me to ask him this directly, did he?


    He swept his chin as if he was agonizing for a while and smiled at me.


    Hey, what was that suspicious smirk? Huh?


    ¡°hmm... I¡¯m not on Caitel¡¯s side, but I will dly be on your side, princess.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need his pity!


    He smiled at me as if he couldn¡¯t see my crumpled face, and suddenly, Ferdel tilted his head.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, you truly are fortunate, princess. You even have me for a teacher.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you should feel great about it!¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    I frowned as hard as I could, but Ferdel didn¡¯t hesitate to assert himself.


    ¡°Well, because I¡¯m rich with a prestigious background. More importantly, I am extremely handsome!¡±


    ... Sure...


    Wait, I thought I heard that same thing from someone before. I asked back with a forced smile.


    ¡°You are joking, right, right? Ferdel?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Oh, my good heavens! Why was everyone around me like this?


    Why couldn¡¯t I grow up around ordinary people!?


    I had so many concerns in my head. Suddenly, Ferdel looked at me with twinkling eyes. His sparkling gaze was somehow more burdensome than before.


    What is with him?


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you try calling me master? M. A. S. T. E. R!¡±


    ¡°....¡±


    Good grief. I didn¡¯t think I could ever call him my master...

 Chapter 277

    <strong>Chapter 277: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 277</strong>


    Ever since Ferdel started tutoring me¡­ I had be somewhat of a champion while having the focus of the empire¡¯s three most wanted men all to myself.


    Caitel, the emperor and my father, Ferdel, the iron chancellor and my tutor, and Assisi, the ck knight as my personal guard. There¡¯s no other woman in this world who¡¯s as lucky as I am. Oh¡­ wait, there is another one, Silvia.


    ¡°Is Ferdel teaching you properly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, surprisingly.¡±


    Silvia also nodded with a look of genuine surprise. I took a cookie.


    ¡°Well, he is rather intelligent despite how he behaves.¡±


    However, Sil¡­ it¡¯s understandable when I treated him like that, but shouldn¡¯t she be nicer to her husband? Was this really okay?


    I often had these thoughts that Silvia didn¡¯t have much faith in Ferdel. That¡¯s why he always got scolded.


    ¡­well, they were still a sickeningly sweet couple no matter what, though.


    ¡°By the way, Sil.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­No. Nothing.¡±


    In my response, Sil tilted his head as if wondering.


    Actually, I¡¯d like to ask her why Assisi was so against getting married. It¡¯s questionable whether Sil knew the reason, and whether I deserved to ask. I didn¡¯t have anything to say if Sil asked me again why I was curious about that, so I just kept my mouth shut.


    Anyway, I really should stop being nosy.


    ¡°Oh, yes! How was your family gathering? Did it go well?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. It was the same as always.¡±


    Hmm¡­ I wondered if that¡¯s how all the women married to the eldest son in a family were. I felt so much endurance in such a small number of words¡­ but it¡¯s more amazing how she always seemed to get everything done without a singleint.


    ¡°However, it appears like my sister-inw, who had married in the North, is in some sort of trouble. She¡¯sing to visit us sometime next month¡­ that¡¯s really all I¡¯ve been worried abouttely.¡±


    ¡°Howe? Because she might stay for a while?¡±


    ¡°More than that¡­¡±


    Sil quietly closed her eyes.


    Even if I didn¡¯t turn my head around, I could immediately guess what would be at the end of her gaze. Oh, I saw what she meant now. It was because of the twins.


    Somehow, I felt like I could feel Silvia¡¯s sincerity. I felt her pain. I patted her shoulders without saying anything, and Sil sighed.


    Yeah, yeah, I understood what she meant. There, there.

 Chapter 278

    <strong>Chapter 278: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 278</strong>


    Once we were sympathetic to each other¡¯s grief, Sanse nced out of the rustling dress room.


    ¡°M-mom!¡±


    Sanse walked out of the dressing room while showing a frown. However, on the other hand, Valer walked out of the dressing room and showed himself proudly.


    ¡°Mom! Ria! Look what we did!¡±


    The moment I checked the two of them, I almost spat out the cookies I was eating.


    Oh, I thought I was going crazy. What the hell was that?


    ¡°Here, what do you think? Our maids have done their best!¡±


    Elyne, who finished decorating the twins, proudly pushed them forward. Unlike me, who was frightened, Silvia smiled brightly and looked down proudly at her two daughters¡­ no, her sons dressed as girls.


    I was dying to hold myugh next to her. No, what the hell were these guys wearing? I was going insane, seriously.


    ¡°D-don¡¯tugh!¡±


    Shamefully, Sanse scenery blushed and shouted. Wearing my dress and wigs, the two little boys were changed entirely as girls.


    ¡°Lia, what do you think? Aren¡¯t I pretty?¡±


    It seemed for Valer, he enjoyed and felt okay with wearing a woman¡¯s clothes, unlike Sanse, who kept hiding with shame. I alsoughed when I saw Valer. He still looked like a boy, although he¡¯s wearing a dress because his real hair and wig were almost falling off. Was this guy supposed to be ady or a bandit?


    Sanse¡¯s so quiet, he sort of did pass for a girl¡­ but Valer, he truly was a boy no matter how hard I tried to imagine it.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Serira. My daughters look absolutely beautiful. Thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I enjoyed myself quite a bit too.¡±


    Valer kept fiddling with the headdress that held the wig. Sanse was just on the verge of tears while clinging to Silvia.


    That¡¯s what they got for always causing so much trouble! This was a punishment given to twins by Silvia. She wouldn¡¯t punish you like this unless you two were misbehaving at the family gathering. Really, she sure was a tough one to punish them like that. Oh, Iughed so hard that my cheeks started to redden so hard that I thought I was choking.


    ¡°Shall we go pay a visit to your father now?¡±


    The reaction of the twins was sharply divided after hearing Silvia¡¯s words. Sanse grabbed the cloth of Sil¡¯s dress and shook his head desperately. However, Valer¡­


    ¡°Oh, yeah! Let¡¯s go, hurry up and go!¡±


    Of course, I raised my hand right away.


    I was not missing out on a show like this!


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go too!¡±

 Chapter 279

    <h4>Chapter 279: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 279</h4>


    We thought he would be in the Chancellor¡¯s office near Podere Pce, but we saw him in Sy Pce instead.


    Of course, he was at my dad¡¯s office.


    Silvia also hesitated to interrupt this time, but I proudly opened the door to my father¡¯s office. I would ignore all that!


    ¡®Dad, I¡¯m here!¡¯


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    My dad looked at me for a moment at the sound of my voice calling out to him, and then he just sighed. He made me feel strange again. What¡¯s with the long face? I thought I knew something, but at the same time, I felt like I also didn¡¯t know much. It¡¯s that kind of weird feeling.


    If he said that without even scolding me, then it made me think about what Dranste said.


    Nah... he¡¯s like this to everyone. He¡¯s not being kind to just me...right?


    My head was showing a troubled expression again and frowned. Because of that, Ferdel, who wisely stopped reporting, opened his eyes wide when he saw the twins behind me.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? Are those my sons I see over there?¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Upon hearing Ferdel¡¯s excited reaction, Valer ran towards him with the same excitement. However, Sanse, shamefully, never let go of Silvia¡¯s skirt. He looked more like a girl in that way. Even now, Sanse was a shydy enough.


    ¡°Daddy, look at this!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my boy! You always look pretty no matter what you¡¯re wearing!¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s mouth hung in his ear while smiling and holding Valer, who ran at him in his arms so did Valer, who boasted and was proud of himself. However, Ferdel was odd too for praising him so much about it.


    Just as I thought, their whole family was far from ordinary. Then again...I suppose our family¡¯s pretty out of the ordinary, too.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    Caitel frowned while Silvia was greeting him. It seemed that he got annoyed after seeing the boys dress in a woman¡¯s clothes. Meanwhile, the boys¡¯ father, Ferdel, was enjoying it so much. In response to the king asking what kind of craziness this is, I looked at him, showing my confusion as to what exactly is wrong here.


    In my opinion, dad¡¯s even worse than them...


    However, I didn¡¯t dare to talk this out of my mouth, haha!


    One day I wanted to look straight at Caitel¡¯s face and say it. Of course, I would only do that when I was ready to die. Oh, should I try it if I already wanted to kill myself? I thought it¡¯s the fastest and most urate way of leaving this world. I nodded, deciding I should try itter when I get drunk.

 Chapter 280

    <h4>Chapter 280: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 280</h4>


    Meanwhile, Silvia looked at Valer and Sanse with proud eyes. Caitel¡¯s eyes were on Sanse, who stood behind Valer. Sanse, who had been restless for a while, was wary of my father. Then the eyes of the two met.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t I¡ªor someone¡ªstop it?


    It wasn¡¯t like my dad was intimidating or angry, but Sanse quickly began to tear up. I thought he would cry soon. Well, of course, it¡¯s normal for kids to be like that when they looked at Caitel, but this was a bit too much.


    ¡°Waaaaah¡ªDaddy!¡±


    At that moment, Sanse let go of the hem of Silvia¡¯s dress from his hand and ran to Ferdel. Ferdel hugged him in his arms as he ran toward him with tears hanging in his eyes. Sanse put his face on Ferdel¡¯s arms and rubbed his tearful face. That was so cute, even for me.


    Oh, that murderous cuteness. I guessed that¡¯s the joy of raising sons.


    While I was getting to know the light fun of raising a child, my dad, who was staring at them, suddenly grabbed me.


    ¡°Try crying.¡±


    ¡®What, you bastard?¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. I just couldn¡¯t believe this. Oh, this crazy man. Did he feel like he was losing or something because Sanse¡¯s crying in his father¡¯s arms? This was so ridiculous!


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaagh...!¡±


    However, I was the most ridiculous one here. Haha, I had lost my mind because of my father here.


    If he told me to cry, I guessed I had to cry for him!


    Haa... it¡¯s a tough job catering to my insane father¡¯s whims all the time.


    However, I guessed this pretense of crying did not seem to be what Caitel wanted. He looked down at me with a displeased look on his face.


    W-what is it?!


    I immediately stopped crying.


    He was the one who made me do this! He shouldn¡¯tin! However, why was I doing this, anyway? Well, I supposed I was to me too since I gave in...aaaah! I suddenly felt so humiliated now that I realized what I just did! It felt like...just...I wished I could crawl away and hide somewhere!


    ¡°Look at here, everyone! Aren¡¯t my sons so adorable? They never seem to listen, and I, for one, have no clue where they get that from, but I can¡¯t help but forgive them when theye running up to me, shouting daddy, even after all the trouble they¡¯ve caused!¡±


    I guessed Ferdel still hadn¡¯t learned how to read the mood.

 Chapter 281

    <strong>Chapter 281: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 281</strong>


    A man was standing here with his daughter, totally awkward¡­and he thought now¡¯s the right time to show off his sons? Caitel was now straight up staring at him in the face.


    ¡°Since they are pretty good at running around now, we y with a ball every weekend and learn horseback riding together! They even bring me water whenever I¡¯m resting because I¡¯m their father. You can¡¯t possibly know how cute they can be. Do you have any idea how much fun it is to y ball with your son? You don¡¯t, do you? Hmph, you are missing out on the finer things in life.¡±


    ¡®Fine, we get it, Ferdel. Why don¡¯t you stop for now?¡¯


    I mean yes, I knew teasing and annoying Caitel were his only real hobbies¡­but I was starting to get worried now. I didn¡¯t know what he would make me do if he got him angry! If my dad suddenly wanted me to y ball with him, it would be all his fault!


    ¡°They¡¯ve even started learning swordsmanship recently. You know our family is practically famous for having trained elite knights for generations, right? Perhaps it¡¯s in their blood. They¡¯re already so amazing. Even my brother called them ¡®very talented.¡¯ I suppose this is the joy of raising sons. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡®Ugh! Why! You little¡­! You little, mean bastard!!!¡¯


    He asked with a smile on his face, but I really wished I could p his arrogant face just once. My father didn¡¯t seem to differ much from me in that regard. My father smiled fiercely with his sharp eyes. It was a look that showed how much he wanted to mock Ferdel.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡­ uh-oh¡­ things always get scary when dad smiled like that. I tried to keep my mouth shut and stepped back to avoid this situation, but I didn¡¯t know how he realized it, but Caitel grabbed my arm.


    Ugh! Seriously, freedom was something that I wasn¡¯t allowed to have.


    I thought that I wanted to disappear in that sharp tension, but dad smiled refreshingly, which was something so unlike him.


    ¡°My daughter wants to marry me when she grows up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s expression stiffened. Caitel stroked my head and breathed a ¡®sigh,¡¯ which did not at all sound like one.


    ¡°I¡¯m so worried about how to exin why a parent can¡¯t marry their child.¡±


    ¡°S¡­ Silvia!!¡±


    Ferdel suddenly ran out of the office, taking Silvia beside him.


    I was embarrassed, but soon thereafter, I saw my father smiling victoriously; I clicked my tongue. Oh, this pathetic bastard.


    Was he happy to win? This man-child was so proud of himself.

 Chapter 282

    <strong>Chapter 282: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 282</strong>


    ¡°It appears you have a lot of time on your hands. I feel like I¡¯ve been seeing you quite a lot these days.¡±


    The cocky Dranste smiled cheekily at my question. He took a sip of the tea in front of him and got his chin upon his hand. His appearance was like a rascal in the countryside, so I thought it felt sourer in my eyes.


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    I was sure he¡¯d go away again soon¡­ but I guessed he had decided to stick around for a while for some reason. His room had always been empty; now, he¡¯s wholly unpacked his things¡­ and it had already been almost two months¡­ I was mainly just surprised because I was sure he would have vanished again without a word by now.


    Well, it¡¯s okay, even if he¡¯s here for a long time. The real problem was that he followed me around all the time just to make fun of me!


    Just like today!


    I was enjoying my brief taste of peace¡­and now he had evene into the garden to taunt me.


    I stared at Dranste with a frown, and all servants were being so polite to him on the way here. What¡¯s so special about him? He always came and disappeared like the wind; I didn¡¯t understand why he was treated so warmly.


    When I frowned openly, Dranceteughed aloud.


    Oh, it¡¯s annoying.


    ¡°Who are you, really?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask? Are you really that curious?¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s right. I wanna know what Dranste was and what he did in the past.


    We had already known each other for 7 years, but all I really knew about him was his name, what he looked like, and his favorite tea. That¡¯s just three things!


    It wasn¡¯t because I wasn¡¯t interested in this guy. I was not really impressed when he¡¯s not around me, but when he¡¯s in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but be curious! I couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to him because he was standing right before me.


    In my response, Dranste smiled as if he felt good. The number of my irritating gauges went up again. Oh, I hated him.


    I thought the most mysterious person in the world so far was my dad, but there were just two more like that in the world. First, there¡¯s Assisi, and the other was Dranste, who stood right before me!


    ¡°Most importantly, I¡¯d like to know why everyone calls you my father¡¯s teacher.¡±


    Dranste put his chin on his hand dully.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what I am.¡±


    ¡°What did you teach him?¡±


    ¡°Well, who knows¡­¡±


    Should I just p him?

 Chapter 283

    <h4>Chapter 283: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 283</h4>


    I was seriously considering pping him in a face, and Dranste tilted his head and smiled brightly.


    ¡°Hmm, what could it be? Maybe about life?¡±


    What was he talking about? He really needed to stop fooling around with me.


    He had been drinking since noon, and I guessed he was really drunk and out of his mind. I red severely at Dranste. Come on, it would be better for him if he would just tell me who you are, Dranste.


    Dranste suddenly smiled softly as if he heard the cry in my heart.


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you who I am?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    What¡¯s the matter? I was a little carried away.


    Whenever I told him to reveal his identity, Dranste would always try to just move on or just ignored me. However, today, surprisingly, he responded to me for some reason.


    Did he get shot in the head? Oh, wait. There¡¯s no such thing as a gun here.


    Anyway, I was a bit curious, so Inded my upper body forward when he beckoned me toe closer. It¡¯s a little odd. Why did we need to be this close? Dranste¡¯s facees closer.


    I held my breath. Dranste made a serious face.


    Then he says¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡±


    ¡®Do you want to die?¡¯


    He should be sincerely relieved that I was a gentle person! If he was tricking someone crazy like my dad, he would have pulled out his sword already.


    Dransteughed at my angry, scary face. He beat the table with his palms, and he also hit his stomach. This was such a mess. He was an idiot! Oh, I was a fool to believe this guy. This was so annoying!


    ¡°Oh, it was so funny.¡±


    What¡¯s so funny about it? I was mad that his eyes were filled with tears because he wasughing so hard. I frowned grantly.


    ¡°Stopughing.¡±


    Even so, it seemed like he was holding back hisughter because he was scared of my anger. Still, he was so mean. Dranste, who was wiping tears from his eyes, was barely calming down as I kept staring at him with such a sullen look. As he calmed down, he suddenly grabbed his chin with his hand.


    ¡°Shall we make a bet?¡±


    ¡°What sort of bet?¡±


    He was speaking something in a way that made him look kinda like he was sleep talking. I was so dumbfounded that I wasughing in vain while Dranste smiled beautifully.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to guess who I am?¡±

 Chapter 284

    <h4>Chapter 284: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 284</h4>


    ¡°I guess you came here with death today. Just answer me.¡±


    In my bloody response, Dranste quickly added more words behind.


    ¡°If you can guess correctly one thing about me, I¡¯ll tell you something nice. For example....¡±


    Dranste lowered his voice. I held my breath unconsciously because of his rather serious appearance.


    ¡°How about stories from when Caitel was your age?¡±


    ¡°Done deal!¡±


    What a lucky chance! This was even better!


    I agreed immediately. I mean, this was about my dad¡¯s childhood story.


    His words enthralled me since he said that he would tell me the story of my dad¡¯s childhood, which was impossible for me to hear. He would not lie about this, are you? Dranste smiled proudly upon seeing my suspicious eyes. Ugh, he looked like a fine young man who would never lie. What a waste of a good face!


    I was thinking about what would be left of him without his beauty, and Dranste suddenly smiled. His smile, which seemed like he was nning something, naturally made me frown with an ominous premonition. As expected, Dranste spoke sneakily.


    ¡°Good, but if you lose...¡±


    If I lost, then what?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to marry me.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks!!!¡±


    He had been bugging me about marriage ever since I was a baby.


    Was he still not giving up about that? He was too persistent.


    Whether I agreed to it or no, Dranste already began talking about a definite n about how we would have a wedding if I lost. I was seriously considering throwing the teacup in my hand at him, but Dranste¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Then he disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    ... bastard.


    ¡°What have you been doing, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­¡±


    I almost threw the teacup I was holding upon hearing the sudden voice of Asissi.


    I see it now. I wondered why he disappeared so suddenly, and it was because Asissi returned. He sure didn¡¯t linger whenever Assisi showed up. I was a bit embarrassed, hating him so much that I coughed for nothing. Asissi looked a bit confused. I just smiled awkwardly without a word. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d really like it if I said that I was with Dranste.


    ¡°I was just hanging around. Are you back from training?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have returned.¡±


    Assisi was on his way back from a two-week training session of the Winter Moon Knights. Although he was my personal guard, Assisi said he had to participate in the critical training. Sometimes he had to leave me alone like he did today.

 Chapter 285

    <strong>Chapter 285: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 285</strong>


    Now that I hade to think of it, did Dranste just suddenly disappear without words because he was generous and because he knew that Assisi would scold me with worry? I felt suspicious about why he did such a good thing, but it was also true that I was grateful for him. Anyway, he sometimes did this kind of vague idea and made me feel like I couldn¡¯t even hate him. Oh, that sneaky man.


    ¡°Were you reading a book?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Assisi asked me while looking at the area beside me. Assisi, who was standing next to me, was still as handsome as ever, I see.


    This reminded me of when we first met.


    I smiled while thinking about those days. Back then, I never could have imagined that we¡¯d be this close¡­


    ¡°But I¡¯ve already finished reading it.¡±


    As soon as I stood up, Assisi followed me naturally. I was going to walk around my garden and go back to the pce and have dinner. I stood up without thinking because this is my daily routine, but when I saw Asissi, my heart suddenly wavered.


    ¡°Assisi, would you like to hold hands?¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?!¡±


    Huh? Why was he so surprised more than he should have been? I was embarrassed after looking at his reaction.


    ¡°No, I just¡­ it seems like I¡¯ve never walked while holding your hand before.¡±


    After all, he always held me in his arms.


    Usually, I would hold on to Assisi¡¯s sleeves, or he would walk behind me. A mostmon scene is that my dad and I would walk while holding each other¡¯s hands, and Assisi would follow behind us.


    Oh, thinking about that now, we had never really held hands.


    Now that I realized it, I wondered how I could do that.


    I didn¡¯t do anything for Assisi, but he always protected me. I didn¡¯t know anything to repay Assisi. I barely smiled, thinking that I was such an indifferent master.


    ¡°Come on, here, let¡¯s hold hands.¡±


    As soon as I stretched my arms and stuck it out to him, Assisi looked down at my hand. I was a little embarrassed because he looked at my hands as if he was looking at a strange object.


    What was he staring at? Hadn¡¯t he ever seen a person¡¯s hand before?


    Assisi¡¯s face looked like he was considering something. Hmm. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have suggested holding hands. I just wanted to tap out now, but somehow, he seemed embarrassed, so I just waited for him. He didn¡¯t seem against it¡­ so I should wait for him. Wait, wait!

 Chapter 286

    <b>Chapter 286: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 286</b>


    Assisi reacted after a long time as I tried to put up with some tickly feeling. He was acting just like a shy girl who hesitated and stretched her hand. However, Assisi was a man, right?


    ¡°Hey, Assisi.¡±


    What was happening? I seriously looked down at my hand and sighed.


    ¡°Assisi, this isn¡¯t holding hands. You¡¯re hardly even touching mine.¡±


    Was my hand too dirty? He was barely grazing it, and he¡¯s grazing it so softly, I couldn¡¯t even say anything. What kind of a new way of holding hands was this? Was this a popr style of holding hands these days? Was I out of style?


    Assisi answered while I thought about how he held hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    I was saying that he was doing it wrong! What¡¯s alright about this?


    ¡°Assisi, you¡¯re not holding my hand right now. You¡¯re just sort of touching it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine like this.¡±


    No, I was not okay with it.


    What in the world was making him so anxious about simply holding hands?! I gazed up at Assisi. He was already frowning as if he was worried about something when he was just simply grabbing my hand. Oh, well.


    I sighed, turned my hand, and held Assisi¡¯s hand. Assisi flinched when my hand grabbed his hand first. I was embarrassed when Assisi released his strength when I grabbed his hand.


    What¡¯s wrong with him?


    I wished he would hold it tighter since if we kept our hands like this, it would fall out if I shook my hand a little bit. As I hastened myself, Assisi started looking like he was going to cry. Why, though? I was just asking him to hold my hand! Was he really that disgusted by this? People might think I¡¯m trying to rob you or something.


    I was seriously worrying if he¡¯s actually disgusted by this, and Assisi bites his lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ with how much strength I should hold your hand.¡±


    ¡­ Huh? What?


    I was so disconcerted at the moment that I made a strange noise without even realizing it.


    No, wait a minute. What did he just say?


    ¡°¡­ are you telling me¡­ you couldn¡¯t hold my hand because you weren¡¯t sure how to adjust your strength while holding it? ¡±


    There¡¯s no way that¡¯s it.


    However, even today, that ¡®no way¡¯ betrayed me mercilessly as well. Assisi nodded. I became speechless.


    ¡°Your hand seems so small and delicate I¡¯m afraid it might burst if I held it too strongly.¡±


    Asisi spoke with all seriousness. He seemed so, so serious; I got confused for a second. Was my hand made out of balloons or something?


    Of course, that wouldn¡¯t happen!

 Chapter 287

    <b>Chapter 287: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 287</b>


    Assisi immediately lowered his head with a somber look. I couldn¡¯t figure out what to say.


    Oh, seriously, this guy¡­ when I began to feel familiar with him, one by one, I found new sides of him. It¡¯s more surprising now than embarrassing. How could he think that my hand would pop like a balloon when he put too much power into his hand?


    ¡°My hands aren¡¯t that weak, Assisi. It¡¯s okay for you to hold them.¡±


    ¡°Well, but¡­¡±


    What did he mean but? No more buts!


    I couldn¡¯t help it. If he kept acting like this, I would have my thoughts too! I suddenly grasped Assisi¡¯s big hand, which came into my hand. His hands were, at least, twice as big as mine, perhaps because they were adults¡¯ hands, so I couldn¡¯t see my hands when Assisi held it.


    He had a handsome face, but Assisi¡¯s hands were really rough.


    Maybe it¡¯s because he used a sword a lot? Caitel¡¯s hands were not very soft, but Assisi¡¯s hands were tougher than that.


    ¡°Here, you just have to hold it like this. Just this much, okay?¡±


    I stretched out my hand and held Assisi¡¯s hand tightly again, and he flinched. Every time I put strength into my hands, Assisi wouldn¡¯t act like usual.


    What, it felt like I was bothering him! Oh, my God, he¡¯s the only one who got upset by holding hands; what an idiot! I was going crazy. What was I supposed to do with him?


    ¡°Okay? Just hold it like this. Understand?¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ I understand.¡±


    Upon hearing my urging, Assisi slightly tightened his hand. The touch of his big hand that was wrapped around my hand made me smile without even realizing it. It¡¯s tough to hold his hands. Who knew it¡¯d be so hard to just hold hands with some? However, it¡¯s so cute how nervous Assisi was about something as simple as this¡­


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I thought this was cute. I was insane too.


    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    He seemed to be wondering why Iughed. I dly smiled more brightly.


    ¡°Because Assisi is so cute.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Upon hearing my reply, Assisi¡¯s face heated up in an instant. I smiled at him again while waving our hands together.


    ¡°There, there. That¡¯s my good little knight.¡±


    Assisi frowned upon hearing my words. He seemed to be ashamed to be treated like a child.


    However, I had no ns of stopping now! I liked Assisi even when he¡¯s sulking.


    I was a helpless mean girl. I shook our held hands.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 288

    <b>Chapter 288: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 288</b>


    More time has gone by, and the season of Agrigent has passed the summer and now almost autumn.


    Wow, time goes by so quickly¡­


    Perhaps maybe because it¡¯s Caitel¡¯s birthday soon, I could feel that the pce is loud and crowded these days. Of course, the whole country was already excited because Aclys rising soon.


    It¡¯s a bright daytime like this, but the moon is up in the sky cutting through the sunshine.


    I looked up at the sky and inadvertently sighed at the atmosphere of the great moon that filled the sky. Is this the third time I¡¯ve seen that moon? I feel fresh every three years when this huge moon rises.


    At first, it was just amazing, but now it¡¯s like¡­ The moon seems to want to tell me. That this is apletely different ce from where I used to live. And now this is my world.


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯m engaged!¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    I was drinking fresh fruit juice, but suddenly I heard something and I slipped my chin from my hand.


    What did I just hear?


    Elyne smiles shyly as she holds me. The smile came into my eyes for a moment.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be getting married soon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I mean, you have a guy? Ah, is it Hasin? I knew you two were getting friendly, but you¡¯re already at that stage? I was just so confused, but Elyne kept being shy, touching her blushed cheek. I frowned.


    ¡°Who are you getting married to? Hasin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess. You will give us your blessing, won¡¯t you?¡±


    I mean¡­I should be congratting her earnestly.


    ¡°Of course I should give you my blessing, but isn¡¯t this too earl¡­¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Elyne.¡±


    Serira cuts my words and pats Elyne¡¯s head. Elyne¡¯s face instantly got bright to Serira¡¯s congrattions. Even Serira looks down at Elyne with a proud face.


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Serira.¡±


    At that moment, Elyne smiles so brightly. She seemed so happy.


    At her smile, all myints went back to my throat. I mean, she¡¯s so happy about it, I¡¯m not the one who should say anyints. What am I? Wait, why am I so disappointed by the fact that Elyne is getting married anyway? Hasin is a good man. Seriously, I really think he is. So why do I feel this way¡­No, that¡¯s not the problem.


    ¡°So you are finally getting married. I¡¯ve always been so worried about whether you¡¯d be able to.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Lady Serira!¡±


    ¡­I don¡¯t want us to be apart.

 Chapter 289

    <h4>Chapter 289: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 289</h4>


    Watching Elyne¡¯s face got red and being flustered at Serira¡¯s mischievous joke, I felt a bit of bitterness for no reason. No way. I felt left out. I don¡¯t want to let her go. Just when did I be so attached to her? More than that, I felt as if Elyne was being taken away from me by someone.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Princess?¡±


    When she gets married, of course, she¡¯ll quit being my handmaiden, won¡¯t she?


    I guess so. She will definitely be quitting her job when she gets married. Oh, I am so happy for her, but I¡¯m also not happy ina way....how should I describe this feeling?


    Elyne¡¯s head is tilted when I hold my face with my hands without answering her. Oh, I don¡¯t know, whatever. I don¡¯t think I can congratte her in earnest when I feel like this. I bit my lips for nothing.


    It was at that moment. I heard familiar voices.


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    It would have been the first time in my life that twins¡¯ visits were so wee.


    The maids already sighed at the twins¡¯ voices, but I could barely hold my hand off my face and smiled. I feel rather relieved at the appearance of beings who make me forget thisplicated feeling.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to y with you!¡±


    Today also, as always, I hear the bright voice of Valer first. And after that, Sanse followed him... huh?


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    These twins have such a powerful presence, but what is the presence of that child that makes them look like babies in a sh? It was my first time seeing him. What, was there such a child in our country? I was a little embarrassed because I didn¡¯t meet many children my age. In addition, the twins were proudly bringing the boy in front of me. He seems about ten years old? Maybe 11 years old maximum. That child approaches with holding the hands of two children.


    Shiny flowing silver hair, intelligently brightening silver-blue eyes. He was such a beautiful child that I would never forget once I saw him.


    Why is he so handsome even though he¡¯s a kid?


    As if twins cannot see I am being embarrassed, twins put him right in front of me as soon as they arrived.


    ¡°Ria, this is our big brother!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s our brother! Don¡¯t you think our big brother is really handsome? right?!¡±


    Yeah, he¡¯s handsome. But seriously, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve never met him before.

 Chapter 290

    <h4>Chapter 290: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 290</h4>


    Wait, a big brother? What were they on about?! Did those two eat something funny before they got here? They know full well that they were their family¡¯s firstborn sons, right?


    If my memory serves me right, Ferdel was the fifth in line. He was the third to marry, and also third to have children. As I recalled, Ferdel¡¯s brother, Eteol, had a daughter. Where had this ¡®big brother¡¯e from then?


    I must have been staring at him too much because I was in agony. I guessed my eyes were a bit too much for him. He smiled a little first. Huh?


    ¡°My name is Ahin Richerun Genbosch. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Princess.¡±


    Genbosch¡­ that name¡¯s from S-Hertogenbosch in the North.


    For a moment, I remembered hearing that Ferdel¡¯s older sister did get married in the Northern Empire. Oh, that¡¯s right. Silvia said her sister-inw wasing from the Northern Empire to visit them.


    ¡°My name is Ariadna Lerg Illestri Pre Agrigent. You may call me Ria.¡±


    I was a little embarrassed because I felt like I had been disrespectful as a princess of a country. It would have been okay if he was a part of the noble family of Agrigent, but he was from a noble family of another county. My first impression would be terrible.


    Ahin smiled at my greeting. His smile was so pretty, and I was surprised. H-he¡¯s rather well-mannered.


    ¡°Hey, big brother! Isn¡¯t Ria pretty?¡±


    If Sanse didn¡¯t jump in suddenly, I would have stared at him for a long time. Sweeping down my startled heart, I breathed a sigh of relief for no reason. Oh, that was a great smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be our bride someday!¡±


    ¡°Yes! She¡¯ll be our bride!¡±


    How dare these two try to im me!? When did I ever agree to that!?


    My head throbbed all of a sudden. This must have been Ferdel¡¯s fault; It was apparent. I was agonizing with sharp eyes because of these two, but the twins wouldn¡¯t stop being so yful around me.


    Did I need to scold them in front of a stranger?


    I thought I would have to show them just how harsh the princess of Agrigent could be. I was thinking about what I should do when suddenly, Ahinforted them.


    ¡°Very well, you two, but shouldn¡¯t you both be more calm and cool in front of your bride-to-be?¡±

 Chapter 291

    <h4>Chapter 291: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 291</h4>


    The children, who were about to go wild, flickered their eyes at that word.


    I was surprised again. Ahin calmed them down with only a few words; even Silvia couldn¡¯t do that, nor me for that matter.


    The children took Ahin out to the garden. Following that, I was thrown into a meaningless confusion. He¡¯s good at dealing with children even if he¡¯s a child himself.


    ¡°Hey, big brother, look at this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sanse, look at that!¡±


    Those guys¡­


    However, the twins acted as usual. Soon, they started running and ying around, making a mess of the garden as if they were about to turn it upside down. They just dragged Ahin around as he stopped them from getting into trouble too seriously.


    Well, I gotta admit that he was really handsome. Viterbo¡¯s two little boys also had attractive faces, butpared to them, he especially had a beautiful appearance. Though he was still young, he had this mysterious aura. I thought he would make a lot of girls cry when he grew up. His jewel-like silver-blue eyes shone clearly. As I looked at those bright eyes, I thought that I didn¡¯t know what kind of person she might be, but the girl who would marry that boy was going to have a hard time.


    However, I guessed those two boys followed him as much as they followed me. They didn¡¯t even listen to any of their parents, but they listened to him. Ha, these guys sometimes ignored my word too!


    I was upset somehow while pouting my lips, but then Ahin turned his head towards me as if he felt my gaze for a moment. Because of that, I, who was looking at him without any tension, met his eyes in the middle.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    W-what should I do? Maybe I was staring at him too much?


    I just looked at him because I was amazed that he was good at dealing with those children.


    Did he think I was a weird stranger? I bit my lips in embarrassment, thinking that I disgraced Princess¡¯s decency. However, suddenly, Ahin smiled at me.


    ¡­!?


    Why was he smiling at me? I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of that smile! In a moment of embarrassment, I almost flipped over even the teacup I was fiddling with my hand. Wait, wait! The real problem was that my face was heated after seeing him smile!


    Wait, what was wrong with me!?

 Chapter 292

    <h4>Chapter 292: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 292</h4>


    ¡°So, you met Ahin?¡±


    As soon as the ss began, Ferdel tilted his head. I nodded with a somewhat disapproving look. I still felt awkward when I thought about it. It¡¯s great that he¡¯s so young and handsome, but how could I fall for such a little kid¡­This was enough to give me a mental breakdown! I could already feel them pping a pair of handcuffs on me!


    Ferdel smiled as if he didn¡¯t know that I was in pain.


    ¡°It appears the twins already introduced him to you. They must really like him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they listen to him very well.¡±


    I pouted my lips, handing in my mythical book report for myst homework.


    In my response, Ferdel tilted his head. He wondered why my attitude was so cold, but I never meant to tell him. How could I say to him that my heart fluttered because of that little boy! No matter how young I might appear outside, I never thought kids would be a part of my consideration. He¡¯s just too young! Oh, the world was going crazy.


    ¡°Ahin is my older sister¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    When I nodded, Ferdel smiled.


    ¡°Really? Then, did you know he was the next in line as the emperor of the Northern Empire?¡±


    Huh? What was he talking about?


    As I opened my eyes wide, Ferdel smiled as if he knew that I wouldn¡¯t know about such things. He gave such a mocking smile.


    Anyway, that kid¡¯s royalty? All rulers from S-Hertogenbosch have the Genboschst name, but I just shrugged it off. I couldn¡¯t believe he was really from a royal family. I kept my mouth shut in amazement, and Ferdel began to exin.


    ¡°Suhina, the holy Emperor of the North, dered that he would adopt Ahin to make him the next emperor.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°But my sister ispletely against it, and that¡¯s why she fled here to Agrigent to stay near our family. As long as the emperor of the Northern Empire is not crazy, he won¡¯te all the way to Agrigent.¡±


    Adopt Ahin as a son to make him the next emperor?


    Why would he adopt someone who wasn¡¯t even his own blood to make them into an Emperor? Other than that, why wouldn¡¯t hee to Agrigent? What¡¯s stopping him?


    I soon realized when I tilted my head to think.


    Oh, that¡¯s right. My father¡¯s a total mad man¡­

 Chapter 293

    <h4>Chapter 293: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 293</h4>


    He might be docile now, but he was once a notorious emperor known throughout thend. If the North were to decide to take action, he would simply use that as an excuse to conquer them. It¡¯s scary how easy that was for him. After thinking about that clear future, I became dizzier, and Ferdel smiled and suddenly pped.


    ¡°Right! Since we¡¯re on the subject, why don¡¯t we learn about the three empires today?¡±


    Why did it suddenly be that way?


    I frowned and gave a look of iprehension regarding the rtionship between the two. Despite my tant discontent, Ferdel unfolded the map firmly. It was the map of the continent that I saw before.


    ¡°As you know, this continent is divided into three regions. North, Central, and South. And they are each divided by one thing alone, culture.¡±


    I knew that. No, anyone born on this continent knew that.


    Each region was known for worshipping different beings. The Northern region worshiped an angel, the central area prayed to a Spirit, and the southern part worshiped Gods. All cultures, economies, and nations were divided through that one difference. At first, it¡¯s not easy to understand how faith alone can split their cultures, societies, andmerce, but after hearing the details, I admitted that everything added up.


    ¡°The North is where angels first arrived in this world. Theirnd follows the gospel and words of the Holy Lord taught to them by the angels. The political dynamics of the region all start at the center with S-Hertogenbosch, the Holy Empire of Angels. Countries that follow the guidance of angels and countries that hate angels. Simple, right?¡±


    The angel was a kind of Messiah in the North. It feels like Jesus Christ. Of course, the God, in the North, was also considered as their sole, monotheistic deity just like the Christian God.


    ¡°In contrast, the Central worships the Great Spirit. Therefore, our very way of thinking differs on a fundamental level from theirs. There are all sorts of spirits, but each country officially worships the Spirits of the seasons. Nevertheless, each country worships a different spirit.¡±


    I heard this exnation way too much already. Most of all, it was more so because Agregent was a country that worshipped the Great Spirit. Ferdel also did not give a lengthy exnation of the spirits, perhaps because of that.


    ¡°And finally, in the South, they worship the god, Legione.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Gods of Legione.¡±


    ¡°Yes, to be precise, they are the Gods of Legione.¡±


    There was one main God and several sub-gods to form the gods of Legione. They sounded like the gods from Greek or Norse mythology. There were plenty of temples and festivals made to worship these gods, so I had wanted to visit there for quite some time now. However, Pretzia, which used to worship them, is currently under Agrigent¡¯s rule, so of course, I couldn¡¯t go, and now, Ferdel¡¯s pushing for policies to crush the Pretzian culture. It¡¯s like a double whammy.

 Chapter 294

    <h4>Chapter 294: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 294</h4>


    ¡°The south was divided after the battle between Jules and Tores. Now the region is divided into several countries. There¡¯s Pretzia ruled by Jules, and the three south-eastern countries ruled by Tores.¡±


    ¡°Did Gods really exist?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are several holy remnants that prove their existence.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I was suspicious...I just couldn¡¯t believe that my father conquered them even when they had things like holy remnants. The holy remnants were gifts left by the Gods of Legione. Only those acknowledged by the Gods could use them. Each had immense power within it, but it¡¯s said that the true extent of their power was great enough to unite the entire continent¡­


    How could they fall then?


    ¡°No matter how good a tool is, it¡¯s merely an object if the one who uses it is unwise.¡±


    ... What, did he read my mind?


    At that moment, I looked at him as if he could read minds, but Ferdel just smiled beautifully. This guy scared me sometimes.


    ¡°These three regions viewed each other as different worlds and thus hadn¡¯t attempted invasions under a sort of unspoken agreement for centuries. Well, it was because they feared that other region¡¯s God would punish them if they broke that peace, but the one who finally broke that peace was Caitel. Which is why all rulers of the continent fear Agrigent.¡±


    Sure, even I would be a bit scared. My father invaded thend of holy remnants and tried to force his way into thend of angels¡­? Wow, how amazing... a mad man really was something different. I shouldn¡¯t be impressed by this, but I was.


    Wow, that¡¯s so impressive.


    At the end of the rough exnation, Ferdel pointed to Pretzia.


    ¡°Because of the holy remnants, only those who can use the ones belonging to Pretzia Legione can rule as an emperor.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t just use them if you want to?¡±


    ¡°If any beggar on the street could use them, why would they even be considered holy remnants?¡±


    Well¡­ I supposed he¡¯s right¡­


    However, did he have to put it like that? Ferdel continued his words.


    ¡°It is said that every remnant requires special acknowledgment or entitlement from the gods themselves. The remnants will acknowledge those with a certain mark from the gods; once acknowledged, they can rule as an emperor. Of course, those with royal blood can use the remnants regardless.¡±


    ¡°Wow, so the emperor is already determined right at the moment of his conception.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re someone like that too, princess.¡±


    Huh? Me? Why was he talking about me all of a sudden?


    I tilted my head, and Ferdel smiled.


    ¡°All royalties of Agrigent are blessed by the Great Spirit, but obviously, only those who are in the direct bloodline get to enjoy this thoroughly. Still, as long as the blood flows through their veins, they are blessed. The blessing is said to be the gift of eternal youth, and the color of your hair is evidence of that blessing.¡±


    ¡°Huh? My silver hair?¡±


    I had heard this from Dranste before.

 Chapter 295

    <strong>Chapter 295: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 295</strong>


    Ferdel nodded upon hearing my reply.


    ¡°Those with your shade of hair have the greatest right to the throne.¡±


    So that was the case.


    I just thought it was a pretty color, but I didn¡¯t know it had great significance as well. I also liked the sound of eternal youth. Hehe¡­


    ¡°On the other hand, the North has its belief in the stigmata.¡±


    ¡°Stigmata?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a symbol the angels had on their bodies. It forms a certain shape on a person¡¯s flesh and appears only when that person performs a miracle. It is proof of the angels. Therefore, those with the stigmata are regarded as royals in S-Hertogenbosch. It is the most important factor in bing the emperor to them.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why Moses¡¯ miracle of dividing the sea came to my mind, but it still confused me. Were they really talking about a miracle like that?


    ¡°Which is why Ahim was named heir to Suhina. Apparently, his stigmata are perfect.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Well, the stronger and cleaner the stigmata are, the greater the miracle.¡±


    Could he maybe do some magic? I nodded while thinking that I should, perhaps, ask Ahin to show me his miracles someday.


    Since now that Ferdel was my tutor, I allowed him to pat my head, and Ferdel would reach out and pat my head. He was just patting my head, but that was enough to make him so happy¡­


    ¡°I heard that Silvia is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Has the news spread that far already?¡±


    They must have had fun together when he took Silvia awayst time. Thanks to that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see Silvia for a while again¡­ the twins were happy to have another sibling, so I really couldn¡¯tin.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s lesson.¡±


    Yay! Now I could y with Assisi!


    I was trying to get up from my seat, but suddenly, Ferdel grabbed me. Huh?


    ¡°And here¡¯s your homework.¡±


    Ferdelughed wickedly after seeing that my face was slowly being enveloped with a nasty scowl.


    ¡°Find out some other differences between the three countries. You can ask others, or read about them in books, but you have to find at least three.¡±


    Well, I suppose that¡¯s doable. I nodded. However, Ferdel didn¡¯t let me go again.


    What now?


    When I looked at him with discontent, Ferdel pointed to something with a serious look. It was a map. It was a country in the northern region.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Can you read the name of this country?¡±


    Did he think that I couldn¡¯t even read letters? I read the texts on the map.


    ¡°Bureti?¡±


    ¡°Right. Be sure to keep it in mind.¡±


    Huh? He had never said anything like that after our other lessons.


    ¡°Why? What is so important about that country?¡±


    I had to agree with Ferdel because of what he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s thend where your mother was born.¡±

 Chapter 296

    <strong>Chapter 296: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 296</strong>


    Bureti.


    It¡¯s a small kingdom in the North, and was often called the ¡°The Northern Witch¡¯s Kingdom.¡± Their symbol is an opal with antlers, their guardian spirit was a ck panther, and it used to be the most powerful kingdom before the rise of S-Hertogenbosch. Their kingdom¡¯s throne was passed down through matriarchal lineage. Even now, princesses were prioritized over princes there. They were also the descendants of witches. As such, their eye color would change if they touched someone with stigmata, almost like a sign of repulsion.


    I always thought books contained all the world¡¯s knowledge, but now that I was looking through them, I realized that there wasn¡¯t much written here.


    When I went to the library, every maid in the pce became so curious why I was suddenly browsing the library. It did feel a bit odd to learn about my mother¡¯s home country all of a sudden.


    As I always said, I didn¡¯t have an ardent feeling of love for my mother. I didn¡¯t, but what should I say?


    It¡¯s a bit subtle. I often thought that it¡¯s okay since I had Serira. But still. There seemed to be something that couldn¡¯t be entirely satisfied lurking within me, even with Serira, and it had been bothering me.


    I did often wonder why she gave birth to me¡­


    I wondered what this ¡®curse¡¯ was that dad and I apparently possessed.


    Everything rted to my mother was a mystery. I sometimes thought that if my mother hadn¡¯t passed away while giving birth to me, I wondered what sort of life she would have now. Would we have died together? I doubted Caitel would have let us live.


    I imagined what I didn¡¯t have. Well, such thoughts were pointless now.


    ¡°The difference between the three countries¡­¡±


    It was a little ufortable to face Serira for no reason.


    So I just smiled at her.


    That¡¯s right. My mother¡¯s right in front of me, why was I getting so distracted? I guessed this was why they said one shouldn¡¯t let others get too close too quickly. I had to try not to be that way.


    ¡°The food in the north is mild, and the food in the south is salty.¡±


    Northern cuisine had a mild taste, and southern meals were salty. I wrote those things in small letters on the notepad and looked up at Serira again. Anything else, Mom?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask Elyne?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. She¡¯s probably busy preparing for her wedding.¡±


    She even took time off for it. Elyne would be back tomorrow after her three-day vacation¡­but I was not exactly thrilled about already missing her like this. Haa¡­ did she really have to get married? She couldn¡¯t call it off now, though¡­


    Serira looked down at me with a smile. Her gaze made me feel awkward, and I coughed for no apparent reason.


    ¡°You should definitely ask Your Majesty. I¡¯m sure he knows much better than I do.¡±


    Asisi taught me that the northerners tend to value efficiency, so they move less but with more power. They were noticeably more calcting with every move they made. On the other hand, southerners tend to fight with wider, bigger swings that almost hypnotize their opponents.


    Should I really ask dad?


    Serira said that he did not know more. Well, I guessed I had to go see my dad.

 Chapter 297

    <strong>Chapter 297: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 297</strong>


    ¡°The north is quiet and annoying, and the South is loud and annoying.¡±


    ¡­ what did I even expect from you?


    As soon as I came to the office, I became distressed already because I couldn¡¯t tell whether I wanted tough or cry. That¡¯s really all he could say to me when I asked about the difference between the three regions? Was our country really so perfect?


    ¡°Uh¡­ okay.¡±


    Yeah, I was a fool for even asking him. I was sighing and wondering who I should ask now, and unusually, dad got interested in what I was doing.


    ¡°Why are you asking about that anyway?¡±


    ¡°My tutor gave me homework.¡±


    It¡¯s practically written on his face that he didn¡¯t have faith in Ferdel. I get the feeling that he would take his anger out on me if I stayed here any longer. I couldn¡¯t let that happen, better get out of here.


    I smiled and kissed my dad¡¯s cheek. Dad¡¯s expression softened a bit on my kiss.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going now. You should get back to work, dad.¡±


    As I left the office, Caitel turned to the papers again.


    That¡¯s state secrets, too.


    I peeped at him through the open door for a while and turned around. I should go to the garden. I could only sigh when I looked at the notepad. I did still need one more fact¡­ but I couldn¡¯t write down what Caitel said. I also didn¡¯t feel like trying to find one. Should I just write it down?


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when he came, but Dranste put his head forward. I raised my head.


    ¡°I was doing my homework.¡±


    ¡°Ah-ha?¡±


    He seemed to have enjoyed a great meal somewhere. He had this aroma around him that smelled like it came from a delicious. He was eating all the tasty meals by himself. Now, I was suddenly hungry, thanks to this guy. There¡¯s still a few hours left before dinner.


    I just sighed. Being a princess did have some drawbacks.


    ¡°Oh, Dranste! I heard my mother was from Bureti.¡±


    ¡°Bureti?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know. It¡¯s called the Northern Witch¡¯s Kingdom, and my mom was a princess there.¡±


    While doing my research, I learned that Agrigent and Bureti had a tradition of being allies. It was a very secretive country, though, so there wasn¡¯t much more information on them. Since it¡¯s and protected by witches, I learned that they had all sorts of magic in their country. Since these spells did not at all look like the miracles from S-Hertogenbosch, I realized that they weren¡¯t on good terms.

 Chapter 298

    <h4>Chapter 298: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 298</h4>


    ¡°Hmm, I see. So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Dranste smiled. I frowned because it was a smile filled with mockery.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Would this man just quit hiding things and just tell me?


    I wondered what the hell he realized. I grabbed Drance¡¯s sleeve.


    Dranste¡¯s pupils that were directed at me changed slightly. It felt strange to see his pupils be reduced vertically like a cat.


    ¡°Well, I once told you that the reason you can see me is thanks to your unique bloodline, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Did you really?¡±


    Now that I hade to think of it... He did say something like that when we first met. I didn¡¯t mind so much anymore since I could talk now, but I was inquisitive about it back then. More importantly, the reason why I was the only one who could see Dranste sometimes was still a mystery.


    ¡°It seemed like the witch¡¯s power reacted to the spirit¡¯s power in your blood. Well, you¡¯ve always had an exceptional memory and sense of sight since you were a baby.¡±


    ¡°What? Then... is that the cause of all the strange things that happened to me?¡±


    The reason I could see you, why he could hear my thoughts, and why I could remember my past life... all of that?


    Dranste shrugged.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s also the reason why you¡¯ve always been so clever, even as a baby.¡±


    I clearly remembered that my physical strength was never high. I did excel in terms of mental and emotional growth... but my motor skills weren¡¯t anything to brag about. Wasn¡¯t I just a healthy baby? I did learn to talk pretty quickly, but that was the result of my hard work to be a proper human¡­


    All the same, I was more surprised to find out that I was a witch.


    ¡°Does this mean I can use magic?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    What!? Really?


    I was so surprised that I couldn¡¯t even ask, and I just opened my eyes wide as Dranste giggled.


    ¡°Maybe when you¡¯re 15?¡±


    ¡°Really, really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a ¡®female magic¡¯ that would happen every month.¡±


    ... Oh, was he talking about my period?


    For a moment, something boiled inside me. I punched Dranste. However, Dranste just giggled. Oh, he¡¯s really annoying. However, despite being beaten, Dranste was too busyughing to care. Bastard!


    Why were humans even considered higher animals? It¡¯s because they knew how to use tools. I picked up the notepad.


    Take this, my parents¡¯ enemy!


    However, Dranste immediately blocked it with his arm.


    ¡°So... did you find out?¡±


    Find out what?


    Soon, I realized what Dranste was saying. Oh... right. We made a bet. I almost forgot. I had thought about it, but... I had had nothing to go on. How could I guess his identity when I didn¡¯t even have a single clue?


    ¡°Even if you tell me to find out who you are, that would be too difficult for me if you won¡¯t give me any hints. It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    At myint, Dranste touched his lips as he agreed. See? Right?


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll give you one more hint.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    What¡¯s the matter with him? This wasn¡¯t like him at all.


    However, I could see why this guy was so docile when I heard his next hint.


    ¡°I am a symbol of power and authority.¡±


    What sort of hint was that!? Why was I even talking to this jerk?

 Chapter 299 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 299

    <h4>Chapter 299: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 299</h4>


    I had never woken up this early before in my life.


    How early? I woke up at the same time Caitel left for his morningbat training. It was so hard pretending to sleep until he left the room.


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be so troublesome if I slept in my own chambers.¡±


    It¡¯s way past the time I should be living independently, but for some reason, Caitel wouldn¡¯t let me stay in my own pce. He hadn¡¯t mentioned anything even though the ministers had told him he was going against Agrigent customs. I might have thought he was acting strangely before, but now it¡¯s nice to know that he just didn¡¯t want me to leave.


    Yes, dad¡¯s pretty much my ve these days. Haha! He couldn¡¯t escape my charm.


    ¡°Up already, princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Serira greeted me and helped me wash my face and changed my clothes. I quickly got ready and moved to the kitchen.


    Was I really going to the kitchen this early for breakfast? Well, yes. That and, there¡¯s another reason I had been preparing for this day!


    Because today was dad¡¯s birthday!


    ¡°But... will I be able to make it turn out alright?¡±


    ¡°The patissier will help you. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    His birthday came around only once a year, but this was the one day I was anxious from dawn to dusk. What in the world should I give him? What sort of gift would make Caitel happy? He already had so many things in his possession¡­ I mean, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say he¡¯s an emperor who had this entire world under his feet. Any gift I could get him seems pointless. I didn¡¯t think anything I could buy with money would appeal to Caitel¡­ that¡¯s why, until now, I had been giving him handmade bouquets while singing or dancing for him. However, it was his birthday, so I would like to show a bit more effort. That¡¯s why I came up with a n for this year. I would bake him a cake!


    Obviously, the pce was full of top chefs, patissiers and, choctiers... but wouldn¡¯t a handmade gift made by his cute, lovely daughter be more meaningful?


    ¡­ Not confident about it.


    ¡°Will Dad be happy about it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he will be happy.¡±


    However, Serira was very positive. I wondered why Serira believed in dad so much. I mean, he even tried to execute her before.


    I shook my head in wonder, and Serira smiled at me. Why was her smile so pretty?

 Chapter 300

    <h4>Chapter 300: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 300</h4>


    I actually wanted to turn him into seaweed soup, but the food culture here was so differentpared to Korea. Plus, I couldn¡¯t even find any seaweed here.


    Still, a cake didn¡¯t carry the same meaning as seaweed soup... I was a bit nervous, but I would give it everything I got. All right! I would make the best cake ever!


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    When I arrived in the kitchen, the chef rushed to me.


    Oh, dear chef. I was so happy to see the chef who always cooked delicious food that I almost asked him for food.


    ¡°Did you have breakfast?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to make this and eat it!¡±


    ¡°Then you should have breakfast when the cake is in the oven.¡±


    Yes, yes.


    As I nodded, the chef handed me a children¡¯s apron. With my apron on, I stepped on the kid¡¯s size chair. The chef exined and led me one by one. He might be annoyed because of me, but he never frowned. Wow, baking was really hard.


    That was the only thought I had while making the cake. Why did I say I would do this?


    Doing it myself was much more different from what I thought. I thought I could make it soon, but it took longer than I expected. Most of all, it was the first time I missed a baking machine so badly.


    My hands were about to fall off after whipping all those eggs to make meringue! Why didn¡¯t I learn baking in my previous life?


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t bake even if I learned it, but at this moment, I felt so useless. I felt sad for nothing. I was sure that I didn¡¯t have any cooking skills at all.


    However, when I saw the cake that went through my hand, I became so upset that I started sighing.


    ¡°Should I give it another try?¡±


    This cake was obviously a beginner¡¯s cake. I made it with whipped cream cake on purpose because Caitel hated choctes, but it was tough to apply and decorate it with whipped cream.


    I frowned, and the chef beside me smiled. Serira smiled too.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to make it again. Your cake looks marvelous!¡±


    No, it still looks terrible...


    I thought it would be better if I put fruits on top, but they were the same. Serira patted my shoulder when I started to feel like I was about to cry. The chef brought me a bar of round chocte.


    ¡°Now, try writing something on it for His Majesty.¡±


    He handed over the whipped cream that was different than the one I used before. This was cream with a smaller opening.


    Fine, whatever.


    Even if I wanted to bake it again, there¡¯s no time. I had to get dressed for the party now. I wonder if this was really okay to give this to him as a gift. Aagh, I should have just bought him something!

 Chapter 301

    <h4>Chapter 301: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 301</h4>


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Assisi asked me as to why I looked too gloomy. I just shook my head. I wanna tell him that the cake I made wasn¡¯t as good as I had hoped... but I would feel even more upset if I admitted it now.


    Whether I was upset or not, Serira had dragged me into my room as soon as the cake waspleted.


    I had already taken a bath in the morning, but she gave me a full-body bath again and a massage before rolling my hair. I already picked out a dress to wear a couple days ago. I would have been so tired if I had chosen it today. It¡¯s tiring enough to have the maids dress me up for every asion, but that cake was already looking so awful even though it¡¯s my present... what a bummer.


    Then again, I did look quite lovely today if I said so myself. The maids worked especially hard on this outfit since it¡¯s such an important day.


    I had wavy hair, but the waves that the maids made using the tool was definitely better. The head decoration, which had a little bead that looked like a jewel, was pretty. As the maids decorated me with all their heart and soul, my lovely appearance became lovelier.


    Being a princess is good for a time like this.


    I had never had much virtue in my previous life, and I was d I was born as such a pretty girl. Then again, thinking about that present was making me upset.


    ¡°What did you get for your dad¡¯s birthday?¡±


    When I grabbed Assisi¡¯s arm while asking, he tilted his head.


    ¡°What I always give him.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The head of the enemy.¡±


    ... What? Wow, how was that a birthday present?


    I didn¡¯t even know where I should start scolding him, so I stared nkly at Assisi as he smiled softly. Yeah, well, it¡¯s not like Assisi did anything wrong. Caitel was the cause of this madness! Aah, this country was doomed.


    ¡°All right, Princess. It¡¯s time to present your gift to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Already?!¡±


    Serira grabbed me by the arm while I was ying with Assisi. Elyne, who was back from her break now, tilted her head as if she was trying to understand the situation. No, I thought I should just go since I still felt awkward when I saw her... but it¡¯s not like I wanna see dad either!


    I always thought that once I was older, people wouldn¡¯t ignore my opinion or how I felt... but this world was just all too cruel...

 Chapter 302

    <h4>Chapter 302: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 302</h4>


    I was eventually dragged to the Caitel¡¯s office. By Serira!


    ¡°Come on, princess.¡±


    No! I didn¡¯t want to go in!


    However, the door to the office had long been open. Oh, I was so screwed.


    When I went inside, I saw Caitel sitting at his desk. It looked like he¡¯s working even today. He was like this every day, but to see him at work even on his own birthday was a bit sad.


    I had to hold the tear that suddenly came out of me. I thought by now he¡¯d be a little more fond of this day.


    It¡¯s his birthday, but he was always the one who hated it the most. I didn¡¯t know where that hatred came from... but I thought he¡¯s improved a bit ever since I started wishing him a happy birthday. I think...


    Well, of course. He would be happy if an adorable daughter like me wanted to celebrate with him!


    ¡°Is it already time for the party?¡±


    Caitel smiled when he looked at me. The smile was quite serene, and I felt relieved for a moment. Until Silvia handed over the box of wrapped cake.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the princess has prepared a special gift for you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Aaagh! Noo!


    I wanted to ask my mom why she was doing this to me? What did I do to her!? I really felt like I had done something terrible to her. I shook my head in panic, but Serira kept pushing me forward with a smile.


    I felt like I would cry now. No, I was sure he would definitely judge me if I gave this as a gift! Caitel showed interest when he looked at me with a dazed expression.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Why was my father so curious about it!?


    Oh, this was too much. Was this how uneasy it felt when one knew that they were about to die?


    ¡°Well, the thing is...¡±


    As I stuttered, Caitel lifted his chin as if allowing me to continue my words. I bit my lips.


    ¡®Dad, all this attention from you is a bit too much. Agh! Where¡¯d I even get the dumb idea to bake a cake?! I should have just bought him something! Something normal! ¡®


    ¡°I... I made you a cake for your birthday, but... it turned out sort of strange.¡±


    Still, pressing hard on the feeling of wanting to flee, I showed a box of cake that Serira passed to me in front of Caitel. His face changed at once when he saw the box. He looked a little uncertain.


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know. I just wanted to die!

 Chapter 303

    <h4>Chapter 303: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 303</h4>


    ¡°...a cake?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Why don¡¯t you try some, your Majesty?¡±


    Serira smiled proudly next to me. I just wanted to cry. I didn¡¯t expect my mom to do this to me, really. Why was my mom doing this to me?! Why was she offering him the cake?! Couldn¡¯t he just have a look at it then put it away?! I was about to cry!


    Even Assisi sent me a shocked look. I just wanted to die. Ha, I just couldn¡¯t look at that ugly thing... I should bury my face in it and end this now.


    It¡¯s been a long time since thest time I wanted to die... I just wanted to disappear right now...


    Dad looked at me with a nk face. Then, he watched Serira take the cake out of the cake box and cut a piece for him.


    I was more anxious about my present because he didn¡¯t look happy at all. ¡®Heavens above, please just take me now! I¡¯m begging you! Please!¡¯


    ¡°Here¡¯s your piece. Try some.¡±


    Serira passed the piece of cake to dad. I managed to put up with the urge to scream. No! Aaagggghhh! Ugh! I would never ever bake another cake again...!!


    ¡°It¡¯s stiff and tastes burnt.¡±


    Excuse me?! What did he just say?


    I knew he¡¯d say something like that, but it¡¯s still annoying. I really tried my best to bake that! Hmph! Fine, I was sorry for burning his cake! I knew I was not skilled at baking!


    Although I was baking with the best patissier of the empire, that cake showed how untalented I was in cooking. My father suddenly smiled as I pouted my lips.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    But... although heined that it¡¯s burnt, he was still eating it all. Seeing him like that made my heart flutter a bit... What was this feeling?


    ¡°At least it tastes good.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really?¡±


    Was he... actually giving me apliment?


    And he had such a gentle smile on his face. The smile was not much different from the smile I saw every day, but I sometimes felt that he would show a satisfied, warm smile. I was worried... I was really worried, but I felt relieved to see this reaction. It was all worth it once I saw that smile. Dad smiled.


    ¡°But, don¡¯t ever make this sort of thing again.¡±


    ... for a second there, I was almost moved. I guess he never changed!

 Chapter 304

    <h4>Chapter 304: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 304</h4>


    As expected of the Emperor¡¯s birthday, everything looked marvelous. From the lighting to the decorations... even the guests.


    People from throughout thend visited me for my birthday, but Caitel¡¯s parties were on an entirely different level. Theysted much longer... it didn¡¯t seem like a ce for me to linger, so I left after greeting everyone for a while.


    However, it¡¯s still only like 7 o¡¯clock, so I didn¡¯t feel like heading back to the pce yet. Thus, I was nning to go see the twins since Silvia brought them... but I couldn¡¯t find them anywhere. Those two could never seem to keep still. They never fell short of my expectations, honestly...


    As I entered the room where the children gathered, I only saw a lot of unfamiliar faces there. I sighed and came out of the room to find the twins.


    ¡°Those little rascals... where have they run off to?¡±


    I was sure they couldn¡¯t have gone far.


    Even so, they wouldn¡¯t go to Sy pce without permission. So where the hell did they go? Now there¡¯s nowhere I could think of now.


    I sighed in the hallway while scratching my head nervously.


    ¡°Haa... the things they put me through.¡±


    I really wondered who they took after. I heard even Ferdel wasn¡¯t as unruly as they were. I turned around while thinking about how whoever they had gotten such an attitude from was clearly far worse. Then, I straightened up on the spot.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I met a pair of unexpectedly silvery blue eyes.


    H-how long had he been standing there?


    I didn¡¯t notice him at all! Was this what they call a cold sweat?! I bit my lips without even realizing it.


    At that moment, Ahin smiled.


    ¡°Oh, um...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    So basically, he heard everything!


    Agh, what should I do? This would bring shame to the empire.


    I wanna shout that I was a good, quiet princess, unlike the mean things I just said! However, I didn¡¯t have any choice when he caught me insulting the twins. I just bit my lips. Anyway, I just waited until I got my hands on the twins.


    Fortunately, Ahin looked like he was enjoying this moment. It didn¡¯t seem like he thought what I did was weird.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot funnier than I thought.¡±


    ... It seemed like he liked funny people...


    I really felt like sighing. I¡¯d like to disappear... I thought I could actually die from embarrassment. Ahin came this way when I touched my forehead without saying a word.


    ¡°Are you looking for the twins?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes.¡±


    How did he know?

 Chapter 305

    <h4>Chapter 305: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 305</h4>


    Soon I realized how Ahin knew about it. I guess it¡¯s obvious... Those troublemakers were the only ones in the empire who would leave the room only to find more trouble. They were the only ones I¡¯d ever have to go looking for. Therefore, I was also out of the room, so I was looking for them. I was a fool.


    ¡°Let¡¯s search together, then.¡±


    Huh? Together...? Did that mean he knew where they were?


    I was a little confused, but before I knew it, I ended up following Ahin.


    This was so awkward...


    I had thought about this before, but he seemed really different when I saw him up close. I turned cautiously and looked at Ahin. Was it because his skin was paler than mine? He seemed so pure and clean.


    Now that I havee to think of it, he¡¯s older than me.


    Well, only if I considered my physical age now. I couldn¡¯t believe I was supposed to call this little guy big brother and speak more formally.


    ¡°By the way, you don¡¯t have to be so formal with me. It¡¯s morefortable for me.¡±


    ¡°V-very well.¡±


    Well, I couldn¡¯t really argue with that if he¡¯s so upfront about it. I just bit my lips.


    Ugh... no matter how nice he was to look at, this was still so awkward... This air¡¯s really heavy for me to rx. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore... How could I escape this awkwardness? Oh, this was driving me crazy.


    Since I talked to him so casually when we first met, it¡¯s tricky to be formal suddenly. Well, it might be funny if I started acting more orderly now. Besides, he didn¡¯t seem to mind...


    ¡°Hey, what sort of country is S-Hertogenbosch?¡±


    I asked because the air flowing between us was so awkward, but Ahin seemed so surprised when he heard this. Wasn¡¯t he overreacting? Now I felt embarrassed. However, he appeared merely surprised and didn¡¯t seem to have any other feelings. He looked like he was agonizing for a moment before he quickly answered my question.


    ¡°... it¡¯s an empire that¡¯s all white. ¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why¡¯s that? Is it winter all year round there?¡±


    Since it¡¯s a Northern Empire, I could imagine it being covered in snow. However, Ahin gave an unexpected answer.


    ¡°No. The winters are indeed long, but it isn¡¯t wintering all year. Actually, it isn¡¯t even cold there.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How is it not cold?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the barrier His Holiness created, the temperature of the empire is always the same.¡±


    Then why¡¯s it called the white empire?

 Chapter 306

    <strong>Chapter 306: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 306</strong>


    Ahin replies as if he¡¯s reading my mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the white empire because most of the buildings are all white.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s what he meant. Actually, I asked him what the country was like.


    Saying that it¡¯s a white empire because the buildings were all white didn¡¯t really answer my question. What¡¯s this awkward feeling again? I never asked about the appearance... but I couldn¡¯t point that out to him when we¡¯re not that close... I would just let it go.


    ¡°Oh, right! I heard you¡¯ll be named the next emperor.¡±


    I said it without thinking, and Ahin stopped right there. After seeing his expression, I realized that I said something wrong. Did I say something careless? I didn¡¯t mean anything by it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take back what I had already said even with an apology. W-what should I do about it?


    I should have just said nothing. Ah, this was bad. I ended up making a huge mistake while trying to lighten up this awkward mood. Ahin soon shook his head as if he finally realized how flustered I had been.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    What did he mean by that? I really messed up just now. I bit my lips because I was so sorry to him. Ahin smiled while staring at my face.


    ¡°You¡¯re... a very genuine person, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Did I just get praised by a 10-year-old kid?


    I was not happy just because this boyplimented me! It sort of felt a bit like he was brushing me off. Great, now I was getting the cold shoulder from a 10-year-old... Of course, he didn¡¯t exactly blow me off. It just felt that way.


    Well, it was true... I was a rather genuine person.


    Ahin started walking down the hall again. I bit my lip while following him. Although I was the one who made a mistake... it seemed like Ahin didn¡¯t really mind... or maybe he did... oh well, here goes nothing.


    ¡°Say, what do your stigmata look like?¡±


    Still, this awkwardness was too heavy for me. I needed to break this awkward silence. When I asked with a smile, Ahin looked back at me for a moment. I smiled awkwardly because it seemed like he couldn¡¯t understand why I would be curious about that based on his facial expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m just curious...¡±


    ¡°It looks like wings.¡±


    ¡°Wings?¡±


    I thought he wouldn¡¯t tell me, but he did.

 Chapter 307

    <h4>Chapter 307: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 307</h4>


    I tilted my head, thinking that he was really a friendly kid. Ahin smiled slightly while looking at me. His smile was so lovely that I thought this kid could make a living with just a smile. Wow. That¡¯s a million-dor smile.


    ¡°Have you ever seen S-Herbogenbosch¡¯s g?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a cloud flower with three pairs of wings.¡±


    ¡°That insignia is taken from the stigmata.¡±


    Oh, I see. Then his stigmata must be three sets of wings. I didn¡¯t care about the stigmata before, but that was amazing to know for sure.


    ¡°Wow, that sounds amazing. I¡¯d like to see it one day.¡±


    Ahin opened his eyes wide upon hearing my words. I realized what I had just said when I saw his reaction to my words.


    Ah...! I didn¡¯t mean that I wanted him to show it to me. However, if I hadn¡¯t said it, that would have made this even more awkward... Uh, what should I do? Oh no. this was pretty mortifying. Fortunately, Ahin didn¡¯t say anything about it, but I was making things awkward a lot.


    ¡°Sorry. It seems I¡¯ve been talking too much today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    Honestly... I felt like we hadn¡¯t gotten any closer. I must seem like such a goof to him now.


    I meant, it was not like I wanted us to be best friends... I just wanna do something about this awkwardness. It scared me when kids were this quiet. Besides, we still hadn¡¯t seen any sign of the twins. Where the hell were these two? We were already out of the pce and heading to the garden, but I couldn¡¯t find a single hair or the heads of those twins. I didn¡¯t get why they had toe this far. Ah, this was annoying. Oh, they would be punished when we meet again.


    As I shut my mouth, it¡¯s starting to feel awkward again. The awkwardness curled up like thick clouds. Ugh.


    Ah, but I seriously couldn¡¯t take it. Hmm... I would have to give this a try instead.


    ¡°Would you like to ask me anything? You answered all of my questions, so I¡¯ll answer yours.¡±


    Why did he look so thrown off? Was it that surprising for me to answer his questions?


    W-what now? I said I¡¯d answer him, so why was he so quiet? I was starting to be upset. However, what Ahin said after what seemed like a moment of contemtion shocked me too.


    ¡°Then... would it be alright if I... touch your hair?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 308


    ¡°Then... would it be alright if I... touch your hair?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Oh... that was unexpected. I thought he¡¯d ask about Agrigent, or about me, or about dad, if anything. However, isn¡¯t it sporadic to have someone ask if they could touch my hair? At least this was my first time!


    However, I was the one who was rude first, so I couldn¡¯t refuse now. Besides, it¡¯s not like I hated the idea, either.


    ¡°Oh, sure, why not!¡±


    Was this really enough to make up for my mini interrogation earlier?


    Ahin stopped. I also stayed at the spot.


    What¡¯s wrong? I was sure I allowed him to touch my hair. Somehow, Ahin couldn¡¯t reach out quickly. He hesitated and suddenly coughed a little. Ah, I guessed he was a bit shy. However, this was making me feel embarrassed now too! As I bit my lip in embarrassment, Ahin, who was avoiding my eyes, finally touched my hair.


    Ahin¡¯s pale, thin fingers stroke my hair. Watching it, I felt like my cheeks were burning up for some reason. What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s this feeling!?


    ¡°Since the moment I first saw you... I¡¯ve already thought your hair was lovely.¡±


    Well, of course, it was! It¡¯s my hair, after all. Whose hair would be prettier than this? However, for some reason... I felt a bit... Well, I felt a bit odd, I suppose.


    It felt like my limbs were shaking, and something deep inside me seemed like it was tingling... My body was twisted for no reason. I couldn¡¯t make eye contact with Ahin while wiggling my toes, so I looked at the ground. Ahinughed at that moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s so soft, like fine silk.¡±


    This was so embarrassing. It looked like Ahin felt the same way judging by how red his cheeks were.


    What was with this strange mood, though? What¡¯s going on? A second ago, we were so awkward... but now the vibe had changed a bit. My heart was beating a bit faster, and now, it was so swift that it seemed like a loud drum. Oh, I felt so uneasy, like I was suffocating.


    I think he should let go of my hair now... but my lips wouldn¡¯t open. If I stayed like this any longer, I might go crazy from the goosebumps. What should I do? What could I do? What should I do in this situation?


    I was just hesitating to say something, and fortunately or unfortunately, I heard a few familiar voices.


    ¡°Oh, Ria!¡±


    His hand flinched away from me in an instant.


    In the distance, I saw Valering this way. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief inside while looking at the familiar twin¡¯s face.


    ... My heart was about to explode.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 309


    Caitel¡¯s birthday might only be a one-day thing, but the celebrationsted almost a week.


    Of course, he should be there for his own birthday, but he could just ignore the rest. I guessed since there were so many delegates from other countries, Caitel had to stay at the party. I suppose I did too.


    Well, it¡¯s not like they would trouble an eight-year-old princess. I was just staying at the party. To be honest, I just had to sit and greet people when they came to me and answer them when they asked me something. Of course, it¡¯s soplicated and tedious for me.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Suddenly, as I was looking over the party hall, something that wasn¡¯t usually noticeable came into my sight. It was the crest of Agrigent on the wall of the party hall.


    It¡¯s the Winter Tree clinging to a diamond.


    I think the diamond was meant to symbolize eternity and beauty. It¡¯s also a symbol of the spirit of this country. Of course, the tree itself was the winter trees. Thinking about it now, I believed that the Viterbo crest was an eagle behind two swords and a shield.


    ¡°Assisi, those family crests... do they all have some sort of deeper meaning?¡±


    As I turned around and asked him, Assisi looked at me with a bit confused eyes and then nodded.


    ¡°The family crests...? Yes, they do.¡±


    Was that what Dranste¡¯s weird hint meantst time?


    What was it? I thought he said something about being the symbol of power and authority. I was lost in thought.


    A symbol of power and authority... power and authority...


    While I was genuinely thinking about it, suddenly, Caitel took Assisi away from me. ¡®Hey, he¡¯s my knight, dad.¡¯ I was unsatisfied, but when dad did that, he always had a reason, so I stayed quiet. Anyway, what¡¯s a symbol of power and authority? A lion? A dragon? A sword?


    Uh, wait. Sword?


    ¡°Hmm...a sword... is definitely a symbol of power.¡±


    Most of the great houses of Agrigent, like the house of Viterbo and Zavaikal, had swords on their crests.


    Was he really a sword then?


    However, his hint couldn¡¯t be that easy... something just didn¡¯t feel right. I put my chin on my hand. I seriously thought if he was really a sword. That was when Elyne came beside me.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Aah! Goodness, Elyne, you surprised me!

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 310


    She startled me. I didn¡¯t see hering, and I¡¯ve been trying to avoid her all this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to head back now, Princess.¡±


    She seemed like an entirely different person. She was calmer than before... Had she suddenly matured now that she was engaged? I thought Elyne would always be clumsy. I was a little disappointed and couldn¡¯t hide the stiffening of my face.


    When I stood up with a nod without answering, Elyne followed behind me. She was the same as usual, but I couldn¡¯t stop being conscious of her. Soon, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk around with her like this anymore. I wouldn¡¯t be able to make fun of how silly she could be either.


    It made me feel upset as I thought about it.


    I didn¡¯t like this feeling. As I walked down the hallway while looking at the ground, the sound of footsteps from behind suddenly stopped. I stopped too.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    It was Elyne¡¯s voice. At her calm, deeper voice, I bit my lips for no reason. Something surged up in me. I turned my head and stood still because I thought I would cry if I looked back and looked at her eyes.


    I heard a sigh right behind me.


    I didn¡¯t move. It was Elyne who did so. She stood in front of me before I knew it. Then she knelt down and looked at me.


    ¡°Are you upset because I¡¯m getting married?¡±


    Had Elyne always been this pretty? That thought suddenly came in my mind.


    She had always been the maid who stayed with me. Maybe I had grown toofortable with having her around. I bit my lips for no reason while looking at Elyne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just, I just...¡±


    ¡°If you tell me not to, I won¡¯t get married, Princess.¡±


    I frowned upon hearing her firm voice. What was with this nonsense?


    ¡°Are you an idiot!? Why would you not get married just because I oppose it!?¡±


    Elyne giggled. Her usual silly smile made me feel rxed.


    ¡°Still...¡±


    Elyne held my hand. It had been a long time since I held my maid¡¯s hand. Her hand was big, warm... and sweet.


    ¡°I feel most happy when I¡¯m with you, Princess.¡±


    I felt touched. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of holding back, but now, all my feelings were seeping through. However, I could not hold back my tears from flowing freely anymore.


    ¡°Me too...¡±


    Why was I crying at a time like this? I was shy of crying, so I bowed my head down.


    ¡°I feel the same way.¡±


    My voice was shaking due to my tears, and Elyne held me in her arms as I tried to hold back my tears. She ced me in her arms, just like how Serira always did.


    ¡°I love you, princess.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Of course, she did.

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 311


    My tears had rendered me speechless. Why did the tears keep flowing? It must have been because of Elyne¡¯s sudden gentleness. All we did was fight. I hadn¡¯t been kind enough to her.


    It was even harder to ept since she was leaving so suddenly. I was such a stubborn princess.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t work here anymore after getting married, I¡¯ll always be your first maid.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I guessed Elyne felt troubled because I kept crying. Elyne smiled and wiped my tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying!¡±


    Who¡¯s crying?


    I was not crying, I was just¡ªI was just¡ªI was just tearing up. However, my tears prevented me from speaking once more. Why did I keep crying? I quickly wiped away my tears with my hands.


    ¡°Farewell... and be happy.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    She really was leaving.


    Saying goodbye like this made it all so real. I thought Elyne would always be with me... even after I grew up. Even after I got married. I was d she¡¯s not leaving that far, but...


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going off to die, right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you leave if you were just going off to die somewhere!¡±


    ¡°Aww, my princess.¡±


    I thought Elyne was d that I was crying for her. Sheughed, just like when she¡¯s happy.


    ¡°What should I do? You¡¯re so cute.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡±


    At least, crying calmed me down a bit. Oh, my eyes were so sore. It felt like my nose was all red. Elyne held my hand.


    ¡°Come on, Princess. We should go now.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I should wash my face.


    Now that I had calmed down, I was starting to feel embarrassed about crying. Sheesh, why was I so emotional? I wasn¡¯t like this in my previous life. I supposed Serira¡¯s sensibility was starting to rub off on me! Oh my, how humiliating.


    As I raised my hand and wiped up the tears, I realized that I couldn¡¯t avoid seeing that person who suddenly popped out of the woods.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Ouch, it hurt!


    A person who bumped into me also fell out, but my condition was worse since I was attacked while defenseless.


    As I was rolling around on the ground in pain, Elyne ran to me and checked my condition. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t wounded or bleeding anywhere. It just hurt so bad.


    ¡°st, what was that?¡±


    Why that little thing... He hadn¡¯t apologized even after running into me?


    I looked at the guy who bumped into me. I could see right away why I wasn¡¯t hurt. He looks like he¡¯s my age. Who is this kid?


    ¡°And just what are you?¡±


    He frowned at my words.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ... It looks like this would take a while. I sighed with my hands on my forehead. First of all, I needed to get inside and wash my face.


    ¡°Elyne.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Elyne tilted her head after hearing my call. I ordered lightly and refreshingly.


    ¡°Bring him in.¡±

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 312


    Once I entered the pce, I asked for the water to wash my face. Serira asked me if I had been crying, but I was too ashamed to exin what happened, so I tried to gloss over it roughly, but mom kept looking at me as if she¡¯s worried.


    Even if she looked at me like that, I wouldn¡¯t answer her!


    After washing my face, I cleaned up my hair and went to the small reception room that I didn¡¯t usually use much, and there was ate-night snack prepared for me who had not eaten dinner today. Now I could sleep after I finished this snack and took a bath and read some books, right?


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t only justte-night snacks I had to deal with.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    ... I hadn¡¯t been spoken to like that in a while.


    Elyne frowned openly when she heard it. Even Serira looked slightly displeased. Compared to them, I just sat with a straight face.


    ¡°Princess, here¡¯s your lemon tea.¡±


    Elyne brought me lemon tea. I picked up that warm and sour tea.


    The boy who was high-spirited until just now suddenly flinched. Why did he look so surprised? Had he finally realized that I was the princess?


    ¡°You... you¡¯re the princess?¡±


    Yeah, what¡¯s it to you?


    When I affirmed his guess, the boy suddenly tangled his own ck hair and stood up from his seat.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re... the sworn enemy of Pretzia!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He even had a small sword in his hand that came out somewhere. Where did thate from?


    Then again, it didn¡¯t look that dangerous since it¡¯s just a ceremonial one. However, I didn¡¯t have any idea why he suddenly reacted that way. No, wait a sec. Pretzia? That¡¯s the name of the Southern Empire.


    He screamed loudly while aiming the sword at me.


    ¡°You dare sit there and pretend not to know what your father has done to my country!?¡±


    Ah, so he¡¯s from Pretzia?


    I heard all the royals from Pretzia were beheaded. Only the pro-Agrigent parties remain in their country... they wouldn¡¯t try something aftering all this way to celebrate his birthday, wouldn¡¯t they?


    Who was this boy, then?


    I thought for a moment, but soon I was able to bring back my old memories.


    Oh... was this him? The one I heard about... he had to be. Wow, I really did have a good memory.


    ¡°It appears you still haven¡¯t learned your manners. You should take your seat. Now.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 313


    Hmm, even if that¡¯s a toy sword, it¡¯s annoying to match him and swing it in front of me like that.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    I did not know when he came back from the party, but my guardian knight struck that sword like a sh. It was a simple move that didn¡¯t take much effort, but the little boy in front of me got disarmed in a single swing.


    The empire¡¯s strongest knight sure was on a different level.


    Assisi seemed to feel guilty for letting this whole situation happen. It¡¯s alright since I was not hurt. I smiled at him, trying to show that I was fine, but Assisi¡¯s frown remained. He should stop pouting like that. Dad summoned him. That¡¯s all.


    ¡°The ck Knight...¡±


    As the boy looked at the sword that left his hand, he red at Assisi. The hostility in his eye was no different from when he was looking at me. Well, if Caitel was the one who conquered Pretzia, Assisi was the one who made it happen in battle.


    At the same time, it seemed like he¡¯s so scared.


    I looked at his trembling hand and pushed the chocte prepared for me towards him.


    ¡°Here, have some of this. I think you could really use some sugar right now.¡±


    It was a kind consideration for him, but he didn¡¯t know my kindness, and he red at me with his eyes wide open.


    ¡°What did you say? You think I can eat that right now?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s totally fine.¡±


    He kept his mouth shut upon seeing my face. It looked like he had got nothing to say back. He didn¡¯t have anything more to say, did he?


    I knew this from my experience... If he stayed mad, he would only get tired faster. I kindly urged him again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wher because you want to eat something. Just eat it now while I¡¯m offering it.¡±


    It¡¯s not like I could do anything about his hostility. It¡¯s not pleasant to be hated. That didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t be generous. I just had to do what I could.


    His expression shook and seemed a bit interested in the chocte in front of his eyes. I smiled brightly with some friendly undertone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try some of it?¡±


    Finally, he reached out to it. I just smiled quietly while looking at him as he ate some choctes.


    What a good boy.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 314


    His ck hair looks well-groomed. Those ck eyes, I saw those kinds of eyes a lot in my past life. ck hair and ck eyes. I guess the one difference from a Korean was that his skin was white and pale. I thought southerners would have tan skin, but it looked like I was mistaken. Maybe he¡¯s just really pale.


    Now that I look at him... I realized how young he was.


    He still looked older than me, though.


    He ate his choctes like he¡¯s on the battlefield. He could take his time, though. Was it his first time trying chocte? He didn¡¯t have to eat that fast. I wouldn¡¯t take his food away.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    I just asked because I didn¡¯t know what to call him, but he put down the chocte he was eating for a moment and replied in a tiny voice.


    ¡°...Havel.¡±


    Havel? That¡¯s a cute name, unlike his appearance.


    ¡°Havel Lancehood Jultos.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    I was sure of it now! I know his name.


    This child in front of me seemed to be that child.


    The bastard of Pretzia.


    Before, he lived a quiet life somewhere remote and forgotten, but he was found when all the royals were killed in the war. He was now a royal prince praised as the hope of Pretzia.


    What a twisted fate. It felt even more so now that I saw him eating chocte like a child before my very eyes.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? Ariadna. You can just call me Ria.¡±


    Havel¡¯s force was a little subdued as I answered with my chin upon my hand. Did he think I wouldn¡¯t answer? Looking at him all confused... as if he didn¡¯t understand... it¡¯s kind of cute.


    Gosh, fine. I would be generous.


    ¡°Want to have mine?¡±


    When I handed over what I was eating, Havel nodded loudly.


    As soon as he got it, he ate it so fast he almost destroyed it. Was this really his first time trying chocte?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡±


    Havel nodded several times instead of answering. I was touched by his passionate, enthusiastic response.


    Yeah, well, this was indeed delicious, just like an art. It¡¯s hard to believe he¡¯s the kid who pointed a sword at me just now. He¡¯s a cute child with a benevolent face. I generously smiled and offered him other choctes.


    ¡°Here, there¡¯s plenty, so have more.¡±

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 315


    I wanted to find the answer soon, so I started looking for Dranste when I got up this morning. Since I knew the answer now, I tried to guess the right answer. However, that sly fox always came when I didn¡¯t need him! Now that I do want to meet him, he¡¯s nowhere to be found. Right. He had always been like that.


    Was he gone for a while again?


    Even when I asked the maids and servants, nobody knew where he went. I almost gave up on looking for him, but as I almost did so, he suddenly showed up in front of me when the sun descended. What was he? A poltergeist?


    ¡°I heard you were looking for me.¡±


    I was looking for him in the morning, but it¡¯s night now.


    I seriously considered for a moment while looking at Dranste if I should hit him just to talk? My consideration was severe, but the decision was quick. I yelled at Dranste while hitting him.


    ¡°I know what you are!¡±


    Blocking my hand, Dranste smiled slyly.


    ¡°So? Who am I?¡±


    I answered back without hesitation.


    ¡°You¡¯re a sword!¡±


    ¡°Wrong!¡±


    Huh? Wrong? That couldn¡¯t be true.


    I frowned. No way. I was so confident this time! Sitting next to me, Dranste smiled. Against the backdrop of the sunset outside the window, Dranste, who somehow looked different from usual, patted my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s close, but not quite.¡±


    Close? Did that mean he was a sword?


    ¡°Then, then, are you a sword fairy?¡±


    Dranste burst intoughter at my question. Oh, this punk.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯tugh!¡±


    Maybe that¡¯s when he finally figured out what¡¯s going on in my nervousness. Dranste handled me properly by that time, sweeping his tears in his eyes. However, it was toote. I was already in a bad mood.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing an adjective in there.¡±


    ¡°Then, a fabulous sword?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sorry, that was the only adjective I could think of right now.


    Seeing the reaction seemed like it¡¯s not an adjective about aesthetics... what else was there? What else could I use as an adjective? A sword was just a sword. What else did it need?


    As I frowned, Dranste pressed down on my forehead with his index finger. At that moment, suddenly, one word came to my mind.


    Oh, could it be...


    ¡°A broken sword?¡±


    I asked him unsurely, but Dranste just showed a smile.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Huh? Really?

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 316


    I asked him unsurely, but Dranste just showed a smile.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Huh? Really?


    Unlike me, who was confused even after getting the answer right, Dranstemented by touching the window with his hands.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t get it right, but I guess my hint was too easy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really a sword?¡±


    For real?


    I still couldn¡¯t believe it. I opened my eyes wide.


    Instead of answering, Dranste just smiled. With that smile, shattered pieces of a sword emerging from the darkness.


    Dranste looked brilliant, surrounded by his own pieces. Were sword pieces supposed to shine like that, I wondered? I stared at the sword pieces and moaned before I realized it.


    It would be nothing more than a typical piece of iron.


    ¡°This is me.¡±


    A small voice spoke. I frowned slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s shattered to pieces.¡±


    These pieces that shone like jewels... were broken pieces of a sword? I couldn¡¯t believe it even though I was looking at it with my eyes. How did he break? It was quite strange.


    ¡°What happened to you? Why did you be like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Dranste shrugged lightly. I red at him sharply because it seemed like he was making fun of me. Then, as if it¡¯s unfair, Dranste frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    For some reason, he seems a bit sad... Moreover, his soft voice sounded pitiful.


    Fine. I would let this go since I was nice.


    As I closed my mouth and stared at him with a dissatisfied face, Dranste chuckled at me. Did he justugh at me? He breathed heavily as I frowned.


    ¡°I was already like this when I became conscious. I stood up alone in the darkness. I didn¡¯t know anything. Even about who I was. Back then, I didn¡¯t have any memories. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯m still alive even though my body is broken.¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t remember anything?¡±


    What... if he said it like that, it¡¯s awkward for me to joke with him now. Dransteughed at my conservative voice. A pleasant little smile. Then he touched a rtivelyrge piece of the sword in the air.


    ¡°Do you see these pieces?¡±


    Yeah, I could see them.


    As I nodded, Dranste smiled while dragging that piece closer. It was a slightly different smile than usual. Somehow, a bitter smile mixed with self-helpfulness. Frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t feelfortable watching it. I watched him quietly the way he moved.

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 317


    ¡°Whenever I recover one of these pieces, short memoriese back to me. It felt like something that had been submerged was suddenly resurfacing.¡±


    The piece Dranste talked about fell in his hand and grabbed it.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I learned that I was a broken sword. The first piece I recovered taught me.¡±


    While saying that, Dranste kissed that broken piece as if he¡¯s giving his gratitude to it. Looking at that, I became a bit confused. I always thought he was just a thoughtless, good-for-nothing dude. I could see how easy it was to misunderstand him.


    Anyway, birds of a feather... he¡¯s the same as my dad.


    I always yelled at him because I thought he was a jobless wanderer. If someone told his circumstances to me, I wouldn¡¯t have said those things! I feel bad, but that made me want to tease him more. Whether I agonized or not, Dranste looked down at his sword piece.


    ¡°I¡¯m still searching for them even now.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t find all of them yet?¡±


    He¡¯s still looking for them?


    I see plenty of pieces floating right now... but it seemed like that was not all there was to it. It surprised me. Dranste showed me an exasperated expression upon hearing my reply.


    ¡°I wish... but I still have a lot more to find.¡±


    I felt weak when I faced him.


    A sword looking for his own pieces. I had never imagined anything like that.


    ¡°So, you were looking for your pieces when you disappeared for a long time.¡±


    ¡°That and...¡±


    Dranste smiled. That smile looked like his attempt to lighten the atmosphere a little, but somehow, the words he uttered were not light at all.


    ¡°I want to know what happened to my master. That and my name.¡±


    Dranste¡¯s eyes were exceptionally blue when he said so. Fine. I forgave him for making me find him today. Anyway, if he wanted to know his name, did that mean his current name wasn¡¯t real? As if to answer my question, Dranste continued his word.


    ¡°Dranste is the name Caitel gave me when we made our contract.¡±


    So it was dad¡¯s idea.


    It¡¯s a nice name, though, considering Caitel thought of it.


    I wondered if he had to think about the name for a while.


    Somehow, it¡¯s hard to imagine Caitel giving names to others. I think he made up my name on the spot, too, now that I thought about it. Perhaps dad had a knack foring up with names.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 318


    I was growing thoughts in my brain, and a small voice talked to me.


    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll remember if I find my name.¡±


    I made eye contact with Dranste.


    ¡°The reason I became like this.¡±


    Something tacky grabbed my heart.


    So this was what it felt like to watch someone who lost their memory. I wish I knew all of his past so that I could tell him... but that would be difficult. Looking at it like this, Dranste seemed a little different. I smiled as pretty as I could.


    ¡°You¡¯ll remember. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it. I can help you if you want.¡±


    I was just trying to be friendly, but when he heard it, Dranste frowned.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡®Hey, I¡¯m trying to help you!¡¯


    He burst intoughter as he saw my face.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±


    I tried my best not to stop him fromughing, but it didn¡¯t work at all. Oh,e on!


    Even if I learned about his past, he¡¯s still annoying. I wanted to hit him once. As I stared at him, he finally stopped, but it¡¯s toote.


    Next time, I wouldn¡¯t ever say that I would do something with him again! However, Dranste put his hand on my head.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ... Huh? What did I just hear?


    I thought I would never hear that word from Dranste, so I was so startled that I inadvertently took a step back. What... what is it?


    ¡°You¡¯re the first human to say something like that... In fact, this is the first time I¡¯ve talked about this at all.¡±


    Somehow, Dranste coughed in vain with a shy face. It was my first time seeing him like this, so It felt peculiar. Who was I talking to? He¡¯s not the guy I know.


    However, his face that soon rxed as he looked at me was a face I knew. He suddenly nced at me and smiled. I gazed at him with a sullen look, and he said,


    ¡°If ever I can choose my master once more... I will be your sword and protect you.¡±


    I had been offered protection before, but it felt different to hear it like this. Previously, I didn¡¯t know he was a sword...


    Anyway, he wanted to be my sword? However, I wouldn¡¯t use it.


    I thought he was joking, but his eyes on me are stern.


    ... He¡¯s serious.


    If he¡¯s a sword that could hide like this, that meant Dranste might be more potent than I thought. He hadn¡¯t collected all his pieces yet, but I hoped he did one day.


    ¡°And you want me to marry you?¡±


    ¡°Will you?¡±


    A usual conversation we had.


    I naturally pulled out of his grip.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 319


    ¡°... So how did you meet Caitel?¡±


    I went to my room and sat with Dranste because I thought the story would be a little longer. The sunset was nowpletely dark, and it was almost time for dinner, but I ordered a maid to bring me some snacks.


    ¡°Hmm... well.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s so obstinate about it, but Dranste became quiet for a moment.


    At the same time, he did not stop stealing my cookies. The meanest thing was scolding me for eating food, but I wanted to stop him from eating my food, although I knew I shouldn¡¯t. I felt like there were fewer snacks I could eat now because of Dranste. ¡®Hey, this is my snack, stop stealing it.¡¯


    ¡°When Caitel was 13, the castle he used to live in burned down.¡±


    Huh? What?


    I felt like I just heard something strange.


    ¡°The official statement was that the maids in his castle identally caused the fire, but that¡¯s not true. Perhaps you haven¡¯t heard, but Emperor Ivan had a lot of children.¡±


    ¡°I know. I heard he had 28.¡±


    I was still not over with the shock of hearing that. It was a really inexplicable shock. How many times did he have to do it to conceive 28 kids? Well, they said there weren¡¯t enough women in the castle to satisfy him, apparently.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a familiar story. The 6th royal prince who was most expected to be the next emperor tried to remove hispetition. Many of the people in the castle at the time of the fire had already been assassinated. Only a few knights, Caitel, and the head maid were left.¡±


    ¡°... that¡¯s horrible.¡±


    The royal pce was more violent than I thought.


    It made me realize how blessed I was to be an only daughter. How could one threaten children from the moment they were born? Although that¡¯s probably normal in this world... I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Unlike me, who was shuddering, Dranste just smiled.


    ¡°The assassins all aimed for Caitel¡¯s life, and the knights fell one by one while protecting him. Then, the only one left was the head maid who fled with the young Caitel. She jumped in front of the sword of an assassin to save Caitel with her life.¡±


    Thinking about the woman who sacrificed her life to save the young Caitel... made me feel sick.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I came in. The maid was wearing a ne, which was actually a piece of my sword.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s why...

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 320


    I see, now I got it. That¡¯s how they met.


    I didn¡¯t think they would have met under normal circumstances, but this was beyond what I imagined.


    ¡°Back then, I thought the ne belonged to Caitel since he was wearing it. ¡±


    ¡°Caitel was wearing the ne?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I helped him. Most of all, the little kid was so daring that it was funny.¡±


    I guessed he was thinking about that night; Dranste smiled pleasantly. It looked like he was enjoying it. However, was that the only reason he saved Caitel? If the 6th prince who wanted Caitel dead heard about this, he would have drawn his sword from anger.


    ¡°Well, he probably wanted to die back then, but... when I actually left him alone to die in battle, he woulde back alive. That¡¯s why I taught him a thing or two about sword fighting.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re his teacher?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I see. So that¡¯s how it was. I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Now that I knew the truth, I realized that there was nothing grand about it.


    Oh, I thought he would tell me a fantastic story. Dranste giggled at my annoyance. It clearly looked like he was enjoying this moment.


    ¡°Wait, you said you two made a contract. What¡¯s that about?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Well, this time, I was expecting him to say some exciting tales. As I just looked at him, Dranste giggled. His smile was so wicked that I shuddered unconsciously. Ugh.


    ¡°I stabbed a piece of my sword into his heart without asking him. You know the sword that Caitel summons from the air? That¡¯s it.¡±


    Oh, that sword. It¡¯s the sword Caitel always used against Dranste but failed. Now that I thought about it, I hadn¡¯t seen it in a while since Caitel hadn¡¯t summoned it recently. It¡¯s always amazing to see a sword appearing from thin air.


    ¡°So I asked him to pay me for saving his life and for the sword, but he hadn¡¯t paid me yet. I won¡¯t let him die until he pays me back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re evil.¡±


    Was he the devil?


    I looked at Dranste from every angle as if I was looking at a total jerk, but I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s so good about it. He just giggled at me. Wow, no wonder dad hated him. I would have hated Dranste, either. I pitied him for being scolded all the time... but I took that back now, hmph!

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 321


    Was he a devil?


    I looked at Dranste from every angle as if I was looking at a total jerk, but I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s so good about it. He just giggled at me. Wow, no wonder dad hated him. I would have hated Dranste, either. I pitied him for being scolded all the time... but I took that back now, hmph!


    ¡°Do you know how much he benefited from my sword? He basically got two swords; one doesn¡¯t break and can be summoned anytime. Caitel is still alive, all thanks to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sure. Sounds great.¡±


    Wow, that sounded so great. When I slurred over his words, Dranste looked at me and made me look as if he was asking me to believe him.


    Well, that look didn¡¯t make me want to believe him. This was not the first or second time he fooled me. I turned my head from him very coldly.


    ¡°Do you want one too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s gross to think of carrying a piece of your body.¡±


    I meant it. Since I knew then that he¡¯s a sword, keeping a piece of that same sword would be the same as keeping himself with me.


    Dranste tilted his head upon hearing my words. Then, what he said was...


    ¡°But you already have it.¡±


    Huh? What the hell? What the heck did he mean? I tried to refute it as nonsense, but at the moment, I had somethinge in my mind, which made me shut my mouth. Wait...could it be...!


    ¡°Is it my earring?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡®You bastard! How dare you!¡¯


    ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t take it off!¡±


    Dranste giggled at myint. When I realized that I ended up living with a piece of his body since I was two, I had to shiver with an unknown chill. Pervert! I want to take it out right now!


    I reached out to him to take this earring out immediately, but instead, he held my hand. Dranste looked quite serious.


    ¡°Make sure you keep it.¡±


    I was not scared even if he said that!


    Still, I hesitated without realizing what he said.


    ¡°I¡¯lle for you when you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    A low voice... I couldn¡¯t say anything if he put it like that. Gee... oh well, I couldn¡¯t help it. I just sighed eventually. Dransteughed, understanding that sigh as my mark of surrender.


    He knew me too well.

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 322


    I¡¯ve never once assumed that Caitel would have had a happy childhood. My dad holding hands with his parents andughing? I couldn¡¯t imagine that. I got goosebumps. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t think it would be something so unfortunate, full of suffering.


    Well, judging by his bad temper...


    Still, when I heard about my father¡¯s past through Dranste, I realized it was darker than I expected... I felt like there¡¯s some kind of stone weighing down my heart.


    Sigh. I sighed for no reason, and Assisi, standing next to me, looked at me. I just gave him a pretty smile.


    The autumn had already almost passed, and winter was approaching. The temperature was already quite cold. I saw all the trees showing off their empty branches... somehow, that made me miss the winter tree that looked the same all year round.


    White branches and white leaves.


    At first, I was just amazed that a tree like this existed. Now, I had grown so ustomed to the winter tree. I missed it when I hadn¡¯t seen it for so long.


    I just wanted to see the tree, but for some reason, it looked like someone was already here in the Winter Tree. The winter tree was indeed famous, but since it was the guardian spirit of Agrigent, people were afraid of getting cursed by it. Thus, only a few people came close to the tree.


    ¡°You...¡±


    As I stood in front of the winter tree, the eye that looked at me widened with shock. I grinned.


    ¡°What a coincidence, eh?


    ck hair and ck eyes. I had always seen this color, but seeing it in this kind of background is incredible. Above all, it was the first time in my life that I saw a person with the same hair color and eye color.


    Havel frowned.


    I stood by Havel¡¯s side, regardless.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Winter Tree pretty?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He was frowning, yet he answered everything. Wasn¡¯t that just cutest?


    It¡¯s not really a problem that he¡¯s the bastard of Pretzia. However, it looked like he still hated me. Though unlikest time, he¡¯s not as hostile or aggressive.


    ¡°They say a spirit sleeps in here. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    It¡¯s the ancient legend and myth of Agrigent. I hoped I could see the winter spirit with my eyes someday... They said that day woulde when thend was covered in snow, so I almost gave up. I didn¡¯t want to destroy the world for something I wanted to see.

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 323


    Havel grumbled at my words.


    ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about something you see every day?¡±


    ¡°So, should I say it¡¯s not amazing, even though it is?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t pick a fight you can¡¯t win.¡¯


    That¡¯s what made him cute, though. As I smiled, Havel, who was staring at me, frowned with an angry face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you too.¡±


    ¡®Well, do you have anything else to say? Go on if you want to try.¡¯


    I raised my chin as if telling him to pick a fight if he could. Somehow, Havel just stepped back. Perhaps he was only at a loss for words even though he wanted to argue. Oh, you¡¯re quite cute.


    He¡¯s grumpy just like Graecito when I first met him. However, Graecito would proudly say that he would protect me now like a big brother. Now that I thought about it, he was so cute when he used to pick fights with me too.


    Havel must be wary of me since I would just smile and stare at him. Havel looked at me with a frown. However, I was not thinking about anything. One would only harm themselves by worrying, after all. However, I would not bother myself by telling this to him. I was toozy.


    The Winter Tree I saw only after a long time still looked so fresh. Winter wasing soon, so it seemed to be emitting heat that it had been engulfing during the summer. Somehow, in the warmth and gentleness of the air, I smiled. At that moment, I opened my eyes wide while looking at Havel¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your hand?¡±


    His hands were all red. I took Havel¡¯s hand in shock. He seemed to be embarrassed by my touch for a moment, and Havel soon struck my side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so fussy.¡±


    It was not like I would hit him. Did he have to be so hostile even if I just wanted to examine him?


    I didn¡¯t want to touch him even when he warned me not to. I just stayed still. Since I just stayed quiet and stared at Havel, he felt embarrassed about stroking my hand and cleared his throat.


    ¡°... it¡¯s from practicing sword fighting.¡±


    Sword fighting? What was he talking about?


    ¡°You tore your hands because of sword fighting?¡±


    No way. I frowned right away. However, Havel didn¡¯t give me a reply. I just red at his attitude while acting like, ¡®it¡¯s your choice if you wanna believe it or not.¡¯ Was he saying that it was true, then?


    It was so unbelievable that I just looked back on Assisi for no reason. I needed assurance.


    ¡°Assisi, does that make sense?¡±


    However, the answer returned in less than a second.


    ¡°I used to practice like that as well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    These people were insane.


    I only felt sorry for him. God, how could these crazy people still be alive? Did this make sense?

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 324


    How could he practice with a sword until his skin bruised? Did dad practice like this too? The more I learned about sword fighting, the more I was amazed by Graecito. Havel suddenly asked bluntly with tant expression.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never held a sword before, have you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    Yeah, why would I hold the sword? It¡¯s not because I was a woman... I just mean, why would I need a sword?


    ¡°I have a knight who always protects me.¡±


    Assisi was embarrassed. He looked away.


    If he would always be this embarrassed, then it just made me want to tease him more.


    I¡¯d like to tell him that he was the only one I trusted... but I shouldn¡¯t do that since Havel was here. If Assisi and I were alone, I would have teased him more... What a pity.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to learn sword fighting to steal things from others. I¡¯m fine as long as I can protect what¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Do you not remember what your father did?¡±


    Couldn¡¯t he stop making snidements for one second?


    Havel looked at me with confidence. Oh, was he eating Twizzlers? Why was he twisting all my words?


    ¡°My father would do whatever he wants, but I¡¯ll do me. There¡¯s no need for me to be like him.¡±


    Havel shut his mouth upon hearing my answer. I guessed there was nothing he could twist anymore. I looked at Havel, and he looked straight at me too.


    ¡°Even if you say that, the things your father did won¡¯t disappear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    Was that not the answer he expected?


    I just smiled. Well, it¡¯s the truth, though, isn¡¯t it? Caitel was evil.


    ¡°My dad is a bad person. An awful person, even.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay for you to be saying that?¡±


    ¡°Why would I call a bad person good?¡±


    One should say things truthfully, even if it¡¯sborious. If Caitel heard me, he would ask me if I had gone mad. Yeah... This was utterly usible.


    I sighed while imagining that.


    I was not a saint, so I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to shrug off all the hostility shown towards me. I would surely meet more people like this. Even as Caitel built a higher fence to protect me, I would inevitably run into more of these kinds of people. After all, dad had a lot of enemies.


    However, I wouldn¡¯t turn them into enemies. That¡¯s my conclusion.


    We had to return now, but I had something to do before that.


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any medicine to cure that bruise, but I had one thing simr to a bandage. I untitled my ribbon and winded up his hand. Fortunately, the fabric was long enough. It should stay in a ce like a bandage. I finished it beautifully with a ribbon, and I smiled contentedly.


    Havel, who gave me his hands, stepped back while blushing.


    Didn¡¯t he think it¡¯s a littlete for that now? Well, I even wrapped the bandage up, so Iughed as I swept over the flowing hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s my present. Take good care of it.¡±

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 325


    The visitors who came to celebrate Caitel¡¯s birthday from all over thend started to leave one after another.


    This happened every year, but it somehow felt different this year. Even guests from abroad began to turn back to their countries. All the guests with high status came to say goodbye and returned to their ownnd. The royal pce was always full of people, so it didn¡¯t matter if people would leave... but it¡¯s easy to see now when I paid attention.


    ¡°I heard the envoys from Pretzia will be leaving soon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°The situation is a bit different, but the guests from Viterbo are also leaving.¡±


    Upon hearing Silvia¡¯s word, I started wondering for no reason.


    But... Why were they all leaving at once? Did they n to go together or something?


    Perhaps they were scurrying away since it would be winter in Agrigent soon. I just ced my head on my hand and looked down.


    Elyne¡¯s wedding was almost here too.


    I was wondering why marriages among nobles always took so long to prepare. I heard this was actually done quite fast, so I guessed I was wrong. Of course, she¡¯s my maid, so I wanted to go congratte her, but no matter how many times I begged, Caitel never approved.


    I really wanted to go.


    ¡°Princess...¡±


    Elyne came to me when she finished readying to leave.


    I got a little emotional then. I was a princess, yet I couldn¡¯t even attend my own maid¡¯s wedding. They said I couldn¡¯t travel that far for safety reasons. I couldn¡¯t beg dad anymore. Even Assisi and Ferdel kept me from asking my father to allow me to be in Elyne¡¯s wedding.


    Daddy said they should be married in the city if I wanted to attend. However, Elene¡¯s parents were too old, and they couldn¡¯t travel that far... I couldn¡¯t remain stubborn about it anymore. Eventually, their wedding would happen in the ce where it was supposed to ur.


    Elyne, who now was really quitting as my maid and returning to her home, called me. She wouldn¡¯t be my maid anymore... I tried to open my eyes wide because I felt like I would cry.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my present. Don¡¯t be so clumsy, and have a happy marriage, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll visit you often.¡±


    Said Elyne, epting my gift.


    She said that, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t happen. That must be why this felt so painful. Elyne smiled as I looked at her wordlessly. Her smile touched my heart while still trying to be valiant.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 326


    Oh, I tried so hard not to cry, but...


    ¡°Elyne... you¡¯re like my sister. Even if a new maid takes care of me, I won¡¯te to like her as much as I like you.¡±


    Elyne smiled at my words.


    Eventually, Elyne also teared up before leaving. She¡¯s still this young, and I couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯s getting married. Seriraforted us both as I held Elyne¡¯s hand, not wanting to let her go.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s time to let her go.¡±


    ¡°... alright.¡±


    Elyne bowed to me and left the pce.


    It suddenly felt suffocating to see her leaving and watch her from behind.


    I wanted to at least walk her out of the pce... but I couldn¡¯t even do that since I was a princess. I couldn¡¯t even walk her out... At least, It was fortunate that Serira could do so in my stead. If she also couldn¡¯t, I would feel really embarrassed and wouldn¡¯t walk around the pce for a while. I looked down for a moment when I was left alone now with Assisi.


    Only one person was leaving, yet I still felt so lonely.


    It looked like Elyne was more precious to me than I thought.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Assisi called me. I guessed I looked quite depressed. Assisi usually just stayed quiet, but he called me with a worried voice. I was fine, though. Yeah, I was fine! As I said before, Elyne would not die!


    I stood from my seat firmly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see Dad!¡±


    At my loud voice, Assisi opened his eyes wide, surprised for a moment, and soon nodded.


    Yeah, I should go to daddy. I wanted to see him.


    I took Assisi¡¯s hand and walked to the office where my father was. Many people came and went... but Caitel was always in his office. Still in the same ce.


    Of course, that¡¯s true, but... but somehow, I felt thankful for it.


    When I arrived at the office and opened the door, I saw that my extraordinary dad was also working today. I saw him every day, but I was so d to see him today for some reason. I jumped at him.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    When I visited, dad would stop whatever he was doing to hug me. I knew how rude this was and how much this would bother him... but Caitel would ept me just as I was without a word. I knew how gentle he was to me.


    My dad gave me a strange look since I was unusually holding onto his arm.


    What, why?

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 327


    Then he smiled.


    ¡°I wonder why my daughter is acting so childish today.¡±


    Same. Why did I feel like acting childish that day?


    ¡®Your daughter is in a bad mood today. Try to cheer me up, dad.¡¯


    Well... I couldn¡¯t really ask him to cheer me up since he¡¯s not the type of person who would do anything about it. I just closed my mouth instead.


    Putting down the document that he was holding, Caitel changes his posture. I was now in his arms as Caitel caught my eye straight.


    Red eyes.


    I had always seen those eyes since the day I was born.


    Since when did those eyes look at me with such affection? I was not sure. I didn¡¯t know, but somehow, I felt like I did know. What in the world was I thinking, I asked the question that I would never have asked regrly then.


    ¡°Daddy, do you love me?¡±


    Most children probably asked this to their parents at least once. However, I had never asked this in my whole life. Since I gave up on getting the right answer a long time ago, I felt a bit strange asking this question.


    Caitel looked down at me as if he were asking me why I had such thoughts.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I see.


    Of course. I knew it.


    That¡¯s kind of a relief... but I felt a bit conflicted and annoyed somehow. I could feel that feeling.


    ¡°Why are you asking me all of a sudden?¡±


    Just because I was crazy. What about it? I just shut my mouth as Caitel raised his hand and stroked my head. Somehow his touch was a little sweet. Daddy¡¯s smiling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my daughter has ever asked something like that before.¡±


    Right, I never asked that. I knew it, but I somehow felt his love, so I just had to know. Although I knew it wasn¡¯t real. I justughed, thinking I shouldn¡¯t have asked. I would just smile instead. It would be awkward if I actually answered.


    Caitel frowned upon seeing my smile. Why! Didn¡¯t he love my smile!?


    ¡°Are you feeling insecure?¡±


    Not at all.


    That¡¯s not true at all... but I guessed he thought I was acting oddly today. Caitel sighed, then he smiled. Somehow his slight smile surprised me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t love you... but I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    The hand he used to touch my cheek now patted my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you no matter what happens. I¡¯ll give you anything you wish for. You don¡¯t have to get married.¡±


    Wait, this was...


    I tried to say something, and Caitel shook his head.


    ¡°Instead...¡±


    His stern voice, nce, and...


    ¡°Just stay by my side, and don¡¯t die.¡±

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 328


    I bit my lips in a moment of passion. I lowered my head quickly but couldn¡¯t hide my tears because of my father, who forced me to raise my head. Oh, how should I describe this? I saw my dad¡¯s eyes with teary eyes.


    ¡°Is it because you¡¯ll be bored without me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A tiny smile. But it wasn¡¯t so annoying today¡ªCaitel smiled. It touched my heart for the first time. That¡¯s how he looked at me as my father.


    ¡°If you stay by my side, I¡¯ll protect you with my life.¡±


    He said he would sell me away before. I still remembered that. Now, he¡¯s saying something different.


    ¡°If you wish, I¡¯ll have all the countries in thisnd at your feet.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    Idiot, was that what he called love!?


    Oh jeez. My father was definitely an idiot. I couldn¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t even know that he loved me after confessing so much of it. Idiot, he was terrible at everything except being sarcastic and picking a fight.


    But I was an idiot too.


    Since I hade to love this idiot father of mine so much...


    Since when had I grown so fond of him? I was not sure. When I looked up at Caitel with a teary face, dad smiled. His smile made me emotional again. Oh, we¡¯re both idiots.


    ¡°Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Dad.¡±


    Caitel said this wasn¡¯t love, but I would say it was. I would say what I wanted.


    ¡®I love you, my father.¡¯


    Caitel¡¯s face hardened as if my confession was shocking. I had always thought that I could blow him up, but I never imagined that I could make him be this way. I held his hand that he used to pat on my head. Holding that hand tightly with both hands, I ced my dad¡¯s hand on my cheek.


    His hand felt so warm.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t go anywhere and live happily with me, alright?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s lips opened slowly. He looked stunned. I had always wanted to surprise him one day, but I didn¡¯t think it would be like this.


    ¡®Yeah, dad, what a surprise, eh?¡¯


    I bet he would snap out of it andugh at me like usual. He wouldugh and tease me before agreeing at thest moment when I got angry.


    However, my prediction was wrong. He looked awkward, as if he¡¯d never made that expression before, and nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Arca ll


    Hardeiun, year 515, January 21st. It¡¯s snowing.


    It seemed like the princess was bing more daringtely. She already knew how to control Sir Assisi, and His Majesty had been on her hand long ago. Of course, me too...


    I was curious if she¡¯s not afraid of Sir Knight, but now, I could understand. There¡¯s no man like him around. Yes, of course. Perhaps his kindness was too much of a problem.


    Oh, and this was secret, but he still guarded the princess¡¯ room overnight. What a surprise!


    ¡®Elyne, Sir Zavaikal would be embarrassed if you write this. And the fact the princess was bing more daring... I couldn¡¯t deny that.¡¯


    ¡®Yes! Right, Lady Serira!?¡¯


    -Taken from an excerpt in an imperial maid¡¯s diary-

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 329


    The Emperor¡¯s Memorandum


    ¡°You should be a good father.¡±


    A word that suddenly came to his mind stayed in his ears like an echo. The memory that suddenly came to the surface of the water made Caitel frown immediately.


    A faint smile rose with an unfamiliar voice.


    An unpleasant feeling crept up to his body after this vivid afterimage. Caitel clenched his teeth. The Emperor¡¯s sudden furious spirit, while he was reading a book, terrified the maid who¡¯s only idly standing there. The sudden rise of old memories had offended Caitel.


    ¡®When did I ever remember this?¡¯


    He looked back on his own memory. He thought he wouldn¡¯t remember, but unexpectedly, it returned very vividly. It was a shabby old memory that he had already forgotten for nearly a decade. It¡¯s the kind of memory that happened so long ago that it was now torn to pieces. It¡¯s somewhat surprising that he still remembered it. However, to him, it¡¯s as vivid as yesterday.


    Bang!


    Caitel closed the book he was reading with this nasty memory gnawing away his mood. The loud sound rang in the room. It had been long since the maids left. Nevertheless, Caitel breathed a long sigh and touched his forehead.


    ¡®I was thinking of taking a little break after a long time.¡¯


    ¡®Some unpleasant memory makes me feel like shit. I am holding it in with superhuman patience, but I wanted to grab anything and hack it until it¡¯s only mincemeat. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt this fierce spirit inside me.¡¯


    ¡°...Father.¡±


    A cynical voice scoffed the voice in his memory.


    Oh, yes, that was thest word that had been given to him.


    Was that what people usually call out while leaving theirst will?


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    While making fun of that, Caitel stood up.


    ¡®I get these stupid thoughts in my mind because I¡¯m not working.¡¯


    He got kicked out of his office because he worked too much, but Caitel headed there again without hesitation. Looking at the maids, it seemed like the news about the Emperor¡¯s terrible mood had swiftly spread in the pce. Well, it¡¯s a matter of life or death for them, so it¡¯s bound to be swift. Everyone was holding their breath to stay out of his sight. Looking at those pitiful maggots, Caitel soon lost his interest in them.


    It¡¯s not fun to press on the frightened.

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 330


    The Emperor¡¯s Memorandum


    ¡®However, my temper was getting better these days. If it was back in the days when I just went wild without knowing mercy, I¡¯d already seen blood. Yes, if it were those days, I would have already removed anything offensive without caring for anything else.¡¯


    Realizing what a mess he was, Caitel hurled insults back at himself. Some busybodies said the emperor hade to his senses as he got older, but he knew better than anyone. His temper was something that wouldn¡¯t die just because he got a bit older. If it had been so, his temper would have been fixed long ago.


    The butler, Lord Stewart, or the butler minister, who had just sent him off to rest, gave a worried look right away as he entered the office. However, Caitel didn¡¯t push him like before, as if he had noticed that he would not survive if he scolded him now. Caitel sat and immediately gave out an order.


    ¡°Get me the report I was working on earlier.¡±


    The butler looked dissatisfied, but he piled up the file in front of Caitel withoutining.


    I felt a little better when I saw a pile of work.


    That¡¯s funny.


    Caitel sneered at himself, thinking it was a strange situation. Then he picked up a document and read it.


    ¡®Yes, this was how I let go of my temper that I used to run to war every time. I would feel a sense of aplishment as I dealt with all the piles of documents. I also realized that I have a nasty issue with stress. However, it was a habit that had be so rigid that it became unknown at some point. It has reced my habit of wanting to go into a battlefield where blood sshed and flesh was scratched. Now, I was more used to this than killing people. Holding onto the documents makes me feel better. Then howe I would still have instances where I would remember nasty memories like that suddenly?¡¯


    ¡°You should be a good father.¡±


    It was a will that Caitel¡¯s father had left him while he was trying to bring down his father and rise to the throne at the age of 19.


    He was a man who bequeathed him a sword that slew his other son because he wanted to leave something for generations toe. Caitel never had good memories with his father, but he still left that sort of will.


    Caitel sincerely despised him.

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 331


    The Emperor¡¯s Memorandum


    How dare he give such advice? After that, it was true that Caitel had no more hesitation in killing women who wanted to tie him up with his child.


    He really didn¡¯t need any children.


    ¡°Be a good father...¡±


    Even if it wasn¡¯t about the previous Emperor, Caitel didn¡¯t want to be a father in the first ce. It wasn¡¯t just because of thest will of that man.


    Wasn¡¯t it so obvious that one didn¡¯t even have to look at him for confirmation? A child from a man like him? Even his mother was as bloodthirsty as him; there¡¯s no way this child would be a decent human being. Moreover, he had no mercy for women while being blinded and tempted by his power and status.


    ¡°Ha...¡±


    Sweeping his hair up, Caitel closed the document he was looking at with a sinking mood. It wasn¡¯t that he was feeling worse, but something was bothering him. Unfortunately, it is not an issue that could be solved only by working with documents.


    The contents of the documents were not something he could solve conventionally, anyway. Since Agrigent¡¯s territory had grown exponentially more than before, problems in the country had increased into a pile. His homework had also doubled. It would not be strange if either of them exploded right now, but Ferdel could manage it well without overflowing orcking. His ability was actually quite useful.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t put him in the position of chancellor for nothing.¡¯


    Without that ability, Caitel would¡¯ve killed Ferdel already a long time ago. Recalling the memory of how he beat him up yesterday, Caitel stood up.


    ¡®I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡¯


    He would go to the tourney hall and do some warm-up, but once he thought of it, the door to his office suddenly opened.


    How dare any man enter the emperor¡¯s office proudly without permission? As soon as he thought of it, a little girl appeared¡ªa familiar yet strange being. Ria saw Caitel and ran to him right away. Once he saw her, Caitel¡¯s expression rxed briefly.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    The child who ran to him was only about as tall as Caitel¡¯s knee¡ªa tiny and tender creature. She would likely break if he gripped her the wrong way. The idea had been a constant stream of sentiment since she was a baby. Back then, she didn¡¯t look like a human being.


    Ria came to him and grabbed his pants before smiling brightly. It¡¯s just a usual smile, but the mysterious displeasure that had umted within him since earlier melted down as early spring snow melted.


    ¡®This feels like... I felt very strange.¡¯

 Chapter 332

    Chapter 332: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 332


    ¡°... what brought my daughter to the office?¡±


    ¡®Naturally, I held her in my arms, and she hugged me as if she was used to it. The child smiled. It was a bright, innocent smile.¡¯


    ¡°Nothing? I just came to see you!¡±


    Ria looked up at him as if she wanted to know what¡¯s wrong with him. It was a shameless and imposing answer that Caitel justughed it off. It was a simple daily life, but he felt a strange sense of separation from his memory.


    A daughter.


    ¡®Come to think of it, since when did I have a daughter? I never wanted to be a father.¡¯


    He wondered. She was made without any n or intention, but she gradually became the only exception in most of his personal rules. Indeed, she became his daughter.


    Looking down at Ria, who was now more familiar to him than anyone else, Caitel thought. How did this happen?


    Then, he stupidly realized by looking at her eyes.


    Right, I allowed her to live because I was interested in these eyes. It was just a moment¡¯s whim, though. That¡¯s right. It certainly was at first.


    ¡°Daddy?¡±


    A stupid woman who desperately wanted to have a child instead of keeping her life, and a man who held this child alive at the spur of the moment, he didn¡¯t know which one¡¯s more stupid, but he certainly didn¡¯t feel this way at first.


    At first, it¡¯s just...


    An amusement to soothe my boredom. It was only that much.


    ¡®The only thing she could do was cry, smile, eat, and sleep, but maybe I was amazed to see her trying to talk and turn her body upside down and start to sleep. Was it the cause of the trouble that I began to keep by my side? Was it the problem as to why I started wondering what she would think when she knows that her father is this kind of person? Was it wrong to just wonder if she will be pessimistic about her situation?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    He was curious about it before, but now he forgot all about it. He couldn¡¯t even some of those worries remember now.


    It was a shocking thing.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    The red eyes that he also had were shining naively. The way she tilted her head in wonder when he stared silently was so obvious. It¡¯s so apparent that it¡¯s meaningless to look at them like this.


    I could see her mind all the way to the bottom. Who else would be as pure as this?

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 333


    Caitel justughed. He knew better than anyone that this child was the only one who could have such a bright eye without any interest in his wealth and status.


    Since when has she be so important?


    Looking down at his daughter, whom he couldn¡¯t kill anymore, Caitel asked.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Assisi?¡±


    He was wondering about the absence of a guardian knight who usually followed his daughter like a shadow, but Ria just looked around and tilted her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wonder where he went.¡±


    It¡¯s not a big move, but her small actions weren¡¯t that bad. Caitel put his hand on his daughter¡¯s cheek for no reason. Caitel frowned as if he¡¯s annoyed, but Ria did not move his hand.


    ... He didn¡¯t know it when he didn¡¯t have a daughter, but when he got one... yes, having a daughter was pretty lovely.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    Suddenly, she shook her body as if something came to her mind.


    This was a sign of letting go. When Caitel put Ria on the floor, she suddenly took something out of her pocket. Caitel observed Ria.


    What she took out of her pocket was a bundle of thin paper.


    Caitel saw something written on it, but Ria, who was still not good at reading, opened both of them and tilted her head. Her father, who could read letters, stood right before her nose, but she suddenly furnished her eyes to the butler standing next to her.


    ¡°Which one should I give to daddy, this one or this one?¡±


    The butler pointed to one with a happy expression as if he was dying of the cuteness.


    Then Ria brought the paper with excitement.


    Wait, here¡¯s someone who knew how to read letters right before her. Why was she asking the butler? He couldn¡¯t understand, but Caitel didn¡¯t express suchints directly. Ria put out her hand.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    What was handed over was a note. The daughter smiled brightly.


    ¡°Ferdel wanted to give this to you!¡±


    Did she know what¡¯s written on this note? He wondered but didn¡¯t want to erase the proud smile from her face. Sometimes, he liked to tease her, but it wasn¡¯t bad to leave her in such a good mood.


    On the thin piece of paper Ria handed over, Ferdel¡¯s note was written in roughly scribbled letters.


    ¡®I want to have dinner at the pce tonight too. Put me in.¡¯


    Looking at Ria, she folded up the other paper and ced it carefully in her pocket. Sneaking at what his daughter was doing, Caitel threw away Ferdel¡¯s note.


    ¡°Shall we go for a walk?¡±


    Ria tilted her head after hearing Caitel¡¯s question.


    Looking at the child tilting her head from side to side was quite tolerable. He used to think it was stupid. Caitel just smiled, thinking about how different impressions coulde from the same behavior.


    When Caitel reached out to her, a tiny maple leaf-like hand was ced on his hand.


    ¡°Can we?¡±


    She was asking if he was working, but Caitel lightly ignored it. The daughter, who was in his arms again, was still infinitely light.


    ¡°Yes, we can.¡±

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 334


    I knew very well that I was especially close to my daughter.


    It was true that he was too close to her to the point where he couldn¡¯t refute rumors that she was loved by the emperor.


    It¡¯s natural to have lunch and dinner and sleep in the same bedroom in the same bed. If this was not a close rtionship, then what could be? Of course, there was a reason for keeping her close, but Caitel had nothing to say because it was just an ideal type of father and daughter rtionship.


    ¡°You¡¯ve fallen in love with the princess, too. What else can it be?¡±


    He kept Ferdel¡¯s mouth shut by throwing decorated water bottles at the nonsense Ferdel, and Caitel slowly recalled his memory.


    When did it start?


    It was undoubtedly because she was so interesting that he began to keep the child by his side.


    Should I say it¡¯s because it was interesting that a baby who couldn¡¯t resist and was about to die when he pressed it with his hands, acted like a human being? He¡¯s sure that Ferdel wouldn¡¯t understand, but sometimes he felt like the baby could understand what he was saying.


    Those experiences were... fun. Yes, it was.


    However, when such a young child began to walk and talk, she started growing up like a person. Sometimes it still felt weird to see her who had now be a perfectly realized human person.


    Was she the same person as that little weird-looking creature?


    When he thought of her childhood when he even had to be careful of hugging, he sometimes felt insecure about her running around like that. Still, Caitel watched her silently. It wasn¡¯t that bad watching her running around like that. Instead, it was beyond imagination thinking when he was growing up.


    It¡¯s quite alright¡ªnot bad.


    Since she was a baby, she loved ying in the garden so much that he has made a garden of her own. Ria yed around there.


    Of course, he sometimes didn¡¯t understand why she¡¯s always stuck in a field with nothing special in it. What the hell¡¯s good about the garden?


    Still, it made him feel better to think that, for his daughter, the pce would be considered a little morefortable and pleasant because of these ces. Well, that didn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s still a disgusting ce for him.


    ¡°I want to have a daughter like our princess too.¡±


    Next to him, Ferdel was making a long face. Such was what he desired after getting two sons.


    ¡°You want something you can¡¯t have forever.¡±


    ¡°Why!? I can have it too! You¡¯ll see it! I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get a daughter, too!¡±

 Chapter 335

    Chapter 335: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 335


    Although he wanted to hit Ferdel¡¯s head to wake him up because he was too tired of saying pathetic words, Caitel decided to ignore Ferdel, who never quitted whining. He would have reacted if this happened once or twice, but this situation became way too familiar.


    Meanwhile, Ria, who made eye contact with him, smiled brightly and waved her hand. He was now familiar with the situation, but at first, he found it difficult because he was not used to it. It¡¯s really not big of a deal, though.


    Still, it¡¯s a mystery for him.


    Why was she waving her hands?


    Nevertheless, he knew that her small move made his facial expression softer than before. What a strange thing to ur.


    ¡°...¡±


    When he¡¯s like this, he sometimes thought that it was not bad at all. When he¡¯s tired of this kind of peaceful life, he would sometimes miss the days when his blood would boil, but when he faced her smile, the blood that used to get heated up would cool down at once.


    It was an extraordinary feeling.


    He could return after a few months on the battlefield, but the fact that he would not be able to see her smile and hear her voice made him hesitate about going to the battle.


    ¡®... Am I insane?¡¯


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    While I was thinking about whether I was really insane or if it was time to die, Ria, who ran in front of me, looked up.


    Her body was so small that he had to look down at her. Even if she grew more here, she would never have had a chance to do the same.


    ¡°Daddy, here you go.¡±


    What the daughter gave him was a peach-colored penstemon. Ria smiled brightly as I looked at whether she had picked the flowers in the garden.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from me. Take it!¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know what this meant. The nanny exined that she wanted to show me what she saw, but I still couldn¡¯t understand what that meant. She could just look at it by herself. Why did she have to bring it to me?¡¯


    Caitel looked down at the penstemon for a moment. In his head, he thought she was doing something useless, but before he knew it, his hands reached out to receive the flower.


    He frowned right away on what he just did.


    ¡°What are you giving me to use this for?¡±


    Ria quickly pouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you to appreciate it because it¡¯s pretty.

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 336


    She looked at him with frustration for not knowing that, but he didn¡¯t feel bad. He was just curious and felt strange about this meaningless action. Caitel sneered.


    ¡°You picked flowers just to look at them?¡±


    Ria tilted her head after hearing his murmur. Seeing her innocent expression, he wanted to keep annoying her.


    ¡°Eh, can¡¯t I?¡±


    Her serious contemtion made him smile. This was how most of his days with his child were.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t hate flowers, but I didn¡¯t like them that much either.¡¯ Caitel always ignored them because he was not interested. Thus, when he walked, he only saw a colorlessndscape, but when he received the flower in his hand, some kind of emotion doubled up within him.


    Other times, he would have thrown it away without mercy, but now it¡¯s a bit...


    I didn¡¯t feel like it.


    What should I do with this?


    Caitel kept his mouth shut because he had no idea what to do with the flower, but suddenly Ferdel put out his head.


    ¡°Princess, what about me?¡±


    ¡°For Ferdel?¡±


    Full of anticipation, Ferdel¡¯s glistened, but somehow, my daughter muttered with a troubled face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any...¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t help but feel better.¡¯


    ¡°Ek!¡±


    Ferdel was in tears as if he couldn¡¯t take this, but Caitel was convinced.


    He couldn¡¯t be treated the same as her father.


    If Ferdel knew what he was thinking, he would have countered that he¡¯s her godfather and that he should be treated the same way she did to her father, but unfortunately, Ferdel had no knack for reading other people¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°So mean! The princess is cold!¡±


    Ferdel cried out. Ria looked sorry as she saw him being upset. Not knowing that the emperor¡¯s gaze, sitting beside him, was getting sharp, Ferdel whined.


    It was then...


    ¡°Oh, would you like to take this instead?¡±


    As if she suddenly had a good idea, Ria brought the pot that stood beside her. It was a nt that Silvia once gave her.


    ¡°...¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s face changed dramatically when he saw the Venus Flytrap with its mouth wide open. He waved his hand right away.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say you¡¯re fine!¡±


    When she forced the pot into his arms, Ferdel dropped his head with a gloomy look. When Caitel sneered at it, Ria turned her head.


    ¡°Do you want this too, Dad?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Of course, Caitel immediately refused.


    Ria turned back with an unsatisfied look at his refusal. What she¡¯s doing didn¡¯t look fun, but she had a big smile on her face anyway.


    On the other hand, there were a lot of dark clouds on his other side.


    ¡°Princess, that¡¯s too much...¡±

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 337


    Either way, he sat back and watched his daughter y.


    Ria wasn¡¯t doing anything special, but there was something that attracted his eyes just by looking at her. It wasn¡¯t as impressive as when she was a baby, but it¡¯s still interesting to see her move like that.


    In fact, he recognized that he was too mature for his daughter.


    Not because she was his own child, but because she was so small that she would die quickly, but the habit of letting her off one after another still lingered because he was amazed at how she did a lot of things. Thus, even if she¡¯s a little cocky or a little presumptuous, he still allowed her to do what she pleased.


    If it were anyone else, he¡¯d already decapitated her.


    Well, the busybodies called it an ¡®Emperor¡¯s favorite,¡¯ but Caitel himself thought it was a little different.


    ¡®Favor. Can one really exin all these feelings with that word?¡¯


    In fact, no royal family spends more time with their own children than Caitel. Among the nobility, there was only one example in the Viterbo family. The higher the status, the less time they had with their children.


    Parenting was a pastime for all servants and maids in the family. Of course, parenting culture in the royal family was worse.


    Of course, raising a descendant was an important task, but the nanny was responsible for everything. It was the same for him when he was growing up, but being a parent was just a matter of justification; in fact, there was no inconvenience without it. After all, a nanny would take real care of raising a child.


    It¡¯s called a parent, but it¡¯s not a parent. It¡¯s something else.


    The nanny took care of everything until the child reached theiring-of-age ceremony. Also, the role of parents ended with just giving directions. They didn¡¯t touch anything other than telling them what direction to take.


    This was the free practice of parenting.


    ¡°... She ys well.¡±


    However, it¡¯s already been too much for Caitel to break the rules and care for so many things.


    Was it merely because she was interesting?


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why.¡¯


    Although it was uncertain, there was still one thing clear about this whole thing.


    He couldn¡¯t sleep at night without that child¡¯s warmth beside him.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way, when would Princess Ria move out of this pce?¡±


    Ferdel, who had kept the venus flytrap aside and continued his report, suddenly asked. With his chin up, Caitel turned his eyes and stared at Ferdel with a confused expression. Ferdel just smiled.

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 338


    ¡°No, but you know? If you¡¯re a working-ss citizen, your daughter would already be at the age where you would have pushed her to earn money. Still in the same pce and sleeping in the same bedroom... Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little strange?¡±


    ¡°Mind your own business.¡±


    Ferdel pouted when Caitel cut his words sharply. Anyone could tell that he looked displeased, but Caitel didn¡¯t care. Actually, he was aware of it. He had to do the same for his child, just like him, when he used a different pce since he was born.


    Serira said she would be lonely because she was an only child, but it was only natural for the royal family.


    ¡®No wonder you¡¯re so alone that you don¡¯t even know how lonely you are.¡¯


    He¡¯s reluctant to let her know the world that he knew. He¡¯s sure that he didn¡¯t have this kind of hesitation before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you and your daughter alone, but your courtier won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With a sneer, Ferdel turned his head. Ferdel was so smooth and quiet about it as if he¡¯s somewhat surprised that Caitel didn¡¯t expect it.


    ¡°They¡¯re already loudly talking about this, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Enough temper tests. Caitel snatched Ferdel¡¯s neck without hesitation.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make a loud noise inside your head too.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, forgive me! Forgive me, please!¡±


    ¡®You don¡¯t even think about this when you¡¯re making fun of me with your tongue, do you?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m seriously considering pulling out that tongue that he stopped using once he got hit. However, this is my problem, so I just ignored it and punched other parts of his body other than that filthy mouth of his.¡¯


    ¡®When I was doing that, my daughter, who was ying far away, smiled again.¡±


    My daughter.


    I didn¡¯t really want to protect her, but I couldn¡¯t stand it when other people broke my property. It¡¯s mine, after all. I own it.


    That¡¯s why he started to let her sleep in his bedroom. It was first done to prevent the assassination of those who feared the emperor from having an heir.


    ¡®Sleeping in one bed... well, I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    ¡®Was it just a whimper? Or was there no reason for it? ¡®


    ¡®No matter where it began, I couldn¡¯t sleep properly now without the small breathing from the side.¡¯


    ¡®I know I can protect her without doing that. I have enough ability to do so. She wouldn¡¯t even know it, but as long as she won¡¯t die because of him, this life has already been foreseen.¡¯

 Chapter 339

    Chapter 339: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 339


    This pce was a floor of thin ice where one¡¯s life might always be sought after another. Some of them were concerned that the emperor finally had his heir, while others were many women who were blinded by jealousy. Since there was a rumor that he favored her, the assassination attempt was even more rampant now.


    Well, they were all the same anyways.


    As long as this was the pce and he was the emperor, such things could never be quickly acted upon. That¡¯s why he gave her a knight, a guardian attached to her. Her guardian knight was even the strongest in Agrigent.


    However, even with all those protections, he had still not kicked his daughter out of his bedroom. Why? Why?


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Ria came running with another flower. Looking at her running this way, Caitel groaned.


    ¡°Daddy, look at this, this.¡±


    He unwittingly bit his lips when he looked at his innocent smiling daughter. Was he worried that she¡¯d be lonely? Was that the reason why he was still allowing her to sleep beside him?


    They were all funny guesses.


    ¡°I found this flower. Isn¡¯t this so pretty? Huh?¡±


    He already knew it on his own. Someday he¡¯d have to set her free. From now on, he could only spend one or a maximum of two more years with her. When those incentive years ended, he had to let her go to another pce.


    Could I see her properly if I sent her to another pce?


    It was his excuse: the child felt lonely when she¡¯s away from him.


    ¡®Would my days still be the same if I give her another pce other than Sy? Can this daily routine of waking up while looking at her sleeping face in the morning, eating meals together, and facing each other when sleeping again be maintained?¡¯


    ¡®I say... I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    In the first ce, his own parents¡¯ memory could be counted in his hand, and all the assumptions he could think of were all so sketchy.


    In fact, he was the one who wasn¡¯t ready to be separated from her yet.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He knew she should be on her own now, but he¡¯s just holding onto it.


    Greed. Yeah, this was just a work of his greed.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna put this flower in my room. Can I do that?¡±


    When he looked at his daughter¡¯s innocent face, suddenly, one thought came into his mind. ¡®Yeah, I would quit one day, but at the same time, different ideas dominated my mind.¡¯


    ¡®No, just a little bit more.¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ... Yes, just a little bit more like this.

 Chapter 340

    Chapter 340: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 340


    ¡®The only memory I have of my father was when the day he died.¡¯


    ¡®If you ask me if that was shocking or sad, well...¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve never thought about what it was like, but I didn¡¯t feel anything like sadness or grief. The existence of a father was too far and abstract for him toe up with anything.¡¯


    ¡®Father¡ª¡¯


    The word contains no affection or other fragments of emotion. They were all naught but meaningless words. It was unfortunate, in a way, but it was also natural for Caitel.


    For him, parents were simply something that existed and nothing more. They were better off dead.


    ¡°Parents...¡±


    The previous Emperor Ivan had three wives.


    His first empress that he met while he was a prince, and the second empress after that... they both died from taking medication meant to cure their inability to bear children. Then came princess Erika from Izarta. Emperor Ivan¡¯sst empress. Caitel¡¯s mother.


    Izarta¡¯s princess was still a 16-year-old youngdy when she married the emperor. When the princess was 15, she fell in love at first sight with the Emperor of Agrigent while she was in a farawaynd.


    At that time, Emperor Ivan was 29 years old. The whole country was rmed when the princess expressed her desire to marry a man 14 years her senior. In the end, the princess seeded after threatening suicide if the marriage wouldn¡¯t happen. She became the official empress that she dreamed of being.


    However, a dream was only sweet while she was still dreaming.


    After seeing the emperor ying around with other women a week after their marriage, the princess fell ill from shock. Nobody cared about her, a foreigner from a farawaynd.


    ¡°... mhm.¡±


    He was staring at the ceiling of the room because he could not easily fall asleep. Then he heard someone move to the side. Caitel lowered his gaze. When he turned his eyes, he saw his daughter sleeping.


    Unknowingly, he reached out to his hand to fix her messy hair. His sleeping daughter smiled as if she enjoyed that warmth. He¡¯d never imagined him smiling just by looking at her smile. Like a wee rain, she slowly seeped into his life. It¡¯s an entirely new experience for him.


    Extending his arms and patting her back in his arms, Caitel recalled his mother. Mother... He wondered if there¡¯s another word as unfamiliar to him as that.


    Caitel suddenly smiled. When he thought about his parents, all he remembered was a thick curtain, a dark room... and a voice that he had long forgotten. It¡¯s so pathetic that he couldn¡¯t evenugh.


    ¡°What a joke.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even be a father, yet he said those impudent words.


    An unpleasant sensation rose again. ¡®You should be a good father.¡¯ Nonsense.


    He was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t even continue his words. He had no trace of hatred left, but he¡¯s not forgiving enough to shrug off someone¡¯s meddling. Caitel red into the dark with a cool and sharp gaze.

 Chapter 341

    Chapter 341: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 341


    My father.


    No, Emperor Ivan... was the most useless emperor of all. He was such an ipetent emperor and was not a person who shouldn¡¯t have been an emperor. He became the ruler of the nation when he was 22, and the only thing he aplished was increasing the size of his harem.


    No, wait. There¡¯s one more thing.


    He changed the country for the worse after being crowned.


    The pce was filled with snakes who tried to please the emperor. Policies only benefited the wealthy nobles. Everywhere was filled with the endlessughter of women. Even powerful nobles offered their wives and daughters to the emperor in return for more wealth and power. The pce was in chaos. The city might be called holy now, but it was a city of lust and greed during emperor Ivan¡¯s rule. Greed spread throughout the city, like a putrid disease.


    A city of greed and lust...


    That was what the capital of the time, Girgento, looked like. The concubine was not over forty for no reason, and there was a reason why the emperor had over twenty-something children. If the great emperor Vayebizel were to see how far the empire had fallen, he would have turned over in his grave and climbed out with a sword.


    Emperor Vayebizel was a genuine ruler that raised Agrigent into an empire during a turbulent age. Caitel had such respect for him. Then again, he was the worst in terms of leaving an heir...


    ¡°Well, he had a bad judgment when it came to women too.¡±


    Emperor Vayebizel had three sons with different mothers. The three brothers were especially close and friendly then; they were amazed by other countries. No one could even imagine that would happen.


    The emperor suddenly passed away from an unknown cause. Then, the second prince poisoned the first crown prince andmitted treason. It all happened in a sh. Everyone was shocked, but no one could stand up to the second prince, who quickly seized power. By the time the youngest prince realized it, he was already imprisoned for the crown prince¡¯s assassination. It happened when all was said and done.


    The second prince¡¯s sudden rebellion shocked even neighboring countries, but the real shock came after that.


    Once crowned, emperor Carl began his reign of tyranny. 6 months. During those 6 months, he killed more than 20,000 people. In the end, rumors started to spread that Emperor Carl had assassinated emperor Vayebizel.


    ¡°Of course, that was true as well.¡±


    On one fated day, the youngest prince Ivan was to be executed for poisoning the crown prince.

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 342: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 342


    All the nobles who couldn¡¯t stand the tyranny of Emperor Carl all stood up in a riot. The riot ended in sess when Ivan beheaded Emperor Carl. Emperor Ivan had be the twentieth emperor of Agrigent with everyone¡¯s approval.


    Everyone was happy, but only one person was happy at all.


    And that was Caitel¡¯s father, Emperor Ivan, himself who¡¯s bing the emperor.


    His brother had killed his beloved eldest brother. He had to kill him with his own hands. It¡¯s not that Caitel didn¡¯t understand how he felt, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯s forgiven for everything he did thereafter.


    The puppet ruler.


    His authority wasn¡¯t taken away by someone else. He let go of his power over political affairs. It¡¯s a story that Caitel admitted himself.


    A king that didn¡¯t do anything after taking the throne... was more horrible than one would expect.


    He sat on his throne and sneered over his subjects¡¯ honeyed words, but still, he just allowed them to do that. He would watch his subjects lust after power like ants crowding over sugar. That¡¯s how everything fell into chaos.


    It was disgusting. If it¡¯s not disgusting, then what could it be?


    A giant ant colony. That¡¯s what he saw as he grew up in the pce of Agirgentom. A hell where disgusting bugs filled every crevice. Men who have lost their chastity and fidelity were intertwined, and a tedious ¡®love game¡¯ happened in broad daylight. Otherwise, it was just a sick human chess game. It was a hell of a mind-wandering hell to use each other somehow.


    It couldn¡¯t have been good. It couldn¡¯t be right.


    There was no way respect could have been created for his father, who made such a scene. He was a man who had never met face to face until Caitel was 13 years old.


    He could have escaped that hell if he had the will to do so. However, he chose not to do anything. There was no way that respect remained for such an ipetent man.


    Unless it¡¯s some sort of pathetess.


    One might wonder why the child¡¯s mother would fall for such a worthless man. Caitel was just too cheap for her love.


    He just reached out his hand.


    Caitel¡¯s daughter was still in a deep sleep, facing him.


    His fingertip touches her soft cheek. The child frowned as if she was aware that someone was touching her. Her frowning face was cute, too, though.

 Chapter 343

    Chapter 343: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 343


    He didn¡¯t have a grand purpose for bing the emperor.


    Also, he never thought this seat was ever fit for him. Someone who desperately wanted his throne would be mad, but for him, the throne was a seat he could abandon and leave at any time even if he was sitting on it. As much as that, the throne of the emperor was not valuable for him. He¡¯s merely staying there because it¡¯sfortable for now.


    He wasn¡¯t interested in thousands of his people and this empire.


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t neglect his governing duties. After all, he didn¡¯t want to be a worthless emperor like his father. He despised his ipetent father, so he didn¡¯t want to be like him.


    There were already more than 10 princes from other mistresses at that time. Then, he was born from the empress. He was pretty much a sacrifice for the others to kill.


    Besides being the son of the official empress, he also inherited rare, silver, and red hair. It was apparent that he would be a target. His mother and father didn¡¯t care about his safety, so he came close to death numerous times.


    However, he didn¡¯t n to let them kill him so quickly. He tried to survive as best as possible, and only when there was nothing else he could do... that¡¯s when he decided he would die.


    It was natural in a way that the memories of his childhood were not good. That was when he met Dranste. It was like a miracle.


    ¡®If we hadn¡¯t met... my life would have ended when I was 13 in that burning pce.¡¯


    ¡°...the head maid.¡±


    All he could remember was that she was a strict woman with thin hands... yet something boiled within him ever so slightly when he thought of her.


    She raised him in ce of his parents, who abandoned him in a castle. His nurse took care of him while the head maid raised him.


    If affection existed within him, it would probably be what he felt towards the two of them.


    They both ended up dying, but he never thought he was lonely.


    After all, he had his revenge.


    He was alone once again, just like he was before.


    ¡®Did I grieve a little bit? I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    His father greeted him like a returning prodigal son, yet he was there to kill him... then Emperor Ivan killed himself, saying he wouldn¡¯t allow Caitel tomit patricide.

 Chapter 344

    Chapter 344: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 344


    His father greeted him like a returning prodigal son, yet he was there to kill him... then Emperor Ivan killed himself, saying he wouldn¡¯t allow Caitel tomit patricide.


    After that, Caitel regretted it, thinking that it would have been better to kill him by himself, but he definitely burned his brothers on his lonesome. When he gathered them together to light the fire, he did not feel even an ounce of guilt.


    Then, of course, what came after was a bloody purge. But to him, it was merely a side job, just like killing flies.


    ¡°... Daddy?¡±


    Ria, who was deeply in sleep, suddenly turned around. Ria murmured with her sleepy and unopened eyes. She seemed still so sluggish. He didn¡¯t know, but when he realized, the morning sun was warming down through the curtains already.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°... mhm...¡±


    Instead of answering, she rubbed her eyes and put her face back into the pillow. It¡¯s hard for her to wake up in the morning. However, it¡¯s quite admirable that she always tried hard to do so.


    ¡°... I¡¯m still sleepy.¡±


    It¡¯s not her time to wake up yet, and she didn¡¯t have to get up, but she would open her eyes to say that she¡¯s sleepy.


    It was funny to see her mumble, but Caitel didn¡¯t say anything to her.


    ¡°Go back to sleep.¡±


    The whisper of Caitel¡¯s low voice seemed to be a relief to her. Soon, watching his daughter sleeping with a serene expression, Caitel showed a slight smile. She fell back asleep so quickly. Even her tiniest gestures were now so familiar.


    While watching his daughter, who would wake up after a long sleep, Caitel couldn¡¯t help but tease her a bit. When he raised his hand and tapped her cheek, the child frowned as if she was getting annoying. He could see that she¡¯s bothered... but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. It was too fun to stop.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡®Oh, maybe I teased her too much.¡¯


    Suddenly the child opened her eyes. Caitel stared at her red eyes at the moment.


    Unlike before, when she was still sleepy, she looked back at him with bright red eyes. He thought she wouldin and be grumpy for a moment right away... but when their eyes met, Ria smiled brightly.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    His face got softer unknowingly at this usual morning greeting.


    ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ve gotten used to this kind of morning.¡¯


    ¡°... Hmm... Good morning.¡±

 Chapter 345

    Chapter 345: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 345


    He knew that he¡¯s not a good father.


    He knew best that he wasn¡¯t a good father himself, although no one would believe him if he said this.


    ¡°I want to eat this!¡±


    During lunchtime, Ria suddenly reached her hand while eating her meal.


    This often happened during meals... Ria would sometimes take food even if it¡¯s not hers. Perhaps it looked better than her own, or maybe she¡¯s just greedy... but Caitel wouldn¡¯t let this go so smoothly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a pig if you eat like that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Ria got annoyed right away.


    ¡®Even though she¡¯s a child, she¡¯s quite good at catching when I teased her. It was the same when she was a baby.¡¯ She probably didn¡¯t understand what he said, yet it seemed like she did. Perhaps that¡¯s why he wanted to say meaner things to her.


    Serira always asked him not to do so since those words weren¡¯t good for her, but when he saw her like this, he forgot about those warnings.


    ¡®Of course, I wouldn¡¯t remember.¡¯


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    Did she know that reacting like that made him want to tease her more? Caitel thought she probably didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You¡¯re already a pig.¡±


    Ria, who frowned, got angry. Caitelughed low. When he giggled openly andughed, Ria pouts.


    When he saw his daughter like that... it made him remember an unfamiliar feeling.


    And he wanted to tease her more.


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡±


    ¡°Come on. You can eat more.¡±


    The child res at her father openly on a te that he handed as if he were generous.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m going to eat, so don¡¯t talk to me.¡±


    It looked like she¡¯s quite mad this time.


    It¡¯s not good if she got seriously mad...


    He¡¯s always teased her, but he did feel sorry when she reacted like that.


    He called her a pig all the time, but Ria was so thin that she looked pitiful. He prepared sweets for dessert on purpose. If it weren¡¯t for the sweets, she would be even lighter.


    Ria really just ate with a sulky look on her face. He thought she wouldin more than that. It¡¯s kind of odd to see her eat quietly.


    Perhaps he went overboard this time.


    However, not long after, Ria turned her head again.


    ¡°Can I really eat it?¡±


    ... This made him realize how well-behaved she was.


    At times like this, he would realize this really clearly.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

 Chapter 346

    Chapter 346: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 346


    Ria smiled brightly once she was permitted to do so. Caitel suddenly got grumpy again when he saw her dragging the bowl in front of her.


    ¡°You¡¯re already a pig, so you can eat as much as you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡±


    The child¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡®My daughter is quite funny when she res at me in annoyance.¡¯ Ria moves to other seats because Caitel annoyed her. It was a clear sign that she didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but Caitel wasn¡¯t upset or anything.


    He wanted to make her cry and feel annoyed.


    This wasn¡¯t something a father should do to his daughter... but Caitel wanted to tease her and bother her.


    ¡°You¡¯re ugly!¡±


    She objected like this sometimes, but it¡¯s not bad. Who else would dare to talk to him like that? Of course, it didn¡¯t feel right to have her frustration aimed at him.


    She better not be serious, though.


    As Caitel shut his mouth, Ria went straight to her nanny.


    ¡°Serira, dessert!¡±


    It looked like she¡¯s running away to avoid getting hit... Caitel realized how annoying this feeling was when he saw his daughter. Of course, Ferdel was annoying too, but the most significant difference would be that he wanted to beat Ferdel while he wanted to tease Ria. That¡¯s it.


    ¡®... what am I doing to my own daughter.¡¯


    He knew it¡¯s childish. However, it¡¯s so addicting that he found it difficult to stop himself.


    In fact, he knew that his daughter seemed calmer when she¡¯s with her nanny. When he saw her listening to her nanny like her own mother, he wondered if he used to be like that with his nanny when he was young...


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I was that attached, though.¡¯


    Even when he was looking at the surrounding cases, Ria¡¯s a bit too attached.


    However, it¡¯s so easy to find why. Serira was a great mother to the point that if one had a mother like her, it¡¯d be impossible not to look for her all the time. After all, Serira was a great mother.


    ¡°Princess, you have to finish your meal before eating dessert.¡±


    Ria pouted upon hearing Serira¡¯s scolding.


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s this over here?¡±


    Vegetables remain in the bowl, and it seemed right for Ria not to eat those and leave them as leftovers. He didn¡¯t think she hated vegetables, but she didn¡¯t seem to like them either.


    Anyway, he¡¯d learned that his daughter was a picky eater now. Now that he thought about it, all the dishes had lots of green peppers... No wonder.


    ¡°I-I mean... there¡¯s not that much left...¡±


    Ria tried to refute it, but it didn¡¯t work for Serira.


    ¡°No! You have to finish everything.¡±

 Chapter 347

    <h4>Chapter 347: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 347</h4>


    Ria frowned at the voice of harsh reproach. Caitel thought it¡¯s unnecessary to force her when she didn¡¯t like it, but he decided to watch just for now.


    She¡¯s frowning, but she¡¯s eating without throwing a tantrum.


    As he thought, Serira was a good nanny.


    Except for her asional nagging, Serira was very good at raising children. It¡¯s hard to find a nanny who would care for someone¡¯s daughter as her own.


    Although Ria was quiet ever since she was a baby, he couldn¡¯t deny that her nanny probably yed a role in her growing up to be so well-behaved.


    ¡®When I think about it, sometimes I get a bit anxious.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m still her father.¡¯


    He wondered if his daughter realized that he¡¯s the one who chose her nanny.


    Caitel thought she probably didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be off now.¡±


    When he stood up, Ria raised her head.


    ¡°Are you going to work?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There were no meetings, but there were things he had to deal with.


    Ria suddenly stepped on the chair at Caitel¡¯s answer.


    Then, she suddenly gestured to him toe closer to her.


    ¡®What is she nning to do now?¡¯


    He wondered, but he went close to his daughter. When she called her father, Ria smiled and pulled his cor. When Caitel lowered his head more, something touched his cheek.


    Chu!


    ¡°Have a good day in your office and earn a lot of money!¡±


    He stopped for a moment.


    He thought he was already used to her cuteness, but this would happen sometimes. He did not know how to react when she did things like this sometimes.


    Usually, he treated her coldly, but it¡¯s because he didn¡¯t know how to react.


    He just stared at her, and she smiled.


    It was strange to see such a smile when he usually faced women¡¯s coquettish smile. How was it possible tough without any ulterior motives?


    ¡°... who told you to do this?¡±


    He asked her because this was a bit different than usual, and the child¡¯s eyes got wide as if she¡¯s asking, ¡®how did you know?¡¯


    ¡°Ferdel!¡±


    That guy...!


    When her father¡¯s face contorted into a frown, Ria added.


    ¡°¡®His majesty seems a bit down these days. You should go and cheer him up a bit, princess.¡¯ I did it because Ferdel told me... did you not like it?¡±


    She smiled while she adorably imitated Ferdel. She did nothing wrong, yet she¡¯s looking guilty. He was about to grab Ferdel¡¯s throat, but now he thought that there was no need for it. It¡¯s not her fault. Ria wasn¡¯t the one who should be careful around him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Ria quickly smiled at her dad¡¯s denial.


    ¡°Hehe, right?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what she¡¯s so happy about. He felt like he wanted to tease her again now that he saw her smiling.


    However, at the same time, he also felt like he wanted to see her smile all the time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Dad.¡±


    ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll let this go this time.¡¯

 Chapter 348

    <h4>Chapter 348: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 348</h4>


    Chancellor Ferdel handled all of Agrigent¡¯s administrative work.


    That¡¯s why Caitel had no problem going on the long expedition thanks to him. As an emperor, he had some participation, but all the national affairs were still systematically carried out under Ferdel¡¯s superintendence. He¡¯s quick and efficient, so there hadn¡¯t been any trouble from his policies until now.


    Since the chancellor held so much power, other subjects often worry about himmitting treason. However, Caitel was not worried about it. First of all, Ferdel was terrible at using a sword. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to be the emperor.


    Ferdel enjoyed ruling over others. However, he didn¡¯t like to step up as a leader. Unless he had gone mad, he would never want a throne and be subjected to everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. Ferdel liked to stand back and just give orders.


    ¡°Zre says he¡¯s going to quit! It¡¯s all your fault! You take responsibility!¡±


    By lunchtime, he came into the office in tears. Seeing hime in with torn eyes, Caitel sighed.


    Ahh... how could that be a chancellor of a country?


    When Ferdel¡¯s working, he looked like a chancellor. However, when he¡¯s defenseless, it¡¯s quite surprising to think that he was the same person. He would be so annoying that Caitel wanted to beat him. He did hit him all the time.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Caitel raised his head, barely holding back his desire to grab the nape of his neck and throw him out of the office.


    He wanted to put up with his cousin, who would be a widow from tomorrow if he killed him today, but Ferdel, who imitated a sad cry with tears in his eyes, was hard to bear.


    ¡°Zre! My best secretary, who has always worked on diplomatic matters with the North!¡±


    ¡®So what?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s none of his business who that is.¡¯


    Not knowing that Caitel¡¯s face crumpled irritably, Ferdel kept whining.


    ¡°He¡¯s going back because you ordered him to do so much work! What are you going to do about this!?¡±


    ¡°... do you have a death wish?¡±


    Ferdel kept his mouth shut when Caitel asked a simple question. It looked like he had enough sense left in him to shut up. He knew this silence wouldn¡¯tst long anyway. If Ferdel keeps his mouth shut for a while, he could find some ounce of patience.


    Caitel took a breather for a while.


    ¡°Did I order him? You¡¯re the one who ordered him, so stop being ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Well, all subjects work for you, Your Majesty!¡±


    Caitel picked up his sword without hesitation.


    There¡¯s no hope left for him, except for the fist.


    ¡°So, you still want to die. I see.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true!¡±

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 349


    ¡®If you said you wanted to die, I was willing to kill you immediately.¡¯


    Caitel thought that, but unfortunately Ferdel steps back. He kindly could¡¯ve killed him the way he wanted.


    Caitel covered the papers.


    ¡°What do you want.¡±


    Not many people came to his office.


    His daughteres the most; Ferdel, whoes to report; and Count Cescullo, whoes to visit him sometimes; and only that much.


    In fact, if one didn¡¯t want to be caught and killed by an emperor who might flee at a wrong number of times, most aristocrats wouldn¡¯t evene here. Ferdel, who came and went in and out of such an office frequently, was a peculiar species in a way, but for some reason, it did not seem like he came today for nothing.


    Nor for reporting something.


    ¡°Oh, actually, I¡¯m not here for Zre.¡±


    Of course.


    Satisfied with the fact that his hunch was not wrong, Caitel stood up. The butler organized all the documents and helped him with his job. Ferdel leaned on the desk and continued.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s going to be a meeting soon. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Meeting? There¡¯s nothing nned for today.¡±


    Caitel looked at his butler for a schedule he had never heard of. It seemed like the butler didn¡¯t know about this too. Ferdel interrupted in the middle and gave an additional exnation of the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    It was a rare urrence. Naturally, Caitel¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    The low voice that questioning about the situation made Ferdel sweat. Seeing the face that clearly shows a fake smile, Caitel decided to listen to what he was talking about.


    Ferdel was asking if he knew that Caitel¡¯s quite fierce.


    ¡°Well...so, you can¡¯t get mad. Alright?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®So you mean it¡¯s something I¡¯ll get mad about.¡¯


    He felt stressed. Sensing Caitel¡¯s low mood, Ferdel sighed for a moment.


    ¡°There was a small revolt in the old city, Celtinun. So, the lord from there has requested help and wants the royal knights to subdue the revolt...¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Ferdel said it was a small riot, but it¡¯s not small if a lord has to request help from the royal knights in the first ce. Ferdel slipped his head to the sharply inquiring voice.


    ¡°So the thing is...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m not out of patience yet.¡¯


    It is likely to run out soon, but not yet. As he patiently waits for Ferdel¡¯s next word, he is wary. That made Caitel¡¯s mood lower.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 350


    Finally, Ferdel gave up defending him.


    ¡°The lord abandoned the knights toe here.¡±


    ¡°...¨E.¡±


    When Caitel is silent, Ferdel speaks carefully. However, he seemed to have already given up halfway.


    ¡°There were about 20, meaning all of them are at the ce of the riot. They were there too. They¡¯re from the Spring Morning Knights. ...But they¡¯re captured.¡±


    Caitel couldn¡¯t understand that they¡¯re captured, but then the next word of Ferdel hit him.


    ¡°Apparently, 10 are already dead.¡±


    Caitel took out the sword without a word. But Ferdel feels rather anxious with this unnaturally calm reaction, and try to defend which wouldn¡¯t work out at all.


    ¡°Looks like there was a strong knight there too! And they seem to have some influence there, so...¡±


    Caitel said nothing. He just stared at Ferdel, who¡¯s talking, and asked coldly.


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    Ferdel sighs as he feels Caitel¡¯s furious spirit that he would kill him if Ferdel don¡¯t answer him. He¡¯ll defend him, but he didn¡¯t seem to want to die with him.


    ¡°...at the government estate.¡±


    Caitel left the office without hesitation.


    There was a glimpse of Ferdel¡¯s voice from behind.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m screwed!¡±


    Caitel headed straight to the government estate without hesitation. The attendants who follow him are suddenly confused and chase after him, putting question marks on their faces. Whether or not, Caitel moved to search a ce where that trashy lord would¡¯ve to stay. Ferdel said he came to the imperial pce to ask for help, so it was obvious where he would be waiting.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    The servants leave with their heads down.


    ¡°That way.¡±


    The attendants show the way. They didn¡¯t seem to know what was going on but seemed to know that if they misled him, their neck would be cut off. It wasn¡¯t really hard to find the lord.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s you.¡±


    He realized him as soon as he saw the lord.


    The sudden appearance of the emperor made the lord appear surprised. Put down the tea he was drinking and bend his head right away. The lord looked as if he was suddenly struck by lightning while enjoying tea time peacefully.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. May you reach Evange...¡±


    ¡°You abandoned the knights who were protecting you. Is that true?¡±


    He¡¯s not in the mood for getting greeting.


    ¡®How dare he flee and abandon his own knights. Yet he was the guts toe here and greet me?¡¯


    Caitel was quietly mad. At the sudden anger of the emperor, the Lord opens his eyes wide.

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 351


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    Caitel was annoyed by the dumb lord who couldn¡¯t understand what he said. ¡®Are those ears there for no reason?¡¯ There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t get the real meaning of what Caitel just said unless those ears were merely decorative.


    If he was a fool who didn¡¯t even understand the meaning of the word, it¡¯s a shame that such a person was in control ofnd in the first ce.


    Fortunately, after a short period, the situation seemed to have figured out what was happening then. The lord knelt with a bluish face. The usual spiel in front of Caitel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, it¡¯s not that...¡±


    If it¡¯s not that, then what could it be? The only thing that Caitel thought of was that he wanted to cut off that snake tongue. Then he changed his mind and decided to listen to that bug¡¯s life story before executing him.


    He wouldn¡¯t usually give such mercy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me an excuse?¡±


    The lord shuddered upon seeing that twisted smile. He looked so pitiful, but Caitel didn¡¯t even feel a pinch of pity for him.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s just... the mob was so aggressive and hostile, so I couldn¡¯t help but...¡±


    ¡®I tried to listen to him for a second, but I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡¯


    Caitel burst intoughter. The room was filled withughter, which was far from madness. He wasughing, but he felt like his mood was worsening.


    ¡®What did this trash just say? I¡¯m so dumbfounded. So what was happening there?¡¯


    When the emperor burst into augh, the lord, who was making excuses, closed his mouth with a puzzled look. Caitel hardened his expression and looked down at the lord.


    ¡°Do you truly believe that some citizens with scythes and axes can beat fully armed knights?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t even need to ask. He didn¡¯t react before it was toote.¡¯


    The investigation had not yet been conducted, but it was too obvious. He probably didn¡¯t care about the problem anyway. Caitel looked at the lord with disgust. This tiny, thin man with greedy eyes was too disgusting for him.


    ¡°Then, how about it? Why don¡¯t you try and beat my knights with a scythe and an ax?¡±


    He urged the man in a friendly voice, meaning if those people were sessful beating the armed knights, he could do it too, but the lord trembled like a bug upon hearing his words.

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 352


    ¡°P-please. Have mercy!¡±


    ¡°Would you rather try it against me?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t n to show any mercy.¡¯


    Caitel looked behind him.


    ¡°Hey, someone get me an ax or a sickle now!¡±


    There could be no ax or sickle in the imperial pce. They were presented in front of them as if they had been waiting for them. Caitel threw them right in front of the lord.


    ¡°Come on, grab it.¡±


    Looking at the ax and sickle thrown in front of him, he shuddered so much that it¡¯sparable to his previous state. While watching the scene, Caitel did not even think he was pathetic at all.


    ¡°Come on, bring it on.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, p-please show mercy...¡±


    The king wasn¡¯t lying when he said ¡®bring it on.¡¯ Caitel really meant it, but a man who must have learned the sword by the essential skill of a nobleman would not properly arm himself with his sword in front of his opponent.


    It was pathetic.


    With a single shot that didn¡¯t even pass properly, Caitel pushed the man right on his knees. He wouldn¡¯t kill him, but he¡¯s not nning to let him leave like this either.


    ¡°I thought I was dealing with garbage every month and year, but where does it keep popping out?¡±


    ¡®I thought I had picked up the trash that I couldn¡¯t recycle and incinerate it before the big trouble, but it keepsing out even if I keep throwing them out.¡¯


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so interesting?¡±


    There was a 1% chance that if he raised his voice by emphasizing the situation in which he had no choice but to leave the knights behind, he would just think, ¡®wow this trash have a bit of gut to say something¡¯ and let him go, but it¡¯s really contemptuous to watch him shiver quietly.


    How dare he think he could sleep in peace when he drove innocent knights to death?


    Caitel put his foot on the breast of the lord lying on the floor, pushed by his strength. He weighed him down. The lord struggled in agony, but Caitel also stopped that resistance.


    ¡®If you thought it was over with just this, you¡¯re wrong.¡¯


    The sword was lightly pushed to the lord¡¯s finger as it touched the floor. Four fingers touched it in a sh.


    ¡°Clench your teeth.¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve already lost 10 knights because of this man.¡¯


    Caitel lost his word after pondering upon this unfairness.


    ¡°If you make even the slightest sound, I¡¯ll chop off your fingers one by one.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 353


    He had clearly warned the lord, but when the de of the sword prated his fingers, he had forgotten the warning altogether. Seeing him scream and struggle had made Caitel feel better.


    ¡®But you still have a long way to go.¡¯


    He moved the sword as if he were cutting rice-sheaf to cut all the lord¡¯s fingers. Thick blood instantly painted the sword red. The floor was already full of blood puddles, and red blood sshed on Caitel¡¯s clothes and cheeks. The servants, who always had to see such things next to him, quietly turned their eyes. Already in excessive pain, the lord was on the verge of fainting.


    ¡®Does he know that I am cutting them slowly to make it more painful? I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been doing that. However, I did it when I thought about finishing it neatly because there was nothing more I could do to cause him pain.¡¯


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    His hands faltered at the familiar voice he heard. He was surprised because my hands, which were holding the sword, were weak.


    This voice...


    No, there was only one person in the world who would call him that way.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    He came to his senses. Caitel didn¡¯t know when he was having fun, but when he came to his senses, he realized what this situation would look like. Fortunately, the servants ran out before Ria entered. She didn¡¯t seem to see this man¡¯s fingers cut off.


    Unconsciously pale inplexion, Caitel stood up from his seat. He couldn¡¯t even see the pained man before him anymore.


    ¡®This man is lucky.¡¯


    His fingers hadn¡¯t even been cut off yet. Nevertheless, Caitel shook off his sword and finished the deed. No response came thereafter as if the man fainted while struggling with pain. He was still disgusting, but Caitel didn¡¯t want to torture him anymore.


    The only thing that came to his mind was that he must erase this scene quickly. It was just a brief moment, but he thought he shouldn¡¯t show what he was doing to his daughter.


    Some servants left the room with the fainted lord. They were probably taking him to the pce hospital. The movements of the attendants while cleaning up the mess were consistent. Well, that¡¯s how it should be...


    Now that he realized what happened, Caitel¡¯s brain spun.


    As it was, Ria had no reason to be here at this time, but just now, the voice he heard was certainly his daughter¡¯s.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯


    What made Caitel feel more obnoxious than anything else was...


    ¡®What should I do now?¡¯

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 354


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how to look at my daughter now. No, I was at a loss of how to deal with it. What should I say? I didn¡¯t know what to do at all, so I didn¡¯t go out and stayed still, but the door opened, and Ria peeked her head into it.¡¯


    ¡®Her face immediately made me feel better.¡¯


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I can move on from this situation. This is a situation that should not happen without anyone¡¯s intention.¡¯


    ¡°... who said you maye here?¡±


    Ria tilted her head in wonder.


    ¡°I thought daddy was looking for me.¡±


    If this was the answer, then it was apparent who intended this.


    Ferdel.


    That jerk!


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Now, go over there and hug him, Princess!¡±


    Ferdel grinned with a sneaky face. As Caitel red at him, he turned his head, pretending he knew nothing about it.


    ¡®I would go crazy if I don¡¯t beat him up now.¡¯


    He did this on purpose. This was definitely done on purpose.


    Then again, this happened several times before. Caitel bit his lips. Ria suddenly appeared when he left the hand. Since he couldn¡¯t just beat him, Caitel held on to it. Actually, he could beat him up as much as he wanted... but the blood on his hand bothered him.


    ¡®The blood is sticky... it¡¯s disgusting.¡¯


    Caitel looked quietly around Ria. His daughter tilted her head with a sudden nce. However, he felt particrly ufortable after noticing that she might have seen him in this situation.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    As he gave a sign, Assisi took Ria out.


    He probably brought her to the Winter Garden.


    When he and Caitel were left in the room, Ferdel disappeared without a word, apparently knowing whether he was in danger of death. Usually, Caitel would grab Ferdel¡¯s nape and beat him up until he¡¯s displeased, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood for that today.


    He washed his cheeks and hands as he suffered from useless anguish.


    ¡®It was awkward to see blood for the first time in my life. That was the first time I¡¯ve ever felt that way after spilling blood.¡¯


    ¡®This is no different from what I¡¯ve always done. So what¡¯s wrong? I was always like this to begin with. So why do I feel like this?¡¯


    ¡®Something is wrong. At the same time, I feel like I¡¯ve wronged someone.¡¯


    ¡®I just did what I¡¯ve always done. So what¡¯s the big deal?¡¯


    ¡®Actually, I know the reason.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I do not know why.¡¯


    ¡°... that son of bitch.¡±


    ¡®I ground my teeth. Ferdel, that son of bitch!¡¯


    ¡®I should have doubted him when he answered so quickly. I guess right after I left the office, he went to find Ria.¡¯


    ¡®He has done this often after realizing that I hesitate to show myself in a fury to my daughter for some reason. Yes, he is the only jerk who can possibly think of this.¡¯


    ¡®My temper began to boil, but there was nothing I could do to him.¡¯


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡®Since when had this happened? I don¡¯t know, but my situation is too difficult for me to forget. I feel that I hesitate to pull out the sword in front of my daughter. Why?¡¯


    ¡®That concern brought me a headache, but then another concern made me breathless.¡¯


    ¡®... Did she see it?¡¯


    ¡®Just now... I wanted to think that she didn¡¯t see it. Even so, she would have heard the scream at least.¡¯


    ¡®I felt like shit.¡¯

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 355


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t hear it, but she still greets me with her usual look. The red eyes facing me are so clear. Maybe that¡¯s why I can¡¯t open my mouth easily. I can¡¯t ask her if she saw it.¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing you should worry about.¡±


    He even got surprised by that cold answer. He didn¡¯t mean to say that, but for a moment, he was embarrassed and shut his mouth, but fortunately, Ria didn¡¯t seem to care much. She just tilted her head in wonder.


    ¡°Really? Well, then I worried for nothing.¡±


    He feels relieved at her usual appearance. Then he felt more miserable with that smile.


    In the beginning...it was ufortable seeing those eyes full ofplete trust and endless affection.


    ¡®You don¡¯t know what kind of person I am, and you don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll kill you.


    She gives a endless trust to a man who could easily break her by just give some strength in his hands. What a stupid thing to do.


    But then when those moments that he wants to destroy something, her small breath calms him down. He didn¡¯t press it on purpose, but it slowly dies down.


    ¡°What, were you arguing with your subjects again?¡±


    ¡®...I¡¯ve been thinking things whenever I see these eyes.¡¯


    ¡®I want to seem like a good person. No, I want to show her only good things. What do I call this feeling? I have no idea what this is. But one thing is for sure. I don¡¯t want to let those eyes see any bloodshed.¡¯


    ¡®¡±Why, do you want to be a good father in front of your daughter?¡±¡®


    ¡®I can hear a sneer from inside, yet I can¡¯t deny it. Right. I don¡¯t want to betray the trust shining inside those eyes.¡¯


    ¡°You were throwing another tantrum again, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    It is funny to see the child nodding like if she know something. Caitel finally let go of his hardened expression. When Caitel finally smiled, Ria approached and held his hands as if she was excited.


    He paused since that hand was bloody earlier, Caitel soon found himself melting into the warm warmth of his hand.


    ¡°But Daddy, you know...I hope you¡¯ll be a good person to everyone.¡±


    The child looks up with bright eyes.


    The pure gaze seems to tighten around his throat.


    ¡°Why? Do you feel ashamed if I¡¯m a bad person?¡±


    The child shook her head with a smile when he said a sharp, not sincere words.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The child was so beautifully bright at that moment.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see a person I love being hated.¡±


    ¡®Her pure smile shines in my heart. I¡¯ve never wanted anything like this before, yet this child makes me want to be a better person. It¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve wanted to be a good person.¡¯

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 356


    ¡®Sometimes, I end up thinking. Would I feel the same, even if I had other children?


    ¡®Would I think the same even if the child I was holding wasn¡¯t mine? I wonder, but it doesn¡¯t matter to me whether I have an answer or not.¡¯


    Not long after having those thoughts in his mind... another child appeared.


    ¡®Is fate ying a joke on me?¡¯


    It¡¯s funny for him to say that since he had killed all his children before. However, perhaps he needed something topare.


    ... To know if he genuinely cared about that child or not.


    The boy with silver-ish red hair but closer to just red hair obviously didn¡¯t look like Caitel at all, even at a nce. She brought him as his son, but Caitel wanted to make fun of her. If she hadn¡¯t said that he was his child in front of such an audience, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered.


    Of course, he could tell that the boy wasn¡¯t his son as soon as he saw him.


    Above all, the fact that he¡¯s younger than Ria was proof. Surprisingly, he hadn¡¯t slept with any woman ever since his daughter started sleeping in his bed.


    However, he didn¡¯t reject that boy¡¯s existence because he wanted to confirm something. Of course, he was also curious about what the princess was aiming for by acting out such a tant lie.


    ¡°Zand, say hello to your father.¡±


    The boy, who came with a woman whom Caitel could barely remember, seemed to be slightly slow to Caitel¡¯s eyes. The child waspletely different from his daughter, who¡¯s always curious. The child stuck to his mother, nervously. It wasn¡¯t cute at all to see the boy look like he¡¯s emotionally disturbed.


    Sometimes, he wondered where the heck his daughter came from, but this one was somewhat surprising.


    ¡®Something like that is my child?¡¯


    The mother¡¯s im was ridiculous... but it would have been the same even if the boy was actually his child. Ria diluted it, but children would often act that way while facing him.


    ¡°M-Mom.¡±


    It was not that strange to see a child crouching in fear in front of him. There were plenty of other children who feared him other than this one.


    If someone were to ask him if he thought that it was cute, well...


    No, it was just annoying.


    Even if the boy was his real son, he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge him. It¡¯s not like he had a specific reason.


    ¡®I just didn¡¯t like him.¡¯

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 357


    He didn¡¯t keep Ria close to him just because she¡¯s his daughter. It¡¯s not like he rejected the child just because he¡¯s not his son either.


    ¡°He¡¯s your son. No matter what people say, I¡¯m raising him to be your son.¡±


    Why was she so persistent with such a miserable lie? Did she think she would be killed if she admitted the truth?


    However, she would still die even if she didn¡¯t admit the truth. It didn¡¯t matter for Caitel even if the child was his son or not. That was Caitel¡¯s life, and he had lived to this day with that belief.


    ¡°Deceiving a royalty is a heavy crime.¡±


    ¡°How could I deceive you?¡±


    Still, she was shaking like a delicate flower.


    What a joke. The woman just kept her mouth shut upon hearing the Emperor¡¯s ridicule.


    ¡°If I had a daughter... then, would you acknowledge her like you¡¯re doing to your daughter now?¡±


    She looked as if she was sad about not receiving his love. He used to know that face. That was the expression on all of the women who wanted him. His mother always looked at his father with that face.


    ¡°If that happened...¡±


    ¡®This is sick and tired.¡¯


    ¡°... you would¡¯ve died.¡±


    Even if this woman died, that theoretical daughter would never be treated like his daughter. Ria was the only exception.


    ¡®Anyway, if the boy is definitely not my child, why is she so adamant about that idea? Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why I warned her even though I normally wouldn¡¯t care about such a thing.¡¯


    ¡®I felt uneasy. I felt like I was waiting for a fuse to light on a bomb that had yet to explode. I don¡¯t know what it is yet, but I knew it was putting me on edge.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t want to care about that mother and son, and he didn¡¯t want his daughter to care about them too. He even asked her not to interact with them, which was so unlike him... and when he saw the two facing each other with his own eyes, he realized why he felt uneasy.


    ¡®I had always protected my daughter inside the pce. She didn¡¯t know what real hostility is like. She doesn¡¯t know hostility masked beneath kindness...¡¯


    ¡®I was the one who let her grow up without learning that. I didn¡¯t want her to know.¡¯


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to show her a world like that.¡¯


    ¡°¡®Do you have something to tell me?¡¯¡±


    ¡®I felt devastated all of a sudden.¡¯


    ¡®Does she even know what¡¯s in my mind right now? ¡®

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 358


    ¡®I already witnessed it myself, and I didn¡¯t want to pretend like I didn¡¯t know. If I let her be, she will see those two again. Like how she cared for that woman in the harem, she¡¯ll start caring for those two.¡¯


    It was apparent even if he didn¡¯t see it.


    ¡®Because she¡¯s different from me.¡¯


    That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t like this. He didn¡¯t want her to do that, and he didn¡¯t want them to see Ria.


    ¡°I think I clearly told you not to meet them.¡±


    However, what devastated him more than that was that his daughter seemed to take his warning very lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I was trying to meet him...¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t ask you to make excuses.¡¯


    He turned his eyes to the nanny, who was guarding the child. This wasn¡¯t why he had a nanny raise her. As he stared at her with cold eyes, Serira backed off with a pale face.


    ¡®I have the right to be angry.¡¯


    ¡®I should be angry at the nanny who failed to take care of my child properly.¡¯


    However, Ria didn¡¯t understand it. That made him even angrier.


    Right. It¡¯s not like he wanted her to understand. But... this child kept talking back at him. Perhaps she thought this wasn¡¯t a big deal. The same went for her nanny.


    Then he had no choice.


    He had to lock her up until those two disappeared.


    ¡°What? Are you saying you¡¯re going to imprison me?¡±


    Why was she frowning like that?


    The child was rather angry with a crumpled expression as if she heard something she couldn¡¯t understand. He was also starting to get mad at her arrogant attitude.


    ¡®At this point, there is a limit on how much I could tolerate her arrogant attitude. Who does she think I am? Does she realize how lenient I am right now?¡¯


    ¡®When did she grow up to be so rude and impudent? Is she really the same child that used to listen to me before?¡¯


    It was annoying.


    He didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s normal to feel like this with a child... but he wanted to yell at her to be quiet.


    ¡°I hate you, dad! I¡¯m never going to see you again!¡±


    He knew this was not an easy problem to solve, but when he saw the child turn and run away from him, hisst string of rationality broke.


    ¡®How dare she flee from me?¡¯

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 359


    ¡®I was thinking of talking to her calmly after locking her in her room, but that¡¯s no longer possible. My anger burns like fire. It¡¯s unforgivable for her to say that she hates me. And now she flees too?¡¯


    ¡°Bring her back here!¡±


    The mood was already running at its worst. He felt so furious that he wanted to kill everyone, but unlike other obedient attendants, one person caught his ankle again.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you shouldn¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Move.¡±


    Serira cried on her knees.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you must not be violent. No matter how angry you are, you must teach her with words. You mustn¡¯t imprison her by force. That is something you shouldn¡¯t do. Please, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡®...I knew she was an honest and stubborn woman, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to forgive this honesty.¡¯


    Caitel held back his simmering anger.


    ¡°Do you realize who you¡¯re talking to right now?¡±


    It was a kind of warning, but she somewhat freaked out and cried out more.


    ¡°Your Majesty. This will only end up hurting everyone involved. You are wise, so you must understand. Please, Your Majesty.¡±


    Her cry was already out of his sight. Caitel was just annoyed that this woman kept holding him back. ¡®How dare she block my path.¡¯


    ¡®So, is this all my fault? Even this woman is ming me in the end?¡¯


    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d just forgive you? There¡¯s a limit to how much you can do as you please because of an old debt. Move.¡±


    ¡°But Your Majesty...¡±


    ¡°Get her out of here!¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to see that face or hear that voice anymore. Maybe I¡¯ll take out my sword if she keeps staying beside me.¡¯


    ¡°But, Your Majesty... You shouldn¡¯t do this...!¡±


    I ordered her to be executed out of pure anger, and I knew I would regret it once I rxed, but I had to somehow vent out my anger. How dare she.


    He went to the drill hall to relieve his stress, but the sword just dangled in his hand, and nothing made him feel better.


    Since then, he just walked around the pce once like a hyena, and eventually, he just started reading a book stuck in his bedroom. He felt a little better as he forced himself to read.


    He knew she woulde to see him.


    He ordered to lock the princess in her room, but she still appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 360


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you just leave because you hated me and refused to see me? Did she already forget that? I think only a few hours have passed since you said you¡¯ll never see me again.¡¯


    ¡®She probably returned because she heard that the woman she treated as her mother will be executed.¡¯


    ¡°Let Serira go.¡±


    As expected. His prediction wasn¡¯t wrong.


    However, he didn¡¯t feel satisfied even when he got it right. He knew she woulde to him. The first thing she talks about is about her nanny after fleeing from him like that¡ªwithout an apology, or pleading for forgiveness.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡®Why should I forgive that arrogant woman who tried to teach me at the wrong time? Why should I let her go? I did n to release her, but I don¡¯t want to do so now that she asks for it. She was, indeed, arrogant.¡¯


    ¡°Let her go!¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°Serira didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Are you a 3-year-old toddler?! Do you just take out your anger on anyone?!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m the one who should be mad here. How can she be so impudent? I want to twist her arm and block her mouth. I want to scold her for not realizing her wrongs.¡¯


    ¡°Since when were you so attached to your nanny, yet you refuse to listen to your own father?¡±


    She was yelling as if he¡¯s crazy, and now she wanted him to let the nanny go. Ria, who was staring at him without saying anything, bit her lips. Tears well up in her big eyes staring at him. She tried not to cry and to hold back her tears, but her big eyes eventually overflowed with tears.


    ¡°Let Serira go, you jerk! Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    His blood suddenly cooled down after seeing her cry.


    She didn¡¯t cry when he scolded her, but now she was crying so hard.


    ¡®I was never trying to make her cry. She doesn¡¯t usually cry, so I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d burst into tears like this...¡¯


    ¡®..I wasn¡¯t trying to make her cry.¡¯


    ¡®I did everything for you. How can you not know that? I¡¯m tired of everything now.¡¯


    ¡°Do you treasure that woman more than your own father?¡±


    ¡®Was she so dear to her that she¡¯d cry like that?¡¯


    ¡®I knew she cherished that woman, but it¡¯s not very pleasant to confirm that right in front of my very eyes. Still, my anger had all disappeared now... I wonder if this is a good thing. Hearing her cry finally brought me to my senses.¡¯

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 361


    ¡®I knew she cherished that woman, but it¡¯s not very pleasant to confirm that right in front of my very eyes. Still, my anger had all disappeared now... I wonder if this is a good thing. Hearing her cry finally brought me to my senses.¡¯


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re the one who made Serira my nanny.¡±


    ¡®A few seconds ago, I resented her so much I almost wanted to kill her... yet all my anger melted away with her tears. If I raised a hand, she would wither like grass. However, I can¡¯t act on that instinct even if I¡¯m furious. I wanted to crush her for being so impudent... but now that I have the chance, my hands didn¡¯t move like they aren¡¯t mine.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t find any strength in my fingers. It¡¯s unpleasant that my body is not listening to me. My body won¡¯t listen to my will¡ªas if I¡¯m taken over.¡¯


    ¡®Before I felt any difort, her eyes consoled me somehow. Just like how the spring sun melted away the winter snow, the sun shines over them. It soothes my endless rage.¡¯


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t turn away from me like that so easily.¡±


    ¡®It was an experience I never wanted to go through again.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, I never knew how painful it is to see my own daughter criticize me and run away from me. Just stay with me because I can¡¯t take my eyes off of you.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll feel the urge to crush her and stomp her for one second. But at the next moment, I want to hug her, listen to her, and soothe her caringly. What do I call this feeling?¡¯


    ¡®I want to protect her, and I want to destroy her...¡¯


    There was a red scar on her pale skin, where she scratched herself while running away. The blood was crawling out of her knees as if she had fallen down. It made me feel strange. She¡¯s so weak. If I grab her tightly, will she break?¡¯


    ¡°I curse you. You made me like this. If you kill my child, I will never forgive you.¡±


    ¡®It reminds me of this child¡¯s mother.¡¯


    ¡°If this child dies, you¡¯ll lose everything you¡¯ve ever had, but if this child survives...¡±


    That woman spoke of a curse. But it wasn¡¯t much of a sacrilege.


    ¡°Then, you will regret it in another way.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m already regretting it right now.¡¯ Holding his only daughter in his arms quietly, Caitel prayed, ¡®Please don¡¯t break.¡¯


    ¡®... I hope I don¡¯t end up breaking you.¡¯

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 362


    Appendix. Countries of the Continent


    North. And of angels


    S-hertogenbosch. Empire of Angels


    Symbol: Three pairs of winged cloud flowers.


    National Flower: Cloud Flower Frina


    This was the Holy Empire, founded by an angel who reorganized the North.


    Those who have the stigmata were given preferential treatment, and those who did not have royal blood could be a royalty if they had the stigmata. The clearer, more certain patterned stigmata had more power, and only those with the stigmata could be the king¡¯s heir.


    The blood of angels was highly revered. The cloud flower myth was considered to be the origin of all. It was most influential as the ruler of the North. It was normal to have and nketed with ice, but it was not because the sacred barrier helped humans live. This country¡¯s absolute monarchy could not be copsed because only royalties with stigmata could maintain this barrier.


    Bureti: Kingdom of the Northern Witch


    Symbol: Deer-horn Opal


    Guardian: The ck Leopard


    A kingdom that had the highest authority in the North before the founding of S-hertogenbosch. It was said that the tradition of maternal session and lineage was deep seethed in this ce and that the blood of witches flowed through their royal family. Initially, it was a matriarchy, but it was slowly leaning into a patriarchal system as time passed. They tend to act precisely opposite of S-hertogenbosch. It was said that their eye colors changes as a way to reject a person with a stigmata. They were in direct conflict with S-hertogenbosch.


    Uprichit: The Land of Holy Tears


    Symbol: The Cross with Nine Stars


    Characteristic: A river with holy water.


    It was a newly established coalition onnd formed by exiled leaders of S-hertogenbosch. Enpes, Innaf, Srit, and Reyu, they were the four leaders of Uprichit. Each country was independent of the other, and although they function as a united state, they did not act together except in times of war. Legend has it that God provided them shelter once the Angel¡¯s advent had persecuted and expelled them. The country¡¯s capital Aleteia was a holy ce based on this legend. They were not on good terms with the Northern Empire, and their doctrines and religions were somewhat different. Although they had a symbiotic rtionship with Bureti, they are not close.


    Andurs: The Kingdom of the Firstborn


    Symbol: Three Diamonds


    It was a prosperous kingdom filled with diamonds. It was founded by the first of the three children of the Angel. Traditionally, under the influence of the Empire, it was not a colony of the Nothern Empire.


    Leiden: Land where the Secondborn resides


    Symbol: Two sses touching each other


    A kingdom considered a moderate and neutral zone; it was responsible for almost all international trials in the North. The economic level was unexpectedly high, as it was the center of diplomacy andmerce. The second daughter of an angel married a mortal, and Leiden was formed. It was one of the only kingdoms that survived after the advent of the Angel other than for Bureti.

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    Chapter 363: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 363


    Coventry: The Fountain of the Youngest


    Symbol: Three petals


    It was a country filled with talent, Rtively more impoverished than Andurs and Leiden. This country receives the most support from the Empire, located on the way up to the north, so it was often called the Northern Gatekeeper.


    Hessen: Home of the Lost Souls


    Symbol: A pair of winged turtles.


    Guardian: Turtle


    It is a republic built on an uninhabited ind where people who had been defeated by various countries, including S-hertogenbosch, settled through naval means. It was governed by the senates. There was a legend that the ind might not be just an ind, but the back of a legendary creature.


    Central. Thend where the breath of the Great Spirit touches


    Agrigent: The Empire of Winter


    Symbol: Winter Tree with Roots surrounded by Diamonds


    National Tree: Winter Tree


    It is a country where the winter spirit legend, also known as the youngest child of the Great Spirit, descended. Legends had it that the Great Spirit protected the king of Agrigent, so he was also called the one who received the Evangelium. They were called children of winter spirits. There were many rare kinds of spirit stones in this Empire, making them quite a powerhouse. The four seasons appear evenly in this country because they were in a good rtionship with the other spirits, but the Empire believed in only the Great Spirit and the Winter Spirit.


    Langres: A kingdom of honey.


    Symbol: Long-haired woman with a big star in her arms.


    Almost all of thend in this country was barren or made out of deserts. Living in poverty, most people live near river streams where oases and thin water flows reside. A tradition of tribalism existed in this ce, where they would worship the strongest man among them, perhaps due to their barbarous environment. The strong would often be epting of being servile, so there existed many assassins in this ce.


    It is a country with a legend that told about how most of thend was devastated by the curse of summer spirit because the second king of Langres harassed the summer spirit. It was said that thanks to the protection of the autumn spirit, enough food could be saved so they would not starve to death. Therefore, ironically, it was called thend where honey flowed with people worshipping the autumn spirit.


    Ancief: The Land of Spring


    Symbol: An apple with a flower crown.


    Guardian: Female deer


    The country experiences the constant touch of springtime throughout the year under the Spring Spirit¡¯s protection. Due to Agrigent¡¯s efforts to conquer their neighboringnds, Ancief was now the only independent country that worshiped the Spring Spirit. Numerous flowers bloomed all year round in the green fields, and fresh fruits thrive the most in their economy. The scent of flowers was so fragrant, and the fruit was sweeter than any othernd. It was said that elves were still found within some forests in Ancief.

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    Chapter 364: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 364


    Parten-Kicheren: The ndestine Point of the Summer Spirit


    Symbol: Sun sitting on a Spoon


    National Tree: Quaternary tree


    National Flower: Sunflower


    It is a country where angry summer spirits hid. Initially, it was divided into states that served the summer spirits, but after the fall of the angels in the north, many northern residents gathered around this ce, and the countries that felt a sense of crisis the most were united and solidified into their present form. Though it was said to be a unified state, unlike Uprichit, it worked almost like a single country and was governed by two co-governors, Parten and Kicheren.


    Southern Legion. Land of the Gods


    Pretzia: Kingdom of Regions


    Symbol: A sword and a spear crossed over an open book.


    Sacred property: A cup of moderation, a crown of refinement, a ne of fascination, and a penitence ring.


    The empire that the old Legion gods had attended. As evidence, the holy treasures from their Gods still exist. The Legion¡¯s subjugated ruler was the only one who could use these treasures. Unless God had acknowledged them or inherited the blood of God. God¡¯s protection allowed the empire to maintain its culture for a long time until its fall in the hands of Agrigent. Although they chose to have two leaders on to control thisnd with ease, it looked more like they were extorting the Imperial power.


    Torore: The Kingdom of Light


    Symbol: The Holy Sword, Torore


    Holy Spirit: Torore¡¯s Sword, Holy Sword of light


    It is a kingdom whom a knight had founded after receiving the Holy Sword from Hermawin, the God of light.


    Traditionally, knights were favored in this country, giving them an excellent army. Since many people in this country were stubborn in serving the truth, they generally valued honor and abstinence. Regardless of blood, they would choose their strongest knight to reign over them.


    Izarta: Kingdom of the Dead


    Symbol: A skull in a crown.


    Holy Treasure: Dead¡¯s wand


    It was a kingdom under the protection of the army of death. From one generation to another, kings used holy treasures to call upon the dead to protect the living. It was as an invincible artifact until Agrigent destroyed it for its power of resurrection to an infinite extent with just a contract.


    E-snia: City of the Sage


    Symbol: The stars, crescent moon, and the sun on an open book


    Holy Treasure: The Book of Death and The Book of Life


    It is a country where wise men gathered to explore the truth. The kingdom was named after a great sage E-snia for building the foundation for the city. E is thest name for the great sages, and almost every city in E-snia had names derived from the great sages. It was a republic built by the great sages, but the country itself was topologically isted, so they did not fear a foreign invasion.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 365


    You¡¯re so fine


    The first page of the memory was not very difficult.


    As usual, when I opened my eyes, I saw a ceiling carved with various spirits before another day began.


    I washed up, changed my clothes, and headed to the dining hall for breakfast. Those days, I asionally attended prominent privateers, walked with dad, and sometimes argued with him.


    The days felt so full and busy, and it felt like they wouldst for so much longer... but somehow, I had be an 18-year-old fully-growndy now.


    ... and yet I was only 156cm, although I¡¯m an adult.


    Well, it¡¯s okay. I wouldn¡¯t cry.


    I knew I¡¯d be an adult someday, but I thought it would be a very distant future until I be an adult again. Yeah, I thought it would take a long time.


    Time went by so fast.


    Like in my past life, I felt like I had be an adult before I could prepare myself. I didn¡¯t know if I could take responsibility for my life properly, but after my seventeenth Coming-of-Age ceremony, the worries that poured out had suffocated me.


    Would I be able to do well?


    Would I be able to make the right choices?


    These questions had already gued me before, but they were not the kind of problems that could be solved by sitting down and thinking as I did then.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been a child for far too long.¡±


    I guessed I got too ustomed to being a little child even though my mind isn¡¯t that of a child anymore and also got used to people treating me like a child. I was the cutest child in the world, so it was more problematic because everyone epted and adored me even if I was stubborn or naughty.


    I realized deeply as I grew up as a princess how hard it was for a child not to grow up spoiled in an environment where I could quickly get anything if I just reached out to someone.


    That¡¯s why the royal family acted a lot like beggarly. It¡¯s understandable.


    In that sense, I was so thankful for Serira. Mom was always right.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I was picking clothes with Serira for a tea party in the afternoon, and suddenly I tilted my head at the voice calling me.


    Who¡¯s looking for me so desperately?


    However, the maid, who ran to the room, could not speak properly because she ran out of air. Her desperate pantings made me feel so sorry for her. Yeah, we are all working for a living.


    ¡°Someone give her some cold water.¡±


    When another maid gave her a cup of water, she gulped down and suddenly took a big breath. Then she looked at me and shouted,


    ¡°Princess, this is bad!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t run away, and I¡¯m quietly preparing to go to the tea party. What could go wrong?¡±


    At my simple answer, the maid tapped her chest in frustration.


    I tilted my head. Serira¡¯s gaze at me from the side was sharp, but I didn¡¯t look around.


    Mom, I didn¡¯t run away... Can we just move on?


    Oh, no, we can¡¯t?


    Fine...


    At that time, the maid shouted in a hurry, as if to save me.


    ¡°His Majesty had gone to Podere Pce!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ah... not again.


    I had a lot to say, but I wouldn¡¯t.


    Years of experience quickly made me realize what was happening. The dress was not a problem now. I got ready to leave the pce right away.


    ¡°Go to the knights¡¯ quarters and get Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

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    Chapter 366: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 366


    As time passed, many things changed.


    First of all, the most significant difference was that there was a new pce of my own in the Argrigentom Imperial Pce. Of course, there¡¯s a funny story about how my dad demolished the Empress¡¯ pce to build it...


    Well, it¡¯s not the first time my father did something like this, ha.


    Besides that, I had more maids now who helped me, and I was also at the center of social gatherings. Now, I had to help with the pce¡¯s management as a member of the royal family.


    A royaldy like the Empress should be dealing with it since she¡¯s usually the one in charge of the pce. Maybe a queen dowager could handle it too as a senior member of the pce. However, for ¡®that¡¯ reason, I was the onlydy in this royal family. My godmother, Silvia, with the help of Serira, handled these jobs before, but after mying-of-age ceremony, it fell into my hands without mercy.


    Serira was the chief maid at my pce, adding on to her existing title as my nanny. Several other head maids came and went after Elyne. I also still saw Elyne from time to time, and she¡¯s already a mother of two children. It made me think about how swiftly time passed. Also yes. She still seemed to be the same clumsy girl.


    Assisi spent most of his time training while I¡¯m studying or attending official business. When he somehow started teaching Valer and Cito, he became the chief instructor of the royal knights.


    p, p, p! ps for him!


    He seemed worn out at first, but I thought he felt proud after watching his pupils now. I was even proud of it, actually.


    Even though many things changed, there¡¯s one thing that hadn¡¯t changed at all...


    My father¡¯s temper.


    ¡°Here we go again.¡±


    Once Assisi arrived, I went straight to the office, but the office was already in a mess just based on the entrance alone.


    It¡¯s not a normal thing to see, but his office was usually this messy.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    As soon as I entered the office, Lord Chambein, who was supposed to be next to my father, ran towards me once he saw me. Once I saw his face, I immediately understood the situation. I didn¡¯t say much.


    ¡°How is Dad?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is inside.¡±


    Attention was pouring from all sides, saying, ¡®please go and stop him.¡¯


    Ugh, I let out a heavy sigh.

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 367


    I was not the ¡°911 emergency rescue hotline,¡± yet I was still the only one responsible for quelling such a situation, so I had quickly grown tired of it. I had finally understood how Superman felt.


    Ah, being a hero meant suffering.


    Caitel was no longer hailed as a tyrant amongst his people. However, within the pce, it was harder to discard that reputation. I guessed he got way softer as he got older...


    Uh, um, sorry. I lied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first; stay back for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess!¡±


    Everyone nodded with quick, lively faces.


    They wouldn¡¯t enter anyway, even if I asked them toe with me.


    It was obvious. It had be a regr event.


    The room was more of a spectacle. I guessed he just threw whatever he could grab because the floor was full of broken pieces.


    I clicked my tongue after seeing it.


    I was sure they were all luxury products that must have cost billions of dors...


    ¡®Well... rest in peace... you were a good decoration...¡¯


    Thinking about throwing it all away and redecorating this room, I went further within. Anyway, the Lord Chambein wouldin about how costly it would be to refurbish the pce. Of course, it was apparent that Lord Chambein wouldn¡¯t like this as well as the master butler. The finance minister would not be a fan of it either.


    What if they didn¡¯t like it?


    If their boss told them to deal with it, they would do so.


    Assisi was worried that I might step on something sharp like a piece of ss, but I went swung about without hesitation. ¡®If I stepped on it, you would step on it.¡¯


    ¡°Daddy¡ª¡±


    All the servants in the office seemed to have fled. Howe the building was so quiet? If I were alone, I would be scared. Fortunately, I was okay since I had Assisi with me.


    Why was it so quiet? I had a bad feeling about this.


    Bang!


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Suddenly, a loud noise made me flinch. Assisi guarded me right away, but fortunately, nothing really happened.


    Something... definitely broke.


    Another loud noise erupted before I could figure out what the previous sound was. The steady stream of banging made me recoil on my own.


    What was that? That scared me!


    I was so startled that I stepped closer to Assisi, but the loud noise didn¡¯t disappear as if they were trying to demolish the building.


    What was he doing now!?


    Once I had grown ustomed to this situation, I ran to where this loud noise originated.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    I was sure he would be here!

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 368


    I went straight into the room where I heard the sound. I expected to see Caitel, but only the messed-up ce weed me.


    Why? Why didn¡¯t I see Caitel? Why?


    Was he in here or somewhere else?


    I was looking around the room, which was obviously the epicenter of the disturbance, and suddenly, I heard a rustling sound from the side. The door opened with a sharp bang. A man walked out of it.


    I let out a deep sigh I had kept in my heart.


    ¡°Get rid of them.¡±


    ... quite remarkable today, father. As always.


    I could guess what his mistake must have been if he¡¯s being dragged out like that. It still felt pitiful.


    What was he expecting?


    He must have been anticipating the promised road of defeat where a clear view of the miserable future resided.


    Other than that, I coughed in vain to let my presence known.


    ¡®Hi daddy, I¡¯m here! This way! It¡¯s me!¡¯


    Caitel, who was handing over something that dragged out, turned around. Our eyes met in the air.


    ¡°Hi, Daddy?¡±


    My father¡¯s face hardened at once as I shook my hand with a smile.


    ¡®Yeah, Dad, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m here.¡¯


    His eyes were filled with difort.


    Well, he knew why I was here. After all, he still got somemon sense. ¡®Still, Dad, I was not the one to back down even if you stare at me like that.¡¯


    ¡°My dear daughter... what are you doing here?¡±


    Caitel took a step back away from me while murmuring his words as if he knew he did something wrong. I just smiled quietly since I didn¡¯t want to push him away. I could see how embarrassed he was.


    ¡°I was just passing by and decided to take a pit stop here.¡±


    Caitel frowned.


    Did he not believe me? Oh well. His daughter was the one saying it after all.


    I get the feeling that I was bing more and more like a chancellor, but... I was sure that it was just my imagination, right? However, if he disliked it that openly, I would feel hurt. I was only human, too, after all.


    Look at all the entourage¡¯s haunted expressions, though.


    The entourages who followed Dad looked at me with a sigh of relief. It was like they were looking at their savior. Just by looking at their faces and their eyes, I guessed the whole situation.


    Yeah, they must have called me out of desperation.


    He¡¯s the royal emperor. No man could stop him. Who else could confront him but me?


    ¡°So, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    As if my question had reminded me of the reality, dad picked up a poor man¡¯s cor and threw him on the ground.


    I felt terrible for the man, whom Caitel had dragged out by the cor. I couldn¡¯t believe how badly he treated him...

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 369


    I felt sorry for the man, but Caitel wasn¡¯t. With a serious look on his face, he looked down upon the man and replied back at me.


    ¡°Taking out the trash.¡±


    Oh... father.


    I didn¡¯t know what expression I should make. As I stared at my father with a doubtful face, it seemed like Caitel started acting embarrassed.


    ¡°Daddy.¡±


    I called him in a calm voice, but there was no response from my father, who avoided my eyes.


    Did my dad think I would just let that go?


    ¡°My dear daddy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Father.¡±


    How many more times should I call him to make him turn his head? Huh?


    I was even willing to call him all day if I needed to, but I guessed my father didn¡¯t want that. After ignoring my call, he sighed and handed over the man that he dragged out of the attendants.


    ¡°Get rid of him, and make sure I don¡¯t see him again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Looking at the attendants disappearing with a look of relief, I stared at my father in silence.


    Caitel kept avoiding my eyes, perhaps because he still didn¡¯t have enough courage to face me. There was an awkward and ufortable silence between us as if we were alone in an elevator with a friend who barely knew us.


    It felt like that ufortable silence that came after saying hi.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Alright, I¡¯d yield.


    I had decided to stop staring at him without saying anything with teary eyes.


    ¡°Daddy, didn¡¯t I tell youst time that violence is not the best solution?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t something I said ten years ago, not even a year ago. I told this to him justst week.


    I wouldn¡¯t say anything if I told him beforest week. I said the exact same thing the week before, and two weeks before too.


    Now my father was coughing in vain, maybe he¡¯s getting a little guilty.


    Some said his temper got much better now, but I thought my dad¡¯s rage remained the same. Honestly, he¡¯s not a teenager anymore. When would he learn to calm that temper of his?


    I began to pretend like I was about to cry.


    ¡°I would hope my father would take care of everything with grace and mercy... Really, I wish for nothing more but for you to be someone better. That would make me so happy...¡±


    ¡°Should we have dinner now?¡±


    This old geezer!


    ¡°It¡¯s still lunch now!¡±


    Caitel looked somewhat disappointed.


    This was not the right time to make that face, Dad!


    Chapter 370: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 370


    Anyway, I¡¯d give him credit for trying to change the subject. However, I would not fall for that.


    I took a big breath.


    ¡°Ferdel said that it¡¯s more suspicious for an empire asrge as our to not have any corrupt officers.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t ignore a bug in front of me.¡±


    What was my father bragging about anyway?


    Of course, I agreed that a corrupt governor should be renounced, but I didn¡¯t agree with this method. I loved that daddy would not go to war anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted him to go on a rampage because he didn¡¯t like something on the report! As I red as if I would kill him, my dad finally said something to me as if he was sorry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±


    Seriously, father?!


    ¡°Not killing someone was good enough for you?! That¡¯s total nonsense!¡±


    I would listen to him only if he talked using rational human logic. What kind of nonsense puppy logic was that? When Iughed shortly because I was unpleasantly surprised, Caitel nodded proudly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cut off any arms or legs either. I think that¡¯s plenty kind enough.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    How was that considered kind?!


    I was reminded of how extraordinary my dad was several times a day... Really, he behaved like he¡¯s from another world sometimes.


    I was the one who hailed from another world here!


    Back then, I used to worry that everyone in this world might act like my dad. Luckily, he¡¯s the only one as extraordinary as this.


    Wait, was that a good thing? Should I be happy?


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know. Whatever! I had given up on finding a rational conclusion.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    ¡°You said it was lunchtime.¡±


    ... Was he asking for a fight?


    Caitel smiled as I frowned. I didn¡¯t know what was so funny, but seeing him smile made me feel anew.


    Ah, fine. It is what it is.


    I raised my head coldly.


    ¡°So, do you not want to eat then?¡±


    ¡°We should eat.¡±


    When I reached out to him upon hearing his answer, which seemed so natural, Caitel¡¯s hands ovepped over mine.


    I breathed a deep sigh as if I couldn¡¯t help it.


    What could I do? The rest of this mess still needed to be dealt with...


    Before I left the office, I looked around at the attendants who were chasing after Caitel.


    ¡°Let the chancellor handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 370


    Anyway, I¡¯d give him credit for trying to change the subject. However, I would not fall for that.


    I took a big breath.


    ¡°Ferdel said that it¡¯s more suspicious for an empire asrge as our to not have any corrupt officers.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t ignore a bug in front of me.¡±


    What was my father bragging about anyway?


    Of course, I agreed that a corrupt governor should be renounced, but I didn¡¯t agree with this method. I loved that daddy would not go to war anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted him to go on a rampage because he didn¡¯t like something on the report! As I red as if I would kill him, my dad finally said something to me as if he was sorry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±


    Seriously, father?!


    ¡°Not killing someone was good enough for you?! That¡¯s total nonsense!¡±


    I would listen to him only if he talked using rational human logic. What kind of nonsense puppy logic was that? When Iughed shortly because I was unpleasantly surprised, Caitel nodded proudly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cut off any arms or legs either. I think that¡¯s plenty kind enough.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    How was that considered kind?!


    I was reminded of how extraordinary my dad was several times a day... Really, he behaved like he¡¯s from another world sometimes.


    I was the one who hailed from another world here!


    Back then, I used to worry that everyone in this world might act like my dad. Luckily, he¡¯s the only one as extraordinary as this.


    Wait, was that a good thing? Should I be happy?


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know. Whatever! I had given up on finding a rational conclusion.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    ¡°You said it was lunchtime.¡±


    ... Was he asking for a fight?


    Caitel smiled as I frowned. I didn¡¯t know what was so funny, but seeing him smile made me feel anew.


    Ah, fine. It is what it is.


    I raised my head coldly.


    ¡°So, do you not want to eat then?¡±


    ¡°We should eat.¡±


    When I reached out to him upon hearing his answer, which seemed so natural, Caitel¡¯s hands ovepped over mine.


    I breathed a deep sigh as if I couldn¡¯t help it.


    What could I do? The rest of this mess still needed to be dealt with...


    Before I left the office, I looked around at the attendants who were chasing after Caitel.


    ¡°Let the chancellor handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 371


    It might go without saying, but Ferdel was still the chancellor.


    He begged Caitel every year to let him quit by submitting a long, long sad background story as a petition, but Caitel would refuse every year. Now, Ferdel had held the title of chancellor for longer than anyone else in Agrigent¡¯s history.


    Actually, he was temporarily released from his position for about three months. However, the whole country became a mess right away, so Caitel dragged him back here. That time, Ferdel fled to another country with Silvia because he didn¡¯t want to return... but...


    There¡¯s a reason why my father is THAT ¡®Caitel.¡¯


    He summoned an army and charged into Ancief right away. The royal family of Ancief gave up immediately and sent Ferdel back to Caitel. Thus, they captured Ferdel and dragged him back home in a week.


    Tsk tsk. Poor thing. He could no longer be free.


    Although the same went for me too...


    ¡°I heard what happened. Really, you¡¯re the best, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your praise!¡±


    He was the one who had been using me as a tool to handle my father. He¡¯s annoying. Now that I thought about it, my life had always been in danger because of Ferdel.


    Ugh. He¡¯s so sly.


    I red at him, and he just smiled slyly.


    He¡¯s wily, but the problem was that I couldn¡¯t hate him. That could be a trap if he meant it.


    Ferdel suddenly pretended to cry.


    ¡°What else can I do? Princess, you¡¯re the only one who can tame that darn beast...¡±


    I knew that, but it¡¯s annoying to hear it from him. Perhaps Ferdel was just irritating.


    Luckily, I grew up proper and upright. However, some people who didn¡¯t believe that I was kind still whispered about and say that I might turn into a tyrant like my dad.


    My... When I first heard that...


    Well, I mean... I guessed I understood where they wereing from. My dad was not as bad as he was before, but he still ruled the pce with fear. Caitel¡¯s temper was just that astounding.


    I used to think he would rx as he grew older and see the world better. Well, I must think about it again and let my past self reflect.


    There was a reason why Sy Pce changed its staff so often. Haha...


    ¡°So, why did he get mad this time?¡±


    I should, at least, know the reason.


    Whenever things like this happened, I just go there to take care of things without knowing why my father was making a mess. I should handle his temper first.

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 372


    Ferdel seemed to be agonizing for a moment. He scratched his cheek with his index finger before shrugging.


    ¡°Umm... you probably don¡¯t know about this, but the Count has been bad mouthing you for a while.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°He says you didn¡¯t respond when he greeted you.¡±


    Huh? What¡¯s with that?


    It¡¯s absurd, and it¡¯s ridiculous.


    I just frowned. I did see the Count before, but he¡¯s so in that it¡¯s hard for me to remember his face. I was a kind princess who replied to my constituents all the time.


    When did he greet me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    No matter how hard I tried to remember him, I really couldn¡¯t recall anything about it.


    I mean, how was I supposed to remember everyone who greeted me from so many people in just a day? If I tried to count the people who greeted me, I would have ended up with almost a couple hundred people, including all servants and maids.


    Plus, my brain had reached its capacity for a long time now.


    It was fortunate that I could memorize all the major noble families of this empire and essential figures from foreign countries.


    Ferdel shrugged.


    ¡°It would¡¯ve been fine if that¡¯s where it ended. But Caitel ended up hearing about it, and here we are now.¡±


    ¡°How unfortunate.¡±


    What a pity. He picked the wrong day.


    The pity I had for him disappeared since I learned that he was speaking wicked things about me, but he was unfortunate for sure.


    Ferdel smiled.


    ¡°He was removed from his position, and his status was demoted too. It¡¯s quite a generous punishmenting from Caitel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of sad that we would call something like that a generous punishment...¡±


    Well, this was, indeed, generous. Insulting any member of the royal family was a grave crime, and if this happened five years ago, Caitel might have executed him already.


    Yeah, it was quite generous for him to just punish him without an execution. As I saw in front of my eyes, the maid of a foreign princess who was dragged to death because she dared to talk back at him, I felt somewhat proud that Caitel¡¯sck of mercy was gradually easing.


    Perhaps my nagging was finally paying off.


    Wait. I shouldn¡¯t feel proud of this.


    ¡°And he was one of the more useful ones out of the new aristocratic familiestely.¡±


    Ferdel pouted as if he¡¯s disappointed.


    ¡°Though, idiots will always end up in trouble either way.¡±


    So what was he trying to say?

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 373


    I looked up at Ferdel quietly. I could see Ferdel¡¯s face, full of smiles. I didn¡¯t know if people here weren¡¯t getting old, or my standards were weird because I saw none of these people mature ever! However, I was sure he¡¯s around 40, and Ferdel still seemed to be in his early 30s.


    Why didn¡¯t he have any wrinkles on his face?


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but show some of his wrinkles whenever heughed, but he looked so good that the creases just made him much more attractive.


    ¡°But you seem too happy about this.¡±


    Ferdel pped upon hearing my answer. He shouted with an exaggerated expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite sharp, Princess. My years of teaching have paid off!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been sharp.¡±


    He¡¯s acting like a fool again.


    He still acted like a little boy, a boy who thought he could fool around. He still loved picking on Caitel, which got him beaten up all the damn time.


    Ferdel widened his eyes upon hearing my reply, almost as if he was saying, ¡®how did you know?¡¯


    He¡¯s so coy. He was just acting.


    However, I was not falling for his act.


    ¡°But you grew up so proper, Princes... I¡¯m so happy as a father.¡±


    Ferdel pretended to cry with tears that didn¡¯te out.


    I just shook my head with a flutter. If Caitel heard that... I was sure he would beat Ferdel just like the count. I would bet my castle on it. Of course, my Godfather was also my father in a sense... but there¡¯s still a difference.


    ¡®Ferdel, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡¯


    ¡°So, are these all the papers you have to go through this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s so many.¡±


    This was the promised road to a hell full of paperwork. Why was I born again?


    Why was I born again!?


    I had to struggle with paperwork in my past life, and I must do it again in this life too!?


    I had a fit of anger.


    ¡°I mean, why do I have to take care of royal matters and the management of the pce!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. There are no other adults in the royal family.¡±


    Looking at all the documents on my desk, Ferdel chuckled.


    Why was he acting like a proud father while looking at his child, who had already grown older? ¡®This is a bit awkward for me, you know?¡¯


    Well... I guessed it¡¯s true. I couldn¡¯t say Ferdel didn¡¯t have any influence on me.

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 374


    Well... I guessed it was true. I couldn¡¯t say Ferdel didn¡¯t have any influence on me.


    That thought soothed me again.


    ¡°Things were better when I was a child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Ferdelughed at my grumpyint.


    ¡°Because a child only has one responsibility, and that was to grow up well. Of course, it¡¯s better.¡±


    Then, looking back at me, Ferdel chuckled silently. I was embarrassed by his father-like happy smile, so I turned my eyes away.


    Should I say it¡¯s embarrassing?


    Yeah, Ferdel always acted like an idiot. Then he would suddenly act like a different person. It¡¯s hard to get used to it, really. Still, I didn¡¯t hate it when he smiled at me like that. It¡¯s just that I would be confused about who my father really was when he smiled at me like that, and that¡¯s sad.


    ¡°... don¡¯t you have a council meeting to attend? I heard the secretary say that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There is. I must leave now.¡±


    I asked because I remembered that he said, ¡°I stopped by¡± on his way to the meeting. Ferdel pped his hands and nodded as if he just remembered.


    I nodded to tell him to go away.


    Ferdel said he would leave, but he just stayed, standing in the same ce. As I stared at Ferdel, who¡¯s also staring at me, he grinned.


    ¡®... why do I feel so anxious?¡¯


    ¡°See you next time, my dear princess. Don¡¯t cry while I¡¯m gone, and make sure to eat your meals! Don¡¯t cry because you miss me!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Howe my ominous premonition always turned out wrong?


    We¡¯re not parting lovers, nor was he my mom. What was he talking about? As I frowned, Ferdel wiped away his tears and gave me a heartbroken look.


    ¡°Now then, we must part ways until fate brings us together again.¡±


    What should I say? I asked back seriously.


    ¡°How about we let fate end things here and now?¡±


    ¡°Aww!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In an instant, a lot of thoughts came into my mind.


    ¡®What the hell is wrong with this guy?¡¯ ¡®Why is he like that?¡¯ ¡®Does he have a grudge against me?¡¯ ¡®If not, why else would he be like that?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s he aiming at?¡¯


    Of course, it was apparent why Ferdel was doing this, but the reality was that I had nothing to say when he did this right in front of my eyes.


    Ferdelughed when he saw my face harden because of the cutesy act of a 40-year-old man. Was he happy now? Was he satisfied? Hmm?


    I opened my mouth to say something, but a step ahead of me, Ferdel jerked out of the room.


    ¡°Hehe! See youter, then!¡±


    ¡®... geez, that rascal.¡¯


    ¡°Phew.¡±

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 375


    Since Assisi became the chief instructor of the royal guard, he spends almost half of his time with the knights. Of course, he did leave my side asionally before, but only for short training or to take care of some duties as the knight captain. Once I started my day, he spent most of his time with me.


    And that ended when Assisi resigned as the captain...


    Anyway, he was the knight who was always with me. So I¡¯ve thought it would be nice if there was a ce I could go to in order to find Assisi. To find Caitel, I go to his office. To find Silvia, I go to Bolcena. And, though it¡¯s rare, I go to Podere if I want to find Ferdel.


    If Assisi doesn¡¯te to see me, I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going to look for him.... Like that, I wished for a ce I could go to when I wanted to find Assisi.


    That¡¯s why I was even happier than he was when he was nominated as the chief instructor to teach novice knights. I even held a small party for him.


    Now that I think about it, it¡¯s not a big deal now...perhaps I got too excited.


    But what can I do? It¡¯s true that I¡¯m happy about it.


    ¡°Are you visiting the knights?¡±


    ... I¡¯m done with work, so it¡¯s true that I was going to see Assisi.


    But, how did she know? That¡¯s scary.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nearby. Since I¡¯m here already, I might as well visit the knights for a bit.¡±


    Libby was the newest maid to take over Elyne¡¯s role since Elyne got married. Unlike Elyne, she doesn¡¯t talk much, works well, and is almost expressionless. But somehow, she reminds me of Elene. So I¡¯m quitefortable with her.


    Libby smiles slightly at my answer.


    It¡¯s really hard to see her smile. It¡¯s nice to see a rare smile, but I wondered why she was smiling for. Why are you smiling?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit sad now that Sir Assisi is working elsewhere since you¡¯ve been with him for so long?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Libby¡¯s question automatically stops my feet.


    Uh, well, that¡¯s the thing. Hmm...


    ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not sad at all. ¡±


    It would be a lie if I said it didn¡¯t affect me.


    Actually...I¡¯m not sure how I feel about seeing Assisi not needing me. It¡¯splicated. I¡¯m happy, but also not happy.

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 376


    However, I wanted Assisi to be happy. If I was an obstacle to that happiness... then I didn¡¯t mind disappearing from his life. Of course, the best option would be if Assisi was happy by my side!


    ¡°Still, Assisi used to be too attached to me. He would be with me from the moment I opened my eyes in the morning until I closed my eyes at night.¡±


    I said it and soon denied what I said.


    ¡°No. Actually, Assisi would probably guard my side all night while I was sleeping too.¡±


    Yeah, he would do that.


    I had only learned that recently, but even when I was sleeping, he had always been guarding me. I thought he quit that since he got caught when I was young, but it seemed like he continued it secretly.


    You didn¡¯t have to guard me, seriously.


    Well, Assisi was also human, so he did sleep too. However, the problem was that he slept so lightly that he could open his eyes once he could feel someone else¡¯s presence. I was so sad when I heard that story.


    Sleep was something one needed to take in a proper bed.


    I always thought about it, but I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯s so harsh on himself.


    Of course, I wanted to stop him from doing that, but it was against his nature to listen to me, so I just let him be. There¡¯s no specific solution.


    It made me hate my dad for leaving him alone without my knowledge, tsk.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was sorry for him.¡±


    It¡¯s like seeing my mom sacrifice everything for me.


    A mother who had lived only for me without dreams of her own couldn¡¯t be the answer to one¡¯s life. I was not that great or outstanding to receive everything.


    I felt sorry and thankful and sad for him.


    Assisi was not my mother, but I was immersed in suchplicated feelings when I saw him.


    I was just a little kid, but he had still protected me sincerely.


    Maybe that¡¯s the reason. That¡¯s probably why I felt relieved when Assisi became the chief instructor of the royal guard. He had protected me plenty until now. It¡¯s my turn to protect him.


    ¡°He¡¯s still overprotective of me... but he didn¡¯t worry as much now that I had grown up, so that¡¯s better. ¡±


    Libby smiled at my answer.


    She¡¯s younger than me, but there were moments when she looked at me like she was my mother, just like now. I¡¯m embarrassed because she looked at me so pleased.


    ¡°You must really like Sir Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Well... it¡¯s true.¡±


    It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but what¡¯s true is true!

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 377


    I thought I had only spoken a few words to Libby, but before I realized it, we were already in front of the knight¡¯s residence.


    I couldn¡¯t believe we were here so fast. The power of chatting with a friend indeed was terrific.


    I remembered being amazed at the knight¡¯s residence when I first came here.


    The knight¡¯s residence was a military facility with strict visitor policies. However, with Caitel¡¯s explicit permission, and as the master of the Spring Morning Knights, I could enter a ce where every woman was banned from entering freely.


    Anyway... it always felt like I was visiting a brother in the army when I came here.


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s Assisi.¡±


    The knight¡¯s residence¡¯s entrance was on the second floor, so I could see the Knights¡¯ Practice Field at a nce when I looked down from the stairs. Although there were many other fields in this residence, this particr practice field was thergest, so training squires usually happened here. I looked down just in case, but I could see Assisi walking around, fixing student knight¡¯s poses.


    I waved my hand at Assisi in delight.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s because I was the only woman in this ce, but amid countless other loud screams, Assisi still heard my voice clearly and looked back right at me. He looked so handsome even though he¡¯s wearing the simpler version of the uniform he wears daily.


    Oh, I didn¡¯t know whose knight he was, but he shone so brightly.


    Once I saw Assisi, I went down the stairs and headed straight into the training field, and he came this way as well. I smiled brightly as soon as I saw himing.


    ¡°Have youe for a visit?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, you¡¯re in the middle of training, right? Am I bothering you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ... was it really alright?


    I looked over the knights behind Assisi, but what could I do. I just trusted Assisi¡¯s words. Of course, when Assisi said it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s actually not alright 99% of the time.


    ¡°Everyone is exhausted, so it was about time to let them have a break.¡±


    Assisi added that as if he sensed my suspicion.


    Really? Was that really the case?


    Assisi smiled at me. Still, it seemed like he really was concluding today¡¯s practice session. I should go up to the waiting room and wait then.


    I could feel the squires keep looking back at me as if they were amazed.


    Sure. I guessed it was rare to see a princess.


    I knew best how they saw me in their eyes, so I started to act modestly. I had to protect the dreams and fantasies of those knights.


    ¡°Ria.¡±


    Huh? This voice?

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 378


    When I looked back at that voice, someone very familiar came into my view. I was so d to see him that I ran into his arms and forgot about my ns to pretend like a princess.


    ¡°Sanse!¡±


    When I rushed in, Sanse opened his arms and hugged me.


    It seemed like a child hugging a patent since he¡¯s so tall, but I didn¡¯t mind. Sanse was now seventeen and had already passed 180cm (approx. 5¡ä 11ft).


    Why was he so tall when he¡¯s younger than me... sob sob!


    Although he was the son of a wealthy family, I felt sad sometimes because he¡¯s so bigpared to me, who had not even reached 160cm (approx. 5¡ä 3ft).


    Once he grew taller than me, he started acting like an older brother. Now, he¡¯s even teamed up with Cito in the brotherly act.


    Haa, not funny.


    It¡¯s a bit annoying, but I knew it¡¯s just because they cared about me. I would just forgive them since I was generous.


    ¡°By the way, you... You didn¡¯t evene to see me after returning from S-Hertogenbosch!¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    Now, Sanse was stepping back with a sharp look. I hinted that I would not let this go smoothly.


    He went abroad and didn¡¯t even get me a gift! Bastard!


    If he returned, he should have visited me to say that he had done so!


    ¡°Were you really so busy that you didn¡¯t even have time to see your older sister?¡±


    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    Sanse shut his mouth at my face. Seeing him being nervous quickly made me feel better.


    When he was young, he used to be a little troublemaker, chasing around Valer... but he totally changed once he held a sword. Although Ferdel was horrible at using a sword, it seemed like the knight¡¯s blood in his family didn¡¯t disappear. Sanse was called a prodigy in terms of his skill. On top of that, he¡¯s a hard worker. He¡¯s only 17, yet he already became a knight of the Winter Moon and progressed to the top rank.


    Then again, he had grown to be more serious, and he started talking less. That was unexpected. He used to be a little kid who loved chasing me around. Well, he¡¯s still a baby in my eyes.


    ¡°So, why is the best knight of the Winter Moon over here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a training assistant.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    Oh, so he¡¯s here to scout future knights for the Winter Moon. I didn¡¯t know.

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 379


    When I nodded, Sanse smiled and stroked my head. Of course, I refused him.


    ¡°Well, what about Valer?¡±


    I just asked him where Valer went since he¡¯s also a knight, but Sanse¡¯s expression differed noticeably upon hearing my question. Looking at how Sanse smiled awkwardly and avoided answering me, I just sighed.


    ¡°Never mind. I think I know where he is.¡±


    He was always like that.


    He was probably at a party, at a pub, or off messing around somewhere.


    Compared to him, Sanse grew up so well.


    I was proud of Sanse as his older Godsister.


    ¡°Oh, uncle is back. I¡¯ll be off, then.¡±


    Assisi came this way to see if the practice was over.


    It seemed like Sanse had to go now. We didn¡¯t even get to talk for that long... it¡¯s kind of sad, but we¡¯re in public. Too bad, really.


    ¡°See you next time, Ria.¡±


    Waving my hand to Sanse, who¡¯s leaving, I smiled as prettily as I could. When he saw my smile, Sanse also smiled.


    My brother¡¯s smile was so pretty.


    Except for a few words with Assisi in the middle, Sanse immediately returned to the training field. There were a few remaining students in that vast field other than those who went to rest, and it seemed to be Sanse¡¯s job to guide them.


    While looking at the Sanse, Assisi came to me. I smiled brightly at Assisi, who was close by.


    ¡°You seem busy... did Ie at a bad time?¡±


    Of course, I was just saying that. If I had known it would be real trouble, I wouldn¡¯t havee at all.


    Assisi firmly shook his head upon hearing my words. Perhaps I had always seen him clean and neat before... so it seemed new to see him all sweaty like this. Was it because it¡¯s quite rare to see? It¡¯s like seeing Caitel with sses.


    ¡°Not at all. Did youe from the Royal Office?¡±


    ¡°No, the pce.¡±


    They said a man looked best when he focused on his work. Assisi definitely looked best when he¡¯s holding a sword.


    At first, I thought I just had a thing for knights wielding swords... but I had seen my dad holding a sword numerous times, so that¡¯s probably not the case.


    I would just be worried when I saw my dad with a sword.


    Compared to my dad... I hadn¡¯t seen Assisi actually swing a sword often. When I did see him holding one... I would feel a bit flustered. Perhaps this was an automatic response since it was always a bad sign if my dad wielded a sword...


    Either way, it¡¯s a fact that Assisi was stunningly beautiful when he¡¯s holding a sword.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 380


    I would just be worried when I saw my dad with a sword.


    Compared to my dad... I hadn¡¯t seen Assisi actually swing a sword often. When I did see him holding one... I would feel a bit flustered. Perhaps this was an automatic response since it was always a bad sign if my dad wielded a sword...


    Either way, it¡¯s a fact that Assisi was stunningly beautiful when he¡¯s holding a sword.


    Assisi tilted his head in my serious gaze.


    I justughed.


    ¡°A lot of the budget for maintaining the pce still remains untouched, so I left, saying that I¡¯d look for a talented artist who needed financial support.¡±


    ¡°Are there still some funds left over?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Assisi looked at me as if he¡¯s worried.


    The chambein nagged me about whether I¡¯d left the money on purpose...but there¡¯s just too much money to spend.


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I get so many gifts from nobles. I can¡¯t possibly wear all of them. Designers send me hundreds of dresses I never asked for and beg me to try them. I don¡¯t really need to spend any money on myself.¡±


    ¡°Most of thedies tend to buy more things since they want something they like.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t apply to me, right?¡±


    Assisi sighed at my smile.


    Half of all my jewelry came from him. Caitel is a father, and Silvia was just being Silvia, but most of the essories I wore often came from Assisi.


    I grinned as I looked up at Assisi, looking down at me with a discontent expression.


    ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s all because I¡¯m so beautiful no matter what I wear.¡±


    Assisi smiled, but it¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re frugal, princess.¡±


    ¡°I was raised well.¡±


    Even if I wanted to be a spoiled kid, too many people looked after me while growing up.


    Assisi nodded silently as if he agreed with my answer.


    I just smiled quietly because he didn¡¯t seem to know he¡¯s included in those people.


    ¡°The young knights all seem to look up to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all very enthusiastic.¡±


    ¡°You must be proud to teach them.¡±


    I thought they would ck off once in a while, but they¡¯re all enthusiastic. Must be because they really wanted to be knights.


    I could feel their enthusiasm just after seeing them. It¡¯s nice to see Assisi feeling proud of his pupils.


    ¡°Everyone is talented and has lots of potentials. There wasn¡¯t much for me to teach. I¡¯m simply helping them achieve what they were already capable of.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what a teacher is supposed to do.¡±


    Assisi wasn¡¯t wrong, but... I didn¡¯t like how he always underestimated himself.


    Teaching others was a challenging thing to do.

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 381


    ¡°Ferdel said it¡¯s not easy to teach others.¡±


    It¡¯s easy to follow a fixed guide and lecture others, but it¡¯s tough to cater to personal achievement and draw out that potential from individuals. Of course, Ferdel was saying that to praise himself.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you busy? If you want, you can quit being my guardian knight and focus on your teaching.¡±


    ¡°... this is only a hobby of mine. ¡±


    I meant it, but as soon as he heard it, Assisi¡¯s expression got noticeably stiff. Watching him cutting off my offer at once made me feel a littleplicated.


    ¡°My duty has always been to protect you.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m thankful for that, but...¡±


    In fact, thanking him wasn¡¯t enough to show my gratitude.


    Still...


    ¡°Sometimes, I worry if I¡¯m holding you back.¡±


    I felt like Assisi could quickly leave me and find better things in his life. He didn¡¯t have to bind himself to me. Of course, something had changed now, but it was subtle because Assisi¡¯s main routine was centered on me. That¡¯s not what I wanted.


    If he would really quit being my guardian knight, of course, I¡¯d be disappointed and sad. I felt conflicted about this too.


    Still, I hoped it would happen for Assisi.


    I only mentioned it lightly, but Assisi¡¯s face still darkened, perhaps because he felt the heaviness of my proposal.


    ¡°Does that mean... you don¡¯t need me anymore?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant...¡±


    Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have brought this up. How troubling.


    I couldn¡¯t say anything because it had already happened. If I tried to make it up to Assisi to have him feelfortable, he would get hurt more.


    Oh, what was I supposed to do with this?


    I gave up because I thought Assisi would never let it go. Let¡¯s just be honest with him.


    ¡°I mean, you spent so much of your time on me. You should meet someone, fall in love, get married, and have a family. Just like everyone else.¡±


    I had thought about this since I was seven years old, and nothing much had changed even after 10 years. Assisi still didn¡¯t want to get married... I want Assisi to find small pieces of happiness, but Assisi¡¯s thoughts always focused on me and on me alone.


    It would be better if he cared about himself more than he cared about me. Maybe that¡¯s why I felt guilty whenever I saw Assisi.


    ¡°I just thought I might be messing up your life.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Assisi denied. I showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, Princess...¡±


    Assisi swallowed his breath.


    ¡°I would still be lost, wandering, and searching for a ce to die in.¡±

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 382


    ¡®I know.¡¯ It was not that I didn¡¯t know how terrible Assisi was before he became my guardian knight. I knew he had gotten a lot better after knowing me.


    But, but...


    I didn¡¯t want to hear how he¡¯s willing to die for me either.


    He had already done more than enough.


    Now, I want to do something for him.


    ¡°Every moment, and every second, I feel like I can see the souls of those I¡¯ve killed. No matter what excuse Ie up with, the fact that I have taken their lives does not change. Sometimes, I worry about my blood-stained hands, reaching out to you and holding your hands. I worry that my presence and my existence might be harming you...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is my fault.¡±


    It looked like I brought this up carelessly. It was not that I didn¡¯t know about Assisi¡¯s wounds... but I wondered what made someone as gentle as Assisi like this.


    I pitied him so much that I couldn¡¯t speak properly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    It didn¡¯t mean that I wanted to push Assisi away.


    It looked like he¡¯s not ready to leave me yet.


    Let¡¯s take it slow, one step at a time.


    In the past, I was scared because I didn¡¯t know where to begin, but it¡¯s alright now.


    I would never let go of this hand either.


    ¡°Assisi, I¡¯m always the one who grabs your hand first, right?¡±


    Assisi shut his mouth.


    His pretty golden-green eyes were filled with tears. His beauty still shone as brilliantly as ever. Of course, I couldn¡¯t say he hadn¡¯t changed at all. He looked a little more mature but not the same as looking older.


    This was unfair.


    ¡°But you really don¡¯t age at all. I¡¯ve grown so much now, yet you and dad still looked the same as before.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Assisi shook his head upon hearing myint.


    ¡°You hadn¡¯t changed at all from when you were younger, Princess.¡±


    ¡°.... do you mean to say I¡¯m still a child?¡±


    Assisi smiled as I looked up at him with a discontented frown.


    I heard if oneughed while crying, horns would grow from their butt. Still, it¡¯s nice to see Assisiugh.


    Wait, but why was heughing, though? Was it funny to still see me as a child?


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh! I¡¯m not a child!¡±


    ¡°Did His Majesty tease you about being a child again?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    I tly denied it, but Assisi burst intoughter upon hearing me deny it instead.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    He¡¯s obviouslyughing now!


    What¡¯s so funny? Which part?


    ¡°Assisi, Imand you! Stopughing!¡±


    I even forced him to stopughing, but he didn¡¯t follow mymand at all. He tried to hold hisughter, but soon, he gave up.


    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, but I need tough a bit more.¡±


    Why? Why was heughing?


    I was happy to see Assisi happy... but somehow, this didn¡¯t feel satisfying...


    I wonder why... I suddenly started tearing up.

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 383


    I usually didn¡¯t attend any parties, but I had no choice but to participate in it tonight. Today was a special day. It¡¯s Graecito¡¯s birthday, so I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Entering the powder room to prepare for the party, a full-body mirror weed me from all sides with my gown on. I always had good skin, but my skin reflected in the mirror today was glossier than usual. Maybe it¡¯s because I had a massage earlier.


    ¡°What about Serira? Did she leave to get dressed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she left just a while ago.¡±


    Oh, I already feel exhausted.


    Libby clicked her tongue when she saw mecking enthusiasm.


    What could I do? This was annoying.


    It¡¯s tiring to get dressed up all the time. If this happened every day, even anyone who loved dresses and decorating themselves would get sick of it.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t dress up the same way every time. It¡¯s a far-off story from me, although all the maids had a lot of trouble because of my outfit.


    I just wanted to go out in a casual outfit... sob sob.


    ¡°Well, you need to get dressed now. Princess.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I took off my gown and put on my underwear first.


    I was guessing that women¡¯s underwear was simr everywhere. Even here, there were many underwear like corsets, vests, and petticoats. Of course, it was quite different from what I knew, but it was quite a shock when I first saw them.


    ¡°Now, stay still. I¡¯ll put it on for you.¡±


    When I was done with my underwear, my dress quickly hung on my body.


    The dress I usually wore was very fancy by my standards, but the one I used for parties was even more extravagant than I imagined. I avoided designs that looked vulgar because they were way too decorative and luxurious, but those I chose still had way too much decoration on them.


    Seriously... making oneself pretty as a woman took so much work. Of course, the problem was that I was not making any of that effort, but my maids were doing it.


    ¡°This is prettier than thest dress.¡±


    ¡°But that one was much more splendid.¡±


    ¡°To me, this looks prettier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from His Majesty.¡±


    No wonder. We had simr tastes.


    Look at me. How many maids were helping me put on a dress?


    I was just wearing one dress, and ten maids were still helping me put them on. Some of them were fixing my dress, and some were checking the decorations of the dress behind me.

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 384


    The maids who stepped on the chairs were touching my hair. They thinly braided my hair, put it up, bouffant it a little bit, and then locked them up with big and beautiful hairpins on the side. I usually chose floral hair pins because my dresses were often pretty simple, so the decoration on my hair got fancier.


    That didn¡¯t mean that I would style my hair in a big bouffant, just like otherdies did those days.


    ¡°Oh, I look great.¡±


    Now that I was done, I looked quite pretty in the mirror.


    If maids heard my reaction, they would tear up, saying, ¡®That¡¯s your best reaction?¡¯ but this is the best I could do. Above all, I was the kind of person who could have fun while decorating things.


    I used to worry that I might grow up to be uglier... but luckily, I looked like Caitel. When I was young, I thought I was as pretty as anyone else, but my adult appearance was more than I imagined.


    It looked like I inherited his genes indeed.


    I guessed this was when I could say ¡®it pleases my eyes¡¯


    The full-body mirrors that were set up everywhere illuminated me in a blue dress. I looked so beautiful that everything I wore would still highlight how magnificent my appearance was.


    What wouldn¡¯t look good on me?


    White and fair skin, transparent and smooth without a single w, it was so white that it contrasted sharply with the blue silk I was wearing. The lines drawing the face and body were delicate and exquisite.


    My distinct features, round and angled shoulders, and s-lined waistline and pelvic lines show off a definite curve.


    Ha, I was in such a perfect shape.


    Under my long eyshes, the dark red eyes stared at me in the mirror as if Ruby had been stuck. The gaze deepened as I grew older, so my red eyes shone more seductively, and my lush lips and slender necklinepelled anyone to reach out to me.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    There was a time when I sometimes wondered how pretty people felt.


    How does it feel to be pretty?


    When I saw them, I would be amazed but also envious. Oh, they must be feeling so satisfied by just looking at their faces. Even if that¡¯s what looks said, no one hated being pretty, and the more beautiful you are, the more you couldn¡¯t help but dazzle people¡¯s eyes.


    I had never been pretty, so I thought I¡¯d never know how it felt.


    It seemed like we never really knew what fate had in store for us.

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 385


    Sadly, my impression of being pretty when I finally became conventionally beautiful was, ¡®I¡¯m pretty.¡¯ I knew I was pretty, but I was not sure what¡¯s so good about it.


    Perhaps this was one of those instances where the grass was greener on the other side? Well, I thought it¡¯s a little different.


    Still, every time I saw my face, I felt an unknown sense of mission. I wanted to spread this beauty and keep it for a long time, but all I could do was make a portrait of myself every year and make a lot of children after marrying someer.


    However, the problem was that portraits could not capture the beauty of what it tried to imitate, and that marriage seemed difficult because my father was desperately opposed to it.


    I was doomed.


    Oh, it¡¯s unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t use this beauty extensively.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I made a few sinct movements, and when they saw it, the maids rushed right at me.


    I knew their passion and sincerity for making me pretty, but I would sometimes see myself fearing them.


    Brenda frowned as if she had read my mind.


    ¡®Yeah, yeah, okay.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry about that.¡¯


    Eventually, I just stood still and looked in the mirror again.


    ¡°Hmm, I look so pretty.¡±


    Even though I looked at myself in every way, there were zero ws I could find.


    I couldn¡¯t see where toin. Why was I so pretty?


    When I seriously tried to put my face in front of the mirror and observed my face, I suddenly heard a voice from behind me. It sounded quite upset.


    ¡°You should stop marveling at your own face, you know. Don¡¯t you get tired of looking at your face every day?¡±


    Even if I didn¡¯t have to look back, I could tell who it was just by his voice.


    Valtorta, that bastard!


    When did he evene here? Valer entered the powder room. If it were a strange gentleman, it would have been a very rude intrusion, but since it was him, no one in the powder room stopped him froming to me.


    I looked back proudly.


    ¡°How can I get bored with something so pretty?¡±


    ¡°Wow, there you go again.¡±


    How dare he? I wanted to kill him then and there! Did he have a death wish?


    I clicked my tongue. When he was young, he chased me around calling me Ria, but now that he¡¯s all grown up, he¡¯s forgotten how to respect his elders.


    No wonder they said it¡¯s a waste to care about a child who wasn¡¯t your own.


    It¡¯s not like I really raised them, though...

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 386


    ¡°What style are you doing for today?¡±


    ¡°A lovely Princess?¡±


    Valer frowned as if he ate something foul.


    ¡°Barf.¡±


    ¡°How dare you say that to your sister!¡±


    I picked up theb next to me and threw it at him; unfortunately, Valer avoided it quickly.


    Oh, how annoying he was.


    It¡¯s a shame I didn¡¯t get him, but if the rising star of the marshals¡¯ board couldn¡¯t avoid this, the country was already doomed.


    My hair was all done before I realized it. When I looked at myself again in the mirror, the tiara on my head caught my attention. The decorations on my head were all on the back of my head, so I couldn¡¯t see them well from the front. A small tiara decorated with tinum and diamonds stood out more.


    Hmm, that was moderately splendid and elegant.


    I nodded, satisfied. The maids walked away with a bright smile.


    When I stepped back from the mirror, I noticed Valer moving beside me.


    ¡°Ahem, you missed!¡±


    ¡°Just go out and die.¡±


    Valer frowned at my cold answer.


    ¡°Wow, are you really ady? You talk like a street thug.¡±


    ¡°You want to die now?¡±


    Who was he calling a thug?


    I was looking for anotherb to throw, and Valer pretended to cry in an exaggerated tone.


    ¡°Sob sob, oh the poor men of Agrigent. Everyone thinks the princess is a holy, beautiful, and kind angel. How shocked would they be if they found out the true face of the angel?¡±


    Look here!


    I agree that the men of Agrigent were pitiful, but that¡¯s not because of my personality. There was nothing wrong with me!


    When I red at him, Valer¡¯s lips stuck out.


    He used to be cute when he was little, but now as a grown-up man, he was just a huge annoyance. Phew!


    ¡°It¡¯s true! You are pretty, Ria, but isn¡¯t it a lie to say that you¡¯re kind and lovely?¡±


    ¡°You really want to die today, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I stopped warning him anymore. I just looked at Pibbit as it yed well in the corner of the room andmanded him.


    ¡°Pibbit Junior! Go get him!¡±


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    A big bunny jumped towards Valer at mymand.


    Pibbit Junior!


    Pibbit and Chubby grew too old and left me, but their children were still with me and kept mepany. The one on the front line was Pibbit Junior. He jumped at Valer and bit his pants under mymand.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 387


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Help me! Ria! Sister!¡±


    I snorted, gently looking down at him.


    Anyway... he really was Ferdel¡¯s child since he¡¯s so sly and cunning. I thought he was just a rascal when he was young... Now, he¡¯s more like a viin.


    I just felt sorry for thedies¡ªsob, sob. I feel bad for thedies of Agrigent who secretly admired him. They must be blind. What¡¯s so good about him, anyway?


    I would rmend admiring Sanse instead, but Valer was more popr. I always wondered why?


    Now that I hade to think of it, I hadn¡¯t seen Sanse.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sanse?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Who cares?¡±


    ... Now I suddenly felt terrible for Sanse. Gee, he was his big brother; he should start acting like it.


    Looking at the Valer, who¡¯s struggling to hold Pibbit Junior, I kicked my tongue.


    They still cared for each other like they used to, but they grew up to be the total opposites. Unlike Sanse, who grew up to be a serious and reliable person, Valer, who had been a terrible viin since childhood, had be a yful and flirty womanizer. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how many women he¡¯s been dating anymore.


    It almost seemed like Sanse was the older one here.


    ¡°You should look after your little brother more.¡±


    As I tried to give him a piece of advice, Valer replied as if he heard something downright odd.


    ¡°We¡¯re twins. What¡¯s there for me to look out for? He¡¯ll do fine by himself.¡±


    ¡°Yet, you call yourself the big brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I wondered where he got that shameless personality from.


    Oh, but of course, I knew where it came from. It had to be Ferdel, obviously.


    Like father, like son, I supposed. Valer was just like Ferdel.


    Now that I thought about it, Sanse looked just like Silvia.


    Even if they looked just like a mix of their parents, their personalities differed totally.


    I had known them since they were babies, so I didn¡¯t really see them as men. However, they were probably the most eligible bachelors in high society now. Well, they had a good family background, and they¡¯re athletic. On top of that, they had admirable jobs and good looks. Really, they had got it all.


    ¡°The rising star of the military, and the prospective leader of the Winter Moon Knights, Valtorta! ...that was supposed to be you, I thought.¡±


    ¡°Sanse already took the title of the rising star.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    As I answered him lightly and smiled, Valer frowned. I smiled brighter as he looked at me, annoyed.

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 388


    People used to praise him as the next genius to follow after Assisi. Who knew his little brother would take that title the following year. Well, I didn¡¯t expect Sanse to be so talented with a sword either.


    The maids who finished dressing me up had cleaned and left the room.


    I sat on the couch and drank the juice the maid brought.


    Ah, the juice was the best. I didn¡¯t enjoy the cocktail or wine because of the taste. Ugh, I was not a fan of alcohol.


    ¡°Is this the first time I¡¯ve seen you since you visited the Northern Empire? How is His Highness?¡±


    ¡°What? He¡¯s the same as always.¡±


    When I asked him, he replied as if he was annoyed. Hey, I was just trying to make small talk here. He should stop acting like I was a bother.


    I hadn¡¯t seen Ahin again after that time. The biggest reason was that he eventually became the Holy Emperor Suhina¡¯s stepson; he couldn¡¯t go anywhere carelessly. Of course, the north always sent an invitation with their new year¡¯s letter every year...


    No matter how many times I asked, my dad wouldn¡¯t allow me to visit.


    I wanted to go there too. The Northern Empire, I wanted to go!


    Above all, I was so fed up with this pce that I wanted to get out of this boring pce sometimes. Valer frowned since he did not understand how I felt.


    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet there.¡±


    Gee. He didn¡¯t know how blessed he was.


    I didn¡¯t mean to ask him to do something, but I couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed since he¡¯s acting like that.


    ¡°Are you going to keep teasing me when you know I can¡¯t go?¡±


    ¡°Why? Just go.¡±


    Little brat!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know my father?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Must I really spell it all out for him?


    Valer¡¯s mouth shut right after hearing my response.


    I felt an unknown sadness. Quietly Valer approached me and ced his hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°I pity you, my sister.¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop with those condescending words.¡±


    I pped his hand away, but I inevitably felt lost thereafter.


    I wanted to leave this ce, go abroad, and never look back!


    ¡°If you keep this up... I¡¯ll show the youngdies every letter you wrote to me when you were young about how much you liked me.¡±


    ¡°Sister! My older sister! Dear Ariadna! Forgive me, please! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    He never learned, didn¡¯t he? He should stop getting so cocky.


    ¡°Kneel and think about your actions.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    It¡¯s better when he¡¯s obedient.

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 389


    It was better when he¡¯s obedient. Although this didn¡¯tst long...


    I enjoyed him being obedient when suddenly, the door opened, and a ten-year-old boy entered. It was Odeure, the third son of Silvia and Ferdel.


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    Odeure, who ran to find me, was cute, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was here.


    He shouldn¡¯t be walking around alone like this.


    ¡°Odeure, where¡¯s Haka? Howe you¡¯re alone?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He can take care of himself.¡±


    In an indifferent answer, I looked back unknowingly at Valer.


    ¡°...you sure are rted, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s not what you should say after leaving your little brother.¡±


    Valtorta couldn¡¯t make eye contact and turned his head.


    I was sure he wouldn¡¯t get lost in this pce, but...I was a bit worried. Fortunately, soon a maid came into the room, holding Haka¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    ¡°Haka!¡±


    Haka, who ran as soon as he saw me, was somehow dressed in ady¡¯s dress.


    Well, the reason was obvious. I was sure Ferdel put it on him. Whenever I saw something like this... I could feel how much that couple wanted a daughter. It¡¯s a bit pathetic¡ªfor both them and their sons.


    Perhaps Valer thought the same as me, but he put his chin on his hand andined.


    ¡°How unfortunate for my dad. I mean, how many sons did he get when all he wanted was a daughter?¡±


    ¡°Silvia is the unfortunate one. Don¡¯t you feel bad for your mother, who¡¯s stressed from raising all of you?¡±


    ¡°What did I do?!¡±


    Valer was yelling at me, but Odeure, who stood next to me, shouted on my behalf.


    ¡°Valer, you¡¯re mean.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re mean.¡±


    As Haka nodded, Valer opened his eyes wide as if he felt wronged.


    ¡°Wow, really? You¡¯re taking her side? Aren¡¯t you two my siblings?!¡±


    Either way, I sat down and stroked the heads of the cute little boys.


    That¡¯s right. You listen to me.


    ¡°Now, now, my darlings. Isn¡¯t Valer an evil brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s evil!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s evil!¡±


    Oreu and Haka nodded at my word. Valer opened his lips wide as if he¡¯s feeling oppressed.


    ¡°... really, there¡¯s nobody you can trust in this world.¡±


    ¡®So you¡¯ve learned the great lesson of life.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s from all the bad karma you¡¯ve built, you bastard.¡¯


    I kindly advised my younger brother, who learned a life lesson.


    ¡°Be stronger ande back.¡±

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 390


    I was not sure why, but Graecito and the twins had be good friends as they grew up.


    Perhaps they put all the times they fought when they were little in the past. It¡¯s a wee change for me since I was the one stuck in the middle. They argued like dogs until they turned seven. After that, they grew closer as we spent more time together.


    I didn¡¯t think those closed-off twins would open up and ept Graecito like he was one of their brothers. Maybe that¡¯s why I was surprised.


    I wondered how they got so close.


    ¡°Graecito, happy birthday!¡±


    As Valer reached out, Graecito hit his hand and made a ¡®friendly greeting between guys.¡¯


    Oh, they were happy.


    They were still a year apart in age... but they looked like close friends.


    Was that why Valer had been so rebellious against metely?


    When we came to the party, Sanse was already in his uniform.


    I poked Sanse and stared into the hall for no reason. The hall was filled with people who didn¡¯t know what was happening, each dressed in fancy clothes.


    I mean... It had been a long time since Agrigent¡¯s only princess hosted a party, so of course, it should be loud and crowded.


    I was depressed about what would be happening soon; Sanse nced at the hall and talked to me.


    ¡°There are a lot of nobles here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can see that.¡±


    When I sighed, Sanse smiled and reached out his hand. He seemed to tell me not to worry by rubbing the wrinkles on my forehead.


    ¡®But Sanse, how can I not sigh?¡¯


    I was already tired just thinking of talking to all those people. I hadn¡¯t been to a party so long...


    When I was a kid, I could use my age as an excuse, but it¡¯s not an eptable excuse anymore. It¡¯s not easy to lead a conversation while switching between topics like politics, art, music, fashion, grooming, economics, religion, and history. This was all because my dad wouldn¡¯t let me leave the pce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sigh like that, and stop frowning.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    If my dad allowed me to leave the pce, I would not have to deal with this kind of concern anymore¡ªsob sob.


    This was all because my dad hated the idea of me leaving the pce. The nobles who were close with me all had to hold their parties in the pce because of Caitel. I had nowhere else to go to avoid dealing with all those noble guests.


    Oh, my pitiful fate...

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 391


    ¡°You¡¯re neen now, so that means you¡¯ll be a man soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Why? Come on; I can introduce you to a nicedy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡±


    That¡¯s nonsense.


    While I was peeking in the hall for a moment, strange conversations came and went from behind.


    I frowned and looked back at Valer and Cito; Valer was acting up again.


    ¡®Does he have no shame?¡¯


    Soon, Cito hit him and became calm.


    Graecito made Valer quiet and turned around to me.


    ¡°Ria, so you came.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday. Of course, I¡¯d be here.¡±


    He only said he didn¡¯t know I woulde as a show of his modesty, but it still made me feel upset.


    I¡¯de no matter how busy I was.


    Cito was smiling at my pouty response. Cito used to be fluffy like a rabbit when he was young... but now that he had grown up, he became more like a deer. His eyes seemed so benevolent that it¡¯s hard to believe he¡¯s a knight.


    I felt sort of proud since he grew up so well. He¡¯s quite popr too.


    ¡°Tsk, you used to fight with the twins all day when you were little.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude to your big brother.¡±


    ¡°Big brother? Who¡¯s my big brother?¡±


    Graecito nodded at my answer.


    I justughed. Even though I won¡¯t acknowledge it, Graecito still insisted that he¡¯s my older brother. He felt like that sometimes, but it would mean I was surrendering if I admitted it, so I was against it.


    Cito gently looked down at me.


    Huh? Did he see something on my face?


    By the time I tilted my head and wondered what his gaze meant, he smiled.


    ¡°You look beautiful today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always pretty.¡±


    The atmosphere froze as if cold water dropped towards us after my response. Graecito, who was smiling, and even Sanse and Valer, who were just watching us, all stared at me with their mouths shut.


    What, why?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Did I say something wrong?


    It was true, wasn¡¯t it? Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    What else would I say? I had nothing to be ashamed of; I just said something obvious.


    I shrugged, beckoning anyone to argue about it; suddenly, Valer threw a word through the heavy silence.


    ¡°...it¡¯s true, but... it¡¯s kind of annoying to hear you say it. It makes me want to deny it.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet! Do you want to die?¡±

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 392


    The price he had to pay for going against me was high. I kicked Valer before he could even defend against it; he groaned while grabbing his knees.


    ¡°Hey, you violent princess! You¡¯ll never get married if you do this, you know?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Whatever. I just smiled gracefully.


    ¡°Other men don¡¯t know I¡¯m like this.¡±


    No matter how much they told other guys how nasty I truly was, they wouldn¡¯t believe him.


    Valer opened his mouth with a dumb expression.


    I gave him a cheeky grin.


    Valer beat his chest as if we had used him falsely. Either way, I just nodded as if I was ready for him to pick a fight.


    Whatever he said wouldn¡¯t affect the elegant, graceful princess image that I was always working to maintain.


    It was all thanks to my teacher.


    Ferdel¡¯s lessons were all beneficial to me. Among them, his life strategy was undeniably one of the best.


    Watching the fiery war of nerves between the two of us, Sanse just said one thing.


    ¡°Wow... women are scary.¡±


    ¡°I cannot agree more.¡±


    I was wondering why Cito was nodding and expressing his sincere sympathy.


    Gosh, what did I do?


    As I shrugged, the two men smiled awkwardly and turned their heads. Those guys! Why were they looking away!?


    That was when it happened.


    Suddenly, a ss door opened, and a woman broke into the room.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    I stepped back in shock.


    I saw beautiful, shiny red hair scattered like waves, and the sparkling forest colored dark-green eyes chased after me, which made me feel pressured.


    Evelyn S. Sesculo.


    She¡¯s the only daughter of Count Sesculo. She¡¯s also known to be a prideful woman. I was also a bit scared of her before we became friends...


    When we got close, I had grown scared of her for a different reason.


    Evelyn grabbed my arm as soon as she found me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived, princess! I thought my eyes would pop out; I was looking so hard for you!¡±


    ¡°Ha, haha... right... I¡¯m sorry, I came sote.¡±


    I had been hiding here since I didn¡¯t want her to find me...


    Looking at how Evelyn caught my hand, Sanse gave me a pitying look.


    I didn¡¯t need his pity at this time. He should just help me!


    Valer giggled as if his revenge had already seeded.


    Oh, this bastard...! Was this funny to him? Huh?!

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 393


    Whether she could see this situation or not, Evelyn calmly stared at me with rxed eyes.


    ¡°Oh... Princess, you¡¯re as beautiful as ever today. How can I describe your beauty with mere words? I don¡¯t want to describe you as angelic because it¡¯s said too often nowadays. Oh, do forgive me. I don¡¯t have the vocabry to praise you properly, Princess!¡±


    ¡°... I don¡¯t think you need to praise me that much.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s alright, Princess. Even the sight of you sighing is just too beautiful to behold!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scary, you know.¡±


    Listen! It was apparent she wasn¡¯t listening to me even when I called her. Still, today, Evelyn ignored my words and focused on staring at me.


    ¡®Somebody help me!¡¯


    ¡°There she goes again today. I wonder when she¡¯ll get tired of it.¡±


    ¡°I wonder.¡±


    Sanse and Valer watched us as if something interesting had happened. Inparison to them, Graecito seemed somewhat nervous.


    What¡¯s wrong with him?


    Anyway, that¡¯s not the problem now. I wanted to escape and avoid Evelyn¡¯s ufortable gaze somehow.


    ¡°Happy birthday. Here, this is my gift for you.¡±


    Although I was nning to give him this after the party, Graecito, who was absent-minded, suddenly flinched by the gift¡¯s sudden baptism. I tilted my head.


    Huh? What was it?


    Evelyn was in a hurry to be polite, checking if she felt something once I gave him a present. Yeah, it looked like she still remembered what this party was about.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Lord Graecito¡±


    ¡°Oh... yes. Thank you, Lady Evelyn.¡±


    Hmm...it¡¯s not like this was his first time meeting her, but Graecito¡¯s reaction was odd today. That¡¯s suspicious.


    I was looking at Cito for no reason because I felt suspicious; as soon as she finished saying hello to Graecito, Evelyn snatched my arm.


    ¡°Now, princess. Let¡¯s go. You must reveal your beauty to the world!¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. It will be an insult to your beauty if we hide it in the shadows like this! You must hear more praise from other people as well!¡±


    What was she talking about? That sounded ridiculous!


    I looked around Sanse in a hurry. Sanse stealthily avoided my gaze; Valer did the same!


    I never said it was alright to turn away from me!


    My desperate eyes touched the three, but I soon realized that there would be no prince who would save me.


    Sob sob. I thought it would happen.


    Well, life wasn¡¯t fair!

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 394


    Ferdel was a better teacher than I thought.


    He said he had never taught anyone before, but Ferdel¡¯s sses were all excellent. I felt bad that I was his pupil, actually. Politics, Academia, History, Religion, Mannerisms, and even how to rule, they¡¯re all excellent.


    Yet, even Ferdel avoided teaching me one subject. That was the generation before Caitel.


    Agrigent rose to power through Emperor Vayebizel and the reign of Emperor Ivan in less than half a century; I had been tongue-tied at numerous historical events on thisnd.


    Our house was a real mess¡ªa family with a long history of craziness.


    ¡°What I¡¯ve taught you is history from my point of view. It¡¯s modern history, so there¡¯s more to be uncovered. Future generations might judge this period differently. For now, this is what most think of modern history.¡±


    Ferdel took a rtively cautious approach, but I didn¡¯t have much objection to the history, he exined even if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    It was very reasonable for him to do so.


    Emperor Vibizel, my great-great-grandfather, was crowned when he was 15. He conquered manynds in the central continent through wars until the day of his death. Thanks to that, Agrigent grew into an Empire. However, that turned out to be a poison as internal stability copsed.


    The old Emperor died, and the crown prince soon followed.


    The second prince took power while the country fell into chaos.


    Those three princes were so close that no one could have imagined that the second prince would poison the crown prince.


    However, when the second prince, Vaviyal, became the Emperor, the empire fell into misery. He continued tomit countless crimes.


    The Emperor executed hundreds of people a day, and the pce was always full of screams. This emperor reced all the central officers and killed anyone who questioned or went against him. The numerous misdeeds the tyrant Vaviyalmitted were overwhelming, but what shocked me most was that he raped his older brother¡¯s wife and forced his younger brother¡¯s fiance in his bed.


    ¡°After that, those twodies who became tyrant Vaviyal¡¯s toys were also killed by his hand just like other women.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    I had seen many of these crazy emperors in history, but thinking about how this happened a few generations ago felt different.


    To be honest, it was disgusting.


    How could one do such a thing as a human?


    The fact that we are sharing the same blood made me so ufortable.

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 395


    At that time, Emperor Ivan was captured in a tower. He was on the verge of being publicly executed, but with his lieutenants¡¯ help, he seeded in the rebellion and was crowned emperor. He cut his own brother¡¯s neck and announced that the days of tyrants had passed. That was his first day as the emperor...


    All the problems began there.


    ¡°Emperor Prior never had any intention of ruling through politics.¡±


    It would have been better if he simply didn¡¯t like politics, but hepletely ignored all the problems he had to fix. The subjects had to restore and rebuild the administration that they had destroyed.


    ording to Ferdel, ifplete negligence could be called tyranny, it was undoubtedly the beginning of another oppressive authoritarian rule.


    The emperor did not handle the empire¡¯s political affairs, so the administrative system was not established for sure, and the government was a mess, while greedy officers ran rampant. The country was swept into chaos. It was possible because Emperor Ivan only cared about sleeping with women and holding parties.


    Emperor Ivan favored a woman named Lady Cicellia, who was said to have been the emperor¡¯s mistress for over two decades.


    ¡°But ironically, her existence was the reason this country still stands. She is criticized as the witch of the century, but she knew how to control the greedy officers. She also knew how to stop a country in chaos frompletely falling apart. Lady Cicellia umted wealth through Emperor Ivan, and her descendants returned that fortune to the country, which helped rebuild this system.¡±


    ¡°So she was a necessary evil.¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes.¡±


    I thought my dad was the worst leader in history since everyone said he was that sort of tyrant. After learning history, I realized that Caitel was the least oppressive of them all.


    If Caitel seemed better than them, how horrible could they really be?


    ¡°Several policies in ce now are those that Lady Cicellia came up with first. It was a difficult era, but she was an amazingdy.¡±


    Ferdelughed.


    I was somewhat surprised at how he was praising her so much. It¡¯s rare for Ferdel to honor someone like this.


    She really must have been exceptional.


    Her image of ¡®witch¡¯ reminded me of Bao Si, the concubine of the ancient Chinese sovereign King You of Zhou, and Daji who was the favorite consort of King Zhou of Shang.


    But I just shook my head.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 396


    ¡°How did my dad be the emperor?¡±


    All I know is that he killed Emperor Ivan and took the throne, but I was curious because that was all I knew.


    Ferdel scratches his cheek at my question. He seemed to be agonizing.


    ¡°Well, during Emperor Ivan¡¯s reign, people didn¡¯t revolt against him because...Emperor Ivan held the power to an excellent military. ¡±


    ¡°Military?¡±


    ¡°Yes, back then, my father was a cavalry general. In other words, the Emperor held physical power, so nobody could dare plot a rebellion.¡±


    I tilted my head.


    ¡°Then...how did my dad start a rebellion?¡±


    ¡°He charmed me.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    I feel like I¡¯ve heard something weird. What am I hearing right now?


    Ferdel smiles as if he felt something unusual in my eyes.


    Mom, there¡¯s a pervert here!


    ¡°I was going to reject him at first. But with things as they were, the Empire was obviously going to fall apart. And I thought it would be better to have someone I know to be the emperor, so I agreed.¡±


    That¡¯s not something to be proud of.


    It is fortunate that they seeded. But if they had failed, not only Ferdel but also the entire house of Vitervo would have both been annihted. Of course, considering Ferdel¡¯s personality, he would never bet on a losing game...


    Ferdel smiles as if my eyes staring him are stinging.


    ¡°And thanks to that, Agrigent is a lot better now. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Well, that¡¯s true.


    As I nodded in agreement, Ferdel smiled as if he knew I would.


    ¡°All due to my hard work and dedication.¡±


    It was a history that I should have learned at any time, but after knowing the details makes me really think about how excellent Ferdel is as a chancellor. Rebuilding a country that¡¯s about to fall apart isn¡¯t easy enough to be shrugged off as simply hard work.


    It¡¯s probably ten times easier to wipe the country out and establishing a new country, but Ferdel smiled as if nothing had happened.


    ...I think Ferdel really loves this country.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ferdel just nods at my greeting. Somehow he looked shy, so I was a little surprised.


    That¡¯s interesting. I thought Ferdel was always confident.


    He usually is a bit more serious when he¡¯s teaching than he normally is, but still, I¡¯ve never seen him like this before.


    ¡°I just thought that I wanted my children to see an empire that was different from the one I grew up with. In that sense, I can say that I¡¯ve aplished my initial goal.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    It¡¯s true that the twins and I grew up without having to worry as he did.

 Chapter 397

    <h4>Chapter 397: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 397</h4>


    ¡°How about now?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Nothing is troubling you now, right?¡±


    Of course, I asked, expecting nothing to be amiss, but Ferdel frowned upon hearing my words.


    ¡°Ah, hmm...¡±


    Huh? I wasn¡¯t expecting anything, but it looked like something was up.


    Ferdel bit his lips in my anxious gaze.


    ¡°Well... it seems that a war might break out soon.¡±


    ¡°What? War?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    War wasn¡¯t a children¡¯s game. Should it be talked about so easily?


    I was wondering for a second, but Ferdel just frowned as if he¡¯s facing some troubles. I was a little worried because I only saw him frown when my father got crazy with his sword in his hand.


    Was the problem that severe?


    ¡°Did you hear that Pretzia has been unified?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When the Holy Remnant acknowledged them, the new emperor officially rose to power and conquered all of Pretzia in three years.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you know very well.¡±


    I did not know anything when I was just a child, but now that I was all grown up, I heard many things, so naturally, I learned a lot too. It¡¯s hard to believe that the Emperor was that same little boy I met when I was seven.


    Well, we were both children back then...


    Now that I thought about it, I never saw Havel in person again after that.


    ¡°Actually...¡±


    Ferdel opened his mouth quietly.


    ¡°I was aiding the anti-imperial group. Pretzia will have to go sooner orter, but I think this isn¡¯t the right time. Honestly, it happened too quickly, considering they were a giant empire that once ruled over the Southernnds. But I don¡¯t want this kind of rushed unification. ¡±


    ¡°And yet the emperor aplished it?¡±


    Instead of answering, Ferdel nodded.


    ¡°Yes, and the timing is too sudden...¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not just that, is it?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t look so troubled if that were it. He always smiles, no matter how crazy Caitel would go.


    When I smiled, Ferdel breathed a small sigh as if he couldn¡¯t handle it. With a troubled look, I wondered why he¡¯s acting like that.


    ¡°Well... Pretzia has officially requested to be independent of Agrigent.¡±


    ¡°Independence?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deration that they will risk war if need be.¡±


    Oh, hmm... How should I say this?


    ¡°Dad... Must¡¯ve been very angry, right?¡±


    ¡°Just being angry would¡¯ve been better, actually.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t say it directly, Ferdel frowned in anger; he had to handle the emperor¡¯s fury alone.

 Chapter 398

    <h4>Chapter 398: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 398</h4>


    ¡°I barely managed to stop him from drawing out his sword and ripping that Legione to pieces.¡±


    I could guess as much. I felt like I witnessed it with my own eyes, even though I wasn¡¯t there.


    Was this the power of my father?


    Or the power of my love for my fathe...r...no, never mind. That couldn¡¯t be any farther from the truth.


    ¡°So... will there really be a war?¡±


    ¡°No, war isn¡¯t something that just happens like that.¡±


    Thanks for saying that, but it was hard to feel relieved since Agrigent¡¯s history had been filled with wars. If my father went to war, Ferdel wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him.


    ¡°Have you noticed that the pce has been busytely?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard that some guests would be arriving.¡±


    ¡°Right. A delegation from Pretzia will be arriving soon.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think much of it since the pce always weed visitors... but it looked like these visitors were special¡ªno wonder why both imperial officers and servants of the courts were uproarious.


    I thought it was odd how busy the pce had gotten.


    ¡°This uing negotiation will be the key.¡±


    And of course, Ferdel would be in charge of preparing for the negotiation...


    I felt kind of bad now since he was always working so hard for this country. In that sense, I agreed that my father was a great Emperor who used his people wisely.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Just do as you always do...¡±


    ¡®As I always do?¡¯


    As I tilted my head, Ferdel asked earnestly.


    ¡°... I¡¯ll be trusting you with His Majesty.¡±


    I had no choice but to shut my mouth quietly.


    A-alright.


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t like war either.¡±


    While sitting on the railing, Valer bit an apple and touched Sanse. Leaning against the handrail of the pavilion, Sanse didn¡¯t look so good either.


    Crunch. After taking another bite, Valer pouted.


    ¡°But, I¡¯ll dly fight to protect thisnd.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot that you two are knights.¡±


    ¡°... can you try not to forget that?¡±


    Valer responded as if he had been hurt, but I just smiled.


    ¡®You¡¯re more like a delinquent than a knight.¡¯


    That, and it just felt weird... Of course, Assisi would head to battle. However, they¡¯re still like my little brothers, so it¡¯s strange to imagine them fighting in a war.


    Now that I hade to think of it, if we waged war, that meant all of them, including Graecito, would go. They were in different groups, but they¡¯re all knights.


    It was refreshing for sure.

 Chapter 399 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 399

    <h4>Chapter 399: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 399</h4>


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m against this war.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it either.¡±


    A war couldn¡¯t be avoided just because we didn¡¯t like it, so I just awkwardly smiled.


    I hoped we could get a good result from this negotiation.


    Well, Ferdel would do fine even without me worrying, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry since human affairs were always unpredictable. As Ferdel said, Agrigent was finally starting to run finely, and if war broke down, this stability would fall into ruins in an instant, and we couldn¡¯t make up for that blow.


    The delegation would arrive in about two days.


    I didn¡¯t know who woulde as a delegate, but my dad ordered me to stay inside the pce. I probably wouldn¡¯t see or greet them... but I was not someone who would quietly obey his orders.


    ¡°Cito? What¡¯s wrong? You look like your mind is elsewhere. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no... it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Cito shook his head at my question and bit an apple like Valer. He¡¯s pretending to be okay, but my eyes on Graecito had already changed.


    Was he worried about somethingtely?


    No matter how much I looked at him, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯s shocked about the war.


    What could it be?


    As I tilted my head, Valer giggled unpleasantly in the distance. It seemed like he knew something. I would have to make him spill.


    ¡°Princess Ria!¡±


    I tried to strangle his neck and threaten him to tell me what was going on, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work because of the soft voiceing from afar.


    ... She was back.


    Evelyn, who had been away for a while to see the holy garden that I had been taking care of, smiled brightly and came closer.


    ¡°Look at this, Princess Ria. Isn¡¯t it so pretty? I brought this back since I thought it would look beautiful on you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you. You should sit down now, Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Princess Ria!¡±


    Once I said that, Evelyn sat beside me. It bothered me a bit that she was sitting too close, but it¡¯s nothing new. I just moved on.


    Anyway, she really listened to what I said.


    There were plenty of people in society, but Evelyn was one of the few people I liked to be with. It¡¯s hard to find a girl like Evelyn. She¡¯s pretty, friendly, and a good listener. However, Evelyn has one w...


    She looked up to me too much.

 Chapter 400 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 400

    <h4>Chapter 400: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 400</h4>


    ¡°This is the tea that you touched, Princes...¡±


    ¡°Just drink it.¡±


    Evelyn wiped the tears around her eyes as she looked tearfully at the tea I gave her. Watching her wiping her tears was just too much for me.


    Why! Oh, why! Why did people like this surround me?


    I mean, of course, no one was perfect. But even I could get tired if they kept praising me like this every day.


    Evelyn was a good person... but this was her biggest issue.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Valer whistled from behind as if he found something interesting.


    What¡¯s wrong with him?


    I nced at Valer but decided to focus on the snack in front of me. The Doria with full of cheese looked so good.


    Our royal chef was the empire¡¯s treasure. This was bliss.


    The clean taste of rice and cheese as it melted on my tongue was just pure art. I was so touched by the delicious snack that I couldn¡¯t speak. Suddenly, Evelyn held my hands tightly.


    ¡°Even the way you eat is divine, Princess!¡±


    ¡°... I get it. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    I had listened to so manypliments that I could memorize them. It¡¯s still embarrassing whenever I heard them.


    Why was I the one feeling shame?


    I even worried about Evelyn¡¯s future, who now drank a cup of tea so carefully because I gave it to her. Would she be alright like this?


    I didn¡¯t think we were like this when we first met.


    Evelyn was thrilled when I handed over the powdered feve chocte beverage that she could drink while eating the snacks.


    Yeah, well, our choctier was quite marvelous.


    ¡°Your garden is always so beautiful. However, it¡¯s nothingpared to your beauty, Princess. It¡¯s like there¡¯s some kind of life beyond beauty that breathes here. It¡¯s so fitting to be your garden!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a field of prina flowers near the center. Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is there?¡±


    Evelyn opened her eyes wide as if she didn¡¯t know.


    Evelyn looked haughty because of her sharp eyes, but it made her look cuter when she opened her eyes wide.


    I smiled and asked Libby, who was standing beside me.


    ¡°Yes. Libby, show her the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, princess!¡±


    When I sent Evelyn there, he pavilion shushed.


    It¡¯s depressing to be with three boring guys, though.


    As I kicked my tongue and took a sweet persimmon tea, Valer suddenly came down from the railing and rushed to Cito. Valer, who wrapped Cito¡¯s neck around his arms, smiled yfully.

 Chapter 401 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 401

    <h4>Chapter 401: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 401</h4>


    ¡°Bunny, so that¡¯s the kind of woman you like?!¡±


    ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡±


    Huh!? That¡¯s what was going on?


    I was so surprised that I almost spat my tea.


    Wiping the corners of my mouth with a handkerchief that the maid handed to me, I looked back at the two.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just leave it to your big bro!¡±


    ¡°I am a year older than you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m older than you right now.¡±


    Graecito had been pretty weirdtely...


    Now that I thought about it, he acted incredibly weird whenever Evelyn was around.


    It¡¯s a shock that Graecito liked Evelyn...


    It¡¯s surprising, but it was hard to find ady like Evelyn.


    She¡¯s pretty, smart, and well-spoken.


    ¡®Our bunny has a good eye for women, I see.¡¯


    ¡°Call me ¡®big bro,¡¯ then I¡¯ll help you get with her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me? I¡¯m the genius of Viterbo, you know?!¡±


    What kind of genius?


    I tantly ignored Valer. I guessed Sanse thought the same thing. Sanse just sneered at him.


    ¡°You are a genius at making trouble.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Sanse!¡±


    It had been a long time since the twins had a fight, and when I looked at them with excitement, Valer just growled and stepped back.


    Well... Sanse was unbeatable at this point. Even if Valer jumped at him with a sword, Sanse would win. Considering his reputation among other people, Sanse would emerge victorious in that regard too.


    Poor little Valer. That was why he should always be nice. Tsk.


    ¡°Are you really going to help me?¡±


    Meanwhile, Graecito asked with a serious face as if he seemed to believe what Valer had just said.


    Was he falling for that? Did he believe him? I was dumbfounded, but Valer answered without hesitation. I had no idea where he got that confidence from.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Didn¡¯t you see all the women chasing after me? I¡¯m quite popr, you know.¡±


    This and that were different matters.


    Sanse was also looking at his brother, perhaps thinking the same as me.


    Valer was the one person he shouldn¡¯t trust in this world.


    However, I guessed it sounded quite attractive to the desperate Cito.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you all of my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°... Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Okay, big bro!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, kid!¡±


    ... They were both insane.


    What were they doing now?


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was watching. It was one thing for the younger one to ask to be called big bro, but what if the older one actually said it... They were both fools.


    I just froze upon hearing this ridiculous conversation, but Sanse, standing in distance with quite a serious face, suddenly interrupted out of nowhere.


    ¡°Oh, does that mean I¡¯m a big brother too?¡±


    ¡®Hey, don¡¯t get caught up in this.¡¯

 Chapter 402 - The Emperor’s Daughter Chapter. 402

    <h4>Chapter 402: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 402</h4>


    All the talkative guests who made the day were gone before night came. I saw Evelyn often, but it had been a while since I had had this time with Sanse and Valer. Even if everyone returned, I was still a little excited.


    We used to hang out like siblings when we were little, but we couldn¡¯t do that now when we¡¯re all grown up.


    Sanse and Valer got summoned, so they had to go back. They looked sad because they wanted to stay longer, but I wasn¡¯t very disappointed since I could see them whenever possible.


    I could hardly send Evelyn back to her home; it was hard because she wanted to stay with me forever.


    I told Cito to escort her back. They looked good together, so I started seriously thinking about whether I should help him.


    Well... Now that I know he had a crush on her, wasn¡¯t it fair to help a little bit?


    I didn¡¯t know if Evelyn would fall for Graecito, but... I did hope things would go well. It¡¯s just that I liked both Evelyn and Cito, so I couldn¡¯t take either of their sides, so that was a bit of a problem.


    If they got into an argument when they started dating, whose side would I take?


    Since I liked both of them... should I let them take care of that on their own?


    I giggled by myself since I thought it was a little too far ahead; suddenly, I could hear tiny noises behind me. I looked right back, covering up the book I was reading.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princes. I¡¯ve returned.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s hair was slightly wet as if he just took a bath.


    I smiled and reached out my hand. His wet hair got tangled in my fingers. Assisi bowed his head as if he was embarrassed.


    I shook off some water from his hair and smiled brightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go have dinner now.¡±


    Since it¡¯s a summer evening, the sky was as bright as day. Assisi stared at the sky. It was not even close to sunset yet. He turned his head to look at me. His eyes were asking if we¡¯re having dinner without my dad.


    ¡°Daddy can¡¯te today because of the council meeting, so we have to eat here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard from Ferdel that a war might break out.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is an important matter.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s expression looked dark. Although he retired from the front line, he seemed to be worried about his country.


    He was a loyal knight, for sure.

 Chapter 403

    <h4>Chapter 403: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 403</h4>


    Sanse is a knight too, but Assisi is still ahead of him. If Sanse looks good on being a knight, Assisi was born to be a knight.


    If the war really happens, he won¡¯t just stand back to protect me.


    ...that makes me a bit conflicted. I don¡¯t want a war to break out. When I think that our days like this will be gone...I hate it.


    I guess I¡¯m still a child.


    ¡°Were you reading a book?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had some time to myself for once, so I was reading.¡±


    A small smile spreads around Assisi¡¯s mouth.


    I smiled looking at Assisi¡¯s smile.


    He really changed a lot.


    When we first met, he was so frigid that I couldn¡¯t even imagine him smiling. I know I¡¯m not the one who made him like this, but it¡¯s still nice to see him smile so much.


    I should smile for him too. Smiling is something I¡¯m pretty good at.


    I held Assisi¡¯s hand and shake it back and forth.


    Assisi frowned a little bit awkwardly, but he didn¡¯t seem to dislike it. I smiled again looking at him.


    ¡°What were you reading?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s a book about a woman.¡±


    Assisi tilts his head.


    I picked up a book with a neat cover and showed it to Assisi.


    This is a book about Lady Cicellia. This wasn¡¯t an officially published book, so it may not be reliable. she¡¯s despised as the witch who doomed this country, so it¡¯s hard to find out a lot about her. But Ferdel managed to find something for me.


    I¡¯ve been curious since she was mentioned during the lesson, so I¡¯m reading about her...and the more I read, the more I think she was amazing.


    There are always women who try to seduce men to learn their secrets, but most of them end up as tools for another person in power.


    But Lady Cicellia had strict rules and followed her own standards.


    There were a lot of nobles who follower her, but she didn¡¯t follow anyone. That¡¯s what draws me in. anyway, she¡¯s interesting.


    Now that I think about it, does Assisi know about her?


    Perhaps he saw her in person.


    She was only one generation before me and died just about 20 years ago.


    ¡°Assisi, do you know about Lady Cicellia?¡±


    At my sudden question, Assisi hardens his face and nods.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    I thought he might know her, but it¡¯s surprising to hear that he really does.


    It felt like ancient history when I was studying. But like this, it seems recent. It¡¯s kind of an unfamiliar feeling...


    At my reply, Assisi nce at me and talks quietly.


    ¡°She was my mother.¡±


    Huh...


    Huh?!


    I lost good timing to react. I feel like I heard something weird.


    Suddenly a weak wind blows my hair. I frowned a little.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Assisi answered me with dry eyes.


    Eyes without any expression.


    That perfectly dry eye makes me realize the situation.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mean the Countess, Lady Cicellia Zavaikal?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes.¡±


    His golden green eyes stare me.


    I¡¯ve always thought his golden-green eyes were beautiful. But now, he¡¯s looking at me with emotionless eyes that hold nothing inside.


    ¡°She was Emperor Ivan¡¯s mistress, and the unofficial queen of Agrigent.¡±


    The hand that was holding falls apart.


    ¡°I am her son.¡±

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 404


    I couldn¡¯t tell whether I was eating dinner with my mouth or nose.


    Eventually, I went to bed in a hurry and couldn¡¯t even say good night to dad... It was such a shocking story that my hands are still shaking, but he seemed unaffected while saying that. It felt so unnatural.


    I don¡¯t even know how to describe this shock.


    I came to my senses as if I had been hit in the back of my head, but strangely my mind went nk and I couldn¡¯t think of anything. But even though he was the cause of my confusion, he seemed so calm, so...


    I don¡¯t know what it is, but I just gave up thinking about it because it felt like the gap between something was disrupting organizing my feelings. I lied down on the bed thinking that I¡¯d be able to organize my thoughts when I wake up, but after lying down on the bed, my mind got clear.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep properly.


    ¡°...I should have just greeted dad anyway.¡±


    However, the time was very subtle for me to get up again and go to say good night. That¡¯s stupid, really.


    I sighed for no reason.


    He must be upset. I¡¯ve never missed our evening greeting ever since I started living in my own pce. Of course, he might have thought it insignificant, but my dad is a delicate man, so he¡¯ll definitely care about this.


    I wonder how I shouldfort him if he¡¯s upset about this.


    ¡°....¡±


    The sound of my breath fills the room.


    It¡¯s just little noise, but that regr sound of my breath made me feel moreplicated.


    Gee. the more I think about it, the more confused I feel.


    When I walked out of my bed, my dark room came into view. My room, full of primary colors, was covered in dark and bluish light.


    This is horrible.


    Should I turn the light on and read a book?


    All kinds of anguish pass through my mind.


    A familiar voice suddenly came from the dark when I was unable to decide what to do with countless hesitation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I raised my head at that familiar voice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    And I see a familiar blue eyes.


    And there¡¯s only one kind of pervert who would visit me at this hour.


    As expected, it was Dranste who came in.

 Chapter 405

    <h4>Chapter 405: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter Chapter. 405</h4>


    Maybe he was going to take a peek at me, but like a night guest, Dranste, leaning against the edge of the window,es to me without a sound.


    Even if he were the spirit of a broken sword, there would be a body, but I was always amazed that Dranstega moved silently. Of course, Assisi and Kaitel move silently, but Dranste moves like something really doesn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He came close, looked down at my face, and Dranste tilted his head.


    ¡°Your face looks like something¡¯s going on.¡±


    It¡¯s very strange.


    He¡¯s someone I can¡¯t even expect to be sensitive to.


    I didn¡¯t have the energy to deny it, so I stayed still. I just kept my mouth shut. My lower lip, which was bitten by biting my lips, was quite painful, but my mind was moreplicated than that. Something is popping up inside. I pressed down the feeling without a sound.


    If he had been trying to pester me, pry at me, or hasten to console me, I would have justughed at him. Rather, Dranste stood still before me without a word.


    I was consoled by the way he did nothing.


    ¡°Daddy...¡±


    Unorganized thoughtse out through the throat. I shook my head.


    ¡°No, Assisi.......¡±


    No, not this either. I don¡¯t know where to start.


    When I shake my head, Dranste smiles as if he can¡¯t help it. Then, he drew me into his arms naturally. I put my forehead in a strange breast that was not even smelled, and I raised my hands and buried my face in the palm of my hand.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you think Dad and Assisi would have had a smooth life? Honestly, the two of them aren¡¯t in a good condition to say that. They¡¯re both very serious, and if you mess with something, they¡¯re going to be broken and out of ce, and I¡¯m actually surprised that they¡¯re still living quietly.¡±


    The palms are falling.


    ¡°But.¡±


    Looking down at the empty palms of nothing, I managed to gather one by one my thoughts, which had beenpletely fragmented.


    ¡°But...¡±


    Sigh.


    The sound of breathing sounds in the empty room. To hear oneself breathe this way was surprisingly helpful in keeping calm. I feel like crying, but I don¡¯t want to cry.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t think it would have been so miserable or so insensitive.¡±


    I have thought about it before, but I never thought it would be so serious, even assumed that they would not be so serious.


    If you ask me why.......


    Because it¡¯s past. The past is just a past.


    And people just talk about their past like a joke, and I thought so do they.


    It was also because they look so calm and peaceful.


    It may be that they are not deceived but pretended to be calm on the outside, but it was more so because I have been with them for a long time and haven¡¯t been able to find any of the past expediency of the past. Of course they were somewhat seriously twistedpared to the average person, but they were like that ever since I knew them.


    So I thought it was really nothing. It¡¯s just that no one mentions it because they don¡¯t have a chance to talk.


    I should have noticed it from thest time Ferdel taught me that. I should have noticed first why he approached so carefully.

 Chapter 406

    <h4>Chapter 406: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 406</h4>


    That was definitely a story of the past¡ªa past story for Ferdel and a distant history for me.


    But that didn¡¯t seem like the case for either Caitel or Assisi.


    Thus, I decided to hold my breath regarding it.


    There were always stories that would hurt people when told. I had such stories, and so did Assisi, but I never expected it to lead to something like this.


    What did that guy¡¯s country look like, and how did it sumb to darkness.


    ¡°What did you end up learning that changed you like this?¡±


    ¡°I came to know that Caitel¡¯s father and Assisi¡¯s mother were having an affair.¡±


    At that question, my answer just flowed out. Dranste couldn¡¯t help but go quiet at it. I looked up to meet Dranste¡¯s eyes, looking down at me.


    ¡°My grandfather was with Assisi¡¯s mother.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that shocking to me; I wasn¡¯t even surprised when I heard it, but saying it aloud to someone else didn¡¯t feel right.


    Ah, now I knew why Assisi looked like that after telling me about it.


    ¡°I always thought dad and Assisi weren¡¯t as close as I thought. I knew they¡¯re hiding something from me. Something even Ferdel didn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t know...¡±


    Maybe it had to do with both their pasts; that was all I could understand.


    ¡°I never knew that things were woven like this.¡±


    I had no excuse, and I couldn¡¯t erase it from my mind either. Iughed at my vain attempt.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t something they both knew.¡±


    I felt horribly sad for Caitel, who had seen his father sleeping around with other women, ones who weren¡¯t his mother. At the same time, I pitied Assisi, who had to watch another man, the Emperor of the country,fort his mother and not his father.


    What kind of messed up scenario was it?


    I suddenly remembered what Assisi had said. He said he would avoid having children even after marriage.


    I finally understood why such a benign man had to say such words.


    ¡°Maybe, just maybe, the two of them didn¡¯t really care much about it, unlike how you imagined it.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Because the world was under such messy ruling at that time.¡±


    Dransteughed as he sat beside me.


    ¡°Who would care about the crazy things happening in a crazy world?¡±


    I could live with that answer, but my heart was inconsble. I knew that it was an era with a distorted reality where morality and order didn¡¯t exist.


    I knew that, but I couldn¡¯t just put it behind me.


    Dranste went on encouraging me as he saw the confusion in my eyes.


    ¡°What do you n on doing?¡±


    A ridiculously simple question.


    Me? What could I do?


    I pulled my knee to my chest, wrapping my hands around them and hugging myself. With my cheek leaning on my knees, I listed the things ravaging my mind.


    ¡°I am not disgusted by it or anything. I do understand that it was a twisted era, but I can¡¯t just ept it. I just...¡±


    Right, I just...


    ¡°I...¡±


    My throat felt clogged.


    I could feel the questions tangling in my head. To be honest, in my heart, I knew something like this was bound to happen.


    ¡°How on earth am I supposed to solve this?¡±


    Dransteughed upon hearing my question.


    ¡°I feel like I have been handed a tangled thread. Where should I start untangling it? No, will I even be able to solve it?¡±


    Then, Trante offered me a pleasant smile.


    I hated how he smiled beside me; it annoyed me, really annoyed, but I was too upied with the problem at hand to snap back at him. Seeing my irritation, he shut his mouth. When I tried to say something, I couldn¡¯t speak up. I could utter a sigh, and another sigh, then sighing again.


    ¡°I feel like I touched something I shouldn¡¯t have touched.¡±


    I could feel Dranste stroking my head. I sighed once again as I pushed his hand away.


    ¡°But it¡¯s toote for me to back out. Even I know that!¡±


    He started to chuckle as if he heard something interesting, and then it turned into a burst of hystericalughter. I stared at Dranste.


    ¡°Things are more tangled than you think.¡±


    ¡°You telling me there is something more about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I could feel the fear creep in me upon hearing his short answer.


    ¡°I am scared.¡±


    I was confused. I didn¡¯t know what to do with this information.


    ¡°Why the hell are the two of them bottling up such horrors inside them?¡±


    Dranste chuckled at my frustrated question. I didn¡¯t expect a straightforward answer, but thest thing I needed was moreplications.


    The answer was nowhere to be found, but I wanted it; I had to find the answer on my own.


    Dranste reached his hands out and wrapped them around my slumped shoulders. It was like he was trying tofort me, but since the hands belonged to Dranste, it was not at allforting. It didn¡¯t even reassure me in the slightest. Even then, for some unknown reason, I liked Dranste¡¯s attempt to cheer me up. With a hystericalugh, Dranste asked.


    ¡°Did peering through someone else¡¯s mind without preparation shock you that much?¡±


    ¡°My feelings don¡¯t matter.¡±


    Rather than me¡ªI was thinking about Assisi more. I felt terrible for hurting Assisi for nothing.


    Ugh! How could I be so stupid? I wanted to cry. Urgh! Ugh! Stupid Ariadna.


    ¡°I want to see my dad.¡±


    I missed my dad suddenly.


    Jumping from my seat, I walked towards the door after wearing a shawl that I pulled from a nearby chair; however, I felt strange the moment I grabbed the doorknob.


    It¡¯s dark outside, way too dark for a visit.


    It waste. Would it be okay if I meet dad in the dead of night?


    My doubts clouded my decision-making process, so I looked back.


    ¡°Can I go and see him now?¡±


    Dranste, who heard my question,ughed out loud. He fell out of bed,ughing. I felt awkward seeing himugh like that.


    Was that bastard high on drugs?


    What was it? What did I say?


    I had no idea why he wasughing like a maniac.


    Once he was done with his manicughter, Dranste got up from the bed and walked towards me; whipping off the tears in my eyes, he said.


    ¡°He is your dad.¡±


    An answer so simple andforting.


    That was all I needed; I immediately pulled on the doorknob and left the room.


    ¡°Right. He is my dad.¡±

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 407


    Since the princess was out at night, the pce maids were curious about what was happening. I, being fully aware of the havoc I was causing, turned a blind eye towards them; the only thing I wanted was to see my dad.


    Eventually, I managed to reach Sy, my childhood home.


    ¡°What the hell is going on in here on this day?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Even before the now surprised Caitel could ask about themotion, I jumped into his arms.


    When I jumped in, my puzzled dad took me in for a hug. My trembling body rxed after inhaling my dad¡¯s familiar scent.


    It was a strange feeling.


    Just a few seconds before, I wanted to cry, cry myself in someone¡¯s arms; never would I ever imagine it to be my father¡¯s arms.


    It was just, just... inforting.


    My desire to cry disappeared.


    Now that my mind had settled, I could see my surroundings again.


    It looked like dad wouldn¡¯t sleep anytime soon. When I was still sharing a room with him, he used to turn off the lights and lie beside me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°A walk?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    When I looked at Caitel¡¯s eyes, I saw an unusual expression.


    He didn¡¯t want to.


    Maybe I disturbed him.


    ¡°Do you want to sleep?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t asking to know. If he wanted to sleep, I could walk back to my room, but after seeing my face, which seemed to be drowning in a mixture of pity and sadness, he sighed.


    ¡°... let¡¯s go.¡±


    I got up right away.


    Our path had always been the same ever since I began walking.


    Sometimes I would go on unscheduled walks, but we both trekked the same path for almost 17 years.


    Familiar people, familiar ces, and familiar smell.


    Nothing to say, no conversation, it wasn¡¯t like I was in a crazy happy mood either, but the fact that I was walking beside my dad made me feel good. That was enough to make my heart flutter but with ease.


    I looked at Caitel, my dad. I fell in love with a blunt, careless, and nasty man.


    Yet, I am proud that this person was my dad.


    In the past, I would sometimes walk alone or run just to keep up with my dad, but now, he was adjusting his speed ording to my pace.


    Just that one considerate change made me feel overwhelmed.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    A short answer.


    However, his short answers didn¡¯t feel harsh anymore. They only made me smile.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    It was a sudden and absurd confession, but Caitel, who was walking, stood still. His embarrassment jumped at me, and yet, I was feeling good.


    My shocking confession of love had been the same since I was seven years old, yet, my dad would always respond to my confession by acting petrified.


    Iughed after seeing him like that.


    ¡°I! Love! You!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t repeating it because he didn¡¯t hear me. I did it because I liked seeing my dad like that, embarrassed and still.


    Dad turned his head and looked at me. As he looked at me, myughter continued.


    ¡°I love you, Caitel! I can¡¯t live without you! Caitel, as pale as a ss of milk! I can¡¯t live without my dad!¡±


    ¡°From where are you learning such things?¡±


    It was his way of talking to me, not that he hated it.


    I pouted.


    ¡°Why? Do you hate it?¡±


    There was no way he could hate it.


    Caitel looked at me and smiled, which made me smile even more.


    Reaching out, I grabbed dad¡¯s hands and pulled him towards me. Although it seemed to annoy him, Caitel didn¡¯t notice how much I loathed acting all cute.


    ¡°So, dad, what¡¯s your answer?¡±


    Caitel nced down at me. I stared into his eyes, not backing down.


    Eventually, he surrendered.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Yipee!


    I was pretty, cute, and lovable; how could my dad not love me?


    With a confident expression, my arm held onto dad¡¯s, and our walk resumed.


    The night breeze was as cold as ever, with the stars meeting us along a moonless night sky.


    The garden was a beauty during the day, but now, it transcended the very essence of beauty itself.


    I felt so blessed for living in such a ce.


    ¡°Dad, I got an invitation from Ancief.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He only responded just to let me know that he had heard me, so I looked at him.


    ¡°An invitation came.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It seemed like he noticed my indirect request, which meant I cried for nothing.


    ¡°Uhhh, I want to go...¡±


    I tried to put up a sad expression, but Caitel was hard as stone.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    I knew it wouldn¡¯t work, but I had hope. Still, I knew it wasn¡¯t possible.


    I pouted.


    My dad was perfect, but when it came to me, he would always act cheap. No, I wasn¡¯t just any five-year-old-kid, I was more than capable of holding a rtionship, and I had hope. It was too mean of him to prevent me from going out of the Imperial Pce and holding me like a hostage here.


    I wanted to see my home!


    My home was too huge. I liked to sightsee, to discover beautiful scenery, to meet new people.


    Maybe he noticed the change in my face, he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s safest here inside the ce. Not all ces are as safe as this one.¡±


    ¡°I know. But what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t know what he was trying to say.


    I was born into an extraordinary life. I had enough money to clog my breath, and I was born in a family that always looked after me. I just needed one trip around the world! I couldn¡¯t hold myself back anymore; do I have to live in such a gloomy corner of the world!


    I was all grown up now.


    Caitel coughed as I bit my lip.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    I really wanted to ask but ended up going against it; I didn¡¯t want to ruin the good mood.


    My dad loved me.


    I could understand. Try to understand.


    Though, I was whining as if I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up, kid?¡±


    This man!


    I treat him with such devotion, but he calls me a kid. I frowned right away.


    ¡°I am not a kid.¡±


    ¡°Right, kid.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    ¡®Dad, I hate you!¡¯


    ¡°I am not talking to you anymore.¡±


    Letting go of his hand, I walked ahead. I kept trying to think nicely of him, but he always had to do something like this!


    Calling me a kid was just too nasty.


    As I thought about it while walking ahead, I could feel my dad closing in in the distance.


    ¡°Daughter.¡±


    I was not going to answer!


    ¡°My daughter.¡±


    Why did he call me a kid if he knew that I was his daughter?


    ¡°Ariadna?¡±


    ¡®I won¡¯t! I won¡¯t! I won¡¯t!¡¯


    ¡°Ria!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to answer, but Caitel stopped walking, so I looked back unwillingly. Caitel smiled as he saw my response.


    His smile was all I needed to let go of my anger.


    Caitel reached out. We were pretty close; when I saw his hand inch closer, my heart wavered.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Whoes for whom?


    I was the angry one.


    ¡°Youe here, dad.¡±


    Dad was the one who needed toe over, not the other way around.


    I was more than willing to run into his arms in the past, but now, the situation differed utterly.


    Unexpectedly, my dad did walk towards me. There was still distance between us, but my dad managed to reach me in a snap with his long legs.


    I looked down at Caitel¡¯s big, warm hands, holding my hand as I casually walked alongside him. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at myself.


    What was that?


    Maybe I smiled too brightly, which made Caitel ask.


    ¡°You like this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I nodded as enthusiastically as I could.


    ¡°Very, very much.¡±


    I could see a smile spread on Caitel¡¯s face. His smile wasn¡¯t as bright as mine, but it was still a great response, right? Putting pressure in my hand, I pulled my dad closer.


    ¡°Does dad like this too?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Huh, what kind of an answer was that?


    My frown only made Caitelugh as he patted my head with his other hand.


    ¡°Well, there is nothing I hate about this.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the satisfying answer I was waiting for, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to p away his hand or let him do it some more.


    I somehow thought that his hands were full of kindness.


    ¡°Your dad will always protect you.¡±


    ... This wasn¡¯t what I wanted to hear.


    And I never really felt nervous or anxious.


    Still, hearing those words made me feel relieved.


    Right, if not Caitel, who would protect me? I never knew that a dad was someone who was supposed to make me feel safe.


    His words had knocked me out, but my heart was at ease like the fool that I was.


    I was ruined. How did he manage to make me feel this emotional with just those words?


    Tears were forming in my eyes for no reason; it wasn¡¯t like I felt emotionally touched, definitely not! But I felt like I would cry at any moment.


    ¡°Tch, does dad still think of me as a child?¡±


    ¡°It is because you are young.¡±


    Caitel stroked my head as he responded.


    ¡°You are still smaller than me.¡±


    No matter how good the gene was, I still didn¡¯t seem to grow much!


    Dadughed, noticing the discontent in my gaze.


    What was so funny about that!? Hell!


    Caitel, who seemed to enjoy it, responded.


    ¡°Show me your smile.¡±


    I was no longer your young daughter, who would smile just because you asked!


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Smile.¡±


    Hmph, my smile was expensive as hell!


    I responded to dad by pping away his hand, which was still on my head.


    ¡°Then, you smile too.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s expression returned to its usual blunt state. I looked up at my dad, waiting to see what would happen. All I saw were his familiar crimson color eyes.


    How long was I supposed to stare at him?


    Right then, after staring at each other, weughed out loud as if I made an appointment for it.


    Ah, just like fools.

 Chapter 408

    <h4>Chapter 408: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 408</h4>


    Myplex and guilt-ridden mind felt relieved by the starlit walk, but I was back to feeling depressed once morning came.


    I remembered that the problem at hand hadn¡¯t been resolved yet.


    My mouth felt dry as if I was chewing on sand. I got up from my bed to wash up, change my clothes, and make my hair, but I didn¡¯t feel like walking out of my room for some reason.


    Wow, I was worried about Assisi and what face I was supposed to make while meeting him. What to do?


    ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Wait and see, okay?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even prepared for what I was supposed to do, yet there was Libby, cheering me up.


    She seemed very much like a bored maid.


    I walked out of the door right away, but once I left, my nerves stiffed. I wasn¡¯t thirsty till a moment ago, so why was I so thirsty now?


    Gulping my saliva, I took another step and greeted my other attendants as usual.


    However, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t see Assisi, who always greeted me right away. I couldn¡¯t help but look around when I found Assisi standing far away.


    That idiot.


    Once I saw him, my heart broke.


    Why was that idiot acting like he hadmitted an enormous sin?


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    I had to go to Sy Pce for breakfast, but ignoring Libby who was beside me, I took huge strides towards Assisi. He seemed shocked to see me approaching him.


    He was definitely shocked after seeing me.


    The first thing I did after reaching him was to catch his hand. It felt like he would run away if I didn¡¯t hold onto him.


    ¡°Assisi, I am sorry. I asked about something weird yesterday.¡±


    Even if my intentions were pure, it was a fact that my question hurt Assisi. Even if he said that he didn¡¯t feel hurt, his pain was undeniable.


    His long eyshes cast a shadow over his ever so beautiful eyes. And his calm breath.


    I wanted to see what kind of expression he was making, but I felt so ashamed to look into his eyes that I didn¡¯t even know what emotions were running through his mind.


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    It was a low voice mixed with genuineness.


    ¡°I was worried that I said something out of hand to you yesterday.¡±


    Assisi smiled while saying it, but his smile felt forced as if he was hurting inside. The slight tremble in his voice made me realize just how much he had suffered from my questions.


    I felt a lot more guilty for what I had said.


    In fact, it would be a lie to say that I wasn¡¯t surprised by his words.


    However, my being surprised wasn¡¯t the problem. It was that Assis felt bad for something he wasn¡¯t the cause of.


    ¡°When did Assisi say something out of hand? You only spoke the truth.¡±


    ¡°Once in a while, the truth is ufortable.¡±


    Assisi bowed his head. He kept looking away, as if he didn¡¯t want to make eye contact with me.


    I could feel the air freezing between us. I wanted tofort Assisi, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything to make him feel better. I was hesitating on what to say.


    ¡°But Ria.¡±


    Breaking the brief silence between us, Assisi spoke.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lie to you.¡±


    I was the one to hold his hand, but it seemed like he was the one holding onto my hand now. Our hands were speaking the heavy words for us.


    ¡°I want to speak only the truth with you, even if my truth will break us apart, Ria.¡±


    ... How could this man before me be so foolish?


    On the other hand, his words made me weak. I can¡¯t say anything if he spoke like that. I mean, it wasn¡¯t like I wanted to say anything.


    Assis¡¯s eyes were sharp. As always. Perhaps, his eyes showed his sincerity.


    Even if I didn¡¯t understand them, that was what Assisi wanted to tell me.


    I was feeling troubled for nothing.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    But since I could clear my mind, there was nothing else for me to say.


    I knew he was blockheaded, but I liked that about him. What else could I do? Maybe it¡¯s karma.


    ¡°I was a little embarrassed.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I hated Assisi for what he said, but I wasn¡¯t sure what I was supposed to do. I was embarrassed.


    As Iughed, Assisi looked at me.


    It was an unspoken gesture, an answer, a reassurance to me.


    ¡°I am sorry I hurt you, Assisi.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±


    Assisi shook his head. I wondered if my throat was hurting because I spoke a lot.


    But Assisi looked straight into my eyes for the first time today.


    I could feel my smile widen.


    ¡°Is everything alright now?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    What was there to be not okay?


    Even if Assisi¡¯s mother was my grandfather¡¯s mistress, what we have today didn¡¯t change. It was a bit shocking, but it was a fact I wasn¡¯t aware of, and it wasn¡¯t like I felt disappointed with Assisi or anyone.


    ¡°No matter what, Assisi is my knight.¡±


    Assisi bowed his head upon hearing my soft-spoken words.


    He looked like he wanted to hide his expression, which made me smile.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be weird to point the wrongs at each other because of what happened? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    My question made Assisi look into my eyes; with a subtle smile on his lips, he nodded.


    I smiled brightly after seeing him.

 Chapter 409

    <h4>Chapter 409: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 409</h4>


    It was apparent why Ferdel called for me.


    It must be a fearful turn of events trying to prevent another one of Caitel¡¯s outbursts, so calling me was a precaution and Ferdel¡¯s way of creating mischief.


    In fact, my dad¡¯s temper didn¡¯t drop in a day or two, but it was refreshing for me to care. It was evident that he summoned me since the Emperor of Praezia hade for talks with the neighboring nations¡¯ representatives. Even Ferdel had trouble thinking about this one.


    However, what could be the reason why an Emperor woulde here in person?


    Honestly, I thought that they might¡¯ve gone crazy. A mistake in the meeting was enough for war to be dered. What kind of a crazed man would enter the enemy¡¯s pce to talk? At best, a prime minister would be sent as a representative of the delegation. Everyone was shocked to hear that the Emperor of Praezia came in person.


    Well, Ferdel seemed to be more nervous because of howplicated the situation turned.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Caitel was walking ahead with a frown on the way to the conference hall while I just smiled.


    ¡®Why am I here, dad?¡¯


    If I had something in mind, I could have thought of the reason.


    Of course, I was there for my dad!


    ¡°It is a reason that everyone knows about.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I did say it, but Caitel already knew the reason, so he just frowned.


    Me being me just shrugged it off. That was why I was there, but couldn¡¯t I go back? I wanted to know more, so I followed Caitel into the conference hall.


    What?


    I thought he would say something and send me back, but he didn¡¯t, which was unexpected.


    I followed my dad and stepped inside the room. I could see the minister tense up at my dad¡¯s arrival.


    The conference hall was a lot bigger than I thought.


    I gasped after seeing the vast hall.


    It¡¯s been only a day since the delegation arrived at the pce, and they wanted a meeting right away. No matter how hardworking they were, it was always nice to start with less important things; having an appointment right away seemed rude to me. Was I the only one thinking that? Only me? Of course, if there were urgent and important matters at hand, I would understand, but it was essential to live, eat, and sleep before a meeting.


    God, was it so hard to eat and live! But it wasn¡¯t like I could understand the situation right away.


    Whether I wanted or not, the meeting began immediately in a solemn order once Ferdel entered.


    Well, Caitel didn¡¯t say anything. And it was the same for the Emperor of Praezia.


    ¡°There are two leaders here.¡±


    No, it was supposed to be three with me.


    In the beginning, the delegates hadn¡¯t decided on anything apart from how they would seat. It was confirmed that the meeting was supposed to be based on the two foremost leaders, but Ferdel and the prime minister of Praezia led the entire thing from start to finish. It was natural for smart men to spearhead the meetings.


    I had to admit that I was nervous initially, but I rxed after twenty minutes.


    ¡®Who am I? Where am I?¡¯


    If I knew that things would go on this smoothly, I would have brought my paperwork and worked on it.


    Sighing, I turned my head to see Emperor Havel looking at Caitel.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Now that I hade to think of it, this was the first time I had officially seen the Emperor of Praezia since I was never weed to any delegations before. It was all because of my dad; even yesterday¡¯s weing party was canceled.


    It wasn¡¯t right to stare at the Emperor of a country that could be our future enemy, so I only stole a few nces at the Praezian Emperor.


    ¡®Is it someone else?¡¯


    Well, he wasn¡¯t a close friend, but he looked familiar. Was I mistaken?


    ¡°Is he really someone else?¡±


    The name he gave me in the past was very simr.


    Wasn¡¯t his hair ck then? Why did it turn red? Havel had dark hair and dark eyes in my memory, but the Emperor in front had red hair and dark crimson eyes.


    Not a single thing in his appearance could connect me to the child in the past.


    Did he have some kind of birth secrets that were revealed to me? Or did he awaken some hidden instincts and change? Did he dye his hair?


    I was staring at him to see if I could find something, but suddenly, the Emperor of Praezia met my gaze. I was shocked at how suddenly our eyes met.


    Should I turn away my head?


    I had no idea what to do since I missed the timing to avoid his gaze. I was staring nkly at him. When I first looked at him, I should have pretended not to know him and divert my gaze, but I was too shocked to react.


    What to do!?


    While I was sweating profusely, Emperor Havel suddenly smiled. He showed the same ridiculous smile my dad often did.


    Uh, huh? Did that guy justugh at me?


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s take a 20-minute break.¡±


    Should I feel bad? Should I be grateful that he didn¡¯t mind? I couldn¡¯t get a hold of myself. Fortunately, we were given a break.


    I was really fortunate. There were some situations that I wasn¡¯t very familiar with, and I was weak at responding to them. It felt heavy and stuffy, like the feeling of wearing clothes that didn¡¯t fit well with our bodies. It always got me thinking, how could Ferdel even manage tough in such situations?


    Well, somehow, it turned out well.


    Assisi also came out to themon room not far from the conference hall and headed over to Podere Pce¡¯s garden for a drink with me. Seeing the lush garden stretch to the horizon, meeting the blue sky, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.


    Gasp, the stuffy feeling inside me disappeared.


    I wasn¡¯t keen on caring and loving nature. But as I grew up, I spent quite a bit of time in the garden, probably why I felt good looking at the green scenery before me. After all, this was a ce that gave mefort.


    I had to head back in 20 minutes, but I decided to rx. Since I would turn restless once I entered the hall...


    I couldn¡¯t stay bold like the king; I didn¡¯t have the aptitude or talent for it. No talent. Just like dad said, all I had to do was stay quiet beside him. I think marriage was the only option I had; it sucked.


    ¡°I hope the meeting ends well.¡±


    That was all I could think.


    The peace I enjoyed didn¡¯te to an end anytime soon.


    Some might say that it was boring and useless, but I liked my life, even though it wasn¡¯t an adventurous one. I didn¡¯t have to struggle to get something. I always did my best at any given task, so this life was precious to me. Daily life¡¯s simplicity felt more glorious to me than the people who enjoyed gossip and drinks every day.


    Well, it was why I was here at the meeting.


    ¡°I will do everything for what I care about.¡±


    As always, I believed that Ferdel would take care of it. He wasn¡¯t my teacher for nothing. After all, I knew how well Ferdel could manage people.


    I must have felt at ease. My mind was wandering around about other situations.


    It was time to return.


    That was when...


    Someone suddenly pulled me from behind.


    Shocked by the unknown touch, I held my breath.


    Wh-what?


    It happened so quickly that I couldn¡¯t even speak. Reflexively, I pulled away.


    When I turned back, I saw the most unexpected person standing there.


    Havel.


    Why was that man here?


    ¡°... is there something you need from me, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡®Please, he isn¡¯t here to criticize me for looking at him in the hall, right? That can¡¯t be why, but if it really is because of that, my confidence will break.¡¯ I looked at him.


    Havel¡¯s expression crumbled upon hearing my question.


    ¡°Majesty?¡±


    What, did I say something wrong?


    Why was his reaction like this? Did I say something wrong? Then...


    ¡°The most dignified and noble Majesty?¡±


    N-not this too.


    His reaction turned a lot colder. It wasn¡¯t a sneer.


    Havel¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly before smiling. It was great to see his smile; it made me wonder what I was seeing. What?


    ¡°You talked well in the past; why so formal now?¡±


    ¡°When did I talk so we...¡±


    Ah!


    I decided to go silent upon remembering a memory flooding my mind.


    Was he talking about the first time he saw me?


    I felt so stupid that my eyes widened. Looking at his face, I knew what I thought was correct!


    Well...


    It was amazing how well I remembered it too. Of course, I remembered it, but I thought he would have forgotten it. We hadn¡¯t met in ages, a real encounter with no purpose. And the most important thing was that he was pretty much the same as he was back then.


    Damn it!


    I wanted to put my head in a hole after remembering how I acted the first time I met him. Why did I have to live and see this day?


    ¡°A lot.¡±


    What did he mean by a lot? Cheeky much?


    He gulped and spat out his next words.


    What Havel said was unexpected.


    ¡°Grew a lot.¡±


    It was impossible not to be nervous. Everything felt new.


    Ten years had passed since the first time I saw him, and I did grow up well.


    Havel said it; I grew up a lot. So did he with how his red hair and eyes changed from their former dark hue, but aside from that, he changed a lot.


    180cm tall, moderately broad shoulders, a slim body with well-defined muscles, and the thin lines on his face which gave him a delicate look.


    To be honest, he looked good.


    I thought my eyes were getting strained because of his overflowing charm and handsome face.


    ¡°You grew up a lot, too, Your Majesty. I was a kid back then.¡±


    It was refreshing to say it out loud, but Havel didn¡¯t seem to like it when I referenced his younger self.


    ¡°You, too, were a kid back then.¡±


    ¡°What said that!¡±


    This made me feel like I was back in my childhood.


    It made me remember the feeling of knowing everything about the world.


    I thought he would say something else, but surprisingly, Havel said nothing. Instead, his eyes stared at mine.


    Ugh, his eyes...


    I thought that I could always hold other people¡¯s gaze, but when I saw him up close, I didn¡¯t know why, but somehow, his eyes made me feel shy.


    Ah, it was getting hot. Was it summertime already?


    I could feel the heat rising up to my cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What did he just say?


    Nice to see?


    Before I could even ask what he meant, Havel continued.


    ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Uh, huh?


    Havel said that and walked away. Probably because the break time was done, but even after realizing that, I couldn¡¯t get myself to move.


    Wait...


    Wait, wait!?


    First things first, I took a heavy breath and raised my hands to cup my burning cheeks.


    I... what did I just hear?

 Chapter 411

    <h4>Chapter 411: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 411</h4>


    ¡°Ahh, I feel awake!¡±


    Ria asked the maid to bring in some honey water, which Valer gulped down in a single sip and crashed on the couch. Ria looked at her pathetic-looking younger brother and clicked her tongue. Seeing that, Valer smiled.


    ¡°Did you go to another party?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°With who?¡±


    Ah, well.


    ¡°With who?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®Man, why all the questions!?¡¯


    Valer thought he could almost hear Ria¡¯s inner voice, but probably because she seemed moody.


    As Valer stretched his hands, Ria folded her arms.


    ¡°Use that passion in your sword. If you cut down your partying to half, you would be a better knight than Sanse.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    He liked swords, but he didn¡¯t want to be an excellent knight.


    Valer¡¯s answer only brought in a sneer on Ria¡¯s face. But Valer was smiling brightly as ever.


    ¡®What does it matter? We only have one life to live.¡¯


    It seemed very much like a case where he acted like a child, not intending topromise his beliefs with reality. Ria only found it irritating.


    ¡°What were you up to, Ria? Did you work again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your sister is a busy person.¡±


    Her expression was too stiff. It made Valer doubt something. No matter what it was, the princess wasn¡¯t someone who would express herself.


    After thinking about it, he realized something.


    Yes, that was it!


    ¡°Your Majesty has done something!¡±


    He knew it. Valer¡¯s suspicions were pretty much on the spot. Ria¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of her father. He enjoyed the moment a lot more.


    She had an expression that meant she was trying to hold back her anger.


    ¡°It must be because of your dad!¡±


    Eventually, Ria took a huge breath.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t, I¡¯ll p you and push you to eternal sleep. No, even if you find the world easy to walk through, how can you ask such things to my face? How do I live? I can¡¯t even hear anything because of how shy I feel!¡±


    ¡°What are you even bbering about?¡±


    Valer asked by taking Ria¡¯s dessert. As if waiting for Valer to utter that specific question, Ria poured out everything.


    ¡°This time, the Ancief family sent a marriage proposal, and dad tore it right in the face of the giver. ¡®How dare they send that to my daughter¡¯¡±


    ¡°Puah!¡±


    Indeed, the tyrant.


    He expected it to be of something serious, but the answer was too unexpected.


    Ria red at Valer forughing about it. It seemed like he was having a good time.


    ¡°Rather, I thought he would be hurt or killed, just like thest time. Uh, that situation.¡±


    ¡°That is our Majesty for you.¡±


    The most iprehensible Emperor.


    Ria giggled at Valer¡¯s words. Seeing Ria, who was shaking her head, made Valerugh hard, probably why she got irritated immediately.


    ¡°Think that¡¯s funny? Is it that funny?¡±


    ¡°It is funny!¡±


    And it wasn¡¯t just funny. Valer¡¯s stomach was hurting fromughing.


    Well, he was someone who got used to His Majesty and his way of doing things, but Ria seemed to take his actions into serious consideration still. Shaking her head, Ria muttered to herself.


    ¡°He is my dad, but sometimes I can¡¯t handle what he does.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    It was a bit pitiful to see a princessin.


    The princess always wondered how she was born for such a rude man and the troubles she had to face, but when one looked at them together, they both looked like they hailed from the same puzzle pieces. Valer could only smile at the thought.


    Although they said different things and acted opposite each other, they were close; the father and daughter were very close.


    Obviously, if one would hear how the father and daughter converse, they would doubt if they were even rted.


    However, their actions with each other would speak a different story. Valer couldn¡¯t imagine his Emperor, Caitel, watching someone very keenly or closely as he did with Ria, but the way he watched Ria made it convincing that his vignce was all for his daughter. Maybe that was what happened if one had a daughter?


    He had other people¡¯spany when Ria was young, but as Ria began to grow, Valer could notice that Emperor Caitel would push others away.


    The Emperor wanted to spend time with someone rted to him.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Just surprised.¡±


    As he smiled and shrugged, Ria asked for a reason.


    The princess wasn¡¯t someone with a great personality. On the contrary, no other woman was as evil as her when she¡¯s stressed. If Valer went stiff or nervous, she would bring up some of his embarrassing childhood stories!


    Still, the innocence of her childhood hadn¡¯t disappeared yet.


    ¡°The tea mom sent, was it good?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sil is the best. Sil, great.¡±


    ¡°Let my mom know that; go to her and give her that message. She will love hearing it from you.¡±


    Ria nodded her response, affirming Valer wordlessly.


    It was a very trivial gesture, an everyday gesture, but the way she smiled and the beauty she inherited from her father made her look bright. Valer felt like he had to protect Ria from other hyena-like men.


    Of course, in the forefront of Ria¡¯s guards was Emperor Caitel, which was reassuring, yet, even Caitel was human, and he would die; thus, Valer made a pledge to stick close and protect her.


    When he was young, he would think the little girl was weaker.


    No, honestly, Ria, who treated the Emperor very casually and looked after the others, seemed very motherly. Even right then, he felt embarrassed to say it out loud, but there was a reason why he followed Ria.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Her little feet naturally walked on the ground with an enigmatic vibe. It was a strange atmosphere as if she would turn into a single entity with nature like she had taken the blood of a spirit.


    A noble angel.


    The girl who seemed taller than him looked smaller as time passed, probably because of the different ways boys and girls grew.


    Valerughed at the thought running through his head.


    ¡°Why are youughing again? Did you curse me in your head?¡±


    ... He canceled the angel title he gave her.


    She was pretty, but her response was never satisfactory. Valer made a sour face.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d tell you.¡±


    ¡°You have a death wish!¡±


    Her little fist hit his side. He could avoid getting hit if he wanted to, but Valer just took the punch. It never hurt to be right.


    Ria, who managed tond her strike, red at him.


    ¡°So, what about Sanse? Are you here alone?¡±


    Valer smiled at Ria.


    ¡°Sanse must be out working.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He wanted the conversation to end there.


    Instead of answering, Valer turned his gaze away.


    Ria just clicked her tongue, knowing the answer.


    Anytime she had nothing to say, she would ask Sanse.


    Weak move, Ria.


    It must have been since then¡ªthe time when Sanse started to grow. The memory of that day suddenly emerged in Valer¡¯s mind; he couldn¡¯t help but stare at Ria sitting in front of him.


    Ria tilted her head when Valer asked.


    ¡°Ria, do you know why Sanse started learning how to use the sword?¡±


    It was an unexpected question; Ria¡¯s frown was enough to guess that she didn¡¯t expect it.


    ¡°How would I know that?¡±


    During that time, Valer had already started learning swords. Maybe because he was excited about swords, but Valer used to be so crazed with the idea of using them. Perhaps because Ferdel didn¡¯t learn the sword, he never pushed Sanse or Valer into learning swordsmanship.


    However, the rest of the family were outstanding in the art sword. They were skilled, so his grandfather made young Valer learn swords by tempting him with all kinds of things.


    Valer, who began learning swords, asked Sanse to join him, but Sanse never agreed to it, probably because he hated the fact that he couldn¡¯t y with Ria.


    However, one winter, he changed his mind.


    ¡°Why did he learn?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Valerughed and avoided the hairpin which flew at him. Ria was frowning a lot.


    She always used her pretty face to frown.


    ¡°So, why do you think I learned it?¡±


    He thought she wouldn¡¯t know it, but Ria replied with a frown.


    ¡°You said that your grandfather gave you a sword. A legendary one.¡±


    It was the right answer. She remembered it.


    ¡°Oh? You remember?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like some kind of fool?¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    And that called in for another fist.


    The day Sanse started learning the sword was a windy one.


    Ria was ying around one day and got hurt by a shard of ss she was trying to pick up because she wanted to protect Sanse, who had broken the vase; however, Valer wasn¡¯t there, so he didn¡¯t know the exact details.


    Later, Ria pretended and lied to Caitel that her mistake got her injured since the truth would make their father hurt Sanse, but the young Sanse was shocked to learn that Caitel had hurt Ria.


    For a few days, he wouldn¡¯t eat or sleep, making the others worried. Then, Sanse confessed to Valer about what had happened and said he wanted to be stronger.


    Ria would always say that she was fine, but Sanse hated himself for not doing something when he was in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°So what is the real reason?¡±


    Ria couldn¡¯t hold back the curiosity tugging her mind; Valer smiled as always.


    It made no sense for Sanse to take up the sword and protect someone of higher status than him, probably because Valer didn¡¯t have such a mindset.


    However, seeing that small little angel in front, he could only smile.


    ¡°Later, ask Sanse directly.¡±


    The kid grew up.


    Any child would grow up and turn into an adult.


    ¡®Just like us,¡¯

 Chapter 412

    <h4>Chapter 412: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 412</h4>


    Why so serious?


    The talks took ce over ten days ago.


    It wasn¡¯t easying down to solutions; in the beginning, going to war was on everyone¡¯s mind. Would it be okay if I said that I was looking at a train that hadn¡¯t even left the station yet? Both sides had considerable differences in their positions on any issue, which made my doubts strengthen if the talks would proceed properly.


    However, after three to four days, the story went ahead gradually, and both sides were able to conclude with the eptance of everyone and Praezia¡¯s independence.


    The other details were yet to be decided, but it was peaceful independence.


    I felt so proud of Fredel.


    There was nothing he couldn¡¯t do when he put his mind to it.


    ¡°So, there is no war?¡±


    Evelyn asked as she lowered her ss. I shook the nectar tea in my hand and nodded.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Because we haven¡¯t officially approved of their independence. We just orally went along for a peaceful solution; we¡¯ll only know it once the talks are over.¡±


    I shrugged while Evelyn nodded and smiled.


    She smiled, and so did I, but somehow, my heart felt heavy.


    There was one thing I learned from the opening of the Agregient-Praezia meeting; it was that La was the Princess of Praezia.


    Before the war broke out, I knew Caitel had brought in two princesses from Praezia under the guise of a peace alliance, but I never dreamed that one of the princesses would be La. In the end, a Praezian princess had died because of me during my childhood; Caitel killed La¡¯s older sister and the rest of the royal family of Praezia; they turned out to be La¡¯s rtives.


    ¡°Haaa.¡±


    Once I learned about that, I realized that Caitel had strictly prohibited them from essing the temples. That was also the reason behind every subtle smile La made every time she saw me.


    At the age of three, I met a concubine princess for the first time; I used to hang out with her.


    My father hated that and said he had no regrets about what he did to her. I knew she was a princess from the south, but I never imagined such a tragedy happened.


    No, I didn¡¯t want to know about it.


    La never tried to hide the truth. It was me all along, the one ignoring the self-evident truth. Right, I was the stupid one.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Evelyn titled her head as she noticed that I was lost in thought. I just shook my head.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t something Evelyn had to know. Well, no one should know about this.


    Ugh, these rtionships!


    Maybe this was why people shouldn¡¯t sin.


    We would regret our actions one day!


    In the future, how was I supposed to face La, and how would Emperor Havel respond to it!?


    ¡®I¡¯m fucked! Everything is fucked!¡¯


    ¡®My life is ruined! Completely ruined!¡¯


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Evelyn smiled as he looked at me before suddenly holding my hand.


    ¡°You should look dignified even while drinking tea! Don¡¯t lose your posture! You are the princess!¡±


    ... r-right.


    I wondered if she was going to say something profound. That wasn¡¯t the case, tch, tch.


    Yes, I was elegant and dignified. I knew.


    Once or twice, even I got flustered with my elegance, and I was so embarrassed to say that. I was so used to doing these things unconsciously. Then, there was Evelyn, always trying to increase my confidence in how I hold myself.


    However, my conviction at tasks always called forpliments.


    Ha, right, how long would I let myself live inside praises?


    It was thew that one should enjoy with what they had. Right, that was right.


    ¡°Uhm, by the way, princess, you are close to Count Graecito, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Huh, well, yes.¡±


    This was a new question.


    Did something hit Evelyn¡¯s head? Why was she asking such questions?


    As I tilted my head, Evelyn¡¯s expression turned into worry. I slowly put down the teacup.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    What was this? I thought I just felt budding energy of some sort.


    What could it be? Was I just thinking too extremely?


    I dreaded this, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. I thought back on the time when I felt this annoyed before.


    No way, this was the kind of feeling I felt when I met that dirty couple.


    Haha, this couldn¡¯t be that, right?


    ... it won¡¯t be. Eh, no way, it couldn¡¯t be.


    Although I was telling myself that it wasn¡¯t, I stared at Evelyn and her gaze; that was when Libby came over. Huh?


    ¡°Princess, a visitor from the pce.¡±


    Oh god, why did they came at such time!?


    Evelyn made a sad expression as she heard the news.


    I was having such a leisurely tea time! Work again? I couldn¡¯t hold back my resentment while looking at Libby.


    There wereborws in the country, and there were working hours, so why was I made to work without a break! It was as if the royal family wasn¡¯t included under thew.


    Woah, I had limited time to live!


    It was my dream to wake upte, y, and eat all day before returning to sleep¡ªan impossible dream.


    ¡°Cheer up, princess.¡±


    Evelyn said with her usualpassionate gaze.


    If you¡¯re sympathetic, pay up! No, I didn¡¯t need money. Instead, do my job for me! Hah! How¡¯s that?


    Getting up from my seat, I held back the tears in my eyes.


    Haa, this was my life, after all.

 Chapter 413

    <h4>Chapter 413: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 413</h4>


    Though it wasn¡¯t La¡¯s work, Emperor Havel wasn¡¯t very nice to me.


    Of course, La¡¯s words or actions didn¡¯t affect his attitude, but it felt awkward. Well, if the talks failed, we would be enemies.


    Right, even that felt better to me.


    I sighed deeply.


    I had no idea what to do with the person. Was it the same as when we were kids?


    He did seem cute when we were young, but I couldn¡¯t remember his actions since I was too young. Well, who in their childhood wasn¡¯t cute or pretty?


    Still, he seemed a little different!


    That didn¡¯t mean Havel was on my mind. In fact, the next day after the talks, except for a brief conversation, I hadn¡¯t even appropriately conversed with him. Even those words we spoke to each other weren¡¯t ordinarypared to our first meeting.


    He said he missed me and turned everything upside down for me; he spoke with such a carefree face. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but I decided to discard that idea because of my social status, tch.


    Since then, he hadn¡¯t approached me so openly, and we hadn¡¯t even uttered a thing to one another.


    Even then, how could he still be lingering on my mind! I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him! He bothered me so!


    Still, everything feltplicated, and when I thought about him, I realized that it was quite simple; it was making me crazy.


    Ha, this was happening because I had free time.


    I need to work. Yes, work was the best.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t work much because of a lot of things on my mind.


    However, looking at the time, it really was time for dinner. I wanted to work, but the food was always more precious.


    I was at the age when I had to eat everything I could get. Ahm, I was right.


    Libby smiled, knowing my thoughts. Why was she smiling like that, though? Food was something everyone should have!


    Especially since I eat with dad, I couldn¡¯t skip dinner unless I had a reason.


    Besides, these days, our dinner was with Ferdel, Emperor Havel, the prime minister of Praezia, all in the name of friendship, so I couldn¡¯t miss it even if I wanted to.


    ¡°Ha, rotten life.¡±


    I wanted to be alone.


    Please leave me alone.


    Huk, I wanted to have a good meal with my dad. Shitty Praezia!


    What good was being a princess? Nothing went my way! However, this wasn¡¯t new to me. All I could do was sigh.


    But then again, I get to see that person¡¯s face, right?


    I was already feeling down. Wow, should I really see that nasty face again? Ugh, should I look at the unknown feelings in those eyes?


    It would be better if I hated him. I did not hate him; something just made me want to dislike him a little. He wasn¡¯t harmful or anything. Ugh, I was so annoyed, haa.


    God, why were humans suchplex creatures?


    What? I was not theplicated one, right? Ehhh!


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I turned towards Libby¡¯s voice; she pointed at something. Turning my head, I gasped at what I saw.


    Ugh.


    I was walking on the path to cross the temple since it was the fastest way to Sy Pce!


    ¡°Is this the will of God? To block my path?¡±


    Of course, if it were in some other temple in my path, I wouldn¡¯t have even looked at it, but this was our God. What was all this! This wasn¡¯t right!


    God, this wasn¡¯t right!


    A man stood in front of the thick Winter Tree, which was still unchanged after ages.


    I was sure that it wasn¡¯t my dad or Assisi.


    Why the hell was the opposition¡¯s Emperor interested in the guardian of Agregiant?


    I must have seen him more than one to two times.


    Since it was a constant visit, it was natural for me to question it. Even Assisi would do it sometimes.


    Was there any benefit I didn¡¯t know about the Winter Tree?


    To promote blood cirction, stabilize the nerves, and calm the mind... it couldn¡¯t do that. I mean, it wasn¡¯t like it held any herbs to calm the mind or promote blood cirction.


    Standing far away with a dissatisfied expression, he sighed.


    Damn it! Right, it wouldn¡¯t work if I frequently avoided him.


    I knew I had been avoiding him, but I didn¡¯t feel like doing it now. With the current time of the day, seeing another person was hard, and I could pretend that I didn¡¯t see him. If it were any typical day, I would have left in a hurry, but for some reason, I didn¡¯t.


    I took a deep breath...


    ... And prepared my mind beforehand.


    Haaaa, Haaaa.


    Right, all prepared.


    We would have to meet one day; it was better for it to be now. I wouldn¡¯t even meet him when the meeting finished, but I still cared about solving things.


    ¡°I see that you like our Winter Tree.¡±


    The hand which touched the tree branch flinched at my voice. There was some distance between Emperor Havel and me, but I wasn¡¯t too far not to see his movement.


    I watched Havel slowly turn himself towards me; I gulped, trying to subdue the sudden urge to drink. I could see his cold gaze fall on me.


    ¡°You were standing there in the past too.¡±


    Our eyes met; it only made me feel awkward, so I smiled, but got no response from him.


    ¡®Excuse me, Emperor? I can feel the awkwardness between us, but would you really not respond to my efforts? Are you going to be like this?¡¯


    I wanted to kill myself. I couldn¡¯t evenugh at the situation.


    Damn it. I shouldn¡¯t havee over.


    Woah, I wanted to redo this!


    I wanted to turn back time and pretend like I didn¡¯t know him, but it was difficult with his dark eyes gazing into my mind.


    ¡®Ha, why the hell am I still alive?¡¯


    ¡®Where am I? Who am I?¡¯


    ¡°Did you get the desire to speak to me now?¡±


    After staring for so long, Havel spoke in a low voice.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant. I was pretty sure I was sane when I heard it.


    ... yes, cheeky bastard, did he know?


    I wasn¡¯t feeling hot for nothing. At the same time, I did feel sorry for avoiding him.


    I knew better than anyone that it was a rude thing to do, and it would never feel good, especially to the victim.


    Oh, I was out thinking he didn¡¯t even realize that I was avoiding him. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry.


    As my face stiffened, Havelughed.


    He lowered his hand, which was touching the branch.


    I looked at him as he took subtle steps while approaching him.


    His dark hair and the crimson red eyes...


    Our past really did happen, but it was said that his appearance had changed since bing the Emperor of Praezia.


    The Emperor of Praezia was the owner of a relic.


    When one owned such a sacred relic, a divine gift, their appearance would change like others before him.


    How it changed was still unknown, but the color of hair and eyes were known to change. As proof, Havel¡¯s appearance changed.


    I liked his natural dark hair, but the new one wasn¡¯t bad. I suddenly thought that I had trouble bonding with Havel because of such changes.


    That was when Havel pulled out something.


    ¡°Remember this?¡±


    A blue braid silk.


    Luxurious braid made of silk. It wasn¡¯t my first time seeing it.


    Instead, I was puzzled since it was amon thing to see.


    Why, why was he asking me about it all of a sudden?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Hair tie.¡±


    ¡®I have eyes, and I can tell by looking at it, Havel.¡¯ Why was that man treating me as if I was not a human.


    What I couldn¡¯t figure out was why a guy was carrying a hair tie. It couldn¡¯t be a hair tie that protected the world and held unlimited divine power in it... no, that can¡¯t be.


    So, did he want to tie his hair?


    ¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t your hair too short?¡±


    Maybe his hair, which I was seeing, was a wig, a wig for sure. No, no, a wig couldn¡¯t be made to look so natural, and the tie wasn¡¯t for men.


    If it was a hair tie, then it was for a woman¡¯s long hair, so why was he holding onto it?


    Was he thinking of using it on someone with pretty hair?


    Honestly, even my thoughts were worth destroying, and Havel looked down at me with a sneer.


    Hmm, maybe not; why was he looking at me like that!


    ¡°... I am sorry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t dare to hold onto my side of the conversation, and I didn¡¯t want to push to the edge. Wow, why did I have to be so weak-willed?


    ¡°I came here to check.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What did he have to check?


    I wasn¡¯t great at understanding such things, so I tried to think a little more, but Havel kept looking at me.


    I see many eyes, but his eyes didn¡¯t seem to say much, which made me more nervous. What was it?


    Gulping my saliva, I bit my lip. What was Havel trying to check? Did he have to look so cold?


    The question lingered for a moment.


    I was shocked by what followed; I couldn¡¯t even lift my finger.


    ¡°...!¡±


    All of a sudden, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in before I could even react. In an instant, I was in Havel¡¯s arms.


    Eh?


    Ehh? Ehhhh?


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡®No, what the hell are you doing! Am I dreaming? Am I sleeping while standing?¡¯


    ¡®No, this is no dream, this is a nightmare!¡¯


    ¡®Wait a minute, but that isn¡¯t the problem!¡¯


    ¡®What am I supposed to do if someone sees me? What the hell is even running through his mind?¡¯


    I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t even say anything. I shut my eyes tight while my hands went cold.


    However, once I let go, I understood; I tried to push myself away. Of course, I couldn¡¯t free myself.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    The next time I did, I got out of his grasp quickly, all because of the strength I had to use to push him away. I got out of his hands, but I was way more embarrassed.


    What was that? What the hell was he trying to pull here?


    Looking back, it didn¡¯t seem like he was trying to harass me or anything sexually, but I was still shocked.


    Before I could even ask his intentions, something was tied around my hair. The blue hair tie in Havel¡¯s hand. I felt silly while touching it.


    What, did he hug me to tie it?


    ¡°You gave this to me, so I am returning it to you.¡±


    Havel looked down at me; I was shocked, while he, on the other hand, looked bitter, sad, and grim.


    Within a moment, he skillfully hid his expression.


    ¡°You can throw it away, but...¡±


    It was a tie I had forgotten about, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to react. I was the one who had given it, but I felt embarrassed for some reason; my fingers were going cold.


    Havel¡¯s expression stiffened.


    ¡°Did you forget it?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t answer and went back to bite my lip.


    Uh-uh?


    That hurting expression.


    For a second, I could see his hurt expression, but then he managed to gain hisposure. Was there anything important about that tie? I couldn¡¯t remember. There had to be something, some reaction he was hoping from me...


    I couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    What was it?


    Havelughed as he looked down at my distressed expression. It seemed like he was giving up on me.


    ¡°I have nothing to say to someone who forgets.¡±


    As I looked into his red eyes, I frowned. What did he mean by he had nothing to say to someone who forgets?


    Before I could even say something, Havel moved away.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    I was flustered. I knew that it wasn¡¯t normal. As I watched Havel walk away, I turned over to Libby, who spoke.


    ¡°Is that the Emperor who unified Praezia?¡±


    ¡°Probably right.¡±


    I was curious; were all Emperors all that nice to look at? Looking down at the hair tie, I silentlymented at it.


    Poor Praezian people, the Emperor who led them to independence was a strange one.

 Chapter 414

    <h4>Chapter 414: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 414</h4>


    I do say that I¡¯m all grown up. I¡¯m still 18.


    No one would deny that I was still young, even if I did pass the standard adult age-17. Even if I started ying an adult¡¯s role, people would probably ignore my actions for being a young one in the elder¡¯s eyes.


    However, those things wouldn¡¯t apply to me.


    As if it wasn¡¯t enough to be the resident of the Imperial pce, I stood above the social world.


    Well, that was it.


    ¡°I was sure that I said it was nice to see.¡±


    There was a gift given to me, an essory set carved out of blue spirit stones.


    It was a set containing a tiara, ne, earrings, ring, and anklets; even if it were a highly attainable stone, it would have looked impressive to my eyes, but a rare spirit stone made this one in front of me. Oval cut, one of the well-known ones, that shape always signified the elegance of the person. The elegantly cut spirit stone was less shiny than the others, but it had a brilliant color made up for its backdrops; it just left me enchanted.


    Pretty things are always lovely, but why was this thing given to me?


    Unlike me, who was confused, the maids seemed rtively happy.


    ¡°He said he brought it because you would like it.¡±


    I seriously pondered.


    ¡°Did I ever ask anyone to bring such a thing?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t remember. Rather than that, was this really precious?


    Even in typical situations, the spirit stones were sold for high prices, and if it was as rare as this one before me, it must have been expensive. Considering that spirit stones were ten times more valuable than diamonds, it made it difficult for me to value this jewellery set.


    I thought of giving a standard answer that it was pretty; one must describe the magnificence of pretty things, but why was such a specialty dedicated to me?


    Of course, when given, I epted things. Refusing gifts, bribes, or anything of that sort wasn¡¯t my thing.


    Even then, if I did receive this thing, there was nothing I could give back to the sender, and I felt terrible for the nobles who would send gifts without expecting anything in return. Besides, it was difficult to remember each noble who gave me a thing or two.


    Did I turn into a person who couldn¡¯t even remember those who send gifts to me?


    Uh, maybe this was my poprity? My fame?


    ¡°What can I do? Everyone is nervous and expectant to see the princess.¡±


    What Libby said was the obvious truth, but I could onlyugh in vain.


    Yep, all this was because I was an adorable person, sucks. Why was I born this way?


    Right, I was this way since birth. I was always lovely and pretty.


    Why did I have to be so lovable and pretty? And smart too! I mean, I was born to be loved... bullshit.


    Realizing the shit I was telling myself, I sighed.


    It was time for dinner.


    Ha, I hated eating dinner.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    In the evening hell called dinner, I swallowed back my tears. Although I seeded in recovering from the situation I had with Havel, I couldn¡¯t solve it. Most of all, our rtionship seemed fine, but for some reason, it felt ufortable for me.


    Why so? Why was I feeling like that?


    ¡°Why is it so difficult to treat him like Cito or the twins?¡±


    I met the twins and Cito when I was young; there was no way I would see them differently now, but it felt challenging to treat Havel like any other noble. Even if I did try to be a perfect princess who moved with grace, I couldn¡¯t get a single task done because of Havel, who keptughing.


    Ugh, to make a woman suffer!


    Thanks to that, I got close enough to him to greet or ask a few things, but that didn¡¯t make us close.


    Every time I asked such things, he would tilt his head a little, as if he didn¡¯t understand why I was asking such things.


    Ugh, such a difficult human to deal with.


    I already lived with Caitel, my dad!


    The maids sighed as they sorted out all the gifts; then, Brenda asked me.


    ¡°Are you acting like this because of that southern Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Uh, who else would make me feel like this?¡±


    As I sighed with drooping shoulders, the maids chuckled to themselves.


    Anger flushed into me. Those would die for sure. Their master was in trouble, and they wereughing about it? I was sure to gather them and give them some education, but I quit right away; I didn¡¯t have time.


    Ha, what was I doing!?


    ¡°But, he really is a cool person. Are all men of the south that cool?¡±


    ¡°Right. He looks great with the princess.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could marry a man like that someday!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, you? Wake up from those dreams!¡±


    Listening to the maids¡¯ fuss was annoying since they only made snarky remarks. If such a man was the ideal type for the maids, it looked like my empire would fall for him.


    ¡°But it is a bit scary.¡±


    ¡°Right. Did you hear the rumor? Not a single noble who opposed the Emperor of the south was left alive.¡±


    ¡°Even after they surrendered at ater time, he didn¡¯t ept it and killed them all.¡±


    ¡°There were women and children too.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all the countries the same when in war?¡±


    As I listened to the bothersome chatter of the maids, I went silent. It wasn¡¯t as if their stories were lies. Such things always happened; although the rumors were exaggerated, it was still the truth.


    Of course, my dad was great in war, so we wouldn¡¯t be destroyed so easily. There was no war Caitel hadn¡¯t yed and won, from civil wars to aggression wars to riots.


    ... I couldn¡¯t let myself be proud of it.


    Although it was frustrating, I was proud of my dad, which made me think of how fucked up I was.


    Apart from that, Havel¡¯s actions reminded me of Caitel¡¯s younger days. There was no particr reason for it, but it reminded me of the days when Caitel was a tyrant. If it were someone I didn¡¯t know, I would avoid them at all costs, but I knew this guy, which made it even moreplicated to avoid, hmm.


    ¡°What is that one?¡±


    I pointed at an unusually white little box. It was about the size of a palm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Was it sent from the pce? For the princess?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Open it.¡±


    I ordered without even thinking, but the little hairpin which came out of the box was enough to grab my attention.


    ¡°Huh? Pretty.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t shy, probably why I liked it a lot. A rose made of coral, and small diamonds embedded on it.


    Without dy, I put it on my hair.


    I had to try out something like this!


    ¡°It looks like it was made for the princess!¡±


    ¡°I know. It fits so well.¡±


    The maids admired and nodded at each other. It had been so long since I found something I liked. Who could have sent it?


    ¡°Did dad send it? Or Assisi?¡±


    ¡°Probably not either of them.¡±


    The maids shook their heads.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t by those two, we¡¯ll never know who sent it.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    That¡¯s right. Even if those two did try to send me gifts anonymously, they would have gotten exposed.


    The maids chuckled among themselves as they looked at the way I touched the hairpin. My appearance, something I saw often, looked weird because of the hairpin. I just shrugged.


    Hmm, so what? I was a woman; I get to decorate myself!


    I was trying to change my hairstyle to see the hairpin shine more, but I forgot something important.


    ¡°Princess, it is dinner time.¡±


    ... damn it.

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 415


    Having dinner with the officials of other countries was ufortable.


    Fardel and Assisi had a meal as usual, but knowing that it wasn¡¯t a meal with just the family was enough to make me feel odd about it.


    However, attending a formal dinner like this and having to show off my elegance was my duty as the princess of Agregiant. Plus, it was incredibly embarrassing.


    Not only did I have to pay attention to holding the spoon or knife, but I also had to control the amount of food I ced in my mouth. I shouldn¡¯t talk with food in my mouth and meet people¡¯s eyes when I smile.


    The basic of the basic etiquette!


    There was an option toe up with witty answers to some of the questions asked.


    It wasn¡¯t a job interview, ugh. I couldn¡¯t even eat the quantity of food I wanted to.


    I dide in with enthusiasm to eat dinner, but then I felt weak, and I just wanted to head back to my room and sleep; however, I ended up eating anyway since it was delicious.


    What a miracle.


    Maybe while experiencing such a miracle, I left for Sy pce.


    ... I couldn¡¯t have horrible luck.


    Right in front of me, I met him, but even before I could avoid him, we were too close; I held onto the hem of my dress.


    Havel came over my way, and I was ready to greet him.


    Ehh, couldn¡¯t I just greet him and walk away?


    However, I couldn¡¯t execute my thoughts. He came close to me; it was impossible to avoid Havel.


    I should have just run! Now, everything had fallen into ruins!


    Uh?


    Seeing me restless, Havelughed.


    What was the guy doing?


    However, I could see where his eyes fell.


    ¡°No way...¡±


    ¡°I thought it would go well with you.¡±


    Havel¡¯s hand raised naturally and touched the hairpin on my hair.


    ¡°It really suits you well.¡±


    Obviously, it would suit well; anything goes well with me... always! But I was still in shock. I knew this wasn¡¯t a gift from Caitel or Assisi, but him?


    ¡°I wonder, did Your Majesty send this?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Before I could hope for his denial, he had already answered with a nod.


    I felt bad. I didn¡¯t know what kind of person sent it to me; I showed myself off in the mirror and called it pretty.


    It was confirmed that he had given it to me.


    The hairpin was beautiful.


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡±


    ¡°Your expression says otherwise.¡±


    Keen eyes, he should have just let me be!


    As if he was aware of my thoughts, heughed. Looking at his smile, I could feel the heat rise into my cheeks.


    No, no, no!


    I didn¡¯t stare for long but feeling my eyes on him, Havel smiled again. My face stiffened. Whatever he did, I was the one feeling thirsty.


    Ahh, damn it.


    I couldn¡¯t stop staring at him, probably why he stopped smiling.


    Did he acknowledge me? However, when I heard the next question, I had to do my best not to talk back.


    ¡°It looks like the princess is a very busy person.¡±


    ... was he trying to mess with me?


    I seriously pondered. Was he asking for a fight? I could send him flying, you know!?


    ¡°Then, would you like doing some work for me?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Havelughed as he heard me talk back.


    There was a saying that one couldn¡¯t spit on a smiling face, but that was all false; no one should believe that. I really wanted to spit every time he smiled. Very!


    However, I was in the pce! Above all, in Sy, the Emperor residence! I was the princess of the country.


    So what if I was a princess? Even if I was one, I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Havel still smiled, almost as if he was asking for a beating. I hated it.


    I tried to reason with myself. What would happen if someone saw me doing something wrong? The princess standing in front of a man, without her usual grace? Not a sight to see.


    The most horrible thing was that, when I faced him, my only pride as the princess seemed useless.


    This man didn¡¯t respect me like the knights, nor did he obey me like the nobles who secretly checked me out. He most definitely did not adore me like my dad or Assisi.


    Ah, that¡¯s it!


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to treat him.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    As I spoke, Have¡¯s gazended on me. At first, I looked at his eyes reflexively, but the more I looked at them, the harder it was to understand what his eyes were saying. There was something terrifying beneath his eyes.


    Havel took a step back to give me some breathing space.


    ¡°Just like that.¡±


    ¡°Am I that pretty?¡±


    I threw it as a joke, but Havel didn¡¯t smile.


    Seeing his face stiffen, even I went rigid. What was it?


    Why didn¡¯t heugh at a joke? This sucks. At his earnest gaze, I turned my head away unknowingly.


    Oh, there were so many stars in the sky today.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed when saying such things?¡±


    ¡°I was speaking the truth.¡±


    Trying to hold myself high, I supported my words, but Havel realized what I did andughed.


    My eyes widened in anger, this guy!


    Maybe he felt my anger, for Havel, who wasughing, suddenly went silent.


    It was probably because I was looking for a way to get away from him.


    ¡°Are you going back?¡±


    I could walk away.


    I just wanted to ignore him, but I just couldn¡¯t move. Both my hands and legs were free to walk away, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to move away! It would be rude to the Emperor, so I gave up and smiled.


    ¡®Haha, water is water, and mountain is mountain.¡¯


    ¡°Agregiant is peaceful.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are on the peaceful side.¡±


    Even if peace remained unseen, our country was indeed a peaceful one.


    This peace was all the effort that Ferdel had made over the past ten years.


    Most of all, when Caitel took down the nobles who dered civil war, Ferdel had taken damage because of the shortage in human resources.


    Of course, now new noble families had arisen, and the other countries¡¯ nobles had joined, so everything settled down, but in the past, I used to wonder if our country would be ruined. Ferdel did think so once.


    Now that I hade to think of it, ours wasn¡¯t the only country that had gone through a civil war.


    My gaze returned to Havel.


    ¡°Pretiza will soon be at peace.¡±


    ¡°It is an extravagant story for now.¡±


    I had said it sincerely, but Havel had a bitter smile on his face.


    I knew he would react like that; I couldn¡¯t hold back my bitter expression. Pretzia¡¯s reality was hard to ovee.


    I admit it. Agregiant wasn¡¯t a good neighbor to have.


    It had been a long time since I heard the news about how Havel captured and killed most pro-Agregiant nobles who agreed to sell their estates over to our country.


    ¡°After independence.¡±


    Havel nced at me.


    His red eyes looked into mine, and I smiled.


    ¡°What do you n on doing?¡±


    I guess it was a bit of a shocking question. Havel titled his head.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t concluded yet. Don¡¯t you think it is too early to ask for that?¡±


    ¡°I am a curious person.¡±


    I smiled while shrugging.


    Havel, who went silent as ever, was thinking of an answer.


    ¡°Well.¡±


    A deep silence fell between us.


    Everything around us felt still, but it wasn¡¯t weird.


    Havel smiled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop purging. Even if we be independent, I think I will live a life basked in blood for a while.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I already knew that.


    Havel seemed to be shocked by my calmness.


    ¡°What is with that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The mood subsided. In fact, for a second, I felt like I saw my dad in him.


    ¡°No, just that...¡±


    Caitel had a hard time getting himself to smile. Havel wasn¡¯t too deep in the path of bloodshed, but his mood and the way he carried himself ovepped with Caitel¡¯s pattern.


    However, after careful considerations, it was starting to look like Havel was trying to walk down the bloody path simr to Caitel.


    No, I didn¡¯t want anyone else to experience that bloody path again. I knew that the continent wasn¡¯t a peaceful ce to live in... but I hoped that we would find a real pace one day¡ªhe couldn¡¯t go down that path.


    ¡°Would you like to walk with me?¡±


    With a smile, I looked at Havel and asked.


    I had no idea as to why I had suggested that. Somehow, seeing how it turned out, I had to go along.


    I smiled. Covering my mouth with my hand, I spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°The path to my pce isn¡¯t well lit.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t proud of it, but thanks to my dad, the garden was worth seeing even in the day or night¡ªmy favorite flowers, and the wild grass growing out therge shade for summer. At night, a vast number of stars would pop in the ck sky. The path was quite popr among the nobles who visited the pce.


    ¡°You will walk with me, right? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to let ady walk herself back at such ate time? You are too strict.¡±


    Havelughed at my attempt to make him apany me.


    He could probably see through my trick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Havel held my hand, I smiled. He was the child I met when I was young, but now, he was the one looking after me.


    His hands, which held me, were rough. The boy who said his hands bleed because of his sword training now had calluses on his palm.


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of a life he had to live through but feeling his hands made me want to look at the boy instead of the man.


    There was no way that could happen, though.

 Chapter 416

    <h4>Chapter 416: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 416</h4>


    I couldn¡¯t sleep for some reason.


    How could it be? Why?


    After my constant struggle between waking up, sleeping, waking up, and sleeping, I just got up once morning hit, but my shoulders felt stiff because of myck of sleep. Perhaps, it was why I had so little energy in the morning.


    Damn, I couldn¡¯t stay like this since there would be a lot of paperwork.


    The work that the pce would give me was great enough as it was, but the only downside was that there weren¡¯t any holidays.


    Ugh, a vacation?


    Not at all possible!


    Fortunately, however, Silva hade so that I could take a break as an excuse for tea time.


    Ha, Sil, my angel.


    ¡°Is it good?¡±


    I felt a bit well after drinking the nectar tea. Silvia made the tea, so it was bound to be excellent.


    These were no empty words; the tea really did taste like sweet dew.


    Who would think that maybe the purpose of my rebirth was to drink the tea of my godmother? In my previous life, I always drank coffee till the day of my death.


    It was always coffee or c, but with the tea in my hand now, I had noints about my life.


    Most of all, in Agregiant, where the tea culture hadn¡¯t developed much, only Silvia and I were the ones who enjoyed tea in earnest. Oh my, such sweetness.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It was said that you are going to be married to the Emperor of Pretzia soon?¡±


    Puht!


    I almost spat out the precious tea.


    Calming myself down, I carefully swallowed the tea. Ugh, my throat got so sore after that. But my throat wasn¡¯t the problem here.


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    Silvia picked up her teacup and smiled as she saw my expression.


    ¡°Everyone is saying that?¡±


    ¡°Ehhh?¡±


    What did this mean?


    It was so embarrassing to even speak about it. Seeing me stiffen, Silvia added some more.


    ¡°Rumors are going around that the two of you are pretty close with each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    I could see how such rumors spread at the speed of light.


    What?


    I was too embarrassed to even say anything, but then the door opened with a familiar face greeting us.


    His red hair shook gently through the breeze.


    ¡°Princess!!¡±


    Yes, there was only one person who could barge into my room like this.


    I didn¡¯t hear that she wasing in, but it was so surprising for Evelyn toe over to visit me without any notice beforehand; I immediately leaned back on my chair. Talking huge strides to get to me, Evelyn showed a bright smile on her face when she came to a halt. Only when she got close to me could she see that we had another guest.


    ¡°Oh my, Miss Silvia!¡±


    ¡°It has been a while, Evelyn.¡±


    As I watched the two of them greet each other, I drank my tea. I wanted to drink some cold water and get myself to rx, but there was no cold water with me, so I put up with the tea. I was d that I could calm myself down.


    If the tea was even a little hotter, I could have burnt my tongue.


    Anyhow, drinking something did help my calm nerves.


    Meanwhile, I realized that Evelyn wasn¡¯t alone; she stepped in with Graecito and Valer. Looking at them, I frowned. Why did theye over again? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be working?


    ¡°Greetings, Miss Silvia.¡±


    ¡°M-mother.¡±


    Unlike Graecito, Valer stopped right after he saw Silvia.


    Silvia, too, stared at Valer as if looking at a man who abandoned his home. She had a different smile as she weed her son.


    ¡°Oh, Cito, hello. But, Valer, what are you doing here at this time?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is...¡±


    With a smile, she held onto Valer, who was trying to escape.


    Right, no matter how stupid Valer was, he was still Silvia¡¯s son.


    Not listening to the nagging between the mother and son, I looked on the other side. Graecito went over to Evelyn and handed her a handkerchief.


    ¡°This fell from you.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s reactions while taking back her handkerchief weren¡¯t too serious, but I could see the way her cheeks fumed red.


    It was nice that things were going well between them...


    I looked disgusted. After all, there was that energy of a dirty couple surrounding them. Graecito and Evelyn faced each other and smiled. They were in deep shit.


    ¡°Uh, Princess!¡±


    Once the nagging ended, Valer ced his hands on my shoulder.


    He must be killed.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything as I was holding onto my teacup; all I could do was re at Valer to make him understand.


    Valer chuckled.


    ¡°Have you got a special rtionship with the Emperor of Pretzia?¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    Even this guy was spewing the same nonsense.


    While I shrugged, he began to answer me.


    ¡°Who? Rumors are spreading all over the pce.¡±


    ¡°Who is out there spreading such baseless rumors?¡±


    When things got heated, I tried to demonstrate that I was still Caitel¡¯s daughter, but unfortunately, Valer didn¡¯t seem to know where the rumors had originated.


    ¡°How should we know! I only came to know about this while someone else was speaking.¡±


    Sil said the same thing; I thought it came from a particr origin, but when Valer gave the same reason, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from feeling nervous.


    Could it be that I got too drunk to realize that I was seeing things?


    Are there really such rumors going around in the Imperial Pce?


    It¡¯s ridiculous, I took another sip of my tea, but Valer was back to questioning me again.


    ¡°So, are you going to marry soon? Will Ria be the Empress of Pretzia?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So, will Ria leave for Pretzia soon? Oh. I don¡¯t like that. Can¡¯t that Emperor just live over here?¡±


    I decided to stay calm. Right, luck was on the side of people who learned to endure and hold back.


    However, this guy was seriously asking for a beating, and it was getting hard to hold myself back. I couldn¡¯t stand it!


    ¡°You should just shut your mouth the next time you think about talking.¡±


    ¡°Ehhh.¡±


    Instead of being flustered, Valer tried to act cute; this time, I wanted to hit him. I wasn¡¯t wearing stilettos, but the heel of my shoes was sharp enough. He seemed to understand what I meant when I stomped on him.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    It was no gentle stomp, and after a while, I took my foot away from his.


    Why did he have to keep prying about those rumors?


    I did feel horrible seeing him in pain, but I was too annoyed with him, and it would be a lie if I said that I hated it. I grabbed the teacup when Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Princess, those rumors aren¡¯t true, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    What have they all been hearing?


    That was all Evelyn needed to smile. She sped my hands in hers and spoke.


    ¡°Right! You are our princess! Surely you wouldn¡¯t marry the Emperor of the south!¡±


    ¡°... you are mistaking a few things; let go.¡±


    Emperors had great things to consider. Wouldn¡¯t unifying a country be easier if the rumors were true?


    Even today, the Emperor¡¯s bright eyes felt so burdensome, which made me want to flee. I justughed in front of Silvia to act cute. She might have let it go when I was young, but grown-ups acting cute was cringe-worthy.


    I just pouted a little when Graecito, who hadn¡¯t said anything, looked at me.


    ¡°I am really d it isn¡¯t true, but.¡±


    d? Why do I feel weird?


    When I narrowed my eyes, Valer spoke out.


    ¡°Right. We aren¡¯t the only people living in the Imperial Pce, after all.¡±


    I could feel a chill run down my spine at his words.


    Goosebumps stuck on my hands. I kept rubbing them to calm myself.


    No way, no way.


    No, this wouldn¡¯t create a problem, right?


    Right, what would happen if this creates a problem? I shouldn¡¯t worry. I forced myself to smile.


    Right, this wasn¡¯t a huge deal.

 Chapter 417

    <h4>Chapter 417: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 417</h4>


    Time for dinner.


    While a culture of independence was about to begin in Pretzia, a different atmosphere brewed in the Sy dining hall; it was a bit weird.


    Not realizing the oddness, I tilted my head. I felt nervous; it felt like an interview-type dinner, yet there was no one else in the room except for Caitel.


    Huh, no one hade yet?


    However, I noticed the amount of food on the table, all prepared in advance.


    It was a lot of food, considering it was just me and my dad having dinner. Besides, there were only two tes on the table.


    ¡°What is this? Are we the only ones having our meal?¡±


    For some reason, I smiled brightly.


    After a very long time, I get to eatfortably!


    As I sat down, my dad, who hade first, looked at me. He was leaning back onto his chair, with a stiff face and a painful expression.


    However, I didn¡¯t care about how he red at me.


    I knew that something more important would happen. He would...


    Right, would I be able to get the freedom I had back after a while?


    I got to eat all I could, yep. After all, food had to be eaten in afortable ce.


    As soon as I sat down, I began to eat the appetizers, dad didn¡¯t seem to touch his food; he just kept looking at me. With a sharp gaze, I felt terrible every time I put the spoon in my mouth.


    What? Did I do something wrong?


    Did I do something without realizing it?


    I couldn¡¯t think of a reason...


    Since my childhood, I couldn¡¯t stand my dad¡¯s dictator-like attitude, but my dad started to be gentle with me once I hit the age of ten. Well. I wasn¡¯t sure what was bothering him, but even when the main dish came out, Caitel was still ring at me. Was I cute today? That had to be it.


    I didn¡¯t usually believe that people could be killed with gazes, but sometimes, seeing my dad¡¯s eyes was enough for me to understand what it actually meant. I sighed out loud.


    ¡®Dad, let your daughter eat her food.¡¯


    ¡°What is it? Why are you doing this?¡±


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t stand the atmosphere. I talked first.


    ¡°Dad, did I do something wrong? Why are you looking like that?¡±


    His hand lowered from his chin, and he leaned his upper body into the table.


    My posture hadn¡¯t changed, but my gaze did.


    What really happened?


    Did I do something horribly wrong?


    Maybe my doppelganger went over to him and did something terrible, all while pretending to be me. I was seriously thinking about fantasy-type excuses for his behavior, but after a while, Caitel spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take a single step outside the pce for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Absurd imprisonment, I couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡®Hey, dad, tell me you are joking!¡¯


    I frowned; I really wanted it to be a joke.


    Suddenly, dad called for people.


    He made his usual hand gesture, and a few people suddenly came pouring into the hall.


    ¡°When the princess returns to the pce, have the knights protect her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Now, I was beyond embarrassed.


    Why was he suddenly acting like this? If I did something in the first ce, I would have understood why my dad was doing something like this, but I couldn¡¯t think of any reason behind this behavior!


    What I saw annoyed me, but I held back. It was a fact I hade to ept in all the years I had spent living with my dad; if I got angry in the situation, the situation would worsen for me.


    ¡°Why are we suddenly doing this? What did I do wrong?¡±


    Dad looked at me. I really began to think; his gaze was nk.


    What the hell is he doing this for?


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? What no?¡±


    ¡°No matter who it is, you can¡¯t get married.¡±


    ¡°... huh?¡±


    WHAT?


    Strange words.


    Words that confused me. Marriage, me?


    Seeing me stiffen, Caitel spoke with a little more force in his voice. No, dad, I was stiff because I did nothing wrong to deserve this and was too embarrassed at what you just said.


    ¡°You¡¯re too close with the Emperor of Pretzia. Your dad will never allow that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ah, stupid.


    I touched the temples on my forehead.


    This was all ridiculous; I felt likeughing out loud.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t what dad imagines, okay?¡±


    It was too early for me to think about marriage!


    His opponent was Havel. I really didn¡¯t know who made the rumors, but it was a bullshit rumor with no truth in it.


    Somehow, I felt nervous.


    It wasn¡¯t even four hours since I felt something terrible would happen, and then this happened?


    Uh, perhaps I was meant to be a prophet?


    Whatever it was, I opened my mouth to get rid of the misunderstanding. Before I could even say anything, Caitel cut me off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother speaking.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I was sure that he didn¡¯t trust my words anymore.


    It made me doubt what kind of a daughter he thought of me as. Was I the kind of daughter he couldn¡¯t even trust? How on earth did things turn out this way?


    I thought about why he was so convinced with the rumors, but my dad was still stiff while he rubbed the rim of his ss. I was nervous because I thought he would break the ss.


    ¡°I have been thinking about it, and I feel that it is better for you not to meet them. I feel like wiping them out, whether it be Havel or someone else, but then Ferdel would run away without solving it.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡±


    And there would be war.


    Of course, their effort would be for nothing, and hell would run amok in the world; fleeing felt like the right thing to do.


    Even Ferdel would run away this time.


    It was shocking that my dad knew, and I didn¡¯t deny it either.


    Caitel smiled.


    ¡°So this time, I decided to go for a more peaceful way.¡±


    ¡°And that is to...¡±


    ¡°Imprison you.¡±


    What about my peace!? My basic human rights! My freedom being ignored! Right here and now!


    It was as if a knife sliced me off; I burst out.


    My dad, as time kept passing, started to cross the line with his own daughter. He was putting his own flesh and blood in confinement. What was the difference between prohibiting me from taking a single step outside my room and disallowing me from leaving the pce!


    I began to think.


    No, this couldn¡¯t go on. Something must be done. There was nothing such as an impossibility!


    Right, housework!


    I had to work; I couldn¡¯t just be locked up in the pce.


    ¡°No need to go over the Imperial Pce for work. I¡¯ll send everything to you, so stay in your room.¡±


    Before I could even say anything, dad cut me off. My veryst hope had been removed, so I sat still and felt my cheeks burn.


    This couldn¡¯t be done! This was getting ridiculous!


    ¡°Support? Can I go out to support?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Ah, no, please.


    As I felt his never-ending interruptions, I frowned.


    I would understand if I was a toddler, but at my age? I was going crazy. I wanted to scream and walk out of the dinner hall, but I held back with myst remaining patience. I didn¡¯t want to lose.


    Phew, hold back. Be patient.


    I was not a child anymore; I would be at a disadvantage if I let my temper get the best of me.


    I couldn¡¯t destroy this any further.


    I shut up and stared at my dad.


    I could see that Caitel enjoyed his power.


    Uh, my dad. No, what kind of a dad would enjoy confining his daughter?


    Ah, I needed to go back.


    ¡°Then, what about our dinner? Do I eat alone?¡±


    Right! Would he really make his cute and lovely daughter eat alone? Caitel¡¯s expression changed. His heart must have felt weak.


    This was it!


    I tried to pretend-cry, hoping it would work on my dad. However, my dad¡¯s determination was sturdier than I expected.


    ¡°Eat alone.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®Ugh, reality really is a bitch.¡¯

 Chapter 418

    <h4>Chapter 418: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 418</h4>


    ¡°So, ugh, in the end... pfft, you were imprisoned?¡±


    Valer was covering his mouth and leaning over while he spoke.


    He said he would listen to me seriously! In times of confusion, I thought he was the one I could trust, the one to listen through my stories. But now, it seemed like he was holding back hisughter instead, which made me yell.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh at this, Valer, if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    I had undoubtedly warned him not tough, but when I said what happened, he still snickered out loud.


    As I heard him gasping for air in betweenughs, I started to imagine choking him.


    I really wanted to do it, for real!


    Now, he was on the floor, clenching his stomach and rolling. I wanted to kick him as punishment, but Sanse, on the other side, asked seriously.


    ¡°What is the reason?¡±


    ¡°No dating!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    Sanse seemed shocked.


    The reason made Valerugh even louder. Seeing him hit the floor with his hand really made me want to yell out loud.


    I knew Sanse was the only one I could trust most. I felt proud of him. I promised that if I could go to a party safely and live to tell the tale, I would definitely speak glorious stories about Sanse.


    Of course, Valer was like the worst part of humanity.


    Cito was over the window, clicking his tongue with an irritated expression.


    ¡°Your Majesty is really something, to do that to a fully grown daughter.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    Right, that was what I was saying!


    Thrilled with his words, I stood up.


    Right! That was what I wanted to say! I was all grown up! No, I was never a kid to begin with. My mental age was different; how long did I have to stay like this?


    ¡°It¡¯s really crazy and unexpected, but my father is the enemy, so I can¡¯t do anything about it. Ah, really, wah!¡±


    As I grabbed my head and screamed, Sanse took a step away from me. After living with hysteria for a day or two, it seemed like everyone had gone sick. I was the elegant and graceful princess in front of others, but I never had to hold that act in front of my childhood friends, so after seeing a lot of wicked behavior in our childhood, I was sure they wouldn¡¯t bother with my tantrums.


    I stopped pulling on my hair and sat down on the couch again. I was really nervous. No matter how much I thought, I couldn¡¯t develop a brilliant idea to ovee the situation.


    ¡°I should have learned how to use a sword.¡±


    ¡°There are so many people here who would protect you; why a sword?¡±


    Cito frowned at my words. Sweeping away my messy hair, I screamed.


    ¡°So I can fight with my dad with a sword. Did you think I would harm myself? Uh, as a threat, even that could work well, but dad might feel hurt. That man is subtly delicate!!¡±


    ¡°He is rted to you after all.¡±


    Cito shrugged while saying that.


    Meanwhile, the maids ran over to adjust my messy hair. Only a few people said it, but it was unusual to see a princess of a country with messy hair running around like a crazy bitch. I sighed, and Sanse scooted over to me.


    ¡°If it was someone else, they would have been killed.¡±


    ¡°You get away with things because Your Majesty is on your side.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t feeling good, not a little bit.


    They were telling me one or two reasons why I was blessed. Although I was too irritated to understand it in my current situation, I knew that.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t love my dad.


    However, he was too unreasonable.


    It had been so long since the pce was filled with Fall Star Knights and Winter Moon Knights. The fact that the twins and Cito were in the room was proof of that.


    Everything was being done.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything about the irritation welling up in me as I looked outside. No, shouldn¡¯t a knight be defending the country?


    Using them to lock up his daughter? The country is ruined. It has to be ruined.


    I sighed as I thought about the future of this country, but Valer, who was behind me,ughed. cing his hands on my shoulder, he said.


    ¡°Would you like to be loved?¡±


    I took a heavy breath.


    With a smile as bright as I could manage, I looked back at Valer.


    ¡°Keep talking like that; maybe I could show you how fast your life ends in my hands.¡±


    ¡°... I am sorry, princess.¡±


    As if he didn¡¯t want to die, Valer immediately removed his hands from my shoulder.


    Anyway, I had to threaten him to make him listen.


    ring at Valer, I fell into deep thoughts.


    ¡°Confinement at this age. I didn¡¯tmit any crime. Ugh, this is messed up!¡±


    It would be less unfair if I were confined for sinning, but I didn¡¯t do anything! I even said that I didn¡¯t want to do anything! I worked hard every day and struggled for the peace of the country more than anyone else. How could he do this to me?


    Me! Every time dad got angry, I stopped him!


    Whenever Ferdel came up with a policy, I would be the first one to approve it!


    Ugh? At the same time, I devoted my body to help the country and the people, but for me to be ced in like this?


    The more I thought about it, and the more I remembered his words, the more unfair it felt, which made Valer suddenly ask.


    ¡°But if that was what the Emperor wanted, then shouldn¡¯t you be forbidden from meeting us too?¡±


    Pathetic.


    Snapping back at him, I asked.


    ¡°Are you a man?¡±


    The three of them went silent. Valer answered back quite seriously.


    ¡°I am a man.¡±


    It was true that their gender was male, but the man I wasn¡¯t just talking about gender. We had known each other since our birth and saw each other in diapers. Rather than a man, they were like brothers...


    Well, when the rtionship was like that of siblings, the emotions one felt differed.


    Ah, just the thought alone was making me nervous.


    ¡°So you are a woman, after all, huh?¡±


    Seeing Valer on the verge of crying, Sanse mocked him. Although it felt good to hear, I couldn¡¯t help but realize how angel-like Sanse had been.


    There really was no one like Sanse.


    I was about to go over and tease Valer a little more, but then Assisi came into the room right away.


    Once I saw Assisi...


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    Yesterday, once I returned from the dining hall and was trapped in my room, my dad called Assisi over.


    Once I caught Assisi, I began to bombard him with questions.


    ¡°Do you know anything about the situation? Don¡¯t you think that this is unfair? Can an Emperor do this?¡±


    Assisi frowned.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t right to speak like this about Your Majesty, but I certainly think that this is too much.¡±


    ¡°Right? And...¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    Assisi continued... Huh? But?


    The dry feeling in my throat spread. I had a bad feeling.


    ¡°I would have preferred if the princess didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Why? Why did I always get the premonition right for the wrong things in life?


    Assisi¡¯s expression seemed stern, and that only made me feel worse.


    No, when did I ever say that I was getting married!?


    When did I do that!? Things just looped into a colossal mess; there was no person I could lean on.


    Assis¡¯s quiet gaze leaned on me. He clearly seemed angry at me. This was unfair! How could they do this to me?


    ¡°I am going crazy, really!¡±


    As I grabbed my head, Sanse and Valer shouted.


    ¡°Ria is exploding!¡±


    ¡°Woah, everyone, run away!¡±


    ¡°I really want to kill you now!¡±


    Passing by them, I walked towards the couch and sat down. Assisi looked at me and then went away.


    Assisi, bad!


    He must have met my dad. My good Assisi couldn¡¯t do this to me.


    Yes, he was doing this because of my dad. Dad was horrible!


    My dad was bad; as if curious, Sanse asked.


    ¡°But for some reason, you just let him punish you? Didn¡¯t you fight back like you normally do?¡±


    ¡°Right. You ran away?¡±


    As I bit my thumb, I sighed ultimately.


    It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t think of fighting back like I always did.


    ¡°I learned from my dad that fighting back isn¡¯t good through experience, and fighting back would eventually find its way back to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The three of them seemed lost. It seemed that they felt pity for me, well, moving on.


    Still, I evolved from the time I was a child, so did my dad. After all, he couldn¡¯t ovee his daughter¡¯s charm, but I had toe up with a countermeasure...


    Right.


    This was the time for me to think big.


    ¡°Anyway, since I have a father who lives alone in the world, I need to get used to this; one day, I will be able to get back at him.¡±


    At my words, Valer coly asked.


    ¡°So, Ria, are you dating the man?¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about that?!¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah! Save me!¡±


    I had to beat the guy once.


    I hit him once.


    A few hits were enough for Valer to flee. I wasn¡¯t really in the mood to follow him for another hit, so I just went back to my spot.


    ¡°I have been holding myself back for years, so that was a big blow!¡±


    Cito seemed shocked at my words.


    ¡°Everyone who says that the Princess of Agregiant is quiet and modest should reflect.¡±


    ¡°Not reflected. They should pay a fine for thinking wrong about her.¡±


    ¡°Right. Guilty for believing the wrong facts.¡±


    These guys...


    This time, I wanted to punch Valer and Cito at once, but Sanse suddenly raised his hand. I nodded, letting him ask his question.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n?¡±


    n.


    Nothing as of now, but I wanted to do something about it. In the meantime, my heart was telling me to do something soon.


    Just thinking about this entire situation made me sigh.


    I leaned back and let the sofafort me.


    My dad was trying to lock me up so that I couldn¡¯t leave his grasp.


    It didn¡¯t matter to me when I was a child because I was innocent, but I was all grown up now, and things change with age.


    Even before that, I always had an adult¡¯s brain with a child¡¯s body, but the situation was different now.


    I had to go into a rtionship and live a life of my own; not everything had to be about my father. I couldn¡¯t always be under my dad¡¯s shadow, but I did want to be in safe hands. When my dad acted like this, I always felt more like a pet than a daughter.


    I knew that parents didn¡¯t like it when their children suffered, but this was paranoia and obsession.


    If I was a know-nothing princess, this might have been good, but I was not that! I was an independent person.


    What was I supposed to do?


    Until now, I had lived the way my dad wanted me to.


    Pretending to know nothing, not hearing anything, pretending to see nothing.


    But to do more of this in the future? Right, it would be annoying. For how long should I endure? What if I lived under my dad¡¯s word until he died? Then what should I do? At least, he would have to tell me what I was supposed to do when left all alone.


    There had to be some basic education method.


    I could do nothing without my dad in this world, but what should I do when something bad happens?


    I couldn¡¯t live like this forever.


    After a lot of agonies, that was my conclusion.


    Dad said that I needed to just be with him and let him take care of everything.


    However, my opinion differed. If there was anything I really wanted, then I liked working on it. It was clich¨¦, but it was the right thing to do. The results would only be worthy if it worked.


    Even if my dad gave me the whole world, would it mean anything to me?


    Eventually, when my dad disappeared, everything would end for me.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t want to bother my dad anymore.


    I couldn¡¯t always live as a daughter to him. I had lived in this world as a person named Ariadna.


    Now, I wanted to work on what my dad gave me.


    However, this situation made it impossible.


    Right, impossible.


    ¡°... I am going to run away.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    The three of them seemed shocked and doubted their own ears, but my decision was firm.


    Right, let¡¯s go all the way to the end.


    ¡°I am going to run away.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The stillness settled in the room. The three went silent for a while and finally waved at me.


    ¡°Die well.¡±


    These bastards!

 Chapter 419

    <h4>Chapter 419: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 419</h4>


    When I first said out my ns, the three of them were pessimistic about it.


    It would have been fine if they weren¡¯t supportive. They asked if I was trying out for different ways ofmitting suicide and tried to get me out of the idea.


    Who was I? Wasn¡¯t Ariadna the true icon of victory in this era, the one who ate well, lived well under Caitel, and grew up peacefully till this ripe age?


    After many threats and res, I managed to get the three of them onto my side. Well, Sanse was the most difficult one; the rest was easy.


    ¡°I will travel.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that sounds like fun!¡±


    Maybe that was how a simple-minded brain worked? As I watched Valer bit the bait, I felt very great at myself.


    Caught him! Talking about traveling the world made it easy for others to understand.


    It was strange yet nice that they didn¡¯t stop me.


    Cito was easier to persuade than Valer.


    With a smile, I just said one thing to Cito.


    ¡°Swear on Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As expected, Cito gulped down his tears since he couldn¡¯t put his love on the line.


    Thest one left was Sanse, who would never allow it. But I felt rxed; I wasn¡¯t Sanse¡¯s sister for no reason.


    I smiled kindly and warned Sanse.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll spread the collection of women¡¯s clothing and portraits you drew when you were between five to ten!¡±


    Sanse turned numb.


    I could understand his emotions. This was the kind of past anyone would want to hide, right?


    ¡°Evil, in evil!¡±


    The three of them seemed like crying children to me.


    But what else could I do? I couldn¡¯t live this way! I didn¡¯t intend to take drastic measures, but I was dealing with my father. I couldn¡¯t just use an easy n.


    I had to deal with everything as closely and intimately as possible!


    Defeating those three was a sess, but the biggest problem would be the ones that came after this, Assisi and Serira.


    Ah, how on earth was I supposed to convince them? I couldn¡¯t think of a good reason.


    However, when Assisi heard my n, he came onto my side rtively quickly.


    ¡°Fine, I get it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? really?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe Assisi took my side so quickly! Noticing the suspicion in my eyes, he asked.


    ¡°Fine. Even if I say NO, you will go, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes, pretty much.¡±


    Yes, but...


    Assisi smiled. His selfless smile made me feel very ufortable.


    I was out thinking that the elders had to be convinced at all costs, even if it meant threatening them, but my ns were in vain? Not that I wanted to threaten them.


    I just felt terrible about thinking like that about them, but Assisi¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°I am fine with it. As long as I get to protect the princess, I don¡¯t care about other things.¡±


    That was really fortunate.


    Thanks to that, Assisi¡¯s eptance put me in an excellent mood. Maybe Assisi just didn¡¯t want to see me be chummy with Havel?


    Well, Assisi was a difficult man to understand, but it was clear that he differed from yesterday when he walked out of the room after confronting me about the rumors.


    Was it like that?


    I was d to have Assisi on my side! My knight, cheers!


    With that out of the way, Serira was thest person I had to convince, and everything would fall into ce.


    Usually, when nning things like this, it was better to ry the information to a small number of people. The Imperial Pce was quick at figuring out such things. Thanks to that, I tried to be as careful as I could. If the n went out, it would be a massive loss for me and my future.


    I was fortunate that my maids, including Libby, decided to help me out. Well, they were right next to me all my life; seeing how I had been living, they were bound to take my side, so things sorted out by themselves. Huh.


    That was how I felt.


    Ah, people always needed to feel good about themselves, feel virtuous. This would be the virtue they created and built for themselves.


    Thanks to that, my n went incredibly smoothly. Still, having to bring Serira on my side was the real challenge.


    How would a mother behave to such a request of her child?


    I couldn¡¯t threaten her, nor would it be easy to intimidate her; there was nothing I could do apart from asking her.


    I was getting too concerned over it. I was contemting how to speak to her and get her blessing, but my mom just came over and said something like this.


    ¡°My dear Ria, you seem to be making up cute ns these days?¡±


    Blink, Blink.


    I couldn¡¯t answer her since I was too shocked, but after seeing me blink continuously, mom smiled. Seeing me frozen, Serira waved her hand as if telling me to not worry.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am a maid in the pce; it is obvious that I know.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right!¡±


    Right. The maids had told her.


    I felt stupid and pathetic about all the ns I was creating.


    Still, I was d that my ns weren¡¯t leaked elsewhere.


    I was also d that Serira¡¯s reaction was better.


    How puzzling.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you against it?¡±


    I asked very cautiously; surprised with my question, Serira asked back.


    ¡°Why would I be against it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, really?¡±


    This is really an unexpected reaction.


    Seeing me surprised, Seriraughed. Putting her finger on my forehead, she lightly tapped me.


    ¡°Your Majesty is being very rude to the princess. This is when the princess has to experience the world outside and learn to stand alone.¡±


    ... mom is really hardcore.


    I felt really grateful. In front of my mom, I still seemed like a child. It felt like I was a long way from turning into a strong woman like my mom.


    Suddenly, I realized why Graecito grew up so well. It was all thanks to mom that even I got to change like this. I felt great. Looking into my eyes, Serira spoke.


    ¡°Because children turn into adults when parents don¡¯t look at them.¡±


    She smiled at me.


    ¡°I think that this is the time.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was still in doubt.


    Serira took something out of her sleeve, something wrapped in clean white silk.


    Taking it, I looked up at Serira. It looked like she wanted me to open it based on her nce.


    With a strange feeling, I carefully unwrapped the fabric.


    The soft cloth around it loosened, and what came out was a small pendant with a light glow.


    I was at a loss for words. The gem in the pendant was something I had never seen before.


    It wasn¡¯t a spirit stone but not a ruby either. Looking at the jewel, it felt like I saw something I shouldn¡¯t see.


    While I was still frozen, Serira touched my shoulder.


    ¡°I was asked to hand this over to you when you grew up.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Princess¡¯ mother.¡±


    My mouth stiffened; I couldn¡¯t get myself to speak. I bit down on my lower lip. Unknown emotions were wrapping around my body; this was the first time I felt something like this.


    After a long silence, words finally came out of my lips. I asked, looking at Serira.


    ¡°Did you... meet?¡±


    ¡°Only once.¡±


    Serira smiled as she rubbed my cheek with her fingers.


    ¡°She was a beautiful person.¡±


    A faint but heartfelt gaze.


    Serira¡¯s gaze was warm, but it didn¡¯t seem like I was the one she was looking at. As if she was trying to look for someone else in me. I couldn¡¯t say anything because of the new emotions I was feeling.


    ¡°... it would have been nice if the princess didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    A sigh escaped from her mouth.


    Receiving the memento from my mother made me feel worse; she was someone I never knew. I couldn¡¯t understand why I felt so horrible.


    I just leaned on Serira.


    Was it possible to love a mother I had never met or seen before? I didn¡¯t know the answer. Suddenly, my mom from my previous life and my dead mom in this world seemed to ovep.


    A sense of loss washed over me.


    I could just whimper at the new sensation and frustration of not knowing anything about my very own feelings.


    While patting my back, Serira spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°At this age, it isn¡¯t nice to carry too much burden on yourself.¡±

 Chapter 420

    <h4>Chapter 420: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 420</h4>


    That was when I started to live separately in a pce.


    By the time I turned eight, there was quite a lot of talk about how I would stay in Sy Pce.


    Still, at that time, no princess stayed with an Emperor beyond a specific time in the pce.


    However, as the years passed, the princess began to grow older, and once she turned ten, various people spoke about how the Imperial pce would soon copse.


    Of course, my dad treated all of it as bullshit and consistently ignored their words, but these words began to catch up to Caitel; he couldn¡¯t neglect it all his life.


    Most of all, what irritated my dad the most was the nobles who mocked his regime due to theck of freedom in his country, talking about how the Emperor made countless blunders since he was getting older. Of course, Caitel ensured that the nobles paid the price for their words, but I didn¡¯t feel like he did the wrong thing.


    The truth was the truth.


    However, since such a situation continued, my dad ended up giving me a separate pce. It wasn¡¯t just the usual order a father would give to his child; no, it was a royal decree, amand that would go down in the history of Agregiant.


    The Emperor said, ¡®Since there is no pce worthy of the princess¡¯s prestige, or in short, since there is no pce suitable for my taste, I will demolish some of my pces and create a new one. I will have the princess stay in Sy until the construction of her pce ends.¡¯ That was the order.


    Unless one was an idiot, the real intention behind the words was clear as day.


    I stillughed when that time came across my memories. The ministers and nobles were shocked about the order.


    I remembered that time fondly.


    It was great, but sometimes, I couldn¡¯t help but miss those days.


    It took two years for that pce to be constructed.


    A significant number of workers were mobilized; it could have been done quicker, but man, my dad just kept demanding for more color! A little more elegance! And it waspleted after moving the deadline three times.


    The expression of the handler was full of regret.


    Still, the pce was so beautiful after its construction; it was unlike anything I had ever seen. I had never been so impressed; I wanted to move in quickly.


    My pce was named Fulgor, the Dazzling Light, and it was built in Agregiant.


    A cool breeze gently entered the pce through the open terrace doors. The wind scattered around my hair as I sat in the distance, leaning my head on the bedpost. The thin curtains on the bed danced with the wind. The starlight, pouring into the room, was brighter than I imagined.


    When I moved into the pce, I was given a new bed, which made it impossible for me to sleep. But one time, Iid down and tried to calm myself to sleep, but I felt someone¡¯s presence while doing that. It wasn¡¯t Assisi. There was no way Assisi would enter my room, especially past bedtime.


    I knew who it was without even seeing them.


    The cold hand, which sometimes touched my forehead, swept past my cheeks, and returned to stroking my head.


    The one who wouldn¡¯t even bother to look at me during the day was casually patting me in the night, hoping I wouldn¡¯t wake up from sleep. If I let him do that, I would surely fall asleep.


    ¡°Very much like a thieving cat... maybe not my dad.¡±


    I know about my father¡¯s way of showing consideration, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by it. Well, this was why I liked him.


    I had lived here since my birth, but my position in this ce wasn¡¯t definite. Born as a daughter to the tyrant Emperor, I was just a princess whose status and future wasn¡¯t certain.


    It wasn¡¯t a fairy tale life. I spent 12 years in Sy Pce, which was referred to as the Imperial Pce.


    That event had got to be a special case in Agregiant¡¯s history.


    It looked easy, but I lived in the Imperial Pce. No matter how close one was to the Emperor, no one could stay in the Sy Pce after three years.


    The pendant that shone in that hand was small, but it would catch one¡¯s eye at a single nce. A transparent diamond-like-jewel with unknown red energy flowing through it. A mysterious color.


    ¡°Pretty.¡±


    A memento from my mother, it was one that I received for the first time.


    That must have been why I couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    I raised my arm and tried to look at the pendant I received¡ªthe jewel reflected the starlight¡¯s glow.


    Serira said that she only met my mother once and that before I was born, she requested her to give this pendant to me.


    ¡°Ah, all this!¡±


    Life was so surreal. What was the meaning of all this?


    With my hand on my forehead, I closed my eyes¡ªthe forgotten existence of a mother whom I had never seen before.


    My mom¡¯s story was unknown as she disappeared, and I simply dropped my head. I should remember her, even if the others forgot her.


    Although I was only a princess of Agregiant now, as Ferdel said, I would be a bubble who would disappear without Caitel. I could see that by looking at how everyone forgot my mom.


    Mentioning my mom, Princess Jereina, was taboo.


    My dad did so simply because he didn¡¯t like it when people spoke about her.


    Caitel still thought that I was his daughter. Of course, that wasn¡¯t wrong. We were connected through our blood.


    However, Caitel wasn¡¯t the one who raised me. Serira, Silvia Ferdel, Assisi. All of them put effort for me; without them, I would be nothing. Right, it was because they all looked after me so well that I never missed my mom or thought about her.


    I had enough love from the people in my life, even without her. It didn¡¯t matter.


    I brainwashed myself and whispered.


    ¡°... mom.¡±


    Who would want to remember the fact that I was never loved?


    Serira said my mother loved me, but I honestly didn¡¯t think a mother who never saw my face could love me.


    Since I lived in the Imperial Pce, and since my mother was brought here against her wishes, she could hate me or resent me. I closed my thoughts to erase the pain.


    I was a real fool. Stupid.


    The pendant in my hand confused me even more.


    Something must have happened to my mom; there had to be a reason she gave birth to me.


    Why didn¡¯t I ever think about learning more about her? I was so stupid.


    The life of a princess dragged away to carry the child of her enemy, the Emperor of Agregiant and died because of the said child. The life of that princess was a tragic one.


    Wiping the tears forming in my eyes, I held onto my emotions.


    That was it.


    I suddenly felt someone¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I got up. The sensation of being watched spread all over my body.


    It wasn¡¯t my dad. What should I do? I couldn¡¯t even guess who it was, but my senses told me that I didn¡¯t know this person.


    It wasn¡¯t my dad, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t asleep yet?¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    Somehow, I felt fine. I rxed like a fool after hearing those words. At that moment, the curtain on the terrace lifted, and the person¡¯s face came into view.


    ¡°What? Havel...¡±


    ¡°Right answer.¡±


    The Emperor of Pretzia, dressed in simple clothes, stood right before me. Havel looked around my room and met my eyes.


    What was the meaning of this? I frowned after seeing him here.


    ¡°Why are you here? No, how did you get here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡±


    Havel smiled. I suddenly got so tired and fell onto the bed.


    Maybe he didn¡¯te here to harm me or anything?


    I doubted his sanity. He entered a princess¡¯s room in the middle of the night. Without realizing it, the words came out.


    ¡°Do you want my dad to kill you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking informally now?¡±


    Havel leaned close to me. It was nothing special, but I felt like I had to move back.


    Ugh.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done, can you leave?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Why was it that my words were always ignored? He was talking to me as if we were close.


    Havel¡¯s body came closer. Suddenly, his arms outstretched and were ced on my sides, trapping me, making it hard for me to move.


    My breath turned rugged. My body stiffened with the unfamiliar feeling in my gut. Only then had I realized that I was a woman. A stupid woman.


    Cursing myself, I chewed my lip.


    Havel smiled after seeing me change.


    ¡°You can talk informally. It turns me on.¡±


    My body froze.


    Was he some kind of pervert? Why would someone be okay with being spoken informally to? Was he a masochist?


    I wanted to push him away, but that wasn¡¯t possible because I was stuck under him with his crimson eyes gazing into mine.


    Since I didn¡¯t respond, the silence grew between us.


    Our surroundings were silent enough to hear a string getting cut down.


    I realized then that this guy was definitely hitting on me.


    While Havel continued looking at me, I looked at him with anxiousness.


    ¡°Where are you looking!?¡±


    As his gaze reached over my chest, I yelled at him.


    Thanks to that, the strangely built tension between us broke, yet I was highly irritated. It had been a long time since I felt embarrassed since pajamas never made my body look good.


    Havel just shrugged at my reaction.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see.¡±


    T-this guy!


    I would like to sue him for sexual harassment, but I felt like kicking Havel¡¯s leg was enough to make me feel good. He did whine after getting hit, hehe.


    How dare he harass such a great divine woman? Just die!


    It must have been my imagination, but I might have hit him a bit too hard. After groaning a long time in pain, he got up. Right, it had been a long time since my princess image crumbled.


    ¡°I was told that you were trapped because of me. Did you know that the talks between our countries are over?¡±


    ¡°Uh, really?¡±


    I tried to be respectful, but I wasn¡¯t aware of it.


    Errr, it was just informal words, well that didn¡¯t have to matter. I did know that it would end so soon, but I didn¡¯t know for sure since no one said anything about it.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°It was a bitplicated, but to put it simply...¡±


    Once he saw my curious gaze, Havel smiled.


    ¡°We got the approval for independence. We have peace for the time being.¡±


    Thank god.


    I was worried, but I was d that things worked out and that the talks ended peacefully. The expression he used, ¡®peace for the time being,¡¯ annoyed me, but it was a good thing, so I decided to let him get away with it.


    ¡°So, are you here for that reason? To let me know?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    What ¡®no?¡¯


    As I stared at him, Havel reached out to me. He did it so naturally; I was still trapped between his arms.


    I waste in my attempt to move. Before I could say anything, Havel, who seemed at ease, sighed and ced his head on my shoulder.


    ¡°I felt bad that I would leave without seeing you. I dide over to see you, but you avoided me so that I couldn¡¯t get a good look at you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t see you, I wanted to take a good look at you this time. It¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    I turned around, trying to get away, but Havel¡¯s hand grabbed my arms, not having any intention of letting me go. His hands weren¡¯t hurting me, and I quit trying to get away from him, which just appeased him, but it wasn¡¯t like he had given up.


    As I stopped moving, Havel raised his head.


    When our eyes met, I felt shy¡ªshortness in my breath, cheeks burning up, I couldn¡¯t help but force myself to rx.


    Ah, what was all this!?


    A cool breeze blew my hair through the open window. After some time, I spoke.


    ¡°Is Laing with you?¡±


    ¡°She is.¡±


    A short answer. I felt strange.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She was the only living Princess of Pretzia. I hoped La got the life she hoped to find, afortable life.


    I probably wouldn¡¯t witness her leaving the pce. Although my dad didn¡¯t cause everything, I, too, had a conscious mind and yed an equal part in her suffering.


    As I sighed a bit, Havel took a closer look at me. His fine hair shook. Just seeing that made me want to touch it. The man had a murderous appearance.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset with being confined like this forever?¡±


    His soft, low-pitched voice was pleasant to my ears. The unfamiliar feeling of listening to him talk for ages took over me. Havel¡¯s bold voice was like music to my ears.


    ¡°Shall I help you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t need it.¡±


    It would be a lie if I said his offer didn¡¯t tempt.


    However, more than that, his voice messed with my head. I was aware that I was confined, but it made me feel like I was trapped when someone said it out loud.


    As I kept my mouth shut, Havel¡¯s face reached closer to me.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    It was true, but he couldn¡¯t me me when he was being all mysterious and asking me like this. In the end, I just sighed.


    My head hurt. Ah, I just didn¡¯t want to think anymore.


    ¡°Will you really help me out?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Havel smiled with a confident expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a prince¡¯s job to rescue a princess trapped in a tower, right?¡±


    Ha, what?


    The number of outrageous things he said with that confident face wasughable! Men didn¡¯t know what they were getting themselves into; it just didn¡¯t suit some people. I wanted tough, but contradictorily, I felt engulfed in his looks instead.


    Was it because I didn¡¯t feel tense?


    Usually, I wouldn¡¯t ask for help unless I asked someone close to me. I didn¡¯t like being indebted to someone, but the biggest reason was that I hated showing weakness.


    However, I couldn¡¯t do much in my current situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such shit.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt terrible for my dad. He locked me up so that I wouldn¡¯t meet Havel, but now, here I was, taking his help to escape the pce.


    Haa, what a life.


    No, I couldn¡¯t let my mind waver.


    It¡¯s difficult to escape with just my strength alone.


    Right, this was a gamble.


    For my life and future.


    ¡°Then, help me out.¡±

 Chapter 421

    <h4>Chapter 421: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 421</h4>


    The most dangerous and uncertain part of my n was, ¡®Can I get out of the pce safely?¡¯ It was challenging to get into the pce¡¯s center, where the security was recently tripled, which made it even hard to escape.


    It seemed impossible to run away from home! If I got caught in the middle, it would look like I was just rebelling.


    Not wishing to look like that, I found it hard to pull out any profitable operation, but fortunately, Havel¡¯s help solved the most tricky part.


    ¡°Take in the new air!¡±


    Valer looked at me with sad eyes and clicked his tongue. I justughed and stomped on his feet.


    ¡°Ahhhk!¡±


    What was that!?


    Well, back to the main point... it¡¯s the first time I ever got to breathe in the air outside the pce. Although it was just a bare whip of air because of Pretzia¡¯s procession, it was enough to get me riled up. When would I ever feel such air again?


    Oh, right. That wasn¡¯t the time to be dilly-dallying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s run away quickly!¡±


    With Valer on my left side and Assisi on my right, I safely managed toe out of the Imperial Pce, but I still wasn¡¯t feeling at ease.


    I had no idea when my dad would catch me!


    I had to get out of the capital, Girgento, and quickly reach the pre-established escape route. I had to get out as soon as possible.


    This was the first time I felt my heart longing for something, and yet, my heart ached for Assisi, who apanied me.


    Unlike his usual stiff expression, Assisi didn¡¯t seem like he had slept the night before. Even Valer seemed to notice the difference in Assisi.


    I felt confused.


    ¡°Assisi, what is it? Something bothering you?¡±


    With a stern expression taking over his face, Assisi looked at me and asked.


    ¡°I am curious as to why that person is here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m curious, too; why?¡±, I asked.


    Why was the Emperor of Pretzia heading over to us?


    Instead of the mourous clothes he wore during the departure, Havel, who was standing in front of me was in a simple travel outfit.


    I looked over at Havel, who put up a troubled expression.


    ¡°You managed to get out of the Imperial Pce because of me, so why am I getting such a harsh treatment? So, you ask for help and never consider them again?¡±


    ¡°No, but why are you here, infamous Emperor of Pretzia.¡±


    I really didn¡¯t think he would be here.


    I knew the envoys of Pretzia headed to the south past the castle.


    He didn¡¯te with them! Oh, no.


    I shuddered at the thought.


    No, ehh, he wouldn¡¯t do that. No, what kind of a crazy emperor would do that? He wouldn¡¯t.


    While I was trying to deny my rampant imagination, Havel smiled.


    ¡°I am following you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your trip.¡±


    ... oh god, now I have someone else blocking my path.


    ¡°I am not going on a trip.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You said it was a trip.¡±


    I forgot that I had manipted Valer into helping me. And it seemed like he was the spy.


    Ahh, this stupid child.


    I hit Valer¡¯s stomach with my elbow and looked over at Assisi, asking him to handle Valer while looking at Havel.


    Maybe he was angry, or perhaps he¡¯s smiling inside? Whatever he was feeling, Havel had a subtle expression on his face. A few of the Emperor¡¯s direct guards stood behind him with strange expressions on their faces.


    Was he threatening me?


    ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll head over to my pce and talk, okay? I am taking you there.¡±


    Ugh.


    ¡°God?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That man was such a sly bastard!


    At the visible resentment in my gaze, Havel smiled.


    I was in an upromising position. Honestly, I didn¡¯t like it, and I wanted to flee, but what if Havel returned to my dad and helped Caitel in catching me?


    It was obvious what he would do.


    In the end, I had to go with the man before me...


    ¡°Not possible.¡±


    As I found it hard to answer, Assisi, who stood beside me, stepped forward.


    ¡°Please stay behind me.¡±


    Since I was used to having Assisi stay quiet behind me, his sudden words and actions surprised me.


    Was he really the Assisi I know?


    His eyes were stern with no intentions of backing out, which only made Havel frown.


    ¡°I think the leader of the group is Ria, right? Why is a mere subject, an escort knight, intervening?¡±


    ¡°As an escort knight, I am in charge of Miss Ria¡¯s safety, and I judge your presence here as an absolute threat.¡±


    ¡°A threat? How could I be threatening?¡±


    ¡®¡±Everything. Your very existence here is dangerous for me.¡±


    Their harsh words chilled the atmosphere. Of course, I could see why Havel was a threat, but it looked like both of them were willing to go in for a fight. I could see Havel¡¯s knights readying to strike.


    I hated taking Havel¡¯s side, but I didn¡¯t want to see Assisi get hurt as well.


    Thus, I had to restrain Assisi.


    ¡°Stop it, both of you! If you are going to extend this fight, I won¡¯t think twice before throwing you both away!¡±


    They retreated immediately.


    ... what was with them?


    Still, they listened to me, although I didn¡¯t say anything worth retreating from.


    ¡°Look around us; everything is refreshing and magnificent, and you chose to defile that with your petty fights?¡±


    ¡°Right. We should leave the capital first.¡±


    Valer intervened, impatient to leave soon. I felt so touched when he said it.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, my Valer. Get a grip on yourselves, you two.¡±


    ¡°This oppa is very cool, right?¡±


    ¡°It would have been better if you didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Uhh.¡±


    Talking with Valer, I looked over at Assisi who was still staring at Havel.


    I had never seen Assisi hate someone or re at them; that moment shocked me.


    Why did Assisi hate Havel this much? Well, at the moment, I didn¡¯t know why.


    That was when Assisi spoke.


    ¡°Should I cut him down?¡±


    ¡°Assisi...¡±


    That was absurd. Assisi was trying to kill people without a reason.


    Rather, seeing his firm expression, I knew he would get the task done once I gave the orders. This said a lot about him, but I doubted that both Assisi and my dad had the same wiring in their brains.


    Some reason, it looked like Assisi was going to be more problematic to deal with than Valer. Perhaps it was just my imagination, though.


    I left Valer¡¯s side and turned to Havel.


    ¡°Did you help me escape?¡±


    ¡°You just noticed it now? You don¡¯t seem to be as smart as I thought.¡±


    Honestly, I thought he would ask for something in return, but I never thought he would want to flee with me.


    Ugh, I didn¡¯t know anymore. What could I do? Everything had been prepared beforehand.


    Havel knew well that I had no ce to retreat to.


    I spoke to Havel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you follow me or not, but if you bother me, I¡¯ll throw you away!¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°I really mean it!¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I would really throw him away.


    Havel smiled at my words, a bright smile which only made me feel worse. Ha, I wanted to abandon him already.


    I knew Assisi hated it, but I was surprised to see Valer disliking it as well. Havel grabbed my hand.


    ¡°And...¡±


    And what?


    Havel smiled. I really hoped he wouldn¡¯t ask for something strange.


    ¡°Just call me Havel.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t his ¡°Emperor¡± title supposed to be ced before his name? He really wanted me to call him by his name?


    Really?

 Chapter 422

    <h4>Chapter 422: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 422</h4>


    Including too many people in an escape was just an easy way to get caught, so I decided to go with a small party.


    Everyone wanted to apany me, but I knew that Valer and Assisi would be good enoughpanions for me.


    I left the others in the pce with different tasks in hand, and if one wanted to know what it was, well, simple. To disturb dad.


    I was quite curious as to who managed to survive after disturbing my dad, but it didn¡¯t hurt to trust people¡¯s abilities.


    Maybe not. Caitel was a ruthless and cruel Emperor. On top of that, he was as smart as Ferdel; there was no way he would overlook their actions.


    Hopefully, when he found out about what I did, I would have been long gone from our country.


    Thanks to our horses running from morning to evening, we managed to reach Ancief in three days.


    A victory for us!


    After all, there was nothing humans couldn¡¯t achieve when they put their heart into it! Whoa, I felt so proud.


    From there, we moved around for two days and arrived in Armeta, the best city in the country. There were numerous things to see there, but our priority was to replenish our strength, so we decided to rest for a day before getting onto our journey.


    Ancief wasn¡¯t a safe ce, so I had to go over to another country, yet I felt curious to know what happened in Agrigent.


    Dad wouldn¡¯t oe to Ancief, right?


    ¡°I checked with the merchants, and they said the capital had been blocked. Maybe they¡¯re still looking for people. It seems like they didn¡¯t know about our departure.¡±


    ¡°It was nice that we rushed to Ancief.¡±


    ¡°Yes. If we were a littlete, we might have been caught at the border.¡±


    Valer shrugged.


    Maybe it really might happen; just the thought made me shudder.


    ¡°Are you going to the Northern Empire on the floating ship?¡±


    Havel asked as he heard our conversation.


    I turned to Valer. If that was the case, I wanted to visit the next country, Parten-Kiehern, but it seemed impossible with the time we have. Well, Valer came to Ancief, but he was upset that he couldn¡¯t see the fairy forest.


    ¡°Well, it would be better to go as far as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then, it has to be Schertogenbosch.¡±


    At my answer, Valer smiled.


    ¡°I think we can slowly move to Bureti while looking around the Northern Empire.¡±


    ¡°Right, will dade over to the Northern Empire in search of me?¡±


    I had an ominous feeling; I felt like he mighte over to the Northern Empire.


    Huh, huh, it¡¯s probably because of my mood.


    Assisi left in the morning and bought the tickets for our journey. We would have dinner and leave.


    There were floating ships in Agrient too, but this was the first time I rode one. It was a means of transportation made of floating stones, and to put it simply, it was like an airne. There were only 40 ships in the world in the shape of a ferry, which only nobles or wealthy merchants could use, and it was the most preferred mode of transportation for people with money.


    ¡°Ah, I finally feel like I¡¯m alive!¡±


    As I smiled brightly, Valer said something else.


    ¡°I might get sick.¡±


    I was still worried about Sanse and the others.


    I smiled. It was hard for me to sit on the horses for three days straight.


    No matter how many lessons I took on horseback riding, doing it as a sport differed from traveling long distances.


    After a while, Assisi had to make me sit on his horse since I had no energy left to hold onto my mare. Still, I was fortunate for reiming my stamina after resting.


    While I sat on the chair with a smile, Valer pped.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have something expensive for dinner! I¡¯ll check out some stores!¡±


    ¡°Something delicious!¡±


    ¡°Obviously!¡±


    With a smile, he dragged Assisi with him and left the room.


    Did he like to eat that much? Sure, even I enjoyed eating.


    Having food was the best.


    Right, wasn¡¯t a trip supposed to be about food? All the beautiful sceneries looked better with a full stomach.


    As I stretched out, I saw peopleing and leaving. Since our room was expensive, the view from the window was pretty.


    Ancief and Agrient differed from each other entirely, although they were neighboring countries.


    Above all, I liked the temperature here; it was neither hot nor cold.


    A country of eternal spring.


    This climate was maintained throughout the year, and after learning about it in geography ss, I got inquisitive of the principle behind it! I didn¡¯t mean to say that I wanted to research all my life.


    Although it was said that the country had dedicated a third of itsnd to Agrient, Ancief was still rich.


    Drinking water, I get to organize my luggage, but Havel, who was sitting with his chin on his hand, suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Is it tough?¡±


    What¡¯s with that question? Did I look tired? Actually, it was tough, but I didn¡¯t think about it because I was desperate to flee. However, for others, it was tiring. They were exhausted.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    It was hard for me, but I didn¡¯t think the men were doing that great either.


    Havel shrugged upon hearing my question.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to traveling.¡±


    ¡°I envy that.¡±


    As I smiled, Havel stared at me.


    Was there something on my face? It wasn¡¯t like I was in a pce, but I felt weird as he looked at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first timeing out of the house; it¡¯s tough to leave your home.¡±


    I hated keeping my silence, so I spoke, but Havel titled his head and asked back.


    ¡°Are you regretting this?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    Leaving one¡¯s childhood home was never easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±


    Right, it was tough, but I was having fun too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when dad will catch me and take me back, buting out like this and seeing people is fun, especially since I lived my life inside walls.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    I saw a lot whileing over here. Although all I did was sight-see, it was still a different experience.


    What I learned from books about the outside world differed from what I saw while traveling. I was impressed with what I saw; my eyes had opened up to things my dad hid from me. It was shocking.


    Everywhere I went, it was different from the others. This country wasn¡¯t a paradise; people weren¡¯t as friendly as I thought.


    However, I liked it. Yes, I did; this was the real face of the world.


    The world I lived in and this world was not so different.


    When I checked on things, I felt something, a sense of relief that I couldn¡¯t exin. My fantasies about Agrient were shattering, but I still felt great.


    Should I say that I felt great after knowing that I wasn¡¯t a princess in a fairy tale?


    ¡°I know a little bit on why Emperor Caitel is adamant on keeping you with him.¡±


    I was trying to remember something when I heard Havel¡¯s unexpected words.


    ¡°What is the reason?¡±


    How would he know something I didn¡¯t know?


    Havel looked into my eyes and said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ... I should just throw him away.

 Chapter 423

    <h4>Chapter 423: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 423</h4>


    423 The Emperor¡¯s Daughter


    When I heard the term floating ship, I thought it seemed vaguely simr to an airne. Well, I thought that if it could fly, it would be something looking alike, but I was clearly losing my sense of imagination.


    However, the floating vessel I saw from up close was in the shape of a real ship. It was spacious with a real ship¡¯s structure and even had rooms for people to stay. However, I had to say, though, man, the facilities were good; now I knew why this was so popr.


    I just wondered why they didn¡¯t use it for military ormercial purposes, but I realized why once I rode it.


    Unlike airnes, the floating ships soared and did not descend to the ground. Thus, we couldn¡¯t go wherever we wanted; even if we did reach the ce we wished to go to, the ship wouldn¡¯t unload people or things.


    It was also too high up in the sky, so it couldn¡¯t hold heavy cargo.


    Even if it could, it couldn¡¯t hold much. It was made solely to carry people and their luxury items.


    The speed wasn¡¯t too slow whenpared to an airne. It took only three days to travel from Ancief to Schertogenbosch, which was supposed to take three years bynd and three months by boat.


    I realized how good it felt to win in such a civilization.


    Having inventions was a good thing.


    ¡°Ah, fun.¡±


    Sometimes the wind was strong, and the boat would move along with it, making me feel sluggish due to motion sickness, but the three days I spent on the ship was fun. It felt like I was on a cruise ship. It was also fun to look down from the deck.


    Uhm, should I travel using the floating ship when I returned?


    ¡°This is fun to ride.¡±


    ¡°Right, Valer? It¡¯s great.¡±


    Unlike me and Valer, who were excited, Havel, who¡¯s standing beside me, seemed tired. Meanwhile, my dear Assisi stood beside me despite his motion sickness and pale expression. It didn¡¯t seem like he was that kind of man, but it was true that riding ships like this was enough to make his stomach churn


    The dignity of a ck knight.


    ¡°Shall I go over and find a ce now?¡±


    Valer asked while stretching.


    Since we just descended from the floating ship, it was hard for me to believe that I had really arrived at the Northern Empire called Schertogenbosch.


    Looking up to the sky, I saw a translucent shimmer right under the blue sky.


    It was God¡¯s Wall, protecting the ce. It was the very guardian that made Schertogenbosch the greatest empire in the north.


    I had always heard about it, but this was my first time witnessing it. Would it be okay if I admit how protected I felt on these walls?


    ¡°Where is this?¡±


    ¡°Long, the satellite city, one of the busiest cities in the north. After a day¡¯s wagon ride, we¡¯ll reach the capital, Illumenain.¡±


    At Havel¡¯s question, Valer answered right away.


    I looked at both of them.


    Unlike Assisi, who continued to be hostile, Valer didn¡¯t hate nor like Havel. Still, it was nice seeing them behave.


    Well, he might be a little stupid, but he was Ferdel¡¯s son. Perhaps knowledge ran in their veins.


    ¡°The capital, huh. let¡¯s just look around for a day and go to another city.¡±


    Of course, the capital was the best ce to visit, but it felt a bit scary to be roaming around close to the Imperial Pce. I was careful when it came to meeting people, and I didn¡¯t see others often. It was more of a problem for Valer since people knew him because of his yearly visits.


    At my words, Valer scratched his head.


    ¡°Okay. Ah, will you go to the Holy Land?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already here, right? Of course I¡¯ll go!¡±


    It was like going to France; no one should ever miss the Eiffel Tower!


    Valer smiled at my answer. It was like seeing a cute younger brother; I felt butterflies in my stomach.


    This guy! I was his sister!


    ¡°Then, while you¡¯re traveling around the city with my uncle, His Majesty and I will look for amodations and other things.¡±


    ¡°What is that...¡±


    Havel tried to refute Valer¡¯s one-sided deration, but in the meantime, I walked away and left Havel with Valer.


    ¡°Right, great thinking. Come back safe!¡±


    Without Valer, Assisi and Havel would have been tough to deal with. He saved me. That¡¯s good thinking, Valer!


    Valer smiled at me and pulled Havel away. The king was clearly dissatisfied, but he didn¡¯t refuse Valer. Havel¡¯s bodyguards, too, went along with him, and in an instant, Assisi and I were left on our own.


    Uh? Uhm, this seemed very much like a date?


    ¡°Assisi, can we take a look over there?¡±


    The other side looked like a market, but I treaded carefully since I didn¡¯t know the city well.


    Looking back at Assisi, I realized how hard he was staring at me with a stern gaze.


    His gaze was too severe for me to bear.


    ¡°Miss Ria.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty must be worried.¡±


    He spoke the truth; I sighed. I took a deep breath and turned back¡ªAssisi¡¯s eyes met mine.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s expression softened. He looked down and asked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about him, Miss Ria?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    It would be a lie if I said that I wasn¡¯t worried.


    To be precise, I was more worried about the people around my dad, the ones he would punish.


    Above all, Serira and my maids would undoubtedly have to take responsibility for what happened.


    Even if they would have time to prepare, I couldn¡¯t help but be worried about how violent Caitel could be. Of course, I was concerned about him.


    ¡°I am worried, but I don¡¯t want to go back.¡±


    Yes, I was worried, but I didn¡¯t want to go back.


    ¡°Even when you are done ying around like this?¡±


    It was what I honestly felt.


    Thinking about what my dad would do was making me feel stuffy. I was cherished, and he pampered me, but then, I escaped from the pce and wandered around other countries.


    ¡°Your Majesty won¡¯t sit still.¡±


    Was Assisi on my side or dad¡¯s?


    I knew it was childish to ask that, but I couldn¡¯t help it; he was guilt-tripping me into going back. Besides, the water had already been spilled.


    I sighed.


    ¡°That is right. Still, there are things called ¡°face and prestige¡± in the Empire, and I already spoke about running away from home. Would he seriously look for me without alerting anyone and give up?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t give up.¡±


    Assisi responded.


    I spoke as much as I could, but I immediately realized how wrong I was wrong when I said it out loud; the probability of him not searching me was nil. I knew my dad too well to have such an unrealistic thought.


    ¡°Okay. Well, I think so too. If my dad would ever give up, I doubt that would happen until the world ends, but you know, I am in the North, dad might not be able to find me so easily.¡±


    Even with my answer, Assisi just looked at me. I smiled as brightly as I could while still pouting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going to y a little bit and go back. Treat this sorta like a vacation. Okay?¡±


    In the end, Assisi changed his mind.


    It didn¡¯t seem like he was trying to persuade me. However, if he tried, I might be hurrying back home already. Suddenly, I felt curious about something.


    ¡°Howe it didn¡¯t take much persuasion to get you onboard, Assisi?¡±


    I was already curious about this before our escape, but I didn¡¯t really ask him because I didn¡¯t want to seem brutish. As if he knew what was bothering me, he turned back and gave me the answer.


    ¡°I heard something from Ferdel.¡±


    Huh? Ferdel?


    That¡¯s a name I hadn¡¯t thought of in a while; I was curious why he brought him into the conversation. Thus, I nodded for him to continue.


    ¡°He said that people who have clear self-control and curiosity shouldn¡¯t be locked up; people like Princess should be released to seek the world while the others help them.¡±


    I had never heard of this before. I was honestly surprised.


    For Fardel to think of me that way...


    ¡°I think so too. After all, you always do your very best.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t true. Sometimes, Ize around. I felt nice to hear such a good evaluation about me. Of course, it was nice to receive praises, but since I always received them, such imperialpliments didn¡¯t mean much to me anymore. I did what I wanted to do. Hmm.


    ¡°His Majesty will also know in time.¡±


    Assisi looked down.


    ¡°He just might have some trouble epting it.¡±


    I really wanted for my dad¡¯s heart to be touched. Of course, Assisi¡¯s words weren¡¯t out of line, but...


    Would it be okay for me to say that I understood my dad¡¯s logic for locking me up? Even then, I didn¡¯t intend to live in his arms.


    ¡°He needs to ept the fact that his daughter has grown up and that he has to let her go, but he just hates that idea.¡±


    I smiled. ¡®Fool. Let whom go?¡¯


    I sighed for nothing. None of us were wrong; it¡¯s just difficult for the two of us to get along.


    We smiled, thinking that the heavy part of the conversation was done.


    I smiled.


    ¡°Then, what about you, Assisi?¡±


    Assisi raised his eyebrows.


    Again, our eyes met.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Assisi upset?¡±


    ¡°I am...¡±


    Assisi looked down. His speech blurred. It seemed like answering it was difficult for him.


    What could it be? The answer?


    I was staring attentively to hear his answer, but Assisi moved ahead.


    Huh?


    ¡°From here, I can guide you. This is a ce I have been to before.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh?¡±


    I was confused when I realized how he was trying to avoid answering me. No, Assisi, he shouldn¡¯t leave me hanging like that! He should be more considerate of me; that was my first time there!


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    Flustered after seeing Assisi walk ahead, I ran until I bumped into the person beside him.


    Ugh.


    Luckily, I only bumped my shoulder at them, but the breeze made me feel dizzy as it hit my face.


    Ah, my head.


    Thanks to that, the robe I was wearing peeled off. I hurriedly fixed it and bowed my head.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    Since my hair color brought others¡¯ attention, I tried to keep myself as hidden as possible. When I recovered my bnce and covered myself up again, I looked up.


    ¡°...!¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Oh, holy shit!


    I stiffened. The other person was just as shocked and confused.


    Although half of his face was covered in white cloth, I couldn¡¯t check-in details, but I was sure I had seen those exposed eyes before.


    It couldn¡¯t be, right?


    I knew it was impossible, but I still found it difficult to shake off my suspicion. A name wasing through my mind, but I didn¡¯t want to believe it.


    I met someone I was familiar with in the enormous northern empire?


    What kind of person did I end up meeting?


    No, it couldn¡¯t be. No matter how wide Schertogenbosch was, how likely would it be to meet him?


    ¡°Miss Ariadna?¡±


    However, at the next moment, I realized who it was.


    ¡°... uhhh?¡±


    God had abandoned me once again. I was ruined!

 Chapter 424

    <h4>Chapter 424: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 424</h4>


    ¡°And so, are you saying that you two just happened to meet on the street?¡±


    Valer, looking at us, asked. Ahin had a stiff expression on his face while I turned away from Valer¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°In this spacious Long! In a vast country! In the bloody vast Northern Continent!¡±


    Fine, okay, man, stop trying to confirm it. Even if I didn¡¯t show it, I was feeling quite upset.


    As he watched me turn away, Valer smiled and sighed. The others were surprised as to why he was acting like that but knew why. He was holding in hisughter. I had seen him doing that once or twice.


    I held myself back, but eventually, Valer did what he did best, irritating me.


    ¡°Ah, How crazy this is! It¡¯s amazing! I need tough. Wait, I¡¯ll be done! Oh, wow, are there any other humans with such rotten luck?¡±


    Bastard.


    Now he was justughing out loud. Although I kept on ring at him, he just didn¡¯t care. I was annoyed seeing Valerugh while stomping the floor.


    Ah, what a bastard, why would heugh like this!? What the hell was so funny!


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±


    As I screamed, whether he wasughing or crying, Valer wiped away the tears from his eyes.


    ¡°You really have no luck. On such a broad market, no, right at the beginning of your visit in arge country of S... pfft!¡±


    ¡°You must have a death wish, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not at all; I still want to live.¡±


    The knight of the Winter Moon, a knight of the nation,ughed like a maniac before a princess.


    Sigh.


    It was stupid for me to expect Valer to act dignified, ah. After all, he always did what he wanted to; once he was doneughing, he sat down. I really wanted to punch him to a pulp. Uh, if Ahin weren¡¯t there, I surely would have done that.


    ¡°Hyung, it has been so long!¡±


    ¡°Right, long time no see!¡±


    Ahin nodded and greeted Valer back. No, even if they were cousins, I was shocked to see Valer addressing Ahin, a country¡¯s heir, casually.


    Valer was outright embarrassing me and my country!


    I looked back at Assisi to do something, but Assisi just bowed his head.


    ¡®Assisi, your nephew is doing shameful things. Huh? Assisi, can¡¯t you take some responsibility for his actions? Hello?¡¯


    ¡°But, hyung, you are supposed to be in your Pce; why are you here?¡±


    When he was done smiling, Valer shot the question.


    Oh, that guy!


    I was also curious about it; I was trying to be considerate, but Valer just asked. I could totally see the priests and pdins behind Ahin turn red, but I ignored them.


    I wanted to tell them that I didn¡¯t know Valer.


    ¡°Afterpleting a pilgrimage tour once a year, he is returning to the Imperial Pce.¡±


    An elderly priest, standing behind Ahin answered.


    Based on how he responded, I guessed that the priest must have been an archbishop.


    Why did I leave Sanse and bring Valer with me? I got him to tag along with me because I knew his tongue would slip in front of my dad; maybe I should have left him. Man, Valer was such a bastard.


    Valer, who heard the exnation,ughed again.


    ¡°Ahh, in a word, my brother, who had nothing to see in the Imperial Pce, left for a pilgrimage and looked around Long before meeting us?¡±


    Anotherugh.


    This bastard... he¡¯s really...!


    I allowed him to do whatever he wanted before, but not this time.


    I immediately stepped on Valer.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t wearing high heels, which was unfortunate, but since I pressed my heel on him, it must have hurt. While Valer was grabbing his foot and whining, I smiled at Ahin.


    ¡°It has been very long. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly before, hehe.¡±


    ¡°It is fine. I didn¡¯t greet you either. It has been a while, princess.¡±


    A familiar gentle smile, the first time I met Ahin, I must have been around ten years old. Ahin hadn¡¯t changed since then. Oh, right, there were a few things new with him; he grew taller, more masculine. What was it? He still seemed as warm as ever.


    If it weren¡¯t for his eye color, I wouldn¡¯t recognize him. The one thing constant about him was his eye color and the warm feeling he gave me.


    His wavy grey hair, which covered his ears, was bright and even looked like silver. His blue eyes, which held mine, were crazy. Still, he was fascinatingly beautiful to look at; it really felt nice to see him there.


    His hands were slimmer, but he felt a little different from Havel.


    How should I put it?


    If Havel is a warrior, Ahin is... noble-like.


    Right, it felt like that. Ahin grew up well. When I took a closer look at him, it felt very much like the atmosphere we had when we were kids.


    Back then, I used to be shocked, seeing Ahin all calm, but it felt different now. Well, it felt nice. Something familiar, but I wasn¡¯t sure what it was.


    As I stared at him, Ahin smiled.


    ¡°If I knew you were here, I would havee over right away.¡±


    ¡®Huh, this is a bit extreme.¡¯


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No! it is fine! Really fine!¡±


    Ahin¡¯s expression changed after hearing me say that.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    A blunt question. Seeing that face, unknowingly, I started to curse myself.


    Well, I said it out of good intentions, but I made it sound like I was rejecting him.


    I felt horrible after seeing his expression change. I had never refused someone¡¯s face, at least not like this; I really didn¡¯t mean it...


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet upter,ter.¡±


    With that, Ahin smiled.


    Such a sweet smile, seeing that smile, I swallowed my bitter tears. How could this person be so pretty? Such beauty was unneeded.


    He smiled. It looked like he would be beautiful even if he cried; suddenly, I heard a sharp voice from my side.


    ¡°You are quite idle for a country waiting for its next sessor. Do you still have time left on your hands?¡±


    The voice belonged to Havel. How long had he been standing there? I didn¡¯t know why, but I began to think about what would happen. Ahin seemed to be a lot sharper than I thought.


    ¡°The Emperor of Pretzia?¡±


    How did he know? I was shocked. Havel smiled.


    ¡°And your reason foring to that conclusion?¡±


    Ahin smiled.


    Both were smiling, but I felt weird like some tension was building up between us. How did ite to this?


    ¡°I could just feel an energy, a different one, which didn¡¯t fit with the Northern Continent. You aren¡¯t suitable for thisnd.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Take what I said literally.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to solve it. Havel seemed grim while Ahin smiled.


    No, could everyone just calm down?


    What was all this? I was in the middle of them, and I knew this wouldn¡¯t go down quickly.


    I looked at Assisi to ask for help but it didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to interfere.


    No, Assisi knew that this would start a war!


    ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you supposed to be leaving soon?¡±


    Nice save, Valer!


    Valer, I didn¡¯t know what I would do if he weren¡¯t there; he pointed into the dark and spoke. I was thrilled that Valer said it, for he didn¡¯t care what anyone would think.


    Even this guy could help me in life.


    Fortunately, the tension between the two subsided, but on the one hand, it was shocking to see Valer¡¯s insensitivity to others.


    Amazing guy.


    Fortunately, the problem was down; at least, that was what I thought.


    ¡°But princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you here with Your Majesty?¡±


    There it was. Why was I here? Even I wanted to know that.


    I was wondering why he hadn¡¯t asked me. I tried to turn away my gaze.


    ¡°Ah, that, well...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say that I was rebelling against my dad. I didn¡¯t know what to say; I couldn¡¯t think of a proper answer.


    Ah, I should have thought of something!


    I had nothing to say if he asked for my sudden rebellion. Ah, I was feeling bad.


    All that time, Ahin¡¯s gaze was still on me. I smiled because I could feel myself losing confidence.


    ¡°Uh... well. I was just wandering around, and you found me, and so.¡±


    For some reason, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say, not about the trip. Maybe it was my expression. Ahin frowned.


    I couldn¡¯t see if he doubted me or not; maybe he just didn¡¯t understand what I was saying.


    Well. Even I didn¡¯t understand what I said. I looked away from Ahin¡¯s eyes and asked Valer to exin it to me, who said.


    ¡°Ran away.¡±


    What?!


    I was shocked to hear what Valer said out loud.


    Even if they were cousins, he couldn¡¯t say my secret out loud!


    However, Valer didn¡¯t seem to find it troubling; he just casually answered.


    ¡°My dear Ria, no, my princess left Agrient; she ran away.¡±


    ... why am I alive?


    Why did I believe him?


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    They looked at me, and I realized how people could die from shyness.


    Ah, I was ruined!


    Ahin looked at me, asking me to confirm what he just heard. I ced my hands on my face and turned away.


    Ugh. Ugh!


    I mediately looked at Valer with resentment; he seemed so confident despite what he did. He was done! My status and prestige as a princess were in ruins!


    Ahin was shocked and in horror at the news but managed to regain hisposure quicker than expected.


    He knew how horrible my decision was. I couldn¡¯t even get myself to look into his eyes when Ahin looked at me.


    ¡°Then, you won¡¯t be able to stay.¡±


    ¡°... I guess so.¡±


    If I moved with Ahin, my dad would catch me. The chance of getting caught might be huge if I proceeded with Ahin. My ears were turning red.


    Why was my cheek hurting?


    How long did Ahin intend to look at me?


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark; I will head back.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°I will return tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    For some reason, I felt like my mom just scolded me. I couldn¡¯t say anything, nor could I think of responding rashly to him.


    Ahin smiled as he walked away; I had no idea why he did so.


    What? Why was heughing?


    That was when Ahin spoke.


    ¡°Princess hasn¡¯t changed much from childhood.¡±


    What was that supposed to mean? Before I could ask, Ahin walked away.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 425

    <h4>Chapter 425: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 425</h4>


    When Ahin returned, I couldn¡¯t get rid of my thoughts so quickly.


    ¡®What is this? This unknown feeling?¡¯


    Usually, I wouldn¡¯t be worrying or thinking about a person, but strangely, Ahin was lingering on my mind.


    ¡°Princess hasn¡¯t changed,¡± he said.


    When I thought about it, it was like calling an adult cute. It made me feel weird.


    ¡®What the hell, it¡¯s so stupid!¡¯


    ¡®Uh, hm...¡¯


    ¡®Why? Why does it feel right to be treated like that?¡¯


    After taking a hot water bath, I wanted to rest my head in the inn.


    No, I just wanted to die.


    If I could die, I would be the first human to do so out of shame.


    After a while, I thought of sleeping in the bed. The room was empty as no maids were serving us, but it wasn¡¯t awkward since I was used to living alone in the past. It felt refreshing.


    At that time, I used to be too busy to even enjoy anything for myself.


    My past life.


    Shockingly, I didn¡¯t miss my past life¡ªjust some memories of myself. I should say, it was to the extent where I just smile and think, nothing much.


    Even if I returned to earth, I would just miss this ce more; I might even whine about returning to Agrigient.


    These memories were vivid, while my past life experiences had already faded a long time ago. I didn¡¯t want to live on earth.


    As I changed my clothes and dried my hair, I looked out the window. The city¡¯s night view from the third floor was beautiful with the city lights and the stars. The sky seemed to be alive.


    Perhaps it was because the air was clear.


    In my past life, the night sky was pitch ck in my imagination.


    Seeing the sky, I thought of my dad.


    Now that I hade to think of it, ever since I got a cold after walking outte at night, my dad would walk with me; our walks wouldst for a while sometimes.


    Uhm, I felt like we were apart. I was missing my dad.


    I got up from my seat since I was feeling depressed. I would never be able to sleep.


    Putting the robe over me, I stood near the door. Even as God¡¯s Wall guarded the ce, this ce was still colder.


    I wanted to take Assisi and Valer out for a walk.


    I opened the room to fetch them, only to meet an unexpected person. Ah, he scared the shit out of me!


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    I saw Havel dressed in formals. No, was he going somewhere?


    Somehow, his expression seemed like he was in a bad mood.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    He asked me back.


    ¡°Why did youe out like that?¡±


    ¡°... couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    I was tired, so I didn¡¯t change my clothes.


    He coughed out of embarrassment; thankfully, Havel didn¡¯t care about it.


    Damn, why was he so struck after seeing a woman in nightclothes?


    They couldn¡¯t even look any more vulgar than this.


    Later, when I decided to get married and get myself a husband, I decided to choose a friendly man who wouldn¡¯t care about these details.


    ¡°Are you going for a walk?¡±


    ¡°I was about to... but not anymore.¡±


    My answer made Havel frown. Why? Where I would go was not his concern.


    I was so nervous that I missed the timing to enter my room. In the blink of an eye, Havel grabbed my wrist. Moving closer, he looked at me as if he had something to say.


    What kind of situation was this?


    I was flustered. I tried to breathe. I was worried that he would hear my heart pounding.


    Why was my heart doing this? I couldn¡¯t even run!


    I tried to calm myself down, but I wasn¡¯t doing a good job.


    Suddenly, Havel asked.


    ¡°What is your rtionship with him?¡±


    ... huh?


    I couldn¡¯t get a grip over myself. What was he saying?


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°That white one earlier.¡±


    As soon as I asked back, he answered me.


    The white one, pale one, I guessed, ugh.


    ¡°Ahin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, him.¡±


    Quite honestly, I was shocked.


    What the hell was with his attitude? My head was thinking about other things. How could he call the next ruler of the North as this one and that one? I tried to control my emotions.


    ¡°He is a sessor. Be careful of your words, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t divert the topic.¡±


    ¡°I am not. What has it got to do with you? Our rtionship is none of your concern.¡±


    What was his intention?


    Havel frowned.


    ¡°Does that mean you are close?¡±


    Why did he think that?


    We weren¡¯t close, but we had a special bond, so I chose to be silent. In this case, it was best just to shut up.


    Havel stared at me and then smiled since I stayed silent. It was a distorted smile.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to run away, but I guess you had your reason to do that.¡±


    Reason? What was he talking about?


    I looked confused since I couldn¡¯t understand what he said, and Havel released my wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough catching you.¡±


    What?


    I couldn¡¯t understand what Havel was saying.


    He moved away in an instant.


    He left a red mark on my hands, but it didn¡¯t hurt much. Havel walked back into his room.


    ¡°Good night, but I hope your dreams are dreary.¡±


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t get any answer from him, so I sighed, wrapping a hand around my wrist.


    Really, this guy and that guy.


    However, one thing was for sure; he was acting weirdly.

 Chapter 426

    <h4>Chapter 426: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 426</h4>


    ¡°So... you decided to run away?¡±


    Should I say that I walked out of my independence from the Emperor?


    Hearing the phrase ¡®run away¡¯ made me feel like I was ungrateful. It would be the first andst time.


    No, was the intricacies of my escape that interesting? Wasn¡¯t there at least one person who wanted to flee their house?


    ¡°Yes, that sums it up.¡±


    I was tired, and my words were low.


    Was I experiencing regret?


    Once the next day came, Ahin entered the inn where I was staying, he did say that he woulde over, but I didn¡¯t expect him to really do so. I came to Sherto City and met him.


    No, why did it have to turn like this?


    If Havel were the one asking it, I would have justughed out loud.


    For some reason, Ahin sat down and smiled; he asked every question very calmly, probably why I couldn¡¯t answer. It was my first time being questioned like this like I was under some kind of mind trick.


    We only met once in our childhood; it had been so long that I didn¡¯t even know if he still wanted to help, so why was I being treated like this? Ah, of course, if Ahin informed my father that I was here, I was done for...


    Still, my attitude of not being able to answer irritated me. Ahinughed as he saw me struggle.


    ... huh?


    A suddenugh, I didn¡¯t know what it meant; he was staring at me. Ahin quickly covered his face andughed.


    ¡®What? What¡¯s so funny? Why is heughing?¡¯


    I wondered.


    Ahin, who wasughing hard, lowered his hand.


    ¡°So where are you heading to?¡±


    ... now he acted normal; it didn¡¯t work like that. If he were someone I knew well, I would have humiliated him, but unfortunately, he was someone I couldn¡¯t deal with.


    Hmm, I lost.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going over to Bureti.¡±


    ¡°Bureti?¡±


    Ahin¡¯s expression stiffened. I wondered why and remembered that Sherto and Bureti were hostile countries.


    Right.


    If one said they wanted to leap from one hostile country to another, that kind of response was to be expected.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean I could cancel my ns, and Bureti wasn¡¯t an enemy to me; it was an ally to Agrigient. I just sat there and fiddled with my fingers to think of an answer. I hated the atmosphere.


    ¡°I will apany you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    I was shocked at the answer. My mouth went shut, but I was already feeling voiceless. However, I was appalled at what I heard.


    ¡®So, what do you want to do?¡¯


    ¡°Even though it looks like this, the North is a dangerous ce. I cannot send the princess into such a ce all alone.¡±


    It was his firm deration; I couldn¡¯t say anything and sat there.


    Instead, it was Havel¡¯s reaction which brought me back to reality. He asked with a sneer.


    ¡°Why are you so worried when she has me?¡±


    ¡°It is because Your Majesty is with her that I am worried.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you thinking into a hostile country is more troublesome?¡±


    ¡°This is Sherto; she has a better shot with me than Your Majesty?¡±


    I stood up with shocked eyes after hearing their debate. I was angry.


    ¡°STOP IT!¡±


    Fortunately, both stopped right away. I walked in between them and looked at their faces alternatively.


    ¡°If you are going to fight, I will leave both of you.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    I used to deal with such situations between the twins.


    Any argument had to cut end in the initial stages.


    Both of them went silent. I was looking at the one in the middle of them. They seemed too lively when they were supposed to be arguing? Things would have been a mess if they went further?


    I was ring at them, and they both stepped back to show how rxed they were. With a grim expression, Ahin asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯te?¡±


    ... if he asked me with such an expression, I couldn¡¯t possibly refuse.


    Oh, my mind was getting blown over; I wanted to say, ¡®Don¡¯t make trouble anymore, so no.¡¯ Refusing him would be a problem; that would be the worst answer I would give in my life.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to stop me from helping the Princess, right?¡±


    A threat.


    I couldn¡¯t do this, and I couldn¡¯t do that; I was fucked. Valer, who was behind me, raised his hands.


    What now?


    ¡°I am in favor of my brother; our travel in Sherto would be easy, but bro, would it be okay if you left so soon?¡±


    ¡°I already reported my intent to travel more, so there wouldn¡¯t be a problem with that.¡±


    Oh, he took care of everything beforeing over.


    I smiled because I couldn¡¯t even refuse. Even Assisi didn¡¯t seem to hate it. He objected when Havel joined us; I wondered why he didn¡¯t object when Ahin wanted to join. Above all, should I say that the beast behind me was really growling?


    Ha, all I could do was sigh.


    Well, everyone in the room did.


    ¡°Then, thanks for joining us.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Ahin smiled happily. I thought his smile was pretty, but now, I hated it; I didn¡¯t like it anymore. How could he smile like that? That was when he said.


    ¡°You have grown a lot.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty too...¡±


    Honestly, Ahin grew up more than me, so much so that he wasn¡¯t even bothered when Havel and I were standing together.


    Yesterday, I was shocked when I saw him; I totally thought of him as a yboy. Ah, why did this continent have so many pretty boys? Perhaps the pretty ones just gather around me? Right, when could I ever go on a trip with such beauties? It was a good thought.


    ¡°I thought I would see you one day, but I never imagined I would see you like that.¡±


    ¡°... uh, that.¡±


    ¡°it is fine. I am d you weren¡¯t returning.¡±


    Ahin smiled.


    He was d that I was not returning; what did that mean? Did he think about seeing me someday? Ahin couldn¡¯t leave Sherto, so he couldn¡¯te over Agrigent. He thought I woulde.


    Oh well, he sent invitations to me every year. Thanks to the invitation, I managed to pass the border screening safely.


    When our eyes met...


    Ahin¡¯s ever-glowing eyes and silvery hair wavered as he smiled.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed... I am d.¡±


    Regardless of his smile, I was confused¡ªa trip between the heir of the Northern Empire and the heir of the Southern Empire.


    ¡®This trip, is it really worth it?¡¯

 Chapter 427

    <h4>Chapter 427: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 427</h4>


    The sunlight was falling.


    Caitel looked serious while watching the young emperor before him. Even if he was a rising emperor, he was nothing but a fireflypared to the sun, a sun just like Caitel, who stood tall for years.


    He was an opponent that Caitel could bring down if he wanted to, but he didn¡¯t. Not because he disliked the cheeky new one of Pretzia, it¡¯s just that one reason wasn¡¯t enough to trample on a new emperor. Besides, Caitel had lost interest in Pretzia when the past Emperor¡¯s neck fell.


    ¡°Well, looking forward to theing days, I will take my leave.¡±


    Crimson red eyes full of hostility stared into Caitel.


    To be honest, those eyes seemed simr, but Caitel didn¡¯t want to teach the young emperor who didn¡¯t know about life anything. Caitel smiled and turned around.


    Again and again, Ferdel greeted the young emperor on Caitel¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°I want the peace we promised today to continue till tomorrow. I wish you a peaceful journey.¡±


    Ferdel should just tell them to hurry up and leave.


    It was annoying, but Caitel was patient.


    It was because he wanted to send that arrogant and annoying child back to his own country without dy.


    A scandal with his daughter.


    He could feel the urge in his chest to twist the throat of the young emperor. He didn¡¯t intend to ept marriage proposals from anyone, but he felt like the person intending to ask for his daughter¡¯s hand should be dignified enough to ask Caitel.


    He would give his daughter to a man who would put the entire world under his feet, but to a guy who couldn¡¯t even conquer a star?


    ¡°I once again thank Your Majesty and Agrigient for the hospitality you¡¯ve shown. I will take my leave now.¡±


    A woman whom no one recognized was the one doing the greeting and bowing.


    La. No, was she called something else?


    Caitel had seen her hanging out with Ria at times; he could see the nervousness on her face.


    She would always pretend to be calm, but she was worried that Caitel would harm her. Of course, if something happened, she would have been stuck here, but Caitel wasn¡¯t the kind to fall for such women.


    ¡°Well then.¡±


    Pretzia bid farewell.


    Atst, the burdensome tasks ended. When the convoy of the Pretzia started, Caitel turned back.


    Rather than that, he had an important thing to do. He had to see how his daughter was doing andfort her; he wanted to be with her once they all left.


    It was only in the evening, after the sunset, that Caitel appeared at Fulgor pce. It was time for dinner. Since his daughter always felt good after having a meal, he wanted to use this time to entertain her.


    The only thing which greeted the emperor was the empty room without its owner.


    ¡°... where is my daughter?¡±


    An ominous feeling. Whenever Caitel had that feeling, he knew something terrible was about to happen.


    At that question, the maids in Fulgor pce began to tremble. They knew Caitel wouldn¡¯t let ordinary lives as theirs see the light of tomorrow. However, they couldn¡¯t answer the emperor.


    ¡°Is she bathing? Gone out for a walk?¡±


    He asked, thinking they would spit out an answer, but the maids didn¡¯t utter a single word. Looking at the poor maids who were shivering because of him, Caitel took a heavy breath.


    He took a deep breath and exhaled just as heavily to calm himself.


    However, that didn¡¯t seem to have any effect. Eventually, Caitel did what he did best.


    ¡°Kyah!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Shrieks wereing out of the room with objects shattering. Caitel threw anything his hand could grasp to the wall or the ground till Caitel decided to stop.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    While all the other maids ran, Serira approached him. In Caitel¡¯s mind, he wanted to cut off her tongue since it always spoke the right words, but his reasoning would overwhelm his impulses.


    ¡°Where did my daughter do, you maid?¡±


    He had a gut feeling, but he had to confirm.


    There were Two Winter Moon Knights and guards attached to her, but those ipetent knights let her go. When they returned to Sy, he thought of firing them. Caitel looked away.


    Seriria responded slowly.


    ¡°The princess isn¡¯t in the pce.¡±


    ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    Serira stiffened at Caitel¡¯s question.


    Shiiing.


    Once she said that, Caitel¡¯s sword touched Serira¡¯s throat. If she spoke a lie, he meant to cut her down, but Serira¡¯s expressions were calm as always, as if she knew about this situation.


    And Caitel hated that.


    ¡°She went out of the pce.¡±


    ¡°Kyaah!¡±


    A scream erupted from the maids who heard the answer. And Caitel cut Serira¡¯s hair slightly. He didn¡¯t intend to cut her down; he wanted her to fear him.


    Caitel raised his hand and called for the attendants who followed him.


    ¡°All those who work in this pce will be executed.¡±


    What he had asked them to do was to protect his daughter, not take their eyes off her.


    The attendants were shocked at Caitel¡¯s outburst. No, no matter what wrong they did, to execute Princess Ariadna¡¯s maids was extreme. However, it was an order from the king.


    Once done ordering them, Caitel turned back, not feeling an ounce of regret.


    Until Serira called for him.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    He would typically ignore it, but since she was a woman who once saved him, he turned back. She took something out of her hand and showed it to Caitel.


    Caitel took the piece of paper with an unpleasant expression. When he opened it, he saw that familiar handwriting.


    ¡®Your Majesty, this girl is inadequate and wants to taste the evil sweetness of the outside air. There, she is trying to leave and see the beautiful world with her own eyes.


    ¡®If Your Majesty understands, then I assume you realize why the girl had to leave secretly instead of telling you because you would catch her.


    ¡®Your Daughter.¡¯


    ¡®PS. If the people in my pce quit, get sick, or killed, I won¡¯t return. Don¡¯t put them in jail! If you do, I will hate you! I won¡¯t even talk to you ever again!¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    What was he reading?


    When he looked up, Serira was looking at Caitel. Maybe she didn¡¯t know what was in it. He wanted to rip her heart out, but the letter clearly said not to hurt the maids.


    Shit.


    ¡°... no need for an execution.¡±


    The maids, who were crouching and awaiting their eventual death, raised their heads in surprise. And Caitel turned away.


    However, he wasn¡¯t backing down.


    ¡°Close down the capital and block all borders.¡±


    Fardel, who would hear the order, might think Caitel went mad, but it didn¡¯t matter. The only thing which mattered was to get his daughter back as soon as possible.


    Seeing that Assisi was nowhere to be found, he must have Ria, which made him feel at ease.


    ¡°Go and bring the twins and Graecito.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The attendants sighed as a new order had been made.

 Chapter 428

    <h4>Chapter 428: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 428</h4>


    A day after the capital was blocked, Caitel¡¯s patience fell to rock bottom. He tried to endure, but Caitel was impatient.


    ¡°No, so you really did block the border! You crazy bastard!¡±


    Fardel, who hade to the pce, was constantly nagging Caitel, who was trying to sleep. At first, it was just his usual run-of-the-mill words, but when he didn¡¯t respond, Ferdel would swear.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t left Agrient yet, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. How would I know that?¡±


    It would take a year and a half to cross Agrigient. No matter how much human resources they collected, it would still take months. Agrigient was a vast empire with a huge geographical size.


    However, Caitel had no intention of waiting that long to meet his daughter.


    He didn¡¯t know if they were still in the empire, and he didn¡¯t want to stay in the pce waiting for her.


    Eventually, Caitel came to a decision.


    ¡°Ask all the troops to spread out.¡±


    He liked his daughter a lot when she was still a kid. When she was young, she moved around all day, and yet nobody would say anything. Caitel didn¡¯t like that she kept trying to get out of his grasp ever since she grew up.


    In the end, he missed her, for she left him.


    It was driving him insane. If he could, he would turn her back into a child and make sure she stayed like that forever.


    ¡°... what?¡±


    ¡°Tell the whole army to move out. Except for the troops defending the capital and those stationed at the border; tell everyone to spread out.¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s orders were bing absurd.


    ¡°What the hell are you nning to do?¡±


    Caitel looked back at Ferdel. Without backing down, Ferdel asked.


    ¡°Are you waging war?¡±


    Well...


    He didn¡¯t intend for that to happen, but he was in the mood for a battle.


    First of all, his goal was to get his daughter back, and if anything stood in his way, he was ready to erase it.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind!? What is all this!? Don¡¯t do it! If you want to fire me, then go ahead! I don¡¯t care! What kind of crazy orders are these?¡±


    Ferdel¡¯s reaction was expected.


    Caitel responded.


    ¡°Fine, you can follow me.¡±


    ¡°... huh?¡±


    Disregarding Ferdel¡¯s resignation, Caitel grabbed Ferdel¡¯s neck.


    Firstly, the goal was Ancief, the country closest to the capital of Agrigient.


    Besides, there was only one ce Ria would go to.


    Caitel exhaled quickly.


    Right, his daughter, hidden somewhere. This was his first time ying hide-and-seek with her, and he didn¡¯t like this one bit; however, his anger cooled down, and his reasoning returned to some extent.


    Nevertheless, once he got his hands on her, he would make it impossible for her to flee again.


    He would make her regret doing such a thing.


    The outrageous invasion of the Agrigient royal troops shocked the Ancief royal family and immediately called for troops to be recruited; however, Caitel had no intention of starting a war right in the beginning.


    King Dion of Ancief had nothing to say about the face of the tyrant who had never stepped outside his pce except for the time Ria was born. Talks had died down, but it wasn¡¯t easy for him to forget the bloodshed Caitel had caused on the continent.


    Caitel felt refreshed after seeing King Dion doubt his eyes.


    When Ferdel decided to flee, he remembered how he took Ria to avoid punishment. Ah, such times.


    But that didn¡¯t matter now.


    ¡°Excuse me, may I please know what your intentions are in my country?¡±


    Looking at the King, who was trying to carefully choose his words, Caitel said just one thing.


    ¡°Give me my daughter.¡±

 Chapter 429

    Chapter 429: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 429


    ¡®I¡¯m here.¡¯


    Unlike the central and southern regions that were always noisy because of the war, the north seemed to have a rtively stable situation and numerous prosperous cities. It wasn¡¯t just the capital that had developed, but many other cities in the country. It was all because of the God¡¯s Wall, which was guarding the cities and towns against winter. No matter how cold it seemed, there was still warm weather below the wall. Thanks to that, the city developed, providing people with many things to see.


    Right, I didn¡¯te over to Sherto for nothing!


    Bruges, thergest of the southern cities, was fascinating in a sense. I saw many other cities on the way here, but everything else just went away from my mind when I arrived in Bruges.


    ¡®So many pretty buildings!¡¯


    ¡°Valer, look at that!¡±


    With the wagon window wide open, I pulled Valer to show him what I was seeing.


    Two towers reaching to the sky with a vast boulder near the gates caught our attention. The two towers seemed to attach to the other as if dependent on each other¡ªthe famous twin towers.


    ¡°Oh, the twin towers!¡±


    The tower, very simr to Decaani, stood right in the middle of the city. The symbol of the city was engraved on it.


    Under the colossal tower, I could see trillions of fragments.


    The closer the wagon got, the more I wanted to see it; the magnificence of the tower made me in awe.


    ¡°Is it all carved out of the wall?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be? It must have been challenging.¡±


    ¡°Right. Horribly difficult.¡±


    As Valer and I nodded with serious expressions, Ahin smiled. On the other hand, Assisi thought of it as just another tower and seemed uninterested.


    Havel felt the same.


    Those killjoys, how could they not like these pretty buildings!


    Of course, we were traveling, and I knew that they were sick of traveling, but they had such gloomy expressions! It was my first time seeing such things!


    ncing back at the two people, I turned towards the tower. We were getting closer to it; no matter how high I raised my head, I couldn¡¯t see where it ended.


    However, I wasn¡¯t feeling bad for not seeing it altogether because of the embellishments and sculptures on it.


    I really admired it.


    It must have been tough to build that!


    The buildings in the city were so beautiful that I felt rewarded just watching them.


    Architects truly were the engineers¡¯ artists.


    It was said that this city was the most cultural and artistically developed one in Schertogenbosch, so its nickname, ¡®city of stars,¡¯ was natural. Right, I hadn¡¯t watched the night view yet, but it was fine even if I didn¡¯t get to see it.


    The magnificent buildings, starting with the statues and the avenues, the delicate effort put into the structures, these were things I would never get to see in Agrigient.


    I would often think of the city, but seeing it in person, man, it was different.


    Even a person of no taste for such talent or caliber could enjoy these things! Such buildings, I wondered how they managed to build them. My head was rolling.


    Also, they had such great inns for tourists.


    ¡°Ah, once we¡¯re done unpacking, let¡¯s go around.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Once I heard Valer¡¯s suggestion, I loved it; even Assisi, who was watching from the side, smiled. Ahin smiled at me, but being a shy girl, I bowed my head, not knowing why.


    Hmm, no, I was just happy, so happy.


    Usually, I wasn¡¯t the kind to travel ore out of the house, but it felt refreshing for some reason. Was this why people went on trips? I was already feeling excited.


    The only ones excited about the trip were Valer and me, but it was fine. It was their loss. Suckers.


    The roads were well maintained, so the wagon managed to reach our destination quickly. With Ahin¡¯s advice, we decided to stay in the inn close to the pagoda, but he wasn¡¯t joining us in our stay.


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He was getting off, but I couldn¡¯t say anything.


    I thought of saying something, like cheer up, but I couldn¡¯t muster the courage to speak. There were times when words would destroy the mood.


    Knowing my feelings, Ahin smiled. That smile made me feel more apologetic.


    Huh.


    Once Ahin joined the group, the original n of our trip around Sherto were canceled.


    Above all, our schedule to go to the capital was revised. Our n to visit the Holy Land was removed too.


    We couldn¡¯t help it because Ahin joined us.


    The existence of Ahin, a sessor in the North, would cause havoc. He wasn¡¯t just another individual on a trip.


    Honestly, I would have been satisfied with just looking around and heading back home right away, butst week was the most satisfying because Ahin and Valer¡¯s n worked.


    The n was to go to Bureti through the southern cities, taste all their local cuisines, and visit all that could be enjoyed. I wanted to bring dad along for our next trip.


    Above all, the taste of food differed in every city. After all, some food was exquisite to a few cities.


    Ahin made the trip easier. He and Valer were familiar with Sherto City. However, when Valer went out to see a few things, I felt a little lost.


    When Ahin joined, the feeling disappeared.


    Besides, wherever we went, we got all kinds of benefits for being in Ahin¡¯s group. We could quickly enter the city, visit ces that required prior bookings, and have great city amodations. Maybe that was why I felt like we had a luxurious package tour.


    I saw many advantages in being with Ahin, but he had to stay in the pagoda in every city we visited.


    Ahin said that he had to do it because of his role. I understood that, but I felt terrible. It felt like we were enjoying a trip orchestrated by a friend who was tired after a busy day at work.


    ¡°I am fine. I am not here to y.¡±


    He spoke those words tofort me, but they would always make me sadder. Ahin smiled to show me that he was really feeling fine. Since I couldn¡¯t wipe the sadness off my face, he spoke.


    ¡°If you are that worried, thene by and stop near the pagoda after our tour.¡±


    ¡°Uh, is it okay for us toe there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡±


    ¡®Really? But...¡¯


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it get in the way of your work?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m with the Princess, then I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Hmm, hmm.


    It might not have meant anything, but I felt good.


    I was worrying about nothing and tried to smile. However, the tower was a ce that couldn¡¯t be entered unless one was a priest of Sherto. Foreigners were especially prohibited from entering.


    That was when Ahin added his words as if he knew what I was thinking.


    ¡°I will inform them in advance that my guests wille. If you are my guests, then even outsiders will be granted permission.¡±


    ¡°I wille!¡±


    That would be fine.


    Ahin was happy with my answer, which came right away.


    Hm, did I answer too hastily?


    I really meant it, though. I felt a little shy at the way I answered, so this time, I added softly.


    ¡°Really. I will definitelye.¡±


    Ahin smiled, seeing my sincere answer.


    I had the same feeling in my stomach every time Ahin smiled. I could know what it meant to feel the warmth of a person. At first nce, his cold eyes wouldn¡¯t seem like the kind to smile, but maybe that was why his smile could entice others.


    ¡°I will wait.¡±


    Even if I couldn¡¯t go sightseeing, I was definitely going over to visit the pagoda, and with that, I got off the wagon.


    ¡°See youter!¡±


    Once we greeted, the doors of the wagon closed, and it moved to the pagoda. I nodded, telling myself to go there at all costs.


    Seeing my expression, Valer tilted his head.


    ¡°What is up?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re ugly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Valer¡¯s expression hardened.


    He made a hurt face but smiled.


    ¡®Weak humans. Get stronger ande backter!¡¯


    On the other hand, Assisi wasn¡¯t interested as ever; he would asionally nce at me and get caught.


    Assisi was very quiet.


    Usually, it was something one would do when a mistake was made, and I was worried about his silence.


    I¡¯d talk to himter.


    I could fathom the thoughts running through Ferdel and Caitel¡¯s mind, but it was tough to know what Assisi was thinking. I never knew what he was thinking. Something simple orplex, Assisi had the same expression.


    I gave up on understanding Assisi. When the time came, I would know. Instead, Havel made me feel ufortable the most. He would look at me without saying anything, and it made me feel weird. I hadn¡¯tmitted any sin, but he was making me feel like a convict. Why?


    Even since Ahin joined, the tension lowered noticeably, and I could go around more, but I was still worried. He wasn¡¯t talking much. Even speaking with him made me feel ufortable, but this silence was making me feel difort.


    Ugh, how was I supposed to solve that?


    ¡°What are you dawdling about? Come on in.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh, yes.¡±


    I was feeling fortunate that I had Valer with me.


    Well, there was, at least, someone there on my side.

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 430


    Each time we arrived in a city, there was one thing we must do first.


    Meals!


    ¡°I want to eat something delicious!¡±


    Once I got to the inn, I yelled. My stomach was full, but I felt like I could still enjoy anything. One must understand that about me.


    In an ordinary vige with a small inn, it was difficult to find restaurants. That was the very reason I chose to visit the cities. After all, if there were nothing to eat, the trip would lose its purpose!


    Agrigient was said to the best ce for food, but all I wanted was to try out the gourmet dishes of other cities.


    Not all food suited to my taste. In particr, the food of the north was crispy; everything had a crisp in it. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was even having. No matter how great a continent was, with a divine barrier like that, I thought their food would excel in all spheres, but that was a mistake on my part. It didn¡¯t really excite me that much.


    Still, their bread and staple dishes were as savory as ever, and that was all that mattered to me.


    Most importantly, the ungreasy meat was a work of art! Honestly, I felt blessed to eat it.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s eat. What should we eat?¡±


    ¡°Meat!¡±


    At my answer, Valer scrunched his nose and snapped back at me.


    ¡°Ria, aren¡¯t you gaining weight these days?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go back?¡±


    This man really didn¡¯t know when to stop.


    Once our familiar banter ended, Valer frowned. It was an expression that showed his exasperation.


    ¡°Meat again? Let¡¯s eat something delicious instead.¡±


    ¡°Right, meat is a delicious food!¡±


    ¡®Meat is delicious, doesn¡¯t he know that?¡¯


    As long as the Korean inside me grew rampant, there was no way I would admit that anything else would beat the majestic meat.


    ¡®Delicious food meant meat! Meat is the very best!¡¯


    ¡®And the best among them is chicken! Chicken is awesome! That¡¯s the known truth.¡¯


    ¡°What is so delicious about meat?¡±


    ¡°Meat is always delicious!¡±


    I was trying to spread the greatness of meat, but Valer kept on clicking his tongue.


    ¡°Right, even the baked ones are good.¡±


    ¡°No, different! That is a different thing!¡±


    It¡¯s different! The seasoning on it, the fire, the time it was cooked, or even the recipe itself, meat can be used in thousands of different ways! Every difference brings changes in its flesh and texture!


    I was in deep thought.


    I was feeling bad for Valer who didn¡¯t know the beauty of meat!


    When I looked at Valer, heughed.


    ¡®What, why!? Why are youughing!?¡¯


    ¡°You like meat so much, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Fine, meat is delicious.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t just saying that; he really meant it.


    Valer shrugged as I held back on my instinct to hit him.


    He was a rotten guy; there was no reason for him to change sides.


    That was when I realized that he was only trying to pull my leg, but I missed the cue to hit back at him. After staring at Valer, I spoke about the stories I heard earlier.


    ¡°Themb skewers here are delicious. What was it, Sasilik? Let¡¯s go eat there.¡±


    ¡°Can you move on your own, or should we lift you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll really kill you.¡±


    As I wore the robe, I yelled at Valer who was chuckling.


    I kept on putting up with him, but there was a limit to how much I could take.


    Even with my violent appearance, Assisi didn¡¯t seem shocked, but Havel¡¯s attendants were different.


    Oops, my image!


    Oh, I didn¡¯t care anymore! I¡¯d hit him first and deal with the consequencester.


    We usually went outside to eat, and I was eating a lot more than usual, but since I moved around a lot, I never gained weight!


    ¡°Why did you hit me? I was just worried about your health!¡±


    ¡°If you die in my hands, you won¡¯t have anything to be worried about.¡±


    ¡°T-that isn¡¯t your honest feeling, right!? Huh, Ria?¡±


    He didn¡¯t stop talking, so I kept hitting him.


    After a while, I got tired and fell down.


    Ugh, even hitting someone was bing tedious.


    As I fell, Valer smiled, fixing his messed up clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Ria is pretty even when you gain weight.¡±


    That bastard, in the end, he was still gung-ho on that weight bullshit!


    Kicking him for thest time, I turned over to Assisi. I couldn¡¯t believe that bastards¡¯ words.


    ¡°Assisi, did I gain weight?¡±


    ¡°... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Assisi turned his gaze away after seriously thinking about my question.


    The reaction he gave had concerned me more. Why was he avoiding to answer? Why? Why turn your head?


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. This couldn¡¯t be true.


    Next, I turned to Havel who was watching us. I hadn¡¯t spoken to him for a while, but he was the only person I could ask.


    ¡°Hey, Havel, have I gained weight?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Light answer.


    It didn¡¯t hold any emotion. I felt a lot more sadder than the time Assisi turned away.


    As my face darkened, Havel asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I looked down at my arms and replied.


    ¡°Nothing, for some reason, after hearing Havel¡¯s answer, I feel like I really did put on weight.¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 431


    I wanted to visit many ces during the first part of our travels, but I wanted to go to Bruges more than others. I did want to see the night sky and the stars, but above all, Bruges was known to be the city of the northern continent¡¯s culture and art.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of inns.¡±


    Usually, the center of culture and arts would be in the country¡¯s capital, but in Schertogenbosch, the center was Bruges. Painters, sculptors, and architects raised in the city yed a crucial role in spreading their culture throughout the continent.


    Therefore, it was inevitable for Bruges to have a higher level of culture than any other city. One could tell this just by looking at the streets.


    There were numerous masters and famous art shops.


    Known for their food, once I was done eating, I could finally visit everything. The things I was interested in were the paintings and the status in the corridors of the inn.


    Perhaps due to the premium nature of the inn, it had many paintings and cool-looking rooms.


    Was it all the work of the painters?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I am looking at art or not.¡±


    My sensitivity was dry, probably because Icked the qualities of an artist.


    When I saw something, I usually felt like it was made well or drawn well, but I didn¡¯t know when asked to assess its value. Everything I knew about art was from books I learned while attending school in my past life.


    Even after being reborn, I was never interested in art. What would I know about it?


    ¡°Are you looking at those things again?¡±


    ¡°Huh, there¡¯s a lot of painting here.¡±


    Valer went and brought in snacks from downstairs. Once we had our meal, I thought of visiting the city, but it looked extraordinary when I saw the Inn¡¯s paintings.


    ¡°I am going to a bookstoreter. Should I go to a trendy poetry store?¡±


    ¡°That might be good.¡±


    It was written in Sherto dialect, so it was tough for me to read, but it got easier the more I delved into it.


    When I turned around and moved for another painting, Valer followed me. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to grumble.


    ¡°What is so fun about this? I don¡¯t understand it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a hustle in here; this is like seeing a quiet rural vige. Sunset.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.¡±


    Even after saying the origin of the painting, it didn¡¯t seem like he understood it. I knew he wasn¡¯t the kind to find an inkling for art.


    As I looked closely at the painting, Valer, looking at my side, clicked his tongue.


    ¡°There are quite a few nobles like this, but you are the most unusual one among them.¡±


    ¡°If you are here to argue, just leave.¡±


    This was the time for me to enjoy.


    Kicking him, I walked over to another hallway.


    Although Valer wasn¡¯t a fan of the arts, I still liked paintings and music; many nobles would spend good cash on this. Some hated spending money on such things, but some would pay extreme amounts for their entertainment.


    Decorating a house with paintings or sculptures was elegant and luxurious to look at, but some people could think of it as a useless investment. For them, artists weren¡¯t people who needed money to eat and sleep.


    Hmm, if I weren¡¯t in this situation, I wouldn¡¯t have been interested in art either. It was like that in my previous life.


    I smiled slightly and once again moved to find other paintings.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    Honestly, I used to be interested in politics. Since I grew up without worries amidst loving people, it was natural for me to give love back to them; thus, I turned to politics to change the country for the better. Besides that, I wasn¡¯t sure why, but I thought that my knowledge would be advantageous since I had experience from my previous life. It was because I knew world history.


    Unfortunately, it was a failure.


    I tried suggesting the systems I wanted with Ferdel; he praised the greatness of such ideas, but his reaction told me that he wouldn¡¯t implement them. They were good ideas, but they didn¡¯t fit well with the reality of our situation.


    Fardel would immediately grab the weaknesses and strengths of every system I proposed.


    Although it was simr to earth, this world wasn¡¯t the world I knew, and the history of both worlds differed.


    Even the environment was different. Above all, the nature of every country and the Royal families had myths and legends supporting their existence.


    Even if the change was continually taking ce, democracy seemed like an impossibility. However, I didn¡¯t know the political system of this age.


    I borrowed some books about the ideas and concepts in this world from Ferdel, and when we talked, he would take a few points from our discussion. However, I would give up after that. The current system maintained by Ferdel seemed like the best for our country.


    I was born and raised on earth, and I was born into this world with my previous life memories. With a strong sense of values already in me, I couldn¡¯t just understand and ept the current world, and the situation was violent, with constant wars.


    I couldn¡¯t me reality.


    I wasn¡¯t Ferdel; he¡¯s the real genius here. There was no way other humans could outsmart Ferdel. I was nothingpared to him.


    I could say something about an idea or a n, but I didn¡¯t have the dedication to sit for years together to implement such idealisms as he did.


    Thus, I looked elsewhere. That was when I found this world¡¯s culture.


    ¡°Poetry is one thing, but paintings and sculptures look fine as well. The buildings are good, too; I think it would be nice to turn our country into a cultural hub like this.¡±


    To put it bluntly, the level of culture in this world exceeded that of my past.


    These ces had waring for them, probably why there didn¡¯t seem to be many artists around. Thus, people had fewer things to enjoy. We had cultures, but it was of folk songs, and they weren¡¯t that great.


    Even the nobles didn¡¯t differ much. They were all about parties and knights and ys, but there were no novels or essays, and poetries were just fashion. And every performance was just an adaptation of an old story.


    Art seemed like myths or legends to me, but every once in a while, there would be one painting that would open up my heart.


    Music was the best, but only if it was ssical orchestral symphonies. It was probably because I saw gypsies dance or sing, but I felt like one side was persecuting another.


    I was curious why schrs didn¡¯t exist in these situations. However, they were well-treated before, but schrs¡¯ existence ceased with frequent news about wars.


    If I had any artistic talent, I would have taken it to a higher level, but I didn¡¯t have any. Damn.


    Must I have the talent to do it, though?


    ¡®But who am I? A woman with blood ties and connections who could get things done.¡¯


    Moreover, I am Ji-eun, who had excellent academic rtions. If I failed to develop a culture here, I could just gather people¡¯s support and build a better culture.


    I had money and time!


    ¡°Ah, I want to see a movie!¡±

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 432


    There weren¡¯t things like movies at this time; living in this world, I realize how much I enjoyed my past culture¡ªlistening to songs on the smartphone, readingics, watching dramas, and ying games when bored. Sometimes, I would make an appointment with a friend to visit a movie theater, sometimes to see a y, sometimes I would bring books and learn how to y musical instruments.


    I lived in a perfect time.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t very bad.¡±


    Of course, I didn¡¯t have the talent to make styles popr,plete new musical formats, or write new literary works. I could mimic the things I had seen in my past life, but I was a natural sucker. That couldn¡¯t be considered as real art.


    However, the good news was that I had an eye to see what art constitutes as ¡°good¡± for me. The knowledge of art that I learned through free education taught me what perspective I should know about art.


    There was a vast difference between knowing and seeing, though. In that sense, I was fortunate to be born with the memories of my previous life.


    ¡°We should be investing in welfare facilities. It is a princess¡¯s job, but dad was the only one good at it.¡±


    All I would do was nt seeds and water the barren soil. Somethings might not happen the way I want.


    However, I never had any doubts.


    I could tell by just looking at the economic effects and cultural changes that the US generated with Hollywood. All art had toe out of the people¡¯s hands.


    Even if there were differences in the perspectives and the manner of understanding, things would ultimately move people¡¯s hearts. In the end, art was what brings people together. Art was what understood,forted, and empathized with the soul.


    It didn¡¯t mean that fine art was meaningless, but I believe that art would rule over people¡¯s hearts in this era.


    The beautiful natural environment delights us, but the true masterpieces which contained the souls resided in humans.


    Even in the most barren times, culture exerted power. I believed that small investments made now would soon lead to our country¡¯s pride, making many Agrients enjoy and unite.


    The movies and cartoons I watched when I was tired of working would always make me feel good.


    ¡°Of course, we have to create museums so that future generations can earn a lot of money from tourism.¡±


    Right, a pen was always mightier than a sword!


    Although there was a dignity maintenance fee, it was likely to be small. Once cultural importance got cultivated, there would be a generation of few decent works, and after that, everything would fall into ce once the wealthy and bored nobles could use it.


    First of all, Serira and Evelyn would tag along with the idea, so who should I convince next?


    I was getting excited and giggling to myself as I nned when a familiar voice touched my ears.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you liked art.¡±


    W-wait a minute!


    As I turned around, I saw Havel leaning against the wall with his arms folded.


    I was shocked to see him there, but the slight inner meaning of what he said offended me. Did this guy think that I couldn¡¯t be interested in art?


    ¡°Are you here to fight, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I really hope you¡¯d stop being sarcastic.¡±


    Havel stood tall. I took a step back.


    I could never figure out what he was thinking. That always made me anxious.


    ¡°Why are you grumpy again?¡±


    ¡°Grumpy?¡±


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t you being grumpy, then what is this?¡±


    At my response, Havel¡¯s eyes shone. I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about it.


    ¡°I am grumpy.¡±


    I kept taking a step back, but I would touch the wall if I kept going on. I frowned.


    Havel, who was approaching me with giant strides, stood right in front of me. I couldn¡¯t move with ease because of the distance between us. I had to struggle in silence while Havel asked.


    ¡°Should I show you what being grumpy is like?¡±


    T-too close.


    Hard to breathe.


    At some point, my back hit the wall, and Havel stood right in front of me. I couldn¡¯t do anything but gulp down in fear. I knew he was huge, but he felt way too huge when he was standing close to me.


    What to do? I was worried because I thought that Havel would hear my pounding heart.


    ¡®Ah, what am I supposed to do!?¡¯


    Our eyes met. Havel¡¯s eyes were as intense as any time. I wanted to turn my eyes away as I felt like I was being eaten, but something inside me told me to keep looking at him.


    If I did anything right now, I knew that I would handle what came after it.


    The most worrying part was that I didn¡¯t know what I could handle.


    I was breathing, but fortunately, I heard something.


    Havel, who was nning to do something, stepped back. I exhaled, pressed on my chest.


    ¡°What, did you fight?¡±


    It was Assisi and Valer who appeared. Assisi seemed like Valer had pulled him out; he frowned after seeing Havel with me.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going then.¡±


    I felt terrible seeing the Have; walk away. Why so?


    I was really hurt, but I was feeling more hurt for Havel.


    What was it that the positions of victim and convict turned upside down?


    It seemed like the same feeling resonated within Valer, who watched Havel go.


    ¡°Treat him kindly, please. He is pitiful.¡±


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    I shut my mouth, but I was already feeling annoyed with what happened.


    ¡°Why is Assisi with Valer? Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah. Uncle and I are finding a dagger.¡±


    Dagger? Were they going to a weapon store?


    I wanted to see it too.


    ¡°I wille!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, it is not a ce for a woman.¡±


    ¡°I want to go!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch! Uncle, save me!¡±


    I had to make Valere to his senses.


    With a sympathetic expression, Assisi looked at me.


    ¡°Let us go for now.¡±


    ¡°Uncle!!¡±


    Why was I feeling embarrassed?


    Uh? Assisi, did he want to go only with Valer?


    However, the Assisi I knew was cool. Too cool for anything.


    Assisi was a sweet pumpkin. Maybe he was definite about his decision.


    As I stood there nkly at Assisi¡¯s words, Valer grumbled to himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why those two like this woman so much, really.¡±


    ¡°What? Woman? Wanna die?¡±


    ¡°I really miss Sanse, ugh.¡±


    As I tried to hit Valer, who deserved it, I thought. Who was it that liked me? Ugh, the timing to ask had passed.


    ¡°Enjoying it?¡±


    Even if no one asked, one would know right away. This trip was really enjoyable. I smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Huh, very much.¡±


    I did regret bringing Valer with me, but the trip was fun. I really wanted to do it again.


    At my answer, Valer smiled and shrugged.


    ¡°That is good. This might be thest trip of your life.¡±


    What did he say?


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch! This is violence!¡±


    ¡°Just die!¡±

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 433


    It was fun to see the artworks, but the most interesting ones were the buildings. I go to see many strange buildings; perhaps more structures would rise in a few years.


    We needed to build such things in Agrigient!


    Of course, the first thing we had to do was visit the pagoda. After taking the city tour and breaking away with the party, I came to the tower alone. Since it was a well-known ce, there was a high possibility that my identity would be revealed, so I didn¡¯t bring mypanions with me.


    There was nothing special about entering a tower with guards after Ahin spoke to them. Looking at the inside of the building, I wondered if the interior was unexpectedly ahead of Agrigient.


    When I arrived, I was waiting near the window until Ahin came. It was the first time I had ever seen such a tall building. Of course, there were too many such structures here; this ce wasn¡¯t the only one, but it was the highest building in the city and offered a broad view.


    ¡°Woah, this is great!¡±


    The view of Bruges was so beautiful. There were small towers all over the city as if they were stars.


    These were the views that everyone would like to see at least once in their lives.


    Ferdel had told me that he woulde to such a ce hand in hand with Silvia.


    ¡°May I ask what you are seeing?¡±


    Ouch. I almost tripped upon hearing the voice. Ahin grabbed my waist to prevent me from falling, but it was more difficult for me to fall into his arms.


    ¡°Ah, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    My cheeks were red for no reason. The other person was just another child, but my heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating loudly. I bit my lip to hold onto my excitement. However, Ahin seemed puzzled.


    ¡®Ah, why is my body acting like this?¡¯


    I coughed and sat down. I felt terrible for showing that side of me, but I was convinced that he didn¡¯t notice.


    As I sat down, Ahin, too, sat on the sofa. The fluffy sofa wasfortable to sit on. It was really fluffy. Seeing how I touched the couch, Ahin smiled.


    ¡°I see that you can¡¯t take your eyes off it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Did I look stupid?


    I had nothing to say apart from a smile.


    Why did I feel like a kid in front of this person? Maybe Ahin knew so much that made me feel intimidated by him.


    Wait, this was simr to when I was younger.


    ¡°Was the view nice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the city is beautiful.¡±


    I grinned. I had been around for a couple of days, but this city was just the best; it didn¡¯t fail my expectations.


    It was good to see the facilities in the city that were beyond my imagination. I knew that the water and sewage system and infrastructures were sound, but the sanitation and security were the best. Above all, the fact that the city buildings looked like art was the best thing about Bruges.


    ¡°Of all, I think that the tower is a work of art which would remain in history.¡±


    Ahin smiled as I said that. He smiled a lot, but as I watched him, I realized that he was the kind who would share his smile with others.


    I hated myself for thinking that.


    ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re frowning?¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s because of you, you man!¡¯


    However, as a reasonable person, I didn¡¯t say that out loud. I nced around again.


    In Ancief, the walls were mostly made of wood, so I assumed that the rain would rot them down, but Bruges¡¯ buildings were of stone, which gave me a different concern.


    How much would the decorations have cost?


    Looking at the murals and the statues on the exterior building, I couldn¡¯t stop wondering. Agrigient¡¯s structural style was stone, so I wanted to take one craftsman from here and build a pretty building in my country. Of course, the interior design done by our artisans was the best.


    Still, the exterior design seemed different, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to take an experienced one from here? Thinking so, I opened my mouth.


    ¡°I was just thinking, how much would it cost to build?¡±


    ¡°Well, I heard it was a lot.¡±


    ¡°Really? How about the building decorations?¡±


    ¡°When ites tobor costs, I didn¡¯t hear much.¡±


    Indeed, this was a thorough job.


    I felt terrible even though I knew how much it would cost. After all, this was the kind of art that was difficult to earn. Even in Bruges, where culture and art bloom, such structures were a treat.


    With my chin on my hand, I was in deep thoughts when Ahinughed. Seeing Ahinughing was a rare thing, which made me feel doubtful if I heard it. What was the reason?


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Because you are cute.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡±


    I was the one shocked at the answer he gave. What did he just say to me? Cute?


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eeh, he just said I was cute, though.


    I had nothing to say about it, so I looked nk as I got up. Seeing that, Ahin anxiously spoke.


    ¡°Your hair brings in a lot of attention.¡±


    ¡°That is why I wear a robe.¡±


    ¡°Even your appearance is noticeable.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What could it have meant? Did I stand out from the crowd?


    Before ming me and my appearance, I wanted him to look at himself, but I didn¡¯t want to crush his spirit, so I let him speak.


    ¡°Even after walking around like this, no one seems to have noticed you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    It was a little strange for me too.


    Some of us wore tight robes, and more than anything, Assisi and Valer were the noticeable ones, so maybe I wasn¡¯t given too much attention.


    Honestly, I had the most famed appearance on the continent. Anyone with little feet and red eyes would be recognized as the royalty of Agrigient. I even wanted to dye my hair, but it was cumbersome, and above all, the dye I ced didn¡¯t even work on my hair! I could have brought a striking shade, but I didn¡¯t have the time to get it, so I just tried to cover myself with a robe.


    Once I returned, I would get a dye.


    I didn¡¯t know when it would be, but I would dye my hair for the next time I travel. I nodded as I thought to myself, but the gaze which was on me was stinging.


    I looked up.


    ¡°...?¡±


    As I tilted my head, Ahin smiled.


    It was an empty smile.


    An eerie feeling.


    Sometimes, even people who seemed stiff could make me feel like that. I couldn¡¯t exin it, but I would feel weird around certain people. At that time, the image of how I tried to be an ideal princess would ovep with my current position.


    Was it tough for Ahin too?


    Even a perfect person could get tired, right?


    In that sense, I was fortunate that Ahin seemedfortable being around me. I didn¡¯t know if it was good or bad. Strangely, I couldn¡¯t help but lose focus when seeing him.


    ¡°Ah right, I have news from the capital.¡±


    What news? Since I seemed nervous, Ahin looked down, as if it was bad news.


    ¡°It looks like Emperor Caitel is enraged. It was said that he led his army and entered Ancief. Tens of thousands of troops are stationed on the border, and the Emperor¡¯s party has arrived in the capital of Ancief, Lorlen. I heard that even Langres is under the same situation.¡±


    What!?


    Suddenly I felt thirsty and drank water. I almost died. Woah, that was crazy! Surely, my dad wouldn¡¯t, no, what the hell was he doing?


    I felt like I did a great job running away from Ancief. I knew that he wouldn¡¯t stay still, but his reaction was a lot more over-the-top than I thought.


    Wait, so that meant that the royal family of Ancief knew I ran away? What an international embarrassment!


    What was more urgent than that was that I had to get Sherto fast.


    ¡°I need to head to Bureti tomorrow.¡±


    At this speed, it wouldn¡¯t be a shock if dad came over here.


    There were a lot of things I had to see, and I couldn¡¯t get caught! I was feeling sorry for my dad, but I wanted to see it.


    As I nodded, Ahin asked.


    ¡°But may I ask why you intend to go to Bureti?¡±


    ¡°My mother was from Bureti.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    I just shrugged because that one exmation told me what he thought.


    However, I smiled to hide the bitterness I was feeling. Ahin, who saw me smile without speaking, asked.


    ¡°Do you know this?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°The color of Bureti royalty¡¯s eyes change when they touch a Sherto royalty?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that for real?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that; suddenly, Ahin got up as I was trying to think. What? What was happening? I titled my head, but Ahin came closer and stood right in front of me.


    Uh, huh?


    I didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, so I just stared at him; before I could react, Ahin¡¯s soft lips touched my forehead.


    I stiffened under him.


    What was it? Ahin was the one who did it, but why was I feeling embarrassed? Uh! Why?! I was too shocked to utter anything, and all I could think about was for the embarrassment to end!


    What the hell was all this?


    ¡°It really does change.¡±


    As he moved back, Ahin smiled.


    I wondered if my eyes changed or not. I just bowed, covering my face to hide the blush that crept onto my face.


    No, what was all this!? Why! Please exin what I was going through!


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was feeling, but I wanted to die. I tried to hide my reddened face at all costs and held back my tears.


    I hated Ahin for smiling, not knowing what I felt.


    Was he okay with what he did!?

 Chapter 434

    <h4>Chapter 434: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 434</h4>


    ¡°I only heard about them, but this is my first time seeing it. Indeed, a magical reaction is there.¡±


    Even through my embarrassment, seeing Ahin smile made me feel good.


    Somehow, it seemed like he had no other intention, so I decided to understand his actions instead. Of course, the biggest reason was that I didn¡¯t dare to think about it.


    However, at this point, I wondered if the color of my eyes really changed. Did it really change?


    ¡°Ugh... I want to see it too.¡±


    ¡°Should I bring in a mirror?¡±


    As Ahin moved to bring a mirror, I was turning nervous. He isn¡¯t going to kiss me again, right?


    However, this time, Ahin simply held my hand. Seeing that, I felt something strange and unknown. What was this feeling?


    ¡°Did it change?¡±


    ¡°I think it will change a lot more if I do this, but it seems like your eyes are rejecting me.¡±


    My red eyes reflecting in the mirror seemed different. Maybe orange shade. However, when Ahin began to release some kind of energy, it rapidly changed into purple.


    The color of my eyes changed. I wasn¡¯t wearing any lenses, but my eyes still changed. I was shocked by it.


    Ahin¡¯s vital energy made my body feel rxed, but at the same time, unknown fatigue umted. In the end, I didn¡¯t hold on and let go of Ahin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Are you leaving tomorrow?¡±


    When I released Ahin¡¯s hand, my eyes turned back to crimson. I heard that my mom¡¯s eyes were green. I ended up wanting green eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    ¡°Then, when can I see you again?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, won¡¯t we meet someday?¡±


    Although I tried to smile, Ahin¡¯s expression remained glum. That was my first time seeing Ahin like that, as if he thought I was breaking away from him.


    Even if I didn¡¯t want to move so quickly, would Ahin really move for me? In the first ce, this friendship only rekindled because of my travels, so Bureti was unreasonable.


    Any other way?


    While I was thinking about other ways, Ahin said something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Ahin immediately smiled, as if trying to hide his intentions, so I was left stunned.


    ¡°... I need to go.¡±


    As if I was trying to understand him, my heart weakened, a restless feeling taking over me.


    ¡°Can youe to Bureti?¡±


    ¡°The sessor cannot leave the empire.¡±


    ¡°Is it such a huge deal to go out? Will God¡¯s Wall disappear?¡±


    ¡°No. It is just for security.¡±


    Huh? Really?


    I was shocked by the answer. Until now, I thought that the wall would disappear if Ahin went away, but that didn¡¯t seem like the case. It was just a simple problem for a royal family member to move around.


    Hold on. Then...


    I pped with excitement.


    ¡°Then run away with me!¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    Somehow, seeing Ahin, who was bound by duty, I wanted to take him out.


    Even if it meant something ridiculous like that.


    ¡°Would you like toe? No, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    I did things like this.


    Ahin was extremely confused with my offer; he was silent for a while. As he hesitated, I held his hand and pulled him close.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Come with me.¡±


    Right, this wasn¡¯t something I would be able to do again in my life.


    ¡°Runaway with me, Ahin!¡±

 Chapter 435

    <h4>Chapter 435: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 435</h4>


    The next day after telling Ahin to run away from home, he said he had something to do. Since people would worry if he disappeared without a word, he said he would inform his close friends, and surprisingly, things went well when they agreed to his n.


    Well, that was an unexpected development.


    There was just one minor problem: a few pdins would join our party because they couldn¡¯t stand sending their sessor alone.


    ¡°The sword of Agrigient! Something is different about it, in a good way!¡±


    ¡°Look at the weight of it. So well bnced! Woah!¡±


    ¡°Military is definitely Agrient¡¯s greatest strength! Such a great sword.¡±


    ... that was what was going on.


    Valer was excited to show off his sword and brag about it; Assisi felt embarrassed about it, but he liked theirpliments.


    Agrigient¡¯s military was well-known. It was evident that Agrient¡¯s prestige and pride in its army had spread all over the world.


    Seeing my frown at them, Ahin tilted his head. I was just silent.


    Suddenly, Ahin smiled.


    ¡°Unlike before, I doubt I can be of any help now.¡±


    Hearing his bitter words, I spoke.


    ¡°So what if you can¡¯t help? We just wanted to travel with Ahin.¡±


    Even the one man who had a terrifying gaze behind me wasn¡¯t handy during our travels.


    Ahin fell silent at my answer as if he wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to say.


    ¡°I... guess so.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Ahin responded with a smile.


    Ahin did have the prettiest smile of all.


    Ugh, such beauty.


    I had met many pretty people before, but Ahin¡¯s beauty was by far the most blinding one. Oh, there was Havel too.


    God, everyone looked so good!


    Even Valer, who had such a simple mind, was handsome. What a dirty world!


    ¡°After going five hours from this vige, a border vige of Bureti wille.¡±


    ¡°Should we buy something?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well?¡±


    We needed to move on horseback for five hours. We couldn¡¯t reach our goal at a definite time. It would take a lot of time as we moved slowly.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s head to the vige first.¡±


    We soon arrived at a vige that had been developed so much that it couldn¡¯t be called a ¡°vige¡± anymore. Many ces in the countries had an excellent environment and trade, so even the small towns and viges didn¡¯t look so little. Thus, the same logic applied to Belgium. It was a vige, but it was as beautiful as Bruges.


    Once we reached the vige, Valer dragged both Havel and Ahin with him and disappeared.


    He didn¡¯t even listen to our words and dragged them away as if he had something to talk about.


    Well, it seemed like they didn¡¯t want me around.


    I led Assisi to the alley down the hill.


    ¡°Assisi, shall we take a look over there?¡±


    There were many artists here, and the ce had a natural environment¡ªpainters who retired from Bruges art shops or couldn¡¯t go there riddled the vige.


    Perhaps because I saw many people carrying paint kits at the town¡¯s outskirts, I was already excited. At first, I only thought of looking around. I moved along the streets without much information, but as I kept watching things, it seemed like I could understand the art.


    I wasn¡¯t sure.


    I wondered if I would ever get to see a picture like these.


    Many painters ced their art on the streets or in front of their houses for other people to behold.


    There were so many pieces of artwork to find.


    Recognized painters might not do it because their environment would make it inevitable for them to garner fame, but it was that for painters to live in an uvish life. Even if they did have money, they would starve themselves to buy suitable quality paints.


    It felt like only people with money could create real art.


    Even if the vige paintings weren¡¯t hanging in pces or corridors of mansions, such small images had their charm. These depicted the vigers¡¯ ordinary life, and there were so many such paintings of fields and sunsets.


    While I was looking at them, something suddenly caught my eyes. Huh? That picture...


    Without knowing, I looked through the canvas. I was feeling the style of painting. I was staring at the picture with all my heart when I realized that someone was standing beside me. I turned to find Assisi, who didn¡¯t respond much; it was tough to think of him as a dangerous man.


    Why did he look so shocked, though?


    ¡°This is weird.¡±


    Without a doubt in my voice, I asked.


    ¡°That is your art?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes.¡±


    It was difficult to see such a painting; Assisi was looking at it in shock. The painter looked thin, and there were a lot of different paints on his clothes. Looking at the painter, it seemed like art was more than just a hobby to him.


    I looked back at the painting. It shocked me to find a picture like this in this era.


    ¡°Incredible. Just my taste.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is weird... huh?¡±


    Everyone drew a pretty view to show, but this one was grotesque. Although bizarre, it was attractive and weird at the same time.


    The painter was shocked after hearing my answer. He was looking at me as if he doubted what he heard.


    ¡°How much is this?¡±


    ¡°Wi-will you buy it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I am asking for the price. I don¡¯t have much on me now.¡±


    Maybe three gold would do


    Three gold would be enough for an ordinary family to live their lives for a monthfortably, but maybe not for a painter.


    A picture like this wouldn¡¯t see fame or the light of day now, but it would undoubtedly be recorded in history one day!


    ¡°Three bronzes would do.¡±


    ¡°Huh? is that all?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is a lot.¡±


    It seemed like the painter was feeling bad for asking that much. I felt terrible at what he asked¡ªasking for three bronzes for this painting? And I liked it to boot. Seeing the town painted in pale colors, I thought for a moment.


    Yes, I would willingly invest in this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this.¡±


    The painter retreated a couple of steps as I handed him a pair of earrings, the smallest trinkets I brought.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they gems?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Very expensive.¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t ept such things.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not giving that just for this painting.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. What?¡±


    I smiled brightly.


    ¡°Give me every painting in here, including this one.¡±


    ¡°W-whatttt?¡±


    I smiled, not realizing how flustered and shocked the man was. After smiling, I spoke to assure him about my purchase.


    ¡°Because of my situation, I won¡¯t be able to take this painting with me, which is why I am asking you to keep this with you until I pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    ¡°And when I returnter, I will buy more from you, so you need to paint until then; however, if you aren¡¯t well-fed, you won¡¯t be able to produce paintings.¡±


    The painter was rendered speechless, looking at the pair of earrings in my hand. It was like he was crying; I could feel how much effort he had ced into the paintings. Even if this man went to spend all the money on drinking, it didn¡¯t seem like a waste. I held the hand of the painter, who was teary-eyed.


    ¡°Be sure to keep painting. I really like this one. You need to do more!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes...¡±


    ¡°I will definitelye backter. Until then, cherish my painting.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I will.¡±


    When I smiled, the painter wiped the tears from his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t know it at that time.


    But that man would make a considerable mark in this world of art.

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 436


    I took the smallest frame painting he had and returned to meet the party. That was when Assisi asked me when he noticed me looking at the picture.


    ¡°Did you like the painting that much?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡±


    I showed him the picture and asked, but Assisi just shook his head.


    ¡°I am not so sure.¡±


    He looked at me with a weird look.


    ¡°Just... it¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°That is the charm of this painting.¡±


    Giggling, I looked at the painting again.


    A town painted in dull dark purple color¡ªthe appearance of bizarrely painted people.


    ¡°The world doesn¡¯t need just pretty things.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s expression stiffened at my words. I smiled at it.


    I would treasure it and hang it in my room once I returned. The old paintings in my room might cry, but this one in my hand seemed a lot more precious to me.


    As I walked a little more, I saw Valer in the distance. Once I saw him, I raised my hand.


    ¡°Valer, look at this!¡±


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    Uh? What was that sound?


    Suddenly, I heard a loud groan from the side; I turned my head without realizing this. A man was grabbing a woman by her hair and pulled her.


    W-what is that?


    ¡°Dad! Dad! Stop!¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    People gathered in an instant to see what was happening. I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, but it was so noisy that I kept on looking at it.


    What was it? I was feeling scared.


    The woman, who was getting dragged, continued screaming. Right behind the couple were children following them, crying.


    ¡°Move! Won¡¯t you move?! How dare you!?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Ugh, a lot was happening.


    I was staring at it, shocked. I could hear the sound of people clicking their tongues, but no one would walk ahead to help her.


    Hitting her head and kicking her, and when the kids stopped him from hitting the woman, he would catch the kids and punch them; he didn¡¯t seem human.


    ¡°Assisi, that is...¡±


    Did I feel scared? I was shocked by the violence I saw and grabbed Assisi¡¯s arm; I was so distracted that I didn¡¯t even notice it; even Assisi seemed different. Seeing his hands clenched, I was puzzled.


    It was a natural reaction, but it was shocking to see Assisi react like that.


    ¡®Assisi?¡¯


    ¡°Ack! Dad, please save me! help me!¡±


    Suddenly, the children were thrown away, and the boy was getting hit while he screamed for the pain to stop. People were speaking words of concern, but none of them moved.


    At that time, Assisi, who flinched at the sight of children getting hit, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and moved. I was shocked when he walked out of my side.


    ¡®Hold on, Assisi?¡¯


    It felt like he turned into someone else. A stranger, Assisi walked with a grim expression on his face, as if facing an enemy, and held the man¡¯s hand, preventing him from beating the children further.


    ¡®Is he the Assisi I knew?¡¯


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    I never thought Assisi would lose to a man like that, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry. As I ran over, the man looked at me with anger on his face.


    ¡°What is with the woman there? You two have nothing to do with this, so fuck off!¡±


    ¡°Assisi, you aren¡¯t going to kill him, right?¡±


    This was the first time I saw Assisi like that. He seemed angry. I lived with Assisi for a dozen years or more; never had I seen him like that.


    For Assisi to get angry, no, it couldn¡¯t be. I was confused. I had seen him irritated, but never like this.


    Assisi let go of the man¡¯s hand, but before I could see what happened, the man was thrown to the street.


    ¡°Ackk!¡±


    Assisi didn¡¯t do anything else but watched the man try to get himself up. Was that man so weak? I felt pathetic for feeling afraid of such a man.


    No, that wasn¡¯t the problem.


    Assisi, who threw the man, approached the children.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    As I watched the children stand up, Valer, who was far away, came over.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Instead of answering, I sighed and replied while touching the temples of my forehead.


    ¡°Look for a ce to stay nearby.¡±

 Chapter 437

    <h4>Chapter 437: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 437</h4>


    I was confused.


    Once I reached my room, I kept myself in there and stayed like that; I had to understand my feelings first. Assisi wanted to look after the children and the mother. I brought them over to treat them, but I wasn¡¯t feeling good about it.


    Of course, it was a moral thing for anyone to save the weak and heal those who were unjustly victims of violence, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to put my heart into those principles.


    I didn¡¯t understand what had happened.


    I was just confused because I couldn¡¯t figure out Assisi¡¯s reason for such a reaction. No, it was scary as if I didn¡¯t even know who Assisi was; it felt like the man who used to sit quietly with me had died.


    What the hell was that? It wasn¡¯t the reaction of someone who saw something unfair happen. It was more like a freshly opened wound.


    I didn¡¯t know. I was confused because I couldn¡¯t figure out why Assisi had such a reaction.


    While he was called the ck Knight, he killed everyone, regardless of who it was, as if his father gave themand. It was the same for women or children. Since he was so used to seeing violence, he wouldn¡¯t even blink an eye even if any violent acts happened nearby. He used to be casual, no matter what was being done.


    Something switched in him. I was confused because I didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    Assisi raised his head as I called his name.


    The gaze I encountered was silent.


    Assisi¡¯s golden-green eyes were as impressive as ever. I always thought they were pretty, but now, I was scared to look into them.


    ¡°Can I ask what happened to you out there? I really can¡¯t get my head around that situation.¡±


    The first rule of all the guardian knights was that no one would move without orders from their masters.


    Even if the orders were given, the safety of their masters had to be their top priority, and they would never leave their side. That was why any member of a royal family would have 2 to 3 guardians with them; unless there was a select reason, the guard would be the first to die.


    Assisi had been like that till now since I ran away from home. He loosened up a little and wandered with ease.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    Things had changed. Although I hadn¡¯t given any order, Assisi moved. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to stop it. I just wanted to know why Assisi did that.


    ¡°Is it so difficult to answer? Can you give me a simple reason?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    That was his only answer after a long silence.


    An apology instead of a reason offended me a little. I didn¡¯t want to hear that right now.


    ¡°What are you sorry about?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    No, what the hell is he...


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    ¡°I will take responsibility for my actions. If something happened on the trip, I would take responsibility for that too. Whatever punishment Ria would give me, I will ept it.¡±


    I wanted to understand his reason, not to be angry at him. I didn¡¯t even think of punishing him. The principle of a guardian knight was simple, and not all knights had to live like that, so it could be tolerated.


    However, Assisi, bowing his head even if he didn¡¯t do anything wrong, was iprehensible. I wanted an exnation, but Assisi decided to be ridiculous instead.


    ¡°So you can¡¯t tell me your reason?¡±


    Assisi looked down. It had been a long time since I saw Assisi bowing his head that way.


    ¡°Assisi!¡±


    I thought that I should understand, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry. It was because situations like that coulde again; I needed to know the reason. Couldn¡¯t he talk to me?


    Right now, it seemed wrong. He was confused and flustered.


    ¡°Ria.¡±


    Valer entered after opening the door and looked at me.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Who told you toe in?¡±


    They should stop doing things on their own ord. I never told Valer it was okay to enter my room, but Valer came over and grabbed my hand anyway. What was he doing?


    ¡°Come,e,e with me.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me! I haven¡¯t finished talking yet!¡±


    I still had a lot to say to him!


    I refused and tried not to move, but Valer was also a knight. He quickly pulled me out. I felt exhausted, fighting him and trying to pull myself away. Damn, rotten knights!


    ¡°Ria.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Just leave that alone.¡±


    No, it wasn¡¯t like I did something wrong.


    ¡°Leave what alone?¡±


    ¡°Uncle must have had a reason for doing that. Okay? Calm down.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t angry, just frustrated. Ugh, it was crazy.


    I didn¡¯t like it. Why were they treating me as some kind of a narrow-minded person? I could try to understand his reason too!


    Not this one. I just wanted to know his reason, so tell me! I didn¡¯t like the ¡®Just because¡¯ or an ¡®Oh, that is right¡¯ answers. Those were not the answers I wanted at all.


    What was it? I felt wounded to be kept from the reason.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just act like you didn¡¯t see that?¡±


    I was out of words at his answer. Pretending not to know? Was I drunk or something? I had no idea what was happening.


    I wanted to pull my hair out. No, turn bald while scratching it out. I was being mistreated.


    No, what was I doing? What would he do if he spoke the truth? Did someone threaten him?


    ¡°Move away.¡±


    Honestly, my wordscked confidence, and I gave up on the issue. As I turned away, Valer tapped my shoulder.


    Ah, what now!


    ¡°By the way, what are we to do with the kids?¡±


    Valer pointed to the kids Assisi brought. I sighed, looking at the children.


    No matter how pissed I was at the situation, I had to fix it.

 Chapter 438

    <h4>Chapter 438: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 438</h4>


    I asked Ahin to solve the problem of the mother and the children. Even if we gave them money, the father would just snatch it away, and since we were in Sherto, it was evident that the emotions and cultures of the people were different from Agrigient, so I reached out to Ahin.


    I wondered if it would be enough to give them some simple chores in the tower of Bruges, and fortunately, he went with a pdin.


    Ahin was embarrassed because it happened in Sherto, Assisi was a man of Agrigient.


    Assisi¡¯s act shocked everyone.


    What the hell wasn¡¯t I being told? Did I look like someone who wouldn¡¯t understand? Did I seem like a kid?


    Thinking about it just annoyed me.


    Ah, damn it.


    Every time I thought, I got angry, but there was no way to solve it. I couldn¡¯t let Havel or Ahin, who were innocent, get involved with the mess.


    The more I thought about it, and the more my brain hurt, the more I looked like a horrible master.


    ¡°Saw the fight?¡±


    As I walked back to my room, Havel, who was passing by, asked me.


    Was it seen on my face?


    Ahin and this guy, why did they have such good eyes? I gave up and sighed.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I heard everything.¡±


    It seemed like he heard what Valer and I talked about.


    I went silent. Havel titled his head.


    ¡°Must have been special.¡±


    It was weird, but his words made me feel relieved.


    ¡°Do you think I was wrong? Did I cross the line?¡±


    Valer said yes, and everyone else noticed it. If even Havel said yes, then I was ready to think that I was too forceful.


    Yes, I did all that because everyone was out doing what they wanted.


    I didn¡¯t know the reason, but I knew that I pushed too much.


    Havel didn¡¯t say yes.


    ¡°Well.¡±


    ¡°What kind of answer is that?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a yes, and I felt relieved yet ufortable. At my words, Havel shrugged.


    ¡°It could be too much from someone¡¯s point of view, but it might not be so from someone else.¡±


    Who didn¡¯t know that?


    That was the reason I asked him what he thought.


    It was a bit strange because I understood what he was trying to say. Well, he was one weird guy, so it was understandable.


    ¡°Go to sleep. Stop overthinking it.¡±


    Stroking my hair, I felt good. I turned to Havel.


    Havel paused and asked.


    ¡°How much longer do you think this trip willst?¡±


    ¡°I think it wille to an end soon.¡±


    I answered without dy.


    Havel turned to me upon hearing my answer. Seeing his crimson eyes, I smiled.


    ¡°My dad might lose it soon.¡±


    Havel smiled back. His lips turned up a little; he looked pretty cool.


    Man, he was handsome.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    As if convinced, Havel nodded. Just thinking about dad had rxed my mind.


    Oh, I was turning severe too.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°You, too, sleep well.¡±

 Chapter 439

    <h4>Chapter 439: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 439</h4>


    He said it, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to sleep when Iid in bed until morning came.


    I thought about it all night.


    Yes, as Havel said, I immediately realized that I was too much from Assisi¡¯s point of view. That didn¡¯t mean that I would let go of what was done. Anyway, without any other thoughts, from a third person¡¯s point of view, I tried to rationalize the situation with a cool head.


    Nevertheless, I still needed to know why Assisi did that. That¡¯s my conclusion.


    If Assisi did that, there had to be a reason. No, there was a reason, and it wasn¡¯t because Assisi was being considerate of the kids. I wasn¡¯t going to believe that. When I cared for someone, I tried to learn more about them. It would have been easier not to know. I could also make some kind of an excuse about not knowing the reason or demand why he did that to a man.


    But I couldn¡¯t ask that.


    Assisi was my guardian knight, but he was also a very precious person to me.


    I did know that it wasn¡¯t possible to learn every detail about a person. I was aware of that, but I couldn¡¯t let things pass. I was the curious kind.


    If they think about it, Lady Sicelia said the same; there was too much that I didn¡¯t know about Assisi.


    Although we had been so close and lived together for a long time, I didn¡¯t know anything about him.


    It was a natural desire to learn more about a person you like, to be close to them emotionally. I wanted to know, even if it meant digging through Assisi¡¯s wounds.


    Maybe I was doing something evil.


    I don¡¯t know if I would do something painful to Assisi in the name of learning more about him.


    However, I knew that if I went over there without forming a conclusion, I would always question myself. I had no idea why but seeing Assisi¡¯s behavior, I knew a scenario like what happenedst time would ur again.


    Then, I¡¯ll go and ask him again why he had to do that.


    Assisi would go silent again. Then I would get angry, and the same situation asst night would happen again.


    No, I won¡¯t do that.


    I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Assisi, are you really not going to tell me why?¡±


    Before leaving for Bureti, I went to Assisi¡¯s room. To finish yesterday¡¯s story and to bring closure to my thoughts.


    Assisi was silent as ever.


    Watching him say nothing, I held my desire to cry my guts out.


    ¡°Are you going to live without talking to me forever?¡±


    My voice had resentment in it, but Assisi bowed his head and stayed silent. I was tired. It was like talking to a wall.


    I already knew from the experience that there¡¯s nothing I could do to make him speak. In other people¡¯s eyes, I would appear like someone who was messing with a good friend.


    Right, right.


    ¡°Fine. Assisi can do whatever he wants to!¡±


    That was when Assisi raised his head.


    It was the best n I came up with in my pretty headst night.


    ¡°From this moment on Assisi, I am relieving you of your duty as my escort knight.¡±


    Assisi was clearly shocked.


    I felt guilty, but I spoke steadily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a guardian knight who can¡¯t trust me.¡±

 Chapter 440

    <h4>Chapter 440: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 440</h4>


    I knew that my behavior was childish and stupid, but I still couldn¡¯t stop acting like that. I didn¡¯t think Assisi would go along with my words, but when he said ¡®I understand¡¯ so casually, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from feeling horrible. I felt hurt, and I tried to deny what I heard. I wanted tough, thinking it was a joke.


    At the same time, I could feel myself getting into an endless cycle of guilt.


    Since that day, I hadn¡¯t said a single word to Assisi. I would smile and greet him, but the coldness between us made an awkward air for the party. Even Havel¡¯s guards were shocked by it.


    Surprisingly, Valer didn¡¯t react to it much, but he was very annoyed. I convinced myself that he would get over it and somehow untwist the situation, but when I looked at his eyes, filled with anger, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I hated myself for letting things go this far, but I couldn¡¯t stop halfway.


    Oh shit, I didn¡¯t know. I would stop thinking about Assisi! I wouldn¡¯t do this anymore!


    ¡°It was easy crossing the border.¡±


    ¡°Shocking, brother. Look here. It was all because of this man.¡±


    Ahinughed at Valer¡¯s words.


    With a certificate from Agrient and an invitation that acted as a passport, it was easy to cross the border. No matter how close we were to the enemy country, many traders and merchants still went back and forth between Bureti and Shertogenbosch. Ahin could make us pass without creating suspicion.


    ¡°We will be arriving at the capital.¡±


    ¡°This is a small country.¡±


    Agrigient and Schertogenbosch had significantlyrgendmasses;ing to Bureti made me realize how small it was inparison. Bureti made me realize how huge the other two countries were.


    After getting used to God¡¯s Wall, which made the sky look pale, seeing a blue sky made me feel weird. I was sure I came into Bureti; however, I couldn¡¯t see any witch¡¯s barrier.


    Would a witch¡¯s barrier look different from God¡¯s Wall?


    ¡°The roads are well maintained.¡±


    Havel hadn¡¯t said a single word.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a big deal, but the roads of Bureti were a lot wider andfortable than in Sherto. Even the roads between viges and towns differed for wagons and people.


    Although a small country, this was a country so developed that it couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    That could probably be why the country still stood after hundreds of years of persecution from Sherto.


    The weather hadn¡¯t changed muchpared to when I was in Sherto, but considering that Bureti was far from Sherto, the weather was still great. Anyway, others treated this ce as a weak country, but there were so many things to see in Bureti since it had a history longer than Agrigient.


    The most impressive thing above all was the number of working women.


    Of course, women worked in other countries, too, mainly in handling shops, farming fields, or raising livestock. However, in Bureti, women were ruling the city.


    I sort of had a cultural shock. Indeed, this was a country ruled by a queen. Others said that the world was slowly falling into a patriarchal society, but things were happening here, which the other countries couldn¡¯t even dream of.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s small, but I think it¡¯s great precisely because it¡¯s small.¡±


    Small was a lot better than having a colossal but unmanagednd.


    From a distance, I saw gs with the country¡¯s symbol, the Deer-horn Opal.


    It was the same pattern on the ne my mother left for me. I wasn¡¯t an opal. Ahin said that it was a special kind of gem. As I took out the ne and looked at it, I could feel a strange feeling captivating me.


    Valer or Ahin thought that I hade to Bureti to deal with some sort of business. I didn¡¯t speak, and they didn¡¯t ask.


    Of course, I came here to do something. Go on a trip.


    However, if I told them my reasons, it was obvious what they would say. Thus, I just shut up. Sometimes, one had to protect their dreams.


    All I knew was that I had toe here, but when I arrived in Bureti, I realized how reckless I was. I thought I knew why I wanted toe, but I couldn¡¯t put it in words.


    ¡°Uh? I can see the city¡¯s wall. It looked like that¡¯s the capital!¡±


    Finally, we had arrived.


    There was Uprichit, which we had to see, but aftering to Bureti, I thought the trip woulde to an end. Seeing my dad¡¯s act, it felt like he would catch me soon.


    The ne kept on vibrating. Was it because of my mood?


    Maybe it was like a cell phone. Or beeping? There was no sound, so it wasn¡¯t a beep.


    Hey, hello?


    ¡°This ne, why is it crying?¡±


    Did I do something wrong? I did no such thing.


    Ah, Assisi? Was it because I behaved wrongly with Assisi? That couldn¡¯t be. The ne vibrated as if I was getting a real phone call. As we walked along the avenue with our horses, I wondered why the ne was acting up. That was when Valer took my hand and pulled me back.


    Uh. Huh?


    ¡°Abandon your weapons and raise your hands!¡±


    Soldiers? I was embarrassed.


    It wasn¡¯t just men who were embarrassed. The tips of their spears were sharp.


    ¡°Uh? Huh?¡±


    What kind of situation is this!?

 Chapter 441

    <h4>Chapter 441: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 441</h4>


    ¡°What the hell is...¡±


    There was no such thing as sudden suspicion.


    ¡°Are we dying here like this?¡±


    Valer¡¯s head was down, feeling gloomy. I couldn¡¯t say we would survive because of it.


    Uhm, what was really going on?


    Could it be that Bureti, who figured out my identity, was up to catch me and hand me over to my dad?


    They didn¡¯t have a reason to put me down in jail. If they knew that I was a princess, they wouldn¡¯t treat us so lowly.


    Before entering the capital, we were caught up by soldiers and ced in jail.


    At first, I thought Havel or Assisi would rage against them, but again, because there were so many soldiers around us, neither moved nor did anything risky. If we shed swords with another country¡¯s men, they would just kill us right away.


    We were all waiting for someone toe over and tell us the reason for catching us. It could be that they knew I was Ariadna and grabbed me.


    However, if that was the case, how did they find out?


    ¡°Ria, have you done anything wrong with someone in Bureti?¡±


    ¡°Valer, can¡¯t Bureti just be mistaken?¡±


    I looked with doubt, but Valer sighed.


    When one lived, they went through numerous things. But a prison?


    I felt differenting to a ce where I didn¡¯t have any bond with. Yes, after all, bad things needed to happen for good... shitty stuff!


    Ahhhhk, this bloody situation!


    How the hell did this happen!?


    I could feel my brain copse. I looked at Ahin and Havel. They didn¡¯t seem troubled except for the awkwardness around them.


    Why? How were they so casual?


    They both grew up sheltered like me, right? Oh, Havel didn¡¯t get to grow up like us.


    ¡°But the treatment isn¡¯t that bad, considering we¡¯re their prisoner. Is this how prisons usually look like?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not?¡±


    Valer touched the spear and tilted his head.


    I sighed. Was our treatment really the problem here?


    Did we break some kind ofw in Bureti without our knowledge? I was getting strange thoughts. If we vited aw, we were nning to sell Valer and bounce off. Suddenly, the armed soldiers approached us and looked through the bars before saying.


    ¡°Follow us.¡±


    I walked out, but I was anxious as hell.


    Looking at the soldiers before us, Valer and I exchanged nces.


    Valer, what was I supposed to do?


    Huh? Were they going to poison us? Ugh, what a troublesome thing!


    Hey, I raised him!


    Well, it seemed like we wouldn¡¯t be rewarded for doing good things. We were like people walking alone in a desert!


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    However, although we were anxious, we weren¡¯t worried since we could always reveal our identity.


    Even getting arrested and being escorted to Agrient seemed better than dying.


    It seemed like the one with a joker in hand was the one to win.


    We thought they were escorting us to a judge, but we went to another fancy pce after leaving the prison¡ªa residence closest to the Royal Pce of Bureti.


    Why were we escorted to such a ce? Did Bureti conduct its trials like that?


    While the luxury mansion seemed captivating to our eyes, on the other hand, we were nervous about not knowing the reason why we were sent here.


    We all thought that wemitted some kind of crime, not knowing thew, but would a guy in Bureti recognize and release me?


    Huh? Unfortunately, no one would know me in Bureti.


    When we arrived at the lobby, the soldiers left us, and the questions amplified in my brain.


    ¡°We brought them.¡±


    ¡°Uh, did theye here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Even when I focused on the noises outside, I couldn¡¯t hear any familiar voice.


    What? Did someone really know me?


    Maybe it was someone I forgot while growing up, but that thought made no sense.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    As the door opened, our attention went to the person who entered.


    He didn¡¯t seem like a judge, and he didn¡¯t seem like military personnel either. He looked more like a local administrator.


    The one who entered was an elderly gentleman. Huh?


    The old blond man looked at me in shock. His green eyes firmly held my eyes.


    ¡°Ezn!¡±


    Ezn? Who the hell was that?


    Was that supposed to be me?


    That was the first time I heard that name. Before I could even respond, the old man ran over and hugged me.


    Valer, who was shocked, was about to respond, but I asked him to stop by shaking my hand. There was no hostility from the old man; he was just thrilled.


    ¡°Oh, god, thank you so much.¡±


    It was just embarrassing to see him with tears in his eyes.


    Why, why was he looking like this?


    Maybe he mistook me for someone else?


    Oh, his robe was falling off. It seemed like he was a noble with high status, but it was evident that he appeared to have mistaken something. I was puzzled and wanted to get out of his arms. What to do?


    Luckily, the old man released me, and I asked right away.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡±


    At my question, the old man smiled while looking down with a regretful face.


    His face was ecstatic, but there was some sadness in his eyes. He didn¡¯t seem like someone who had mistaken me for another.


    He looked at me. The old man smiled brightly, wiping away the tears in his eyes.


    ¡°You might not know me at first nce, probably because I am old now.¡±


    The old man arranged his robe and looked at me. I stood still, unable to move under the warm gaze of his green eyes.


    Finally, the old man introduced himself to me.


    ¡°I am your grandfather, Ariadna.¡±


    Ah...

 Chapter 442

    <h4>Chapter 442: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 442</h4>


    The ce where we were brought in was a mansion named Raviebel.


    It was often referred to as the ¡®Queen¡¯s bedroom,¡¯ and the reason for it being called such was that the queen¡¯s widowers would reside. In other words, the mansion owner was Grand Duke Charles Haroren, the father of the current queen.


    My grandfather.


    He asked us how we entered the country, to which I answered that we were there for sightseeing; my grandfather asked us to stay in his mansion during our stay in Bureti. I kept refusing that I couldn¡¯t do that, but my grandfather looked heartbroken at my words; knowing that his intentiones from a good ce, I tried to reason a little.


    ¡°Why do you keep refusing? We got the ce for free. Besides, we get such spacious and good amodation!¡±


    Valer smiled.


    Ugh, what he added didn¡¯t help me in any way.


    My grandfather smiled at Valer¡¯s words, telling me that it was right, but I sat stiffly; it wasn¡¯t possible. I didn¡¯t even know if he was telling the truth.


    Grandfather.


    Of course, if my mother wasn¡¯t an orphan, it was natural that I had a maternal grandfather and grandmother. Yes, rather, it was shocking that I never thought about them until then.


    However, when I looked at my grandfather¡¯s face, I couldn¡¯t think of anything. It was more like a dream.


    Was I really dreaming?


    I thought that if I went to Bureti, I would find some traces or information regarding my mother. However, I only felt that it would be something like a portrait of my mother. I was a fool.


    I never imagined meeting my own bloody family.


    And remember their existence at the same time.


    I had been away from my mother for a long time. I, too, had a family. There were people I could call grandfather and aunty. It¡¯s really like a dream.


    Was I sitting and dreaming?


    I had gotten so ustomed to living along with my father that it was hard for me to believe that I had blood rtions.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Stay here.¡±


    Grandfather seemed to notice that I was stiff since I was unfamiliar with him.


    Maybe that was why I felt more sorry about it. I was the kind of granddaughter who wouldn¡¯t even hug her own grandfather. I was pathetic, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I didn¡¯t really believe that he was my grandfather, what was I supposed to do? To be honest, I wanted to ask out loud if this was a scam.


    The sofa seemed ufortable. Valer smiled and walked out. He was trying to give me some alone time with my grandfather, but honestly, I wanted to punch him for doing that!


    He was supposed to be by my side during such situations!


    ¡°How did you know that I was Ariadna?¡±


    ¡°I knew as soon as I saw you.¡±


    I was puzzled; grandfather pointed to my face. Realizing that he was pointing at my hair, I understood what he meant.


    Ah, the hair color.


    It wasn¡¯t strange that he thought of me as a person of Agrigient by looking at my hair. After all, it was the color of royalty.


    Anyway, everything happened because of my hair.


    Ha, I should have dyed my hair for real.


    ¡°But I already knew about you three days ago.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    How did he know?


    It seemed like he noticed my confusion. He smiled. I felt embarrassed for showing my emotions, but he chuckled.


    Normally, a man of his stature would be colder and fiercer, but the man I was nothing like the other generals I had seen before. He was kind and friendly.


    ¡°You have Ezn¡¯s ne, right?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to ask who Ezn was. I knew it.


    Princess Jereina.


    My mom¡¯s real name was Ezn.


    It was her name before leaving for Agrigient. The man then took out something.


    ¡°Huh, ah, is that...¡±


    ¡°Right. This resonated with that and kept telling me of your arrival.¡±


    What grandfather took out of his sleeve was a crystal that gave off a transparent hue. It was a small crystal that would fit in my hand, but it was so pretty that I wondered how such a thing could exist.


    The engraved pattern in the middle was of Bureti. In an instant, while I was staring at it, my ne began to cry as if it found its other half.


    ¡°It is what Ezn had given me before she left for Agrigient. It is one of the relics which protect Bureti, and they are meant to be one.¡±


    I did think that it was unusual, all because it was a relic. Suddenly, it turned burdensome to wear it around my neck.


    However, the pendant in his hand was still pretty. As I looked down at mine, my grandfather, too, looked at it. The ne we were looking at sparkled under the light.


    ¡°She left for the fate of the country but gave it to me on a whim, saying that I need to protect it. The other ministers thought it was absurd.¡±


    ¡°... it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It was the greatest gift for a father like me, who was drunk on power and couldn¡¯t protect his little daughter.¡±


    My grandfather was smiling, but that smile seemed burdensome for some reason.


    I didn¡¯t speak, but I could understand that grandfather loved my mother. I thought there would be a bigger story to this, but all I felt was pity after hearing about his regret.


    Suddenly, grandfather took my hand. His wrinkled hands were rougher than I thought, yet it was warm.


    ¡°When I heard the news of your birth, I couldn¡¯t believe it. For my grandchild to be born...¡±


    Whether it was hard to believe or not, I was right in front of his eyes, and his voice trembled. I bowed my head at his trembling voice.


    ¡°I was just happy. I was destined to die anytime soon, but I was happy that someone of our blood was born. As a woman who inherits the blood of a witch, it means that we have a sessor through you.¡±


    I already knew how unbelievable such a possibility was. I knew my father well enough to believe in my grandfather¡¯s woes.


    As expected, my grandfather was biting down on his lip, holding his emotion until his forlorn eyes looked into mine.


    ¡°We wanted to take you. Emperor Caitel had killed many of my children, and it was an unfortunate thing to see. We just wanted to bring you in as Ezn¡¯s blood. So did Ezn.¡±


    Suddenly, my heart started pounding. That was the first time I heard about this. I couldn¡¯t breathe for some reason.


    ¡°I thought if you swore on never iming the Agrigient blood, we might be able to save you, but with my confidence...¡±


    Ashamed, my grandfather lowered his head, but I had to hear more. As I held grandfather¡¯s hand, he looked into my eyes.


    Seeing me trying to help him, he smiled.


    ¡°I am fine. Although our request was rejected, you didn¡¯t die, and you grew up well as a healthy and beloved princess of Agrigient.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather...¡±


    ¡°Rather, I began to think that it would be better to let you live as the princess of the great empire of Agrigient rather than a small country like Bureti. If you came to us, in the end, he would only take you away as he did with your mother.¡±


    I could say nothing to decrease the grief he was feeling, but I wanted to console him; to remove such painful remorse wasn¡¯t something I could do.


    Grandfather stretched out his other hand. A warm hand touched my face.


    ¡°I missed you. I¡¯m d to see you like this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°I... I really wanted to see you.¡±


    I knew why he felt so happy to see me or why he looked shocked to behold my existence.


    His eyes were burning hot. They were turning red. The tip of his nose was turning pink.


    ¡°If my child were alive, she would love you...¡±


    The touch which stroked my cheek was of pity. The words of the sad father shook my heart.


    I heard that all the princesses who came in as Caitel¡¯s concubine were loved and raised well in their countries. Those words hit me like the truth.


    Grandfather was trying hard not to cry; right then, the room¡¯s door opened after a sudden knock. A middle-aged woman with long blonde hair and green eyes entered.


    ¡°Father, it was said that princess Ariadna...¡±


    A woman who seemed to be in a hurry made eye contact with me. She opened her mouth but suddenly covered it with her hand; she tried to calm herself.


    ¡°Oh, God.¡±


    Who was this woman now?


    I turned to my grandfather, expecting him to give me an answer, but my grandfather coughed weakly. The woman came back to her senses after hearing the cough and approached me. There was a warm vibe around her.


    ¡°I am the princess¡¯ aunt. Call me Dorothia¡±


    Uh, then she was the queen of the country...


    I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t even greet her properly, but instead of raging about, she just came in for a hug.


    Uh, uh?


    ¡°For how long have I wanted to see the princess after my sister¡¯s departure.¡±


    A pair of eyes that resembled that of my grandfather looked down at me. Her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°Wee home. I really missed you very much.¡±

 Chapter 443

    <h4>Chapter 443: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 443</h4>


    It was all because we got caught before entering the capital.


    What I meant was, one of the twelve relics which protect Bureti was a clock that rang loudly to warn the people when someone who could change the fate of the country entered.


    What the hell.


    A person who could change the fate of the country.


    I was the princess of Agrient, Havel was the Emperor of Pretzia, and Ahin was the sessor of Shertogenbosch. It would have been weird if we weren¡¯t caught.


    After hearing their reason, we were flustered, but we thought about it. Bureti was the kingdom of Northern Witches and my mother¡¯s country.


    ¡°Did you know?¡±


    It was a quick question, but I guessed it wasn¡¯t weird for the men following me. Assisi suddenly appeared and bowed his head like a sinner.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I was a little angry.


    When I learned that Assisi knew the truth about my mother and I was kept in the dark and that Bureti had worked tirelessly to meet me and tell me the truth about my mother, it was natural for me to get angry. It was supposed to be a story told when I was young if no one stopped the flow of the information.


    ¡°Why hide it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty...¡±


    Assisi raised his head. His beautiful eyes stared into mine.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t want the princess to know. Bureti wanted to meet the princess, and he refused. That was why a messenger of Bureti always stayed in our outer pce.¡±


    I had met a lot of envoys but never met anyone from Bureti.


    Right, I understood. Everything started making sense now.


    ¡°Your Majesty thought that it would be better to erase the mother side of the family for the princess. Whatever the oue, I want you to know that he did it for your sake, princess.¡±


    Even in such a messed up situation, Assisi defended my dad.


    I red at him.


    They both were the same kind of men. The feeling of wanting to hit them rushed over me.


    I exhaled heavily.


    ¡°I hate my dad.¡±


    Right, hate. I hated him before, but listening to Assisi¡¯s words made me hate him even more.


    ¡°But even then, I hate that I still love him.¡±


    What could I do? He was my dad.


    I got angry at my dad and hated him, but at the same time, I could understand his reasons. Whatever it was, he didn¡¯t want me to get hurt. In addition, he must have thought that I would be taken over to my mother¡¯s country.


    Ugh, that idiot!


    Even then, I couldn¡¯t pick a side.


    I decided to talk to himter.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    After bidding farewell, I turned and walked away.


    It was the first conversation I had after a few days, and it wasn¡¯t awkward. He didn¡¯t follow me, and it didn¡¯t matter to me either. I wanted to be alone.


    ¡°Mom...¡±


    It¡¯s funny. I hade to Bureti to know how my mom looked like.


    I had a vague idea based on what people said. She was a beautiful woman with green eyes and blonde hair. Later, when I was old enough to understand them, no one talked about my mother in the pce.


    For the first time, I was grateful that people talked.


    Otherwise, I would have been in Bureti without even knowing the basics about my mother.


    In thergest hall of the mansion, I saw a picture frame that was twice the size of my height.


    There was a portrait drawn of a woman.


    She was a girl of my age with blinding beauty.


    ¡°...¡±


    How should I put it?


    My mom was a beauty. Yes. I couldn¡¯t believe that the woman was my mom.


    It was a preconceived notion that my mom was an average looking person with frizzy hair. Of course, I hadn¡¯t seen such beautiful women after my reincarnation.


    Could she be? I really couldn¡¯t believe that the woman in front of me was my mother, the one who smiled brightly with her golden hair flowing down like a waterfall.


    Mom was a beauty.


    I could be pretty because I had my mom¡¯s genes in me. Yes, as expected from the power of genealogy.


    It was probably because I came to my mother¡¯s country and met my grandfather and aunt, whom I didn¡¯t know existed. After their endless talks and stories, the night came. It was unfortunate that I had to go back to sleep, but we walked away because I felt so excited that I couldn¡¯t sleep.


    A gentle wind touched my face.


    ¡°Not asleep yet?¡±


    I turned my head at a familiar voice. Ahin came into light.


    ¡°And you Ahin?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    His low answer made me smile.


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    After hesitating a little, Ahin approached me.


    The ce where his head turned to was the portrait of my mother.


    After a careful look, Ahin smiled.


    ¡°Is this the princess¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I answered Ahin¡¯s question.


    ¡°She is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Even I think that.¡±


    Ahin looked at me as I agreed with his statement.


    I coughed as he kept on staring at me.


    Ahin smiled brightly. I often saw him smiling, but for him to look this bright was a first for me.


    It was good to smile, but why was he smiling?


    I opened my mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to smile about?¡±


    Ahin tried to hold back his smile and answered.


    ¡°Because you are cute.¡±


    Again with that.


    I thought that it was ridiculous, but I shut my mouth after knowing that he wouldn¡¯t give a proper answer. Heughed again, but then hisugh came to an end as Ahin asked me with a severe expression.


    ¡°You seem like you have a lot of concerns.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say there are none.¡±


    At my answer, Ahin smiled.


    Ahin¡¯s smile had some kind of effect on me. It was easy to see.


    ¡°Let it out.¡±


    Wow, I sighed out loud at those words.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering why my mom gave birth to me.¡±


    It was a story I couldn¡¯t tell anyone because I was anxious about it all the time. Suddenly, my chest felt heavy.


    I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Of course, I am happy now since I¡¯m living among the people I love, but I just get curious about it at times. Why did she give birth to me? Things like that.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has the same question about their existence.¡±


    His soft voice felt soothing, and the fact that he was the one who said it made me at ease.


    ¡°Even Ahin?¡±


    ¡°... well.¡±


    Ahin was somewhat unfamiliar with helping others, yet his voice sounded pleasant.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say no.¡±


    Did that mean that Ahin has the same worries as me? I was a little puzzled. He didn¡¯t have any reason to worry about that.


    He was as tall and stern as a mountain, so I never thought Ahin would shake. I guess the prejudice broke. Well, it felt a little weird.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    When I looked up and locked eyes with Ahin, he said.


    ¡°There are a lot of people besides the princess, including me.¡±


    Ahin was silent for a moment as if he was ashamed. It felt like he couldn¡¯t speak about it.


    ¡®W-what? What¡¯s with this situation!?¡¯


    For an embarrassing moment, the silence around us grew, an unfamiliar emotion.


    ¡°In the past...¡±


    Ahin looked down while speaking.


    ¡°I think there was a time when I was standing like this. I feel like, for some reason...¡±


    When? It seemed like a simr thing happened in the past, something I couldn¡¯t remember.


    When did it happen?


    I tried to bring up my old memories when Ahin reached out to me. I tried to step back in surprise but Ahin¡¯s hand moved quickly and touched my hair.


    ¡°Hair... your hair is growing.¡±


    Ahin¡¯s gaze was fixed on my hair; it felt strange. The feeling of being tickled and nervous at the same time.


    ¡°Right. I was worried because it was getting long. I couldn¡¯t cut it myself.¡±


    ¡°Long is pretty.¡±


    Uh...


    It wasn¡¯t that I was pretty, but why was I embarrassed?


    ¡°In the past...¡±


    My hair was flowing down till my waist. Ahin¡¯s fingers reached for it. His gentle stroking made me groan. I was caught up in a strange feeling I never heard, and I couldn¡¯t even think of what to say until I looked up at Ahin.


    ¡°That...¡±


    ¡°You need to go to bed.¡±


    Before I could even say anything, Ahin spoke.


    Well, yeah, he had to take away my chance to speak.


    ¡®Hey, look here!¡¯


    ¡®My heart is still pounding loud without calming down.¡¯


    Then, I didn¡¯t know when it happened, but Ahin stole my lips.


    Huh? Huh!? Huhhh?!


    ¡°Sweet dreams.¡±


    ... What just happened!?

 Chapter 444

    <h4>Chapter 444: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 444</h4>


    The Kingdom of the Northern Witch.


    Bureti, although not believed, was an empire in the Northern Continent until the Advent of Angels and was one of the most prosperous nations. It wasn¡¯t easy to find history in Shertogenbosch, but it was easy to find it in Bureti. This city was a living history book.


    Although it had power in the past, most of its territory was lost amid wars. People from the other countries said Bureti would perish in time, but Bureti, which moved to Nantes¡¯s city, rose.


    Since Nantes itself was the first settlement to be established in the country, there were many magic traces within the city, the floating garden with the first queen built with magic, the main buildings built in the shape of a magic circle, and even the wizards.


    However, wizards¡¯ use decreased a lotpared to before, so it was a level where they were being called schrs. What was different from the ordinary schrs was that these would continuously try to create something like inventors.


    In the past, it was given to those who mastered creation magic like wind and fire, but now everyone who created something would be a wizard.


    But right now, no one knew about the magic of the old days, but people who followed it stilled with honor and pride.


    What was it? A strange feeling.


    ¡°It is fine. It is the magic which protects us.¡±


    My aunt, the queen, took care of me so well that I began to feel like a burden to them. It was a sight to see, and they asked me toe to the pce, but I refused since the information would pass to dad. Although I didn¡¯t have much time and couldn¡¯t see much, I felt sad that I was away from them for so long.


    ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t you have to get going?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet!¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    However, the maid at her back was ring at my aunt and me.


    I was feeling burdened. Sighing, my aunt looked back.


    ¡°I will get going then.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t cause any problems.¡±


    I felt bad as my aunt left the room after hugging me. My grandfather smiled as he watched us.


    I felt burdened by my aunt¡¯s excessive kindness, but I began to regret the moment she left my sight.


    I was in the city for sightseeing, but I spent more time with my grandfather and aunt, whom I might never meet again. I should say it was all extraordinary, but I liked it. Never did I dream of enjoying life like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting. The fact that the city is a magic circle which protects the ce.¡±


    ¡°We protect not just the city but the surroundingnds too. Farmingnds included, so even if the barrier gets activated and the way out ispletely blocked, we would be able to live self-sufficiently.¡±


    Wizards were still told to research and study the perfection of the permanent barrier. Obviously, the barrier was different because the 1st queen created it, but the barrier or the secret behind it couldn¡¯t be solved to date.


    Well, it was all magic.


    ¡°Grandfather, do you know about the curse my mother ced on my father?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why I thought about it. I just asked, hoping that grandfather would know something.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t.¡±


    I had been around my dad for a long time, and my dad was still quick to move around, and nothing had changed. Ah, even his obsession with me hadn¡¯t changed.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like my dad¡¯s obsessed with me because of the curse.


    ¡°Magic is a fragile power.¡±


    Grandfather put down the teacup he was holding.


    ¡°Yet it can aplish unachievable things, but the fundamentals of it are really weak.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°A man¡¯s hope, wish, and will.¡±


    My grandfather grasped my hand.


    ¡°Those fundamentals, when used, can move the entire world; that¡¯s magic.¡±


    I wanted to ask what the difference was, and my grandfather showed a severe expression on his face.


    Something that small could move a world?


    It seemed like a baseless story. That was magic?


    ¡°Ezn had no other choice but to protect you.¡±


    His face darkened.


    ¡°And since you are alive and well, the curse on your father has been in motion.¡±


    His gaze softened again.


    He wasn¡¯t serious anymore, but he looked at me as if wondering how I was coping with his words.


    ¡°Your existence is proof that your mother did a good job of protecting you.¡±


    It was something I never thought of. I never imagined that my father¡¯s curse and I were connected.


    I just kept thinking that it was something between my mom and dad.


    Suddenly, my throat went dry. I only learned about the truth aftering into Bureti. The reason why my mother gave birth to me and why she went that far to protect me. The fact I never learned.


    Bureti had the witch¡¯s lineage.


    My aunt said that she couldn¡¯t have children because of her weak body, so my aunt was the one who decided to travel to Agrient as a concubine.


    However, her body couldn¡¯t handle leaving the house for more than an hour, and in the end, my mother decided to go to Agrient instead.


    As an unrecognized concubine of another country, my mother risked giving birth to me to send me back to her country for my safety.


    She never managed to return.


    ¡°Would my mom protect me even if I was a boy?¡±


    I knew that was a stupid question, but I had to know.


    After all, the lineage of witches ¡® blood only extended to women. If I was born a boy, would she have thrown me away because I was useless?


    ¡°It didn¡¯t matter if I was a son or daughter. The important thing...¡±


    My grandfather reached my hand, trying not to make me feel anxious.


    ¡°You really are Ezn¡¯s daughter.¡±


    I wanted to cry. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my tears.


    ¡°I really.¡±


    Why did I never try to find out the truth?


    ¡°... was stupid.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the real child. I should have at least tried to find out the truth! She was the one who didn¡¯t hesitate to die for me.


    I was speechless. I decided to stay silent until I could hold back my tears, but all my attempts were futile. I bowed my head and covered my face with both hands.


    ¡°Stupid.¡±


    Really stupid of me.


    Only to realize then that I was loved. To receive such overflowing love.


    Indeed, I was the stupidest person in the world.

 Chapter 445

    <h4>Chapter 445: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 445</h4>


    I finally calmed down as I stepped outside.


    I told my grandfather that I wanted a breath of fresh air. The early sunlight was dazzling as I moved my heavy feet. The ce called the Queen¡¯s Lake was the ce where the royal tombs were ced.


    When my mother died, she was sent here.


    She was a princess who went to another country for the sake of her mothend and her sibling at 19.


    It was a tragedy straight out of a fairy tale; I couldn¡¯t even smile at it.


    As I held my hand up, the sunlight touched my hand.


    ¡°Mom... what kind of curse did you ce on dad?¡±


    Grandfather didn¡¯t tell me what the curse was. He just said that it was a curse that would nevere true. It just made me even more curious.


    I found Assisi standing behind me with his head down. I did take him down from his position as my guardian knight, but he was still guarding me.


    ¡°What kind of curse do you think that thete princess has ced, Princess Ria?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    ¡°I hate you, Emperor. My body and my blood will never forgive you. Even if my body gets crushed, this child that carries my blood shall curse you.¡±


    The only thing which loomed in my memory was a woman¡¯s scream, mixed with disgust and resentment.


    No, it was all my imagination. At that time, I was too young to remember what happened, and I could have rearranged what happened since my mother passed away. Maybe after her death, my mind decided to create a new scene to cope with the loss.


    When I think again...


    It wasn¡¯t a scream.


    It was a trembling voice. A voice filled with sadness.


    The sobbing voice seemed sad and in deep despair.


    A curse ced for her longing to live.


    My heart broke when I thought about the love I received from a mother I never met or saw. It would be a lie if I said I never missed my mother, but I never thought about it because of my stupidity; it would only cause pain for me.


    How heartbreaking the road would have been for her since she had to leave so early.


    Looking after a young child who couldn¡¯t open her eyes and speak, what on earth happened in that young mother¡¯s mind as she left forever?


    To leave first.


    Hope for the family. It was said that she was born with the blood of the witch to protect the country.


    At that young age, she traveled a thousand miles to a strange new world for the sake of her mothend.


    ... what the hell was going on?


    What did I ever do to her for her to do so much for me? I knew better than anyone, even if it would be called an inevitable decision my mother had to take, going down that path was no easy task. If she decided to give up on me or not give birth to me, my mother wouldn¡¯t have had to die.


    How scared she must have been at that age. She was exactly my age when it all happened.


    I could understand then.


    ¡°After walking a long road, I returned.¡±


    Arge willow tree was providing shade for theke. In front of a small tombstone, I went and stopped.


    She returned to her homnd after her death.


    My mother was now at rest.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    How long did it take for me toe here?


    I wanted to hug her, but all I could do was speak and hope she listened.


    ¡°I love you, too, mom.¡±


    Her young daughter, who never had the opportunity to see her mother, cried till she was out of breath.


    Ezn Le Elo Broringer


    488 ¨C 509


    Ainsel¡¯s first princess, Ariadna¡¯s mother.

 Chapter 446

    <h4>Chapter 446: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 446</h4>


    Probably because I wept out loud during the day, I managed to fall asleep rather quickly. I opened my eyes, only to find the night sky. I smiled bleakly at what I saw.


    It was still night. Looking at the ck sky, it felt unlikely for the night to end quickly.


    All right, it had been a while since I slept so good at night.


    The darkndscape apanied my feelings. It seemed so quiet and lonely, yet it calmed me.


    ¡°Assisi, you there?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t asking. I just said it because I wanted him toe out; I knew he was there.


    Unsurprisingly, I heard a sigh from the outside; the door opened after a long gap. Assisi opened the door and entered.


    It was a familiar scene I had always seen since Assisi became my guardian knight.


    I smiled as I watched Assisi approach me.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Assisi was shocked at my sudden apology. He was surprised, but I just shrugged it off.


    ¡°I was grumpy, and Assisi kept on epting everything, so it seemed like I acted out of context.¡±


    I approached Assisi, who stopped.


    ¡°Can you forgive me?¡±


    I knew that he would forgive me; that was why I asked it, but I felt horrible. Assisi, who was caught off guard by my sudden apology, pitied me.


    Hesitating for a moment, he nodded.


    I smiled.


    Assisi¡¯s hand was as cold as ever, but there was a warmth I could feel.


    ¡°There was always something I wanted to ask.¡±


    I opened my lips.


    ¡°Dad and you aren¡¯t just lord and knight, right?¡±


    Yeah, it was something I always wondered.


    No one really answered my question. I tried to think of an answer, but I could never get one.


    After a while, Assisi nodded.


    ¡°I have to repay Your Majesty for something.¡±


    I wanted to ask what it was, but my mouth didn¡¯t open. I felt like I shouldn¡¯t push too far.


    As I smiled, Assisi¡¯s face went dark. What was it?


    I grabbed Assisi¡¯s hand. It meant that he didn¡¯t have to say anything if he didn¡¯t want to, but Assisi¡¯s head dropped with a darker expression.


    ¡°I... I am a cursed child.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What does that suppose to mean?¡±


    I was embarrassed.


    ¡®What was he talking about?¡¯


    Assisi spoke as if it was a grave matter. Like he wasn¡¯t kidding. To prove his seriousness, Assisi continued.


    ¡°I will make the people around me unhappy, and someday I will lead them to hell, a child who shouldn¡¯t have been born.¡±


    What bullshit was I hearing? I was a little angry.


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°My father.¡±


    I went quiet without realizing it. I held my breath.


    Assisi, who observed to confirm my reaction, bit his lip thinking back on the painful words he spoke. However, he didn¡¯t stop talking.


    ¡°When I was young, before bedtime, my father would punish me. He said that I had to be punished because I was the child of the devil. Even when my skin would tear apart and bleed, even when I couldn¡¯t scream out loud anymore, I had to get punished.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to talk about it.¡±


    Although the man before me would swing a sword all day, the pain of his past distorted his face. I was sorry to see that; I tried to make him stop, but Assisi was set on talking about it.


    With a shaking breath, Assisi shook his head and began to talk again.


    ¡°My father loved my mother, but my mother couldn¡¯t love him back. No, I am not sure if she loved him or not because I didn¡¯t know my mother.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s mother was Lady Sicelia. I thought she was simply the previous King¡¯s concubine, but the woman was a mother and a wife. It was something natural, but it came with a strange shock for me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was because of my love for my mother or simply because I hated it. I don¡¯t remember much, but my childhood was sick and painful.¡±


    So, that was why he couldn¡¯t stand still when children were getting hit.


    Although he didn¡¯t talk about it, I would have acted out of the memories I had if I was in that situation. I resented what I did and pitied him.


    Wounds on Assisi¡¯s body.


    I always assumed that his wounds came from his long experience on the battlefield.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it all.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Assisi shook his head firmly.


    ¡°Let me speak.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean to stop Assisi¡¯s words. He just seemed to be in pain. Even his expression made me feel terrible, and I didn¡¯t want him to go down the painful road once again for me.


    It must have been painful to remember what happened; just speaking out would create new wounds on him.


    Nevertheless, Assisi was firm on wanting to speak, and I didn¡¯t stop him anymore.


    ¡°It was because my father ordered me to hold a sword, but I did it because he wouldn¡¯t hit me when I was holding a sword. I had no purpose with a sword. I held onto it and escaped. Those who helped a broken boy like me were Ferdel and Silvia.¡±


    I knew then why Assisi had very few people around him. I could also see why Ferdel and Silvia were constantly worried about Assisi. I always assumed that it was because Assisi wasn¡¯t great at socializing.


    ¡°But Your Majesty never approached me nor avoided me.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like my dad.¡±


    ¡°Which was why I feltfortable with Sil and Ferdel. All I needed was a littlefort to live.¡±


    Just telling his story, Assisi¡¯s expression softened.


    I noticed that my dad saved Assisi from his abusive father.


    ¡°I never thought that after such a past, I would grow up to be normal.¡±


    Assisi bowed his head.


    I just waited.


    How was I supposed tofort him? I didn¡¯t know what to say, and I didn¡¯t want to say something wrong and hurt him.


    Ugh, stupid!


    I held Assisi¡¯s hand tightly, making sure he wouldn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    I was trying to tell him that he was loved. After knowing the hell Assisi had to walk through and the sorrow he had to feel all on his own, my heart ached.


    I went to hug him, just like he used to when I was younger.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault Assisi.¡±


    Right, it wasn¡¯t his fault. He was never in the wrong.


    Whatever it was.


    I was certain. Assisi bit his lips.


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Assisi asked.


    ¡°Where did it go wrong?¡±


    His troubled expression returned. I held him a little tighter; That was all I could do.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. It didn¡¯t happen because of you.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t bad, and he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    What did it mean to be a parent if he would harass his child? Through love or hatred, a child could be lifted or lost.


    There was no other rtionship apart from parent and child, which could harbor love and hate.


    A rtionship that wouldn¡¯t break even with abandoned hope.


    ¡°My blood is made up of two evils. The blood of a woman that could love no one, and a man ruined by love.¡±


    A voice filled with grief.


    ¡°There is no woman in the world that I can truly love, for I am twisted. For that same reason, I am not sure if I can love my child properly. There is no guarantee that my child will grow up well. This cursed bloodline ends with me. No one ever will get sick or feel pained...¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°So, a child like me must not be born again.¡±


    A depressing deration.


    I couldn¡¯t say anything; I just held Assisi in my arms.


    ¡®Please make my Assisi happy. Please don¡¯t let him feel pain anymore.¡¯


    ¡°You said that I could leave anytime I wanted, Ria. But the truth is, I can¡¯t live a single day apart from you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Assisiughed bitterly at my question.


    I couldn¡¯t even notice what kind of expression he had.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to feel pain; the moment I grabbed the sword and took away someone¡¯s happiness, I realized that I didn¡¯t deserve happiness. It wasn¡¯t my will to drive so many to death, but it was something I did. I know that they were unforgivable and deadly sins.¡±


    I wanted to deny it, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to speak. Assisi¡¯s words continued.


    ¡°And since I¡¯m such a person, you are thest thing that I will be greedy about.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I just want to be with Ria.¡±


    I was thest thing he would be greedy about; what could it mean?


    I shook my head and wanted to say something, but I couldn¡¯t think of any. My head was in a mess.


    Assisi smiled while looking at me. A different smile.


    ¡°This moment makes me so d that I feel sinful; I can¡¯t hold on to more than this. This is right for me,¡±


    ¡°But Assisi...¡±


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Assisi pulled my hands.


    The hands which held mine were huge.


    ¡°You are the only one I can protect.¡±


    Said Assisi in a quiet tone.


    ¡°So I will give all my happiness to the princess.¡±


    ¡®What is that? That is messed up.¡¯ Iined.


    ¡°Can¡¯t Assisi just be happy?¡±


    ¡°At this moment, I am very happy.¡±


    Assisi smiled.


    ¡°I am happy.¡±


    But...


    He looked at me.


    ¡°To watch you be happy is what I want.¡±


    Happiness differed for each individual, but this was too much. I really knew that it was too much.


    I released his hand and stroked his cheek, his eyes looking into mine.


    ¡°My happiness is seeing Assisi be happy.¡±


    The knight who had been by my side since my childhood.


    My knight in shining armor.


    ¡°Which is why we...¡±


    It was difficult, but I smiled as brightly as I could.


    ¡°Should be happy together rather than wish for one-sided happiness.¡±


    No matter how happy I was, how could I enjoy it if Assisi was suffering?


    ¡°How about that?¡±


    Assisi was family. Being a part of the family didn¡¯t mean we had to be connected with blood. If Assisi, who lived his life protecting me, couldn¡¯t be called family, then I had no right to consider anyone else.


    Assisi hesitated at my words.


    ¡°How can I do that?¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°This princess allows it. And you can.¡±


    Since we needed each other so much, we kept clinging on desperately to the rtionship we formed.

 Chapter 447

    <h4>Chapter 447: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 447</h4>


    Assisi¡¯s story came as a shock to me. I knew right from the beginning that Assisi was continually trying to be in the dark, but I never imagined it to be so severe. I knew there was something huge, but it wasn¡¯t something I could¡¯ve guessed.


    Parental abuse.


    How the hell did the scars on the little child¡¯s body manage to stay even after the child grew up?


    I shuddered at the thought of it, but I didn¡¯t say anything since I could only pity Assisi.


    True, I was useless and ipetent. I could do nothing for Assisi.


    I really was useless to anyone.


    However, my thoughts drifted over to dad.


    ¡°Anyway, it is love-hate.¡±


    It seemed like ¡®love¡¯ had gone somewhere while ¡®hate¡¯ stayed.


    With a sigh, I spent myst night in Bureti. As I watched the sunset, the story Assisi said the day before popped into my head.


    My first meeting with Assisi came into my mind.


    Yeah, well,pared to those days, he seemed a lot more human.


    ¡°Miss Ria.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Ahin.¡±


    When I was returning to my room, I smiled when I saw Ahin. He greeted me with a light smile.


    ¡°Heading back to your room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was just about to go back.¡±


    ¡°After Uprichit, you¡¯ll be leaving, right?¡±


    He was asking if I was heading back to Agrigient. I nodded without even thinking.


    ¡°I guess you would.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Somehow, I noticed that Ahin was trying to mask his expression. Ahin approached me.


    ¡°If you go...¡±


    I looked into Ahin¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I will never get to see you again.¡±


    A strange feeling overflowed in me. His gaze made me nervous.


    ¡°Yes, well, I guess so.¡±


    Probably, it was a natural step to stay in the pce for a long time.


    Silence spread around us.


    I wanted to smile, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    Huh? Huh!? What did I just hear?


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ahin smiled as I questioned him back. Meanwhile, the window of the corridor shimmered with starlight.


    What did the guy just say?


    ¡°To be honest.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±


    Suddenly, my body felt weak.


    He didn¡¯t want me to leave. What did that even mean?


    ¡°When I first saw you in Lon, I thought I must have been dreaming. There was no way you would be there.¡±


    Ahin looked at me with prying eyes as if ensuring if I was real. With a faint longingness in his eyes, for the first time, I felt confused.


    ¡°I always feel it. You are just too far from me.¡±


    Ahin kissed me on my forehead. I held my breath, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Ahin walked away; I couldn¡¯t move.


    What was it? What did it mean? Really! What did he do?


    ¡°What to do!¡±


    Confused, I ced both my hands on my cheeks. I rethought what had just happened.


    I mean, I needed to know.


    Did I just get proposed to? Really? For real? And an honest one? Really! Realllly!


    In the end, he smiled, but he didn¡¯t seem like the kind of man who would just throw around the word marriage nonchntly.


    Oh, no. I had to get to my room right away. I had to calm down. My nerves would rx after resting. Yes, I would!


    At that moment, I turned to find another man who made me go stiff.


    ¡°H-Havel!¡±


    Shocked, I gasped while calling his name. Havel seemed angry, like he wanted to kill someone.


    ¡°To be out with a man all alone on such a night.¡±


    ¡°Then, what are you?¡±


    ¡®Isn¡¯t he a man too?¡¯


    There was no way he wasn¡¯t a man. I, for sure, knew that he was probably the manliest one I knew.


    Havel raised his eyebrows and grabbed my wrist while pushing my back against the wall.


    Woah, wait!


    ¡®What kind of situation is this?¡¯ A sense of crisis rushed over me. Why was I feeling like that?!


    I wanted to rebel against him, but when I looked into Havel¡¯s eyes, I couldn¡¯t speak. His fiery dark red eyes seemed to gaze into my soul; no, he wanted to catch me as his prey.


    I would not be discovered as a corpse tomorrow, right?


    I didn¡¯t know what to answer as he touched me, not to mention the blush which crept onto my cheek and my trembling hands.


    It would be better if I would rather talk.


    No, no. I should just let this go.


    After seeing Havel like that, I didn¡¯t think I could do anything. Whatever.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    How much time passed in silence?


    Suddenly, Havel¡¯s expression calmed. His anger and the pressure disappeared while I was stunned. He immediately patted my head before walking away.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Sleep. Havel went away while I stood in the corridor alone, sigh.


    ... I think it was wrong to fall asleep after what happened.

 Chapter 448

    <h4>Chapter 448: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 448</h4>


    During my stay in Bureti, I didn¡¯t do anything remotely fun. It was supposed to be a ce I just wanted to pass by, but rtives whom I didn¡¯t even know existed wanted to meet me and made sure that I remembered them in the future.


    At first nce, I even had the thought of wanting to live in Bureti for theing time, but when I heard the news that Caitel had been readying to invade the North, I decided to return back.


    It was probably due to me knowing his nature; I knew that he woulde to destroy Bureti in no time. Of course, seeing dad¡¯s face after such a long time made me scared.


    Before I left, I had to give them my farewells and thanks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget us. You are our pride, our princess.¡±


    My grandfather, who was there to see me off, seemed upset and couldn¡¯t let go of my hand. My aunt, on the other hand, was busy with public affairs.


    It was regrettable, but I was feeling alright.


    I smiled. I knew how my grandfather was feeling.


    There was onest thing that I had to give him before leaving. I took it off my neck and ced it in my grandfather¡¯s warm hand.


    ¡°This one. Since this is very important, I will return it to you, the rightful one.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold onto it after knowing that it was the relic of a country, but my grandfather refused it take it back.


    ¡°This was thest gift I gave to my sweet daughter before she left for this country. If this were mine, I would also give this to my kid, along with my blessing.¡±


    When he put it like that, I couldn¡¯t say no. I was forced to ept my mom¡¯s ne once again.


    Grandfather, who passed it to my hand, smiled brightly.


    ¡°Maybe one day, some time, the blessing in this gem will bring a miracle for you.¡±


    ¡°A miracle?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Well, actually, the only reason I wanted to keep it with me was that it was the only memento that I got from my mother.


    ¡°Can Ie again?¡±


    At my shy and indecisive question, my grandfather smiled.


    ¡°Anytime you want to.¡±


    Myst embrace from my grandfather was warm.


    ¡°Thisnd will always wee you, my dear child.¡±

 Chapter 449

    <h4>Chapter 449: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 449</h4>


    On our way to Uprichit, myst look at the royal pce seemed peaceful.


    Although it was an impulse-based trip, it was only after passing Bureti that I felt proud to leave the Imperial Pce.


    Since Bureti was a small country, we left in a day and arrived in eastern Uprichit. The next day, we would reach the Hamel river at the southern port and return to Agrigient.


    Thus, I suggested that Ahin should return to Shertogenbosch; he did ept my suggestion, but he looked a little sad.


    Did he think I would ask him toe to Agrigient in exchange for the hospitality he showed in Shertogenbosch?


    Although I wanted to show him around, I didn¡¯t want him toe to Agrigient with me. I knew no ce other than my pce!


    ¡°When Ria was away, I managed everything with my brother and that emperor. Did you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. Thank you.¡±


    Valer stood beside me with a tired face. I smiled and hugged him.


    ¡°I asked if you knew?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I knew.¡±


    I didn¡¯t forget that Valer had cared for me on the trip until my rtives entered the picture. We were always together when we were going around the city, but Valer was in charge of the two men after meeting my aunt or grandfather.


    Valer shrugged at my smile.


    I knew that he was asking me on purpose, but I was really grateful, so I let him off the hook for once.


    ¡°So, did you like your vacation?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, I just nodded.


    Valer smiled at my answer.


    ¡°I guess I knew.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t a depressing person, but sometimes people, especially me, can be pessimistic. My current situation made me feel like that.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been born. Then my mom wouldn¡¯t haveined about having and giving birth to me. Maybe I wasn¡¯t destined to have a mother or father by my side.¡±


    How could I feel alright when I wasn¡¯t even weed happily into the world? I knew that, probably why I never asked about my mother so much.


    Honestly, even my ns for stopping dad from hurting me seemed useless. This life seemed to have a story that continued with the more information I wanted to know. When I realized that I loved my dad but couldn¡¯t trust him, all my thoughts turned dark.


    I would always be alone.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter now.¡±


    Looking back, I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Just like Assisi was my family, Valer too was my family. Sometimes they were like the younger siblings I had to care for; there was also Cito and Sanse, my Silvia and Ferdel, along with Serira.


    Woah, now that I hade to think about it, I had so many family members.


    Why did I think for all those years that my dad was with me? I was a real fool.


    When Valer seemed confused, I said.


    ¡°My dad loves me, too, and so did my mom.¡±


    Right, it was okay even if they didn¡¯t try for me out of love.


    However, I knew that both my parents loved me to the core.


    ¡°I know, I know now.¡±


    When I realized that, I had never been happier.


    ¡°I think that I was fortunate to be born for them.¡±


    ¡°You just realize that now?¡±


    Valer asked with a smile. I smiled after seeing him.


    ¡°I want to see dad.¡±


    Right. I missed my home after wandering like a lost dog.


    At my words, Valer nodded.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±

 Chapter 450

    <h4>Chapter 450: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 450</h4>


    I was confused and worried if we would meet on the way; it couldn¡¯t be?


    ¡°Eeh, no way.¡±


    Assisi sighed, seeing us all nervous.


    It just pulled on the robe around me.


    The news that my father had entered the Northern continent didn¡¯t seem to be some baseless rumor. It wasn¡¯t enough that Uprichit¡¯s borders were closed, but our anxiety amplified when he realized that the identity checks were being conducted very thoroughly. Even Valer was nervous.


    Because of the strict security, I couldn¡¯t even dream of going onto the floating ship because we had to be careful of where we moved.


    Would he really catch us?


    I was ready to head back, but I was scared of looking into my father¡¯s face. How could I even look into his eyes after running away from him? I wasn¡¯t that shameless yet. It sucks; everything sucks.


    ¡°But the Northern continent is huge. He can¡¯t find us.¡±


    ¡°R-right?¡±


    Seeing the two of us get anxious, Havel just turned his head away as if he wasn¡¯t interested in joining our conversation. When I saw that indifferent expression, I lowered my head.


    For some reason, the wagons stood in their original ce, and it was the same with the other wagons too.


    There was no traffic problem or clutter, so why did the wagons stop?


    ¡°Which royal family is passing by?¡±


    ¡°Why would a royal familye here? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    As I tried to cut down Valer¡¯s bullshit, I lifted the curtain in the wagon and looked out. I really wanted to know what was causing the dy...


    Once I looked outside, I hit Valer, who was next to me.


    ¡°Get down!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Get down. Let¡¯s get down quickly!¡±


    I urged Assisi to open the door and get down; everyone seemed shocked at my sudden nervous act. I was in such a hurry that I couldn¡¯t even exin it to them adequately.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Before I could even exin what was happening, a huge sound resonated. That was the sound of the horn when a royal family entered a ce; we all halted our movements.


    We were ruined.


    When Valer heard it, he understood why I was urging them to get down.


    We quickly returned to the wagon, but we moved so fast earlier that we were already far from our wagon when we stopped our tracks. There was such a massive crowd around us that we couldn¡¯t move even if we wanted to.


    Ah, we were ruined.


    ¡°Is our daughter here?¡±


    I felt d to hear a blurry but familiar voice from a distance. For a second, I thought it would be good to see my dad amid the situation; I had one hell of a courageous heart then.


    Everyone bowed and waited for my dad to pass. It was natural because we had no intention of causing any problems.


    I, too, bowed my head and thought that my dad would just pass by quietly. Please, please!


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    The passing by horses was getting closer and closer to us.


    There were so many people on the street, but there was no noise around. Everyone seemed to know who was passing the road. The tension spread among us. I endured the urge to raise my head and look around. I was staring at the ground, but I could feel a familiar gaze fall on me from a distance.


    ¡°So.¡±


    The familiar voice made my knees go weak.


    I lifted my head with no hope left in me. Caitel pulled his ck horse and called me out in front of all the people.


    Ha, haha, hahaha!


    As Iughed awkwardly, Caitel asked with his cold gaze.


    ¡°How did it feel running away from my eyes, my daughter?¡±


    Though his words seemed snarky, I could see that he was hurt.


    Not seriously hurt, though. Caitel was only offended to the point where he was angry. If he were outraged, he would have grabbed me right away and taken me somewhere else without even speaking to me.


    Before I saw his face, I was scared as hell, but once I saw my dad, an unknown feeling rushed through me.


    My dad, I was looking at him after a long time.


    My dad.


    ¡°It was fun.¡±


    Yes, it was fun enough that I wanted to try it out again.


    I must have gone crazy.


    Dad looked down with a slightly rxed expression at my answer. I smiled.


    ¡°Are you here to pick me up?¡±


    Dad didn¡¯t answer. He seemed a little upset.


    I reached out to my dad¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Dad-¡±


    I was really a happy person. My dad hade that far just to pick me up. I was satisfied. Although the continent shuddered before him, he was only doing it for his daughter.


    Dad sighed while looking down at me.


    Seeing Caitel, who didn¡¯t want to talk to me, was very fun, mostly since his expression was so funny. Although he did evil things against other countries, he had to be upset; he was still a father, after all. I was sorry after what I put him through, but it was true that I had a lot of fun!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back home.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    As I nodded with an answer, the knights escorting my dad approached us. Also, I saw a familiar face riding on a horse.


    Oh?


    ¡°But why is Ferdel here?¡±


    He saw me, yet he didn¡¯t say hello. Ferdel was only staring at my dad. Caitel didn¡¯t seem to care, but Ferdel seemed different. It was as if the grim reaper was looking at my dad.


    ¡°Why are you looking like that?¡±


    Caitel didn¡¯t answer. I only heard Ferdel¡¯s voice full of anger.


    ¡°Because I have to deal with what this madman does, I am forced to follow him. I didn¡¯t even want toe here! Never!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Seeing that reaction, I assumed that my dad didn¡¯t do something crazy. At Ferdel¡¯s gaze, Caitel brazenly lifted his head, wordlessly asking what he did wrong.


    ¡°Caitel, you crazy bastard!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a praise, you crazed fool! You crazy bastard!¡±


    It would be hard to pour out such rants without Ferdel turning insane. It was shocking for Ferdel to openly curse my dad in a ce where so many people surrounded us. It wasn¡¯t the first time, but it felt familiar; it felt like home.


    It was amazing that my dad brought the prime minister who should be taking care of Agrigient.


    ¡°What on earth happened?¡±


    At my curious question, Ferdel responded as if he was waiting for someone to ask.


    ¡°Ancief and Langres in the southern side are on their feet waiting for war. Won¡¯t they attack the Imperial Pce openly? No one goes over to another country and says, ¡®give me my daughter¡¯! ah, really, it¡¯s a miracle that we¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°... Oh god!¡±


    ¡°Trying to invade Pretzia right after we approved their independence and to block the border as soon as we entered Uprichit. Ugh, I had never seen a man as crazy as you, ugh.¡±


    ¡®Cheer up, my teacher.¡¯


    Even with Ferdel swearing at him from the back, dad¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed. Assisi bowed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything weird and get into the carriage.¡±


    When he said that, a small carriage came from behind him.


    Iughed at it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    With a serious expression, my dad answered.


    ¡°Because you won¡¯t be given a chance to run away again.¡±


    I almostughed but nodded my head.


    Ah, cute.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go in quietly.¡±


    At first, I thought he would be scary, mad, and missing a few screws in his brain, but seeing dad up close made me realize how cute he was.


    Ha, maybe that was why people lived long to see a lot of stuff?


    Heading to the carriage, I looked back. The other members of the group had their heads down, but I saw Havel.


    I thanked him with a nce.


    As I entered the carriage, I felt exhausted. It was as if all the tiredness that umted during our trip started getting to me. Even if I didn¡¯t want to go, I still headed back home, so I decided to get some sleep.


    Leaning on the soft chair of the carriage, I fell asleep.


    Ah, it was so tough.

 Chapter 451

    <h4>Chapter 451: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 451</h4>


    It was after a very long duration that I opened my eyes.


    When I opened my eyes, the inside of the carriage was in pitch darkness.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    ¡®Hold on. This isn¡¯t a carriage.¡¯


    ¡®Have I already arrived somewhere else and was ced in a room?¡¯


    I woke up in a hurry to look around for some kind of clues, but everything was too dark for me to see.


    But...


    Something was cold.


    Along with the damp mood around, I groaned in the darkness.


    ¡®What is this? A kind of bad feeling in me.¡¯


    ¡°Today¡¯s weather is very good, right?¡±


    I suddenly turned my head shocked, at the voice which came from behind. I could see nothing, but right then, I managed to hear something or someone moving around, and something bright like a light hit me. I frowned and closed my eyes at the sudden light.


    Dazzling, blinding light.


    After a while, once my eyes got ustomed to the light, I managed to see my surroundings.


    That was the first time I saw something since I opened my eyes.


    A ce I had never been to before.


    A familiar and straightforward structure that I saw throughout my trip. At that moment, a man approached me and spoke out.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡®Hello, he says.¡¯


    ¡®Who is he, that man?¡¯


    I was nervous at the appearance of a man I had never seen before.


    Something felt wrong about him and the ce.


    If I wasn¡¯t wrong, the man seemed to be around thirty-nine years old or so. To be honest, it was an appearance that of a handsome young man full of energy; he appeared to be a middle-aged one with a young face, but for some reason, I hated the expression he had.


    Once my eyes got used to the light around me, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the man¡¯s hair anymore. The man¡¯s hair was long enough, reaching his ears; it was dark crimson.


    If that were the only thing, I wouldn¡¯t have been so concerned, but for some reason, the silvery-white look in his eyes engulfed me.


    I was at a loss for words.


    The manughed as if he was making fun of me.


    ¡°I am your eldest father.¡±


    It was all for love.


    When a searing pain spread across my body, a damp voice whispered in the ear.


    ¡®Assisi, everyone is doing this to save you.¡¯


    Salvation. Loved and robbed when he couldn¡¯t even experience them, Assisi believed and followed everything his father would say, the only salvation in his life.


    An unsaved child.


    Never loved, even living seemed like a sin¡ªa devil who would lead all his loved ones to their doom.


    He was always under the impression that he had to be hurt for his sins, all because he was born with a bruised body.


    ¡®Since my dad loves me, he is doing it all for my sake.¡¯


    A proof that he was loved.


    His mother wouldn¡¯t return to the mansion. Mother, Lady Sicelia, a famous name, but Assisi never knew why she wouldn¡¯t visit him. When he needed a mother¡¯s affection, he would have a nanny beside him, and he lived in istion in thatvish mansion where her father cut off all contacts from the outside world.


    Everything would have been fine if his mother returned. Everything would be sorted out.


    He would only get to see his mother once a month, but Assisi still felt good. It was very rarely that he ever got to meet his mother.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    Assisi, just as a little child, yearned for his mother¡¯s affection. However, when he asionally held his mother, he hated her soft and sweet scent.


    Still, he used to let his mother hold him because his mom¡¯s hugs were warm.


    ¡°You look very simr to me.¡±


    He liked the subtle smile on her face.


    His father was an ever-frowning man with no emotions.


    ¡°It would have been nice if you were a daughter.¡±


    His mother always seemed sad that her child was a son.


    ¡°But you are my only child, so it doesn¡¯t matter as long as you grow up well.¡±


    A sweet and calming voice ran in his ears.


    ¡°The Zavaikal house is all yours.¡±

 Chapter 452

    <h4>Chapter 452: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 452</h4>


    A man who had too much love for his wife and abused his child. A woman who knew it but didn¡¯t think or do anything to stop him.


    Who did the wrong, and who was the odd one out could not be differentiated between them?


    Looking back, they were strange days. His father loved his wife to the extent that he was blind for her, but he still couldn¡¯t prevent her from continually traveling to the Imperial Pce. He just believed in her and waited with hope that she would return and stay with him in the mansion, but he would continuously strike his child.


    Even after knowing that, his mother did nothing.


    In retrospect, she did like the child, had affection for him, but just didn¡¯t love him. The days when he was waiting for the warmth toe by and make him smile, he was getting tamed by his father.


    The child was around six years old when he saw his mother kiss another man.


    After facing that situation, Assisi became distraught. He just seemed satisfied that he could figure out why his mother would never stay at their mansion.


    It was also when he turned six that he met Ferdel.


    His father¡¯s friend¡¯s son.


    It was the first time Assisi met someone his age. It wasn¡¯t the first time for Ferdel to meet someone, but somehow, Assisi didn¡¯t want to mingle with him, probably because he was the cursed child and couldn¡¯t get too close to anyone.


    The same applied to his cousin, Sil.


    He never got too close to Sil because he liked her. The curse he had would only make Sil suffer. He loved his two friends too much to get close and destroy them. The world they lived in was very different from his world.


    The only one person who didn¡¯t make Assisi feel bad about it was Caitel.


    A child who was very ustomed to pushing others away searched for a child who was simr to himself. When Assisi saw a child his age instinctively move away from others, he was relieved to meet him.


    It wasn¡¯t just him.


    The ce beside Caitel, who never pushed nor approached him, was the most special ce Assisi had ever found.


    Being next to the Winter Tree made him feel at ease without doing anything. He was worried that an abandoned child like himself could take pleasure in the peace offered by the sacred tree, but Caitel told him that it didn¡¯t matter. If it weren¡¯t for those words, Assisi would have never been close to the Winter Tree.


    That was why he was there.


    When he was thirteen, when everyone said Caitel died, Assisi felt like he had lost his ce again.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Your Majesty can...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that is the truth. Just forget everything.¡±


    Fardel asked him to forget about it.


    To just forget.


    Assisi could never get himself to forget about thefort Caitel had given him.


    How was he supposed to find it again?

 Chapter 453

    <h4>Chapter 453: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 453</h4>


    When would it be? When would he ever get to be happy?


    Assisi was in tears while his father¡¯s whispers would always go around his head.


    ¡®If you be kind, you can.¡¯


    Thus, Assisi tried to be kind. He listened well, didn¡¯t cry, and endured every pain given to him. He just held on. All because he wanted to be happy.


    Looking back at it now, he realized how desperate he had been, but at that time, it was the only truth Assisi knew. If he chose not to believe those words, there was no other way he would have lived. Even when everyone denied that method of living, he clung to it.


    If that weren¡¯t true, then he had nothing left.


    No matter how painful and difficult times were, he never epted others¡¯ love. He didn¡¯t want to believe that truth, which was really true. Everyone tried to tell him, but he couldn¡¯t get himself to believe it.


    Why was he even alive if he wasn¡¯t loved?


    No matter how good and kind he was, he never felt happy.


    As if making fun of Assisi, happiness always fled to ces he couldn¡¯t reach. Thus, he gave up on happiness.


    After that, everything feltfortable.


    Then, Caitel, who had been burned to death at thirteen, returned at neen.


    Caitel¡¯s rebellion spewed a bloody scent on the former Agrigient country. Assisi¡¯s father was swept away by the madness and sword in Caitel¡¯s hand.


    It was an effortless task to kill down the women who never held a sword in their hands. Assisi never knew that his father, who was always looking and wanted his mother back, would kill her. By the time Assisi went into his mother¡¯s room, the deed had been done.


    ¡°You are here.¡±


    Soaked in her blood, Assisi¡¯s father greeted.


    ¡°Come one now. I¡¯ll send you with her. Let¡¯s all go away together!¡±


    Raising his sword could prevent it, but the man was his father, way older than Assisi, a man experienced in the de. Meanwhile, Assisi couldn¡¯t lift his weapon.


    ¡°You are a cursed child. You will take everyone to hell. Even if you die, this won¡¯t end. You are the devil himself!¡±


    He thought that it couldn¡¯t be true. No, he was dissatisfied with everything. Was he really a cursed child who made his parents unhappy? Was that why his father and mother were apart? Was it all his fault? He tried to deny it, kept on denying it.


    However, the sight before him destroyed everything. Misfortune everywhere: things were hard to get used to. The pain felt so familiar. He could feel himself alive despite his burning skin.


    The sight which unfolded right in front of him was fierce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±


    When he woke up, his father or the sword was no more. Only a man on the ground, holding his mother.


    ¡°You can¡¯t die.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s low voice. As he lifted his head, he only saw Caitel gasping for breath in a pool of blood.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter that he cut down his father. Too much had happened to care about it.


    ¡°There is no reason for you to die.¡±


    They didn¡¯t mind the blood around them; that was when Caitel spoke to the silent Assisi.


    ¡°Why die in the hands of that human, stupid.¡±


    A red blood dripping de on the ground.


    The sight made Assisi miserable.


    It didn¡¯t matter what happened. Even if Assisi died, he wouldn¡¯t regret the moment.


    Because that was his life, and death didn¡¯t scare him at all.


    However, the fact that he wasn¡¯t loved cut him deeper than a sword. He felt so hurt that he forgot to feel pain.


    ¡°Why am I the only one alive?¡±


    ¡°How would I know that?¡±


    An indifferent and cold response.


    Assisi shook his head. He didn¡¯t know, but there was one thing he understood.


    He lifted his father¡¯s sword on the floor. The blood-soaked sword was in a disgusting shade of red. Caitel felt nervous but didn¡¯t move to take him down. He wasn¡¯t trying tomit suicide; he wanted to die, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Because he knew that if he died, he would never be saved.


    Assisi dropped the sword and knelt on the ground.


    ¡°I will be Your Majesty¡¯s knight. I will pay for the sins of my parents on this earth. This is a life Your Majesty saved, so please use me.¡±


    His reason to live was gone, but he couldn¡¯t die.


    ¡°So I pay for my sins.¡±


    Tears fell from both their eyes.


    ¡°Please kill me.¡±


    He thought that he wouldn¡¯t be epted. He believed that a dirt-covered kid like Assisi would never be acknowledged. However, Caitel¡¯s answer came as a shock.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    His lord, who neither pushed nor approached anyone.


    Such a man had held Assisi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°But if you are with me, you will never be saved.¡± Said Caitel.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Assisi raised his head while still holding onto Caitel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Even if I will never be saved. I will use my life for you.¡±


    A warm handforted him.


    Arca III


    Hadeian calendar 519, 16th of July, by Ferdel.


    We don¡¯t know if our Ria is a genius or a criminal.


    Sometimes she would have brilliant ideas, but her immaturity shows when I ced her vision into practice.


    Caitel thought his child, Ria, is some kind of genius.


    Bloody funny!


    Hadeian calendar 526, 16th of September, raining.


    I don¡¯t know how long I have been writing down this diary. Sometimes, the Prime Minister is a small role, but this small role is a massive change for His Majesty.


    Hadeian Calendar 528, 12th of May, stormy winds are blowing.


    I am just happy that Ria is growing up. I feel bad since she doesn¡¯t have a birth mother with her, but seeing the princess follow me around, I feel bad for her. When she was young, she wouldn¡¯t even eat her meal with me beside her, but now she is growing into an adult without me...


    Hadean Calendar 528, 6th of June.


    ... Caitel stupid bastard.


    -diary of an unknown person found inside the pce-

 Chapter 454

    <h4>Chapter 454: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 454</h4>


    I would never betray someone.


    My life must have been filled with bad luck.


    Ever since I was born as my dad¡¯s daughter, it was the only thing that hadn¡¯t changed, but I realized something. I was a girl who could break her nose when she fell forward!


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t much of a miracle that I was alive till then? Oh, well, usually, it would have been a miracle.


    No matter how much I thought about it, I didn¡¯t understand my situation, let alone run away from them.


    What the hell happened when I was asleep? Now, I was in the arms of my eldest dad, whom I have never seen even once in my life.


    ¡®What the hell is he?!¡¯


    ¡°Must be a dream.¡±


    ... ah, bull shit.


    Yeah, a ridiculous bullshit story, and the only thing I could imagine. It had to be magic.


    I must have gone crazy,


    Well, even if I went crazy, this situation was probably the worst that could happen.


    So now I... I felt like I had been kidnapped.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t sure since I had never been kidnapped before.


    ¡°Looks like you are still out of your mind. I can¡¯t imagine why you wouldn¡¯t be confused.¡±


    I was taken aback. The dream began to fade away after hearing his low voice.


    If I couldn¡¯t wake up from this sleep, it had to be one of the two situations. Either I stayed up for a week and my mind had lost it in sleep, or I was just in insane. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t either of them.


    ¡®Ah, let¡¯s gulp something and pinch myself.¡¯


    Right, it wasn¡¯t a dream.


    When I stood up and looked again, I saw a man who imed to be my eldest father.


    Could it be true? Was he really my dad¡¯s brother?


    First of all, he looked a lot older than dad. That could mean that he really was my eldest dad, but he didn¡¯t look much like my dad either. Plus, the peculiar hair color he had was a color that couldn¡¯t be bought with a dye.


    Was he really my eldest dad then?


    He was a little weird, and I couldn¡¯t affirm it.


    Oh, well, he said he was my eldest dad for a reason; I didn¡¯t know if it was the truth or not. How would I even know if that was the truth or if he was deceiving me? I never even saw his face before.


    But that wasn¡¯t the important part.


    I tried to get my mind together, trying to ignore everything else.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this our first time meeting in person?¡±


    ¡°Yes, nice to meet you. Good morning?¡±


    Stillness and silence sank into the room. The cold air around us made me more confused.


    Did I say something wrong?


    ¡°Uhahhhahahahah!¡±


    Suddenly, the man began tough hysterically. I felt frightened.


    What was that? It was scary.


    Maybe I said something wrong.


    Did I even say anything weird?


    I tried to act more familiar and polite, but it seemed like he took it differently.


    I felt a little upset.


    ¡°You are so bright in person.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you. It is just how I behave.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ... at least I was sure that my personality was better than his.


    No, I was sure that I was saner than anyone else on my father¡¯s side of the family.


    Well, it looked like I was having a day. I didn¡¯t know my maternal grandfather ended up being alive, and then I met my aunt. Now, there was that guy who called himself my eldest dad.


    I had a considerable family, wow!


    Of course, unlike my aunt and grandfather, this man gave me the feels that we wouldn¡¯t get along.


    Ah, this feeling. It didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    His cool gaze looked at my body and reached for my eyes. From then, he looked into my eyes for a very long time, drifting them away.


    ¡®What is it? Can¡¯t he take his eyes off me?¡¯


    ¡®Well, I am pretty, really, really pretty.¡¯


    Although his eyes scanning me up and down were tantly unpleasant, he was lucky I didn¡¯t re at him. By the way, the way he openly showed his scrutinizing eyes was an offensive act. That being said, I had a clear impression formed on him! I already understood his behavior.


    ¡°You are pretty. There must have been a lot of guys saying good things about you.¡±


    ¡°I am a little popr.¡±


    At my response, the sixth princeughed.


    Young people were generally cute, so elders wouldn¡¯t care much. He was smiling with his face, but howe his facial muscles were disying a smug look?


    Was he really smiling? I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could think and act immediately, but at least in this situation, I knew that it would be better to draw some lines between us.


    Right,ugh. Justughing along with him wouldn¡¯t mean that my face would get worn out.


    ¡°You seem quite confident. Yes, is there any fianc¨¦ promised for you in the future?¡±


    It was a very formal question, but I justughed.


    ¡®Mountains are mountains and water are waters.¡¯


    Far from getting a fianc¨¦, I grew up without even dreaming about dating, thanks to the strict protection of Caitel! Solo all my life! It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to get married, but my solo life was sad.


    ¡°No. I grew up fine...¡±


    ¡°Ah, a woman¡¯s life is always for marriage.¡±


    ¡®Haha, what did you say?¡¯


    ¡®A man was telling a woman that her life depended on a man, wah!¡¯


    ¡®Phew, calm down. I couldn¡¯t act rough. He was fortunate that I wasn¡¯t an emotional person. Patriarchal much? It would be very nice to see him die.¡¯


    ¡°You must be hungry. I prepared something you would like.¡±


    I was trying to calm my anger when the sixth prince said that.


    A small tray entered the room at his voice.


    Until that moment, I felt angry, but when I saw the foode in, I felt relieved.


    Why was the food in the tray so familiar?


    It was the food and desserts I often ate in the pce.


    Did he know my preferences? I wasn¡¯t sure of the details, but I felt reluctant to ask. Did he do a background check on me? My face went stiff. Theposition and decoration of the food were too much of a coincidence, no?


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±


    I had no reason to refuse the food given to me. Most of all, when I saw rice, I turned hungry.


    I realized that my stomach had been empty. Since I left Bureti, I only ate a small meal, so it had been three to four days since I had a proper meal. I was feeling bad that I was getting a proper meal from a stranger, but I was ready to eat it.


    Well, it tasted good.


    Once I started to eat, all the noises around me just vanished. I lived only for the food, and once I started munching on it, it was as if the noise was being eaten away too.


    I hated it. In the end, I needed to talk with him again.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t expecting him to answer. I only asked because I had to talk to him. Not so shockingly, his answer was what I expected.


    ¡°Secret¡±


    ¡°Then, how about a little hint?¡±


    ¡°Umm, let me just say that we are still inside Uprichit.¡±


    A smile formed on his lips, but I overlooked it. Did he mean that we were still in Uprichit or that we would soon pass Uprichit?


    When he said Uprichit, I felt relieved. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had been asleep, so I didn¡¯t know how long it was since I had been kidnapped, but the situation didn¡¯t seem too bad. At least my dad could find me here.


    Of course, finding us wouldn¡¯t be easy, but I wanted to believe that he would find me.


    ... there was nothing else I could do. Damn it.


    ¡°What are you going to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°I am very useless. I can¡¯t even cook.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hunt, clean, or doundry, but I knew how to ride a horse.


    ¡®Ha, I really am useless.¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be funny, but he still chuckled. With augh, the sixth prince grunted and added.


    ¡°It is natural that you can¡¯t do those things.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°A woman¡¯s use is determined by her beauty and how she beds.¡±


    What?


    He was barely holding back a smile, but I was smart enough to see through him.


    ¡®What bullshit is he spouting!? Yah! You! Eldest dad? People have the freedom to think, but they should at least filter the wordsing out of their mouths; words need to be restrained.¡¯


    I wouldn¡¯t say that no humans thought as such, but at least such humans weren¡¯t around me when I was growing up.


    Did he grow up fine? I guess not!


    There seemed to be humans worse than my dad.


    I lost my words upon hearing the bullshit he spoke; I didn¡¯t even know what to say.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of me?¡±


    While I was in thought, a question came up for me.


    What did he say? Had I ever heard of him? I was a little flustered at his sudden absurd question.


    What? What did he even want?

 Chapter 455

    <h4>Chapter 455: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 455</h4>


    I couldn¡¯t understand his intentions, so I didn¡¯t even know what to say. Ah, I lost.


    ¡°No. I heard about you at times.¡±


    ¡°At times?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sometimes.¡±


    Perhaps it was an interesting answer; the sixth prince¡¯s expression changed slightly. It was a change I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if I wasn¡¯t keenly looking at him. As if to make me talk more, the sixth prince nudged his chin forward.


    Holding my sweaty hands, I recalled what I knew about him.


    ¡°The sixth prince of Emperor Ivan, Siron.¡±


    ¡°You know my name.¡±


    ¡°Caitel tried to kill you when he was still a prince, and the day Caitel turned as the Emperor, you fled from the Imperial Pce.¡±


    Listening to my words, Siron beckoned me to continue.


    ¡°And?¡±


    He smiled.


    A sly twisted smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°The cause of the Agrigient civil war and the conquest war.¡±


    Perhaps because I was nervous, my breathing turned ragged and loud.


    The air around wasn¡¯t so good.


    As if watching me react, the sixth prince sat and stared at me. I just smiled.


    It was better than crying, right?


    ¡°Anything else other than that?¡±


    What else could be there? Instead of answering, I just shrugged. Seeing my attitude, the sixth princeughed.


    Did I look funny? For some reason, I looked at the man in front of me. He seemed very simr to what I saw before but felt different.


    Still with such vital energy, he looked young enough and didn¡¯t seem to be in his 40s, just like my dad.


    Their only difference was their hair color. It seemed a little darker and more vivid red than my dad¡¯s. The only proof that we were connected by blood.


    I didn¡¯t think he would be any kinder than my dad. It was at that very moment that I wanted to escape from his grasp, but I didn¡¯t even know where to run.


    My family was the biggest enemy of my life. This had to be a tragedy.


    ¡°What kind of rtionship do you have with my dad?¡±


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t you see that we aren¡¯t on good terms?¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask because I didn¡¯t know.


    I was trying to know things before my search party reached. It would have been a lot better if Ferdel was in my ce.


    ¡®Teacher, why didn¡¯t you teach me anything rted to this?¡¯


    I had been feeling it from before, but my nervousness began to get to me. The sixth prince seemed to be smiling, but I knew that it wasn¡¯t a genuine one. He was talking kindly and softly but was putting me on my guard. Why was I feeling so ufortable?


    I was the daughter of his younger brother who drove him away. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t know that.


    I couldn¡¯t just act like I didn¡¯t know it.


    ¡°If we weren¡¯t born as brothers, we wouldn¡¯t have looked at each other at all.¡±


    What could it be? That was a huge attack on my dad.


    I knew that he meant it sincerely, so I couldn¡¯t retort back.


    They were born brothers, but they were farther away from anyone¡ªa rtionship in which one had to die for another to survive.


    Probably because I never had any experience or was in a situation where I survived by killing someone. I couldn¡¯t understand their rtionship. I didn¡¯t know how to understand it.


    Why should I understand those two people? I was being weird.


    I ended up eating my meal quietly.


    ¡°Is it delicious? It was prepared specially for you.¡±


    ¡°Does it have poison?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that they would resort to that, but the sixth prince smiled again.


    What, he must love to smile.


    The sixth prince shook his hand when I stopped munching on the food, thinking it was poisoned.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do that. If we resorted to that, wouldn¡¯t you die too quickly after getting caught?¡±


    ¡°Well, that sounds usible.¡±


    He responded moderately, and I grabbed the spoon again.


    He said he didn¡¯t ce any poison, so I should finish eating. It seemed that my head was in my stomach for the first time. Leaving such delicious food would be terrible for me.


    Ah, delicious.


    ¡°Honestly, when Caitel first decided to keep you alive and raise you, I sent someone to kill you.¡±


    He tried to kill me? I didn¡¯t know his reason for telling me this story, but surprisingly, as soon as I heard the story, I thought of something.


    No way. I could never forget these memories even if I wanted to.


    The first murder I ever saw. An event where I couldn¡¯t stop crying even though Caitel was right in front of me. It was a shocking event, impossible to forget.


    As my expression changed, the sixth prince had a wide smile.


    ¡°Why did I do it back then? I think I did it because I was annoyed to see Caitel take the throne, but now that I think about it, the guards of the Imperial Pce did well to me.¡±


    Ah, I get it. It was an event that would have stayed as a trauma of my life, but it felt strange meeting the perpetrator of the incident.


    Whenever I think about it, I still feel cold and nervous.


    If Caitel hadn¡¯t saved me at that time, I would have been dead.


    ¡°Right. There are a lot more. Did you like the other gifts I sent?¡±


    ¡°Gift?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I sent a cute guy.¡±


    Who was the cute guy?


    My lips pursed together since I couldn¡¯t recall anyone of such attributes in the pce. Up until then, I didn¡¯t notice anyone like that. Was the man in front of me a new human species who could cause difort by just being there?


    ¡°I sent a cute boy who resembled you once. Hmm, can¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    I could only guess one person.


    Sometimes, I did think about how he was living by himself. I hadn¡¯t approached him for a while, but I cared for him.


    Except for my father, myself, and the sixth prince, there was only one royal family in Agrigient.


    Catching onto my expression, the sixth prince nodded as if my thoughts were correct. I couldn¡¯t believe that.


    Had this man sent that child over?


    ¡°I was expecting a lot, but I am disappointed because your reaction wasn¡¯t as interesting as I expected.¡±


    I was flustered, not knowing how to react to the man¡¯s words.


    I was upset about it! I wanted to dissect his bloody brain! What could I do and what should I do? All of this while I thought that it was dad¡¯s son...


    ¡®I am sorry, dad.¡¯


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Maybe there are more?¡±


    It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t tell me what they were.


    I was getting curious.


    It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to know, but I just had to know what I was going on. I felt it from the first moment; the man before me was a nutcase.


    Ah, even my dad never acted like that.


    I knew it, craziness ran in our family.


    ¡°You are a lot lovelier than I heard. It is a waste that you are Caitel¡¯s daughter, but if you weren¡¯t, you are pretty enough to be collected.¡±


    Was I a flower to reap? I wanted to shout at his horrible choice of words, but Icked the courage. Damn it.


    Of all the things, I was more afraid of what I would have to face if I yelled at him.


    He¡¯d kill me. I was ruined.


    As I decided to stay quiet, I could feel the sixth prince wanting to say something.


    Wait. Should I listen to him?


    ¡°... you must have heard a lot about me.¡±


    ¡°I heard a lot. What you do, what you look like, and even the ces you go to.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know I had such a huge fan.


    I tried not to make a face, but I narrowed my eyes. Somehow, it felt absurd. No matter how stupid I was, I wasn¡¯t dumb enough not to realize what he meant. I did understand.


    ¡°I always waited.¡±


    Words that fell from him cut down the flow of my thoughts. I bit my lip. My distorted expression piqued the sixth prince¡¯s interest.


    ¡°A lot more lovely and a lot more beautiful.¡±


    My breathing halted. Trying to hold back the shuddering in my body, I tried to look calm.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    What did my beauty have to do with anything, so I waited for him to answer. Someone who I never met knew a lot of things about me. My life couldn¡¯t have gotten any creepier.


    At that moment, he answered.


    A cruel yetid back answer.


    ¡°That is why Caitel would die for you.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    My body turned pale.


    I had to say something back, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to speak. I knew it. I expected something like it would happen, but my mind wasn¡¯t ready for it; just the thought of it sent ripples down my body.


    My dad would die because of me.


    What? I wasn¡¯t upset, but it wasn¡¯t a refreshing feeling either.


    ¡°Do you think I will cooperate with you?¡±


    The sixth princeughed as I asked him.


    It would have been nice if I was angry or irritated, but this was just unpleasant.


    Heughed, a fishy psychopath¡¯sugh with a disturbing gaze.


    Like an earthworm trying toe out of the mud.


    Seeing that, I could finally conclude.


    After struggling all this while.


    ¡®Oh, indeed, the man is my father¡¯s brother.¡¯


    Disgusting.


    The sixth prince smiled at my gaze.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±


    He spoke as if he was generous¡ªabsurdity to the highest level.


    ¡°What was the reason for all this? What would you even get from this?¡±


    My anger reached him. In that gaze, I felt my body tied up.


    His eyes were creepy enough, a persistent dark gaze.


    ¡°My seat...¡±


    A shot but resolute answer.


    ¡°My throne which your father took.¡±


    He meant it.


    I couldn¡¯t say anything when I encountered the deepest and hidden emotions in his eyes. There was nothing I could do to stop his rage.


    ¡°It is time for me to get it back.¡±

 Chapter 456

    <h4>Chapter 456: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 456</h4>


    What was on the throne, which made him cry out loud? He wasn¡¯t crying, but he looked like he wanted to.


    Ha, rotten bastard. How did I get into such a situation? As if it wasn¡¯t enough for me to get caught in an unknown ce, now I was a prisoner.


    I should really think about it. I wasn¡¯t hoping to be a VIP, but this situation was messed up.


    Prisoners whomit treason are ced in dungeons till their death! What crime did Imit?


    I was stuck in a ce where I could never walk away from, so all kinds of horrible thoughts passed over my head.


    The smelly room was so dirty that I could never sit or touch it. On the walls were moss and mold, the smell of urine soaked throughout the room.


    Even the corpses of insects that died were lying here and there.


    Ugh, my eyes were destroyed.


    To live in such extraordinary ces. Such an experience.


    I sighed.


    Without Caitel, I realized how useless and worthless I was.


    Right, it must be what Ferdel used to say. The fate of a girl called Ariadna, who depended on her father.


    I had a subtle feeling that my destiny was in someone else¡¯s hand. No matter how much I tried to develop myself, the shade that Caitel provided me was too massive.


    That was why my father was great.


    I only moved a little, but the dust in prison moved with me.


    Ugh, I was to live in such a ce. I was sure of dying from lung disease. I felt like I knew a little about the sixth Prince, who had been hiding until then.


    I fucked up!


    ¡°Ah, cold.¡±


    ¡®Give me a nket, have some manners!¡¯


    It was a deep underground prison; how was it so cold? I hugged myself while walking around the room, but the cold didn¡¯t go away.


    Ha, damned life. The light of my life was fading away.


    If I were to die in this hole, I would die from the cold. Honestly, I knew I would.


    Whether it was because I wasn¡¯t born as a man or simply because I had no ambition, I couldn¡¯t understand the sixth prince. What the hell would the man do to get the throne? I didn¡¯t know!


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    There must have been a lot of dirty things he would do.


    Of course, I knew what the emperor acted like since I was born in the royal family and grew up as a princess. It was annoying yet striking.


    In the beginning, it didn¡¯t make sense that one man ruled a vastnd. Of course, all thend belonged to nobles, but the Emperor made many decisions. That was the only reason why I didn¡¯t want to take the throne.


    Apart from suchplicated and bothersome things, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would control thend properly. It was tough for someone like me to rule it. Above all, it was difficult for me to be neutral and not biassed towards anyone.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    My point of view and the sixth prince¡¯s thoughts were entirely different.


    It wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t understand. A man born to be the Emperor, the sixth prince, was supposed to be the king, but then my dad appeared out of nowhere and took away the throne. The hatred between them made sense.


    That didn¡¯t mean I sympathized with him.


    ¡°The sixth prince tried to kill dad first, right?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that basic? There was a man who died because someone tried to kill them?


    I still couldn¡¯t understand his desire to be a king. Was it just an ambition? Or his pride?


    I didn¡¯t know. It was something a person like me couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Ha...¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know what kind of person the sixth prince was. Until that day, I didn¡¯t even remember that he was alive.


    On the day my father ascended the throne, the prince had disappeared. A war fought only to capture the sixth prince. At first, the pursuit of nobles who supported the sixth prince. Such a thing always happened with a new Emperor. However, Caitel destroyed everyone who supported the sixth prince, which led to numerous civil wars.


    In the end, Caitel won.


    A natural result.


    However, because of that, Agrigient fell into chaos.


    Fardel, who was the prime minister of that time, recalled that he wanted to kill Caitel for continuing to wage wars.


    However, Caitel said that, even though the country was destroyed, he aimed to capture the sixth prince.


    ¡®That is very much like dad, right?¡¯


    Eventually, the sixth prince fled.


    Of course, Caitel decided to capture the prince who fled. Ugh. Sigh.


    He made requests to the neighboring countries to kill the sixth prince, but unfortunately, all countries except Ancief refused.


    After that, a war broke out.


    Agrigient¡¯s war of conquest.


    The result was the current Agrigient Empire.


    It started as a sibling rivalry, but it ended with almost all nations falling to Agrigient, and when the war ended, a vast empire was formed.


    Caitel made it all.


    Although he couldn¡¯t capture the sixth prince, he built an empire so huge that no one would even speak about the sixth prince. Anytime his presence was mentioned, Caitel would pull on a sword without fail.


    ¡°They should act like siblings, ugh.¡±


    One turns the world upside down. One turns me over.


    Whenever Caitel popped out of nowhere, the prince would hide.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem like the story ended there. The sixth prince was always making his ns, a small scale one.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t be sure of it.¡±


    Will my dad ride here?


    ¡°Will hee to save me?¡±


    Why wasn¡¯t I confident...


    I had been thinking about it since I was young. If I died, it would be due to my dad or someone who hated him.


    I didn¡¯t need a prophecy to know that.


    I understood it from my younger days. I saw the reality. I was strangely calm, but my anxiousness was slowly building up in my bloodstream.


    Right, I was so anxious that I couldn¡¯t sit still!


    ¡°... will it be fine, daddy?¡±


    If he knew I was there, I had a feeling he would rescue me. I was just worried about what it would do to my dad. I wasn¡¯t sure that I would be pleased with the oue.


    I had always been alone!


    ¡°It will turn into a mess now.¡±


    Though my body was in prison, I was thinking about my dad. I looked at the wall.


    Sherto.


    Dad must have been running all over the ce.


    Even I used to do that when I couldn¡¯t handle my anger. Maybe he was getting his hands bloodied once again.


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t happen.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why I was more worried about my dad than myself.


    Even if I met my grandfather and aunt, Caitel would always be my dad.


    Ugh, as usual.


    Sturdy as a tree.


    When I thought about it, a smile burst on my face. I imagined my dad would beat people up. That would happen! A high possibility!


    ¡°... It would be funnier to have him next to me.¡±


    Of course, it was a future that I would have to see. Something felt good. At least, I wasn¡¯t miserable anymore.


    ¡°Can he stay alive?¡±


    I was out there holding my breath. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t believe in my dad, but the reality I was in scared me even when I tried not to.


    Dying at 25, I managed to start a new life again, but it seemed like I was living my final days when I was 25. 18 years passed, but I was still stuck. My loneliness remained unchanged.


    No, my body grew, but my mind was the same as ever.


    I looked back at the life I experienced in my 18 years of living; it felt like my life was in my hands for once.


    Right, my whole life as Ariadna.


    I had never crossed paths with death in my life.


    My n for this life was not to die, survive under my father¡¯s shadow, eat well, and live... nothing more. I couldn¡¯t even think of anything else I did.


    Pathetic. There was nothing that could be said. I had no goal. Until then, I had only been aiming to stay alive and grow up well under my strict father.


    ¡°If I am not going to be the emperor, I had to at least think about what I will do to live.¡±


    Since I always had money, I didn¡¯t worry about that.


    I could get married.


    In particr, I wasn¡¯t in an era where women were essories for men, but marriages were essential to receive an adult status in Agrigient, both for men or women. I thought I would die solo, but I had a marriage n. It sounds a little strange.


    ¡°It would be possible if dad allows me to marry.¡±


    That would be a story I would have to think about if I managed to leave this ce safely.


    A dark dungeon. Tiny lights were glowing in the hallways. A ce with no moonlight or stars to be seen, a familiar darkness. Something I had been used to when I was young.


    ¡°... dad.¡±


    The situation I was in.


    Caitel.


    The sixth prince.


    Looking back at it, I knew very little about why my dad tried to hide me.


    Just because I was away from Caitel¡¯s shadow didn¡¯t mean I was independent. No, it was because of me that I ended up in the situation.


    Whether stupid or innocent, I acted recklessly. Going out of my dad¡¯s reach ended badly for me.


    No one else had as many enemies as my dad.


    Me getting caught meant trouble for Caitel and Agrigient. There were so many things I didn¡¯t know about.


    ¡°Whenever I was in danger, he ran for me.¡±


    Dranste, what a liar!


    I didn¡¯t like the darkness, but this situation was scary. It was terrifying; I was so scared that I started thinking of seeing Dranste.


    Dranste, damn it!


    Shouldn¡¯t he show up here?


    He always appeared when I didn¡¯t need him and acted as if he could give me everything, but Dranste was farther than anyone else when I needed him. In the end, I was alone.


    I wish someone would be by my side, but my calls were in vain. I wanted to see Dranste, but I didn¡¯t know how; he did tell me, but I couldn¡¯t remember.


    Haa, stupid me.


    I tried to sit down on the dirty floor.


    Was it night outside? Or day? I knew nothing because I was trapped. I didn¡¯t know what was happening outside, but I hoped my dad wouldn¡¯t get too worried about me.


    ¡®Right, I¡¯m still fine.¡¯

 Chapter 457

    <h4>Chapter 457: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 457</h4>


    Being trapped somewhere was more frustrating than I had imagined. I thought I could stay still under captivity, but that was wishful thinking.


    Getting trapped somewhere was terrible.


    There¡¯s nothing one could do, and one wouldn¡¯t even know the date and time. Even after being given rice twice a day, it would only confuse one¡¯s sense of day and night.


    ¡°I need to do something.¡±


    I was turning crazy, not knowing what to do to leave this dungeon.


    Was it supposed to be a new type of torture? Even when I tried to calm my mind, I couldn¡¯t stop being nervous. The only thoughts in my head were all about the helplessness of my situation.


    ¡®Right, thanks for letting me know, brain!¡¯


    ¡®Ah, thank you for making me go crazy!¡¯


    This was the first time I faced such a situation. Was it because I always had someone looking after me? It seemed to me that I was in a position where I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Come to think of it...


    I still have my memories of childhood like they were brand new. It felt as if it just happened yesterday; I could remember them clearly. I thought that I would someday forget them.


    Was my brain always so good? Usually, one would forget their memories .


    ¡°When I was a baby, Caitel would brainwash me into thinking I was ugly.¡±


    I clearly remembered how Caitel looked during those days, telling me how ugly I was, and suddenly, I felt like crying.


    When I was young, I wasn¡¯t ugly at all!


    Why did he keep saying that!?


    ¡°I always thought that I would be independent once I grew up...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know anything then that I would grow up longing for my dad¡¯s love.


    Stupid.


    ¡°Caitel was making me ufortable and scared.¡±


    At that time, I didn¡¯t want to meet him since I never knew when he would kill me for doing something. Although Caitel often nagged, those thoughts had disappeared from my mind.


    Somehow, I managed to live longer. Maybe he grew kinder with time; looking back on the time which changed us, a smile formed on my lips.


    If one knew me from the past, they¡¯d just click their tongue at the weird attempts I made to survive in the pce.


    When did Ie to like my dad so much?


    ¡°Was it because of his beauty? Looks? No. It isn¡¯t like I am attracted to handsome men. Then what? Was it his smile? That¡¯s weird.¡±


    Every time my dadughed, I only thought of how scary it was. I had no reason for loving my dad, nothing specific came to mind.


    I really love my dad...


    A sudden realization. It was natural that I would love my dad in many ways, but liking Caitel came as a shock to me. I only realized something so simple once I turned 18.


    While I was in my thoughts, I could hear the noise in the hallways.


    I became anxious.


    What? Was it already time to eat? It didn¡¯t seem like that.


    Above all, a few men were approaching the iron bars where I was trapped.


    Around ten people.


    What was it? Did something happen?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    When I asked them out of nervousness, they silently opened the iron door of the prison. It should have felt nice to get released from the disgustingly dirty prison, but it didn¡¯t feel that good.


    As I looked through the opened door, a man spoke.


    ¡°Come on out, princess.¡±


    They knew I was a princess?


    Since they were handling me pretty roughly, I thought they wouldn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t want to go out because my intuition tugged on my mind telling me not to go out.


    Well, if I didn¡¯t do that, they would drag me out.


    I sighed out loud. I was no prophet, but I knew a bad situation when I saw one.


    Inevitably, I walked out of my cell in my own volition.


    Ugh, I didn¡¯t like this.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    When I was trapped, I wanted to leave, but when I left, I wanted to return. Something felt odd. Should I say that it felt like something huge was about to happen?


    It seemed like a long time passed since I wasst trapped, but it didn¡¯t seem like I was out of prison forever.


    ¡®Why the hell are they calling me? Why?!¡¯


    I was nervous and had no opening to ask, but the men wouldn¡¯t speak even when asked.


    ¡®Ugh, these damn men! Say something to me!¡¯


    ¡°Who called me? Where are we going?¡±


    The man started to get annoyed when I kept asking the question out loud. The tall man looked at me, making me flinch. His cold eyes stared down at me; it was bothersome to even look at him.


    Maybe he¡¯ll hit me.


    ¡°Mr. Siorn has called.¡±


    The atmosphere about us was unusual, so I shut up.


    Right, I had to figure out what was happening.


    I shut my mouth and nodded and began to walk again. I followed them with my hands clenched.


    For what was he calling me for?


    Meanwhile, I was shocked at how long the dungeon was since I had to walk for a lot of time. Even when I tried to look around, I couldn¡¯t find anyone other than the humans surrounding me.


    I couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    As I sighed, I noticed a hall.


    Roughly, I knew that I was trapped in some kind of mansion or pce, but I felt strange when I entered a hall where balls were held.


    Why would he suddenly call me to that ce?


    ¡°Come on, Ria. There are guests I need you to meet.¡±


    The sixth prince, who greeted me with a smile, didn¡¯t pass through my vision. Only one man who entered the hall came into my view.


    ¡°... dad?¡±


    ¡®What is he...?¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t figure what was happening, so I just looked at him and the sixth prince instead. It was just by chance, but for a moment, the sixth prince looked like he had power above all, and that frustrated the hell out of me.


    But.


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    Is he alone?!


    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was my eyes or my mind ying tricks on me. What was he even thinking, my dad, walking in here all alone?


    Didn¡¯t he know that it was an enemy camp?


    Obviously, the sixth prince had nned it, a trap, but how could he still have such confidence?!


    I had nothing to say. Shocked, I couldn¡¯t even form any words to say.


    Caitel, who entered the hall, smiled while looking at me. With a different smile than usual, I wanted to punish myself.


    ¡®What was with that smile!? I had nothing to say! My dad!!¡¯


    ¡°It has been a while, brother.¡±


    ¡°It has been very long, Siorn.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on. I just watched from a distance. Unlike the bright smile he had, when Caitel talked with the sixth prince, his face distorted.


    He had a twisted smile. I didn¡¯t see him for a day or two or longer, but he still seemed fine. All the people in the hall seemed to be working for the sixth prince.


    Even after I rubbed my eyes and looked back at them, it seemed like no one came with my dad.


    ¡®Woah, we are done.¡¯


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to meet your family, brother?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re family?¡±


    ¡°We are family, brother.¡±


    As if sad, the sixth prince frowned at Caitel¡¯s words. He looked upset that someone unknown would misunderstand their rtionship.


    The problem was that the expression wasn¡¯t an honest one. The sixth prince shook his head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a peculiar situation?¡±


    As if he didn¡¯t know, the voice of the sixth prince made Caitel¡¯s expression crumble even further. I thought that dad would have thought of something beforeing over.


    ¡°Now stop dying so slowly, brother. You have lived for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who lived a lot more than expected?¡±


    At the sixth prince¡¯s response, Caitel shrugged.


    ¡°You stupidly stole everything from me, everything! I was very disappointed.¡±


    Their conversation and the way they spoke could make the others tremble.


    I was frightened to see the sixth prince grunting his teeth. On one side of the hall, I saw dad, but he seemed rxed as if he could handle anything.


    ¡®Dude, this is not Agrient!¡¯


    I wanted him to shout and yell too.


    ¡°Right, but thanks to your pretty daughter here, I can take down your life, right? All because you ran over here like a stupid man.¡±


    ... the sixth prince emphasized the ¡®stupid¡¯ part; it couldn¡¯t be my mistake, right?


    Of course, it was Caitel and not the sixth prince who moved. He was rxed, standing tall and calm. That was all he did, and almost everyone in the hall looked nervously at him.


    I felt it all the time, but no one could get used to the feeling and aura that my father exuded.


    ¡°Give me my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Take her. If you can.¡±


    The sixth princeughed at Caitel¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think you misunderstood.¡±


    Caitel spoke.


    He shrugged and spoke again.


    ¡°I am not asking. I am ordering. Give her to me.¡±


    The sixth princeughed at my dad¡¯s words¡ªan obvious mockery.


    ¡°You think you can order me around?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can.¡±


    What was happening?


    Someone stepped into the hall before I could even wonder.


    An old woman with her hands tied was dragged into the room. The woman brought by the Agrient soldiers stood pale and exhausted. She looked pitiful.


    Uh? Who? This was my first time seeing her.


    I was wondering who the woman was, but the sixth prince answered my questions.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    What? Mother?


    I was shocked.


    Thatdy was the sixth prince¡¯s mother?! It was shocking that she was still alive, but it was even more shocking that Caitel brought her here.


    ... who was the bad guy!?


    ¡°If you want to live, you better heed to my orders.¡±


    The additional warnings...


    ¡®My dad is a viin!¡¯


    In that moment, Caitel smiled.


    ¡°You want a political upper hand over someone who¡¯s prepared to die, aren¡¯t you being careless?¡±


    The situation turned.

 Chapter 458

    <h4>Chapter 458: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 458</h4>


    What was the situation? My father, who was supposed to be anxious, was somewhat cool headed instead, while the sixth prince was nervous.


    ¡°Are you trying to trick me! did you think that I would do as you asked?!¡±


    ¡°If you think I am tricking you, I can kill her.¡±


    Caitel pulled out the sword of a nearby soldier and raised it without hesitations, ready to strike her.


    ¡®Is he really going to kill?¡¯


    I was staring, waiting for what he would do, but suddenly, someone shouted from the side.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The sword stopped right near her neck. Caitel looked at the source of the voice, deep silence spreading across the room. In the subtle tension that no one wanted to intervene, the sixth prince decided to raise the white g.


    The sixth prince gave a short order while looking at Caitel.


    ¡°Release her.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Siorn!¡±


    The sixth prince¡¯s face crumbled. I was shocked.


    ¡°Release her.¡±


    Releasing me was a good sign...


    How did the situation turn so well?


    With dissatisfied faces, the soldiers released me. I ran straight to my dad. I walked down the stairs and ran across the hall towards Caitel. It felt like forever.


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if they were sent away, but no one stopped me until I reached my dad.


    What. Eating on such a day would feel good, right?


    ¡°Let this go now, okay? Haven¡¯t you ever heard about the honor of a man¡¯s words?¡±


    ¡°Well, no one told me about such things.¡±


    Responding, Caitel held his sword.


    With minimal movement, Caitel looked at me.


    ¡°Prepare to run.¡±


    ¡®Run? Is there another n, dad?¡¯


    I tried to prepare my band, but I was anxious. Could we really get away from there?


    The old woman that Caitel released went into the sixth prince¡¯s side. She seemed so weak that I felt sad about the treatment she received. After all, life in this world was a mess.


    The sixth prince, who saw his mother being taken away to a safe ce, turned a littlefortable and looked towards us. That viin, when his mother was taken away, he changed.


    ¡°But it looks like the results are already decided, brother.¡±


    Results are decided?


    The sixth prince, who was full of anger, spoke again.


    ¡°I did say it. I have no intention of sending you two back alive.¡±


    ¡°As I said, I am not letting you live either.¡±


    Caitel clenched his sword. That alone gave me a rough idea of what would happen.


    Woah! That sixth prince, one hell of a bad guy!


    If he let us go, things would have ended neatly!


    ¡°Catch them and bring them here!¡±


    The sixth prince ordered while ncing at us.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you bring them dead either.¡±


    At that very moment, Caitel grabbed my hand and ran.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Ahhhh!


    What the hell?


    It was nice to meet my dad after so long, but I was asked to run, but I wasn¡¯t prepared for these soldiers following us.


    What a rotten world!


    Once we left the hall, whatever the way was, we took it and hid in the room. Quietly, holding our breaths, we waited for the soldiers to pass.


    How big was that man¡¯s mansion?


    I knew that it was huge enough to be a pce, but it was frustrating that I didn¡¯t see the structure¡¯s size!


    Naturally, dad seemed alright.


    I looked back to see Caitel exhale.


    ¡°Whye here? Did youe alone?! Dad, did you lose it?! Idiot!¡±


    I sighed after yelling out. I was really touched that he came for me, and I should have kept my mouth shut without saying all those.


    ¡®The man, I have gone mad. And what did he do a while back?¡¯


    The sixth prince¡¯s mother. It was as if, ¡®you threaten me with my daughter, then I will hold your mother to threaten you.¡¯ What was that?!


    Caitel stared at me without knowing my heart.


    What? What!


    At that moment, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°You really are my daughter.¡±


    Could I be a fake daughter? I frowned as my dad added a few more words.


    ¡°That dirty temper, it is exactly what I have.¡±


    ¡°Do you really need to do that analysis right now?¡±


    I did say that, but my father¡¯s words made me feel calm.


    Ha, right, my dad. I was never a person who relocated to another ce. I was born.


    ¡°It looks like my daughter had rough days? Are you in a better mood now?¡±


    Was it really the time for him to say that? It was my fault that my dad got involved in such a thing.


    ¡°We can¡¯t run away from here!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡®What is alright?¡¯


    At that moment, when I was about to speak, the door opened wide, and dad walked out.


    ¡®What is he doing?!¡¯


    Confused, I followed him.


    Uh? Weren¡¯t we supposed to stay hiding?


    Thankfully, there were no soldiers in the hallway.


    What?


    I ran along with my dad.


    I kept running.


    Still, something felt wrong. Other than joy, there was some other emotion inside me¡ªa weird premonition.


    Right then.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The soldiers appeared and threw their swords at us.


    Although Caitel managed to avoid getting hit at any vital point, I thought I would die.


    I was shocked.


    I didn¡¯t even remember what happened apart from soldiers copsing onto the floor.


    What happened?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯t hurt him before I killed him.¡±


    He killed him? When I saw the man, he was already dead, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was in pain. I only saw one man, but another five to six soldiers were on the floor.


    The other soldiers came at us.


    Did dad even know the way out?


    I was anxious that Caitel was moving around without knowing the way. It wasn¡¯t like I knew the way either. Well, I was just d that I got to see my dad again.


    What happened to the Imperial Pce? How did dad know that I was here? How did he even get in?


    Now that I was feeling lively, questions began to fill my mind. I was curious about everything, but I would forget them when dad looked at me from time to time. I just held onto his hand harder.


    I really wanted the time to stop.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    I hit my head on dad¡¯s back, who stopped running. I groaned without realizing, when suddenly, a huge hand covered my mouth and pulled me back, it was dad.


    I heard a tremendous noise as if something burst.


    ¡°What was that sound?¡±


    Did something explode?


    I looked back at dad, but he just put his finger on my lip, asking me to stay quiet.


    Throwing away the sword in his hand, Caitel reached out to the air.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    It was a familiar sword.


    The sword I had seen before in Caitel¡¯s hand, the silver sword.


    Why did he take it out?


    For a moment, I was in doubt until Caitel decided to move.


    ¡®What is he doing?¡¯


    When I got up and followed him, everything was done, three soldiers died on the floor, and I understood what happened.


    Then, I heard another explosion again.


    ¡°Uwagh!¡±


    This time, the floor beneath us shook. It seemed like it happened nearby.


    What was that sixth prince even doing?


    Was he trying to self-destruct because of his madness?!


    The prince must have escaped already.


    What were we supposed to do?


    I followed my dad, but the ceiling copsed due to the explosion, and our path disappeared under the rubble. Looking back, Caitel moved again. He seemed like he would kill someone again.

 Chapter 459

    <h4>Chapter 459: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 459</h4>


    ¡°... this way.¡±


    Because of the explosion, the path we were supposed to take was blocked, and we ran again.


    I tried to cover my mouth with my hand, but it was to no avail with this thick smoke around us. Whether it was a chain bomb or not, the sound of the explosion was getting much closer to us.


    And...


    Before we could leave, the mansion began to crumble with a loud thud.


    ¡®Ah, damn it. This can¡¯t go on.¡¯


    ¡°Have they decided to destroy everything?¡±


    Another explosion close by, despite the explosions, the soldiers kepting onto us.


    Why did it seem like the more we ran, the deeper we went into the mess? For the first time, I felt a strange feeling. Was it really okay to do that? There was nothing we could do. There were only two options in the situation¡ªjust two things. Follow dad or stop. And I wanted to follow my dad.


    There was a door blocking the corridor in front. Wouldn¡¯t we be able to run away after opening that? From the moment I got caught, I knew that the building wasn¡¯t normal, and when we began to run and tried to get out, I realized that it was an endless maze. The sounds of explosions and shouts of soldiers were everywhere. Strangely, the air around us felt heavier.


    ¡°Is this all?¡±


    A small word.


    I was holding my hands over my mouth and breathed while looking up. I could see Caitel¡¯s face.


    What was it? This is it?


    The question kept lingering in my head, but my dad¡¯s eyes brought me back to reality. He looked exhausted; it¡¯s been a while since I looked so near. He felt different.


    Man, he¡¯s really handsome.


    He wasn¡¯t as handsome as before, but he had a more mature look on him, which made him seem very attractive.


    I had always seen it since I was young, but Caitel was cool.


    I could see why men found it hard to stay with him and why women were anxious to be around him. I didn¡¯t know it before, but with the sixth prince¡¯s face and my dad¡¯s face, one could tell that they really were brothers.


    Why was I feeling so strange?


    ¡°... dad?¡±


    He seemed to have walked ahead a little.


    I went stiff, realizing that my dad was in shock too.


    ¡°DAD!¡±


    The floor beneath my feet shook with massive explosions.


    The explosion seemed quite close, and reflexively, I took a few steps back. All of a sudden, Caitel held onto me and turned me around. I could see the debris falling, but strangely, I felt off.


    No, something was weird.


    As I hurriedly lifted my head, my dad was on his knees, and he hugged me tightly. There was a lot of debris that had fallen on Caitel¡¯s body.


    Together...


    ¡°Dad, your head!¡±


    I was shocked when I looked at my dad¡¯s head.


    As the floor shook considerably, I held onto my dad¡¯s arms, but he kept covering me with his body. I fell to the floor, not being able to push him off me. I felt something rub across my head.


    It hurt, but that wasn¡¯t important. As I raised my head, I saw Caitel fell before me.


    Did he get hit by the explosion?


    Once I got up, I moved near dad.


    ¡°D-dad...!¡±


    I was crying while looking at my dad, who didn¡¯t seem to be in good condition. Everything around us was in a mess.


    I heard the sound of something heavy dragging. I also knew that the uproar wouldn¡¯t end. I had no intention of fleeing.


    My right thigh was stained with blood. The wound on dad¡¯s head was heavy; there were other minor wounds on his body, but I had no idea what to do, so I didn¡¯t even touch it.


    Ugh, what should I do? What could I even do!


    ¡°... Ria.¡±


    The voice was trying to endure the pain in his low tone.


    My dad¡¯s voice made me choke on tears. I hurriedly grabbed him. I managed to raise his upper body even though he constantly frowned and groaned in pain; we had to see if he could stand up.


    W-what to do?


    ¡°Dad, are you alright?¡±


    It didn¡¯t look that way, but there was nothing I could do apart from asking that.


    Stupid, I should have learned somemon emergency treatment for such situations! I saw the corpses being gotten rid of but never tried to save dying people.


    I really was nothing but a stupid person.


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    My body went stiff at the words I heard. I couldn¡¯t understand what I heard.


    What did dad just say?


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡®Where is he even telling me to go!¡¯


    Caitel pushed away my hand since I didn¡¯t back off.


    ¡°Where would I go without you, dad!?¡±


    Besides, he was injured severely! If I left him like that, I didn¡¯t think he would be able to move. I was asking if the two of us could run away. I couldn¡¯t run alone.


    The problem was my pride.


    Where would one find a child who would run away from their parents?


    Maybe someone else would do that, but I couldn¡¯t. Where could I even go?


    It... it happened because of me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go! No, I will never let go of you!¡±


    Sighing, Caitel tried to get up from the ground. He shouldn¡¯t do that. There was a lot of blood oozing from his thighs. I wanted to ask him to be quiet, but I went silent when I made eye contact with Caitel.


    I couldn¡¯t do it.


    It seemed like it would be the day where I would see my dad cry out in pain.


    It seemed like everything wasing to an end.


    Right, it looked like dad was losing energy.


    I held his hands tightly, and Caitel looked at me. His gaze was the same eyes as ever, only darker this time. It seemed like his eyes were falling into the abyss.


    ¡®What the hell is with his eyes? What was happening?¡¯


    He seemed sad. It felt like this would be the expression I would never forget.


    ¡°Someday...¡±


    A voice that broke down the silence between us entered my ears.


    ¡°I was worried that I would ruin things for you with my hands.¡±


    He took my hand.


    His hands were stained with blood. It was the first time I hated seeing blood on his hands. Sadness was taking over me. I didn¡¯t like what I was seeing. I just wished dad wouldn¡¯t say anything and rest.


    ¡°Even then, I was anxious not to let go of you. Even when you would break, I thought that it would be better if you had me by your side...¡±


    I was hurting.


    With a frown, dad pulled me close to him. I didn¡¯t want him to move, but dad was trying to, and I couldn¡¯t help but move along with him. There were heavy sounds of something being dragged around. We soon found ourselves standing in front of a half-closed door, our way to the hallway.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    I was turning unstable.


    What was it? Why was he acting like it?


    Was it strange that I felt myself going mad at his sweet voice?


    Caitel¡¯s hand stroked my head, and soon, I felt his soft lips touch my forehead.


    It was a kiss I always received. I closed my eyes reflexively.


    ¡°I love you, my daughter.¡±


    A small whisper.


    I opened my eyes. At that moment, I felt my body fall back a few feet.


    Uh, uh?


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    At that moment, I felt fascinated by my dad¡¯s love for the first time.


    The door, which was half-opened till then, shut between us with my dad on the other side. I got up and stood right in front of the door.


    What was happening?


    ¡°Dad! Dad!¡±


    I shook the bloody door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge even for a little.


    It had got to be a lie! It was open a moment back! He can¡¯t; it wasn¡¯t like the door had a key attached to it! So why?!


    No, he couldn¡¯t do that! I couldn¡¯t go!


    I could only feel my body telling me not to leave my dad; if I did, I knew that I would never see him again.


    ¡°Dad! Open the door! Dad!¡±


    Nonsense.


    ¡®Dad! Dad! You shouldn¡¯t be doing this!¡¯


    ¡± Caitel! Open the bloody door!!!¡±


    Why was he doing this to me!


    Tears began to flow out of my eyes. Looking at the tightly shut door, I could feel myself falling into despair.


    What was it? What the hell was going on?


    What the bloody hell?!


    Caitel pushed me away, telling me to go, but I couldn¡¯t move. I was stuck in front of the door.


    No. I should be right beside my dad. If I left, it would feel like I was doing what my dad wanted...


    I would never see Caitel again.


    ¡°... you shouldn¡¯t do this.¡±


    Despite the situation, the explosions still bombarded us. Fortunately, there was no explosion close to us, but I didn¡¯t know when it would explode.


    I didn¡¯t know anything anymore. My dad always told me what to do!


    ¡°Princess!!¡±


    Somewhere, I heard a familiar voice.


    I looked at the voice. Shockingly it was the voice of my guardian knight.


    Thank god. Really! Thank the god!


    ¡°Assisi, dad, dad is...¡±


    ¡°Princess, we need to run away.¡±


    Assisi was panting while looking at me, trying to figure out if I was hurt.


    ¡°But Assisi, dad is...¡±


    I looked back at the door, and it was still closed.


    Suddenly, I felt my body lifting off the ground. I was shocked.


    ¡°Assisi, put me down! Wait a minute! Dad is over there...Dad is inside!¡±


    Since I didn¡¯t want to move, Assisi lifted me and moved.


    No, wait!


    He shouldn¡¯t do that!


    I knew that he was trying to save me, but I didn¡¯t want it.


    It was uneptable!


    ¡°Put me down! This is an order, Assisi! Put me down this instant!¡±


    I shouted, but he didn¡¯t listen. I struggled, but I couldn¡¯t beat a man with such tremendous strength. I screamed, but we didn¡¯t see any more of the sixth prince¡¯s soldiers anywhere.


    I couldn¡¯t hold on.


    My tears were flowing down, and the taste of blood in my mouth made me miserable. All I remembered was the sound of the explosion and the smell of gunpowder.

 Chapter 460

    <h4>Chapter 460: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 460</h4>


    So close, so far away...


    (Caitel¡¯s POV)


    The sound of explosions, the crackling of mes, and the terrible smell of something burning.


    Smoke and hot air spread around me.


    Those were the only things I could see and feel through my dimly flickering consciousness.


    I always expected that I would die one day, but I never expected it to be in such a way.


    Well, it was more stupid than I imagined.


    I knew some invading country would defeat me, or people in our country would rebel and chop off my head, or I would just die of some disease. Perhaps some closest aide would betray us.


    But that was all wrong.


    I would die because that fool Siorn would catch me. Really funny.


    I couldn¡¯t even say anything about it.


    Ah, did it even meet any of my expectations?


    I leaned against the door and tried to move it, but it was useless. The sound of screams outside the door was no longer audible.


    Did they leave?


    The ce was empty and scary.


    I was stupid, really stupid, pathetic, and funnily, my heart hurt like hell.


    For the first time since the moment I was born, my heart hurt.


    For the first time in my life, I felt like I took the right decision.


    Right, I felt like it was the best thing I had ever done. The situation was urgent, and I was excited and overjoyed even though we were in a terrible state. I felt like I wanted to show off my proud aplishment to someone, but unfortunately, there was no one around me.


    And it made me feel a little regret.


    That was the first time I felt such a thing.


    ¡°I thought that I wouldn¡¯t regret dying, but...¡±


    The calming voice was gone.


    I had always waited for such a day toe.


    A day where everything woulde to an end.


    What, at such a time, I was supposed to feel happy, but I felt sad instead. Since I couldn¡¯t cry, I exhaled. A strange emptiness spread all over my body.


    From the day I started to live to the moment I struggled on the floor, the sword in my hand, never once had it ever fallen from my hand. It was a relief that I held it out of habit.


    It felt like everything wasing to an end, and it wasn¡¯t as bad as I imagined. The freedom that I couldn¡¯t let go of was finally releasing me. Right, that was it. I had always lived to die.


    People would have been shocked to hear that, but that was how I lived my life daily.


    Even if it meant that I was doing everything I wanted to do without hesitation.


    If I were scared of dying, I would have never been on the bloody battlefields for years. Some might have already noticed that it was me acting crazy and not being sane.


    It was my kind of struggle.


    To forget things.


    ¡°... it¡¯s starting again.¡±


    When I was all alone and quiet, one after another, darkness would engulf me.


    The things I always called a nightmare.


    A woman without a neck, a man with his arm cut off, and a man with his body burned ck¡ªthe maids who died during the great disaster instead of the nobles. At first, that was all, but then, all the people I ever killed began to appear.


    Countless corpses I couldn¡¯t even remember would surround me. I knew that they were all illusions, but it would only terrify me each time.


    A sense of guilt and the illusions would turn intense; the more the morality and shame, the less I knew the reality. Killing became as easy as saying hello.


    Once the sun fell, they woulde for me again. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be breathing by then.


    ¡°Get out of here. This is thest moment I have.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t interested in what kind of result I would get by struggling with guilt because of the illusions. My country, the great empire, would turn into nothing.


    No, it would have been better if that was the case.


    Each time I didn¡¯t hold onto the sword, it would only make the emptiness inside me spread.


    The only thing which existed was my empty vanity.


    The absence and void I felt were unbearable, and I sought after my death, to a ce where something would make me feel alive. One always felt alive in the grasp of death. It was apparent that I wasn¡¯t sane.


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    I was dead at 13.


    A life undesired and lived without dreams, hopes, or purposes. I knew that. If there was anything real in my life, it was anger and hatred.


    All I could do since my birth was to breathe and live.


    I wasn¡¯t given a choice.


    To avoid getting killed by my brother, I had to live without letting them know that I was alive¡ªall for the sake of living. By the time I grew up, I had managed to grasp the reality of my surroundings; it had been a long time since I adapted to the new life of living without dreams and hopes.


    It would have been better if not for the child of an unnamed concubine.


    The queen of the witch¡¯s country who had no power or finance had a child with me. Something I thought wasn¡¯t necessary, a useless legitimacy, but I ended up getting caught in it.


    That changed my life.


    My pce burned. The screaming maids and kids were chasing them.


    Whatever the process, people survived, and that was only the beginning.


    It shouldn¡¯t matter if I died.

 Chapter 461

    <h4>Chapter 461: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 461</h4>


    He wanted to live.


    Just wanted to live.


    Maybe because he was dying in some corner where nobody recognized him, Emperor or not, he wanted to live. He wanted a quiet life.


    It was then that he realized.


    Even when nothing ended, one would experience such thoughts.


    In the end, to survive, one had to kill those who wanted to kill others.


    ¡°... right.¡±


    That was it.


    The next thing he remembered was a red scene. He killed everything that annoyed him, and he removed everyone in his way. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong anymore. He didn¡¯t even know that his way of life was wrong, probably because he only saw the bad in humanity. He didn¡¯t want to do anything, but the fact that everyone wished him dead had enraged him.


    It was only when there was no one else to stop him did he feel at ease.


    All that remained was his hate for himself.


    He could do everything on his own, but he was never happy. Well, rather, the word happiness only made him feel emptier.


    He wasn¡¯t happy about anything.


    As his satisfactions and dreams ceased, nothing made sense to him anymore. Even when the world bowed before him.


    Everything he had in his hand was something he had never hoped for.


    He took it because it was his, but there was nothing significant about it.


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that his life was monochromatic. It was his little girl who filled him with colors.


    ¡°Is it really my time to die?¡±


    Naturally, the first person who came to his mind was his daughter.


    Back then, she was weird and he didn¡¯t want to think of her as a human.


    She was so small and delicate. Caitel never said it out loud, but she intrigued him. Until that time, he had killed all the babies without even touching them.


    He always thought that a kid would end up tying him down and be a burden to him.


    Honestly, even before having kids, he thought mothers were only trying to get something out of him using their children.


    He felt sorry for the kids and tried to tolerate the concubines¡¯ wishes to some extent.


    But at some point, it exceeded his patience.


    Without another thought, Caitel drew his sword, and before knowing it, he had already cut down every child in the pce, and he had no intention of quitting either. It was annoying to have kids and he didn¡¯t give a second thought about them.


    It was never difficult for Caitel to order his child to be killed, probably because he didn¡¯t have a bond with them. The women who were caught in the war began to pile up, and before he even knew it, a woman from an unknown country conceived another one of his children.


    A concubine whose name was never known to the world.


    Ariadna¡¯s mother.


    She had requested relentlessly to allow her to look after her own child and that she wanted nothing else from Caitel.


    He still remembered the woman¡¯s face, biting her lip with anger at the execution order if she wouldn¡¯t surrender her child. Her green eyes were full of hate for Caitel, eyes which never left his mind, but the eyes of the child were crimson, resembling his.


    Was that why it changed? His intent to kill suddenly vanished.


    He didn¡¯t want to lose to a foolish woman who died after giving birth to a child, so he tried to kill the child with his own hands. Strangely, when he looked at the babe, he never knew that he would change, his intent to kill disappeared as if it never existed.


    It could have been on a whim.


    But with that one choice, everything in his life had changed.


    ¡®Dad!¡¯

 Chapter 462

    <h4>Chapter 462: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 462</h4>


    An only child, she called him dad.


    Just the thought of it made him smile.


    It wasn¡¯t like that at first.


    She had crimson eyes with long flowing silver hair, a radiant glow in her white face¡ªa creature resembling him but was different entirely.


    ¡®No, was it strange when others say she¡¯s adorable for not acting like me?¡¯


    Never had he imagined that he would love someone else other than himself.


    How did she be so important to him? He couldn¡¯t imagine why she mattered so much to him.


    Whenever his child, who resembled himself, ran into his arms and hugged him, he felt a strange feeling take over him. Like it really was his child. It was only after Ria¡¯s birth that he epted her as his child.


    He felt an unfamiliar feeling when he was with her, something he never experienced, that creature which was weaker than he would always be there.


    Ria, who seemed like she would crumble with just a little force, was always an assassin¡¯s target.


    That small body...


    That small body which could have been ruined by a single mistake done unknowingly.


    That small body grew; from her tiny mouth came words which made no sense; her eyes began to recognize things until she could run over and hug him.


    How could one express that feeling? It was like a miracle.


    Sometimes he would be upset for not ending her, but he was shocked at how he couldn¡¯t get himself to lift his hand on her. He would always hold his emotions and wait for the child to approach him.


    He had no one stand by him.


    He never knew that a small hand that would hold him would end up getting caught in everything.


    Probably why, when he felt that hand missing, it felt like his world would copse.


    Realizing Ri¡¯s absence, he couldn¡¯t get himself to believe it; that couldn¡¯t happen.


    He couldn¡¯t get rid of the confusion in his mind, so he pulled on the sword, but he couldn¡¯t calm himself no matter what he tried. Since he wasn¡¯t good with such things, he turned to someone who could help him.


    Ferdel. Caitel was outraged when Ferdel entered the room with something.


    An invitation from the sixth prince.


    No, it was a threat, saying that Ria would be killed if Caitel didn¡¯t visit him.


    Seeing that threat, he knew it. He knew where Ria was. As long as he knew that, nothing else mattered.


    ¡°Nobody can snatch my daughter from my hands.¡±


    If he attacked Caitel, Caitel would kill him.


    However, he couldn¡¯t risk hurting Ria; she must survive.


    He would do everything to save her.


    It seemed good to take a hostage for a price. After all, the prince wouldn¡¯t merely give Ria back.


    He didn¡¯t feel angry anymore. Her anger and sadness for Ria¡¯s escape were surprisingly faint now.


    ¡®That smile...¡¯


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    ¡°What will you do alone?¡±


    A familiar voice captured his fading consciousness.


    The familiar face came into view.


    Something like this always happened, so he wasn¡¯t shocked anymore. He looked up at the one smiling down at him with a heavy breath. Caitel wanted to hit that smiling face.


    ¡°Why did youe?¡±


    ¡°To watch.¡±


    Dranste, with his finger on his lips, spoke.


    An unpleasant gaze. Dranste was more confident than necessary when it came to checking on others¡¯ conditions.


    He could easily make others feel ufortable.


    In the six years he spent with Dranste, something like this happened constantly. If Caitel hadn¡¯t killed everyone on the battlefield or injured, Dranste would be there to collect his body.


    Dranste was the one who taught him how to fight, how to survive, and gave him a secret weapon, yet he didn¡¯t like Dranste.


    Dranste was the only one that Caitel disliked unconditionally.


    Like a shadow, Dranste followed him everywhere.


    From that day...


    His terrible mischief began.


    It was annoying, but he never felt resentment towards him.


    Crack.


    It was the sound of an explosion and wood cracking somewhere. The mansion would copse at any moment.


    ¡°You seem hurt. Gonna die soon?¡±


    The fed-up voice spoke as if it saw something interesting.


    Instead of responding, Caitel turned away.


    Although he was visible with one eye, the mes around him began to approach him.


    When he reached out his hand, he saw the fireing close. It sent peace in his mind. Somehow, his death seemed a lot calmer than he imagined.


    An end like that?


    ¡°Shall I help you?¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hesitate even at such an offer. Caitel knew that his end hade. A chance at life would shock him more than death.


    Although Siorn was stupid, he wouldn¡¯t just let Caitel off, especially since the sixth prince had killed Caitel once. Caitel threatened Ferdel and took Siron¡¯s mother and used it, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the n would work. He was d it went well for a while.


    Dransteughed at it.


    Dransteughed for quite some time; Caitel wasn¡¯t even sure why he wasughing.


    Thest thing Caitel would see before death was a manughing hysterically.


    He was better off dying alone. Annoyed. Dranste seemed pleased with the situation.


    ¡°This reminds me of when we first met.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t forget that day even when he tried to; just the mention of it was enough to shock Caitel.


    Looking back into the past, Dranste spoke.


    ¡°You were in the same state back then, maybe not as horrible as this, but the surroundings were brighter then.¡±


    He was in the middle of a house fire; obviously, it was bright. Just like then, everything was bright around Caitel.


    That day.


    Right, the day fire engulfed everything.


    His body was covered with blood, and he had to save himself. The sound of someone¡¯s scream fell on deaf ears. Caitel frowned at the thought.


    ¡°What do you think of my suggestion back then? Remember it?¡±


    A quiet voice.


    A small gap was all he needed, and he would immediately possess everything.


    Evil bastard.


    How much blood and tears had he taken because of his sweet-talking?


    Meanwhile, the noise in the mansion ran loudly¡ªhisst moments.


    When his mind and body began to feel numb, Caitel took heavy breaths; then, the devil whispered, ¡®Give me your soul, and I will save you¡¯.


    An earnest desire to get a soul, a sweet offer anyone would ept right away, but he refused. He had no soul to give.


    The devil smiled.


    ¡®And I survived.¡¯

 Chapter 463

    <h4>Chapter 463: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 463</h4>


    Tell me why you did it.


    I couldn¡¯t calm myself to think. What happened in front of me distracted me too much. I couldn¡¯t even understand what others were saying.


    What just happened?


    After being caught by Assisi and pulled out forcibly, I tried to enter the mansion again, but there was no way I could ovee the knights of Agrigent who were guarding me.


    The mansion copsed, and I grabbed onto Assisi and screamed.


    ¡°Assisi, how could you do this to me? I keep telling you that dad is in there! Dad is on the other side of that door!¡±


    With a gloomy expression, Assisi bowed.


    It would have been better if he said something. Seeing his expression, which told me that he was ready to ept any me, I couldn¡¯t even shout at him. I just sobbed.


    It wasn¡¯t Assisi¡¯s fault. I knew that in my head.


    However, I couldn¡¯t hold my emotions.


    ¡°It is His Majesty¡¯smand. To ce the princess¡¯s safety as our...¡±


    Another knight who couldn¡¯t watch me in pain answered. However, he couldn¡¯tplete it as Assisi red at him.


    I looked at the other knights. The fact that my father gave them such an order was like a dagger through my heart.


    That idiot!


    I bowed my head before I could realize I was already wailing so hard that I couldn¡¯t breathe. Assisi held onto me as I was about to fall to the ground.


    It felt as if the world around me was copsing.


    The thought that I could never meet my dad again only made me lose my bnce. Every ounce of energy in my body disappeared right then.


    I had no energy left to stand up, yet the tears didn¡¯t stop. Choking up on the cries, I managed to mutter one word.


    ¡°Dad...¡±


    Dad¡¯s words of love on me kept lingering in my ears. It seemed like those would be thest words I heard.


    How did ite to this!?


    This, really...!


    I was the one who always said that I loved him.


    I never hated it; I wasn¡¯t upset or annoyed, but I felt a little sorry. I would always say ¡®I love you,¡¯ and Caitel¡¯s reply every time would be a simple ¡®me too,¡¯ but sometimes, I could hear him mutter it to himself. However, now that I heard it, it was like a thorn down my throat.


    However, why did I have to hear such a word at desperate times?


    The first time my dad told me that he loved me.


    Why did he have to wait for the end to say it? Foul!


    I couldn¡¯t see what to do, but I could neither stop my tears nor could I get myself to find my dad¡¯s ashes. Since the mansion was still copsing, I couldn¡¯t even get close to it because of the knights stopping me.


    ¡®Dad...¡¯


    My dad¡¯s face, who pushed me out, was fading from my memory. I wanted to calm down, just a little calm, and I could think of something. However, I couldn¡¯t get myself to calm down.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    A voice called for Assisi.


    Something was happening. I raised my head to listen, but the man rushed and whispered something in Assisi¡¯s ear.


    What?


    I couldn¡¯t even hear what they were talking about, but I felt like something else was happening. Assisi seemed clearly shocked.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, someone was brought out, and the doctor...¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty...¡±


    What?


    A very familiar word made me calm down. I didn¡¯t even realize it, but my sobbing stopped.


    As I swallowed the tears, I wiped my cheeks back and forth.


    While I was looking at them, Assisi bent down to speak to me.


    ¡°What is it, Assisi? It is about dad, right? Tell me. Huh? what happened?¡±


    I grabbed onto Assisi¡¯s hand and asked.


    Although I asked Assisi, he found it hard to open his mouth and answered me. I wished he would say something back, but his stiff attitude was making me go crazy.


    What the hell!?


    ¡°Princess, you need to return to the Imperial Pce right away.¡±


    A serious voice.


    Why were they trying to kick me out of here? Wiping away the tears, I looked up at him and asked.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It seemed like they were trying to trick me. Like they were trying to hide something I shouldn¡¯t know. I wanted to ask for rification, but Assisi¡¯s gloomy face made me choke up.


    If he was so messed up with the news, there is no way he would say anything to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    ¡°Ria...¡±


    I really wouldn¡¯t go. If I left the ce, I would surely be safe, but I would lose my only chance to get my dad back. I knew that it wasn¡¯t the time to act foolishly, but I couldn¡¯t give up on the only family I had.


    ¡®What would dad have done?¡¯


    ¡°Take the ships Ferdel sent and go back.¡±


    Assisi said with a severe expression. As if he had to get this task done at all costs, he was so determined that I couldn¡¯t say anything. It was my first time seeing Assisi look so determined.


    I wanted to hear what they knew regarding dad, but I couldn¡¯t ask. I was scared of the answer, so I thought it would be better not to ask, but if I did ask and the response was... I was scared that I would never have my dad on my side.


    It scared the shit out of me.


    ¡°Please trust me. Your Majesty will definitelye back for you, princess.¡±


    ¡®He will?¡¯


    Although the odds were slim, I wanted to believe that¡ªan excuse not to ept the worst.


    Did Assisi know something?


    There was no reason why Assisi would lie to me.


    Knowing that only reassured me, I nodded, holding onto his hand. I was curious to know about my dad¡¯s rescue, buried in rubble, but I didn¡¯t ask. I felt terrible for Assisi, who was already going through hell.


    Assisi was never wrong.


    If he was wrong about something, it was to apany me on my foolish journey.


    Stupid Ariadna, everything I did caused this situation. I was the reason for everything that happened.


    Once again, tears started to flow. This time my tears show no sign of stopping soon. No one said for sure about a specific person dying, but I knew it. Surviving there would be a miracle.


    As I began to weep again, Assisi¡¯s expression softened. I wanted to stop crying, but I didn¡¯t know how. Assisi, who was silent for a moment, handed me over to the driver.


    ¡°Take the princess into the floating ship.¡±


    A knight with a winter moon symbol guided me.


    I headed to the tower of Uprichit to move to Agrigent, the same way I came from Ancief to Shertogenbosch.


    I managed to stop my tears, but my entire body trembled in fear.


    I was nervous.


    There was something unknown to me happening here, and they were keeping me in the dark.


    Looking back, I didn¡¯t even know what was happening. In the end, I walked to the floating ship while the knight guided me.


    Fortunately, when I stepped into the ship, a familiar face greeted me.


    ¡°Valer!¡±


    Valer was there with a stiff expression. Once I saw him, I went into his embrace while he stroked my head. He would have asked why, but he knew that I had been through hell.


    ¡°Ria.¡±


    His low voice shattered me.


    I tried to raise my head, but once I saw Valer, my tears began to flow again. I barely stopped crying.


    I had to say something, but in the end, an endless sob greeted him.


    Why was I tearing up? Damn it.


    When I cried in silence, Valer decided tofort me.


    How long had I cried?


    As I cried it out, my tears began to subside. Valer patted my back and asked.


    ¡°Fine now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Right. I asked for courtesy. Nothing looks okay.¡±


    At my answer, Valer nodded. This guy!


    Then, why did he have to ask!? He knew that my situation wasn¡¯t good.


    I wiped my tears off. Princesses never cried like that.


    As I was quiet, Valer turned severe. It had been a while since I saw this guy, who would joke around, get serious.


    It felt new, but I knew the situation was dire when I saw Valer look that serious.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    I thought he knew something, but I was wrong. My head was starting to ache with all the thoughts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    All I knew that I left my dad. My dad was under the rubble and ash.


    I thought about the door, which wouldn¡¯t open even after constant banging; it made me tremble. Seeing me cry again, Vale became shocked.


    ¡°It is alright not to know.¡±


    I felt sick, but seeing the boy in front of me, I knew that something changed.


    There was something different about him. I couldn¡¯t figure out when he changed, but I felt it.


    When I returned to my senses, I saw him clearer.


    What? Something happened!


    ¡°What is with your expression? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°... you don¡¯t need to know.¡±


    Avoiding to answer.


    He didn¡¯t want to talk, and I wasn¡¯t willing to dig, but I knew it. Something happened.


    ¡°Father is waiting.¡±


    ¡®Father? Ah, Ferdel!¡¯


    When Ferdel mentioned that, my insides twisted.


    Was Agrigent okay?


    Remembering Ferdel made me tremble; I had been away from home for a long time.


    ¡°What is Ferdel doing now?¡±


    ¡°This and that, but the most important thing is that you need to be there to handle it.¡±


    Huh?


    What should I handle?


    I felt puzzled. Valer avoided a direct answer, and even if I asked, he wouldn¡¯t tell me the details.


    After all the weeping, the ship moved over the sea towards Agrigent. I knew the ce I saw from the window.


    ¡°Is it a huge mess?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    There would be a lot of people to meet. I was worried about what would happen. I wanted to correct myself by looking into a mirror, but I saw nothing like that.


    I just washed my face.


    As I was lost in thought, Valerughed as if he knew what I was thinking.


    ¡°It is alright. No one will know that you cried a little.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe a little.¡±


    Yes, I wish it was only a little.


    I was out of energy and didn¡¯t care about my appearance. I only wanted to look at me out of habit.


    As I was about to get off, other worries took over me. I thought I managed to calm down, but I trembled.


    ¡°Dad...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say it.


    Closing my eyes, I wanted to say it, but it felt like my dad would die if I said it out loud. I wasn¡¯t sure that he would be okay, but I couldn¡¯t say it out loud. I wouldn¡¯t believe my dad¡¯s death until I saw his corpse with my own two eyes.


    ¡®Caitel is dying. Well.¡¯


    ¡°It will be alright. Your Majesty, I mean.¡±


    ¡°He will be?¡±


    Maybe being aware of my anxiety, Valer tried tofort me. I held both my hands firmly.


    ¡°I mean it, Your Majesty will not die unless you die first.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    My face hardened at his calm voice. I was trying to act strong, but Valer was different. Very different.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What was he talking about?


    Before I could even ask, the ship stopped. ordingly, Valer reached for my hand.


    ¡°Get off. We¡¯re here.¡±


    Time didn¡¯t stop for me.


    I sighed at the thought of facing people.


    I felt scared, but when I held onto my hand, I feltforted, and the door of the ship opened.


    As I walked out of the door, I saw the view from the tower, a familiar scene, and a person I never thought I would see.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    It shocked me; the other person naturally lowered his head. At that moment, silence filled around us.


    At that moment, even the wind felt heavy.


    ¡°Wee, princess.¡±


    It was Ferdel standing there with a stiff face.

 Chapter 464

    <h4>Chapter 464: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 464</h4>


    What was so urgent that I had to meet Ferdel so directly?


    I was shocked for a moment. Ferdel didn¡¯t even speak to me until we arrived at the Imperial Pce.


    It was a bit strange, and I was in no mood to talk about it, so I just stayed quiet; even Valer stayed quiet. As if someone sewed his mouth shut, I had to say that I felt most scared when the talker went silent. Also, I didn¡¯t even know what went wrong; I just felt terrible for everything.


    Fardel, who always smiled softly at me and said encouraging words, was silent and stiff. Even if I asked, he didn¡¯t even seem like he would answer. No greeting or no words offort.


    Eventually, till the moment we reached the Imperial Pce, no one spoke in our carriage.


    ¡°Wee, princess.¡±


    Once I left the carriage, Serira greeted me.


    Tears began to form after seeing my mother¡¯s face after a long time. I wanted to beforted in her arms, but I tried to act as calm as possible.


    I had been away from the house for a month or so, and when I saw the Imperial Pce, I felt weird. As if I had been out for too long.


    ¡°I am sorry to say, but why don¡¯t you go to Foder Pce?¡±


    Serira tried to take me to the pce immediately while staring at Ferdel with a stern face. It had been a while since I saw Serira with such a severe expression.


    The problem was Ferdel.


    Ferdel, who was receiving Serira¡¯s sharp gaze, was unfazed. Even I would have broken away, but neither of them rxed; we weren¡¯t in a good situation.


    ¡°I will go.¡±


    ¡°Princess...¡±


    As if she was sad, Serira held my hand.


    I smiled and followed Ferdel to Foder Pce.


    It would have been a sight to see the night stars, but Foder Pce was looking bright in the sun. It seemed like the officials who should have quit were still working.


    Familiar path.


    It was the path I always took with dad. Just the thought of it made me sad.


    Was I such an empty woman?


    I walked with my hands tightly sped, and I arrived at the finance office. The room had scribes moving to and fro, working.


    Seeing them work without greeting each other turned my heart heavy.


    When I arrived at the office, Ferdel stopped walking.


    As I walked with him, I even had to stop. Soon after, Ferdel and I stopped in front of a huge pile of papers in a corner.


    Just seeing the documents on the table shocked me.


    What¡¯s with all these?


    ¡°This... what is this?¡±


    I expected something important to happen, but it was beyond my imagination.


    ¡®What was it?¡¯


    When I looked up, Ferdel responded.


    ¡°These are the documents that the princess must sign.¡±


    No, I knew it, but...


    Even if I asked him, it was unlikely for him to give me a straight answer. I sat on the couch and immediately went through the papers.


    I had to sign them. I couldn¡¯t just sign without knowing the content; I read some, but it only confused me.


    Wait, a military order?


    ¡°Why is there a military order here all of a sudden?¡±


    Moreover, it said we would send soldiers to the south. The target puzzled me even more.


    There was only one ce in the south, right?


    Pretzia.


    ¡°A war in the south?¡±


    Fardel nodded casually, which shocked me even more.


    ¡°Pretzia and Torore joined hands and invaded the old estates of Izarta. Their reason was to get justice for it.¡±


    ¡°Pretzia has signed a peace agreement with us. So why...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What could be the reason now?¡±


    It seemed like he was expecting something from me.


    Fardel might think of it as natural, but it was different for me.


    If it¡¯s Pretzia, then had Havel done it? Why? Didn¡¯t things work out well?


    For a moment, I felt confused as hell. While getting dizzy, a familiar name caught my eyes at once.


    ¡°This army... Assisi is leading them?¡±


    My hands trembled.


    I thought no other wars would happen soon.


    I didn¡¯t know about the past, but could I do it now? I already knew how Assisi had lived on the battlefields; I didn¡¯t want him to go there anymore. I hesitated as I looked down to sigh; seeing me sigh, Ferdel spoke.


    ¡°Assisi volunteered.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That idiot!


    He didn¡¯t have to do it anymore.


    However, I felt so shocked that I couldn¡¯t even think of anything. Still, I felt sorry for how I treated him a few days back. I wanted to die. That being said, a war broke out, and it was impossible not to send an army.


    I hesitated for a moment, not having the will to sign it.


    The letter was warm, probably because of my trembling hands, but Ferdel didn¡¯t care. I signed it and handed it down to an attendant.


    ¡°Send it.¡±


    Fortunately, that was the only urgent one. The rest was reinforcements and supply documents. Other than that, all were diplomatic.


    As I read the letters of Ancief and Shertogenbosch, I realized something.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t Ferdel have taken care of these? I don¡¯t know why I had to sign it.¡±


    Although Caitel held power, Ferdel decided the policies of the nation.


    It was something anyone in Agrigent would know.


    However, Ferdel shook his head.


    ¡°No. You are needed. I am not the Prime minister anymore.¡±


    What?


    Seeing me shocked, Ferdel smiled.


    ¡°It just happened.¡±


    It happened, that was it? The end of the story?


    I couldn¡¯t understand what happened to the great Prime Minister of the Agrigient empire overnight. Was it why everything seemed gloomy?


    He could see my shock, but Ferdel just smiled.


    What happened?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was time for me to step back too.¡±


    Bullshit!


    Fardel spoke so casually that I couldn¡¯t understand. It was impossible to imagine our country without Ferdel.


    What was dad thinking?


    I wanted to ask something, but seeing Ferdel¡¯s reaction, I couldn¡¯t ask.


    Eventually, I would ask, but it seemed like Ferdel wouldn¡¯t answer me even if I asked seriously.


    Of course, the main reason was I couldn¡¯t take in any more bad news for the day.


    After seeing the next paper I must sign, I suddenly remembered my dad.


    Damn it. I tried holding back my tears and bit my lips, but I couldn¡¯t calm myself.


    ¡°Dad...¡±


    Holding the pen in my hand, I managed to speak.


    ¡°Did you know he wasing alone for me?¡±


    ¡°He always does something like that.¡±


    As if it was natural, Ferdel nodded. He seemed very calm.


    ¡°Neither the country, his life, or his revenge would beparable to you, princess.¡±


    Ferdel shrugged.


    Since he said it, it could be the truth, but it only irritated me.


    That idiot.


    I wasn¡¯t happy to hear that. It really wasn¡¯t pleasing. The others were coping with it, but why did I have to realize my father¡¯s love for me sote? I wanted to kill myself very badly.


    ¡°... didn¡¯t stop him?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Fardel responded.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t the one to stop when stopped.¡±


    I knew that.


    Still, I kept thinking about what would happen if Ferdel stopped him. I would have died, which was a better oue. It was better for me to die than to live with this hellish feeling.


    ¡°I think all of it happened because of me.¡±


    No, it was because of me.


    My wrong choice had brought a horrible situation. It seemed like I would never forgive myself if something happened to my dad.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the princess¡¯ fault. It was natural that something like this would happen. Don¡¯t me yourself too much because the princess did nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°But, I...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t get myself to speak because of the tears. Even when I tried to talk, my tears flowed.


    ¡°I went out without any thought...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯smon sense that when one is locked up, one will leave. That was Caitel¡¯s mistake. He just blindly confined you; it was bound to happen.¡±


    Fardel gently rubbed my neck. His sad gaze looked down at me.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know how to raise a child.¡±


    Iughed without realizing it. It was absurd tough in that situation, but I couldn¡¯t stop it.


    As Iughed, I cried, and Ferdel smiled.


    I shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    ¡°I was taken down in a hurry, and the seat is vacant. Caitel dismissed me and didn¡¯t choose a recement. I will take care of all urgent matters, but I would still need permission from the princess.¡±


    ¡°I approve of it.¡±


    I nodded as I wiped the tears away from my eyes.


    ¡°Please look after this.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Even if Ferdel didn¡¯t do it, I would force him to take on the task. I didn¡¯t know what circumstances Ferdel had been taken down, but Ferdel was the only one who could take on the job.


    As I kept sobbing, Ferdel tried to ease me up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. He won¡¯t die, princess.¡±


    Really?


    It would be nice if it were like that.


    I lifted my hand to sign the other documents. Suddenly, the door opened, and someone rushed in.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Serira?¡±


    It was shocking for someone to enter the room when I was at work; what was even more shocking was that it was Serira. She would never lose herposure, but she seemed troubled.


    Why was she there?


    It was a simple question.


    Soon after, Serira shouted, and I got up.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

 Chapter 465

    <h4>Chapter 465: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 465</h4>


    I wanted to sign all the documents Ferdel gave me, but Serira¡¯s words said me turn pale; I didn¡¯t care about the papers anymore.


    Sy Pce, to which I moved, was lit up and busy, just like Foder Pce; people were scurrying. I was relieved that the owner of the pce had returned, but at the same time, I was anxious.


    ¡®Dad, dad must be fine, right?¡¯


    As I entered, the attendants urgently left their seats.


    Surprisingly, the man whom I met in front of the closed bedroom door was Dranste, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in quite some time. I couldn¡¯t get myself to smile at his smug face; I just stood there and bit my lip.


    I didn¡¯t dare to see what was inside.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going in?¡±


    While I was hesitating at the door, Dranste asked.


    I wanted to greet him, but he was nonexistent for the others, so I didn¡¯t speak. After ncing at the door, I ced my hand on Caitel¡¯s bedroom door. No, more like I tried to open it; when my hand touched the door, it began to open by itself; my heart thumped loudly.


    Dad was lying on the bed, and doctors were working on him.


    I barely managed to swallow the cry; I struggled to walk over. Nothing came out of my mouth. Seeing my dad up close, I felt grief grew inside me.


    ¡°Princess...¡±


    Although I pretended to be okay, Serira held my hand, noticing that my condition wasn¡¯t good. Covering my mouth with my other hand, I looked at my dad. It was unfamiliar to see his body not budging from the ce.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that it really was my dad.


    He was breathing heavily as if his death was imminent. I asked.


    ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°Just calm down and listen...¡±


    ¡°How is he!?¡±


    I was asked to calm down, but how could I do that!?


    I asked immediately. Knowing my dad¡¯s condition was more important to me than anything else. I could feel my heart breaking. Just beforeing over, I drank caffeine, but my body was breaking to its limit.


    The doctor responded with a calm expression even as I yelled at him.


    ¡°The emergency treatment is done.¡±


    ¡°So he will be alright?¡±


    ¡°No. He hasn¡¯t regained his consciousness yet.¡±


    What did that mean?


    The doctor sighed as I frowned.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t responding. If he wouldn¡¯t awaken tonight, you¡¯d need to prepare yourself...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    My heart could never prepare for it. I could understand what he was saying. I rushed over to Caitel¡¯s side.


    ¡°Dad! Dad!¡±


    I thought he would open his eyes if I called for him, but no matter how much I screamed, Caitel¡¯s eyes stayed close.


    No! He¡¯s dying.


    I was supposed to let go of him.


    I couldn¡¯t do that-


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t die for me. Dad, dad.¡±


    He was supposed to wake up; the daughter he wanted to save was right beside him!


    ¡°Dad...¡±


    I tried very hard not to cry, but I ended up bursting into tears.


    I closed my eyes, trying to stop my tears, which turned my vision blurry. I couldn¡¯t stand anymore after losing the strength in my legs; I sat down. The doctor told me that it wasn¡¯t good to touch the patient, but I didn¡¯t listen to him. When my maids hesitated to console me, Dranste held me.


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°You want me to calm down at this moment?¡±


    ¡°Will the situation improve if you act like this?¡±


    In such a situation, that bastard said that I had to calm down; I would totally stab him if he were human.


    ¡°It¡¯s my dad.¡±


    I never knew what it was like to lose a parent. Even if I reincarnated, I always died first.


    I always died at a young age, alone without my parents. I hadn¡¯t felt such a void over the years, but the pain of losing one was tearing me apart.


    ¡°He is my dad...¡±


    I was a stupid daughter who always made fun of and teased her dad.


    However, I couldn¡¯t just send him away.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    It was too, too sudden.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been filial yet; this is cruel.¡±


    Everything was a mess.


    It was so messy that I couldn¡¯t even figure out where I was supposed to solve it. The doctors were doing something; when Dranste held my back, all I could see was Caitel.


    There were white bandages wrapped around his injured head.


    The same bandages were wrapped around his legs.


    The doctor said Caitel might have gone into shock because of blood loss, but I couldn¡¯t make anything out.


    ¡°Princess, go and rest.¡±


    ¡°I want to stay here.¡±


    I cried so much that tears refused toe out.


    I was there, by my dad¡¯s side, staring at his face. It seemed like Serira wanted to say something, but no one could say anything; it would break my stubborn decision.


    ¡°Then, please sit here.¡±


    I wanted to stay standing, but my mouth didn¡¯t open.


    I sat in the chair. I didn¡¯t want the others to worry about me. Nevertheless, I was starting not to care about what my body felt. I was trapped.


    Besides, I cried a lot. It was expected of me not to feel anything more.


    When the situation turned like that, all my maids were forced to stay in the Sy Pce all night.


    ¡°Serira, go and rest.¡±


    ¡°But princess...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you if something happens, so go.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem to work on Serira; she was about to protest, but I couldn¡¯t deal with another drama.


    ¡°It¡¯s an order.¡±


    That was the only way I could make mom do what I wanted.


    With that, Serira bowed and left the room. The chief maid remained with me, and the others managed to get some rest. I didn¡¯t want my mom to stay up all night. That was my responsibility.


    The doctors left the room to exchange their opinions on dad¡¯s state. It seemed like they were all waiting for the night.


    They must have gone out while I remained seated beside my dad.


    Never had I imagined that I would be in such a situation.


    Caitelid down like that.


    My dad was as strong as a mountain; he never copsed¡ªa reliable person who would hold me at all times. I couldn¡¯t imagine such a person disappearing from my life.


    ¡°Dad, wake up, please. Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    Coma. It didn¡¯t suit him.


    I held Caitel¡¯s neatly ced hand. They were as warm as ever, but only on that day, his hands seemed strange. However, it was his body¡¯s warmth thatforted me.


    How did we end up like that?


    Huh? Dad.


    ¡°Go and rest, okay?¡±


    As the dawn approached, our surroundings shushed; Dranste, who was leaning against the window, opened his lips. He noticed how messed up I was and said it. I was aware of his concern, but I didn¡¯t want to take one step away from my dad.


    ¡°Just because you are acting like that doesn¡¯t mean it would help Caitel.¡±


    Did he have to put things that way? Bastard.


    I was angry, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to say it out loud. I cried so much that I was feeling exhausted. I just nodded.


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t stretch myself in the situation.¡±


    Anxiety gripped my throat.


    This was the first time I felt something like this. My dad might die; what if I went to sleep in the room without knowing that my dad had died? What if my dad woke up but lost his rationality? What if my dad looked for me and did something horrible when he couldn¡¯t see me? Nonsense worries took over my mind, tying me down to his bed.


    Of course, when such a situation came, the maids would let me know, but I couldn¡¯t wait for the moment toe.


    ¡°The tears won¡¯t stop.¡±


    I heard Dranste¡¯s words but didn¡¯t care. I just held onto dad¡¯s hand.


    ¡°He knew that he would die. The building was copsing.¡±


    Once I left the mansion, I saw it copsing at lightning speed. I never thought someone would make it out alive.


    It was a miracle.


    ¡°Who saved him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±


    As if he had nothing to do with it, Dranste shrugged, but I saw a subtle smile on his lips, and I knew.


    Right, that was it.


    Only Dranste could pull someone out of that mess. Even Assisi wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that.


    ¡°... thank you.¡±


    Dranste was shocked at it.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Dranste.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you, so you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡±


    He was embarrassed.


    Still, I was very grateful. I was thankful beyond words.


    I looked at Caitel and expected all of this to just be a dream. I would rather hope for everything to be a dream.


    ¡°Dad, can he wake up?¡±


    ¡°If he can¡¯t get up, then that is the end.¡±


    It was as if he didn¡¯t care what happened¡ªa heartless man.


    ¡°And the sixth prince?¡±


    ¡°Ran away.¡±


    I stopped.


    I didn¡¯t even think he would flee.


    Seeing me shocked, Dransteughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you thought he would die in that mansion?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like that. I didn¡¯t think of anything.


    Well, the mansion was copsing, so his escape made a lot more sense.


    Even as my dadid lifeless on the bed, I didn¡¯t hate the sixth prince, but I wasn¡¯t happy or d to know about his existence. Although I didn¡¯t want him to die, I didn¡¯t like the fact that the sixth prince was alive and well somewhere.


    ¡°Would he do it again?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely.¡±


    Dranste responded casually.


    ¡°He has no reason to.¡±


    Tears started to flow, I wouldn¡¯t cry, but it was tough to hold back when I lost control over my emotions. I felt sad.


    I thought I was done crying.


    ¡°Crying again?¡±


    ¡°I just feel bad.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why, but my heart hurt. I never knew I could feel like that, but I was. Like a bird trapped in a cage, I didn¡¯t mind living like that if my dad woulde back alive and well.


    I would do everything he asked.


    As I cried, Dranste sighed.


    Weeping, I turned towards Dranste.


    He walked over and reached out to me. His long and lean fingers stroked my eyes.


    ¡°Right, cry.¡±


    Dranste looked at my tears.


    Sighing with his unreadable expression, Dranste continued.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re the only one crying for Caitel.¡±

 Chapter 466

    <h4>Chapter 466: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 466</h4>


    When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling of the room greeting me.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure when I fell asleep. Even with my eyes open, I was down with a nk expression. My body felt like a wet cotton ball.


    I wanted to get up, but I couldn¡¯t control my body as if I was drunk.


    My whole body felt like it had been beaten down. A familiar feeling of a cold body aching. I was barely managing to seat myself; I turned my head.


    ¡®Have I lost consciousness?¡¯


    It seemed that I fell asleep without realizing it.


    It was hard.


    Usually, I would have been shocked, but my body felt heavy; I thought my mind was ying tricks on me. I was hoping for it to be a dream, but I jolted up when I saw the light stick out of the window.


    What was I doing...


    ¡°D-dad!¡±


    What happened to dad?!


    My hazy mind awoke at once. Once I got up, the door opened with a woman hurrying in. I was so shocked to see her that I forgot my dad for a second.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Elene?¡±


    After a while, Elene entered the room and brought in soup from a tray.


    ¡°Awake? Please have this.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat something. I refused at once and asked what I was the most curious about.


    ¡°How is dad? Dad, what happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Your Majesty, just eat this.¡±


    ¡°What happened to dad!¡±


    As my voice rose, Elene flinched.


    I wasn¡¯t trying to scream at her; my voice just went loud since I was scared. I sighed, realizing that I lost my cool, but nothing changed.


    Serira walked into the room.


    ¡°He¡¯s still lying down. He¡¯s conscious yet.¡±


    Thank god...


    Now that I was relieved, Elene, who was in front of me, whined to Serira.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Serira! I was about to tell her that I would tell her once she finished her meal!¡±


    At that, Serira smiled.


    I felt a little d seeing these two in the same room; I smiled faintly.


    ¡°But why is Elene in here?¡±


    ¡°I called her.¡±


    Serira responded.


    I wanted to ask why, but before I could even ask, Elene grabbed me.


    ¡°Princess, why are you looking like that? Your cheeks seem to have shrunk. You said you were eating on time, so why?! Sleep well, and eat well! That way, your pale jade skin will be maintained, my, my.¡±


    What?


    I was curious why she talked about my pale jade skin, but I didn¡¯t want to hear the bulk of it.


    She must have spoken it without much thought.


    ¡®Agh, this chatterbox.¡¯


    Even after getting married and turning into a mother, she was the same as when she was young.


    Still, my heart rxed a little when I heard her chatter.


    I was always curious about how she was doing or if she was healthy or not, but seeing Elene in front of me answered my question.


    ¡°Your Majesty is fine. Even when the princess was asleep, he didn¡¯t open his eyes, but his condition didn¡¯t worsen either.¡±


    He still hadn¡¯t opened his eyes?


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have the time to sit in my room.


    Elene caught me and put her index finger on my frowned forehead. She then pointed to the spoon beside me.


    ¡°Until you eat this, you will not leave!¡±


    ¡°Move, Elene!¡±


    ¡°Princess...¡±


    I didn¡¯t have the time to eat.


    I didn¡¯t want to dy it any further. When I was starting to be irritated, Elene grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Princess, think about it. What if his Majesty suddenly opens his eyes, huh!? He would think that his daughter couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well because of him; would that be fine?¡±


    Elene ced the spoon into my hand, knowing that I would do it upon mentioning my father.


    ¡°So, hold the spook like this and eat. Just once! Okay?¡±


    She was practically begging me; it was tough to stop her.


    Eventually, I started to move the spoon.


    When I began to eat, Elene smiled. She was genuinely happy about it.


    While I was eating, Serira ced flowers on the table. The flowers were familiar.


    ¡°Miss Silvia sent them.¡±


    Ah, Sil sent them.


    I wanted to meet her face-to-face, but this was enough; I was thankful for seeing the flowers Sil sent.


    The small white lily released a calming aroma. The flowers relieved my mood. Still, I was a little upset.


    Although I was eating, I couldn¡¯t shake the thoughts of my dad from my mind.


    ¡°What if dad dies because of me?¡±


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do if dad dies?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to sound weak, but my head was filled with these thoughts, and like a broken record, it kept ying again and again. I was anxious and scared, but it seemed like I would die if I wouldn¡¯t rx.


    When I let go of the spoon, Elene held it. Her warm hand held mine.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Really?


    I¡¯m not sure, but Elene nodded as if she was convinced of it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way Your Majesty would leave our pretty princess, hm.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    Elene smiled.


    It seemed like I knew why the doctor married Elene. A man without such a woman would feel void.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t keep thinking about it. Eat this, wash your face, and have confidence in yourself! Ready yourself and hold onto Your Majesty¡¯s hand. When he wakes up, he can smile while looking at you.¡±


    Yes, I would.


    I held the spoon again. After all that, I went to wash my face and wore clothes.


    Elene smiled, seeing me a little upset.


    ¡°I know this because I am a mother...¡±


    While I was flustered, Elene held my hands.


    ¡°Your Majesty is happy to save the princess. He would never regret doing that. Trust me, I am a mom, and I know how it works.¡±


    ¡°You always chatter.¡±


    At my retort, Elene scrunched her nose.


    ¡°But I am still a mother.¡±


    It was an unfamiliar sight; I always thought she was the kind who messed around.


    ¡°No matter who I am, my children are more important to me.¡±


    She was a mother.


    Seeing Elene touched my heart; she was like an older sister who got married and had a child. I only sent her gifts when she gave birth.


    It was strange to see Elene, who was like a sister, act motherly and mature. An extraordinary feeling.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t cry anymore.¡±


    Elene requested and stuck out her pinky finger to promise; that childish act made meugh.


    Although she seemed different, Elene was still Elene.


    ¡°Right, no more crying.¡±


    I smiled.


    That little smile made them all take a huge breath of relief. Libby entered the room and looked at me.


    Serira too.


    They were all so worried about me.


    Suddenly, I felt like crying again.


    I was about to cry, but I was not sad.


    All because of the people around me.


    Right, with these people around me, I could still live.


    I wiped my tears and smiled brightly for them.

 Chapter 467

    <h4>Chapter 467: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 467</h4>


    It felt like I wasn¡¯t in my best condition for a whole day, and by the time I checked the date, three to four days had passed. Once I found that out, I felt like the ground beneath my feet was moving. I wondered what was happening.


    Fortunately, nothing happened, but what I felt began to turn into anxiety.


    Four days passed, and he was still unconscious.


    Dad was still not opening his eyes. No, I didn¡¯t even know if he was asleep.


    Did he go into a vegetative state?


    I thought I found stableness in my mind, but I felt myself drifting into fear once again.


    ¡°Is there a possibility that this would go on forever?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is.¡±


    The doctor didn¡¯t hesitate. My body stumbled at the shock of receiving his answer.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Libby grabbed me in a hurry.


    My hands were shaking. I couldn¡¯t stand in ce because strength was spilling out of my body. I thought that I was calm, that I could take in any news, but the truth was that anything rted to my dad just sent me out of my rails.


    ¡°We should be grateful that the situation didn¡¯t worsen, but if the condition persisted, he might never regain his consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Then, what can we do?¡±


    ¡°At least by this week or this month, he needs to be back...¡±


    I knew what he would say after that.


    I shook my head and looked away from the doctor, who had a sad expression. Tears filled my eyes, seeing Caitel lying down.


    Was there nothing else I could do apart from wait?


    I started hating myself for my ipetence. I never realized that idleness would devastate a person so badly. I wished I could do something. What could I do? Anything?


    If it didn¡¯t happen by this week, it was unlikely for Caitel to regain his consciousness by the end of the month. I remembered hearing such a story in my past life. The longer it took to regain consciousness, the more likely for the brain to stop working,


    Brain death. I had heard of such a devastating human phenomenon, but it was my first time seeing someone so close to it. I had trouble breathing while witnessing Caitel¡¯s pain.


    ¡°Princess...¡±


    A voice full of concern, but no voice could calm me.


    I was going through the toughest period of my life, and if I could endure it, everything would return to normal; although I tried to hypnotize myself with such words, I was still a mess. The only thing I could do was sigh andment my mistakes.


    It was painful how I never realized how important he was to me until he was down on the bed, unable to move, the most precious person in my life.


    I wanted to take his ce...


    Those were the only thoughts in my head.


    ¡°Save him.¡±


    I had already lost myposure and reason for life, but no one responded. I looked around. The room had people in it.


    Everyone was looking at another person and me.


    No, he wasn¡¯t human in the first ce.


    A visitor I could see clear as day, I begged Dranste again.


    ¡°Dranste, save him, please!¡±


    I knew that no miracle would befall us. I just wanted to do something. Even if it was pathetic, I didn¡¯t mind getting down on my knees for my dad.


    Suddenly, I spoke after taking a huge breath. Typically, I avoided doing such a thing, but I didn¡¯t care at the time. It didn¡¯t matter if people even thought of me as a crazy bitch.


    Dranste turned his gaze towards me.


    Everyone could see him.


    In that moment.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Was he asking such a thing even after knowing who I was referring to?


    When someone who wasn¡¯t in the room suddenly appeared, murmurs erupted.


    The shocked maids screamed, but it didn¡¯t matter. I was the one who begged Dranste to make himself visible.


    ¡°You can save him. So please.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s breathing well.¡±


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t opening his eyes.¡±


    My luck was running out.


    When I closed my eyes, tears would form again and fall to the ground.


    ¡°He can¡¯t see me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t strange if he stopped breathing at any moment.


    His breathing was stable, but no one knew if he would get his consciousness back or die in sleep. Even the doctor asked me to prepare for it.


    Being Caitel¡¯s only daughter and family, everyone was trying to prepare me.


    Just the thought of being alone after dad¡¯s death made me nervous.


    Like a deep winter with no sun, silence lingered in the room. Coldness spread around us. I just sat and sobbed. Was it really the only way? Did I have to let go of my dad with my own two hands? I didn¡¯t even know how long I had been crying.


    ¡°There is a way.¡±


    A word broke the deep silence in the room.


    I immediately turned my head.


    Only the faintly glowing bluish eyes met mine.


    ¡°A way to wake up Caitel.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    I asked right away.


    Everyone looked at Dranste; he sighed.


    What the hell could it be?


    He should have said it right away if he knew!


    However, I was the one who needed it, and I had to hold myself.


    Dranste answered with a serious face as I waited for his next words.


    ¡°It is a difficult one. I am not sure if it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°If it fails, you would also die.¡±


    I could die too?


    ¡°Would you still do it?¡±


    At that moment, everything stopped. He spoke in a low voice, and I realized my shock. That was why raising a child was useless. My dad would have saved me like it was the most natural thing for him to do, but here I was, hesitating for my life. I felt like the worst kind of child anyone could have. No, I was already a horrible child.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    After a while, I asked.


    Dranste leaned against the window. The setting sun colored the sky red.


    ¡°You go into Caitel¡¯s dream, find his consciousness, and bring him out.¡±


    Was that even possible? No, rather than that.


    ¡°... then he¡¯ll live?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    I stopped thinking about the possibility. I wanted to bet everything on a little chance. I was desperate; I had no other option.


    Dranste walked over from the window. I always knew it; he wasn¡¯t human. He was clearly a physical entity, but he always made me feel like I was in some unrealistic dream.


    It was the same, then. Dranste reached out to me. The way he touched Caitel¡¯s forehead seemed friendly since he was in a deep sleep.


    ¡°This is a fight with time. If you don¡¯t open your eyes today or tomorrow, you will never wake up. Of course, it is your decision, Ria.¡±


    ¡°I will do it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I would not hesitate anymore.


    For a moment, Dranste was shocked at my quick words; he had a hard time epting what I said.


    The voices from behind me felt the same way.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Miss Ria!¡±


    I knew how heavy this decision would impact everyone, dozens of them screamed my name, but it didn¡¯t matter. I looked only at Dranste.


    Dranste just looked at me. In that brief void, I realized that I had more to lose than gain.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°If you fail, both of you die together.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter. I sincerely thought so. If I died, that wouldn¡¯t be such a horrible thing either.


    I had already died once, and I knew how terrifying it was, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. I wasn¡¯t the same person I was in the past.


    I had decided.


    Well, it¡¯s nice because I wouldn¡¯t die from a stabbing.


    ¡°Princess, you can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°If the princess dies, we...¡±


    ¡°Princess, no. You shouldn¡¯t do this!¡±


    Everyone tried to convince me. I couldn¡¯t understand why they were trying to do that.


    ¡°My dad is in danger too.¡±


    What I was doing wasn¡¯t just dangerous; it was reckless too.


    ¡°Even if he was my dad, he was reckless. Why else would he save me on his own? That was why it turned out like this.¡±


    I didn¡¯t resent him. Why would I me my dad? Instead, I resented myself. I was the one who brought ruin to my family.


    ¡°Right. I will do it.¡±


    I clenched my fist. I was fed up with the helplessness that umted in my mind for years. No matter what I said, my instinct would always force me to flee.


    I wanted to do everything I could for my dad.


    ¡°Miss Ria...¡±


    Serira, who had been quiet for some time, spoke. I couldn¡¯t refuse her, but I didn¡¯t want to give up on the only chance I had to save my dad.


    A strange voice caught my attention amid all the voices of refusals.


    ¡°Go ahead. I agree with it.¡±


    Assisi?


    I thought he went to the battlefield.


    I gulped. Assisi, dressed in proper armor, stood at the door.


    It was an unfamiliar appearance to me, but at the same time, he was still the same Assisi I knew.


    ¡°If you promise to return safely, I will send you off happily.¡±


    ¡°Assisi...¡±


    His voice was as soft as ever, but his words held heaviness to them. No one could say anything further. Another voice came after a moment of silence.


    ¡°I agree too.¡±


    Fardel smiled while stepping into the room and held my shoulder.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just let your father go away like that, right, princess?¡±


    True, but...


    I wanted to ask why they were allowing it, but on the other hand, I was shocked. I thought everyone would stop me.


    Since I could say anything, Assisi and Ferdel watched me quietly.


    Dranste, too, was silent for a while.


    The four of us stood there facing each other.


    ¡°Dad said I was his daughter.¡±


    My decision...


    Dranste nodded.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to see Caitel die like this. It isn¡¯t much fun.¡±


    Despite his smug smile while offering to help me, I was delighted that he epted my request.


    That too easily?


    I thought I had to ckmail him, but he was easy to persuade.


    Was it a trap?


    I knew that if I began to doubt, then I would lose everything. It wasn¡¯t like I was intelligent enough to understand such things. Dranste smiled.


    That man, what made him feel so good?


    Dranste ced his index finger on my forehead. I didn¡¯t like him touching me.


    ¡°Return safely.¡±


    As I pouted, Dranste smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you dead.¡±


    ¡®... nasty one.¡¯


    I closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t like how he showed kindness towards me; I couldn¡¯t help but feel thankful for Dranste.


    ¡°We are running short on time. Shall we start?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    I was shocked, but Dransteughed.


    ¡°Normally, it would be impossible. You should thank your mother. With the curse that tied you two, it is worth a shot.¡±


    Yet another bullshit I wouldn¡¯t understand.


    I wanted to ask something, but Dranste moved faster. Once his finger touched my forehead again, I felt pain as if someone had struck my head from behind.


    A strong force pulled me down by my ankles as if sucking me into ce.


    The next thing I remembered was entering a dark void.

 Chapter 468

    <h4>Chapter 468: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 468</h4>


    ¡°Your body will fall asleep because you are in a dream. The only different thing is, you are in someone else¡¯s.¡±


    I felt like someone was speaking to me through the sky.


    It was almost as if I wasn¡¯t familiar with the voice.


    I had always heard Dranste¡¯s voice. Since my consciousness was being sucked into the depths, I couldn¡¯t tell the differences in most things.


    ¡°The dream is a mess because Caitel¡¯s memories, thoughts, hopes, and fears would intertwine.¡±


    Did that mean that scary monsters would emerge?


    Now that was scary stuff.


    I just shrugged the feeling away from me for a while, then I heard another sharp voice.


    ¡°All you have to do is find where Caitel is and return to us. It won¡¯t be easy. There will be many versions of your father in his dreams, but there is only one real him. You need to find that one man and bring him back.¡±


    How would I know that?


    It was frustrating since I heard no answer. It was as if a dagger was ced on my throat.


    I couldn¡¯t open my eyes.


    As if my body disappeared, only my consciousness wandered back and forth. Then, noticing my frustration, the voice came back.


    ¡°You have to do this on your own.¡±


    ¡®What an irresponsible answer!¡¯


    When I was filled with anger, Dranste said something. It was his usualzy tone.


    ¡°You are his daughter, right?¡±


    ¡®... damn it.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t say anything after that.


    I was lost.


    I couldn¡¯t hear Dranste¡¯s voice anymore. At one point, I felt as if my body was floating in space.


    The only thing I knew was that I would be asleep. When energy drained out of my body, my eyes shot open with a terrible mood.


    As if I woke up after a long time, I got dizzy while looking at the surroundings. My body felt heavy. I was supposed to find my dad. I knew that I wasn¡¯t in my real body; a single mistake was all it would take for me to die.


    Once I got up, I realized how cold it was.


    ¡°Ah, too cold!¡±


    A dream? Does it have to be so real?


    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be so realistic!


    The scenery in the dream was like in mid-winter, Agrigent¡¯s mid-winter.


    The scenery was so real that I almost forgot what I was there to do.


    If Dranste hadn¡¯t warned me in advance, I would have mistaken that for reality.


    Still...


    The Winter Tree was as beautiful as ever, even if it wasn¡¯t real.


    Its white branches and snow were as blindingly beautiful as ever.


    ¡°... Assisi.¡±


    The ck knight popped into my mind when I saw the Winter Tree as if that was already decided. Was it because our first meeting was so firmly embedded in my mind? It was only the remnant of a man who used to cry by the tree.


    ¡°How do I find dad?¡±


    I knew that it was a dream, but it was a challenge too. The snow-covered garden was quiet in the absence of presence.


    It was like winter itself was buried in snow.


    I didn¡¯t like the scene much, but the problem was that it wasn¡¯t my dream.


    I moved to another ce.


    ¡°Hm, I hate moving in the cold...¡±


    I warmed myself with my hands while moving forward. I suddenly felt something behind me; a little child popped before me.


    Shit! I thought it was a ghost.


    I tried to calm myself after the sudden shock the child gave me.


    Uh? Oh?


    ¡°Hello, kid.¡±


    I tried to inch closer, but it didn¡¯t seem like it worked. ¡®Ugh, what¡¯s with that expression?¡¯


    I looked straight in his eyes and greeted him, but the little boy had a nk expression like his eyes were searching for something.


    ¡®Haha, this sister is a human.¡¯


    Somehow, opening my mouth became an arduous task.


    ¡®Kid, I amughing, see? How about you smile for me too?¡¯


    Somehow, the kid seemed very familiar. It felt like I knew him.


    ¡°What are you doing here on your own? Come on in, prince.¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    I was shocked to hear the voice of a stranger inching closer. Why weren¡¯t there any people around us?


    I felt shocked at the title attached to the kid.


    Hold on, prince?


    The woman, who seemed to be a maid, held the child¡¯s shoulders. As if the hands were familiar to him, the boy nodded.


    Prince. That kid?


    He was just around 5 years old, but he seemed fine with me popping up in front of him. No way. Could it be...


    My dad?


    ¡°But who is she?¡±


    The maid who was trying to move the boy nced at me and asked.


    ¡®Huh? Pretend like you didn¡¯t see me!¡¯


    I was confused, wondering if the boy really was my dad.


    Uh, how was I supposed to leave this situation? I feared that they would kick me out like an intruder.


    ¡®No, that can¡¯t happen.¡¯


    ¡°Uh, you, hey!¡±


    ¡°A new maid.¡±


    Huh?


    His gaze fell on me. I never told him that.


    ¡®D-dad?¡¯


    I kept staring at the boy, but he didn¡¯t show any interest in me, let alone look at me. Still, the maid called me as if she epted my new title.


    ¡°That so? Then youe here too.¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes.¡±


    What would happen now? I couldn¡¯t believe this new reality. First of all, I was being called a maid. And then the child...


    ¡®Is he really my dad? For real? Mna!¡¯


    It was real. He really was there!


    I was flustered. He seemed like a cuter version of my dad. I never imagined seeing him like that. He was walking ahead without even ncing in my direction, but my gaze was stuck on him


    ¡®Man, he is crazy cute!¡¯


    How could one be so cute?


    ¡°...¡±


    My dad looked back as if my passionate gaze reached him and sneered in my direction.


    Um, uh, suddenly, I felt depressed as hell.


    I just followed them without thinking; not a single person knew me but epted me as a maid in this strange pce.


    What a rapid change.


    Just looking at what I was seeing, the scene changed; it seemed like Agrigent Imperial Pce from decades ago.


    Just a couple of decades...


    The Imperial Pce was different from the one I knew.


    Especially the pce where dad lives, it was in a corner.


    ¡°Small. Very small.¡±


    I never thought I would say something like that.


    However, my father¡¯s pce was tiny, and on top of that, it was at a corner, a hard ce to visit unless someone actually wanted to get here.


    It was farther from the main pce.


    ¡°... how is this possible?¡±


    I had to find my dad.


    Although I found my dad¡¯s younger version, I was still worried.


    How should I know if he was really my dad or not?


    Even if he was my dad, I still had one more problem. How must I pursue him and take him with me?


    Although I was already a weird guy in the scene. Should I go over and say, ¡®Dad, are youing back with me?¡¯ Ah...


    Hm.


    I felt like I would be shouted at like ¡®Wah! There¡¯s a crazy woman here! Goodbye!¡¯. Ugh, it would be weird if my imagination turned into reality.


    ¡°I will stay for a while.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t move my feet away, or more like my heart. I didn¡¯t know anymore! I sighed as the maid wordlessly approached me, but I knew what she was asking for as she handed over the te.


    Weird would be an understatement.


    Only a few high-ranking maids dealt with the meals in the imperial pce.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t really match the impression of a maid.


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of expression I had on my face, but my dad¡¯s face went stiff.


    Like a ghost...


    Once the te was handed to me, I had to take it to the table.


    Dad¡¯s dinner.


    Somehow, I managed to find the table, but I regretted doing the task. I felt grateful for how I lived. How could his dining room be so small?


    Everything seemed too in.


    ¡°Put it here.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes.¡±


    As the maid said, I ced the te on the table and stood close to the wall like my maids used to do.


    Since the pce was small, the number of maids who attended my father was low. To put it nicely, it was simple and modest.


    A small number of people looked after the prince.


    Somewhere, a maid who resembled Serira looked at me and smiled. When she smiled at me, I couldn¡¯t help but admire her.


    I had to be careful, though.


    I had to be quiet.

 Chapter 469

    <h4>Chapter 469: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 469</h4>


    Well, I was fortunate to know how maids looked and acted because I saw them work for me. Ah, of course, the grace that my body held came out naturally.


    Shortly after, the little prince came into the dining room. Once I saw him, I felt enchanted.


    ¡®Oh my, so cute.¡¯


    ¡°Had a nice bath?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Please sit and have dinner.¡±


    ¡®Ahaha, cute!!¡¯


    I wanted to run straight for him and stretch his cheeks, bite him, and hug him, but unfortunately, I was a maid who wasn¡¯t supposed to act like it.


    Woah! I was a maid!


    He was so cute, though.


    Oh, if I could guarantee that I would have a son like that, I would marry the first person I could get.


    Apart from the fact that my dad was a child, the feeling inside me was different. No matter how much I looked at him, he was cute, and everything he did was forgiven because he was cute.


    Oh, cute! How could he look like that?


    He was so adorable.


    Ha, dad¡¯s childhood. It was totally different from my imagination. I thought he would have been some ugly, messed up kid, but he was cuter than the twins.


    It was in our blood, after all! He was a beauty since birth!


    What to do?! I wanted to bite him!


    He even ate delicately. Maybe he felt my constant staring; dad turned to the other side to eat.


    Oh my god.¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but it seemed like something was going on...


    Ah.


    My dad was right in front of me, but I couldn¡¯t call him dad. Why!


    Tears formed.


    Luckily, the meal was being had in silence, and there wasn¡¯t much noise.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Somehow, after cleaning up and moving, I was assigned a maid¡¯s room, but the problem came afterward; it was a dream, so I couldn¡¯t sleep. I wasn¡¯t even tired. It didn¡¯t even feel like I had worked.


    ¡°... it would be suspicious if I went out.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t sleep, but I couldn¡¯t leave the room either.


    I ended up wearing my robe lightly around my body and wandered around Caitel¡¯s small pce. If someone caught me, I would say that I was searching for the bathroom.


    In such a quiet pce, only the sounds of my steps rang.


    ¡°Wah, so small.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like I saw everything, but one wouldn¡¯t need to scour the whole ce to see how tiny it was.


    I thought I would get tired by walking around, but it didn¡¯t help much.


    Although the pce was small, it was like a bloody maze; if I didn¡¯t know the way, I would have been lost.


    Luckily, there was a trick to it, and I returned to my room with nothing to do.


    Later, the pce would turn to ashes with its people burning with it.


    I already knew the ending. A strange mood dominated me. I thought it would be unrealistic in a dream, but the passing of time felt more natural here. Everything was confusing as I wasn¡¯t sure what to do here. Was that why one could get stuck in a dream? I could live although I couldn¡¯t sleep.


    Was it because I knew I was dreaming?


    Still, dad was so cute earlier.


    I felt d about the reckless thing I did now. If I hadn¡¯t done it, I would have never had the chance to see my dad in his childhood.


    As I kept on remembering it, I felt attached to the young Caitel. Although he hadn¡¯t disyed any emotion nor spoke anything, just looking at him fascinated me.


    Did he have some magic power that captured my attention?


    Time kept passing, and my heart began to flutter; I didn¡¯t want to leave Caitel like that. Most of all, I hade to a point where I didn¡¯t want to miss even a single nce at him.


    I couldn¡¯t do it, aww.


    If this version of my dad wasn¡¯t the real one, I would have to find the real Caitel, who was still stuck in this dream.


    I couldn¡¯t leave the ce although I had other tasks to do. I would be stuck with my little dad.


    ¡®Such a rewarding task!¡¯


    Now I knew what the maids felt, always watching me from the side with grins.


    ¡°But this is hell.¡±


    Although I knew this was a dream, it felt strangely realistic, making me feel bitter.


    What? My dad¡¯s version in this dream differed from what I thought, so I couldn¡¯t figure out what to do. It was a shame. Dad¡¯s childhood, no one told me about this scene properly.


    Not just words, not the words, but seeing it touched my heart more.


    He grew up in such an atmosphere.


    I knew now why dad hated the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°If I grew up in a ce like that, I would have been hurt forever.¡±


    Those were tant words.


    However, it was the truth.


    Except for Caitel¡¯s little pce, everything seemed strange. Balls and parties were held here, and it never closes; nobles were free to enter this ce and party. The atmosphere went beyond the level of freedom to seeking simple pleasure and enjoyment. To be honest, all the people seemed addicted to something; they looked filthy.


    It was hard to get used to such a horrible ce.


    At first nce, while passing from a distance, Podere Pce seemed busy. Even in my memory, it was always crowded. Sy Pce was bustling too.


    Now that I hade to think of it, Emperor Ivan owned Sy Pce.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right opportunity to see my grandmother and grandfather. Even if I just saw their shadows in dad¡¯s memory, I was still curious since I never saw them.


    Strangely, the little Caitel didn¡¯t go to see them even once.


    ¡°Even if it is a dream, it¡¯s so harsh for him.¡±


    The situation felt odder since I would continuously bump into my dad during my childhood.


    A five-year-old kid, whom no one was interested in except for his maids and attendants, was a prince! I was Caitel¡¯s only child; he showed love and interest in me all the time.


    The nearby pces were busy with city people and nobles, but Caitel¡¯s small court was silent.


    No, it was okay for the nobles to do that, but his mom and dad had to see him, right? He was only five years old, and he needed his parents¡¯ love while growing up.


    I felt angry for some reason. The little prince quietly read books and kept to himself until an ident took him down.


    ¡°Does the prince want to go to the garden?¡±


    If there was anything I could do, then it was garden walks. Of course, it was something I liked, but even young Caitel seemed to like it.


    He went to the garden every day.


    At my sudden question, my dad looked into my eyes.


    ¡®... sorry. I won¡¯t ask again.¡¯


    ¡°No.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think he would bother responding!


    ¡°Then, why do you keeping here?¡±


    It was shocking how gently he answered me.


    He spoke so gently that I asked another question without realizing it, but my young Caitel sighed as if he was tired.


    Was I bothering him?


    ¡°Because it¡¯s better here.¡±


    I thought he would ignore me, but he answered again. My dad was so kind.


    It wasn¡¯t like there was much to say, but whenever he spoke, he did so softly. Strange, but it made me curious.


    Innocent Caitel. Probably why he was so cute!


    What did he mean it was better in the garden?


    I didn¡¯t understand his answer. I tried to think, but before I could, Caitel already turned away. He was going into the pce.


    I knew that the garden was the right ce to sneak off to, but I knew that he was groaning in the silent woods.


    Raising a child in such an environment was like opening the gates of hell. It was something unfamiliar to me!


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to go through it, but it seemed like one scene was enough to exhaust me.


    Ha, damn humans.


    ¡°There is a ball tonight.¡±


    When I returned to the pce, the waiting maids spoke.


    The word ball darkened Caitel¡¯s expression.


    Did he hate it?


    He wasn¡¯t someone who liked noisy ces, so it made sense.


    The maid started to prepare.


    The speed and skill of the woman who was helping were admirable, and it was done.


    ¡®Oh my god!¡¯


    My dad in little clothes was one thing, but dressed so grandly was different. It was like he was representing some minor nobleman. It was so cute!


    Ah, photo! Take a picture! Picture!


    ¡°What are you doing? Go.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes.¡±


    He was so cute.


    After all, he was looking good. We arrived at the pce after walking. I thought we would have to wait, but we could enter once we arrived. Usually, as a maid, I would have to wait outside, but we could enter as his guardian since the prince was young.


    The ball was so grand.


    What kind of ball was that?


    It was noisy, and it was difficult to make out what people were saying.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Once Caitel entered the hall, he moved into a corner. I was shocked to see him pull up a chair beside the curtains.


    What was he there for?


    Attendance? Was he there to show his presence?


    ¡°Can I bring you something to drink?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Less than 10 minutes passed since the ball started.


    I was feeling stuck. I couldn¡¯t figure out what he was doing or what I was doing; what intensified my curiosity was how nobody cared about the little Caitel. It wasn¡¯t like they were ignoring him.


    Almost like they were dealing with strange people.


    I had a bad feeling about it.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    While I was in thoughts, I ended up answering without using titles.


    Ugh!


    For a moment, I was scared, but fortunately, Caitel didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Ah, I could feel my life span shortening.


    I was almost in trouble since I spoke like I used to with my dad.


    I looked outside by pulling the curtain a little. Caitel held his chin and looked in the room. What a rxed attitude. Well, he didn¡¯t seem angry with my actions, so I kept looking outside.


    What was it? There were so many disgusting people out there. I was wondering where they all came from.


    ¡°Are nobles interesting?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you staring so hard?¡±


    Was he that bored? He kept asking me questions.


    I didn¡¯t hate it, but it was annoying since I was busy looking at other people. I had no other reason. I just wanted to understand what was going on.


    ¡°Just like that. Everyone moved like you aren¡¯t here... prince.¡±


    I was drifting into thisforting conversation like I used to with my dad. Thus, I had to btedly add ¡®prince¡¯ at the end. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t upset with my mistakes.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to stay away from a man they don¡¯t want. I know that¡±


    ... was this how five-year-old usually speak?


    As if he had already given up on everything, Caitel turned his head away with a pained expression. I was so sorry for what I said.


    Ha, what now? I felt something strange within me again.

 Chapter 470

    <h4>Chapter 470: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 470</h4>


    I just stood there without saying anything for a while. I thought of what Caitel had done for me. His favors, interests, and affections. I didn¡¯t understand it then because I always lived with everyone¡¯s attention and devotion in the pce, treated as the Emperor¡¯s child. I failed to notice things.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hate it?¡±


    There were kids his age here.


    I used to try so hard because I wanted everyone to love me, even after holding the soul of a 25-year-old. Caitel seemed old for his age.


    At the age of five, his expression was already different from mine.


    ¡°What could I do even if I hated it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know the answer.


    Since I couldn¡¯t answer him, naturally, I shut my mouth. Seeing my expression crumble, Caitel once again spoke words that were for his age.


    ¡°If I do something, more people will begin to hate me. It¡¯s better to stay still like this. If I can live like someone not to be bothered with, no one will touch me.¡±


    Really?


    It was wrong. I felt so bad that I wanted to hug him.


    My young dad was despondent at an age where he deserved love...


    When I looked like I was about to cry, Caitel looked to the other side, wanting to avoid me.


    ¡°People are watching.¡±


    Was I crying?


    I managed to hold back my tears and wiped my eyes with my hands because of what Caitel said. I wasn¡¯t sure who was who, but three women were at the center of the ball. Of course, due to my limited intelligence, it wasn¡¯t possible to know who they were, but it seemed like those three women weren¡¯t Empresses.


    Caitel wasn¡¯t being treated like that for nothing.


    When I turned my head thoughtlessly, someone sat at the top. Wasn¡¯t it empty before? When I saw his silver hair paler than my hair color, I immediately noticed who that person was.


    Emperor Ivan.


    My notorious grandfather.


    Once I saw Ivan, I turned towards my right side. The child came into my line of sight right away.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to greet him? He¡¯s your father.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Although... as I hesitated, Caitel responded with annoyance in his voice.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know that I¡¯m here.¡±


    That was a straightforward answer, no discussion. He didn¡¯t want to drag the issue any further.


    However, he turned his eyes towards Emperor Ivan and muttered.


    ¡°It is a little sad.¡±


    Still, he looked as sad as ever.


    I knew where my beauty came from. Grandfather was so handsome, and I didn¡¯t know it.


    I thought he was a yboy by nature, but man, after seeing him in person, I could see that he looked like one; even if he weren¡¯t the king, women would have flocked for him.


    A scam. It was a little disappointing that there wasn¡¯t a single thing about my grandfather present in our pce because Caitel had burned down all his portraits. He had quite the looks. The ballsted the entire night.


    Fortunately, Caitel was young, so we were able to leave earlier.


    My little dad sighed the moment he walked out of the hall.


    It must have been hard. Well, it was torture to stand there for hours in a ce where no one visited the kid nor looked at me.


    I knew then why Caitel didn¡¯t want to attend.


    I wanted to help him.


    Even if it was a dream and not a reality.


    ¡°Noting?¡±


    At one point, Caitel turned around, realizing that I wasn¡¯t following him.


    I saw an unfamiliar expression and familiar eyes.


    Little Caitel stood in the distance and looked at me. I smiled.


    Caitel¡¯s expression darkened as if he knew what my smile meant.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He did not answer.


    Caitel simply stooped and bowed his head.


    ¡°Are you... leaving me too?¡±


    It seemed like he was familiar with it.


    My heart tore upon hearing his words.


    I shook my head. What the hell were the people doing to the little child?


    ¡°I had to go.¡±


    I wanted to run right up to him and cheer him orfort him, but all I could do was walk towards him and stroke his head.


    My little dad.


    I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to stay by him andfort him. Dad was sad and lonely, and it was my impulse to look after him.


    Everything was a dream, the illusions of memories that Caitel had. If he was my real dad, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize me, so I started wondering.


    An illusion.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s lonely, cold, and hard right now... be patient. A little more. Close your eyes and endure this cold, and I wille back for you.¡±


    If I got myself obsessed with such an illusion, I¡¯d never be able to find my real dad.


    I felt sorry, but I couldn¡¯t stay with him. I hugged my crying Caitel.


    ¡°Because we are a family.¡±


    It was funny being in someone else¡¯s dream.


    My dad¡¯s dream, but it was also my dream. I must have wanted to encounter my young dad, whom I never got the chance to see.


    The illusions were made only for me.


    A world created to hold me there forever.


    ¡°I love you, dad.¡±


    In his childhood, Caitel was so sad that I wanted to do every possible thing for him.


    However, he wasn¡¯t the version of my dad that I had to find.


    He was a huge person, sometimes acted like a child at will, vandalized things, and a nasty guy, but even he had a daughter.


    Young Caitel was still in my arms. When a smile formed on the child¡¯s lips, everything around me melted away.


    Trees, buildings, streetlights, grass, flowers...


    Even young Caitel.


    ... everything disappeared so quickly.


    Looking down in my arms, I saw it was empty.


    Dad, I need to find him...


    I was still lost. Where on earth was dad wandering in his mind?


    ¡°It¡¯s dark.¡±


    Pitch ck darkness where my hands weren¡¯t visible. Of course, I had to face everything from the beginning. Shockingly, it wasn¡¯t scary. It was embarrassing. I was in a real dream, yet I was too calm.


    If I kept moving at this rate, I wouldn¡¯t find my dad in time. Did I need to stay more with young Caitel?


    It didn¡¯t seem like I could gain anything from him.


    Instead, as time passed, I only wanted to stay with dad and make sure he was happy.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    I was still lost in destion.


    Suddenly the scenery changed amid my confusion as my worries began to increase.


    The sky gradually turned ck. The soil was wet beneath my feet.


    As I lowered my head at my sticky feet, something strange but familiar came into sight.


    Red puddles.


    Blood.


    As I raised my head reflexively, I saw and tainted in blood¡ªa terrifyingndscape, covered in blood and piled with corpses.


    What else?


    At that moment, when I went stiff, I met someone¡¯s eyes¡ªthe bloody gaze which was no different from the blood covering my feet.


    Dad...


    No sound came out of my mouth. Caitel, with his sharply forged sword, just the sight of him was enough to terrify people from a distance.


    Which version of Caitel was he?


    No, which memory was this?


    Dad¡¯s unknown past, the road which he had already passed, something I couldn¡¯t change. It seemed more miserable than disastrous. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure it.


    I had nothing to say. I thought of forcing myself to smile at the dad who knew nothing but rage. I wanted to smile, but I had no reason to.


    Something tiny swung right in front of me.


    That... what was that?


    I noticed that something passed by at the speed of light; it was after I blinked a couple of times.


    Wait, hold on!


    When I turned my head, I heard the sound ofughter.


    The only thing I saw was the darkness once again, but it seemed strange. I recklessly ran to where theughter originated.


    And soon found...


    This.


    ¡°This is me.¡±


    ... why was I there?


    A small child ran for a long time and caught up, a tiny and cutedy, ying with a golden ball. It was young me.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t me.


    It seemed like the version of myself in the dream was ying a ball when I was two years old. No, four years old. It had been a decade.


    Did I look like that? It was a strange feeling to see my father¡¯s conscious memories. It was natural since I never met myself in person. Weird.


    It didn¡¯t feel like me; it was like another entity.


    Pretty.


    I admired her appearance.


    As she rolled the ball, she ran around in the dark garden.


    So lovely. She was so cute that I couldn¡¯t believe that it was me.


    Was that how I looked in my father¡¯s eyes? I was shocked. Was I always so lovely? I always thought of how he would view me, even though he would view me as a na?ve, unwanted baby.


    I felt disgusted at what I was watching.


    I couldn¡¯t get used to it.


    As I frowned, the young me stopped ying with the ball in her hands.


    Huh? What?

 Chapter 471

    <h4>Chapter 471: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 471</h4>


    When I took a few steps back due to the sudden scene change, my younger version looked straight into my eyes.


    Did she see me? I was shocked that her gaze was so clearly directed at me; it was no doubt that she could see me. It couldn¡¯t be. I started to feel nervous and decided to run for it.


    ¡®What, why is she smiling?¡¯


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    She disappeared.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    Still in shock about how she smiled at me, something came into my sight.


    Uh, wh... oh?


    Dad!


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    If I didn¡¯t move, I would have missed him, so I ran as fast as possible.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t some kind of mirage. My dad right in front of me was the same as thest images I had of him in my memory.


    I felt tears rolling on my cheeks.


    Dad, dad...


    It was my dad. The one I was looking for.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Caitel opened his eyes as I called him; he woke up.


    What did I have to do? It¡¯s my dad! My real dad! My dad!


    I couldn¡¯t control my overwhelming emotions.


    ¡°... Ria?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, it is me.¡±


    Dad, it¡¯s me. Me!


    I wanted to talk, but my voice betrayed me. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a dream or reality.


    ¡°Missed me? You seem weaker than usual.¡±


    Caitel was helping himself get up from the ground; he seemed to be in pain.


    ¡°Even then...¡±


    I looked up at him as he was trying to move; he leaned behind as if there was an invisible wall.


    ¡°Since someone sent me into this illusion, I can see only you.¡±


    What should I say?


    My head went nk. I couldn¡¯t figure out what I had to do or say. I had to say something to him, but all I could do was hold back the tears about to flow.


    ¡°I never imagined that I would love someone so much. To think about what I had to do for them, about what better, to worry for their safety... I never thought I was capable of that.¡±


    His low voice.


    His following words.


    ¡°I feel good about knowing that I died trying to protect someone.¡±


    A smile mixed with sadness.


    I couldn¡¯t hold my tears back anymore. For the first time, I heard Caitel¡¯s true feelings; my dad¡¯s confession made me gasp. I never imagined that I would listen to such things from Caitel, but I knew that it wasn¡¯t something I would hear again.


    ¡°In the beginning, I was intrigued. I have no idea why I felt like that, but then, I suddenly thought about it. How would the child grow and live as this man¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Caitel continued with a smile.


    ¡°I just thought that I would enjoy watching you. I was stupid.¡±


    My vision blurred because of my unstoppable tears. I cried, shaking my head.


    It wasn¡¯t like that, dad.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even look human, you couldn¡¯t speak properly, and if I stomped on you, you would have died. That was the first time a child caught my attention.¡±


    Did I have to say something? Should I express my feelings? I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Then, you crawled, walked, stood, and began to talk.¡±


    ¡°...Dad¡±


    ¡°How was it possible. Was it magic? How could a being who held my hand change me so much? You were so precious to me.¡±


    Caitel smiled as he talked about his heartfelt feeling.


    ¡°Knowing what kind of human I was.¡±


    His voice was full of concern; his face showed clear signs of distress.


    ¡°You smiled and reached out to me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to say that; he didn¡¯t need to speak like that.


    While I was at a loss for words, Caitel smiled and wiped the tears off my cheek.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t function without you.¡±


    No, I was the one who couldn¡¯t move without him.


    At first, I thought I was unlucky to be a tyrant¡¯s child. How could I be born under such a man? I used to sigh every day.


    Nevertheless, I could see it, the effort he put into taking care of me; though he was clumsy in saying it out loud, he cared for me. That must have been why I was still alive.


    I never knew it.


    ¡°For the first time, I thought your hand as you gave me flowers were the most gentle ones; I realized that the hands of the people who were kind were warmer than the ones who held swords.¡±


    Did dad even realize that he was confessing to me?


    He was making a great confession; did he think this was a dream? Yes, he was probably saying that because he hadn¡¯t realized it yet.


    ¡°But, as you got older, I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy our boring routines during your growth.¡±


    I knew it, but I didn¡¯t expect to hear it from him.


    Since I was expecting more, my dad continued.


    ¡°I was annoyed when you didn¡¯t listen to me and when you wouldn¡¯t do what I asked you. You refuted and got angry at me. I couldn¡¯t understand you, but then... you smiled, and I realized I was stupid for you.¡±


    I knew he was a fool for me.


    I caught my dad. I felt like he would disappear if I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I never nned on having a child.¡±


    It sounded like regret.


    ¡°Just... I shouldn¡¯t have epted.¡±


    My dad¡¯s gaze on me wasn¡¯t that of hate or resentment. It was of deep regret.


    ¡°I should have just killed you. Being born as the daughter of a man like me, you would feel nothing but resentment and me others for it. After living long, the only thing you would receive would end up being hostility from people...¡±


    Caitel was so upset that he couldn¡¯t utter the next words. It was my first time seeing dad look like that.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t get myself to let go of you...¡±


    He struggled to speak.


    Our surroundings shushed. What could I even say?


    ¡°You should have been born to a better father. My daughter needed to grow well. In a cozy warm ce with love... you should have grown with someone who could love you, not me.¡±


    No, I never thought that.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    I held onto Caitel, who was feeling regret.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak, listening to his overflowing emotions, but I wanted to let him know. Right, I needed to tell my dad properly. I had to convey my true feelings.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    Right, dad...


    ¡°You do say some bad stuff, but you never hit me. You always talked about selling me off, but you never sold nor abandoned me. You always cared and loved me. Dad was very sincere and wonderful that I trusted you more than myself.¡±


    Caitel was a great father I should show off to everyone.


    The harm hemitted in the past made me hesitate and created a distance between us. I tried to force myself to stay away from him in fear of being enved.


    ¡°Rather, I began to crave your love.¡±


    My dad always loved me, even when he was new to parenting. How could I abandon such a dad?


    How could I turn away from him?


    How...


    How could I not love him?


    It didn¡¯t matter if his hands were tainted with blood.


    I took his bloodied hands and ced them on my cheek. I put on the smile he loved.


    ¡°Dad, so don¡¯t say things like you wish for me to be born for someone else. I can¡¯t imagine anyone other than you as my dad.¡±


    Dad¡¯s eyes looked into mine. It had been a long time since west stared at each other.


    Atst, our eyes met.


    Dad¡¯s red eyes.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go back.¡±

 Chapter 472

    <h4>Chapter 472: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 472</h4>


    End. Whenever, wherever, whatever


    The hard days.


    In retrospect, thest decades were the most brilliant ones of his life. The golden times which he didn¡¯t realize then but were realized after reminiscing.


    Unlike his young days, where he ran through the battlefields without hesitation, in a way, being confined to the Imperial Pce was boring. Strangely, he felt no dissatisfaction from it.


    Weird?


    There wasn¡¯t a single day where he let his body rest, but he never thought of being stuck in a boring ce.


    Maybe that was what parenting meant?


    When he saw his daughter, who seemed all grown up in a moment, he sometimes felt that his child grew too fast. Although his daughter spoke, she was still seventeen; he had a soft sentiment of not wanting to see her live the childhood he had experienced.


    The saying ¡®parenting is a war¡¯ seemed right.


    Was it true that people lived on memories when they got older?


    He wasn¡¯t sure if they could be called memories, but there were times when they looked back on those thoughts. It didn¡¯t suit him much.


    Maybe that was what raising children meant? The more one raised their kids, the more the memory gets reced with their kids¡¯ acts, almost as if they were groomed by a third person.


    The growth of one¡¯s daughter would just happen very naturally. Although their remaining memories were faint enough to be counted, the parents found no remorse in it.


    Something which destroyed the hatred in them happened, leaving them alone and concerned about what the future would hold.


    Right, because he never felt such affection in his childhood, Caitel saw it as a luxury.


    Since everyone was wed from the beginning, he had no regrets.


    There seemed to be some of it left behind the emotion. Something warm likepassion. That was it.


    ¡°... Is Your Majesty really dead?¡±


    The Empress, his mother, spoke with unfazed eyes and died shortly after hearing the news.


    A young woman who only had eyes for Emperor Ivan looked at her husband and his multiple wives from other countries, but Emperor Ivan never looked back at her after their first night.


    Instead, he gave her the Empress position, but Empress Erica wasn¡¯t satisfied with her status.


    What she wanted was her husband¡¯s love.


    What Caitel never found was what his mother wanted. She never got it until her death.


    Even after that, she stayed with him and lived well. She held onto the hope that if she gave birth, he would look at her. However, seeing how her husband only looked at the child and left, the young Empress went crazy.


    In the vast Imperial Pce where no one cared about her.


    Like a fool.


    In the beginning, he never shed tears for his mother, whose face he couldn¡¯t even remember¡ªa woman who couldn¡¯t look after the child she gave birth to.


    He just felt a few straightforward emotions.


    Contempt andpassion.


    Even his father was like that.


    However, when such memories came to his mind, Caitel would get annoyed.


    Neen, the day he became the Emperor.


    The day Emperor Ivan stepped down.


    Everyone talked about Ivan being killed, but that wasn¡¯t true. Caitel hadn¡¯t killed him with his own hands, but he was sure that Ivan died, so he never cared for the rumors.


    Most of all, he knew what happened in Sy that day. Those who knew of it weren¡¯t alive anymore.


    The Emperor wasn¡¯t the reason.


    Caitel only wanted to kill the sixth prince.


    When the country was overturned and Ferdel was in a mess, Sy pce was quiet as hell.


    ¡°In the end, you are the one to hold the sword at me.¡±


    The voice stopped his footsteps as he entered the pce with a sword in his hand. A cold voice as if ice was being rubbed on the entirety of his body.


    Amid the screams of those trying to escape the pce, the ce where the man stood was quiet¡ªa sense of fear deep embedded in his mind.


    ¡°I heard the news that you were back. I was curious about how you survived, won¡¯t teach me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t mind staring at him and standing still; he remembered the alcohol pouring around in the hall.


    To be honest, it was different. No, surprisingly, it was pathetic.


    ¡°What are you seeing? Is there anything you need?¡±


    It was the first time since he was born that he had met his father. He would always just pass by. At once, Caitel convinced himself that his father didn¡¯t even exist.


    ¡°Ah, it is shocking that you know me. Well, it isn¡¯t too much.¡±


    What else could he say? Emperor Ivan up close was different from what Caitel had thought. His fragile smile and pale face gave out this delicate ss-like vibe about him, but Caitel didn¡¯t think he was stupid.


    Yes, he couldn¡¯t miss the tyrant who shook officials and state affairs.


    ¡°Okay. Would you like to sit or want to stand like that? My neck hurt just by looking at you. Ah, this? I recognized you because of it. Poison. You are mine, so I need to bear with you.¡±


    He wanted to ask why.


    It was a word he spoke while sitting in his chair; Emperor Ivan looked at Caitel as if he was looking at a guest.


    He was shocked and wanted to inquire more, but the man, his father, just smiled.


    ¡°I knew that my end would be something like this. In the hands of a tyrant, right?¡±


    Usurpation of the throne, treason.


    He vividly remembered the gestures his father did.


    ¡°It was just a matter of being subjected by a child. I was always waiting for such a day toe.¡±


    There really was a man like that?


    That was all Caitel could think.


    Shock preceded anger. Anyway, his object of hate was the man in front of him.


    He stared at what the alternative was, but Emperor Ivan acted as if it wasn¡¯t Caitel, then someone else would do it.


    ¡°Let me drink this. Don¡¯t spoil it.¡±


    Emperor Ivan searched around as if looking for something and took out a sword. Looking back on it, if Emperor Ivan had struck him with the sword, Caitel would have been dead on the spot, but he didn¡¯t feel threatened. He looked at what Emperor Ivan was doing.


    He looked at it.


    ¡°The sword I cut my brother¡¯s neck with. The blood from that time still taints it. It¡¯s no big deal, but he was a father who left his children without legacy.¡±


    It was the ¡®brother¡¯s sword¡¯ which was hanging in Sy Pce.


    During his young days, Caitel worried about what that sword was; Emperor Ivan¡¯s significance kept that sword during his youthful days. Mostly since Ivan was a man who didn¡¯t acknowledge his children.


    ¡°Your mother and my maids are weird. I did everything they wanted, but still...¡±


    Did he really not know? At Caitel¡¯s silence, Emperor Ivan smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    And again, he poured alcohol into the ss.


    The sound echoed in the spacious hall.


    ¡°Well, I could guess.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t alcohol that Emperor Ivan poured with a smile into his mouth.


    A bottle of poison.


    Emperor Ivan casually poured poison into his drink. Caitel just watched.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t a good father, but I can¡¯t let my own children do an impure act of murdering their father.¡±


    Hisst words.


    ¡°Be a good father to your child.¡±


    Seemed like his will.


    Caitel never thought of his father as such a person. For him, it was a rtionship with no emotion, but his end caused ripples of emotions.


    Caitel erased that moment from his mind. Later, the session problem rose, and when issues urred, Caitel thought it was better not to have kids.


    Damn his memories.


    They were the past he never wanted to remember.


    Right, he admitted it. It affected him without realizing it; he was stuck in the past. Those words eventually held Caitel and stopped him from loving his daughter.


    After acknowledging everything, Caitel¡¯s heart felt lighter. One by one, the shackles of the past loosened. Even when he tried to shake it off, they never left.


    He opened his eyes; the ceiling was bright with sun.


    ¡®Clearly, it wasn¡¯t like this when I closed my eyes.¡¯


    Even when he opened his eyes, he felt weird about it. Not long ago, he was supposed to be dead, but somehow, he was back in Sy Pce.


    Sweet.


    The noise of the door opening broke the peace in the room.


    It wasn¡¯t bad. When he raised his body a little to see, he could see the door open.


    A girl entered.


    As eye-catching as she ever was, brightened cheeks and eyes moist with tears, hair tangled back and forth.


    Obviously, she was not in the state to be called pretty, but the sunlight melted around the child, and Caitel couldn¡¯t look straight ahead.


    Dazzle.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    A small voice.


    As if it was the signal he needed, a smile spread on Caitel¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    The silence came after the greetings.


    Ria smiled when she heard it, although Caitel¡¯s voice wavered a little. Ria¡¯s smile made Caitel realize just how much he missed it.


    And the enlightenment which followed.


    Longing. Even if he died, his eagerness to see her face didn¡¯t leave.


    ¡®That was what love means.¡¯


    He never knew, experienced, or learned it.


    Too many unfamiliar emotions were eating him. There, the past Caitel he knew disappeared, and the Caitel he didn¡¯t recognize appeared.


    Nevertheless, the issue was that it couldn¡¯t be stopped.


    Man.


    The child approached him without making a sound and ced her hand on his.


    She was so warm.


    The warmth of life.


    It made his heart melt.


    ¡°Come on, dad.¡±


    What a soft, weing voice.


    Anytime, anywhere, where he was.

 Chapter 473

    <h4>Chapter 473: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 473</h4>


    Goodbye, mister.


    When I opened my eyes...


    It felt like I woke up from a very long old dream.


    Something terrible and sad. It should be called a nightmare, but I didn¡¯t want to call it that.


    My eyes felt wet, probably because I cried during my sleep. The damp sensation made me realize that I was awake.


    I was back, for real.


    I didn¡¯t remember what made me so sad, but the heavy feeling slowly subsided when I opened my eyes. Still, I felt fortunate that I could return with dad.


    ¡°Are you calm now?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was exhausted and out of energy; I couldn¡¯t even lift a single finger.


    Elene touched my forehead.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever.¡±


    I knew that too.


    It was mild dehydration, my condition wasn¡¯t perfect, but it wasn¡¯t terrible either.


    ¡°Will you run for Your Majesty with this body?¡±


    Elene clicked her tongue while asking.


    Once I opened my eyes, the maids lost their minds seeing me run into Caitel¡¯s room.


    I wouldn¡¯t do something like that again.


    I was just curious if dad opened his eyes or not.


    I wanted to confirm it with my own eyes!


    That was all, but before I could even talk to dad, Serira caught me and dragged me back to my room.


    ... and the storm of nagging followed.


    I was so scared of her nagging. If it weren¡¯t for my weak body, she probably would have continued it till the evening.


    Fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen, and Serira sighed with an upset expression.


    Once Serira left, Elene came to look after me.


    ¡°Look at your face! What did you do to that? T-this! I thought you would listen to us, really!¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t clean up.¡±


    ¡°Even then, what is this!? People are getting nervous because of you, princess!¡±


    She was teasing me.


    Elene brought in my meal, perhaps because I hadn¡¯t eaten for a long time; it was soup.


    Right, I knew that was what I had to eat.


    Elene had served in the past, but it was unfamiliar because of the gap we had, so I kept looking at her. Rather than taking a sip of the soup, I looked at Elene instead.


    ¡°... but Elene, why are you still here?¡±


    I knew that I shouldn¡¯t be asking such things, but I wanted to understand her reason.


    Why was the mother of a child in my room instead of looking after her child?


    Although Elene¡¯s children weren¡¯t infants, they still needed their mother¡¯s affections.


    Elene sighed at my question; she touched my cheek before answering.


    ¡°I am here to look after the broken-hearted Miss Serira and the princess...¡±


    Ah...


    The spoon fell from my mouth. It was something I hadn¡¯t thought of; my appetite disappeared right away.


    Right.


    It tasted bitter in an instant. It was unavoidable not to frown. I had been continuously thinking about my dad that I forgot to think about her. When I realized that, I felt a shudder in my body.


    I was such a stupid girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to worry about dad, but sometimes, please worry about your mom too, princess.¡±


    She only said it to make me understand, but I felt depressed. Soon Elene spoke in her high, brightened voice.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry. Serira will always be on the princess¡¯ side. Right?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°See, you can¡¯t be depressed! Smile! Our princess has the prettiest smile.¡±


    When I was young, she used to be a fool. When did such a woman turn so understanding?


    While my growth halted, Elene grew up quickly.


    The gap between us made me feel a little weird. Elene deliberately made funny expressions. I forced myself to smile at her attempts.


    I didn¡¯t feel better, but I feltfortable.


    ¡°Right, how¡¯s mom?¡±


    ¡°She is fine, of course. Her only daughter came back safely.¡±


    Right.


    For some reason, I felt terrible, but I didn¡¯t want to do anything and worsen the situation.


    When I looked at Elene, nursing me with a smile, I smiled unknowingly. Looking at her, I realized that sometimes it was nice when another person took the initiative.


    When I was young, I thought of her as a noisy person.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at Elene. I began to admire her.


    ¡°Our princess looks simr to Miss Serira.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    What bullshit was she talking about?


    I knew very well that we didn¡¯t look alike; what was she saying?


    Did she lose her eyes or what?


    However, since I was young, she looked at me with the same eyes.


    It was alright, but how could I be simr to mom!?


    ¡°Serira is too different from me.¡±


    How could Ipare myself with her?


    When I refuted, Elene shook her head. It was a firm shake, and I was beginning to get persuaded.


    ¡°No. You are simr. A little kind, firm, and strict.¡±


    Uh, yeah, that was right; Elene grinned while saying that.


    What was she trying to do?


    We didn¡¯t resemble each other or anything, but what Elene said was true.


    Right, would I discuss it with her? She was stuck with her theory that we resemble each other.


    As I smiled, Elene stared at me. Her gaze was rude, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything. Then, Eleneughed.


    ¡°Maybe the princess saw her and learned it? You always had Miss Serira around you.¡±


    Well, that was true. Kids learn from observing their mom.


    Of course, Ferdel and many other people were there, but Serira had an overwhelming influence on me.


    Ah, except dad.


    I didn¡¯t grow up like my dad, but I learned how to be faithful from him.


    ¡°Kay, now that you are back, look after Miss Serira too. She doesn¡¯t say it out loud, but she¡¯s hurt.¡±


    ¡°Huh, okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, our princess is so nice. Cute!¡±


    ... if I don¡¯t do it, then I would lose my humanity.


    While the warm air spread around us, I sat back, looking at Elene pour cold water.


    She wasn¡¯t treating me like a kid.


    Elene smiled while leaving the room.


    Why did she have to get married?


    Maybe the change in her was her husband¡¯s influence; I started to appreciate marriage more now.


    Well, as long as she is happy and well, I would be d.


    When Elene left, hunger came onto me.


    Right, my meal.


    I thought about thest time I had a meal and raised the spoon. I didn¡¯t have the strength in my hands, but I wanted to eat.


    When I was struggling to eat, a kind voice asked.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t fit your taste?¡±


    Ah, scared me! My liver almost jumped.


    Serira was standing silently and looked at me.


    I was shocked.


    Still, as I was shocked by Elene¡¯s words, Serira sudden appearance made me go stiff.


    ¡°No, it is good.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t tasteless or anything, but as mom asked, I wanted to say something nice.


    Well, I hadn¡¯t had a meal in a while, so anything would taste good. Honestly, I doubted if I could taste anything.


    Did my taste buds deteriorate?


    Still, the food was edible.


    I was silently tapping my spoon, Serira stood there with a change of clothes.


    Her familiar posture.


    I took it for granted, but for some reason, she seemed new.


    It was my mom who was caring for me while I was gone. When I thought about it, something popped into my mind.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I looked at her without taking another bite. Serira leaned in, shocking me. The familiar scent and warm touch on my forehead.


    ¡°Mom, I am sorry.¡±


    I was asking for her forgiveness properly.


    I was so sorry and guilty that I couldn¡¯t look into her eyes, but without shame, my apology flowed out of my lips.


    I was a weak person, knowing that my mom will forgive me. I was weak, but I craved her forgiveness. Even when I got older, I would always stay as her child.


    ¡°I was selfish, right?¡±


    Without answering, Serira patted my head.


    I tried to hold my tears, which were about to flow again.


    ¡°But you know. I couldn¡¯t really let my dad go. I knew that it was my way of doing things, but...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Serira leaned in, looking into my eyes. Her hands around my hands were as soft as ever.


    ¡°I know, princess. The only thing which makes me angry... is that I wasn¡¯t of help to you. It would have been nice if I could have been of some help, but in the end, the princess was alone.¡±


    ¡°Not true.¡±


    Seeing Serira show a bitter smile, I shook my head. How could I have done such a reckless thing without the trust of my mom behind me?


    Holding her hand, I shook my head.


    ¡°Mom raised me as a child who could do such a thing.¡±


    If I didn¡¯t have her, would my life have been as peaceful as it was?


    I knew I said it, but that was the truth. I knew that the excellent rtionship between Caitel and me was because of Serira¡¯s efforts. I had never expressed it, but my mother was a person who connected both of us without choosing sides.


    How could I express that gratitude in words? I couldn¡¯t.


    I held her warm hand.


    A warm smile spread on her lips.


    I only felt warmth reach me when I felt that.


    With her calm and gentle embrace.


    ¡°I am back.¡±


    As if shocked by my greeting...


    Serira¡¯s eyes popped. It was so cute that Iughed without realizing it.


    My mom smiled.


    A quiet answer followed.


    As always.


    ¡°Wee home.¡±

 Chapter 474

    <h4>Chapter 474: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 474</h4>


    I didn¡¯t remember sleeping for long. Maybe two to three days?


    No matter how long it was, at most, it should have been a week.


    However, when I opened my eyes, I was informed that 40 days had passed.


    I slept that long?


    When I first heard that, I couldn¡¯t understand.


    A prank.


    A prank. It must be two weeks or a day.


    However, Dranste said the Imperial Pce was in a state of grieving since both of us wouldn¡¯t open our eyes.


    Well, the pce really seemed to have stagnated.


    Once the news got passed over, it was natural for nobles to send their letters.


    ¡°The pce must have been in a mess.¡±


    ¡°Mess wouldn¡¯t even begin to exin what happened.¡±


    Elene shook her hands while saying that.


    Ugh, tch.


    I ignored Elene and looked at Serira. She was mixing medicine into my food.


    Something had to be said.


    My face darkened immediately.


    Oh, I had to eat that terrible medicine again. I would have nightmares because of it.


    That medicine with ck color and the deep smell was supposed to be a premium tonic that could save the dead! The pce doctor prescribed it for my rejuvenation. And I hated it.


    Shouldn¡¯t medicine be in a taste that humans could relish!? Reality was so harsh!


    ¡°Even if you put that expression, you need to eat it all.¡±


    ¡°... let me off.¡±


    Seriraughed, looking at me.


    ¡®Mom, I am in trouble. Are you enjoying that?¡¯


    ¡®Oh, right. Even if I cry, mom won¡¯t blink until I finish eating everything.¡¯


    I was under pressure in silence. I had already drowned myself in medicine for days.


    No!


    I couldn¡¯t recover my health to its original state, but I was allowed to have a walk.


    ¡°How is dad?¡±


    ¡°Showing miraculous recovery. Even then, they told me that his injuries were grave, so there would be side effects of it.¡±


    Serira spoke with a worried face.


    Aftereffects. What a frightening word. There shouldn¡¯t be any aftereffects. Suddenly, Elene raised her hand.


    ¡®What is she doing?¡¯


    ¡°But since it¡¯s Your Majesty, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    What a blind remark about my dad, but even I knew that things would be fine since it was dad. What else could I do?


    I fell asleep to bring back my dad.


    It was a faraway and distant story, but the moment I almost lost my dad was roughly a month away. It was something that could have shaken Agrigent.


    That reality seemed like a dream¡ªa littleforting and fearful.


    It was because of so many people that the mess managed to stay under wraps. Of course, Ferdel was the best of all. Even after the princess permitted me, it was all because of Ferdel¡¯s ability and understanding of politics that the situation stabilized.


    All Ferdel¡¯s move.


    ¡°Is Ferdel still busy?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I heard that he hadn¡¯t been home for three weeks, and he is in talks with the finance office.¡±


    When it came to rumors, Elene was the sharpest. She wasn¡¯t a maid anymore, but where did the word originate? I realized that it was her talent.


    Listening to Elene, Serira touched my cheek, seeing my anxious expression.


    I was worried. It was still in my mind that no one told me yet why Ferdel left his post.


    It couldn¡¯t have been a huge deal. Dad must have done it in the heat of the moment.


    ¡°Is Assisi still in Izarta?¡±


    ¡°They are still fighting. Uh, why did Emperor Havel have to lead his army there? It might be difficult to return to the capital at the moment.¡±


    It was something even Elene seemed worried about. I looked at Serira, who seemed troubled.


    Even mom was waiting. She wasn¡¯tfortable knowing that Cito and Sanse were on the front lines. She didn¡¯t say it, but she seemed worried about Cito.


    She lost her husband on the battlefield.


    All we could do was pray for their safe return.


    I didn¡¯t think Assisi would lose, but Havel¡¯s name weighed on my mind.


    Didn¡¯t Agrigent deliver the peace he wanted? I thought we were close; was I just mistaken?


    Although we snapped at each other, I thought we were in a favorable rtionship. Why did he do that?


    Actually, Ferdel was too calm about Pretzia¡¯s betrayal...


    Not knowing something was frustrating.


    Ah, my head hurt, shit!


    ¡°Come on, eat!¡±


    ¡®Finally!¡¯


    ¡®Damn.¡¯


    Due to the ck liquid in front of me, I was lost in thought for ten seconds. It looked like c but tasted like shit. When I swallowed the medicine, I didn¡¯t want to put anything else for hours in my mouth.


    I had no appetite because of the drug. 100 percent sure!


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Eat everything without leaving anything behind. Until thest drop.¡±


    Why did my mom have to smile by handing me that cruel thing?


    Serira seemed modest, but she had iron blood; I mean, she fought with Caitel for years.


    Just drink it.


    First, cover your nose. Come one, medicine!


    ¡°Ahhhh!!¡±


    Defeated again.


    The smell wasn¡¯t something I could beat.


    Ha, death.


    I drank it all with my nose closed, but I could still smell it.


    If I let go of my nose, then I would faint right away. Huh, even rotten milk wouldn¡¯t smell like that.


    ¡°Kay, now eat this. Quick!¡±


    Elene put two pieces of sweet potato into my mouth. I couldn¡¯t even say no.


    Oh, forget it. The fact that I had to drink it again in the evening scared the shit out of me.


    Oh, I just want to go.


    ¡°You need to heal, Ria!¡±


    ¡°Let me heal in my way!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you feeling better, though?¡±


    My broken body felt healed. I still needed medical care, but I did recover a lot; it was quick.


    The only thing I hated was the disgusting medicine I had to chug down my throat.


    Weren¡¯t there any other medicines?


    Serira left the room after taking the medicine bottle.


    At other times, I would have asked for her to stay with me, but with Elene with me, it felt like she was trying to do other things.


    I was a little sad.


    Well, I knew that she trusted Elene.


    ¡°Princess, did you know? These days, there are rumors that Your Majesty has changed.¡±


    ¡°Huh? why?¡±


    ¡°It seems like he changed a lot. Somehow, the aura around him changed a little or something like that. He had some peculiar sharpness in the past, which made people think that they would die if they were around him, but not much these days... I think?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep up with Elene¡¯s words. Did she mean to say that he wasn¡¯t as sharp as before?


    Wasn¡¯t dad always like that?!


    Of course, when I was young, I saw his killer intent, but he did not have much of it when I grew up. Elene shook her head, trying to convince me.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. In the past, Your Majesty made it feel like the day stood still. But these days, his presence has diluted a lot. Changed a lot.¡±


    ¡°Right. He must have feltfortable.¡±


    Serira, who came back, caught up with our conversation.


    What changed?


    ¡°I mean, even in the past, he seemed fine, but his deathly gaze seemed to have disappeared. It seems like after Your Majesty opened his eyes, he starts acting differently. Perhaps because of it, the maids seem to smile a lot. They think Your Majesty has been living life again.¡±


    Still, dad had the same personality as always.


    Anyway, the riots had happened before, so I didn¡¯t care. No matter how much the maids liked my dad, the high wall around his heart wouldn¡¯t fall so easily.


    ¡®Right, that¡¯s it.¡¯


    What happened in the dream was faintly registered in my mind, but I could see how that affected my dad. However, I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly changed in him. Once I opened my eyes, my memories of him ran through my mind, but as the days passed, such memories faded away.


    Come to think of it. I remember there being a powerful confession.


    What was that confession now?

 Chapter 475

    <h4>Chapter 475: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 475</h4>


    ¡°Ah, right! Howe Sir Assisi looks the same as when he was in princess¡¯ childhood. We are all getting old here, right, Miss Serira?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that.¡±


    ¡°But even Your Majesty isn¡¯t getting older! Rather, the more he seems to age, the more he takes over thedies¡¯ hearts in the capital! It is such a foul thing! Foul, I tell you!¡±


    Elene¡¯s nose red.


    I realized something and objected.


    ¡°But, why are we not taking Ferdel into consideration?¡±


    Elene naturally replied as if nothing happened.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a married man. Besides, Mr. Ferdel is handsome, but he isn¡¯t the most handsome man in the nation, right?¡±


    ¡°Ferdel will cry when he hears that.¡±


    For sure. 100 percent. I could be sure of his reaction.


    If he heard that, he would cry and whine! It was better not to let him know, or else he would start asking people who the handsome one was.


    Well, he should be d he wasn¡¯t being referred to as the handsome middle-aged man of the century.


    ¡°But, how is our knight getting so cool when he grows older? Even when I was young, the maids used to say that he had a gloomy feel around him, but he looks more attractive now. What was it called, the love which heals the wounds? I want to pull him into my arms and tear down his walls.¡±


    ¡°That is a pretty dangerous statement.¡±


    So Elene was such a woman. Gloomy... what? Takedown walls?


    ¡°Elene, didn¡¯t you hate Assisi?¡±


    ¡°Hm... I didn¡¯t like him. I felt ufortable when he was around. I was young back then. A man with a great life ahead of him but decided to onto his forged sword was scary.¡±


    It was scary. I was never of such thought when around Assisi, probably because I had already seen dad. Well, I admit that dad was sterner than Assisi.


    ¡°Thanks to a certaindy, he¡¯s more approachable now.¡±


    Even if she didn¡¯t emphasize it, I knew who she was.


    Avoiding her gaze, I bit the candy, and it broke in my mouth. I heard someone approach the door. I asked for them to enter.


    Who could it be at such a time?


    ¡°Uh, Ferdel!¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling good, Princess?¡±


    Shocking. It was Ferdel who hade to visit me.


    Once Elene saw Ferdel, she felt a bit bad.


    Elene took a step back after seeing Ferdel¡¯s hurt expression.


    He heard it; he definitely heard it. I looked at Ferdel.


    ¡°You must have been very busy. Did youe to check on me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I might not be the most handsome man of the century, but I am still a handsome one.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Was he hurt?


    Elene turned gloomy. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Haha, what would happen to our country? The future looked so bleak.


    ¡°I might not be the most handsome one of the century, but I am a kind, smart,petent, cool, genius, and handsome man.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I might not be the most handsome one of the century, but I am a perfect man with no missing screw in his head, with a family, academic background, appearance, and many more.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    He had to stop! Enough!


    I was wondering how long he would list his qualities. Elene was already looking crushed with cold sweat breaking out of her forehead! She could have just said that it was an ident, but Ferdel was a sore loser...


    Serira took Elene out of the room.


    Right, leaving was the best solution.


    I would think of a way to help Elene in the future, and at that moment, Ferdel smiled. What? He couldn¡¯t just tease people around like that!


    ¡°Ah, by the way, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Uh? Did Ferdel have to say it directly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important.¡±


    What was it that he had toe to my room for?


    A bad feeling began to creep into my heart.


    Ferdel¡¯s smile widened as he spoke.


    What? Did something happen?


    ¡°Tomorrow, messengers from Shertogenbosch will arrive.¡±


    ¡°... messengers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ancief and Parten-Kiehern messengers have already arrived and rested with quite a few ambassadors from the north other than Shertogenbosch.¡±


    Why was he telling me this?


    I asked him to talk quicker by nodding. Ferdel understood it.


    My uneasy feeling increased. I never felt like it in recent times.


    ¡°I would like the princess to be in charge of the envoy from Shertogenbosch.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hold on now. Did I hear something wrong?


    ¡°Wait, Ferdel?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡®Wow, way to use your smile.¡¯


    ¡°You want me to face their messengers?¡±


    ¡®Them?! Huh?!¡¯


    I didn¡¯t want to divide the country, but Shertogenbosch was an empire with a massive influence on the north. That was an opponent I could never deal with.


    Ah, look at this man¡¯s guts. Was he entrusting them into someone as weak as me?!


    I had to reject it!


    Reject! I couldn¡¯t do it!


    Fardel sighed at my response then asked.


    ¡°Then, should I ask Your Majesty to do it?¡±


    ¡°... I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    If he puts it like that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse. Rotten!


    Ugh, I gulp after seeing Ferdel smile.


    ¡®Ah, that guy. Ferdel is no good to me. I¡¯m sure!¡¯


    ¡°Then let¡¯s move.¡±


    ¡°Why so quick?¡±


    ¡°We have some things to deal with.¡±


    Fardel seemed a little tired. It was my first time seeing him disy his exhaustion.


    What? If he acted so weak, I wouldn¡¯t be able to counter him at all! No way, some mid-life crisis? However, Fedel seemed like he wasn¡¯t going through anything. Man, he had my sympathy.


    It was a shame.


    ¡°I heard that you couldn¡¯t enter your home for three weeks while working in the pce.¡±


    At my words, Ferdel pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Has it been three weeks?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What was with this man?


    He didn¡¯t even remember when he left his house?


    I felt bad for Silvia, who would be waiting for Ferdel toe home.


    Poor Silvia, her man didn¡¯t even care about returning to his home, ugh. Just die. Bloody workaholic, ugh!


    My poor, poor Silvia!


    I was worried about Silvia when Ferdel spoke.


    ¡°There were too many things which had to be done...¡±


    My thoughts halted.


    A moment¡¯s stillness.


    However, something felt different about the air around us; in a moment, it felt like a massive gust of wind headed towards us.


    This new wind seemed stagnant.


    Fardel seemed different for some reason.


    What was it?


    I wondered for a moment, what was it? However, Ferdel didn¡¯t say anything. He just soon smiled.


    ¡°Anyway, thank you. I believe that the princess will do well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just believe it blindly!¡±


    I yelled, but Ferdel smiled as he walked out of the door with rxed shoulders.


    Wow, I hated him!

 Chapter 476

    <h4>Chapter 476: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 376</h4>


    It had been a long time since I got dressed sovishly.


    I used to always dress like that; it felt like years had passed since the aftermath of the events that unfolded when I fled.


    Every day seemed rather in after looking at my past lifestyle.


    My dress for the day was one with no wrinkle apanied by a single ne, a small colorful headband, and soft makeup. My appearance seemed as elegant as possible, making me look like a princess.


    ¡®Right, that was who I am supposed to be!¡¯


    ¡°Your beauty hasn¡¯t died down, princess!¡±


    ¡°Obviously, whose daughter am I!?¡±


    My father¡¯s daughter! Caitel¡¯s daughter!


    This diamond-like beauty would never go out of style. Still, it had been a while since I prepared like this; I was excited.


    It was nice to see such a gorgeous dress. I had been through a lot...


    I was engulfed in my feelings when Elene asked with a pair of clothes in her hands.


    ¡°When is the messengering?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t they reached the pce yet?¡±


    They should havee. I didn¡¯t make itte by just changing my clothes; they should have been there.


    Of course, if they left without a meeting, their throats would fly, so it was imusible for them to do that. The man who loved me immensely would never let someone disrespect me.


    Well, how unfortunate.


    From the moment I put on my clothes and made myself up, I was down to waiting; were theying or not?


    When I asked for them to find and bring them to me, Serira went out.


    Mom didn¡¯t have to go and bring them personally...


    I put on a thin bracelet on my arm. Whenever I raised my hand, the bracelet with tiny diamonds sparkled brilliantly.


    Ah, this has a different glow. Would it be expensive?


    Of course, it was essential to realize that it was a gift.


    ¡°Coming soon.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be around for lunch.¡±


    They werete, but shockingly, I nodded.


    ¡°The envoy of Shertogenbosch will arrive in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, really?¡±


    I was working hard and got ready; I wasn¡¯t kidding around.


    I didn¡¯t have much to do so, though.


    Ugh. Looking at the time, I realized that lunch was far away. I thought I would spend the morning massaging andbing my hair or getting dressed, but surprisingly, everything happened fast.


    What could I do? I was a natural beauty.


    However, the problem started from there.


    ... what should I do? There was nothing I could do!


    For a few days back, work had piled up, but then, I seemed to have a lot of time on my hand.


    ¡°Ah, what!?¡±


    ¡°You can sleep.¡±


    Elene advised me to make up for theck of sleep, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Firstly, I slept for quite a lot of days, right? I wasn¡¯t sleepy anymore; above all, it had been a while since I dolled up, and I didn¡¯t want to sleep!


    I wondered if there was work to be done, but I was being treated as a patient.


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    I was getting worried.


    Touching my head as I leaned back onto the couch, Serira spoke.


    ¡°Then, how about you go see our Majesty?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Right!


    Momughed as I awakened with passion.


    Right! Go right away and act cute!


    Right as I prepared to leave, all the maids began to move.


    I was going. Onest time, I took a look at the mirror to check myself...


    Umm, no problem.


    I had to see my dad!


    My dad was a patient like me, so visiting each other was forbidden for a while.


    It was all my fault for running towards him right after waking up.


    I didn¡¯t bother protesting as it was because of me.


    Sad. Of course, Caitel, too, was forbidden from doing a lot of things.


    ¡°Kay, even your knight is here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    My knight, Assisi wasn¡¯t there, so another knight was supposed to be my temporary escort.


    However, when I saw the knight who came to escort me, I was shocked.


    It was Valer.


    He would always walk in the pce, but seeing Valer all dressed up in uniform and bowing his head made me chuckle.


    Oho?


    ¡°Hello, princess. Nice to meet you. You are as beautiful as I heard.¡±


    ¡°I am beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Puh!¡±


    Valer couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter at my answer.


    That young bastard. Grow up already.


    As I shook my head, Valer stoppedughing and stood beside me.


    Since he was tall, I had to look up, but it was okay; I was wearing heels, after all. They weren¡¯t 12cm high heels, just 5cm ones.


    Why was he there, though?


    I knew that a knight was supposed to escort me, but I never expected it to be Valer. I hadn¡¯t seen him for a while, so I assumed that he followed Assisi southward.


    I mean, even Sanse and Cito were involved. I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°Temporary suspension.¡±


    What was that? What did it mean to gain a suspension?


    If I remembered clearly, it was an order given to a knight who did something out of line.


    Even then, I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly happened...


    As I stared at him with a frown, Valer shrugged. He didn¡¯t seem to be dissatisfied with his situation.


    ¡°What, did you do something?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    If not, then why was he there? Winter Moon Knight.


    Valer went silent.


    Didn¡¯t feel like answering me?


    Valer wasn¡¯t someone like that.


    It was rare for someone so bright and cheerful to take a 360 turn in his behavior.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I asked because I was worried, but Valerughed. He answered with a stern voice.


    ¡°Children don¡¯t need to know.¡±


    ¡°I am older than you!¡±


    I was only asking so that he would get things off his chest. Tch.


    I didn¡¯t want to dig into it. Above all, I was tired too. I could always find outter through Ferdel.


    Although I was nervous about the meeting, my purpose was to meet my dad.


    I greeted Elene and Serira, who were in the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡±


    ¡°Come back soon, princess.¡±


    I left the room with Valer and Libby, who would serve as my attendant.


    Several wanted to follow, but I asked them to stay back.


    I was only going to Sy.


    Since I was down for a few days, my body was so stiff as I moved.


    The scenery seemed well as I walked out of the room in the sunlight. Everything shone around me.


    Pretty!


    The warmth I got from touching the marbles. The green leaves looked full of life and shone the colorful life.


    It was a scene I was already bored of seeing, but I began to enjoy it like hell after avoiding death.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    I just felt lucky to live in such a world.


    ¡°The weather is good, right?¡±


    ¡°Nice weather.¡±


    The smile never left my lips. It had been a while since I even saw Libby smile; I was curious and looked at her, which made her flustered.


    Look now, thinking I wouldn¡¯t know!


    Still, it was rare for that blunt Libby to act as such.


    Ah...


    I sighed without knowing. Looking at the sky, a single cloud came into view in the blue sky.


    While I was watching it, Valer asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just...¡±


    It felt good.


    Once I answered, I grinned while looking at Valer.


    Whether he enjoyed it or not, I really liked it.


    The path I always walked on seemed different.


    After all, I returned from a crisis. That said, I would never go through it again. Great architects made the path that led directly to the Sy Pce.


    From pretty flowers to trees that gave shade, it would never bore anyone. How much sweat and tears had they sacrificed to make this? The path always stayed unchanged.


    It had been three months since I took that path. Iughed a little as I remembered how Caitel and I walked there.


    Sometimes, the path felt long and sometimes short.


    A familiar building weed me. Two massive pirs stood at the entrance, carved as a Winter Tree with the sun symbol engraved on the roof. Sy was etched right underneath it to remind visitors of the name of this ce.


    A ce I used to visit when I was young.


    A sense of home and security.


    That same time, I felt a little tension that something might happen!


    I felt like I was really independent.


    After entering Sy, I passed through the long corridor until a massive door thrice my height appeared.


    It was the ce where dad and I used to sleep together.


    There stood the emperor¡¯s bedroom.


    As I approached, the attendants left. I stood in front of the door and looked at it.


    Huge door with the symbol of a Winter Tree embezzled with diamonds on its roots. Outside was a man wearing a robe.


    ¡°Princess, you havee?¡±


    ¡°It has been a long time, Count Redne.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty is sleeping.¡±


    Man...


    My smile shattered as the manughed with a sad expression. I was disappointed, but what could I do?


    ¡°Did he have his breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He had it and even took his medicine. He fell asleep right away, but his condition has improved a lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    I heard that Caitel was working hard on his rehabilitation because whenever I tried to stop taking medicine, Elene and Serira would threaten me with that.


    Although Caitel rebelled against the deration that we should be apart until our health stabilized, his doctor was doing a great job.


    I went to visit my dad when I felt my body improving.


    ¡°Can I, at least, look at his face?¡±


    I asked as he nodded with a warm smile.


    Huh, I thought that returning without looking at him would make me feel bad.


    I immediately smiled.


    Nice!


    The door opened with no sound. I entered alone.


    The room was dark despite being day because of the dark curtains.


    A good choice to sleep.


    I approached his bedside, trying not to make any sound. As I stood by Caitel, I heard his breath as he slept.


    It seemed like he took some strong medicine.


    I was right beside him, but he didn¡¯t wake up.


    I was satisfied because it was my first time seeing him. Besides, dad looked so peaceful.


    Right, my dad. I had a hard time understanding him. Man?!


    Caitel might never realize it, but he was the best.


    Ugh, how did I turn into a fool for him? I was done.


    ¡°... uhm.¡±


    I could understand why my dad woulde in to see me sleep.


    Was it because of that?


    It¡¯s hard to put into words, but it was an overwhelming feeling.


    How could one look so beautiful when sleeping?


    He slept really well.


    I wanted to stay a little more, but I had to leave.


    It was time.


    Going out would be such a pity, though!


    I gently kissed Caitel¡¯s forehead. Like my dad used to do.


    ¡°Sweet dreams.¡±


    I hope that his dreams will never turn into a nightmare.

 Chapter 477

    <h4>Chapter 477: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 477</h4>


    It waste afternoon that the envoy appeared.


    It was a time when my body and mind were distracted since all of my preparation was disorganized.


    No, why sote! Look at their timing, really!


    However, I couldn¡¯tin. It was because I had convinced the envoy about the war in the south.


    Ha, rotten war.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what Ferdel was thinking, but it seemed like the confrontation between Pretzia and Agrigent turned sour.


    Well, it would be a global problem if Caitel started the second war of conquest.


    Fortunately, Assisi participated and held Izarta¡¯s halfnd under him, so there was no further damage to us. Just some local sluggish war, the kind of situation which Ferdel hated the most.


    Millions of gold went into holding the military.


    Anyway, it was true that the military would put a massive burden on finance, and I personally wished for the war to end quickly.


    I wanted to see Assisi after all! I did want to see Sanse and Cito too.


    Hmm, but why did Valer not go? He wasn¡¯t the kind to hide because of being scared to die; I was curious about the reason.


    ¡°Why are you staring so intently?¡±


    No, I was just curious. When I looked at him, Valer tilted his head.


    I just looked at him, no ill feelings.


    Above all, the most suspicious thing was Valer, who loved Sanse more than me, was in the Imperial Pce while Sanse was out battling.


    What really happened? More than that, how many Winter Moon knights were on standby?


    I was in painful thoughts by the time I arrived in front of the reception room.


    Ah, I reached¡ªthe time of fate.


    ¡°Woo...¡±


    Took a huge breath.


    I had to prepare my mind.


    ¡®Kay! I can do well! I am the princess of Agrigent, elegant, pretty, and smart!¡¯


    ¡®Ria, cheer up! Ria, you are the best!¡¯


    After all that self-hypnosis, I managed to look elegant and confident! I could keep my graceful smile.


    My facial muscles.


    ¡°Princess Ariadna has arrived.¡±


    I entered the room after being introduced.


    I had to greet them with a smile! Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t.


    What the hell! Who is he?


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    The envoy head of Shertogenbosch who smiled at me was...


    ¡°Ahin...¡±


    It was Ahin, the heir.


    Why would Ahin be there?


    My shock was truly indescribable because the sessor was never sent.


    Was I dreaming?


    I was shocked by the situation I never thought of.


    However, I wasn¡¯t in a dream because Valer was beside me. Above all, Libby¡¯s expression darkened.


    Ah, not the time.


    ¡°Wee. It has been hard because of distance, but thank you for taking your time anding to our country. On behalf of my father, I greet you. I, princess Ariadna of Agrigient, wee the envoy of Shertogenbosch.¡±


    Libby nodded as I spoke.


    Did she like it?


    I didn¡¯t know when she turned into my attendant maid. Well... all was well if it ended well.


    The knights behind, who looked at the sudden change of attitude in me were shocked. Maybe too shocked.


    Why were they so surprised with my acting?


    Tch, they were so inexperienced, very inexperienced.


    ¡°Thank you for the hospitality.¡±


    ... Ahin looked as beautiful as ever.


    Ah, dazzling!


    Fortunately, our first greeting went well. Ahin smiled as I sighed. It was a small chuckle, but somehow, that lifted the burden from my heart.


    Hmm hmm! Ha, he was such a cute button.


    ¡°I will be the one to guide the envoy.¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t think we would meet in such a circumstance, I was excited. It was always fun to meet him face-to-face! Mostly since he was the one who... ah, it wasn¡¯t because I liked him or something! Just as a man! No, not like a man, like a human.


    Yes, that was it.


    I loved mankind! Except for a few bastards. People such as the sixth prince were all excluded.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Did I seem too stiff? Ahin tried to speak normally.


    Ugh, he shouldn¡¯t act like that.


    ¡°It really has been a while.¡±


    Right, it had been a while, you kid.


    Even then, I was happy to see him. In terms of time, we met in less than a month again, but for me, it felt like we met after years!


    Ahin¡¯s expression hardened.


    Huh? what?


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    I smiled and tried to ask. After seeing his change of expression, I began to think about where I went wrong. Did I say something wrong?


    I felt terrible, sad, stupid since I couldn¡¯t hold back my lips.


    No, what should I do now?!


    I was so embarrassed that I didn¡¯t even know what to say until Valer intervened from behind.


    ¡°You were calling him by the name in the; why, why the sudden honorifics, princess.¡±


    At the low voice which came from behind, my curiosity was answered.


    Was he upset because of that?! That¡¯s all?!


    However, as I tried to call Ahin, I couldn¡¯t say without feeling shy.


    ¡°Ah, now, uhm, so... it has been a while since I haven¡¯t seen you so... calling your name.¡±


    Above all, Ahin was a difficult person. I wasn¡¯t asfortable with him as Valer and Cito. However, he stood by my side like Sanse.


    Nevertheless, it would be my first time. I was flustered because it was my first time feeling as such. But it didn¡¯t feel like we had much gap between us. He wanted us to be closer.


    Ugh, what did I have to do?


    Ahin smiled and asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate me, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh?! as if I could!¡±


    No way!


    Ahinughed at my denial. That smile seemed lighter than before, I kept staring at him as if I was possessed.


    Hmm, annoying.


    What. I felt relieved. Why did I feel as such?


    Something was weird; something felt odd. An awkward silence continued.


    Woah, the atmosphere was like...


    Normally I would have smiled and talked to try and change the atmosphere, but strangely, I couldn¡¯t.


    Why was it? I wasn¡¯t such a person!


    I wasn¡¯t a shy girl! Was it because there was a handsome man in front of me?


    It was frustrating.


    It didn¡¯t seem much, but we arrived at the envoy¡¯s residence.


    Thank god!


    Once we arrived, I screamed internally.


    Finally, we get to talk about something!


    The envoy residence was massive. We choose the best building to amodate the Shertogenbosch envoy.


    There was a reason why it wasn¡¯t far from the main pce.


    ¡°This is the residence you will live in for theing days.¡±


    ¡°A nice ce. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. This is natural.¡±


    Right, Ferdel assigned them such a nice ce.


    The closest location to Your Majesty, I could see Ferdel¡¯s actions.


    From my point of view, Ferdel was Ahin¡¯s uncle, but Ahin would represent Shertogenbosch.


    Besides, he couldn¡¯t tilt towards his family. Ahin had to look good on his own.


    However, the awkward silence wasn¡¯t something I could handle.


    ... fucked.


    I trembled a little, but no matter what I thought about, I wasn¡¯t the right person.


    Ahin. Wrong match for me!


    As time passed, I looked at the ground.


    Really, if it was Ahin, I doubted I couldn¡¯t handle winning over him.


    What did I have to do...


    ¡°So.¡±


    The voice drew me in.


    When our gazes met, his blue and silver eyes captured mine like I was sucked into a ck hole.


    Wow, his eyes were terrifying! It was a color I could never get tired of. How could a person have such beautiful eyes?


    ¡°How long do you n on holding the honorifics?¡±


    I looked at him.


    Hm, what did I have to say?


    Well, Ahin shone the most in modest clothes but seeing him appropriately dressed as the sessor made me realize how different he was. Same person but different feel.


    But what was it?


    Cold sweat trickled down my back. What did I have to do?


    My knights and Ahin were looking at me.


    Ahh, it was hard to answer him, but I would be silent throughout the meet if I didn¡¯t answer.


    Eventually, with a low voice, I replied.


    ¡°I-I will try.¡±


    Ahin bowed.


    It seemed like he was trying to hold back hisughter.


    No, wait. It wasn¡¯t my fault!


    I was too flustered by their reactions! No, what was he doing?!


    ¡°Well, for now.¡±


    Uh, well...


    Ahin entered his residence, but I didn¡¯t move.


    No, no! no! what was it!


    Such a situation! Fucked up one!


    As I was restless, Valer kicked his tongue.


    ¡°Like that much?¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    What was with him now!?


    When I looked at him, he put his hand on my shoulder.


    Cheeky bastard!


    As I red at him, he looked at me with a pitiful gaze.


    ¡°Ugh, this brother cheers you on.¡±


    ¡°Whose brother! Don¡¯t touch me?!¡±


    ¡°You are still a kid, a kid.¡±


    ¡°Shit, what are you doing!¡±


    Bullshit all over again!


    I struggled to yell at him, but Valer shook his head and walked ahead of me.


    ¡°It was such a good time...¡±


    Really!

 Chapter 478

    <h4>Chapter 478: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 478</h4>


    ¡°Ferdel, you didn¡¯t say that Ahin wasing!¡±


    After a series of envoys, I went right to Foder Pce, right into the main office.


    Since I entered the pce, no one stopped me, yet I ran into the office only to be shocked.


    I felt a little sad. He was like my dad...


    However, unlike me, Ferdel looked up and smiled. As always.


    Aw, it sucked.


    As I decided to tidy up the documents without looking at him, Ferdel seemed surprised.


    ¡®That guy!¡¯


    ¡®Wah, stupid thing!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t seem upset about annoying me.


    ¡°You knew?¡±


    Fardel shrugged.


    ¡°I knew a big shot wasing, but I didn¡¯t know that it was Ahin.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a lie.¡±


    Strangely, I couldn¡¯t get myself to trust him.


    As I continued to doubt him, Ferdel smiled. Did he think I wouldn¡¯t spit on him because he


    was smiling? The impulse to do it was taking over me, but I had a personality to maintain. Anyway, I hated him.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    After considering what to do, I asked.


    Ahhh! What to do!


    I couldn¡¯t do anything against Ahin. I didn¡¯t know why, but Ahin¡¯s smiling face was harder to reject that Caitel¡¯s.


    I had no idea what had to be done. Ah, stupid! All because I never had such a person around me since childhood!


    ¡°Just do what you normally do. Since I will do the talks, the princess will only have to concern herself with treating them and sending off.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    How.? Assisi would only return after the war ended. That was it. People of the south who were suffering because of the war would always enjoy freedom, and my dad won¡¯t speak about war anymore.


    I pouted while looking at Ferdel, but such things never worked on my teacher.


    ¡°Ah, even then you did agree to it, didn¡¯t you say you would take up the task?¡± said Ferdel


    ... every time he hade to visit me, Ferdel would only talk about me.


    I was pretty annoyed with what he said, but I sighed, wanting to refuse and flee.


    Still, Ferdel looked salty. The man who used to be gentle with me hadn¡¯t been able to go home and was obsessed with work.


    For that reason, I asked another person to share work. Even then, he was still under stress.


    ¡®Ehh, right. Should I sign a few documents?¡¯


    Eventually, Ferdel smiled while staying in the seat.


    ¡®Feeling good?¡¯


    ¡°Decided on recement?¡±


    The piled-up documents were too huge for my arms, and he started to sign them as I asked.


    Ferdel¡¯s pen woulde to a halt once in a while.


    Why was Ferdel being fired? I had no idea.


    I did know that Ferdel wouldn¡¯t be Prime Minister ever again. I didn¡¯t know what went down between dad and him, but it was sad that such a thing happened.


    Fardel was the best at what he did. He wasn¡¯t the driving force for the country for nothing.


    ¡°Hm, well. I nned on retiring, but I was fired, so I don¡¯t know how things would go.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about I rmend you?¡±


    Caitel would definitely ept it.


    It wasn¡¯t a huge thing, but I wanted to do that. That was the only thing I could do.


    Ferdel smiled faintly at my words.


    ¡°I resolved the minor diplomatic problems which urred with Caitel¡¯s move. Not perfect, but at least there won¡¯t be noise for a while. And the other forces of the sixth prince are under strong surveince. Even the sixth prince won¡¯t take a chance ande to Agrigent.¡±


    ¡°No. he wille when we get weak.¡±


    ¡°Although he is reckless, he isn¡¯t stupid, so that he won¡¯te.¡±


    Even then, it seemed like the same thing could happen again. I did run away once, but I decided to spend mying years well.


    I was never worried about such things.


    Why? Was it because of my dad?


    ¡°In the future, the princess has to do well.¡±


    ¡°I am doing pretty good now.¡±


    ¡°More than now. When my stand-ines, there will be slight confusion in state affairs. No matter howpetent the next Prime Minister could be, it would be hard for even a genius to catch up.¡±


    Ah yes.


    Seeing Ferdel smile made me annoyed. Stupid. I knew I should be feeling like that, but I was annoyed.


    I knew he was great, but he didn¡¯t have to say that. Luckily, Ferdel added something.


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty years since I got this position, so it will be difficult for a new person to establish stability overnight. Thus, I think about putting Jero and leave. Anyway, when the new onese, the princess will have to help a lot.¡±


    I knew what he meant.


    ¡°Because dad won¡¯t help?¡±


    ¡°Yes, on point.¡±


    That was the kind of person my dad was. I could always rte to it.


    Fardelughed as I nodded. The sameugh as always, but it felt different for some reason. Not having Ferdel in that room would be a huge loss for my dad.


    18 years. The time I knew Ferdel, the man who weed me.


    ¡°It is all good, princess. I¡¯m not getting kicked out. I also want to retire, so this is a good turn of events.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold it in. I was curious about it.


    At my question, Ferdel responded kindly as if talking to a student.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t live forever.¡±


    I knew that, but...


    I understood that Agrigent would stand even after Ferdel¡¯s exit. That was a future everyone knew.


    Still...


    As I hesitated, Ferdel smiled.


    ¡°Even the country needs to prepare. A future without Caitel and me.¡±


    Would that time evere?


    That was what I thought, but I knew the people weren¡¯t eternal. I hated it.


    Right, I had to admit it.


    That was life. I felt bitter at the truth before turning to the other side and pouted.


    ¡°You know, fardel.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°When dad came to pick me up, he brought a woman who was the mother of the sixth prince. I thought that the sixth prince would ignore his mother, but he changed. He released me; did you know that? How did dad know about her?¡±


    Without even thinking, Ferdel replied.


    ¡°Ask Caitel.¡±


    ... dad would never answer.


    However, hearing his answer, I knew Ferdel didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    Did that have anything to do with Ferdel being fired? I don¡¯t know.


    I shut up and signed documents. Although Ferdel did well, he was still reading every paper and doing his work most perfectly till the end.


    Ha, to sign without reading the terms and signing.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°This post-war process would be thest thing I would do as Prime Minister.¡±


    Huh? what?


    I tilted my head; Ferdel said what was on his mind.


    ¡°When I retire, the princess should dismiss me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? why?¡±


    ¡°I want to leave at the hands of a princess.¡±


    Was that supposed to be a reason?


    I felt irritated. Not because he held a position in my dad¡¯s court, but I respected him because he was my teacher.


    And my rtive.


    ¡°Do I need to do it? Can¡¯t dad do it?¡±


    ¡°I want it to end by the princess¡¯s hand.¡±


    ... what was he, a pervert?


    There were other people he could have chosen; did he have to choose me, that pervert! As I frowned, Ferdel nodded.


    Look at him! What was with his confidence?


    ¡°More than anything else, it would look better to get dismissed by your hand than Caitel. I mean, I have been with Caitel for 20 years.¡±


    Uhm, it made sense.


    I didn¡¯t understand everything, but I got the rough content.


    Right, it wasn¡¯t a short time; he had been with the nation for 20 years and fought for it. It could seem like dad used him and threw him away after use.


    Actually, that was more right.


    ¡°Okay. Would that be all?¡±


    ¡°You will have to choose the recement as well.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    The next one Bonamana Jero. He would do well as he had spent time under Ferdel. Ferdel did choose him as his own secretary.


    Still, I didn¡¯t like dismissing Ferdel.


    ¡°Upset?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As if shocked by my answer, Ferdel¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°Uh, really?¡±


    I was a little sorry for showing him my sadness. No matter what I felt, he was still the Ferdel I knew.


    An unimaginable feeling of loss about a person who always stood by my side since childhood, the ce would change overnight.


    ¡°In the future, I wille to Foder and the office but will miss not seeing Ferdel seated on his seat.¡±


    Forever that would stay on my mind.


    The vacancy would leave me void, and I would miss him. Elene too. How long do I get to see Ferdel?


    Fardel nodded at my words.


    My nose wrinkled; I felt like a kid.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t far from our pce. Come over and visit us anytime. Our princess is always weed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad cause I¡¯lle to the capital often. I am not leaving right away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I felt like crying, so I kept my answers short and nodded. Many words popped into my mind, but I couldn¡¯t say them. Fardel would know even if he didn¡¯t say it. He wouldn¡¯t die somewhere, right?


    I thought for a second when Ferdel opened his mouth in a low voice.


    ¡°Before bing a Prime Minister, I promised Silvia something.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I guess he promised her before marriage. They married after my birth, and my memory was correct.


    Ferdel smiled at my gaze. Like it was a secret only we were supposed to know, I had no idea what that promise was. I was quite envious of the smile Ferdel had on his face.


    ¡°I am stepping back to keep that promise. So don¡¯t be too sad. Dismissal doesn¡¯t mean I am being kicked out with force.¡±


    ... right, I knew that.


    I nodded and smiled.


    ¡°Ah, you need to leave now?¡±


    ¡°I need to.¡±


    It didn¡¯t feel like I sat for long, but it was already twilight. I was free, but not Ferdel.


    I couldn¡¯t hold onto a busy person, so I got up from my seat.


    ¡°Hope your meeting goes well.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for not being able to send you off.¡±


    Fardel bowed, saying sorry, but that didn¡¯t matter. It was the same pce I walked every day; he didn¡¯t have to see me off.


    Seeing him in the office was a scene I would never see again. No, something I would miss forever.


    Thinking so, I felt sorry for it.


    It would have been nice if I could keep that moment stand still forever.

 Chapter 479

    <h4>Chapter 479: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 479</h4>


    Dinner time.


    At Ferdel¡¯s request, I apanied the envoy members of Shertogenbosch, but strangely, Ahin was alone in the dining room.


    I was so shocked at it that I halted for a second before I could move...


    Still, the seats beside Ahin were all empty.


    What? How could he note here with the others?


    Didn¡¯t people in Shertogenbosch have dinner?!


    ¡°Good Evening.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a good evening.¡±


    As always, I greeted him first.


    I tried to smile as elegantly as I could, but his smile won over mine.


    Right, one of the impressive things about him was his smile! Of course, it was sad that I couldn¡¯t say anything to him when he chose to smile.


    Ha, life.


    After our greeting, something felt off.


    Huh?


    Ahin¡¯s smile continued to stay on his face as he spoke.


    ¡°I think my evening would improve if the princess calls me by my name.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I had no idea that dinner would be a tough time for me.


    ¡°Haha... Hahahaha.¡±


    I chuckled awkwardly, but I was getting worried.


    What should I do?


    Slowly, I began to think and turned anxious about Ahin and the empty seats beside him. Why the hell weren¡¯t the other ones there yet? If people start filling in, then I wouldn¡¯t have to feel so out of breath! Where were they then? Why weren¡¯t theying!


    I didn¡¯t want to do it, but I ended up gulping down and spoke carefully to ask him where the other ones were.


    ¡°Where are the pdins and cardinals who guard you?¡±


    ¡°I came alone. I was the only one who wanted to eat, and they wanted to sightsee. It would be rude to keep the person who invited me waiting.¡±


    Right. That would be wrong, buting alone was also rude!


    One-on-one interview. I felt irritated. I didn¡¯t know why, but my position felt very burdensome. I didn¡¯t like what I was feeling.


    ¡°Sightsee?¡±


    ¡°The others wanted to see Agrigent¡¯s brilliant Winter Tree beforeing here, but after visiting the temple, they couldn¡¯te for it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t something unusual. I knew what it was like.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to escape the clutches of beauty that that ce held. The Winter Tree itself had beauty and mystery around it; above all, there were stories about it that grabbed people¡¯s attention.


    It was the tree where the Winter Spirit stayed asleep.


    Wasn¡¯t that enough to catch people by their ear?


    People living in Agrigent were fascinated, too; one couldn¡¯t help it. No matter how different the believers were, the sacredness of the tree couldn¡¯t be denied.


    I understood.


    ¡°Then, shall we eat?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahin smiled at my affirmation, but my heart didn¡¯t like it.


    What was he trying to do? What on earth would he talk about? Should I use my favorite conversation line, ¡®Nice day, right?¡¯.


    However, the downside of the conversation was that this person had a way to get out of such monotony.


    Ten, what must I have to say?


    While I was still contemting, fortunately, Ahin opened his mouth.


    Wow, such manners. The best!


    ¡°I heard about it on our way here.¡±


    What?


    I tried to be cautious without speaking; it seemed like a serious thing. What did he hear?


    As I seemed confused, Ahin smiled.


    ¡°That there was an unfortunate incident.¡±


    ¡°Ah... it¡¯s okay.¡±


    He was talking about the sixth prince, that rotten bastard.


    It wasn¡¯t strange that Ahin knew about it as it had been long since the incident happened. Rumors must have spread all over the continent.


    Embarrassing.


    I said it was okay, but Ahin¡¯s gaze softened. No, it was fine, really fine, stop that!


    ¡°It¡¯s a thing of the past.¡±


    ¡°I should have been responsible and sent you back safely...¡±


    I was trying to assure him I was fine, but I couldn¡¯t help by letting myplexion darken.


    Uh, uh...? Excuse me. What was he doing?


    Ahin was sorry for nothing. Did he have to feel so guilty? Was he responsible? Couldn¡¯t he act normal? Why!?


    ¡°Even if you did, you couldn¡¯t have stopped it. Rather, I was grateful that the knights of Shertogenbosch weren¡¯t sacrificed for me.¡±


    I went silent, and Ahin didn¡¯t respond.


    Yes, I said it a hundred times before to many people; talking about it made me feel bad. I hoped no one would talk about it. I knew that it was fine, but I didn¡¯t want to hear about it.


    Ah, he should really stop.


    ¡°Instead, help me through these talks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    ...? Really?


    Would he really be fine with it?


    I was shocked for a moment and blinked while Ahin looked the same.


    ¡°Because it isn¡¯t Agrigent and Pretzia anymore.¡±


    Well, true...


    Not convincing, but there was nothing I could do.


    Besides, I wasn¡¯t leading the talks. I was patient, so I knew what the exchanges would be like, but I knew nothing about specific topics.


    What did I have to say?


    It was difficult, but the conclusion was easy to guess.


    I must turn the direction of this meeting.


    ¡°It has been a while since yourst visit in Agrigent, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was like a hometown for him.


    Looking at it, I heard that he used to visit the ce often when he was young. That was when I met him. It was after he was called as the sessor that Ahin couldn¡¯te.


    ¡°A lot has changed, but it looks the same as it was in my memory.¡±


    ¡°Because it is all the same except for my pce.¡±


    ¡°You are his beloved daughter.¡±


    A definitepliment, but why did it seem like a curse?


    I knew it, but it was embarrassing to hear it from someone else. Should I say that it was like an item being confirmed? It was awkward, but I didn¡¯t feel bad.


    Right, I was his beloved daughter!


    Caitel¡¯s daughter!


    ¡°Is your health all good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A bit odd sometimes, but it is okay.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you wouldn¡¯t wake up for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t seriously injured.¡±


    Actually, it was because I was searching for my dad.


    Fortunately, it seemed like not everyone knew about the details of the incident.


    Right, how fortunate of me. Most of all, there were very few people who knew Dranste.


    Now that I thought about it, I hadn¡¯t seen Dranste since I woke up. That viin, I knew he was a bad one, but I didn¡¯t realize it would be to this extent.


    He could just look at me.


    ¡°The court maids were troubled, but the recovery was swift. Fortunately, I¡¯m well now. I couldn¡¯t walk earlier; my body was pretty grim after my awakening.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to take a walk after our meal?¡±


    Uh? Really?!


    ¡°You would?¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahin smiled and nodded.


    ... I knew that I might have acted like a kid; still, it felt like he was looking after me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy.


    I hadn¡¯t been so excited in a while.


    Even getting out of bed pissed my maids off; I felt like I was getting fat by staying in bed for so long.


    They were all too overprotective of me.


    The walks that were allowed for me were short ones. I was embarrassed to call those walks.


    They wouldn¡¯t even let me move after breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I didn¡¯t want my body to make a habit out of it.


    Anyway, it was good news that he wanted to walk with me. That was the full-extent of Ahin¡¯s kindness. Ahin had a massive title. My maids would never try to oppose him.


    ¡°Our temple is beautiful. Let¡¯s go there.¡±


    Such a long walk!


    When I said that with glee, Ahin smiled.


    I wanted to show him the essence of Agrigent garden. Right, once he saw it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to forget it.


    As I looked, Ahin smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±

 Chapter 480

    <h4>Chapter 480: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 480</h4>


    When I left Agrigent, it was the brightest summer.


    However, when I returned, the seasons had changed. Seeing the fallen leaves, I knew it was fall.


    It had been just two months or so in winter; Agrigent was the only country where the winter exists. Therefore, thete autumn scenery, preparing for winter, was a sight that can only be seen in Agrigent. Quite a mess to see the tree which produced fruits.


    The farmers¡¯ minds would have been running around about the harvest.


    ¡°Ah, it has been a while!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t an exercising freak, but I liked walking strangely, probably because I walked after breakfast, lunch, and dinner since young.


    Since it had been a long time since I walked, I enjoyed it so much to the point that even Ahin could see.


    What was there to even talk about? Taking a walk was good, but I ended up getting blocked by an even more unexpected obstacle.


    What must I say? I had nothing.


    ¡°It is unusual to say there is a tree that bore fruit in the Imperial.¡±


    While I was walking, Ahin broke the silence.


    ¡°It was cool. Isn¡¯t it nice?¡±


    Right, that was cool!


    Honestly, there was tremendous opposition to having fruit trees in the pce; they said it wasn¡¯t appropriate, but I forced them.


    Why!?


    Living next to a fruit tree was my dream; it was my hundred-year dream!


    ¡°Are all the fruits in here edible?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. Those fruits are all there to be eaten after being turned into jam.¡±


    Of course, our primary purpose was to eat fruits while walking by their trees. Thanks to that, we hired farmers, who specialized in growing fruit trees, and gardeners. In addition to that, rare trees that could only be obtained overseas were also raised separately in the greenhouse.


    I did all of these for my invisible effort to obtain my ideal dessert!


    What else could I do, though? The food here was delicious.


    It was considered a joke to have such trees; well, the Imperial Pce was the real joke anyway.


    The imperial cuisine was delicious because of the Prime Minister, while the imperial desserts were delicious because of the princess.


    My love and affection were ced into each of their desserts, and news of it spread to foreign countries; their dreams of being the greatest patissiers changed into wanting to serve the princess the most delicious desserts of all time instead. Right. I was the best!


    ¡°Can I have one?¡±


    Ahin asked as I picked one.


    Ahin looked as if he was contemting, but it wasn¡¯t a huge matter.


    ¡®Come on, it¡¯s okay!¡¯


    Once I plucked one, Ahin seemed visibly shocked.


    That was my first time seeing Ahin make such an expression, which made me wonder.


    Didn¡¯t he always smile?


    Libby wiped off the apples I picked with a clean cloth and handed them back to me. I gave it to Ahin right away.


    ¡°Please have one. They are delicious.¡±


    After all, apples were the easiest fruit to enjoy.


    Just one bite of a good apple was enough. Was the Imperial Pce such a suitable ce for farming?


    Well, I had to ask the chefs to make apple jam.


    ¡°It¡¯s tasty, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahin nodded with a smile.


    Yes, delicious.


    Ah, that was good. Even if Agrigent fell the following day, I would nt another apple tree. No, should I try cultivating oranges?


    Side by side, with apples in our mouths, we walked again; this time, there was a noise between us. The sound of teeth biting into apples surrounded us instead of a proper conversation.


    I didn¡¯t want to notice it, but it was too silent to ignore. Was it okay? Still, the scenery was fantastic. Why was it tough to understand Ahin; he was a lot moreplicated than Ferdel...


    ¡°Amazing. No one would think of this.¡±


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t something that great.¡±


    Right, that was a cool move. Even I knew that. I was so cool.


    If Valer heard something like that, he would haveughed out loud, but Valer wasn¡¯t there with us, which left us in silence. However, he left us and went to the Moon Knight¡¯s residence!


    Uhahahah!


    Therefore, no one could make fun of me. My dream was to live next to an orchard; everyoneughed at it and treated it like a joke.


    Would Ahin alsough?


    It was worth a try, but then, I decided to hold back. As the princess, I had the prestige to uphold. It sucked being a princess.


    ¡°Ufortable?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No! absolutely not!¡±


    I denied it rather fiercely, but the awkward air between us told him it was a lie.


    Man!


    Well, it was a little ufortable.


    I didn¡¯t think of it...


    I couldn¡¯t give him an honest answer because I knew what was making me feel such difort. It wasn¡¯t easy to say it out loud.


    Ah, what to do?


    Even though time passed swiftly, I still couldn¡¯t think of what to say. No matter how much I thought of it, I couldn¡¯t make up my mind and say something out loud. Should I ask him about the weather?!


    ¡°It isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    After a long period of silence, I heard a few quiet words. Ahin sounded more like he was talking to himself, but I heard them because of our close distance.


    The way he said it bothered me.


    What wasn¡¯t easy? Tree? Talking?


    Actually, even guessing wasn¡¯t easy. There was no topic to say.


    Ahin smiled softly since I didn¡¯t respond.


    Ahin wasn¡¯t smiling. He had a smile on, but he seemed sad. Every time I saw him smile, it seemed like he donned a different face. Stil...


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m good at waiting.¡±


    I really wanted to talk but couldn¡¯t think of a single topic. Would it be better for me to just shut up? I wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but Ahin smiled again.


    ¡°Can I hold your hand?¡±


    ... what?


    What did I just hear?


    I was too shocked to remember what he said. Did I really hear him correctly?


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll hold your hand.¡±


    Ahin reached out without even giving me time to refuse.


    I hesitated for a moment when I saw his hand inching closer. It was the first time someone tried to hold my hand like that.


    Uh, what should I do? I could refuse it.


    Eventually, his hand wrapped around mine.


    The warmth touching my palm was so unfamiliar. That was my first time being so conscious of someone¡¯s hand holding mine. I could feel my cheeks burning.


    Strangely, I was feeling shy.


    It was nothing to be ashamed of; why was I ashamed? My neck was tingling for no reason.


    ¡°You have small hands.¡±


    Even with his low voice, I could hear Ahin speak.


    My hands were small?


    I tilted my head as I didn¡¯t realize it, which only made Ahin smile. I always thought of myself as a beauty, but his smile was so different.


    His smile always had a fascinating effect on me.


    Did I ever see something which made me feel such a way?


    Ahin indeed was a person who knew how to use his smile.


    ¡°Can we walk?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    When I realized that I was standing still, I felt embarrassed.


    Ah, I wasn¡¯t that kind of a girl. I knew I was weak for pretty faces, but I wasn¡¯t that weak!


    Ugh, so embarrassing! This was tough.


    His voice was a lot better noticeable than before.


    Although I tried to stay calm, I was constantly worried about our hands; even the thought of talking about something vanished.


    I did nothing, yet my cheeks burned like hell!


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go even if you keep looking at me like that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Maybe I was staring at him too much and got noticed, but he didn¡¯t have to say it out loud!


    I really wanted to hide in a hole. That was my first time feeling like that.


    I really wanted to protest, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything. It was already ruined.


    ¡°The scene is wonderful.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ahin smiled like he always did. Seeing that, I realized one thing, I was a fool.


    Eh. Forget it!

 Chapter 481 - The Emperors Daughter 481

    <h4>Chapter 481: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 481</h4>


    As always, the night was the calmest time of all. Even the Imperial pce, which was full of noise and movements, went silent at night.


    I felt the elements blessing everyone with good sleep and security; I sat on my bed, looking outside the window.


    Only the dim flowing starlight illuminated the sky.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because I just came back from death, but everything seemed remarkable to me. Even if it was something that I didn¡¯t particrly enjoy in the past.


    ¡°Is it worth living now?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t foresight, but I knew the voice. It wasn¡¯t even surprising anymore.


    I turned my head.


    I saw the silhouette of a young man leaning onto the door under the gloomy light.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Were you looking for me?¡±


    No, nope.


    Dranste raised his body. As I watched Dranste¡¯s approach, I didn¡¯tin.


    ¡°Why do you always visit at such a time?¡±


    Instead of answering, he smiled.


    I always thought about it, but the sight of Dranste smiling in the night was still fascinating to my eyes. I was never consciously aware of it, but Dranste was handsome enough to seduce humans. If I didn¡¯t know that he was a sword, I would have called him a devil.


    Even at night, where everything was ck, his blue eyes would always shine. Dranste smiled.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t return.¡±


    Light tone.


    But serious.


    Pulling my knees closer to my chest, I held myself while looking at Dranste. Dranste moved to the side of the window and folded his arms.


    The window and bed had quite a distance, so it wasn¡¯t ufortable. It wasforting to know that there was a distance between us, though.


    ¡°It was tough finding dad.¡±


    ¡°It must have been.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would take a long time.¡±


    I only thought that it would take a day or two. Well, it was a miracle to even find my dad, so I had noints.


    ¡°Since you went in your own way and managed to enter his dreams, it will cause Caitel to suffer from nightmares for a while.¡±


    Bastard!


    I frowned.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything other than hate him. If I had a chance, I would have scratched his face to the extent where no one would like him. I had wanted to do that since I was young. It was shocking how consistent his acts and looks were.


    However, when I was nervous, it was apparent, so Dranste relished on it.


    That pervert.


    Eventually, I quietly shook my shoulders and looked out the window.


    ck sky.


    Strangely, when I looked up at the sky, the things I saw in the dreams, which I couldn¡¯t think of happening, faded one after the other, as if I was ced under the influence to forget them.


    ¡°What I saw in the dream... was it true?¡±


    I really hoped that it was just a dream.


    It would be good for me to think of it as such.


    However, Dranste trampled on my hope.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But not all. I told you, Caitel¡¯s memories, hopes, and fears were all mixed together.¡±


    I remembered hearing such a thing. The only thing I remembered was that the dreams were so faint and fragmented of scenes, but that was enough to pain me.


    ¡°I really wish they were just dreams.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to think that my dad went through such things. If that was true, I would be depressed as hell, although I knew that it was all in the past. They were stories I never knew about.


    Ah, man! I won¡¯t be able to long because of dad¡ªobviously, a short life for me.


    However, another entity didn¡¯t let me leave dad¡¯s side.


    ¡°Dranste¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know...¡±


    I took a breath and asked as seriously as I could.


    ¡°Do you want Caitel to be happy?¡±


    ¡°Happy?¡±


    Dranste frowned as if he heard something unpleasant.


    ¡°No. I never thought about something like that.¡±


    ¡°But you helped my dad and me every time.¡±


    ¡°Was that help?¡±


    The corners of his lips rose into a nasty smile. He replied as if he was teasing.


    ¡°I thought I was teasing you.¡±


    ¡°You y around, but you help.¡±


    Not exactly y around.


    I could have the same kind of conversation for years with him.


    It had been a long time since I got used to Dranste¡¯s way of conversing, the way to divert from the topic if it was tough for him. He always tried hard to leave other people¡¯s attention. Thus, I asked.


    ¡°Why do you do that?¡±


    Dranste frowned at my question; it was like he didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    ¡°If you want to be helped, then get some help. Ask for something.¡±


    ¡°I was just curious.¡±


    Curious.


    If his acts were once or twice, I could have moved on, but a decade had passed. I never asked before, but I was getting curious every time.


    In fact, Dranste would stay away from us.


    However, it was always him who woulde to our rescue. He was the guy who was worth forgetting but would alwayse for us.


    Thus, I wondered¡ªthe reason he visited, helped, and cared for us.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±


    Dranste¡¯s answer.


    I tilted my head.


    ¡°You pass without knowing the actual answers.¡±


    Sit.


    ¡°Wanna die?¡±


    Dransteughed out loud.


    It could be heard from outside, but I was more concerned about the way he saw me.


    Ugh, that rotten bastard.


    He really liked to pull my leg!


    Despite my re, Dransteughed for long.


    Ah, really!


    ¡°Congrattions oning back.¡±


    Did he think I would let him off the hook for saying that?! I wanted to shoot some snarky words at him, but I just nodded.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Dranste smiled. I asked as I watched him stand from the window.


    ¡°Are you leaving again?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want me to sleep next to you?¡±


    ¡°Go die, you pervert.¡±


    When I threatened him, Dransteughed again.


    If he was a little close, I could hit him again.


    Unfortunately, Dranste was standing far from me.


    Eventually, Dranste¡¯sughed subsided as he spoke.


    ¡°I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Dranste shrugged as if he wasn¡¯t sure where to go.


    Right, he¡¯s a pitiful man who didn¡¯t know where his own body was scattered.


    I sighed out loud. I was really grateful that he listened to meining, although he had tasks at hand.


    As I nodded, Dranste came in front of me.


    ¡°I¡¯lle to find you again.¡±


    Seeing Dranste naturally kiss the back of my hand, I felt something strange, an unknown feeling. Well, I felt like it wouldn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°Right,e back soon.¡±

 Chapter 482 - The Emperors Daughter 482

    <h4>Chapter 482: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 482</h4>


    Ferdel¡¯s goal was to end the war that was raging before Caitel recovers fully.


    War broke out in Agrigent and Pretiza¡¯s border.


    To be precise, it was due to Pretzia¡¯s forced upancy of the southernnd, which was formerly known as Izarta. From Ferdel¡¯s point of view, it was an ideal situation for Pretzia to give back thend and retreat, but would Pretzia really do that?


    However, if things went on, then the only option left was to wait until Caitel recovers so that we could take on the war.


    Somehow, Ferdel was intent on avoiding the situation.


    ¡°But the agreement!¡±


    ¡°An old agreement.¡±


    Elene seemed on edge and yelled, but I dismissed it.


    She was different, thatdy.


    Anyway, the post-war process of Ferdel¡¯sst achievements before his retirement came to an end.


    They managed to establish an agreement after the talks to the point where Langres and Agrigent met. While the world¡¯s attention drew towards them, Agrigent¡¯s importance grew.


    Above all, it was so important that it was the secondrgest agreement after the one they held during the Great War of Conquest of Agrigent twenty years back. I apanied Ferdel after requesting him to ce me as the representative for ours. However, my dad was strictly against it.


    Everyone in the pce was concerned about me, but I thought of taking knights along with me; no one would surely kidnap me if my knights were around.


    They would protect me!


    Most of all, I was really nervous about taking even a single step outside the Imperial Pce, but since Ferdel was going, I tagged along.


    One life could be a boon to the country.


    ¡°Princess, are you really going ahead with the n?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just for three nights and four days.¡±


    ¡°What if something happens.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Libby and Elene nodded at each other¡¯s words.


    When did they even get close? Above all, it was shocking to see unsociable Libby take Elene¡¯s side.


    ¡°So you want me to let my ill father go?¡±


    I apologize to Caitel for treating him like a grandpa.


    I was right, though, so they went silent. If my dad couldn¡¯t go, I could attend instead as the Emperor¡¯s proxy! Most of all, even from Ferdel¡¯s point of view, it would be morefortable for him to take me than my dad, who was like a ticking time bomb.


    Serira seemed troubled as she spoke.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s wounds are quite fatal.¡±


    ¡°True, and he hadn¡¯t regained consciousness for a while, so it had a great impact on his body.¡±


    ¡°Miss Serira, that, too, was all possible because it was Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Right. It would have been the end if it was someone else.¡±


    Right, if there were a hospital with Caitel¡¯s injuries, he would have been ced in the intensive care unit. Of course, we had our doctors who gave enough treatments.


    By the way, my dad was being rather quiet?


    Of course, when I first opened my eyes, words were already fuming like wildfire. Even I ran over to him once I regained consciousness, but my father wasn¡¯t the kind to sit still.


    However, after an in-depth conversation about his attitude, which was a grave threat, he seemed to have rxed the following day.


    Ah, it felt like forever. Should I goter?


    ¡°Ah, I need to visit my dad.¡±


    If I didn¡¯t meet him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him for four days. If the talkssted longer than expected, I might not see him for weeks.


    Once I realized that, I jumped up right away.


    ¡°Princess, would you be fine?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you left without letting him know?¡±


    The maids seemed concerned by Caitel¡¯s reaction, but I just nodded.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t dad smart enough to know that I would hide from him?¡±


    ¡®Being honest is the best move!¡¯


    Libby seemed worried. I just waved my hand with augh.


    I was going!


    Perhaps it was because of my light footsteps, but I reached Sy in no time.


    Would dad be sleeping?


    I went straight to Caitel¡¯s room, and on the way, I looked at a familiar person. A maid of Sy went still after looking at me and bowed her head.


    I looked at the tray she was holding.


    ¡°Not finished serving him yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Princess.¡±


    Neither I nor my dad would have our meals in the dining room; we received our meals to our bed.


    However, the fact that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything worried me. It has been rtivelyte since lunchtime.


    The maid smiled at my worried expression.


    What was so funny about worrying about my dad?


    ¡°He just woke up, so I brought in the meal.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Well, if that was the case, then I guess I could understand.


    I was convinced and tried to walk away, but then I thought of something.


    Ah, right.


    ¡°Miss maid, I¡¯ll take it from here. Please give it to me.¡±


    The maids seemed a little taken aback.


    She had no idea what I nned on doing.


    Without asking for an exnation, the maid just gave me my dad¡¯s meal.


    Hohoho.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Libby.¡±


    ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Secret.¡±


    Did she think I would just tell her?


    It didn¡¯t take long before we reached Caitel¡¯s room. When I entered with a tray, the guards were a bit shocked, but no one said anything.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Where did the maids go for you to bring that?¡±


    Unlike me, who was happy to see him, Caitel had a scrawny expression as he looked at me.


    Wasn¡¯t he being too much! Mean!


    It seemed like I was the only one who wanted to see him! So depressing.


    ¡°I asked for it and brought it. Won¡¯t you at least greet your pretty daughter? Dad, show some affections!¡±


    As Iined, Dad asked.


    ¡°Did you greet me?¡±


    ¡°No. Dad, hello!¡±


    ¡°... yes, hello.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t done it, I could just do it.


    Phew, if my dad would be so withdrawn, how did he n on living? As his daughter, I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about him.


    Once I got closer, Caitel reached out his hand to me.


    What?


    When I looked at my dad, I realized that he was looking at the tray I brought.


    ¡°Give it.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    My dad frowned at my rejection.


    What did he want me to do? His frown wouldn¡¯t work on me. Fearing my dad was a quirk I stopped doing at the age of four.


    Libby pulled a chair next to dad¡¯s bed; I sat down and smiled.


    ¡°Kay, dad. Ah, open your mouth.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s angelic voice responded to my request.


    ¡°I can eat with my own two hands.¡±


    ¡°Ah, dad, do you mean to say that you don¡¯t want your pretty daughter to feed you?!¡±


    Come on.


    I was there to feed him!


    Dad tried to put up a gloomy expression, but I knew that he was only embarrassed. I had been with Caitel for a long time, so I could see the difference. Right, I half-knocked him with my words!


    ¡°... it isn¡¯t that.¡±


    ¡°Then, what?¡±


    I was trying to tease him, and my dad¡¯sck of words would take me down so quickly, especially with Ferdel¡¯s training. People whom Caitel crushed were weak for making any kind of emotional appeal to him.


    All thanks to Ferdel¡¯s teaching.


    He couldn¡¯t say that he hated the idea; it was evident that I would grunt about him the entire day.


    Hahaha!


    Caitel could grumble as much as he wanted, but he couldn¡¯t deny me.


    Eventually, after a long time, my dad permitted me.


    ¡°...e one.¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    I took a spoonful of the soup, which went cold, and gave it to my dad.


    What was that! He really did let me feed him!


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re eating so well, my dad. Who did you take after to eat so well?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    My dad didn¡¯t like it, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    If he started an argument now, he would lose. When I looked at his expression, Iughed. I tried to hold back, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Thus, Ferdel would constantly bug dad. I think I knew why he did that. It was so fun.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to Langres?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Did Ferdel tell you?¡±


    ¡°He entered with a confident expression after saying that. He also told me that you were the one who gave him temporary permission.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I did.¡±


    He seemed to be questioning me, but I nodded confidently.


    ¡®Right, I am the princess of Agrigent!¡¯


    ¡°Without Ferdel, we had no chance, and you were on the bed. II didn¡¯t know how much I could handle, so I called for Ferdel. To be honest, no one in our offices can work as quickly and efficiently as Ferdel. Why? Don¡¯t you like my idea, dad?¡±

 Chapter 483 - The Emperors Daughter 483

    <h4>Chapter 483: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 483</h4>


    At my words, he couldn¡¯t answer; Ferdel did have outstanding abilities, even excelling over my dad.


    Right, the only reason why Ferdel was never killed or threatened was because of his skills and efficiency.


    Even if I didn¡¯t know the entire story, I knew that Ferdel was a good person.


    A heavy silence swept us for a moment. Something let me know that it wasn¡¯t a normal silence, a heavy one. I didn¡¯t know what happened.


    ¡°Have you heard why I fired him?¡±


    The question I had been waiting to hear the answer to, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I was allowed to learn it.


    What happened?


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Responding to my question, Caitel went silent.


    I was a little silent. I thought he would tell me.


    Was it their secret? Couldn¡¯t they tell me too? Ugh, I felt alienated.


    Since they were nasty, I deliberately broke down the bread with a vulgar expression to show my displeasure. It seemed like he noticed what I was feeling.


    ¡®What will you do, dad?¡¯


    ¡®You won¡¯t be able to win over your cute daughter with such an attitude!¡¯ As I smiled widely, my dad stared at me but said nothing.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    ¡°You need to eat slowly, dad!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He really seemed like he wanted to hit me on the back of my head.


    It was amusing, though.


    I was really lost in thought, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. There surely was no answer. Uhm.


    I had fun teasing my dad, even though I knew that it wasn¡¯t right. Still, I couldn¡¯t wait to do it because it was the only fun I had.


    How could I give that up!?


    Above all, my dad was such a cutie; he scared others to death but stayed silent when I said something. No one would think that he was the Caitel they knew, nor would I share it.


    ¡°Ah, but dad, there was something I wanted to ask.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When you came to rescue me from that mansion, how did you manage to bring the sixth prince¡¯s mother?¡±


    I could have asked Ferdel, but I felt like Caitel was the one who had to be asked.


    ¡°How did you know that you could force my release if you use her?¡±


    I constantly wondered.


    Unlike me, who was eager to get the answer, Caitel¡¯s answer was simple.


    ¡°Ferdel suggested it.¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°When I became the Emperor and the sixth prince ran away, Ferdel told me that she was the only woman who could bring the sixth prince back to us after his escape. Thus, we kept her alive. Hidden.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hidden?¡±


    ¡°Right. Ferdel kept her hidden because I would have killed her right away. He would surelye for his mother. There was no way a mama¡¯s boy could live with the absence of his mother.¡±


    Mama¡¯s boy. I struggled to understand where Caitel was going with it.


    ¡°The war in the south is also his n, that insidious bastard.¡±


    ¡°Bastard?¡±


    ¡°Siorn, motherfucker.¡±


    ¡®But dad, your choice of words is rather crude if taken out of context in front of your daughter.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t supposed to speak like that, but dad must know that education at home was essential.


    However, in front of Caitel, it was best if I chose to stay silent.


    I didn¡¯t need to spend my time arguing with him.


    ¡°I decided to let him go and ensure his capture at ater time, but before I could do that, Ferdel stopped me. Now, my daughter is not just sympathizing with Ferdel but also cooperating with him.¡±


    Haha, as I thought. Fardel really had a handful to handle.


    I tried to overlook the situation with an awkwardugh, but Caitel wasn¡¯t buying it. Even I wouldn¡¯t if I was in his ce. I realized that I shouldn¡¯t learn what went down between them.


    ¡°Dad, I hate it when you fight.¡±


    cing the tray aside, I grabbed my father¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Other people hate you.¡±


    It had been a long time since I held my dad¡¯s hand.


    I couldn¡¯t remember when I held his hand the first time, but I knew that I wanted to hold onto his hand for a longer time.


    ¡°I want other people to like you as much as I do.¡±


    That was the real thought I began to generate since I was young; no, it was something I wished after liking Caitel. A genuine wish for Caitel¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Is it too childlike?¡±


    ¡°You are a child.¡±


    A smile appeared on my dad¡¯s face.


    Right, still young. Eighteen. I thought as much; I was young. I would only reach adulthood after another year.


    I decided to forget how old I was when I restarted my life. I decided to no longer care about the life I lived before. I felt foolish to hold onto something which ended for a long time. It was enough proof that I wasn¡¯t living faithfully to the current one. Well, currently, Ariadna really was 18.


    When I concluded everything, my surroundings cleared.


    Everything I had to do or could do and the possibilities around me gleamed like countless dazzling stars.


    I was d to be born again, really d.


    Feeling my dad¡¯s warm hands made me refuse to let him go.


    ¡°I wille back safe.¡±


    Caitel smiled at my greeting.


    ¡°It feels like I am sending you off to marriage.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not yet at the age to marry.¡±


    ¡®Right, I¡¯ll do that when I¡¯m twenty-five.¡¯


    In fact, I wanted to do that after thirty, but maybe having a child at thatter age would be tough, so I pulled it back to twenty-five. Well, if I could meet a very fateful partner, I wouldn¡¯t mind doing that at twenty!


    Caitel raised his hand and stroked my head.


    Very gently, gentle enough to know that he cared for me.


    Oh, that was so good.


    ¡°I feel like it was just yesterday when you were a kid.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Yesterday makes no sense. It was over fourteen years ago, dad.¡±


    ¡°Has so much time passed?¡±


    It really had been long.


    As I nodded, Caitel sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember what your age was then, but when I see you, I always realize it.¡±


    That it had been seventeen years since we met? That time passed? That¡¯s new. He must have been through a lot of new things.


    ¡°How many more years can we be together?¡±


    ¡°Until death!¡±


    What was my dad even asking!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that natural?¡±


    Caitel clicked his tongue at my question.


    ¡°Stupid answers.¡±


    ¡°W-what was with that reaction!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he being too mean even after I said that I would stay with him till my death? Caitel smiled and patted my head again with his usual low voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t grow up too fast.¡±


    I already grew up...


    When 18, one was already a grown-up. Still, for my dad, I was a child.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to send you.¡±


    Where was he even sending me?


    At that moment, I realized. It seemed like dad didn¡¯t want me to go to the talks.


    I sighed. My dad was looking at me with eyes that were looking for a different future. I had no intention of leaving my dad alone.


    ¡°I need to go. Be patient cause I will be back in a week. I will miss you a lot, dad.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Oh, how could I even leave such a man alone? When parents get older, they begin to act like kids. I didn¡¯t think he was that old, but my dad was already acting like a kid.


    How old did a man have to get to turn back into a child?


    Strange thing. Even then, I didn¡¯t want to leave his arms, a new problem for me.


    ¡°Look now. If someone sees us, they¡¯d think that we¡¯d stay here forever. The father and daughter are unusual ones. Is it not?¡±


    ¡°It is fine. If they point their fingers at us, I will cut it all off.¡±


    I was trying to say something touching, but he decided to ruin it.


    Ahh...


    I wanted to smile, but I could only sigh. Ugh, I didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Fortunately, I felt better than before. I liked it.


    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t walk around.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I would get apprehensive, understand?¡±


    Instead of answering, Caitel just looked away.


    ¡°Give me rice.¡±


    My turn.


    I was fortunate that he didn¡¯t retaliate to my request, so I tookfort in it.


    However, I couldn¡¯t hide my anxious expression while feeding him.


    It was a problem.


    ¡°Wah, what am I supposed to do with such a dad?¡±

 Chapter 484 - The Emperors Daughter 484

    <h4>Chapter 484: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 484</h4>


    ¡®I love you, my daddy.¡¯


    There, at the point where Langre and Pretzia¡¯s borders met, stood a vast city called Valia. Since it was a city on the border, there were many knights in the city. Perhaps because of it, the knights seemed extremely strong.


    So what? It was stillnd in Langre.


    To be precise, it was Agrigent¡¯s territory, lent to Langre, but Langre¡¯s ambassador, who called us for the talks, was openly holding the side of Pretzia.


    Was it because they wanted thend back?


    That could have been the case, but even then, the talks began after weeks of preparation, Ferdel struggled throughout it.


    Of course, one of the reasons was that the head of Pretzia was too stubborn. I wondered if I could listen to anything other than grumbles and sighs.


    ¡°Izarta is a subordinate to Pretzia. We don¡¯t need a reason to take back what is ours.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget that Your Majesty Caitel has the blood of Izarts? The legitimacy of thend lies with Agrigent.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it also Your Majesty Caitel who cut down the blood in Izarta? A clear conquest. We are only trying to get what is ours.¡±


    ¡°Izarta attacked us first. Agrigent never invaded it.¡±


    Ugh.


    Although I was just supposed to apany and fill the seats, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I knew that there would be conflict, but not to such extremes. Arguments. My head hurt.


    Ferdel calmly responded to every question, but I would have shouted at all of them if it was me.


    Then, I knew why dad liked war. The talks were so frustrating.


    Fardel would answer so respectfully.


    I could see howpetent Ferdel was. I would hate to be in such a ce. Although not as capable as Ferdel, the Prime Minister of Pretzia was also quite skilled. I had to admit. He wasn¡¯t being pushed back even with Ferdel¡¯s counter statement.


    ¡°There was no history to suggest we invaded first. Pretzia was a witness to such a war, right?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that because the kingughed at Your Majesty Caitel? They neglected Agrigent; wasn¡¯t it natural for that insult to be repaid? It was a war done to reim the prestige of Agrigent¡¯s Imperial family.¡±


    ¡°So, you are proud to invade now?¡±


    ¡°I never said the word proud.¡±


    Prime Minister of Pretiza.


    I was going to get cancer.


    When Ferdel smiled, resentment burst through the room. That didn¡¯t mean that the noise in the hall disappeared.


    The envoys attending the event were all high-ranking officials who came on behalf of their countries.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if they were from small countries. The problem was that huge countries could collide with other ones and cause colossal influence. Although Pretzia was a state under Agrigent for over a decade, it didn¡¯t affect the continent. They had money andnd.


    Ah, the arguments were so out of line.


    ¡°That is enough. Whatever the case, Pretzia doesn¡¯t intend to withdraw from the front lines!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be epted. The same goes for Agrigent.¡±


    ¡°That is great. We are both at the front lines now.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it foolish to make proposals when we are already staying at the frontlines anyway? Are you sure you can hold on?¡±


    Ferdel frowned while the Prime Minister of Pretzia didn¡¯t seem fazed.


    Was Ferdel losing?


    Thend seemed tough to recover.


    I didn¡¯t think it would happen. Even for Pretzia, it was ridiculous to abandon such argend.


    There was no progress; one to two aspects were decided after four hours.


    The problem was that it took four hours toe to a collective decision on one aspect. The other nations didn¡¯t even do anything as the two prime ministers were doing a colossal task.


    Still, Ahin could say something...


    I looked back, but Ahin didn¡¯t seem to be fazed or wanted to involve himself.


    ... right, I was a fool.


    I didn¡¯t want to say it, but I knew why no one would. Havel. I didn¡¯t want to meet his eyes.


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you have something to say?¡±


    ... that was it.


    Fardel smiled as he looked at me.


    I felt like daggers were being pointed at me. I was sitting in fear.


    I sat quietly, but why was I getting dragged into it?


    However, everyone was looking at me, and my conviction as a princess was put on the line.


    What should I say?


    ¡°Then, how about putting down the desired patterns from both sides for a new border?¡±


    In my opinion, the hall went silent. What? Did I do something wrong?


    I thought it was a stupid n, but their reaction was different. Ah shit, couldn¡¯t they just smile at this princess?


    ¡°That is a good idea; what do you think, prime minister?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, it is a good suggestion. I don¡¯t think it is bad to try it.¡±


    ... huh?


    Even I was shocked at how well they responded.


    They liked that? They wanted to go ahead with that?!


    It seemed like they were going ahead with it. Right, if they could do it, why not?


    Meanwhile, someone stared at me rather sharply, Havel.


    Why on earth was he staring at me with such a killer gaze?


    He was looking at Ferdel till then, but then he began to look at me.


    Ugh, I would like to pretend not to know him, but I had to hold my cool because of our situation. We didn¡¯t have to act, right?!


    ¡°Today¡¯s talks will end here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll meet over at dinner.¡±


    Finally done!


    What!? Did my words really bring an end to the talks?


    It was done!


    I got up right away, thinking that damned day hade to an end!


    Liberation! Liberation!


    While the talks went on, I felt like we were being lectured, but I didn¡¯t care! I felt freedom atst! Holy god!


    I immediately greeted the chairman with a smile.


    Ah, happy.


    The outside air was so good, but I was stuck in the stuffy venue. No one followed me! At least I thought so!


    ¡°Valer!¡±


    ¡°Yes, princess.¡±


    All the knights had no permission to enter the room, so I called Valer once I found him. Valer, who was standing on one side, walked towards me.


    I was polite to others, but their eyes seemed strange as they looked at me.


    I looked like a child wearing my mother¡¯s clothes.


    Valer frowned at it.


    What!?


    ¡°What¡¯s with your expression?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are outte.¡±


    I looked at him with a smile at his reply. Now, the ambassadors of Ancief, Parten-Kieher, and other countries of the northern continent would meet.


    I smiled while I punched Valer.


    I wanted to leave quickly. I would die otherwise!


    Fortunately, there was a garden next to the hall. Flowers always cleared my mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand too close. I hate those flowers.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even say anything, but Valer already guessed what would happen.


    Did he like it? Like it?


    Thinking that I should hit him, I stopped myself since other leaders were still leaving.


    I didn¡¯t have time.


    I thought I felt like being crushed by burdensome air in the hall.


    Rotten. I came for nothing in the meeting. I was looking at faces I didn¡¯t want to see. Ahin and Havel, but seeing Havel was the toughest one.


    The remaining three days would be hellish.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried; another person visited the garden.


    A strange coincidence. I wasn¡¯t sure if it really was a coincidence. Havel.


    Once he saw me, he frowned, so did Valer.


    What? Was the emperor watching flowers? So funny!


    I wanted to believe that encountering him on my path was just a coincidence and moved away, but Havel approached me when our eyes met. Damn it.


    How would I get through such a situation?


    I frowned because of nervousness, but Valer quickly came and stood in front of me. Havel reached close to me.


    ¡°I am sorry, but the enemy Emperor cannot stand close to her.¡±


    A strong voice. It was one that Havel¡¯s attendants heard. Although Havel didn¡¯t respond, the attendants¡¯ expressions crumbled.


    Right... I knew too.


    Man!


    I mean, I wanted something good to happen for some reason, but luck wasn¡¯t on my side.


    Curious one.


    Ha, what kind of situation was it?

 Chapter 485 - The Emperors Daughter 485

    <h4>Chapter 485: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 485</h4>


    I just wanted to ignore him, but with the atmosphere around us, it was impossible.


    The reality was so fucked up.


    After grinding my teeth, I sighed¡ªtapping Valer, who was like an iron wall in front of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Valer frowned at my actions. He looked as if he was about to burst. Was he nning on provoking Pretzia after such a lengthy meeting with them? That idiot. As I nced, Valer stepped back.


    Calming myself down, I put up the same business smile. I tried to look as caring and kind as possible. Right, what else could I do? I should at least hear his reasons for approaching me.


    ¡°Is there something you want to say?¡±


    I thought he would answer right away, but I was wrong. Havel said nothing and just looked at me.


    Man, I was delighted that his eyes couldn¡¯t kill me.


    Gradually, I found it challenging to keep my smile and frowned; after a long silence, Havel spoke.


    ¡°You look well.¡±


    ... did that rotten bastard just say that?


    It seemed like he was aware that someone kidnapped me. I thought he wouldn¡¯t know since the war kept him upied. However, I didn¡¯t feel grateful that he kept himself updated.


    Really, not at all!


    Havel said nothing, but his attendants went out of the garden right away.


    Was that some kind of magic trick? Or telepathy?


    I contemted if I should let Valer stay. However, Havel was a skilled fighter while I wasn¡¯t. Havel wouldn¡¯t try and kill me, right? Although I was in a brief conflict, I sent Valer off to the garden.


    I couldn¡¯t help it, ugh.


    ¡°How is Emperor Caitel?¡±


    When we were the only ones left, Havel spoke.


    At his question, I didn¡¯t know if I should continue the conversation or not.


    Should I just give him a short answer and leave? I conflicted.


    Of course, things rarely go my way.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. If we held the meeting at ater time, then my father would have been the one standing here, not me.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Convinced, Havel nodded.


    It had been a while since Ist saw Havel. No, perhaps it was the effect of the war, but I felt like I was watching the old version of Caitel. Of course, my dad was surely better than Havel.


    ¡°Maybe I have good luck.¡±


    What was that?


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown since I didn¡¯t understand what Havel was trying to say about luck; Havel reached out.


    I wanted to retreat, but I decided to hold my pride as a princess and stand upright.


    Fortunately, Havel possessed no weapon in his outstretched hand. He just touched my hair.


    He was an enemy, but he fiddled with my hair with a smile on his lips.


    ¡°I thought you would write to me after your return.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Was it because I hadn¡¯t seen him in a long time? He seemed to be in poor condition.


    With nervousness filling my mind, I stared at him to guess what happened. Did he have anyints about me?


    ¡°Were you injured?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    As if there was nothing else to talk about, Havel let go of my hair and left.


    Huh? Was he returning already?


    I was somewhat embarrassed to see Havel leave without saying anything else. It felt like something would explode in the air between us.


    What just happened?!


    For some reason, I felt like I shouldn¡¯t let him go.


    What was that unpleasant feeling!


    Eventually, I called Havel, who was about to leave the flower garden.


    ¡°Havel!¡±


    Havel turned back right at my call. He didn¡¯t walk back, so I took a few steps closer to him, close enough for him to hear my voice.


    With a frown, I spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act foolish and talk to me.¡±


    What was I saying!?


    At my words, Havel smiled. It was the gentle smile he always showed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡®Why can¡¯t he just talk like a normal person!?¡¯


    ¡°Then, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°You have something to ask me?¡±


    Yes, there is.


    I took another step and stood right in front of him. He looked surprised when I did that.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly start a war?¡±


    Ferdel was convinced that something happened, but I had no idea what it was.


    Why did it start?


    ¡°It was fine, I¡¯m sure. I... I thought everything was going well.¡±


    ¡°Fine, huh?¡±


    ¡°But, why!?¡±


    Havel interrupted my words before I could continue.


    ¡°For myself.¡±


    I went silent and listened to what he had to say. All of a sudden, his gaze, which changed and made it difficult for me to hold contact with his eyes.


    ¡°I control 200 million people. My people groan in pain as they live. The poption of Pretzia is supposed to be 300 million, but it got reduced drastically. Almost half of my people died due to famine. Do you know who made those people suffer?¡±


    ... Caitel. My dad. There was no way I wouldn¡¯t know. I was that man¡¯s daughter.


    I couldn¡¯t say anything but bite my lips. I couldn¡¯t say that I knew anything about the situation in Pretzia. Of course, I didn¡¯t know the exact details, but I could guess.


    Agrigient¡¯s policy had always been grim. Our reign thrived by sucking away the honey and throwing away the emptied hive. It was a policy that didn¡¯t consider othernds. I knew that it was tant exploitation in preparation for the future wars, but eventually, I realized that the trial ended, and everything our empire touched was kept to fatten Agrigient as a country.


    Right, I knew that everything I ate and drank was made from someone¡¯s sweat and blood.


    ¡°While you were growing up in the Imperial Pce, I walked around mynd and saw the reality my people were living in with my own eyes. I lived through hell every day to restore the glory of old Pretzia, but do you really think that those things you said inside would work on me?¡±


    What else could I say? I just exhaled heavily. It was a situation I had constantly faced since I was a child.


    It was the dilemma that would never release my soul.


    Caitelmitted numerous sins before I was even born.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I closed my eyes and concentrated on taking a stable breath.


    As Caitel¡¯s daughter, my dad¡¯s daughter, the dilemma was bound to follow me till death. Even if I apologized for what happened, it would be useless.


    Every time I faced such a situation, I would just go silent, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°... so you are avenging your empire against Agrigent?¡±


    ¡°I already got my revenge.¡±


    Havel¡¯s voice turned cold.


    ¡°It¡¯s just not done yet.¡±


    Agrigient approved Pretzia¡¯s independence. Even if Agrigient said that Pretzia was viting the terms of the agreement, there wouldn¡¯t be much strength to our protestation. A very tiresome and frustrating situation would ur if things went ahead.


    After all that, I found the best thing I could say.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Staring with his cold eyes, Havel replied.


    ¡°I started realizing that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. Just¡ªit was frustrating. I had no idea what to say or do. I just felt frustrated and irritated to the extent that tears would flow out any second.


    What could I even call that feeling?


    ¡°That means we wille to an end?¡±


    How could I recover such a rtionship?


    I knew that what I shared with Havel would end up like this from the very beginning. I didn¡¯t want to ept or deny it. I thought that one day, our paths woulde across horribly, just like now.


    I didn¡¯t even realize when it was happening.


    Just the thought of it made my heartache.


    Havel, who heard my words, chuckled. Maybe I said something out of line.


    ¡°¡®We,¡¯ is it?¡±


    His eyes held such a significant burden that I found it challenging to look at him.


    I just stood there like a sheep. The gap between us seemed to have grownrger for us to fill it. I finally saw that it wasn¡¯t something I could handle by myself.


    I just lowered my head. I hated the situation I was in; I didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    ¡°Do you remember those words?¡±


    What words?


    I looked at him.


    ¡°That I was there to check on you.¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    It was when he came to return the hairband. How could I forget that? I was so concerned by his words that day; I couldn¡¯t even sleep that night.


    When I said I remembered, Havel went silent.


    The same thing as the past, repeating. An eager gaze was wanting something anxiously. His eyes were so fixed on me that I couldn¡¯t even react.


    Why was he staring so much?


    ¡°I care for you, Ariadna.¡±


    Havel continued.


    ¡°But it¡¯s different with your father. There are too many problems between your father and me that we still need to solve.¡±


    ¡°If my dad is your enemy, then I am your enemy, too, right?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡±


    I really couldn¡¯t understand what Havel was trying to say.


    What the hell didn¡¯t I understand? I wanted to ask, but something told me not to.


    Havel smiled.


    ¡°Well, although I like that about you.¡±


    What?


    I was shocked. I was sure that my eyes widened enough that even Havel showed a cheerful smile.


    Suddenly, Havel reached out to me again. He touched my cheeks.


    ¡°I will take you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°From Emperor Caitel¡¯s hands, I will surely get you back.¡±


    What did he say? Crazy!


    As a daughter, I felt terrible, but this guy resembled my dad too much.


    ¡°I will never be yours!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Havel denied firmly.


    ¡°For sure, you wille into my hands.¡±

 Chapter 486 - The Emperors Daughter 486

    <h4>Chapter 486: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 486</h4>


    No way... did I get drunk and ended up having weird dreams?


    I didn¡¯t think I would have been asleep, but man, was I shocked.


    I frowned, but Havel kept stroking my cheek with the back of his hand and groaned in a low voice.


    ¡°If that stupid sixth prince didn¡¯t fail...¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    What did he just say?


    My mind tumbled. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡°You, you...¡±


    He knew the sixth prince?!


    Besides what he just said, It also seemed like he had something to do with the sixth prince.


    I was flustered while Havel grabbed my shoulders.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m giving up on you. Since the one who handed you over to Siorn is still eating and living well in Agrigient, your country.¡±


    As I watched Havel step away from me, I hurriedly tried to respond.


    There was a traitor in Agrigient. What did that mean? It was shocking since it was my first time hearing about this.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Havel took a step back and stared at me.


    ¡°If I told you, will you be my woman?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense is that, you crazy bastard?¡±


    What was he even saying?


    I began to swear since I was too shocked; I didn¡¯t even have time to calm myself. Nevertheless, Havel didn¡¯t seem shocked that a princess was swearing right in front of him.


    Well, he was no ordinary man.


    Regardless of my re, Havel¡¯s lips twisted into a smile.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t, I won¡¯t say anything either.¡±


    Wah, this again.


    I had nothing to say. I was speechless. What was up with him?


    ¡°Someday, I will make you my Empress.¡±


    ¡°Does my opinion even matter?!¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that. I do it if I want to.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ah, crazy.


    I was a princess, yet I could do nothing about the anger I was feeling inside. What did I have to do? I tried to put up with him, but man, it was tough.


    I put my hand on my waist.


    ¡°If you marry me, do it in the right way, you idiot! And what did you say? You would take me away from my dad? Who would marry you if you do such things? Ah, and my dad and I are like a one plus one bundle! You hate my dad and like me? You speak like a fraudster! Are you too scared to take such a risk for me? Want me as your Empress? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in the right mind to speak!¡±


    I never said that I couldn¡¯t speak. Just because someone stayed silent doesn¡¯t mean that they can¡¯t speak out.


    ¡°Be quiet! I will never marry you. Okay?!¡±


    Havelughed at my outburst.


    ¡°You will regret itter.¡±


    ¡°Never. You are a hundred years early to win over my dad!¡±


    ¡°We will see about that too.¡±


    One look and I knew.


    Havelughed at how I spoke.


    Actuallyughed, man.


    When I stared at him with anger in my eyes, Havel took a step closer to me. His gaze turned severe; I flinched without knowing.


    Ugh, no.


    I was terrified.


    It was like someone I could never win over in front of me. I was trembling!


    The force this man gave out, the immense pressure, was something no one could endure.


    What was...


    I couldn¡¯t put it into words. I wasn¡¯t sure there was a word to describe that, but I felt scared. Why?


    In the end, he said nothing, and I didn¡¯t step back. I was trying my best to endure the pressure Havel was giving out.


    Ah, mountains are mountains, and waters are waters.


    Having looked down after a long tie of silence, Havel had a faint smile.


    What?


    ¡°Cute.¡±


    ... uh?


    What was he doing?


    I was flustered; before I could even react, Havel¡¯s lips touched my forehead.


    Uh, huh?


    ¡°Yah!¡±


    I was so shocked that I went stiff.


    Once I realized that, I yelled, but Havel was already walking out of the garden.


    Such a fast man. He was already running away!


    As soon as I thought I was being yed, anger rose again. Were such guys even real?!


    Ah, mad!


    I was the daughter of an Emperor, one more time, and I would catch him by the neck.


    Just try and touch me.


    I touched where he kissed, but when he left the garden, I met the eyes of an unexpected person.


    No, why was Ahin...


    I couldn¡¯t pretend like I didn¡¯t see him.


    Man.


    Valer was standing right beside Ahin as he sighed.


    Ugh, it was ruined again. Why were they over there!?


    When I looked at him, Valer shrugged and moved away. No, I didn¡¯t think that a conversation was necessary.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His eyes showed his shock. I couldn¡¯t even open my lips.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. Should I just die? Could I die?


    ¡°Did¡ªdid you see that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    .. I felt like I was choking.


    The awkward air made it tough to breathe. Breathing heavily, I asked again.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    Ahin titled his head upon my question and smiled as if he was about to tease me.


    ¡°From.. what nonsense, you crazy bastard...?¡±


    Listening to Ahin recite the exact same words I said made my soul leave my body.


    He heard it.


    Ughhhh.


    ¡°That... that... I am not such a woman normally.¡±


    Really, I really wasn¡¯t like that. I was noble and kind, but I could feel that I already lost my power to convince him.


    I wanted to rip my head off.


    Ah... ah.


    I wanted to hide.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I felt nice to see that.¡±


    What?


    What did I just hear?


    I was shocked at what Ahin said with a smile. Wow, his alluring smile.


    ¡°Do you remember when we first met?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? No.¡±


    What else should I say?


    I was wondering when Ahinughed.


    Huh? What?


    I really couldn¡¯t understand why he wasughing. What was it? What happened when we met?


    ¡°Bothered?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes...¡±


    ¡°Really? It isn¡¯t something bad.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    If the man were not Ahin, I would have held him by the neck and made him spill it out. Ugh, he should have just said it already.


    Would he really say nothing? Heughed again, seeing me get all tensed up. Just when I expected him to say it.


    ¡°Then, pay more attention.¡±


    Huh?!


    ... what? That was it?


    The end? Really?


    That was the only thing Ahin said.


    No. Hold on?!


    I really wanted to ask him, but I already missed the timing... maybe it was my bad day?


    ¡°Done?¡±


    The more Ahin left, Valer, who was waiting on the other side, asked. On such a sunny day, in a beautiful flower garden, I felt my mind enter chaos.


    Ah, damn it!


    ¡°Valer, do you know what he meant?¡±


    I squeezed my hair pretty weirdly, and it was all a mess, but I didn¡¯t care. I hope someone could give me the answer to it!! However, there was no way another person would know.


    Rubbing messy hair, he spoke.


    ¡°it is more interesting for you, especially when you don¡¯t know something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He was making fun of me.


    As I frowned, Valer tapped his index finger on my forehead.


    Ah, it hurt.


    What did I do when I first met Ahin? I couldn¡¯t remember. It happened such a long time ago that I doubted that I could even bring it to the surface.


    Ugh. What?


    ¡°What did I do when I first met Ahin? Valer, do you know?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? You said something to us and then caught up with my brother.¡±


    Ah right.


    How could I forget that? One of the best three situations in my childhood. It was mostly a memory I wanted to forget.


    His weird acts then, it was...


    I must have said something resembling my dad. Right, I mean, who wouldn¡¯t know that he was my father?


    Valer, who was watching me act stupid, chuckled while rubbing my hair again.


    Was he looking for some kind of physical conflict with me?


    When I red, Valer patted my shoulder as if trying tofort me.


    Pat pat.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Brother did say that you were charming that way.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What?


    Valer sighed at my stiff face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why he fell for such a woman.¡±


    ¡°... I¡¯ll kill you, Valer!¡±


    I said so, but my insides were a mess.


    No, really, man. I couldn¡¯t say anything else. I was going to end up crazy.


    While I was rolling in the pit of despair, Valer smiled as if he was enjoying himself.


    Ah, so wrong!!


    ¡°I guess being popr has its perks, princess.¡±


    I calmed down. If Valer did that again, I would make him suffer, but I was d that he calmed me.


    Phew.


    I took a refreshing breath after long.


    Valerughed, thinking about something.


    I briefly warned him.


    ¡°Shut up before I hit you.¡±

 Chapter 487 - The Emperors Daughter 487

    <h4>Chapter 487: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 487</h4>


    Eventually, our conversation ended with tremendous work left for both countries to lead a healthy rtionship after ending the war.


    Thus, the talks ended shortly, three nights and four days, yet what we achieved in that time was fantastic. They also dered that Ferdel will hold the second and third talks, so there were no more concerns about it.


    Ah, there was one.


    The two men bothered me.


    ... how should I put it?


    I wasn¡¯t that worried. I was just concerned; I didn¡¯t even know why I was thinking about them.


    Ah, forget it; I¡¯ll throw those thoughts away! I will! Fly away, fly away, my thoughts! What good would such concerns do for me?!


    Rotten luck.


    When I left the Imperial Pce for the talks, it was autumn, but it was clearly winter when I returned to our Capital. When I looked over at the bare branches, I realized something.


    ¡®Autumn is short.¡¯


    ¡°Winter.¡±


    I felt depressed at the thought of missing autumn. When I was young, I never really missed the changing seasons, but things changed as I grew.


    Maybe dad was feeling the same thing. I remembered how my dad asked me not to grow up quickly; I smiled, not realizing what it meant.


    Who was the elder one, and who was the kid? Tch.


    ¡°It¡¯ll snow anytime.¡±


    While I was taking in the silence, Libby broke down the obvious to me.


    Nodding at her words, I looked over at the clouds. They weren¡¯t the clear blue clouds like those in summer; the color of the winter sky was pale, yet it had a beauty of its own.


    Right, it really would snow.


    Once I returned, Ferdel called me, making it impossible for me to visit my dad for some time. However, as time went on, I could finally get some break time.


    Right, I had to see my dad.


    ¡°How¡¯s dad?¡±


    ¡°The same.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if that answer was supposed to make me feel happy or sad.


    Well, I heard the news that he could walk around now because of his swift recovery and that he was working hard to sign the documents that Ferdel sent.


    Well, I did expect him to recover quickly; for some reason, it felt like my future would be promising, as if somehow my dad would return to doing his words.


    Right, he would.


    ¡°Ah, I think I can live happily now.¡±


    My dad was healthy, I was healthy, Argigent was good, and the rest was okay. Even then, none of us should ignore the aftermath of war. We were supposed to pay attention to what happened, but it could be passed with a generous heart.


    The cold winter breeze didn¡¯t faze me since I wore a lot of clothes.


    I was walking down with my easy-thoughts when I suddenly heard something.


    ¡°Huh? Libby, why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like that.


    It wasn¡¯t typical for Libby, who was a quiet, smart, well mannered model maid, to express her emotions like that.


    Why did she cry when everything was going so smoothly?


    ¡°It is just that, the princess... is walking... I am so thrilled...¡±


    What? I really was a woman who could make people cry over such simple things. Men¡¯s yelling wasn¡¯t enough, and now I was making women cry. How would I be made to pay for such sins?


    As I stopped, I patted Libby¡¯s shoulder.


    What must I do?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I will not get involved in such things. Okay? So don¡¯t cry, Libby.¡±


    ¡°For all my life, I wish to serve you... princess.¡±


    Her words made me smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow that, Libby. You are supposed to meet a nice man and get married.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need things like marriage.¡±


    She cried while answering.


    In the end, instead of talking, I decided that hugging her would be good. Sometimes, actions worked a lot better than a hundred words.


    Patting a woman on her shoulder was a lot weirder than I imagined.


    Yet, Libby stopped crying as soon as I did that. I smiled while letting go of her.


    After her tears ended, Libby bowed her red face, probably feeling ashamed of what she did.


    Hmm, if I was being myself, I would have made fun of her again and again...


    Well, l should try it...


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    A familiar voice called me from a distance.


    As I turned my head, I saw Elene waving her hand while approaching me.


    Why was she running like that?


    It hadn¡¯t been a day or two since Elenest made a fuss, but her approach seemed different.


    ¡°Sir Knight is back!¡±


    We didn¡¯t have any shortage of knights in our pce, but I knew exactly who she meant when I heard her say that.


    I took huge strides towards the Sy pce. If who I was thinking about really returned, I wanted to be the first to greet them after Caitel.


    As I walked there, forgetting that I should act like a princess, I ran into Assisi, who was leaving Sy.


    Right, what I thought wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Walking at that pace, I was out of breath. As I approached Assisi, I was already gasping for air; seeing me from afar, Assisi seemed a little shocked.


    A smile spread around that man¡¯s enchanting face.


    He was Assisi.


    My Assisi was standing right in front of me without a single injury to him.


    ¡°Greetings to the princess.¡±


    As soon as I reached him, Assisi knelt and greeted me.


    ¡°Rise.¡±


    Assisi did so without saying anything. Then, I walked straight into Assisi, who held me.


    ¡°You came back, Assisi.¡±


    How much have I missed him? The only knight I had.


    We had only been separated for a month, but it felt like we had been apart for a year. Indeed, what I had with Assisi was different.


    ¡°Really, I missed you, Assisi.¡±


    Assisi nodded at my words with his firm expression. The same as always, but for some reason, Assisi spoke back.


    ¡°I did too.¡±


    Naturally, his words made me smile. I wanted him to pat my back, but what he said was enough. That was his honest feelings. However, we were outside the pce, so I decided to hold my actions.


    Both Assisi and I had to hold ourselves outside.


    ¡°Did you arrive just now? Kay then, wash up and rest.¡±


    ¡°I need to be the princess¡¯s escort...¡±


    Ugh, he was too dedicated to his work.


    I mediately lifted my finger and shook it. It was the best way to defeat that stubborn man.


    ¡°It¡¯s an order, my knight.¡±


    I had no idea why the members of my pce liked having me order them so much. Did they need me to emphasize the order for them to work?


    Well, if they said that out loud, Caitel would say I was too soft on them, but I preferred it. I knew that everyone around me loved me.


    Assisi bowed his head at mymand.


    He would never think about going over my direct orders.


    Assisi finally nodded at my resolute words.


    ¡°I will do as the princess ordered.¡±


    Seeing Assisi retreat, Elene spoke to me.


    ¡°You seem to be good at dealing with him.¡±


    ¡°I was always good at it.¡±


    I had lived with Assisi for years.


    Eleneughed while I pouted.


    Why was Elene¡¯s dress different from usual?


    ¡°Why are you wearing your jacket?¡±


    At my question, Elene nodded very energetically before answering.


    ¡°I am going back!¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Since she was in the pce for about a month, I was used to seeing her; I mistook Elene for the old her who used to stay with me.


    Right, she had a life.


    Although I knew it, I couldn¡¯t hide the regret I was feeling.


    Eleneughed as she saw me go stiff. I really couldn¡¯t hold back the sad expression on my face; the more upset I was, the deeper her smile would be.


    ¡°I¡¯lle back again. Now, as a wife, I need to be faithful to that duty.¡±


    ¡°... right, you should.¡±


    Eleme smiled, although I couldn¡¯t smile back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad, my princess.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And a gift.¡±


    A small jewelry box that Elene showed me.


    The box had a blue sapphire on it, which seemed beautiful yet modest.


    ¡°What is this?¡¯


    ¡°My love for my princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What bullshit?


    However, I decided not to say anything since Elene seemed delighted. I looked down, curious at what it was.


    ¡°Can I open it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, open it after I leave!¡±


    ¡°Tch, okay.¡±


    I handed over the box to Libby while Elene held the hem of her dress and bowed. For some reason, I got nervous since it was her first time greeting me like that.


    ¡°See youter, princess.¡±


    ¡°Be safe.¡±


    I smiled, and so did Elene.


    I watched Elene walk away with her back facing us.

 Chapter 488 - The Emperors Daughter 488

    <h4>Chapter 488: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 488</h4>


    ¡°The Finance office has asked for the budget schedule of Fulgor Pce for the month.¡±


    ¡°I already handed it over to the treasury for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Then, the finance...¡±


    It had been three months since the first talks ended. The end of the war was dered with the second talks; the south¡¯s situation didn¡¯t stabilize right away, but it wasn¡¯t bad.


    Less than two weeks had passed since Ferdel retired in my hands before Caitel couldpletely recover, and Jero became the new Prime Minister.


    By the way, I must have spent up the month¡¯s budget.


    It was customary for the treasury to review it and give it to the finance office.


    They couldn¡¯t have forgotten it, right? It never happened in the past. Of course, the treasury, too, must have been busy, but they couldn¡¯t just forget it.


    ¡°Wait a moment. The treasury must have been hectic.¡±


    Well, I was fortunate to have a few documents to work on. Maybe I was feeling territorial about the work? I knew that there was a conflict between the institutes. Fardel was a special case; right after Caitel imed the throne, he appointed Ferdel as the Prime Minister, so things streamlined.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t help it.


    All I could do was watch how things went.


    ¡°I havee, princess.¡±


    ¡°Libby, is this all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The stack of documents was thick, so I didn¡¯t have time to go through them. If I had enough time, I would have verified them. If the finance was in trouble, would all the documents go to my pce?


    I handed over the papers to the attendant, who seemed to be in a hurry.


    ¡°Right, here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, princess.¡±


    The attendant from the finance office bowed and left.


    Ugh.


    Seeing the way things were happening, I touched my forehead.


    ¡°It will be difficult for Jero.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    What could I do?


    It was a problem he had to solve on his own.


    When Jero became the Prime Minister, the state affairs got so hectic. However, if I asked my dad to help, he wouldn¡¯t even bother.


    Eventually, I jumped in, deciding to help him; even for me, who had nothing to do but order people around, I felt that it would be tough for Jero to establish stability right away.


    The noble¡¯s territorial acts. Ugh, man...


    ¡°Marshal division?¡±


    ¡°They are still busy, something about strengthening borders.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    They had to work on it.


    The problem was money, as always.


    However, if I fully support it, Jero might have a problem in trying to establish himself as a Prime Minister...


    Ah, I was getting worried.


    ¡°Miss Ria.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It is time.¡±


    At Libby¡¯s words, I checked the time; we must nowmence on the other tasks.


    No matter how busy I was, I had other tasks to deal with.


    My body felt so stiff when I got up, probably because I sat all day. Ugh, maybe it was time I tried to exercise?


    These days, I felt really sick when others referred to me as a weak person.


    Well, Assisi¡¯s work might not have ended yet.


    Either way, we must press forward.


    It had been a long time since a separate building in Fulgor Pce became a ce for meetings.


    As I crossed the bridge supported by well-structured pirs, I saw people moving busily in the building. They even lowered their heads when they saw me, but they didn¡¯t stop doing their tasks.


    I entered the room where the meeting was held, and a man stood there with a restless body.


    I smiled when I saw him.


    ¡°Ah, you are here.¡±


    ¡°He-her majesty.¡±


    The person was none other than the painter I met while traveling in Shertoenbosch.


    He was the one who painted my favorite picture!


    Ah, so thrilling.


    It was a bit shameful, but once I resumed my activities, the first thing I did was hire the painter under mymand and bring him to Agrigient.


    I thought he wouldn¡¯tply with my wishes, but he did!


    Ah, how do I exin that fluttery feeling inside me?


    I wanted tough at my heart¡¯s content, but my dignity as a princess only told me to smile... I was trying to conceal myughter, but it was always tough to hold it back once it reached my lips.


    Hmm...


    The painter kept his head low and trembled since he thought I was some scary person.


    ¡°Do you have anything to be afraid of? Are you guilty of anything?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. Absolutely not...¡±


    He raised his head for a moment, but when our eyes met, he quickly lowered his head again.


    Ah, I hadn¡¯t even said anything.


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    Only then did the painter raise his head.


    The maids around and beside me directed many unpleasant gazes towards him, but all I was feeling was indescribable gratitude.


    Ah, I could keep staring at more of those pictures in the future.


    ¡°Your name?¡±


    ¡°Degrin.¡±


    ¡°Such a lovely name.¡±


    Degrin was so nervous that he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    I could see that he was sweating profusely despite the cold.


    Well, I knew that talking with him would be difficult. I couldn¡¯t help it, so I decided to get to the point.


    ¡°Okay, Deg. I will be your sponsor, so please paint for me.¡±


    ¡°H-how could I ever...¡±


    Deg couldn¡¯t speak, so I showed the sweetest smile I could muster. The one I never really revealed to others.


    ¡°Ah, in your free time, you can paint anything you want. This is not a formal contract with the Imperial Pce, but with that of an individual. Well, what else should I say?¡±


    As I pondered, Libby handed me a bunch of papers.


    Ah, right. There it was.


    ¡°Yes, everything was written under this contract. You don¡¯t have to sign it right away. You can think about it.¡±


    Since I was suddenly handing him a contract, Deg stared at me. The amount I was willing to give him was generous.


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    ¡®He was my favorite painter, that¡¯s why!¡¯


    ¡°Ah, and is there any other painter you know? Even a sculptor is fine. I normally like such arts.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes...¡±


    ¡°Ah, and this is the most important one.¡±


    His lips went stiff. I gulped, trying to hold myughter.


    ¡°Please be my art teacher.¡±


    Surprised by my words, Degrin halted in his position.


    Maybe it really was shocking. Of course, even I felt ashamed of asking that, asking him to be my teacher with my own lips and to someone I met only twice in my life!


    I was embarrassed, but I didn¡¯t overthink it; however, Deg didn¡¯t respond.


    Ah...


    After a while, Deg returned to reality; he still looked a bit nk when he looked at my maids and me.


    ¡°Ah, the princess wants to paint?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t something new, but I didn¡¯t want to paint without knowing the basics.


    Obviously, making paintings was still considered a humble hobby among nobles. I even knew that people would speak behind my back in theing future.


    ¡°I have something I really want to paint.¡±


    Deg seemed a bit worried for a while, but it was a different kind of worry. He was looking into my eyes as if he was trying to find something.


    Only silence lingered.


    Deg nodded, making up his mind.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Uh? Really?


    I smiled very brightly.


    That was enough for the maids to ept him.


    After sending Deg away, I couldn¡¯t help but hum a tune.


    It was a huge sess!


    ¡°Will you learn to paint?¡±


    I was shocked upon hearing the voice from behind.


    Libby looked at me with her wide eyes, so I spoke.


    ¡°You heard it all, right? I was looking for a teacher.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And a sculpture, too, if given the time.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how perfectly I could learn.


    In fact, in my previous life, Icked the confidence to do anything. I wanted to do something right this time.


    ¡°It will be tough since it¡¯s a job that even men struggle with.¡±


    ¡°There is something I want to leave behind. Of course, it would be tough if I was doing it alone, but wouldn¡¯t it help me aplish it under a good teacher?¡±


    At my response, Libby seemed worried.


    ¡°You could just order someone.¡±


    ¡°That is too...¡±


    I could if I wanted, even I would feel d.


    I had good taste in such things too.


    ¡°No matter how great an artist is, they could never paint what I have in mind. It¡¯s probably something only I could do, so I want what is in my head to be painted with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Could I let her know?


    I ced a finger on my lips.


    ¡°A secret.¡±


    Even my dad wouldn¡¯t know it.


    Thinking about the grand n in my head, I passed by Libby and her curious gaze with a proud grin.


    All they had to do was wait to know what it was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll paint itter when I reach a point where I can express it well.¡±


    Of course, it would take a lot of time for that to happen, but that thing I would show would be worth the wait.

 Chapter 489 - The Emperors Daughter 489

    <h4>Chapter 489: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 489</h4>


    One of the things that I loved after returning was the tea time I got to enjoy. As usual, it was time to bring together my childhood friends and favorite people to talk about ourselves.


    It wasn¡¯t a huge deal, but for me, it was always thrilling. My heart would always beat fast.


    ¡°When did things get like this?¡±


    Still, it was something unusual for me.


    With my lips shut tightly, I looked at Evelyn in admiration. She bowed as if she was a little taken aback by my staring.


    I looked over at Cito. Man, Cito, too, turned his gaze away from me.


    No, did the man really go into the battlefield...?


    What happened to them in a month or so?


    ¡°Did you two fight?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, not at all, princess!¡±


    .... No, they didn¡¯t have to deny it so vehemently. Suspicious.


    As I alternated my gaze between Evelyn and Cito, Evelyn¡¯s cheeks went red right away as she lowered her head.


    Seeing her like that, I stopped nosing between them. Well, I did get the wedding news. It was shocking, but it was expected to happen.


    Even then, did Evelyn already...?


    Unlike me, who was still trying to figure something out, the twins were rtively happy.


    They rushed to the city when they announced the marriage at teatime.


    ¡°You did it!¡±


    ¡°Right, you are the man!¡±


    ¡°Man, you did well.¡±


    However, what was the rtionship between marrying and being a man? Besides, the twins seemed happier at the newspared to me.


    Were the three of them always this close?


    Even if I kept trying to find it out, I had to congratte the two of them because it was a piece of joyous news.


    Still, something felt off.


    ¡°Well, hmmm¡±


    Both the man and woman were still feeling shy.


    I didn¡¯t even remember when was thest time I saw them separately, but when I met them at the table, they did seem like a couple who went well together. Besides, Cito managed to achieve the eptance of his unrequited love. Right, it was an asion that called for a smile.


    ¡°Well, congrattions.¡±


    As I smiled and congratted them, Evelyn became a bit more rxed.


    ¡°After all, the princess does have a heart as wide as the sea...!¡±


    ¡°That is all! Anymore praise, and I will have to think about the gift.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Amid all that, no one on the table rejected their rtionship. I knew just how much Evelyn adored me, so what? Hmm, I didn¡¯t want to sit at the table and listen to her praises all day.


    Even if they were getting married, it would happen after theing months; my head was already filled with concerns, mostly since it involved Evelyn, my friend and sister, and Cito, my brother.


    Right, that was it. I never really called myself the elder one.


    I was in trouble thinking about what had to be done, but Valer, who was beside Cito, began to tease me once I¡¯m done with Cito.


    ¡°Did you choose too, Ria?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Marriage partner.¡±


    ...?? What was that?


    Shocked at the unexpected questionunched at me, Valerughed. The smile he had made an eerie creep down my spine.


    He was making me feel anxious for some reason.


    ¡°You got a proposal from my brother and the Emperor of Pretzia.¡±


    ¡°Really, princess?¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Ah, that bastard.


    Everyone was shocked at the news. Evelyn¡¯s eyes went as wide as they could.


    I narrowed my eyes at Valer.


    Cito and Sanse were quite shocked at the news. They were waiting for me to confirm it.


    That piece of shit Valer. Every time I wanted him to stay quiet, he had to create a massive mess for me.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ah, oh.


    ¡°I told you it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°What, nope.¡±


    Bastard!


    Man, he always liked putting people in trouble and enjoyed their reactions. With what Valer said, everyone¡¯s eyes were on me.


    Ah no! It wasn¡¯t like that! It wasn¡¯t some severe proposal or anything; how did I end up getting caught?


    Ah, that stupid fox!


    I really wanted to put a hole through his smiling face. I couldn¡¯t even stop grinding my teeth. Meanwhile, the most shocked one was Sanse.


    Sanse, who went silent for the longest time, looked at me and asked.


    ¡°Really... did brother Ahin propose to Ria?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question for me. It was for Valer, who was right beside me.


    Even before I could answer, he gave out!


    Why did he have to bring that story up?!


    As I stared, Valer slowly walked away from me and sneaked behind Sanse, I warned him with my gaze.


    You would dieter, Valer


    ¡°Sanse, Sanse?¡±


    He seemed a little shocked at the news. Unlike me, who was full of worries, Sanse focused on other things.


    ¡°Then, what about Ria?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°The proposal, will you ept it?¡±


    Was that even...


    Man, they really were twins. I couldn¡¯t stop the sigh froming out.


    What did I have to answer to that?


    I just decided to evade the answer; even I wasn¡¯t sure. That didn¡¯t mean that I hated their proposal or anything.


    ¡°Is Sanse fine with it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I knew that Sanse liked me. It was like a string that had been attached to us from our childhood. It might have been because he was the only person of the opposite sex who always stayed beside me in every situation, yet it wasn¡¯t like he treated me as a sister, and I let things y out naturally...


    I didn¡¯t know. Since they weren¡¯t my feelings, I was always careful about it.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Ahin then... it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I was shocked.


    Something rippled within me at Sanse¡¯s calm words. I wanted to say something, but I couldn¡¯t think of any.


    What should I say?


    ¡°Because I can trust him in treating Ria well.¡±


    ¡°Sanse...¡±


    To be able to receive such love, I felt truly blessed. I suddenly thought that I had to keep his admirable intentions in mind and repay them.


    ¡°You are wonderful, Sanse.¡±


    When I smiled, Sanse smiled too. It was a smile that didn¡¯t show happiness or sadness, but I wanted it to be a happy one.


    A strange flowing silence...


    Even Valer seemed to be at a loss for words. I could see everyone sighing. Even Cito and Evelyn noticed the change in the air.


    Right, I should do something.


    ¡°By the way, Evelyn, what gift should I get you? Anything specific you want?¡±


    ¡°Uh... please let mee to the Imperial Pce for our honeymoon!¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    What was she asking me?!


    Of course, one couple went on a honeymoon in the Imperial Pce, but that wouldn¡¯t happen anymore. It was no tourist destination!


    I sighed while touching my head.


    ¡°Have your honeymoon to a mansion on the northern ind instead.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that one?¡±


    Evelyn loved it.


    I nodded and confirmed it.


    ¡°Yes, that one I got as a gift on my 8th birthday.¡±


    ¡°I like that!¡±


    Evelyn seemed exceptionally happy. It was a natural reaction because it would be the first time for someone to go.


    However, it was good to know that she was pleased with the idea.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling.


    The northern ind of Agrigent had always been famous for its beautiful scenery.


    The mansion that Caitel had given me for my birthday was the most spectacr one on the ind too. It showed the harmony between the sea and greennd. I had been there a few times, and I still couldn¡¯t get it out of my mind. Of course, I used to hear the others saying that sending my maids there would be a considerable reward for their hard work.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Cito and Evelyn seemed d at the ce they were going for their honeymoon.


    Each time Evelyn spoke, Cito would listen and respond.


    I knew it, but man, the couple had a world of their own; they seemed so in love. Above all, I couldn¡¯t deny how good they looked together. Where else could I find such a lovely couple?


    ¡°Right. It makes me want to marry too.¡±


    Valer spoke.


    If it were Sanse I would have believed it, but Valer saying such things?


    ¡°Oh, are you that jealous?¡±


    ¡°Not that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, not like that?¡±


    Envious? As I narrowed my eyes, Valer frowned. It was an unspoken warning not to make fun of me if he didn¡¯t want me using this to my advantage.


    I knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to have fun.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like Ria is jealous.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    I admitted; seeing his face crumble at the loss of opportunity to tease me made me smile.


    Man, he was so cute.

 Chapter 490 - The Emperors Daughter 490

    <h4>Chapter 490: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 490</h4>


    Tea time ended, and so did my afternoon schedule.


    Initially, nothing happened in my afternoons, but after deciding to paint, my schedule turned pretty tight.


    It felt like it had been a long time since Ist rxed.


    Still, the tight schedule didn¡¯t seem burdensome; I really wanted to paint, so I was shocked at how easily I was handing myself.


    Ah, the weather was so lovely.


    As I walked through the path of the temple, a familiar figure entered my eyes. When I saw that, I smiled.


    It was the one man who would naturallye behind me and follow me everywhere.


    My one and only knight.


    ¡°Assisi.¡±


    Assisi responded to me with a clumsy smile.


    He was a knight who couldn¡¯t even smile before. Just the thought of it made me smile wider.


    The warm sunshine calling for the spring shone brightly on us. To be able to go for walks with such an outstanding knight was terrific.


    I was so lucky.


    That when I suddenly thought.


    ¡°Assisi, you know?¡±


    He looked down at me as if he wanted to know what I was talking about.


    He moved discretely as usual, but strangely, being with Assisi made me feel special. I smiled as I looked at him.


    ¡°If I was a little older or if Assisi was a little younger, I would have married you.¡±


    ¡°... huh?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. I am sure that I would do that.¡±


    Assisi was visibly shocked. It was an expression that I never saw before; just seeing that made me want to talk more.


    Teasing was my forte!


    ¡°Because I really, really like Assisi.¡±


    I would have definitely married him.


    It wouldn¡¯t happen now, but oddly, I found it pleasant. To be married to Assisi. Assisi would have been in my grasp, and we would do whatever we wanted.


    Yes, yes, with Assisi, everything I wanted was possible.


    Right, if I weren¡¯t reincarnated and came with my past body, I would have fallen in love with him and married him too. Of course, that would only happen if Assisi also had the same feelings for me.


    ¡°But Assisi is my knight, right?¡±


    Assisi nodded at my words.


    ¡°Even if Assisi doesn¡¯t get married, it wouldn¡¯t matter to me because you would still protect me, forever.¡±


    I like Assisi, really.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it waspassion, affection, love, family feeling, or humanity, but I was d to know that I liked him.


    Every time I saw Assisi and knew the kind of person he was, I kept realizing my feelings for him.


    I really, genuinely liked Assisi.


    How could I exin that? It was a feeling much different from what I felt for my dad, but also a bit simr?


    ¡°But Assisi, I want you to have a lot more people by your side, people excluding me, Ferdel, and even Caitel. It will be tough, but let¡¯s take it one step at a time.¡±


    Assisi¡¯s face went stiff.


    I already knew what his next words would, which made me regret putting my thoughts in such a way.


    ¡°Hold on, princess. You can¡¯t degrade your existence and say that!¡±


    ¡°... yes.¡±


    I knew he would say something like that, sigh.


    Ugh, he would have been a very dedicated athlete.


    ¡°If you are feeling any burden, tell me. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t want it, I didn¡¯t refute him. It felt like a good sign, so I just smiled.


    I didn¡¯t necessarily want to create a family for Assisi. I just hoped that Assisi¡¯s world would be a little wider than what it was now, so his wounds would heal one day.


    I knew how difficult it would be; I knew it might not even work out, but if he slowlyes out, then one fine day, all his burden could be shaken off!


    ¡°Ah, right. I am learning painting these days.¡±


    ¡°From the painter you called in from Sherto?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am painting, but I guess I¡¯m not that good at it. It¡¯s quite difficult.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what ¡®that¡¯ painting would be, but I was still far from making it perfect. Nevertheless, I took up learning the arts for two to three hours a day, and I was a lot better than when I started. I was getting used to painting straight lines, and I could get my paintings, which Deg helped frame.


    In my words, Assisi¡¯s face was slightly hardened.


    ¡°I heard that handmaidens hate the hobby of painting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what about you, Assisi? Hate it?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it is something the princess does.¡±


    Right, why would he say anything else?


    Still, I felt d. I mean, it was a great hobby.


    ¡°Hm. I felt the same way... I knew that painting would be useful. Do you know what I¡¯m painting these days?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Wrong!¡±


    ¡°Then, what?¡±


    As I looked at Assisi ask for the answer right away, I pouted.


    ¡°What?! Are you just giving up right away and expect me to answer?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Assisi went quiet. Meanwhile, I was enjoying his flustered appearance.


    That older man was so cute; what was going on?!


    Right, I decided to give up.


    ¡°I¡¯m painting Assisi.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Assisi seemed surprised at my words.


    ¡°Of course, since there was no model, I decided to refer to your image.¡±


    A low sigh and a relieved face, an expression Assisi never showed.


    He was always quick to change his expression back to normal.


    As he was looking at me, I stared right back at him.


    We were making prolonged eye contact. I was trying for a way to avoid it.


    ¡°Please feel free to call for me if needed.¡±


    ¡°No. No need~¡±


    Taking a step close to him, I pulled Assisi¡¯s hand.


    Although I was quite attracted to Assisi, I tried not to miss even a single detail of him.


    His rabbit-like cute ears.


    ¡°Because I want to draw you since you always follow me around. My precious knight, Assisi. Of course, I¡¯m not doing it alone. Technically I¡¯m a beginner, so I am getting a lot of help from Deg.¡±


    Technically, that was true, but it was my responsibility to fill in the white canvas.


    I started it to pass the time, but I liked it once I began to do it. No one would forget it, and something put down on paper can never be forgotten.


    If we could have pictures, I would really want to take this moment and frame it.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m painting, I need to look at you more carefully. What your face looks like up close or between your eyes, something like that. I want to know even the most trivial things, like how your eyebrows move when you frown, or bite your lips, or seal them away. I mean, there are a lot of things I never noticed generally.¡±


    I knew it. However, there were things I couldn¡¯t observe. As I tried to draw, I kept checking and thinking, so this was how my Assisi was.


    ¡°So trivial but so important. I mean, that is why I feel a little happy these days.¡±


    When I smile, so does Assisi. Man, I really had it bad for his gentle smile.


    ¡°One after the other, I will draw all the precious people in my life.¡±


    ¡°That is a nice thought.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Assisi nodded in approval. I smiled with pride.


    ¡°I have been thinking about it, but I don¡¯t think I will be able to live my life here forever.¡±


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Assisi called out with concern in his voice.


    I held onto Assisi¡¯s hand. The warmth of mine softened his expression.


    ¡°Assisi, dad, and Ferdel, you are all getting old. As time goes, you will get older. I wonder if there wille a day when you will have to leave; that is all.¡±


    Maybe it was a bit ufortable for Assisi, for he frowned.


    I touched his forehead with my finger and smiled.


    ¡®Smile for me, Mister.¡¯


    ¡°That was why I want to remember my dear ones and those I loved. I want to put down the precious memories in my head onto paper with my own hands. Later, people would say, ¡®oh, the princess had such great people around her.¡¯¡±


    Hehe.


    My voice flowed and vanished with the wind.


    Assisi smiled wider. There were so many things I wanted to paint, but if someone asked me why I chose Assisi as the first one, there was an answer.


    I just thought of Assisi.


    ¡°Assisi is the first person that came to my head. What do you think of that? Glorious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Assisi answered with his eyes closed. Seeing that, I decided to y around.


    ¡°Uh? Are you about to cry?¡±


    ¡°... no.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I can see tears forming in your eyes.¡±


    As I made fun of him, Assisi avoided my gaze.


    ¡°Something flew into my eyes.¡±


    ¡°What flew in your eyes? There is no wind around.¡±


    Assisi shushed.


    I smiled after seeing this. Ah, I had a great time ying with him, but I stopped. If I made fun of him anymore, he would have really cried!


    ¡°Assisi is my first. It will take a long time for me to paint Assisi, Ferdel, Sil, Serria, Elene, Valer, Sanse, Evelyn, Haka, Cito, Libby, and so many others. I¡¯ll paint everyone and, of course, my dad.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a long time project.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Before I die, I wish to do that. Would I be able toplete it by then?


    I was worried that I was taking the project too quickly, but Assisi grabbed me by my waist, which almost made me fall.


    I was on the wrong foot.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t sprained; Assisi seemed worried, but I shook my head, trying to say that I was okay.


    ¡°But these days, something doesn¡¯t seem right. Right? I¡¯m too happy these days. I feel so grateful, and I just feel happy enough to be alive and breathe every day. Isn¡¯t that funny?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    No?


    Since I seemed shocked, Assisi nodded. His intense gaze shocked me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Is it really eptable to think like that?

 Chapter 491 - The Emperors Daughter 491

    Chapter 491: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 491


    What was it? I didn¡¯t want to ept his words just like that, but since Assisi was the one whoforted me, I felt at peace. A sense of relief. I always thought that no one could understand me.


    Surely, no one other than my knight Assisi could make me feel better!


    ¡°Since Assisi is saying like that, I will have more fun in the future.¡±


    As I said that, Assisi nodded.


    Having Valer escort me wasn¡¯t weird, but the feeling Assisi gave me was very different. Since I was a child, Assisi and I had a history of being together without a single break; there was no way he could be reced.


    ¡°I heard the news that the princess wanted arge theatre.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, that... that¡¯s supposed to be my birthday present for the year. Dad took it up. I was nning on getting it built five yearster.¡±


    I also wanted it to be built on a different side of the capital, but Caitel ordered it to be constructed inside the capital.


    It was supposed to be a present, so I didn¡¯t protest.


    I just watched Caitel take over my project.


    What could I do? I would only call for a fight by saying anything.


    The building would consume a lot of money, so I tried to save money by cing it outside...


    My dad.


    ¡°So the question about it is, what can be done after thepletion? I do have a couple of things in mind, things no one has tried yet.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too reckless?¡±


    ¡°Building that theatre sounds reckless in the first ce, right?¡±


    I was thinking about something like a music concert or an orchestra or something like a musical y. I asked the builder to make sure that the sound on the stage could reach thest audience.


    It would be difficult to do it right away, but one trial after another, something woulde out, right?


    I knew that I should stop being so excited about it.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it yet, but we could also try something like a circus as well.¡±


    Magic would be good. It was different from the actual magic, but magic tricks are entertaining to watch.


    ¡°How do you get such thoughts, princess? I am curious as to what the princess has in her mind.¡±


    ¡°Nope. They are all my secrets.¡±


    Assisiughed as I ced my finger on my lips.


    ¡°But I will let you in on a few.¡±


    Because of my excitement, I couldn¡¯t see the flowers I almost stepped on. If Assisi didn¡¯t pull me, I would have stepped on them.


    Thank god. But what was it? The road was made out of marble, and the flowers were blooming from the gaps in the tiles.


    Once I saw the flower, I nced at the maids, telling them not to pick out the flower.


    I couldn¡¯t just pluck things out because they intervened in my path.


    I mean, things just happen.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal yet, and it¡¯s a bit out of ce, but it¡¯ll helpter. My goal is to inform the people of the present and theing generations that my dad may be a bad man, but he worked very hard to feed the country. My ultimate goal.¡±


    Assisi, who heard my n, seemed a little puzzled. I actually wanted him to say encouraging words, but I would get it done regardless of his opinion.


    ¡°How is that? Cool, right?¡±


    ¡°I will cheer you on.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Right, I wasn¡¯t sure if anything other than a cheer for me and my idea could lighten me up, but still, those words meant a lot.


    ¡°We can even support you financially if you ask.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am d that you offered, but I have to refuse. I can¡¯t do that for my dad¡¯s sake.¡±


    Those were the lines only a daughter could say.


    Assisi nodded without saying anything more since he knew that I would never agree to that.


    ¡®Hey, you know? Isn¡¯t he a lord?¡¯


    ¡®Can¡¯t I just take some for my own?!¡¯


    Man, right, that sounds so good but a little too steamy for me.


    ¡°Apart from that, I¡¯m sure Ferdel is bored these days. He¡¯s interested in the business I¡¯m trying to do. Ferdel is quite rich, so I¡¯m thinking of making him spend some money.¡±


    When I said that, Assisi turned his head as if he was trying to recollect something.


    ¡°Ah, Sil said something about building a fortified botanical garden in the Viterbo estate.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that! You heard?¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡±


    Of course. I nodded.


    ¡°I rmended it!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Since Sil loved nts, the greenhouse was surely a great idea, but I gave them an opinion of doing something more seriously, and she liked it. I didn¡¯t know that they would start it so quickly.¡±


    It had been a week since the news came out. What just happened in a week? Were they already starting a botanical garden in their estate? One that was also not of a usual scale. If it weren¡¯t Caitel¡¯s close confidant, rumors would have already spread that a vast botanical garden was getting built in a mansion.


    ¡°Because they are quick to act on ideas.¡±


    I managed to turn and arrived at the Winter Tree.


    Maybe the tree heard the news of the arrival of spring; small white leaves were sprouting from the tree.


    ¡°Let¡¯s build something like a knight¡¯s school, Assisi. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Knight¡¯s school... you mean?¡±


    ¡°An institute where people are picked and trained as knights, just like now, but I was wondering about how the knights would get quality teaching and experience.¡±


    I just thought about it once, a fleeting thought, but it wasn¡¯t a bad one.


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The Zavaikal house had a lot of money, so I wouldn¡¯t have to be too concerned about spending.


    I was sure that Assisi did nothing else; how did they have that much money?


    That was one of the three mysteries of Agrigent. One wouldn¡¯t be able to hold such an amount of money as a knight.


    Assisi turned away his gaze as I kept staring at him without walking.


    Huh?


    Why was he avoiding my gaze? Did I do something!


    ¡°It seems like you often meet with the sessor.¡±


    ¡°Uh? Ah...¡±


    Ahin.


    ¡°Well, I did.¡±


    I didn¡¯t remember when, but exactly a month back, Ahin passed from Agrigent to Shertogenbosch.


    As a result, I met Ahin. No matter how busy I was, I couldn¡¯t just send him away without seeing him, right?


    It was a purely innocent reason, but Assisi was looking at me with a suspicious expression.


    ¡®Uh, Assisi! Don¡¯t doubt me!¡¯


    ¡°It seems like the Emperor of Pretzia sends letters for you too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that.¡±


    Just the thought of it made my expression crumble.


    That bloody bastard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s been like that from the beginning! He is a bad one.¡±


    I shook my head as if not wanting to talk about him for some reason. That made Assisi feel rxed. I didn¡¯t know why, but Assisi felt at ease.


    ¡°Uh? Dad.¡±


    Passing through the Winter Tree, heading to Sy, I saw a familiar face. Seeing my dad just a few meters away made me run for him.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Were youing over?¡±


    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s been less than ten minutes since I took a walk.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been a long time since our recovery, but my dad, who was standing there, made it challenging for me to believe that he was the same man who had been bedridden for months.


    Assisi, who came btedly, looked at Caitel and bowed his head. I smiled, seeing Assisi take a few steps back. Such a touching act.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°What, my daughter.¡±


    I was quite familiar with his blunt way of answering, so it wasn¡¯t new.


    I narrowed my eyes and looked at dad.


    ¡°You are allowed to walk? Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°You think a simple pain would keep me from leaving that room?¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    My father¡¯s personality was so troublesome.


    ¡°But is my daughter doing fine?¡±


    My daughter, my daughter! He was about to pass by me just a moment back! Man, he still kept referring to me as ¡®my daughter.¡¯


    ¡°Dad, you refer to someone else¡¯s kid as ¡®daughter,¡¯ not your own!¡±


    ¡°Okay, my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, really!¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like Caitel intended to change his speech habit, probably since he referred to me as such since my childhood.


    Ugh, that was so wrong! From the beginning, I should have made a habit of him calling me other than that! He should just let go of that word ¡®daughter;¡¯ I am his daughter, but he didn¡¯t have to say that to reassure himself or me constantly!


    It wasn¡¯t like I was someone else¡¯s daughter!


    Ah, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I decided to turn away.


    ¡°Ah, the weather is nice today.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go for a trip anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Will you send me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ... then why bother asking me. Huh?


    Despite my resentful gaze, Caitel walked on without even sparing me a second nce.


    As I looked at that, I smiled. Well, ever since I was at a height where I couldn¡¯t even reach Caitel¡¯s knees, we took such walks.


    Well, it was history.


    ¡°Dad, how about we bring in a foster daughter for Assisi? I think that she will grow up well.¡±


    I tried to be as careful as possible to make sure that Assisi didn¡¯t hear me, but Caitel¡¯s reaction was very weird.


    The scrunched nose he showed me offended me.


    ¡°Why? Why are you reacting like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about such things, and just do your job well.¡±


    ¡°Wah, you are so mean. Rude! I was being so kind!¡±


    ¡°It does sound kind.¡±


    My dad, really!


    He was supposed to say things like how he loves me, but look at his reaction! Was he really the dad who loved me? He said he loved me?! If he really did love me, I should be his priority!!


    Ah, I don¡¯t care anymore...


    ¡°Yeah, well, Assisi will be good at it, but it was a good thought, right? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°I guess you do grow up.¡±


    Caitel nodded at my words.


    Okay, my, he was back. I was worried for nothing.


    When I smiled, I looked at my dad, who was smiling too, but I knew that my dad would never say his reasons for smiling.


    Hmm, I was always curious why he smiled for the simplest things.


    ¡°Wah, butterfly!¡±


    Spring wasing closer.


    Still, the ice hadn¡¯t melted yet, and thendscape was the same as ever, but seeing butterflies move around made me feel great.


    Ah, right. Come to think of it ¨C


    ¡°Dad, Sil is pregnant again!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Caitel frowned.


    I was delighted when Valer said it.


    Even though Haka was just four years old, it wasn¡¯t surprising for someone younger than Haka to be born. Sil and Ferdel, their unbreakable bond was shocking for everyone.


    ¡°I wish it¡¯s a daughter this time, right?¡±


    ¡°The child won¡¯t be your daughter all your life.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    I am already reaching neen, too, father.


    ¡°Because I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, what?!¡±


    If someone heard that, they would totally misinterpret it, the powerful tyrant; Ferdel would probably break down after hearing that.


    I would cry for him. I was trying so hard not to say anything else when Caitel stared at me.


    What was it?


    ¡°Some people said you meet a strange man these days.¡±


    ¡°Strange man? Ah...¡±


    Ahin.


    I knew it.


    How did he end up turning into a strange man? The same as in the past. There might be an inside joke in theing few days where everyone would start calling Ahin the ¡®strange man.¡¯


    A brief silence between us.


    ¡°Just a simple tea between us. No discussions either! Don¡¯t you know me, dad!?¡±


    My dad didn¡¯t believe me. His cold gaze was still on me.


    ¡°We talked about what we were doingtely. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to remove the disbelief in his eyes. Since when did my dad lose his trust in me?


    ¡°Wow, really not believing me?¡±


    ¡°... your dad believes in his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Right, believe me!¡±


    ¡®Believe me a little!¡¯


    Ahin and I were not that kind of people. Okay?


    Even then, Caitel seemed nervous after the announcement of Evelyn and Cito¡¯s marriage. Since Cito was already married, Serrira told me her worries since I was at marrying age.


    After all, Evelyn was younger than me and was getting married before me. Maybe I was fortunate because the standards my dad set were hard to reach.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have a boyfriend. You¡¯re still young.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    What else could I say?


    I wasn¡¯t sure who would blow up soon.


    Although he was making excuses that I was young, he knew very well that such things wouldn¡¯t work. When did my dad end up turning like that? He really had a tough life.


    Caitel shut his mouth and grunted. It was cute to see him like that.


    What could I do? Like father, like daughter.


    Naturally, a smile spread through my mouth. I held his hand tightly.


    I pulled on his hand.


    ¡°Dad, do you ever regret having me?¡±


    ¡°If I did, I would have killed you.¡±


    Very much like dad.


    It was the answer my dad would always give. Right, if he regretted having me, I would have never been alive for this long. Right, that was true.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having me.¡±


    Gulp.


    Caitel halted.


    It was such a great pleasure to look at Caitel face to face; it was an expression that I had never seen from Caitel¡¯s countenance before.


    At that time, I couldn¡¯t even think.


    Who would have known that the man I¡¯ll be holding onto would have made me so happy?


    ¡°Thank you for giving birth to me, dad.¡±


    Caitel looked down at me like he heard something wrong.


    Shocked, it was the expression my dad had. I could read the emotions of the blunt-looking man.


    I felt proud.


    A warm sensation spread through my skin.


    Man, I was getting addicted to him.


    I could never escape him.


    ¡°I love you, dad.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    The answer came out.


    Then, he spoke the next words exceptionally clumsily.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    I gradually smiled.


    It was a calming sensation, yet it was enough for me to suffocate.


    It seemed like I was sucked into his eyes.


    Was it really okay for me to be this happy? An anxious yetfortable feeling filled my body.


    Both of us stopped walking.


    I grew up.


    I outgrew the road I always walked with my dad.


    There was nothing around me that had no value. Although I was holding his hand, Caitel looked at me. It wasn¡¯t a gentle or a caring look. Instead, it was a soft gaze, making me feel warm.


    I made eye contact with those warm eyes and smiled.


    As always.

 Chapter 492

    <h4>Chapter 492: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 492</h4>


    I met him in the cold winter times years ago.


    It took me exactly neen springs to face him properly and look into his eyes while speaking.


    -End. The Only Emperor (Author¡¯s Point of View)


    When discussing about the history behind the great Agrigient Empire, there was one man who would appear without fail. A man everyone knew about.


    The one man whoid the foundations for almost all the existing fields in Agrigient and achieved the most prosperous era in the history of the Empire and thend. One couldn¡¯t imagine how beautiful the capital of the Agrigient Empire was during that specific time. It had been a few thousand years since that era had passed, but still, one could still be thrilled to live in the samend as the great Agrigent.


    Agrigient¡¯s history, culture, economy, politics, art, science, and everything else which was looked after during those days.


    The only era in Agrigient¡¯s history that everyone longed for was short-lived. However, considering its historical, political, and cultural impact of that era, could it really be referred to just as an mere ¡®era¡¯ or something more?


    A historically known Agrigent which originated from the Winter Tree and its existence since the mythological age which still couldn¡¯t be proven by many, Agrigent¡¯s worst tyrant of all the time, the greatest tyrant Agrigent would ever see or witness


    The one name which everyone in and out of Agrigent knew without fail because of the tasks he did and his achievements.


    Caitel Lereg Ilestri Pre Agrigient


    Duration of 483~ 589


    The 21st Emperor of Agrigient, beloved father of Princess Ariadna.


    -Good Night, Mister. (Author¡¯s Point of View)


    ¡°Just promise me one thing. one thing only.¡±


    A midsummer day.


    A lovely woman resembling the freshness of the spring spoke under thete setting sun while shone on her.


    Serious expression on her face which she never held making her seem like a puzzle waiting to be solved.


    She didn¡¯t seem to hold any mischief in her face, just a kind smile as always had.


    The cherry-colored hair gently distracted everyone¡¯s who was around. The same went with her cherry-colored eyes which always held a firm gaze when speaking to someone.


    The beautiful woman, like the cherry blossoms which would scatter, asked for a promise that would be difficult to keep with her soft spoken lips.


    ¡°For our children who will be bornter, I hope a better world awaits them.¡±

 Chapter 493

    <h4>Chapter 493: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 493</h4>


    (Ferdel POV)


    There were exactly three people who had a profound influence on my life.


    Assisi, Silvia, and Caitel.


    It was a long list when one thought of it for an extended period and short when it was thought just as fast. They were the most precious and loved people in my life, yet they were the mostplex to be with too.


    Thest thing I mentioned regarding having aplicated rtionship was my rtionship with Caitel.


    ¡°The Princess has disappeared!!¡±


    After capturing Ria, who ran away from Uprichit, Caitel only wanted to return as quickly as possible. Of course, it seemed to me like he was thinking about tormenting his daughter, who put him through hell, but I didn¡¯t care because I knew that Ria would manage to win.


    We arrived on the floating ship back to Agrigent because Caitel learned that the wagons were changed midway.


    It happened precisely five hours after catching Ariadna.


    Dozens of escorts and guards were ced front and back in her wagon; no one could do such a thing to Ria without Caitel¡¯s knowledge. Why would Caitel even ask Ria to get into a wagon if he knew such ns were being conspired?


    No prophet would even guess how Caitel would react when he learned the news that his daughter disappeared.


    ¡°Caitel, first...¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Ferdel.¡±


    I tried to stop him before he did something, but I wasn¡¯t of much help.


    I couldn¡¯t do it. In the end, there was nothing I could do except to stand and see what would happen.


    Caitel didn¡¯t trust the information and headed to the wagon himself. His foot stumbled at the information given to him, and after confirming her disappearance came the natural reaction.


    Srrrrrng


    The sound of his sword being pulled out.


    He directed his sword towards the person handling the wagon.


    The knight went pale at the sight of Caitel¡¯s sword pointing at him.


    With a voice devoid of any emotion, Caitel asked.


    ¡°Where is my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty.¡±


    When the knight tried to say anything, the sword moved.


    The blood on the sword made a red trajectory.


    Most people didn¡¯t know, but I knew about Caitel. He had no intention of sparing that man¡¯s life.


    If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have asked.


    When the tip of the sword touched the ground, the blood on the sword began to flow. Screams ruptured everywhere as the knight fell without a sound.


    Another ident.


    A person died in front of me, but that would be something any normal man would think. For me, the damned emperor created another problem.


    Looking at that, I realized that I wasn¡¯t normal either.


    Since it was a mistake, I couldn¡¯t even ask the Emperor to back down for killing a knight since he was unfaithful to his job. However, no one disagreed that Caitel¡¯s act was cruel.


    Caitel was too extreme.


    Of course, I knew well about the massacre Caitel could do if he couldn¡¯t control his anger. I knew that the real problem was yet toe.


    ¡°Where is my daughter? Huh?¡±


    Caitel turned his attention to the other knights.


    The next target, the knight, slowly watched the sword reaching his neck and trembled. He probably knew what was going to happen to him.


    Of course, Caitel struck him without even giving the man a chance to respond. If I knew that the situation would turn so dire, I wouldn¡¯t have let him go.


    Screams from behind, people were swallowing their voices.


    The situation already turned to the worst.


    He killed two, yet Caitel¡¯s anger didn¡¯t reside. He was going crazy¡ªthe sound of harsh breath from a distance.


    Caitel didn¡¯t even care about the blood on his cheek and pointed the sword at his next victim.


    ¡°Will you tell me? Where did the princess go?¡±


    Just my condolences to the poormbs who were getting killed.


    No knight could open their mouths because of the murders they were forced to see.


    Caitelughed; it wasn¡¯t a realugh. The knights were horrified at his hystericalughter.


    ¡°Save me, Your Majesty, please spare me. I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°What did you do wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was wrong. Please, spare me...¡±


    Ah, I couldn¡¯t see it anymore.


    I turned away, but I knew what happened based on the sound that eruptedter.


    The knight¡¯s words got cut. When I turned my head back, I only saw Caitel shimmering in dark red blood.


    ¡°Terrible. Are these really my knights?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bear to listen to his low voice.


    He didn¡¯t aim his words at anyone else other than the knights in the room.


    Darkness.


    Darkness filled my mind; I had to pay some nice amount aspensation to the knights¡¯ family.


    However, what bothered me was the fact that the bloody sword didn¡¯t want to end.


    ¡°Enough. This is not the time to do that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand and see the bloody situation he was creating; thus, I spoke, bringing in Caitel¡¯s attention towards me.


    The Emperor¡¯s cold eyes were too overwhelming for me to endure.


    Anger rose in his eyes.


    Fortunately, although Caitel lost his cool, he didn¡¯t lose his reason.


    Caitel looked back at the knight and soldiers while holding his sword.


    Such a fortunate one.


    ¡°Find her. Even if it means our death.¡±


    His low voice was worse than a scream.


    Apart from the Emperor¡¯s infamy as a tyrant, even the most experienced knights were scared of him.


    It wasn¡¯t because Caitel was the Emperor. It was because the overwhelming rage Caitel was giving out was suffocating.


    The soldiers just trembled, not knowing when Caitel¡¯s sword could hit their necks.


    It wouldn¡¯t end with a day or two, the fear they had witnessed. It was something no one would see again; his arms would only rx when he had Ria in his arms.


    I knew very well how difficult it was.


    ¡°I will spare your lives only if you bring me here safely.¡±


    In the Emperor¡¯s words, the soldiers moved. The soldiers who had been sent managed to live for a few days. All of them scattered to find princess Ariadna.


    Thus, only a few escort knights were left with us.


    The Agrigient warship was called home.


    Ariadna disappeared without a trace.


    The missing princess.


    Princess Ariadna vanished.


    No one was shocked. The difference was how one would recover from it.


    In the end, it was up to me to clear this up again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere.¡±


    Going back to Agrigent would be a dreame true.


    But if I asked Caitel toe home, it was evident that Caitel would never agree.


    Caitel would never leave unless he found any clues about Ria.


    It was annoying how well I knew his character.


    I was looking for overwork...


    ¡°Assisi, be next to Caitel.¡±


    Assisi was brought back to reality. I read his confusion from his eyes, but we had to calm him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    A question asked after a long silence.


    I wanted him to say he was fine, but in the end, he didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Something must have happened.¡±

 Chapter 494

    <h4>Chapter 494: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 494</h4>


    (Ferdel POV)


    I did say that, but there was nothing I could do. If I said I wasn¡¯t feeling anxious, it would be a lie.


    If nothing happened, there was no way Ria would have disappeared without leaving a trace. What happened was unimaginably ridiculous.


    However, if I voiced my suspicions, there was no way Caitel would stand back. I knew that holding back on my thoughts would bring some calmness for the day.


    Of course, Caitel knew what I was trying to achieve.


    Thanks to someone who didn¡¯t want to return to Agrigent, our destination ended up being the Agrigient conste in Uprichit.


    The Emperor, Prime Minister, and even other officers wouldn¡¯t say anything but leave us be.


    Since things had to be solved, I spoke in the office where the working staff would do their tasks. The disappearance of their princess distracted everyone, but there was nothing they could do.


    ¡°There are already a bunch of overdue payment documents.¡±


    ¡°Take care of anything that we can do there.¡±


    ¡°But you are the one who has to deal with this.¡±


    ¡°Then, you want me to take the floating ship and deal with that?¡±


    The voice flowing out of spirit stones sighed at the reply. Jero seemed tired.


    He would be.


    It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t understand his situation. It had been two months since I left. Even thinking about the administration made me want to faint, but I couldn¡¯t just leave Caitel alone.


    He would go crazy.


    Apart from the diplomatic issues Caitel created when he crossed many borders, the biggest problems we had were the finances needed for the country to function correctly. They were being rolled out without the Prime Minister¡¯s seal.


    If I returned, I would end up staying in the office for an entire month. Just the thought of that future made me sigh. However, I couldn¡¯t just feel down because of it.


    Right, I never had a vacation in my life.


    ¡°Have I reached my limit?¡±


    My fingers cracked as it swiped the papers. Many thoughts were infesting my brain simultaneously, but there was one thing that bothered me the most.


    It was about what was happening around us; it wasn¡¯t a huge deal.


    Bloody crazy Caitel, I swear that he¡¯s a crazy bastard, but he was as annoying as one could get. Since Caitel was busy acting like himself, such incidents were bound to happen; his record for losing his cool was gorgeously on point. Man. I needed some time to soothe myself, but there was no way I could consider him as a problem.


    There was no way I could go along with his war ns. Instead, it would be fatal to say that the issues would be challenging for the person who would handle the state affairs in theing months.


    However, if no one would fill as a recement, would I have to work overtime? Just a thought, but that didn¡¯t seem like a wrong hunch.


    After all, there was another problem at hand.


    ¡°Caitel.¡±


    The lord of Agrigient and the Emperor that everyone was afraid of, his gaze had cooled down.


    Right, there was no way that he would quietly sit in the Imperial Pce. To have such hope from Caitel after knowing him so well was stupid of me.


    ¡°You rotten bastard.¡±


    I wish I could stay quiet...


    I didn¡¯t expect to stay quiet because I knew it would be impossible. The documents piled up, but my willingness to clear them ceased.


    Leaning back on the chair, I closed my eyes.


    There was only one person who came to mind.


    ¡°The damned child.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Silvia, such a thing wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Everything seemed to be slipping out of my hand like loose sand.


    Even as I opened and closed my eyes over and over again, the moist feeling didn¡¯t disappear.

 Chapter 495

    <h4>Chapter 495: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 495</h4>


    (Ferdel POV)


    The first time I met Caitel was when I was around seven years old.


    It was a cold winter day; the 14th prince of Emperor Ivan, I only heard rumors regarding his meeting with Assisi in the corner of the garden where no light could reach.


    An abandoned prince who wasn¡¯t cared for, a child already pushed out of power.


    I ran into him by chance, but I tried to find out who he was. It wouldn¡¯t be too weird if the boy ended up dead.


    I was young then, but I knew the truth about the world.


    I knew the fact that he and I wouldn¡¯t really fit in.


    If Assisi hadn¡¯t met him, I wouldn¡¯t have met him.


    If it weren¡¯t for Silvia, I wouldn¡¯t have even looked at him; I wasn¡¯t interested and didn¡¯t want to give him an ounce of affection.


    That was what I thought.


    Caitel went missing at the age of 13.


    Right, the Pce fire of Caitel¡¯s death case.


    If it weren¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t even have a rtionship with Caitel.


    They thought he died at first. Seeing his pce burned to ashes, no one ever expected him to live. It was natural for anyone to assume that. Even I thought that he was dead.


    I knew that he was a guy who was better off dead than alive. In that situation, his step-brother took over the regime, everyone who shared the blood was angered.


    Even then, it felt utterly horrible that such a means was chosen.


    Unlike Assisi, I knew that having contact with Caitel would only be signing up a death wish.


    Even Caitel knew that. He and Assisi were children of prestigious families, and their friendship would be intimidating to the other members around them.


    That was enough reason for people to point their swords at Caitel.


    If the sixth prince weren¡¯t stupid, he wouldn¡¯t just leave that situation alone without verifying.


    Thus, when Caitel returned, his survival shocked everyone. The sixth prince, who was already dered to be the Emperor¡¯s heir in public, was also surprised.


    After all, the person who shouldn¡¯t be alive had returned.


    Caitel had been dead for six whole years.


    ¡°Spare me, and I¡¯ll give you everything you want.¡±


    He was 19 then.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since Caitel had returned.


    The sound of Caitel heading for someone¡¯s bedroom at night.


    No, he wasn¡¯t exactly searching for someone.


    It would be absurd to have the Viterbo mansion attacked, the most famous family in Agrigient; the best way to call it was that he came in like an assassin.


    If we helped him, we would be provided with everything we needed.


    What bullshit did that mean? I seriously wanted to ask if he was drunk, but I knew from the expression I saw with the night light that he was very much serious.


    Without realizing it, I asked.


    ¡°What will you give?¡±


    ¡°Anything you want.¡±


    I still had no idea what I was thinking then. Until now, I never knew whether the faint guilt feeling had stimted that question or if I had the heart to help him.


    I decided to help Caitel; that was the critical part.


    Even if I didn¡¯t ept the offer, he would have no problem making me work under him. It was clear that I would be held responsible for epting the offer.


    Nevertheless, I epted.


    And Caitel became the Emperor.


    I never regretted that choice.


    Caitel was a capable Emperor.


    Right, he did everything to raise and create the Agrigient we knew, and he did so by going head-on into civil wars.


    He had a natural ability to shine as an Emperor; no one could do what he did. The lonely life of an Emperor wasn¡¯t a problem for Caitel, who grew up alone.


    Sometimes, his cruel temper was a stumbling block, but my ability to cover it up managed Caitel¡¯s faults. He had the best knowledge and was equally smart.


    Orthodoxy, authority, charisma, and ability.


    By just looking at the scene, who would turn down the offer from such a perfect Emperor who didn¡¯tck in any aspect?


    I was lucky enough to be his Prime Minister; I was really lucky.


    I wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with the position he gave me. It must have been because he gave me a ceparable to the power of the Emperor. Although it was hard, I liked the fact that I could work at my own pace. Agrigient faced a crisis before Caitel disappeared, and I created the country I wanted.


    That was rewarding.


    Yes, they were good times.


    ¡°Except for one.¡±


    It was a rtionship where one was dependent on the other, and they just annoyed each other to no end. That was Caitel and me, the position of Emperor and Prime Minister.


    ¡°Jero¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Jero responded from the small spirit stone in a low voice. I tried to say something, but my thoughts weren¡¯t adequately organized yet.


    Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Remember the papers I handed over in the past?¡±


    ¡°What documents are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°My financial journal.¡±


    It was handwritten notes I had made during my time 20 years in office. It was a summary of the things I wished to see once someone inherited my position.


    Even if I stayed far, the notes had been organized with the thought that the new person would feel a little at ease.


    ¡°Ah... yes. I remember. What about them?¡±


    Jero didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was talking about.


    For me, that was the most crucial issue.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°Huh... sorry?¡±


    Jero seemed shocked; he seemed like he wanted to say something, but I ended the call. Anyway, I always knew that I would hand it over to Jero.


    I felt dizzy, but the decision was already taken.


    ¡°It would be great if things could stay still.¡±


    That would be a miracle.


    Talking to myself, I smiled bitterly. I felt sad because I knew that this day woulde.


    ¡°To catch a tiger in the absence of its keeper is a death wish.¡±


    What else could I do? There was no other way.


    There was nothing I could do to stop Caitel. Well, the good news was that he was more human than in the past! However, it was only in front of his daughter, whom he loved, so it was useless.


    Caitel had changed.


    He even surprises me with his changes. Right, he wasn¡¯t even decent in the past. He was a walking disaster waiting to happen. More than ten people would die in Caitel¡¯s hand a day; thus, the Imperial Pce always spilled blood.


    Whenever the pce felt empty because of the war, I would feel relief, but all that would be for a short while.


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown. It was a short time, but I never regretted my choice to help Caitel and take up the throne, although such thoughts faded away with time.


    A man¡¯s nature would never change so easily.


    ¡°He improved, but...¡±


    An unexpected problem.


    Caitel was showing affection to his daughter, a devotion I never knew he could offer. Even if she was his daughter, I thought he wouldn¡¯t love her because he knew what kind of blood flowed in her. After all, he was a man who had grown up in such an environment.


    Caitel killed all of Agrigient¡¯s contributors through different generations because they were rted to the sixth prince and reced the neighboring countries¡¯ rulers because they either helped or supported the sixth prince.


    When Emperor Hiblis insulted Caitel, I knew that Caitel would run around like a wild animal. All I could do was send my condolences to the man.


    The Emperor of the Southern Empireughed at Caitel without even knowing what kind of person he was. Like lightning, Caitel ravaged the Empire and took the king¡¯s two daughters. Caitel defeated him, and he didn¡¯t stop there; he killed all the royal family members.


    ¡°I think you knew best that enemies are everywhere.¡±


    That was how it was. Everything was.


    It was natural for enemies to appear anywhere. It wasn¡¯t strange when people died. Someone had to die for Caitel to live. It was as if there was no tomorrow. Right, until Ria caught Caitel¡¯s attention. Before that, Caitel was someone who didn¡¯t value human life.


    He had anything, but he was also the kind of man who would discard anything.


    The people feared the invincible Emperor who had no weakness.


    Every country was afraid of Caitel. The history of his victories had been written down in countless ounts, and the cruelty he showed when annihting the royal family terrified the people terrified.


    Thus, I had to make him more involved with Ria.


    ¡°Because you know well.¡±


    It was his only weakness and the biggest weakness.


    Even though I knew it, I never thought Caitel would change. It was something I couldn¡¯t understand: Caitel, the war-loving freak, would give up warring and settle in the Imperial pce.


    ¡°It needs to end.¡±


    Since there were enemies everywhere, I tried not to give any gaps to others. He was locking himself up; eventually, he would cover his ears and eyes then tie his arms and legs together.


    However, Ria covered Caitel¡¯s eyes and fled.


    To a ce out of his reach. Where he couldn¡¯t protect her.


    I knew what was happening, yet I couldn¡¯t do anything. I stood and watched.


    ¡°I could do nothing.¡±


    Things were already happening.

 Chapter 496

    <h4>Chapter 496: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 496</h4>


    Ferdel (POV)


    It had been exactly five hours, 33 minutes, and 12 seconds until Caitel returned.


    A sudden burst. Caitel with an unknown letter. And the only thing written on it was ¡®If you want to save your daughter,e alone.¡¯


    The first thing Caitel did after reading that was...


    Barge right into my office.


    The sound of the door felt like breakage. Although I was determined, when I saw Caitel walk into the office, I froze, terrified.


    He was scarier than I thought.


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It was you.¡±


    Caitel was gasping for breath.


    The sword, which came out as surprisingly as ever, aimed for my throat.


    Srrrng.


    With a familiar sound, the metal touched my nape. I had experienced situations like this once or twice when I went against Caitel¡¯s wishes, but it was different.


    After all, he seemed like he would go ahead with the sword.


    ¡°Say it. Where?¡±


    It was a relentlessly cold voice.


    The silver de at my neck stayed there for long. The sharpness of the sword made me shudder at the thought of it shing through me.


    He was holding himself back. He would have taken out one of my arms by then, my neck, too, if he was the Caitel of the past. His eyes were sinking into mine at a terrible speed. I could tell what he was thinking. Right. That was how well we knew each other.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else who can fool me while staying right under my nose. Isn¡¯t that right, Ferdel?¡±


    Cold words. Iughed. His ring eyes held hatred for me, but he didn¡¯t want to take my life.


    Caitel was thinking about what to do, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Then, he spoke.


    ¡°Where is my daughter?¡±


    Did he really think I would answer him? Right there?


    ¡°So you mean to say I took Ria away?¡±


    When I asked with a smile, Caitel didn¡¯t answer. He stared.


    Fun.


    I always knew that a day like that woulde for me, but being in that situation was interesting. A sword aimed for me. No, Iughed.


    ¡°Even then, did you think I would talk?¡±


    Caitel¡¯s gaze was sharper than ever.


    Ugh, it was scary.


    The sword aiming at me was making me ufortable. It was a constant threat.


    I gently pushed the sword back with my fingers.


    Shocking, I pushed it away quickly.


    Right, if he wanted to kill, I would have never had the chance to act.


    ¡°Tell me, where is she?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°Are you sticking to that answer?¡±


    Caitel frowned.


    ¡°Are you saying that I betrayed you?¡±


    ¡°You know that better than me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Caitel was getting pissed with my smile.


    I felt suffocated as the conversation continued. Dealing with angry Caitel wasn¡¯t too hard. Instead, words just flowed out and made us feel stupid.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be solved like this. Right?¡±


    Caitelughed.


    He seemed like a time bomb ready to explode; everyone in the room was getting nervous.


    ¡°Should I kill you?¡±


    ¡°Want to?¡±


    Did he really think that such threats would shake me?


    If anything could threaten me, that would be actions and not words¡ªthreats themselves held no intention of killing.


    There was nothing to fear in Caitel, and his sword pointed at me.


    Caitel knew better than anyone that killing me would only tire him.


    Everything on his own, there was nothing he could handle. Caitel knew that everything would copse.


    Once again, his gaze was stern.


    ¡°If I could.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s face crumpled.


    The fact that he tolerated me for so long was remarkable, but I was still curious to see how long he would hold back his temper.


    That was only for a while. Caitel threw his sword to the ground. The noise of the de hitting the ground resonated through the room. I shrugged.


    Was it going to end?


    When I thought the end hade, an unexpected kicknded on me.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    He hit my stomach with such considerable force. I held onto my stomach and sweat.


    It was no joke.


    I was d I didn¡¯t fly.


    I felt another kick before I could say anything. He hit my side only to make me stay on the ground.


    Hold on. What was he doing?


    I tried to stand up, but he punched me right away. I couldn¡¯t counterattack with all the attacks flying in. I fell.


    I was gasping for air while Caitel took a heavy breath.


    Man, his temper.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I will kill you.¡±


    It was a voice like that of a beast and merciless threats.


    Caitel pulled a sword from a knight behind him. The knight got flustered after seeing that, but Caitel simply moved ahead and stepped on my stomach with the de pointed at my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s written there. Can¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°I guess what is written in there is correct.¡±


    ¡°Although you might not see.¡±


    I was beaten like a sandbag for a long time; I didn¡¯t die. I was just throbbing in pain.


    Caitel¡¯s hand flinched before he could strike me.


    He seemed exhausted.


    Right, hitting me must have exhausted him. My side seemed better.


    ¡°Say it. Where is she, you bastard!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he just going to the point? If he could convince me, I had no intention of hiding it.


    ¡®Right. I¡¯ll tell you who took your precious princess.¡¯


    ¡°Siorn.¡±


    Caitel stiffened at the word he heard. It was better to see Caitel shocked or confused.


    As I guessed, it must have been hard for him to imagine it.


    Although he tried to find and kill Siorn, he couldn¡¯t find a single clue about him.


    Caitel went silent for a while.


    ¡°Is he still alive?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Caitel frowned.


    An eerie silence flowed¡ªa familiar yet unfamiliar stillness.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like you, but I trusted you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like you either; I just trusted you.¡±


    ¡°So this was the price for that trust?¡±


    Well, I didn¡¯t know.


    I had no idea where to start talking.


    No, there was no point in talking. I wouldn¡¯t have gone through hell if I wanted to speak.


    However, I knew that the truth woulde. Thus, I stayed with him. I was the only one who could tell Caitel.


    ¡°Do you know why I let the sixth prince live?¡±


    Caitel flinched.


    He was in doubt, but I confirmed that I was the one who let the sixth prince live; he seemed heartbroken. No, it was more like rage.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I am telling you.¡±


    ¡°Trying to extend the time of your death.¡±


    Tch tch, still caged in his thoughts. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Every time I smiled, Caitel¡¯s face wouldn¡¯t move. My character had dulled, but not much since 19. Caitel, at that time, was more relentless.


    Although I helped Caitel be the Emperor, I was the one who saved the sixth prince.


    The day Caitel became Emperor.


    I visited the sixth prince who was in need¡ªthe sixth prince who would have died in Caitel¡¯s hand. Siorn escaped through the back door I provided without letting anyone know, and thus, Siorn became the only surviving family of the former royal family.


    ¡°Caitel, the perfect Emperor. Right. As an emperor, you are wlessly perfect in all spheres.¡±


    ¡°In this situation, I am thinking about crushing that face of yours. What nonsense.¡±


    ¡°But there is one fatal drawback if you do that.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t be a king because I wanted to.¡¯


    It was the one drawback Caitel had.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think about this country.¡±


    I got up slowly and stood in front of him. None stopped me¡ªeven Caitel.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care what happens to the country. Even if you are the ruler, whether thend is ruined or flourishing, it is just a bother to you. If you didn¡¯t need people who can¡¯t serve you as knights and nobles and if they are of no use to you, won¡¯t you throw them away without hesitation?¡±


    Caitel just stared nkly.


    No rebuttals, no protest. The silence only made me feel bitter. I knew it, but the looming dread of death made me miserable.


    I knew that.


    I knew that I was the only one who thought about Agrigient and strived to make it a better ce. While everyone would think of other countries, I would always stick to my own.


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to convince the Emperor, the only person of a higher position than me; he was the country¡¯s ruler.


    I knew why Caitel had be the Emperor.


    He wanted to kill the sixth prince.


    He didn¡¯t want to lose his position as the Emperor because the sixth prince remained, so he took over the Emperor¡¯s role. Since he crowned himself as the Emperor, Caitel looked around the country, searching for the sixth prince. All because he was scared of having his position taken away. Of course, his hatred for his ipetent father also yed a part in Caitel¡¯s desire to rule.


    However, would Caitel really fulfill his duties even after the death of the sixth prince?


    The answer would be ¡®No.¡¯


    I watched the evidence right before my eyes.

 Chapter 497

    <h4>Chapter 497: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 497</h4>


    Ferdel (POV)


    A heavy silence settled between us.


    Caitel still hadn¡¯t answered me. Only a bitter smile lingered on my mouth.


    He could have been the Emperor, but Caitel never had the intention to be the Emperor. The sixth prince, Siorn, touched and pushed Caitel over the edge, making him take up the role.


    Thus, I saved the sixth prince. Meanwhile, I made sure to keep it all well hidden from Caitel¡¯s eyes.


    If not for Ria, I would have kept him hidden all his life.


    Such a situation wouldn¡¯t have even cropped up if I didn¡¯t see Caitel and his actions towards his daughter; he talked about being a good father and giving her affection.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that your sins will be covered up with just those words?¡±


    Caitel, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Sin? What sin are you talking about? I am innocent.¡±


    Caitel yelled.


    ¡°You are a minister who betrayed the Emperor and his country to help rebels. Do you really think I¡¯d let you live?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡±


    My body was trembling after getting hit, but my mouth was working fine.


    Caitel did speak about killing me, but he wouldn¡¯t have a chance. Of course, he had no evidence, but there would be witnesses. However, I couldn¡¯t guarantee that they would survive till then. Knowing the character of the sixth prince, I knew that no witnesses would be allowed to live.


    ¡°If you kill me without any proper evidence, not considering the fact that you are an Emperor, your rationality will be questioned. Don¡¯t tell me that you have forgotten who I am, Your Majesty.¡±


    Caitel¡¯s hand, which was holding onto the sword, began to shake.


    I knew very well that Caitel wouldn¡¯t kill me.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, this is no betrayal. I don¡¯t like you or that sixth prince either.¡±


    ¡°If Ria is dead, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    His cold voice descended upon me, words which made my heart heavy.


    Ria...


    Fortunately, Ria was safe until Caitel died.


    If the sixth prince weren¡¯t crazy, he wouldn¡¯t just blow up the excellent chance he had gained. Of course, if Ria died, there was no way Caitel could stay sane. Even Caitel knew that.


    ¡°Prime Minister Ferdel is no more.¡±


    Well, that much was determined.


    When I shrugged, Caitel frowned.


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°That sly sixth prince won¡¯t just go along with your ns. You must have a reason for doing all this. Tell me that reason. then I won¡¯t convict your family.¡±


    That one hurt.


    Seeing that he was using my family for his advantage, I felt nervous. Was he really such a man? Shockingly, Caitel could hold his rage.


    That was the most surprising fact.


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯ll talk?¡±


    ¡°I will really kill them.¡±


    Caitel was affirming that he was serious about his words.


    ¡°I won¡¯t spare Silvia either.¡±


    Well, I had nothing to say when he put it like that.


    As I shrugged, Caitel¡¯s expression changed. I didn¡¯t exactly say anything¡ªjust a nce.


    Quick-witted Caitel looked at the room. I didn¡¯t say anything after seeing him take something out of the luggage he had been carrying over the past two months.


    It wasn¡¯t my ce to solve his problem.


    ¡°It was out of hand.¡±


    There was nothing I could do.


    All I had and could do was watch Agrigient rage.

 Chapter 498

    <h4>Chapter 498: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 498</h4>


    Ferdel (POV)


    Caitel immediately left the conste.


    I knew what he was going to do, and I knew it wouldn¡¯t satisfy others¡¯ curiosity.


    Something had already been done.


    Since I no longer needed to be with Caitel, I took the floating ship alone and returned to Agrigient.


    Agrigient already had numerous problems that required assistance.


    Although they relieved me from the Prime Minister¡¯s position, it still took me less than a day to arrive at the Imperial Pce, and I didn¡¯t have the luxury to rest.


    ¡°Sire, why have you arrived sote?¡±


    ¡°There are already a bunch of documents that are long overdue.¡±


    ¡°Attend the most pressing issues first!¡±


    ¡°Sire, this problem is very urgent...¡±


    It had been long since I went back home, rested my feet and body, or took some time to live with my beloved wife and sons¡ªsuch a trampled wish.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the Prime Minister anymore.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    Even if Caitel woulde and say it, no one in Podere would believe that. Eventually, the pressure of numerous tasks forced me to swallow my tears.


    Right, my life didn¡¯t warrant a vacation.


    ¡°One week. I have a feeling that I can¡¯t go home yet.¡±


    ¡°It would be a good thing if this ends in a week.¡±


    Jero said that.


    I nced at him and just sighed. What could I do? It was my fault for staying away for two months.


    ¡°Huge things happened in the southern region.¡±


    ¡°I know. It was Pretzia, right?¡±


    A considerable problem for Agrigient, except for the northern affairs, was Pretzia¡¯s invasion.


    To attack when there was chaos in the country, they must have been so thorough.


    I faced him in person, but I never thought that the Emperor of Pretzia would go ahead with such ns, but he did. It wouldn¡¯t be a massive deal as we were already prepared for such invasions, but our army was getting pushed a lot more than expected.


    Caitel was busy looking for Ria in the north, so Agrigient¡¯s problem had to be resolved independently.


    ¡°Did that bloody sly Siorn bastard join hands with Emperor Havel?¡±


    If that was the case, we were ruined.


    No matter how I thought, things seemed highly nned.


    They must have been holding onto their breath in the Langre desert. Langre itself decided to allow the sixth prince to hide in their region, and they didn¡¯t like Agrigent. It wouldn¡¯t be too shocking if the three of them pledged to make the n work.


    No, I couldn¡¯t think much about it; I wasn¡¯t in a position toin about what they did.


    ¡°It¡¯s Izarta¡¯snd. Would it work for us?¡±


    Even Pretzia would have a hard time holding onto prolonged wars.


    Except for the case where Caitel returned, the war would call for money. The question was how would we provide supplies to the soldiers.


    In the end, it would be tricky to hold onto the southern regions while Caitel was searching for Siorn.


    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯


    Above all, I already knew what kind of understanding Siorn and Langre had.


    Still, the possibility seemed slim. If Siorn failed to kill Caitel or Ria, seeding the throne would be impossible. No, for some reason, even if the sixth prince seeded in doing that, it didn¡¯t seem like he would quietly return to Agrigent. All the nobles who supported him were already destroyed.


    ¡°Was it a gamble to capture even such a scarce possibility?¡±


    Pretzia¡¯s emperor must have known this. Thus, it must not have been a union with Langre. It must have been scary for Langre to have Agrigent as an enemy.


    I contemted how the problem had to be solved, but the office¡¯s door opened and closed firmly.


    I was in the Prime Minister¡¯s office, and there weren¡¯t many who would act like that.


    It was Valer who entered.


    Given the severe expression on my son¡¯s face, it didn¡¯t take long for me to guess why he came.


    ¡°Did father really give up Ria to the sixth prince?¡±


    Who did he hear that from, who?!


    I didn¡¯t want him to know, but it wouldn¡¯t matter if he knew either.


    ¡°You can think however you want.¡±


    I heard a sharp sound before I could finish my words.


    Valer, with his sword out, stared right at me. The cold metal touched my neck.


    Now even my son was doing it.


    ¡°Rude.¡±


    I opened with a low sound, and Valer responded by speaking through his teeth.


    ¡°I am holding back even though I want to cut you.¡±


    ¡°Do it if you want to.¡±


    I pushed the sword with the pen in my hand; it fell as if he had no intention of cutting me. It wasn¡¯t an excellent experience to have a de at my throat several times.


    Valer bit his lips with a disturbing gaze. I never remembered raising my son so finely, but seeing him like that was shocking.


    Well, well, it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t understand his reasons.


    ¡°Does Sanse know?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Does your mother know about it?¡±


    I was really hoping for an honest answer. I was curious about it.


    ¡°Do you think mother will be able to smile after knowing this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a huge shock. Watching Valer¡¯s frown, I knew he wasn¡¯tfortable with the situation.


    ¡°So, everything I was letting you on, her ns, telling you where she went, and who she was meeting... you were passing down that information to the sixth prince, father?¡±


    ¡°You can think however you want.¡±


    Valer lifted his sword again.


    Although he had no intention of killing me, he did point his sword at me. I pushed the de to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let it go for once, son, not twice.¡±


    Hearing the loud noise, the knights outside entered.


    I didn¡¯t want the outside world to know about a father and son¡¯s affairs, but I couldn¡¯t help it, mostly when he acted like that. Valer needed to cool himself up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sire?¡±


    ¡°I order for that Knight Valtorte be ced on standby. Since he pointed his sword at the Prime Minister, he will return to his quarters and reflect on his mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The shocked knight asked for confirmation again. I nodded to his expression.


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    While I looked at the knight escorting Valer outside, Jero, who had been out, entered.


    ¡°Did something happen with Valer...¡±


    ¡°It did. A matter between father and son.¡±


    It seemed strange for him, but Jero didn¡¯t push me on that matter.


    I had no intention of talking even when asked about it.


    ¡°We need to start sending the knights.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°We need to ce the Winter Moon knights and Autumn stars knights onto the southern front. How does that seem?¡±


    My son pointed his sword at me, and it seemed like I was acting so casually about it.


    I shrugged at Jero¡¯s gaze on me and drafted the new military order. I knew that I was doing a lot, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Sire.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The soldiers who went to the north...¡±


    I was asked if we could call back the soldiers sent to the north, but the only answer I could give was a bitter smile.


    Jero, who didn¡¯t know the reason, frowned. There was nothing I could do for the knights, so I just had to watch.


    ¡°You know, Jero.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Jero looked at me, and I smiled.


    ¡°This is a seat where we see what others can¡¯t and think what others can¡¯t. No matter what we do, this is a position no one will know the value of.¡±


    However, it was a ce where work had to be done. That way, in the further future, changes could be made, and chaos could be avoided. Slow, slowly, but effectively.


    Meanwhile, Agrigent had always undergone rapid changes, but the future of Agrigent would be different.


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°... Sire?¡±


    Jero hesitated.


    Reluctance.


    Whether he wanted to do the job or not, I had already nned to withdraw from my position.


    Whatever the conclusion Caitel would reach aftering back, I would take responsibility for my actions, even if there was no evidence.


    Of course, I could be given a splendid retirement ceremony and withdraw from the position.


    That would be a little better to look at.


    All this while, I had suffered yet achieved a lot, so I could retire and enjoy life with my family leisurely.


    That wouldn¡¯t happen, though.


    There were reasons for that.


    Prime Ministers had full power in the Empire. No nobleman in Agrigient¡¯s history had the Prime Minister position for so long, nor had performed such achievements. Of course, all the policies emerged from my work, and everyone lived on the codes I created.


    I was always concerned.


    Even if I retire, would it be a real retirement?


    There was a lot of confusion if theing person would handle the burden of the position. Among them, there would be some who would im to be the second Ferdel.


    That wasn¡¯t what I wanted.


    ¡°Sire.¡±


    Knock, knock, knock.


    As I turned my head towards the sound, I saw an attendant near the door.


    The attendants seemed flustered.


    ¡°The Countess of Viterbo is here.¡±


    Silvia?


    Even Jero seemed shocked.


    The door opened; she entered the office with light steps. Even Jero moved away, giving a path for Sil.


    Just a short while ago, I expelled Valer from the office, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward. However, Silvia blew away the ufortable air with her bright smile.


    ¡°After two months of absence, my husband returned, and I went to see him, yet he didn¡¯t evene to see me.¡±


    At the same time, Silvia ced a change of clothes and lunch on the table.


    A lunch with her love, it looked hand-made, making me feel strange. I wasn¡¯t skipping meals or anything, but it was unfamiliar to see that.


    Looking back, I couldn¡¯t remember when was thest time I ate properly.


    It was weird, though.


    Did Sile all the way to bring me that?


    Silvia smiled as brightly as she could while bringing me lunch. As always, her smile was warm like the spring sun.


    ¡°You look like you have a lot on your hand, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Your face says it all.¡±


    I guess so. Sil was different from the others; it was amazing how well she knew me.


    Bringing me rice right when I was hungry like this made my mouth feel filled with sand.


    ¡°Are you worried about anything, Ferdel?¡±


    Her gentle voice pulled me back to reality.


    A delicate woman, she had the power to touch my convoluted mind. Even so, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to speak.


    ¡°You know, Sil. I might have created a huge mess. Perhaps our titles will be taken away. Of course, that might not happen too, but it could be-¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    I tried to say something more, but she cut it off.


    I looked into her eyes, searching for confirmation; Sil just nodded as if it was true.


    She smiled brightly.


    ¡°There must have been a reason for that, right?¡±


    As if she knew everything, her words were enough to make me feel relieved.


    Even then, even then...


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it then.¡±


    What was I worrying about?


    I knew that it would turn out like this, but the feeling became too intense for me to forget when I faced the situation.


    How could I not love her?


    She reminded me of every moment.


    How could I not love her?


    Sil approached me and stroked my head.


    Her small yet delicate arms hugged me. I could feel my insides turning warm at her act.


    ¡°Every time you took that seat, I always thought that maybe I put too much burden on you. You always listened to my requests even if they were too hard; I wondered if I was acting too foolish.¡±


    I shook my head at her soft voice. It was never like that.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Even then, that was how I thought.¡±


    She stopped talking and smiled.


    The anxiety that remained insignificant, faint worries that were foreign to the other person, and our concerns emerged, letting us breathe again.


    Who could do that?


    There was one person who could do that.


    Since I didn¡¯t want to let go of her, I hugged her back before releasing her. Her eyes were softer than ever.


    ¡°But you know...¡±


    Her gaze was a little gloomy.


    Above all, her gentle voice flowed like a butterfly.


    ¡°But this was the country you made fairer, peaceful, livable, so I hoped that you would sit there for a little more, a little more.¡±


    Was it so?


    Instead, I would always feel remorseful of it. Taking up the job always felt terrible; I had to be in the Imperial Pce every day. I couldn¡¯t meet my family because of the job; I always felt sorry for Sil, who had to take up the mother¡¯s role alone in the mansion.


    Maybe Sil knew my heart. She smiled and looked at me.


    ¡°You have had a hard time. You can have a little rest now.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sad, but my eyes felt wet. Vague enlightenment calmly collided in my mind. Maybe I had to hear her words.


    I guess it was.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Silvia gently reached out to me. Her pale, thin fingers stroked my tired eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Ferdel.¡±

 Chapter 499

    <h4>Chapter 499: The Emperor¡¯s Daughter 499</h4>


    ¡°Promise me one thing.¡±


    The wet teary eyes which were looking at me were so pretty for me to disobey her request.


    Was choking supposed to feel like that? The woman looking at me was so beautiful, even when she was blinded by sadness. That one moment felt like forever.


    ¡°Create a better world for our children who will be bornter.¡±


    How could I disobey those words?


    I was willing to give away the entire world, but that lovely woman wanted something different. I thought I could do what she asked.


    Was it how the knights would feel in novels?


    I was no knight, nor was the woman a princess, but to me, she was. I felt like a knight who would protect her at any cost. However, we were in a different situation.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nevertheless, even if she hadn¡¯t asked for that...


    I was always willing to give everything.


    ¡°I promise, Silvia.¡±


    January 1st, year 510


    Ugly.


    June 27th, year 512


    Ugh, but cute sometimes.


    February 30th, year 514


    I heard nothing from that ugly one.


    September 17th, year 517


    These days, she talks back to me¡ªthat ugly one.


    April 22nd, year 520


    I really hope we stop growing up.


    January 22nd, year 531


    I love you, my daughter.


    -content from the diary of an unknown author found inside the pce.


    Epilogue: The Only daughter of the Emperor


    During the era of the Great Emperor Caitel, there were numerous stories about the Imperial family. Aside from the oral information, which held no basis, we would try to deal only with valuable sources.


    Historical records mentioned that period, among several diaries, considered the most reliable data of the era, unearthed during the Podere pce restoration project at the beginning of the century.


    There still was a lot of controversy over how the diary owner was beneficial during his time. Still, there was no disagreement about it in the document which the close friend and maid wrote about Princess Ariadna, who was known for her beauty.


    It had been revealed recently, but the owner of that diary was Baroness Elene. Research founded this detail through the list of maids and servants who served during Caitel¡¯s era, released by the royal family.


    Baron Elene was a maid who attended the young princess Ariadna on her maiden days. Even after marriage, she asionally visited the Imperial Pce and provided her service; she was a maid who was favored by many. Although private, it was well known to many that the princess herself had painted the artworks in the Imperial Pce.


    However, that didn¡¯t make the diary a remarkable find. It was evaluated to be a more valuable artifact than others because others wrote about Ariadna in it. Though I was not sure, a few chapters were written by Prime Minister Ferdel or even Caitel the great!


    It was still unclear why such figures took a maid¡¯s diary to write their words, but it was clear that we had a chance to study how Caitel¡¯s era worked.


    Since it was a diary that contained personal affairs, it was heart-breaking that many schrs were waiting for the opportunity to devalue such a valuable log because of the numerous people who wrote it and since their words didn¡¯t hold any political information.


    Schrs had raised numerous perspectives in recent years. Considering that the diary was in a secret drawer with Princess Ariadna¡¯s most valuable items and collections, some thought writing in that specific diary had some purpose. To gain power. For example, some theorized that a great priest and princess left some kind of passwords in the book, taking over others¡¯ guises.


    Above all, there was no record of Caitel the Great and Princess Ariadna returning to the Empire from their journey during thest two years of the Great Emperor. The year of their birth were the ones officially noted into the Imperial record five years after their disappearance.


    Whether it was because of some mysterious exit or because the princess gave away her heart to someone during her time, numerous stories about the royal family were unsolved.


    Their story continued to stay under the radar and remained as nothing but folklore throughout the empire. The story that the children of the Empire would read, the story of Cai-Ria, who took down men of high standing for their wrongdoings, a story that imperial people epted as orthodox.


    It would be irresponsible to throw those records in such a situation, speaking as a history student, even in the absence of data.


    Until now, there was no evidence to prove it; it was buried, after all. However, the discovery opened up the possibility that the Imperial family¡¯s bloodline was still alive and going strong.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!